tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49600843111023311862024-03-05T05:53:51.702-06:00Elisabeth HamillLIFE IS SO MUCH MORE INTERESTING INSIDE MY HEADUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger66125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4960084311102331186.post-48387842294901059722017-05-05T19:42:00.003-05:002017-05-05T19:42:28.084-05:00Blog has moved to website <a href="https://www.elisabethhamill.com/">Elisabeth Hamill's Website</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4960084311102331186.post-37329003399273650312017-04-04T20:53:00.001-05:002017-04-04T20:53:25.200-05:00Look at all these lovely books...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Enter the Rafflecopter pinned to the top of the page to win your choice of Kick Ass Girls of Fire and Ice YA Books shown above!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4960084311102331186.post-62457046672336330942017-03-26T22:32:00.000-05:002017-03-27T16:40:22.132-05:00Kick Ass Girls of Fire and Ice YA Books - and an early peek at Songmaker 3!Didja notice the rafflecopter above? All through the month of April, a bunch of my fellow YA writers at Fire and Ice (and yours truly!) are participating in an ongoing event.<br />
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There will be Instafreebie short stories released featuring our kick-ass heroines, and for my contribution, I'm releasing the first chapter of the third Songmaker book, which won't be published until 2018-2019!<br />
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So follow along during the month of April on Twitter, Facebook and get in on our blog hop if you'd like to write a post about YA books--the Linky List is embedded in my header.<br />
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Who can possibly pass up a chance to win some AMAZING novels featuring the Kick Ass Girls of Fire and Ice YA? Enter the rafflecopter on April 1st!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4960084311102331186.post-73409738334828320972016-12-18T20:32:00.000-06:002016-12-18T20:32:51.728-06:00Gender Diversity in Writing: A Q&A with James Stryker and Release Day for BOY: A Journey<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">James Stryker's new book, <b>BOY: A Journey</b> debuts Monday! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: times new roman;">I devoured the ARC for </span><b style="font-family: 'times new roman';">BOY</b><span style="font-family: times new roman;"> in a couple of hours on a frigid, snowy afternoon, and it is brilliant. It follows the story of </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Luke</span><span style="font-family: times new roman;">, a young man with a chip on his shoulder, who learns after his father's death that Jay, his father, was a transgendered man. Luke's personal evolution from self-centered boy to a caring man is a story that is fraught with emotion, told through the different points of view of three men who loved Jay for different, often complicated reasons. Luke's initial feelings of betrayal grow into an intense curiosity and need to know why Jay hid the truth from him, and he seeks out Tom, his father's oldest, most trusted friend. Meanwhile, Luke's brother in law, nicknamed 'Ginger', deals with the fallout at home after the loss of his father figure and professional mentor.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: '"times new roman"';">James took time to sit down with me in my cyber-library where we talked about writing gender-diverse characters, who are at the core of his last novel, <b>ASSIMILATION</b>, his new novel, <b>BOY,</b> and two of my own recent works. </span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">James</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">: So, what has always impressed me about your writing is how
you continuously push boundaries even within the LGBTQ spectrum. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Elisabeth: </span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">That’s what writing is all about, isn’t
it? Pushing boundaries of imagination and maybe making people think about
things in a different light. Fiction can help broaden how someone sees the
world, and that’s especially important for gender diversity. We’re constantly
bombarded by societal messages and expectations of what gender is, based solely
on our anatomy. It happens all our lives, from the day we’re born. Society says
that there is a hard psychological disconnect between male and female, and we
can’t be both. It’s demanded we conform to a male or female role. I believe
people are starting to reject that conformity and recognize that all human
beings are capable of both roles—there is no disconnect.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">James:</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> But the concept of being outside the binary can be
difficult to comprehend. Why do you think that is, and how would you explain
gender fluidity? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Elisabeth:</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> Being outside the binary is something I
believe is far more common than people realize. Being male or female is important
for means of reproduction, but it has little to do with who we feel we are on
the inside, how we express who we are, or whom we find sexually attractive. To
me, it is the ability to recognize and express the part of the “self” that
doesn’t match outward gender. Because society has drilled it into our heads
that you can’t possibly be both, it can even cause body dysphoria.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">James:</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> That makes sense, and it sounds like there are many similarities
to being transgendered. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Elisabeth:</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> Definitely. But someone struggling to
understand might be confused to learn that it’s actually very different from being
transgendered, which is the central theme of your new book, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">BOY: A Journey</i>. How would you explain
the important differences between the two?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">James:</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> There are many interpretations, but for me the key
difference is the word “fluidity.” Being transgendered isn’t something that is
in a state of flux. In <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">BOY</i> when it’s
revealed to the main character, Luke, that his father was a transgender man,
his mother offers a simple explanation to his question of “what that means,” if
I can quote it here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Elisabeth:</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> Of course!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">James:</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> Thanks – <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">“It means his gender identity didn’t
match his body. His brain was that of a regular man, but his body didn’t
develop correctly. He was born with the physical characteristics of the
opposite sex, and that’s how he grew up,” she said. “When he was legally able
to, he changed his name, he began hormone therapy, he moved away, and he
started a normal life.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Elisabeth:</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> I love the way she says ‘he started a
normal life’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It kind of confirms that
everything that went before wasn’t his normal life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">James:</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> Exactly – once he transitioned he achieved his definition
of normality without any variance. So at its base, what Luke’s mother describes
is what transgendered means to me – a definite, consistent sense of a gender
identity that is, devastatingly, incongruent with one’s physical
characteristics. The typical reaction to being transgendered is taking action
to bring the body more in line with one’s identity, while for someone who is
gender fluid, permanent body modifications usually wouldn’t be high on the
list. In my experience, a gender fluid individual is comfortable “flowing”
while a transgender person would wish to be recognized within the binary. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Elisabeth:</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> Gender fluidity seems to be an
individual thing in regard to comfort level. Some of the people I interviewed in
my pre-writing research found it liberating, while others found it more
confusing and dysphoric. But I think you’re correct when you say a
transgendered person wants their gender identity recognized, not their anatomy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">James:</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> I’ve had the pleasure of reading one of your novels, but
your latest story, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“All That Entails”</i>
made the cut into NineStar Press’s “Beneath the Layers” anthology. Congrats! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Elisabeth:</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> Thank you! I’m very excited to be
included.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">James:</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> Can you give your audience a sneak peek of what they can
look forward to? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Elisabeth:</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> I wrote Darian and Henry’s story after
wondering how a transgendered individual in the 1700s could have coped with
being forced to be female, having virtually no rights of their own, and being
married off to a husband they’d never met. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">James:</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> Fascinating. It really was well-done and I don’t think I’ve
read anything like it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Elisabeth:</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> I don’t know if this story’s been told
before: a gender fluid, bisexual nobleman meets his unexpected match in an
arranged marriage with a transgendered man.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">To your knowledge,
has there ever been a book like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Boy</i>
before? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">James:</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> Actually, after finishing <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Boy, </i>I had one of those goosebump moments – I was wandering through
the library and randomly picked Jackie Kay’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Trumpet</i> from a shelf. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Trumpet</i>
was inspired by the life of Billy Tipton, an American jazz musician who lived
his adult life as a man, and it follows a son who discovers his father was born
biologically female.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Elisabeth:</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> So, your main character learns his
father was raised as a female? How did you approach that?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">James:</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:James%20Stryker" datetime="2016-12-16T14:46"> </ins></span><span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:James%20Stryker" datetime="2016-12-16T14:45">O</ins></span>riginal
drafts had Luke focused on the concept of Jay being transgender and difficulty
accepting his father’s LGBT identity. After several, several attempts, I
realized that the conflict didn’t align with Luke’s character or what I wanted
for the book. Changing the struggle to Luke’s overall relationship with Jay and
feelings of inadequacy and insecurity made the story flow smoothly. And I
really didn’t want to write another “challenged to accept” book – it felt
verging on LGBTQ stereotypes. Do you ever come across that in your own writing?
How do you avoid common pitfalls when developing plots or creating characters? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Elisabeth:</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> I think the most important thing to
remember is that the characters are, first and foremost, human beings, with
flaws and attributes just like any other human being. Once I figure out who
they are, I work on what’s in their heads, and do some research if there’s any
question on how they might react. For my sci-fi novel <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dalí,</i> I interviewed several persons who identify as gender fluid.
The character is physically neutral and identifies as neither male nor female,
but is capable of assuming a masculine or feminine identity in different
situations. I also researched the Hijra community, because there is a large
intersex population in the future I imagined, fighting to be recognized as a
third gender for the human race.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">James:</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dalí </i>is
ground-breaking in so many ways, I really applaud you for the amount of work you
put into it. In addition to the meticulous world building, I loved your
characters. Dalí has a “larger than life” quality, yet maintains relatability. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Elisabeth:</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> That’s something that really struck me also:
the humanity of your characters: the ability to relate to them, and understand
what they are going through. How did you prepare to write them? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">James:</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> I try to search for parallels between my characters’
experiences/emotions, and my own. “How did you feel when” and “how would you
feel if” are common questions I repeatedly ask myself. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">If I
could rewind to a question you asked a bit ago – my “approach” to writing a
character who learns his father was raised as a female. I was struggling to
write Luke as being intolerant and unwilling to accept Jay because I can’t
relate to those sentiments. To finish the book I needed to change his character
to allow me to draw from feelings I’m familiar with – insecurity and
inadequacy. For even my “worst” characters, I need to identify with the core
emotion and let it “mutate” to extreme. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Elisabeth:</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> And I can think of some pretty intense
characters in your books! It can be a little scary as a writer to recognize the
darkness in ourselves and transmute it into a character.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">James:</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> You’ve got that right! The best example I can think of is Robert
from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Assimilation</i>. His actions make
my stomach roll, but he’s driven by a passionate desire to have his family reunited,
which I understand. I can still write him with empathy even while his
motivation compels him to do terrible things. I was actually a little nervous
to put <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Assimilation</i> out there because of how
dark it becomes – representing the LGBTQ community is something I take very
seriously, and a negative reaction to the book weighed heavily on my decision
to publish. Is that something you’ve worried about, or what feedback have you
received from the LGBTQ community on your writing? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Elisabeth:</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> So far, it’s been positive. I want to continue to be sure I have input from several different
viewpoints in terms of sensitivity when I write LGBTQ characters. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">James:</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> Gaining viewpoints is great advice for anyone wanting to include
gender diversity in their writing. But what do you feel is the most difficult
aspect of representing the gender diverse community?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Elisabeth:</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> I want to make certain my characters
live and breathe, and that they connect with people on an emotional level—that
they’re recognizable and others might see themselves reflected by them in
some way. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">There’s a huge
push for diversity in books, and also a push for “own voices” –what would you
say to an aspiring writer, who might be non-binary but uncertain whether they
should share their writing, about the importance of representation in
literature?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">James:</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> I feel that a beautiful quote by Senator Robert F Kennedy
from his South Africa address speaks volumes to what I’d advise:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">“Each
time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or
strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and those
ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression
and resistance.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">I can understand
how representing gender diversity can be intimidating for anyone, whether
non-binary or not, and there are disagreements even within the LGBTQ
communities themselves about ideal representation etc. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Elisabeth:</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> I agree, even in the community, it seems
there are varying opinions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">James:</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> Definitely, and I think the scarcity of characters outside
the non-binary scope contributes to a feeling of isolation for many LGBTQ
readers. Traditionally, things that are “odd, unnatural, and not okay” are
shuffled into a dark corner and not talked about. Each piece of gender diverse
writing “stands up” for a marginalized group, supporting that gender outside
the non-binary is nothing to be ashamed of. To a writer considering sharing
their story, I’d say that every ripple is needed to form the current, and we
need you!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">We need books
like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dalí </i>and stories such as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“All That Entails” </i>to celebrate the
presence of gender diversity. I appreciate all the work you’ve continued to do,
Elisabeth, and can’t wait to see what you come up with next! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><b>Elisabeth:
</b>Likewise, James, and congratulations on the release of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">BOY: A Journey</i>!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4960084311102331186.post-59408773942955445882016-11-17T09:53:00.002-06:002016-11-17T10:16:00.949-06:00Uncomfortable EpiphaniesIt's been over a week since the election. That it's taken me this long to get my thoughts in order is telling of how badly the outcome shocked me.<br />
<br />
The day after, I read through tears about the terror of my friends, a loving same-sex couple whose adoption of two beautiful children will be finalized this weekend. Their fear was that their marriage could ultimately be annulled by this administration, the children taken away from them.<br />
<br />
And even as a bisexual woman, in a long term heterosexual relationship, it occurred to me I will never know the fear of my marriage being invalidated, nor my children being removed from me on grounds of my sexuality.<br />
<br />
This is privilege.<br />
<br />
I read about the efforts of individual senators moving forward to garner support to 'register' the Muslim community. Dear God. We've seen this before in America, in Japanese internment camps during World War II. We've seen this in Nazi Germany, with numbers tattooed on the forearms of men, women and children whose only crime was their DNA.<br />
<br />
And I will never be subjected to this in America, by virtue of my white ancestry.<br />
<br />
This is privilege.<br />
<br />
A white female who makes house calls as a nurse, I have never been stopped for being a white woman in the wrong part of town at 2 AM; harassed for sitting outside my own place of work during a night shift in a running car because of the color of my skin, as happened to a coworker; nor for driving a car that is "above my station". I will likely never know this.<br />
<br />
This is privilege.<br />
<br />
It's always been difficult for me to speak aloud my own mind on political and religious subjects. I freeze, panic, cry: the sequelae of a toxic relationship which rears its ugly head even twenty five years later with the fear my own opinions are somehow invalid and indefensible. But this excuse in itself, while valid, is still a privilege. Even if I didn't speak out, my life was largely unaffected because I couldn't be identified with any of these groups.<br />
<br />
Something changed inside me on Wednesday, with the fearful, the outraged, and the collectively stunned community of friends on Twitter and Facebook.<br />
<br />
I can no longer be silent. Not with the appointment of Vice President-elect who believes in the psychological brainwashing of 'conversion therapy'. Not with the appointment of a man who preaches white supremacy into one of the President-elect's highest cabinet positions.<br />
<br />
While I still find it palm-sweatingly impossible to lift my phone and call my conservative Kansan representatives, I am going to email, postcard, and letter the hell out of these people and remind them who Bannon really is.<br />
<br />
I quietly came out on Twitter Wednesday as bisexual. Although my private actions have always been supportive of LGBTI friends and family, I have to stand up as one of the community or be forever damned as a hypocrite. Better a late coming out, than never. I told my mom. I still haven't come out to my extended family, but if you're reading this *waves*. Hi, guys.<br />
<br />
I have made a pledge to speak out and most importantly ACT when I see racism and bigotry against any minority happening in front of my eyes. Silence is validation, no matter my personal opinions. I have to act, or it means NOTHING. I've noticed the invisibility of our hijab-wearing locals, even here in this small enclave of diverse, liberal east-central suburban Kansas. Maybe our schedules have just been clashing lately, but it makes me worry they're afraid.<br />
<br />
Yes, these are baby steps. I have the privilege to do this small ways at first, whispering before I learn to scream from the rooftops. <br />
<br />
Not everyone else does.<br />
<br />
It's an uncomfortable epiphany that came home this week. I will continue to pray in my humanistic/agnostic ways that cooler heads and the stubbornness of American partisan politics will prevent repeating the mistakes of the past. But peppered through my pleas to the universe for balance will be more actions to make it so.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4960084311102331186.post-70308328175421201172016-11-02T15:06:00.000-05:002016-11-03T10:23:18.386-05:00Holy crap, it's November.Like most folks, I think, I'm ready for 2016 to be over. I am a subscriber to the theory that David Bowie was the glue holding reality together, and now that he's gone...yeah. You know the rest of the story already!<br />
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As mind-bogglingly bizarre as this year has been, it's been productive in terms of writing as I escape into my own head and worlds that dance to a tune I control. I finished my space opera, now receiving the last-minute scrutiny of my CP's and the first queries are out to my Chosen Ones, lol. The sequel to my first fantasy novel was released in July and is getting lovely four and five star reviews. </div>
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One of my CP's for DALÍ, which features a gender-fluid main character, challenged me to enter something for an LGTBI anthology. I finished the first draft of that today. I'd forgotten how much I love challenges--it's what got me back into writing after so many years of radio silence. Challenges often force me to write out of my 'comfort zone' and try something new. What emerged from this one was an unexpected, sweet, regency-ish romance. I may have to write more about these characters, as they're making me fall in love with them. I write best when I'm obsessed. </div>
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With the fun and madness of Halloween over and the promise of my brother's roast turkey on the horizon, it's shaping up to be a lovely end of the year, if I can get through the next week with my sanity intact. If I don't wake up into a dystopian society next Wednesday, I'll be satisfied.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4960084311102331186.post-86688978948172324482016-09-19T20:25:00.000-05:002016-10-19T14:40:39.551-05:00Time for the hard work: Query and synopsis!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">**Apologies. I've been trying to fix the formatting on this post but to no avail!**</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Finished revisions to <span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><b>DALÍ </b>on Friday last week! It's off for a read with fresh eyes. Now comes the <i>really </i>hard work. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Queries. Synopsis.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We hates it, precious!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: xx-small;">I talked to my CP this afternoon, and he agreed it is evil, but necessary. His own novel is in submissions with publishing houses at this moment, and he still said that </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">querying</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: xx-small;"> was the real work. Yeah, let's take your entire novel and squash it down into three paragraph blurb that catches an agent's imagination and attention. THEN, let's squish it into bare-bones for a full synopsis! *weeps*</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: xx-small;">Improving my writing and my queries seem to be separate skill sets. It's definitely an </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">art form. I've lurked QueryShark, and viewed a dozen how-to blogs, and it still eludes me. I've decided to call in the big guns this time. I really want to do every part of this process justice! I'm anxious to start querying, but I'm taking a deep breath. I've queried too early in the process in the past, and I don't want to make the mistake again. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So in between drafts of the query, and waiting for the judgement of my trusted partners in crime, I'm looking at Publisher's Marketplace and making my list ...checking it twice...researching deals to see if they're "nice" (points if you get that reference)!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> I can do this. It's gonna be epic, right?</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4960084311102331186.post-85512584153828320972016-08-25T08:34:00.003-05:002016-08-25T08:34:46.598-05:00Two Spotlights today!I have two lovely hosts today on my book world tour :-)<br />
<br />
<a href="https://sharemydestiny.blogspot.com/2016/08/truthsong-tour-excerpt-giveaway.html?showComment=1472131658478#c56652303506476791">Share My Destiny</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://mellojune.blogspot.com/2016/08/book-spotlighttruthsongbookboost-promo.html#gpluscomments">Mello and June, It's a Book Thang</a><br />
<br />
The tour is starting to wind down, and it's been lovely. Three more stops (one a review), and it will be done. In the meantime, I'm nose to the keyboard on edits for DALI.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4960084311102331186.post-85975919946843917202016-08-24T07:09:00.002-05:002016-08-24T07:09:12.319-05:00Miley the Book Junkie Reads TRUTHSONG!This is the kind of review that makes me all warm and fuzzy, and a little bit squishy.<br />
<br />
"<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 19px;">Beautifully written. Well crafted, molded, and solidified. This was high fantasy at its finest."</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; font-size: 19px;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://mileythebookjunkie.blogspot.com/2016/08/truthsong-by-elisabeth-hamill.html">The Book Junkie's Reads</a> has different interview with little ol' me today, and the review...pardon me while I smile. A lot.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4960084311102331186.post-22883628234872799162016-08-23T09:10:00.001-05:002016-08-23T09:10:54.217-05:00A Night's Dream of Books made me blush!<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://anightsdreamofbooks.blogspot.com/2016/08/excerptmini-review-giveaway-truthsong.html?showComment=1471959793900#c6564846545392939035">A Night's Dream of Books</a> gave me an amazing compliment. I'm still reeling. </div>
<b style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><br /></i></span></b>
<b style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>"I felt totally thrilled and delighted while I read this excerpt. There's a certain musical flow to the language. This reminds me of one of my favorite writers of all time -- J.R.R. Tolkien. The characters encountered here also remind me of his work. This is not a bad thing at all. It simply shows that the legacy left behind by this author has continued to bear fruit. So I would say that Hamill is a worthy successor to him! I love the whole scene, her very visual descriptions, her invention of these curious, yet beautiful creatures, the Gwaith'orn.... Everything in this excerpt gives promise of a richly-detailed world-building, with a magical, totally enthralling atmosphere. I can hardly wait to get this book, as I definitely want to read it as soon as I can! Kudos to Hamill for getting me so interested in her book with just this short excerpt!"</i></span></b><br />
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<b style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'm also </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>spotlighted <a href="https://3partnersinshopping.blogspot.com/2016/08/truthsong-songmaker-book-2-by-elisabeth.html?showComment=1471961094848#c4808984071216809453">3 Partners in Shopping</a> today. They have a ton of books on their site, so check 'em out!</b></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4960084311102331186.post-91295086400918025142016-08-22T21:25:00.003-05:002016-08-22T21:25:34.342-05:00Sneak Peek at my new work in progress, DALI!<a href="http://www.roxannerhoads.com/2016/08/interview-truthsong-by-elisabeth-hamill.html?zx=9edd348195d9aac7">Roxanne's Realm</a> has my very first interview as an author, and a little snippet of my new adult sci-fi work, DALI. It's a book I'm working on with editor Jami Nord's guidance, and I'm seriously excited about how it's shaping up under her suggestions. I can't wait to get to a point where I can start querying this one.<br />
<br />
The tour de blog continues this week, with a few reviews coming up...*bites nails*Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4960084311102331186.post-78200160305981070222016-08-18T07:45:00.004-05:002016-08-18T07:45:55.596-05:00Tour de Blog, Day Three!<a href="https://fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com/">Fang-Tastic Books</a> is my gracious host today, spotlighting my book and the rafflecopter. Stop by and see some of the great books Roxanne has on her site!<br />
<br />
I've had a lot of fun so far. Later in the tour, I'll be seeing some reviews, which is always a nail-biting experience...<br />
<br />
In between blog stops, I'm editing away madly on DALI. There just might be a sneak peek of this WIP in one of the interviews next week, so stay tuned!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4960084311102331186.post-26945526400789224152016-08-16T07:41:00.002-05:002016-08-16T07:41:28.196-05:00My blog tour goes to the UK today!<br />
<br />
Books and Kats hosts my book tour today! This one does have the pictures of my dream cast- check it out at <a href="http://katticusbookreviews.blogspot.com/2016/08/guest-post-truthsong-dream-movie-cast.html">Guest Post: Truthsong Dream Movie Cast by Elisabeth Hamill</a>.<br />
<br />
Thanks to Kat for hosting me today!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4960084311102331186.post-41185308885558120102016-08-15T08:14:00.001-05:002016-08-15T08:14:29.278-05:00TRUTHSONG book tour starts today!The fabulous Roxanne Rhoads is once again whisking me off on a blog tour!<br />
<br />
Today's stops are at <a href="http://thebooktree.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Book Tree</a> , where you get to hear who'd be my dream cast for Truthsong (although they didn't have room for the pictures. I'll post them after the tour when exclusivity is no longer an issue!)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://creativelygreen.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Creatively Green Write at Home Mom</a> has a list of my top ten favorite fantasy novels of all time. How many of yours match mine?<br />
<br />
There's a raffle copter to win a free e-copy of TRUTHSONG on all of the stops in the next two weeks, so please enter!<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4960084311102331186.post-88483048854107218982016-08-01T23:29:00.000-05:002016-08-01T23:49:43.733-05:00A new Blog series: Blood and Guts – Medical Information for Writers<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">**NOTICE** In no way is this article a tool for diagnosis or
meant to serve in lieu of a doctor’s advice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Please consult the appropriate medical personnel if it applies to you or
a loved one. It is informational only!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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There are a lot of cliches writers fall back on which have
basis in medical fact, but not necessarily accurate in the way it’s portrayed in popular
film, television and literature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a
series of blog posts, I’m going to try to help writers find balance between
dramatic license and medical fact for a variety of topics.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In my non-writing life, I am a nurse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I worked in a hospital medical-surgical
unit for seven years, a wound care clinic, a post-partum and women’s surgical
unit and briefly, school nursing. For the last three years, I’ve been a hospice
nurse. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I personally rely on dark humor to help me cope – a lot of medical personnel
do, in a ‘laugh or go crazy’ kind of way. My husband is a paramedic (he will
also help me contribute to these posts for EMS descriptions), and we kind of
…forget…that we can’t talk about the things we see when we’re out in public. The conversations we have at times would make most people flee in
self-defense. Our kids are used to this sort of thing after a lifetime of
dealing with our jobs. They just roll their eyes and tell us, “Mom, Dad—you’re
scaring the normal people.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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In later posts, my husband (we’ll call him EMT Thor) and I will address some of these processes from a trauma standpoint. “It’s Just a Flesh Wound!” will be the next topic. We’ll discuss blood loss, blunt force trauma, and cavitation injury, among other things.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We’re happy to answer questions or take requests for subjects if there is something specific you want to know. <i><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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In this post I’ll discuss natural death in general, either at the end of a long life, or due to an acute disease process. I’m going to do it as simply as possible, without a lot of gory detail. (That isn’t to say I won’t share gory detail if you think it’s critical to your writing. Just ask… and I won’t promise the rest of the articles will be quite as respectfully presented.)</div>
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<o:p> </o:p><b>Post # 1 : Realistic observations about the dying process</b></div>
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One of the things I have learned in my hospice nursing is:
death is an incredibly individual process for each patient. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
How we deal with death and dying is also a personal experience,
and there are no ‘wrong’ reactions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However…
If the subject bothers you, please stop reading now. Again, this is a
generalized description and does not necessarily happen for every individual.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Early symptoms of the
dying process<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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After a chronic illness or disease process can no longer be
controlled by medical intervention, we begin to look for trends that alert us
vital organs are beginning to be compromised.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The heart and lungs are arguably the most important organs
in the body. When they fail, every other organ falls in line. The heart
delivers oxygen-rich blood to the brain and the rest of the body after its trip
through the lungs, and if that perfusion is compromised, other organ function
begins to decline. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Common trends on </b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">vital
signs </b>at the end of life: the blood pressure goes down. The pulse goes up,
and the respirations go up. Extremely low blood pressures, usually below
80s/40s, are not unusual, and keep dropping as the body shuts down peripheral
circulation to the extremities. Hands and feet may become cool to the touch and
pulses in the wrists and feet may become weak and thready, or absent all
together, especially in the feet. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Average pulse rates for an adult are between 60 and 100. At
the end of life, the heart is working twice as hard to deliver oxygen to the
brain and vital organs, and heart rates can soar. I’ve seen them as high as 160 beats per minute in the hours before death occurs, but usually, it is somewhere between 120 and 140. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Respirations get faster as the lungs try to provide oxygen
for the blood the heart is trying to pump. Normal respirations are 12-20 for
most adults at rest. At the end of life, respirations usually are in the 30’s,
perhaps even the 40s, at rest. A person may use more of their accessory muscles
to breathe: muscles in the throat, between the ribs, and in the abdomen. Less
chest rise, more belly rise.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sometimes, we see a pattern called Cheyne-Stokes
respirations. This is a pattern of breathing that starts out shallow, works out
to a crescendo of deep breaths, tapers back to shallow, followed by a pause in
breathing called <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">apnea</b>. Then, the
whole pattern starts all over again. I’ve usually seen this in patients with
neurological compromise, like brain injuries or strokes, but it can happen to
any patient. Apnea can last up to a full minute at times.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As the brain becomes starved of oxygen, or toxic chemical
levels in the body rise due to kidney failure, something called <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">terminal restlessness</b> may occur. This
can happen hours before or even up to two weeks before death: the patient
becomes confused, delirious, can’t relax, and sometimes becomes combative. <o:p></o:p></div>
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A <b>fever</b> unrelated to infection is not uncommon during the early stages of dying, and can be quite high. The body's metabolism is changing and the thermostat is malfunctioning. </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Something else that happens as circulation begins to shut
down is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">mottling</b>. The skin develops
a diffuse, purplish discoloration as the blood pressure lacks the sufficient
hydraulic pressure to return deoxygenated blood to the cardiovascular system.
We usually see this start in areas of the body where capillaries are numerous,
such as kneecaps, the fingers and palms of the hands, and the soles of feet.
This can also happen across the bridge of the nose. It can progress to all parts
of the body. It is a clear sign the circulatory system is failing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Lividity
</b>can also happen before death—the blood pools in the lowest areas of the
body, like the buttocks. There is a clear reddish level to the skin where the
blood has settled—a bit like red liquid in a white plastic pitcher. It’s more
common for this to happen after death, but it can happen a few days before. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Death rattle” </b>refers
to sound made as fluid collects in the lungs. The circulatory system is one big
hydraulic pump. When blood pressure drops, it lacks the pressure needed to draw
interstitial fluids back into the bloodstream to be redistributed, and it goes
naturally to the paths of least resistance. The lungs are built to let oxygen
flow back and forth between tissues and the bloodstream, but fluids are not
able to move back out once this process is compromised. It may collect in the
respiratory system and cause a coarse, rattly, or even bubbling sound as the
patient breathes. Expirations may become prolonged, and that sound becomes
drawn out. Unfortunately, this may go on for days during the dying process.
Medications can be given early to dry up these secretions and keep the patient
more comfortable.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Agonal breathing, </b>or
“guppy breathing” refers to respirations that are entirely governed by reflex.
The mouth and tongue may move, the throat may flex, but very little if any air
is being drawn into the lungs. These are usually the last few breaths a person
takes. Again, each person’s death is different. Some just…stop. There simply
aren’t any more breaths after the last. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
The <b>bowels</b> can evacuate in a large movement just prior to or after death. <b>Urine</b> production generally declines as the kidneys lose their oxygenation, and while a person becomes dehydrated during the dying process. </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Quickly after death, changes begin in the body. Color drains from the face as circulation ceases. The eyes do not always stay closed, even when we move the lids into place. The jaw drops as the muscles become flaccid. We will often roll a towel beneath the chin to keep the mouth closed. A few hours after death, <b>rigor mortis </b>begins to set in and the body becomes stiff. This passes somewhere around twelve to eighteen hours after death. </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Although there are common signs and symptoms of dying most people go through, it’s never a ‘classic textbook’ experience. People die in the same way they lived—in their own time, and their own unique manner. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4960084311102331186.post-42030775696353395892016-07-26T07:28:00.000-05:002016-07-26T08:46:23.881-05:00Book release day for TRUTHSONG!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9U9zJnsAcstCl06qHI49_hBs9CEANEn56knHwD4r-9Bs2aD87lCvKhBo6utRBtDfWK-wd9WSv8dMAxvXXYb5nOIoR4FaThME_tTu7zEToc8w8geFJBy_r5-L0-PcHWcqkeVXyZIP_7CE1/s1600/Truthsong_FULL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9U9zJnsAcstCl06qHI49_hBs9CEANEn56knHwD4r-9Bs2aD87lCvKhBo6utRBtDfWK-wd9WSv8dMAxvXXYb5nOIoR4FaThME_tTu7zEToc8w8geFJBy_r5-L0-PcHWcqkeVXyZIP_7CE1/s320/Truthsong_FULL.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The sequel is here! <a href="https://goo.gl/mCz7KL">https://goo.gl/mCz7KL</a></div>
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I'm ecstatic if still a bit sleepy from working this weekend, LOL! Telyn's new adventure is released into the wild TODAY! The cover art is from Caroline Andrus of Fire and Ice YA, my partners for this second book in the Songmaker series.</div>
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Below is the acknowledgements page from the book - if your name is in this, there's a signed paperback for you. I couldn't have done it without you!</div>
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<span style="font-family: "timesnewromanps"; font-size: 14.000000pt; font-weight: 700;">Acknowledgements:
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<span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt"; font-size: 12.000000pt;">A writer only grows in their craft with the help of other writers as
</span><span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt"; font-size: 12.000000pt;">critique partners. I’d like </span><span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt"; font-size: 12.000000pt;">to acknowledge J D Abbas for her excellent
dissection of my work and help making this book submittable. Thank
you, thank you! My early beta readers are incredible assets who keep
me focused and enthusiastic with their feedback. Thank you so much
to Sandra Warner, Mark Millham, Jessica Burche, Jeri Grove, Gary
McNeff and Gina Juliano.
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<span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt"; font-size: 12.000000pt;">Thank you to my editor, Aubrey Wynne, who guided me through
the early days of internet marketing and press releases, blogs and
Twitter with my first book. She has helped me decrease my obsessive
use of emdashes and ellipses! Her skill is legendary.
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<span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt"; font-size: 12.000000pt;">Last, I must again thank my family: Mark, Michaela and Gabriel,
for recognizing how important writing is to me, sleeping in on
mornings when I get up early to write so I can have an extra hour of
solitude, and doing the never-ending laundry when Mom is in the
throes of a new book. I love you all. </span></div>
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I will be doing a book tour with the fantastic Roxanne Rhoads of Bewitching Book Tours in August, and there will be giveaways. I will be posting giveaways on Amazon and Goodreads through the month as well- both signed paperback and digital copies, so keep your eyes open! </div>
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If you haven't read the first book, it's on sale for 99 cents at Amazon, and 50% off at Smashwords through the end of July. </div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4960084311102331186.post-34891807558458822402016-07-01T11:57:00.000-05:002016-07-01T11:57:14.165-05:00Updates and Truthsong Cover Reveal!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This has been a busy year so far for me! I finished the first draft of DALI, my new adult sci fi, and got some wonderful advice and feedback from my excellent CP's and my developmental editor, the incomparable Jami Nord at Chimera Edits. I'm really stoked about it and have a self-imposed deadline to have it ready to query in September. </div>
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In between edits for DALI, I've been doing final edits for TRUTHSONG, which has a release date of July 24th. I'm excited to have this one almost in the bag. I have notes for the final book in Telyn's adventures, LORD OF THE WOOD, and I have no idea yet when that will be finished. I'm kind of obsessed with Dali at the moment, and I always work better when I'm obsessed.</div>
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But without further ado, here is the beautiful cover for TRUTHSONG, once again rendered by Caroline Andrus, cover artist extraordinaire:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAJNKQNeJPbaiGUAFpjgDaw4dZfL9Zt8_jjqh7fuQOLj2z7qodzzuznKN_RVeWfj_JacS-7URUcGYqkY2q2MLgI8eDifolFM0XsQwNC_feDirwHvdE8Mfv7PGRe_OaFvG43MVyEKNKeJXA/s1600/Truthsong_Final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAJNKQNeJPbaiGUAFpjgDaw4dZfL9Zt8_jjqh7fuQOLj2z7qodzzuznKN_RVeWfj_JacS-7URUcGYqkY2q2MLgI8eDifolFM0XsQwNC_feDirwHvdE8Mfv7PGRe_OaFvG43MVyEKNKeJXA/s320/Truthsong_Final.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4960084311102331186.post-18481562378054316102016-03-24T20:02:00.001-05:002016-03-24T20:02:14.641-05:00Lost in first draft land!Whoa, it's been way too long since I updated the blog!<br />
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I've been obsessed by a new project-- I'm working on an adult space opera/sci-fi novel with a main character who blindsided me and just started talking. I'm up to 63K with my list of scenes to write getting shorter by the day. I can't wait to get this one out of my head so I can start to edit.<br />
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<i>Truthsong </i>will be out in July or August of this year from Fire and Ice YA, and I can't wait to work with my new editor, who is a writer and mentor I admire. You know who you are.<br />
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<i>Nectar and Ambrosia</i> has seen some interest and I rewrote the first few chapters in keeping with suggestions from an editor of a small press. We will see if anything comes from that, but the nagging voice I had started the novel in the wrong place has been silenced by that rewrite. Even if they pass, I think it was a good change.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4960084311102331186.post-18323602469175890102016-01-18T21:52:00.001-06:002016-01-18T21:52:48.004-06:00The day the music diedI know I'm not a kid anymore, but last week's loss of David Bowie hit me harder than I thought it ever would. I have already lost some of the musicians I grew up with, like Freddie Mercury and Michael Jackson, but David Bowie spoke to me on so many levels it was a more personal loss.<br />
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I first fell in love with Bowie at a very young age when I saw the album cover of my aunt's copy of <i>Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars</i>. I'd never seen anyone who looked like that. He was beautiful and strange and something about his voice captivated me right away. I am pretty sure I saw the original airing of Bing Crosby's Christmas Special and falling in love with Bing and Bowie's duet of <i>The Little Drummer Boy </i>(yes, I am dating myself). And there was a weird time when my Mom's Barbara Streisand album had a cover of her singing <i>Is There Life on Mars. </i>It just goes to show the power of the songwriter that even her foray into Bowie's territory was kind of cool in a very, very odd way.<br />
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I wasn't really into that kind of music yet when I fell in love with the alien on the album cover, so years passed before I rediscovered David Bowie and <i>A Space Oddity</i> in my teens. "The Man Who Fell to Earth" was a bizarre sci-fi movie he starred in and I had the paperback novel with the stills from the film in the middle. Thanks to MTV, <i>Ashes to Ashes </i>was a visual trip into my old friend's newer music. Suddenly, everybody knew who he was. <i>Fashion, China Girl, Let's Dance, Modern Love, Blue Jean- </i>his renaissance was a thing of beauty that only continued to grow. "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence" was a beautiful film in which he played a British prisoner of war. "The Hunger" saw him portray an aging vampire. There were other films, but these were my favorites. And then came "Labyrinth".<br />
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I sneaked out of work early to see "Labyrinth"<i> </i>at the theater for a second and third time without anybody knowing. Ye gods, the man was beautiful as the Goblin King.<br />
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If you haven't seen Bowie's final masterpiece, the video for <i>Lazarus, </i>seek it out.<i> </i>It made me cry. The dying man in the bed, the artist/writer scribbling desperately to outrace mortality and continue to create...he was truly saying goodbye, although none of us knew this until after the fact, when it hit home with all too painful truth.<br />
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He was an artist who wed music to science fiction, a consummate performer who reinvented himself over and over. I'm thankful for the body of work he leaves behind.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4960084311102331186.post-89094745015855204242015-12-18T15:17:00.001-06:002015-12-18T15:17:48.820-06:00I'm Eleven Again! (NO SPOILERS)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is me right now.</div>
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Star Wars was a turning point in my life. </div>
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I was eleven that summer, and the world of science fiction had already begun to tempt me to fully join the Nerd Side. I'd read Heinlein's Tunnel in The Sky, loved Lost in Space. My main genre was still fantasy.</div>
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Then, I met Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo. It was love at first sight. I can still study the Brothers Hildebrandt poster for hours, the warm, sunset colors illuminating the abs Mark Hamill wished he had. I had a yellow t-shirt with the same iron-on transfer. I wore it until I outgrew it.</div>
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I decided I was Luke Skywalker's sister, Diana Skywalker, Jedi Knight in training. (Remember, we didn't know Leia was related yet.) My long suffering friends in the neighborhood, already used to my dead-serious games of make believe based on stuff they had never read, were dragged into my new obsession. My friend Stephanie was Biggs Darklighter's sister, of course, and we trained together in the field at the end of the street, whacking at each other with unstrung plastic archery equipment for light sabers. She was very good natured about the whole thing, but I knew she really wasn't into it.</div>
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I saw Star Wars eleven times that summer. All but maybe three or four times, I was alone.</div>
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It was then I discovered that sci-fi and fantasy fandom is sometimes a lonely thing. People don't understand you or your obsessions. When I did find somebody who knew what I was talking about, there was this great rush of joy and we could play with my Star Wars action figures and look at my bundles of trading cards. But nobody was really as 'into it' as I was. </div>
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That continued through most of my life. I'd occasionally find friends who were as obsessed as I was about my various fandoms, joined a D&D group, and did other social things with like minded people. But I was always happiest alone, writing my stories that we didn't call fanfic yet, dreaming about traveling other worlds, and re-reading my favorite books. Before the advent of the internet which made it possible for us to find Our People easily, many of us were clandestine, solitary individuals waiting for a sign that it was safe to reveal our secret obsessions.</div>
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I found friends who were like me. At last, My People! I married one of them twenty one years ago and we have been happily geeking out for that entire period.</div>
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And then, we had children. Muahahahahaha. And we warped them in our image. My daughter and I have conversations in fandomspeak that even my husband doesn't understand. </div>
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Seeing Star Wars: The Force Awakens with my family today was a joyful event. The moment that crawl and the brass fanfare came on my face started to hurt from smiling. Best of all was being able to share the 'in jokes' that JJ Abrams and crew inserted into the film. And my son, during an intensely emotional scene, putting his arm around me and saying, "It's OK, Mom." He understands my attachment to these characters, and that I have known them almost literally my entire life. </div>
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It was everything I hoped it would be. Well done, JJ. Thank you.</div>
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And I'm eleven again, even though I will turn fifty on Monday. But this time I get to share my obsession with my family and My People, all over the world. </div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4960084311102331186.post-33820449577275404772015-10-23T11:10:00.000-05:002015-10-23T17:23:15.309-05:00A study of the habits of subphylum scriba esset<br />
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Hypothesis: The height of the pile of laundry is directly proportionate to how the writer is feeling about their craft today. The higher the pile, the higher the confidence and creative flow. The writer is receiving the necessary solitude to achieve writing sublimation. Writer is happy.<br />
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Observation: Today is a laundry day. Pile has gone from a scale model of Mt. Everest to a more negligible hill. A teenaged boy is on fall break accompanied by second teenaged boy. Writer seems... cranky.<br />
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Hypothesis: The amount of questionable carbohydrates consumed is also directly proportionate to said writer's confidence. The higher the amount consumed, the lower the productivity. Caffeination is critical to productivity in obverse amounts.<br />
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Observation: Two convenience store doughnuts have been entirely consumed without discernible gagging. Meanwhile, only one caffeine infusion has been observed with no other source in sight.<br />
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Hypothesis: The closer the writer gets to their "Sunday evening" (working weekend option makes Friday Sunday. I--err, I mean some writers-- live their lives backwards from everybody else. Monday is Friday and Friday is Sunday.) Uh, sorry. What was I saying? Sheesh. Never mind.<br />
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Observation: Day job dread begins to intrude on concentration and enthusiasm.<br />
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Hypothesis: Joy and despair can exist simultaneously within a writer's heart when hearing of multiple critique partners' successes, agent offers and sales on works with which they have been involved.<br />
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Observation: Smiles and does happy dance for friends. Sniffles. Pokes inbox with a stick to see if anything falls out.<br />
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Conclusion: While<i> scriba </i><i>esset</i><i> </i>appears to be a rather fragile subphylum of <i>scriba prospere, </i>their resilience is the stuff of legend. After they are done lying face-down on the bed surrounded by chocolate wrappers, kleenex and occasionally pizza boxes, they can invariably be found pecking away obsessively at the keyboard, scribbling with deranged intensity in spiral notebooks, and composing the latest in a very long<i> </i>list of submissions and queries. The continuation of the species <i>scriba </i>is assured as they continue to nurture and support their own.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4960084311102331186.post-85299107974797950422015-10-08T14:30:00.000-05:002015-10-08T14:30:10.137-05:00Christmas Pets and Kisses Release!<h1 style="border: 0px; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Grande', Garuda, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I just finished reading <i>Dante's Gift, </i>Aubrey Wynne's contribution to this anthology. It was a lovely little short romance. Amazing! (Had to include the little blurb for <i>Rolf's Quest</i> as well, because I'm waiting for that one with great anticipation!)</span></h1>
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<em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Romance with a touch of magic… </em></h1>
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<em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">any time, any place, any century</em></h1>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Pets-Kisses-Sweet-Romances-ebook/dp/B0116IBGPM/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1436662489&sr=1-1&keywords=Christmas+Pets+and+Kisses" style="border: 0px; color: #ff7200; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="ChrstPetsKisses_ad2 copy" class="alignnone wp-image-1763" height="228" src="https://aubreywynneauthor.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/chrstpetskisses_ad2-copy.jpg?w=349&h=228" style="border: none; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="349" /></a></h3>
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<em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY and NATIONAL BESTSELLING Authors Present:</strong></em></div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">SIXTEEN ALL-NEW, NEVER-BEFORE-PUBLISHED SWEET (PG-rated) CHRISTMAS ROMANCES </strong><br /><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ring in the Christmas cheer with sixteen all-new sweet and heart-warming romances from New York Times, USA Today bestselling, and award-winning authors. Don’t miss out on this romantic collection of Christmas tails…uh, tales as adorable pets with fins, paws, feathers, and hooves bring holiday magic with the gift of true love.</strong></div>
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<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/christmas-pets-and-kisses-helen-scott-taylor-mona-risk/1122278880?ean=2940152188998" style="border: 0px; color: #ff7200; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="ChristmasPetsandKisses3D_5100by2400 copy" class="alignnone wp-image-1765" height="242" src="https://aubreywynneauthor.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/christmaspetsandkisses3d_5100by2400-copy.jpg?w=512&h=242" style="border: none; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="512" /></a></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; color: green; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Christmas Pets and Kisses</strong></span></h2>
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<strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Contemporary/Historical Romance</strong></h2>
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<strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Available Nov 6, 2015</strong></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; color: maroon; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Dante’s Gift by Aubrey Wynne</span></h2>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Aubrey-Wynne/e/B00II8QD6G/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_14" style="border: 0px; color: #ff7200; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="AubreyWynn_DantesGift_600x900 copy" class="alignnone wp-image-1792" height="378" src="https://aubreywynneauthor.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/aubreywynn_dantesgift_600x900-copy.jpg?w=257&h=378" style="border: none; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="257" /></a><br /><span style="border: 0px; color: #993300; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Seventy years ago, a collie mix brings two hearts together in war torn Italy. Will their story help their grandson find his own Christmas love?</em></span></h3>
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<em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Coming in early 2016</strong></em><em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </strong></em></h3>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Aubrey-Wynne/e/B00II8QD6G/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_14" style="border: 0px; color: #ff7200; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="600x600RolfsQuest_Ebook_MiscSize_copy" class="alignnone wp-image-1695" height="375" src="https://aubreywynneauthor.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/600x600rolfsquest_ebook_miscsize_copy.jpg?w=255&h=375" style="border: none; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="255" /></a></div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; color: #333300; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Rolf’s Quest</span></strong></h3>
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<em style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Time is running out for the royal wizard of Henry II.</strong></em> Rolf’s quest: find genuine love and lift the enchantment that has imprisoned his ancestor, Merlin, for centuries. Now he must win Melissa’s heart without the use of magic. She desires him, but will she defy her family and refuse her betrothed? Or will Rolf be doomed to a life of bitterness like his ancestors before him? Coming soon…</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4960084311102331186.post-87161239756624069702015-10-07T11:52:00.000-05:002015-10-07T11:52:01.386-05:00Coming out of the writing cave for a breath!Hey there! I do exist, I am not just a figment of my own imagination. I think.<br />
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September was a busy month both personally and professionally. This weekend I am taking a much needed break to attend the Weston Irish Festival and indulge my deep and abiding love for Celtic music and hard cider. I think I deserve a pint or two after doing two more edits of <i>Truthsong! </i>I'm also hoping to catch a nap.<br />
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Telyn's second adventure is shaping up very nicely with the help of my incredible Alpha, Janean, who whipped my first draft of <i>Truthsong</i> into shape. I have discovered with her help that people shake, nod, and otherwise make head motions far too often in my manuscript.<br />
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I cut these actions ruthlessly and came up with some other "show not tell" body language in some cases. Until someone brings things like this to your attention, it's funny how you miss them. Find and replace is an underused tool in my arsenal. I used many things I learned from Carly in conjunction with Janean's input, and the manuscript is now in the hands of some trusted Betas. I know they will help me work some more editing magic on the story and plot.<br />
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I've started brainstorming <i>Lord of the Wood, </i>which will be the final book in Telyn and Mithrais' story. But it won't be the last we see of them, I promise...ideas are popping up like crazy. <br />
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I also need to outline another book in my adult series, the Amaranthine Inheritance chronicles, in the near future. I started to work again on my fantasy romance, tentatively called <i>In Fire and Blood (</i>that's from a poem by Pablo Neruda. Seriously. Hottest poet EVER.)<br />
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Until next time! Really trying to keep up with my blog.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4960084311102331186.post-74939142467261218982015-09-09T14:43:00.000-05:002015-09-09T14:43:39.043-05:00Pitch to Publication: An amazing opportunityAs one of the winners in P2P, I won the chance to work for a month with Carly Bornstein, a freelance editor.<br />
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This experience has been one of the most satisfying writer-ly activities I've ever had. Carly was dead-on in her assessments of what NECTAR AND AMBROSIA needed in terms of character development. I'd had trouble with the main character being a bit one dimensional, but her fresh eyes on the manuscript showed me that the seeds were already there for development, conflict, and depth for the two lead characters.<br />
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This was where my inexperience as an author showed, unfortunately. Carly's advice to add more prominent character flaws and challenges made my manuscript so much better (and added greatly needed volume to my word count with the scenes I added).<br />
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Once again, the community of writers I worked with proved to be a supportive, cheerleading, commiserating bunch of disconcertingly talented people. Two of them have already garnered agent representation on their manuscripts, and there are other manuscripts so beautiful that I can't believe they won't be snapped up immediately.<br />
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I've learned that an editor is an invaluable resource, and that for a truly quality manuscript, you can't skip this step.<br />
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Huge thanks to Carly for all of her guidance, and to Samantha Fountain for bringing this whole thing to life.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4960084311102331186.post-79521903982576071262015-08-15T22:22:00.001-05:002015-08-15T22:22:32.308-05:00Lots of news!Wow, have the last couple of weeks been full of emotional highs and lows.<br />
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The high points:<br />
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1: SONG MAGICK won first place in the Dante Rossetti Awards for YA Fiction in the Fantasy category! So many thanks to <a href="http://t.co/vnf1qGXITS" target="_blank">Chanticleer Reviews</a>. I can now say that I'm an award winning author, and it feels AWESOME. I'll write more about this when I can think straight.<br />
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2: I finished the first draft of TRUTHSONG, and the raw, bleeding pages are in the hands of my alphas for plot and storyline consistency. I've started tweaking the chapters and making them not so much wordsploosh on a page so that I'll be ready to incorporate what they tell me.<br />
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3: I've received and turned around my first set of notes with my professional editor Carly Bornstein for NECTAR AND AMBROSIA. She gave me so many valuable suggestions...I spent three days revising (with one day off to spend with my best friend, who was in town from North Carolina!). I should have her in-line editing notes late next week for the next round.<br />
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Those were the emotional highs, and they were some big ones!<br />
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The lows were that two of the people I love most are battling serious health issues, one in the hospital, and one at home. If you have some good energy or prayers that can be spared, send them our way. We'd appreciate some good juju.<br />
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I promise a much better post will come soon. I'm just really tired tonight after working, but wanted to update!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1