tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22949861551772724432024-03-09T18:45:57.992-08:00Write Writing WrittenWhere attention goes...
Energy flows...
And results show.Taffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11796711977284429278noreply@blogger.comBlogger1108125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294986155177272443.post-67534391201417513862023-07-13T23:30:00.010-07:002023-07-13T23:30:00.145-07:00Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan Henry REVIEW<span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1616161736i/57099601.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="420" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1616161736i/57099601.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><div><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><br /></em></span></div><div><div style="color: black; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;">Opening: </div><div style="color: black; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;">"George Meets A Lion"</div><div style="color: black; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;">December 1950</div><div style="color: black; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;">Worcestershire, England</div><div style="color: black; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;">George Henry Devonshire is only eight years old and he already knows the truth." </div><div style="color: black; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;">This was a book from my bookclub. </div><div style="color: black; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;">I loved this story. I loved learning more about C.S. Lewis and his brother, which was in paralleled the relationship of George and his sister, Megs. It is a sweet story about relationships in families. </div></div><br /><br /></em></span><div><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><br /></em></span></div><div><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">“Where did Narnia come from?”</em></span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">The answer will change everything.</em></span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">Megs Devonshire is brilliant with numbers and equations, on a scholarship at Oxford, and dreams of solving the greatest mysteries of physics.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">She prefers the dependability of facts—except for one: the younger brother she loves with all her heart doesn’t have long to live. When George becomes captivated by a copy of a brand-new book called </span><em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe</em><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"> and begs her to find out where Narnia came from, there’s no way she can refuse.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">Despite her timidity about approaching the famous author, Megs soon finds herself taking tea with the Oxford don and his own brother, imploring them for answers. What she receives instead are more stories . . . stories of Jack Lewis’s life, which she takes home to George.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><div><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">Why won’t Mr. Lewis just tell her plainly what George wants to know? The answer will reveal to Meg many truths that science and math cannot, and the gift she thought she was giving to her brother—the story behind Narnia—turns out to be his gift to her, instead: hope.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Taffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11796711977284429278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294986155177272443.post-10349741189726807532023-07-06T23:30:00.001-07:002023-07-06T23:30:00.137-07:00A Seperate Peace by John Knowles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://d1b14unh5d6w7g.cloudfront.net/0743253973.01.S001.LXXXXXXX.jpg?Expires=1686095822&Signature=cKcl~EwXtqI~7c31Trag3LgvSGrqTcHNVdqrqa2je0GFb5QJzeDP-5cL1b3Ux9A6RgGzIH3u0fkfwNJSpzryIsieFxT3VU9bkDfyPC6gwJIBBD1W37uEFEiKfq5oEDrAzNy2H9jaUzduXHz1BDRG5Bioy1ZexGjVOIxqwEmKafY_&Key-Pair-Id=APKAIUO27P366FGALUMQ" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="522" height="320" src="https://d1b14unh5d6w7g.cloudfront.net/0743253973.01.S001.LXXXXXXX.jpg?Expires=1686095822&Signature=cKcl~EwXtqI~7c31Trag3LgvSGrqTcHNVdqrqa2je0GFb5QJzeDP-5cL1b3Ux9A6RgGzIH3u0fkfwNJSpzryIsieFxT3VU9bkDfyPC6gwJIBBD1W37uEFEiKfq5oEDrAzNy2H9jaUzduXHz1BDRG5Bioy1ZexGjVOIxqwEmKafY_&Key-Pair-Id=APKAIUO27P366FGALUMQ" width="210" /></a></div><p>Opening:</p><p>"I went back to Devon School not long ago, and found it looking oddly newer than when I was a student there 15 years ago." </p><p>I listened to this book after reading Once Upon a Wardrobe. The book was mentioned and since I enjoyed that book, I thought I'd give Separate Peace a go. </p><p>A classic coming-of-age story about boys at a prep school. It's about the popular boy who instigates crazy shenanigans and pulls everyone into the whirlwind with him. </p><p>The popular kid starts a club; pulls the newbie nerd along; it's fun and games before it's not; things go awry; lies are told; pride is hurt; friends are no longer friends.</p><p>WWII is on the horizon, but the boys at the school are sheltered and don't believe anything is actually happening, not until a few classmates don't come back to school. Reality of childhood mets reality of adulthood. It's hard to read about the end of a childhood. </p><p><br /></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">An American classic and great bestseller for over thirty years, </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">A Separate Peace</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> is timeless in its description of adolescence during a period when the entire country was losing its innocence to the second world war.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Set at a boys boarding school in New England during the early years of World War II, </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">A Separate Peace</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> is a harrowing and luminous parable of the dark side of adolescence. Gene is a lonely, introverted intellectual. Phineas is a handsome, taunting, daredevil athlete. What happens between the two friends one summer, like the war itself, banishes the innocence of these boys and their world.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">A bestseller for more than thirty years, </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">A Separate Peace</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> is John Knowles crowning achievement and an undisputed American classic.</span></p>Taffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11796711977284429278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294986155177272443.post-52728372981387533172023-06-29T23:30:00.001-07:002023-06-29T23:30:00.136-07:00The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea Axie Oh REVIEW<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1616788834i/56978100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="522" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1616788834i/56978100.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></p>Opening: </span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">"The myths of my people say only a true bride of the Sea God can bring an end of his insatiable wrath." </span></p><p>Beautiful, colorful, intriguing story that drew me in from the beginning...well, not from the very beginning, I must admit. It took me a couple of chapters and a couple of attempts to get fully immersed in this tale. I'm glad I gave it a second try, because it was worth it. <br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Deadly storms have ravaged Mina’s homeland for generations. Floods sweep away entire villages, while bloody wars are waged over the few remaining resources. Her people believe the Sea God, once their protector, now curses them with death and despair. In an attempt to appease him, each year a beautiful maiden is thrown into the sea to serve as the Sea God’s bride, in the hopes that one day the “true bride” will be chosen and end the suffering.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Many believe that Shim Cheong, the most beautiful girl in the village—and the beloved of Mina’s older brother Joon—may be the legendary true bride. But on the night Cheong is to be sacrificed, Joon follows Cheong out to sea, even knowing that to interfere is a death sentence. To save her brother, Mina throws herself into the water in Cheong’s stead.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Swept away to the Spirit Realm, a magical city of lesser gods and mythical beasts, Mina seeks out the Sea God, only to find him caught in an enchanted sleep. With the help of a mysterious young man named Shin—as well as a motley crew of demons, gods and spirits—Mina sets out to wake the Sea God and bring an end to the killer storms once and for all.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">But she doesn’t have much time: A human cannot live long in the land of the spirits. And there are those who would do anything to keep the Sea God from waking…</span></p>Taffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11796711977284429278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294986155177272443.post-33697567520453663612023-06-23T00:30:00.002-07:002023-06-23T00:30:00.134-07:00Madly, Deeply: The Diaries of Alan Rickman REVIEW<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1658244851i/59808451.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="263" height="400" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1658244851i/59808451.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Opening:</p><p>"Foreward</p><p>The most remarkable thing about the first days after Alan died, was the number of actors, poets, musicians, playwrights and directors who wanted to express their gratitude for all the help he'd given them."</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.denofgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/alan-rickman-best-acting-roles.jpg?resize=768%2C432" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="768" height="226" src="https://www.denofgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/alan-rickman-best-acting-roles.jpg?resize=768%2C432" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>I LOVED this book. I loved the insights from his diaries. The only bad part of listening to the book was I didn't get to see the photos. <p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Alan was a favorite actor of mine in so many movies. Some of my favorites: </p><p>Sense and Sensibility </p><p>Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves</p><p>Harry Potter</p><p>Galaxy Quest</p><p>Quigley Down Under</p><p>Die Hard</p><p>The Butler</p><p><br /></p><p><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">From his breakout role in </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Die Hard</i><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"> to his outstanding, multifaceted performances in the </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Harry Potter</i><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"> films, </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Galaxy Quest</i><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">, </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves</i><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">, and more, Alan Rickman cemented his legacy as a world-class actor. His air of dignity, his sonorous voice, and the knowing wit he brought to each role continue to captivate audiences today.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">But Rickman’s ability to breathe life into projects wasn't confined to just his performances. As you'll find, Rickman's diaries detail the extraordinary and the ordinary, flitting between worldly and witty and gossipy, while remaining utterly candid throughout. He takes us inside his home, on trips with friends across the globe, and on the sets of films and plays ranging from </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Sense and Sensibility</i><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">, to Noël Coward's </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Private Lives</i><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">, to the final film he directed, </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">A Little Chaos</i><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">Running from 1993 to his death in 2016, the diaries provide singular insight into Rickman's public and private life. Reading them is like listening to Rickman chatting to a close companion. Meet Rickman the consummate professional actor, but also the friend, the traveler, the fan, the director, the enthusiast; in short, the man beyond the icon.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Madly, Deeply</i><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"> features a photo insert, a foreword by Emma Thompson, and an afterword by Rima Horton.</span></p>Taffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11796711977284429278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294986155177272443.post-58383780261675382682023-06-22T00:30:00.001-07:002023-06-22T00:30:00.150-07:00Intelligent Leadership: What You Need to Know to Unlock Your Full Potential REVIEW<p>Opening:</p><p>In a breakthrough executive global research that I conducted with my colleague, Bonnie Haggmann, we clearly confirmed that identifying and developing high-potential and emerging leaders is and will continue to be one of the top business issues facing CEOs. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1359979311l/16284292.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="320" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1359979311l/16284292.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><p>I always read any self-help books with a grain of salt. I learned a lot that helped me rethink how I work and how I can do better. I started a new position in June of last year and I love it! I love taking the program to new heights and new ideas. This book helped me with a few bumps in the job. </p><p><br /></p><p>The book talks about outer core consists of 9 strategic and tactical leadership competencies and skills to be a successful leader: </p><p>1. Critical thinking</p><p>2. decision making</p><p>3. strategic thinking</p><p> 1. Create a compelling vision</p><p> 2. Define a viable mission</p><p> 3. Develop Synergistic Strategies</p><p> 4. Creating Quantifiable Goals</p><p>4. Emotional leadership</p><p> Self-awareness; self-management; motivational empathy; social skills</p><p>5. Communication skills</p><p>6. talent leadership</p><p>7. team leadership</p><p>8. change leadership</p><p>9. drive for results</p><p>And the inner core consists of intrapersonal and interpersonal elements. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Taffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11796711977284429278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294986155177272443.post-63880147223934250912023-06-20T00:00:00.042-07:002023-06-20T00:00:00.139-07:00Kindergarten at 60 by Dian Seidel PUBLISH DATE!<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiGL3T2-fqaz374u7TI-3Oj9mE5ecml2N8iid3LwnEK5-EZfIhxD6GC96wn-mO3qVdvif_dpAJJ2YaXHrOv5iA2pxJ7uMrqun4c0hL2N8KZnm1Bbe97R_sKoqClEjXEYk5l8ZoGPsAU07yU-kotqRGKQ3ul7XWhgKXtvAeN23B67luvyZ8q7LxzdR07FA" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="415" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiGL3T2-fqaz374u7TI-3Oj9mE5ecml2N8iid3LwnEK5-EZfIhxD6GC96wn-mO3qVdvif_dpAJJ2YaXHrOv5iA2pxJ7uMrqun4c0hL2N8KZnm1Bbe97R_sKoqClEjXEYk5l8ZoGPsAU07yU-kotqRGKQ3ul7XWhgKXtvAeN23B67luvyZ8q7LxzdR07FA" width="156" /></a></div><span style="text-align: left;">Teaching kindergarten in Thailand wasn't the job Dian Seidel had in mind when, at age sixty and craving adventure, she convinced her husband that they should try working abroad. But coping with rambunctious children, sweltering heat, and Covid-19 turned out to be the challenge she needed. Struggling to understand Thai culture, their school, and their marriage, could she learn Thailand's essential lesson: mai pen rai, don't worry, keep cool?</span></div><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;">Part travel memoir and part second act story, KINDERGARTEN AT <span style="text-align: justify;">60 is a retirement tale like none other. With gentle humor and </span>polished prose, Seidel explores universal themes via the adventures of everyday life. Job-hunting retirees confront age restrictions. A couple navigates 24/7 togetherness for the first time in their lives.</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p class="p2" style="color: white; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 49px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Kindergarten a</p><p class="p2" style="color: white; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 49px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">t 6</p><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><p class="p3" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 11px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCVbZ-2wSjQjfgdFUjVz4jx_PskD8DxYBSo-NywrAf2Hc3P8B3LdhLiZG8eWNJAgnqKS7iaHKFR3Bd3iRPHhrDR9v8OS5icwMVSQeTdOvCHn4c2wwR8ZGJn6PF3hw8vtcBtfhIh-0Y8JjJbnd-DCS5bLZPy9CZHxPQ3sgzk1iuLRrddBR-4De01RuxCw" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="845" data-original-width="676" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCVbZ-2wSjQjfgdFUjVz4jx_PskD8DxYBSo-NywrAf2Hc3P8B3LdhLiZG8eWNJAgnqKS7iaHKFR3Bd3iRPHhrDR9v8OS5icwMVSQeTdOvCHn4c2wwR8ZGJn6PF3hw8vtcBtfhIh-0Y8JjJbnd-DCS5bLZPy9CZHxPQ3sgzk1iuLRrddBR-4De01RuxCw" width="192" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span>Before her unexpected "second act" teaching kindergarten in Thailand, Dian Seidel was </span><span>a climate scientist at NOAA. Her research contributed to the 2007 Nobel Peace Prizewinning </span><span>Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.</span><span> Originally from Massachusetts, </span><span>she now lives in the Washington, DC, area, where she teaches English as a second l</span><span>anguage and Iyengar yoga.</span></span></div><p></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Her writing has appeared in Passager, Anak Sastra, Lucky Jefferson, Pen in Hand, The New</span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span>York Times, and Bethesda Magazine. She loves crossword puzzles, book clubs, open ocean </span><span>swimming, and the heart of a ripe watermelon on an August afternoon.</span></span></p><p class="p4" style="color: white; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Dian Seidel</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span>Professionals accustomed to working with adults are overwhelmed, and charmed, by a passel of two-, </span><span>three-, and four-year-olds. An introvert struggles to forge cross-cultural and cross-generational friendships. </span><span>Americans face the challenges of the five-tone Thai language and five-alarm Thai chilies.</span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span>Seidel's heartwarming story offers a unique perspective on contemporary Thailand and introduces readers to </span><span>an unforgettable cast of characters at Pathum Thani Prep. Join the journey, meet the kids, and experience</span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">KINDERGARTEN AT 60.</span></p><p class="p5" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Author: Dian Seidel ○ Publisher: Apprentice House Press ○ Release date: June 20, 2023 ○ Format: Hardcover,</span></p><p class="p5" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Paperback, eBook ○ ISBN: 978-1-62720-446-0 Paperback, 978-1-62720-447-7 Ebook ○ Price: $18.99</span></p><p class="p5" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">paperback, $6.49 eBook ○ Pages: 285 ○ Distribution: Ingram ○ Genre: Memoir</span></p><p class="p5" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Publicity Contact: Emily Keough, emily@mindbuckmedia.com</span></p><p class="p6" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Credit Photographer Derek Parks</span></p><p class="p6" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p7" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">Praise For </span><span style="font-size: xx-large; text-align: left;">Kindergarten at 60</span></p><p class="p7" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: xx-large; text-align: left;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">"This delightful and inspiring work recounts an important and forever altering time in the</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">author's life."</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">—The BookLife Prize</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">"Dian Seidel turned the page on an eminent career in climate science to embark on a completely</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">different pursuit: teaching English to children in Thailand. There is a wisdom and warmth here in</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">discovering adventure at an age when that word has departed most people’s vocabularies. They</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">say learning a language stretches the mind. What happens when that is combined with</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">immersion in a completely different culture on the other side of the world? Seidel presents her</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">adventure in a series of vignettes, seeing big picture issues through the lens of a kindergarten</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">classroom. She emerges from her trial with strength and grace and gentleness."</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">—David Goodrich, author of A Hole in the Wind:</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">A Climate Scientist's Bicycle Journey Across the United States</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">"Former climate scientist Dian Seidel chronicles her revelations as she and her husband Steve</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">teach kindergarten in Thailand. While realizing that life past 60 is full of adventures, they try to</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">embrace the Thai philosophy of mai pen rai, or relax and enjoy what life brings. This well-written</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">travelogue will appeal particularly to people looking forward to the next chapter of their lives."</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">—Blythe Grossberg, Psy.D., author of I Left My Homework in the Hamptons</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">"Kindergarten at 60 is a beautifully written memoir with the perfect touch of humor. It is a joy to</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">join Dian Seidel on her five-month assignment teaching children in Pathum Thani, a place far</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">from home. Simultaneously teacher and student, she learns valuable lessons about herself from</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">her young Thai students. The heart of Kindergarten at 60 is an endearing love story of a retired</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">couple enjoying the adventure together. Thank you, Teacher Dian for taking us on this journey.</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Khop khun kha."</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">—Michelle Paris, author of New Normal</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p8" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: xx-large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">"Dian Seidel gives us a delightful glimpse into Thailand and its culture, reminding us that we can</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">find adventure in post-retirement years. Her memoir brings to life the commonalities of children</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">around the world and the struggles of teachers everywhere."</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">—Sarah Birnbach, author of A Daughter's Kaddish:</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">My Year of Grief, Devotion, and Healing</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">"When it’s time to retire from a structured life, what do you do? In Dian Seidel’s book,</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Kindergarten at 60, she invites you to join her and her husband in their voyage into the unknown</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">language, culture, history and social values of Thailand. Kindergarten at 60 is an interesting mix of</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">the challenges and adventure they find along with the heartwarming discovery of the children</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">and fellow international teachers they bond with during their stay."</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">—Tom Crowley, author Mercy’s Heroes and Bangkok Gamble</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">"A heartwarming, informative and inspiring memoir about our ability to learn at any age through</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">our willingness to serve and open our hearts to the new and unexpected."</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">—Nina Wise, performance artist</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">"A charming tale of a second act and self-discovery in a far-off tropical clime. Dian Seidel did</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">what the rest of us only talk about."</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">—John Burgess, author of Angkor’s Temples in the Modern Era:</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">War, Pride, and Tourist Dollars</p><p class="p8" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 43px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p>Taffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11796711977284429278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294986155177272443.post-30605802752510855122023-06-20T00:00:00.019-07:002023-06-20T00:00:00.138-07:00Books, authors and friends<div><span style="background-color: white; color: #374151; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">A book launch is an exciting moment for any author. It's a time to celebrate the culmination of months or even years of hard work, and what better way to make it truly special than by sharing it with friends and local artists?</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #374151; font-family: georgia;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #374151; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ZhIXrOxgjwqsqTZEIZE_qrCax8u5JyqAH9wO8CIK9QFsEEnCw8f96JWFMfVHn7V-exNTGzAdtFSk18GKbWReW2FcYZzYAm3zZr3EPLCqVZawRnaUZAWMFohx8LCB-PQ3Rmu9OO-3qwU-cMuJHZXtDed2mJugHUSn8aPKlOwQq-6IZKVEvre2O3pvbg/s1280/heather.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Me (Taffy), Rosalyn Eves, Heather B. Moore" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ZhIXrOxgjwqsqTZEIZE_qrCax8u5JyqAH9wO8CIK9QFsEEnCw8f96JWFMfVHn7V-exNTGzAdtFSk18GKbWReW2FcYZzYAm3zZr3EPLCqVZawRnaUZAWMFohx8LCB-PQ3Rmu9OO-3qwU-cMuJHZXtDed2mJugHUSn8aPKlOwQq-6IZKVEvre2O3pvbg/w320-h240/heather.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #374151; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">I've known these two lovely ladies for quite a few years now. Rosalyn Eves and Heather b.Moore are both remarkable writers, amazing mentors and superbly intelligent. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Heather and I attended Rosalyn's book launch for her newest book, An Improbable Season. Rosalyn told her audience that she wrote this book for herself. Plus, she wanted to try this genre. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">This story is her first attempt at a regency romance, and she did very well! If you like regency, you'll enjoy Rosalyn's book!</span></div><div><br /></div><div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1657645253i/59749399.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="517" height="260" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1657645253i/59749399.jpg" width="168" /></a></div><br />Opening:<p></p><p>Oxfordshire, late February 1817</p><p>Charis Elphinstone was missing.</p><p><br /></p><p><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">When Thalia, Kalliope, and Charis set off to Regency London for their first Season, they know exactly what they want. </span></p><p><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">Thalia means to make her mark among the intelligentsia and publish her poetry. Her sister, Kalli, aims to take high society by storm, with parties and gowns galore and a proper husband at the end of it all.</span></p><p><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"> Their cousin Charis hopes to earn her place among the (nearly exclusively male) scientific elite. But it doesn’t take long for things to fall apart. Kalli finds herself embroiled in scandal and reliant upon an arranged marriage to redeem her reputation, Thalia’s dreams of becoming a great poet are threatened by her attraction to a charming rake, and Charis finds herself an unexpected social hit—and the source of a scientific dilemma that her heart might not survive. </span></p><p><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></p><p><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">Can these young women find their happily ever afters in this turbulent London Season?</span></p></div>Taffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11796711977284429278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294986155177272443.post-68566566593849703992023-06-12T23:30:00.004-07:002023-06-12T23:30:00.133-07:00Orchid Child Paperback by Victoria Costello DEBUT!<blockquote class="" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; text-size-adjust: auto;" type="cite"><div class=""><div class="" dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><span class="" id="m_-6404926085320956447m_-5423541387492033314m_-251673494116145414m_-3905147175777805892gmail-docs-internal-guid-2f7f909c-7fff-a327-5ca2-b53c7e020526"><div class="" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span class="" style="border: none; clear: left; display: inline-block; float: left; height: 294px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; overflow: hidden; width: 196px;"><img class="" height="294" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/A-1UTP7gIDh4hMbb_ibKz9vDpRGliO6LLeKX996mtY3BleixWeOCkLW8PWizN2JrRgfHzk5NsmoWStw_l8uqPgUdUWjBWBrkhXJlYRQBWR_8B5Axq8TTVBj8iTfUTRoaMUSrwM_E3OFK58jFTPXdrRPU5jhM6ATaHutEt04m9dQa-e0kM6VLyCeURrj9uQ" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="196" /></span><span class="" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the wake of a scandalous affair, Kate’s budding career in neuroscience crashes. Suddenly, she's transported into a life that her grandmother predicted for her—raising her schizoaffective nephew and embracing an unknown destiny to save their family. </span> </div></span></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote class="" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; text-size-adjust: auto;" type="cite"><div class=""><div class="" dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><span class="" id="m_-6404926085320956447m_-5423541387492033314m_-251673494116145414m_-3905147175777805892gmail-docs-internal-guid-2f7f909c-7fff-a327-5ca2-b53c7e020526"><div class="" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span class="" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Refusing to accept that this fate is "unfortunate," Kate takes a job studying a neurodiversity phenomenon in their family’s homeland in West Ireland. The plan: get Kate’s career back on track and give Teague a chance at a normal life. However, this only becomes more complicated when a local Druid chief notices Teague's gift of second sight when the voices of his ancestors start speaking to him. Will Kate be able to accept the limits of science and the power of their ancestral ties, or will she let modern practices interfere with their family’s ancient magic and doom them both?</span></div><br class="" /><div class="" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span class="" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div><br class="" /><div class="" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span class="" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Victoria Costello’s debut novel is a riveting story of healing f</span><span class="" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">amilial</span><span class="" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> pain, mythical secrets, and destiny. Costello has previously authored and coauthored six popular nonfiction books for Penguin, Hazelden, and Adams Media. Using her work in </span><span class="" style="color: #0f1111; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">psychology and mental wellness to inspire her past titles, her writing is elegant, compelling, and profound. </span></div></span></div></div></div></blockquote>Taffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11796711977284429278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294986155177272443.post-44251237645681732272023-06-07T14:59:00.001-07:002023-06-07T14:59:00.137-07:00Me Before You Jojo Moyes<div class="separator"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Opening:</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Prologue</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">When he emerges from the bathroom, she is awake, propped against the pillows and flicking through the travel brochures that were besides his bed. </span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://target.scene7.com/is/image/Target/GUEST_b7024175-51a8-4861-b267-81095377d8b6?wid=800&hei=800&qlt=80&fmt=pjpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="210" src="https://target.scene7.com/is/image/Target/GUEST_b7024175-51a8-4861-b267-81095377d8b6?wid=800&hei=800&qlt=80&fmt=pjpeg" width="210" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>I have to confess: I didn't watch the movie until this year. I knew what it was about and how it ended and I wasn't sure I could handle it. When I finally did watch it, I loved it. And I finally read the book and loved it as well. The characters, the storyline, the humaness, the banter. I loved the banter. </div></span></div><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1665087720i/17347634.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="489" data-original-width="317" height="314" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1665087720i/17347634.jpg" width="204" /></a></div></div><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">They had nothing in common until love gave them everything to lose...</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life - steady boyfriend, close family - who has never been farther afield than their tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex-Master of the Universe Will Traynor, who is wheelchair bound after an accident. Will has always lived a huge life - big deals, extreme sports, worldwide travel - and now he’s pretty sure he cannot live the way he is.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Will is acerbic, moody, bossy - but Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected. When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, she sets out to show him that life is still worth living.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;"><span class="a-text-italic" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic !important;">A Love Story</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"> for this generation, </span><span class="a-text-italic" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic !important;">Me Before You</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"> brings to life two people who couldn’t have less in common - a heartbreakingly romantic novel that asks, What do you do when making the person you love happy also means breaking your own heart?</span></p>Taffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11796711977284429278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294986155177272443.post-70716886467452242962023-06-05T14:48:00.002-07:002023-06-05T14:48:28.702-07:00The Four Tendencies: The Indispensable Personality Profiles That Reveal How to Make Your Life Better by Gretchen Rubin REVIEW<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1501487753i/33566873.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="442" height="181" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1501487753i/33566873.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div>Opening:<br /><br /><div>I didn't realize it at the time, but when I walked through the door of the Atlantic Grill restaurant one blustery winter afternoon, I was heading to one of the most significant conversations of my life."<p></p><p>I always read self-help books with a grain of salt, only that in every human is different. At the same time, I take a little piece of each book and learn a little more about myself and my friends and family. <br /></p><p>In this book, the author narrows down 4 tendencies we each might have: Upholder, Obliger, Rebel and Questioner. I'm a Rebel. I have a hard time being told what to do and how to do it. I self-sabotage when I tell myself to do something then I rebel and tell myself I'm not going to do it. LOL But understanding this I can see how to overcome my own rebelling. </p><p>I think this book can help anyone who wants to understand themselves or others better. </p></div>Taffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11796711977284429278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294986155177272443.post-45764991719977547782021-02-12T23:30:00.002-08:002021-02-12T23:30:01.182-08:00All in the name of love (a poem) by Taffy<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://images.pexels.com/photos/307791/pexels-photo-307791.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&dpr=1&w=500" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="500" src="https://images.pexels.com/photos/307791/pexels-photo-307791.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&dpr=1&w=500" /></a></b></div><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;"><br /></span></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;"> </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;">Soulmate<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;"> Stalemate<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;"> Checkmate<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;">All in the name of love<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;">Winning<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;"> Losing<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;"> A tie<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;">All in the game of love<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;"> </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;">Near myself<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;"> The epicenter<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;"> Of my soul<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;"> Of my heart<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;"> Of me<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;">Waiting<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;"> Wanting<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;"> Willing<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;">Capable of love<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;"> </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;">Soaring<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;"> Floating<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;"> Flying<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;">Capable with love<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;"> </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;">My heart stills <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;"> The epicenter<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;"> In my room<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;"> In my universe<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;"> In you<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;">My heart stills<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;"> At the thumping of your heart<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>Taffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11796711977284429278noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294986155177272443.post-82606682391935444032021-01-17T23:30:00.003-08:002021-01-17T23:30:02.330-08:00Joy ( a poem) by Taffy<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="604" src="https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2015/07/03/15/46/wallpaper-830417__340.jpg" /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;">What of joy? <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;"> Do we have it<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;">What of love? <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;"> Do we need it<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;">What of sacrifice?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;"> Where is it<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;">Why read fairy tales? <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;"> We need them<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;">Why read poems?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;"> We have them<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;">Why love?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;"> Where are you</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Bright", serif;"><br /></span></b></p>Taffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11796711977284429278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294986155177272443.post-20338568979910863002021-01-03T23:30:00.000-08:002021-01-03T23:30:00.387-08:00Happiness <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgZXUI3bL4nwbbHkGjeEppn6ZOM0mTwc-js2UmI_I2tJlBtbs5eRJaV5Pdj61Jw8gzn3Qq9DoR3EJsCce8svgaJlPPBz7LQt4D7wfEyiCRmtXs_wmCZKlhrsOxQdNwxy5BukC2kS3JPVOUZyPuqxbIqHRFDduqxC-l-Kat3C208dCero1rAuNI44Ni26g=s800" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="733" data-original-width="800" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgZXUI3bL4nwbbHkGjeEppn6ZOM0mTwc-js2UmI_I2tJlBtbs5eRJaV5Pdj61Jw8gzn3Qq9DoR3EJsCce8svgaJlPPBz7LQt4D7wfEyiCRmtXs_wmCZKlhrsOxQdNwxy5BukC2kS3JPVOUZyPuqxbIqHRFDduqxC-l-Kat3C208dCero1rAuNI44Ni26g=w500-h458" width="500" /></a></div>Taffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11796711977284429278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294986155177272443.post-9450746034788443542020-12-07T00:20:00.000-08:002020-12-07T00:20:02.609-08:00Regret is an eternal question <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgYLcRycqQ36b6-Y_xudsRMTrz6QIZMdK8Fw3uFOSNBjsmsvum3hUIHg_kTpw3I6UgGKNM5J_4HcQFYMMwEg2B5sUj9rCR8KXTVHG9dPCFQ1u9a10HznDlv_lKKQmtuFivorIWlZOXwg4-FN7EMmzNJuqtSlCHtmI0JgL1QkQwHTbOF5d89vLb1cj57kavpOMTa9z7vl-6nutV00moF6n1SB7YHwge2QEGp6QRm-mLJTgWDXUsp1gEEkvpSc7wibPSNqbcwDSpjs7XuDUFv0iZ41eT7h4C5UgOH_K65v07XcS73_mLLpewWu7C9N-7g9SfFhEhCEwhAEWmN_nGCeQY3QoJLEuQUvrYSysBxsqGGitWpb3NW2Eq_KFGh_e4LoNaJ5YkehyrWHe1YWBQiljYsEJ5qT93W7u-ww7z2rpccC5W4tv1oyAhOq9CCkV1EX3PqZ2NzWgEm7ft3gqkxiDOKXOWv5yBPyAQbxVopYvLDPAe-eM00f58ugEzC=s336" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="192" data-original-width="336" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgYLcRycqQ36b6-Y_xudsRMTrz6QIZMdK8Fw3uFOSNBjsmsvum3hUIHg_kTpw3I6UgGKNM5J_4HcQFYMMwEg2B5sUj9rCR8KXTVHG9dPCFQ1u9a10HznDlv_lKKQmtuFivorIWlZOXwg4-FN7EMmzNJuqtSlCHtmI0JgL1QkQwHTbOF5d89vLb1cj57kavpOMTa9z7vl-6nutV00moF6n1SB7YHwge2QEGp6QRm-mLJTgWDXUsp1gEEkvpSc7wibPSNqbcwDSpjs7XuDUFv0iZ41eT7h4C5UgOH_K65v07XcS73_mLLpewWu7C9N-7g9SfFhEhCEwhAEWmN_nGCeQY3QoJLEuQUvrYSysBxsqGGitWpb3NW2Eq_KFGh_e4LoNaJ5YkehyrWHe1YWBQiljYsEJ5qT93W7u-ww7z2rpccC5W4tv1oyAhOq9CCkV1EX3PqZ2NzWgEm7ft3gqkxiDOKXOWv5yBPyAQbxVopYvLDPAe-eM00f58ugEzC=w625-h358" width="625" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Taffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11796711977284429278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294986155177272443.post-43102120232732501862020-11-30T23:30:00.001-08:002020-11-30T23:30:00.397-08:00Welcome December!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg51iH2UTBDhyAkjxbLP8Xatqm6JWSp_FEd7SQ8Af37Quaf2QCsgKTpSbtDjQUNeJtM9xbptwHN4oVmWKY0fVaJBgyw5OoBHp3-RWx_Lr33RHXJylUpbyLtezqDpPH9SAe2nxeooWuYxzj4/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="259" data-original-width="194" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg51iH2UTBDhyAkjxbLP8Xatqm6JWSp_FEd7SQ8Af37Quaf2QCsgKTpSbtDjQUNeJtM9xbptwHN4oVmWKY0fVaJBgyw5OoBHp3-RWx_Lr33RHXJylUpbyLtezqDpPH9SAe2nxeooWuYxzj4/w480-h640/image.png" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Taffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11796711977284429278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294986155177272443.post-69286603589299515532020-11-29T23:30:00.023-08:002020-11-29T23:30:02.780-08:00THE LOST WONDERLAND DIARIES by J. Scott Savage <p><span id="freeText14785445895051384788" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1582193254l/51253512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="554" height="320" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1582193254l/51253512.jpg" width="222" /></a></b></div><b><i><br />Something monstrous wants to exit Wonderland and enter the real world.</i></b><i><br /><br />Lewis Carroll, author of the classic book Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, secretly recorded the true story of his actual travels to Wonderland in four journals which have been lost to the world . . . until now.<br /><br />Celia and Tyrus discover the legendary Lost Diaries of Wonderland and fall into a portal that pulls them into the same fantasy world as the White Rabbit and the Mad Hatter. However, Wonderland has vastly changed. Some of the characters that Tyrus remembers from the book have been transformed into angry monsters.<br /><br />Helped by the Cheshire Cat and a new character, Sylvan, a young rabbit, Celia and Tyrus desperately work to solve puzzles and riddles, looking for a way out of Wonderland. But the danger increases when the Queen of Hearts begins hunting them, believing the two young visitors hold the key to opening multiple portals to multiple worlds, and she will stop at nothing to capture them.<br /><br />Will the crazed creatures of Wonderland escape into the real world? Can Celia and Tyrus stop them and save both worlds? Or will they be trapped in Wonderland forever?</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><i> </i></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b>Opening line:</b></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b>"Is it time?"</b></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">What a funny, strange, laugh-out-loud ride in a fantasy world created by Carroll and Savage! Celia and Tyrus are thrust into the iconic world of Wonderland, thanks to one of Carroll's lost diaries. Tyrus is a reader, loves imagination, and understands the world. Celia loves math and logic and not reading since she has dyslexia. </span></span></p><p><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">I LOVED all the different areas of Wonderland the two characters had to get through by solving puzzles. I LOVED the puzzles! Except the math ones, which went over my head but that doesn't mean I'm not logical. haha! </span></span></p><p><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">I believe any reader, young or mature, would love this book. It's compelling, smart and intriguing. </span></span></p><p><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">I have a couple of favorite quotes from the book:</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><i>""Now then," Judge Dodo said, "having heard the evidence, it is my duty to inform you that, should you be found guilty, you are subject to swift and just punishment up to and including name-calling, hair-pulling, button-pushing and being forced to listen to bad karaoke.""</i></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">I had to reread that part a couple of times and I laughed every time. </span></span></p><p><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><i>""I don't read books because I have to," he said, in a stunned voice. "I read them because I want to." </i></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b>LOVE IT!</b></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">And one last one, which is my favorite and sums up this book loverliest:</span></span></p><p><br /></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Thank you to netgalley and Shadow Mountain for the early read!</span></p><div><br /></div><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></p>Taffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11796711977284429278noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294986155177272443.post-8702398562367286442020-11-22T23:30:00.000-08:002020-11-22T23:30:04.613-08:00The Psychology of What Your Character Wants by Erin Steward #storymakers class notes<div style="text-align: center;"><b>This was an excellent class on the psychology of need! </b></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgkPODHPf0Iz_1cpRoFLNoAe1nMwOToTK66k0lLChfho-0RweiCpaxbaYv8tp6whKNpBpuSXiGuXuoYQx6KANCm051jat1b9_aOdyZBBoesJpsuKSJNfHn3N_umZ9ZuN8Y2kFUeaVAeBCw63Z2-8A-japUOjOHGqLTbCQv9Xgfr=s2000" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1052" data-original-width="2000" height="329" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgkPODHPf0Iz_1cpRoFLNoAe1nMwOToTK66k0lLChfho-0RweiCpaxbaYv8tp6whKNpBpuSXiGuXuoYQx6KANCm051jat1b9_aOdyZBBoesJpsuKSJNfHn3N_umZ9ZuN8Y2kFUeaVAeBCw63Z2-8A-japUOjOHGqLTbCQv9Xgfr=w625-h329" width="625" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Let's start with:</div><div><br /></div><div><b><font size="5">What does your character need??</font></b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>CONFLICT</b>: </div><div>Why she can't have what she wants</div><div><br /></div><div><b>PLOT</b>: </div><div>What she'll do get what she wants</div><div><br /></div><div><b>ANTAG</b>:</div><div>This character will try and stop her</div><div><br /></div><div><b>CAST</b>:</div><div>The ones who will help her</div><div><br /></div><div><b>STAKES</b>:</div><div>What happens if she doesn't get it?</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><font size="5">Psychology of Needs</font></b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgzzvKqhup_DDE0pgfDmSljs0vKipwmbA4x8E88_pTBYj923hd0z9OeiFVasl2FS5D9KxEnuJ-sMa_QJnXglYIecM3UAtmDztsLgLHulPsI8TApnYtizVCZD9gu7gDRGe4uCKisDS49OOctozmFNn91mFCmm3IgiIjV5lrkIf4T_w=s1000" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="1000" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgzzvKqhup_DDE0pgfDmSljs0vKipwmbA4x8E88_pTBYj923hd0z9OeiFVasl2FS5D9KxEnuJ-sMa_QJnXglYIecM3UAtmDztsLgLHulPsI8TApnYtizVCZD9gu7gDRGe4uCKisDS49OOctozmFNn91mFCmm3IgiIjV5lrkIf4T_w=w256-h170" width="256" /></a></div><div><br /></div>➤ <b>Physiological needs</b> (lowest level)</div><div><span> </span><span> Physical needs, central to plot</span></div><div><span><span> </span><span> </span><span> Air, shelter, food, sleep, clothes </span><br /></span></div><div><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div>I.E. Hunger Games</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgqwYxRkexU9tUqIyJvqH8SXfiTKRkxP7I9HPsBQ-dxe46WJZrAJaR4D0beLeup3WLvkBD5rYam08StQxkhCI5e6tDP-99oSp8Y6J3YaRrXm3CAwHnQoxxxngeOJkrzXwhUIghvrt0To-WjW4YlTPtfnfew_m-vz5Ok3w1ytZiHVzFji2ylG27n8tjPzNDZw7pYRi56xOUzk2Nsboy1XImjlnVi4YTIprpTRQc99-Wh4iWgNg=s681" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="681" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgqwYxRkexU9tUqIyJvqH8SXfiTKRkxP7I9HPsBQ-dxe46WJZrAJaR4D0beLeup3WLvkBD5rYam08StQxkhCI5e6tDP-99oSp8Y6J3YaRrXm3CAwHnQoxxxngeOJkrzXwhUIghvrt0To-WjW4YlTPtfnfew_m-vz5Ok3w1ytZiHVzFji2ylG27n8tjPzNDZw7pYRi56xOUzk2Nsboy1XImjlnVi4YTIprpTRQc99-Wh4iWgNg=w256-h144" width="256" /></a></div>➤ <b>Safety Needs </b></div><div><span> Personal security, employment, health, property, disaster</span><br /></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>I.E. Jurassic Park </span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><i>*I am unsafe*</i></div><div><span>(These two levels are intrinsic to survival and we understand it) </span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEizvJ0sMSQqw36JpI68FxGCqqsndZ_s7BbxXjZ5u_mAQ3T0HLW8Dt-1UdHWBQ0dDppR1KcyFI38Fi2ZLSZvCP-bynkr94Kebli78Du2Nrkp2gl5izOuAY_RYLGgCA_eFQg3x03YW6qEXmndfJPzZ8o12mpJtK1vDK_uBE66lbtUAjvoXbl163avPP91AahyZSkuyRnZxe1F6KnM-ewa7h_dLA_XpSaELzSm7TL-ZzMObQ=s1920" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEizvJ0sMSQqw36JpI68FxGCqqsndZ_s7BbxXjZ5u_mAQ3T0HLW8Dt-1UdHWBQ0dDppR1KcyFI38Fi2ZLSZvCP-bynkr94Kebli78Du2Nrkp2gl5izOuAY_RYLGgCA_eFQg3x03YW6qEXmndfJPzZ8o12mpJtK1vDK_uBE66lbtUAjvoXbl163avPP91AahyZSkuyRnZxe1F6KnM-ewa7h_dLA_XpSaELzSm7TL-ZzMObQ=w256-h144" width="256" /></a></div>➤ <b>Love and belonging</b></div><div><span><span> </span><span> Friendship, intimacy, family, the need to be accepted</span><br /></span></div><div><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>I.E. Little Women</span></span></div><div><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div><div><i>*I am unlovable*</i></div></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjSUvDvyhMgN-MIm8klRgf6WhgIN0v7HmBQT2XSZDcNDCEeT4oPBeVDvImU3P3Oee__-edAMgOf1YfJlzSEjJPrwaT0cLu4f6WuazKcKrINWX2iwm5sR3ehBE8Dtcn1zIBH9GXjKnDC2aURplZ13WdfwRxIA5Mt54_GxK4RUJJTM5x18APpBFaE8iaXwHj_AdQukLrF60cK3zYogtBVy0Sn5Ix0rC6UQhgdR386DHcGVyUytJtONg=s1185" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="796" data-original-width="1185" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjSUvDvyhMgN-MIm8klRgf6WhgIN0v7HmBQT2XSZDcNDCEeT4oPBeVDvImU3P3Oee__-edAMgOf1YfJlzSEjJPrwaT0cLu4f6WuazKcKrINWX2iwm5sR3ehBE8Dtcn1zIBH9GXjKnDC2aURplZ13WdfwRxIA5Mt54_GxK4RUJJTM5x18APpBFaE8iaXwHj_AdQukLrF60cK3zYogtBVy0Sn5Ix0rC6UQhgdR386DHcGVyUytJtONg=w256-h172" width="256" /></a></div>➤ <b>Esteem</b></span></div><div><span><span><span> Respect, self-respect, statues, the need to achieve competence</span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span>I.E. Tom Sawyer</span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><i>*I am worthless*</i></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjHrb-klwR5UIv8BjyoacFmhu61hWFKh1ovhBJinZLtb0tjT06AwbDHgaHHz5SPUpKK9RTjeUmVanWZGsPwUB2QLYZpkbFPNerU2gL4a9Jzr6Ef6gYBKPX29ljG0jE5Fkwj8SBs5YT6Ox-BNI075OWGcTP49g=s1280" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjHrb-klwR5UIv8BjyoacFmhu61hWFKh1ovhBJinZLtb0tjT06AwbDHgaHHz5SPUpKK9RTjeUmVanWZGsPwUB2QLYZpkbFPNerU2gL4a9Jzr6Ef6gYBKPX29ljG0jE5Fkwj8SBs5YT6Ox-BNI075OWGcTP49g=w256-h144" width="256" /></a></div>➤ <b>Self-Actualization</b></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span> Desire to become the most, need to know </span><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span>I.E. Walter Mitty</span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><i>*Life is pointless*</i></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><i><br /></i></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><i><br /></i></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><i><br /></i></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><b>WOUNDS:</b></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span>How the character sees the world </span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span> Create coping strategies we think are saving us, but actually pushes people away</span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span>I.E. Woody's lie: To be happy you have to be the favorite toy</span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> Buzz needs: love and belonging</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Characters won't always climb steadily up</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>I.E. Katniss</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> Sometimes she wants food, to keep Prim safe, stay alive, save Rue, win</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> Katniss needs to survive on her own terms</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>NOW put what you've learned to use:</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> <b>Psychoanalyze your characters needs</b><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> List the character's needs</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> <span> Which aren't being?</span></span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> <span> Which is the strongest?</span></span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> What does she most?</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> What does she assume to be true about self</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>WHAT 3 things does your character value most?</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> Create the plot line by threatening all or some of their values</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><b><br /></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><b>Middle sag?</b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> </span>List each major </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>decision character makes</div><div><span> </span><span> Make sure each is constant with original motivation</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>Analyze the side characters</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><b>EXAMPLE using Frozen </b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>THEME</b>:</div><div><span> Love</span><br /></div><div><span><span> Ice is locking out love</span><br /></span></div><div><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjf1zqviy0xv1xGJFz_pRwKbRT7iX90RC9XRFV9Tnf2ioO6gYTzkUjOl-9x-NU6d6xjATiVyFXkYtYfiy0lZYEcWGr2K2JItrPUU-cBUh1MRrrAwbIGhawJP_kIuc_rifzVLaSmrKVRd5ovgW24jDQdSY4U6gCxTed3PkhfIU3wJVDwtwaMo-BhCZ-XGvJRPw=s1100" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="825" data-original-width="1100" height="123" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjf1zqviy0xv1xGJFz_pRwKbRT7iX90RC9XRFV9Tnf2ioO6gYTzkUjOl-9x-NU6d6xjATiVyFXkYtYfiy0lZYEcWGr2K2JItrPUU-cBUh1MRrrAwbIGhawJP_kIuc_rifzVLaSmrKVRd5ovgW24jDQdSY4U6gCxTed3PkhfIU3wJVDwtwaMo-BhCZ-XGvJRPw=w164-h123" width="164" /></a></div>ELSA</b>:</span></div><div><span><span><span> Wound: Hurt Anna </span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span> Lie: People are better off without her</span><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span> Wants: Love from anyone</span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span> Needs: to know what true love is</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgcwEaJNhYFThgeRNgist8xSgkgqW5Jb55t2SXPEJkWYnryVkNmIqKwsFX-yOAYsbVAM82xsM7ATZPXRy6kLpgCfLbjWvM9790L9kJunv_wlAUqHPuL9cG_uuQMeTuNRBgyQ-MzExa5jFrr-0hjwGHbeTcZvvDE7C29FAeOG0npGlfO0huX0qsNcAVIjw=s433" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="433" height="121" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgcwEaJNhYFThgeRNgist8xSgkgqW5Jb55t2SXPEJkWYnryVkNmIqKwsFX-yOAYsbVAM82xsM7ATZPXRy6kLpgCfLbjWvM9790L9kJunv_wlAUqHPuL9cG_uuQMeTuNRBgyQ-MzExa5jFrr-0hjwGHbeTcZvvDE7C29FAeOG0npGlfO0huX0qsNcAVIjw=w164-h121" width="164" /></a></div>KRISTOFF</b>:</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> Wound: Abandoned</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> Lie: Better off alone</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> Wants: to be alone</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> Needs: let love in</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjzOUEyD2HTLL-gNsoy8sl7MM-Cgjb58xLRRGmfLaZoQ_XjYCGr0q_LvIUei0_jA_VBy4B1LRgXIAFsTFMTY-qOnbgU_fu2-xh1oCzArx0l6E0IDrlB5O-NZ8fB9DiRoLfYCyrFh_IXgQhUWN-m4sFAVXA9dcfmPEszO1GStxKEIvzKndKzCRs9ZrKsjw57hyV-yIDa2lLhk4l3B9yqffY5CSfh=s1777" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="1777" height="91" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjzOUEyD2HTLL-gNsoy8sl7MM-Cgjb58xLRRGmfLaZoQ_XjYCGr0q_LvIUei0_jA_VBy4B1LRgXIAFsTFMTY-qOnbgU_fu2-xh1oCzArx0l6E0IDrlB5O-NZ8fB9DiRoLfYCyrFh_IXgQhUWN-m4sFAVXA9dcfmPEszO1GStxKEIvzKndKzCRs9ZrKsjw57hyV-yIDa2lLhk4l3B9yqffY5CSfh=w205-h91" width="205" /></a></div>HANS</b> (antag):</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> Wound; Ignored</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> Lie: you need power to be worthy of love</span> </span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> Wants: to be important</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> Needs: feel loved and appreciated</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhivasdNqDEbzV-FOYTLH12rb6vVM-POkGm2P_fxkhIvXuru8XS8WJJrqTRTfjF6gkDD893sUFTDjqFtMjnjKYBr_CMTzJ__bMy4fFELfxF4aIQbomiJo4a0rg74l3E1pX1RWYAlt6jAvtO81zEVJKODmnXXcO4lQfxM8apFs2w85hFCtgAOhgf2xHg=s450" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="289" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhivasdNqDEbzV-FOYTLH12rb6vVM-POkGm2P_fxkhIvXuru8XS8WJJrqTRTfjF6gkDD893sUFTDjqFtMjnjKYBr_CMTzJ__bMy4fFELfxF4aIQbomiJo4a0rg74l3E1pX1RWYAlt6jAvtO81zEVJKODmnXXcO4lQfxM8apFs2w85hFCtgAOhgf2xHg=w106-h164" width="106" /></a></div>OLAF</b>:</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> Wants and needs warm hugs</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Taffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11796711977284429278noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294986155177272443.post-13151541972158167682020-11-16T00:09:00.000-08:002020-11-16T00:09:00.390-08:00WRITE! Virginia Woolf<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvdl8rdALJSvr-Cn_pZTtchyqnH4lBjVVRvaJwq-WRSzCLcvJQhLtbWYb8DNnRmlhbP3hbCFEmUZjFDp77AHBSyjTxt4fXTLv_YAeZ_4vFj8goe5IzEgieYBlZtOarucejiaRL9dwPUOf7/s1600/the_family_peace_was_not.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1600" height="469" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvdl8rdALJSvr-Cn_pZTtchyqnH4lBjVVRvaJwq-WRSzCLcvJQhLtbWYb8DNnRmlhbP3hbCFEmUZjFDp77AHBSyjTxt4fXTLv_YAeZ_4vFj8goe5IzEgieYBlZtOarucejiaRL9dwPUOf7/w500-h469/the_family_peace_was_not.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>Taffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11796711977284429278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294986155177272443.post-67694994593046233062020-11-12T23:30:00.007-08:002020-11-12T23:30:00.169-08:00The Santa Box movie review and blog tour<div class="separator"></div><p><br /></p><p class="first" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1a2e3b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem; letter-spacing: 0.01rem; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; max-width: 44rem;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhORAO7fTxicdG2EWUgp946igzSTbxtaINYgUW102LrTBVYF0scekS80dGLT43ulhq8cyv_vlkqqk-bya38YEI_jhWJIQ8FdwotFprhyqOVithZUuF6kbBTeB5s5sKrG6Yj1tGXTMsx-jfY/s2048/The+Santa+Box+One+Sheet+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1391" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhORAO7fTxicdG2EWUgp946igzSTbxtaINYgUW102LrTBVYF0scekS80dGLT43ulhq8cyv_vlkqqk-bya38YEI_jhWJIQ8FdwotFprhyqOVithZUuF6kbBTeB5s5sKrG6Yj1tGXTMsx-jfY/w434-h640/The+Santa+Box+One+Sheet+%25281%2529.jpg" width="434" /></a></div><p class="first" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1a2e3b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem; letter-spacing: 0.01rem; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; max-width: 44rem;"><br /></p>For Kallie Watts, Christmas is anything but merry. For the last five years, the tinsel-strewn holiday has spelled disaster for her family, so when an apartment fire leaves Kallie and her widowed mother homeless just in time for the holidays, it comes as no surprise. There’s only one logical conclusion: Christmas is cursed for Kallie.<p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1a2e3b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem; letter-spacing: 0.01rem; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; max-width: 44rem;">When her mother finds a new job in a small California town, Kallie steps out of the moving van and into her worst nightmare: a real-life version of “Whoville,” overflowing with holiday decorations and brimming with Christmas cheer. Forced to navigate the complicated ins and outs of her jolly new surroundings, Kallie is shaken out of her gloom one day when she discovers n curiously crafted wooden Santa box on the porch, addressed to her. The moment she lifts the lid, the young teenagers’ life is changed forever as she rediscovers the true magic and meaning of Christmas.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1a2e3b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.01rem; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; max-width: 44rem;"><b>Cute story about Christmas, love, and families and how everything is not as it seems. Kallie believes that Christmas is cursed. Every year, something bad seems to happen to her and her family: dad died, apartment burned down, grandpa died. She's decided she hates the holiday. But her neighbor and a mysterious box help Kallie to see what Christmas is all about. Along the way, Kallie learns to become a better friend and neighbor. </b></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1a2e3b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.01rem; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; max-width: 44rem;"><b>Perfect movie for a young family with children and teens.</b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><b><u><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">MOVIE TRAILER: </span></u></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><a href="https://vimeo.com/469139492" target="_blank">https://vimeo.com/469139492</a> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><b><u style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">DVD PURCHASE LINKS: </span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">(Amazon): </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Santa-Box-Cami-Carver/dp/B08JLQLQLF/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2YLWHN2Q07LGV&dchild=1&keywords=the+santa+box+dvd&qid=1603988570&sprefix=The+Santa+Box%2Caps%2C194&sr=8-1" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">https://www.amazon.com/Santa-Box-Cami-Carver/dp/B08JLQLQLF/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2YLWHN2Q07LGV&dchild=1&keywords=the+santa+box+dvd&qid=1603988570&sprefix=The+Santa+Box%2Caps%2C194&sr=8-1</span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">(Deseret Book):</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><a href="https://deseretbook.com/p/dvd-santa-box?variant_id=188194-dvd" target="_blank">https://deseretbook.com/p/dvd-santa-box?variant_id=188194-dvd</a><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">(Seagull):</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.seagullbook.com/TheSantaBox" target="_blank">https://www.seagullbook.com/TheSantaBox</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><b><u><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY: </span></u></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/c3e6ea7723/">http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/c3e6ea7723/</a>?<br /></span></p><div><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><br />Taffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11796711977284429278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294986155177272443.post-59919286370717395352020-11-08T23:30:00.012-08:002020-11-08T23:30:03.746-08:00A CAPTAIN FOR CAROLINE GRAY by Julie Wright <p><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1598645706l/54655846.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="255" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1598645706l/54655846.jpg" /></a></div><i><br />Regency London</i><i><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Caroline Gray’s third season in London society ends as badly as her first two—no marriage proposal, no suitor, not even a glimmer of an interested prospect. She suspects it’s because she is far too quick to speak her mind to men who are put off by her forthright opinions, her eager intellect backed by a formal education, and her unconventional ideas about the future. She is far more daring than demure to suit the taste of her class. Besides, Caroline thinks there will always be next season to find a husband.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">However, her family’s dwindling income leaves Caroline with only one choice to secure her future: a one-way ticket to sail with the Fishing Fleet to India, where the son of a family friend waits. If the match doesn’t work, Caroline cannot return home.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Captain Thomas Scott loves the thrill of the open sea, and as commander of one of the ships of the “Fishing Fleet,” he ferries scores of young English girls to the shores of India to find husbands. The voyages pay well, but he struggles to understand why families would allow young women to be matched with total strangers so far away.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">The trips have always been routine and uneventful—until this trip’s first night’s dinner with one Miss Caroline Gray. She engages in a lively political conversation, presenting opposing viewpoints to the conventionally opinionated gentlemen at her table. Captain Scott is secretly amused and delighted at her boldness, not to mention quite drawn to her beauty.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">The rest of the passengers are shocked by her behavior and Caroline finds herself an outcast, suffering harsh judgments from the other passengers. However, she finds an unlikely ally in Captain Scott which quickly draws them closer.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Both know an arranged marriage awaits Caroline at the end of their voyage, yet the attraction between them is undeniable. Caroline will have to decide if she will honor her mother’s wishes and marry a man in India whom she has never met—thus securing a future for her and her mother—or be brave enough to throw convention to the wind and commit to love a sea captain. He may be enchanted by her bold and unconventional ways, but will his love and admiration last?</span></i><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b>Opening line:</b></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b>"The ball had been a disaster." </b></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Thus begins the tale of poor Caroline Gray and her uncertain future, thanks to her thirst for knowledge, outspoken opinions (especially in men's company) and her male cousin becoming engaged.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">With no where to go, no home to call hers, Caroline takes her mother's pleas and heads to India to have dinner with a man who might become her husband. </span></span></p><p><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">The only problem is she meets Captain Thomas Scott, the captain of the ship and who Caroline has to eat dinner with, along with other passengers, every night. </span></span></p><p><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Thomas has seen his fair share of women running off to India to find a husband with disastrous results. Not everyone keeps to their religious upbringing so far from Mother England and Thomas has seen too much dereliction to last him a life time. He tries to talk the women into something better, but most are eager to find a man and are docile enough to be a perfection example of prime and proper. And blast, are they dull.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Not Miss Gray. She speaks her mind and is very knowledgeable and she finds in the captain someone who truly wants to hear her thoughts. They become close and soon Thomas is on the verge of proposing to Caroline.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Until he finds out she's promised to another. He doesn't ask her any questions, just pushes her out of his life. </span></span></p><p><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Heartbroken, Caroline moves forward with the plan to meet the man in India and find if they are compatible. She decides she will become the perfect model of a society woman and keep her thoughts locked up. She determines she will wed. </span></span></p><p><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">But she's not happy.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">What will happen??</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"></span></span></p><p><br /></p>Taffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11796711977284429278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294986155177272443.post-44090394039857862652020-11-05T13:13:00.000-08:002020-11-05T13:13:00.853-08:00HIS DISINCLINED BRIDE by Jennie Goutet <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><h2><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-52034" height="295" src="http://www.inkslingerpr.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/HisDisinclinedBride_blogtour-1024x390.jpg" width="775" /></h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">HIS DISINCLINED BRIDE by Jennie Goutet is out now! Be sure to order your copy of this sweet Regency romance today!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Title: His Disinclined Bride</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Author: Jennie Goutet </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Genre: Regency Romance </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">About His Disinclined Bride: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Theirs is not a love match. She’ll make sure of it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Kitty Stokes never imagined she’d be so weak as to sacrifice herself on the altar of family obligations, but when the only alternative to marriage with Lord Hayworth is to play nursemaid to her brother’s children, Kitty reluctantly agrees. On her wedding day, she’s certain she has made a grave error, but it’s too late to back out.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Phineas Hayworth refrained from setting eyes on his new bride before their wedding day—the price he forced himself to pay for being so mercenary as to wed the sister of a wealthy merchant in a bid to save his estate from ruins. Her beauty, therefore, comes as a shock, as does her icy treatment, which he feels he deserves. He swears an oath he will not approach her for an heir unless the invitation comes from her.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">As Phineas sets out to put his estate in order and present his new wife to Society, he finds her more enchanting than he could have hoped for, even in a love match. Kitty continues to hold him at arm’s length, although he suspects her feelings for him run just as deep. As Phineas’s love and desire for his wife grows, the oath he swore her begins to suffocate. It soon becomes clear that while he’d once been prepared to settle for a loveless marriage, he will not abide an unrequited love. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div><p></p>
<h2><b><i>HIS DISINCLINED BRIDE</i></b><b> by Jennie Goutet is out now! Be sure to order your copy of this sweet Regency romance today!</b></h2>
<h2><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-51936" height="855" src="http://www.inkslingerpr.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Smaller-cover.jpg" width="570" /></h2>
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<h2> </h2><h1 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Disinclined-Bride-Seasons-Change-Book-ebook/dp/B086RVTN5H/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1KPQLVBGFRRQS&dchild=1&keywords=his+disinclined+bride&qid=1602788151&sprefix=his+disin%2Caps%2C197&sr=8-2"><b>Order Your Copy Today! </b></a></h1>
<img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-52036" height="775" src="http://www.inkslingerpr.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Depositphotos_222784598_s-2019-1-1024x1024.jpg" width="775" />
<h2><b>About Jennie Goutet: </b></h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Jennie Goutet is an American-born Anglophile, who lives with her French husband and their three children in a small town outside Paris. Her imagination resides in Regency England, where her historical romances are set. Jennie </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">is also author of the award-winning memoir, </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Stars Upside Down,</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and the modern romances, </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Sweetheart in Paris</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Noble Affair.</span></i> <span style="font-weight: 400;">A Christian, a cook, and an inveterate klutz, Jennie writes about faith, food, and life</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">—</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">even the clumsy moments</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">—</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">on her</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">blog, </span><a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Faladyinfrance.com%2F&h=ATMZcIVbyZseDG3wFwegIEPLnu5EBlAverD4HtKQWxmxq8ktV2e94Vre43bv8zbIGPbRpyEnM1ibHAHaaxbbDkMzmK2Bn14QYhPfpYzzv3sr0NS9vW-Z-qA"><span style="font-weight: 400;">aladyinfrance.com.</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> You can learn more about Jennie and her books on her author website, </span><a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fjenniegoutet.com%2F&h=ATPQpIiXK70X5lJPgZVWJ7nqBH2WMMMhD8wtwlhni_bMfDf1cUFZkPGBbYPohbUUc9cYRjhaKUVuMg8kxxPQKjXUAkpgo_TAlMFwn_8QEPPdQsmQ1aZZt9A"><span style="font-weight: 400;">jenniegoutet.com</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><b>Connect with Jennie:</b></h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span><a href="https://www.pinterest.fr/aladyinfrance/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pinterest</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> | </span><a href="https://twitter.com/aladyinfrance"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Twitter</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> | </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/aladyinfrance/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Instagram</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> | </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/aladyinfrance/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Facebook</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> | </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/aladyinfrance/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jennie’s Blog</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> | </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/810168949360162/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Reader Group</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> | </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/sweetregencyromance/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sweet Regency Romance Fans</span></a><b> </b></h2>
Taffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11796711977284429278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294986155177272443.post-83951831276133485572020-11-01T23:30:00.002-08:002020-11-01T23:30:00.133-08:00Build the new <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/originals/29/a9/6e/29a96ec3850cc28e4b065bbc0edeecc9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="410" src="https://i.pinimg.com/originals/29/a9/6e/29a96ec3850cc28e4b065bbc0edeecc9.jpg" width="410" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div>Taffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11796711977284429278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294986155177272443.post-49996512252155403132020-10-26T20:40:00.000-07:002020-10-26T20:40:03.116-07:00Dialogue: Say It Like You Mean it by James Best #storymakers class notesDialogue is important to a story, to moving the plot and giving us insight in the characters, etcetcetc<div><br /></div><div><font size="5">"People may or may not say what they mean...but they always say something designed to get what they want." </font></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="5">First Draft</font></b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>1. <i>Stop worrying about tone! </i></b></div><div>Tone is created backwards. Characters, plot and world building ALL precede tone. </div><div><b>Prose + dialogue = tone</b> (Genre writing does not have a set tone)</div><div><br /></div><div><b>2. <i>Place holder dialogue is your friend! </i></b></div><div>Sometimes you need to understand more of the story more fully before you write dialogue.</div><div><span> </span><span> </span>"I'm confronting you about that one thing you did earlier," says BFF</div><div><span> </span><span> "I say something snarky," says sister</span><br /></div><div><span><span> </span><span> "I say witty words," says bro</span><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><b>3. <i>Write the intention</i></b></div><div><span> Intention is what the character would say if their brains didn't edit what they wanted to say out loud</span><br /></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span>If you don't know what the character would say, write what they should say until you replace it later</span></li><li><span>Motivations shouldn't be simple, but not too complicated</span></li><li><span>Objectives and motivations are not the same thing</span></li><ul><li><span>Objectives can change with the 'acts' of the story; motivations WON'T change</span></li><li><span>Each act should answer OR complicate motivation</span></li><li><span>main characters motivation is revealed in prose</span></li><li><span>All other characters revealed in dialogue</span></li></ul></ul><div><b><i>4. Speak your lines out loud</i></b></div></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span> Natural speech is in iambic </span>rhythm</li><li><span><span> People rarely speak in full sentences</span></span></li><li><span><span><span> Check your speech patterns</span></span></span></li><li><span><span><span><span> Vary characters vocabulary</span></span></span></span></li><li><span><span><span><span><span> Stilted dialogue is NOT a sin</span></span></span></span></span></li><li><span><span><span><span><span> Different dialogues are different </span></span></span></span></span>rhythms</li><ul><li><span><span><span><span><span>anger = staccato</span></span></span></span></span></li><li><span><span><span><span><span>Persuasion = soft tones</span></span></span></span></span></li></ul></ul><div><br /></div></div><div><b><i>5. Warm up your skills</i></b></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Practice dialogue by reading</li><li>Read plays in the period you're writing</li><li>Write scenes</li><li>Write a 10 minute play</li></ul></div><div><br /></div><div><i><b>6. People suck at talking</b> (HAHA)</i></div><div><span> Realistic dialogue is a trap</span><br /></div><div><span><span> There is no such thing as realistic dialogue. </span><br /></span></div><div><span><span><span><span> There is no universal speech</span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span> Small talk is wasted words; it takes away from real moments</span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><b><i>7. Cliches</i></b></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span>Don't Use Cliches! BORING</span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span>Overused metaphors trigger NO response in the brain, therefore, they will not elicit excitement in readers</span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><b><i>8. Metaphors</i></b></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span>Are your greatest ally. Use the words in a new way</span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span>Metaphors are not just a tool of prose. It's expected in prose.</span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span>Metaphors can be used in dialogue</span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div>If a line sounds off, most likely you have a meter problem</div><div>All back and forth in dialogue should feel like a movement inside a piece of music</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span> </span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div>Taffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11796711977284429278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294986155177272443.post-30700210516303467602020-10-18T23:30:00.000-07:002020-10-18T23:30:01.406-07:00Is This A Kissing Book? Sara B. Larson #storymakers class notes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEj31jYPcmkFQ0VGXKNkCsinliKu7I5MWGMgvIzitm_5ej5LWandfIM7DEG2hZMckrWf_8DpJ754SfNshZSEuv722jSACwd0WhOVEoHgkTmjPQk9BbUI1ElzFbXjjgCjmFXcoHqZwBZBRkStQWSqgpcIuI_qbRTBprAjY7MCGH2eJI1q8CvlIhb8-uMzFCXLHHDLUy6ndd-Ap6vtJCIjwMW_XG_9iLdf=s500" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="327" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEj31jYPcmkFQ0VGXKNkCsinliKu7I5MWGMgvIzitm_5ej5LWandfIM7DEG2hZMckrWf_8DpJ754SfNshZSEuv722jSACwd0WhOVEoHgkTmjPQk9BbUI1ElzFbXjjgCjmFXcoHqZwBZBRkStQWSqgpcIuI_qbRTBprAjY7MCGH2eJI1q8CvlIhb8-uMzFCXLHHDLUy6ndd-Ap6vtJCIjwMW_XG_9iLdf=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Who likes romance books? </b></div></b><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">*raises both hands* </div><div style="text-align: center;">ME TOO</div><div><br /></div><div>Sara Larson has some good romance in her books, so I was excited to 'go' to her class! </div><div><br /></div><div>Romantic tension deepens the characters relatability. </div><div><br /></div><div>Here are some tips:</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Dialogue</b>~ Use witty banter, verbal jousting, conversations where they reconcile</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Action</b> ~ they face difficulties and challenges together, forces characters to interact</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Resistance</b> ~ characters resist each other</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>DON'T rush the moments before the kiss! Engage as many senses as possible, NOT just the mouth and lips (heartbeats, arms, hands, sounds, smells, sight)</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Best kissing line? For me, it was from Sweet Home Alabama! What about you??</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhsuAAAxQaDbuisDI91C6XC4n1KjfMMFGJ5y1Jhjz_NyprROwCmMwF1VGQsz_O3O8oULwl6CHBeB3I3pM8M4Vs0854vTooklhMQGRlzociOFR_klXufV5fMURlMmIkpw_wY44oc-ngJLHIG3wg5UnZBHujHYM3mZod7QyxtufWEKsMW0Ki94SM-B4oruA=s443" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="443" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhsuAAAxQaDbuisDI91C6XC4n1KjfMMFGJ5y1Jhjz_NyprROwCmMwF1VGQsz_O3O8oULwl6CHBeB3I3pM8M4Vs0854vTooklhMQGRlzociOFR_klXufV5fMURlMmIkpw_wY44oc-ngJLHIG3wg5UnZBHujHYM3mZod7QyxtufWEKsMW0Ki94SM-B4oruA=w361-h400" width="361" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div>Taffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11796711977284429278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294986155177272443.post-17758352577773968282020-10-17T13:41:00.006-07:002020-10-17T13:41:45.148-07:00BRASS CARRIAGES AND GLASS HEARTS (Steam Punk Proper Romance #4) by Nancy Campbell Allen<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1584574933l/49734040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="307" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1584574933l/49734040.jpg" /></a></div><p><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Emmeline O’Shea is determined to save the world—single-handedly, if necessary. A strong voice for societal reform, she is the natural choice to deliver a key speech at the end of the International Shifter Rights Organization’s week-long Summit in Scotland.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">But when a death threat arrives at Emme’s home, she is immediately placed into protective custody, watched over by none other than her personal nemesis, Detective-Inspector Oliver Reed. The two have crossed paths many times, with disastrous results, but now they will have to work together in order to reach the Summit before midnight of the last day in order to ensure legislation is passed to protect the Shifter community.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">As unseen enemies close in around Emme and Oliver, they struggle to reach Edinburgh by any means necessary, only to find Emme’s vindictive stepsister, Oliver’s vampire brother, and a dangerous political minefield awaiting them in Scotland.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Even more difficult is their own refusal to admit that the fiery animosity that once burned between them might be turning into the heat of romantic passion. Could a straitlaced policeman determined to uphold the law and an outspoken activist willing to break the rules ever find true love? Or will all their dreams shatter like glass when the clock strikes midnight?</span></i></p><p><br /></p><br /><b>Opening line:</b><p></p><p><b>Emmeline Castle O'Shea stood at a podium in the balcony of the Municipal Hall for Citizen affairs and looked out with satisfaction a the murmuring crowd, feeling the energy build in the large room as she finished speaking." </b></p><p>Emmeline O'Shea lives in an era of shape-shifting creatures who are treated unfairly, just because they are not like everyone else and she is one who is determined to make things right, even if it means ignoring death threats AND trying to keep out of Oliver Reed custody.</p><p>Oliver Reed is a Detective-Inspector who sees the injustices of his world as well, but he is determined to keep the peace and keep the citizens safe, including Ms. O'Shea. </p><p>What a fun, romantic, daring, adventurous story Nancy has written for us! It's worth your time to read all four of the stories she's written in this series, though all can be read as a stand-alone book. The world she's created comes alive under her pen and the characters are distinct and relatable. (I personally loved Gus Gus). </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Taffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11796711977284429278noreply@blogger.com0