tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31059912282894473562024-02-22T11:24:09.129-05:00The Bearded Scribe Press—Discovering Tomorrow's Top Speculative Fiction Authors Today!Discovering Tomorrow's Top Speculative Fiction Authors Today!testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15265385351584354182noreply@blogger.comBlogger235125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105991228289447356.post-84450273970112171932014-07-28T12:07:00.000-04:002014-07-31T02:11:11.417-04:00Book Spotlight: Spirits (Sparks Saga, Book Two) by RS McCoyBonjour, Beardies!<br />
<br />
It has been far too long, so please forgive my absence...<br />
<br />
Today, however, I have a special treat, and it's not just my return from the depths of non-existence.<br />
<br />
A while back, I <a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/2013/12/book-spotlight-sparks-rs-mccoy.html" target="_blank">spotlighted</a> the first book of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1495970353/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1495970353&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><i>Sparks</i></a>, an exciting new series by <a href="http://www.rsmccoyauthor.com/" target="_blank">RS McCoy</a>. The book, also titled <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1495970353/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1495970353&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><i>Sparks</i></a>, was phenomenal. After reading the <a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/search/label/5%20Stars+Book%20Spotlight" target="_blank">5-star</a> book, I was so happy that <a href="http://www.rsmccoyauthor.com/" target="_blank">RS McCoy</a> stumbled upon the blog and requested a review. There was one hiccup, however. Although a top-rated book for me, the editing was lacking. Luckily, <a href="http://www.rsmccoyauthor.com/" target="_blank">RS McCoy</a> agreed to my pleading that I <a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/p/author-services.html#editing" target="_blank">edit</a> it for her. I couldn't let such a great story suffer the stigma of a bad editor.<br />
<br />
With that said, I also <a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/p/author-services.html#editing" target="_blank">edited</a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1494779528/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1494779528&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><i>Spirits</i></a>, the subject of this <a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/p/book-spotlights.html" target="_blank">Spotlight</a>. Let it be known, however, that I show no bias to either book given my involvement—my involvement was a direct response to my absolute love with this series and not the other way around, and I can't wait to give you all the juicy details. And by details, I mean Gems—not spoilers.<br />
<a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/2014/07/book-spotlight-spirits-rs-mccoy.html" name="buy"></a><br />
<table align="center" border="0"><tbody>
<tr> <td align="center"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1494779528/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1494779528&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/covers/Spirits.jpg" height="400" /></a><br />
<form name="bs9781494779528">
<div align="center">
<select name="jump">
<option selected="">Choose One</option>
<option value="https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-spirits-1576960-234.html?referrer=53d9a0d6d906b">All Romance|eBook</option>
<option value="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1494779528/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1494779528&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20">Amazon|Paperback</option>
<option value="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00M080EJC/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00M080EJC&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20">Amazon|Kindle</option>
</select><br />
<input onclick="window.open(document.bs9781494779528.jump.options[document.bs9781494779528.jump.selectedIndex].value,'newWindow','height=768,width=1024');" type="button" value="Purchase Now" /><br /></div>
</form>
</td> </tr>
</tbody></table>
<a name='more'></a><b><span style="color: #e06666;">Premise:</span></b><br />
Lark Davies sleeps in a gilded palace and eats the finest foods, but he would trade it all to change that one night. Unable to use his talent for mind-reading to prevent a series of murders, Lark’s dreams are ravaged by gruesome memories. Robbed of sleep and slowly losing his sanity, the devoted lover and expectant father can only watch as his life continues to spiral out of control. <br />
<br />
Whispers of invasion threaten what little peace their new life might have offered. Khea, the new queen of Nakbe–and his only light in the night–declares human sacrifice to be a necessary component of the island culture, forcing Lark to assert his disapproval. For the first time, the unifying bond he shares with her isn’t enough to keep them together. <br />
<br />
With his mentor at his side, Lark’s only hope to stand against the queen and avert a future of death lies in his unexplored ability to manipulate physical elements of the world. The two men search out the spirits that control water, fire, and wind in hopes of ending two thousand years of violent traditions before rival nations invade.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #e06666;">Gems for Writers:</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #ea9999;">World Building.</span></b> Perhaps you are thinking I always choose this Gem. In part, you'd be correct. But only if the book warrants it. World building is my passion–if you cannot build a believable and enticing world, most likely you cannot fully conceive the story you are writing. It's often said that writers are often off in their own little worlds, and there's a reason for that: they are. Most great writers submerge themselves into the worlds they are putting to page.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs-5kj9tFeUbDY72_K7vBZnUBAZS62OQL1MJ-Fj9N9Bhsm8jAyWWkchWYPQx-X0FgFJxMD4ci8xARM377mM1n3M84TvzMWIilHfa-MO2ZgiFoAhewRzT1HNzc1PTrlvT_mFwAbs1ze9dVC/s1600/Sparks+Overland+Map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs-5kj9tFeUbDY72_K7vBZnUBAZS62OQL1MJ-Fj9N9Bhsm8jAyWWkchWYPQx-X0FgFJxMD4ci8xARM377mM1n3M84TvzMWIilHfa-MO2ZgiFoAhewRzT1HNzc1PTrlvT_mFwAbs1ze9dVC/s1600/Sparks+Overland+Map.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.rsmccoyauthor.com/" target="_blank">RS McCoy</a> has not only created a wonderful world in her series, but the individual regions that make up the world as a whole are worlds within themselves. Each has its own culture, its own history, and its own struggles, all of which <a href="http://www.rsmccoyauthor.com/" target="_blank">McCoy</a> describes beautifully. She truly delves deeper into the Nakben culture in writing <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1494779528/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1494779528&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><i>Spirits</i></a>, and we as readers feel as much a part of the world as Lark, Khea, and Avis. <br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #ea9999;">Magical Systems.</span></b> In the first book of the series, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1495970353/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1495970353&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><i>Sparks</i></a> we learn that individuals carry a <b>spark</b>, a light which makes them special and allows them to manipulate elements or creatures or something less tangible (such as thoughts). In <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1494779528/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1494779528&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><i>Spirits</i></a>, <a href="http://www.rsmccoyauthor.com/" target="_blank">McCoy</a> explores the reason behind the sparks and truly incorporates lore and legend within her magical system to account for the transcendence of the magical abilities. We learn more about the gods and goddesses of the world and their role within the system. This makes the magic not only seem believable, but also possible.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #ea9999;">Characterization.</span></b> I know this sounds cliché, but <a href="http://www.rsmccoyauthor.com/" target="_blank">McCoy</a>'s characters truly leap from the page–most into your heart. As a reader, you connect with the characters on a level that you do in everyday life–at least I did. From the amorphous green fog to the unlikeliest of friends found deep in the Silver Springs, each has a distinct personality you grow to love–or, in some cases, hate. The human condition and its complete range of emotions are not lost with <a href="http://www.rsmccoyauthor.com/" target="_blank">McCoy</a> She incorporates almost the entirety of its span, and believably so.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #ea9999;">Alternative Lifestyles.</span></b> While <a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/p/author-services.html#editing" target="_blank">editing</a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1495970353/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1495970353&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><i>Sparks</i></a>, I commended <a href="http://www.rsmccoyauthor.com/" target="_blank">McCoy</a> for incorporating same-sex love within her Nakben nation, but I did not mention it in my spotlight of the title.<br />
<br />
Her continuing mention of this in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1494779528/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1494779528&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><i>Spirits</i></a> and her obvious support of the existence of love in its many forms, cannot be ignored any longer. I must outwardly and openly commend her for it. Literature is often at the forefront of cultural norms, so hopefully her expression of same-sex love as something normal–even mundane–will open the eyes, hearts, and minds of other readers, too.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div align="center">
<b><span style="color: #e06666;">Rating:</span></b></div>
<table align="center" border="0" style="width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b><span style="color: #e06666;">Conclusion: </span></b><br />
If you haven't yet picked up the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1495970353/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1495970353&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">first book</a> of this wonderful series, do so now! It's not only about magic, it's about life, about love, loss, and seeing the world through another's eyes. It's about learning about the magic and power within yourself. It's about friendship and connection to the world around us in a way which we as humans have lost.<br />
<br />
I can't wait for the third installment of this series, and I'm gloating in the fact that, as its editor, I get to see it before any of you. ;)<br />
<br />
Reserans Mens et Mundo Cum Verbum Scriptum<br />
<i>(Opening Minds & Worlds with the Written Word)</i>... <br />
<a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/p/joshuaallenmercier.html"><img border="0" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/signatures/joshuaallenmercier.png" height="125" /></a><br />
<br />
***<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1494779528/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1494779528&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><i>Spirits</i></a> (2014), by <a href="http://www.rsmccoyauthor.com/" target="_blank">RS McCoy</a>, is published by and copyright <a href="http://www.rsmccoyauthor.com/" target="_blank">RS McCoy</a>. It is available in stores, online (<a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/2014/07/book-spotlight-spirits-rs-mccoy.html#buy">see above</a>), and from your <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/search?qt=worldcat_org_all&q=9781494779528" target="_blank">local public library</a>.<br />
<br />
***Per FTC Regulations: I received a free Advance Reading Copy (ARC) from the author and was not compensated in any way, monetarily or otherwise, for this review.testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15265385351584354182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105991228289447356.post-59338955229547805292014-06-16T21:03:00.000-04:002014-06-16T21:03:15.004-04:00Giveaway: June 2014 Kindle Fire HDX OR $229 ('I Am A Reader' Tour)<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong>Enter to win 1 of 2 great prizes. </strong></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong>Winner’s choice of a Kindle Fire HDX or $229 Amazon Gift Card or $229 Paypal Cash!</strong></div>
<br />
The first prize is available via the rafflecopter below. The 2nd is available only to bloggers who post about this giveaway. You can find info on how to enter the 2nd giveaway in the rafflecopter.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.iamareader.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="June Kindle Fire" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-24180" src="http://www.iamareader.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/June-Kindle-Fire.jpg" height="500" width="399" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong>Win a Kindle Fire HDX, Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash ($229 value)</strong></div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"></span></b><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BWYQ9YE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00BWYQ9YE&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">All New Kindle Fire HDX 7"</a> Giveaway</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">The winner will have the option of receiving a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BWYQ9YE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00BWYQ9YE&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">7" Kindle Fire HDX</a> (US Only - $229 Value)</span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQSlE8ESJhyphenhyphenlCLdn3xRWGOquDpJ6isvAvRxX8emrz2NDVsgk5sk36AM39rfF61Hg6KvUL6GMzPxAtdVpIDItMDjkgIV03E1mCvTQ9Ulu4dKfR5txMMwA54pFf-8dI4B9ev6az16yrqoMo/s1600/kindle+fire+hd.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQSlE8ESJhyphenhyphenlCLdn3xRWGOquDpJ6isvAvRxX8emrz2NDVsgk5sk36AM39rfF61Hg6KvUL6GMzPxAtdVpIDItMDjkgIV03E1mCvTQ9Ulu4dKfR5txMMwA54pFf-8dI4B9ev6az16yrqoMo/s320/kindle+fire+hd.jpg" height="207" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #93c47d;">Or $229 Amazon.com Gift Card (International)</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlKH9C9vxBYOM4f7HQhjxGY9_I17cNzNt08HqHIuXFaNXQJFKUpoDMUVCDk19IpsHFGsIpyeBtsxHNMDbVrLoSKvQo8srq9Vw1uiytt8Z0nwotnGE0V5_4kfYVLf9YgyKSUj_01aNoK8k/s1600/amazon+gift.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlKH9C9vxBYOM4f7HQhjxGY9_I17cNzNt08HqHIuXFaNXQJFKUpoDMUVCDk19IpsHFGsIpyeBtsxHNMDbVrLoSKvQo8srq9Vw1uiytt8Z0nwotnGE0V5_4kfYVLf9YgyKSUj_01aNoK8k/s320/amazon+gift.jpg" height="203" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Or $229 in Paypal Cash (International)</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi81UGb1pMfvNBQNN-4b9s2TqieV_nWUt6wWcuZA-IAEKj_7orhGNtnLQGOF2uGxrkaoGIvY-tE60r5YrU7Un8KjlF4ARPAjrbzgiSju9zN619s9Wq22v3Yx_dTD2JlkIYPz0WeaRVW5tI/s1600/paypal.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi81UGb1pMfvNBQNN-4b9s2TqieV_nWUt6wWcuZA-IAEKj_7orhGNtnLQGOF2uGxrkaoGIvY-tE60r5YrU7Un8KjlF4ARPAjrbzgiSju9zN619s9Wq22v3Yx_dTD2JlkIYPz0WeaRVW5tI/s320/paypal.png" height="196" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Sponsors<br />
<br />
<a href="http://iamareader.com/" target="_blank">I Am A Reader</a><br />
<a href="http://feedyourreader.com/" target="_blank">Feed Your Reader</a><br />
<a href="http://rachaelreneeanderson.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Author Rachael Anderson</a><br />
<a href="http://kareywhite.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Author Karey White</a><br />
<a href="http://authorpromotions.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Chelsea Author Promotions</a><br />
<a href="http://illusiobaqer.com/" target="_blank">Illusio & Baqer</a><br />
<a href="http://bookreviewsandgiveaways.org/" target="_blank">BookReviewsAndGiveaways</a><br />
<a href="http://cbybookclub.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Author Alecia Stone</a><br />
<a href="http://www.lorisreadingcorner.com/" target="_blank">Lori's Reading Corner</a><br />
<a href="http://ingeriversen.com/" target="_blank">Author Inger Iversen</a><br />
<a href="http://www.shelfofimagination.com/" target="_blank">Shelf of Imagination</a><br />
<a href="http://www.candacesbookblog.com/" target="_blank">Candace's Book Blog</a><br />
<a href="http://derekrempfer.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Where The Broken Lie by Derek Rempfer</a><br />
<a href="http://www.emperorsclothes.co.uk/" target="_blank">Helen Smith (author)</a><br />
<a href="http://www.shebookblogs.com/" target="_blank">Christine's Blog</a><br />
<a href="http://reviewsfromabookworm.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Reviews from a Bookworm</a><br />
<a href="http://www.morethanareview.com/" target="_blank">More Than a Review</a><br />
<a href="http://tressaswishfulendings.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Tressa's Wishful Endings</a><br />
<a href="http://piecesofwhimsy.blogspot.com.au/" target="_blank">Pieces of Whimsy</a><br />
<a href="http://www.laurietreacy.com/" target="_blank">Laurie Treacy, Author</a><br />
<a href="http://www.theloopylibrarian.com/" target="_blank">The Loopy Librarian</a><br />
<a href="http://www.dorothydreyer.com/" target="_blank">Author Dorothy Dreyer</a><br />
<a href="http://www.deannalynnsletten.com/" target="_blank">Author Deanna Lynn Sletten</a><br />
<a href="http://stevenbrownbooks.weebly.com/" target="_blank">Author Steven Brown</a><br />
<a href="http://www.claudiayburgoa.com/" target="_blank">Claudia Burgoa</a><br />
<a href="http://www.launchingsisters.com/" target="_blank">Launching Sisters to WitchCamp</a><br />
<a href="http://www.yafantasyauthor.com/" target="_blank">Rhiannon Paille</a><br />
<a href="http://amandatru.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Author Amanda Tru</a><br />
<a href="http://www.melissamcclone.com/" target="_blank">Melissa McClone, Author</a><br />
<a href="http://www.authormichellemerrill.com/" target="_blank">Author Michelle Merrill</a><br />
<a href="http://mkircher.com/" target="_blank">Author M. Kircher</a><br />
<a href="http://aekirk.com/" target="_blank">Author A&E Kirk</a><br />
<a href="http://lemoninkwell.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Author Melissa Lemon</a><br />
<a href="http://nikkistory.com/" target="_blank">My Story That I Like Best</a><br />
<a href="http://jlweil.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Reviews by Martha's Bookshelf</a><br />
<a href="http://jlweil.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">J.L. Weil</a><br />
<a href="http://maiasepp.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Maia Sepp</a><br />
<a href="http://luthandocoeur.com/" target="_blank">Luthando Coeur</a><br />
<a href="http://moonangel23.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Making it Happen</a><br />
<a href="http://www.jenniferlaurens.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jennifer Laurens Author</a><br />
<a href="http://www.extaordinaryreads.com/" target="_blank">Extraordinary Reads</a><br />
<a href="http://joanholub.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Grimmtastic Girls series: Snow White Lucks Out (tween)</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em;">Sign up to sponsor the next Kindle Giveaway <b><a href="http://www.iamareader.com/category/kindle-giveaway-sign-ups" target="_blank">HERE</a>.</b></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Giveaway Details</span></strong><br />
1 winner will receive their choice of an all new Kindle Fire 7" HDX (US Only - $229 value), $229 Amazon Gift Card or $229 in Paypal Cash (International).<br />
<br />
There is a second separate giveaway for bloggers who post this giveaway on their blog. See details in the rafflecopter on how to enter to win the 2nd Kindle Fire HDX 7", $229 Amazon Gift Card or $229 in Paypal Cash.<br />
<br />
Ends 7/15/14<br />
<br />
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. <strong>Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded.</strong> No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from <a href="http://iamareader.com/" target="_blank">I Am A Reader</a> and sponsored by the participating authors & bloggers. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/0a00961316/" id="rc-0a00961316" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a></div>
<script src="//widget.rafflecopter.com/load.js"></script>testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15265385351584354182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105991228289447356.post-23065330198805355882014-06-07T10:00:00.000-04:002014-06-07T18:06:04.589-04:00Cover Re-Reveal: Sparks by RS McCoy<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Sparks</span></i><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Cover Re-Release Day Extravaganza!</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>"Everyone in </i><i>the world has a Spark, a light inside that guides them, keeps them alive.”</i></div>
<br />
<i></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Myxini School for Children specializes in training young men and women who have powerful Sparks. Strikers are taught to manipulate fire. Trackers learn to find animals in the most formidable terrains. Handlers are instructed in communication with large predators. But forty years have passed since the last time they had a Reader–a student with the ability to read minds.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
When Lark Davies enrolls at Myxini, he knows there aren’t many like him, but he doesn’t realize just how rare his abilities really are. He thinks nothing of being asked to keep his Spark a secret; after all, he can barely control it. Thoughts and emotions flood unbidden into his mind until he can scarcely walk or hold a conversation. But just when he needs it most, his ability fails him.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Lark meets Khea, a small frightened girl who mysteriously ignites his protective nature. He has no explanation for the curious strength of their relationship, and it doesn’t help that she is one of the few people in the world whose thoughts can’t be read. As he struggles to get to the root of their unique bond, Lark begins to unravel more power than even his mentor expected, but in the process makes himself a target to political leaders eager to take control.</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<table align="center"><tbody>
<tr> <td align="center"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1495970353/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1495970353&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://i1025.photobucket.com/albums/y316/rsmccoy1/Sparks%20Release/SparksNewCover_zpsf773497c.jpg" height="640" /></a><br />
<form name="bsB00H62TKWY">
<div align="center">
<select name="jump"> <option selected="">Choose One</option><option value="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1495970353/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1495970353&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20">Amazon|Paperback</option><option value="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H62TKWY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00H62TKWY&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20">Amazon|Kindle</option></select><br />
<input onclick="window.open(document.bsB00H62TKWY.jump.options[document.bsB00H62TKWY.jump.selectedIndex].value,'newWindow','height=768,width=1024');" type="button" value="Purchase Now" /><br /></div>
</form>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i1025.photobucket.com/albums/y316/rsmccoy1/Sparks%20Release/SparksNewPrintCover_zps33afc6f7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1025.photobucket.com/albums/y316/rsmccoy1/Sparks%20Release/SparksNewPrintCover_zps33afc6f7.jpg" height="231" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Teaser:</u></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Wearing only my loose brown pants, I crawled into the most comfortable bed I had ever known and sank into the soft down pillows. I had just started to drift off when I heard a knock at the door.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>I’m going to kill Avis</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“What do you–” I started until I realized it wasn’t Avis. It was a stunning blonde with blue eyes.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Khea.</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“I’m sorry to wake you. I just– I had to see you.” Her arms moved to wrap around my waist and hold me tight as I questioned if I was really sleeping or not.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Uh, do you want to come in?” We both knew the rules about being in someone else’s room after hours, so I pulled her in and sat down on the edge of the bed, still a little surprised she was there.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the dim light her hair looked a little darker, but her face was still sweet and there was no denying that the last two years had done her well. Who would have thought such a beautiful young woman would come<br />
from that skinny little girl in Lagodon?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“How’d you know I was back?” I asked her, trying to appear less tired or shocked than I was.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“A friend told me.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“I didn’t think you–” Cared? It wasn’t the right word, but I was beyond amazed that she was interested in my whereabouts. I hadn’t seen her since that night at the Moonwater and it had changed everything for me<br />
since then. But for her, I wasn’t aware that she had been affected in any way.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Ride with me tomorrow?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Uh, yea, of course.” It was a struggle to cover how little I wanted to wait. I would have given anything to have her stay.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A wide smile erupted across her sweet lips as she said, “Meet me at the lake at noon.” With a lingering kiss on my cheek, she walked back through the door and disappeared into the dark stone corridor.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">What just happened?</span></i><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">I hadn’t seen her in person in years, and we were hardly close before that. And now she arrived in my room in the middle of the night and kissed me on the cheek. Was it a kiss like a friend would give another? Or more? I couldn’t make any sense of it, but there was only thing I was sure of. I would be at the lake at noon if it was the last thing I did.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Participating Blogs:</span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/2GirlsandABook?fref=nf" style="color: #a4353b;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">2 Girls & A Book</span></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/ALiteraryLoveAffair?fref=nf" style="color: #a4353b;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">A Literary Love Affair</span></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Thousand-Lives-Book-Blog/1439562502951758?fref=nf" style="color: #a4353b;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">A Thousand Lives Book Blog</span></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/All-Things-Book-Review/379124898889780" style="color: #a4353b;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">All Things Book Review</span></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.awesomebookassessment.com/" style="color: #a4353b;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Awesome Book Assessments</span></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/BabyCakesBookBlog1?fref=nf" style="color: #a4353b;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Babycakes Book Blog</span></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/" style="color: #a4353b;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">The Bearded Scribe</span></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Blooming-Book-Hoes-Not-So-Anonymous/1433512826900122?fref=nf" style="color: #a4353b;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Blooming Book Hoes Not So Anonymous</span></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://lbookbliss.com/" style="color: #a4353b;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Book Bliss</span></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://bookchick2013.blogspot.ca/" style="color: #a4353b;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Book Chick</span></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://booknooknuts.blogspot.com/" style="color: #a4353b;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Book Nook Nuts</span></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><a href="mailto:amandahigelmire@yahoo.com">Book Talk With Amanda</a></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://covergirlsdj.blogspot.com/" style="color: #a4353b;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Covergirls</span></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://gopaintbrush.blogspot.com/" style="color: #a4353b;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Doodles Doodles Everywhere</span></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://electivelypaige.blogspot.com/" style="color: #a4353b;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Electively Paige</span></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/HeadtrippingBook" style="color: #a4353b;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Headtripping Books</span></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Indie-Impressions/1414572455478177?fref=nf" style="color: #a4353b;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Indie Impressions</span></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://jensreadingobsession.wordpress.com/" style="color: #a4353b;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Jen's Reading Obsession</span></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://journeywithbooks.blogspot.com/" style="color: #a4353b;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Journey With Books</span></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://justonemorepagebookblog.wordpress.com/about/" style="color: #a4353b;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Just One More Page</span></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://kjhstories.blogspot.com/" style="color: #a4353b;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Katie Teller's Stories</span></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://crasyabout.blogspot.com/" style="color: #a4353b;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Katie's Corner</span></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://lifebooksandmore.blogspot.com/" style="color: #a4353b;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Life Books And More</span></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://lostinbetweenthepages.blogspot.com/" style="color: #a4353b;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Lost In Between The Pages</span></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/momsdirtylittlesecret?fref=nf" style="color: #a4353b;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Mom's Dirty Little Secret Book Blog</span></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://moondustandmadness.wordpress.com/" style="color: #a4353b;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Moondust And Madness</span></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/nerdybookfreakgirl?fref=nf" style="color: #a4353b;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Nerdy Book Freak</span></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pixies-Book-Review-Blog/188474151325629?fref=nf"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Pixie's Book Review Blog</span></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/PNRBookLoverReviews"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">PNR Book Lover Review</span></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: inherit;"><a href="mailto:prettylittlepages@gmail.com">Pretty Little Pages</a></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheBookNuts" style="color: #a4353b;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">The Book Nuts</span></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/thebookwormblog?fref=nf" style="color: #a4353b;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">The Book Worm Blog</span></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/twinsistersrockinbookreviews?ref=br_tf" style="color: #a4353b;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Twin Sisters Rockin' Book Reviews</span></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/twochicksandadudebookreviews?fref=nf" style="color: #a4353b;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Two Chicks And A Dude Reviews</span></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://vernadene.blogspot.com/" style="color: #a4353b;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Verna Loves Books</span></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/TurnedOnByWords/timeline"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Words Turn Me On</span></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A HUGE thank you to all these fantastic bloggers! Support your favorite blogs by leaving a comment!</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">About RS McCoy</span></u></b><br />
<b><u><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></u></b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlfWZa4nfbdCribPRxSXOU4CyuDKthSo2tM4fDYgKPCBjtQUxYsVwNdqGCzCcSuNhnFDw-vB4_D8m3ShKW5ksFDYxqD5qca94ybSn75gVG2F_cb0OOjs5s4qCruz_yrHXhDZppbZxruRI/s1600/RS+McCoy+Author+Photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlfWZa4nfbdCribPRxSXOU4CyuDKthSo2tM4fDYgKPCBjtQUxYsVwNdqGCzCcSuNhnFDw-vB4_D8m3ShKW5ksFDYxqD5qca94ybSn75gVG2F_cb0OOjs5s4qCruz_yrHXhDZppbZxruRI/s1600/RS+McCoy+Author+Photo.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlfWZa4nfbdCribPRxSXOU4CyuDKthSo2tM4fDYgKPCBjtQUxYsVwNdqGCzCcSuNhnFDw-vB4_D8m3ShKW5ksFDYxqD5qca94ybSn75gVG2F_cb0OOjs5s4qCruz_yrHXhDZppbZxruRI/s1600/RS+McCoy+Author+Photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>RS McCoy</b> didn’t ever plan on being a writer. With a career teaching high school science, writing is the last thing she expected. But life never goes the way you think it will. While battling cancer, she picked up her laptop and let the words flow out. One year later, her first published fantasy novel has been released on Amazon and her second novel is in the works. She is<br />
a wife, mother of two, a scientist, baker, gardener, and life-long science-fiction and fantasy addict.</span><br />
<div style="font-size: 13px;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Connect</span></u></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<u><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorRSMcCoy"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Facebook</span></a></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<u><a href="https://twitter.com/RSMcCoy1"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Twitter</span></a></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/RSMcCoy"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Goodreads</span></a></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<u><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/mccoy2672/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Pinterest</span></a></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<u><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/101910429485592020844/posts"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Google +</span></a></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<u><a href="http://rsmccoyauthor.com/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Website</span></a></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15265385351584354182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105991228289447356.post-78441515930665320962014-05-05T10:00:00.000-04:002014-06-03T14:30:31.456-04:00Cover Reveal: empower (fight like a girl)<table align="center" border="0"><tbody>
<tr> <td align="center"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K0VQ7TM/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00K0VQ7TM&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/blogtours/quintenz/empower_cover.jpg" height="400" /></a><br />
<form name="bsB00K0VQ7TM">
<div align="center">
<select name="jump">
<option selected="">Choose One</option>
<option value="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K0VQ7TM/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00K0VQ7TM&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20">Amazon|Kindle</option>
</select><br />
<input onclick="window.open(document.bsB00K0VQ7TM.jump.options[document.bsB00K0VQ7TM.jump.selectedIndex].value,'newWindow','height=768,width=1024');" type="button" value="Purchase Now" /></div>
</form>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Praise for <em><strong>Empower: Fight Like A Girl</strong></em><br />
<br />
"Even non-girls will feel empowered by these stories about ordinary, flawed characters finding their own strengths. Highly entertaining and original."<br />
<br />
- <a href="http://www.leegoldberg.com/">Lee Goldberg</a>, New York Times bestselling author of <em>The Chase</em> and <em>King City,</em> whose mother lost her hearing to lupus.<br />
<br />
Women of TV have united against lupus! Presenting <em><strong>Empower: Fight Like A Girl</strong></em>, a special collection of short stories by top women writers from some of your favorite shows, including: <em>Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Family Guy, Person of Interest, Grimm, Battlestar Galactica, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Law & Order: SVU, Star Trek: Voyager, Eureka, Twisted, The 100, Malcolm in the Middle, Millennium, Being Human, The Shield, Castle, Chuck, Gilmore Girls,</em> and <em>Game of Thrones.</em> In this anthology, you'll discover supernatural thrillers, crime mysteries, horror, comedies, and more. <br />
<br />
Authors contributing stories to this volume include:<br />
<br />
<br />
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/bergopolis">Amy Berg</a></li>
<br />
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/cherrycheva">Cherry Chevapravatdumrong</a></li>
<br />
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/akelacooper">Akela Cooper</a></li>
<br />
<li>Liz Edwards</li>
<br />
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/JaneEspenson">Jane Espenson</a></li>
<br />
<li>Shalisha Francis & Nadine Knight</li>
<br />
<li><a href="http://amzn.to/1i3dGE2">Lisa Klink</a></li>
<br />
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/pangni">Pang-Ni Landrum</a></li>
<br />
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/LaurenLeFranc">Lauren LeFranc</a></li>
<br />
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/kammotion">Kam Miller</a></li>
<br />
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/thejesspineda">Jess Pineda</a></li>
<br />
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/jennq">Jennifer Quintenz</a></li>
<br />
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/LisaMRandolph">Lisa Randolph</a></li>
<br />
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/KayReindl">Kay Reindl</a></li>
<br />
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/sugarjonze">Kira Snyder</a></li>
<br />
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/jeanedevivre">Jeane Wong</a></li>
<br />
<br />
All proceeds will be donated to the non-profit <a href="http://www.lupus.org/">Lupus Foundation of America</a> to help solve the cruel mystery of lupus.testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15265385351584354182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105991228289447356.post-44323720477948188802014-05-01T09:00:00.000-04:002014-05-01T09:00:07.228-04:00Book Blast & Cover Reveal (with Excerpt): Crippling Machine by M.T. Voxx (A Bearded Scribe Blog Tour)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/" target="blank"><img border="0" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/blogtours/mtvoxx/cripplingmachine-tourbanner.png" width="580" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" border="0"><tbody>
<tr> <td align="center"><img border="0" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/blogtours/mtvoxx/CripplingMachineepubcover.jpg" height="400" /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Blurb:</span></b><br />
The King is dead. A country is in turmoil. A rising global conglomerate, Genesis Corp., is the only resource left for a country falling into recession. The Judge Primarch has ordered the arrest and execution of the elite military Core once charged with the safety and protection of the beloved Sovereign Monarch. Now on the run, and with civil war encroaching, a deeper seed of fear is planted, and what begins as a calamity of political unrest, transpires into global catastrophe. For all that was once regarded as absolute fact, may yet turn to fiction.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Excerpt:</span></b><br />
At the end of your training you are given an assignment. Everyone’s is different; each is secret. Some take only hours, some take weeks. Mine took three days. I was one of the few that had made it through boot and basic without having to put a man back into the life-stream. So on my mission, that would be the first time I would ever kill. When I say <i>kill</i>, I mean three hundred and fourteen lives—that was the estimated forensic recovery number they gave on the news some days later. I left my soul there on the last day of that assignment, as the Nighthawk picked me up on the mountainside; I left it with those dead men in Theisia.<br />
—And that was the last time I remembered my name.<br />
<center>
<b>* * *</b></center>
<br />
The village of Sacrapac rested some distance north of the Neosith Project. The town was quaint, and secluded. Technology wasn’t something that the immigrants there embraced. They used old cars that ran on gasoline. They used gas and wood burners to heat the homes that they built off the strength of their own backs. They built with timber and bricks. They held on to the classic life that seemed to have all but disappeared everywhere else in the world. Sacrapac was founded by interlopers escaping the Fourteen Years War from Güstrev, a small country overseas that was one of many taken under the nation of Jullaq’s yoke. It had been some generations since that time, and very few could actually recall any details form it.<br />
<br />
What they did remember was this: The long arms of ‘progress’ are what drove them from the homeland. These monolatrists desired for nothing more than to be left alone from the outside world. When the village was founded, it was given governmental sanction within its designated boundaries. That is—it was to be tax exempt, and the lands were given up solely to the discretion of its citizens and could not be seized by any person, entity, or federal body. Sacrapac was stately, its own country, paying no amnesty to the crown, but receiving no federal aid from it, and receiving no right to vote—and they were perfectly content with that.<br />
<br />
Through the half-story stone wall gating the town, brick laden streets and shoulder-to-shoulder homes that spanned only a few city blocks—one large gothic mansion stood at its apex. This was Volstein Mansion. It sat high upon the hill in the village and everything seemed to be built around it. Wesley Gene Pondaras hammered nails into the mortar of the mansion’s magnificent gates. As the old man stepped back, he read the sign he had posted one last time.<br />
<center>
Danger!</center>
<center>
No Trespassing</center>
<center>
Condemned Structure - 06 Quintilis, 5012</center>
testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15265385351584354182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105991228289447356.post-19714347951325330652014-04-15T00:00:00.000-04:002014-04-15T00:00:02.234-04:00Blog Tour: Fae Books Blog 8K Like Giveaway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://faebooks.co.uk/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CWA94K45JMQ/U0PQI4x5rmI/AAAAAAAAE4M/XMpwcXwCx_o/s1600/8kgiveaway.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;">Hi everyone! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Sarah Fae (Graham) here. We're celebrating over at <a href="http://faebooks.co.uk/" target="_blank">FaeBooks.co.uk</a>! We've reached over <b>8000</b> Likes on Facebook and over <b>9000</b> Followers on Twitter. Yay!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Thank you to everyone who has helped us reach this goal. Thank you to all of you for supporting my ventures and the authors and writers I rant and rave about. Your support is greatly appreciated.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">You can add me on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/SarahFaeBooks" target="_blank">Facebook HERE</a>, Like <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ptsdblog" target="_blank">my page on Facebook HERE</a>, and <a href="http://www.twitter.com/FaeBooks" target="_blank">Follow on Twitter HERE</a>. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><u><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Giveaway Details:</span></b></u></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a name='more'></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><u><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Sponsors:</span></b></u></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.faebooks.co.uk/" target="_blank">Sarah Fae - FaeBooks.co.uk </a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/fionaskyewriter" target="_blank">Fiona Skye</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ARVon2" target="_blank">A.R. Von</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/DemelzaCarltonAuthor" target="_blank">Demelza Carlton</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMelanieKarsak" target="_blank">Melanie Karsak </a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MargoBondCollins" target="_blank">Margo Bond Collins</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/ElisabethWheatleyYAFantasyAuthor" target="_blank">Elisabeth Wheatley </a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Yunnuen-Gonzalez/299049653498228" target="_blank">Yunnuen Gonzalez</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTriciaDrammeh" target="_blank">Tricia Drammeh </a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/brandylrivers" target="_blank">Brandy L Rivers</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/CelyseGraystone%20" target="_blank">Celyse Graystone </a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/IndyBookFairyBlog?ref=hl" target="_blank">Carrie Book Fairy</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClaudiaYBurgoa?ref=hl" target="_blank">Claudia Y. Burgoa </a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Progeny-Series/129418917161599?bookmark_t=page" target="_blank">Ashlynne Laynne</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://facebook.com/lbdarling" target="_blank">Lisa Beth Darling </a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://facebook.com/pages/Author-Angie-Skelhorn-Witchskel/106332176093960%20" target="_blank">Angie Skelhorn The Writer's Nook</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/nancypennickauthor" target="_blank">Nancy Pennick </a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/EDCJohnson" target="_blank">author EDC Johnson</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/JLakeMills?ref=hl" target="_blank">Julia Mills </a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Lekeisha Thomas</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClarissaWildAuthor?ref=hl" target="_blank">Author Clarissa Wild </a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/EllieSewSweet/215666981796455" target="_blank">EllieSewSweet</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/ashkraftonauthor" target="_blank">Ash Krafton, author </a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/alexjamesauthor" target="_blank">Alex James</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/BookwormBridgettesWorld" target="_blank">BookwormBridgette </a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/authoraurorazahni" target="_blank">Aurora Zahni</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Mitchel.Grace.Author" target="_blank">Mitchel Grace </a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/BookItBkWalker" target="_blank">BK Walker</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Visit the links above to get to know the sponsors behind this giveaway!</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><u><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Dates:</span></b></u></div><div style="text-align: center;">Giveaway Ends June 10th 2014</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><u><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Terms & Conditions:</span></b></u></div><div style="text-align: center;">Several winners and prizes. Only those legally allowed to may enter. Any found cheating on their entries will be placed on the BANNED list and thus be banned from winning any Fae Books giveaways. Giveaway organised by FaeBooks.co.uk. Prizes come from their respective donators. Fae Books is not in control of issuing the prizes.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><u><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Location:</span></b></u></div><div style="text-align: center;">This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL. All prizes available internationally.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><u><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">The Giveaway:</span></b></u></div><div style="text-align: center;">Enter the giveaway below - GOOD LUCK!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/d3538a88/" id="rc-d3538a88" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a></div>testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15265385351584354182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105991228289447356.post-47484689349091190242014-04-08T22:44:00.000-04:002014-04-08T22:44:46.492-04:00Book Spotlight: Cruel Beauty (Cruel Beauty Universe, Book 1) by Rosamund HodgeGreetings, Beardies!<br />
<br />
I deeply apologize for being absent for so long. I have had months full of classes, work, and light reading to keep the cold at bay. I am also anticipating attending grad school in the fall. So as a precaution against freaking out about the future, I have returned to reading retold fairy tales. My personal favorite is <a href="https://archive.org/details/BeautyAndTheBeast_201303" target="_blank"><i>Beauty and the Beast</i></a> and boy did <a href="http://www.rosamundhodge.net/" target="_blank">Rosamund Hodge</a> deliver!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" border="0"><tbody>
<tr> <td align="center"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062224735/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0062224735&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/covers/cruelbeauty.jpg" height="400" /></a><br />
<form name="bs9780062224736">
<div align="center">
<select name="jump"> <option selected="">Choose One</option> <option value="http://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=E0AP4FWP4YQ&offerid=189673.160830308&type=2&murl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alibris.com%2Fbooksearch%3Fqsort%3Dp%26qisbn%3D9780062224736">Alibris|Hardcover</option> <option value="http://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=E0AP4FWP4YQ&offerid=189673.167402145&type=2&murl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alibris.com%2Fbooksearch%3Fqsort%3Dp%26qisbn%3D9781482991437">Alibris|Audiobook</option> <option value="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062224735/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0062224735&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20">Amazon|Hardcover</option> <option value="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DB365MK/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00DB365MK&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20">Amazon|Kindle</option> <option value="http://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=E0AP4FWP4YQ&offerid=239662.9780062224736&type=2&murl=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.barnesandnoble.com%2FCruel-Beauty%2FRosamund-Hodge%2Fe%2F9780062224736">B&N|Hardcover</option> <option value="http://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=E0AP4FWP4YQ&offerid=239662.9780062224750&type=2&murl=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.barnesandnoble.com%2FCruel-Beauty%2FRosamund-Hodge%2Fe%2F9780062224750">B&N|NOOK</option> <option value="http://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=E0AP4FWP4YQ&offerid=239662.9781482991437&type=2&murl=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.barnesandnoble.com%2FCruel-Beauty%2FRosamund-Hodge%2Fe%2F9781482991437">B&N|Audiobook</option> <option value="http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-7119502-10876509?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booksamillion.com%2Fp%2FCruel-Beauty%2FRosamund-Hodge%2F9780062224736&cjsku=9780062224736">BAM!|Hardcover</option> <option value="http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-7119502-10718502?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biggerbooks.com%2Fbk_detail.aspx%3Fisbn%3D9780062224736%26referrer%3DBBCJ&cjsku=9780062224736N">Bigger Books|Hardcover</option> <option value="http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=2&pub=5575050473&toolid=10001&campid=5337366190&customid=&icep_item=271362027879&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg">eBay|Hardcover</option> <option value="http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-7119502-10281551?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebooks.com%2Fcj.asp%3FIID%3D1213199&cjsku=1213199">eBooks</option> <option value="http://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=E0AP4FWP4YQ&offerid=271612.291271382&type=2&murl=https%3A%2F%2Fgohastings.affiliatetechnology.com%2Fredirect.php%3Fnt_id%3D1%26url%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.gohastings.com%2Fproduct%2FBOOK%2FCruel-Beauty%2Fsku%2F291271382.uts%3Fref%3D1">goHastings|Hardcover</option> <option value="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/cruel-beauty/id660508179?mt=11&uo=4&at=11ldnM">iBookstore</option> <option value="http://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=E0AP4FWP4YQ&offerid=314164.117319780062224750&type=2&murl=http%3A%2F%2Fstore.kobobooks.com%2Fen-US%2Febook%2Fcruel-beauty">Kobo</option> <option value="https://www.schulerbooks.com/aff/beardedscribe/book/v/9780062224736">Schuler Books|Hardcover</option> <option value="http://linksynergy.walmart.com/link?id=E0AP4FWP4YQ&offerid=233310.26351520&type=2&murl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fip%2F26351520">Walmart|Hardcover</option> </select><br />
<input onclick="window.open(document.bs9780062224736.jump.options[document.bs9780062224736.jump.selectedIndex].value,'newWindow','height=768,width=1024');" type="button" value="Purchase Now" /><br /></div>
</form>
</td> </tr>
</tbody></table>
<a name='more'></a><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Premise:</span></b><br />
Nyx has been plotting and training her entire life to wed and murder her future husband: Ignifex, the Gentle Lord, the demon that rules over the magically-contained island of Arcadia. Betrothed to this demon by the bargaining of her father, she has grown to despise her family that willingly offers her up as sacrifice to stop the rule of the beast and save their world. She is set in fulfilling her duty to seduce and murder her husband. However, she finds that Ignifex and his labyrinthine castle are not all as they appear. As she becomes drawn to her husband, can she still remain true to her duty to save the kingdom? Or is love more important than duty?<br />
<br />
<div align="center">
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Watch Book Trailer:</span></b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/gkQgX8_zSwM" width="480"></iframe></div>
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Gems for Writers:</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Classic Inspiration.</span></b> Greek mythology bleeds throughout this beautiful retelling. The retelling of myths highlights the setting of isolated Arcadia. They are reworked into the culture and history of the island, a blend of Greek and Roman. The Day of the Dead is celebrated, ritual hymns and offering practiced, and legends re-enacted at festivals. Nyx and Ignifex reference myths often in a familiar way, like how my family will speak of film and book characters in relation to ourselves. The myths add a dynamic to the story that helps build the world. <br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Imagery & Setting.</span></b> The castle that holds Nyx captive also captivates the reader. The labyrinth of rooms that defy physics illuminates the imagination and makes up the fabric of the immediate setting and reflects the twisting plot. Whenever I think of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0736421971/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0736421971&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><i>Beauty and the Beast</i></a>, I immediately think of the library from the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003DZX3US/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003DZX3US&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">Disney film</a>. I never really cared about the castle itself—just the library. However, now I want halls and halls of rooms that twist and turn. I want to walk on a ballroom made of water. I want a room of fields and gardens. I want a room that is a puzzle that I have to construct because floating puzzle pieces are now something that I never knew I needed! <br />
<br />
I could, however, do without the room of demons.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Romantic Plotlines.</span></b> This is one of the only <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0736421971/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0736421971&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><i>Beauty and the Beast</i></a> retellings that I have read that the beauty marries the beast right from the start. Their relationship is complicated, humorous, and—above all—dangerous. They both possess levels of cruelty and kindness, and the action between them ranges from flirtatious to knife-and-dagger fury. As the story unravels, Nyx and Ignifex become comfortable with each other. I enjoyed how the relationship between them played out, with its many ups and downs.<br />
<br />
<div align="center">
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating:</span></b></div>
<table align="center" border="0" style="width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Conclusion: </span></b><br />
Suffice to say, this retelling was rich and satisfying in relationship-building and storytelling awesomeness. I love getting drawn into new worlds with believable characters whose quirks and flaws will make me come back to this story again. This one is definitely my new favorite!<br />
<br />
Farewell for now, Beardies! <br />
<a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/p/hannahlesniak.html"><img border="0" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/signatures/hannahlesniak.png" height="125" /></a><br />
<br />
***<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062224735/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0062224735&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><i>Cruel Beauty</i></a> (2014), by <a href="http://www.rosamundhodge.net/" target="_blank">Rosamund Hodge</a>, is published by and copyright <a href="http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/" target="_blank">HarperCollins</a>. It is available in stores, online (<a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/2014/04/book-spotlight-cruel-beauty-rosamund-hodge.html#buy">see above</a>), and from your <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/search?qt=worldcat_org_all&q=9780062224736" target="_blank">local public library</a>.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105991228289447356.post-91059971466979016512014-03-30T12:29:00.000-04:002014-03-31T03:37:05.118-04:00Book Spotlight: Horns by Joe Hill<a href="http://www.forvo.com/word/noswaith_dda/" target="_blank">Noswaith dda</a>, Beardies! <br />
<br />
The BBC would like to apologize for the next announcement.<br />
<br />
'Tis I, Jessica, here with my first ever review on <a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/"><i>The Bearded Scribe</i></a>, and I'm truly excited about it. I decided to start with one of my favorite stories because it's very easy for me to discuss. I picked up this book because I love <a href="http://www.stephenking.com/" target="_blank">Stephen King</a> and, being bored and carrying around 50 cents, saw his son's book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061147966/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061147966&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><i>Horns</i></a> at a Helping Hands store. It was about a week or so before I even opened this book. Frankly, it scared me. I don't like reading about anything dealing with the Devil except <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004J6I0Y4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004J6I0Y4&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><i>The Bible</i></a>. Even then, I get shaky and uncomfortable. I started reading on a night my daughter—not even two at the time—was running a high fever and needed constant rocking. I was so exhausted, and my brain was fried, so I grabbed the first book I could reach and started reading. Well, I couldn't stop. She fell asleep around three in the morning but I couldn't stop. I rocked her all that early morning and most of the next day just reading with my mouth gaping at this beautiful, heartbreaking novel. I cried just as hard as my daughter had been by the time we finished up <a href="http://www.joehillfiction.com/" target="_blank">Joe Hill</a>'s <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061147966/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061147966&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><i>Horns</i></a>. Right now, as it happens, I'm up with my five year old who is sick. She's playing <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HE9LEK/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000HE9LEK&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">Final Fantasy V</a> with her dad and watching me write.<br />
<a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/2014/03/book-spotlight-horns-joe-hill.html" name="buy"></a><br />
<table align="center" border="0"><tbody>
<tr> <td align="center"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061147966/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061147966&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://larryfire.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/joe-hill-horns-art-vinnie-chong.jpg" height="400" /></a><br />
<form name="bs9780061147968">
<div align="center">
<select name="jump"> <option selected="">Choose One</option> <option value="http://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=E0AP4FWP4YQ&offerid=189673.191425477&type=2&murl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alibris.com%2Fbooksearch%3Fqsort%3Dp%26qisbn%3D9781848630550">Alibris|Hardcover</option> <option value="http://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=E0AP4FWP4YQ&offerid=189673.161928972&type=2&murl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alibris.com%2Fbooksearch%3Fqsort%3Dp%26qisbn%3D9781616647308">Alibris|Paperback</option> <option value="http://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=E0AP4FWP4YQ&offerid=189673.166199229&type=2&murl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alibris.com%2Fbooksearch%3Fqsort%3Dp%26qisbn%3D9780062314284">Alibris|Audiobook</option> <option value="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061147958/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061147958&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20">Amazon|Hardcover</option> <option value="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061147966/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061147966&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20">Amazon|Paperback</option> <option value="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0036F6WYO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0036F6WYO&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20">Amazon|Kindle</option> <option value="http://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=E0AP4FWP4YQ&offerid=239662.9780061147951&type=2&murl=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.barnesandnoble.com%2FHorns%2FJoe-Hill%2Fe%2F9780061147951">B&N|Hardcover</option> <option value="http://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=E0AP4FWP4YQ&offerid=239662.9780061147968&type=2&murl=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.barnesandnoble.com%2FHorns%2FJoe-Hill%2Fe%2F9780061147968">B&N|Paperback</option> <option value="http://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=E0AP4FWP4YQ&offerid=239662.9780061969461&type=2&murl=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.barnesandnoble.com%2FHorns%2FJoe-Hill%2Fe%2F9780061969461">B&N|NOOK</option> <option value="http://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=E0AP4FWP4YQ&offerid=239662.9780061969317&type=2&murl=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.barnesandnoble.com%2FHorns%2FJoe-Hill%2Fe%2F9780061969317">B&N|Audiobook</option> <option value="http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-7119502-10876509?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booksamillion.com%2Fp%2FHorns%2FJoe-Hill%2F9780061147951&cjsku=9780061147951">BAM!|Hardcover</option> <option value="http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-7119502-10876509?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booksamillion.com%2Fp%2FHorns%2FJoe-Hill%2F9780061147968&cjsku=9780061147968">BAM!|Paperback</option> <option value="http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-7119502-10876509?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booksamillion.com%2Fp%2FHorns%2FJoe-Hill%2F9780061969461&cjsku=9780061969461">BAM!|eBook</option> <option value="http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-7119502-10876509?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booksamillion.com%2Fp%2FHorns%2FJoe-Hill%2F9780062314284&cjsku=9780062314284">BAM!|Audiobook</option> <option value="http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-7119502-10549075?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.betterworldbooks.com%2Fhorns-id-9780061147968.aspx&cjsku=10244492">BetterWorldBooks|Paperback</option> <option value="http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-7119502-10718502?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biggerbooks.com%2Fbk_detail.aspx%3Fisbn%3D9780061147968%26referrer%3DBBCJ&cjsku=9780061147968N">Bigger Books|Paperback</option> <option value="http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-7119502-10281551?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebooks.com%2Fcj.asp%3FIID%3D485201&cjsku=485201">eBooks</option> <option value="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/horns/id360633530?mt=11&uo=4&at=11ldnM">iBookstore</option> <option value="http://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=E0AP4FWP4YQ&offerid=314164.100059780061969461&type=2&murl=http%3A%2F%2Fstore.kobobooks.com%2Fen-US%2Febook%2Fhorns-1">Kobo</option> <option value="https://www.schulerbooks.com/aff/beardedscribe/book/v/9780061147951">Schuler Books|Hardcover</option> <option value="https://www.schulerbooks.com/aff/beardedscribe/book/v/9780061147968">Schuler Books|Paperback</option> <option value="http://linksynergy.walmart.com/link?id=E0AP4FWP4YQ&offerid=233310.14673269&type=2&murl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fip%2FHorns%2F14673269">Walmart|Paperback</option> </select><br />
<input onclick="window.open(document.bs9780061147968.jump.options[document.bs9780061147968.jump.selectedIndex].value,'newWindow','height=768,width=1024');" type="button" value="Purchase Now" /><br /></div>
</form>
</td> </tr>
</tbody></table>
<a name='more'></a><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Premise:</span></b><br />
Ignatius Martin Perrish, that guy you see around town with the bad past everyone avoids, passes through the streets followed by not-so-silent whispered names. <i>Murderer</i>. <i>Drunk</i>. <i>Waste</i>. They all stare at "[t]hat piece of trash who killed his girlfriend and got away with it." Iggy swears his innocence, but they know better. His brother is in show business, notorious for scums and charlatans. After all, weren't they fighting when she left the bar?<br />
<br />
Now, Iggy slinks past their eyes with a new sort of dread. He's woken up to find a pair of horns growing from his temples. Also, people are confessing all their hidden dark secrets to him. People he doesn't know, people who once looked at him with disgust, even his own parents and brother. Not only are they coming to him for confession, they're seeking his permission to do these dirty deeds. Will Iggy give in to his newly-inherited powers of the Devil and show them a way to loose their evil, or will Iggy sacrifice his own soul to give them rest? If you knew the worst in people could you forgive them?<br />
<br />
<div align="center">
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Joe Hill discusses <i>Horns</i>:</span></b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/9P8m3RJUA0I" width="480"></iframe></div>
<br />
<div align="center">
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><i>Harry Potter</i>'s Daniel Radcliffe stars as Ig Perrish in the upcoming screen version of <i>Horns</i>:</span></b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/us0dR2NF8lE" width="480"></iframe></div>
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Gems for Writers:</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Conflict.</span></b> Horns is a story full of conflict. Iggy Perrish lives in a town where everyone around him accuses his girlfriend. He is a good-hearted guy, always trying to do the right thing, and his world has absolutely been destroyed. He battles alcoholism, depression, and a feeling of being isolated. <br />
<br />
The night of Merrin's murder, she announces she is leaving him. They have a terrible public fight and he's last seen leaving the bar drunk and angry after her. Merrin's conflict with Iggy isn't as it seems. She's actually been diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer; rather than have Iggy stay and watch her die, she wants him to go to college in London for a year. Her inner struggle is revealed in an all-Morse-code letter Iggy finds years after her death.<br />
<br />
As if things for Iggy couldn't get worse, his old best friend, Lee Tourneau, seems oddly immune to Iggy's new powers of the Devil. If Iggy has the Devil's power how is it Lee is unaffected? Their fight is not between good and evil but an evil which desires evil powers and an evil which desires forgiveness.<br />
<br />
Iggy is also in conflict with himself. He's grown horns out of his temples and can either lead people down to darkness or help them right their wrongs. <br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Evolution of a Character.</span></b> The very first thing we see of Iggy is him barfing, drunk, and cursing his life. He's drowning in depression at the loss of his only love, Merrin. He's been accused of killing her and it has absolutely shattered his entire existence. Iggy, in retrospect, is a kind, smart, gentle guy. This is nothing like the Iggy we see today. His live-in girlfriend makes him miserable and he does everything he can to make her just as miserable. Iggy is a broken man.<br />
<br />
With the addition of his horns, Iggy is able to see the evil inside the people around him. When his brother confesses to knowing who killed Merrin, Iggy is sent on a tailspin. He not only finds out Merrin was sick, but also she didn't break up with him as he believed. Iggy's brother announced he was there when Merrin was killed. He knows who did it and all the torture she suffered. He's been carrying it for years and was only able to unload his mind with Iggy's horns. Iggy is slowly consumed with his pain and rage. He sets a trap for the killer of his love, only to have it foiled by his brother's coming to his aid. It's either let him live or sacrifice his life.<br />
<br />
Iggy goes from a slobbering drunk to a noble, utterly inspiration for how all should be. We should confront our evil impulses. Why do they exist within us all? I know for myself it's difficult to face these thoughts sometimes. I end up asking myself, "Why on Earth did I just think THAT?" I've caught myself in deeds where I feel like I'm on the outside watching it happen, totally confused and screaming at myself to stop. This is exactly what Iggy must do in order to put Merrin's spirit at rest. He must confront that primal beast within and let him loose or tame him.<br />
<br />
<div align="center">
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating:</span></b></div>
<table align="center" border="0" style="width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Conclusion: </span></b><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061147966/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061147966&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><i>Horns</i></a> forces its reader to examine themselves—to see the Devil inside. If you knew your father hated you, wished you dead, and wanted to commit suicide, could you forgive him these terrible things he spoke and tell him to live, or would you help him pull the trigger? In the end, Iggy must choose to save himself or his girlfriend's true murderer. I was inspired by the love between Iggy and his girlfriend, Merrin. It's such a beautiful and poetic romance, and very unexpected in an horror novel. Seeing Iggy battle this monster of a human—all the while facing his own Devil—is both heartbreaking and exhilarating. This story will leave you breathless.<br />
<br />
Must run, my hovercraft is full of eels!<br />
<a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/p/jessicareeves.html"><img border="0" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/signatures/jessicareeves.png" height="200" /></a><br />
<br />
***<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061147966/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061147966&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><i>Horns</i></a> (2010), by <a href="http://www.joehillfiction.com/" target="_blank">Joe Hill</a>, is published by and copyright <a href="http://harpercollins.com/imprints/index.aspx?imprintid=518003" target="_blank">William Morrow, A HarperCollins Imprint</a>. It is available in stores, online (<a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/2014/03/book-spotlight-horns-joe-hill.html#buy">see above</a>), and from your <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/search?qt=worldcat_org_all&q=9780061147951" target="_blank">local public library</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13019800540004898284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105991228289447356.post-56303057826862227782014-03-21T11:45:00.000-04:002014-03-21T11:45:00.631-04:00Author Spotlight: Rick Chiantaretto—Complete with Interview (A Bearded Scribe Blog Tour)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/blogtours/chiantaretto/deathofthebody-tourbanner.png" width="550" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><u><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><u><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">About the Author:</span></b></u></span></b></u><a href="http://www.ricktheauthor.com/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/blogtours/chiantaretto/MeVamp.jpg" height="400" style="border-style: none;" width="300" /></a> <br />
I've often been accused of having done more in my life than the average person my age but if I were completely honest, I'd have to tell you my secret: I'm really 392.<br />
<br />
So after all this time, I'm a pretty crappy writer.<br />
<br />
I have two books published and a bunch half written (when you have eternity, where's the reason to rush?). I've been favorably reviewed by horror greats like Nancy Kilpatrick, and my how-to-write-horror articles have been quoted in scholarly (aka community college freshmen's) papers.<br />
<br />
I enjoy the occasional Bloody Mary, although a Bloody Kathy or Susan will suffice.<br />
<br />
Mostly, I just try to keep a low profile so people don't figure out who I REALLY am.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Connect with Rick Chiantaretto:</span></b></div><table align="center" border="0"><tbody>
<tr> <td align="center"><a href="http://www.ricktheauthor.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/www.png" width="60" /></a></td><td align="center"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/rickchiantaretto" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/facebook.png" width="60" /></a></td><td align="center"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/RickTheAuthor" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/twitter.png" width="60" /></a></td> <td align="center"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/ricktheauthor" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/goodreads.png" width="60" /></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><u>The Interview:</u></span></b></div><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Autumn Jones:</span></b> Which book introduced you to speculative fiction?<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rick Chiantaretto:</span></b> <span style="color: #ffd966;">Hi Autumn. Wow, you’re asking me to go back a very long time. I’m pretty sure the answer to that question would have to be <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0394839102/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0394839102&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">The Berenstain Bears and the Spooky Old Tree</a></i>, but there are many I could name. I loved Roald Dahl’s <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0756982294/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0756982294&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">The Witches</a></i> and <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0670824399/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0670824399&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">Matilda</a></i>, and while he is known for being a children’s author, I found his books magical, with a touch of darkness. As I’m googling these titles now, I’m glad to see they are often included in speculative fiction categories!</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Autumn Jones:</span></b> Do you have an all-time favorite book? What about it makes it your favorite?<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rick Chiantaretto:</span></b> <span style="color: #ffd966;"><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0606149376/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0606149376&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">The Forbidden Game</a></i> by LJ Smith would have to be it. I have owned so many copies of this book. My sisters and I would read and re-read them until their pages would fall out, and then make our mom drive us to the nearest <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=E0AP4FWP4YQ&offerid=239662.1066&type=3&subid=0" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a> to pick up a new copy. Julian’s race, his love for humans, and that insanely awesome ending have influenced many of my characters and plotlines. I know it’s a YA novel, but I can still pick it up and fall into the world LJ Smith creates in this series, and feel like I’m at home.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffd966;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #ffd966;">If you want a “love conquers all” story, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0606149376/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0606149376&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">The Forbidden Game</a></i> is unlike any other.</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Autumn Jones:</span></b> Your main characters had distinct personalities and traits. Are they pieces of you? Were there any actual events or people that inspired any bit of the plot or characters in <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1940748003/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1940748003&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">Death of the Body</a></i>?<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rick Chiantaretto:</span></b> <span style="color: #ffd966;">I learned from my first novel, <i>Façade of Shadows</i> (now out of print), to not base characters on people you know. My editor for that book often circled entire scenes in red with the notation: “Characterization. YOU know why this person did such-and-such, but don’t forget your readers DON’T.” </span><br />
<span style="color: #ffd966;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #ffd966;">Character motivation, because of my experience with that editor, became a big thing for me. I find that basing characters off real life people results in a flat character, because you don’t have to examine and pick apart the character’s flaws and virtues (or, if you do, that person ends up pretty angry with you at the end of the day!). </span><br />
<span style="color: #ffd966;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #ffd966;">That said, all of my characters have traits I wish I had. I wish I had Nicholas’s confidence (and body! Ha). I wish I had Edmund’s wit, curiosity, and insider knowledge. I wish I had Xia’s loyalty and fierce ability to love without condition. I wish I had Linda Rose’s darkness… oh wait… maybe I do!</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffd966;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #ffd966;">The actual story and plot was derived from two dreams that were so vivid and fit together so perfectly I couldn’t help but write them down (although I probably wouldn’t have needed to. I can still remember them clearly). I think Book Two will have a lot more of that ethereal dream/reality feel as we visit some of the other levels (hint hint).</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Autumn Jones:</span></b> After devouring <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1940748003/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1940748003&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">Death of the Body</a></i>, I pictured you locked away in a dark room, listening to Gregorian chants, and furiously scribing the next book onto a yellow legal pad for some reason. Instead of letting my overactive imagine run wild, tell me about your writing process.<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rick Chiantaretto:</span></b> <span style="color: #ffd966;">How did you know!? I have the monk robe and everything! And just to answer the question I know everyone is asking: Yes, I am naked under there…</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffd966;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #ffd966;">Okay, okay. Actually, I tend to prefer to write in silence, but if I do have any music on, it’s usually Native American flutes (which I feel would bring in the same sort of feel as Gregorian chants).</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffd966;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #ffd966;">I usually also write at night, and love to write while traveling (that airplane engine hum is the perfect static white-noise, but I’ve found I have a hard time writing in a car). </span><br />
<span style="color: #ffd966;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #ffd966;">Usually I’ll just sit in the dark a bit, until the shadows start to take on a life of their own.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffd966;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #ffd966;">Remember that fog scene? I wrote that at 2 in the morning, and when I looked up and caught my own reflection in the glass of a nearby window, my heart skipped a beat. It was completely dark except my white face, illuminated in the glass because of the light of my laptop screen. That became the inspiration for the look of the “other people” who meet Edmund in the fog… translucent… backlit… hollow. You know what I’m talking about ;)</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Autumn Jones:</span></b> Did you initially set out to write a trilogy or was it something that evolved during the writing process?<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rick Chiantaretto:</span></b> <span style="color: #ffd966;">Oh this is funny. I actually had it planned as a series of seven (one book for each level). I think the readers will appreciate that I won’t draw it out that long, ha!</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffd966;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #ffd966;">Seven was a little more than I wanted to bite off, especially if it turned out no one liked the series. I didn’t want to get stuck writing 7 whole books for three psycho crazy readers who might actually kill me or lock me in a room (you’ve read <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002SKZBTK/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002SKZBTK&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">Misery</a></i>, right?) if I had to abandon the project.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffd966;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #ffd966;">But a trilogy ended up working out. I had already planned how to access the 7 levels… and it was with the Three Deaths (Body, Spirit, Soul). So now, instead of writing one book per level, I’ll write one book per death. It was a good compromise, and it FEELS right. I wanted Death to be the star of the book anyway, so it ended up making better sense to lay out the books this way.</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Autumn Jones:</span></b> If there were 7 levels of existence (and I’m not saying there isn’t for the record), which one would you chose to live in/on and why?<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rick Chiantaretto:</span></b> <span style="color: #ffd966;">I’m super excited for Book Two, because I think the level of the spirit, the energumen’s realm, really resonates with me. It’s a dark place, filled with strangeness and magic that is very different, very cool, and very wicked. </span><br />
<span style="color: #ffd966;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #ffd966;">It’s also a place that is completely from my waking imagination (it wasn’t inspired by the dream that the book is based on, but is the part that I had to create consciously to fill in the missing pieces that made sense in the dream but not in the waking world. I guess you could say that the dream came from my imagination anyway, but I don’t look at it that way, oddly enough). </span><br />
<span style="color: #ffd966;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #ffd966;">I think it’s pretty cool that the most solid, urban, and realistic pieces of the book came from a dream, while the most dreamlike and ethereal pieces came from my waking mind.</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Autumn Jones:</span></b> What’s the best advice you could offer someone who’s looking to become a writer and publish their work?<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rick Chiantaretto:</span></b> <span style="color: #ffd966;">I love this question, and it is the answer that I got sitting at a table not 3 months before <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1940748003/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1940748003&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">Death of the Body</a></i> went to print: Publish now. </span><br />
<span style="color: #ffd966;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #ffd966;">If you have a finished manuscript, what are you waiting for? Don’t wait for the big publishing contract that will offer you millions of dollars and movie rights. Those contracts are going to authors who already have a following, who were successful with a smaller press or in the indie market. Only a tiny tiny fraction of people get the opportunity to work with a big press without proving themselves FIRST.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffd966;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #ffd966;">And, you’re losing out on money, sales, and readers. </span><br />
<span style="color: #ffd966;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #ffd966;">It is so easy to publish your work. Check out <a href="https://kdp.amazon.com/" target="_blank">Kindle Direct Publishing</a> and <a href="http://www.createspace.com/" target="_blank">Createspace</a>, sign up for accounts, and get yourself out there.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffd966;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #ffd966;">Stop holding back. Let the readers decide if your work is “good enough.” Stop judging it yourself (‘cause it will never be good enough for you).</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffd966;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #ffd966;">Go. Publish. Now. (But hire a <a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/p/author-services.html#editorial" target="_blank">good editor</a>).</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Autumn Jones:</span></b> What project(s) are you working on at the moment? And any sneak peeks into what’s going happen in Book 2 and/or 3 that you're willing to share?<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rick Chiantaretto:</span></b> <span style="color: #ffd966;">I am working on <i>Death of the Spirit (Crossing Death #2)</i>. After that I’ll start Book 3, and then I have quite a few other projects planned, but don’t know in which order I’ll write the other projects. I have sort of my “quintessential” haunted house story bouncing around in my brain (which will probably be the first book written after the series), as well as an urban fairytale story about a female detective whose friends and family start dying around her in fairytale fashion. </span><br />
<span style="color: #ffd966;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #ffd966;">As for peeks into Book 2, I think I’ve already shared plenty (probably too much!).</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Autumn Jones:</span></b> What question have you always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rick Chiantaretto:</span></b> <span style="color: #ffd966;">You know what? I get people commenting all the time on the relationship between Edmund and Xia. I’ve had reviews and emails that say things like “Well, that relationship was pointless,” and “I won’t read the rest of the series because it’s OBVIOUS they won’t end up together” (emphasis mine).</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffd966;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #ffd966;">I’m a little surprised no one bothers asking any questions around that subject, so I’ll answer a couple of those for you.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffd966;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #ffd966;">First: If you’re mad at me for that relationship, be prepared to be even more mad by the end of <i>Death of the Spirit</i>.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffd966;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #ffd966;">Second: Yes, the relationship is important. In fact, it is central and core to the story.</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffd966;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #ffd966;">Third: Just because you can’t see HOW something will work out, doesn’t mean it WON’T, although maybe in a way that is different… maybe Edmund and Xia’s “happily ever after” isn’t typical (is there ANYTHING normal about the <i>Crossing Death</i> series?).</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffd966;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #ffd966;">Four: Trust me, and stick with me. The ending… you, relationship doubters, will want to get there.</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Autumn Jones:</span></b> Seriously though, when will you be back in Utah so we can get together, eat a <a href="http://www.caferio.com/" target="_blank">Café Rio</a> salad (or burrito, whatever), drink some <a href="http://www.jackmormoncoffee.com/" target="_blank">Jack Mormon</a> coffee and have you tell me what the heck is going to happen to Edmund?<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rick Chiantaretto:</span></b> <span style="color: #ffd966;">I’m so mad I didn’t know you were in Utah before this! I think my mom would kill me if I didn’t come home around Christmas time. While I can’t promise with absolute certainty, there is a good chance I’ll be around in December. </span><br />
<span style="color: #ffd966;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #ffd966;">I can’t wait to have coffee with you! I’ll bring Edmund so you can ask him some questions. But a word to the wise: be careful which spoon you choose to stir in your cream and sugar; something about that makes Edmund a little sensitive.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><u><br />
</u></span></b> <b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><u><br />
</u></span></b> <b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><u>The Interviewer:</u></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><u><br />
</u></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM10oNMb9fyU_CaaY-v-keeTfxk31NUzsYGNaRm16XyKc5KDceWi8uAoZqqx-uXjO54nZpGN8Og14B48hz1vUrWeDPSSqwXU7sQMnpnWvZs3yZLKDDkmJaBaIsFog9BBi8AIqu7JpLd_no/s480/551678_10152021523265001_1404610528_n.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/AVvXsEhM10oNMb9fyU_CaaY-v-keeTfxk31NUzsYGNaRm16XyKc5KDceWi8uAoZqqx-uXjO54nZpGN8Og14B48hz1vUrWeDPSSqwXU7sQMnpnWvZs3yZLKDDkmJaBaIsFog9BBi8AIqu7JpLd_no/s320/551678_10152021523265001_1404610528_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>There was once a girl named Autumn Jones. She was born on Easter Sunday in a tiny, shoreline town in Michigan. Autumn’s formative years were spent in and around the greater Grand Rapids, Michigan area. With a father in radio broadcasting and a former 4th grade teacher for a mother, communication and reading were a way of life. Books were not only a fun, free adventure, but a great way to learn about the world outside of small-town, Michigan, too. <br />
<br />
After graduating from high school, Autumn ventured out west to Utah where she found wide open spaces, new faces and room to make her big mistakes. She worked for a year to establish residency and then attended Utah Valley State College (now <a href="http://www.uvu.edu/" target="_blank">Utah Valley University</a>). After two years there, she transferred to the <a href="http://www.utah.edu/" target="_blank">University of Utah</a> where she graduated with a degree in Political Science and Communications. Autumn was planning an adventure to law school when she met the love of her life and decided to follow a different path that included marriage, government work, and having 3 children in 3 years.<br />
<div><br />
Having once aspired to be the next great American author, these days Autumn’s favorite form of writing involves limited characters in social-media formats. Her sarcastic take on daily life as a mother and government employee is a creative exercise that keeps life exciting. During much of her late teens and early twenties the majority of her reading included books like <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/052163394X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=052163394X&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">Methods and Models: A Guide to the Empirical Analysis of Formal Models in Political Science</a></i>. After having her first baby, her book log was full of things like <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0394823958/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0394823958&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">In a People House</a></i>. These days, she is reading anything she can get her hands on—from trashy novels like <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385537816/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0385537816&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">50 Shades of Grey</a></i> to YA Dystopian series like <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0545265355/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0545265355&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">The Hunger Games</a></i>. Autumn has a varied love of literature. Stories that entertain, provoke thought, and transport her to another location are a criteria these days. <br />
<br />
When she’s not at work managing the office affairs of a child advocacy center (Employee of the Month, March 2010), driving carpool, and running a busy household, Autumn can be found curled up with her <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008GFRE5A/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008GFRE5A&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">Kindle</a> and surrounded by half a dozen books in various stages of read. Autumn is an avid fan of dramatic, prime-time television shows, musical theater, overpriced coffee, and sushi.</div>Autumnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08997024535647823735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105991228289447356.post-62782069069508653512014-03-20T22:24:00.000-04:002014-03-21T00:29:37.671-04:00Book Spotlight: The Orphan & the Thief by ML LeGette (An 'I Am A Reader Not A Writer' Tour)<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.iamareader.com/2014/01/the-orphan-and-the-thief-blast-tour.html"><img alt="orphan tour" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1546" src="http://www.bookblasttours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/orphan-tour.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.iamareader.com/2014/01/the-orphan-and-the-thief-blast-tour.html" target="_blank">Tour Schedule</a></div>
<br />
Cheers, Beardies!<br />
<br />
There are few books that have stumbled into my inbox that make me think, "Damn! That's a great title!" <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1494867788/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1494867788&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><i>The Orphan and the Thief</i></a> was one of these and, upon seeing its marvelously creative and beautiful cover, I knew I had to read its premise. But don't worry, Beardies—while I love outstanding covers and think they really enhance a book's appeal (after all, why put a cover on them at all if not to entice?), I do not judge a book by its cover. If anything, I judge a cover by its book. (Some covers really do their book little service, no?)<br />
<a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/2014/03/book-spotlight-the-orphan-and-the-thief-m-l-legette.html" name="buy"></a><br />
<table align="center" border="0"><tbody>
<tr> <td align="center"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1494867788/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1494867788&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://www.bookblasttours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/orphan-thief.jpg" height="400" /></a><br />
<form name="bs9781494867782">
<div align="center">
<select name="jump"> <option selected="">Choose One</option> <option value="http://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=E0AP4FWP4YQ&offerid=189673.160108113&type=2&murl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alibris.com%2Fbooksearch%3Fqsort%3Dp%26qisbn%3D9781494867782">Alibris</option> <option value="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1494867788/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1494867788&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20">Amazon|Paperback</option> <option value="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HNVPSY2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00HNVPSY2&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20">Amazon|Kindle</option> <option value="http://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=E0AP4FWP4YQ&offerid=239662.9781494867782&type=2&murl=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.barnesandnoble.com%2FThe-Orphan-and-the-Thief%2FM-L-LeGette%2Fe%2F9781494867782">B&N|Paperback</option> <option value="http://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=E0AP4FWP4YQ&offerid=239662.2940045598903&type=2&murl=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.barnesandnoble.com%2FThe-Orphan-and-the-Thief%2FM-L-LeGette%2Fe%2F2940045598903">B&N|NOOK</option> <option value="http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-7119502-10876509?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booksamillion.com%2Fp%2FOrphan-Thief%2FM-L-Legette%2F9781494867782">Books-A-Million</option> <option value="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-orphan-and-the-thief/id791886482?mt=11&uo=4&at=11ldnM">iBookstore</option> <option value="https://www.schulerbooks.com/aff/beardedscribe/book/v/9781494867782">Schuler Books</option> <option value="http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-7119502-11174268?url=http%3A%2F%2Febookstore.sony.com%2Febook%2Fm-l-legette%2Fthe-orphan-and-the-thief%2F_%2FR-400000000000001190921&cjsku=400000000000001190921">Sony eReader</option> </select><br />
<input onclick="window.open(document.bs9781494867782.jump.options[document.bs9781494867782.jump.selectedIndex].value,'newWindow','height=768,width=1024');" type="button" value="Purchase Now" /><br /></div>
</form>
</td> </tr>
</tbody></table>
<a name='more'></a><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Premise:</span></b><br />
When Toad is kicked out of the Ramblers, a gang of thieves and the only family he has known, he tries to prove to them that he truly has what it takes to be a great thief—and what better way to prove it by stealing from the richest and most-feared man in town, Mr. Owl.<br />
<br />
Truth be told, however, Toad is as bad a thief as the Ramblers claim and is quickly caught trying to snatch an emerald dragon statue. Normally, Owl would have his brutish sidekick, Ogg, just 'take care of' such a miscreant, but with the Hickory Guard watching him closely, Mr. Owl has just the bargain for Toad: get him a specific list of ingredients...or else.<br />
<br />
Toad sees this as an easy task; he'll simply go to the apothecary and steal the ingredients on the list. Easy-peasy. Except the ingredients can't be found in an apothecary, which explains why he can't find them. Instead, he finds a friend in orphan and blooming apothecary Melena Snead, who agrees to help him under the false pretenses of payment.<br />
<br />
Toad and Melena embark on a fantastic journey of Calendula, full of promise and peril, in search of Owl's ingredients—only they find much more.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Gems for Writers:</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">World Building.</span></b> Before you huff and puff that I always choose this Gem, let me defend myself: I try and only choose books whose premise clearly indicates a well-built world. With names like Toad, Owl, and Ogg, I was definitely intrigued.<br />
<br />
Cool names does not a world make, I realize, but <a href="http://mllegette.com/" target="_blank">LeGette</a> delivers more than just those. There are gangs galore (pirates, thieves, AND viking hordes), dragons (but far from the overused imagery), apothecaries and potions, beer mugs of both the enchanting and the intoxicating kind, its own money system, and so much more. The magic in the book, too, is very real and none of it implausible. And the settings are so wonderful, they deserve their own Gem. <br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Setting.</span></b> <a href="http://mllegette.com/" target="_blank">LeGette</a>'s settings remind me a bit of the settings in <a href="http://www.ariberk.com/" target="_blank">Ari Berk</a>'s <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&keywords=undertaken%20trilogy&linkCode=ur2&qid=1395375807&rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3Aundertaken%20trilogy%2Cp_n_feature_browse-bin%3A2656020011&rnid=618072011&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">Undertaken Trilogy</a></i>: I know they're not real, but everything about them seems oddly placeable on a map, somewhere that seems quite possible to visit by means other than your imagination.<br />
<br />
All of Calendula seems accessible, especially the city of Hickory where the story begins. With its gangs of thieves and orphaned characters, it's mildly resemblant of London in Dicken's <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0141192496/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0141192496&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">Oliver</a></i>, but only in its familiarity and the mood set by <a href="http://mllegette.com/" target="_blank">LeGette</a> everything else is purely fresh. Except the smell, of course. I can only imagine the smell; I only want to imagine it, too.<br />
<br />
The meadows, caves, and cliffsides draw images of Scotland or Ireland to mind, yet the deserts and arctic landscapes tell of a land far larger and more diverse. <a href="http://mllegette.com/" target="_blank">LeGette</a> was selling tickets to her world, and I gladly hopped onto the train. I also, figuratively, hopped off before the Blackens. There's a reason I moved from the North to the South, Beardies, and it wasn't the hospitality—it was the warmth. The Blackens and its bleak landscape felt all too real for this New Englander, but I will let you experience that for yourself, as I do not want to give away too much.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Characterization.</span></b> All of <a href="http://mllegette.com/" target="_blank">LeGette</a>'s characters, from the tiniest to the tallest, literally leap off the page—and, pun aside, especially Toad. From his roguish manners to his strong dialect, Toad is a new favorite character of mine. All the characters have strongly-memorable personalities; <a href="http://mllegette.com/" target="_blank">LeGette</a>'s talent at this alone reminded me of <a href="http://www.jkrowling.com/" target="_blank">JK Rowling</a>'s unbelievable talent of the same. Even the enchanted beer mug, Joe, has a distinct personality. You almost anticipate what the characters will do and say based on this great characterization—but don't worry, Beardies, <a href="http://mllegette.com/" target="_blank">LeGette</a> still leaves you with some surprises!<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Bait-and-Switch.</span></b> I won't divulge too much in this Gem explanation, but <a href="http://mllegette.com/" target="_blank">LeGette</a> pulled off an ending for which I had secretly hoped but thought improbable.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div align="center">
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating:</span></b></div>
<table align="center" border="0" style="width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Conclusion: </span></b><br />
I'm in literary love with <a href="http://mllegette.com/" target="_blank">M.L. LeGette</a>, Toad, Melena, and the world of Calendula. I recommend this to readers of all ages, especially those who will always be kids at heart. While no second book is yet planned for the dynamic duo as of yet, I am eager to return to <a href="http://mllegette.com/" target="_blank">LeGette</a>'s world and join Toad and Melena in all of their future adventures...please?<br />
<br />
'Ware of the Slinkwings,<br />
<a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/p/joshuaallenmercier.html"><img border="0" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/signatures/joshuaallenmercier.png" height="125" /></a><br />
<br />
***<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1494867788/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1494867788&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><i>The Orphan and the Thief</i></a> (2014), by <a href="http://mllegette.com/" target="_blank">M.L. LeGette</a>, is published by and copyright <a href="http://www.createspace.com/" target="_blank">CreateSpace</a>. It is available in stores, online (<a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/2014/03/book-spotlight-the-orphan-and-the-thief-m-l-legette.html#buy">see above</a>), and from your <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/search?qt=worldcat_org_all&q=9781494867782" target="_blank">local public library</a>.<br />
<br />
***Per FTC Regulations: I received a free Advance Reading Copy (ARC) from the author and was not compensated in any way, monetarily or otherwise, for this review.testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15265385351584354182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105991228289447356.post-71875381743099445832014-03-16T12:00:00.000-04:002014-03-16T12:00:00.874-04:00Book Spotlight: Too, Too Solid Flesh by Nick O'DonohoeGuten tag, Beardies!<br />
<br />
I'm back!<br />
<br />
Sorry I was gone so long, Beardies. I promise I wasn't just slacking off in my pajamas! Aside from the typical student <i>shtuff</i>, I've been working on rebuilding <a href="http://kelseyjaybird.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">my blog</a> and just launched the first episode of my online serial story with <a href="http://www.zombiepop.net/zombvenger-1/" target="_blank"><i>Zombie Pop—The Zombvenger!</i></a>. Take a dash of zombie tropes, add some superhero shenanigans, mix with high-camp adventure, and you get Zombvenger! <br />
<br />
Enough about me, though. We're here for the books.<br />
<br />
It's like Nick O'Donohoe read my mind with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000DEM4GG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000DEM4GG&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><i>Too, Too Solid Flesh</i></a>. I saw this book at my favourite used book store in Regina, and I had to have it. As many reviewers have said, "It's robots and Shakespeare! Why not?" <br />
<br />
But that's not why I chose to spotlight it. I've been noticing a lot of books that are based in someone else's universe, or with someone else's characters, especially with elements of the Sherlock Holmes mythos entering the public domain. As a fanfiction writer, I really don't have an ethical problem with this. But there are ways to write in someone else's universe that truly stand out from the crowd, and this book is one of them. I thought it was important to spotlight this book for this reason. <br />
<br />
Still...SHAKESPEARE AND ROBOTS! SQUEE!<br />
<a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/2014/03/book-spotlight-too-too-solid-flesh-nick-odonohoe.html" name="buy"></a><br />
<table align="center" border="0"><tbody>
<tr> <td align="center"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000DEM4GG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000DEM4GG&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjytJp4gcR9BEEkl7YLZRmF_SQ7lp7q9EulfKP4vgLfZlNZxGzXQVSAiebq4CayXji946oK-cJMsq58fiK9z_ir1q7tOSjFo6QPD5O9tljZv3q86Q-1ta4q-xevRWLO8s9BB2GOSfMzvNsT/s1600/tootoosolidflesh.jpg" height="400" /></a><br />
<form name="bs9780880387675">
<div align="center">
<select name="jump"> <option selected="">Choose One</option> <option value="http://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=E0AP4FWP4YQ&offerid=189673.47246139&type=2&murl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alibris.com%2Fbooksearch%3Fqsort%3Dp%26qisbn%3D9780880387675">Alibris|Paperback</option> <option value="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000DEM4GG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000DEM4GG&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20">Amazon|Mass Market</option> <option value="http://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=E0AP4FWP4YQ&offerid=239662.9780880387675&type=2&murl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%2Fw%2Ftoo-too-solid-flesh-nick-odonohoe%2F1000189084?ean=9780880387675">B&N|Mass Market</option> <option value="http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=2&pub=5575050473&toolid=10001&campid=5337366190&customid=&icep_item=181331182203&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg">eBay</option> </select><br />
<input onclick="window.open(document.bs9780880387675.jump.options[document.bs9780880387675.jump.selectedIndex].value,'newWindow','height=768,width=1024');" type="button" value="Purchase Now" /><br /></div>
</form>
</td> </tr>
</tbody></table>
<a name='more'></a><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Premise:</span></b><br />
In the not-so-distant future, things look bleak as the population crisis begins to reach its head and technology has taken over the world. The elite of Manhattan entertain themselves by watching Hamlet, as performed by androids. These androids were specifically created for the production and truly <b>are</b> their character. When the creator of these robotic thespians is murdered, a human detective is sent in as Horatio to solve the murder. But there are more things in Heaven and Earth than Horatio can account for, and he joins forces with Hamlet to solve the greater mystery of the robot theatre.<br />
<br />
<div align="center">
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Watch Mel Gibson perform the lines from which O'Donohoe borrows his title:</span></b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/sbPbEBcMamg" width="480"></iframe></div>
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Gems for Writers:</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Classic Inspiration.</span></b> Given the title of the book, it should be no surprise that it's primarily inspired by the Shakespeare play, <i>Hamlet</i>. What I realy like about this book is that it assumes that the audience already knows the plot and characters of <i>Hamlet</i> and doesn't spend any time fiddling with over-explanation of them. This leave O'Donohoe free to 1) work lines and scenes from the play into the plot, and 2) play with the central themes of the play. Some central themes of <i>Hamlet</i> that really stood out here were the themes of <b>impossibility of certainty</b> and <b>the mystery of death</b>. The plot of the book is essentially a mystery plot, and it relies on the impossibility of certainty. Hamlet, the android, is endlessly fascinated with death—all the androids are, really—and <i>ho boy</i> is there a lot if it. Death is a further mystery to them because they are not human, and because they "die" on stage every night. The key of writing this type of work isn't to just borrow bits and pieces and drop lines here or there—it's to explore the same themes that the original or source does, giving them new life. <br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Characterization.</span></b> Another aspect of classical inspiration that seeps into <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000DEM4GG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000DEM4GG&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><i>Too, Too Solid Flesh</i></a> is the classical characterization of the leads. The "actors" are all the characters you recognise from the classic play: Gertrude is a bit of a ditz, Polonius is long-winded, and Ophelia is devoted to Hamlet. O'Donohoe could have just stuck to this basic level of characterization; instead, he pushes it further. O'Donohoe adds another layer to his characters, too: how they cope with not being human. This adds another layer of tragedy to these already tragic figures. He also seems to take joy in having these beings (who kill each other every night) interact outside of the play, and this is great fun to read. This is where the prose truly shines. Hamlet and friends are instantly recognisable as Shakespeare's beloved characters, but they're also distinctly different. They belong to two worlds, and they live and breathe.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Pebbles to Polish:</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Weak Characterization.</span></b> The only problem this book really has is the characterization of (most of) the human characters. Most of them are tired clichés or only exist to serve a single purpose in the plot. Notable exceptions are "Horatio" and the lab technicians. This does not break the book, but it kept the book from being perfect. <br />
<br />
<div align="center">
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating:</span></b></div>
<table align="center" border="0" style="width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star-fade.png" height="40" width="40" /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Conclusion: </span></b><br />
I loved this book. I really did. There is so much to enjoy about this romp through classic literature and science fiction, but I can't tell you a lot of it because it would spoil the book. I would primarily reccomend this book to fans of Shakespeare, or at least those who have read <i>Hamlet</i>, because they'd get the most out of the story. I think people who aren't familiar with the above would still enjoy the mystery plot, but would not enjoy it to the fullest extent. The only thing keeping <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000DEM4GG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000DEM4GG&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><i>Too, Too Solid Flesh</i></a> from getting a 5-star rating is the weak characterization of the human characters. If you get a chance to read this book, take it. You will not be disappointed.<br />
<br />
'Til next time,<br />
<a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/p/kelseyjmills.html"><img border="0" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/signatures/kelseyjmills.png" height="125" /></a><br />
<br />
***<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000DEM4GG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000DEM4GG&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><i>Too, Too Solid Flesh</i></a> (1989), by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/184918.Nick_O_Donohoe" target="_blank">Nick O'Donohoe</a>, is published by and copyright <a href="http://company.wizards.com/" target="_blank">Wizards of the Coast</a>. It is available in stores, online (<a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/2014/03/book-spotlight-too-too-solid-flesh-nick-odonohoe.html#buy">see above</a>), and from your <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/search?qt=worldcat_org_all&q=9780880387675" target="_blank">local public library</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14788023574913815144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105991228289447356.post-75893820190170711802014-03-15T10:00:00.000-04:002014-03-15T10:00:03.199-04:00Book Blast: Circles in the Stream (Avalon: Web of Magic # 1) by Rachel Roberts (An 'I Am A Reader Not A Writer' Tour)<table align="center" border="0"><tbody>
<tr> <td align="center"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933164662/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1933164662&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://www.bookblasttours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Avalon.jpg" height="400" /></a><br />
<form name="bb9781933164649">
<div align="center">
<select name="jump">
<option selected="">Choose One</option>
<option value="http://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=E0AP4FWP4YQ&offerid=189673.160940426&type=2&murl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alibris.com%2Fbooksearch%3Fqsort%3Dp%26qisbn%3D9781933164649">Alibris</option>
<option value="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933164662/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1933164662&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20">Amazon|Paperback</option>
<option value="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008UF7R1W/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008UF7R1W&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20">Amazon|Kindle</option>
<option value="http://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=E0AP4FWP4YQ&offerid=239662.9781933164663&type=2&murl=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.barnesandnoble.com%2FCircles-in-the-Stream%2FRachel-Roberts%2Fe%2F9781933164663">B&N|Paperback</option>
<option value="http://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=E0AP4FWP4YQ&offerid=239662.2940014827362&type=2&murl=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.barnesandnoble.com%2FCircles-in-the-Stream%2FRachel-Roberts%2Fe%2F2940014827362">B&N|NOOK</option>
<option value="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-7119502-10876509?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booksamillion.com%2Fp%2FAvalon%2FRachel-Roberts%2F9781935934295&cjsku=9781935934295">BAM!|Omnibus (1-3)</option>
<option value="http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-7119502-10549075?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.betterworldbooks.com%2Favalon-web-of-magic-book-1-id-9781933164649.aspx&cjsku=7810884">BetterWorldBooks</option>
<option value="http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-7119502-10718502?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biggerbooks.com%2Fbk_detail.aspx%3Fisbn%3D9781933164663%26referrer%3DBBCJ&cjsku=9781933164663R">Bigger Books</option>
<option value="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/circles-in-the-stream/id553607777?mt=11&uo=4&at=11ldnM">iBookstore</option>
<option value="http://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=E0AP4FWP4YQ&offerid=314164.102659781938582271&type=2&murl=http%3A%2F%2Fstore.kobobooks.com%2Fen-US%2Febook%2Fcircles-in-the-stream-avalon-web-of-magic-1">Kobo</option>
<option value="https://www.schulerbooks.com/aff/beardedscribe/book/v/9781933164649">Schuler Books|Paperback</option>
<option value="http://linksynergy.walmart.com/link?id=E0AP4FWP4YQ&offerid=233310.17104681&type=2&murl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fip%2FAvalon-Web-of-Magic-Omnibus-Collection-Books-1-3%2F17104681">Walmart|Omnibus (1-3)</option>
</select><br />
<input onclick="window.open(document.bb9781933164649.jump.options[document.bb9781933164649.jump.selectedIndex].value,'newWindow','height=768,width=1024');" type="button" value="Purchase Now" /></div>
</form>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<strong>Circles in the Stream (Avalon: Web of Magic #1)</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Three very different young teens, Emily, the shy one, Adriane, the outsider, and Kara, the power shopper, are all drawn to a secret place deep in the woods where they discover a portal to another world. Wondrous animals have emerged from the portal, desperately seeking the magic that will keep them alive. Though the animals are peaceful and good, what follows them through the portal is twisted and evil and bent on destroying them all.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The Fairimentals have chosen these three fourteen-year-olds to protect the magical animals. To save them and their world, the girls must overcome their differences and band together. They begin a perilous quest to discover Avalon, the lost, legendary home of magic, little knowing the terrible dangers they will face along the way.</div>
<br />
<strong><br />
</strong> <strong>Author Rachel Roberts</strong><br />
<a href="http://www.bookblasttours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Avalon-author.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Avalon author" class="size-medium wp-image-1565 alignleft" src="http://www.bookblasttours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Avalon-author-284x300.jpg" height="300" width="284" /></a>Rachel Roberts adores magic, adventure, animals, and music. Rachel is an devoted campaigner with animal rights and protection of wild places organizations. Rachel’s has been reading ever since she could first carry a book and enjoys getting lost in a fantastic story. Rachel has been a writer as well as a editor her entire career. Rachel says the majority of concepts for her stories and characters appear on lengthy hikes. She brings a little notepad, just for jotting down thoughts. Afterward at her house Rachel builds on the ideas together with feline friends, Attila and Raider. She also is in love with music, playing the piano, flute, as well as learning to play guitar.<br />
<br />
Avalon: Web of Magic is Rachel’s very first series of novels.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.avalonmagic.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> * <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AvalonWebMagic" target="_blank">Facebook</a> * <a href="https://twitter.com/AvalonWebMagic" target="_blank">Twitter</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><a href="http://www.avalonmagic.com/fun-zone/emilys-pet-palace-pics/" target="_blank">Magic Animal Sweepstakes</a></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.avalonmagic.com/fun-zone/emilys-pet-palace-pics/" target="_blank">Win a Kindle Fire in Emily’s Pet Palace Sweepstakes!</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
You can earn magical badges and win amazing prizes like signed posters, t-shirts, bracelets and plushies of your fav Avalon animals by:<br />
a. <a href="http://www.avalonmagic.com/magesignup/" title="Mage Signup">Signing up</a> (email is used only to notify you if you are a winner)<br />
b. <a href="http://www.avalonmagic.com/upload-your-pet/">Uploading pics</a> of your bonded animals to Emily’s Pet Palace<br />
c. Comment and Rate other Mages’ pics and invite your friends to join.<br />
The more you upload and participate, the more badges you earn.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<strong>Complete your collection by finding the final two rare Avalon badges for a chance to win the special grand prize of a Kindle Fire!</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.avalonmagic.com/magesignup/"><img alt="Sign Up here" class=" wp-image-1567 aligncenter" src="http://www.bookblasttours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Sign-Up-here.png" height="128" width="210" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.bookblasttours.com/"><img alt="book blast button" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-1552" src="http://www.bookblasttours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/book-blast-button.jpg" height="112" width="220" /></a></div>
<br />
<strong>Blast Giveaway</strong><br />
<br />
$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash<br />
<br />
Ends 4/2/14<br />
<br />
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from <a href="http://iamareader.com/" target="_blank">I Am A Reader, Not A Writer</a> and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/0a00961236/" id="rc-0a00961236" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a></div>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>
testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15265385351584354182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105991228289447356.post-78530718845385662372014-03-14T10:24:00.000-04:002014-03-14T10:24:00.763-04:00Book Spotlight: Death of the Body (Crossing Death, Book 1) by Rick Chiantaretto (A Bearded Scribe Blog Tour)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/" target="blank"><img border="0" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/blogtours/chiantaretto/deathofthebody-tourbanner.png" width="580" /></a></div>
<br />
Good Day, Beardies!<br />
<br />
I was driving home from work the other day, rocking out to a little Bruno Mars on the local radio station. All of the sudden, the music turned to static and, in what seemed like incredibly slow motion, a car pulled out in front of me to turn left but stopped in my lane. I was driving the speed limit, which was 50 MPH for this particular strip of road, and all I could picture in my head was me T-boning this car. As I was slamming on my brakes and swearing under my breath, the car realized I was about to plow into him and he moved out of my lane, continuing on his way. The music came back on shortly thereafter, and I continued down the road toward my house. Normally, I would consider this an average daily commute, but after reading today's Spotlight, Beardies, I was freaking out. I'm still not fully convinced demons weren't somehow involved in this situation. Anyway, you guys, I cannot rave enough about this book! Let's get to it, shall we?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/2014/03/book-spotlight-death-of-the-body-rick-chiantaretto.html" name="buy"></a><br />
<table align="center" border="0"><tbody>
<tr> <td align="center"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1940748003/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1940748003&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/blogtours/chiantaretto/deathofthebody-cover.jpg" height="400" /></a><br />
<form name="bs9781940748009">
<div align="center">
<select name="jump"> <option selected="">Choose One</option> <option value="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1940748003/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1940748003&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20">Amazon|Paperback</option> <option value="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H8II60I/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00H8II60I&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20">Amazon|Kindle</option> <option value="http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-7119502-10273919?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.audible.com%2Fpd%2FSci-Fi-Fantasy%2FDeath-of-the-Body-Audiobook%2FB00I5N552W%2Fref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1393481792&sr=1-1">Audible</option> <option value="http://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=E0AP4FWP4YQ&offerid=239662.9781940748009&type=2&murl=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.barnesandnoble.com%2FDeath-Of-The-Body%2FRick-Chiantaretto%2Fe%2F9781940748009">B&N|Paperback</option> <option value="http://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=E0AP4FWP4YQ&offerid=239662.2940148858553&type=2&murl=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.barnesandnoble.com%2FDeath-Of-The-Body%2FRick-Chiantaretto%2Fe%2F2940148858553">B&N|NOOK</option> <option value="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/death-of-the-body/id763120950?mt=11&uo=4&at=11ldnM">iBookstore</option> <option value="http://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=E0AP4FWP4YQ&offerid=314164.202969781301084975&type=2&murl=http%3A%2F%2Fstore.kobobooks.com%2Fen-US%2Febook%2Fdeath-of-the-body-1">Kobo</option> <option value="https://www.schulerbooks.com/aff/beardedscribe/book/v/9781940748009">Schuler Books</option> <option value="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/379011?ref=beardedscribe">Smashwords</option> </select><br />
<input onclick="window.open(document.bs9781940748009.jump.options[document.bs9781940748009.jump.selectedIndex].value,'newWindow','height=768,width=1024');" type="button" value="Purchase Now" /><br /></div>
</form>
</td> </tr>
</tbody></table>
<a name='more'></a><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Premise:</span></b><br />
Edmund is a young mage growing up in a magical world called Orenda. Edmund has the special ability to communicate with the Earth through the wind and trees. When his hometown is overthrown by humans, he is killed—not by one of them, but by one of his own. Instead of dying, he finds himself in Los Angeles, living in an orphanage. He is left with his memories and abilities from his life in Orenda, but he must figure out who he is in Los Angeles, battling with demons out to get him while he tries to find a way back to beloved home world.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Gems for Writers:</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">World Building.</span></b> Oh, the lovely, lovely language of this book. I could close my eyes and transport myself both to the magical world of Orenda as well as to Los Angeles in the orphanage, college dorm, etc. <a href="http://www.rickchiantaretto.com/" target="_blank">Mr. Chiantaretto</a> paints the most beautiful picture with his words. He effortlessly lays out the scenes and the story is able to exist amazingly in this world he creates. From the description of the world, to the cast of characters, to the emotion of this book—it all kept me going. Edmund, our leading man, is everything I want from a character and more: intelligent, raw, honest, flawed, bold, and introspective. I love things that are dark and twisty and these demons who are hunting down our beloved Edmund, they do not disappoint. They are evil to the core and I liked it.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Relgious Tie-In.</span></b> <i>“What if all religions were stories, and all stories were true?”</i> So, before I get a plethora of e-mails calling me a hypocrite because I have <a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/2013/12/book-spotlight-the-maze-jason-brannon.html" target="_blank">previously stated</a>, “Christian books are not my thing.” that doesn’t mean I’m not down with religion. <a href="http://www.rickchiantaretto.com/" target="_blank">Mr. Chiantaretto</a>’s reference and use of religion and religious themes is fantastic. Demons. Exorcisms. Catholic orphanage. Wiccan. Spells. Chants. Theology. As someone who was raised in a devoutly religious family, who lives in a devoutly religious place but believes in her own sort of rules for religion I could relate on so many levels with the ideas and conversations in the story. This story isn’t here to convince one religion is more correct than another, but is a vehicle for the story to move forward and have deeper meaning and feeling.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Atmosphere.</span></b> If you’re in the market for a dark piece of urban fantasy then by golly, get this book. This was one of those books where I ignored my family for a day so I could just sit and read this straight through. I was there with the characters while they were experiencing what they were experiencing. I could feel what the characters were feeling and it was almost like the darkness that was described I could sense around me too. My heart would start to beat a little bit faster when stressful things were happening. All of that is because of the fantastic atmosphere.<br />
<br />
<div align="center">
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating:</span></b></div>
<table align="center" border="0" style="width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Conclusion: </span></b><br />
If you haven't already figured it out—I LOVED this book. As soon as you're done reading this blog post I hope you'll download it, read it and then tell me what you think because I need someone to talk with about it<br />
<br />
P.S. When I got a copy of the book, <a href="http://www.rickchiantaretto.com/" target="_blank">Rick</a> included a little note to me and part of it said, "I hope you enjoy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1940748003/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1940748003&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><i>Death of the Body</i></a>, while secretly hoping it keeps you up at night... but just a little." Instead of replying privately like most normal people do, I thought I would share my reply here, with you guys, too:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Dear Rick, </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Thank you for the opportunity to read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1940748003/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1940748003&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><i>Death of the Body</i></a>. I look forward with bated breath for the rest of the series. As far as keeping me up at night—your book kept me up most of the night because I couldn't put it down! The extra coffee I consumed got me through the next day so all is forgivable. I see you just relocated from the SLC (that's Salt Lake City for you non-Utahn's). If/when you're back in town I'd love to stalk you—er—get together, buy you coffee and have you tell me what is going to happen to Edmund. Okay? Deal! </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Love your newest fan,<br />
Autumn</blockquote>
<br />
Until next time...<br />
<a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/p/autumnjones.html"><img border="0" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/signatures/autumnjones.png" height="125" /></a><br />
<br />
***<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1940748003/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1940748003&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><i>Death of the Body</i></a> (2013), by <a href="http://www.rickchiantaretto.com/" target="_blank">Rick Chiantaretto</a>, is published by and copyright Orenda Press. It is available in stores, online (<a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/2014/03/book-spotlight-death-of-the-body-rick-chiantaretto.html#buy">see above</a>), and from your <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/search?qt=worldcat_org_all&q=9781940748009" target="_blank">local public library</a>.Autumnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08997024535647823735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105991228289447356.post-72395544318547188972014-03-13T10:30:00.000-04:002014-03-13T10:30:01.771-04:00Author Spotlight: Ellie Di Julio—Complete with Interview (A Bearded Scribe Blog Tour)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/blogtours/corariley/ttocredj-tourbanner.png" width="550" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><u><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><u><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">About the Author:</span></b></u></span></b></u><a href="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/blogtours/corariley/Ellie-Di-Julio-Author-Photo-2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/blogtours/corariley/Ellie-Di-Julio-Author-Photo-2013.jpg" style="border-style: none;" /></a> <br />
<a href="http://elliedi.com/" target="_blank">Ellie Di Julio</a> is a nomadic writer currently living in Hamilton, Ontario with her Robert Downey, Jr. lookalike husband and their three cats. Between nerd activities like playing Dungeons & Dragons or watching <i>Top Gear</i>, she enthusiastically destroys the kitchen and tries to figure out what it's all about, when you really get down to it. She also writes urban fantasy novels riddled with pop culture references and sexy secret agents.<br />
<br />
Her first novel, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0993629032/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0993629032&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">Inkchanger</a></i>, could easily be considered <i>Forgotten Relics #0</i>, and as such, rewards readers of the rest of the series, sort of like watching <i>Thor</i> before <i>The Avengers</i>. Her second novel, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0982162111/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0982162111&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">Time & Again</a></i> with Kyeli Smith, has nothing to do with super powers or secret agents but is very cool nonetheless.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Connect with Ellie Di Julio</span></b></div><table align="center" border="0"><tbody>
<tr> <td align="center"><a href="http://elliedi.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/www.png" width="60" /></a></td> <td align="center"><a href="http://elliedi.com/blog/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/notepad.png" width="60" /></a></td> <td align="center"><a href="http://eepurl.com/AqACL" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/email.png" width="60" /></a></td></tr>
<tr> <td align="center"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/elliedijulio" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/facebook.png" width="60" /></a></td> <td align="center"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/Ellie_Di" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/twitter.png" width="60" /></a></td> <td align="center"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/elliedijulio" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/goodreads.png" width="60" /></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><u>The Interview:</u></span></b></div><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Joshua Allen Mercier:</span></b> Which book introduced you to speculative fiction?<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Ellie Di Julio:</span></b> <span style="color: #93c47d;">I actually didn’t know what it was until I’d published one and drafted another. The definition seemed so vague, and everyone talking about it seemed to already know. I felt a little left out. Reaching back, though, knowing that it’s basically any fantastical fiction and includes SFF, I’d have to tap <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000JPV5XW/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000JPV5XW&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">Goosebumps</a></i> as my first spec-fic. RL Stine 4 lyfe.</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Joshua Allen Mercier:</span></b> Do you have an all-time favorite book? What about it makes it your favorite?<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Ellie Di Julio:</span></b> <span style="color: #93c47d;"><i>*groans*</i> I’m so bad at this question! And once you start writing books, people ask it all the time. If I’m defining “favorite” as the book I’ve re-read the most often, then let’s go with <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1435274784/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1435274784&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">Night Watch</a></i> by Terry Pratchett. I cry every time, and Vimes is my spirit animal.</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Joshua Allen Mercier:</span></b> Which author and/or book inspired you to start writing?<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Ellie Di Julio:</span></b> <span style="color: #93c47d;">Hard to pin down. I grew up with a librarian dad and English teacher mom, so literacy was always important in our house; I have a rare distinct memory from childhood of “writing” my own books in blank ones Mom would bring home from school. As an adult, though, I will always point to Francesca Lia Block (fairytale magical realism) and Terry Pratchett (humorous worldbuilding). They’re the two authors that consistently inspire me to keep writing, if only so I can meet them in person one day.</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Joshua Allen Mercier:</span></b> What would you say is the most important lesson all writers should learn?<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Ellie Di Julio:</span></b> <span style="color: #93c47d;">Get it out. You can edit a shitty page, but you can’t edit a blank one, you know? I get so many folks telling me they “want to write a book” and then follow it up with excuses. The best thing you can do for your writing—and your sanity—is to wordvomit it all out, then start cleaning it up. Butt in seat.</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Joshua Allen Mercier:</span></b> As an aspiring Fantasy author trying to shop his first manuscript, could you tell me what made you choose to self publish?<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Ellie Di Julio:</span></b> <span style="color: #93c47d;">Impatience and control issues? Well, that’s certainly part of it, but I do legitimately believe in self-pub as the next expansion of the industry, and I want to be part of it. It’s not that I’m too proud/cowardly to shop a manuscript (though fear is in there somewhere); it’s much more that I love the idea that authors can put out the story they want to tell without a lot of gatekeepers and naysayers. The caveat, of course, is a lot of dreck is self-pubbed, but I’ve read some incredible work (like that of LeighAnn Kopans and Johnny B. Truant) from this new avenue, which bolsters my faith in the medium.</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Joshua Allen Mercier:</span></b> Of the entire publishing process, what would you say is the most difficult aspect to endure?<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Ellie Di Julio:</span></b> <span style="color: #93c47d;">I’m getting better at taking critiques, which is almost always the top of any writer’s list. You should’ve seen me when I got the beta reads for Inkchanger, oh god. Now that I’ve built up a (somewhat) thicker skin, though, the number one most difficult thing I have to endure is cash shortage. There isn’t much money in self-pub at my stage of the game, and things like artwork, editing, and promotion have price tags. I’m much more likely to have a meltdown because I can’t afford pay someone to work their magic than I am to lose it about a bad review. Having to constantly make concessions and half-ass or forego aspects of professional publishing is heartbreaking.</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Joshua Allen Mercier:</span></b> Was there a specific place (or combination of places) that inspired the description of Cora's dream house?<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Ellie Di Julio:</span></b> <span style="color: #93c47d;">It’s essentially an amalgamation of the houses I lived in during my college years, plus the little comforts I’d want in my own someday-house. Who doesn’t want a slick kitchen, a book-lined living room, and a dedicated art space?</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Joshua Allen Mercier:</span></b> Do you have a favorite character (to write) from your series? If so, what sets them apart the others?<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Ellie Di Julio:</span></b> <span style="color: #93c47d;">While Cora is lots of fun and is drawn heavily from myself, Jack is my secret favorite child. He’s broken but trying to heal, which gives him a lot of depth. At the same time, he has a wild-child past and a white-knight complex. There’s a lot to dig into.</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Joshua Allen Mercier:</span></b> What project(s) are you working on at the moment?<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Ellie Di Julio:</span></b> <span style="color: #93c47d;">I’m eyeball-deep in wrapping the first (incredibly awful) draft of <i>Forgotten Relics #2</i>, as well as working on the monthly flash fiction for the newsletter crew. I’ve had a few collaborations floated out to me, but I’d rather not speculate on that until there’s something to actually say. Also, I’m toying with writing a serial based on the adventures of my parents in high school. There’s wedding-dress-wearing teens in graveyards with skulls, y’all.</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Joshua Allen Mercier:</span></b> You've collaborated on another title with Kyeli Smith. How did the two of you meet, and what was the collaboration process like for you?<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Ellie Di Julio:</span></b> <span style="color: #93c47d;">Oh, geez. So, Kyeli and I met when we were both still working as life coaches (I know, I know). I was stalking her all over the internet, and vice versa, and we got to be online friends, then I made the trip down to Austin to hang out in person in 2011. We instantly bonded. Calls every other week, SXSW visits, inside jokes – the lot. Then after I’d published <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0993629032/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0993629032&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">Inkchanger</a></i> in 2012, she came to me to ask if I’d help her finish a <a href="http://nanowrimo.org/" target="_blank">NaNoWriMo</a> book from three years before. A car accident had ruined her shoulders, arms, and hands, so she couldn’t type; she had basically a 30 page outline, but she needed someone to collaborate with to get the book done. I love Kyeli, and the story was fascinating to me, so of course I said yes.</span><br />
<span style="color: #93c47d;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #93c47d;">Collaboration isn’t something that comes naturally to me, especially in creative projects, because I have an overdeveloped sense of control. But because Kyeli and I have such good communication skills, it went much smoother than I anticipated. We had a few back and forth conversations to annotate the outline and discuss creative direction, then I wrote the entire draft myself. She got a pass at changes, I took another, she got the final, then viola! It took us about three months. The entire experience changed my perspective of collaborating with other authors, and Kyeli is over the moon to have <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0982162111/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0982162111&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">Time & Again</a></i> whole and out in the world.</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Joshua Allen Mercier:</span></b> I'm not sure of the topic or in what capacity, but would you consider writing a guest post on <a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><i>The Bearded Scribe</i></a> at some point?<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Ellie Di Julio:</span></b> <span style="color: #93c47d;">But of course!</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Joshua Allen Mercier:</span></b> How do you take your coffee?<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Ellie Di Julio:</span></b> <span style="color: #93c47d;">Ice cold (but no ice), full of cream and sugar. I realize this is coffee blasphemy, and I care not.</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Joshua Allen Mercier:</span></b> As a coffee addict, the fact that you drink coffee—regardless of how bastardized—is a plus in my book. (Makes it seem as though I keep a book of coffee drinkers, no? Perhaps I do, perhaps I don't. Mwahahaha!) Anywho...What's your favorite color?<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Ellie Di Julio:</span></b> <span style="color: #93c47d;">Blue. No, green! *is flung off the bridge*</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Joshua Allen Mercier:</span></b> Is there anything else that you would like to share with <a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><i>The Bearded Scribe</i></a>'s readers that I did not ask you (and you wished I had)?<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Ellie Di Julio:</span></b> <span style="color: #93c47d;">I’m sorry, I can’t hear you—I’ve been flung off the bridge.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><u><br />
</u></span></b> <b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><u><br />
</u></span></b> <b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><u>The Interviewer:</u></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/p/joshuaallenmercier.html" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://i1261.photobucket.com/albums/ii585/jamercier/File0420-squaredcropped.jpg" height="300" width="300" /></a></div><a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/p/joshuaallenmercier.html" target="_blank">Joshua Allen Mercier</a> is the Founder and Executive Editor of <i><a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Bearded Scribe</a></i>, a blog dedicated to the broad genre of speculative fiction. He is a writer, a coffee addict, a self-confessed linguaphile and philologist, a proud bibliophile, and an unrepentant Grammar Nazi. He is also a professional mixologist (a darn good one, thank you very much!) with over twelve years of cocktail-slinging experience.<br />
<div><br />
</div><div><a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/p/joshuaallenmercier.html" target="_blank">Joshua</a> is currently working on two manuscripts simultaneously: half his time is spent doing the re-edits of his first manuscript, <i>The Assassin of Aldarhaij (The Aesiranyn Saga)</i>, and the other half is spent dabbling with an untitled book of a new Urban Fantasy series.</div><div><i><br />
</i></div><div>When he is not working on the blog or writing, he enjoys singing, cooking, and spending time with his family. <a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/p/joshuaallenmercier.html" target="_blank">Joshua</a> lives in the Atlanta area with his partner, <a href="http://nativepulse.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jeremiah</a>, and their two chihuahuas, Bailey and Chanel.</div>testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15265385351584354182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105991228289447356.post-30533946067213418472014-03-11T10:49:00.000-04:002014-03-11T10:49:00.548-04:00Book Spotlight: Visible (Ripple Series, Book 4) by Cidney SwansonSalut, Beardies!<br />
<br />
Although I’ve never been an athlete, I’m a lifelong lover of Olympic sports. Every Olympic year, I seem to fall in love with some new sport in which I’ll never be able to actually participate, and follow it with rapt attention…until I get distracted by a book. Such was the case a couple of weeks back, when a new email pinged into my inbox just as I was starting to decide that I should abandon all other pursuits and take up slopestyle snowboarding. <br />
<br />
But who needs a snowboard when you have a book? The email that distracted me contained news of our pal <a href="http://cidneyswanson.com/" target="_blank">Cidney Swanson</a>’s return to the world of the <a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/2012/06/book-spotlight-ripple-trilogy-by-cidney.html" target="_blank"><i>Ripple Series</i></a>, and that news drove the Olympic dreams right out of my head! No sooner was the book safely on my Kindle than snowboarding was forgotten—no doubt saving me much humiliation and a hundred broken bones, not to mention a fortune in hospital bills—and today’s <a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/p/book-spotlights.html" target="_blank">Book Spotlight</a> was born. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/2014/02/book-spotlight-visible-cidney-swanson.html" name="buy"></a><br />
<table align="center" border="0"><tbody>
<tr> <td align="center"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IDVQ5Z2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00IDVQ5Z2&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/covers/visible-swanson.jpg" height="400" /></a><br />
<form name="bsB00IDVQ5Z2">
<div align="center">
<select name="jump"> <option selected="">Choose One</option> <option value="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IDVQ5Z2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00IDVQ5Z2&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20">Amazon|Kindle</option> <option value="http://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=E0AP4FWP4YQ&offerid=239662.2940148305521&type=2&murl=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.barnesandnoble.com%2FVisible%2FCidney-Swanson%2Fe%2F2940148305521">B&N|NOOK</option> <option value="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/visible/id819951589?mt=11&uo=4&at=11ldnM">iBookstore</option> </select><br />
<input onclick="window.open(document.bsB00IDVQ5Z2.jump.options[document.bsB00IDVQ5Z2.jump.selectedIndex].value,'newWindow','height=768,width=1024');" type="button" value="Purchase Now" /><br /></div>
</form>
</td> </tr>
</tbody></table>
<a name='more'></a><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Premise:</span></b><br />
Gwyn Li’s life has taken a few unexpected turns lately. First, she found out that her best friend Sam and Sam’s boyfriend Will are chameleons, born with a rare gene that allows them to turn invisible on command. Then, she was kidnapped by mad scientist determined to steal Sam’s chameleon DNA. Now, she’s trapped in France, on the run from the mad scientist, unable to return home to California because travelling invisibly and under duress didn’t leave time for her to pick up her passport. Still, life in hiding in the ancestral home of Sam’s mentor Sir Walter isn’t so bad, especially since Gwyn is under the constant protection of Sir Walter’s handsome son, Chrétien. Gwyn would dearly love to make a play for Chrétien, whose chameleon genes have granted him an unnaturally long life. But Chrétien has spent most of that life in mourning for the wife and child he lost centuries ago and understands little of Gwyn’s modern world. As the villains close in, Gwyn wonders if she can bring Chrétien out of his past and into her present, and whether either of them will survive to see happily ever after.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Gems for Writers:</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Twice-Told Tales.</span></b> I’ve been a lover of retold fairy tales ever since the first time a teacher read Jon Scieszka’s <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0670827592/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0670827592&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><i>The True Story of the Three Little Pigs</i></a> to my class back in elementary school. Retelling fairy tales is new territory for our <a href="http://cidneyswanson.com/" target="_blank">Cidney</a>, but she does it masterfully, casting Chrétien in the role of Prince Charming to the woman who inspired <a href="http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/452539/Charles-Perrault" target="_blank">Charles Perrault</a> to write the story of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0735814864/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0735814864&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><i>Cinderella</i></a>. Chrétien is a fantastic storyteller, and his stories, woven seamlessly throughout the main narrative, give the reader a deeper understanding of him as a character; as well as helping Gwyn navigate a relationship complicated by three centuries of sorrow. <br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Characterization.</span></b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IDVQ5Z2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00IDVQ5Z2&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><i>Visible</i></a> brings several characters to the forefront who played only bit parts earlier in the series. I wasn’t sure at first if I liked Gwyn; she seemed rather boy-crazy and shallow. Further into the story, though, I realized that she had a great deal of depth, genuinely caring for Chrétien and struggling to balance her Westernized morals with her Chinese mother’s more traditional views. Chrétien, too, is a fabulous character, behaving exactly as one would expect of a seventeenth-century French courtier suddenly dropped into the modern world. His sometimes-bungled attempts to survive in the twenty-first century are the perfect balance of humor and swoon-worthiness, especially one particular incident involving a judgmental shopkeeper—but you’ll have to read the book to find out the details!<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Conflict.</span></b> Conflict, of course, is central to any story, and by the fourth book in a series, the main one is well-established. In <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IDVQ5Z2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00IDVQ5Z2&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><i>Visible</i></a>, though, there is far more than just the main conflict, and conflict is actually used as a tool for characterization. The side conflicts, with Gwyn fighting her own flirtatious nature, Chrétien battling the demons of his own past, and Gwyn’s convoluted relationship with her mother, create an intricate web. Each plays off the others like ripples in a pond, adding layers of complexity to the fun, romantic fairy tale feel of the story. It takes a true master to write with that kind of balance, but the balance here never falters for an instant, and the result is breathtaking.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Romance Done Right.</span></b> One of my biggest literary pet peeves is romance that’s forced into a story. I’ve read far too many young adult books where a love triangle is inserted or a relationship develops seemingly for no reason. Though romance does take center stage in this book, it develops naturally and is neither forced nor too saccharine. Each character is strong enough in their own right that a good friendship between the two could have been a likely and satisfying outcome. The romantic relationship begins to develop only after Gwyn decides not to pursue Chrétien, and it develops so naturally that even this most jaded of readers couldn’t help but cheer the happily-ever-after.<br />
<br />
<div align="center">
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating:</span></b></div>
<table align="center" border="0" style="width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Conclusion: </span></b><br />
By the time I finished this book, the Olympic flame had gone out in Sochi and my athletic fantasies had been put to rest for another four years. Here in Metro Detroit, our winter continues to be the most brutal I can remember, but even though that means snowboarding will be in season for at least a few more weeks, I now realize that reading is warmer and safer than any winter sport. Thanks to <a href="http://cidneyswanson.com/" target="_blank">Cidney</a> for bringing me back to reality with this fantastic story!<br />
<br />
Until next time, Stay Warm and Scribe On!<br />
<a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/p/elizabethjnorton.html"><img border="0" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/signatures/elizabethjnorton.png" height="125" /></a><br />
<br />
***<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IDVQ5Z2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00IDVQ5Z2&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><i>Visible</i></a> (2014), by <a href="http://cidneyswanson.com/" target="_blank">Cidney Swanson</a>, is published by and copyright Williams Press. It is available in stores, online (<a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/2014/02/book-spotlight-visible-cidney-swanson.html#buy">see above</a>), and from your <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/search?qt=worldcat_org_all&q=B00IDVQ5Z2" target="_blank">local public library</a>.Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16181665617375050964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105991228289447356.post-17375482527155686122014-03-10T10:24:00.000-04:002014-03-10T22:17:11.659-04:00Book Spotlight: The Transmigration of Cora Riley (A Forgotten Relics Novel, Book One) by Ellie Di Julio (A Bearded Scribe Blog Tour)<div align="center">
<a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/blogtours/corariley/ttocredj-tourbanner.png" width="600" /></a></div>
<br />
Bonjour, Beardies!<br />
<br />
When <a href="http://elliedi.com/" target="_blank">Ellie Di Julio</a> approached me about a blog tour to promote her title, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0993629016/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0993629016&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><i>The Transmigration of Cora Riley</i></a>, I was drawn in by the amazing cover. Yeah, yeah... I know you should never judge a book by one, but it captivated me to read the premise, and I was sold. Magic, a soul-searching quest, and a trip to the Underworld; what could be better?<br />
<a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/2014/03/book-spotlight-the-transmigration-of-cora-riley-ellie-dijulio.html" name="buy"></a><br />
<table align="center" border="0"><tbody>
<tr> <td align="center"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0993629016/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0993629016&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/blogtours/corariley/Cora-Riley-Cover-1000.jpg" height="400" /></a><br />
<form name="bs9780993629013">
<div align="center">
<select name="jump"> <option selected="">Choose One</option> <option value="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0993629016/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0993629016&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20">Amazon|Paperback</option> <option value="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IRL28RC/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00IRL28RC&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20">Amazon|Kindle</option> </select><br />
<input onclick="window.open(document.bs9780993629013.jump.options[document.bs9780993629013.jump.selectedIndex].value,'newWindow','height=768,width=1024');" type="button" value="Purchase Now" /><br /></div>
</form>
</td> </tr>
</tbody></table>
<a name='more'></a><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Premise:</span></b><br />
Cora Riley has always dreamed of a more extraordinary life; when her mother is diagnosed with cancer, she decides to forego college and the promise of one, settling down and marrying shortly after. After suffering a mental breakdown, leading to a divorce, Cora is forced to move back home with her parents, reminding her even more of her ordinary existence and the possibilities of more.<br />
<br />
On an impulse, Cora decides to flee her parents' house in the middle of the night in search of the life she relinquished. When her truck loses traction, causing it to roll and crash and her death, Cora succumbs to the clutches of the Mistress of the Underworld. The Mistress agrees to give her a second chance at life—but only if she can first complete a quest.<br />
<br />
With the help of an atypical angel named Jack, a lost, young soul named Xavier, and the courage and determination she had once abandoned, Cora must travel through a complicated system of portals in search of a secret, thirteenth door (one that may not even exist) in order to complete her quest—and she must do it in only three days.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Gems for Writers:</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">World Building.</span></b> You probably assumed this would appear, but <a href="http://elliedi.com/" target="_blank">Di Julio</a> truly does give us an incredibly-built world—several, actually. In <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0993629016/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0993629016&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><i>The Transmigration of Cora Riley</i></a>, we are introduced to the idea of twelve heavens, concepts based upon ideas held throughout various cultures. While <a href="http://elliedi.com/" target="_blank">Di Julio</a> does not describe all twelve, she sets the premise for these worlds, all while immersing her characters and readers into a handful. The worlds range from stereotypical to mythological, borrowing elements from each yet expounding upon them with <a href="http://elliedi.com/" target="_blank">Di Julio</a>'s own twists and interpretations. <br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Mythology & Folklore Tie-In.</span></b> This Gem is, in truth, one in the same with the World-Builing Gem, but let's delve a little deeper. <a href="http://elliedi.com/" target="_blank">Di Julio</a> takes elements and characters from various mythological and folklore sources and makes them her own. Gods and goddesses from ancient mythos mix with angels, orcs, Faerie, dryads, and sprites, all done beautifully and believably. And a romp through Valhalla never hurt anyone, right?<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Romantic Plotlines.</span></b> Not only is <a href="http://elliedi.com/" target="_blank">Di Julio</a> a great world-builder, but she's quite the romantic, too. Cora's relationship with Jack starts off as just a business transaction of sorts, the two seemingly as different from one another as one could imagine. Attraction builds between the two not-so-polar opposites, climaxing in a tastefully-written love scene, and culminating with a bittersweet and unpredictable twist.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Pebbles to Polish:</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Poor Editing.</span></b> While the story and the wonderfully-crafted worlds warrant a 5-Star rating, there are editing issues that exist throughout the story. These do not distract from the storytelling, however, and are only noticeable to those with a finely-tuned eye. <b>{DISCLAIMER: The editing issues are present on the ARC I received from the author, which have been addressed in the final.}</b><br />
<br />
<div align="center">
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating:</span></b></div>
<table align="center" border="0" style="width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Conclusion: </span></b><br />
Alongside heaven building and mythological tie-ins, <a href="http://elliedi.com/" target="_blank">Di Julio</a> also weaves supernatural with mundane and sprinkles in a bit of magic, all while telling an awesome tale that left me wanting more. The readers get so caught up in Cora's story, they don't know that they're truly being directed to their own secret portal: a twist ending that is sure to please. I can't wait to find out what happens next in <i>The Forgotten Relics</i> series.<br />
<br />
Keep Calm & Trust the Beard, <br />
<a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/p/joshuaallenmercier.html"><img border="0" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/signatures/joshuaallenmercier.png" height="125" /></a><br />
<br />
***<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0993629016/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0993629016&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><i>The Transmigration of Cora Riley</i></a> (2013), by <a href="http://elliedi.com/" target="_blank">Ellie DiJulio</a>, is published by and copyright <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ellebellemedia" target="_blank">Elle Belle Media</a>. It is available in stores, online (<a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/2014/03/book-spotlight-the-transmigration-of-cora-riley-ellie-dijulio.html#buy">see above</a>), and from your <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/search?qt=worldcat_org_all&q=9780993629013" target="_blank">local public library</a>.<br />
<br />
***Per FTC Regulations: I received a free Advance Reading Copy (ARC) from the author and was not compensated in any way, monetarily or otherwise, for this review.testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15265385351584354182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105991228289447356.post-61474450090369707162014-03-07T11:55:00.000-05:002014-03-11T01:56:32.584-04:00Book Blast: The Boxcar Baby<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.bookblasttours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Boxcar-Baby.jpg"><img alt="Boxcar Baby" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-1487" src="http://www.bookblasttours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Boxcar-Baby.jpg" height="453" width="302" /></a></div>
<strong><br /></strong>
<strong>The Boxcar Baby by J.L. Mulvihill</strong><br />
<br />
Born in a boxcar on a train bound for Georgia. At least that is what Papa Steel always told AB'Gale. But now, fifteen years later, the man who adopted and raised her as his own is missing and it's up to AB'Gale to find him. Aided only by a motley gang of friends, AB'Gale train hops her way across the United States in a desperate attempt to find her papa and put her life and family back the way it was. Her only guide is a map given to her by a mysterious hobo, with hand written clues she found hidden in her papa's spyglass. Here is the Great American Adventure in an alternate steampunk dystopian world, where fifteen-year-old AB'Gale Steel learns that nothing is as it seems, but instead is shrouded in secrets and mysteries ... and that monsters come in all shapes and forms.<br />
The Boxcar Baby is the first book of the Steel Roots series.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>Praise for The Boxcar Baby</strong><br />
<br />
“Miss AB’Gale Steel, is a pure spitfire girl, full of strong-minded grit, who draws strength out of adversity, and endures hardship by bracing herself against self-pity.” – Jorie Loves a Story<br />
“One thing I really loved about this one was it was fast paced and moved quickly. Mulvihill did an amazing job making realistic characters.” – Bee’s Knees Reviews<br />
“J.L. Mulvihill is quite a talented writer and I think she has such a creative mind to come up with this Steampunk Southern American Adventure.” – Book and Movie Dimension<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Boxcar-Baby-Steel-Roots-ebook/dp/B00E4WTEP2?tag=blasttours-20" target="_blank">Amazon</a> * <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-boxcar-baby-j-l-mulvihill/1116032138?ean=2940148741633" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> * <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/books/the-boxcar-baby/AH1uolmSW02FqLjbS5oKrg?MixID=AH1uolmSW02FqLjbS5oKrg&PageNumber=1" target="_blank">Kobo</a></div>
<b>The Boxcar Baby Excerpt</b><br />
<br />
I have always loved the sound of the train whistle, especially when I hear it from far away; the moaning echo across the valley gives it a sorrowful sound like a Piper bird calling for its mate. Sometimes I can imagine the sound is a mournful spirit seeking its long lost love. Sad as it may sound, it calms me when I hear it at night and lulls me to sleep, or wakes me peacefully in the early morning. Every two weeks when I hear the train, I know it’s time for Papa to come home. But one morning about five weeks ago, Papa didn’t come home.<br />
<br />
I’m pretty sure my Granny is going to ask me to go to New Joplan to look for Papa. I don’t really mind going to New Joplan, the city is way jigin’, but I’ve never gone to the city alone before, and I’m sure there’s creepers there. Of course Granny will have it all worked out for me to stay with a friend of hers, but I will still have to go it alone. I need to go, though, because I have to find out what happened to my Papa. We ain’t heard from him or the railroad since Papa left for work last; he usually works a few weeks on and a couple weeks off, but this time he’s been gone longer than ever.<br />
<br />
If Papa doesn’t come back, I can’t say what will happen to Granny and me. Granny and I waited four weeks for Papa but when he still hadn’t come home we got worried. Granny decided maybe we should go on into Jasper and sell the eggs and milk like we usually do when Papa comes home. So we hitched up the ponies and loaded the cart up and head into town.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://www.bookblasttours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Author.jpg"><img alt="Author" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1488" src="http://www.bookblasttours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Author-300x266.jpg" height="266" width="300" /></a>Author J.L. Mulvihill:</b> Born in Hollywood and raised in San Diego, CA, J.L. Mulvihill has made Mississippi her home for the past fifteen years. Her debut novel was the young adult title The Lost Daughter of Easa, an engaing fantasy novel bordering on science-fiction with a dash of steampunk, published through Kerlak Publishing. The Boxcar Baby, the first novel of her Steel Roots Series, was released by Seventh Star Press in the summer of 2013.<br />
<br />
J.L. also has several short fiction pieces in publication, among them "Chilled Meat", a steampunk thriller found in the Dreams of Steam II-Of Bolts and Brass, anthology (Kerlak Publishing) and "The Leprechaun’s Story", a steampunk urban Fantasy found in the anthology, Clockwork, Spells, & Magical Bells (Kerlak Publishing)<br />
<br />
J.L. is very active with the writing community, and is the events coordinator for the Mississippi Chapter of Imagicopter known as the Magnolia-Tower. She is also a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), Gulf Coast Writers Association (GCWA), The Mississippi Writers Guild (MWG), as well as the Arts Council of Clinton, and the Clinton Ink-Slingers Writing Group.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.elsielind.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> * <a href="http://jlsbooks.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Blog</a> * <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mulvijen" target="_blank">Facebook</a> * <a href="https://twitter.com/@JLMulvihill" target="_blank">Twitter</a></div>
<br />
<br />
<strong>BookBlast Giveaway</strong><br />
<br />
$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash<br />
<br />
Ends 3/31/14<br />
<br />
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from <a href="http://iamareader.com/" target="_blank">I Am A Reader, Not A Writer</a> and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/0a00961224/" id="rc-0a00961224" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a></div>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15265385351584354182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105991228289447356.post-45562601837056920112014-03-06T09:42:00.000-05:002014-03-06T09:42:00.026-05:00Book Blast (with Excerpt): Death of the Body (Crossing Death, Book 1) by Rick Chiantaretto (A Bearded Scribe Blog Tour)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/" target="blank"><img border="0" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/blogtours/chiantaretto/deathofthebody-tourbanner.png" width="580" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" border="0"><tbody>
<tr> <td align="center"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1940748003/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1940748003&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/blogtours/chiantaretto/deathofthebody-cover.jpg" height="400" /></a><br />
<form name="bb9781940748009">
<div align="center">
<select name="jump"> <option selected="">Choose One</option> <option value="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1940748003/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1940748003&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20">Amazon|Paperback</option> <option value="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H8II60I/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00H8II60I&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20">Amazon|Kindle</option> <option value="http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-7119502-10273919?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.audible.com%2Fpd%2FSci-Fi-Fantasy%2FDeath-of-the-Body-Audiobook%2FB00I5N552W%2Fref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1393481792&sr=1-1">Audible</option> <option value="http://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=E0AP4FWP4YQ&offerid=239662.9781940748009&type=2&murl=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.barnesandnoble.com%2FDeath-Of-The-Body%2FRick-Chiantaretto%2Fe%2F9781940748009">B&N|Paperback</option> <option value="http://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=E0AP4FWP4YQ&offerid=239662.2940148858553&type=2&murl=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.barnesandnoble.com%2FDeath-Of-The-Body%2FRick-Chiantaretto%2Fe%2F2940148858553">B&N|NOOK</option> <option value="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/death-of-the-body/id763120950?mt=11&uo=4&at=11ldnM">iBookstore</option> <option value="http://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=E0AP4FWP4YQ&offerid=314164.202969781301084975&type=2&murl=http%3A%2F%2Fstore.kobobooks.com%2Fen-US%2Febook%2Fdeath-of-the-body-1">Kobo</option> <option value="https://www.schulerbooks.com/aff/beardedscribe/book/v/9781940748009">Schuler Books</option> <option value="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/379011?ref=beardedscribe">Smashwords</option> </select><br />
<input onclick="window.open(document.bb9781940748009.jump.options[document.bb9781940748009.jump.selectedIndex].value,'newWindow','height=768,width=1024');" type="button" value="Purchase Now" /><br /></div>
</form>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Blurb:</span></b><br />
I grew up in a world of magic. By the time I was ten I understood nature, talked to the trees, and listened to the wind. When the kingdom of men conquered my town, I was murdered by one of my own—the betrayer of my kind. But I didn't stay dead.<br />
<br />
I woke to find myself in a strange new world called Los Angeles. The only keys to the life I remembered were my father’s ring, my unique abilities, and the onslaught of demons that seemed hell-bent on finding me. Now I must learn who I really am, protect my friends, get the girl, and find my way back to my beloved hometown of Orenda.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Excerpt:</span></b><br />
<center>
<u>Prologue</u></center>
I watched in disbelief as blood seeped through my fingers and dripped, thick as syrup, to the ground. I heard each drop thud against the ground beneath me. The echo in my ears beat louder than any drum. For the first time in my ten years of life, I cursed the connection I had with the planet. I cursed it for its betrayal. I cursed it because, with every drop of blood that spilled, the planet felt my pain and mimicked my screams with its own bleating sound that bounced around inside my already spinning head.<br />
<br />
My legs were weak and my knees buckled but I didn’t dare let my hands loosen from around the wound in my stomach. I caught the weight of my fall with my face. I rolled onto my side in order to breathe. Pain surged as the ragged edges of my wound rubbed together. I felt every last severed nerve. They were all on fire.<br />
<br />
Blood poured quickly. Worse than seeing it, I could feel it, hot and sticky in a pool beneath me. My stomach retched but it would hurt to throw up so I tried to force down the feeling. Bile came up anyway. I turned my head and choked it out. The rusty taste left in my mouth was so sour it made my eyes water. I cried uncontrollably, feeling ashamed of myself.<br />
<br />
I wished for the comfort of my mother and father. I longed for the company of my two best friends. It was ironic that I’d just had a conversation about death with them a day ago.<br />
<br />
As I lay sobbing on the ground, the thought that I was going to die became more and more real. Already my blood was soaking back into the earth that I loved so much. I thought of the lessons that taught me not to fear death. I had been taught that death was a return to the larger conscious mind that is nature. This awareness made my people who they were and gave us our unique gifts.<br />
<br />
I was afraid anyway. The thought of dying was much more terrifying now than when it was taught to me by the Elders.<br />
<br />
The Elders. The Elders who were either dead or enslaved. The Elder who betrayed us all and who did this to me.<br />
<br />
Rage: pure, blazing, and blinding in its fury. I was too enraged to even notice that I could feel anything besides pain. Rage boiled inside me as blood boiled from my stomach and I realized it was based in two other emotions: hate and disbelief.<br />
<br />
Then something cold and wet hit me between the eyes. I rolled onto my back and stared into the dark and threatening clouds. Another something hit the back of my hand, and I lifted it (was my arm always this heavy?). A drop of rain mingled with my blood.<br />
<br />
I had never experienced rain before. It never rained here—at least not in my lifetime. Rain was for when the world was angry, when its powers had been abused and the balance of life had been disrupted.<br />
<br />
But wasn’t I angry? And wasn’t I connected to the planet? Didn’t I understand its moods and feelings? Why wouldn’t it then understand me? In my delirium this seemed to make sense, and the large flash of lightning that then split the sky seemed to confirm my thoughts. The flash was blinding, and I didn’t have enough energy to be startled by the fact that my vision remained nothing but the same bright white light.<br />
<br />
I shivered as cold crept into me; it didn’t help that I was lying in a chilling pool of blood. The rain picked up. I was nearly soaked through, but was too weak and numb to move. At least the pain was starting to slip away. I could only imagine how blue my fingertips must have looked. They felt like ice.<br />
<br />
After the pain was gone, the fear began to fade. All the tension in my body went with it. Cold as I was, I started to feel strangely comfortable. I could feel the earth beneath me, supporting me, soft and gentle. My mom used to hold me like this.<br />
<br />
When I realized the rage was slipping, I cried out. I wanted to keep it alive within me. I wanted to be angry and upset. I wanted to be angry because feeling an emotion—any emotion—was better than accepting death.<br />
<br />
As the rage faded further, I thought I heard distant laughter. How could anyone be happy now? How could they laugh as I lay here, a mangled mess? It took me a minute to remember that just because the earth could feel my pain didn’t mean everyone else could too—especially not the outsiders. <br />
<br />
Their voices were getting louder and nearer. When they suddenly stopped, I heard a gasp. Mustering the last of my strength, I reached toward the voices.<br />
<br />
“Please,” I tried to say, but it came out as barely more than a groan.<br />
<br />
“Get a doctor!” a woman’s voice commanded. I felt slight vibrations through the earth as somebody ran away. The woman who spoke came over and kneeled next to me. I wasn’t too far gone to feel surprise. I imagined I was a frightening sight. I expected her to keep her distance, so my eyes widened when she took my hand in hers. She was warm, but trembling.<br />
<br />
“What did this to you, child?” Her voice shook but was full of compassion and concern.<br />
<br />
“Magic.” I couldn’t tell if I actually said the word or just thought it.<br />
<br />
As I repeated the word over and over in my mind, the rage dissipated and the light began to dim. A part of me was upset that I’d let the rage go but I was too exhausted to call it back. I welcomed the darkness now. The woman at my side was saying something but her words made no sense to me. Far easier to hear was the heartbeat of the earth. I wanted to soothe the earth’s tremors caused by the pain and fear it felt for me, but I couldn’t. As my breathing slowed, memories of the past day flashed into my mind. They were of the events that led up to my death, when all this started. It seemed like a lifetime ago. Who would have known it would only be one long day that would lead me here, lying on the ground, spilling blood?testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15265385351584354182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105991228289447356.post-11471131075249504502014-03-05T12:00:00.000-05:002014-03-05T12:00:04.799-05:00New Project ManagerHello Beardies,<br />
<br />
Passion, dedication, and hard work often go unnoticed and under-appreciated in everyday life, but such is not the case on <i><a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Bearded Scribe</a>. </i>Since its inception a little over two years ago, our blog has grown, matured, and its scope and focus widened. With its ever-growing scope, however, so grows the demands of its dedicated and busy Executive Editor—yep, that's me!<br />
<br />
Shortly after its founding, I could no longer ignore the insight and passion of <a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/p/elizabethjnorton.html" target="_blank">Ms. Elizabeth Norton</a>, one of the blog's biggest fans and heralders, and so I asked her to join the team. Not much longer after that, Beardies, I had to acknowledge <a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/p/elizabethjnorton.html" target="_blank">Elizabeth</a>'s dedication, passion, and hard work by asking her to join the Editorial Staff as my Assistant Editor. I'm honored that she accepted.<br />
<br />
The time has come, yet again, to acknowledge the hard work and passion of another dedicated Contributor, and today I have an exciting announcement—exciting for me, and hopefully for the subject of this post. After weeks of planning (and still more to come), the Editorial staff has grown. Our very own <a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/p/autumnjones.html" target="_blank">Autumn Jones</a> has agreed to take on the title of Project Manager. She will be working closely with <a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/p/elizabethjnorton.html" target="_blank">Elizabeth</a> and me, helping to organize the various tours featured on the blog.<br />
<br />
I hope you all will join me in thanking and congratulating her! :)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
And, in the meantime, you can learn more about our very own <a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/p/autumnjones.html" target="_blank">Autumn Jones</a> in our quaint-but-insightful interview below.<br />
<br />
<b><br />
</b> <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">One-on-One with Project Manager Autumn Jones...</span></b><br />
<b><br />
</b> <b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Joshua Mercier:</span></b> When did your love affair with books begin?<br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Autumn Jones:</span></b> My earliest memories involve books and reading so I guess you can say I have always loved books. There are so many photos of me as a small child surrounded with books, someone reading to me, or me curled up with my nose in a book. I’m eternally grateful to my parents and elementary school teachers who encouraged and shared their love of reading with me.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwP8d3T49mt8YGZQyiuoey2RA338bvr0oludkAwIJceO8zm_1r3d5MzoVN8GRXabpsC-6yPar_xZT_nr7Yr52M_66UQj2f3N9w0K08Nyb0EKgPHbaCD63avpFcQ4aDl4jwhLNiw6np4TH1/s1600/reading.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwP8d3T49mt8YGZQyiuoey2RA338bvr0oludkAwIJceO8zm_1r3d5MzoVN8GRXabpsC-6yPar_xZT_nr7Yr52M_66UQj2f3N9w0K08Nyb0EKgPHbaCD63avpFcQ4aDl4jwhLNiw6np4TH1/s1600/reading.jpg" height="320" width="201" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Autumn's Grandmother reading <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002FNH5YY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002FNH5YY&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">The Big Red Apple</a></i> to her.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Joshua Mercier:</span></b> Which Speculative Fiction title was the one that got you hooked to the genre?<br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Autumn Jones:</span></b> It’s a toss-up between <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060234814/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0060234814&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe</a></i> or <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0374375968/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0374375968&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">A Wrinkle In Time</a></i>. <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060234814/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0060234814&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe</a></i> is the first book I remember reading multiple times, so if I had to pick one, I guess that’s the winner. <br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Joshua Mercier:</span></b> Do you have an absolute favorite speculative book?<br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Autumn Jones:</span></b> That’s kind of like asking me which of my children is my favorite. I also have a hard time hammering down a favorite because it seems to be changing all the time. Currently, I’m digging <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=the%20lunar%20chronicles&linkCode=ur2&sprefix=The%20Lunar%20%2Caps%2C192&tag=thebeascr-20&url=search-alias%3Daps" target="_blank">The Lunar Chronicles</a></i> series by Marissa Meyer. <br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Joshua Mercier:</span></b> An absolute favorite non-speculative title?<br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Autumn Jones:</span></b> Again with the favoritism?! Hmmm. Either <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0684830426/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0684830426&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">The Great Gatsby</a></i> or <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812416805/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0812416805&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">To Kill A Mockingbird</a></i>. <br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Joshua Mercier:</span></b> A favorite author?<br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Autumn Jones:</span></b> John Steinbeck. Jane Austen. Beverly Cleary. Stephen King. <br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Joshua Mercier:</span></b> I've met one of the four of the above—as a Maine-iac, can you guess which? LOL!<br />
Anywho... <i><a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Bearded Scribe</a></i> is all about Speculative Fiction, which encompasses several sub-genres. Which sub-genre(s), would you say, are your favorite(s) to read?<br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Autumn Jones:</span></b> Dystopian, hands down, is my favorite. I also really enjoy urban, dark and epic fantasy. I especially enjoy those genres when they are in a YA book. <br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Joshua Mercier:</span></b> I know you're a television & movie fan, too. What are some of your favorite speculative shows and movies?<br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Autumn Jones:</span></b> I’m a huge TV junkie. In my teenaged years I loved <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CRVL5ZE/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00CRVL5ZE&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">The X-Files</a></i>. I watched <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0036EH3WK/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0036EH3WK&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">Lost</a></i> from the very beginning all the way to the disappointing ending. I may or may not also have a strange obsession with <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000UX6THK/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000UX6THK&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">Twin Peaks</a></i> and <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004H9UZPK/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004H9UZPK&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">Quantum Leap</a></i>. As far as movies, I’m borderline ashamed to say, I watch <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0035WTJFW/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0035WTJFW&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">Minority Report</a></i> on a regular basis.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Joshua Mercier:</span></b> Nothing wrong with <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0035WTJFW/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0035WTJFW&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">Minority Report</a></i>. And I, too, am an X-Filephile. (I should trademark that nickname!) Besides reading and film, what are some of your other hobbies?<br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Autumn Jones:</span></b> I love to cook and enjoy experimenting with new foods and flavors. I’m also pretty crafty. Maybe I should have just said <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/autmur80/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> is my hobby. <br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Joshua Mercier:</span></b> I know you're a voracious reader...I'm curious—are you are writer, too?<br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Autumn Jones:</span></b> If you count mommy blogging for a few years and keeping a journal then, yes. Otherwise I’m just a big wanna-be who jots down ideas but never follows through. If I were to be a writer I’d want to write my semi-fictional, autobiography (because one should never let the truth get in the way of a good story). The working title is, <i>How Working for the Government Ruined My Life and Other Happy Tales</i>.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Joshua Mercier:</span></b> If you could have dinner with three people—dead, alive, or any combination—who would you choose and why?<br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Autumn Jones:</span></b> What will be served at this dinner? That would be helpful to know when picking. I will just assume you can pick between beef, chicken or fish, like a classy wedding. Um...Lee Harvey Oswald because I NEED to know if he was the one who killed Kennedy or if there were others involved. Former President Gerald R. Ford because I want to know about the whole Nixon pardon thing and other questionable decisions he made while serving as president. He’s also from my hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan, so maybe we could gossip about that. It would be fun to argue about our political differences, because nothing makes a dinner party more enjoyable than contentious, political arguments. Lastly, Tina Fey, which I don’t think needs any explanation. I love her. We’ll also need someone to lighten up what is kind of a heavy, borderline-boring-to-most party.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Joshua Mercier:</span></b> Who is your favorite literary hero/heroine? Why?<br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Autumn Jones:</span></b> I’m on Team Katniss right now. I dig The Girl on Fire. Yeah, she can be whiney and can’t make up her mind about boys, but I try and be a little forgiving given the whole Hunger Game survival x2 thing. Maybe it’s the brooding revolutionist in me, but I can really relate to Katniss and her rebel rousing ways. She’s fearless, loyal, family-centric, intelligent,0- and a survivor. <br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Joshua Mercier:</span></b> Favorite literary villain? Why?<br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Autumn Jones:</span></b> Police Inspector Javert from <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0453005799/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0453005799&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">Les Misérables</a></i>. Poor, poor Javert. He’s the kind of character I love to hate. He’s obsessed with Jean Valjean and so in love with justice and being right. While being the world’s #1 stalker, he turns a blind eye to all the good Valjean has done and lingers over the bad. Poor Javert just can’t reconcile his own feelings of justice and mercy after Valjean spares him on the barricade. That ultimately leads to Javert ending his own life. To me, Javert is the perfect antagonist around. <br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Joshua Mercier:</span></b> It's rather funny you mention Javert. According to <a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/p/elizabethjnorton.html" target="_blank">Elizabeth</a>, and referring to the Musical, I sing a mean rendition of his hit, <i><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/stars/id552027170?i=552027418&uo=4&at=11ldnM" target="_blank">Stars</a></i>. But enough of that. Is there a book or story for which you'd like to re-write the ending? What is it and how would you re-write it?<br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Autumn Jones:</span></b> I’m a sucker for a happy ending. I’d re-write most books that have terrible, tragic endings to make them happy, for sure. (I’m looking at you Veronica Roth…cough…cough…<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/006202406X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=006202406X&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">Allegiant</a></i>…cough.)<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Joshua Mercier:</span></b> Do you have anything else you'd like to share with the readers that I have not asked you?<br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Autumn Jones:</span></b> Ummm…I don’t think anyone cares about my usual Starbucks order (venti, skinny cinnamon-dolce latte) or the color of my car (blue). I’m pretty sure no one will care that I spontaneously break out into show-tunes either. So, I think we’re good here. Thank you!testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15265385351584354182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105991228289447356.post-83471620776086377612014-03-04T10:24:00.000-05:002014-03-10T05:17:05.160-04:00Book Blast (with Excerpt): The Transmigration of Cora Riley by Ellie Di Julio (A Bearded Scribe Blog Tour)<div align="center"><a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/blogtours/corariley/ttocredj-tourbanner.png" width="600" /></a></div><br />
<table align="center" border="0"><tbody>
<tr> <td align="center"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0993629016/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0993629016&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/blogtours/corariley/Cora-Riley-Cover-1000.jpg" height="400" /></a><br />
<form name="bb9780993629006"><div align="center"><select name="jump"> <option selected="">Choose One</option> <option value="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0993629016/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0993629016&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20">Amazon|Paperback</option> <option value="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IRL28RC/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00IRL28RC&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20">Amazon|Kindle</option> </select><br />
<input onclick="window.open(document.bb9780993629006.jump.options[document.bb9780993629006.jump.selectedIndex].value,'newWindow','height=768,width=1024');" type="button" value="Purchase Now" /><br />
</div></form></td> </tr>
</tbody></table><a name='more'></a><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Premise:</span></b><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Average family. Average job. Average existential crisis.</div><br />
After thirty boring years, nothing about Cora Riley’s life has measured up to her childhood dreams of being truly extraordinary. It’s too bad that the night she decides to seek out her specialness she crashes on a rural highway.<br />
<br />
Cora wakes in the clutches of the Mistress of the underworld who sets her a seemingly impossible quest. If she wants a second chance at life, Cora must find her way through the dozen heavens and return to the castle in three days.<br />
<br />
With the help of an unusual guardian angel named Jack and a little boy named Xavier, Cora navigates the afterlife doorfield and quickly learns that gods and monsters are very real indeed. Terrifying and tempting obstacles litter her path; only the power of belief–in the Otherworld, in her companions, and in herself–will return her to the land of the living.<br />
<div><br />
</div><div><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br />
</span></b> <b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Excerpt:</span></b></div>The Mistress takes a step back and holds out an arm to indicate the field of doors. “Here is your quest, Cora Leigh Riley. You are tasked with returning to the castle through the thirteenth door within three days. You must begin at the beginning, and anything you bring with you on your return is forfeit to me. Should you succeed, I will release you back into the mortal world as you have asked. Should you fail to return by the appointed time in the appointed way, your soul will forever rest where it stands in that moment.” She grins with wicked satisfaction. “Those are the terms of your quest. Do you accept?”<br />
<br />
A million questions chase each other through Cora’s mind, but a quiet, calm voice pushes aside any panic she feels. <br />
<br />
<i>This is my only way out. The only way I’ll ever get to have a chance at making a life worth living. I already wasted so much time being safe and small. There can’t possibly be a better time to risk it.</i><br />
<br />
She takes a slow, deep breath and considers the gently swaying grassy field. How hard can it be to find a door, anyway? Six are practically visible from right here. Thirteen should be a piece of cake.<br />
<br />
Turning back to the Mistress, she squares her shoulders and nods. “I accept.”<br />
<br />
A rushing breeze nearly knocks Cora to the ground with the smell of apples, and a chord of metallic chimes peals across the sky. The Mistress inclines her head in acknowledgement, somehow more regal and imposing. The same oozing sensation she felt in the dungeons creeps down over Cora’s scalp in what she’s come to recognize as the sealing of a deal.<br />
<br />
<i>Two mystical oaths in twenty-four hours–not the best idea I’ve ever had.</i><br />
<br />
There’s a tense moment that last long enough that Cora starts to feel awkward. An expectation is hanging there, but she’s at a loss to name it, so she decides to get moving, as unstorylike as it seems to stroll away.<br />
<br />
“So, uh, I’m going to go ahead and get started on that, then,” she says.<br />
<br />
She makes a slight wave to the Mistress and starts down the aisle between the first two doors, heading toward double digits.<br />
<br />
Three steps is as far as she gets.<br />
<br />
Before her foot falls for the fourth, she’s yanked violently backwards by an iron hand digging into her collarbone. Her boots drag in the grass, tearing up a skid as the high, echoing laughter of the Mistress fills the air. There’s a blur of brown, gold, and white as the first door is flung wide, blowing damp-smelling air into the dry field, and Cora is thrust bodily through the frame. She keeps her feet but wobbles dangerously as her boots sink into soft, loamy soil, the shift from soft yellow light to near darkness making her head spin. The sound of the Mistress’ laughter behind her makes Cora whip around. There’s stark divide between where she stands in damp darkness and the bright dry field where the Mistress stands only a few feet away, like a hole cut from a landscape painting and replaced with another scene. Cora makes a grab for the door’s frame to pull herself back through to the field but is easily shoved down by one of the Mistress’ fingers against her forehead. Cora totters backwards from the remarkable pressure and trips over a gnarled tree root, landing hard on her tailbone.<br />
<br />
Even through the flashbulbs of pain going off in her brain, Cora sees the Mistress framed in a rectangle of warm light cut from the dark greenery of her own surroundings, clearly enjoying the sight of Cora thrown off balance and confused.<br />
<br />
“Did you think it would be that easy, foolish girl?” she chuckles.<br />
<br />
<i>Sort of</i>, Cora thinks.<br />
<br />
“Remember, you have three days. If you can survive that long.”<br />
<br />
And with that the door slams shut, erasing the edges of the doorway until there’s no hint there was ever anything in that spot besides the massive oak looming over Cora like an executioner sharpening his axe.testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15265385351584354182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105991228289447356.post-15680692351864748622014-03-03T10:54:00.000-05:002014-03-03T10:54:00.236-05:00Guest Post by Derick William Dalton (Houses of Common Blog Tour)A few weeks ago I attended the Life, the Universe, and Everything sci-fi and fantasy symposium in Provo, Utah. It was completely worth two days in the car to get there. I was a panelist for one of the sessions, and a lady in the audience asked a question that kept me thinking.<br />
<br />
“I know the characters in my novel. I know the conflict and the plot. But I don't have a world in which to put them.”<br />
<br />
I interpret literally the concept that art imitates life. Some of my best ideas have come from one of my college textbooks, Invertebrates by Brusca and Brusca. That book makes the Mos Eisley cantina look like retired white folks playing bingo. Sometimes I reread it just to overload my brain with weirdtasticness.<br />
<br />
As this lady asked about creating a world for her fantasy series, I pondered a phrase commonly used in biology. Form follows function. If some part of an organism looks like it should perform a certain job, likely that's exactly what it does. It holds true for the bizarre appendages and embryology stages of arthropods. Though more abstract, behavior is such a formation. In mammals, it's a product of the frontal cortex of the brain. It's all about neurotransmitters and receptors and genetics. The function of which, speaking broadly, is to help an organism survive and reproduce. (A high school student once told me my biology class was boring. “Why?” I asked. “All we're talking about is food and sex.” He paid closer attention after that.) In humans, behavior is also involved in the other facets of our well-being. Could an author view her characters as an extension of the world's personality? <br />
<br />
Here's a real life example.<br />
<br />
Bonobos, Pan paniscus and formerly known as pygmy chimpanzees, are native to an area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It's a lush and fertile environment. They're a peaceful species, and are too busy mating to fight. Chimpanzees, P. troglodytes, are native to other areas, many of which are dry and harsh. They're mean. Males patrol the borders and kill other chimpanzees. They backstab each other for dominance. Primatologists hypothesize the link between these behaviors and habitat is causal rather than coincidental.<br />
<br />
So, we just need to invent ethnic stereotypes and reverse-engineer a world from them, right? Why not? But it needs to be more interesting than that, because there can be so many variables. After living in Canada, I can't go back without the accent following me for days. Being there changed me, and more than just knowledge of what ten degrees Celsius feels like or the first verse of “O, Canada.” I was only there six months. What about an entire life? As a physician assistant, every day I see kids whose healthy or unhealthy habits are identical to those of their parents or grandparents. For an author, the bonus is that the more entrenched a pattern of behavior, the bigger the payoff for the character and the reader when it's overcome. <br />
<br />
What if that pattern goes as deep as geology or history or DNA? Now we're talking heroic.<br />
<br />
This brings up the question of personal decision. A fun difference between mythic heroes, tragedies, comedies, and other forms of literature is the question of fate. Destiny. A character in book two of my <i>Houses of Common</i> series (<i>Meaner Sort</i>, out later this summer) pondered this question. She's an alien and head of security for her people's ambassador to the United States. She suffers setbacks in the form of failing to prevent an assassination, helplessly discovering xenocide, and worrying about the safety of her loudmouth brother. Leaving a hotel, she sees a holographic rendering of Paul Gaugin's painting Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going?, and reflects on the Ambassador's attack. “We come from the genes of our forebears, Monsieur Gauguin,” she whispers. “We are slaves of our instincts with a certain leeway of behaviors we must control or others will do so for us. But going where?”<br />
<br />
I wish I would have thought of all this when that lady at the symposium asked her question. I guess that's why I write novels instead of run for office.<br />
<br />
<div align="left">
<a href="http://shellytheboxturtle.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/signatures/dwdalton.png" height="125" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">About the Author:</span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaADqMT3fyEU1oovqNnOSJVML_Bkul1wpGlVfnAkOv1H0OppcZnEKof5EJkWxcm1t1w_8vlmUDUqqWryimha9C4DaVz-ktUJFwAaRrF_tLURvwgbnKY0Ile_w1knZS7M39ks1NgE2-FPgk/s1600/a17b51e210410ad8956e4e.L._V157579631_SY470_.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/AVvXsEhaADqMT3fyEU1oovqNnOSJVML_Bkul1wpGlVfnAkOv1H0OppcZnEKof5EJkWxcm1t1w_8vlmUDUqqWryimha9C4DaVz-ktUJFwAaRrF_tLURvwgbnKY0Ile_w1knZS7M39ks1NgE2-FPgk/s1600/a17b51e210410ad8956e4e.L._V157579631_SY470_.jpg" height="320" width="120" /></a></div>
<b><br />
</b> Mr. Dalton is a professional student who has taken an occasional hiatus for such frivolities as teaching high school science, residential construction, and treating patients as a physician assistant. In a moment of rebellion from graduate school stress, his brain refused to pay attention until certain stories were written down. He lives with his wife and children, and is planning a mountain bike trip on the moon.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Follow Derick:</b><br />
<table align="center" border="0" style="width: 240px;"><tbody>
<tr><td width="60"><a href="http://shellytheboxturtle.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Website" border="0" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/www.png" title="Website" width="60" /></a></td><td width="60"><a border="0" href="https://www.facebook.com/derick.w.dalton" target="_blank"><img alt="Facebook" border="0" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/facebook.png" title="Facebook" width="60" /></a></td><td width="60"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4990807.Derick_William_Dalton" target="_blank"><img alt="Goodreads" border="0" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/goodreads.png" title="Goodreads" width="60px" /></a></td><td width="60"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/derickwilliamdalton" target="_blank"><img alt="Zazzle" border="0" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/zazzle.png" title="Zazzle" width="60px" /></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15265385351584354182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105991228289447356.post-79789804012636318442014-02-26T21:46:00.000-05:002014-03-06T04:23:51.838-05:00Book Blast: The Orphan and the Thief by M.L. LeGette (An "I Am A Reader Not A Writer" Tour)<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.iamareader.com/2014/01/the-orphan-and-the-thief-blast-tour.html"><img alt="orphan tour" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1546" src="http://www.bookblasttours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/orphan-tour.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.iamareader.com/2014/01/the-orphan-and-the-thief-blast-tour.html" target="_blank">Tour Schedule</a></div><br />
<table align="center" border="0"><tbody>
<tr> <td align="center"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1494867788/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1494867788&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://www.bookblasttours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/orphan-thief.jpg" height="400" /></a><br />
<form name="bb9781494867782"><div align="center"><select name="jump"> <option selected="">Choose One</option> <option value="http://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=E0AP4FWP4YQ&offerid=189673.160108113&type=2&murl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alibris.com%2Fbooksearch%3Fqsort%3Dp%26qisbn%3D9781494867782">Alibris</option> <option value="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1494867788/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1494867788&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20">Amazon|Paperback</option> <option value="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HNVPSY2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00HNVPSY2&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20">Amazon|Kindle</option> <option value="http://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=E0AP4FWP4YQ&offerid=239662.9781494867782&type=2&murl=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.barnesandnoble.com%2FThe-Orphan-and-the-Thief%2FM-L-LeGette%2Fe%2F9781494867782">B&N|Paperback</option> <option value="http://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=E0AP4FWP4YQ&offerid=239662.2940045598903&type=2&murl=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.barnesandnoble.com%2FThe-Orphan-and-the-Thief%2FM-L-LeGette%2Fe%2F2940045598903">B&N|NOOK</option> <option value="http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-7119502-10876509?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booksamillion.com%2Fp%2FOrphan-Thief%2FM-L-Legette%2F9781494867782">Books-A-Million</option> <option value="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-orphan-and-the-thief/id791886482?mt=11&uo=4&at=11ldnM">iBookstore</option> <option value="https://www.schulerbooks.com/aff/beardedscribe/book/v/9781494867782">Schuler Books</option> <option value="http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-7119502-11174268?url=http%3A%2F%2Febookstore.sony.com%2Febook%2Fm-l-legette%2Fthe-orphan-and-the-thief%2F_%2FR-400000000000001190921&cjsku=400000000000001190921">Sony eReader</option> </select><br />
<input onclick="window.open(document.bb9781494867782.jump.options[document.bb9781494867782.jump.selectedIndex].value,'newWindow','height=768,width=1024');" type="button" value="Purchase Now" /><br />
</div></form></td> </tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>An adventure that will keep you and your kids spellbound.</b></div><div><br />
Toad thought it’d be easy to steal from Mr. Edward P. Owl. Unfortunately for Toad, he isn’t the best of thieves. Caught in the act, he’s in more trouble than ever before. Now to save his hide, Toad must track down five rare potion ingredients for Mr. Owl. Or else.All Melena Snead wants is her family back, but after the Miggens Street Fire, that isn’t very likely. Orphaned and miserable, forced to work in an apothecary, she’s determined to find Milo, her missing brother. No matter what.<br />
<br />
When Melena finds Toad ransacking her apothecary, Toad gets a nasty shock: apothecaries don’t carry Mr. Owl’s ingredients. Luckily, Melena’s willing to help, for a price.<br />
<br />
With Melena’s pet Spit-Fire dragon and Toad’s enchanted talking beer mug, they embark on a fantastical journey, traveling the country in search of the potion ingredients. But can they gather all of them in time, what with monsters, pirates, and axe-wielding thieves? And if they do, is there an even greater danger waiting for them at the end?<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><b><br />
</b> <b>Excerpt:<br />
</b><br />
<br />
<b></b> Panicking, Toad rushed, “Come on, Gent. There’s gotta be <i>somethin</i>’ that ya want! My prices are reasonable!”<br />
<br />
“The price is your life,” Mr. Owl stated, gently placing the dragon statue upon the desk.<br />
<br />
Mr. Ogg stopped again, his ham-sized hands falling back to his sides. Toad fell silent, too stunned to dare hope that he wasn’t about to be killed.<br />
<br />
“Let me explain how this will work, Mr. Toad. If tonight was like any other night I would happily see your neck snapped and toss you out like the bit of filth that you are.” He gave a heavy sigh. “<i>However</i>, the Hickory Guard have become annoyingly <i>tedious</i> ever since that upstart became Captain.”<br />
<br />
“Ya mean Dowell?” asked Toad.<br />
<br />
“The man has become so inflated with self importance that he’s actually having me followed. Can you imagine? Me?”<br />
<br />
“That’s … awful?” said Toad awkwardly, unsure how to respond.<br />
<br />
“So, you will forgive me for not wanting to waste Mr. Ogg’s talents on you with so little preplanning.” He gave the window a casual glance. “I’m sure a guard is stationed outside somewhere and disposing of your body without detection will be troublesome to say the least.”<br />
<br />
“Pardon me, sir,” Mr. Ogg interrupted, “but it would be no trouble.”<br />
<br />
“Ah, Mr. Ogg! How I like you!” Mr. Owl cheered. “Always ready to break a neck. Good fellow!”<br />
<br />
“We can stash him in one of the upstairs rooms,” Mr. Ogg continued in his deep, ocean floor voice. “I’ll make sure he won’t bleed.”<br />
<br />
“But a body, even in such a large house, will be difficult to hide if Dowell decides to search the place, as he has been hinting at for the last fortnight. No, no, my man. We cannot afford the risk of housing him here.”<br />
<br />
Toad sat still in his chair. It wasn’t every day that his own murder was discussed in such a light, conversational manner.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>M.L. LeGette:</b></div><div><br />
<a href="http://www.bookblasttours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/ML.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-1364" src="http://www.bookblasttours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/ML.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a>Melissa Lee LeGette has been writing seriously since she was a teen. She loves an old world vibe with a magical twist, and she puts her full focus on creating believable characters--even if they happen to be a talking beer mug. Her books are targeted for children and teens, but have been enjoyed by adults of all ages.<br />
<br />
She lives in Georgia where she helps run a family farm, so her nails are a fright.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://mllegette.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> * <a href="https://twitter.com/MelissaLeGette" target="_blank">Twitter</a> * <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/M-L-LeGette/119655051430835" target="_blank">Facebook</a> * <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/melissalegette/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> * <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1499928.M_L_LeGette" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></div><br />
</div><div><br />
<b><br />
</b> <b><br />
</b> <b>Praise:</b><br />
<i>[LeGette is] able to twist her unique fairy-tales to fit the imagination of children and the attention of adults. Five stars ... The Orphan and the Thief is definitely worth reading! </i>-- Abigail / Goodreads Review<br />
<br />
<i><br />
M.L. Legette conjures up a captivating magical tale in The Orphan and the Thief. I loved this story and I could not put my Kindle down until I finished the last page. This charming story is so good that it may very well become a classic. --</i> Karen Dowdall, Author of Delphi Altair: Strange Beginnings<br />
<br />
</div><br />
<br />
<a href="http://bookblasttours.com/"><img alt="" src="http://i1228.photobucket.com/albums/ee448/toobusyreading/bookblastfinal1.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<strong>Blast Giveaway</strong><br />
<br />
$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash<br />
<br />
Ends 3/23/14<br />
<br />
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from <a href="http://iamareader.com/" target="_blank">I Am A Reader, Not A Writer</a> and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/0a00961221/" id="rc-0a00961220" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a></div><script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15265385351584354182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105991228289447356.post-20832228822680817452014-02-25T10:30:00.000-05:002014-02-25T10:30:01.444-05:00Book Spotlight: Knights of Rilch (Serengard, Book 2) by Rachel O'LaughlinSalut, Beardies!<br />
<br />
Have you missed me? I can’t believe it’s been almost five months since I wrote my last <a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/p/book-spotlights.html" target="_blank">Book Spotlight</a>! The past months have included action, adventure, and enough high drama to fill a whole novel, but why would I bore you with the details when I have a fantastic book to tell you about?<br />
<br />
This week, our friend <a href="http://rachelolaughlin.com/" target="_blank">Rachel O’Laughlin</a> celebrates the publication of her second novel, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984919430/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984919430&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><i>Knights of Rilch</i></a>, the follow up to last year’s <a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/2013/08/book-spotlight-coldness-of-marek-rachel-olaughlin.html" target="_blank"><i>Coldness of Marek</i></a>, which we reviewed as part of a <a href="http://www.faebooks.co.uk/" target="_blank">Fae Books</a> blog tour. I’ve been waiting with bated breath for this book ever since I finished the first one, so I was stoked when <a href="http://rachelolaughlin.com/" target="_blank">Rachel</a> asked me to be among the first reviewers for it!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/2014/02/book-spotlight-knights-of-rilch.html" name="buy"></a><br />
<table align="center" border="0"><tbody>
<tr> <td align="center"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984919430/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984919430&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/covers/KnightsOfRilchSerengard2.jpg" height="400" /></a><br />
<form name="bs9780984919437">
<div align="center">
<select name="jump">
<option selected="">Choose One</option>
<option value="http://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=E0AP4FWP4YQ&offerid=189673.161547300&type=2&murl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alibris.com%2Fbooksearch%3Fqsort%3Dp%26qisbn%3D9780984919437">Alibris</option>
<option value="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984919430/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984919430&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20">Amazon|Paperback</option>
<option value="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IDQW4QG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00IDQW4QG&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20">Amazon|Kindle</option>
<option value="http://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=E0AP4FWP4YQ&offerid=239662.9780984919437&type=2&murl=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.barnesandnoble.com%2FKnights-of-Rilch%2FRachel-OLaughlin%2Fe%2F9780984919437">B&N|Paperback</option>
<option value="http://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=E0AP4FWP4YQ&offerid=239662.2940148341710&type=2&murl=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.barnesandnoble.com%2FKnights-of-Rilch%2FRachel-OLaughlin%2Fe%2F2940148341710">B&N|NOOK</option>
<option value="http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-7119502-10876509?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booksamillion.com%2Fp%2FKnights-Rilch%2FRachel-OLaughlin%2F9780984919437&cjsku=9780984919437">Books-A-Million</option>
<option value="http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=2&pub=5575050473&toolid=10001&campid=5337366190&customid=&icep_item=360864273163&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg">eBay</option>
<option value="https://www.schulerbooks.com/aff/beardedscribe/book/v/9780984919437">Schuler Books</option>
</select><br />
<input onclick="window.open(document.bs9780984919437.jump.options[document.bs9780984919437.jump.selectedIndex].value,'newWindow','height=768,width=1024');" type="button" value="Purchase Now" /><br />
</div>
</form>
</td> </tr>
</tbody></table>
<a name='more'></a><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Premise:</span></b><br />
Nine years ago, rebels destroyed the monarchy of Serengard, ruining all that Princess Kierstaz Orion and her brother, Mikel, held dear. Determined to restore the monarchy, Mikel and Kierstaz formed a band with the knights still loyal to them, skirmishing with the rebels along the border between Serengard and neighboring Dreibourge, but when the casualties became too much, they retreated into hiding. Now, Kierstaz and Mikel are once again on the run, but if possible the stakes are even higher, for they are sworn to protect Malcom, son of Trzl, leader of the rebels. Malcom is becoming a fierce fighter in his own right, but he is also plagued with a mysterious illness. When danger mounting for both Malcom and Mikel, Kierstaz must sacrifice everything to save them both in a land where nothing is as it seems and no one can be trusted.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Gems for Writers:</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">World Building.</span></b> In Serengard, <a href="http://rachelolaughlin.com/" target="_blank">Rachel O’Laughlin</a> builds a complex world and thoroughly explores all of its components. The reader comes away with a total understanding of Serengard in every aspect from its political structure and geographical features to its cultural norms. It takes a deft hand to incorporate this level of detail without dragging the story down, but there is absolutely no drag in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984919430/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984919430&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><i>Knights of Rilch</i></a>. Small details, such as the custom of Seren warriors exchanging blood when forming alliances, are explained in context, building the world gradually, so that by the end, the reader simply stands in the middle of it all and gazes around in awe. <br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Smoke and Mirrors.</span></b> This series has one of the most nuanced, complex plots I have read in quite some while, and is all the more enjoyable for it. In Serengard, nothing can be taken at face value and no one can be trusted. The revelations and betrayals range from subtle to shocking, and keep the suspense building to the very end. That end is also a perfect cliffhanger, leaving me anxious for another installment of the story, but perfectly content to go back to the beginning and reread while I wait! <br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Evolution of a Heroine.</span></b> Kierstaz had a small part to play in <a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/2013/08/book-spotlight-coldness-of-marek-rachel-olaughlin.html" target="_blank"><i>Coldness of Marek</i></a>, and I was most pleased to see her take center stage in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984919430/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984919430&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><i>Knights of Rilch</i></a>. It was absolutely fascinating to see her come to life in all her glory, a wonderful blend of fierce warrior and protector and mother figure to Malcom, and to watch her fight for her beliefs and those whom she loves. In my short acquaintance with Kierstaz, she has taken her place with my all-time heroines.<br />
<br />
<div align="center">
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating:</span></b></div>
<table align="center" border="0" style="width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Conclusion: </span></b><br />
Thanks for joining me today, Beardies! It’s great to be back, and rest assured you won’t be waiting long to hear from me again. See you next time!<br />
<br />
Until then, Keep Calm and Scribe On<br />
<a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/p/elizabethjnorton.html"><img border="0" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/signatures/elizabethjnorton.png" height="125" /></a><br />
<br />
***<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984919430/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984919430&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><i>Knights of Rilch (Serengard, Book 2)</i></a> (2014), by <a href="http://rachelolaughlin.com/" target="_blank">Rachel O'Laughlin</a>, is published by and copyright <a href="http://dublinmistpress.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Dublin Mist Press</a>. It is available in stores, online (<a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/2014/02/book-spotlight-knights-of-rilch.html#buy">see above</a>), and from your <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/search?qt=worldcat_org_all&q=9780984919437" target="_blank">local public library</a>.<br />
<br />
***Per FTC Regulations: I received a free Advance Reading Copy (ARC) from the author and was not compensated in any way, monetarily or otherwise, for this review.Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16181665617375050964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105991228289447356.post-18952632205232408222014-02-10T10:24:00.000-05:002014-02-10T22:27:28.720-05:00Author Spotlight: Adam Gillrie (A Bearded Scribe Blog Tour)<div align="center">
<a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/blogtours/silentintrusion/silentintrusion-tourbanner.png" width="600" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Author Bio:</span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/blogtours/silentintrusion/adamgillrie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/blogtours/silentintrusion/adamgillrie.jpg" height="320" width="299" /></a></div>
<a href="http://silentintrusion.com/" target="_blank">Adam Gillrie</a> had the unique experience of being home schooled and turning out socially acceptable. His home schooling gave him eight hours a day to write but left him horribly behind in math. Do not buy a book by <a href="http://silentintrusion.com/" target="_blank">Adam Gillrie</a> for his math skills.<br />
<br />
After being home-schooled, <a href="http://silentintrusion.com/" target="_blank">Adam Gillrie</a> was thrust into the public school system his senior year of high school. Sadly, his socially acceptable skills were not able to save him as he rode the bus.<br />
High school ended and <a href="http://silentintrusion.com/" target="_blank">Adam</a> majored in Creative Writing at the prestigious University of South Florida. It was here he gained a distinct hatred for Edgar Allen Poe (Sorry, Poe fans). After a year, Adam served a full-time mission for 2 years for his church, and—upon returning to college—he became a respectable Business Major.<br />
<br />
Upon graduating, <a href="http://silentintrusion.com/" target="_blank">Adam</a> did many of the respectable things a talented, socially-acceptable person does with their life. He started a family, had four wonderful children, and became astute at consulting. <br />
Unfortunately, <a href="http://silentintrusion.com/" target="_blank">Adam</a> s mid-life crises came early and he found himself leafing through the no-less-than-600 book outlines and short stories that he'd written during his home-schooled upbringing. Realizing he had made a terrible mistake being respectable, <a href="http://silentintrusion.com/" target="_blank">Adam</a> quit his job as a famous consultant and locked himself away to rewrite his book, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G85BU5U/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00G85BU5U&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">Silent Intrusion</a></i>.<br />
<br />
Three years—and many many editors—later, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G85BU5U/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00G85BU5U&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">Silent Intrusion</a></i> was complete. Remarkably, it rose to the top of its category on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">Amazon</a> upon its release (which, of course, has gone straight to <a href="http://silentintrusion.com/" target="_blank">Adam</a>'s head). <a href="http://silentintrusion.com/" target="_blank">Adam</a> is currently working on the sequel as he slowly makes his way through the 600 books he would like to publish before he dies.<b><span style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></b> <b><span style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></b> <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">The Interview:</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Autumn Jones:</span></b> Which book introduced you to speculative fiction?<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Adam Gillrie:</span></b> <span style="color: #93c47d;">I’d have to say <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0553380958/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0553380958&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">Snow Crash</a></i> by Neal Stephenson. It was one of the first books that just took for granted many of the concepts of Science Fiction without boring me to tears trying to explain the technology.</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Autumn Jones:</span></b> Do you have an all-time favorite book? What about it makes it your favorite?<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Adam Gillrie:</span></b> <span style="color: #93c47d;"><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0765338211/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0765338211&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">Ender’s Game</a></i> is still my favorite book. I just love how Card captures the potential for children to do great things.</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Autumn Jones:</span></b> Which author—and/or book—inspired you to start writing?<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Adam Gillrie:</span></b> <span style="color: #93c47d;">Believe it or not, Tom Clancy’s <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0870212850/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0870212850&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">The Hunt for Red October</a></i> was instrumental in starting me down the writing path. I had written since I learned how to read, but that book convinced me I could do it. It didn’t hurt that he wrote me back when I wrote him. It wasn’t a long letter, but I treasured it for years.</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Autumn Jones:</span></b> Have you always felt the drive to write a book and share your stories? What are the biggest hurdles you've had to overcome to accomplish it?<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Adam Gillrie:</span></b> <span style="color: #93c47d;">Yes, always. It’s what I’ve known I would do since I learned to read. My biggest hurdles have been the refining process. I have written <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G85BU5U/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00G85BU5U&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">Silent Intrusion</a></i> from scratch four times. This is not an effective way to spend one's time—although the book is much better now than the first draft. I’ve learned how to better refine first drafts while working on Book 2, too.</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Autumn Jones:</span></b> Of the entire publishing process, what would you say is the most difficult aspect to endure?<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Adam Gillrie:</span></b> <span style="color: #93c47d;">The most difficult aspect is the final polish. It’s very frustrating to find a spelling mistake or an incomplete sentence when you’ve read through a book forty times. It’s also frustrating because of the sheer length of a book allows this to happen too easily. </span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Autumn Jones:</span></b> Your main characters had distinct personalities and traits. Are they pieces of you? Were there any actual events or people that inspired any bit of the plot or characters in <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G85BU5U/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00G85BU5U&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">Silent Intrusion</a></i>?<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Adam Gillrie:</span></b> <span style="color: #93c47d;">Centrally, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G85BU5U/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00G85BU5U&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">Silent Intrusion</a></i> is about the bond between a brother and sister. My younger sister was always a bit wiser than me and looked out for me without me realizing it. I reflected a lot on our relationship when I wrote <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G85BU5U/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00G85BU5U&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">Silent Intrusion</a></i>. I also am a complete mess when it comes to organization. So I feel Breaker’s pain. </span><br />
<span style="color: #93c47d;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #93c47d;">As far as real events. The answer is Yes and No. In my research to write <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G85BU5U/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00G85BU5U&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">Silent Intrusion</a></i>, I talked to many people that have had strange experiences, missing time, et cetera. I talked to people who worked in Area 51. Much of what I learned guided my book, but much I created myself. </span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Autumn Jones:</span></b> Do you have a favorite character (to write)? If so, what sets them apart the others?<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Adam Gillrie:</span></b> <span style="color: #93c47d;">Believe it or not, it’s Jane. You only get a glimpse of her in Book 1, but I have big plans for that little girl. I’m dying to finish Book 2 so I can get working on Book 4. I don’t want to give anymore away than that.</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Autumn Jones:</span></b> What project(s) are you working on at the moment? And any sneak peeks into Book 2 that you're willing to share?<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Adam Gillrie:</span></b> <span style="color: #93c47d;">Book 2 is going to give answers. You will get to know who the shadows are, you will meet Mike, and you will start to understand what was going on with Jane in Book 1. I feel Book 2 answers a lot of questions I left open at the end of Book 1. </span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Autumn Jones:</span></b> I picture dark rooms, old fashioned type writers, and Amy Winehouse playing. (I have been accused of having an overactive imagination.) Could you describe your writing process to the readers?<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Adam Gillrie:</span></b> <span style="color: #93c47d;">I write deep in the woods on a loud clicking keyboard. I carry my clunky keyboard and laptop with me, find a comfortable chair, and lock myself away. I listen to fast-paced music while I type. I spend my free time running through the story in my head, trying to solve problems. I will write hundreds of pages before I start to get excited. If I’m not excited, the scene isn’t ready. I’ve got stacks and stacks of started chapters that didn’t make the cut.</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Autumn Jones:</span></b> One of the main themes in <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G85BU5U/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00G85BU5U&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">Silent Intrusion</a></i> is the abductions. Would you ever hope to be abducted by aliens? How would you react?<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Adam Gillrie:</span></b> <span style="color: #93c47d;">As a kid, I totally wanted to be abducted. I went so far as to try and create an obvious abduction opportunity. I laid out in my backyard on my trampoline and imagined it so hard that I was able to convince myself for a few days that it’d happened. Alas, it never did. If I was abducted, I would try and negotiate for technology. I know that sounds strange, but I have always loved gadgets.</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Autumn Jones:</span></b> I'm not sure of the topic or in what capacity, but would you consider writing a guest post on <i><a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Bearded Scribe</a></i> at some point?<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Adam Gillrie:</span></b> <span style="color: #93c47d;">Of course. <i><a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Bearded Scribe</a></i> has been a lot of help to an often confused author such as myself. </span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Autumn Jones:</span></b> Is there anything else that you would like to share with <i><a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Bearded Scribe</a></i>'s readers that I did not ask you (and you wished I had)?<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Adam Gillrie:</span></b> <span style="color: #93c47d;">Nope. Nothing else. </span><br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"><br />
</span> <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">The Interviewer:</span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM10oNMb9fyU_CaaY-v-keeTfxk31NUzsYGNaRm16XyKc5KDceWi8uAoZqqx-uXjO54nZpGN8Og14B48hz1vUrWeDPSSqwXU7sQMnpnWvZs3yZLKDDkmJaBaIsFog9BBi8AIqu7JpLd_no/s480/551678_10152021523265001_1404610528_n.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/AVvXsEhM10oNMb9fyU_CaaY-v-keeTfxk31NUzsYGNaRm16XyKc5KDceWi8uAoZqqx-uXjO54nZpGN8Og14B48hz1vUrWeDPSSqwXU7sQMnpnWvZs3yZLKDDkmJaBaIsFog9BBi8AIqu7JpLd_no/s320/551678_10152021523265001_1404610528_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
There was once a girl named Autumn Jones. She was born on Easter Sunday in a tiny, shoreline town in Michigan. Autumn’s formative years were spent in and around the greater Grand Rapids, Michigan area. With a father in radio broadcasting and a former 4th grade teacher for a mother, communication and reading were a way of life. Books were not only a fun, free adventure, but a great way to learn about the world outside of small-town, Michigan, too. <br />
<br />
After graduating from high school, Autumn ventured out west to Utah where she found wide open spaces, new faces and room to make her big mistakes. She worked for a year to establish residency and then attended Utah Valley State College (now <a href="http://www.uvu.edu/" target="_blank">Utah Valley University</a>). After two years there, she transferred to the <a href="http://www.utah.edu/" target="_blank">University of Utah</a> where she graduated with a degree in Political Science and Communications. Autumn was planning an adventure to law school when she met the love of her life and decided to follow a different path that included marriage, government work, and having 3 children in 3 years.<br />
<div>
<br />
Having once aspired to be the next great American author, these days Autumn’s favorite form of writing involves limited characters in social-media formats. Her sarcastic take on daily life as a mother and government employee is a creative exercise that keeps life exciting. During much of her late teens and early twenties the majority of her reading included books like <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/052163394X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=052163394X&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">Methods and Models: A Guide to the Empirical Analysis of Formal Models in Political Science</a></i>. After having her first baby, her book log was full of things like <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0394823958/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0394823958&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">In a People House</a></i>. These days, she is reading anything she can get her hands on—from trashy novels like <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385537816/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0385537816&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">50 Shades of Grey</a></i> to YA Dystopian series like <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0545265355/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0545265355&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">The Hunger Games</a></i>. Autumn has a varied love of literature. Stories that entertain, provoke thought, and transport her to another location are a criteria these days. <br />
<br />
When she’s not at work managing the office affairs of a child advocacy center (Employee of the Month, March 2010), driving carpool, and running a busy household, Autumn can be found curled up with her <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008GFRE5A/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008GFRE5A&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">Kindle</a> and surrounded by half a dozen books in various stages of read. Autumn is an avid fan of dramatic, prime-time television shows, musical theater, overpriced coffee, and sushi.</div>
Autumnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08997024535647823735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105991228289447356.post-29143198412123136762014-02-03T09:37:00.000-05:002014-02-28T02:48:35.637-05:00Book Spotlight: Silent Intrusion by Adam Gillrie (A Bearded Scribe Blog Tour)<div align="center">
<a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/blogtours/silentintrusion/silentintrusion-tourbanner.png" width="600" /></a></div>
<br />
Happy Day, Beardies!<br />
<br />
Where has the time gone? January is done, and February is upon us! I'm learning time flies—whether I want it to or not. These winter months are screaming past, though, and I couldn't be happier about it. I'm looking forward to clear skies, warm breezes, and flowers blooming. I wish I had a funny story to share about what's been going on with me the last few months—but alas, it was just boring, every day life. No one wants to hear me go on and on about work, school, homework, stomach flu, etc. (If you do, <a href="http://twitter.com/governmentmom" target="_blank">follow me on Twitter</a>.) I'm happy to be back doing another <a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/search/label/Book%20Spotlight" target="_blank">Spotlight</a> today. Let's get to it, shall we?<br />
<table align="center" border="0"><tbody>
<tr> <td align="center"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G85BU5U/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00G85BU5U&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/blogtours/silentintrusion/silentintrusion-cover.jpg" height="400" /></a><br />
<form name="bs9780991151806">
<div align="center">
<select name="jump"> <option selected="">Choose One</option> <option value="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G85BU5U/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00G85BU5U&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20">Amazon|Kindle</option> </select><br />
<input onclick="window.open(document.bs9780991151806.jump.options[document.bs9780991151806.jump.selectedIndex].value,'newWindow','height=768,width=1024');" type="button" value="Purchase Now" /><br /></div>
</form>
</td> </tr>
</tbody></table>
<a name='more'></a><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Premise:</span></b><br />
Breaker is an underachieving military aide. He just can't seem to do anything right. When the General puts him in charge of finding out who or what is causing thousands of people to disappear will Breaker be able to step up to the challenge? Will he be able to solve one of the US Military's greatest mysteries?<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Gems for Writers:</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Genre-Blending.</span></b> I was pleased with the blending of sci-fi, militaristic themes, and mystery. I tend to get leery of books that try and throw more than one genre together. Sometimes it can all get a little lost in translation. <a href="http://silentintrusion.com/" target="_blank">Mr. Gillrie</a> took the time to balance and blend them all together effortlessly. The book really needed all these elements to compel the story and move it along. At no point in the book was any one genre outweighing the others. <br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Suspense.</span></b> I found myself asking a lot of 'W' questions. WHO are these creatures? WHAT do they want? WHAT is happening? From WHERE did they come? WILL they be able to figure out this stuff? Suspense was definitely well incorporated into this story. Just when I thought I had something figured out—BAM!—something else was revealed which just led to more questions.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Pebbles to Polish:</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Poor Editing.</span></b> This book definitely needs a brush up on its editing. Spelling errors, grammatical errors, and formatting issues were all present and, often times, distracting when reading the book. There was also strange dialogue that just seemed out of place and really confused me as a reader. I think the first chapter of the book would served as a better ending and lead-in for Book 2.<br />
<br />
<div align="center">
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating:</span></b></div>
<table align="center" border="0" style="width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star.png" height="40" width="40" /></td><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star-half.png" height="40" width="40" /></td><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star-fade.png" height="40" width="40" /></td><td width="40"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/icons/glossysilver/star-fade.png" height="40" width="40" /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Conclusion: </span></b><br />
This story has a lot of potential. If the editing had been better I would have given this a solid 3 (quite possible 3.5). I liked Breaker and his military comrades. I want them to save the world from the strange alien invaders. After finishing the book, it inspired me to break out my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CRVL5ZE/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00CRVL5ZE&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank">X-Files DVD Collection</a> and watch a few episodes. Mulder and Scully forever!<br />
<br />
Until next time...<br />
<a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/p/autumnjones.html"><img border="0" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a402/beardedscribe/signatures/autumnjones.png" height="125" /></a><br />
<br />
***<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G85BU5U/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00G85BU5U&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeascr-20" target="_blank"><i>Silent Intrusion</i></a> (2013), by <a href="http://silentintrusion.com/" target="_blank">Adam Gillrie</a>, is published by and copyright <a href="http://www.ironrodpublishing.com/" target="_blank">Iron Rod Publishing</a>. It is available in stores, online (<a href="http://thebeardedscribe.blogspot.com/2014/02/book-spotlight-silent-intrusion-adam-gillrie.html#buy">see above</a>), and from your <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/search?qt=worldcat_org_all&q=9780991151806" target="_blank">local public library</a>.Autumnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08997024535647823735noreply@blogger.com0