tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37638497760354515982024-03-13T08:35:20.172+00:00Suzanne McLeodSuzanne McLeodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00239006528474008402noreply@blogger.comBlogger339125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763849776035451598.post-55036167294658566482018-04-19T21:23:00.000+01:002018-04-19T21:23:14.344+01:00Dairy Free Shortbread Biscuits - RecipeMy friend* is dairy intolerant and sadly can't eat my usual cupcakes. As I like trying out new recipes I hit up Google to find something to bake for her birthday.<br />
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This Dairy Free Shortbread one seemed (and is) an easy one to start with :-)<br />
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The recipe is from this <a href="https://www.allergymums.co.uk/articles/Vegan-Shortbread" target="_blank">blog</a> (with thanks), but as I found it missed out some steps in the method I thought I'd expand it here, convert into grams, and add some suggestions for extra flavourings.<br />
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*My friend is writing a wonderful book, working title - Love, Stamps, and Biscuits. Hence the philatelic decroations :-)<br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Dairy Free Shortbread – makes 12 x 2 ½ inch rounds</span></u></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Preheat oven to 170ºC (fan 160º C) or 350ºF</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Ingredients</span></u><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">140g / 5 oz / ¾ cup Flora Dairy Free (Flora Dairy
Free is quite soft and the original recipe recommends it, so if you use another
dairy free spread bear that in mind)</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">85g / 3 oz / ½ cup white caster sugar</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">170g / 6 oz / 1 ½ cups plain flour sifted</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">30g / 1 oz / ¼ cup fine semolina</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Method </span></u><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Beat the dairy free margarine either by hand/with a
hand mixer/in a food processor, until it goes a lighter colour. Beat in the
caster sugar adding approx. ¼ of it at a time until combined and the mixture
looks fluffy.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Add the semolina to the sifted flour and stir well,
then fold the flour/semolin into the creamed fat and sugar approx. ¼ of it at a
time, or if using a food processor use a slow speed to ‘stir’ the flour
semolina mix into the creamed fat and sugar. It will form a very soft dough.
Bring it together with your hands and gently form into a patty about an inch
thick.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Refrigerate for a minimum of 30 mins.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Roll out on a lightly floured surface to approx. 1
cm thick. Cut out biscuits in whatever shape you want and gently place them on
a baking tray (either well-greased and floured/covered with non-stick baking
paper/or a silicone baking liner so they don’t stick when baked). Bring
together any leftover dough and roll out and cut again until it is all used. Be
careful as the dough is still very soft and it’s easy to make the biscuits
misshapen. I use a palette knife to gently lift them.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Bake for approx. 15 mins until very lightly
coloured and firm to a light touch. They hardly spread but if you’re cutting
complicated shapes and want to make sure the biscuits really don’t spread then
they can be refrigerated again for approx. 30 mins before baking.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Gently place on cooling rack until cold, then eat
as is or decorate as desired.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Enjoy!</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Some suggested flavour additions</span></u><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">‘Chocolate chip’ - stir in a handful (approx. 30g)
of dairy free chocolate chips or carob chips to the flour/semolina mix before
adding it to the Flora and sugar mix.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">‘Cranberry and orange’ – stir in a handful of dried
cranberries (approx. 30g) and the fine zest of one medium orange to the
flour/semolina mix.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">‘Fruit and nut’ – stir in a handful of dried
raisins/sultanas and chopped nut of choice (approx. 30g in total)</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">‘Lemon’ – stir in the fine zest of one or two
lemons (to taste) to the flour/semolina mix</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div>
Suzanne McLeodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00239006528474008402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763849776035451598.post-387005416194550962015-08-06T13:44:00.000+01:002015-08-06T13:47:29.109+01:00The Gollancz Festival Is Back! Coming October 2015!<br />
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I'll be at the event in London on Saturday, 17th October with lots of other authors including these fab ones: Ben Aaronovitch; Joe Abercrombie; Stephen Baxter; Aliette de Bodard; Adam Dalton; Joanne Harris; Alex Lamb; Elizabeth May; Ian McDonald; Simon Morden; Richard Morgan; Sarah Pinborough; Al Robertson; Justina Robson; Brandon Sanderson; Gavin Smith; Mark Stay; Tricia Sullivan; Tom Toner and more.<br />
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More details <a href="http://www.gollancz.co.uk/2015/08/the-gollancz-festival-2015-is-here/" target="_blank">here </a>and you can register for more details as they happen <a href="http://www.gollancz.co.uk/gollanczfest2015/" target="_blank">here!</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjQ7xAuwnyVY4pZVWWj9r5uXjwT51V3lVJAEykVkcaWOo0B-7iiRQQYwSwK3ShgffJVSloMA_rXJ_NJvnJrCVl5NkIn0RVu3x43cOmU3wNfVVCLuwMjZkYtjZCoPnrIXD67Wn7M0HSJ7A/s1600/mail.google.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="381" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjQ7xAuwnyVY4pZVWWj9r5uXjwT51V3lVJAEykVkcaWOo0B-7iiRQQYwSwK3ShgffJVSloMA_rXJ_NJvnJrCVl5NkIn0RVu3x43cOmU3wNfVVCLuwMjZkYtjZCoPnrIXD67Wn7M0HSJ7A/s400/mail.google.com.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Suzanne McLeodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00239006528474008402noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763849776035451598.post-26563039454141095432014-12-21T15:52:00.001+00:002014-12-21T15:52:29.477+00:00Happy Winter Solstice!Happy Winter Solstice!<br />
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Wishing you all Good Things as the Holly King gives way again to the Oak King and we welcome back the light!<br />
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(Gorgeous illustrations from <a href="http://tinyurl.com/nr3m6xl" target="_blank">here with thanks</a>! And they can be <a href="http://www.alexifrancisillustrations.co.uk/wordpress/product/spirits-of-nature-greetings-cards/" target="_blank">bought as cards*</a>!)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA0aoz65yqp33W0vs6LFHPNU06HrjnxW205Y8CVVzNs5UTpyCHT1vQL0RwkqtZQyXpMJ17uDQb6tXNIXiEKCt8anFbc7vpsZCJjxNYWySlHx0lJJlHX3fLLPrF5Ns3DzVZ63k0bYkUrd4/s1600/holly-man-card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA0aoz65yqp33W0vs6LFHPNU06HrjnxW205Y8CVVzNs5UTpyCHT1vQL0RwkqtZQyXpMJ17uDQb6tXNIXiEKCt8anFbc7vpsZCJjxNYWySlHx0lJJlHX3fLLPrF5Ns3DzVZ63k0bYkUrd4/s1600/holly-man-card.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Holly King</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvQ2n8BZeW9SMTjLkz7hBq9WFtmbDu-XgKi6Q1ZD5by5-w5Dk7tZ8BoRn4CrNN-UyC_wRnfv6dHWUwaQCk6QKjwFGmW1Cs-B2f7BswxjO1GK4qm7lvC2IAOhsD9GVtXxx_w388pynbNv0/s1600/green-man-card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvQ2n8BZeW9SMTjLkz7hBq9WFtmbDu-XgKi6Q1ZD5by5-w5Dk7tZ8BoRn4CrNN-UyC_wRnfv6dHWUwaQCk6QKjwFGmW1Cs-B2f7BswxjO1GK4qm7lvC2IAOhsD9GVtXxx_w388pynbNv0/s1600/green-man-card.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Oak King</td></tr>
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*I have no affiliation, just found them on a lucky internet search :-)Suzanne McLeodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00239006528474008402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763849776035451598.post-34348798999562831922014-11-28T10:15:00.004+00:002014-11-28T10:16:58.732+00:00Black Friday Sale - Dead But Not Forgotten! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHjpOiShAQQvcG6bOvA0FPj09XUlZO-Csdah0PK_TcxN3nqcXN2TjeUuogqPuZQ1dvTyL0oVq0v51Pu6y0gu260UJ0mFZFvPzA6JdaxR-6RbbqJqbrnrYSHEu5BYwHZh3sl4ctWVUH9SE/s1600/22312739.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHjpOiShAQQvcG6bOvA0FPj09XUlZO-Csdah0PK_TcxN3nqcXN2TjeUuogqPuZQ1dvTyL0oVq0v51Pu6y0gu260UJ0mFZFvPzA6JdaxR-6RbbqJqbrnrYSHEu5BYwHZh3sl4ctWVUH9SE/s1600/22312739.jpg" height="320" width="201" /></a></div>
Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate! I hope you all had a fab day and are recovering from the food comas! And the best way to recover, IMO, is to take it easy and read, or you could take a long walk and listen, if you're so inclined! ;-D<br />
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If you're into the relaxing and reading then <a href="http://charlaineharris.com/?p=668" target="_blank">Dead But Not Forgotten</a> came out in print and ebooks this week! Yay! It's full of awesome stories set in the wonderful world of Sookie Stackhouse! And I'm thrilled and honoured that Charlaine Harris and Toni LP Kelner chose my fun tale - The Bat-Signal - about Luna Garza, werebat, to be part of the anthology!<br />
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If you want to check it out then here're the links to <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dead-But-Not-Forgotten-Stackhouse-ebook/dp/B00JDQEBSO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417169450&sr=8-1&keywords=dead+but+not+forgotten" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a>, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dead-But-Not-Forgotten-Stackhouse/dp/0425271749/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417169481&sr=8-1&keywords=dead+but+not+forgotten" target="_blank">Amazon US</a>. Plus you can get it at any lovely bricks and mortar books shop or etailers :-)<br />
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And if you're into exercising and listening then you're in luck! <a href="http://www.audible.com/DBNF" target="_blank"><b>Audible are having a Black Friday Sale! And Dead But Not Forgotten is part of it!</b></a> Double Yay! All books are featured in the sale at $4.95 each. This sale is open to all (customers do not need to be an Audible member to participate) and is set to end on Tuesday, December 2nd at 11:59 PM ET.<br />
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<a href="http://www.audible.com/DBNF" target="_blank">Here's the link to Dead But Not Forgotten on Audible</a><br />
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And here's links to samples from all the Sookie Stackhouse world stories! Happy Listening!<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/audible/another-dead-fairy" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">https://soundcloud.com/<wbr></wbr>audible/another-dead-fairy</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/audible/borderline-dead" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">https://soundcloud.com/<wbr></wbr>audible/borderline-dead</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/audible/dont-be-cruel" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">https://soundcloud.com/<wbr></wbr>audible/dont-be-cruel</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/audible/extreme-makeover-vamp-edition" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">https://soundcloud.com/<wbr></wbr>audible/extreme-makeover-vamp-<wbr></wbr>edition</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/audible/knit-a-sweater-out-of-sky" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">https://soundcloud.com/<wbr></wbr>audible/knit-a-sweater-out-of-<wbr></wbr>sky</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/audible/love-story" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">https://soundcloud.com/<wbr></wbr>audible/love-story</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/audible/nobodys-business" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">https://soundcloud.com/<wbr></wbr>audible/nobodys-business</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/audible/taproot" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">https://soundcloud.com/<wbr></wbr>audible/taproot</span></a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqEfopJtcCux5BVdBgs-Mcz2beo3NwaP1QjRSgY_uyqchJilBb5YrQe7Ajpn4Df5czMVBALGJEf7T5AsOId3EOTKER_74LHNnQ4J6GitpmNYZaH42LGAadcaJFePihCbN0RolpflON3qE/s1600/DBNF+A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqEfopJtcCux5BVdBgs-Mcz2beo3NwaP1QjRSgY_uyqchJilBb5YrQe7Ajpn4Df5czMVBALGJEf7T5AsOId3EOTKER_74LHNnQ4J6GitpmNYZaH42LGAadcaJFePihCbN0RolpflON3qE/s1600/DBNF+A.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: red;"><b>Luna's story!!!</b> (Just thought I'd point it out ... ;-))</span> </span><a href="https://soundcloud.com/audible/the-bat-signal" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">https://soundcloud.com/<wbr></wbr>audible/the-bat-signal</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/audible/the-million-dollar-hunt" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">https://soundcloud.com/<wbr></wbr>audible/the-million-dollar-<wbr></wbr>hunt</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/audible/the-real-santa-claus" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">https://soundcloud.com/<wbr></wbr>audible/the-real-santa-claus</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/audible/the-sun-the-moon-the-stars" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">https://soundcloud.com/<wbr></wbr>audible/the-sun-the-moon-the-<wbr></wbr>stars</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/audible/tyger-tyger" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">https://soundcloud.com/<wbr></wbr>audible/tyger-tyger</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/audible/what-a-dream-i-had" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">https://soundcloud.com/<wbr></wbr>audible/what-a-dream-i-had</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/audible/widowers-walk" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">https://soundcloud.com/<wbr></wbr>audible/widowers-walk</span></a></span></div>
Suzanne McLeodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00239006528474008402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763849776035451598.post-55598340377686082572014-10-01T10:01:00.000+01:002014-10-01T10:15:28.411+01:00Spellcrackers #1 Going Cheap! (UK only)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0e7mC_MuH5Mao-7_IKRogqabqOu6j-OGwQThsl7DQKBR8y-3ukjMKO72PPzMxJgVy0rtnh5a7-hPgKxWmpzsucglj47aG6WWDNKaUJzdlfaWy_lWGLc_q3TCcFb3XUOWnDdZ91qsGdgQ/s1600/The+Sweet+Scent+of+Blood+%23+1+UK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0e7mC_MuH5Mao-7_IKRogqabqOu6j-OGwQThsl7DQKBR8y-3ukjMKO72PPzMxJgVy0rtnh5a7-hPgKxWmpzsucglj47aG6WWDNKaUJzdlfaWy_lWGLc_q3TCcFb3XUOWnDdZ91qsGdgQ/s1600/The+Sweet+Scent+of+Blood+%23+1+UK.jpg" height="320" width="208" /></a></div>
The Sweet Scent of Blood (Spellcrackers #1) is only <b>£1.99</b> at Sainsbury's in their <a href="http://http//www.sainsburysebooks.co.uk/book/The-Sweet-Scent-Of-Blood-Suzanne-McLeod/4280131">Great Autumn Reads promo!</a><br />
<br />
Or if you prefer Kindle it's the same price <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sweet-Scent-Blood-Suzanne-McLeod-ebook/dp/B002VBV1SQ/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1412154366&sr=1-2&keywords=suzanne+mcleod" rel="nofollow">here at Amazon UK!</a> <br />
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So if you've been thinking of starting the series, now's a good time to give book #1 a try!<br />
<br />
Or if you've already read it, then remember it's October and books make for great Hallowe'en treats!<br />
<br />
And Sainsbury's do eBooks as gifts! *winks* ;-D
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.sainsburysebooks.co.uk/book/The-Sweet-Scent-Of-Blood-Suzanne-McLeod/4280131">Check it out here!</a><br />
<br />
Sainsbury's ebooks can be read on most ebook readers, like Kindle, Sony, Kobo, Nook.<br />
<br />
(Sorry, UK only, I think)Suzanne McLeodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00239006528474008402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763849776035451598.post-9196416880856909782014-09-22T09:20:00.002+01:002014-09-22T09:22:29.616+01:00Sanctuary - Spellcrackers Flash Fiction!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have a fun Spellcrackers 'origin' flash story - <b>SANCTUARY</b> - over at the lovely <a href="http://www.betweendandr.com/2014/09/21/guest-post-suzanne-mcleod-concoursgiveaway-traduction/" target="_blank">Between Dreams and Reality</a>!<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm75O1ZMBe6yQY8IbZ15C31Zj0DqujTvOoFzqgIdR3sQQZvVXNSG9-9vv3HLXEMaCkUvEIiTcZ27WUupnL3aX12yrSa2Fn_SELlfNDudAgCTvnTN2GCrnSijt46lUanE9tPknkeVT689Y/s1600/Door.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm75O1ZMBe6yQY8IbZ15C31Zj0DqujTvOoFzqgIdR3sQQZvVXNSG9-9vv3HLXEMaCkUvEIiTcZ27WUupnL3aX12yrSa2Fn_SELlfNDudAgCTvnTN2GCrnSijt46lUanE9tPknkeVT689Y/s1600/Door.jpg" height="251" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hunky_punk/8030167671/sizes/o/in/photostream/" target="_blank">Picture copyright to Hunky Punk under CC Licence with thanks</a></td></tr>
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<br />
Plus there's a <b>giveaway</b> (winner's choice of one of my books - Int).<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.betweendandr.com/2014/09/21/guest-post-suzanne-mcleod-concoursgiveaway-traduction/" target="_blank">So why not pop over and read/enter! </a><br />
<br />
#BooksMakeGreatGifts<br />
<br />
#XmasComingSoon<br />
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#Ducks :-D Suzanne McLeodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00239006528474008402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763849776035451598.post-50757453221547079622014-08-12T15:04:00.002+01:002014-08-12T15:13:23.106+01:00Cursed Moon by Jaye Wells<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7GgIReLzgDaWO4PcdvRMH2_q4SXb7ylElWnAkbTvXvOa55i21L3IU3Eeusxtn2xHWC_l750mWJ9R12bFVs-jaELera2YZm96lXGjOrAV2AGpX_uHg-JB-MqUAtKyDMtsnkkUZYEMfp0w/s1600/crsed+moon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7GgIReLzgDaWO4PcdvRMH2_q4SXb7ylElWnAkbTvXvOa55i21L3IU3Eeusxtn2xHWC_l750mWJ9R12bFVs-jaELera2YZm96lXGjOrAV2AGpX_uHg-JB-MqUAtKyDMtsnkkUZYEMfp0w/s1600/crsed+moon.jpg" height="400" width="257" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="color: purple;"><b>Happy Book Birthday to awesome writer pal <a href="http://jayewells.com/" target="_blank">Jaye Wells</a> for the potion-tastic Cursed Moon - Prospero's War #2 </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="color: purple;">If you loved the fabulous Dirty Magic (#1) then this one is even better!:-)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="color: purple;"></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 16px;">“When it comes to crafting
outstanding dark urban fantasy, Wells is fast becoming a master.” –4.5
Stars Top Pick, RT Book Reviews.</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 15px;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><b><span style="color: purple;">About Cursed Moon: </span></b></span></div>
<span id="freeText12382261840947010348">When a rare Blue Moon
upsets the magical balance in the city, Detective Kate Prospero and her
Magical Enforcement colleagues pitch in to help Babylon PD keep the
peace. Between potions going haywire and everyone's emotions running
high, every cop in the city is on edge. But the moon's impact is
especially strong for Kate who's wrestling with guilt over falling off
the magic wagon.<br /><br />After a rogue wizard steals dangerous potions
from the local covens, Kate worries their suspect is building a dirty
magic bomb. Her team must find the anarchist rogue before the covens
catch him, and make sure they defuse the bomb before the Blue Moon
deadline. Failure is never an option, but success will require Kate to
come clean about her secrets.</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 15px;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-size: 18px;">Buy Cursed Moon! </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-size: 18px;"><a href="http://jayewells.cmail2.com/t/y-l-ijjlmy-jyhhdjutiu-a/" style="color: #0fa136; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">B&N</span></a><span style="color: purple;">
| </span><a href="http://jayewells.cmail2.com/t/y-l-ijjlmy-jyhhdjutiu-f/" style="color: #0fa136; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Apple</span></a><span style="color: purple;"> | </span><a href="http://jayewells.cmail2.com/t/y-l-ijjlmy-jyhhdjutiu-z/" style="color: #0fa136; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Indiebound</span></a><span style="color: purple;"> | </span><a href="http://jayewells.cmail2.com/t/y-l-ijjlmy-jyhhdjutiu-v/" style="color: #0fa136; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Kobo </span></a><span style="color: purple;">|<b>
</b></span><span style="color: purple;"><b>Amazon US</b> | <b><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cursed-Moon-Prosperos-War-Book-ebook/dp/B00GFHFS2C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407851918&sr=8-1&keywords=cursed+moon+jaye+wells" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a></b></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="color: purple;"><b><span style="color: red;">And there's a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJayeWells/app_228910107186452" target="_blank">giveaway for a $50 Book Gift Card</a> over here at Jaye's </span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="color: purple;"><b><span style="color: red;">Facebook (may<span style="color: purple;"> <span style="color: red;">not be international, please read T&Cs). Go enter!</span></span></span> </b></span></span></div>
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Suzanne McLeodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00239006528474008402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763849776035451598.post-3954554195968702012014-08-08T15:39:00.002+01:002014-08-08T16:26:11.164+01:00Beta Reader/s Wanted!A shout out for beta reader/s - not for me (though I might be asking for some soon *looks shifty*) - but for my writer pal, Ailsa Floyd, who is a lovely talented lady, and also happens to be one of my own wonderful beta readers!<br />
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Ailsa's book is a (brilliant sounding) urban fantasy complete at 90k words.<br />
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Blurb:<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">History means the Argyll shapeshifter pack don’t trust easily, and Aidan has more reason than most to be wary. So he’s surprised when his Alpha orders him to show the new girl around. And even though she’s pretty, it doesn’t mean he has to like her.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: blue;">Bryony has come to Scotland for a fresh start, so the cold-shoulder welcome isn’t what she’s expecting. Nor is a pack on the verge of a territory war.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: blue;">The pack are under threat. And they’re going to lose. As the clock ticks down to a fatal attack by their rivals, Aidan, Bryony and the pack must decide who is worth trusting for help. But with someone betraying their secrets, how can they believe anyone?</span><br />
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I'm a sucker for a Scottish shapeshifter, so I can't wait to get my teeth into this! *g*<br />
<br />
Here's what Ailsa is looking for:<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">"Someone to read through the story and give me some feedback. While
spotting spelling/grammar mistakes I might have missed is helpful, I'm
more interested in things like what you think works or doesn't, if the
pacing is right, any inconsistencies you see, and places where you think
I haven't explained stuff properly."</span><br />
<br />
<br />
If you're interested in beta reading for Ailsa and would like to know more then email her at: ailsa (dot) floyd (at) yahoo (dot) com<br />
<br />
<a href="http://thebookbundle.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Ailsa's blog is here</a><br />
<br />
Ailsa on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/AilsaCF" target="_blank">@AilsaCF</a><br />
<br />
And for all our enjoyment here's a gratitutious picture* of Sam Heughan as Jaime Frazer!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdrVJMXVyusPelH8lz3DYpMQWAIB3okKm1cDibvprRpunE9nCmw8ZQjrCLNgQK9x6uHH437WIGfqTjBIl0CCWLkQMZghKTV6fkORwbZULMUzx21eKCluEDimdN8eWqbaVtFC5Ki3Z_Zp4/s1600/Sam-Heughan-as-Jamie-Fraser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdrVJMXVyusPelH8lz3DYpMQWAIB3okKm1cDibvprRpunE9nCmw8ZQjrCLNgQK9x6uHH437WIGfqTjBIl0CCWLkQMZghKTV6fkORwbZULMUzx21eKCluEDimdN8eWqbaVtFC5Ki3Z_Zp4/s1600/Sam-Heughan-as-Jamie-Fraser.jpg" height="640" width="515" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Sam Heughan as Jaime Frazer - </i></span>Photographer: Ed Miller Courtesy of: © 2014 Sony Pictures Television Inc. </i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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*Not Ailsa's choice but mine though I'm sure she won't object *g*<br />
<br />Suzanne McLeodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00239006528474008402noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763849776035451598.post-78473520224959867872014-08-05T19:57:00.000+01:002014-08-05T19:58:23.223+01:00Carmine Rojas: Dog Fight by Che Gilson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1xMFoSODKapJAfNaZTfMIzZ4-HqrFJhyphenhyphen4ll6yD0mo96sBjc6Em2fe-3ivR7kp7wT5ownxeB-czqurR9-slfedny-DsJPafeZU0x3pQ2ZnoJb89EY2zqHoz13Z4B4_T8-MpgzLgBlm38g/s1600/full-cover+front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1xMFoSODKapJAfNaZTfMIzZ4-HqrFJhyphenhyphen4ll6yD0mo96sBjc6Em2fe-3ivR7kp7wT5ownxeB-czqurR9-slfedny-DsJPafeZU0x3pQ2ZnoJb89EY2zqHoz13Z4B4_T8-MpgzLgBlm38g/s1600/full-cover+front.jpg" height="320" width="208" /></a></div>
<b><a href="http://www.blackopalbooks.com/shop-our-store/blackopalstore/carmine-rojas-dog-fight" target="_blank">Carmine Rojas: Dog Fight</a></b> - my friend <a href="http://chegilson.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Che Gilson'</a>s awesome urban fantasy novella (with 2 action-packed stories in it!) is up for pre-order at 15% off! <a href="http://www.blackopalbooks.com/shop-our-store/blackopalstore/carmine-rojas-dog-fight" target="_blank">Go check it out</a>!<br />
<br />
The blurb:<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">ROUND 1</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Illegal pit fighter and werewolf Carmine Rojas gets an off-hours assignment from her boss—babysitting a skin walker who’s gotten herself in trouble with the yakuza. Carmine may kick ass in the ring but tangling with the yakuza is well above her pay grade. So Carmine turns to her gangbanger cousin Rodrigo for help and firearms. Together they spend a terror-filled night battling yakuza thugs, bickering over family, and blowing crap up. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">ROUND 2</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">A martial arts student of Carmine’s finds an opportunity to make some much needed money. What he doesn’t is how slim his chances are. Carmine must intervene or let him die. A tough choice when intervening means asking her boss at the illegal fight club for help. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqoxY6-Cs15q4otXUSv3NWc0EamuzXbQRf7Gg7XpCp_UJ4SV0d3AU58nAN7lg3w8OIruqAfYN-JGmUqudPUg21hqaNxm4btt-iVsIbEIGktq6GCMZe3iRp-3LlAFxHzCmwcpvh_S59Yrk/s1600/full-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqoxY6-Cs15q4otXUSv3NWc0EamuzXbQRf7Gg7XpCp_UJ4SV0d3AU58nAN7lg3w8OIruqAfYN-JGmUqudPUg21hqaNxm4btt-iVsIbEIGktq6GCMZe3iRp-3LlAFxHzCmwcpvh_S59Yrk/s1600/full-cover.jpg" height="292" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.blackopalbooks.com/shop-our-store/blackopalstore/carmine-rojas-dog-fight" target="_blank">Pre order here!</a>Suzanne McLeodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00239006528474008402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763849776035451598.post-30157033157674349032014-07-20T20:20:00.000+01:002014-07-20T20:20:27.540+01:00The Gollancz Festival 2014.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTrAK6ge5HosDySDjBGVYVn75P8vg0ISc2kS4IIea5oBGTvJaHLDW3evt7M0hp4cPthJ3Z4RRVNmtQ_W9Xg_8D8k_-E-St20CM9GXpP2PJpg8NNfT8mKT1za5OoopUU3M4xrqPC0b94_Y/s1600/gollancz-festival-poster-final-26.06.14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTrAK6ge5HosDySDjBGVYVn75P8vg0ISc2kS4IIea5oBGTvJaHLDW3evt7M0hp4cPthJ3Z4RRVNmtQ_W9Xg_8D8k_-E-St20CM9GXpP2PJpg8NNfT8mKT1za5OoopUU3M4xrqPC0b94_Y/s320/gollancz-festival-poster-final-26.06.14.jpg" height="640" width="451" /></a></div>
<b>Wed - 13th August 2014 - 6pm onwards</b><br />
<br />
<b>The Gollancz Festival 2014 </b><br />
Waterstones Piccadilly
203-206 Piccadilly,<br />
London
W1J 9HD<br />
<br />
Tickets £6 / £4 Waterstones Loyalty Cardholder, including a drink on arrival and a Gollancz Festival 2014 goody bag - <a href="http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/displayDetailEvent.do?searchType=1&author=Patrick|Rothfuss&auid=1005&source=buyat&affid=Give+as+you+Live&awinaid=103381" target="_blank">book tickets here.</a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Room 1</b></span><br />
<br />
A Patrick Rothfuss reading.<br />
<br />
The sense of wonderment in SF.<br />
With Adam Roberts, Connie Willis, Hannu Rajaniemi, Gavin Smith, Janie Fenn (chaired by Simon Ings)<br />
<br />
Are there thematic differences between SF and fantasy?<br />
With Paul McAuley,Tom Lloyd,Stephen Hunt, Chris Wooding,Suzanne McLeod (chaired by Janie Fenn)<br />
<br />
Is fantasy by definition consolatory?
With Ben Aaronovitch, Peter Higgins, James Barclay and Joanne M. Harris (chaired by Sarah Pinborough).<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Room 2 </b></span><br />
<br />
<br />A Joanne M. Harris reading with The Bookshop Band.<br />
<br />
Joe Hill interviewed by Sarah Pinborough.<br />
<br />
The Class of 2014 with Den Patrick, Jon Wallace, Ed Cox and John Hornor Jacobs (chaired by Gillian Redfearn)<br />
<br />
A Patrick Rothfuss solo talk and Q & A.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.gollancz.co.uk/2014/06/join-us-at-the-gollancz-festival/" target="_blank">For more information click here </a><br />
Tel for further details: 02078512400Suzanne McLeodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00239006528474008402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763849776035451598.post-22440955587118148922014-06-22T20:10:00.002+01:002014-06-23T11:15:38.899+01:00Spellcrackers Newsletter!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6lA-etcqtQNyOe_s2at52n5M7cXqpbmLrYCwQE_J_3dFEVs9r3AFjHtxwdQPwgcXt7qC29pBpVXykqC4VwKdkmp50Y-hhuGTGHlkqc9TDLwPqn_fnyzesWcjBjUXm8R_-Y9G_Ciy046I/s1600/bigstock-newsletter-icon-52668988.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6lA-etcqtQNyOe_s2at52n5M7cXqpbmLrYCwQE_J_3dFEVs9r3AFjHtxwdQPwgcXt7qC29pBpVXykqC4VwKdkmp50Y-hhuGTGHlkqc9TDLwPqn_fnyzesWcjBjUXm8R_-Y9G_Ciy046I/s1600/bigstock-newsletter-icon-52668988.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
I've set up a new Newsletter! I might even send one out soon!!! (I know, I'm shocked too ;-)) So why not come and <a href="http://www.spellcrackers.com/Newsletter-Sign-Up.html" target="_blank">sign up</a> and get all the latest Spellcrackers news first!<br />
<br />
And if you're thinking: 'Hey, I signed up before, so maybe that shy little thing, the Spellcrackers Newsletter might now actually drop into my inbox!' - then read on . . .<br />
<br />
Sadly, a snafu with my website host* has resulted in some of my subscribers' details being deleted.
So if you signed up before May 2014, and want to continue to get the newsletter, please come and sign up again. (Oh, and don't worry about getting duplicate newsletters, if you're already on the list it will integrate your email addy; it's spiffy like that :-D).
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.spellcrackers.com/Newsletter-Sign-Up.html">Sign up here!</a><br />
<br />
*They decided not to do newsletters any more and deleted the function - without telling anyone as far as I can find out. *sigh*Suzanne McLeodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00239006528474008402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763849776035451598.post-7139130023504003082014-05-09T19:57:00.000+01:002014-05-09T19:57:43.945+01:00Going to Romantic Times Con? Want to win a KindleFire HDX?Going to Romantic Times Convention in New Orleans? (I am! *Happy Dance* ;-D) Want a chance to win a KindleFire HDX? Love Buttons? Then keep a good look out for our Scavenger Hunt bingo cards in the convention bags! <a href="https://www.rtconvention.com/event/author-button-scavenger-huntkindle-fire-hdx-giveaway" target="_blank">You can add the Scavenger Hunt to your RT agenda here</a> :-)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLfRXz2zG8tiaNSgGGZbGwx9vAduhYopBtRSMFpzCB3aIeFqqeP-hxNvkknk7WKBkXJXdlZNCzVqVqSI3NnuvOZlBafbJsA7mVFOH8j0vKkRSRAFvVSlGVrWsuCvnahKVSBWhhsGSA6Qg/s1600/RT+buttons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLfRXz2zG8tiaNSgGGZbGwx9vAduhYopBtRSMFpzCB3aIeFqqeP-hxNvkknk7WKBkXJXdlZNCzVqVqSI3NnuvOZlBafbJsA7mVFOH8j0vKkRSRAFvVSlGVrWsuCvnahKVSBWhhsGSA6Qg/s1600/RT+buttons.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipP6SkPoN842oEFMGlV4MZNE1DYHXeMwDC1ca9B_1oTWXtRhLmPp-YhlEckji-k_4Oi8p1q74UCDsWgMcv1VNUqnc91Fpeybcd5DpFIAkRb1xtQd72fQwLrlbv8q4sbAaTF0NkXJLgYig/s1600/postcard+back+RT+buttons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipP6SkPoN842oEFMGlV4MZNE1DYHXeMwDC1ca9B_1oTWXtRhLmPp-YhlEckji-k_4Oi8p1q74UCDsWgMcv1VNUqnc91Fpeybcd5DpFIAkRb1xtQd72fQwLrlbv8q4sbAaTF0NkXJLgYig/s1600/postcard+back+RT+buttons.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
Participating Authors: Lauren Dane, Delilah S. Dawson, Liliana
Hart, Molly Harper, Kevin Hearne, Mark Henry, J. Kenner, Suzanne McLeod,
Chloe Neill, Nicole Peeler, Jeanne Stein, and Jaye Wells! <br />
<br />
And if you need any clues how to find me (when not in the bar *looks innocent*) and say hello, and get a badge, and maybe other swag, then here's my <a href="https://www.rtconvention.com/person/suzanne-mcleod" target="_blank">RT Convention schedule</a>:<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>It's Not Just About Likes, Pokes & RTs: Growing Your Community Through Social Media </b><br />
Wednesday, May 14, 2014 - 12:00pm to 1:00pm<br />
<br />
<b>Dead But Not Forgotten: Writing in Sookie’s World </b><br />
Thursday, May 15, 2014 - 11:15am to 12:15pm<br />
<br />
<b>The Tortoise and the Hare: Daily Goals of Bestselling Authors Revealed </b><br />
Thursday, May 15, 2014 - 4:00pm to 5:00pm<br />
<br />
I'll also be lurking around at the Giant Book Fair on the Saturday. I won't be at a specific table but I'm happy (always!) to sign any books (of mine - signing other authors' books would be plain weird ;-)), or anything else (within the realms of normal decency ... though remember I'll be hanging out with the crowd of authors on the Scavenger Hunt card above, so your normal might, or might not, equal mine *looks shifty*).<br />
<br />
And here's a larger pic of my fab badge! You're so gonna want one of these Bad Boys, so come find me! *g*<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSJ5ZR29GhgGgku9uARaJ1EGvOzgYlyRlogF33HFYwLtJZpNRiwufRJq6w_fEEYftTkh6WOPKIgGOG16E_5dswHSxG8JSguBxJj9QTBspZfQZLFcrfzSdOVBlc7d-cXcvGcFu074N1-OY/s1600/RT+button.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSJ5ZR29GhgGgku9uARaJ1EGvOzgYlyRlogF33HFYwLtJZpNRiwufRJq6w_fEEYftTkh6WOPKIgGOG16E_5dswHSxG8JSguBxJj9QTBspZfQZLFcrfzSdOVBlc7d-cXcvGcFu074N1-OY/s1600/RT+button.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Suzanne McLeodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00239006528474008402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763849776035451598.post-89710201380805474832014-05-07T17:51:00.000+01:002014-05-07T21:40:46.457+01:00Fairy Wishes (Short Story) Cover Reveal!<b><a href="http://hstrial-sgillespie4.homestead.com/Piece_of_Cake.html">Fairy Wishes</a></b> is a fun short story featuring Genny in one of her first jobs. It's set before The Sweet Scent of Blood – Spellcrackers.com #1 - so is spoiler free. And it's also <a href="http://hstrial-sgillespie4.homestead.com/Piece_of_Cake.html" target="_blank">free to read here</a>, on the website.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
And</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">*Drumroll* </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Fairy Wishes has a new cover by Yours Truly! My first!</div>
<br />
I've used a different model for Genny (sadly I didn't think my pennies wouldn't stretch to the lovely original lady) but I think this 'Genny' (found on <a href="http://www.bigstockphoto.com/" target="_blank">Big Stock)</a> despite her slightly longer hair*, is a good alternative. What do you all think? I hope you like it, and enjoy reading the story :-) <br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnjQ5XgPu5bfJDk1SGUaNYnllmEk8ttdq6aBynCKIVFl_hdw9OH0DxMRjI6sT-i4bYeTfUdiRcK_jh2X1DC32kI2O-J3Mq-4LH0DkKTv4eGxLQInntLTtPmQV_EyETsdUFAptMO52j9DQ/s1600/Fairy+Wishes+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnjQ5XgPu5bfJDk1SGUaNYnllmEk8ttdq6aBynCKIVFl_hdw9OH0DxMRjI6sT-i4bYeTfUdiRcK_jh2X1DC32kI2O-J3Mq-4LH0DkKTv4eGxLQInntLTtPmQV_EyETsdUFAptMO52j9DQ/s1600/Fairy+Wishes+Cover.jpg" height="400" width="250" /></a></div>
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*I tried 'cutting' it but my mad photoshop skillz aren't that good. *g*Suzanne McLeodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00239006528474008402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763849776035451598.post-20959315584168651852014-05-07T10:10:00.000+01:002014-05-09T08:37:20.042+01:00Free "Love Story" featuring Adele Hale Stackhouse, Sookie's Gran! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLrNz9KJ8YRD7I5UgAk6kvlaFPpe8QHJ66HErcnqufK9gC-MbNDvyku0rHPAwaIMkxwCmpLCbznUtRRnh-beHttRwiquhoIQ31h6tfXWRxC4Gd8RP9Y95DZGBPpB6KpAWjNpUXyK_8dZI/s1600/DBNF+JS+Story+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLrNz9KJ8YRD7I5UgAk6kvlaFPpe8QHJ66HErcnqufK9gC-MbNDvyku0rHPAwaIMkxwCmpLCbznUtRRnh-beHttRwiquhoIQ31h6tfXWRxC4Gd8RP9Y95DZGBPpB6KpAWjNpUXyK_8dZI/s1600/DBNF+JS+Story+cover.jpg" /></a></div>
<span class="userContent">Oooooh! Look a fab free story on audio by the brilliant Jeanne C. Stein!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span class="userContent">It wasn't until the death of her Gran, Adele Hale Stackhouse, that
Sookie learned the secret of her own ancestry: her true grandfather was a
part-human fairy. Now, for the first time, Adele's long-hidden journal
reveals how she and Fintan met - and how they loved. "Love Story" by
Jeanne C. Stein is one of 15* brand-new tales contained in <a href="http://www.audible.com/pd?asin=B00GBI17ES"><i>Dead but Not Forgotten: Stories from the World of Sookie Stackhouse</i></a>, edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L.P. Kelner. </span></span><br />
<span class="userContent"><br /></span>
<span class="userContent"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/audible/love-story" target="_blank">Listen to a sample of "Love Story" here </a></span><br />
<br />
<span class="userContent">And, I've just discovered to my joy, Audible stories can be listened to on Kindle! (Even my old first gen one :-))</span><br />
<span class="userContent"><br /></span>
<span class="userContent">Yay! That's going to make my upcoming four hour coach journey much more bearable (can't read without getting nauseous in cars or coaches :-()</span><br />
<span class="userContent"><br /></span>
<span class="userContent">*I may have mentioned this (or y'know, shouted about it in delight from the rooftops *g*) ... I've also got a story - <a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/Dead-but-Not-Forgotten-Audiobook/B00GBI17ES" target="_blank">The Bat-Signal, about Luna Garza</a> - in this fab anthology! *Bounces* ;-D</span><br />
<br />
<span class="userContent">ETA: <a href="https://soundcloud.com/audible/the-bat-signal" target="_blank">You can listen to a (4 minute) sample of Luna's tale here on Audible's sound cloud!</a> Yay! </span><br />
<span class="userContent"><br /></span>
<span class="userContent">And there's samples of all the other stories too - Click on the links below to listen :-)</span><br />
<span class="userContent"><br /></span>
<a href="https://soundcloud.com/audible/another-dead-fairy" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">"Another Dead Fairy" by Miranda James (featuring Claude & Claudia Crane)</span> </a><br />
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<a href="https://soundcloud.com/audible/another-dead-fairy" target="_blank"></a></div>
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<a href="https://soundcloud.com/audible/borderline-dead" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">"Borderline Dead" by Nicole Peeler (featuring Desiree Dumas)</span> </a></div>
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<a href="https://soundcloud.com/audible/borderline-dead" target="_blank"></a></div>
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<a href="https://soundcloud.com/audible/dont-be-cruel" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">"Don't Be Cruel" by Bill Crider (featuring Bubba)</span> </a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://soundcloud.com/audible/dont-be-cruel" target="_blank"></a></div>
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<a href="https://soundcloud.com/audible/extreme-makeover-vamp-edition" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">"Extreme Makeover Vamp Edition" by Leigh Evans (featuring Bev & Todd)</span> </a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://soundcloud.com/audible/extreme-makeover-vamp-edition" target="_blank"></a></div>
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<a href="https://soundcloud.com/audible/knit-a-sweater-out-of-sky" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">"Knit a Sweater Out of Sky" by Seanan McGuire (featuring Amelia) </span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://soundcloud.com/audible/love-story" target="_blank"></a></div>
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<a href="https://soundcloud.com/audible/nobodys-business" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">"Nobody's Business" by Rachel Caine (featuring Kevin Pryor & Kenya Jones)</span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://soundcloud.com/audible/nobodys-business" target="_blank"></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://soundcloud.com/audible/taproot" target="_blank">"Taproot" by Jeffrey J. Mariotte (featuring Andy Bellefleur) </a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://soundcloud.com/audible/the-bat-signal" target="_blank"></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://soundcloud.com/audible/the-million-dollar-hunt" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">"The Million-Dollar Hunt" by Jonathan Maberry (featuring Mustapha Khan)</span> </a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://soundcloud.com/audible/the-million-dollar-hunt" target="_blank"></a></div>
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<a href="https://soundcloud.com/audible/the-real-santa-claus" target="_blank">"The Real Santa Claus" by Leigh Perry (featuring Diantha) </a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://soundcloud.com/audible/the-real-santa-claus" target="_blank"></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://soundcloud.com/audible/the-sun-the-moon-the-stars" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">"The Sun, The Moon, and The Stars" by Dana Cameron (featuring Pam Ravenscroft) </span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://soundcloud.com/audible/the-sun-the-moon-the-stars" target="_blank"></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://soundcloud.com/audible/tyger-tyger" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">"Tyger, Tyger" by Christopher Golden (featuring Quinn) </span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://soundcloud.com/audible/tyger-tyger" target="_blank"></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://soundcloud.com/audible/what-a-dream-i-had" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">"What a Dream I Had" by Nancy Holder (featuring Alcide Herveaux)</span> </a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://soundcloud.com/audible/what-a-dream-i-had" target="_blank"></a></div>
<a href="https://soundcloud.com/audible/widowers-walk" target="_blank">"Widower's Walk" by MaryJanice Davidson (featuring Eric Northman) </a><br />
<a href="https://soundcloud.com/audible/widowers-walk" target="_blank"><br /></a>Suzanne McLeodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00239006528474008402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763849776035451598.post-2066007669665773532014-05-06T15:15:00.000+01:002014-05-07T11:10:49.507+01:00Awesome Presents Friends Send You!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of the super awesome things about creating characters is when super lovely and talented peeps do fabulous character art and then send said fab art as perfect pressies (along with other wonderful goodies :-))<br />
<br />
And so here are the gorgeous paintings of Genny and Mad Max created by my lovely and talented friend <a href="http://chegilson.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Che Gilson</a>. (Che writes, too! ;-)) Thank you, Che! <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUKsuYBwC_IyKhFDomNe1fCTG5UStSQuHyjC8Nv3spw1McRrn-X1ATLE7tRRUg3-HCD7ohlJHBlOuokTmuc19waX_ruSMMIoO2gVyNVWzugrqepibAhsB8lnUJEkvXYj11IksqOBP1eMI/s1600/Gen+2+Che.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUKsuYBwC_IyKhFDomNe1fCTG5UStSQuHyjC8Nv3spw1McRrn-X1ATLE7tRRUg3-HCD7ohlJHBlOuokTmuc19waX_ruSMMIoO2gVyNVWzugrqepibAhsB8lnUJEkvXYj11IksqOBP1eMI/s1600/Gen+2+Che.jpg" height="320" width="311" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://spiderliing666.deviantart.com/art/Genevieve-Taylor-443344485" target="_blank"> See a better scan of Genny on Che's Deviant Art</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Genny's so pretty and her eyes are perfect, and I love her hair!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlCop5B4CPFHr4tqVEquHprjB1HJHOLIe3F77aMkQySddraG0L6PWF9SdbbK_uvMdD4YBCy79BNfJGwVXIPbrY2NAQUkAM1Lk3jnDcCYrn0I3HYxRiDM-UEDCu690GrQOhELaX_xOdSwg/s1600/Mad+Max+Che.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlCop5B4CPFHr4tqVEquHprjB1HJHOLIe3F77aMkQySddraG0L6PWF9SdbbK_uvMdD4YBCy79BNfJGwVXIPbrY2NAQUkAM1Lk3jnDcCYrn0I3HYxRiDM-UEDCu690GrQOhELaX_xOdSwg/s1600/Mad+Max+Che.jpg" height="320" width="310" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://spiderliing666.deviantart.com/art/Max-444062117" target="_blank"> See a better scan of Mad Max on Che's Deviant Art</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Lol! Max is a Bad Boy, so crafty and devious and this expression is so RIGHT! Plus, I love the way you can just see his vamp teeth, and his dog collar is COOL!<br />
<br />
Che also sent me some other goodies - her brilliant Dark Moon Diary comic, some Carmine Rojas stickers (<a href="http://suzannemcleod.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/carmine-rojas-dog-fight-by-che-gilson.html" target="_blank">read about Che's upcoming novella here</a>), and some yummy choc! Nomnomnom! I have WONDERFUL friends! Yay!(If you like Che's art she does some fabulous <a href="http://www.redbubble.com/people/spiderling/portfolio" target="_blank">T-shirt designs on Redbubble</a> :-))<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk7HVBwNvxvDY2wzuFcj9psx5alfscjihOeVYsXl01lCWfbqrRuzmoyerhCYrUi4r9JhvtPExafJgfqfSs3rfo_szpcIDWqLlFjwfw9eTQpFaJSB9m2yUGk26-Xcie0gP0IWq4xSOa_WI/s1600/DMD+Che.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk7HVBwNvxvDY2wzuFcj9psx5alfscjihOeVYsXl01lCWfbqrRuzmoyerhCYrUi4r9JhvtPExafJgfqfSs3rfo_szpcIDWqLlFjwfw9eTQpFaJSB9m2yUGk26-Xcie0gP0IWq4xSOa_WI/s320/DMD+Che.jpg" /></a></div>
Suzanne McLeodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00239006528474008402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763849776035451598.post-27161736254050836752014-03-21T20:15:00.004+00:002014-03-21T20:15:40.069+00:00Carmine Rojas: Dog Fight by Che Gilson - Cover Reveal.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg__6EKhW_vM3jkTHDRTW0xR1YdQxFvAsN4UrTwvpGsgGz3yYweJR7en0GMMlq0o06C4zlWQXthzga_wgrj7lqPPVvfv7Qa0D1FkgfcgdCvIll9HRkWdIzdFpmawRTBRy2IXLZb9B_EWEA/s1600/Carmine+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg__6EKhW_vM3jkTHDRTW0xR1YdQxFvAsN4UrTwvpGsgGz3yYweJR7en0GMMlq0o06C4zlWQXthzga_wgrj7lqPPVvfv7Qa0D1FkgfcgdCvIll9HRkWdIzdFpmawRTBRy2IXLZb9B_EWEA/s1600/Carmine+Cover.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a>My lovely writer pal Che Gilson* has an AWESOME new novella coming out soon with <a href="http://www.blackopalbooks.com/author-bios/bio-che-gilson">Black Opal Books</a>, and here's the reveal of the fabulous cover!<br />
<br />
I'm lucky enough to have read <b>Carmine Rojas: Dog Fight</b> and I absolutely love Carmine. She's a mega kick-ass wolf-lady, and her story is a fun, pacy, super-action packed, explosive tale full of amazing characters. Definitely one to read if you like urban fantasy!<br />
<br />
Here's the back cover blurb!<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><i>Illegal pit fighter and werewolf Carmine Rojas gets an off-hours
assignment from her boss. Baby sitting a skinwalker who’s gotten herself
in trouble with the yakuza. Carmine may kick ass in the ring but
tangling with the yakuza is well above her pay grade. Carmine turns to
her gang-banger cousin Rodrigo for help and fire-arms. Together they
spend a terror filled night battling yakuza thugs, bickering over
family, and blowing shit up.</i></span><br />
<br />
<br />
Find Che:<br />
<a href="http://che-gilson.tumblr.com/tagged/black-opal-books" target="_blank">tumblr</a><br />
<span style="color: black;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/che.gilson?fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook</a></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://spiderling666.deviantart.com/" target="_blank">Deviant Art</a> </span><i><br /></i></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><i><br /></i></span>Suzanne McLeodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00239006528474008402noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763849776035451598.post-24460818141115869952014-03-04T16:49:00.000+00:002014-03-06T15:58:10.573+00:00Sekrit Project, sekrit no longer - Dead But Not Forgotten.<br />
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<img alt="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61YBtROsr5L._SL300_.jpg" class="decoded" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61YBtROsr5L._SL300_.jpg" /></div>
<br />
Woot! Sekrit Project, sekrit no longer! *Pops Bubbly* I'm thrilled and honoured and excited to be part of this wonderful anthology. It's filled with fab stories by lots of my fav authors - just look at that stellar line-up below - and, even more exciting, the stories are all about Charlaine Harris' (one of my writerly heroes!) amazing characters from her FANG-TASTIC Sookie Stackhouse books.<br />
<br />
My story is about Luna Garza, werebat, and I was over the moon (sorry, couldn't resist *g*) when I was asked to contribute. I adore the Sookie Stackhouse world and it was super fun* playing in one of my all time favourite author's literary sandbox. It's also been a true honour and I'm grateful to Charlaine for asking me to do so. I hope I've done both her and Luna proud. :-)<br />
<br />
<br />
Now, if you thought it couldn't get any better, just look at that AWESOME cover by Lisa Desmini!<br />
<br />
And here (from the press release) is that stellar line-up of fab authors and the stories they've written about Charlaine's amazing characters! This is one anthology I can't wait to hear/read! (even if I wasn't in it *g*)<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">Charlaine Harris' smash-hit Sookie Stackhouse series may have reached
its conclusion, but the world of Bon Temps, Louisiana, lives on in this
all-new collection of 15 stories. Written by a killer lineup of authors,
including
<i>New York Times</i>best-sellers Rachel Caine, MaryJanice Davidson,
Jonathan Maberry and Seanan McGuire, and with introductions read by
Charlaine herself,
<i>Dead but Not Forgotten</i> puts your favorite characters center stage.</span>
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><br />
The stories included in <i><a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/Dead-but-Not-Forgotten-Audiobook/B00GBI17ES?source_code=AUDOR98KOWS020714" target="_blank">Dead but Not Forgotten</a> </i>are: </span>
<span style="color: blue;"><br />
"Nobody's Business" by Rachel Caine (featuring Kevin Pryor & Kenya Jones)<br />
"Tyger, Tyger" by Christopher Golden (featuring Quinn) <br />
"The Real Santa Claus" by Leigh Perry (featuring Diantha) <br />
"Taproot" by Jeffrey J. Mariotte (featuring Andy Bellefleur)<br />
"Knit a Sweater Out of Sky" by Seanan McGuire (featuring Amelia) <br />
"Love Story" by Jeanne C. Stein (featuring Adele Hale Stackhouse)<br />
"The Million-Dollar Hunt" by Jonathan Maberry (featuring Mustapha Khan)<br />
"Borderline Dead" by Nicole Peeler (featuring Desiree Dumas)<br />
"Extreme Makeover Vamp Edition" by Leigh Evans (featuring Bev & Todd)<br />
"Don't Be Cruel" by Bill Crider (featuring Bubba)<br />
"What a Dream I Had" by Nancy Holder (featuring Alcide Herveaux)<br />
"Another Dead Fairy" by Miranda James (featuring Claude & Claudia Crane)<br />
"The Bat-Signal" by Suzanne McLeod (featuring Luna)<br />
"The Sun, The Moon, and The Stars" by Dana Cameron (featuring Pam Ravenscroft) <br />
"Widower's Walk" by MaryJanice Davidson (featuring Eric Northman) </span>
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE8hizCxUMnw9FJutHcv9DfXWDYMmWfSb2CQAyOa6c_gWr8iI2CFjaldrACXl1NaYV0Z29cRD4Zz677Msi0x4vA84snyWFhp5qECfOde2rRM4HQ2T-2CkmoqgaJdSFNuza6CiNrZNGUCw/s1600/dead+but+not+forgotten+book+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE8hizCxUMnw9FJutHcv9DfXWDYMmWfSb2CQAyOa6c_gWr8iI2CFjaldrACXl1NaYV0Z29cRD4Zz677Msi0x4vA84snyWFhp5qECfOde2rRM4HQ2T-2CkmoqgaJdSFNuza6CiNrZNGUCw/s1600/dead+but+not+forgotten+book+cover.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: blue;"><i>Dead But Not Forgotten</i> </span><span style="color: blue;">is narrated by Johanna Parker, the longtime voice
of the Sookie Stackhouse audiobooks, with introductions read by
Charlaine Harris, and was edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L.P. Kelner.</span><br />
<br />
Dead But Not Forgotten releases on May 13, 2014 through Audible - pre-order link is <a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/Dead-but-Not-Forgotten-Audiobook/B00GBI17ES?source_code=AUDOR98KOWS020714" target="_blank">here.</a> <br />
<br />
There's going to be <span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">a hardcover version released on Nov. 25, 2014</span>, too. Cover right ---> :-)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/PR-CO-20140304-907665.html" target="_blank">Full press release in the Wall Street Journal here.</a> (!!! *g*)<br />
<br />
<br />
*Also, super-scary, nerve-wracking, but ultimately a fantastic challenge! I learned a lot about my craft writing Luna's story, and among other things, I now know a lot more about bats and Louisiana than I ever did before :-DSuzanne McLeodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00239006528474008402noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763849776035451598.post-36306103919829104162014-02-25T09:10:00.002+00:002014-02-25T09:34:19.070+00:00The Problem with Promises!<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
Happy Book Birthday* to the fab Leigh Evans for The Problem with Promises #3 in her awesome Mystwalker series.</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">*US today, and UK on Thurs 27th Feb </span></span></h3>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.leighevans.com/media/images/Problem_With_Promises_US_250_x_409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.leighevans.com/media/images/Problem_With_Promises_US_250_x_409.jpg" height="409" width="250" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">US Cover</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I LOVE the first two Mystwalker books, and this one is even hotter (in all ways! *g*). Hedi, Trowbridge, and their friends have to fight hard for themselves and what they want, and they do! And boy does it make for a heart-pounding, exciting tale. But hey, don't take my word for it. If you haven't started this series, get to it! And if you have then you're gonna <span style="font-size: small;">want to read <span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.leighevans.com/the_problem_with_promises" target="_blank">T</a></span><a href="http://www.leighevans.com/the_problem_with_promises" target="_blank">he Problem with Promises</a>! :-)</span></span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
Huge congrats, Leigh! *throws confetti* </h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: small;">If yo<span style="font-size: small;">u've read <a href="http://www.leighevans.com/trouble_with_fate" target="_blank">The Trouble with Fate #1</a>, and <a href="http://www.leighevans.com/thing_about_weres" target="_blank">The </a><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.leighevans.com/thing_about_weres" target="_blank">Thing with Weres #2</a><span style="font-size: small;">,</span> and want a before-read-reminder <span style="font-size: small;">of the character<span style="font-size: small;">s and world, </span>then Leigh's done a great <span style="font-size: small;">one <a href="http://www.leighevans.com/books_index" target="_blank">here.</a></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span></h3>
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*UK title - The Thing with Wolves </span><br />
<div align="center">
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>NEVER MAKE A PROMISE…</b></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue;">
</span></span>
<br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue;">Robson Trowbridge, the Alpha
of Creemore and my gorgeous mate, tries to protect me, Hedi Peacock,
half-fae, half-were, from all the trouble I get into. The thing is, my
past is pretty messy and bad guys keep knocking down my door. Witches,
thug bikers, the North American Council of Weres, dark magic fae, and
even an evil wizard are all after me. The Old Mage is the only one I
really care about: He has my dear twin brother captive on the other side
of the Gates of Merenwyn—not cool. So my alpha love is helping me to
keep my promise to free my brother…</span></span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="http://www.leighevans.com/media/images/Problem_with_Promises_uk_260_x_400.jpg" height="400" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="264" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">UK Cover</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div align="center">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="color: blue;"><b>YOU CAN’T AFFORD TO KEEP.</b></span></div>
<span style="color: blue;">
</span>
<br />
<div align="center">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: blue;">Unfortunately, everyone who helps me ends up in a heap
of trouble too—including my Trowbridge. How much longer he’ll be mine?
Who can say. Now, I admit I’ve had my moments as a shivering coward,
hoping he will come to my brave rescue. The whole Prince Charming thing
is hard to shake. But these bad guys after me mean business. You know
that ‘last straw’ metaphor?<i> That was two straws ago. </i>It’s now or never. Again…</span></div>
<div align="center">
<br /></div>
<table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td><img alt="" src="http://www.leighevans.com/media/images/Leigh_Evans_web.jpg" height="200" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" width="133" /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
</h2>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Leigh was born in Montreal, Quebec but now lives in Southern Ontario with her husband. She's raised two kids, mothered three dogs, and herded a few cats. Other than that, her life was fairly routine until she hit the age of 50. Some women get tattoos, Leigh decided to write a (brilliant) book. A little tardy, but then again, her Mum always said she was a late bloomer.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.leighevans.com/news/detail/blog_tour" target="_blank">Check out The Problem with Promises blog tour here! </a><br />
<br />
<b>Find Leigh:</b><br />
Website: http://www.leighevans.com/ <br />
<br />
<div id="int-social">
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/LeighEvansAuthor" target="_blank"><img alt="Follow Leigh Evans on Facebook" border="0" src="http://www.leighevans.com/images/sm-facebook.png" height="32" width="37" /></a><a href="http://pinterest.com/LeighEvans001/" target="_blank"><img alt="Follow Leigh Evans on Pinterest" border="0" src="http://www.leighevans.com/images/sm-pinterest.png" height="32" width="37" /></a><a href="http://twitter.com/LeighEvans001" target="_blank"><img alt="Follow Leigh Evans on Twitter" border="0" src="http://www.leighevans.com/images/sm-twitter.png" height="32" width="37" /></a><a href="http://www.leighevans.com/blog"><img alt="Follow Leigh Evans' Blog" border="0" src="http://www.leighevans.com/images/sm-blog.png" height="32" width="37" /></a></div>
Suzanne McLeodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00239006528474008402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763849776035451598.post-9388237287017961002014-01-22T16:06:00.000+00:002014-01-22T16:06:29.213+00:00Creating Better Fantasy Economies: Who Does All the Work?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Today I'm delighted to welcome author <a href="http://www.kameronhurley.com/" target="_blank">Kameron Hurley</a> to the blog, with a great post on creating the economics of a fantasy world.</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Thanks for visiting, Kameron, and take it away! </span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I’m
a big fantasy reader, especially the epics. Sprawling canvas.Tons of
characters.New worlds.New rules.Crazy, complex societies. Unfortunately, a lot
of the epics I read often start to blur together. I find myself running into
the same societies, with the same rules, time and time again. I find this
tendency astonishing in a genre that has free reign to completely reimagine
societies from the ground up. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But,
hey, I’m just one reader. And a writer to boot. So instead of just saying “Here
are the top fantasy economy/society issues that’ll throw me out of a story” I
asked folks on Twitter, writers and readers alike, to tell me what they found
most annoying or problematic in the fantasy economies and societies they read
about. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Here
are the top fantasy economy/society failures, crowdsourced on Twitter, with hat
tips given to those kind enough to share:</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Women are accepted as frontline
fighters, but nothing else in the world is different.</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> No
mention of birth control, or social mores that change the general patriarchal
bent of the rest of the world (which of course always ends up still being
there; like women get equality in war but nothing else? Eh?). No mention of how
children are minded, or what happens when women become pregnant, or if there
are social stigmas between fraternization, or if it’s encouraged, or any other
of a myriad of ways that the acceptance of women in combat would also be a
reflection of other societal changes in the world. Who does all the work off
the battlefield? Is it also accepted that men work in at-home cottage
industries?(this was my top annoyance)</span></div>
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</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Everybody
speaks “Common”/every country has a monolithic language.</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">
There’s no universal language on<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> this</i>
world, and it’s not likely there’s going to be one on a fantasy world, either,
unless it’s run by some mega fascist empire. And even then, it’s highly likely
there will be regional dialects and variations. Sure, many folks spoke Latin
when Rome came a’conquering, but they also spoke their native languages and
dialects. It may seem easier, as a writer, to hand wave and say there’s a
trader’s language, but doing that actually cuts a lot of potential tension and
flavor. I remember being in a restaurant near the Alhambra in in Granada,
Spain, and encountering a host who spoke four languages fluently and could have
simple conversations with patrons in three more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found this far more interesting than, “The
host spoke Common.” And it’ll add more texture to the world, too. Lots of plot
details can depend on people understanding, or misunderstanding one another. (hat
tip @foxvertabrae, @annelyle and @teresafrohock)</span></div>
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</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Assumed
literacy.</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">
The sad fact is that outside the implementation of a massive public education
system, many people will not know how to read. The UK’s literary rate is 95% (Finland’s
is 100%, FYI) but in Afghanistan, it’s 21%. The reasons for that are many and
varied, but I invite folks to consider what the literacy rate of a country
would be in an area where larger powers were constantly fighting over the
resources within it. Unless a fantasy country has free public education for all
(and how are they paying for that?), people who read will be rich, or perhaps priests
or magic users – a class of folks with the free time and means to pursue this
pastime. In addition, lack of literacy also means an increase in the status of
people whose business it is to write and transcribe information.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Administrative assistants FTW. (hat tip
@doughulick)</span></div>
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</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Everyone
of X race/species is confined to a single country.</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Populations
migrate. They interact. They trade. One of the biggest problems with basing
fantasy worlds on an assumed medieval world is that the medieval world many of
us are served up in school was not actually a monolithic white Christian one.
Our past has been systematically cropped, erased, and rewritten so it looks
more like the one the folks in power aspire to, not how it actually was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trade routes and hubs and big cities draw
people from all across the world. Faces, social mores, awareness of the greater
world, will be greater in large metro areas, but even smaller ones will get
travelers from elsewhere. The world has never, ever been a monoculture. Fantasy
worlds aren’t likely to be either, unless you’re trying to be super ironic.
(hat tip @RJSWriter, @metteharrison)</span></div>
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</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Treasure/resource
finds that don’t significantly change theeconomy</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">. What happens
when a dragon’s horde of gold suddenly enters the economy? The diamond trade in
ours is heavily controlled by just a few companies to keep diamonds from
flooding the market and decreasing the value of what’s already in circulation.
And we don’t simply print money willy-nilly, or we’ll end up paying for coffee
with a wheelbarrow of notes. So if there’s a major horde of gold or wealth
that’s uncovered over the course of the book one, in book two it’s probably
best that’s it’s addressed how that horde of cash has changed the balance of
the economy.In fact, it could lead to some very interesting plot complications.
(hat tip @jonmhanse) </span></div>
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</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Static
languages, cultures, and technology</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">.This is a big
issue of mine. Change happens. Technology changes. No society is static. One of
the things I liked to explore in my last series, which takes place over the
course of twenty years, is how technology in the world – and the state of the
ongoing war in the background – changes during that time period. It adds an
incredible amount of richness, and believability, to an alternate or secondary
world.Remember that a piece of technology like, say, a smart phone, isn’t going
to change one aspect of society – it’s not just that people can make calls
anywhere. It’s access to GPS systems, information on how to fix a car, a
camera, a video recorder, and oh-so-much more. Think about how smart phones
have transformed the world and how we interact in just a few years. Now what
would happen if there was a new spell that could plant farmers’ crops for them?
(hat tip @nethspace, @alecaustin and @scottlynch78)</span></div>
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</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: #292f33; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Money systems that make perfect modern-day
sense.</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not a money nerd, so had no idea this was
such an issue for some folks, but it was mentioned by @annelyle, @originalnot,
@doughulick and @scottlynch78 as a pet peeve. The history of money is varied and
complicated; base metals as currency isn’t as standard as you think. And if
you’re using base metals and they aren’t being weighed to see how much has been
skimmed off the sides of each coin, well… People do all sorts of things to both
verify and counterfeit money. A few minutes figuring out how that happens could
provide some useful flavor and interesting plot complications. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Lack
of bureaucracy</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">. When I research empires throughout history, from
Rome to the Aztecs, what I find interesting is the high level of bureaucracy
required to manage such sprawling empires – something which is often lacking in
much fantasy fiction. What kind of official stamps or paperwork or additional
hoops do folks need to go through to travel, or benefit from government
services (are there government services. And if not, what happens to the poor?)
How are taxes collected and measured? Folks who sail across borders without
question, or sprawling empires that lack solid communication systems, may be a
red flag for a lot of readers, and knock them right out. (hat tip
@jdiddyesquire and @johnhorner)</span></div>
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</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: #292f33; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“World-shattering magic, strange elder gods,
twenty different sapient species, but patriarchy is a given.”</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: #292f33; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> (quote via @wallrike) I often suspect that we
as fantasy writers and readers have particular blindspots when it comes to
worldbuilding, and not paying enough attention to changing social mores/roles
is a big one. We’ll spend agonizing amounts of time figuring out religions and
different species, but most of humanity still ends up white, and organizes
itself into a general patriarchal, hetero-hierarchy. This is a massive blindness,
because to be honest, this is not actually how we’ve spent most of our
existence organizing ourselves. Humans have been around for over 100,000 years;
the hazy history we quote from is only about 10,000 years, and as we uncover
and sift through the past, we tend to make it look a lot more like the present
than it actually was. Even just a quick look at the Minoans, the Hopi and
Iroquois, and the Musuo, will go a long way toward expanding one’s conception
of what’s possible. Especially when you’re writing… fantasy. Fantasy! Live a
little. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">10)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: #292f33; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Monarchy
as unquestioned (and celebrated) default.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: #292f33; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Monarchy is actually pretty boring. And let’s
be real, once again: this is fantasy fiction, and we can do anything we want.
So it’s astonishing that when we have this huge fantastic canvas to work with,
we default to monarchy. In truth, people throughout history have organized
themselves into all sorts of ways, from oligarchies to full and representative
democracies, collectives, and anarchies. Think outside the norm. Readers will
sit up and take notice. (hat tip @mygoditsraining)</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">11)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ignoring the consequences of war</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">. War
has massive consequences. It disrupts lives. Relationships. Often, it can
eliminate or transform entire social systems. At the very least, war leads to
famine and disease. Raising a mighty army composed mostly of people who worked
the land the year before means that the year after the war, food production is
going to suffer. Whole towns and villages will be displaced. Trade routes
obliterated. War has consequences – it’s not just a vehicle to get the
protagonist to the throne. Also consider birth and infant mortality rates on
successive generations, as families are split up and access to proper medical
care is greatly reduced. We should see the repercussions of violence, not only
throughout an area or country, but throughout the world as disruptions in that space
ripple across those it touches through trade and diplomacy. (hat tip
@tammacneil)</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">There’s
a whole host of stumbling blocks on the way to crafting fantastic worlds. The
amazing thing about fantasy is that we have an opportunity to push the
boundaries of our imagination. If a fantasy world is less compelling or complex
than the real world, take a step back and rethink it. I want my fantasy as
least as interesting as my history.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">We
have the opportunity to imagine something really different. Why not go for it? </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">ABOUT Kameron
Hurley</span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Kameron Hurley is an award-winning writer and freelance
copywriter who grew up in Washington State. She is the author of the book </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gods-War-Bel-Dame-Apocrypha/dp/0091952786/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1389066059&sr=8-1"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white;">God’s War</span></i></a><span style="background: white;">, </span><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Infidel-Dame-Apocrypha-Kameron-Hurley-ebook/dp/B00HDHRQAU/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389066101&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=infidel+kameron+hurley"><span style="background: white;">Infidel</span></a><span style="background: white;">, and
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rapture</i>, and her short fiction has
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<![endif]-->Suzanne McLeodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00239006528474008402noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763849776035451598.post-46879296952066457362014-01-21T09:24:00.001+00:002014-01-21T09:25:11.639+00:00Dirty Magic - #1 in The Prospero's War Series<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOLfgw3ueN7YnTI4iA6AKpIHSMq8lsaV-iRDTcasNT4tBYS6NSeAwHhA84XKiZX7XsF0aEBqwp101WnWa1VNDPZO5LfNJYsyU2_qOdVHo7ux-N_mgdvo11qrnDpR6TkYxbm7VAnL17aAA/s1600/DIRTY-MAGIC-COVER-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOLfgw3ueN7YnTI4iA6AKpIHSMq8lsaV-iRDTcasNT4tBYS6NSeAwHhA84XKiZX7XsF0aEBqwp101WnWa1VNDPZO5LfNJYsyU2_qOdVHo7ux-N_mgdvo11qrnDpR6TkYxbm7VAnL17aAA/s1600/DIRTY-MAGIC-COVER-1.jpeg" height="320" width="203" /></a></div>
Yay! Huge Congrats to <a href="http://jayewells.com/prosperos-war/" target="_blank">Jaye Wells</a>! <b>Dirty Magic</b>, the fab first book in her awesome new urban fantasy series - Prospero's War - is out today!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">From Jaye's website:</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">The Prospero’s War series combines the action of police procedurals with the speculative elements of urban fantasy. It’s a world where cops and wizards are fighting a war over addictive, dangerous, and illegal dirty magic.
Kate Prospero knows a lot about dirty magic. Before she became a cop, she was raised in a coven that ran the Arcane criminal underworld of Babylon, Ohio. Her history helped her land a spot on a Magic Enforcement Agency task force, but as she works to bring down old friends and family members, she’ll have to face her own dysfunctional relationship with magic.</span><br />
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<div class="booktext">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">And if that doesn't tempt you, then let me tell you <b>Dirty Magic</b> is a brilliant book full of </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">complex and intriguing characters (Kate Prospero is smart, ambitious, and chock full of conflict about her family, job, and magic); </span>unique and fascinating world-building (the cauldron leaps off the page, and the alchemy potions and their kick-backs are inspired); and plenty of Jaye's trademark hard-hitting action </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">(Kate is one kick-ass lady, and the rest of the players aren't shy of getting down and dirty either!)</span>. Dirty Magic is dark and gritty and twisty, and definitely a treat to read*!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">*Yes, of course I've read it! And you can all be jealous, 'cos you'll want to read it, too - and today you can! Yay! *g*</span></span><br />
<br />
<b>Read the first chapter of Dirty Magic <a href="http://jayewells.com/prosperos-war/dirty-magic-excerpt/">here</a>. </b><br />
<br />
Order <b><i>Dirty Magic</i></b> now from <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dirty-Magic-Prosperos-War-Book-ebook/dp/B00DI7HPIM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390295758&sr=8-1&keywords=dirty+magic" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CO7FIK4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00CO7FIK4&linkCode=as2&tag=wwwjayewellsc-20">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dirty-magic-jaye-wells/1115250937?ean=9780316228435">B&N</a> | <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/dirty-magic/id645566472?mt=11">Apple</a> | <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780316228435">Indie Bound</a></div>
Suzanne McLeodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00239006528474008402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763849776035451598.post-48774931001370575492013-11-30T16:40:00.000+00:002013-12-21T16:11:20.742+00:0021st December One Day Blog Hop - Casting Light upon the Darkness<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEG6V6OZlktU1eIKj2vnbTjzOSusgejtyL1tZHIkKoaSJ8aY7riiebutRQPXx0Mosa5ROVB1qLANqiyOdiN5pW6wHMyfYR1rfCovGH8AM0FMbz3QWKaBV7PF4LvTtbqi08PvXJd0ol4aY/s1600/2013-Light-Darkness%5B1%5D+21st+December+One+Day+Blog+Hop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEG6V6OZlktU1eIKj2vnbTjzOSusgejtyL1tZHIkKoaSJ8aY7riiebutRQPXx0Mosa5ROVB1qLANqiyOdiN5pW6wHMyfYR1rfCovGH8AM0FMbz3QWKaBV7PF4LvTtbqi08PvXJd0ol4aY/s320/2013-Light-Darkness%5B1%5D+21st+December+One+Day+Blog+Hop.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">designed by <a href="http://www.blogger.com/null">www.avalongraphics.org</a> </td></tr>
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<b>Myths and Truths about the Moon</b><br />
<br />
One of the things I love about writing is research. It always amazes me where an idea can take you, and what new and interesting (to me, anyway) facts, or not-so-true beliefs are out there. Of course, research, much like casting light upon the darkness*, is a chicken and egg thing – which one comes first?<br />
<br />
The other thing about research is it’s an iceberg, or should be anyway. As much as any writer knows (or finds out) about something, only the bare minimum of that knowledge needs to find its way into the story. But enough of that, this isn't a story but myths and truths about the moon - some of which may, or may not, find their way into a story, at some point (probably in the next <a href="http://www.spellcrackers.com/" target="_blank">Spellcrackers</a> book! *teases*) :-D<br />
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<b>The Myths and Truths!</b><br />
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<b>The Dark Side of the Moon (when we're not talking about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Side_of_the_Moon" target="_blank">Pink Floyd</a>) - <span style="color: red;">Myth</span>! </b><br />
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Like the Earth, the moon rotates on its own axis, so, like Earth it has days when it’s facing the sun, and nights when it isn’t. But, as each of the moon’s rotations take the same amount of time as it takes to orbit Earth, we on Earth only ever see the nearest to us side of the moon, making it seem as if the far side is dark. Of course, to actually see the far side, we’d have to take a trip into space (which doesn’t happen too often) so all manner of dark things could be going on up there, and we’d never know! :-D<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ix5OjbqidrpKwnxwXc2fYNWlNSI4aIg6ZfwGB-jVssMPtjJOfA6amIA4Ct_4BQNgAyZObe4Ghebr34o7LSRATQVNO7tKJ09PBoawMzmnYzdikcOWEGJz4cUsZmKNC4zd_O5f8mcpeWI/s1600/rom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ix5OjbqidrpKwnxwXc2fYNWlNSI4aIg6ZfwGB-jVssMPtjJOfA6amIA4Ct_4BQNgAyZObe4Ghebr34o7LSRATQVNO7tKJ09PBoawMzmnYzdikcOWEGJz4cUsZmKNC4zd_O5f8mcpeWI/s320/rom.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1400758016/tt1645131?ref_=ttmi_mi_all_sf_19" target="_blank">Pic from here with thanks!</a></td></tr>
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<b>The Man in the Moon - <span style="color: red;">Truth</span>!</b><br />
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Eugene (Gene) Merle Shoemaker (April 28, 1928 – July 18, 1997), was buried on the moon on 31st July, 1999. Gene was a geologist and co-discovering the Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 with his wife. His ashes were taken to the moon by the Lunar Prospector space probe, in a brass capsule, inscribed with this quotation from Romeo and Juliet:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue;"><i> "And, when he shall die</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue;"><i>Take him and cut him out in little stars</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue;"><i>And he will make the face of heaven so fine</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue;"><i>That all the world will be in love with night</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue;"><i>And pay no worship to the garish sun." </i></span></div>
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So, <span style="color: red;">truth </span>. . .<br />
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Okay, I’m probably stretching it a bit here, since 'the Man in the Moon' is actually dead, but hey, his ghostly spirit could be having a lot of fun up there, otherwise why go all that way to get buried! *g*<br />
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<b>The Moon is Perfectly Round - <span style="color: red;">Myth</span>! </b><br />
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Full moons look round to us but the moon is an oblate spheroid which is more like the shape of a slightly flattened ball/crossed with a bird’s egg. Only the smaller end of the ‘bird’s egg’ is on the far side of the moon, so looking from Earth, we can’t see it. Hopefully, no large alien with a super-huge spoon comes along and has a go at cracking it!
The moon has eight phases – True!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1q10woJ3fslx4Qy6hRFCsPqrXzopERddQel0bzPSzHz07gOhhub1WOxCsnkYRDD1f_yGhoBxf0X3zSKmg2MjTMC1yl41sFW-wRukbA_IdcBmgOg5U0RY0Iw0T4bWP7mWNL_BAjSoTQ00/s1600/moon-phases.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1q10woJ3fslx4Qy6hRFCsPqrXzopERddQel0bzPSzHz07gOhhub1WOxCsnkYRDD1f_yGhoBxf0X3zSKmg2MjTMC1yl41sFW-wRukbA_IdcBmgOg5U0RY0Iw0T4bWP7mWNL_BAjSoTQ00/s400/moon-phases.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image from here with thanks: http://space-facts.com/the-moon/ </td></tr>
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And I just love the word gibbous! Now I want to use it to describe a character! :-)<br />
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The dictionary definitions are:<br />
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1
a : marked by convexity or swelling<br />
b of the moon or a planet : seen with more than half but not all of the apparent disk illuminated<br />
2
: having a hump : humpbacked<br />
Origin of GIBBOUS
Middle English, from Late Latin gibbosus humpbacked, from Latin gibbus hump<br />
First Known Use: 14th century<br />
<br />
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<b>Full Moon Madness (aka Lycanthropy) - <span style="color: red;">Myth</span>!</b><br />
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Yes, ’tis a myth! What? Of course it is? Shapeshifters don't exist, right? Right! :-D<br />
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The full moon doesn’t cause any of the bizarre or crazy events! It’s a proven scientific fact that the moon doesn’t have any physical, gravitational pull on people, and so it’s not responsible for any upswing in violence and crime, or <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082010/" target="_blank">mild-mannered Americans turning in to werewolves</a>. Though there are some statistics that seem to show that this does occur when there’s a full moon (Not the werewolf bit, but the excess of crazy and violent bits), but we all know about the truth of statistics*, don’t we? So, sadly, that werewolf I saw loping through my garden last full moon was just a figment of my imagination . . . *looks shifty* <br />
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<b>Blue Moon’s aren’t Blue – <span style="color: red;">True</span>!</b><br />
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A blue moon is when the werewolves get a second chance at running amok— umm, sorry *curbs imagination* *resumes* A blue moon is when we get a second full moon in a calendar month, which happens every two or three years. It’s called a blue moon because it’s a rare occurrence, hence the saying ‘once in a blue moon’. And while a blue moon isn’t named for its colour, the moon can, in fact, sometimes look blue, which is down to atmospheric conditions (volcanic eruptions/large fires). So, we now have the chicken and egg conundrum – did the saying come first, or the monika? Answers on a postcard of the moon, please! (aka in the comments) *g*<br />
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<br />
*given enough massaging of selected data, statistics can tell us exactly
what we want them too. And, yes, since you ask, I can be that cynical
;p<br />
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*or is it the darkness swallowing the light ... And hey, I got the theme in. Sort of. Right? Right! *g* <br />
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And talking about the theme, and the blog hop - check out all these fabulous blog hop posts below!<br />
<br />
<ol style="text-align: center;">
<li style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="http://ofhistoryandkings.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/21st-december-one-day-blog-hop.html">Helen Hollick</a> : <i>A little light relief concerning those dark reviews! Plus a Giveaway Prize</i></b></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><b><a href="http://pruebatten.wordpress.com/2013/12/07/casting-light/">Prue Batten</a> : <i>Casting Light....</i></b></span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="http://alison-morton.com/2013/12/20/shedding-light-on-the-roman-dusk-4/">Alison Morton</a> <a href="http://alison-morton.com/2013/11/29/shedding-light-on-the-roman-dusk/%20%E2%80%8E"></a> : <span style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><i>Shedding light on the Roman dusk - Plus a Giveaway Prize! </i></span></b></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><b><a href="http://annabelfrage.wordpress.com/2013/12/21/let-there-be-light/">Anna Belfrage </a> : <i>Let there be light!</i></b></span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="http://regencytales.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/steering-by-stars-stratford-canning-in.html" target="_blank">Beth Elliott</a> : <i>Steering by the Stars. </i></b><b><i>Stratford Canning in Constantinople, 1810/12</i></b></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="http://coloraturaconsulting.wordpress.com/">Melanie Spiller</a> : </b><i><b>Lux Aeterna, the chant of eternal light</b></i></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="http://stone-lord.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/blog-post.html">Janet Reedman </a> <i>The Winter Solstice Monuments</i></b></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="http://pasadenadailyphoto.blogspot.com/2013/12/casting-light-upon-darkness_8.html">Petrea Burchard</a> : <i>Darkness - how did people of the past cope with the dark</i>? Plus a Giveaway Prize!</b></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="http://news.richarddenning.co.uk/?p=273793">Richard Denning</a><i> </i>: </b><b><i>The Darkest Years of the Dark Ages: what do we really know? Plus a Giveaway Prize! </i></b></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="http://paulinembarclay.blogspot.com.es/2013/11/21st-december-one-day-blog-hop.html">Pauline Barclay</a> : <i>Shedding Light on a Traditional Pie</i></b></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="http://www.davidebsworth.com/page14.html">David Ebsworth</a> :<i> Propaganda in the Spanish Civil War</i></b></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="http://pillingswritingcorner.blogspot.co.uk/">David Pilling </a> : <i> Greek Fire - Plus a Giveaway Prize!</i></b></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="http://youngbyname.me/2013/12/21/let-there-be-light-special-feature-for-the-winter-solstice/">Debbie Young</a> :<i> Fear of the Dark</i></b></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><b><a href="http://dodgingarrows.wordpress.com/">Derek Birks </a> : <i>Lies, Damned Lies and … Chronicles</i></b></span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><b><a href="http://mark-patton.blogspot.co.uk/">Mark Patton</a> : <i>Casting Light on Saturnalia</i></b></span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="http://www.timhodkinson.com/#%21blogger-feed/c1ynb">Tim Hodkinson</a> : <i>Soltice@Newgrange</i></b></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://familyhistorysecrets.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/in-deep-midwinter-blog-hop.html">Wendy Percival </a> :<i> </i></span><i>Ancestors in the Spotlight</i></b></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="http://jfridgleyblog.com/">Judy Ridgley</a> : <i>Santa and his elves</i> <i>Plus a Giveaway Prize</i></b></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><b><a href="http://katherinebone.wordpress.com/2013/12/21/admiral-nelson-a-light-in-dark-times/">Katherine Bone </a> : <i>Admiral Nelson, A Light in Dark Times</i></b></span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="http://christinacourtenay.com/?p=1755">Christina Courtenay</a> :<i> The Darkest Night of the Year</i></b></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><b><a href="http://busywords.wordpress.com/which-way-to-paradise-2/"><i>Edward James</i> </a> :<i> The secret life of Christopher Columbus; Which Way to Paradise?</i></b></span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://wp.me/p41gzk-2H">Janis Pegrum Smith </a> : <i>I</i></span><i>nto The Light - A Short Story</i></b></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="http://julianstockwin.com/welcome-front-page/blog-page/">Julian Stockwin</a> : <i>Ghost Ships - Plus a Giveaway Present</i></b></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="http://wordpress.mcscott.co.uk/index.php/solstice-blog-hop-mithras-and-the-older-gods/" target="_blank">Manda Scott</a> : <i>Dark into Light - Mithras, and the older gods</i></b></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="http://www.patriciabracewell.com/blog/">Pat Bracewell</a> </b><i><b>Anglo-Saxon Art: Splendor in the Dark</b></i></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="http://francesca-scriblerus.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/we-will-have-fire-arson-during.html">Lucienne Boyce</a> : <i>We will have a fire - 18th Century protests against enclosure</i></b></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="http://nicoleevelina.com./">Nicole Evelina</a> <i>What Lurks Beneath Glastonbury Abbey? </i></b></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><b><a href="http://www.skypuringtonwrites.blogspot.com/">Sky Purington </a> : <span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></b></span><b><i>How the Celts Cast Light on Current American Christmas Traditions</i></b></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="http://sir-readalot.blogspot.co.uk/">Stuart MacAllister (Sir Read A Lot)</a> : <i>The Darkness of Depression</i></b></li>
</ol>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Thank you for visiting - wishing you light and laughter for the Winter Solstice!</b></div>
<ol style="text-align: center;"></ol>
Suzanne McLeodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00239006528474008402noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763849776035451598.post-78663706534059640282013-11-17T20:46:00.003+00:002013-11-17T21:20:04.234+00:00Authors for Philippines - Auction Lots!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie5sK6RldGkMdYfcFN-lHiGo5c8Hpxhyphenhyphen-D6anhLjWOtBdLw9PA31QvXJbY1COJHmuuzSedkHOQhtCI0Nf8YlW4DUVtJejKUe1Ak7qizpJ4YhmyuLF0tge8acWmXs3S564G8_Nj0xF6Vps/s1600/phil_badge21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie5sK6RldGkMdYfcFN-lHiGo5c8Hpxhyphenhyphen-D6anhLjWOtBdLw9PA31QvXJbY1COJHmuuzSedkHOQhtCI0Nf8YlW4DUVtJejKUe1Ak7qizpJ4YhmyuLF0tge8acWmXs3S564G8_Nj0xF6Vps/s1600/phil_badge21.jpg" /></a></div>
The fabulous authors <a href="http://keris-stainton.com/" target="_blank">Keris Stainton</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/Kerensd" target="_blank">Keren David</a>, and <a href="http://www.candygourlay.com/" target="_blank">Candy Gourlay</a> have set up the Authors for Philippines Auction to raise money to help those in need after the devastation of Typoon Haiyan.<br />
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<br />
I have two lots in the auction: <br />
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Lot 1: <a href="http://authorsforphilippines.wordpress.com/2013/11/17/377-complete-set-of-spellcrackers-com-books-signed-and-personalised-by-suzanne-mcleod/" target="_blank">All 5 Spellcrackers books (matching paperbacks. 1-4 will be sent now, and 5 - The Hidden Rune of Iron - when it's published in 2014. Winning bidder will also receive an eARC of #5 as soon as it's available)</a>, signed and personalised, for yourself, or as a book'ish Christmas pressie for someone! :-)<br />
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Lot 2: <a href="http://authorsforphilippines.wordpress.com/2013/11/17/386-a-character-named-after-you-in-suzanne-mcleods-next-book-the-hidden-rune-of-iron/" target="_blank">Want to be a character in my next book, The Hidden Rune of Iron? Your character may or may not die horribly!! *g* </a><br />
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<br />
So why not go and bid, and treat yourself, or a friend! And if you don't fancy either of my lots, there are hundreds more, all in aid of a very deserving cause, so go check the auction out. :-)<br />
<br />
Thank you, and Happy Bidding!! <br />
<br />
From the Authors for Philippines website:<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">"Typhoon Haiyan slammed into the Philippines on Friday (8 November), causing catastrophic damage. It is the strongest storm ever to make landfall, hitting an area where thousands of people are already homeless after an earthquake in mid-October. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">The 300-mile wide typhoon – locally known as Yolanda – has left a trail of destruction with thousands feared dead. The full extent of the damage will become clearer in the next few days as rescue teams reach the more remote areas. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">Philippine Red Cross volunteers have been on the ground since before the storm hit, helping with evacuation plans and warning communities. Now, they are getting aid to the people who are most in need and preparing to help thousands more." </span><br />
<br />
The auction is now live and you can bid on the items via the comments on the individual posts.
Once the auction has ended (Wednesday 20th November), the winning bidder will be contacted and ask them to donate the funds directly to the Red Cross and send the confirmation of payment to us.<br />
<br />
When we’ve received the confirmation, we’ll ask the relevant author to contact the winning bidder. (In other words, we are not dealing directly with any donations. All donations are to be made directly to the Red Cross appeal.)Suzanne McLeodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00239006528474008402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763849776035451598.post-35435878087703664732013-09-13T19:38:00.000+01:002013-09-13T19:42:18.598+01:00TALES OF EVE anthology!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheOmB4JTKOxJC2ZqeXml-FNQk9e5yB1Uhf_ay3yRRac_ddgJjQxZvViaOHw5S3P99h5Ul6uI9s__G-5ty7y-fHa7qEFVJ9nplclcEGE8PkYp58Ho1NdVho3NGxUyGU1KQ644b-SFCQHI0/s1600/Tales+of+Eve+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheOmB4JTKOxJC2ZqeXml-FNQk9e5yB1Uhf_ay3yRRac_ddgJjQxZvViaOHw5S3P99h5Ul6uI9s__G-5ty7y-fHa7qEFVJ9nplclcEGE8PkYp58Ho1NdVho3NGxUyGU1KQ644b-SFCQHI0/s1600/Tales+of+Eve+cover.jpg" height="320" width="208" /></a></div>
<span class="userContent">"<b>Tales of Eve</b>", edited by the lovely <a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=643460077&extragetparams=%7B%22directed_target_id%22%3A0%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/annemhairi?directed_target_id=0">Anne-Mhairi Simpson</a>, and published by <a href="http://www.foxspirit.co.uk/?p=960" target="_blank">Fox Spirit Books</a>, features lots of fab and different stories by these awesome authors: <a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=576327643&extragetparams=%7B%22directed_target_id%22%3A0%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/adrian.tchaikovsky?directed_target_id=0">Adrian Tchaikovsky</a>, Ren Warom, Paul Weimer, <a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=100000687147910&extragetparams=%7B%22directed_target_id%22%3A0%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/mygoditsraining?directed_target_id=0">Andrew Reid</a>, <a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=649255121&extragetparams=%7B%22directed_target_id%22%3A0%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/francesca.terminiello?directed_target_id=0">Fran Terminiello</a>, <a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=660076041&extragetparams=%7B%22directed_target_id%22%3A0%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/jemck?directed_target_id=0">Juliet E McKenna</a>, Alasdair Stuart, Col<span class="text_exposed_show">um
Paget, Rob Haines, and <b>ME*!</b>! *g*</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><i>Weird Science, Stepford Wives, that episode of Buffy the Vampire
Slayer… </i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><i>Genre fiction abounds with tales of men creating (or attempting
to create) the perfect woman.</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">
</span><span style="color: blue;"><i>Now it’s the woman’s turn. But being female, she’s flexible. She
doesn’t just want to create the perfect man. She wants the perfect
companion, be it man, beast or washing machine.</i></span><br />
<br />
My story is - <b>Mother Knows Best</b><i><b> </b>- </i>and Mhairi says of it in her introduction: Mother Knows Best had me laughing out loud. Suzanne McLeod's magical story of one woman trying to live her life while dealing with motherly machinations is brilliantly entertaining and I'm sure most readers, of either gender, will be able to relate. (Thanks, Mhairi!)<i> </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
I had a lot of fun writing this, and I hope any readers have as much enjoyment with it as I did!<i><br /></i><br />
<br />
<span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show">(p.s. It's not a Spellcrackers story,
but a stand alone set in a different world :-)) Available to buy in various
e-formats <a href="http://www.wizardstowerbooks.com/products/eve-mahiri-simpson" target="_blank">here</a> and at <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tales-Eve-Various/dp/190934821X/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1379096217&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=tales+of+eve+Mahiri+simpsons" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tales-Eve-Various/dp/190934821X/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379096580&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=tales+of+eve+Mahiri+simpson" target="_blank">Amazon US</a> in print and <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tales-of-Eve-ebook/dp/B00F5QS0D8/ref=sr_1_sc_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1379097631&sr=1-2-spell&keywords=tales+of+eve+Mahiri+simpsons" target="_blank">Kindle</a>) </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show"><span style="font-size: small;">Kindle US is available but I can't link to it because I'm in the UK :-)</span></span></span>Suzanne McLeodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00239006528474008402noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763849776035451598.post-87748210473582737772013-07-12T09:48:00.000+01:002013-07-12T09:48:42.538+01:00I'm going to be here, here, and here . . .Tomorrow, <b>Sat 13th,</b> I'll be <a href="http://www.derbyquad.co.uk/film/edge-lit-2" target="_blank">here at EDGE-LIT 2</a> - science-fiction, fantasy and horror day, at the QUAD, Derby.The Guests of Honour are these wonderful three - Mike Carey, Stan Nicholls and Tricia Sullivan.<br />
<br />
My panels:<br />
<br />
11am
–
Fear Today: What Scares Us in 2013?
Tom Fletcher, Suzanne McLeod, Sarah Pinborough, Niki Valentine, Conrad Williams
<br />
<br />
5pm
–
Urban Renewal: What Makes Urban Fantasy so Popular?
Suzanne McLeod, Lou Morgan, Emma Newman,Gaie Sebold, Freda Warrington<br />
<br />
<br />
Full schedule of events is <a href="http://www.derbyquad.co.uk/special-event/edge-lit-2" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
If you're going then don't forget to say hello and have a chat. <br />
<br />
**<br />
<b>Monday 15th </b>I'm heading up to London with a bag full of my all time favourite books*, because the awesome <a href="http://www.charlaineharris.com/calendar.html" target="_blank">Charlaine Harris</a> is doing a signing at Waterstones, <a href="http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/displayDetailEvent.do?searchType=1&author=Charlaine|Harris" target="_blank">Gower Street</a>! Woot!! *HUGE FAN GIRL SQUEE* :-D<br />
<br />
*Books are already packed - though not sure if the store has a limit on how many Charlaine will be able to sign, so if you're going too (don't forget to say hello :-D) best check first before taking a pile. *makes note to follow own advice* *books are heavy* *g*<br />
<br />
And if you can't make London, then the rest of Charlaine's UK tour details are <a href="http://www.charlaineharris.com/calendar.html" target="_blank">here</a>. <br />
<br />
**<br />
And on <b>Tuesday 16th</b> I'm delighted to be a guest of the <a href="http://storyslingers.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Storyslingers</a> writers' group in Shaftesbury, Dorset. I'll be appearing with good pal and fab SFF author <a href="http://www.jainefenn.com/" target="_blank">Jaine Fenn</a> at the Shaftesbury Arts Centre at 6.30pm. We're planning on doing short readings then a fairly informal Q and A. We'll do our best to live up to this impressive poster! <a href="http://storyslingers.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">More details here.</a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Suzanne McLeodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00239006528474008402noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3763849776035451598.post-24380449906432168072013-06-06T08:58:00.002+01:002013-06-08T20:13:25.113+01:00Birthdays and Books - Meridian Six.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's my Birthday today! I'm *cough* 21 <i>and a bit</i>, again *cough*, and as usual I'm treating myself to some books (Best Presents EVAH! :-D)<br />
<br />
First up is this awesome novella - Meridian Six - published today by the awesome Jaye Wells, in honour of my birthday*!! (Read on for a giveaway!)<br />
<br />
Woot!! Happy Book Birthday, Jaye! <br />
<br />
So here's the skinny . . . <br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">Meridian Six remembers the days before the Troika enslaved humans. She also remembers her mother, a freedom fighter who was murdered in the final battle between humans and vampires. But it is her mother's final words that have haunted her: </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">Never stop fighting, Carmina. Red means life.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">In the years since her mother's death, Meridian Six has been used as both a propaganda tool and a blood slave by the Troika. She's withstood their indignities because they were better than breaking her back in a labor camp or bleeding our in a blood camp. But when the abuses finally go too far, she decides to run towards freedom and her mother's red light. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">On the other side of the light, she finds the Sisters of Crimson. They help her like her mother promised, but they also hand her to the human rebels, who have their own plans for the daughter of the race's famous freedom fighter. The vampires used her famous name to keep human slaves biddable, but now the humans want to use it inspire a revolution. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">Meridian Six is about to learn that when the world is at war, freedom is a luxury paid for with blood.</span><br />
<br />
Sounds THRILLING, right? And it is! Everyone's gonna want to read this one! :-D <br />
<br />
<a href="http://jayewells.com/2013/05/19/meridian-six-excerpt/" target="_blank">Check out the excerpt here</a> on Jaye's website.<br />
<br />
Buy from:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D6XM3FS/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00D6XM3FS&linkCode=as2&tag=wwwjayewellsc-20" target="_blank">Amazon.com </a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Meridian-Six-ebook/dp/B00D6XM3FS/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1370460192&sr=1-8&keywords=jaye+wells" target="_blank">Amazon.co.uk </a><br />
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/meridian-six-jaye-wells/1115478212?ean=2940016592008" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble </a><br />
<a href="http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Meridian-Six/book-FMv8jNXrRUi3nyquyPObUw/page1.html?s=YdMVJ8jrfkGKG3jI45lTRw&r=1" target="_blank">Kobo</a><br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;">GIVEAWAY</span><br />
<br />
<b>And to celebrate my birthday and share my love for Jaye's new release I'm giving away 6 copies of Meridian Six!</b><br />
2 copies on the blog - to enter leave a comment on this post. Ends 6pm (GMT) 13th June 2013<br />
<br />
2 copies on Facbook - to enter this one <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Suzanne-McLeod-Author/143507599017659" target="_blank">Like my page</a> and leave a comment on the giveaway post. Ends 6pm (GMT) 13th June 2013.<br />
<br />
2 copies on Twitter - to enter Tweet this: <span style="color: purple;">Happy Book Birthday to @jayewells for e-novella MERIDIAN SIX! RT on 6/6 4 chance to win (details here http://suzannemcleod.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/birthdays-and-books-meridian-six.html</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">ETA: Twitter winners have been notified :-)</span><br />
(Ends midnight 6th June (everywhere))<br />
<br />
ENTRY TERMS<br />
<br />
~Meridian Six is an e-novella and available for Kindle (US and UK) and Nook. So the giveaway copies will be one of those versions. If you don't have a Kindle, Kindle files can be read on any device by downloading the Kindle app from Amazon. <br />
~You can comment/Tweet on all three places (blog/FB/Twitter) which = 3 separate entries. So three chances to win.<br />
<br />
~Giveaway is open to any, so long as the winner can accept a gift e-novella from Amazon US, Amazon UK, Barnes and Noble, or Kobo.<br />
~Winners drawn by Random.org.<br />
<br />
<br />
*Kidding! Jaye might be my crit partner but Meridian Six is published today because it fits the story, and also 'cos it's such a brilliant date! Plus, it's easy to remember; I should know, it's been my 'date' all my life *g* Suzanne McLeodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00239006528474008402noreply@blogger.com9