tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16743706915210953842024-02-18T21:01:15.148-05:00The Writing Life For MeA writing blog, by Alice M. RoelkeLumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10884249863282043059noreply@blogger.comBlogger101125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674370691521095384.post-67926784897560931902014-02-11T02:17:00.001-05:002014-02-11T02:40:52.354-05:00Free reads - sci fi & fantasy & humor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOZq6kzyM6ZxN40OVKRp3Y1bDPbk9WpGhpUEE422K40o4LhGi1u38ia7x8P9ZL6LnZnyHtTHbpZFjm2L1ZJtGKQrs24JSVLpo2E1-j5eF2hjs5C_rBm-pKleAivQiym5pZe5_6oTwbVUXi/s1600/reads2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOZq6kzyM6ZxN40OVKRp3Y1bDPbk9WpGhpUEE422K40o4LhGi1u38ia7x8P9ZL6LnZnyHtTHbpZFjm2L1ZJtGKQrs24JSVLpo2E1-j5eF2hjs5C_rBm-pKleAivQiym5pZe5_6oTwbVUXi/s320/reads2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">PHOENIX, by Alice M. Roelke</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This sensitive fantasy short story is about a young girl whose life is saved by a man that can never die. Or can he? Set during Halloween, thoughtful, sad and sweet--this is one of my favorite pieces. </span><a href="http://www.mindflights.com/item.php?sub_id=5914" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Published at "Mindflights" magazine and still available there to read.</span></a><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">A Wizard at War, by A. M. Roelke</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This dark short story is a fantasy piece set during WWI. It was <a href="http://dailysciencefiction.com/fantasy/magic-and-wizardry/a-m-roelke/a-wizard-at-war" target="_blank">published at Daily Science Fiction and can still be read there.</a></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Blood and Brothers, by Alice M. Roelke</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">An emotional story about two brothers and a dragon hunt, with not everything being as it appears. <a href="http://residentialaliens.blogspot.com/2008/10/blood-and-brothers.html" target="_blank">Published at ResAliens, and still available to be read there.</a></span><br />
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<u><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Humor:</span></b></u></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">A Gentlewoman's Guide to Time Travel, by Alice M. Roelke</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This short and silly piece was <a href="http://dailysciencefiction.com/science-fiction/time-travel/alice-m-roelke/a-gentlewomans-guide-to-time-travel" target="_blank">first published at Daily Science Fiction, and can still be read there</a>.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Piggot Porkins, by Alice M. Roelke</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A goofy sci-fi poem, <a href="http://www.digitaldragonmagazine.net/roelke-piggotporkins.php" target="_blank">published at Digital Dragon Magazine, and still available there</a>.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The Literary Hollow, by Alice M. Roelke</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A short, goofy piece that was my ode to Mr. Bradbury. First published in Ethereal Tales in April 2009 <a href="http://www.nonsensesociety.com/2012/05/alice-m-roelke/" target="_blank">and currently available here.</a></span><br />
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<i>image licensed through Shutterstock.com</i><br />
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Lumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10884249863282043059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674370691521095384.post-36566226346032525372014-02-11T00:48:00.003-05:002014-02-11T01:08:44.208-05:00He Gave Me Coal (short romance - repost)<span style="background-color: white;"><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAme1w0MHiX8_HSYGVOxmCFoAfUaucpcABQvMIiD814hplLB6rOimC4fg3s4fyCt3CTzKMl7H4-xWfMOzMkQeN3OEJfsSVNanjS8DrJrC63cghVDDlpbCKjOl04Z2HeqS4KZ5xVXrxX9ff/s1600/coal2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAme1w0MHiX8_HSYGVOxmCFoAfUaucpcABQvMIiD814hplLB6rOimC4fg3s4fyCt3CTzKMl7H4-xWfMOzMkQeN3OEJfsSVNanjS8DrJrC63cghVDDlpbCKjOl04Z2HeqS4KZ5xVXrxX9ff/s1600/coal2.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;">It was Christmas Eve, and we closed late. We’d had a few late customers wanting something special and fresh for tomorrow’s meal. Every sale helped; it had been a hard year for our bread store.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;">We were barely making it, my business partner and I. Jack, who’s more than my business partner now.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;">With the economy so poor, I didn’t know if we would make it another month, much less till next Christmas. These days, people had less to spend on artisan breads, handmade whole wheat rolls, and gluten-free feta-and-spinach loaves.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;">I turned the sign around. Jack hung up his apron. Then he turned to me, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a lump of coal. His hands still looked clown-white with flour dust. The coal left black streaks.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;">“This is for you.” He smiled at me.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;">My heart thumped, the way it always does at that dimpled smile, so unexpected, so pure in a face I had once thought ordinary.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;">“Coal?” I picked it up, making my own hand dusty, but no darker. I looked up at him with a questioning smile. I wasn’t offended yet, but I felt confused. Was he teasing, or what?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;">“Coal,” he repeated, smiling into my eyes with his blue ones. “Diamonds are made from coal, and pressure, and time — all the time in the world.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;">I closed my fingers over it. For a second, I couldn’t breathe.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;">He enveloped my hand in both his own. Jack had such warm hands, always had. The coal was a dry lump, pressure against my palm. I stared at him.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;">“I don’t have a diamond for you yet, Moni. But I love you, and I have all the time in the world, the rest of my life — for you. We can make something beautiful with our lives. We’ll make it through all the pressure, together. So will you — ?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;">He couldn’t finish. I’d already flung my arms around him and said yes.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;">He gave me coal.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;">It was the best present ever.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Previously published at <a href="http://www.everydayfiction.com/he-gave-me-coal-by-alice-m-roelke/">Everyday Fiction</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">c) Alice M. Roelke - do not repost without permission - thank you! :)</span></div>
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<i style="background-color: white;">Image licensed through Shutterstock.com</i></div>
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Lumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10884249863282043059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674370691521095384.post-88539554214027575302013-09-05T15:16:00.000-04:002013-09-05T15:26:14.053-04:008 Hour Ebook Challenge - results<span style="font-size: large;">I took part in this challenge from Joe Konrath: <a href="http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2013/08/8-hour-ebook-challenge-winners.html">http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2013/08/8-hour-ebook-challenge-winners.html</a> </span><span style="font-size: large;">Basically, if you haven't seen it, you write, edit, format, create cover art, and publish a story all in the space of eight hours.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I created this:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie61-Luutwm5l04zvuZaq0hctWdKsIotsScv-EoLQqhazl7XTkp-4_mEpmPfNKrQF9c0C7WsFco_G900olnOzkmFYCi4VWl8xGL5LudAyQMZNGCeEQ3en3ukAWEl3TblFGPF3oTqiwvFEx/s1600/DragonCoverSmall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie61-Luutwm5l04zvuZaq0hctWdKsIotsScv-EoLQqhazl7XTkp-4_mEpmPfNKrQF9c0C7WsFco_G900olnOzkmFYCi4VWl8xGL5LudAyQMZNGCeEQ3en3ukAWEl3TblFGPF3oTqiwvFEx/s320/DragonCoverSmall.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Sword, the Dragon, and the Lie, by Alice M. Roelke</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #776644; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EUI5FTY/" style="color: #776644; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EUI5FTY/</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I felt it was a big success, because it gave me the courage to write a story I wanted to. I spent time writing and editing, not just second-guessing myself, the story turned out well. At least, I was happy with it. :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I set free promotion for five days, and 219 people downloaded copies. One of them has now reviewed it (4 stars!!). :) </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I probably would never have written this without the challenge to give me a little push, even though it was an idea I wanted to play with. I enjoyed myself, and the story kept surprising me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Someone has started a regular, off-shoot challenge:</span></div>
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<a href="http://8hourebookchallenge.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: large;">http://8hourebookchallenge.blogspot.com/</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'd love to participate again, but to be honest, I don't know when I will! Probably not this week. :)</span></div>
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Lumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10884249863282043059noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674370691521095384.post-32406107032759368902013-08-30T17:46:00.002-04:002013-08-30T17:54:19.450-04:00Three August ebook releases~!<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7x2pWgt2q0n1DEf02bmAVlI0lxoScg2IKcEK2u9zP2DqAw4PRkuB-OKqMND1GwWJVnf_ra1LT-bhO1TZJgtvYukmOQ4u2C5qDdV8szZVTXvhHHlSmHNKqVBituktn-j0D3MakHgZwo2Uk/s1600/Ellie's+Advice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7x2pWgt2q0n1DEf02bmAVlI0lxoScg2IKcEK2u9zP2DqAw4PRkuB-OKqMND1GwWJVnf_ra1LT-bhO1TZJgtvYukmOQ4u2C5qDdV8szZVTXvhHHlSmHNKqVBituktn-j0D3MakHgZwo2Uk/s1600/Ellie's+Advice.jpg" height="320" width="200" /></span></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Ellie's Advice, by Alice M. Roelke</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ellies-Advice-sweet-romance-ebook/dp/B00EN6EEAO"><span style="font-size: large;">http://www.amazon.com/Ellies-Advice-sweet-romance-ebook/dp/B00EN6EEAO</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">All her life, Ellie's poor health has held her back. But not anymore. She's going for the job she longs to have, as an advice columnist for a local paper.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Shel Silverberg is a widower who's promised himself he'll never marry again. His arranged marriage was a kind of torture, and he'll never sign up for another. Then he meets the beautiful and sweet-natured Ellie. As her editor, he has to remain professional—but he can't stop thinking about the gorgeous redhead. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">She can't stop thinking about him, either. When they accidentally meet in the park and end up rescuing some puppies together, their lives will never be the same. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" /><i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">A sweet, gentle romance set in the 1950s. - </span></i><i style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Approximately 32,000 words </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">From the author: </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This is a gentle romance that I wrote for a cover from <a href="http://www.goonwrite.com/">http://www.goonwrite.com</a> that I really liked. It's a sweet, slow-paced romance with gentle characters that I really had fun writing. The main characters are Jewish. I think there should be more Jewish characters in fiction. We have lots of romance with Christian characters, why not some with Jewish characters? Of course, since I'm not Jewish myself I didn't try to focus heavily on religion, mostly stuck with the romance angle. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBo34k2MbqDmqa1v41eEJFVQxCobOryl52DHkzIiq0Q-qF-GeLtHQguoKijvRtVW-8uVubJJxWDOD7KJdQ3Kp03yVI3xtlTJEP38MYkzmrjaxfdQNTe86KLbsqqTVhpWpDTBYXSSsZK6ph/s1600/DragonCoverSmall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBo34k2MbqDmqa1v41eEJFVQxCobOryl52DHkzIiq0Q-qF-GeLtHQguoKijvRtVW-8uVubJJxWDOD7KJdQ3Kp03yVI3xtlTJEP38MYkzmrjaxfdQNTe86KLbsqqTVhpWpDTBYXSSsZK6ph/s1600/DragonCoverSmall.jpg" height="320" width="200" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>The Sword, the Dragon, and the Lie, by Alice M. Roelke</b></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EUI5FTY/"><span style="font-size: large;">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EUI5FTY/</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">All her life, Lisbet's red hair has held her back. Unlucky red hair was enough to keep any man from wanting to marry her. Now it's enough to make the people in the next village try to throw her to a dragon. But Lisbet isn't about to go without a fight--and she may just learn something about herself and her heritage along the way. Including that she had a relative she never knew about.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" /><i style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">14,000 + words - Fantasy - dragons</i></span><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>Free on Amazon from August 30 - Sept. 3, 2013</b></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>From the author:</b>This story was written and published in eight hours for <a href="http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2013/08/8-hour-ebook-challenge-winners.html" target="_blank">Joe Konrath's ebook writing challenge</a>. Boy, did I have fun with it! It was amazing to see just how much I could write in a limited time, and to see a story come together from just an image I liked and a vague idea. I actually really love this story, too. I may go back and re-edit it or tweak some of it at a later date, but I do love the idea of the purity and speed of this challenge, and may leave it untouched. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs7yD72n7hoaW5lXrFI0mQoAVH5WPaLOzfk_0RZgnnqWEWbEJ6vhFgW_s6XGqsmgLgU6-NPgzuv6j_h9bHfFSPDx-wsr__MuDF5M3qAgWtN7HgDDoMLZ_u1xIQbk4Vo82zJe3AATd7H5Jq/s1600/The+Contestant+333x500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs7yD72n7hoaW5lXrFI0mQoAVH5WPaLOzfk_0RZgnnqWEWbEJ6vhFgW_s6XGqsmgLgU6-NPgzuv6j_h9bHfFSPDx-wsr__MuDF5M3qAgWtN7HgDDoMLZ_u1xIQbk4Vo82zJe3AATd7H5Jq/s1600/The+Contestant+333x500.jpg" height="320" width="214" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Contestant, by Alice M. Roelke</span></b></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Contestant-childrens-science-adventure-ebook/dp/B00EW0OKAU/"><span style="font-size: large;">http://www.amazon.com/Contestant-childrens-science-adventure-ebook/dp/B00EW0OKAU/</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Luckiest kid in the world? </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Tim wins a chance to be on Kids' World, his favorite virtual reality TV show. Then he learns he's replacing a boy who disappeared mysteriously inside the game. Tim makes friends and enemies and participates in challenges that mix sports, fantasy, and video games. It's the most fun he's ever had. But if he can't solve the mystery of Kids' World, he just might be the next to disappear…</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Genres: Children's / science fiction / mystery / adventure - Length: 50,000 words</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">From the author:</span></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">This is a story I wrote several years ago. I was happy with how it turned out, but never managed to sell it. However, I decided this year to work on it some more and self-publish it. I sprang for a cover <a href="http://www.ckvolnek.com/index.html" target="_blank">from Charlotte Volnek</a>, who did one of my covers at MuseItUp that I particularly liked. I don't know if there is a market for this story, but I'm very pleased to have it 'out there.' I think when an author really believes in her story, she should just go ahead and 'do it!' Maybe other people will like it, but either way I have the satisfaction of following through on a dream. :)</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Edit:</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Haha, I just noticed that two of my blurbs start with "All her life!" That's funny!</span><br />
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<script language="javascript" src="http://www.countmestat.com/count.php?id=25792&cmd=cookie"></script><img border="0" src="http://www.countmestat.com/count.php?id=25792&cmd=img_only" /></div>
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<a href="http://www.estatejeweler.com/" style="color: #990000; font: normal 10px arial, verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">estatejeweler.com</a></div>
Lumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10884249863282043059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674370691521095384.post-5824775544657179502013-08-12T17:31:00.001-04:002014-02-06T10:49:08.595-05:00coming soon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Ellie's Advice</i>, my new romance, will be available as an ebook from Amazon.com soon! I had a lot of fun writing this one. I'm even enjoying the editing! This is a sweet retro romance with a gentle hero and kindhearted heroine. I'll post more about it soon. :)<br />
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Also, from August 18th to the 31st, my sweet Regency romance <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lauries-Painter-Regency-romance-ebook/dp/B00CYQBTM6" target="_blank">Laurie's Painter</a> will be on sale for 99 cents.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgWqAvA2O08UgXt4hKemJNA1StkEqYQ_UpaP7aSul45jdImNLCUKH9Uc8LeKv3KaO_balcZGo6wXrwSLP9N-7v3JWYYPpiSPEf_-e-hoYgYWVrqIarteBlLtdgUghKvFJPtBhOjjW0Fduu/s1600/18140551+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgWqAvA2O08UgXt4hKemJNA1StkEqYQ_UpaP7aSul45jdImNLCUKH9Uc8LeKv3KaO_balcZGo6wXrwSLP9N-7v3JWYYPpiSPEf_-e-hoYgYWVrqIarteBlLtdgUghKvFJPtBhOjjW0Fduu/s1600/18140551+(1).jpg" /></a></div>
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And I'm pleased to report that edits are moving forward with <a href="http://thewritinglifeforme.blogspot.com/2011/11/ya-fantasy-romance-novel.html" target="_blank">Watch Over Me</a>, so it should be out shortly from MuseItUp as well! <br />
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<br />Lumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10884249863282043059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674370691521095384.post-69986864425660132472013-06-30T19:37:00.001-04:002013-06-30T19:42:41.427-04:00How wrong can we get? Gay "vs" Christian attitudes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I am not going to lie. This post is difficult for me to write. 1) I hate controversy. Like, I really really find it stressful. I hate arguing with people and debating, etc. It's just not who I was made to be. I also hate sticking my neck out. 2) I know it could impinge on my writing career. I have, after all, written Christian fiction and may write more in the future.<br />
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But, I've learned some things in the last few years that I need to talk about openly and honestly somewhere. Like, standing up about it, not just privately realizing I was wrong about some things in life.<br />
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Something I was wrong about? How the Church and Christianity believes and acts toward gay people. How I believed about gay people.<br />
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Basically, I grew up with an assumption that gay = all about sex and scary and evil. And yes, we love the sinner and hate the sin, but really? We were just creeped out and disgusted by the whole topic. Because it was wrong, and of the devil, etc. <br />
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Here's a good link to read more on this topic, by the way:<br />
<a href="http://gcnjustin.tumblr.com/post/49276838693/four-ways-christians-are-getting-the-gay-debate-wrong">http://gcnjustin.tumblr.com/post/49276838693/four-ways-christians-are-getting-the-gay-debate-wrong</a><br />
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But, what I've been learning and what God has been slowly teaching me... it's <b>not OK</b> to hate anybody. To be disgusted by people. To <b>SAY</b> we love the sinner but really just want to stay away from them because they're creepy and gross.<br />
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Jesus doesn't find people creepy and gross. He just doesn't.<br />
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One book I found very helpful to understand some of these issues is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Torn-Rescuing-Gospel-Gays-vs--Christians-ebook/dp/B0076DFG5S" target="_blank">Torn, by Justin Lee</a>. I love the way he talks, not so much about theology and who is right and wrong, but <u>about how we treat each other</u>. Do we see each other as human beings and honestly love, or just want to preach and win arguments?<br />
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Guess what Christianity isn't? A debate team. A war game. Something where you get points for proving the other side wrong. And then saying you'll pray for them.<br />
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Truly following Jesus is about loving your enemies...not beating them into the ground with scripture. That's when people truly ARE enemies...not saying we have to make people who disagree with us our enemies.<br />
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The older I get, the more I realize I've been wrong about lots of things, and had very little understanding at all about the <b>grace</b> of God. It's been about rules. And that's not what Jesus is about. To be a real Christian, we really have to get to <b>know</b> Jesus and live as he lived (not the sandals but loving people) and follow his teachings about loving our enemies, loving each other, and loving God.<br />
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And... we are supposed to be able to disagree about theological issues without attacking each other and hating each other and degenerating into prideful and sneering creatures. In the Bible, Paul talks about how the people who disagree about whether or not to eat meat sacrificed to idols need to handle it. The one thing he never says it that they should beat each other up until the other side submits. While that doesn't seem like an important issue to us anymore, it's a good template to handle theological debate.<br />
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There are areas where you can legitimately question things and have different theological beliefs. I think we need to be open enough to say, "Well, if they're wrong, I can trust that God will show them that someday." Instead of saying we have to be the ones to prove everyone wrong or else despise them forever.<br />
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I think we're all wrong about something. I think I'm wrong about some things, and I may never know it as long as I live! Scary!<br />
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But the thing the church needs to deal with is, Are we going to really follow Jesus and love people? Even if we think they're wrong, or they're outside our experience and scary? <br />
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And you know what I see? I have <b>very, very</b> rarely seen the church be open and loving towards gay people. I've seen jokes and jabs and sermons and debates. I've seen the assumption that being gay is the worst sin in the world. That being gay is all about one certain sex act, which is the grossest thing <i>ever</i>, without any acknowledgement that <i>1) not all gay people have this or any sex, and 2) some straight people do.</i> I've seen little if any acknowledgement that some people identify as same-sex attracted but believe in following their church's teaching and being celibate.<br />
<b><i><br /></i></b><b><i>A glimpse of what it's like to be a Christian who is gay or same-sex attracted but celibate:</i></b><br />
<a href="http://gcnjustin.tumblr.com/post/47624732313/story-time-for-the-church"><b><i>http://gcnjustin.tumblr.com/post/47624732313/story-time-for-the-church</i></b></a><br />
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I have some issues I need to work on. But I don't hate, fear, despise, or "love the sinner but hate the sin" anymore toward gay people. (Also, I now say "gay people" the same as I say "straight people." I don't go around calling anyone "straights" so why would I call anyone "gays?")<br />
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I just wonder what took so long. I've loved God for most of my life and tried to follow Him. I've worked so hard to become a loving person, and I know I have a lot further to go. But...how was this blind spot there? How could I not see how damaging it is to be disgusted by certain people or think you have to convince people they're wrong?<br />
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It seems like the main Christian response sometime about gay people and Christianity is, well, you can't be gay and go to heaven. So change and then maybe Jesus will have time for you. (Because obviously you picked it, right? Even though gay people are more likely to commit suicide, they must've wanted to become gay at some point, right?) And if you can't change yourself? If you don't pray hard enough or believe enough (just like some people feel about healing), <i>well, sucks to be you!</i><br />
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That's not good enough anymore. It's time to love people for real. That means people who disagree with you about politics. People who cut in front of you in traffic. People who are gay. People who disagree with you about theology. <br />
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It means following Jesus for real this time.<br />
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<b><i>If anyone wants to see more about the debate thing, feel free to check out <a href="http://gcnjustin.tumblr.com/post/20062259102/okay-but-how-do-you-justify-that-view-with-the" target="_blank">Justin Lee for some views</a>.</i></b><br />
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<b><i>Or this video, which shares some of the discussions and issues and sides going on, from a well researched young man: <a href="http://youtu.be/ezQjNJUSraY">http://youtu.be/ezQjNJUSraY</a> or here: <a href="http://www.matthewvines.com/transcript">http://www.matthewvines.com/transcript</a> Even if you don't agree with his conclusions, you'll learn something. (I did.)</i></b><br />
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I also highly recommend <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Torn-Rescuing-Gospel-Gays-vs--Christians-ebook/dp/B0076DFG5S" target="_blank">Justin Lee's book</a>, wherever you stand on the issues, because he does such a good job of reminding us that it's not all about issues: it's about people, and how we treat others, and if we even see them as human. It's about God and how he treats people and wants us to treat each other--with respect, dignity, and love.<br />
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You know, I didn't used to understand the part of the Bible where Jesus talks about separating the sheep from the goats. You know, the people who think they did God's work but he says, "You never knew me?" It sounds so <i>harsh</i>. And the other people, who did His work, seemed sort of surprised, like they'd just been going about their lives, not thinking they were wonderful or anything, just trying to do the right thing and help people in need. <br />
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I sort of get it now. If we fill our lives with correcting people and arguing about stuff and putting boxes around who is worthy of love and compassion and who isn't, well, we really don't know Jesus very well on a personal level. If we actually help people in need and love others, <b>then</b> we're following Jesus.<br />
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I have so far to go, I know. You don't need to tell me. I really do know.</div>
Lumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10884249863282043059noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674370691521095384.post-46079926816317151122013-06-29T10:30:00.000-04:002013-06-29T10:30:11.960-04:00Laurie's Painter - free on AmazonBriefly, my Regency romance is free on Amazon:<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lauries-Painter-Regency-romance-ebook/dp/B00CYQBTM6">http://www.amazon.com/Lauries-Painter-Regency-romance-ebook/dp/B00CYQBTM6</a><br />
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I also fiddled with the cover a bit. (Yes, I broke down and used Amazon's cover creator!)<br />
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That's all, really. Have a great weekend! :)Lumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10884249863282043059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674370691521095384.post-36620680379834666152013-06-08T16:37:00.003-04:002013-06-08T16:37:26.685-04:00fortune cookie <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I got this fortune cookie the other day.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">"You are an outgoing and fun loving person."</span></b><br />
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My first thought? <i>"Shouldn't that be hyphenated?"</i><br />
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Fortune cookie fail. :)</div>
Lumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10884249863282043059noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674370691521095384.post-78136530621560861892013-05-29T15:20:00.002-04:002014-02-06T10:42:11.287-05:00My decision to self-publish a romance<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /><br /><br /><i>My sweet Regency / historical romance, "Laurie's Painter," by Alice M. Roelke, is now live on Amazon. It costs $2.99. If anyone is interested in a review copy, I'll send you one right away. Just let me know what format & where to send it. :)</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">All right, with that out of the way, I'd like to talk about my decision to self-publish this story.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHsZmE8dvSVIg8Kf1CxgQ7v41OmtRo9a3YZTZkB0uaR2cdHdryfXCRtrHTzauQJyrXdINJMzAeEuh7eCgMQDJs8g_1U7gh83ezfgXdEGHjBJXiuuq9MxLYzNEEXWwoRlLrJviifg8jQoNv/s1600/18140551.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHsZmE8dvSVIg8Kf1CxgQ7v41OmtRo9a3YZTZkB0uaR2cdHdryfXCRtrHTzauQJyrXdINJMzAeEuh7eCgMQDJs8g_1U7gh83ezfgXdEGHjBJXiuuq9MxLYzNEEXWwoRlLrJviifg8jQoNv/s1600/18140551.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><u><br /></u>Part of it was very easy. My publisher, <a href="http://museituppublishing.com/" target="_blank">MuseItUp Publishing</a>, passed on this story. So I set it aside and gave up on it. But time passed, and I found I still liked and believed in this story. So I worked on it further, and I think it's much better than it was. I think it might possibly find a few readers, and the process of working on it and publishing it is helping me to get my courage up and keep growing as a writer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /><span style="color: black;">It took a few tough decisions, including chopping off the beginning that I was very fond of, but just wasn't working for the story. It involved reworking dialogue and wording and adding more scenes where necessary. It was a high wire act of balancing creative decisions with editing decisions, and sometimes it was very stressful. But it was also a great deal of fun.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span><span style="color: black;">My cover art decisions were also a balancing act. I made my own cover using a stock photo. It doesn't scream Regency (the dress is wrong for the era; I couldn't find one that was correct), but I think it does scream 'historical,' which is almost as good. I could've chosen a more generic cover, such as an arrangement of flowers, but I liked this much better and decided to take the chance it would connect with readers. It is a gamble, but a fun one. It'll be interesting to see if I was right--or not. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">I don't know if this romance with succeed for anyone else, but it's already a success for me, because, instead of giving up on it like I generally have in the past if anyone else didn't like something I wrote (and even my mom didn't connect with this one at first!!), I eventually picked it up again, admitted to myself I still believed in it, and then did what I could to improve it and put it out there. And for me, not giving up and getting a story out there? That is a HUGE success! :)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span><span style="color: black;">Basically, I loved taking a chance with my story, and it makes me very happy to see it on Amazon now. :)</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lauries-Painter-Regency-romance-ebook/dp/B00CYQBTM6"><i><span style="font-size: large;">http://www.amazon.com/Lauries-Painter-Regency-romance-ebook/dp/B00CYQBTM6</span></i></a><br />
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Lumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10884249863282043059noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674370691521095384.post-56052029634003396352013-03-15T01:20:00.000-04:002013-03-15T04:34:20.913-04:00new ebooks<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I decided to start self-publishing some of my previously published older works.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Message-other-stories-space-ebook/dp/B00B9K3NJA/" target="_blank">Message to Mars and other stories</a>, by Alice M. Roelke - my Mars stories, previously published by Ray Gun Revival<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Thiefs-stories-Christian-fiction-ebook/dp/B00BBJMTGC/" target="_blank">Thief's Life and other stories</a> - my previously published short Christian fiction, including three prize-winning stories<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Bones-ebook/dp/B00BIP24H8/" target="_blank">Dragon Bones</a> - previously published science fiction story in a fantasy setting (sort of)<br />
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and this one:<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Runaway-Case-Robot-P-ebook/dp/B00ATPBX8O" target="_blank">The Runaway Case</a> - a short story about a robot detective - (Lucy Tingle is an old pen name of mine. I used it because I wasn't feeling brave enough to publish under my own name at the time! But I added my real name later.) This is the only one that wasn't previously published.<br />
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Each of these short ebooks sells for 99 cents, though I'm trying to make use of the free days, too.<br />
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Lumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10884249863282043059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674370691521095384.post-11587809104393705532013-03-11T15:28:00.001-04:002013-03-15T04:32:33.773-04:00The Girl and the Dragon - 4 1/2 star review!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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My Christian YA fantasy was reviewed by Night Owl Reviews and given 4 1/2 stars! Here is the review: <a href="http://www.nightowlreviews.com/V5/Reviews/Jalexmyne-reviews-The-Girl-And-The-Dragon-by-Alice-M-Roelke">http://www.nightowlreviews.com/V5/Reviews/Jalexmyne-reviews-The-Girl-And-The-Dragon-by-Alice-M-Roelke</a><br />
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Yes, I'm tickled pink. And yes, I know that's a cliche. ;)</div>
Lumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10884249863282043059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674370691521095384.post-63078969964301643662013-02-20T00:05:00.001-05:002013-02-21T15:04:50.660-05:00Interview with J. Q. Rose, author of "Girls Succeed"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.5971794370561838" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hi Alice. I am so pleased to be your guest today.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Who do you think would like your book? (Or alternately: Please tell</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">prospective readers why they’d like your book.)</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></b><br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The book is for middle grade girls. After sending the book to many girls’ focus groups, I know they liked learning about careers. I loved reading the feedback from them. Kids are so honest about their feelings. One gal told me for one chapter to “spice it up a bit.” LOL..You can bet I re-wrote that one for sure!</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is your favorite thing about your story?</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></b><br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My book is not a fictional story, but it is a chapter book with each chapter being about a remarkable, contemporary woman who is successful in her career. The book is filled with dreams and passion. The dream is to achieve success in a career the woman is passionate about and worked hard to make it come true. I share these stories so girls will see how it is possible to make a dream a reality.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Do you remember how long it took you to write? How about to edit and</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">find a publisher?</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></b><br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In 2006 </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I began my quest for women who would be outstanding role models by researching at the library. I made a list in Word Excel of all the areas I would like to include like arts, entertainment, science, business, athletics, and so on and filled in the spreadsheet with their names and mailing addresses. I designed a really cute letterhead, if I say so myself, and toiled over writing a cover letter that would stir them to want to be included in the project. I was thrilled when the postcards began returning to me in the mail with checkmarks in the boxes for “interested in participating in the project.” I immediately sent the respondents a page of questions to return to me and then I called each one for an interview. Yes, complete strangers who were in the project simply because they wanted to inspire and empower girls. Amazing.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></b><br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It took me two years to finish interviews and polish enough to send to publishers. I soon</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">learned 2008 was not the time to try and find a publisher for non-fiction children’s books. The economy was crushing the publishing business. Many doors closed and those who stayed open severely limited their book lists. After contacting more than twenty publishers and receiving rejections, I decided the climate was not right for this book.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></b><br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I kept working on improving the book after receiving helpful feedback from some of the publishers. I was delighted to add a woman scientist who wanted to join in the project.</span></b><br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When I envisioned this project in 2006, I designed it to include resources for girls to learn more about careers which interested them. Not only did I want to include books, magazines, and articles, I also wanted to include live links to websites on the Internet with updated information just a click away for the reader. Unfortunately I was a bit ahead of my time…!! Now my dream has come true to include live links in my indie e-book, so the reader has access to loads of resources for them to learn all about the woman interviewed and her career.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is your favorite type of book to read? Do you have any favorite</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">books or authors?</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></b><br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I enjoy all kinds of books to read…easing into werewolves and science fiction stories, but prefer mysteries. Sue Grafton of the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">M is for Murder</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> series about Kinsey Milhone is what inspired me to actually write mysteries. My latest favorite novel is </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Water for Elephants</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">…beautifully written with an amazing story line.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Anything interesting in your past you’d care to share? Like have you</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ever worked as a rodeo clown, for instance? :)</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzt49KpfaT2GPZKQrk3sUAYZg1MN8vfP5fQK8TgTX9dUCjw8pPPYZW8uyj-a5QSPoV1grrigh2LMd3R28zp0XL_MPxHaqp1UEgCVMEEv9z60z7BiWFwdGGi3FpBLDnASL7jVXr9fKn12KX/s1600/Close+up+800x600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzt49KpfaT2GPZKQrk3sUAYZg1MN8vfP5fQK8TgTX9dUCjw8pPPYZW8uyj-a5QSPoV1grrigh2LMd3R28zp0XL_MPxHaqp1UEgCVMEEv9z60z7BiWFwdGGi3FpBLDnASL7jVXr9fKn12KX/s320/Close+up+800x600.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was my past job at a girl’s summer residence camp that inspired me to write this book. I worked with so many great young women who were counselors and I loved the girls who were campers. Seeing so much potential in their futures, I wanted to inspire them to reach for their dreams. I was the business director but I did a LOT more than that during camp such as helping to </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">create a fiery torch from sanitary napkins wrapped around a dead tree branch, preparing food in a commercial kitchen for 20-100 guests, transporting campers, food shopping, along with the office work, and anything else necessary to help keep camp running smoothly. I loved this job.</span></b><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What’s your favorite movie or TV show?</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Favorite movie—It’s Complicated</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">TV Show—Hart of Dixie and Hot in Cleveland</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Can readers contact you?</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I would love to say hi to readers. My email addy is jqrose02 at gmail dot com</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you were alive in the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, etc., did you have any</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">hairstyles that now make you cringe?</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I remember spending an hour “ratting” my hair—now called backcombing. It took lots of hair spray and time to look like that, but it never looked as good as my friend Pamela’s hair!!</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Please share a synopsis or blurb, and a brief excerpt from your book.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Blurb</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">An interactive e-book filled with dreams and passion to inspire, entertain, and empower girls. Fifteen remarkable career women in a variety of occupations share their stories about their work and the path they took to become successful in their careers. Learn about contemporary women who have discovered cures to stamp out disease, made people laugh, earned Olympic and Paralympic gold medals, and crossed the country in the cab of an eighteen wheeler. </span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Excerpt from Chapter 15—Professional Clown, Brenda Marshall</span></b><br />
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<i style="color: #333333; font-family: Calibri; font-size: small; white-space: pre-wrap;">Brenda Marshall in China</i></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A Big Red Nose</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Her first clowning “gig” or job was for the summer Vacation Bible School at her home church. She borrowed a homemade clown suit that had been a Halloween costume and found some large-sized shoes at the Goodwill store. She stuck a flower in her four-year-old daughter’s Easter hat and secured it to her head to complete her first costume. Brenda didn’t have much experience in clown make up, so she just applied the white face paint and drew on her face. She was a hit. The children loved her. She was thrilled with the experience. She was bitten by the “clown bug.”</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“I didn’t have a clue as to what I was doing, but I knew it felt right,” Brenda said with a twinkle in her eyes.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b><b><br /><br /><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">BOOK LINKS</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: To download a sample which includes the Table of Contents or purchase </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Girls Succeed, </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">please use these links.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Smashwords Link</span><a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/241825" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/241825</span></a><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Amazon Link </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009NY6ZAS" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009NY6ZAS</span></a><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kobo Link</span><a href="http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Girls-Succeed/book-myLEkD3MME6d8UiRBgthtQ/page1.html?s=lrOG8bTJ60qkeMkE-Y96Vg&r=3" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Girls-Succeed/book-myLEkD3MME6d8UiRBgthtQ/page1.html?s=lrOG8bTJ60qkeMkE-Y96Vg&r=3</span></a><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Barnes and Noble Link</span><br /><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/girls-succeed-jq-rose/1114041658?ean=2940045118033" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/girls-succeed-jq-rose/1114041658?ean=2940045118033</span></a><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sony Link</span><a href="https://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/j-q-rose/girls-succeed-stories-behind-the-careers-of-successful-women/_/R-400000000000000883970" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/j-q-rose/girls-succeed-stories-behind-the-careers-of-successful-women/_/R-400000000000000883970</span></a><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A Study Guide to accompany the book is now available at amazon.com and smashwords.com.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Connect with J.Q. Rose online at</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Girls Succeed blog</span><a href="http://girlssucceed.blogspot.com/%20/t%20_blank" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://girlssucceed.blogspot.com/</span></a><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">J.Q. Rose blog</span><a href="http://www.jqrose.com/" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://www.jqrose.com/</span></a><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Author website</span><a href="http://jqrose.webs.com/" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://jqrose.webs.com/</span><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></a><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">J. Q. Rose Amazon Author Page</span><a href="http://tinyurl.com/aeuv4m4" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://tinyurl.com/aeuv4m4</span></a><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">TAG LINE: Inspiring and empowering girls to achieve success in their dream careers.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b><b><br /><br /><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">BIO: After writing feature articles in magazines, newspapers, and online magazines for over fifteen years, J.Q. Rose entered the world of fiction writing with her first published novella</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, Sunshine Boulevard</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, released by MuseItUp Publishing in 2011. With </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Girls Succeed: Stories Behind the Careers of Successful Women</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> she returns to her first love, writing about real people. Blogging, photography, Pegs and Jokers board games, and travel are the things that keep her out of trouble. Spending winters in Florida with her husband allows Janet the opportunity to enjoy the life of a snowbird. Summer finds her camping and hunting toads, frogs, and salamanders with her four grandsons and granddaughter.</span></b></div>
Lumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10884249863282043059noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674370691521095384.post-87412285968140160162012-11-26T17:25:00.001-05:002012-11-26T17:38:11.924-05:00The Girl and the Dragon - published<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNlXPukRmNz5XK9qVxNkzzmA74JCyBcNCxTwdosuJtWOVmlxV7KtBn1D9ofKeB_5Q6OXeV9tMxbfiJE57dd7Bo-KfDtgetcRE4H4kV2rIshHiSnTwt_NZ-e2wrcY4QQiSPsy2d44Hyakji/s1600/The+Girl+and+The+Dragon+333x500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNlXPukRmNz5XK9qVxNkzzmA74JCyBcNCxTwdosuJtWOVmlxV7KtBn1D9ofKeB_5Q6OXeV9tMxbfiJE57dd7Bo-KfDtgetcRE4H4kV2rIshHiSnTwt_NZ-e2wrcY4QQiSPsy2d44Hyakji/s320/The+Girl+and+The+Dragon+333x500.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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Since I was last able to post, my story has been published:<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Girl-Dragon-ebook/dp/B00A3VMJBY">http://www.amazon.com/The-Girl-Dragon-ebook/dp/B00A3VMJBY</a><br />
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The cover art doesn't seem to be correct there yet, but you can see it <b><a href="https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=364&category_id=174&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1">at the publisher's website</a></b>, as well as read a sample and pick from various ebook versions to buy a copy from MIUP.<br />
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This is an exciting (and scary) time for me. My first longer story with strong Christian themes to be published, and a rather highly personal story. I started this book when I was about fifteen. It took me a long time to finish it, including a break of several years struggling with depression when I couldn't work on it at all. But I knew it was one of the things I wanted to finish in my life, and that I couldn't just give up no matter how worthless and hopeless everything in my life seemed. Because I had to finish this story someday.<br />
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It was also highly cathartic, whatever its flaws. I was able to use this story to figure out some things I needed to figure out, about my faith, about being myself, about not giving up, etc. It sounds trite, I suppose, but this was a very important book for me.<br />
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I am so grateful for MuseItUp and my amazing editors and cover artist who helped me make this story better and bring it to life. Words can't express... They should be able to, because I am a writer, after all, but... they can't. It just really means a lot.<br />
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If even one teenage girl reads this story and it means half as much to her as it meant to me writing it, I'll be very touched.</div>
Lumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10884249863282043059noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674370691521095384.post-38366194120742012102012-08-29T10:56:00.001-04:002012-08-29T10:56:44.253-04:00The Girl and the Dragon cover art<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNlXPukRmNz5XK9qVxNkzzmA74JCyBcNCxTwdosuJtWOVmlxV7KtBn1D9ofKeB_5Q6OXeV9tMxbfiJE57dd7Bo-KfDtgetcRE4H4kV2rIshHiSnTwt_NZ-e2wrcY4QQiSPsy2d44Hyakji/s1600/The+Girl+and+The+Dragon+333x500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNlXPukRmNz5XK9qVxNkzzmA74JCyBcNCxTwdosuJtWOVmlxV7KtBn1D9ofKeB_5Q6OXeV9tMxbfiJE57dd7Bo-KfDtgetcRE4H4kV2rIshHiSnTwt_NZ-e2wrcY4QQiSPsy2d44Hyakji/s320/The+Girl+and+The+Dragon+333x500.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
This is the cover art for my Christian YA fantasy story that will be released later this year from MuseItUp. Isn't is great?? :)</div>
Lumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10884249863282043059noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674370691521095384.post-37946242243895046132012-08-08T10:53:00.003-04:002012-08-08T10:53:34.991-04:00Peaches In Winter - sweet romance<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIhXkFZxcRKPC9rC_k6kmTe4szRvtV6WxtxrWHYL2uLo1zwEUXVs9bQqu263vPdIStjUqa-WmOuJsJDsLeoGYBrUWQ5XMC2IEvOKA3wMbAr5My1jNOS4q8dZhr5UIrbTsV2yD4ZYlNn7HX/s1600/PeachesinWinter_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIhXkFZxcRKPC9rC_k6kmTe4szRvtV6WxtxrWHYL2uLo1zwEUXVs9bQqu263vPdIStjUqa-WmOuJsJDsLeoGYBrUWQ5XMC2IEvOKA3wMbAr5My1jNOS4q8dZhr5UIrbTsV2yD4ZYlNn7HX/s320/PeachesinWinter_500.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">What does author Jake Watterson need with a secretary?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing, that’s what!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Until he meets Betty Ann….<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></div>
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EXCERPT:<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Betty Ann faced the
secretary pool’s main desk. She wore her best flower-print dress—her only
store-bought one. “Please, Miss Johnson, I’ll work really hard. I won’t lose my
next job, I promise! It really wasn’t my fault I lost the first one. You’ve <i>got
</i>to believe me.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">She had brushed her hair till it curled neatly
around her shoulders, but her face felt pinched and small, ready to dissolve
into tears any minute now. She dearly hoped she wouldn’t. She knew her boss
thought her far too young already.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In the background, the
sound of typewriters clacking echoed from the back room. Nearby, a radio
played, and the swinging sounds of big band music floated out. A telephone
rang, and someone answered it. It was another busy day for the Jefferson
Secretarial Agency, another busy day in 1957—for everyone but Betty Ann.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Miss Johnson, an
elderly woman with her glasses attached to a beaded string, sat behind a big
oak desk and answered Betty patiently. “I’m sorry, Miss Keene, but whether it
was your fault or not, most of our secretarial jobs require the ability to
type—and type well. I don’t know how you graduated secretarial school without
that skill, but apparently you did.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Miss Johnson adjusted
her glasses and peered over them. “I don’t think I have to remind you,” she
drawled, “that you don’t need to come in every day and ask for work. You were
informed the agency would contact you as soon as we received a job offer for you.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I-I know,” faltered
Betty Ann. Her voice shook. “But—” <i>I’m not going to cry</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">, but <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">I’ve
got to find a job! I can’t go home yet; I just can’t.</span></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“It’s hard to be
patient, I know.” Miss Johnson’s voice continued, not without sympathy. “It’s
never easy waiting for a job, but maybe you shouldn’t. Take my advice, Miss
Keene—<i>go home</i>. It’s going to be a long wait if you stay here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You’ve got good
qualities: you’re cheerful, pretty, and apparently you know everything there is
to know about peach farming. It shouldn’t be hard for you to find a husband.
Why don’t you go back to the country and marry a nice farm boy, because here in
the city, we don’t need— Excuse me.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The phone rang. She
broke off talking to Betty and answered it. She listened for a moment. A look
of awe slowly overtook her tired features.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Yes. Yes, Mr.
Armstrong. Cheerful, you say?” Her eyes flicked up to Betty with growing
wonder. “I think I have just the girl.” She wrote an address down and nodded.
“I’ll send her right over. Thank you for using Jefferson Secretarial Agency.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>She hung up and looked
at Betty Ann with a dazed, amazed expression.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Well, Betty, it looks
like you have a job after all. Mr. Anderson is a publisher who wants to cheer
up one of his authors. Apparently the man hates winter. Mr. Anderson wants to
find him a <i>cheerful </i>secretary.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Thank you!” Betty Ann
clasped her hands together, a huge smile overtaking her face. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Miss Johnson gave her
the address, questioned her to be sure she would know how to find it,
instructed her not to be late, and with a perplexed frown growing on her face,
watched Betty leave.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Betty left her coat in
the agency cloakroom. It was ugly and worn and certainly wouldn’t make the best
impression at her new job. She hurried to the address Miss Johnson had given
her, checking the street signs, and following Miss Johnson’s instructions
carefully.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>On the walk, she
sniffed the air, smelled the heavenly aroma of fresh baked bread. Maybe she
could risk spending nearly the last of her money. She hadn’t eaten yet today,
and she’d need some energy for her new job.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Her new job! Yes! She
clasped her hands together and grinned up at the clear blue sky.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>She stopped at a bread
store, bought a day-old roll, and crunched it on the way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Everything was going to be all right</span>, she realized, walking with
a little skip in her step, smiling up at the watercolor-blue sky. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The wind was brisk, and
she shivered. But it was only a short walk to the address, and she moved
quickly. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>She spotted trees in
the city park, their tall, empty branches making dark lines against the sky.
Remembering something from her life on the farm, she headed over to them,
beginning to hum happily.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">* * * *<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jake Watterson shuffled
out of his bathroom, bleary-eyed and scowling, one hand wrapped around a mug of
orange juice, the other scratching his chin stubble. He picked up the heavy
receiver on what must have been its twentieth ring and snarled, “Yes?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Jake, that you? Sounds
like I woke you,” said his editor with unwholesome cheerfulness in his voice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">And you sound really apologetic about it</i>. “Well you didn’t. What do
you want? I’m eating.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Hire a cook again?
Good for you. Listen, I just called to ask how your new book was com—”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>With a wordless growl,
Jake slammed the receiver down.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Within moments, the
phone rang again. Jake ignored it for another twenty rings, by which time he
had finished his orange juice and was starting to feel more human. He picked
up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What do you want,
Matt?” he asked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I want you to start
working,” said editor Matthew Armstrong. “And I have an idea that might help.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Listen, don’t get mad.
I’m having a secretary sent over to help you.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Matt—” Jake ground his
teeth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Hey, don’t interrupt.
Let me fin—”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You know I don’t like
giving dictation.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“—ish. I know you say
you don’t like doing dictation—don’t interrupt—but I also know that for the
past three years you haven’t done a lick of work in the winter months. Why, you
haven’t typed a single word since October!”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong><a href="http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&product_id=363&flypage=flypage.tpl&pop=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1&vmcchk=1&Itemid=1">BUY LINK<o:p></o:p></a></strong></span></span></div>
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</div>Lumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10884249863282043059noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674370691521095384.post-44903243602349707012012-03-13T15:02:00.006-04:002012-03-16T01:46:44.145-04:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOQ50AEqcgwIRz801RFcaBvPMoj3J74ODI1phQ4D5qhn9FN3KeZBPrdW6-eiP6I4e1SVSumRZsK_SWoFh24yc9luMtduCHlJTKW5gZxA3effYqikzTV1rX7ZLOmo6Ym9G-eRCrjsJEMh8U/s1600/liebster-blog.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 64px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOQ50AEqcgwIRz801RFcaBvPMoj3J74ODI1phQ4D5qhn9FN3KeZBPrdW6-eiP6I4e1SVSumRZsK_SWoFh24yc9luMtduCHlJTKW5gZxA3effYqikzTV1rX7ZLOmo6Ym9G-eRCrjsJEMh8U/s400/liebster-blog.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719459688280566770" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><p class="comment-body">In accepting the Liebster Blog Award, the recipient agrees to:<br /><span style=" ;font-family:inherit;font-size:large;" ><br />*Thank the person who gave them the award and link back to that person’s blog</span><span style=" ;font-family:inherit;font-size:large;" ></span></p> <p class="comment-body">(Thank you, Annie!!!) Thanks much to Annie, for nominating me for the Liebster Blog Award! Details here: <a href="http://slowandsteadywriters.blogspot.com/2012/02/liebster-blog-award-nominees.html">http://slowandsteadywriters.blogspot.com/2012/02/liebster-blog-award-nominees.html</a></p> <br /><p class="comment-body">*Copy and paste the award to their blog.</p> <p class="comment-body"><br /><span style=" ;font-family:inherit;font-size:large;" >*Reveal five snippets about themselves that readers may not </span><span style=" ;font-family:inherit;font-size:large;" >already know.</span></p> <ol><li>Yes, I do find it impossible to eat just one pistachio! (Or potato chip!) I figure the one isn't unhealthy, and I just don't keep the other on hand very often.</li><li><span style="font-family:inherit;font-size:large;">My first pet was a hamster. After that, guinea pigs. (Rodents are wonderful pets, but they should live longer!)</span></li><li><span style="font-family:inherit;font-size:large;"> <div class="comment-body"><span style="font-family:inherit;font-size:large;"><span style="font-family:inherit;font-size:large;">I can't (or won't) 'brand' myself as a writer, because I can't (or won't) decide which genres to stick to writing. I love to write all sorts of things! :)</span></span></div></span></li><li><span style="font-family:inherit;font-size:large;"> <div class="comment-body"><span style="font-family:inherit;font-size:large;"><span style="font-family:inherit;font-size:large;">I'm chemically sensitive and have to be careful about avoiding perfumes and chemicals.</span></span></div></span></li><li> <div class="comment-body"><span style="font-family:inherit;font-size:large;">I have "mild Asperger's." This means that sometimes I struggle with relating to people.</span></div></li></ol> <div><span style=" ;font-family:inherit;font-size:large;" ><span style=" ;font-family:inherit;font-size:large;" ><br />*Reveal the five blogs they have chosen to receive the award, commenting on their blog to break the news! To qualify, the blog must have fewer than 200 followers.</span><br /><span style=" ;font-family:inherit;font-size:large;" ><br />I will! :D I just haven't decided yet. :)<br /><br />*Hope those people in turn pay it forward by accepting and awarding “The Liebster Blog Award” to bloggers they would like to honor.</span></span></div> <p class="comment-body"><span style=" ;font-family:inherit;font-size:large;" ></span><br /></p><span style=" ;font-family:inherit;font-size:large;" ><p class="comment-body"><span style=" ;font-family:inherit;font-size:large;" ></span><br /></p></span>Lumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10884249863282043059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674370691521095384.post-88370922591478168342012-03-13T14:36:00.001-04:002012-03-13T14:42:36.919-04:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfulPVzwWWM6m1gkqAkY5RennnqkMDI4VZpx3bpbHXXbWI8MujKR1a3E_taTCxpAI1ZJ95Nx2ZHlc0ZfRic4cN7dGwm4C5RyBABvKa9zB1rZvlJwIlVp_fh0sS11A9gMbsZS1K8Gy1rmND/s1600/withguns_200X300.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfulPVzwWWM6m1gkqAkY5RennnqkMDI4VZpx3bpbHXXbWI8MujKR1a3E_taTCxpAI1ZJ95Nx2ZHlc0ZfRic4cN7dGwm4C5RyBABvKa9zB1rZvlJwIlVp_fh0sS11A9gMbsZS1K8Gy1rmND/s400/withguns_200X300.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719453284824324690" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Those With Guns</span><br />A Short Story by A.M. Roelke<br /><br />Pages: 24<br />ISBN: 978-1-77127-003-8</span></div> <div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Back Cover:</span></div> <div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />An ex-soldier living on a space station has trouble dealing with her memories of war. She blows off steam riding her illegal bike. One cop in particular outsmarts her, and she ends up sitting in jail, until one of her ex-soldier friends threatens to blow up the station if his demands aren't met. The cop lets her out of jail to help stop this and Jules's one-woman journey to stop her friend begins.</span></div> <div><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></div> <div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">See excerpt here:<br /><a href="http://tinyurl.com/79hqouh">http://tinyurl.com/79hqouh</a></span></div> <div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /> </span></div> <div><span style="font-size:130%;">Also available on Amazon.com: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007G261GM">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007G261GM</a></span></div> <div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /><br /></span></div> <div style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">I'm looking for reviewers for my short story, too. If you're interested, please contact me. Just let me know where you would post your review, and which format you'd like (PDF, EPUB, or PRC). Thank you!</span></div> <div><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></div>Lumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10884249863282043059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674370691521095384.post-30174583068222434682012-02-28T20:45:00.006-05:002012-02-28T20:58:31.184-05:00<div align="center">Check out my cover art for "Those With Guns!!" It was done by Delilah K. Stephans. My short story should be out next month. Is it just me or is the way better art than I could ever possibly expect for a short story?? :D<br /><br /><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkk81XNtdXbRAtRz6z6j0kZxr7-Htwm48lzBYBFE7Cng_Z3VhKyG21JzhLVD_2h7KZ1HTMTJYvKo5NOCUAlDdxDuMK6pMAVPjvb54NGNg8lxMIfoZ1M2aKyLyGlbv3vt28vLbKDq3LK5qs/s1600/withguns_333X500.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714369003183455634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkk81XNtdXbRAtRz6z6j0kZxr7-Htwm48lzBYBFE7Cng_Z3VhKyG21JzhLVD_2h7KZ1HTMTJYvKo5NOCUAlDdxDuMK6pMAVPjvb54NGNg8lxMIfoZ1M2aKyLyGlbv3vt28vLbKDq3LK5qs/s400/withguns_333X500.jpg" border="0" /> <br /><p align="left"></a><br /><br /><br />About my story:<br /><br /><strong>An ex-soldier living on a space station has trouble dealing with her memories of war. She blows off steam riding her illegal bike.<br /><br />One cop in particular outsmarts her, and she ends up sitting in jail, until one of her ex-soldier friends threatens to blow up the station if his demands aren’t met.<br /><br />The cop lets her out of jail to help stop this and Jules’s one-woman journey to stop her friend begins</strong>.</p>Lumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10884249863282043059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674370691521095384.post-81289915158764251182012-01-26T21:11:00.003-05:002012-01-26T21:37:02.670-05:00Writing from the point of view of an African American... when you're notI've been wanting to write a romance idea that occurred to me. I think it would be amazing. <br /><br />The problem? The main, POV character is African American.<br /><br />I'm not.<br /><br />At first I thought, "Okay, that'll work. I've written from a man's point of view, surely it wouldn't be any harder to write from another's woman's, even if she's African American and I'm not."<br /><br />But then I started to wonder.<br /><br />I don't want to do a rotten job or be cultural offensive. I'm not a genius, just a writer. <br /><br />I always enjoy trying to write from under someone else's skin, imagine other people's experiences and viewpoints. But I can't know how well it will turn out, or even IF it will turn out.<br /><br />Is writing this character something I shouldn't even attempt? Or should I try, and see how it goes? <br /><br />Any advice for the process (or research I should do), if I do attempt this story?Lumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10884249863282043059noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674370691521095384.post-2213724172965478542012-01-12T17:28:00.000-05:002012-01-12T17:33:15.845-05:00I read 69 books in 2011. My disclaimer is that some were re-reads and some weren't very long!<br /><br /><br />Highlights:<br /><br />Finished <strong>Emma</strong>, by Jane Austen. I read it on my Kindle and it was wonderful!<br /><br />Discovered Jim Butcher's <strong>Storm Front </strong>and sequels. :D :D<br /><br />Read <strong>The Lady and Her Tiger</strong>, by Pat Derby. Intense non-fiction about animal training and animals in film. Fortunately, many things have changed.<br /><br /><strong>Grand Sophy</strong>, by Georgette Heyer. I just love reading this famous author of Regency romance! :D I don't know how she can keep surprising me.<br /><br />Read two new Alexander McCall Smith books. They are like warm chocolate for me. :)<br /><br />One of my favorite re-reads was a Young Adult book called <strong>Lucy the Giant</strong>, by Sherri L. Smith. <em>Lucy, a very large-for-her-age Alaskan teenager who lives with her drunken father, finds a new sort of family when she goes to work on a crab fishing boat with people who think she's an adult. But her old life follows her, and to really grow up she has to find a way to face it instead of running again.</em><br /><br />Also re-read both beloved <strong>Watership Down </strong>books, a couple of Diana Wynne Jones fantasies (bliss!), some Jim Kjelgaard dog stories, any number of A. A. Fair mysteries (old but excellent, and very fast-paced!), and <strong>Three Men in a Boat</strong>, Jerome K. Jerome's incomparable comedy.Lumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10884249863282043059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674370691521095384.post-91415647806327037452012-01-02T19:52:00.003-05:002012-01-02T20:08:55.913-05:00Recent stories:<br /><br /><br />Jackson Bluffs (space opera / sci fi / Mars related): <a href="http://www.raygunrevival.com/890/">http://www.raygunrevival.com/890/</a><br /><br />He Gave Me Coal (a Christmas romance, very short): <a href="http://www.everydayfiction.com/he-gave-me-coal-by-alice-m-roelke/">http://www.everydayfiction.com/he-gave-me-coal-by-alice-m-roelke/</a><br /><br />For those interested, this is what I wrote in my email announcement for Jackson Bluffs:<br /><br /><br /><blockquote><span style="color:#990000;">My story, Jackson Bluffs, by Alice M. Roelke, is up at Ray Gun Revival. :)<br /><br />I wrote this story ages ago to go with my other Mars stories, which<br />were published in the old RGR years ago. I had sent this one to<br />"Space Westerns," however. They sent me an acceptance after a long<br />time, but never published it, so eventually I asked for it back.<br />(They're supposed to be back to publishing sometime next year, but in<br />the meantime I'm very glad my story found a home at RGR!) :-)<br /><br />My other Mars stories are:<br /><br />"Message to Mars" <a href="http://www.raygunrevival.com/Published/RGR_0046_2008_09.pdf">http://www.raygunrevival.com/Published/RGR_0046_2008_09.pdf</a><br />"Evergreen and Always"<br />(a Christmas story)<br /><a href="http://www.raygunrevival.com/Published/RGR_0049_2008_12.pdf">http://www.raygunrevival.com/Published/RGR_0049_2008_12.pdf</a><br />"Sky Voices" <a href="http://raygunrevival.com/Published/RGR_0054_2009.pdf">http://raygunrevival.com/Published/RGR_0054_2009.pdf</a><br />(All three of these are a bit angsty! The current one isn't.)<br /><br />When I was younger I had a whole Mars-related timeline/universe in my<br />head and I loved playing with it, though I never seemed to get the BIG<br />one written! Some of this universe still persists for me and<br />influences my writing. Though I still don't know if I'll ever write<br />"the big one!" :)<br /><br />Anyway, I'm very grateful that my fourth Mars-related story has a home<br />now, even though it's taken a few years. :)<br /></span></blockquote><br /><span style="color:#006600;">And, after I talked with my mom about my short Christmas romance, I realized that I might have enough that didn't come through in the story (but that I thought had!), to create a whole novel out of it. And that would be an excellent Christmas present (belated, of course).<br /></span><br /><br /><span style="color:#663300;">In other news, I am REALLY getting frustrated with my S-L-O-W connection and old computer access. I'm about ready to swear off both until I can do better!<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#993399;">In other-other news, I'm really getting somewhere with my Regency romance, "Laurie's Painter." It's over 30,000 words now. I love Regency, never thought I would be able to write it, but am feeling hopeful for this story to work out.<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#333399;">Also, I still can't get Blogger to stop turning my tags and titles into sanskrit, so once again, this entry is without. >:(</span>Lumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10884249863282043059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674370691521095384.post-48195545300097542092011-12-29T19:01:00.010-05:002011-12-29T19:42:39.204-05:00Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (contains spoilers!)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRaatdyHs7P5EjNGFSzUYSHLwCVHemKJ7dC-U3belGb6JcCkQpcRk0ICVfyVF1_v2kSHMlNi_AErQKzdjhkWF5IVUD2zmC0NaKps85whkm1orPAUHwUCRoZM16HiHadNkIsK3KAP8IXMqf/s1600/sherlock-holmes-a-game-of-shadows-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRaatdyHs7P5EjNGFSzUYSHLwCVHemKJ7dC-U3belGb6JcCkQpcRk0ICVfyVF1_v2kSHMlNi_AErQKzdjhkWF5IVUD2zmC0NaKps85whkm1orPAUHwUCRoZM16HiHadNkIsK3KAP8IXMqf/s400/sherlock-holmes-a-game-of-shadows-1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691709319602191970" /></a><br /><br />Too long. <br /> <br />Too many explosions and slow motion running bits. <br /><br />Not as funny as the first one. <br /><br />Awkward scenes with Robert Downey Jr. in drag. <br /><br />Gratuitous naked Stephen Fry scene. (And I <em>like </em>Stephen Fry: he played Jeeves! But no. Just... NO.)<br /><br />Sherlock's childhood nickname.<br /><br />Despite all of this, I enjoyed the movie a lot. Some parts made me want to groan, or I thought were all wrong, but other parts made me laugh out loud. <br /><br />I enjoy this series reboot of Sherlock Holmes: action-y, fast-paced buddy films that show a more vulnerable and neurotic side of Holmes than many people dare. <br /><br />I love Jude Law as the perpetually exasperated but still loyal and caring Watson. <br /><br />I adored the gypsy woman who featured in this film and thought she was so cool! <br /><br />I loved the way the film used the Falls in the confrontation between Moriarty and Holmes, twisting it and making it its own.<br /><br />And I <em>loved </em>the ending!<br /><br />I do think this movie strayed slightly at times from buddy films and into "we hint at more," which I didn't really like. This could just be my interpretation, however, and I was able to ignore those (possible) bits and enjoy the movie as a buddy film. Though sometimes I had to try quite hard. <br /><br />The teenage girls in the seats behind me giggled when Holmes and Watson "had" to dance together, but I wanted to grind my teeth. It seemed completely historically inaccurate that two men could dance together at a political function and use it as cover to inconspicuously converse and spy! (If anything, they should've been standing on the sidelines drinking punch.)<br /><br />Obviously there were other historical inaccuracies as well, but mostly they felt like stretching a point to create a steampunk effect, not completely ignoring history.<br /><br />Would I recommend it? Not unless you liked the first, and in that case, don't hold your expectations quite as high.<br /><br />For the third film, I certainly hope it won't be longer, even more special-effects oriented, etc. etc. <br /><br />I predict that, following canon, Watson's wife will have died (natural causes?), and he will be grief-stricken. Holmes reappears, hijinx ensue while they track down and try to avoid being killed by Moran. And explosions. Lots and lots of explosions.<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://www.amazingcounter.com"><img border="0" src="http://cc.amazingcounters.com/counter.php?i=3044142&c=9132739" alt="webpage tracking stats"></a><br><a href="http://www.4electronicscoupons.com">Cheap LED Flashlight</a></div>Lumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10884249863282043059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674370691521095384.post-59152995065139530262011-12-20T14:32:00.005-05:002011-12-29T19:01:27.359-05:00<div align="center"><strong>Free Ebook Contest</strong><br /><br />"The Space Station Murders," by A. M. Roelke </div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF4IJFevisQ-oPgzVL3T2dlszyyDhUp1pKH76o7Ct5PSMm69EeugS99AKavhYOFELSS-QTYLktrqw2Heaj1NKarMP60RAv4Ek-w6MIIf6D9FW-nKuB6huR6z2WM8RK2Y9Mm13M6CBFxxaL/s1600/TSSM_AMR_200X300.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF4IJFevisQ-oPgzVL3T2dlszyyDhUp1pKH76o7Ct5PSMm69EeugS99AKavhYOFELSS-QTYLktrqw2Heaj1NKarMP60RAv4Ek-w6MIIf6D9FW-nKuB6huR6z2WM8RK2Y9Mm13M6CBFxxaL/s400/TSSM_AMR_200X300.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688299061830591410" /></a><br /><br /><br />So, my SF/mystery/buddy story novella "The Space Station Murders," by A.M. Roelke (20,000 words) came out in May this year. I'm allowed to give out several promo copies per year for contests. I haven't done a lot of that so I'd like to catch up now.<br /><br />I'll give out THREE copies, drawing to be held on Dec. 27. I'll pick who gets it with a random number generator, no favoritism or special answers needed. Just comment and let me know you want a copy. If only three people comment, each will get a copy.<br /><br />If you win, I'll need your email address so I can send you a copy in one of these three formats:<br /><br />PDF<br />EPUB<br />PRC<br /><br /><em>*edit* Very sorry! I had said RTF but actually it's PDF. The other available formats are correct. :)</em><br /><br />(This is my email address, if you'd rather not post yours publically: <em>amroelke AT gmail.com</em>. You only need to email me if you win! If you'd rather post your email for quicker correspondence, that works as well. It's really up to you.)<br /><br />I'd suggest, before commenting, that you read the two Amazon.com reviews to see if the story interests you: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Space-Station-Murders-ebook/dp/B0050678YK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=books&qid=1305331601&sr=8-1">The Space Station Murders--on Amazon (Reviews here.)</a><br /><br />Or read the beginning of the story here: <a href="http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&product_id=108&flypage=flypage-ask.tpl&pop=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1&vmcchk=1&Itemid=1">The Space Station Murders--from the publisher (Excerpt here.)</a><br /><br />Or, you can read <a href="http://rochellesreviews.blogspot.com/2011/08/space-station-murders-by-m-roelke.html">the review that compares me to Robert Heinlein.</a><br /><br />P.S. If you're a book reviewer and would rather have a review copy than enter a contest, just contact me about who you are and where you'd post a review. I'd also need you to let me know your email address and which format you'd prefer (of the three I have available).Lumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10884249863282043059noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674370691521095384.post-24720640328030234522011-12-09T14:38:00.009-05:002014-02-06T10:40:48.425-05:00<div align="center">
<strong>News</strong><br />
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* MuseItUp just accepted my Young Adult Christian Fantasy story <strong>The Girl and the Dragon</strong>. :D <br />
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* I completed NaNoWriMo 2011:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinMdWA91jBDDiFOdfnm3wOirqMH-2WkDZVDNcZOB9tSxydjCn5imdgwWxpLiyyvSaZH4RCGNluHmHf8CakPfMJF2_s9uFFV1KV_crsrVRb8-VnGLdvmPzinxbk1QJI607qV8u3A9pKT1vT/s1600/Winner_180_180_white.png"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinMdWA91jBDDiFOdfnm3wOirqMH-2WkDZVDNcZOB9tSxydjCn5imdgwWxpLiyyvSaZH4RCGNluHmHf8CakPfMJF2_s9uFFV1KV_crsrVRb8-VnGLdvmPzinxbk1QJI607qV8u3A9pKT1vT/s400/Winner_180_180_white.png" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5684215762832932546" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 180px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 180px;" /></a><br />
I didn't get as much written on my latest (romance) project as I wanted to, but I did get something written. Also got through the crucial scene that's held me back from finishing my SF/detective novel for several years now.<br />
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* And I have cover art for my YA fantasy romance novel, <strong>Watch Over Me</strong>:<br />
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Lumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10884249863282043059noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674370691521095384.post-88630119549877843362011-11-16T01:57:00.005-05:002011-11-16T02:17:07.100-05:00<div align="center"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrE8nJIE-f0WEoyKoA5kP87YWs2owsxLJxstBOTJRBBZaW4Vm97Q191KpMOr2F2Ffeu0O8w8JwR8q2pVkF9kON_tgph7YkhSQQKjmeOrqaCrDZKwuW01fsTfpJvxFk64zbOKZgmYYvZ7Dh/s1600/Neutral_180_180_white.png"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 180px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675485368093753938" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrE8nJIE-f0WEoyKoA5kP87YWs2owsxLJxstBOTJRBBZaW4Vm97Q191KpMOr2F2Ffeu0O8w8JwR8q2pVkF9kON_tgph7YkhSQQKjmeOrqaCrDZKwuW01fsTfpJvxFk64zbOKZgmYYvZ7Dh/s400/Neutral_180_180_white.png" /></a><br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><br /><strong>Why I love NaNoWriMo</strong> </p><br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><br /><br /><em>NaNoWriMo gets you writing</em>. Since the focus is on getting a set number of words, not "perfect prose," you're encouraged to just write and save the editing and self-doubting for later. This is a huge thing for most authors, so any tool to help you do better about getting the words down is a pretty big deal.<br /><br /><br /><em>NaNoWriMo is for everybody.</em> You can be a published novelist; you can be a fourteen-year-old trying your hand at writing for the first time. Everybody is welcome. I especially like that this applies on the forums, as well. People are busy writing, and the forums are only open part of the year. This leaves less time for any one group of "special" people to take over the forum. Everyone is, literally, welcome!<br /><br /><br /><em>NaNoWriMo makes November one time of year when it's cool to be a writer</em>. Well, that one's just my opinion, of course. :-) But it's cool to be able to talk about your writing with people who have the same goals and value the same things.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nanowrimo.org"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;">www.nanowrimo.org</span></strong></a><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;"> </span></p>Lumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10884249863282043059noreply@blogger.com0