tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113455440822610952024-03-14T03:36:20.806-06:00Kenna McKinnon AuthorKenna McKinnon is a Canadian author and entrepreneur.Kennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03222667027378438486noreply@blogger.comBlogger307125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511345544082261095.post-36783470970189140262019-05-02T03:17:00.000-06:002019-05-02T03:19:47.048-06:00A supernatural novella - ASCENDING<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjOHCOzLt4pWbzoPDf7uRcb261LrG2-6G3EdnejmbMIftNSImRA2eL0SU0z9wuXDzEICxLQriUoXiIsEETJr-T27Ed4D7mC_9ZDZmmIOBIA_8LEoWabHePWASLdufblW7rKH1NsTrYobnK-KgA=" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://kennamckinnon.com/images/kennaSig.jpg" /></a>Inspired and Committed Author Gets the Job Done</h2>
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<a href="http://mybook.to/ascending" target="_blank">ASCENDING</a>, a new novella, is on pre-release on Amazon. I'm really excited about this book, which is a short read, because it's about what would have happened if my first husband, who was killed in a motorcycle accident in 1971, had come back as a ghost. </h3>
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This supernatural novella is mostly fiction but based on some facts.<br />1974. A ghost in the house – a
young Canadian widow forced to choose between the living and the dead. Will she
prove strong enough to let go of the manacles of obsession?<br /> <br />Scarlett Kane and her son Troy
battle paranormal elements in this vintage story of the supernatural. Her late
husband Michael’s head was crushed in a horrific motorbike accident in June 1971.<br />
<br />Ten years later a resolution defies
the bonds of heaven and earth. An incredible secret releases her from the
inconceivable burden of her past.<br />A gentle, occasionally vicious, steampunk story of
first love and redemption.</h3>
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<br /><a href="http://mybook.to/ascending" target="_blank">BUY IT NOW</a> ON PRE-RELEASE AND BE THE FIRST TO GET THIS STUNNING NEW NOVELLA ON JUNE 3, 2019!</h3>
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<br />REVIEWS ARE ESSENTIAL TO AN AUTHOR'S SUCCESS. PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW IF YOU LIKE THIS INCREDIBLE STORY OF AN ABUSIVE AND FAITHLESS MARRIAGE, AND THE INCREDIBLE RESOLUTION A DECADE AFTER DEATH SEPARATES THEM!!!</h3>
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<li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-weight: 700;">Publisher:</span> Creativia; 1 edition (June 14, 2016)</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-weight: 700;">Publication Date:</span> June 14, 2016</li>
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Kennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03222667027378438486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511345544082261095.post-84402944548367380052018-12-02T00:39:00.001-07:002019-05-02T03:26:38.171-06:00Lovecraftian short story<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://kennamckinnon.com/images/kennaSig.jpg" />A Lovecraftian short story I wrote. Enjoy, folks, and don't forget the comments! I also would like the opportunity to publish it!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The
Birth of Gug</span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: large;">by
Kenna Mary McKinnon<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkRXR55lanjPZ5X4Qee5WSigwrOdpYCJXc7SGTh0FqY0bWh1i4YIhXGTD11k3tcQtJtlANWtfwh4B8EP3Cj3rBnt6yn295Is-z-E07VfEqyQwVRjO8vYEaxC_Xxs1qcIHXenY5hQp8EQM/s1600/FreeDigitalPhotos.netHyena_Reality.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkRXR55lanjPZ5X4Qee5WSigwrOdpYCJXc7SGTh0FqY0bWh1i4YIhXGTD11k3tcQtJtlANWtfwh4B8EP3Cj3rBnt6yn295Is-z-E07VfEqyQwVRjO8vYEaxC_Xxs1qcIHXenY5hQp8EQM/s320/FreeDigitalPhotos.netHyena_Reality.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Over the line of the sultry hills bursts the blood of sun,
reminding me that I am late for the bloodbath with the Moon Beast and may be
late for my son’s birthing, as well. My son’s name will be Gug, who was conceived
in a dream of Kadath, the former home of the gods. He’ll be born into a heap of
skulls and other bones, as my wife, Mormo, wished. With teeth jagged to munch
on the midwife before she could tell the world of our undoing in the Valley of
Death, his eyes will be pink, jutting from each side of his black-furred head,
and his vertical yawning mouth yellow and agape between them. Our magic to
conceive him, juxtaposed from the Mythos of the Great Ones, was strong. You can
pile on the guilt but my heart will remain stone. I stand beside my wife and
newborn monster who will, I trust, help us to undo the outrage to my world. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I speak of the oceans and the plastic that will not bleed; I
speak of the designer water bottles that pollute and destroy; I speak of what Gug
can do when we lead the Green Party to election, just like Britain and its
henchmen, here in our Lord Anno Domino 1999.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">My Palm PDA device flickers to life in my hand as my wife,
Mormo, summons me on her new golden PDA (so recently discovered and replacing
our old cell phone). Ensconced in our marriage bed, she breathes into the
instrument the words I’ve been waiting for all night, interrupting even my
bloodbath with the Moon Beast to make way for the birth of our son. Yes, we
named him already soon after the ultrasound showed us his tiny penis and shaggy
outline, our precious little Gug who will change the Earth for the better. Our
political agenda couldn’t happen at a better time, with trash littering the
planet where the new gods dwell. No, not Boston, but Winnipeg, for that is
where we live, my wife and I, and that is where the antichrist will be born.
Our precious Gug. I sigh with delight.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Hippolytus,” my wife cries, “the time has come.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I frown and bite my lip. Males are not allowed in the birthing
room. I am taking the call outside our dwelling, in the courtyard, and watch
the bloodred sun as it rises. The Moon Beast will not be happy with me. “Are
the midwives there?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">“Yes, all is ready. I feel the pangs of childbirth and they
are severe, but not as severe as the brushes of our Master,” she replies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“He is cruel,” I agree, “and his pen draws close, I fear, to
the empty gods of Kadath.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Does the morning sun still stain the glass over the wondrous
halls of Winnipeg?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">“Yes, Mormo, I’m still here soaking it all in, the magical
vista before me of Winnipeg in the morning. The Moon Beast must find another
artist to best represent his fierceness. For I stayed here all night, slept in
the anteroom beside the birthing chamber, and now eagerly await the birth of
our little Gug.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">“I fear he is not so small,” she groaned. I could hear the
midwives scuttling about in the background. They would be helping my wife to
move into the birthing room next to our matrimonial chamber. I wished with every
tortured and bulging heart that I could be there, but the matriarchal society
in which we lived did not allow it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: .5in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRUtPDzjzOHmvePQVstGfOP5UY6jEv5JtCIVv3ANNVPLe3UKGcXr0_QH1dxiYv8FKj8hNd_dH1LGw89fMvM84F7q3y3pjtdLODM4LwUC4Jm52xGf7TtGmi9rkikN0VOzzuVRAENvgzrfM/s1600/angry-151332__340.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="289" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRUtPDzjzOHmvePQVstGfOP5UY6jEv5JtCIVv3ANNVPLe3UKGcXr0_QH1dxiYv8FKj8hNd_dH1LGw89fMvM84F7q3y3pjtdLODM4LwUC4Jm52xGf7TtGmi9rkikN0VOzzuVRAENvgzrfM/s320/angry-151332__340.png" width="272" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Within my lifetime McCarthy won the election in the United
States and plunged us all into this nether universe, around which I understand
our sun whirls in disarray. There are those Nightgauntian spirits who insist
the earth is spherical. As you know, they are far outweighed by the rational
observation that the earth is flat and remains that way in spite of the
monsters who spiral up from the infernal edges, like the Kadathian god who is
Gug’s godfather and my good friend. The gods who dwell in Boston decreed it so,
that we should populate the Earth with our progeny that is our right, but the
Earth cannot sustain its original denizens much longer. Thus agrees our Maker.
There are many more like our son being born, right now, to the delight of the
Mythos Fandom, the whales and denizens of the oceans, and the turtles and rats
of Earth all entangled in the refuse left by Eve’s descendants.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Mormo went out and bought a little black onesie for Gug and
there is a black Pierre Trudeau toque sent from a friend on Manitoulin Island,
Ontario. We think our son will be well dressed. Our political agenda may come
to fruition with his birth. A boy from the Tower of Goth who munches plastic
and flesh. Excellent. He will be the perfect infernal machine to create a new
world, starting with our home town of Winnipeg and mowing down to the 49<sup>th</sup>
parallel then through Fargo, Minneapolis, and Fort Dodge. Boston is one of the worst
polluters but if Gug inherits my excellent eyesight and his mother’s good
sense, he will bypass Chicago and Boston rather than make a stint eastward. Our
nephew lives there with his wife and family. As an environmental engineer, our
nephew and his proctologist wife desire nothing less than to clean up their
city with the aid of clamps, scope, and gun, which is commensurate with the
plans of the gods. I’ve heard it’s architecturally bland, anyhow. Our Gug would
not be interested.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6d7kUFbAHt3Bky4dzw1jkPeTLWnDpC2gS9vW57JpRjW9nnMXnrApDXbtfWlZCIEysoHugikRQqFGDxvug_qk3uHHJZVW2VH8fm6ftEdWk47xzE8wd1aEXWp1lPtnzmx7S-XvX72Qf-QM/s1600/file000674910722.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6d7kUFbAHt3Bky4dzw1jkPeTLWnDpC2gS9vW57JpRjW9nnMXnrApDXbtfWlZCIEysoHugikRQqFGDxvug_qk3uHHJZVW2VH8fm6ftEdWk47xzE8wd1aEXWp1lPtnzmx7S-XvX72Qf-QM/s400/file000674910722.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"> Winnipeg, as everyone knows, is the cultural centre of North
America, and we are happy to say we call it home, though the winters are fairly
brisk. Did I mention that Boston tends to be bland? It’s in New England, you
know.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Today we welcome our son to the world. I hasten into the
anteroom next to the birthing chamber. For many hours I chew my nails and wait;
the birds on the patio beside the huge apple tree in the courtyard chatter in
tongues. I hear the groans of my wife and the wailing of the nurses, then cut
short by a pregnant silence. I know the child of the Tower of Goth has arrived.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPX-1vqv4C8GGEa_gx9mjTwAlkQC9iJ9Qj9DnrAhdGXiyh_v-p1rdLY0WaOo_DumW1wCKRhvSuZWmLs6Il0_KTOPPGS-xfwbAfGxHIkkWun3AiQGR3PnomMm9tStZVADDcehImh-TM8EM/s1600/fantasy-2847724_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="724" data-original-width="1280" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPX-1vqv4C8GGEa_gx9mjTwAlkQC9iJ9Qj9DnrAhdGXiyh_v-p1rdLY0WaOo_DumW1wCKRhvSuZWmLs6Il0_KTOPPGS-xfwbAfGxHIkkWun3AiQGR3PnomMm9tStZVADDcehImh-TM8EM/s640/fantasy-2847724_1280.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">As I pull apart the curtains to the birthing room, I am
greeted by the wondrous sight of my Gug munching on the bones of the midwives,
and my Mormo chortling over his precocity and appearance, reminiscent of his
godfather. Perhaps too reminiscent? I ponder this challenge as it appears to my
fuddled mind. Prancing over the splintered bones of the nurses, I approach my
little family. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">“My husband,” croons my wife, and opens her arms to me. I
fall into her cavernous embrace, which includes the busy form of our newborn
son, shaggy and quick-witted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">“Mormo. You’ve done well. He looks like a god.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">“Yes, he does. But resembles you, my husband, above all
gods.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I pinch my lip and frown. “Perhaps. But his features bring
one to mind of the Kadathian who is my friend and the baby’s godfather, our
Master.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">She laughs, her pointed teeth flashing in the blood light
that streams through the open sashes. Her tentacles entice and wander. “You’re
dreaming, darling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mythos is a trusted
advisor and no more.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The discussion ends with me trying to fit the black onesie
onto Gug’s monstrous shaggy form, while Mormo pops the toque onto his shaggy
head. “Perfect!” she cries.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Gug smiles and gurgles.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh13C9M7dzFP4GPUu775qKTVz1YAOFoy-R2OS_ieJQTF43CnDs5gZEuG-tMq7D_Ld4UWwPExZuwko2dxevhCMng1wOwosA8DsQ3tjsNQqvuKxrLf_YiVpOS0YisSFWArd-_n3ctKUybNmU/s1600/toy-576514__340.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="224" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh13C9M7dzFP4GPUu775qKTVz1YAOFoy-R2OS_ieJQTF43CnDs5gZEuG-tMq7D_Ld4UWwPExZuwko2dxevhCMng1wOwosA8DsQ3tjsNQqvuKxrLf_YiVpOS0YisSFWArd-_n3ctKUybNmU/s320/toy-576514__340.png" width="210" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">“He’s smiling at us!” I hold my son in a firm embrace, though
he towers far above my head.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">“It’s gas,” explains the doctor, who arrives late, as always.
She opens her bag and pops a stethoscope onto Mormo’s distended stomach.
“Hmmmm.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">“Not another one in there?” Mormo shrieks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">“No. I wonder at the elasticity of your womb, though.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“He grows fast,” my wife says. “He’s a big boy.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The doctor snaps her bag shut and glances at the newborn
monster. “Mind if I take a look?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">“Help yourself,” I say, grinning. She screams, then there is
the silence of the slaughtered calves. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Gug munches happily as the doctor’s head disappears into his
maw like a gingerbread woman. My precocious son is so very precious. The blood
red sun has long ago risen from the east. I missed my appointment with the Moon
Beast due to Mormo’s bloodbath here in the birthing room. It may not be
important, but the bird of Good Fortune certainly shat decently on my
cornflakes this morning. Our political agenda is pure and certain. Even now,
Gug begins to munch his way from the birthing room to the kitchen, where stray
bits of plastic, like offerings to the gods, litter our table before being
taken to the recycling bin in our backyard. No need now. Gug’s massive incisor teeth
crunch through the back-screen door to the courtyard, then into the neighbor’s
bins, and next he trundles out through the gate to board the downtown city bus
to the Greyhound station. No one questions his lack of a ticket. He grins, and
the huge maw on the top of his shaggy head clicks and bleeds. I follow at a
distance, taking it all in, my newborn precious son and the political agenda he
will fulfill, as my Master told me he would.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://author.to/KennaMcKinnon" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="828" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1YXhMbb2YflrWxL3jrKrVvUYU3u0KWzo98i-icyElumGV0WRp28kg0QiOHRC_tiqYy9bAIbQ7x9CAXCCt72PXttL74huVLoqWCj979PPmC92qDVIQAvPTeiATbSFm3WF2ZeU1AyTMox4/s400/Kenna+Mary+McKinnon.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Kennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03222667027378438486noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511345544082261095.post-23038342857613912492018-12-01T22:48:00.003-07:002018-12-02T00:36:33.068-07:00Trailer for The Insanity Machine<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img border="0" src="http://kennamckinnon.com/images/kennaSig.jpg" /><span style="font-size: large;">A little video I made with Adobe Spark for our book about our journey with schizophrenia, written by Austin Mardon and myself.</span><br />
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<img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG4le7ol-e7sfmixPxHZtHEexa7r1tX6jdV5Ed3ZFTTgbsvQwG4eQdhiElXByCIkyc9twh5Cqz6o_BwGvwZa_9Ex75NxavT0do05kW5O8o7jgTZDOvhA6lhEygHpLwPq0PQ3GbqjDRhkU/s1600/cover-8.png" /></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxwCRd-CJzx2Mpl3SRkJL-UvETUrLNRdCVjrojEPPgix2s8ycQQvv3p_tpSVC_vbINK7-jDT_1rnHnBG3izsQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Kennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03222667027378438486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511345544082261095.post-52874291347816364262018-11-29T01:24:00.000-07:002018-12-01T22:43:49.430-07:00Mystery Within a Thriller by John W. Wood<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img border="0" src="http://kennamckinnon.com/images/kennaSig.jpg" /><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Wow! This book should be required reading for any former or off duty Marines, and any active Marines (I am told there are no ex-Marines!) or law enforcement, who, I am sure, would understand the language perfectly. The author knows his stuff, from law enforcement to family life to war, all written in a plausible manner, and the PTSD in a chilling manner, but with intersperses of gentleness and love around the two burly heroes. I was about to give it 4 stars when I came to the amazing conclusion, which I didn't expect at all! Like a mystery within a thriller, this book unwinds to its inevitable yet astounding end. Well done, Mr. Wood!</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Purpose-John-W-Wood-ebook/dp/B07GD23K19/ref=mt_kindle?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid=1543479366" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="324" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSmeH_wWOPLYDztmNmu4Hpn2lv3SNgujmHjkH_GFtgCkU0xukMRUBvhh1SQL2r-Ws4rqiKrQwO08Etfik4DAwJ6HG90w5EpGtuKKBBHsWrMzAWnGUqdQT1l4knxCKOcX4G46icBz0nbAA/s640/51xI3OwSERL._SX322_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="414" /></a><span id="goog_589149471"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_589149472"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Christmas season is almost upon us, and if you're thinking of stocking stuffers, why not a book!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Your little ones from 3 to 11 would enjoy our children's chapter book, "<a href="http://mybook.to/Rumblechum" target="_blank">Benjamin and Rumblechum</a>" featuring two children who journey in a minivan across Canada with their toy monkey, Benjamin, and their two eccentric aunts. Based on real life travels by one of the authors, this book is educational as well as a real treat to read!</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9BaMEg3LgjY/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9BaMEg3LgjY?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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Kennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03222667027378438486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511345544082261095.post-81710618576209500432018-08-20T23:39:00.001-06:002018-11-29T01:14:40.808-07:00Eve Gaal's Second Book About Penny!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;">Though it’s a standalone sequel, Penniless Souls is the
second half of a two-part journey called the Lost Compass Love Series. Follow
Penny and John through the Mojave Desert to Las Vegas, Nevada where old dreams
and dark nightmares intertwine, colliding with the bitter truth. Is Penny up to
the challenge? Is she willing to bet her last cent? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://mybook.to/PennilessSouls" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1319" height="582" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0BcoI1NBTvUiswCtUYX7TfYuRV5-M9H0J6vZE8BcUKDyIDm_3T6xRswtUUwLSK7K9SzNQwLEcs3T9QPdjRza17dU10R-HLyVRgoi4xFDFu5uwtfYvWROBLYaxP2rVOcHoup9OBapDyDs/s640/Penniless+Souls+Kindle+and+print+cover.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here’s a snippet from Chapter One:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;">“Can you trust me?”<br />Quietly, she nodded and placed her head back on his
shoulder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I have so far,” she mumbled without conviction.<br />It felt like a white flag of surrender.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The type of submission that reminded her of
submissive<br />women in advertising campaigns of the fifties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without a job or money, she had only one thing left.
Fortunately, it was something valuable, something called love.<br /><o:p> </o:p></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Buy it by clicking here and don't forget to write a short
review! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">http://mybook.to/PennilessSouls</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Penniless-Hearts-Lost-Compass-Love-ebook/dp/B00BD7X2FE/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1534828887&sr=1-1&keywords=penniless+hearts" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="853" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtKr0SIEgmBRMUKTwavR9O__jdM44SgZnK_8L82sEHpGFqRTSP7faTRirsXAKrGUB1ryQHRtHYoxogARsuNDwTJQIhG27ni07ZajFulyZ6OMbRiDgLaAtg3_ACXlp1dj0hWbbirDcPEE8/s320/Penniless+Hearts-newcover28.11-TheCoverCollection.jpg" width="213" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">If you'd like to see the beginning of Penny's journey, buy Penniless Hearts! Buy both to get the entire series!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Kenna's paranormal fantasy trilogy, Den of Dark Angels, is available on Amazon worldwide! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Buy it here:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://mybook.to/DenOfDarkAngels" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRIbA2qf7xiAC6JC_iTEHhZaeDJN1nD621KSMrBS41O9twg6bvVPuZgZOpasH8ECURtXy8C5yjJ6p0fdP6BcYCnwU95e0kyI78sh3jGHncKIosaOCciysDysb0I5qln2Yo_UEUIHhruW8/s400/Kenna+Mckinnon+Den+of+Dark+Angels+GIF.gif" width="338" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b style="background-color: magenta;">5 star review by Mara:</b></i> "</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "amazon ember" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">This is a fun read right off the bat!! I finished the first novella hysterically laughing at everyone's ill fate. George and Bernice will be missed!!!"</span></span></blockquote>
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<a href="http://mybook.to/PennilessSouls" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://kennamckinnon.com/images/kennaSig.jpg" /></a></div>
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Kennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03222667027378438486noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511345544082261095.post-74361680597765675532018-07-24T01:06:00.002-06:002018-07-26T15:12:59.928-06:00A Children's Book featured with a recipe for Lakota Fry Bread<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Karen's Killer Fixin's</h2>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'm honored to have been featured on <a href="http://www.karendocter.com/karens-killer-fixins-author-special-with-benjamin-rumblechum-author-kenna-mckinnon-with-emma-shirley-brinson-recipe-lakota-fry-bread.html" target="_blank">Karen Docter's blog</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">For those readers who love bread and fried stuff, I've included a recipe for Lakota Fry Bread. It's great hot out of the pan, but also good cold. My First Nations friend said she makes tacos with it, bison or ground beef on top with tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, and sour cream. Yum.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I don't measure and don't have the recipe handy, but here is how I make it:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">2 cups flour</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">3 tsp baking powder</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">1 tsp salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">2 tbsp sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">1 cup water to make soft dough</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Form dough into a ball and divide into quarters, then flatten and fry for a few minutes on each side, turning when the first side is brown.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqGbH0UTBULOx8Ig8rwFTUYpcdFv43Uf_3R5j-e7nd0INBi9JvWCTw_G4G8p6wLXK2Gpg72urTzl9LOf7sqFrpOmLxdaxbsVx5MvxdHuk2fdaU9F9mDaWAWgp2aYnvYTv4SbDguPnoaDs/s1600/Fry-Bread-Lakota-Recipe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqGbH0UTBULOx8Ig8rwFTUYpcdFv43Uf_3R5j-e7nd0INBi9JvWCTw_G4G8p6wLXK2Gpg72urTzl9LOf7sqFrpOmLxdaxbsVx5MvxdHuk2fdaU9F9mDaWAWgp2aYnvYTv4SbDguPnoaDs/s320/Fry-Bread-Lakota-Recipe.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">You can find different recipes on line but this is the easiest I have come across, and it's delicious!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here's a little teaser from our children's chapter book, the wonderful Benjamin and Rumblechum!</span></div>
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<a href="http://mybook.to/Rumblechum" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="647" data-original-width="408" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMMYmKaQMI4eoRBh_iWJN9Li8gxGvMbrNt-bRUxldpsBXCLR4A7KHr74o8KrtzmJ6HcGcfCU2r1M9DKz4AWLRecQIG6j_k_Y0KUUayl5tOUg7nxaXtRSxMOhDNEeGYqlqSY_LlfFqtH44/s320/Kenna+McKinnon+Benjamin+GIF.gif" width="201" /></a></div>
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Sister and brother Katie and Jacob travel across Canada and back with their two eccentric aunts, Kathleen and Mary, in a minivan named Rumblechum, with Benjamin, their stuffed monkey, sitting between them.</div>
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Rumblechum transports them through Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the huge province of Ontario, and finally back to their little grey house in Edmonton, Alberta. Their dear calico cat Freedom is at the door to greet them, meowing with excitement and joy, and a mysterious parcel is opened.</div>
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A chapter book, the first of a planned series of young reader stories suitable for ages 3 to 12 years old. Fictional, but based on true traveling experiences.</div>
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Kennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03222667027378438486noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511345544082261095.post-82966163734768909352018-06-23T21:39:00.000-06:002018-09-13T00:25:47.981-06:00AN INTERVIEW WITH THE FASCINATING EVE GAAL!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://author.to/evegaal" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiudezdcjkuNGnBprlnfPF4BXKaA4nFOnrtCObWnZxMb9lOj34uQhi5vb0h6-mgYY3zuW_yxYJotQtVSKyXXKZ41JLODPV27X5_QKeY0Dn9ZpLT_tQmGEjUljTq7wAOKCQy7SLaAiXFm-k/s1600/Easter+2012+%2528640x480%2529.jpg" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://author.to/evegaal" target="_blank">Eve Gaal</a></td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">It is my pleasure to welcome you to my blog today, Eve. We’ll start out with
a few questions. If you choose not to answer any question, please feel free to
skip it, and if there is anything that I’ve missed, you’re welcome to add a
comment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Let’s get started.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">1)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Can you tell us a
little bit about yourself?</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I’m the author of Penniless Hearts which you read and reviewed. My
husband and I were married in Hawaii so it naturally became a great setting.
The second time we went for our first Anniversary. For some reason, I began
noticing things about Hawaii that made me see things without rose colored
glasses. Hawaii is gorgeous, but people still go to work. Crime happens. Even
the prettiest bouquet of tropical flowers will someday wilt. The contrast of
beauty and crime made me have fun with my characters. I enjoyed researching
Pele, helicopters and lava flows. It was a fun book to write.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Penniless-Hearts-Eve-Gaal-ebook/dp/B00BD7X2FE/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1529809640&sr=1-1&keywords=eve+gaal" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="853" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpJHsJN6lQkVPJ6Wf_cfN-zvqUZ48RKWArUokiL-NFwL1AlQmegP_G35UH_JP-VaNoJNCmwH5WAtfZkRIbxBS_sZDZDjsJBGex01vMUJ1CrBUen_63BLRsQKPR55p5DUfXlHT7FYU3wS4/s640/Penniless+Hearts-newcover28.11-TheCoverCollection+%25281%2529.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Thank you, Kenna. I appreciate your kind words about my book. Here’s a link to your wonderful review:</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/RQBJBHKN5G5DD/ref">https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/RQBJBHKN5G5DD/ref</a></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">2)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">As a child, what
did you want to do when you grew up?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">My third Christmas, I received a small baby grand
piano. I think I drove my parents crazy pounding on the delicate keys. Though I
always loved music, it wasn’t meant to be because the following year, my father
made sure I had a child’s typewriter. That’s when my storytelling began. My
tiny, illustrated books were primitive but somehow, each one had a basic plot.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> I hung out in
the school library and read books during recess. During summer, I signed up for
the reading programs and checked out tons of books. I had a thirst for good
stories and I still do. I also believe that if you don’t find the book you’re
looking for, it might be your turn to write it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I wrote poetry as a young girl and sent them off to
magazines like McCall’s. Of course, I received many, many rejections. My high
school yearbooks published a few of my poems which encouraged me to continue
writing. My diaries and journals mention my future as a writer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">News items sometimes bother me enough to also end up as part of my books. A few months ago, there was an actual story about a child who was stuck in a furniture store overnight. It really made me wonder about the parents, the store security, the managers and the fears that the child must have gone through. That little tidbit is mentioned in my upcoming novel when Lani goes missing, her mother thinks back to the time she hid in an armoire, in a furniture store, to read a book. </span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">3)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">When did you
first start writing?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I started those poems at age nine but the rough little books came a bit
earlier. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">4)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">When did you
realize you wanted to be a writer?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I always knew it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">5)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">How long does it
take you to write a book?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Two to three years when I’m not suffering from some bizarre malady. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">6)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What is your work
schedule like when you’re writing?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">1-5 most days. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">7)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What would you
say is your most interesting writing quirk?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I prefer complete solitude and will go to almost any length to achieve
it. I even moved to a desert home in La Quinta for eight years and when that
wasn’t quiet enough, I pulled a desk into a closet. While in the desert, I
finished Penniless Hearts and The Fifth Commandment, which is a short,
faith-based novella. I don’t live in the
desert anymore, but still like having privacy in a closet. I use a laptop that
isn’t wired into the internet so there are very few distractions. Of course,
with two Chihuahuas around, distractions are inevitable. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">8)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Where do you get
your information and/or ideas for your books?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">That’s an interesting question because The Fifth
Commandment came to me in a dream. So, I felt compelled to write it. A higher
power guided me through that small novella and I’m hoping He helps me with a
few others. That particular book has hit the Creativia bestseller list and did
very well in Australia. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The action scenes in Penniless Hearts and Penniless
Souls came to me when I’m waking up. Basically, I listen to my heart. I feel
all stories come from a good place. Even bad stories are meant to teach us
something. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">9)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What do you like
to do when you’re not writing?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I enjoy swimming, walking my pups and crocheting beanie hats for chemo
patients. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">10)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What does your family think of your writing?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">My husband is very supportive. I have an international family that
reads in many languages. It’s like the United Nations. Almost everyone is
bilingual. Some read books in Spanish and they are not that interested in
reading my books written in English. There is however, a Spanish version of The
Fifth Commandment available. Other
family members prefer reading in Filipino or Greek and even Hungarian. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">11)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What was one of the most surprising things you
learned in creating books? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">That even my thirty years of marketing and advertising experience
cannot help sell my books. I am most surprised that people openly admit that
they don’t read. Reminds me of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">12)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">How many books have you written? Which is your
favorite?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I have written three books but one of them is a new
release that will be coming soon. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Guess I don’t have a favorite because they are all
unique. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I like Penniless Hearts for being lighthearted and
fun. It takes people on a journey of the Hawaiian Islands and gives them a sort
of bird’s eye view of Kauai and the Big Island. I pull readers into dream
sequences and various hallucinations because my main character runs from tough
situations through her imagination. I imagine Penny running around in one of
those famous Escher prints where the stairs run up and down and there doesn’t
seem to be any escape. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Penniless Souls made me reflect on philosophical
ideas such as the multiple types of determinism, fatalism, subjectivism, deism,
I Ching, compatibilism, even quantum physics.
Have you ever wondered where you
get your good luck? Your bad luck? The story touches on the dark side of Las
Vegas and human trafficking. It’s about coincidence and a mother’s love. How
far would you go to save your child? It was an interesting book to write and I
can’t wait for others to read it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I like The Fifth Commandment because those pages are
certifiable proof that I’m sorry for being a difficult kid. <o:p></o:p></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Fifth-Commandment-Eve-Gaal-ebook/dp/B01I69GNH0/ref=sr_1_11?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1529809959&sr=1-11&keywords=eve+gaal" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="679" data-original-width="425" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrj4y7XOsVr2F8xrYWSY2GlYYvq67vs8o9O4Ia5usubQQX6oSqnvYbIvjybq24YehGAPKbOKpedn00GAZs3d8ZlamgGsvxdS5oJQVrfTk2jG79PuTFzuTAoMDxguMDjAVYbSZgQKuqs7o/s640/new+cover+for+The+Fifth+Commandment.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">13)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of
things do they say?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">There are so many books on the market and they have so many choices
that I am always flattered when I hear they liked my novel. Usually they say
they enjoy the action and the dialogue but honestly, I don’t hear from them
much. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">14)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What do you think makes a good story?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">That depends. I like many types of books. My favorites usually consist
of a journey. The Alchemist by Paul Coelho or Life of Pi by Yann Martel or The
Wizard of Oz, Robinson Crusoe, etc. If you’re writing a book--take me on a trip--let
me see things through your eyes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">15)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">How did you choose what genre to write in?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I’m not really sure because Penniless Hearts is part adventure and part
romance and I don’t think I can push it into any genre. Maybe it’s a
contemporary romantic adventure? Is there such a thing? Penniless Souls is more
of a romance but it’s also an adventure. The Fifth Commandment is more of a
Christian fantasy. I just write. There
is no plan other than a basic outline. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">16)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Do you ever experience writer’s block?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Yes, it happens all the time and unless it’s a medical problem or a
bereavement, there are ways I overcome it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">17)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Is there any particular author or book that
influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">How can I pick one? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Many books influenced me growing up, especially the
Bible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> I think of
Willa Cather and the tree she went to hug in the middle of the prairie in O
Pioneers. I remember the confidence of Templeton in Charlotte’s Web. The fox
telling The Little Prince about how it is only with the heart that one can see
clearly. How about Scarlett in Gone with the Wind telling the reader that she
can cry tomorrow? What a great point! Kahlil Gibran reminding me that by
knowing my deepest sorrow, I can appreciate my deepest joy and Harold and his
Purple Crayon telling me that I can do anything. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">18)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Can you tell us about your challenges in getting
your first book published? </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16pt;"> I had to self-publish due to an emergency. Seriously.
It’s a long story. Maybe I’ll write about it someday.</span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">19)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What was your favorite chapter or part to write?
Why? </span><span style="font-size: 16pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">In Penniless Hearts my favorite part is when she’s in the Waipo valley and
takes a nap on the beach after hiking straight down through a forest of guava
trees. The wild asses roam through there and eat the sticky, fallen fruit. She
wakes up to getting sloppy kisses from a member of the roaming herd. (I’ve made
that hike and seen the animals. They are super cute with long eyelashes and no,
they didn’t kiss me. My husband kissed me under a macadamia tree.)</span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">20)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">How did you come up with the title?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">It came to me one day. I kept wondering why myself.
Later, I thought it might sell a lot of books because people might confuse
penniless with penile. Penile-less. And no, it’s not a story like that but I
thought a few people might take a second look. LOL <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">21)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What has been the toughest criticism given to you as
an author? What has been the best compliment? The toughest criticism usually
has to do with my short chapters. I pull the reader into action and pull them
out rather suddenly. It’s the same way I talk. You can talk to me face to face
about something and my mind might wander. A few minutes into the discussion, I
might compliment your sweater or ask for a drink of water. I usually go back to
the subject at hand, just as I do in my novel. (I had a college English
professor tell us to write the way we speak. It’s not always a good idea, but I
must have taken it to heart.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The best compliment is that my books aren’t boring.
Nothing worse than a boring book. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">22)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Can you tell us about your upcoming book?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I mentioned it a few times up above. Longer
chapters, more straightforward and more drama. I hope you like it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">23)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What projects are you working on now?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I really want to get back to writing more commandment stories. I’ve
started writing The Tenth Commandment already. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">24)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Will you have a new book coming out soon?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Yes, yes, yes!! Penniless Souls<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">25)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What famous person, living or dead, would you like
to have lunch with? Why?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I know this sounds strange, but I’d pick the lovely
Melania Trump or any of our lovely First Ladies. I received a letter on White
House stationary from Mamie Eisenhower when I was born, welcoming me as a new
citizen of the United States of America. I’ve always been in awe of everything
the First Lady has to do. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">26)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What would you serve?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">A fancy salad with mixed greens, arugula, dried
cranberries, goat cheese, fresh chopped red peppers, chopped green onions, a
bit of cucumber and balsamic vinaigrette dressing served with fresh multiple
grain bread and butter and a tray of delicious cakes for dessert. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">27)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">If you had a magic wand to grant any wish, what
would that be?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Peace, love and happiness to all. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">28)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Is there anything more that you would like to say to
your readers and fans?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Thank you for
choosing my books to read. I know there are endless options. Most of all,
follow your heart. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</v:imagedata></v:shape></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.evegaal.com/">www.evegaal.com</a></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://author.to/evegaal">http://author.to/evegaal</a></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="https://evegaal.blogspot.com/">https://evegaal.blogspot.com</a></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/PennilessHearts/">https://www.facebook.com/PennilessHearts/</a></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">https://twitter.com/EveGaal<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.evegaal.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc-j79_r-zb2eAliQhOEl0U3EOy-l8L0LvZqNoQ3kLzREnwFc_bDHxJz66Ll-EMUdxq2xEdlQUdGJvXwNL4TECSUk831HYHbg0jTWcL_MSqSPAn5ESamGc-hbEQQAuRHdo_-7LKtegy2Y/s200/Easter+2012+%2528640x480%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Fifth-Commandment-Eve-Gaal-ebook/dp/B01I69GNH0/ref=sr_1_11?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1529809959&sr=1-11&keywords=eve+gaal" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="679" data-original-width="425" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-oQAmfSnBtMZAoeDE90vvkcy-q-32M0Qa9auZ4ov1pMHJgGKrej7-4A-O6N2MSSl2ctnxlHt3LvrRrg3gbOkU9qD5gmHRFjeGhq-0l7AWZt9ZR3RXkBqgMxHty0JLG10-CJRGN2EnDE8/s320/new+cover+for+The+Fifth+Commandment.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Penniless-Hearts-Eve-Gaal-ebook/dp/B00BD7X2FE/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1529810247&sr=1-1&keywords=penniless+hearts" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="853" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZmiIRbBkrcYjSeLLlluRVl6XsilUoZbQad1XrBo6fnn41Eq3ephsEBgkzeGidaXxjK8ZIisTYGAitSxvNQkEqPhte-2gl4yMwbF1zHUyIHlrzXxYx5WEJYCdSD2MsQvb89iBF0IhJVoo/s400/Penniless+Hearts-newcover28.11-TheCoverCollection+%25281%2529.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<img border="0" src="http://www.sapphiredreams.org/blogger/kennasig.png" /><span style="font-size: large;">Thank you, Eve! It's been a pleasure having you on my blog. I would encourage your readers to pick up a copy of Penniless Souls! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Have you tried Kenna's supernatural fantasy trilogy -- dark but quirky humor!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Den-Dark-Angels-Kenna-McKinnon-ebook/dp/B01HJDS9W6/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1529810541&sr=1-4&keywords=kenna+mckinnon&dpID=41O84NiUuLL&preST=_SY445_QL70_&dpSrc=srch" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="800" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS9pScOk0VS4n6bjQV3p41ZE0eZfRbSpCpqKLSSb_XrwKtfXmtgWRz0cj17O70eUDOWhUOOA8Pc-_g2y7jYIyN_yDGTrO2sGnoapsq2DOe0s-hUxhvrBi-lpsySg0a0grNQ4BwBnHJ7W0/s320/cover-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Den-Dark-Angels-Kenna-McKinnon-ebook/dp/B01HJDS9W6/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1529810541&sr=1-4&keywords=kenna+mckinnon&dpID=41O84NiUuLL&preST=_SY445_QL70_&dpSrc=srch" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="800" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh55hAdfGZW-DIDvWW6FUCl7LaRWoKvp6qFheYWRn-QwhL3TasiD3NGxL_hXSh_cEWycxt6tLbgrrJ3QzfvcUnpQKAXHoxYTx9OSsgM5lh8K-_osXH9e37Sq7qbFxtWEnleEpXVDY_ynlw/s320/cover-9.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Den-Dark-Angels-Kenna-McKinnon-ebook/dp/B01HJDS9W6/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1529810541&sr=1-4&keywords=kenna+mckinnon&dpID=41O84NiUuLL&preST=_SY445_QL70_&dpSrc=srch" target="_blank">h</a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">5 stars: "Dark and Twisty People"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "amazon bookerly" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">T</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "amazon bookerly" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">his is a fun read right off the bat!! I finished the first novella hysterically laughing at everyone's ill fate. George and Bernice will be missed!!!"</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "amazon bookerly" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyYjwa_Eu-PlFt7nzl0pfTpSvvDTJ4qtpVKP-9ydDxIwiBzdCznH9lm2RU4XJ82FtYutVQgdQkZINDI06MiRw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "amazon bookerly" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
Kennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03222667027378438486noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511345544082261095.post-53736254416848780092018-06-12T03:06:00.000-06:002018-06-23T21:00:56.678-06:00A Brief History of Weed in Canada<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img border="0" src="http://www.sapphiredreams.org/blogger/kennasig.png" /><span style="font-size: large;">As many of you may know, I am a Canadian and I live in Edmonton, Alberta. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdMyZsTBDFBt7agRkTD6qQGnspGB30RF4gTYlSBVrDSQRmf2jkpon_m0skxUgqimlStA_5WYx7I4PDTHKlvpP5n_li-IKSWXpDGefsyRQOmUNDPUncdOUFTTTBnurDNmVZ79aeTZU_2Go/s1600/vVpK5sNWPwfnN5nCO-KV62pPzdZiUot9lO1Jrj08nsY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="636" data-original-width="481" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdMyZsTBDFBt7agRkTD6qQGnspGB30RF4gTYlSBVrDSQRmf2jkpon_m0skxUgqimlStA_5WYx7I4PDTHKlvpP5n_li-IKSWXpDGefsyRQOmUNDPUncdOUFTTTBnurDNmVZ79aeTZU_2Go/s640/vVpK5sNWPwfnN5nCO-KV62pPzdZiUot9lO1Jrj08nsY.jpg" width="481" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Here in Canada, recreational marijuana is well on its way to becoming legal in all of the country.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Marijuana can be purchased from a vending machine in Vancouver, I hear. You're more likely to be arrested in Saskatoon. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Weed was legal in Canada until 1923, and indeed, the US didn't make the bud illegal until 14 years later.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Marijuana's medical benefits were being touted in the late 1990s and 2000s and medical marijuana became available in Canada to those with a prescription, from a medical marijuana dispensary.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Notwithstanding the suspicious sweet smell of pot hovering about downtown in my area of the city and in the lobbies and hallways of this building and others, recreational weed is still illegal in Canada and probably will be until September 2018 at least.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">As well, the legalization of weed in Canada is incumbent on international treaties that our country has signed with other nations, and until those are sorted out, it is likely that the status quo will remain and consumers will continue to be busted for possession.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The finale for the story of marijuana in Canada has still to be written.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Consumers continue to light up and wait for the completion of the 2015 Liberal platform to give them the golden key or, as Timothy Leary in my generation might have said:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Turn on, Tune in, Drop out</span></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Timothy Leary</i></span></span></blockquote>
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Kennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03222667027378438486noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511345544082261095.post-36033736590424403962018-05-31T21:09:00.000-06:002018-06-12T02:38:11.503-06:00We Interview Author Kerry Watts today!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img border="0" src="http://www.sapphiredreams.org/blogger/kennasig.png" /><span style="font-size: large;">Today we're presenting an interview with the inimitable Kerry Watts.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKeVRJvyEfU-l97P38p2VESVJwzjxXVO0hNQuYhtgsvOgal8547-xDX9SqkxKc_sgjS7qLPv-anB9wATKtFD1S3Y6GBNPuFG-H63EJQaNGKt9Baqlss4WE_K4bAgnD1HQyw-FCD0vcA-s/s1600/Kerry+Watts+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="718" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKeVRJvyEfU-l97P38p2VESVJwzjxXVO0hNQuYhtgsvOgal8547-xDX9SqkxKc_sgjS7qLPv-anB9wATKtFD1S3Y6GBNPuFG-H63EJQaNGKt9Baqlss4WE_K4bAgnD1HQyw-FCD0vcA-s/s320/Kerry+Watts+pic.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Kerry Watts</span></td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Kenna: Hello, Kerry. Welcome to my site. Please tell us something
about yourself, where you’re based, and how you came to be a writer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hi Kenna thanks for inviting me along.
I was born and brought up in a small town in the East of Scotland where I still
am today. I started writing over twenty years ago when my daughter was a baby
after reading Isla Dewar’s Giving up on Ordinary. It was then that I thought –
I’d love to do that – so I did. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Kenna: What genre do you generally
write and what have you had published to-date? What do you think of eBooks?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I generally write crime fiction but
have also written a couple of childrens books which was fun. I also have a
short romance novella available to buy from Amazon too. I love ebooks! I
wouldn’t be without my kindle now. I love all the free books! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Kenna: Have you self-published? If so,
what led to you going your own way?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I began my publishing journey as a self-publisher
which meant I was able to create a profile and a readership which makes an
unknown more saleable to a publisher. I would recommend this route to someone
starting out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Kenna: Do you have a favourite of your stories
or characters? If any of your books were made into films, who would you have as
the leading actor/s?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Into-Darkness-Kerry-Watts-ebook/dp/B07CJHTZZ2/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1527822871&sr=1-3&keywords=kerry+watts" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="316" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXG5Frs6xGEZR00ZKwWa96y4dKpYE9ibs_1tYABV34GWMUkqCsN4CSxeINRxt5vonXqbNt62xxt3m7-mnn92XrSptN6YW9udGdgT3dbb8QECmfMNZTLEDRxvS9F1BgIe-xXeqsVXH_p4w/s400/51lzG2bLI8L.jpg" width="252" /></a><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My favourite book so far is called Into
Darkness which is due to be released on June 14<sup>th</sup>. The main
character is the flawed yet strong Detective Inspector Joe Barber. In a movie
it would have to be someone tall, blonde and handsome to play him. Would be fun
to audition the candidates I guess.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Kenna: Which authors did you read when
you were younger, and did they shape you as a writer?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As a child my favourite book was The
Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe by CS Lewis. I loved Narnia and wished I could
get there through my own wardrobe. I wouldn’t say it shaped me as writer as
much as a reader instead. I loved reading as a consequence of Narnia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Kenna: Do you manage to write every day,
and do you plot your stories or just get an idea and run with it?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I try to write every day but in reality
it isn’t always possible, and I definitely plot but it always bends and
changes. It’s never set in stone. People have died, and it’s been as much of a
shock to me as it is the reader.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Kenna: Do you do a lot of editing or
research?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Editing sucks but it must be done, and
I find without google for research and being able to quiz Facebook friends I
wouldn’t be able to write much. My background is in Psychiatric nursing, so a
lot of my books incorporate a mental health issue.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Kenna: What point of view do you find
most to your liking: first person or third person? Have you ever tried second
person?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I write in third person which is where
I’m most comfortable. I have tried first but can’t sustain it so avoid it.
Second person is just a nonstarter for me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Kenna: What’s your favourite / least
favourite aspect of your writing life? Has anything surprised you?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Favourite part is the buzz of a new
idea and watching it blossom. Making notes and expanding on it is something I
love! Least favourite is persuading people to buy my books. Not a skill I have
acquired yet! What’s surprised me the most has been the development of my
stamina. Being able to write four thousand words in a day amazes me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Kenna: If you could invite three people
from any era to dinner, who would you choose and what would you cook (or hide
the takeaway containers)?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Brilliant question. I would invite a
Viking, a Roman and an Egyptian because all those eras fascinate me, and I
would like them to each bring a delicacy from their own time. I will provide
the dessert! I would like to read them an extract from one of my books to just
to see what they think, and I would leave the washing up until morning because
hopefully at least one of them will bring a nice bottle of wine….or two.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Kenna: Are you involved in anything
else writing-related other than actual writing or marketing of your writing?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’m having a go at a script too which
I’m enjoying. I have no idea what I’ll do with it when it’s done. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Kenna: Are there any writing-related
websites and / or books that you find useful? (please include links where you
can)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Recommend – Stephen King – On Writing.
Fascinating.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Kenna: What are you working on at the
moment / next? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I am currently writing Book 2 of my DI
Joe Barber series which is becoming a little more gruesome than anticipated but
I’m loving it all the same. I have another couple of projects lined up too. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Kenna: Where can we find out about you
and your writing?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I have a website
kerrywatts.simplesite.com and I can be found on twitter -<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="mailto:twitter.com/@Denmanisfab">twitter.com/@Denmanisfab</a>
also I have an author page on Facebook where readers can chat and interact with
me which I am always happy to do. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KerryWattsAuthor/">https://www.facebook.com/KerryWattsAuthor/</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: medium; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large;">Look out for my latest book due out on June
14<sup>th</sup></span><span style="font-size: large;"> – </span><a href="http://mybook.to/intodarkness" style="font-size: x-large;">http://mybook.to/intodarkness</a></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: yellow;">
- Book 1 in the DI Joe Barber series. </span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: large;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you would like to include a short synopsis
of your latest book here feel free.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://mybook.to/intodarkness">http://mybook.to/intodarkness</a>
- available to preorder <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After an uncomfortable dinner with his severe father, retired
Chief Superintendent Charles Barber, recently divorced Detective Inspector Joe
Barber comes to the aid of young Lizzie Reynolds whom he witnesses being
attacked by a man named Billy Gifford. A passionate relationship blossoms from
this but Joe is immersed in the investigation into a series of gruesome murders
of young women who work as dancers in a club called Sal’s. Lizzie’s connection
to the club and to the women horrifies him.<br />
When a suspect is discovered through DNA evidence inside the stomach of one of
the victims neither Joe or his colleague DS Sylvia Mason are convinced of his
guilt. He just doesn’t fit the profile. Samuel Slaski, Sal Slaski’s twenty
something son is poorly educated and disorganised in stark contrast to the man
Joe believes they are looking for. Big Sam as he is called because of his
height denies he is connected to the crimes and looks to his lawyer, Paul
Gregory, for help. When a search of Sal’s produces a sinister notebook, Joe
gets closer to the truth. When Sam indicates the author of the hand writing
contained inside is that of Paul Gregory, the race is on to stop him.<br />
A gruesome discovery at Gregory’s childhood home further exposes his guilt.
With nowhere left to run Paul Gregory introduces Joe and his team to The
Darkness. Dr Dianne Cook recommends further assessment in a secure mental
health unit until he is fit to be interviewed. Paul Gregory’s manipulation of
his own lawyer, Mia Fairlie, allows him the chance to escape the facility.
After murdering Lizzie’s roommate he kidnaps Lizzie and tells Joe he must meet
him to talk if he ever wishes to see her again. Joe then must choose between
saving Paul Gregory to force him to face justice for his crimes or an
unconscious Lizzie when Paul slices his own throat right in front of him.</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Don't forget Kenna's Timothie Hill and the Cloak of Power! 5 Star review from Laurie Woodward: </h3>
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"An adorable adventure for kids of all ages. And a fun read aloud to boot!"</h3>
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<a href="http://mybook.to/TimothieHill" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="533" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7wLkaYiiDiR7l3MBmhyphenhyphenaV1ivUcbJx0-IvPZm1wTM3NMlllIx9dtfCHyI1M7g0TYj7eTKKz3h39RGO_GIt2Oe366eepm3xoCcG0hT2letInwebvXcjGyuLF9Qc8VRKbhvddyonS6U0cOA/s640/GIF+Timothie.gif" width="426" /></a></div>
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Kennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03222667027378438486noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511345544082261095.post-58129646217590300512018-05-22T20:57:00.001-06:002018-05-31T20:50:50.226-06:00GROANERS and the benefits of MODERATE alcohol use!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://www.sapphiredreams.org/blogger/kennasig.png" /><span style="background-color: #31b1b1; font-family: "comic sans ms";">What happened to the frog's car when his parking meter expired?</span></span><br />
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<br />
<dd style="background-color: #31b1b1; font-family: "COMIC SANS MS";"><span style="font-size: large;">It got toad!!</span></dd>
<dt style="background-color: #31b1b1; font-family: "COMIC SANS MS";"><hr size="2" />
<span style="font-size: large;">What do you call a frog that crosses the road, jumps in a puddle, and crosses the road again?</span></dt>
<dd style="background-color: #31b1b1; font-family: "COMIC SANS MS";"><span style="font-size: large;">A dirty double-crosser!</span></dd>
<dt style="background-color: #31b1b1; font-family: "COMIC SANS MS";"><hr size="2" />
<span style="font-size: large;">What's green green green green green?</span></dt>
<dd style="background-color: #31b1b1; font-family: "COMIC SANS MS";"><span style="font-size: large;">a frog rolling down a hill</span></dd>
<dt style="background-color: #31b1b1; font-family: "COMIC SANS MS";"><hr size="2" />
<span style="font-size: large;">What is a frogs favorite time?</span></dt>
<dd style="background-color: #31b1b1; font-family: "COMIC SANS MS";"><span style="font-size: large;">Leap Year!</span></dd>
<dt style="background-color: #31b1b1; font-family: "COMIC SANS MS";"><hr size="2" />
<span style="font-size: large;">Why did the frog go to the mall?</span></dt>
<dd style="background-color: #31b1b1; font-family: "COMIC SANS MS";"><span style="font-size: large;">Because he wanted to go hopping.</span></dd><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">What's your favorite groaner? Post it here!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Or did you write a frog story for children (or adults?)? Post it here!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Have a great week, everyone! HUMP DAY TOMORROW!!</span></div>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF DRINKING ALCOHOL</span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.livestrong.com/article/557658-5-hidden-health-benefits-of-alcohol/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="847" data-original-width="1280" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqqXCZznbVgIKO1wBWN6CL6D-g8n8uNi_nC9VnrPByAD1nVk_5_fJ9AgZhgYF-Ja6vAabJ6RTLRR4FBe8WOcyXQDskE0qUK7xLoJkn6oqaazCmxjYWrB0dxtLvBMy48jd1prK8w1nFv_s/s640/kermit-1651325_1280.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">That means one drink a day for women, two for men. Imbibe more than that, and your risk for health problems goes up! Not to mention alcoholism, which no one wants to live with, believe me!</span></div>
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Kennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03222667027378438486noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511345544082261095.post-10604263889808197982018-05-15T00:36:00.001-06:002018-05-15T00:38:55.739-06:00AN INTERVIEW WITH THE UNIQUE D.M. CAIN, CREATIVIA AUTHOR<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Why are the
Light and Shadow Chronicles unique?<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<div class="m-1714561417242763134p1">
<span class="m-1714561417242763134s1"><span lang="EN-GB">My immersive fantasy novels </span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://mybook.to/ChronicleofChaos">A Chronicle of Chaos</a><span class="m-1714561417242763134s1"> and </span><a href="http://mybook.to/ShieldofSoren">The Shield of Soren</a><span class="m-1714561417242763134s1"> are part of a dark, epic series called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Light and Shadow Chronicles</i>. This
series features warriors, epic battles, angels, demons, magic and people with
incredible powers. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="m-1714561417242763134s1"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="m-1714561417242763134s1"><span lang="EN-GB">So what makes it any different from countless other fantasy series?
Read on to find out...</span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Chronicle-Chaos-Light-Shadow-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B01H2TV8O8/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1526365627&sr=1-1&keywords=d.m.cain+a+chronicle+of+chaos" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="874" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizf94XWQ2zwn0pTlNwTmCrDJKXwqwVCifKdglDDNVShLmYkdUU-SvbtD6t6BVKU8dveAt4_Cbln4tbWR-aQ9D_fHvOcF8naRSX4gvDmMILgGQG7Mi9gOBUfP0xWIjPp9EBc3TYsgiaL0I/s640/postcard+plan+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">The world of the Light and Shadow Chronicles is in
a state of eternal turmoil. Alcherys and Meraxor have been at war for thousands
of years, trapped in a stalemate that is manipulated by forces greater than any
of the characters realise. In order to emerge victorious, each army must recruit
greater forces to fight for them—angels, demons, armies of the underworld and magical
creatures.</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Each of the books in the series focuses on a
significant character and their role within the eternal war. Every story lays a
building block for the epic finale but the books are written out of order. One
story may feature a character in his adulthood, the next is set before he is
born, the next after his death. Putting the order of events together is up to
the reader. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shield-Soren-Light-Shadow-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B06XPL7NVS/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1526365686&sr=1-1&keywords=d.m.cain+the+shield+of+soren" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1240" data-original-width="1240" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0BC0wxIw1DEg0qIiNC3zY8jk3uO-3_2Qf_Wu_Lcms2x3P9jh7-_x6sSzpPx50_mcwOhS6V-gMKz7bz1xvaReb32CVZK2fMc67DLMSEPVd1P9JA2cYBDi7xnSyJqj50rXC-td5hYEfa5s/s400/epic+immersive+fantasy+-+series.jpg" width="400" /></a>T<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">he reader may choose their own journey through the
saga. If they feel connected to a certain character, they can follow that
individual’s story first. And if they join the series after book 5 is released,
there is no need to read books one through four first.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shield-Soren-Light-Shadow-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B06XPL7NVS/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1526365686&sr=1-1&keywords=d.m.cain+the+shield+of+soren" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="874" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqxmzN-sj1X34BliLsYUMRhNJztk5CVpIralIcYDBk7a0xLAwg5l7Ghct_Fl-CR0vQ5GIg95Z8mugLvdVufos-hRsgnFU1y5_FHLN_9j32q9jrJffrsSKQ_VfGFy9tKrJfLNVJMXY_qAQ/s320/Soren+postcard+front+2.jpg" width="320" /></a><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So the series truly is individual, and a reader may
navigate it as they see fit. So, with new books being released all the time, the
choice is up to you. Catch up on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A
Chronicle of Chaos </i>and<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> The Shield of
Soren</i> first or read them afterwards. It will make no difference to the
understanding of the series as a whole.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">And if you fall in love with the series, you won’t
have long to wait – more stories are on their way!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Genesis of Light</span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Origin of Shadow</i> – two complementary novellas will be released this
year, and the next full-length novel, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Sins of Silas</i>, will be coming in 2019.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">D.M. Cain Biography<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><a href="http://author.to/DMCain84" target="_blank">D.M. CAIN</a></td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">D.M. Cain is a dystopian
and fantasy author working for </span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://www.creativia.org/"><span style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Creativia Publishing</span></a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">. The Light and Shadow Chronicles series features a
range of books which can be read in any order. The series instalments to date
include </span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01D4YAD96/"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">A Chronicle of Chaos</span></i></a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"> and </span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://mybook.to/ShieldofSoren"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">The Shield of Soren</span></i></a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">. D.M. Cain is working on the next novel in the Light and Shadow
Chronicles series, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Sins of Silas</i>,
as well as two complementary novellas entitled <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Genesis of Light</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Origin
of Shadow</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Cain has released one
stand-alone novel: </span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://mybook.to/thephoenixproject"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">The Phoenix Project</span></i></a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">, a psychological thriller set in a dystopian future. The Phoenix
Project was the winner of the 2016 Kindle Book Review Best Sci-Fi novel Award.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">D.M. Cain is also a member of the International
Thriller Writers and one of the creators and administrators of the online
author group #Awethors. Her short story <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
End</i> was published in </span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Awethology-Dark-Awethors-ebook/dp/B016RDV1RE/"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Awethology Dark</span></i><span style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">an anthology by the #Awethors</i></span></a></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">.</span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Cain lives in
Leicestershire,</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="border: none 1.0pt; font-family: "palatino linotype" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt; padding: 0in;">UK with her husband</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"> and two young
children, and spends her time reading, writing, reviewing and indulging in geek
culture (Marvel, GoT, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Final Fantasy). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Website:
</span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://www.dmcain84.com/">www.dmcain84.com</a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Mailing
List: </span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://eepurl.com/XevZH">http://eepurl.com/XevZH</a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Profile: </span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/DMCainauthor">https://www.facebook.com/DMCainauthor</a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Twitter:
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Amazon: </span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://author.to/DMCain84" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Author.to/DMCain84 </span></a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span></h1>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Google+:
</span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://plus.google.com/+DMCain/posts">https://plus.google.com/+DMCain/posts</a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Goodreads:
</span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/DMCain">https://www.goodreads.com/DMCain</a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Pinterest:
</span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/dmcain84/">https://www.pinterest.com/dmcain84/</a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Instagram:
</span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/d.m.cain/">https://www.instagram.com/d.m.cain/</a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<img border="0" src="http://www.sapphiredreams.org/blogger/kennasig.png" />I hope you've enjoyed the journey through D.M. Cain's fantastical mind and series. Be sure and pick up a copy on Amazon today!</div>
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And don't forget Kenna's latest superhero fantasy about a caped crusader hair stylist who lives in Edmonton, Alberta! This eBook will be on sale for 99 c in the UK and USA May 30-31, 2018. Be sure and check out Timothie, the superhero hair stylist!</div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Timothie-Cloak-Power-Kenna-McKinnon-ebook/dp/B079KDQZ2J/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1526366127&sr=1-3&keywords=kenna+mckinnon&dpID=51RtIge-a2L&preST=_SY445_QL70_&dpSrc=srch" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKkzsuH57x5QSd1OrqNMCDWyn10jelq3CNdGmcDQ6mHyGCDs2VocVe0Qy7Pe4TKzXEijNrH8ULJGSVikwEHaqVOTLntPKD3LbuNW6G4Z7YGyIOGzQguFSAKVyvhCqkJ0l-mN5rkm2bjTY/s320/GIF+Timothie.gif" width="213" /></a></div>
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Kennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03222667027378438486noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511345544082261095.post-50427099003376011652018-05-05T13:54:00.000-06:002018-05-05T13:56:56.130-06:00INTERVIEW WITH THE FASCINATING NICK SWEET<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEito4ZpzMlzYMZ2FQj6b4F4Rscrj2jhjhImXSHkG2HZvEB9Leqw_bHAFFzpmESQTF7qTJHRUfbbGM0EErzpqHDiTsJ0dwhkWwQi6QxOjUVYytVabTYonhC9dIFb9rMPYUgWQh1680H-NMY/s640/867df7e5-8b36-4f75-ac1b-0bf97b951405.jpg" width="360" /></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">NICK SWEET</td></tr>
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<span class="normaltextrun"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Kenna:</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Introducing Nick Sweet, world traveler and Author.</span></span></div>
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<span class="normaltextrun"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Hello, Nick!</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span><span class="normaltextrun"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Please tell us
something about yourself, where you’re based,</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span><span class="normaltextrun"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">and how you came to be a writer.</span></span><span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m a Brit, originally from Bristol, but have
moved around a fair bit. I’ve been based in Spain for the past eight years or
so. I like it over here and have no plans to leave. If I write a string of huge
bestsellers, I’ll still keep a place here to come to, although I’ll probably
spend months at a time living in Manhattan, writing by day, and hanging out in the
jazz clubs every night. I went there and checked out the Village Vanguard and
Birdland last summer and was in my element. So, yeah, Spain’s great. It’s home
and I like it here. It doesn’t have Birdland or the Village Vanguard, but it
has lots of other things instead. I like the culture here and the people are
generally friendly. I speak fluent Spanish and read in Spanish, which of course
is essential if you want to live here without going completely bonkers.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I became a writer because I love
reading books and have a need to write or at least to be creative in some way.
I think writing is basically an act of rebellion in which nobody gets hurt; on
the contrary, if the book’s any good then readers will derive pleasure from it,
as well as a complicated/fun form of learning, even, too, perhaps. If anyone
gets hurt, then it’s the writer. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Why do I need to write? That’s one for
the psychiatrist’s couch. I just need to be and feel creative. It goes deep
with me, this feeling. Why and where does it come from? Again, it’s hard to
say. I suspect that people who write have a part of their personality and
sensibility that’s over-developed, while other parts may not be so well
developed. Writing and being creative in general is a way of reacting to the
world. At times it can even become a way of trying to cope with experience and
understand it. But I’m not in the habit of over-intellectualizing these things.
At the end of the day, I like to tell stories and so I do. I also like the idea
of working at a thing – the art or craft of writing in this case – and working
and working, so that you’re always improving over time. I like the idea of
making characters and scenarios come to life on the page. I like, too, the idea
of learning new things about my craft, and about experimenting with different
styles. That said, it’s really tough work, because there’s a sense in which
there really is no point in writing unless you’re going to try to do it as well
as you possibly can. It’s different from playing football, say, in your spare
time, where you can just enjoy the game and the camaraderie and benefit from
the exercise, even if you’re no good at it. With writing, if I really felt I
didn’t have any talent then I’d pack it in. The frustrating thing is when you
believe you have talent, but other people – agents, most notably – fail to see
it. Or else they’re looking for something else, something you’re not offering.
Rejection is hard to take and I’ve had more than my fair share. If your books
aren’t selling it’s devillishly hard to attract an agent. If you can’t attract
an agent then you’re not going to get the big editors at the big publishers to
read your work. And if you don’t get a big publisher then you won’t sell a lot
of books. And if you don’t sell a lot of books, you almost certainly won’t
attract an agent. It’s a vicious circle. Sometimes you feel like some homeless
tramp trying to pull a gorgeous film star. Why would she even give you the time
of day, when she’s got millionaires queueing up to whisk her off for dinner at
the Ritz? It’s not quite true that agents usually tell me I’m without talent.
On the contrary, in recent months I’ve had agents tell me ‘you write well and
produce some lively characters’ and ‘you’re an accomplished writer’ who is ‘in
control of your story’. Another said she liked my style. Another loved the way
I worked descriptions into the narrative voice, but felt there was a little too
much dialogue. Another agent wrote saying she was ‘sitting on the fence’
regarding whether or not to sign me on for a couple of months, but then she
decided not to… So agents appear to see I can at least write a bit, but somehow
I haven’t managed to get one to sign me on yet. People who aren’t in the
writing game probably think it’s all rather simple. If you’ve got talent then
agents will spot it and sign you, just as happens with footballers, say. But
somehow it doesn’t seem to work like that. Each agent appears to have some
particular idea in mind, some book they are looking for, and you’re not going
to get lucky nowadays unless you give them just what they’re looking for. And
it takes take for people to read your work, of course, and I can imagine that
if I were an agent and had thousands of people all sending me their work then
I’d probably unplug the phone and head for the hills. I mean, I can only read
stuff I really like, stuff that inspires me, so a part of me can put myself in
their shoes and see their problem. That said, I still think I’m far too
talented a writer to be neglected. I deserve to have a good agent and a top
publisher. My work deserves that much, or I think it does, and so I suppose
that’s one of the reasons I’ve kept on writing all this time.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">How to break out of this vicious
circle’s the question I often ask myself. And while I ask it, I make sure I’m
always writing, writing, writing…because it’s important not to let rejection
stop you writing – at least for more than a few days at a time – because if you
do that then you really will be sunk.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="normaltextrun"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Kenna: What
genre do you generally write</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span><span class="normaltextrun"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">and what have
you had published to-date?</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span><span class="normaltextrun"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">What do you
think of eBooks?</span></span><span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I’ve written crime thrillers like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Long Siesta, Flowers At Midnight, Bad In
Bardino, Switch </i>and<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Only The Lonely.</i>
I’ve also written works of historical and/or literary fiction, such as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">One Flesh, Young Hearts</i>, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gemini Games.</i> Then there’s my one-off
western novel, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ways of the West</i>. All
of my books have been published by small-ish independent publishers. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="normaltextrun"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Kenna:</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span><span class="normaltextrun"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Have you self-published? If
so, what</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span><span class="normaltextrun"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">led to you going your own way?</span></span><span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I haven’t self-published and, frankly,
I’d wouldn’t even know how to go about it. I have enough to do what with
working as a teacher in a state school in Spain and writing my books. And I
have to try to squeeze in living my life in between, of course, so I can do
without the awful hassle of having to design front covers and all that stuff.
The mere thought of it brings me out in a rash!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="normaltextrun"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Kenna: Do you have a
favourite of your</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span><span class="normaltextrun"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">stories</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span><span class="normaltextrun"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">or characters?</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span><span class="normaltextrun"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">If any of your</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span><span class="normaltextrun"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">books were made into films,
who would you have as the leading actor/s?</span></span><span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Humphry Bogart, except that he’s dead, so I’ll have
to think some more. To be honest, it’s not something I’ve ever given much
thought to. De Niro or Pacino would have been perfect, only they’re both too
old for the roles now. I’ll have to give it some thought… It would have to be
some guy who’s kind of stylish in a hard-bitten sort of way. Ben Gazzara might
have fitted the bill, too. That type…</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="normaltextrun"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span><span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="normaltextrun"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Kenna: Which authors did
you read when you were younger and did they shape you as a writer?</span></span><span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I got into Hemingway and Fitzgerald and Joyce in my
late teens and loved them. Ditto the poetry of T.S. Eliot and, of course,
Shakespeare. I read Dickens around the same time, and then discovered Tolstoy
and Dostoyevsky. All of these authors opened up new worlds to me. I didn’t
really get into crime until some years later, when I discovered Simenon and
began reading a lot of his books. Then I discovered Elmore Leonard. He wrote
about people I recognized because I’d spoken to them, rubbed shoulders with
them in bars or wherever. Ordinary people who find themselves in a tough spot
and end up doing the wrong thing… I’ve met plenty of people like that. And then
there are the innocent folk who happen, purely by chance, to find themselves
mixed up in events or scenarios that are not of their own choosing. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pronto</i> was the first Elmore Leonard book
I read and I loved it. It seemed about two hundred years ahead of anything else
that I’d been reading around that time. Leonard had, it seemed to me, found a
new way of writing about people that don’t normally end up in books…a whole new
way of both looking at the world and writing about it. My <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">book Flowers At Midnight</i> is probably the book of mine that’s most
inspired by Elmore Leonard. Some reviewers picked up on this, most notably
Professor Richard B. Schwartz, who teaches English at the University of
Missouri. He wrote a very insightful review on Amazon – he clearly understood
where I was coming from with the book, and what I’d set out to do. Other
reviewers picked up on it, too, though. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Then in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Long Siesta</i> I fell slightly more under the influence of Raymond Chandler’s
Th<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">e Long Goodbye</i>, which struck me as
being one of the two great early literary masterpieces in the crime genre, the
other being <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Postman Always Rings
Twice</i>. I’ve since discovered Patricia Highsmith’s books and really enjoy
them, too. But those are some of the important writers of the classical or formative
period of the crime novel, and if you want to write for the modern market then
you need to read a large share of the writers who are featuring in the
bestselling charts nowadays, too, so that you have a clear idea of what the novel
is getting up to in the genre today. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Young-Hearts-Nick-Sweet-ebook/dp/B01M6ZHR5P/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1525548934&sr=1-1&keywords=young+hearts+by+nick+sweet" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ey1TjJvfeB_tNWR0TUbzANNkY2aI4M_w6w39ud1GgT-EGF6qGqGCU5TECyFcYB_l6vOvA1iAJhwoOZg_TWqYxYUoE7BqEJNlzGHrxrvi3hyAX6ibGtg8YbENgHqmZnyb7MEhaWQFM60/s320/NICK+SWEET+BOOK.JPG" width="240" /></a><span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></span></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So over the past 15 years or so, I’ve read six or
eight books by Michael Connolly and Ian Rankin, James Ellroy, John Harvey and
Dennis Lehane. I’ve also read Patricia Cornwall, James Patterson, Gill Flynn,
Sarah Waters, Martina Cole, Mark Billingham, Lee Child etc. All those writers
are dauntingly good in any number of ways. But let’s take one of them, Michael
Connolly. Connolly turns out flawlessly plotted crime procedurals, one after
another, practically year after year. He’s the John Grisham of the police
procedural, except that he writes a lot more books. I’ve read a number of his
books. About eight, I’d say, at the last count. They are long books that are
high on well-researched detail. Connolly clearly knows a lot about how the
police operate. The man is a publisher’s/agent’s dream. It’s obvious he’s going
to get millions of readers. So why should somebody like me even bother? I mean
if I’m honest with myself, then I have to admit that I can’t compete with a
writer like Connolly in terms of what he does. I can’t plot as well as he does
and I don’t have a team of researchers at my disposal, or the best editorial
team rushing to polish my prose, or the best marketing team ready to pump
millions into promoting and distributing my books. So why do I keep hammering
away at the keys? Well, it’s my belief that I also have something to offer,
something that a writer like Connolly, staggeringly good that he is, doesn’t
offer. Connolly is like the QE2. His is a perfectly engineered ship and you go
aboard and eveything’s in working order. My vessel, on the other hand, is a
broken down old vessel, but if you come aboard then you’ll find some characters
that you won’t find in Connolly’s books, or anyone else’s for that matter.
You’ll find yourself in a different world, and one that’s interesting.
Sometimes you might wonder if the captain knows where he’s taking you, or
whether he’s drunk at the helm or simply crazy. Sometimes you might even wonder
whether the engine’s going to pack up. But somehow the vessel will continue to
surprise you by moving through the water, and you will end up visiting some
strange and interesting places you never knew existed and meeting some
characters that will surprise you just as much. You’ll come away feeling like
you’ve experienced something different, something a little whacky and
individual; something flawed in parts, perhaps, but well worth the time you
gave to it even so. And you’ll find, by the end of the experience, that the captain
either got incredibly lucky or else he had some idea where he was going after
all. That is, you’ll feel that the different strands of the plot all ended up
hanging together, just about – even if you can’t quite work out how… After
you’ve read my book, you’ll still want to read Connolly’s next one, of course, but
you might just want to read my next one as well, because you’ll have come to
believe that I offer a slightly different slant on things, something a little
different that’s worth experiencing…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">To get back to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Long Siesta</i>…as well as Chandler, I was also influenced by Robert Wilson’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Blind Man of Seville</i> to a degree,
not so much in terms of style, but because I’d read it shortly before starting
work on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Long Siesta</i>, and I really
enjoyed it, so it sort of gave me the impetus to write a book about Seville
myself. I was living in Calle Teodosio at the time, and Wilson’s Falcon was being
kept busy just a couple of streets up closer to the river. When I wrote to
Robert to tell him how much I’d enjoyed his novel, it turned out he’d lived
somewhere on Calle Teodosio, too, for a while, some years before me.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Anyway, the point I was trying to get to is that
while <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Flowers At Midnight</i> is
influenced by Elmore Leonard, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Long Siesta</i>
is more influenced by Chandler. Professor Richard B. Schwartz picked up on this
regarding <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Long Siesta</i>, in his
review of that book on Amazon, too. Barry Forshaw wrote a very positive review
of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Long Siesta</i> in Crime Time
Magazine, and the same review, only slightly less enthusiastic, appeared in
Barry’s critical who’s-who of British crime writers<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">, Brit Noir</i>. A lot of highly respected authors offered quotes for
the back cover, too. People like Nicholas Blincoe, Caro Ramsay, Howard Linskey,
and a fair few others. Then, with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bad In
Bardino</i>, I went a step further and made the style even more consciously
Chandleresque, or at least that was my intention. With <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bad</i>, I set out to rework Chandler for the modern day. Of course I’m
not saying I succeeded necessarily, but there are things I like in all three of
those books. I mean they could all be plotted better, and there are definitely
things that can be improved in them, but even so I think the books have some
energy and verve in them; the characters come to life on the page, and so do
the places that I write about. I also feel pleased with the way I was able to
write in different styles and feel comfortable doing so. I mean, there was
nothing artificial or fake about it with any of those books.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="eop"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Gemini
Games</span></i></span><span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">, which is really a
literary novel set in the 1990s, has a streetwise, picaresque style style, much
like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Flowers At Midnight</i>, that owes
something to Elmore Leonard. (By the way, D.M Thomas, D.J. Taylor and Andrew
O’Hagan all offered quotes for the back cover of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gemini Games</i>, which was very generous of them.) But then when I
wrote my historical novels, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Young Hearts</i>
and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">One Flesh</i>, I adopted an entirely
different style, more in keeping with the times in which those two books were
set. I felt quite natural with that style, too, but it’s a whole world away
from the styles I’ve adopted for my crime novels. In fact, people who read the
historical books and then check out my crime books will probably find it hard
to believe these novels could all have been written by the same writer. Not
that I adopted different styles just for the hell of it. Quite to the contrary.
If you write about the First World War, as I did in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Young Hearts</i>, then you need to find a style that’s appropriate to
the period. The style of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Flowers At
Midnight</i> would be all wrong for such a book, that much was obvious to me. I
mean, it wasn’t something I even needed to think about.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I have another book I’ve finished recently that’s
been written in a fresh style which, I feel, owes nothing to either Chandler or
Elmore Leonard - or anyone else, for that matter. I wanted to write something
different and to a find a new style that didn’t owe anything to any other
writers. I think I felt that if Chandler or Elmore Leonard were to write novels
now and send them in they probably wouldn’t get published. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is, they’d wouldn’t unless they were
prepared to drop their old styles and search for something new, whatever it is
the market is looking for right now. The times have changed and the market has
changed with them. As a writer, it’s hard to work out what agents/publishers/readers
are looking for. You’re really just shooting in the dark and hoping you get
lucky, in a sense. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The thing is, to
write something you like yourself and just hope that other people end up liking
it. But I certainly felt, after writing books influenced by Leonard and
Chandler, and failing even to attract an agent or a big publisher, that it was
time to find a new style…a style more appropriate for the current time. And so
that’s what I set out to do. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Long-Siesta-Nick-Sweet-ebook/dp/B0175P1QKK/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1525549042&sr=1-1&keywords=the+long+siesta+by+nick+sweet" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihG6Iwrl-1_PFUpORb_Hcbl4wm-NjJynKDXiGbIN8cdD_QkgwupAS6X4435YjS5XYUv2akaSHiPdeEJhZn9w6WL4SKqQyzvYPEVoUbTcIXilRSQtVPIqU4mme7GOgjH5HgmT1XWAIpJFQ/s640/NICK+SWEET+BOOKS.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">My latest book is being read by someone – a
professional, that’s to say - at the moment, so I’ve no idea what it’s ultimate
fate will be. Ultimately, I want to get my books on shelves in bookshops. The
publishers I’ve been with to date have all done an excellent job in all sorts
of ways and I’m very happy with them, don’t get me wrong, but none of them have
succeeded in getting my books into bookshops all over the world. And until that
happens, I won’t be satisfied. I feel that my work needs and deserves to be
read by millions of people, everywhere, and the challenge is to try to reach
that huge, worldwide market. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So there’s a sense in which I’m kind of pleased
with all of the books I’ve written, because I worked hard on writing and then editing
all of them to ensure they were the way I wanted them. I’m also pleased with
the way they all contain a touch or two of individual flair and style and
creative verve here and there, at least I think they do. What I’m not satisfied
with, however, is the fact that my books have failed to find their way onto
bookshelves in the chain stories in London or Liverpool, or New York or
Chicago, or Rome or Barcelona or Buenos Aires, or wherever… So I’ve needed to
go back to the drawing board and rethink where I’m going as I writer. I really
believe it’s perfectly possible to write a pretty good book nowadays, or even a
few pretty good books, and not get noticed. That’s because it’s not really
about whether any given book is any good or not nowadays, so much as whether it
reaches the public and feeds a particular need or meets a particular niche in
the market. For this reason, there is really no point in writing unless you are
going to try to reach the public – at least that’s the way I feel about it. I
mean, I can’t imagine a James Joyce, say, or a Celine writing today and getting
any acclaim or success. I think their books would just be lost in the mass of
publications that are out there. So if they were around today, they’d have to
climb out of their ivory towers and try and write somethiing that the public en
masse wants to read. The old days of striving for literary excellence are over and
it doesn’t look as though they’ll be coming back…which of course rather means
that the study of literature in the universities is living on borrowed time. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">As I say, I can’t talk much about my latest book,
beyond saying that it’s a crime thriller that runs to around 140,000 words in
draft form, because it’s still early days and it’s not yet found a publisher.
If I don’t find a bigger publisher for this book, I might even just hold on to
it until I make a breakthrough. I’ve got nine books out there at the moment, I
think. That’s probably enough books to have with small-ish publishers for any
writer of ambition. In truth, I really don’t have any idea where my next step
as a writer is going to take me – but all I hope is that it will take me to the
top! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="normaltextrun"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Kenna:</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span><span class="normaltextrun"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Do</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span><span class="normaltextrun"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">you manage to write every
day, and do you plot your stories or just get an idea and run with it?</span></span><span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I try to write regularly, but it’s important not to
force things but to let the writing dictate its own rhythm – it’s a bit like
sex, in that sense, and the whole business of love itself. Which means there
are days I can’t see the woods for the trees and find it almost impossible to
write anything, and then there are days when I just want everyone to leave me
alone so I can write…and write…and write… That happens when the story is so
clear and alive in my mind that it practically writes itself. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Each book is a fresh enterprise, and in my case
I’ve not just written different stories but I’ve also come up with fresh styles
to tell my stories in.</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="normaltextrun"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Kenna:</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span><span class="normaltextrun"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Do you do a lot of editing
or research?</span></span><span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I do a lot of editing, particularly because I tend
to start off a bit shakily. I generally have to write a hundred pages or so on
any given draft, before I start to feel like it’s real. When I go back to a
manuscript afterwards, it stands out a mile – the point at which the story and
characters became totally alive for me. After I reach that point, the writing
always becomes crisper and more alive and precise, and just much better in
every way, and for this reason it doesn’t generally require anywhere near so
much editing. The openings, however, are often full of flaws that don’t fit in
with what comes afterwards, as well as false starts, where I’m clearly feeling
my way and trying out different options, so it all that has to be worked out.
It’s a case of having to go back to the start and going through it all again
with a toothcomb. Which of course is often the very last thing you feel like
doing, after you’ve just finished the draft of a book and are exhausted and
probably feel like you’ve had enough of it and just want to do something else
to take your mind off it.</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt;"> </span><span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">But
if you want to write well then you need to learn to edit your own work, at
least to a proficient degree. Then if you’re lucky and you get to work with
good editors, they can pick up where you’ve left off and hopefully make your
work even better. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The hard part, for me, is deciding what to leave in
and what to edit out. Hemingway famously said cut, cut, cut, and if you’re
still in doubt cut again. But books nowadays are often quite long, and the kind
of clipped, elliptical style of writers like Elmore Leonard and Hemingway
before him, which is to say writers who use words sparely, is completely out of
fashion. Of the books I’ve published to date, only <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Young Hearts</i> runs to 80,000 words. The others run to something less
than this, which, as I say, runs counter to the modern trend and fashion. So
I’ve decided to stop writing short books and write longer ones…longer books and
in a new style. If my next book turns out to be rubbish, then at least it will
be a new and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">different kind</i> of
rubbish, one that won’t owe anything to Elmore Leonard or Mr Leonard’s mentor,
Mr Hemingway. It’s time to try and put those to wonderful gents to bed. I’m
sure they’ll get on just fine without yours truly. After all, they’ve managed
to get this far without my help. (I’ve got my tongue firmly in my cheek as I
say this, of course.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now for a little writerly madness. Get hold of this
idea and wrap it around a nearby flagpole. I hereby confess I sometimes get the
idea that there might be a book I’m meant to write but that I’ve failed to find
it yet…that the ideas and the style are just <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">out there</i> waiting for me – perhaps they’re right under my nose –
but I haven’t been able to find them. It’s a weird feeling…rather a good
sensation, but it’s tantalizing, too. People tend to talk about this or that
writer having his or her particular style, when it seems that I’ve written in a
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">number</i> of styles. What’s more, it
strikes me there could be a style out there that I’ve <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">yet to find</i>, a style that’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">just
right for me</i>. Who knows…?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bad-Bardino-Nick-Sweet-ebook/dp/B01LXKRIC6/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1525549294&sr=1-1&keywords=bad+in+bardino+by+nick+sweet&dpID=51ckrjhRO6L&preST=_SY445_QL70_&dpSrc=srch" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp-ATHzpG8BGR0ogNGzvL_DyjY-v4a78BFYC0DNd10dV45NWfd008pC4JoqmolyRXQEbywns5dwTap7Jfrqfb1Y7TG5yZedl91iZdmzegxlK0OQHoklvVnKyfzFLyuZ8ev-vQ9GUbgssM/s320/NICK+SWEET+BOOK+1.JPG" width="240" /></a><span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></span></div>
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<span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">How does a writer know that the stuff he’s writing
about is the stuff he’s meant to be writing about, or that the style he’s
writing in is the style he’s really meant to be writing in? These questions may
strike some people as being slightly crazy, but they are, I can assure you,
questions that occur to me on a regular basis. Why should a writer just have
one style? What’s to say he/she shouldn’t have a whole bag of styles fighting
it out with each other, all striving to be the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">one for him/her?<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
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<span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The great enemy of the novel, or creativity in
general – and not just that, but of love itself and honesty in human relations
– is political correctness. If the writer fails to fight the dragon of PC his
or her work will merely add to the cesspool that PC is slowly adding to. For
this and a number of other reasons, good books are acts of rebellion…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">And of course taste plays a big part in the whole
business. I once met a woman who was going to read my work, and I knew, just
from looking at her footwear, that she wouldn’t like the work I had to show
her…and I was right. Of course, I could hardly tell her, ‘Look, I know we’re
both wasting our time here, because of those awful boots you’ve got on…’ But I
could tell it at a single glance…</span></span><span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="normaltextrun"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span><span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="normaltextrun"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Kenna: What’s your
favourite / least favourite aspect of your writing life?</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span><span class="normaltextrun"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Has anything surprised you?</span></span><span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="normaltextrun"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">:</span></span><span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Rejection is tough to take, of course. And if
you’re getting rejections while working on a new book, it can sometimes hit you
sideways so that it can take the wind out of your sails. It’s not so much about
being sensitive to any given individual’s thoughts on my work – I don’t really
give two hoots about that – but rather the sense that you’re faced with a wall
that’s looking as insurmountable today as it ever did…</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="normaltextrun"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Kenna: What are you working
on at the moment / next? </span></span><span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I’m working on a new book at the moment. It doesn’t
yet have a title and, for the reasons explained above, I’m going at it very
tentatively, as I always do at the start. It will be different from anything
else I’ve written; that’s the only thing I can tell you about it at this stage.
I always feel particularly talentless when starting out and frequently feel
like throwing in the towel. We’ll see…</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bad-Bardino-Nick-Sweet-ebook/dp/B01LXKRIC6/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1525549294&sr=1-1&keywords=bad+in+bardino+by+nick+sweet&dpID=51ckrjhRO6L&preST=_SY445_QL70_&dpSrc=srch" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><br /></a></div>
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<span class="normaltextrun"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Kenna: Where can we find
out about you and your</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span><span class="normaltextrun"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">writing?</span></span><span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Nick-Sweet/e/B0034OAQ26">https://www.amazon.com/Nick-Sweet/e/B0034OAQ26</a><span class="eop"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nick-Sweet/e/B0034OAQ26"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nick-Sweet/e/B0034OAQ26</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="normaltextrun"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Thank you again for taking
part in this blog interview. I’m very grateful for taking time out from your
writing to answer these questions and wish you all the best with your future
projects.</span></span><span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="normaltextrun"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Kenna</span></span><span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="normaltextrun"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">http://www.KennaMcKinnonAuthor.com</span></span><span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bigfoot-Boy-Earth-Kenna-McKinnon-ebook/dp/B07BWJ2466/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="424" data-original-width="283" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1KMJh3D7EXQIjGI6wd3uVR2jxKDR4e1auGzyy4SbJ9zLjH7W5PjmwSJSX3p8Hi35UCXa0O5RN3LtQT6Tx672KQApkGWXi3WyKSawT0pqaoiaL5xjqfyN8qD-O5fMOFdkTRQwOTYdXxTU/s640/GIF.gif" width="427" /></a></div>
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<span class="eop"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">5 Stars from author Diane Rapp! "</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "amazon ember" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">When Errl meets a beautiful golden-haired female, he literally falls head-over-heels in love. Soon he’s convinced he doesn’t want to leave Earth without her, but can he convince this lovely creature to return to Planet X? He can’t stay behind on Earth with his lady love, because humans tracking him have dangerous guns. A few humans seem friendly, but can he really trust them to help?"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "amazon ember" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "amazon ember" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">BIGFOOT BOY BY KENNA MCKINNON IS FREE TODAY UNTIL WEDNESDAY, MAY 9!!!!</span></span></div>
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Kennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03222667027378438486noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511345544082261095.post-24410135759910960122018-04-28T23:21:00.000-06:002018-05-05T13:07:38.965-06:00SCOTT MEEHAN, AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR AND PHOTOGRAPHER, JOINS US TODAY!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1976932661/ref=sxts_sxwds-puwylo_rv_3?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=3534076942&pd_rd_wg=lCYfB&pf_rd_r=P91D1C8NXZ19KK4W8ERH&pf_rd_s=desktop-sx-top-slot&pf_rd_t=301&pd_rd_i=1976932661&pd_rd_w=SK9Em&pf_rd_i=scott+meehan&pd_rd_r=79e7f210-b34f-422e-ad68-026a176de034&ie=UTF8&qid=1524978752&sr=3" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1VsNOUaanV3VPMOglaI6clD8_hdAhUyJTgXrMeSfh-dzqg4BCOT9mKO4nHynr_IfdVc41YjYF1BhcSx8Y8dwEfm0gNMnbv10ItxSr9kOSKVgdo01JadxLX5eeAqjPV1yt1k2umXGLvLo/s1600/image+book+2.png" /></a><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Millennial-Girl-Army-One-Book-ebook/dp/B01I7JXHJG/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1524977613&sr=1-7&keywords=scott+meehan" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="197" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb_yUq5CKAoJcMKHXK_1TLPQD5dg_rQeYWuZUILCOIQnr7nLaaYTyRKjRzKMDCer1CROdUIJ3w2W6IJKIkFf2n63VInd32qlLF_EZ05fmahD-tJ1cVZgVjaQbN4vTqtReHDDCYblbnIMo/s200/image+book+3.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Today we welcome fellow Creativia author, Scott Meehan, to my blog. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">He is the author of numerous novels, short stories, and a memoir since living a life of adventure as well as career commission in the military, until his retirement from the Army in 2005 and his successful </span><span style="font-size: large;">venture into the business world.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AllanScottMee/" target="_blank">SCOTT MEEHAN</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I asked Scott to participate in a brief interview, which he was kind enough to do.</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Kenna: Hello. Please tell us something about yourself, where you’re based, and how you came to be a writer.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>Scott: Hi Kenna. Thank you for this opportunity. I currently teach Computer and Business classes as the Business Department Lead at City College in Altamonte Springs, Florida. I live in Orlando with my wife of 37 years and two Chinese foreign exchange high school students. My son, his wife and two daughters and my daughter, her husband, and two sons, all live nearby in the Orlando area. I retired from the Army in 2005 after twenty-five years and began writing soon after retirement, primarily to write my memoirs and talk about my Army experience.</b></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Kenna: What genre do you generally write and what have you had published to-date? What do you think of eBooks?</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Stone-Sling-Soldiers-Scott-Meehan-ebook/dp/B01MT2XG2Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1524977446&sr=1-1&keywords=scott+meehan+stone+in+a+sling" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKYcOidkdNhvnkNc-Gtf7YQQJnkf6L3buYKrCJyx6T6mCYbprpZZ_P2leYmdoWSSG7nnJbJlKDoNjTa4mR9Fan-RwbA6xcYJ0Y1KoFlk60k1CKnf4NnKn9u0PeD8RXrQpLiV4ZrS8Qii4/s320/51yGGqaqfeL.jpg" width="213" /></a><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>Scott: All of my background genre includes military--soldiers, war, their families, etc. I have written a military romance, suspense thriller, sci-fi time travel, and am currently working on a fantasy. To date, I have four books published with Creativia: STONE IN A SLING: A SOLDIER'S JOURNEY (memoirs); LOVE IN THE HOUSE OF WAR (the military romantic suspense); MILLENNIAL GIRL (Futuristic thriller); and DUTY RECALL (Time Travel). More readers purchase my eBooks than my hardcopy. Personally, I like to have a book in my hand. </b></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Kenna: Have you self-published? If so, what led to you going your own way?</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>Scott: Yes, everything was self-published before going to Creativia. Now, I only self-publish short stories or novellas. Independence allows a lot of flexibility...but can be more costly.</b></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Kenna: Do you have a favourite of your stories or characters? If any of your books were made into films, who would you have as the leading actor/s?</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Love-House-War-Scott-Meehan/dp/1976932661/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1524977503&sr=1-1&keywords=scott+meehan+love+in+the+house+of+war&dpID=51P7FdTVxpL&preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="324" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjThgn0_3BGR63TFpsh3gSTDiKOKj3lpmGaumikYPIrUY9mL6dq7_yK8IY0hkTAUrAE51bUsYQqtaf3V27g3PSr3PefM8MH7YjlCs8CrdVWX7CVgtOoUBtUNq69eo9QBPpKOGg4OjObL4I/s320/51P7FdTVxpL._SX322_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="207" /></a><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>Scott: My favorite story is LOVE IN THE HOUSE OF WAR. My favorite character is Asha Hawkins, who is eleven and twelve in part two of LOVE IN THE HOUSE OF WAR and then comes of age as a West Point Graduate and first woman Green Beret in MILLENNIAL GIRL. Gal Gadot would make a good Asha in MILLENNIAL GIRL and Lola Flanery would make a good 11-year-old Asha.</b></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Kenna: Which authors did you read when you were younger and did they shape you as a writer?</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>Scott: I read a lot of Alistair MacLean, Jack Higgins, and Ken Follet. Yes they did...for pure entertainment value with a good story.</b></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Kenna: Do you manage to write every day, and do you plot your stories or just get an idea and run with it?</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>Scott: No, I do not write every day and I'll get an idea to run with at some of the strangest times.</b></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Kenna: Do you do a lot of editing or research?</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>Scott: Both.</b></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Kenna: What point of view do you find most to your liking: first person or third person? Have you ever tried <span style="text-decoration-line: none;">second person</span>?</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>Scott: I prefer first person over third person. I seem to be more emotionally attached that way. I only wrote second person when doing research for my dissertation. My least favorite.</b></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Kenna: What’s your favourite / least favourite aspect of your writing life? Has anything surprised you?</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>Scott: Coming up with an actual story with character development is my favorite. Marketing is my least favorite.</b></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Kenna: If you could invite three people from any era to dinner, who would you choose and what would you cook (or hide the takeaway containers)?</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>Scott: Jesus Christ, George Washington, and Abraham Lincoln. I'd find out what they like and then have everything catered.</b></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Kenna: What are you working on at the moment / next?</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>Scott: I am working on two simultaneous projects. One involves previous characters from two of my books, MILLENNIAL GIRL and DUTY RECALL. Asha Hawkins will meet Major David Allan in another world..."The Quantum Zone," which is an unseen earth between heaven and hell. Both characters (from previous books) are in comas. The "Quantum Zone" may become a series...not sure yet. The title for this one will be THUNDERBIRD. </b></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Duty-Recall-Scott-Meehan/dp/1980658226/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1524977613&sr=1-3&keywords=scott+meehan&dpID=51P4IbKOIuL&preST=_SY344_BO1,204,203,200_QL70_&dpSrc=srch" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="216" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAjkO9ERWvZSalFkh6GvY8tZ4wnqXPOO5GyX0VyyQHKqRfJjksvlo422Kf9QUgczvEdnbA-Pvb9tj-vidIBFkV5lttuXVlS6zB5nuF2zt4aurRdh60x2J2rvCZJrFov6pjHUsftj_wYPI/s400/51d%252BmFMTK6L._SY346_.jpg" width="248" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Abu Rishah Tribe, trains them to fight Al Qaeda, and falls in love with the daughter of a Sheik.</span></b></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Kenna: Where can we find out about you and your writing?</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Scott: Here are some helpful links: </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.scottameehan.com/">https://www.scottameehan.com</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.ptsio.org/">https://www.PTSIO.org</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AllanScottMee/">https://www.facebook.com/AllanScottMee/</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B006E6H8YA">https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B006E6H8YA</a></b></span></span></div>
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<span class="gmail-x-el gmail-x-el-span gmail-px_-letter-spacing-normal gmail-px_-text-transform-none gmail-px_-fs-unset gmail-px_-ff-_Lato___arial__sans-serif gmail-px_-fw-700 gmail-x-d-ux" style="background-color: yellow; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: unset; font-weight: 700;">BOOK SIGNING</span></h2>
<span class="gmail-x-el gmail-x-el-span gmail-px_-letter-spacing-normal gmail-px_-text-transform-none gmail-px_-fs-unset gmail-px_-ff-_Lato___arial__sans-serif gmail-px_-fw-700 gmail-x-d-ux" style="background-color: yellow; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">MAY 18, 2018</span></i></span><br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: yellow;"><span class="gmail-x-el gmail-x-el-span gmail-px_-letter-spacing-normal gmail-px_-text-transform-none gmail-px_-fs-unset gmail-px_-ff-_Lato___arial__sans-serif gmail-px_-fw-700 gmail-x-d-ux" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: unset; font-weight: 700;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Book
signing event with Major (Ret.) Scott A. Meehan at the Orlando VA
Medical Center at Lake Nona, in the cafeteria on May 18, 2018.</span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></h3>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Scott: From LOVE IN THE HOUSE OF WAR:
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">The guard with the club lifted his brutal
instrument of pain to clobber Ron once again as his body jerked on the floor
like a marionette. </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"> Daoud
held his hand up. “That’s enough for now. You two leave.”</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"> They
looked down at Ron with glaring eyes and then over to the commander to make
sure that they heard correctly.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"> “Go.
I’ll call you back soon.”</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"> Ron
lay motionless. Sarah dropped down and stretched across his body sobbing.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"> “You
have killed my dream,” she managed through clenched teeth. Then, reaching for
the knife she had hidden beneath her cotton blouse, she grabbed it and charged
with a thrusting motion toward the Taliban commander. </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"> He saw
it coming and blocked her attempt, then wrestled the knife from her hand. After
throwing her back to the ground, he walked
toward her with a devious grin. Sarah jumped up to run past him, but he
grabbed a handful of her flowing hair and threw her back against the mud wall
as she squealed in pain.</span></b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "amazon ember" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Scott Scott A. Meehan is a recipient of the Bronze Star and numerous other medals from his twenty-five year service in the US Army. An award winning author and photographer, his writings include a non-fiction memoir, three short stories, and three novels and is currently writing his fourth novel. Meehan has been published twice in Time magazine, The Army Times, National Defense, and several other publications. He holds a bachelor’s degree in secondary education-social sciences, a master’s degree in computer resources and information management, and a MBA in business administration. In addition to being a career soldier, both enlisted and commissioned, Scott deployed to the Middle East four times and grew up traveling throughout Latin America as the son of a missionary. Currently, he teaches business and computer classes at City College in Altamonte Springs, Florida. Married for thirty-seven years to a girl he met in the Amazon jungles of Ecuador, he has two adult children, four grandchildren, and resides in Orlando, Florida.</span>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Millennial-Girl-Army-One-Book-ebook/dp/B01I7JXHJG/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1524977613&sr=1-7&keywords=scott+meehan" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="1321" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwgFqcCgCBkbq3adWCuwu9Vc79BgXXQXSoizvzHg-PdoxPT4s3n0i91azx525rJxMKMTy2B76zG2O7UuHulFoVm2M63HMtNj6GhFmNxYCzGAh4KmhyphenhyphenHmERWA2LIww1vM25wVf_85YJY64/s640/image.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kenna-McKinnon/e/B008M9WITM/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1524978895&sr=1-2-ent" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://www.sapphiredreams.org/blogger/kennasig.png" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";" /></a>A tip for Kenna's faithful readers -- her NEWEST book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Timothie-Cloak-Power-Kenna-McKinnon-ebook/dp/B079KDQZ2J/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8" target="_blank">Timothie Hill and the Cloak of Power</a>, will be available on Amazon US and UK for ONLY 99c MAY 30 - 31, 2018.</span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Timothie-Cloak-Power-Kenna-McKinnon-ebook/dp/B079KDQZ2J/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="533" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2xaiIpCGKilrUpiaajJgEL-_vFf1TGe8ejsoAaYS_Etd7PZ2i3aCuebyNDQN0YdD2wqx9HvvavLOPdk42cjd66pJoy5DeMVxvqL1O0m-Gdrt1HJdC3zhjbdRZxlEhArLt5H0DUoZB8BU/s640/GIF+Timothie.gif" width="426" /></a><span id="goog_2020472074"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_2020472075"></span></div>
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Kennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03222667027378438486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511345544082261095.post-36876022485120531022018-04-06T00:27:00.000-06:002018-04-14T04:14:51.349-06:00<meta name="p:domain_verify" content="5d77329be9b0a62f11b65d31664a5a69"/><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<img border="0" src="http://www.sapphiredreams.org/blogger/kennasig.png" />Just a tip for my faithful reader, SpaceHive will be available for 99 cents on the US and UK Amazon sites on April 18 - 19, 2018.<br />Watch for it then!</h2>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITItUlVhvpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="236" data-original-width="640" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioBhJbCLW4E8_lgkK_fP8xtse8PwtN7lCLgoyJu00yuV7mt8AKlCbBdTG0r_m2sNckr47enc9i0kgcBdPzDoyviznd2BETb50XHg_rmCn0nW2A-yC2JuYuLcpnhCimVWqGb-Qky67xd-Y/s640/1512367_629958740430102_4891555877001704918_n.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<a href="http://mybook.to/spacehive" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="354" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Juc-HcDSszOLeyV1m44a_0Wo250daKdu401bj0IINdD1M16OfdOiq9-KzPOfI9TvzdpkzzuCDVUFeI0gehAEfUxEmzclr1zBuJ-AUEz4SyY96fPHnlA1iMXlEgbdEr2n0C7nMr63B0M/s320/Kenna+Mckinnon+Space+Hive.gif" width="271" /></a><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">"Sometimes
humorous, sometimes terrifying, and always imaginative, this high-tech,
interplanetary tale will keep you buzzing through page after page. You will
never look at bees the same way!" -Val Muller, author of <i>Corgi
Capers: Deceit on Dorset Drive</i></span></h3>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></h3>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"SPACE HIVE is not only imaginative, but also extremely thought provoking. An absolute
credit to this first time author. Bravo!" - Philip Parry, published author
of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wishful Thinking</i>.</span></h3>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">GET IT NOW AND BEAT THE RUSH</span></h2>
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Kennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03222667027378438486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511345544082261095.post-42474351864507655972018-04-03T12:52:00.000-06:002018-04-06T00:16:52.015-06:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img border="0" src="http://www.sapphiredreams.org/blogger/kennasig.png" />I've been away for more time than is allowed on a blog that an author runs for fun and profit, but this week have been experimenting with gifs and videos I can make myself. I uploaded two to YouTube and will share them with you.<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEY46EPGHhw" target="_blank">Timothie Hill and the Cloak of Power</a><br />
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<a href="http://mybook.to/TimothieHill" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="533" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcqnWYa3b_ACmqffgJBmbKGc1VpuOMlPftb6co3zTQwTE95qyliB2MpCvwM_9c9qvyROCditBnZH8JoXGCB0jf83p9XBKTajez33Mq2VllU-XcriO2p4uoNTiyXxFxP__TDKP0KKnZhuw/s640/timothie-hill.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V5wawYarnk" target="_blank">Engaging the Dragon</a><br />
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<a href="http://mybook.to/Engaging" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="300" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvgGqqJ6LJ_Mq49ydpdM4GjtDmCVNnCx3mcnyTh84YS37sfu4lR6-LM8iFOd5K1OMe8VGYLj4LFR91O3DzUHHYcacp-yTv5ff34lKK9OFi3rX9cgNDJ5Ug-fy_CYbf9p2QkknMSNIUKRE/s640/19113354_1900613440219107_1770233688_n.gif" width="534" /></a></div>
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Kennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03222667027378438486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511345544082261095.post-64760046006913246732017-03-29T16:32:00.001-06:002018-04-03T12:41:37.850-06:00Interview with Author Mari Collier<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">It is my pleasure to welcome author Mari Collier to my blog today. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mari-Collier/e/B00BGTT09Q/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1490826588&sr=1-2-ent" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWIKmXe5FytfEPti-Vox1GTp-pWcnJaFW-NJva8oODSo5w63hYtrCBOPaRYz0h4NIJ1Y7M_nS_GpNYtnFq4Kw2lHh-lLJjLtS_s0hjsBxi64c84D3df_1NjmpLC-IALAj1WF-isxceogA/s640/156170_3419804411061_28859884_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Twisted-Tales-Skewed-Mind-Collier-ebook/dp/B01NBMAHZ6/ref=sr_1_14?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1490826534&sr=1-14&keywords=mari+collier" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgP90t6ZY5-AuDlXAxWSgK27KPPBW8OruV1NKZJYvLxM6VA4GIlz2vgjKfbQG5SF19fx0dGWSCheWk74C4xlRzX1LKbstMnkgUBeihoNpax-BrNcTgTAWqyAnxhyphenhyphenBU7mM96WmAZsjvBVU/s200/Cover-Twisted_Tales_from_a_Skewed_Mind.jpg" width="133" /></a><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 21.3333px;">We’ll start out with a few questions. If you choose not to answer any question, please feel free to skip it, and if there is anything that I’ve missed, you’re welcome to add a comment.</span>Let’s get started, Mari.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">1)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">It seems I’m
someone who grew up without the amenities of modern life and witnessed the
hard, everyday work of a farmwoman as though it were still in the early
1900’s. It really gave an appreciation
for the strength of the early immigrants and their ability to work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> As a child,
what did you want to do when you grew up? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I wanted to
become a Deaconess and serve in the overseas Lutheran Missouri Synod Mission
field. That meant I had to keep my
grades up to qualify for their Valparaiso University in northern Indiana. Unfortunately, allergies prevented me from
living in the Midwest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">When did you first start writing? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I was
in the sixth grade and wrote a story about Lazarus, the Wandering Jew (heavens
only knows how I knew about that piece of folklore). The other two classmates (yes, a one room
country school) liked it so much </span><span style="font-size: 21.3333px;">they wanted a romance. I wrote it for them and thought it really insipid. I didn’t understand how they could like that. Then Mama put me in charge of writing the Douglas Township news for the Audubon Advocate. I decided I could write a Western set in the old West. Of course, it had to be Texas as that is where the Comanche were based. My second oldest brother thought it was hilarious that his baby sister would write a story and kill off all the characters.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Before-Leave-Chronicles-Maca-Book-ebook/dp/B0173UA72A/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1490826373&sr=1-4&keywords=mari+collier" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ9OMcGjcHtlRkYNNGcpCv9Vl12HxcKZ-FhVSsEY2FaRFz1NMHkb_N9_oInTwqymDjc7q_919FdapBPrzFU5ze2hOK4hAVnriOKo_fdcvCntsQSHmYLmEJUu0kSqSYMkSEBL_f0f4EJL0/s320/beforeweleave.png" width="271" /></a></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">4)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">That was after I
had children and began making up bedtime stories for them. I started writing them down, and then pulled
out the Western I had started so long ago.
I decided I needed more tutelage and took a mail order writing
course. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">5)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">How long does it take you to write a book? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">That depends on
which book. It took over fifty years to
write Gather The Children. Man, True Man
I must have written in about six months.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">6)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What is your work schedule like when you’re writing? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The same every
day except when I may have an appointment or visitors. I write from 2:30 p.m. until 3:55 p.m. Sometimes it does stretch out to a longer
time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">7)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What would you say is your most interesting writing
quirk?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I like to give short stories a twisted
ending. They aren’t necessarily happy
ever after.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">8)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Where do you get your information and/or ideas for
your books? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The ideas are
just there. The necessary technical
information is in my library or on the internet. The latter is such a time saver.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Twisted-Tales-Northwest-Mari-Collier-ebook/dp/B016989EG2/ref=sr_1_10?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1490826373&sr=1-10&keywords=mari+collier" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUe6wHnei7GmcISm98E3JW0ol5v8aHyXRy09JqwPkivJHhBUgfpWTg31pVXffpEYelVKndF0xikKYFvvjZuY0rDZC-rFhijDb5ZKUhD-xxlN6D01qNyJW6t0yRoJIcEi7TMR0m56FXpPo/s320/Twisted-Tales-From-The-Northwest-Amazon.jpg" width="200" /></a><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">9)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What do you like to do when you’re not writing? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I would love to
do more reading, but the writing interferes.
I like to work outside, take walks, and Nintendo forever ruined me. I like to play electronic games too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">10)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">What does your family think of your writing? </span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">My son couldn’t believe his Mother wrote those
books. My daughter likes one and some of
my short stories. My granddaughters are
really proud of her grandmother. My grandsons are perplexed. My nieces and great-nieces have been
enthusiastic in their support. My one
living brother says that I am one hell of a writer, and the one (now at home
with the Lord) complimented me for being the better writer. You see, they are a mixed lot.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">11)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What was one of the most surprising things you
learned in creating books? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">That I could see,
hear, and smell the characters.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">12)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> How many
books have you written? Which is your favorite? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I have written seven novels and four Twisted Tales
anthologies. I really cannot pick a
favorite. It is like asking a mother
which of her children is the favorite.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">13)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of
things do they say? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">It is more like
occasionally as far as direct communication goes. The reviews are one way of hearing your
readers. That means I take the good with
the bad. Fortunately, most are good
comments.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">14)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What do you think makes a good story? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimMsAmRR0RMPgA7Jj28HUfCCcjFOkPpCHTUXlvCwyW8bdeJ6qpmAVxC9nPewmMuqF_mugcHJVVsgQwAZQ3q-533VEnw6BNxIDU2wOVcZVjPcbGAu7vh4rvW9-IAHwhZ02c-LNBKeJZCUo/s320/earthbound2.png" width="271" /><span id="goog_1201663120"></span><span id="goog_1201663121"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Adventure, new or ancient worlds, love and hate, in
others words, the essential emotions and curiosity of humans or other beings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">15)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">How did you choose what genre to write in? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">It chose me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">16)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Do you ever experience writer’s block? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">No, I have not.
I have found that with other writers that sometimes they create their
own blocks. If something doesn’t go the
way they want, they put everything away.
If something doesn’t seem to go right, I just move onto another
project. I usually have three or four
others I can choose from.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">17)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Is there any particular author or book that
influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The Bible and
Luther’s Small Catechism. The other main
influence was the history books.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">18)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Can you tell us about your challenges in getting
your first book published? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 27.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Oh, please, that
was a nightmare as Kindle Publishing, Nook Publishing, and Create Space did not
exist then. I took my brother’s advice
and went with a vanity company. It was a
horrible decision. I am so thankful to
have the rights to that book back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">19)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What was your favorite chapter or part to write?
Why? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I cannot pick one chapter, but one of my
favorites is The Pastor Becomes The Shepherd in Before We Leave. One man makes a complete transformation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">20)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">How did you come up with the title? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Trial and error.
Sometimes the title was there just like the book. The vanity company insisted I change the
title of my first one. At least that
vanity company didn’t charge for the cover or the printing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16pt; text-indent: -0.5in;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">21)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">What has been the toughest criticism given to you as
an author? What has been the best compliment? </span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The one that had nothing to do with the novel. The best came from my granddaughter. This is it:
</span><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: #111111; font-size: 16.0pt;">My grandmother is the author.
But I'm not being biased when I say her books are amazing! I own 4.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Can you tell us about your upcoming book? </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBJ7JZZRUNWWk4vw7c2bV_l7xEPFSTmZC9A9NxG96Vhxqot533et8DXNmBaVQQxHkPwh8w4OhYiQ0em6uzguLfjQ6L1fAEUqYQNs5Szh2ZUB5MPdfj6wMRr8gU3gCBosufj_moiDdZMuY/s1600/MAN%25252c+TRUE+MAN+COMPLETE_TCC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBJ7JZZRUNWWk4vw7c2bV_l7xEPFSTmZC9A9NxG96Vhxqot533et8DXNmBaVQQxHkPwh8w4OhYiQ0em6uzguLfjQ6L1fAEUqYQNs5Szh2ZUB5MPdfj6wMRr8gU3gCBosufj_moiDdZMuY/s320/MAN%25252c+TRUE+MAN+COMPLETE_TCC.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The upcoming one will be The Silver and The
Green. It is a sequel to Man, True Man
and takes place on the planet Tonath.
Tonath has almost recovered from the Burning Days, but not completely.
One Seeker wants to restore the Star Path Institutes to their original teachings
and the other wants to find the ancient family land holdings. Then war erupts
between the battling governments and the different Star Path Institutes.
Ordinary people are caught between the different rulers and the different
religious proponents.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What projects are you working on now? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Twisted-Tales-Universe-Mari-Collier-ebook/dp/B00TRKFYOQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1490843552&sr=1-1&keywords=mari+collier+twisted+tales+from+the+universe" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwIP5QDSEwuDuVYk8COKKXXTej3ny0GSVIyAfQd8M0t8uL9rx7Lg-0hONPJtezGx3Q1K5wajGjxV8jdmN5lVE7DvzB5s_1tSKxjKbatcCTPWSX9bQr_kHQ8yj1iZ7oL4jGK3mw4wlVMLg/s400/twisted-tales-from-the-universe+%25281%2529.jpg" width="250" /></a><span style="font-size: 16pt; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">S</span><span style="font-size: 16pt; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">ee above.
I’m also trying to work on a short story, a new blog, and the next
sequel.</span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Will you have a new book coming out soon? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I’m hoping The Silver and The Green will be out
before this summer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">25)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What famous person, living or dead, would you like
to have lunch with? Why? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Martin Luther as
his summaries of scripture is so succinct.
Unfortunately, I do not speak or understand German.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What would you serve? </span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> Sausages and beer. </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">What else?
We’re German.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">27)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">If you had a magic wand to grant any wish, what
would that be? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Impossible
to say. I doubt if it would be anything
noble. I would think of my family before anyone else. People wish for peace, but that will never
happen in this sinful world. When lives
are too peaceful, people tend to read something with violence within the story
or watch a movie, YouTube episode, or television show that will have murder or
mayhem of some sort. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">28)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Is there anything more that you would like to say to
your readers and fans? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Thanks to all who
have read or purchased my stories. If
you haven’t seen or read any of my tales and would like a look or preview of them, click on the Amazon
Author Page below. A double thanks to
all who have not only read the tales, but left a review. Thanks for inviting
me, Kenna and much love and happiness to all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Earthbound-Science-Fiction-West-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00THSCXOC/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1490826255&sr=1-1&keywords=mari+collier" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv96JH7cVtWo2MuKTKeEjYAxiR5W1Fl5rTb6VOUkZpLdptqoFfryCD4XIzLPChD3hGABzCejZ7W6jNjFymsbkL4Ks180sxK44aRhPQLsB-x517Fe94TR5WrfynJvgxF4hXWAQYNrTQMWs/s320/earthbound2.png" width="271" /></a><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 21.3333px;">Thank you, Mari, it was a pleasure to interview you. All the best of luck on your upcoming novel, and warm wishes for a happy and profitable</span><span style="font-size: 21.3333px;"> </span>year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Links: Amazon
Author Page: </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mari-Collier/e/B00BGTT09Q"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">https://www.amazon.com/Mari-Collier/e/B00BGTT09Q</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Website: </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://maricollier.com/"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">http://maricollier.com/</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Facebook: </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Twisted-Tales-From-A-Skewed-Mind-124947397618599/"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">https://www.facebook.com/Twisted-Tales-From-A-Skewed-Mind-124947397618599/</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Twitter:
@child7mari<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Blog: </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4618494.Mari_Collier/blog"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4618494.Mari_Collier/blog</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Kennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03222667027378438486noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511345544082261095.post-12761190352315785062016-11-20T03:36:00.000-07:002016-11-20T03:36:10.859-07:00The Healing Properties of Love: A Review of "Flawed Perfection"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img border="0" src="http://www.sapphiredreams.org/blogger/kennasig.png" /><span style="font-size: large;">TODAY we think about romance once again, and the healing properties of love in the face of adversity or error. I gave my review 4 stars.</span><br />
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
FLAWED PERFECTION: </h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
A COLLECTION OF WINTER WISHES</h2>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;">An interesting anthology of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Flawed-Perfection-Collection-Winter-Wishes-ebook/dp/B01N8QWBUK/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1479637791&sr=1-2&keywords=flawed+perfection" target="_blank">romance novellas</a> just perfect for curling up with a cup of hot chocolate in front of a fireplace, and losing oneself in a universe where good things happen at the end to flawed women. There are six stories, and my favorite was saved till the last, "The Chase" by Marnie Cate, which ends with a romantic winter evening and snow falling on a bench, my favorite quote from Shakespeare, and emotional healing with love.<br />As someone who was brought up with innuendos in romance rather than graphic detail, some of the descriptions of sex seemed superfluous to me in a couple of the stories, which detracted rather than added to romance for this reader. This could be a selling feature for some readers, though, and I understand that romance novels are a distraction from the mundane, a "feel good" experience for those seeking escapism, and in this case, a vindication of hope in the form of romantic love. These tales sprang from a desire on the part of the authors to celebrate a woman's strength in the face of adversity or error, and the healing properties of love. I think the placement of the stories in "Flawed Perfection" was well thought out. </span></blockquote>
<div>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Flawed-Perfection-Collection-Winter-Wishes-ebook/dp/B01N8QWBUK/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1479637791&sr=1-2&keywords=flawed+perfection" target="_blank"><img alt="Flawed Perfection: A Collection of Winter Wishes by [Ouvrard, Jude, Beaudelaire, Simone, Northup, Julie, Morgan, Savannah, Dawn, Taylor, Cate, Marnie]" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/518uULTLnEL.jpg" /></a></div>
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Kennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03222667027378438486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511345544082261095.post-17751758242513163662016-11-13T05:39:00.000-07:002016-11-13T05:40:16.156-07:00A Warm and Fuzzy Christmas Story -- A Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">A Millionaire's Christmas</span> <i style="font-size: x-large;">by Brian Porter</i></h2>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: red;">My 5 star review</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;">Christmas being less than two months away, and the unfortunate results of an unprecedentedly vicious US election behind us, I yearned for a cozy, warm and fuzzy story that would personify the meaning of love and charity at this holy season, and leave me with a feeling of peace on Earth.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">I was not disappointed. <a href="http://getbook.at/MilionaireChristmas" target="_blank">This very short book by Brian Porter </a>is Biblical in some of its references and a miracle that took place between a dying man and a dying small boy, and what might be called synchronicity rather than coincidence. There is no coincidence in miracles nor in Porter's mind, I'm sure. </span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">A great hunger exists in the world today for beauty, love, charity, truth, and peace. Who can be blamed for wanting to stop the world and get off the merry-go-round, at times? This book is just the right length for reading in ten minutes or less. Porter has presented a Dickens-like heart for the suffering in the world and the futility of a life devoted exclusively to commerce. I loved the Greek names!</span></blockquote>
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<img border="0" src="http://www.sapphiredreams.org/blogger/kennasig.png" /><a href="http://getbook.at/MilionaireChristmas" target="_blank"><img src="https://scontent-yyz1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/15036536_1784557378480490_4975583902196897560_n.jpg?oh=b874d33ce6715842187fc752886a3aad&oe=58918B8E" /></a></div>
Kennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03222667027378438486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511345544082261095.post-52446880098298980782016-11-10T04:31:00.000-07:002016-11-10T04:35:02.519-07:00LEST WE FORGET - A REVIEW <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img border="0" src="http://www.sapphiredreams.org/blogger/kennasig.png" /><span style="font-size: large;">I just reviewed a book of war poetry by <a href="http://viewbook.at/lestweforget" target="_blank">Brian Porter, British author</a>. It's a gritty and realistic portrayal of war from a British viewpoint. Porter doesn't sugarcoat war nor does he glorify it. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;">5 STARS.</span> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://viewbook.at/lestweforget" target="_blank">LEST WE FORGET: AN ANTHOLOGY OF REMEMBRANCE</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">War poetry for the history afficionado told from a British point of view -- my favorite poems in this collection are Postcard from Stalingrad and Letter to a Loved One, both of which bring into the pale light of afteryears a woman's perspective. I know there were many brave women who joined each conflict, and were conscripted during WWII as WRNs and WAAF and so on in England, but they are not included in this gritty collection of war stories. I especially noted the inclusion of German young soldiers and airmen, who, like the Allieds, had no choice but to fight and perhaps die for their country's call. As someone whose father served in WW II and returned to Canada with PTSD or "shell shock" as it was called back then, I can appreciate the realism of the bloody mess that war is, and Porter has not tried to sugarcoat nor glorify war. It's a unique collection of snapshots of war that presents the reality and comradeship, necessity and ultimate futility of the battle. For American readers, the Vietnam War was a uniquely American conflict and not represented in this collection. The Royal Navy and RAF are heavily represented and bomb demolition experts, as well as, interestingly, one poem written from a Japanese point of view, a Kamikaze pilot who survived with lifelong guilt for surviving. The letters home are particularly well done, I thought. Something to remember on this evening of November 11, when some of us wear poppies and many still mourn for loved ones or comrades lost in yet another senseless war, as Porter points out, fought by young men and women and orchestrated like chess pieces by old generals. Some real gems in this collection -- which rhymes!</span></blockquote>
<a href="http://viewbook.at/lestweforget" target="_blank"><img alt="Lest We Forget: An Anthology Of Remembrance by [Porter, Brian L.]" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51AR%2BUSbfCL.jpg" /></a></div>
Kennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03222667027378438486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511345544082261095.post-21757875805438743942016-07-20T01:54:00.000-06:002016-07-20T01:54:05.373-06:00QUIRKY NEW MYSTERY, BLOOD SISTER, ON SALE THIS SATURDAY!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Let's follow Annie Hansen -- "I do like a strong female lead"...schizophrenic young woman private eye. </h2>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Sister-Hansen-Murder-Mystery-ebook/dp/B01H3UB45E/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1469000927&sr=1-1#nav-subnav" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHOVoVUeeF4mOX7QtrwNnmJS-xF0RNsa8Ydr6CURLVL_9d8r6QcW0wgDl-KhdKlHHNtWgCDuZPY2SoXrR00sPr3QHJVlsdK8zYcKus4B7XjKho9qVXZufiE5xw51WLNSbNjvBALaDKjCg/s320/23%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Sister-Hansen-Murder-Mystery-ebook/dp/B01H3UB45E/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1469000927&sr=1-1#nav-subnav" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6JmBQODYFClgPLv30K-Num6INgHVVgyznPVXkIrC4HOhIy7rSMGNMEtwcaDJ_AmJR32r4YZ8-fNKg6gsyzOEcphW2mPAYiqIX8PYmJ7LlKleWMLrbsPnw2YG0WE6SzTwXD8YjuLRZVug/s640/Blood-Sister.jpg" width="400" /></a></h2>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">On Sale for 99 cents</span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">This coming Saturday</span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">July 23 - 29, 2016</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Four **** Review from top Amazon reviewer Gisela Hausmann! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">"When two well known residents of Serendipity, a doctor known to drug addicts and the mayor get killed Annie is being put on the case. Both murders are grisly, actually in a way disgusting. Was the killer a whacko drug addict or did the killer try to blame a whacko drug addict? Even more complicated… Were both victims killed by the same killer? (Sorry, I do not post spoilers.) And, is it a coincidence that all of this happens, right before the elections (for mayor)?</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Annie will make a transformation when she meets handsome detective Mark. Will they solve the murder (oh, wait… Is Annie a suspect too?)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgd9VgaOr5s8f0WpOBLBBrSxlI9zKP2cYguZlNG3KGf6FoOyb4wo7AkF6Rkv7uKr2ySJJcXq-zgD0QGuj_-HwYIGWqiuNKu7sykRqqBONrAoiDbS32KOhmj5lgRMFjIbx1vqExknMGr71mUJLJDoyQpiFY=" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.sapphiredreams.org/blogger/kennasig.png" /></a></h2>
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<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sapphiredreams.org%2Fblogger%2Fkennasig.png&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgd9VgaOr5s8f0WpOBLBBrSxlI9zKP2cYguZlNG3KGf6FoOyb4wo7AkF6Rkv7uKr2ySJJcXq-zgD0QGuj_-HwYIGWqiuNKu7sykRqqBONrAoiDbS32KOhmj5lgRMFjIbx1vqExknMGr71mUJLJDoyQpiFY=" -->Kennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03222667027378438486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511345544082261095.post-74198123191389679102016-06-18T00:44:00.002-06:002016-06-18T00:44:23.242-06:00Laura Secord's famous trek through history, retold<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img border="0" src="http://www.sapphiredreams.org/blogger/kennasig.png" /><span style="font-size: large;">A little story for my Canadian readers. You all know the story of Laura Secord, who drove her cow through 20 miles of forest to warn the British of an American invasion during the 1812 war with the US. You also know of our famous Laura Secord chocolates based in Ontario, named after the heroine. This is a little tongue in cheek story of Laura's walk to fame, based on the real story but of course, embellished.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: large;">You Won a Milk Chocolate Gold Cigar<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: large;">by Kenna Mary McKinnon<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: large;">The white house at the bottom of the green hill
was more than twenty miles from the British forces at Beaver Hills. There in
the white house, a young woman, Laura
Secord, and her wounded soldier husband, James, billeted American troops. It
was June 21, 1813, the British forces unaware of a fiendish attack planned by
the chocolate eating Americans in Laura Secord's home. James lay helpless with
bullet wounds in his leg and shoulder, hardly able to lift a hand to pop a
miniature mint into his mouth. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: large;">"Good men," Laura said to their
slobbering guests, "I must go out and find Bossy Cow to have milk for the
liqueur tomorrow. Otherwise no Bossy no Candy."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: large;">"You nefarious Loyalist," a
captain said, "we won't need your box of miniatures tomorrow, nor a bag of
your perfect sized bars…"<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: large;">"… all made from premium
chocolate." She concluded his sentence with pride. "Why not, may I
ask, good Captain, do you not require my premium chocolate, or perhaps a box of
premium teas?"<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: large;">"Tea!" the Americans roared.
"Remember the Boston Tea Party!"<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: large;">"Oops," Laura said. "Sorry, fellows."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: large;">"This <i>is</i> Canada," James said gently, raising himself onto his good
arm and reaching for a mug of French & Frosted Mint hot chocolate.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: large;">The American soldiers began to murmur
amongst themselves. Laura could hear "surprise attack" and "June
23" and "Beaver Dams". She knew the British commander,
Lieutenant James FitzGibbon, would be caught unaware if the Americans attacked
his post, as her husband had informed her that their encampment, reached only through
a trail of barbed wire, land mines, and cow dung, was not prepared for an
invasion. James had recently come back from Queenston Heights himself, where he
had been sorely wounded and now could scarcely lift a Milk Chocolate Crispy
Chip to his mouth.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: large;">So it was that the next morning, brave
Laura beat Bossy Cow with a stick ahead of her on the treacherous twenty mile
journey alone to Beaver Dams, to warn the British Lieutenant FitzGibbon and his
Loyalist troops of their danger.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: large;">She was successful.
The Americans were beaten back, and upper Canada held. No acknowledgment was
given to the slender, brown-eyed woman who so courageously trod the slippery
path of loyalty to the Crown and warned the British and their Mohawk allies of
an impending invasion. James later succumbed to an acute case of diarrhea, and
Laura died impoverished and unrecognized at the age of ninety-three, other than
having a number of schools, statues, a granite monument, a circulation stamp, a
chocolate factory, a deluge of articles, entries, and plays, and a coin named
after her. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: large;"> Of course, that was after her death.
Small help it was to her then.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-indent: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: white; font-size: large;">Brought to you by <i>Blood Sister</i>, a quirky and courageous mystery starring a schizophrenic young woman private eye and her two friends, formerly published under the title <i>Red Herrings. </i></span></span></blockquote>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Sister-Kenna-McKinnon-ebook/dp/B01H3UB45E/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1466232082&sr=1-1&keywords=blood+sister+kenna+mckinnon" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9a1K7pHz2u0wBpLtWd3gJ0WIdWFwFDu8BZVMosBfMs53U7DxNT5sFyX4jECpCXDX_twRMSkHflW9cBwL-Iaa73mfroZRNNFUxS1ukfo7wgIXb72YO1Jch0mg27w4PonI1j62mWQTxG9Y/s640/Blood-Sister-Amazon.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Add caption<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Kennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03222667027378438486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511345544082261095.post-74803935233582117402016-06-10T00:10:00.001-06:002016-06-10T00:20:08.166-06:00SHORT CIRCUIT sale over and BLOOD SISTER coming up next!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;">Thank you to all who helped bring <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Short-Circuit-Other-Geek-Stories-ebook/dp/B01EDXT9ZG/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1462535971&sr=1-1&keywords=short+circuit+kenna+mckinnon" target="_blank">Short Circuit and Other Geek Stories</a> down to within 20,000 on Amazon, which is better than a million where it had sat for several months. I have my new publisher, Creativia, to praise and also my own efforts. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Also the very good stories in the book, which may appeal to those younger people who love SF and fantasy, robots, and all good things my son liked so much growing up.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">It's still 99 cents (pence) on Kindle but the sale will be gone soon.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Short-Circuit-Other-Geek-Stories-ebook/dp/B01EDXT9ZG/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1462535971&sr=1-1&keywords=short+circuit+kenna+mckinnon" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfLjBoVDMeHujsrWL2MczyzuQibXPKo9rWf7EEF9KPvh4ssoXyy1Z2J9-1EHaKF-ArobG7BvchDC17ou6mPkNwJ_eAvkGlD2roiqPS-glY-Q7mEIqWW1pcGnylK5d2gQRe-he4Vr0ElIY/s400/abstract-universe-background_f1VnvZqO_L+%25282%2529.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">If any of my readers remembers Red Herrings, it will be in it second printing with Creativia soon under the new name, "Blood Sister". </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">We're working on a new book cover. Will keep you appraised of Creativia's decision. Their book covers rock! Can hardly wait to see what they come up with. I've given them some input and some graphics for the creative process.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Do you have any suggestions for a new book cover for a macabre double murder solved by a young schizophrenic female private eye?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">It takes place on an island off the coast of Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> Look for more on this later.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://www.sapphiredreams.org/blogger/kennasig.png" /></span></div>
Kennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03222667027378438486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511345544082261095.post-22711323446985921522016-06-04T01:56:00.000-06:002016-06-04T02:21:16.188-06:00SALE 99 CENTS ON AMAZON AND BARNES & NOBLE WORLDWIDE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Short-Circuit-Other-Geek-Stories-ebook/dp/B01EDXT9ZG/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1462535971&sr=1-1&keywords=short+circuit+kenna+mckinnon" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjedFjFXZbQql_X2gYx1IVD0N6TP5-EmJOb19Gg7bKjAZbnNrUWc2Qrrdsdc1LXXlYZeYjmG9GHceC3iJDjAoE8qThyphenhyphenSfsd7226FSxAYFTbvFMiCiUWI_MhoSjCADK7Rd4lM5yZenPmrFg/s640/SC+graphic+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Short-Circuit-Other-Geek-Stories-ebook/dp/B01EDXT9ZG/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1462535971&sr=1-1&keywords=short+circuit+kenna+mckinnon" target="_blank">JUNE 3 - 9 NINETY-NINE CENTS</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="line-height: 150%;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/UK%20READERS!%20@KennaMcKinnon%20%20Short%20Circuit%20and%20Other%20Geek%20Stories%20ON%20SALE%20NOW%20UNTIL%20THURSDAY!%20http://ow.ly/FEuc300UCct%20#sale #BOOKGEEKS" target="_blank">UK READERS GET IT HERE!</a></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 150%;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 150%;">A collection of
twenty-nine literary, fantasy, and science fiction short stories written by
Canadian author Kenna Mary McKinnon in memory and honor of her son, Steven
Wild, who died in September 2012 of cancer at the age of forty-four. Steve
loved 'hard' science fiction such as that written by William Gibson and Greg
Bear, as well as the classic authors including Robert Heinlein and Isaac
Asimov. We cannot hope to compare, but present these little stories with love
and remembrance, and a nod to Steve's heroes.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span lang="EN-US">The stories range
from <i>The Sea and His Guitar</i> to <i>Music of the Spheres</i> and are a poignant
reminder of the ephemeral nature of life and death. Sandwiched between these
two works are twenty-seven vignettes culled from Kenna's imagination and life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span lang="EN-US">Predominant in
this collection are the themes of music and love, both reminders of the legacy
left by a remarkable man. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span lang="EN-US">Presented with
love and remembrance in memory of Steve Wild.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span lang="EN-US"><img border="0" src="http://www.sapphiredreams.org/blogger/kennasig.png" style="line-height: normal;" /><span style="font-size: x-large;">99 cents until Thursday</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: x-large;">SALE</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: x-large;">SALE</span></span></div>
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Kennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03222667027378438486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511345544082261095.post-50734867486986520152016-05-30T20:15:00.000-06:002016-05-30T20:25:06.683-06:00The true meaning of Memorial Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="tr_bq">
<img border="0" src="http://www.sapphiredreams.org/blogger/kennasig.png" /><span style="font-size: large;">The true meaning of memorial day is much more than barbecues, a day at the beach, and movies. <a href="http://www.timeforkids.com/news/meaning-memorial-day/40391" target="_blank">Time for Kids</a> explains:</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "nimbus sans l" , sans-serif; line-height: 15px;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<blockquote style="font-family: arial, helvetica, 'nimbus sans l', sans-serif; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="color: white; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "nimbus sans l" , sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">Technically, summer doesn't start until June 20. But many people consider Memorial Day to be the unofficial start of the season. This year, we celebrate the holiday on May 30. Many families will heat up the grill, head to the beach or take in a big blockbuster movie. But Memorial Day has the word "memorial" in it for a reason.</span><span style="border-color: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-style: initial;"><img alt="Soldier Donnie Terrell, a member of the U.S. Army, carries his daughter Hailey during a parade at MacDill Air Force Base, in Tampa, Florida. " src="http://www.timeforkids.com/files/media/130524_memorial_horiz.jpg" rel="EDMUND D. FOUNTAIN—TAMPA BAY TIMES/AP" style="border: 0px; float: right; height: 180px; vertical-align: middle; width: 240px;" /></span>EDMUND D. FOUNTAIN—TAMPA BAY TIMES/AP</span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: large;">Soldier Donnie Terrell, a member of the U.S. Army, carries his daughter Hailey during a parade at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida.</span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: large;">The holiday got started on May 30, 1868, when Union General John A. Logan declared the day an occasion to decorate the graves of Civil War soldiers. Twenty years later, the name was changed to Memorial Day. On May 11, 1950, Congress passed a resolution requesting that the President issue a proclamation calling on Americans to observe each Memorial Day as a day of prayer for permanent peace and designating a period on that day when the people of the United States might unite in prayer. President Richard M. Nixon declared Memorial Day a federal holiday in 1971. Memorial Day is now observed on the last Monday of May. It is an occasion to honor the men and women who died in all wars.</span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: large;"><strong>Remembering Those Who Served</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: large;">It is customary to mark Memorial Day by visiting graveyards and war monuments. One of the biggest Memorial Day traditions is for the President or Vice President to give a speech and lay a wreath on soldiers' graves in the largest national cemetery, Arlington National Cemetery, in Virginia. Most towns have local Memorial Day celebrations. Here are some ways you can honor the men and women who serve our country:</span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: large;">- Put flags or flowers on the graves of men and women who served in wars.</span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: large;">- Fly the U.S. flag at half-staff until noon.</span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: large;">- Visit monuments dedicated to soldiers, sailors and marines.</span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: large;">- Participate in a National Moment of Remembrance at 3 p.m. local time.</span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: large;">- March in a parade.</span></blockquote>
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Kennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03222667027378438486noreply@blogger.com0