tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89889503856865298002024-03-21T18:44:29.586-07:00K.K.Weil On...K.K. Weilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02039806682436891121noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988950385686529800.post-66459285003217993292017-12-05T19:31:00.001-08:002017-12-05T19:31:06.808-08:00Holiday Blog Tour<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As I did last year, I’m taking part in a fun and unique holiday
blog tour, in which all of the authors have been replaced by elves. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Come take a look…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Hello</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> there! Elf Krafty Kelly here. It’s
that time of year again…time for holidays, egg nog and one of my favorites,
creative crafts. Each year, my mini-elf (aka my daughter), Ella Elfy and I make
a different creation to share with our family during our holiday celebrations.
This year, we’ve chosen a lovely window treatment. Here’s what you do:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">First, get a
dozen shatterproof Christmas ball ornaments. We used 2 colors, but you can use
whatever colors strike your fancy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Second, cut
thin ribbon (we used one with snowmen and one with penguins) into twelve strips
of different lengths of your window. Some should be short and some long so that
when you hang them from your window, they will be staggered.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Third,
thread one end of the ribbon through the hole in the ornament and tie a knot.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Next, tie
the other end of the ribbon to a curtain rod. Your ornaments will hang in a row
in all different lengths in front of the window.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Finally,
wrap garland around the curtain rod so you can’t see the ribbon ties.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Enjoy your
beautifully decorated window.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What are some of your favorite holiday crafts? Comment below for a chance to win a copy of my holiday novella, <i>Better to Give</i>.</span></div>
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Here's a full list of the authors taking part in this tour. Stop by their blogs for more fun and chances to win:</div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.22em;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://transcanadaromancewriters.blogspot.ca/2017/11/highway-cafe-christmas-tour-2017.html&source=gmail&ust=1512617383638000&usg=AFQjCNEKhv30FiS-7M6lfaMWcUIHwKIl_A" href="https://transcanadaromancewriters.blogspot.ca/2017/11/highway-cafe-christmas-tour-2017.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; line-height: 1.22em;" target="_blank">https://<wbr style="line-height: 1.22em;"></wbr>transcanadaromancewriters.<wbr style="line-height: 1.22em;"></wbr>blogspot.ca/2017/11/highway-<wbr style="line-height: 1.22em;"></wbr>cafe-christmas-tour-2017.html</a></span></div>
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<b style="line-height: 1.22em;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.22em;">December 4</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.22em;">Holland Rae - <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://hollandrae.com/&source=gmail&ust=1512617383638000&usg=AFQjCNEFqLL7m8a5RZ4yT1OaPPlxsb2pXw" href="https://hollandrae.com/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; line-height: 1.22em;" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 1.22em;">https://hollandrae.com/</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.22em;">Susanne Matthews - <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://mhsusannematthews.wordpress.com/&source=gmail&ust=1512617383638000&usg=AFQjCNHrRv5N8-GD9tZ1UlA1XaF7PcoIVQ" href="https://mhsusannematthews.wordpress.com/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; line-height: 1.22em;" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 1.22em;">https://mhsusannematthews.<wbr style="line-height: 1.22em;"></wbr>wordpress.com/</span></a></span></div>
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<span lang="FR-CA" style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.22em;">Sorchia DuBois - </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.22em;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.sorchiadubois.com/&source=gmail&ust=1512617383638000&usg=AFQjCNFlw9qigLs_A7sgK-Ld8d4FQv4I6w" href="http://www.sorchiadubois.com/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; line-height: 1.22em;" target="_blank"><span lang="FR-CA" style="color: black; line-height: 1.22em;">www.sorchiadubois.com</span></a></span><span lang="FR-CA" style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.22em;"></span></div>
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<span lang="FR-CA" style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.22em;">Mariah Lynne -</span></div>
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<b style="line-height: 1.22em;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.22em;">December 5</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.22em;">Tena Stetler - <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.tenastetler.com/category/my-say-what-blog/&source=gmail&ust=1512617383638000&usg=AFQjCNELw_Mo3YJjr5lPUdXA8UEKNacZWA" href="http://www.tenastetler.com/category/my-say-what-blog/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; line-height: 1.22em;" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 1.22em;">http://www.tenastetler.com/<wbr style="line-height: 1.22em;"></wbr>category/my-say-what-blog/</span></a></span><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.22em;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.22em;">Maureen Bonatch - </span><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.22em;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.maureenbonatch.com/blog/&source=gmail&ust=1512617383638000&usg=AFQjCNHBTalWbAgEubTc7X26YH8M9McL8A" href="http://www.maureenbonatch.com/blog/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; line-height: 1.22em;" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 1.22em;">http://www.maureenbonatch.com/<wbr style="line-height: 1.22em;"></wbr>blog/</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.22em;">Peggy Jaeger - <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://peggyjaeger.com/&source=gmail&ust=1512617383638000&usg=AFQjCNHqAPQQ_LdtpQg2te4BpHmDLEbH_Q" href="https://peggyjaeger.com/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; line-height: 1.22em;" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 1.22em;">https://peggyjaeger.com/</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.22em;">Barbara Burke - <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fbarbaraburkeauthor.wordpress.com%252F%26h%3DATMlpZPp3xBdM5qfsoOOS7fKNAUeog0R2g5VNXMUFfW0OaZBaWcnI_e65PyqG2W_2hsHlG6OjTmSih6v8PLlQYlDSyhr4S_AmXS10VreAxh5sOCj6M_SpdduUZZ-QBXkye-dyv7L&source=gmail&ust=1512617383638000&usg=AFQjCNFr6LPXHhH3SBIsDivdhPf4OBDy7A" href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fbarbaraburkeauthor.wordpress.com%2F&h=ATMlpZPp3xBdM5qfsoOOS7fKNAUeog0R2g5VNXMUFfW0OaZBaWcnI_e65PyqG2W_2hsHlG6OjTmSih6v8PLlQYlDSyhr4S_AmXS10VreAxh5sOCj6M_SpdduUZZ-QBXkye-dyv7L" rel="nofollow" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; line-height: 1.22em;" target="_blank"><span style="background: rgb(246, 247, 249); color: windowtext; line-height: 1.22em;">https://barbaraburkeauthor.<wbr style="line-height: 1.22em;"></wbr>wordpress.com/</span></a></span></div>
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<b style="line-height: 1.22em;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.22em;"><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1895247199" style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204); line-height: 1.22em; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="line-height: 1.22em; position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">December 6</span></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.22em;">Kelly Kalmanson – http://</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.22em;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://kkweil.blogspot.com/&source=gmail&ust=1512617383638000&usg=AFQjCNF-h2iTxxDg8teb0Er1slivotvTxw" href="http://kkweil.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; line-height: 1.22em;" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 1.22em;">kkweil.blogspot.com</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.22em;">M.S. Spencer - </span><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.22em;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://msspencertalespinner.blogspot.com/&source=gmail&ust=1512617383638000&usg=AFQjCNHmMhknMPhkbolrMjmedv22gK3k9A" href="http://msspencertalespinner.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; line-height: 1.22em;" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 1.22em;">http://msspencertalespinner.<wbr style="line-height: 1.22em;"></wbr>blogspot.com</span></a></span><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.22em;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.22em;">Hywela Lyn - <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.hywelalyn.blogspot.com/&source=gmail&ust=1512617383638000&usg=AFQjCNFjlURvOGI94UNOsDUY2hkZWh40NQ" href="http://www.hywelalyn.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; line-height: 1.22em;" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 1.22em;">www.hywelalyn.blogspot.com</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.22em;">Reggi Allder – <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Freggiallder.blogspot.com%252F%26h%3DATNebl4BicoCQjQBAHzcJtUis1DnlUDaqaOoss3HepzzVx-cZwNlGBfRGOYBKbJcqY722HYH8shqynufSDoOUHS_LASHVXt_H7G_Xl6yIUmoZ04U6l4mgHb7p9nMDHKUGWANhmqS&source=gmail&ust=1512617383638000&usg=AFQjCNGBt7ru98Ot8HXnYjFXDJR8q1gvaA" href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Freggiallder.blogspot.com%2F&h=ATNebl4BicoCQjQBAHzcJtUis1DnlUDaqaOoss3HepzzVx-cZwNlGBfRGOYBKbJcqY722HYH8shqynufSDoOUHS_LASHVXt_H7G_Xl6yIUmoZ04U6l4mgHb7p9nMDHKUGWANhmqS" rel="nofollow" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; line-height: 1.22em;" target="_blank"><span style="background: rgb(246, 247, 249); color: windowtext; line-height: 1.22em;">https://reggiallder.blogspot.<wbr style="line-height: 1.22em;"></wbr>com/</span></a></span></div>
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<b style="line-height: 1.22em;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.22em;"><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1895247200" style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204); line-height: 1.22em; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="line-height: 1.22em; position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">December 7</span></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.22em;">Denyse Bridger - </span><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.22em;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.fantasypages.ca/&source=gmail&ust=1512617383638000&usg=AFQjCNHrc2aWNYwtKJ7mgbKq-5ek4kY5bw" href="http://www.fantasypages.ca/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; line-height: 1.22em;" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 1.22em;">http://www.fantasypages.ca</span></a></span><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.22em;"></span></div>
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<span lang="FR-CA" style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.22em;">Clair de Lune - </span><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.22em;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fclairdelunebooks.co.uk%252F%26h%3DATPzDaRG2a8G-iENzEHe1qSMbgxE8QKTnBGUFtUBz2357DZTpZkn7wplQ2jMLHzaUM29hUKhs7FwrNQXQaBE-Z1qxmMbkjiGOoGexbx1OJgxdWLgO3O4pCGqW5JtQYGT3S4RfyPh&source=gmail&ust=1512617383638000&usg=AFQjCNExLMliltfScVQ3OKq76yFdiChTaw" href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fclairdelunebooks.co.uk%2F&h=ATPzDaRG2a8G-iENzEHe1qSMbgxE8QKTnBGUFtUBz2357DZTpZkn7wplQ2jMLHzaUM29hUKhs7FwrNQXQaBE-Z1qxmMbkjiGOoGexbx1OJgxdWLgO3O4pCGqW5JtQYGT3S4RfyPh" rel="nofollow" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; line-height: 1.22em;" target="_blank"><span lang="FR-CA" style="background: rgb(246, 247, 249); color: windowtext; line-height: 1.22em;">https://clairdelunebooks.co.<wbr style="line-height: 1.22em;"></wbr>uk/</span></a></span><span lang="FR-CA" style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.22em;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.22em;">Karen Blake-Hall - </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.22em;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fkaydenclaremont.wordpress.com%252F%26h%3DATMTlhuHspIlk-D-6Ux_cY-FBweY5TwHBxaW8ns3BHxVtkm6Fi_axLPW2bdgfr5LCjeGKXGCJ6X_RUcTv2yy_XJDnf5QqN_q8ZkUD6elZCJeWFbt8z2sobVga78ZT_XUzGCukGWG&source=gmail&ust=1512617383639000&usg=AFQjCNGZrlAnA94uhxK7n6eLS75mFcl4jQ" href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fkaydenclaremont.wordpress.com%2F&h=ATMTlhuHspIlk-D-6Ux_cY-FBweY5TwHBxaW8ns3BHxVtkm6Fi_axLPW2bdgfr5LCjeGKXGCJ6X_RUcTv2yy_XJDnf5QqN_q8ZkUD6elZCJeWFbt8z2sobVga78ZT_XUzGCukGWG" rel="nofollow" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; line-height: 1.22em;" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; line-height: 1.22em;">https://kaydenclaremont.<wbr style="line-height: 1.22em;"></wbr>wordpress.com/</span></a> </span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.22em;">Casi McLean - <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fcasimclean.com%252Fa-christmas-to-remember%252F%26h%3DATOc5NFYrM260yFNg2AjXsVof4hqKLH5ix0DMZIbsFZ5IFNuy1EtjOxHREUgfHbu8dPTPhgZvQH2ypqXgl2hN1JqzTCxRlIeu8YSqSGS_ewekYxOJuYFWtc8mco5N6DVKKTZZO9c&source=gmail&ust=1512617383639000&usg=AFQjCNEuBgfev635xcchZZCA2dtuwxoZgQ" href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fcasimclean.com%2Fa-christmas-to-remember%2F&h=ATOc5NFYrM260yFNg2AjXsVof4hqKLH5ix0DMZIbsFZ5IFNuy1EtjOxHREUgfHbu8dPTPhgZvQH2ypqXgl2hN1JqzTCxRlIeu8YSqSGS_ewekYxOJuYFWtc8mco5N6DVKKTZZO9c" rel="nofollow" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; line-height: 1.22em;" target="_blank"><span style="background: rgb(246, 247, 249); color: windowtext; line-height: 1.22em;">http://casimclean.com/a-<wbr style="line-height: 1.22em;"></wbr>christmas-to-remember/</span></a></span></div>
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<b style="line-height: 1.22em;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.22em;"><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1895247201" style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204); line-height: 1.22em; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="line-height: 1.22em; position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">December 8</span></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="FR-CA" style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.22em;">Darlene Fredette - </span><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.22em;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://findingthewritewords.blogspot.com/&source=gmail&ust=1512617383639000&usg=AFQjCNHHO51GPZxqWMAoPd4ekaTQCrT2vw" href="http://findingthewritewords.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; line-height: 1.22em;" target="_blank"><span lang="FR-CA" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 1.22em;">http://findingthewritewords.<wbr style="line-height: 1.22em;"></wbr>blogspot.com</span></a></span><span lang="FR-CA" style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.22em;"></span></div>
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<span lang="FR-CA" style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.22em;">Daryl Devore - </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.22em;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fdaryldevore.blogspot.ca%252F%26h%3DATM6tZrEjVRkJChyid1dJDoK_uZzJrXZiI7eSNJFC98ORBfuLjVrP1Y9YIEXNOhSCoFdo4iEXKvSBFyu716_HDTX1Sb5o5ih5u15I-Ec28R49yr1jLizB5cFnpTq-W6emnrddfOL&source=gmail&ust=1512617383639000&usg=AFQjCNF3K6TX_B6rR5Ju_t7F9wOsMwhYng" href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fdaryldevore.blogspot.ca%2F&h=ATM6tZrEjVRkJChyid1dJDoK_uZzJrXZiI7eSNJFC98ORBfuLjVrP1Y9YIEXNOhSCoFdo4iEXKvSBFyu716_HDTX1Sb5o5ih5u15I-Ec28R49yr1jLizB5cFnpTq-W6emnrddfOL" rel="nofollow" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; line-height: 1.22em;" target="_blank"><span lang="FR-CA" style="color: black; line-height: 1.22em;">http://daryldevore.blogspot.ca</span></a></span><span lang="FR-CA" style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.22em;"></span></div>
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<span lang="FR-CA" style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.22em;">Gini Rifkin - </span><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.22em;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://ginirifkin.blogspot.com/&source=gmail&ust=1512617383639000&usg=AFQjCNG6Kd4KA1znx2vol_W8Sm_6dEDJVw" href="http://ginirifkin.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; line-height: 1.22em;" target="_blank"><span lang="FR-CA" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 1.22em;">http://ginirifkin.blogspot.com</span></a></span><span lang="FR-CA" style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.22em;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.22em;">Linda Carroll-Bradd - <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://blog.lindacarroll-bradd.com/&source=gmail&ust=1512617383639000&usg=AFQjCNEWZwQ_mgLSXx2L4Gvk9AzrbpA8uQ" href="http://blog.lindacarroll-bradd.com/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; line-height: 1.22em;" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 1.22em;">http://blog.lindacarroll-<wbr style="line-height: 1.22em;"></wbr>bradd.com</span></a></span></div>
K.K. Weilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02039806682436891121noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988950385686529800.post-71672006632131250512017-07-14T06:13:00.001-07:002017-07-14T06:18:06.981-07:00Novel Concepts<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I’ll be honest. Writing blogs about my own thoughts
isn’t my favorite part of being an author. Of course, every job has parts we
don’t love, and we strive to do our best at them anyway. But for months, I
wondered how I could make blogging more exciting for me. Primarily, I wondered
how I could make it truly interactive.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Then, a few months ago, after lots of ideas that went
nowhere and long periods of not blogging at all, because I was trying to create
something that suited me better, I came up with an idea that I’m thrilled to
share today.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s called Novel Concepts. Eight other wonderful
authors and I have teamed up for this new, interactive blog. Our tag line…<i>where you’re heard until the final word</i>…says
just what it’s about. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Here’s how it works:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Novel Concepts is a tag-team, short story blog. Each
Monday, one of us will post a portion of a short story. At the end of our
segment, we will offer 2 options for what could happen next (a Choose Your Own
Adventure type thing). Readers post their choices in the comments section. The
majority will rule and the next writer will continue the story based on our
readers’ opinions. So to everyone who ever hated what a character did, who
yelled at their books or their Kindles, wondering how an author could subject a
character to such foolish actions, here’s your chance. YOU get to decide where
the story goes. Every single week. Right up until the last segment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We launch this Monday, July 17<sup>th</sup>! The first
segment of our pilot story will be posted in the morning and you can have a say
in what happens from the start. Right now, there’s nothing on the main page but
a “Coming soon” message, but if you go to the site today, <a href="http://novelconcepts1.blogspot.com/p/what-is-novel-concepts.html">http://novelconcepts1.blogspot.com/p/what-is-novel-concepts.html</a>,
you can follow the blog so you’ll never miss a post. And while you’re waiting,
you can go to the “About Us” page to check out all the authors participating in
this crazy endeavor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We can’t wait to hear your opinions. The fate of our
characters is in your hands!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
K.K. Weilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02039806682436891121noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988950385686529800.post-58964766679423480062017-04-24T04:15:00.000-07:002017-04-24T04:19:56.665-07:00Spring Fling<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYxYlxbMqg6VScJphOCeEvBsXaFpBYh_ydgR6BjPGLYMlk2QdgTCPtMIRoSpEIFo3NtJtg5zOMWb9dZkyXalw7rYBVfxWhV3_M3uMYzCka4msNMGW05mT733TaV3ehotId25gL1xB7Q-A/s1600/HighwayCafe-2017SpringTour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYxYlxbMqg6VScJphOCeEvBsXaFpBYh_ydgR6BjPGLYMlk2QdgTCPtMIRoSpEIFo3NtJtg5zOMWb9dZkyXalw7rYBVfxWhV3_M3uMYzCka4msNMGW05mT733TaV3ehotId25gL1xB7Q-A/s320/HighwayCafe-2017SpringTour.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I’m so excited to be participating in The Highway
Café’s Spring ‘Tastic blog tour, where so many talented authors are sharing
their ideas about this time of year. Brainstorming for this tour actually
inspired my last blog post, as we threw around the idea of <i>new beginnings</i> at that time, and I figured that would be a great
lead in to this post.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So here is my take on spring. Check out the other
posts for this tour with the link below. </span><span style="font-family: "wingdings"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">J</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My daughter was going through her closet this morning
and found her karaoke machine tucked neatly in the corner. When she asked me
why it was in there, instead of in its usual place – sitting untouched in my
family room – I explained that it hadn’t been used in a while and though she
could use it whenever she wanted, it had to find a home. She was less than
thrilled, but I was happy to have one less thing to dust.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I’m not sure what it is about this time of year that
always makes me want to throw things away. During the colder months, I’m happy
to hibernate. A few extra toys or books around don’t bother me. But as soon as
the sun starts to shine into my windows and I can turn my heat off, it’s like a
switch flicks inside of me and I want to toss away everything that does not
have an immediate use. Cabinets get emptied, closets get purged of unworn
clothing, and toys that haven’t been played with in a long time magically
disappear.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I don’t think I’m alone in this. It’s an inspiring
time of year, at least here in the northeast where people start emerging from
their houses, enjoying the weather as they go to playgrounds and ball games.
They chatter as if they haven’t seen each other in years. Maybe they’re happy
because they’re doing the same thing I am. Throwing away the old to make room
for the new. Leaving the winter doldrums behind and welcoming the spring
flowers (and showers, as we’ve had many so far). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s not just physical stuff, either. In spring, I’m
more motivated. I want to clear the cobwebs in my head, not just my closets,
and accomplish things I’ve been putting off. Fling the old ideas out the
window, get rid of the things holding me back, and move on. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I’ve got a few new plans on the horizon. Doing a mental
spring cleaning will free up lots of time to help make these plans successful.
And who knows what wonderful thing will fill the space where there was once a
dusty karaoke machine?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Do you ever do a mental spring cleaning…or a physical
one? What kinds of things do you toss away? What do you make room for?</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Somewhere on my website, <a href="http://www.kkweil.com/">www.kkweil.com</a> I’ve hidden an egg. If you find it, leave a comment here letting me know and
then go to The Highway Café’s site at <a href="http://transcanadaromancewriters.blogspot.ca/2017/04/spring-tastic-tour.html"><b>http://transcanadaromancewriters.blogspot.ca/2017/04/spring-tastic-tour.html</b> </a>and leave a comment there, saying where you
found it, for a <b>CHANCE TO WIN A “BASKET OF BOOKS”</b>. Don’t forget to check out
the posts by the other wonderful authors on the Highway Café’s Spring ‘Tastic
Tour as well and enter for more chances to win!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
K.K. Weilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02039806682436891121noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988950385686529800.post-63087776250415984632017-04-19T05:31:00.000-07:002017-04-19T05:31:54.965-07:00New Beginnings<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There’s a tree in my front yard that sits bare for the
entire winter. When the weather starts to get warm, it blooms. First, with
small white flowers and then, about a week later, they turn the most lovely
pink. Though spring officially began weeks ago, it’s the blooming of that tree
that means it’s really here to me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We look for a lot of moments throughout the year to
start over. January first screams resolutions, a birthday means starting a personal
new year and spring breathes life into so many things in nature. When I noticed
my tree this morning, I thought of just that – a new beginning. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Each day, I bounce back and forth between enjoying my
writing and my other job, teaching. But for over a year now, I’ve been remiss
in doing this, keeping up with my blog, sharing my thoughts. I’ve been toying
with the idea of revamping my blog to make it more interactive with readers and
writers. Because of this (or maybe because I’m using it as an excuse), I’ve neglected
to keep up with writing regular posts. I told myself I’d begin again when the
New Year came, but that didn’t happen. Then I set another date that was
meaningful to me, but I didn’t do it then, either. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I think it’s human nature to do that. Put something
off because the timing isn’t perfect, or it’s not exactly what we want to it
be. I’ve done that more times that I could possibly count. What I realized
today is that it doesn’t need to be some special date, and all the stars don’t
have to align. I just have to do it. Sit down, even if it’s not ready, even if
my interactive blog idea isn’t flushed out yet, and write a post.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So here I am. Ready for my new beginning. Or my
re-beginning. Hopefully, like my tree outside, it will bloom into something
lovely.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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K.K. Weilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02039806682436891121noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988950385686529800.post-37614073575658415472017-01-23T04:25:00.001-08:002017-01-23T04:25:29.182-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Check out this awesome novel by fellow author Lori Sizemore...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJCcH9Uw80r52XZkQzD4a1d1THbsMbuqe1cKsEM2a7KJuVStRxRq7DQTC7UoMp7VNkN2zl-LUYEDI-sDr57ehCrUnk4isoZoOlXUZJLtw9bW7Ay6nAMD6vaU-EFk581EzzMWTY0QKux2o/s1600/Infamous_w10541_750.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJCcH9Uw80r52XZkQzD4a1d1THbsMbuqe1cKsEM2a7KJuVStRxRq7DQTC7UoMp7VNkN2zl-LUYEDI-sDr57ehCrUnk4isoZoOlXUZJLtw9bW7Ay6nAMD6vaU-EFk581EzzMWTY0QKux2o/s320/Infamous_w10541_750.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<h2>
Blurb</h2>
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<o:p></o:p></h2>
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Justine Montgomery, daughter of a divorced beauty queen and
TV magnate, is a tabloid disaster after her infamous sex tape. She’s so
desperate to help save her family’s home she turns to her deal-making dad. Can
she prove to him she’s cut out for a career in television or will she lose it
all?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sawyer has his own past and a successful career is his only
goal. Seeing Justine fail would mean the promotion of a lifetime, but things
get complicated when he develops feelings for her. Suddenly, the lines between
work, life, sex, and love are blurry.<o:p></o:p></div>
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They will have to overcome the bitterness of a rejected ex,
the controlling actions of her father, and the half-truths they’re telling one
another to forge a lasting partnership both on the job and off the clock.<o:p></o:p></div>
<h2>
Buy Links<o:p></o:p></h2>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Infamous-Lori-Sizemore-ebook/dp/B01MDMLPGC/" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/infamous-lori-sizemore/1124933782?ean=2940156932610" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/infamous/id1164135877?mt=11" target="_blank">iBooks</a> | <a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/infamous-18" target="_blank">Kobo</a><br />
<a href="https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-infamous-2158678-149.html" target="_blank">All Romance</a> | <a href="http://www.bookstrand.com/infamous-1" target="_blank">BookStrand</a> | <a href="http://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-titles/4729-infamous.html">The
Wild Rose Press</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmn5ew8vgpgOuNWu-UYvHlLevUqh0hSCglXNX7kJyLr-r4Zv-lnOXtjBoxKz3nC1WNspk9U6IJUpk2xUkQycOTokZlxvQgdIcR5Wd9sprNFRKQpmCi0gXS_pjBTrthz_50RWY5HFe1q0k/s1600/Lori+Sizemore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmn5ew8vgpgOuNWu-UYvHlLevUqh0hSCglXNX7kJyLr-r4Zv-lnOXtjBoxKz3nC1WNspk9U6IJUpk2xUkQycOTokZlxvQgdIcR5Wd9sprNFRKQpmCi0gXS_pjBTrthz_50RWY5HFe1q0k/s320/Lori+Sizemore.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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K.K. Weilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02039806682436891121noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988950385686529800.post-28082499823576597622016-12-09T12:19:00.002-08:002016-12-09T12:19:42.801-08:00Check out this<span style="background-color: white;"> new release from the talented Tena Stetler, available today, just in time for the holidays.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg29t3AFDOABWVSXi3KDSgBIl6taMzHfWZQbODers0z02CS4s2-pANtXbEcf7eYzhQHtP1ye4xBRqUetd5Xyf6TKRsKiInkeNgBkmJXlRdpF81ClKVdwgFueyHpIP3qISewRf93NmBnk-I/s1600/AWitchsHolidayWedding_w11070_750.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; color: #888888; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg29t3AFDOABWVSXi3KDSgBIl6taMzHfWZQbODers0z02CS4s2-pANtXbEcf7eYzhQHtP1ye4xBRqUetd5Xyf6TKRsKiInkeNgBkmJXlRdpF81ClKVdwgFueyHpIP3qISewRf93NmBnk-I/s320/AWitchsHolidayWedding_w11070_750.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="213" /></a></div>
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<o:p><b style="background-color: white;">A Witch's Holiday Wedding by Tena Stetler</b></o:p></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><o:p> </o:p><b style="text-indent: 0.3in;">Blurb:</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Elemental witch, Pepper McKay and former Navy SEAL, Lathen Quartz have built Lobster Cove Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center on enchanted McKay land. During a romantic interlude on Halloween night, Pepper happily agrees to become Lathen’s wife. What better day than Winter Solstice for their wedding in a town that loves celebrations and Christmas. However, planning a wedding and operating their wildlife center takes a toll on both Pepper and Lathen. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"> When the couple takes a much-needed break for Thanksgiving with family in Colorado, a Maine snowstorm fills the center with injured wildlife. Lathen finds himself drawn into a covert military mission, while trying to deal with issues concerning friends and family. Pepper wants to cancel the wedding. Is she having second thoughts? Will the nosy McKay ghosts, Lathen’s werewolf pack, Pepper’s parents, and her best friend help or hinder the wedding and holiday plans?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="background-color: white; text-indent: 0.3in;"> Excerpt:</b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">A strong arm whipped around her waist, the air whooshed out as she squealed. Pepper balled up her gloved fist as a large warm hand wrapped around her wrist. "I've seen you defend yourself. Not going to chance it." A deep voice chuckled behind her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">"Lathen -- I'm going to..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">He spun her around and covered her cold lips with his warm ones. Werewolves run several degrees warmer than most of the population, one of the many things she loved about him. She relaxed into him, their parkas making a wisping sound as the material rubbed against each other. "That's better," he murmured against her lips. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">All at once the lights in the town square blinked on. Low positioned red and green laser light decorations sparkled over the snow-covered ground and onto the gazebo complementing the white lights. From the other direction, a blue laser sprinkled tiny snowflakes across the building. Evening fell quickly in December. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">"This is absolutely beautiful," She breathed against his chilled cheek and whirled out of his hold taking in all the lighted decorations not visible earlier. Then she pointed toward the bulletin board. "I've been reading the town's holiday events, Lobster Cove really embraces Christmas." <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">"Told you." Lathen said smugly. "Even some of the boats docked in the harbor are decked out with colored lights."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Buy Links:</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Amazon: <a href="https://amzn.com/B01MA1GYIB" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">https://amzn.com/B01MA1GYIB</span></a><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #111111;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Amazon UK: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01MA1GYIB" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01MA1GYIB</span></a><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #111111;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #111111;">Amazon AU : </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01MA1GYIB" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01MA1GYIB</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Amazon Canada : <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01MA1GYIB" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01MA1GYIB</span></a><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #111111; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Kobo <a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/a-witch-s-holiday-wedding" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/a-witch-s-holiday-wedding</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">All Romance: <a href="https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-awitchsholidaywedding-2150509-149.html" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-awitchsholidaywedding-2150509-149.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">The Wild Rose Press: <a href="http://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/search?controller=search&orderby=position&orderway=desc&search_query=A+Witch%27s+Holiday+Wedding&submit_search" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">http://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/search?controller=search&orderby=position&orderway=desc&search_query=A+Witch%27s+Holiday+Wedding&submit_search</a>=<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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K.K. Weilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02039806682436891121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988950385686529800.post-43224257471668612862016-12-04T17:41:00.000-08:002016-12-04T17:45:50.888-08:00Christmas Blog Tour<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I’m taking part in a
fun and unique holiday blog tour, in which all of the authors have been
replaced by elves. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "wingdings"; font-size: 12.0pt;">J</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Come take a look…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Hi, I’m am elf named
Krafty Kelly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">At the North Pole, I am a gift wrapper. I love
my job because I get to be creative and decorative all day long. But beware,
because my crafty nature isn’t limited to wrapping…you might find some tricky
surprises in those bows and ribbons. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">While working, I like
listening to fun, upbeat holiday songs, like Sleigh Ride and I Saw Mommy
Kissing Santa Claus.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">My favorite holiday drink
is eggnog with Irish cream. When I put some marshmallows on top, it becomes a
snack, too. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "wingdings"; font-size: 12.0pt;">J</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I’m a Secret Santa for
</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Frangelica Tinselbaubles. F</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">or Christmas, I’m giving her a sweet bar,
filled with nuts, melted chocolate, cookies crumbles, caramel and jam, to top
her delicious shortbread cookies.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Here’s a special
holiday craft: </span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Homemade wreaths</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">If you buy a Christmas
tree that has some sagging branches that need to be cut off, put the branches
to good use.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Bend a wire hanger
into a circle. Overlap branches in a circle and attach to the wire hanger, and
to each other, with a hot glue gun. Secure to hanger by tying twine around the
branches and hanger in several spots. Cover the twine with tinsel or ribbon so
it doesn’t show. Hot glue any other decorations you want, and you have your own
lovely wreath. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH9ykv2iOsf0G0YGblva_j3Qqtzpevn5riZCW2bQM3j5F7jle6hLw7_wy7DifcsUHIuBXZsK4Np4ob_QC98czP6kZwVHkzFruaHRSA8laRtDqfeOnpy44zohmc635WuuzdTnplMULsWVU/s1600/BettertoGive_w10932_300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH9ykv2iOsf0G0YGblva_j3Qqtzpevn5riZCW2bQM3j5F7jle6hLw7_wy7DifcsUHIuBXZsK4Np4ob_QC98czP6kZwVHkzFruaHRSA8laRtDqfeOnpy44zohmc635WuuzdTnplMULsWVU/s1600/BettertoGive_w10932_300.jpg" /></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">An act of
charity brings them together, but can they be as generous to each other?</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="color: #222222;">For most people, the
holidays are a time of warmth, happiness and celebration. But to Jenna Samuels,
they mean only one thing. Mounting debt. A single mother, Jenna struggles to
make ends meet and to her, it’s a season of excess and distress.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="color: #222222;">James Garrison is in
over his head, too. His ex-wife said he wasn’t equipped to take care of his
twins, and now that he’s got joint custody, he fears she was right. They’re
wild, spoiled, and always fighting. When they knock Jenna’s daughter into the
“Gifting Tree,”—a part of their town’s charity collection—the parents are
immediately attracted to each other. But James has had his fill of cold women
and Jenna won’t make the mistake of falling for another man who disappears when
life gets too heavy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="color: #222222;">As their paths cross,
James and Jenna must decide whether first impressions are accurate, or if
sometimes, people are not what you assume at all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="color: #222222;">Amazon – </span><a href="http://amzn.com/B01M16JTPS">http://Amzn.com/B01M16JTPS</a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="color: #222222;">Check out the rest of
our Elf tour at these blogs:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Darlene Fredette -<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.findingthewritewords.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://www.findingthewritewords.blogspot.com/</a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="m-8682540243206725117gmail-msosubtleemphasis">Tena Stetler -</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tenastetler.com%2Fmy-blog%2F&h=lAQEEyPI-" target="_blank">http://www.tenastetler.com/my-blog/</a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="m-8682540243206725117gmail-msosubtleemphasis">Barbara Burke -</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fbarbaraburkeauthor.wordpress.com%2F&h=JAQFzbsAu" target="_blank">https://barbaraburkeauthor.wordpress.com/</a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="m-8682540243206725117gmail-msosubtleemphasis">Stacy Holmes -</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.writerknapsack.com/" target="_blank">www.writerknapsack.com</a><span class="m-8682540243206725117gmail-msosubtleemphasis"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="m-8682540243206725117gmail-msosubtleemphasis">M.S. Spencer -</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://msspencertalespinner.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://msspencertalespinner.blogspot.com/</a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="m-8682540243206725117gmail-msosubtleemphasis">Maureen Bonatch -</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.maureenbonatch.com/blog/" target="_blank">http://www.maureenbonatch.com/blog/</a> <span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="FR-CA">Nancy
Fraser -<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">: </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://nancyfraser.ca/wordpress/holiday-blog-hop/&source=gmail&ust=1480988209904000&usg=AFQjCNFdGl8TiDeWxTjzyV1BOAvAD98Yuw" href="http://nancyfraser.ca/wordpress/holiday-blog-hop/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">http://nancyfraser.ca/wor<wbr></wbr>dpress/holiday-blog-hop/</span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="FR-CA">Sorchia
Dubois -<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="http://www.sorchiadubois.com/" target="_blank"><span lang="FR-CA">http://www.sorchiadubois.com/</span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="m-8682540243206725117gmail-msosubtleemphasis">Carol Henry -</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.carolhenry.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc;">http://www.carolhenry.org/</span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="m-8682540243206725117gmail-msosubtleemphasis">Denyse Bridger -</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fantasypages.ca%2F&h=vAQGWkSFp" target="_blank">http://www.fantasypages.ca</a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="m-8682540243206725117gmail-msosubtleemphasis"><span lang="FR-CA">Hywela Lyn -</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="FR-CA"> </span></span><a href="http://www.hywelalyn.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span lang="FR-CA">www.hywelalyn.blogspot.com</span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="m-8682540243206725117gmail-yiv9954875045msonormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span class="m-8682540243206725117gmail-msosubtleemphasis"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">Casi McLean - </span></span><a href="http://casimclean.com/casis-christmas-magical-mystery-tour/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">http://casimclean.com/casis-christmas-…cal-mystery-tour/</span></a><span style="background: #f1f1f1; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="FR-CA">Kayden
Claremont. -<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="m-8682540243206725117gmail-apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="https://kaydenclaremont.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><span lang="FR-CA" style="color: #1155cc; mso-ansi-language: FR-CA;">https://kaydenclaremont.wordpress.com/</span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="m-8682540243206725117gmail-msosubtleemphasis"><span lang="FR-CA">Mariah Lynne -</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="FR-CA"> </span></span><a href="http://mariahlynneauthor.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span lang="FR-CA">http://mariahlynneauthor.blogspot.com/</span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="FR-CA">Clair
de Lune -<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="http://www.clairdelunebooks.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span lang="FR-CA">http://www.clairdelunebooks.co.uk/</span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="m-8682540243206725117gmail-msosubtleemphasis">Linda Carroll-Bradd -</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://blog.lindacarroll-bradd.com/" target="_blank">http://blog.lindacarroll-bradd.com</a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="m-8682540243206725117gmail-msosubtleemphasis">(participating on</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="aqj">Dec 16</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="m-8682540243206725117gmail-msosubtleemphasis">only)</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
K.K. Weilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02039806682436891121noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988950385686529800.post-82155521278138167092016-11-14T15:09:00.001-08:002016-11-14T17:32:13.318-08:00Christmas ReadsStarting to get into the holiday spirit? Looking for a story or two to warm you up? Me, too! Here are some wonderful Christmas books written by fellow authors with my publisher, The Wild Rose Press. Two of them are available for preorder now, and one is already out for your immediate reading pleasure. Happy reading!<br />
<br />
Here's the first one:<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg29t3AFDOABWVSXi3KDSgBIl6taMzHfWZQbODers0z02CS4s2-pANtXbEcf7eYzhQHtP1ye4xBRqUetd5Xyf6TKRsKiInkeNgBkmJXlRdpF81ClKVdwgFueyHpIP3qISewRf93NmBnk-I/s1600/AWitchsHolidayWedding_w11070_750.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg29t3AFDOABWVSXi3KDSgBIl6taMzHfWZQbODers0z02CS4s2-pANtXbEcf7eYzhQHtP1ye4xBRqUetd5Xyf6TKRsKiInkeNgBkmJXlRdpF81ClKVdwgFueyHpIP3qISewRf93NmBnk-I/s320/AWitchsHolidayWedding_w11070_750.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .3in;">
<o:p><b>A Witch's Holiday Wedding by Tena Stetler</b></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .3in;">
<o:p> </o:p><b style="text-indent: 0.3in;">Blurb:</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Elemental
witch, Pepper McKay and former Navy SEAL, Lathen Quartz have built Lobster Cove
Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center on enchanted McKay land. During a
romantic interlude on Halloween night, Pepper happily agrees to become Lathen’s
wife. What better day than Winter Solstice for their wedding in a town that
loves celebrations and Christmas. However, planning a wedding and operating
their wildlife center takes a toll on both Pepper and Lathen. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When
the couple takes a much-needed break for Thanksgiving with family in Colorado,
a Maine snowstorm fills the center with injured wildlife. Lathen finds himself
drawn into a covert military mission, while trying to deal with issues
concerning friends and family. Pepper wants to cancel the wedding. Is she
having second thoughts? Will the nosy McKay ghosts, Lathen’s werewolf pack,
Pepper’s parents, and her best friend help or hinder the wedding and holiday
plans?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="text-indent: 0.3in;"> Excerpt:</b></div>
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A strong arm whipped around her
waist, the air whooshed out as she squealed. Pepper balled up her gloved fist
as a large warm hand wrapped around her wrist. "I've seen you defend
yourself. Not going to chance it." A deep voice chuckled behind her.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
"Lathen -- I'm going
to..."<o:p></o:p></div>
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He spun her around and covered
her cold lips with his warm ones. Werewolves run several degrees warmer than
most of the population, one of the many things she loved about him. She relaxed
into him, their parkas making a wisping sound as the material rubbed against
each other. "That's better," he murmured against her lips. <o:p></o:p></div>
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All at once the lights in the
town square blinked on. Low positioned red and green laser light decorations
sparkled over the snow-covered ground and onto the gazebo complementing the
white lights. From the other direction, a blue laser sprinkled tiny snowflakes
across the building. Evening fell quickly in December. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
"This is absolutely
beautiful," She breathed against his chilled cheek and whirled out of his
hold taking in all the lighted decorations not visible earlier. Then she
pointed toward the bulletin board. "I've been reading the town's holiday
events, Lobster Cove really embraces Christmas." <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .3in;">
"Told you."
Lathen said smugly. "Even some of the boats docked in the harbor are
decked out with colored lights."<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Buy Links:</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Amazon: <a href="https://amzn.com/B01MA1GYIB"><span style="background: white;">https://amzn.com/B01MA1GYIB</span></a><span style="background: white; color: #111111;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Amazon UK: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01MA1GYIB"><span style="background: white;">https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01MA1GYIB</span></a><span style="background: white; color: #111111;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #111111;">Amazon AU : </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01MA1GYIB"><span style="background: white;">http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01MA1GYIB</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Amazon Canada : <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01MA1GYIB"><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01MA1GYIB</span></a><span style="background: white; color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Kobo <a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/a-witch-s-holiday-wedding">https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/a-witch-s-holiday-wedding</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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All Romance: <a href="https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-awitchsholidaywedding-2150509-149.html">https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-awitchsholidaywedding-2150509-149.html</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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The Wild Rose Press: <a href="http://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/search?controller=search&orderby=position&orderway=desc&search_query=A+Witch%27s+Holiday+Wedding&submit_search">http://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/search?controller=search&orderby=position&orderway=desc&search_query=A+Witch%27s+Holiday+Wedding&submit_search</a>=<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Barnes & Noble: Not available yet.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><u>About the Author:<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEP4qro0bQs9kbQakh4uye4nZAIM4qKL1SXV3wl2V8BtbPD5yhXknO9TLf6m7rezpqLPKKPu-hObsunEtNyyAirCh4jouDCnca6Mo4vLLZfl-6AWfpWDw-qhyuTRpPDNJDAOgAxT-Mhyphenhyphen8/s1600/Tena+Stetler+Author+Pic.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/AVvXsEjEP4qro0bQs9kbQakh4uye4nZAIM4qKL1SXV3wl2V8BtbPD5yhXknO9TLf6m7rezpqLPKKPu-hObsunEtNyyAirCh4jouDCnca6Mo4vLLZfl-6AWfpWDw-qhyuTRpPDNJDAOgAxT-Mhyphenhyphen8/s320/Tena+Stetler+Author+Pic.jpg" width="246" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
Tena Stetler
is a paranormal romance and cozy mystery author with an over-active
imagination. She wrote her first vampire
romance at the age of thirteen, to the
chagrin of her mother and the delight of her friends. Colorado is home; shared
with her husband, a brilliant Chow Chow, a spoiled parrot and a forty-year-old
box turtle. Any winter evening, you can
find her curled up in front of a crackling fire with a good book, a mug of hot
chocolate and a big bowl of popcorn. <span style="background: white; color: #1d2129;">Her books tell tales of magical kick-ass
women and mystical alpha males that dare to love them.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
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<b><u>Contact
Information:<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -32.55pt;">
Website: <a href="http://www.tenastetler.com/">http://www.tenastetler.com</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -32.55pt;">
Blog: <a href="http://www.tenastetler.com/my-blog">http://www.tenastetler.com/my-blog</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Facebook Page: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/tenastetler.author">www.facebook.com/tenastetler.author</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -32.55pt; tab-stops: 230.2pt;">
Twitter
Page: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/TenaStetler">www.twitter.com/TenaStetler</a><span class="MsoHyperlink"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink">Pinterest: </span><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/tenastetler">https://www.pinterest.com/tenastetler</a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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Here's the second one:</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><b>A Kiss Under the Christmas Lights by Peggy Jaeger</b></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Blurb:</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">With
Christmas just a few weeks away, Gia San Valentino, the baby in her large,
loud, and loving Italian family, yearns for a life and home of her own with a
husband and bambini she can love and spoil. The single scene doesn’t interest
her, and the men her well-meaning family introduce her to aren’t exactly the
happily-ever-after kind.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Tim
Santini believes he’s finally found the woman for him, but Gia will take some
convincing she’s that girl. A misunderstanding has her thinking he’s something
he’s not.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Can a
kiss stolen under the Christmas lights persuade her to spend the rest of her
life with him?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Excerpt:</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">After an
hour of helping people move supplies from cars, I passed by mama who was
carrying a humongous plastic swaddled baby Jesus statue for the crèche when she
called out, “The new guy is here.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> “Where?” I put down the ladder I’d
been carting and looked in the general direction of where she’d pointed her
chin since her arms were full of the Lord.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> I found him in an instant. It wasn’t
difficult because he was the only guy in the parking lot I didn’t recognize.
Plus, he was dressed head to toe in basic clergy black. Black long sleeved
shirt under a black vest over black trousers and standard issue shiny black
boring priest shoes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> His back was to me and he was
carrying a table, but after he put it down and turned around I got a good look
at the front of him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> And <i>Holy Mary, Mother of God,</i> what a front he had.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> Close cropped military style hair
the color of wind blown wheat topped a head which stood – truly – head and
shoulders above everyone else around. The guy had to be six-three at least.
Sharp, etched cheekbones God cut with a knife, sat under deep and dark oval
shaped eyes. His face was a composite of planes and angles, the carved cheeks
meeting up with a chiseled-from-stone chin. Hardened concrete looked softer
than this guy’s jawline. His nose was perfectly fixed in the center of his
face, the slight aquiline bend at the tip bringing to mind Michelangelo’s
David, the cupid’s bow under it well-defined and pronounced. Clean shaven, his
mouth was full and thick and - God help me – looked utterly kissable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> I could tell even with the chunky
vest covering his torso, he was closer to thin than stocky, but from the way
his biceps pulled against his sleeves, he had some muscle to him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> And some pair of legs. They went on
forever, from heaven to earth in a full, hard line.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> I don’t know how long I stood there
just gawking with my mouth open like an empty cannoli shell waiting to be
filled, but I’m being truthful when I say I couldn’t move. My feet were frozen
to the ground, my knees had locked, and my hips weren’t taking me anywhere
soon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> This was one beautiful man. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> The old masters would have used him
as a springboard for their work, and I could actually picture him in a
Botticelli fresco, garbed in Roman robes, lounging while naked, buxom-breasted
chubby women fed him grapes and sweetmeats.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> In the time it took for a
hummingbird to flap its wings once, I pictured myself as one of those women.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><b>BuyLinks:</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Amazon: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kiss-Under-Christmas-Lights-ebook/dp/B01LZ28ZTQ/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8">https://www.amazon.com/Kiss-Under-Christmas-Lights-ebook/dp/B01LZ28ZTQ/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Wild Rose
Press: <a href="http://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/paperback-books/4703-a-kiss-under-the-christmas-lights-paperback.html?search_query=a+kiss+under+the+christmas+lights+by+peggy+jaeger&results=2">http://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/paperback-books/4703-a-kiss-under-the-christmas-lights-paperback.html?search_query=a+kiss+under+the+christmas+lights+by+peggy+jaeger&results=2</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><b>About the Author:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifiE5QhBbNfnhQJvFkqWcfk3mD3M-8jyhWvx2Z5LtMp2Z73I5N44Bp-9bHi44KTZAWdEi42qr2u6vXQXEatWMVJRSQ1n4BJDqsRy2GyqwdYrk2MQlKcg2Mh9t-ZJW8bvxpRQiBCKI3HcA/s1600/peggyheadshot.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/AVvXsEifiE5QhBbNfnhQJvFkqWcfk3mD3M-8jyhWvx2Z5LtMp2Z73I5N44Bp-9bHi44KTZAWdEi42qr2u6vXQXEatWMVJRSQ1n4BJDqsRy2GyqwdYrk2MQlKcg2Mh9t-ZJW8bvxpRQiBCKI3HcA/s320/peggyheadshot.jpg" width="213" /></a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Peggy
Jaeger is a contemporary romance novelist who writes about strong women, the
families who support them, and the men who can’t live without them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Contact Information: </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Website/Blog:
peggyjaeger.com<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Amazon
Author Page: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00T8E5LN0">https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00T8E5LN0</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">FaceBook
Page: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Peggy-Jaeger-Author-825914814095072/?ref=bookmarks">https://www.facebook.com/Peggy-Jaeger-Author-825914814095072/?ref=bookmarks</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Goodreads:
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13478796.Peggy_Jaeger">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13478796.Peggy_Jaeger</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/peggy_jaeger">https://twitter.com/peggy_jaeger</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Pinterest:
https://www.pinterest.com/peggyjaeger/<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">And third but not least:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtY7sY4cqffyfiIa9hRkAS3DIy9S1X2PlBee3vYJV-PN0vxAhhK1k8QMBglOispdOhTk4vQ51t6RMNrwfp3nrOO2cTGPs5GqcYs3B6XQg1BPkr976fjyfkwaA5IEmEhGcmD-0FJpX_-7k/s1600/Match+Made+in+the+Highlands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtY7sY4cqffyfiIa9hRkAS3DIy9S1X2PlBee3vYJV-PN0vxAhhK1k8QMBglOispdOhTk4vQ51t6RMNrwfp3nrOO2cTGPs5GqcYs3B6XQg1BPkr976fjyfkwaA5IEmEhGcmD-0FJpX_-7k/s320/Match+Made+in+the+Highlands.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Match Made in the Highlands by Pam Binder</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div id="m_-7354048498757364420AOLMsgPart_1.2_6fe1a425-7ed0-47bf-9300-7609be0270b4" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Blurb</b>: </span></div>
<div id="m_-7354048498757364420AOLMsgPart_1.2_6fe1a425-7ed0-47bf-9300-7609be0270b4" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div id="m_-7354048498757364420AOLMsgPart_1.2_6fe1a425-7ed0-47bf-9300-7609be0270b4" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Logan Mackinnon, confirmed bachelor, has put his life on hold to help his father care for his mother and honor her dying wish to tour Stirling Castle. Sparks fly when Logan meets Irene Redmond on the tour, and they are both transported back in time to the thirteenth century. But their budding romance is tested when they learn the conditions needed for their return to the twenty-first century. The castle is enchanted and only a marriage between two people who truly love each other will break the spell.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Irene Redmond expected to unravel family secrets, instead she meets Logan Mackinnon, a man who awakens long-ago dreams of a happily-ever-after. But are their feelings strong enough to break the castle's enchantment?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: black;"><br /><b>Excerpt:</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Strong arms wrapped around her. "Don't worry," Logan said. "I've go you."</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> She clung to his neck as he gathered her closer. She could feel his heart beat against her chest, or was that hers? Random thoughts popped in and out. How had he reached her so fast? Did he think she was clumsy? Too heavy?</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Pathetic. He'd saved her, and all she could think about was her weight. Still...</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> She squirmed in his arms. "Thank you, but you can put me down."</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> "And blow my one chance to rescue a beautiful damsel in distress? Not a chance. Besides, we're almost there."</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Although the bagpipes were louder and she could hear the haunting notes of a flute, the mist was as dense as ever. "How can you tell?" She said.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> She felt a rumble of laughter rise in his chest. "It's a guess. I haven't a clue."</span></span></div>
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<div>
<b>Buy links:</b></div>
<br />
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica;">
Amazon:<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://%2520https://amzn.com/B01HC4OATS&source=gmail&ust=1479250135468000&usg=AFQjCNH9PMXIv024tetqG7dFfzFouROymQ" href="http://%20https//amzn.com/B01HC4OATS" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"> https://amzn.com/B01HC4OATS</a></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica;">
Wild Rose Press:<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://%2520http://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-titles/4459-match-made-in-the-highlands.html&source=gmail&ust=1479250135468000&usg=AFQjCNE3zW4zVRhkaz-6P9_JMNw3CU7oaQ" href="http://%20http//catalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-titles/4459-match-made-in-the-highlands.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"> http://catalog.<wbr></wbr>thewildrosepress.com/all-<wbr></wbr>titles/4459-match-made-in-the-<wbr></wbr>highlands.html</a></div>
</div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Bio:</b> </span></div>
<div id="m_-7354048498757364420AOLMsgPart_1.2_6fe1a425-7ed0-47bf-9300-7609be0270b4" style="background-color: white;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimK9JSJDWXtwyctw6VeV42qjqzlvPdqW1o96RaEOqatqAmq73jsfUx3MOFLO6lza9YlNQdHe4kmrIxuRUhycnSFTHwz7Pt8ynFRmKsfQ44gAwyntZ0tq4hvJCTiyWZffHehdqAveRmO8A/s1600/Pam+Binder.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/AVvXsEimK9JSJDWXtwyctw6VeV42qjqzlvPdqW1o96RaEOqatqAmq73jsfUx3MOFLO6lza9YlNQdHe4kmrIxuRUhycnSFTHwz7Pt8ynFRmKsfQ44gAwyntZ0tq4hvJCTiyWZffHehdqAveRmO8A/s320/Pam+Binder.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div id="m_-7354048498757364420AOLMsgPart_1.2_6fe1a425-7ed0-47bf-9300-7609be0270b4" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Pam Binder is an award-winning Amazon and New York Times bestselling author. Publishers Weekly has said: "Binder gracefully weaves elements of humor, magic and romantic testions into her novels." Drawn to Celtic legends and anything Irish or Scottish, Pam blends historical events, characters, and myths into everything she writes. Pam is also a conference speaker, writing instructor, and president of the Pacific Northwest Writers Association. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div id="m_-7354048498757364420AOLMsgPart_1.2_6fe1a425-7ed0-47bf-9300-7609be0270b4" style="background-color: white;">
<b>Contact Information:</b></div>
<div id="m_-7354048498757364420AOLMsgPart_1.2_6fe1a425-7ed0-47bf-9300-7609be0270b4" style="background-color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div id="m_-7354048498757364420AOLMsgPart_1.2_6fe1a425-7ed0-47bf-9300-7609be0270b4" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://pambinder.com&source=gmail&ust=1479250135468000&usg=AFQjCNHvDDBUO2myyxddbHmPubY8fy8iUQ" href="http://pambinder.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://pambinder.com</a></span></div>
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K.K. Weilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02039806682436891121noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988950385686529800.post-33746815028457696942016-11-01T09:23:00.001-07:002016-11-01T09:23:26.166-07:00Here's a character interview for my coming release, Better to Give. This was originally posted on Casi McLean's Halloween Hop, which you can find here: <a href="http://casimclean.com/aba-halloween-hop/" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: white; color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://casimclean.com/aba-halloween-hop/</a><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Thanks for coming today, Jenna. So, with
Halloween quickly approaching, can you tell us your favorite thing about the
holiday?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">To
be honest, I was never much into Halloween before. Sure, I always took my
daughter, Nora, trick or treating, but that was about it. This year will be the
first Halloween we’re spending with James and his children. They’ve invited us
to a big party, with pumpkin painting and a haunted corn maze. They’ve assured
me it won’t be too scary. Nora is still little, after all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Will you be dressing up?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">There’s
another first for me. I haven’t worn a costume since I was a kid myself. Not a
lot of time for playing dress-up when you have a child as young as I did. But
yes. James is insisting that we wear costumes to the party and I’m happy to do
something new.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">What are you going to be?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">We’re
going as scissors and a comb, in honor of the first time James made up an excuse
to come see me at the salon where I work. It’s a little silly, but I’m finding
I like that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I take it you’re not used to </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">silly<i> either?<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I’ve
taken life pretty seriously since I had Nora. Everything became about caring
for her and earning enough money to give her what she needs. When I met James,
my first instinct was to blow him off as a player looking for his latest
hook-up. I was wrong, though. He’s nothing like that. Being with James actually
reminds me of what it’s like to have fun. I can be responsible and a good
mother and still enjoy my life. There’s got to be a balance, you know? And I
think in finding the balance, it makes me better for Nora, too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">What one thing do you hope to remember
about Halloween this year?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">When
I look back, I’d like to remember this as the first Halloween where I found the
ghosts and goblins scarier than what life has in store for me. </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
K.K. Weilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02039806682436891121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988950385686529800.post-11161586386877707002015-10-13T08:03:00.007-07:002015-10-13T09:38:13.383-07:00Breathing In<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Even though I wish the weather could be 80 degrees and
sunny every single day, there are certain things about fall that make me warm
and fuzzy like no other time of year. For me, this season is all about the
scents. Sure, I love the mandatory autumn events, like apple and pumpkin
picking, hayrides and corn mazes. But after you pick that fruit, what do you
do? Come home and bake, of course. And that’s where the smells begin. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So there's the basic, delicious apple pie aroma
wafting through the house, and even the roasting of pumpkin seeds. As soon as
my kids get wind of those seeds they circle my kitchen like mini-vultures. But
that’s just the start of it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In the fall, I bust out two items that have been put
away for the summer. The first things I dust off are my candles. I absolutely
love to have candles burning in the house, but for whatever reason, I never
think to light them in the warm weather. As soon as the temperature begins to
drop, though, out they come. Earthy vanillas and cinnamons are my favorites.
When the windows are open and a breeze drifts through, I’m in my happy place. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The second is my slow-cooker. I never owned a
slow-cooker until a few years ago, but as soon as I did, it quickly claimed its
spot on my counter for the better part of the fall and winter. It’s not even
that I love the food prepared in it so much. Some of the meals are very tasty,
but it’s more the fact that I throw everything in it in the morning, and then
for the rest of the day, the flavors dance around the house. The cooker I have
gets plugged in, so I can leave with it on. There’s nothing like coming home
from being out for a few hours and smelling that when I walk through the door. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Even the air is different in the fall. It’s evening
right now, and I’m sitting by my open sliding doors. (It doesn’t hurt that
we’ve also had the most beautiful fall weather in years.) A breeze just came in
and I commented about how good it smelled. My husband immediately knew what I
meant. No one was barbecuing outside. No one’s fireplace was on. It was just
the clean, crisp autumn air. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I think for me, scent is the sense that evokes the
most memories. Sometimes, when I’m walking down the street, I’ll stop mid-step
because I get a hint of someone’s perfume or shampoo, and I have to take a
second to reflect. I might forget someone’s voice over time, and maybe I’ll
even lose some of her more subtle facial features. But if I pick up a person’s
distinctive scent, it doesn’t matter how much time has passed since I’ve seen
her, I’ll think of her. Even smells that wouldn’t necessarily be considered
pleasant, like roads being paved or paint drying, bring me back to fond
memories.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Interestingly, it’s also the sense that I most readily
overlook when I’m writing. Sight and sounds are easy. They come naturally. But
I find I really have to concentrate on adding in scents when I’m revising my
work. I’m not sure why, because they’re so powerful in my everyday life. And as
a reader, I’m easily drawn into a setting where smells are described. So from
now on, every so often as I write, I’m going to remind myself to close my eyes,
breathe in and just imagine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
K.K. Weilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02039806682436891121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988950385686529800.post-1416040844571968472015-09-10T07:50:00.000-07:002015-09-14T06:22:04.319-07:00The Worst Laid Plans<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I’m a planner. When I book a trip, I spend weeks looking
into all the attractions and plotting out our days. That’s a big part of the
fun for me, the planning and anticipation. But last week, when friends asked us
to go on a spur-of-the-moment getaway, there was no time for my usual extensive
research. We booked it one night, packed up and left for Lake George the next
morning. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I hadn’t been there before and didn’t really know what
I’d need. Turned out, I didn’t pack quite right and forgot a number of things.
I even forgot certain pairs of shoes I wanted to wear. (Usually, the number of
shoes well exceeds the number of days I’ll be away, but not this time.) But
somehow, miraculously, without my planning and list-making, it was a great time
away. My kids had a blast. It didn’t take much. They swam in the lake, ate some
seafood, played mini-golf and hung out with wonderful friends. I think part of
the excitement for them was taking off at a moment’s notice and having no idea
what we’d find when we got there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sitting by the lake, it struck me how differently I
handle traveling and writing. When I start a story, I have a general idea of
what will happen, but I definitely don’t use an outline and, very often, I’m
not even sure which characters I’ll meet along the way. That is actually my
favorite thing about writing…not having any clue where my book will lead me. My
methods may be scattered, but luckily, everything usually works itself out into
some semblance of order. Eventually. I love that <i>aahhh</i> moment, when storylines string together. I never stop being
shocked by it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Why, then, do I feel the need to plan my vacations out
so meticulously? Don’t get me wrong…I love to explore new areas and go off the
beaten path, finding local favorites, as I’ve mentioned before. But when I
sketch out my trips, I know I’m going to want to do that, so I leave time for
it, essentially planning my non-planned excursions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I think it’s time the traveling me took some pointers
from the writing me. Next time I want to go away, maybe I’ll jot down some
general ideas on a scrap of paper, but not schedule my days. Maybe I’ll wake up
each day wondering where the day will take us instead of mapping it out. Maybe
then I’ll experience a vacation of strung-together surprises that were even
better than the activities I would have planned.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Or maybe I’ll just end up sitting on the beach wearing
sneakers instead of flip-flops.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
K.K. Weilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02039806682436891121noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988950385686529800.post-27622793616130956052015-04-27T06:44:00.000-07:002015-04-27T06:44:25.687-07:00Living in Genres<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There’s something about spring that lifts my spirits,
no matter what else is going on around me. Could it be the fresh smells of
nature, the chirping birds or going outside without being weighted down by my
bulky winter coat? Well, all of those things are definitely inspirational, but what
comes with spring that really gets me excited? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The shoes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As soon as the weather starts to change, I race to get
my first, regularly scheduled, warm-weather pedicure. Not just the, ‘<i>I’ve got a wedding, better get to the salon</i>,’
pedicure. Sorry feet, you do get neglected in the winter. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And then I shop. When there’s even a hint of a budding
flower, the stores overflow with open-toed shoes of every kind. From flip-flops
to peep-toes, sandals to sling backs, the possibilities are endless.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Last week, I walked into the most heavenly display of
new shoes for the new season. With boxes in both arms, under my chin and
balanced on my head, I narrowed it down, and chose one pair. Adorable sandals
with a zipper up the front and a high heel in the back. When I got home, put
them in my closet and welcomed them among all their new shoe friends, I was
happy to discover that they were different from anything else I had.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">But that’s not always the case. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">With shoes, sure, I can pick all different styles and
colors. But with a lot of other things in my life, once I find something I’m
enjoy, I tend to stick with it for a while.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I even do it with books. Once I find a genre I like, I
devour everything within its limits, not acknowledging that there’s anything
else out there for a while. I become almost compulsive about it. E-readers feed
into my addiction, too. At least when I used to shop for my books in stores, I
could browse the shelves, and would pick up whatever caught my eye, no matter
what it was about. Now, the second I finish a book I like, I search my e-reader
for another in its genre and start it a second later. It’s so easy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I go through phases. A while back, I was obsessed with
historical fiction. If it was a period piece that took place in another
country, I was all over it. Then there was the mystery phase, the classics
phase (with a sub-phase of Russian authors), the young adult phase and the new
adult/romance phase. And for one period of time, I only read picture books –
let’s call that the mommy phase. Lately, I’ve been feasting on anything
dystopian society related. Give me a dysfunctional, futuristic culture and I’m
a happy camper. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing to
get stuck in genres the way I do. At least if I switch them periodically, I can
pretend to be well-rounded. I have to be careful to keep it to books, though.
One day, I might wake up, open my closet and find twenty pairs of high-heeled,
zippered sandals.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Then I’ll really know it’s spring.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
K.K. Weilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02039806682436891121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988950385686529800.post-17661661283170663212015-02-27T07:56:00.000-08:002015-02-27T07:58:58.386-08:00Wondering If I'm Wrong<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">For years, my husband and I have debated the color of
things. He insists our couch is green, while to me it’s obviously a warm chocolate
brown. Sometimes he’ll comment on the pretty orange blouse I’m wearing, and I
look at him as if he’s got two heads. It’s maroon, of course. I’ve always
chalked it up to his being a man, assuming he just didn’t know any better. But
now I’m not so sure.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Unless you’re living under a rock, which admittedly, I
sometimes am, you’ve probably already decided whether you’re part of the
white-gold camp or the blue-black one. To me, the dress is absolutely white and
gold, though I can see how it looks blue when the light is dim. But everything
I’m reading tells me I’m wrong. That my retinas are less high functioning than
those who see it as black and blue or that my eyes aren’t picking up the right
pixels or something like that (science is not my strong suit). The problem is,
if they’re right but I’m so <i>sure </i>that
it’s white, I have to question what else I’m seeing incorrectly. As someone who’s
always been called stubborn and taken it as a compliment…because it’s okay to
be stubborn if you’re right, isn’t it?…this is a little disconcerting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Is it just about perspective? Do I see what I want to
see, the way I want to see it and even though I can understand that there’s another
point of view, I won’t change my opinion? I can make too many leaps here,
generalizing this to the way we form opinions about people based on first impressions, how we form political beliefs, the list goes on and on. But hey, we’re not
talking about world peace here. This is just a dress, after all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Or is it?</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Right now, I have more pressing matters to deal with.
I need to figure out if I’ve been wearing orange for years without realizing it,
while sitting on my very green couch.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
K.K. Weilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02039806682436891121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988950385686529800.post-13322249388160717222015-02-23T08:47:00.001-08:002015-02-23T08:50:27.266-08:00A Friendly Reminder<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This morning I got an email and the subject was
“Friendly Reminder.” I immediately knew this was not an email I really wanted
to open. Did you ever notice how certain expressions are inherently followed by
something annoying or negative? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Really, giving a friendly reminder is not so bad. But
it still rubs me wrong, because I know it means the sender is about to nag me
to do something I obviously haven’t done yet or don’t feel like doing. Pay a
bill maybe, or go to an appointment I would rather have forgotten. I know the
intentions are good, but I think I’d prefer it if the sender would just be
honest in the subject line…<i>I’m going to
tell you this again in case you forgot, or are just plain ignoring me</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My daughter recently picked up the phrase, <i>No offense, but</i>… This one is much worse.
Obviously, anything following that is not going to be complimentary. We had a long
discussion about how these three words are always followed by an insult. If
your sentence starts with that phrase, you probably shouldn’t finish the
sentence. What was interesting to me was that she hadn’t even considered that
before. It was just a phrase she’d heard and, without thinking, started using
herself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Then she asked, “So I guess that’s the same as when a
person says something really nasty, shrugs, and goes, <i>Just saying</i>. Right?” Exactly. Why do we think it’s okay to say
anything we want, as long as we attach a disclaimer to it? As if the disclaimer
offsets the rest of the comment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When we write, or read, a character’s words have such
definite purpose. When the character is being cutting, we can feel it in his
language. There’s no question of whether or not he knows he’s being obnoxious.
His intent is clear. But when we speak the same words in day to day conversations,
I think we sometimes forget that our words carry the same power as those we
read in the books we love. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I know I’m guilty of it. I’ll ramble on and on to my
kids and I’m sure not every word I’m saying is exemplary. And then when I hear
some of those same expressions come out of my children, it makes me cringe.
Since I had that conversation with my daughter, I’ve been trying to be more
conscious of the expressions I use. I laughed the other day, because as I was
about to tell her something, I asked myself how it would sound coming out of
the mouth one of my characters. I stopped myself. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So I’m trying. Trying to give myself friendly
reminders not to say something if I wouldn’t like how it sounds when repeated.
I think if we all do that a little more often, our children will have fewer comments that follow the words “no offense.”</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Just saying.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
K.K. Weilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02039806682436891121noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988950385686529800.post-27510290693487026782015-01-14T07:17:00.000-08:002015-01-14T15:51:55.891-08:00The Difficulties of Hating Winter<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">There’s a quiz going around on Facebook lately. It’s
called something like, </span><i style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Are you a Winter
Lover?</i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> I took the quiz, assuming my results would confirm that I despise
winter, but shockingly, these quizzes are not an exact science. My score was 19%
winter lover. I laughed. Even though that seems like a low number, it’s 19%
higher than it should have been. I sort of remember answering that I like hot
chocolate, so maybe that accounts for it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I am certainly zero percent winter lover. I can’t
stand the cold. I groan when I see snow in the forecast. When people post
pictures of their fun winter activities, I say a silent thank you that it
wasn’t me. And I actually get angry when snow gets on my wrist in that space
between my glove and my sleeve.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There is a problem with this, of course. Since I live
in the Northeast, winter and snow are pretty inevitable. And all I want to do
during these cold months is hibernate. Turns out, never wanting to leave my
house may be good for my writing, but it’s quite bad for everything else. While
people flock to the gym, determined to stand by their New Year’s Resolutions,
my regular gym routine has been all but obliterated the past few weeks. Even
simple errands get put off, because I just don’t want to step out that door.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My friends have been asking me to go skiing or snow
tubing with them. This is where I become torn. There is only one single thing I
enjoy about spending the weekend skiing…having a drink in the lodge by the
fireplace. In the past, I’ve been perfectly content sitting there with a fellow
winter hater, while the rest of our crowd enjoys the torture of freezing wind and
falling on snow. But now, I do want my kids to have the experience. In truth,
I’ve been meaning to expose them to skiing for years. The dilemma becomes, how
do I teach them to ski without going outside??<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I also don’t want to influence them and make them hate
winter, too. As it is, whenever they play out in the snow (after I spend 47
minutes dressing them in snow pants, coats, scarves, hats, gloves and anything
else that makes them unable to move a muscle), I try to get away with waving at
them through glass doors from the comfort of my warm living room. Don’t get me
wrong, I’ve done the obligatory building of snowmen and had the competitive
snowball fights that every mom has to take part in. And I’ve done it with a
smile on my face. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">But I’d just so much rather bond with my children in
the ocean on an island in the Caribbean.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We’ve actually been lucky so far. Where I live, the
winter’s been mild and I’ve appreciated every second of the strange,
unseasonable weather. Still, as soon as the cold drifted in, I was the first
one running for my boots and counting the days until Spring.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I’m going to have to suck it up. I’ll take my kids
skiing and I’ll like it if it kills me. Either that or I’ll have my drink in
the lodge while my husband teaches them to ski. More likely. And I will get to
the gym again. One of these days. Hopefully it will be before April.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
K.K. Weilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02039806682436891121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988950385686529800.post-34296699206371117872014-11-19T08:59:00.000-08:002014-11-19T08:59:05.239-08:00Inspiration or Imagination?<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My husband repeatedly jokes around, telling me he’s
the inspiration for my writing and that he is obviously the model for the
protagonist of my first book (even though he neither looks, nor acts, anything
like the character). He even goes so far as to describe specific scenes that he
maintains he had a part in creating to our friends. When he says this, I
generally give him a condescending tap on the back and a wink and say something
like, “Of course, honey”, though we both know it isn’t true.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It does make me think though. How much of what I write
is purely from my imagination, versus bits and pieces I’ve taken with me
throughout my life? It seems like even when the plot might have nothing to do
with anything I’ve ever experienced, parts of my life still creep in. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">They say write what you know. Admittedly, there are no
similarities between either of the main characters’ lives in <i>At This Stage</i> and mine. (There’s my
imagination piece.) However, when I look back at the story, naturally I find
links. The setting is where I’m from, I’ve taken the trips to the places I
mentioned and have taken part, to some extent, in the different activities my
characters engage in. (My inspiration.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I recently read an amazing book in which a major part of
the story was an impossible circumstance which kept the two lead characters
apart. While I was reading it, I wondered if the author was using this
circumstance as a code for something she’d really been through, a prejudice
she’d encountered in her life. If it was, it was disguised in an incredible
story and very well done. It might also be that I’d known people in parallel
situations, and it made me think of them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Maybe that’s the key. Maybe it doesn’t matter how much
of a story is from the author’s imagination or inspiration, so long as the
reader finds his/her own imagination and inspiration while reading it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">All this wondering has made me take a different look
into the draft of my next book, searching for pieces of myself. Once again, my
life is not reflected in either of my protagonists’ lives (and my husband’s is
certainly not either, although I’m sure he’ll disagree when he reaches some
parts he likes). Be that as it may, I have no doubt that, while experiences may
be completely different, some emotions are universal. And I think those come
from the best parts of inspiration and imagination combined.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
K.K. Weilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02039806682436891121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988950385686529800.post-76079637943069371512014-10-14T10:03:00.006-07:002014-10-14T10:03:48.872-07:00Puzzle Pieces
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Puzzles were one of my favorite things to do as a
kid. Jigsaw puzzles. The more pieces the better. I remember spending many a
rainy afternoon doing puzzle after puzzle, lining them around the border of my
bedroom as I completed each one. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">As I got older, my obsession with puzzles increased,
as did the number of pieces in them. Now, each winter break, I pick a 1000
piece puzzle and my children tackle it with me the entire time they’re off from
school. I try to pick pictures that don’t torture them too much, like animals
or different flavors of ice cream. No eggshells in this house. I’m not a
sadist, after all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I think it’s the process that draws me to puzzles so
much. First, I work on the frame to get a basic idea of what it will be. Then I
move on to the inside, the meat. I might plod along for a while, successfully
putting things together, when I suddenly get stuck. I’ll search for the piece
that’s been alluding me, maybe for hours. I’ll take a break from it, only to come
back and still not find it. But then, when I look down at the pieces in front
of me, there it is, clear as day. It’s been staring me in the face all along.
When I find the mysterious piece that fits together perfectly with the rest of
what I’ve made, it’s like the planets have aligned themselves and the universe
makes sense. Okay, I might be exaggerating, but it is pretty cool.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">While I was writing the other day, a similar thing
happened. A chapter came to an end and my words were at a dead standstill. I
knew where I wanted to go a little later in the story, but I had no idea how to
get there. A piece was missing and no matter how long I sat staring at what I
already had, I couldn’t find it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I walked away from it and worked on a different part
of my book. When I came back, still nothing. I shut down for the night, but the
next day brought me no closer to finding my missing piece. Then, out of the
blue, I saw it, without really looking. I reread what I’d written and knew exactly
where I had to go. And somehow, that idea connected with what was going to
happen next. And so on and so on. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I’ve come to realize that this is one of my favorite
parts of writing. The way things come together, sometimes on purpose, but other
times, almost by accident, leading me to the next portion. I don’t know if I
appreciate this so much because of my passion for puzzles, but the similarities
are not lost on me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">These days, my children often ask me if they can
have “puzzle marathons”. They take out all of their puzzles and spend hours in
their rooms putting them together until there is no space left to walk on the
floor. If this is an interest they’ve inherited from me, I’m happy about it. I
don’t know if it will translate into any other interests for them as well, but
I look forward to finding out.<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p></o:p></i></span><br />
K.K. Weilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02039806682436891121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988950385686529800.post-71367384215969654652014-09-03T07:31:00.000-07:002014-09-03T07:31:01.881-07:00A Good Match
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I’m not much of a sports fan. But every rule’s got
an exception. Mine’s tennis. Every year, over the same two weeks, I spend more
time than I care to admit in front of my television watching the US Open.
Coincidentally, it’s around this time that I make my way to the court year
after year to remind myself what an awful player I am.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">My husband and I are almost always cheering on
opposite points. He usually roots for the underdog, while I’m loyal to the
players I’ve loved and followed for years. Of course, even among those I have
my favorites. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The other night, though, I was watching a match with
two players I’d never seen before. Within minutes, I found myself rooting for
one player over the other. I started to wonder what made me choose him, even
though the match was very close and neither player was particularly better than
the other. I ran through my favorite players in my mind to see if they shared
personality traits, but found they did not. While Djokovic is full of flair, guys
like Federer and Nadal are much more demure. Yet I love them all.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">It made me think about the kind of fictional
characters I’m drawn to and whether they’re similar to each other. As I went
through my mental checklist, I realized that the characters I love are all over
the map. Some are strong, dark and quiet. Others are sarcastic and witty. And then
there are those who are so confused they don’t know whether they’re coming or
going.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">So what draws us to people, fictional or not? And in
fiction, why do we want certain characters to end up together? Do they have to
exhibit traits we can relate to in ourselves or is it the opposite? Do we
gravitate towards people who are not necessarily like us, but instead, what we would
want to be? Maybe it’s not necessarily any of these. Maybe we just like
characters who make us feel invested in them. If they have one thing that makes
us want to read more, watch more, hear more about them, maybe it’s not important
what that one thing is, as long as it’s real.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I stayed up way too late to watch that match. The
guy I was hoping would win didn’t. I wasn’t very upset, though, because I would
have just had to root against him in the next round anyway, when he faces one
of my favorites. But regardless of who wins the tournament, whether it’s my guy
or not, what interests me most, both in tennis and fiction, is seeing a
good match.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
K.K. Weilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02039806682436891121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988950385686529800.post-16715923251845487302014-08-13T08:38:00.003-07:002014-08-14T04:46:05.029-07:00To Be or Aspiring To Be?<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I was at the beach this weekend. It was the kind of
summer day you wait for. Sunny, no humidity, slightly breezy. The weather
couldn’t have been more beautiful. Apparently I wasn’t the only one who thought
so, because all of New Jersey was on the beach with me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">As is often the case on days like that, if you want
to be within yelling distance of the ocean, you’re probably going to be about
twenty sand grains away from your neighbor’s blanket and umbrella. Luckily, the
woman closest to me was incredibly considerate and friendly, too. We chatted
here and there throughout the day and laughed together when the group behind us
played their music so loud we thought it was coming out of a boom box from
1985. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">At one point, I pulled out a notebook and started
writing. After a few minutes, the woman asked me if I was working on a paper.
And I froze.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I wasn’t expecting the question from a stranger and
I knew I had to answer it one of two ways. Either I’d be evasive and not tell
her what I was doing. Or I would, which for me, was much harder. If I told her
that it wasn’t a paper, that it was in fact, fiction, I had a pretty good idea
what the next question would be. It would go something like this: “Oh, are you
an author?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The answer shouldn’t be complicated, but to me it
is. It’s the line between aspiring to be something and actually being it. When
I wanted to be a teacher, the line was very clear. While I was student teaching,
before I had a hired position, I was aspiring to be a teacher. The day I
stepped foot in my own classroom, and was working for a salary, I was a
teacher. Simple.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I don’t think it’s so cut and dry when you write,
though. The line is fuzzier. Are you an author as soon as you start to write?
Once you type the last word of a novel? Once you’re published? Once you make
your first sale? Once you have multiple books out? Once you can support
yourself with your book sales? Once you have a best seller? Somewhere in
between? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Maybe it’s not so bad to always be an
aspiring…whatever. If we’re always aspiring to be something, then we’re
constantly trying to be better at it. When I was teaching, I would wake up in
the middle of the night thinking of ways to make my lessons more engaging.
Maybe I was really aspiring then, too, but didn’t recognize it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">In any event, I took the coward’s way out that day.
I made a joke about being too old to be writing a paper and let the subject
drop, not answering the woman. I kicked myself for hours afterwards. I mean, if
you want to be an author…aspiring or not, you have to let people know you’ve
actually written something, right? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">For now, I’m going to chalk it up to a learning
experience. Hopefully, next time I’ll have a better answer. There’s something
to aspire to.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
K.K. Weilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02039806682436891121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988950385686529800.post-29801155397956294682014-07-29T06:10:00.000-07:002014-07-29T06:10:06.824-07:00Thunder
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We had a
thunderstorm last night. A big one. The kind where you anticipate the huge boom
seconds after the room shines from a bolt of lightning, the kind where the
windows rattle when that boom comes and you wonder how homes can withstand the vibration.
And while I enjoy those kinds of storms and can sleep through them like the
dead, I know that’s not true for everyone.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">At some
point during the night, the noise woke my daughter and she came into my room,
which she almost never does. She asked me if she could hang out for a while (or
so she told me this morning, since I have no recollection of our conversation).
I guess I mumbled yes through my semi-comatose state. What I do remember is
glancing at her through one open eye a little while later to see if she was
still there. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">She was. She
couldn’t fall back asleep, had taken out her tiny book light and was reading. The
sight made me way too happy.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Lately, with
camp, the beach and just summertime life in general, my kids haven’t been reading
as much as I would like. They watch me writing a lot, and as a result, their
interest in writing stories has increased, so much that I find random pages
scattered throughout the house, followed by the question, “Mom, can you staple
these?” And though I love that, I don’t want it to come at the expense of their
reading.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Whenever we
get a chance, we try to have a family reading time, where we sit together and
read our own books. But to me, reading shouldn’t be a scheduled activity. It
should be, and for me has always been, something you can’t wait to do when you
have downtime. I very badly want it to be that for them, instead of
automatically turning on the TV or an ipad when they’re looking for an activity.
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So when I
saw that her reaction to not sleeping was to pick up the book she was reading
earlier in the day, even though she could have easily gotten away with playing
a handheld video game on mute, my heart fluttered. I didn’t let her know I saw
her, but I watched in silence for a few minutes before drifting back to my
dreams.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The storm
must have ended or her fear must have passed because when I woke up it was
sunny and she was gone. This morning, when she casually brought up her book,
discussing a part she found exciting, I nodded and shared her enthusiasm for
the story. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And while
she was telling me she couldn’t wait to see what happened next, I was secretly
contemplating all the ways I could simulate another thunderstorm after she goes
to bed tonight.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
K.K. Weilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02039806682436891121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988950385686529800.post-53063123687815082562014-07-14T13:25:00.000-07:002014-07-14T13:25:55.689-07:00Fear of Commitment
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve always
been sort of a commitment-phobe. Not with relationships, really, but with
decisions. I tend to hem and haw between things, worrying that I’ll choose one,
when the other one was actually the better option. My husband jokes that even
when we go out to a restaurant I’ve been to a million times, I take 20 minutes
figuring out what to order from a menu I know by heart. Plus, I’ve got to hear
what everyone else is ordering before I place mine…what if my friend gets her dinner
and I realize her dish is really what I wanted?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Even when I
was deciding on a color for the entryway of my house, I had this problem. I put
fourteen (not exaggerating) different paint swatches on the wall before I could
pick one, and we’re not talking about a huge space here. But the real kicker…they
were all beige.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I wish I
were more decisive. I wish I were the kind of person who makes a choice without
hesitation, sticks with it and doesn’t look back. Unfortunately,
second-guessing is in my nature. I always wonder about the path not taken.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Surprisingly,
I had no trouble committing when I started writing <em>At This Stage</em>. I knew the basic
premise from the start and never strayed from it. But, inevitably, I came to a
roadblock where I just couldn’t bring myself to make a decision. I was working
on a scene between Kaitlyn and her current boyfriend, and I didn’t know which
way I wanted this piece of the story to go. I wrote it two ways in the draft, leaving
both versions in there until I was entirely finished. I knew if I went with
choice B, I’d have to rework a number of other things, too. I only took choice B
out right before I gave the draft to a couple of people to read. Even then, I
was uncomfortable committing to it and asked them to read it both ways. They
unanimously picked the same version I did, so I was able to breathe a little
bit easier.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I know doubt
is normal, and there were many times I reworked scenes over and over. However,
that was more for overall improvement than to determine which direction I wanted to
take. And there were times when the story took me places I didn’t expect, but I
knew they felt right. This particular time, though, I just couldn’t pull the
plug one way or the other until the very last second. I almost wished it was a
Choose Your Own Adventure story and I could leave both options in there for
readers to make their own selections.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But that’s
not how life works. I had to choose a scene, just like I had to choose one of
many beiges and last night’s dinner. And even though I may always wonder how
almond bisque might have looked on my walls instead of sandalwood, it doesn’t
mean I love sandalwood any less.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
K.K. Weilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02039806682436891121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988950385686529800.post-90805484393620079012014-07-02T09:30:00.001-07:002014-07-02T09:43:13.083-07:00The Things That Stick<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s funny -
the things that stick with you. The other day I was reminiscing with some
friends about games we used to play when we were kids. We started talking about
it because of some Facebook post about manhunt and freeze tag. We’d all played
the same games, even though we grew up in different places. The general
consensus was that we look back on those as great times.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It got me to
thinking a lot about childhood friends, one in particular. I’ll call her Penny.
I hadn’t thought about her in a long time, as our paths haven’t crossed in
years. But, because I was nostalgic, and because of where I’m at in life right
now, a memory surfaced that I didn’t even know was there.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I guess we
had to be in junior high school (aka middle school to most people outside of
the 5 NYC boroughs). I was making my first attempt at a full length “book”. I
remember the actual book I was writing in so clearly. It was a black and white
composition notebook with doodles all over the cover. The writing inside was
bubbly tween-girl handwriting, nothing like the chicken scratch, script-print
combo I have now.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The story
was about twin sisters – one good, one bad, of course. I can’t say I remember
any details about what I’m sure was a very deep plot ;). Except for the fact
that, since they were twins, there was naturally some kind of swapping-places
thing going on. But what I do remember is this. At first I didn’t show it to
anyone, because I was too nervous. But Penny knew what I was doing and asked to
see it. Since she was my best friend, and what 12 year old girl can refuse her
best friend, I reluctantly let her look at what I’d written so far.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">She devoured
it. Not only that, she told me she couldn’t wait for the next chapter, and
asked if I would sit down and write it at that moment, instead of continuing
the game we were playing. This went on for weeks that summer. I’d write a few
pages, Penny would read them as soon as the words were on the page and
enthusiastically ask for more. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">To this day,
I have no idea if Penny really enjoyed what I’d written as much as she said she
did, or if it was terrible and she was just being a great, supportive friend.
Either way, I can still remember how much she inspired me. I started writing
because I loved it, but I kept writing because of her.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The topic of
inspiration comes up a lot. And normally, I’m guess I’m short-sighted. I think
about the things that inspire me now. Maybe, in fact, I should be thinking
about the things that inspired me way back when. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I don’t
think I ever ended up finishing that story. Summer ended and I probably moved
on to the next thing, whatever that was. But I’ve kept most of the notebooks I
used to write in and I bet if I dig around in my basement, I can find it. Maybe
one day I’ll look for it. And maybe one day I’ll have an ending to Penny’s
story.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
K.K. Weilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02039806682436891121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988950385686529800.post-47399327193897175142014-06-17T13:39:00.000-07:002014-07-02T09:39:55.112-07:00The Pressure of a Name<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have so
many fun memories of being pregnant. Reading all those books to check out the
size of that little thing inside me. Watching my stomach move like there was an
alien in there. Even seeing the numbers on the scale continuously climb,
knowing at some point they would have to come down, didn’t bother me.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What I found
more stressful than anything was actually having to pick a name for that person
who would inevitably come out and need to be called something. Forever.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As someone
who changes my mind pretty often, deciding on something that permanent was kind
of daunting, not only once, but twice. So much so that on the way to the
hospital with my second child, in between contractions came my husband’s
pleading request… “Please. Just pick a girl’s name.” (We were between two.)
Luckily, it was a boy and I never had to decide.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It wasn’t
until years later, while I was writing, that I realized something. Picking a living
person’s name didn’t have to be permanent or the worst kind of pressure. If my
daughter comes home when she’s 20 and tells me that she hates her name and is
changing it to Ice Cream Sundae, then Ice Cream Sundae she will be. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But a
character’s name? Once it’s in print? Yep, that’s forever. There’s no changing
it and no going back.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And so
enters a whole other kind of stress.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So I kind of
cheated when I began picking characters’ names for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">At This Stage</i>. I dug through my memory bank to find names that we
wanted to choose for our kids but which never made it to the finish line.
Jackson was the easiest. My husband and I both loved that one, but I vetoed it
because there were already too many derivatives of it in our families. For
Kaitlyn, I knew I wanted a name I thought was strong, both in the full version of
her name and her nickname. Many of the others were names we’d considered, too,
with some alterations along the way.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now that I’m
embarking on having to choose more names for my next book, I’m finding the
process doesn’t really get any easier. It’s kind of the opposite of naming your
child, where you pick a name but have no idea what kind of human you’re
getting. Here, I have an idea of who the person is going to be and I need to
find a name to fit. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maybe I’ll
have to have another child so I can increase my name pool for future novels.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Um, nope…I
think I’ll just buy one of those baby naming books instead.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
K.K. Weilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02039806682436891121noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988950385686529800.post-82441997317174715202014-06-02T12:34:00.000-07:002014-07-02T09:40:19.841-07:00What's For Dinner?<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I absolutely
love food. And I don’t discriminate. I’m as likely to gorge myself on some
delicious sloppy street food as I am to enjoy a beautiful meal over a bottle of
wine.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The fact is,
I don’t think I’ve ever met a cuisine that didn’t offer at least one dish I
felt I could sink my teeth into. For me, one of the best parts of visiting a
place I’ve never traveled to before is eating where the locals do. I used to be
too shy to ask random people on the street for recommendations. But after doing
it a few times, I came to realize something – most people don’t mind being
accosted by a stranger if the stranger is asking for a restaurant endorsement
in the town they love.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My husband,
Neil, and I have what we call our “benchmark” foods. When trying a new
restaurant, we order some go-to dishes to do a quick assessment. If I’m having
Mexican, for instance, I have to start with black bean soup. And if I’m eating
anything Cajun (a personal favorite), there’s got to be crawfish at some point
during my meal. Neil and I debate this one. He’ll fight for his jambalaya with
his dying breath.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We would
love for our kids to be miniature foodies, too. We recently started doing
something new with them. Whenever we travel to a new state, we pick a food the
state is known for, ask a bunch of locals where we can find the best (fill in
the blank), and set off in search of the place that got the most votes. We’ve
only done it a few times so far, but if there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s
that the locals are ALWAYS right. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And the kids get a kick out of asking
strangers for their suggestions, since under any other situation, that’s a
total no-no, of course. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It shouldn’t
have been a huge surprise for me to see that a love of food came through in my
writing. But when I finished my first draft of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">At This Stage</i> and read through it, I was hit with my characters’
eclectic eating habits. I realized that, though unintentional, there was
actually a part of me (and Neil) in them. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So we’ll
keep exploring different dishes and bothering unsuspecting people with our
questions. If there’s a great dish in your town, let me know where to go and
save a stranger near you.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
K.K. Weilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02039806682436891121noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988950385686529800.post-39715360933248504402014-05-26T15:25:00.000-07:002014-07-02T09:41:08.323-07:00Playing What If?<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve always taken an interest in
life’s little riddles – those complicated questions that don’t necessarily have
any answers. No right or wrong. Ones you could sit around for hours and discuss
and never come to any sort of conclusion. They’re my absolute favorite.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On a rare and coveted lazy weekend,
the kind when there are no kids’ activities, no friends’ barbeques, no family
festivities (as much as we love them all – wink, wink), my husband and I
sometimes sit around creating scenarios that are out of the ordinary. They
usually begin with the words <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What If</i>.
They start off simple and tame. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But as the day goes on, both the
questions and answers become more convoluted. For example, “What if I killed
someone? Would you stand by me if it was an accident? What if I did it on
purpose? Would the reason why matter?” I find that life’s real dilemmas never
come with a “good decision” handbook and are often less believable than fiction.
So our game has to reflect that. What would be the fun in life if everything
was easy anyway?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One of those marathon conversations led
to the idea for my first novel, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">At This
Stage</i>, which hits this summer. The general topic of unanswerable questions
that day had been impossible relationships. Well into the night, it stayed with
me and I was still making up possible scenarios in my head. I found myself in
bed wondering what would happen if two people were thrust into a situation
where it was truly inappropriate for them to be together. And could something
happen over time that would change their circumstance and make their
relationship okay after all? Thus, Kaitlyn and Jackson, my two main characters,
were born.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">More than once, I’ve wished I had a
tiny, crystal ball. One that could show me my future if I decide on Path A,
rather than Path B. One that could take the doubt out of my decisions and show
me definitively what I should do in a certain situation. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But then, I guess if that little ball
existed, we’d all have to have one. And then everyone would know exactly what
to do all the time. No one would ever make mistakes if they listened to their
ball and there would be no more mystery about where life would take us. What a
horrible bore that would be. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And even worse than that, my husband and
I would have to come up with another game to play on our down time. I’d rather
live with the unknown and see where all the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What
If</i>s lead me.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
K.K. Weilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02039806682436891121noreply@blogger.com0