tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71795409384638306082024-03-16T02:08:29.927-05:00A Torch in the TempestChristi Goddardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08590491851753709622noreply@blogger.comBlogger141125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179540938463830608.post-63788594521105691162012-09-18T08:15:00.000-05:002012-09-18T08:15:48.082-05:00Recaptured Dreams<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today, I am highlighting my good author friend Justine Dell's new book Recaptured Dreams. It is being published today and I'm so happy for her.
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The Blurb:
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Ten years, the Atlantic Ocean, and several rungs in society have kept Xavier Cain from having Sophia Montel. Now twenty-seven, he’s spent his entire adult life building a fashion empire that could finally prove his worth to her family. When fate reunites him with Sophia at London’s premiere fashion show, one problem lodges in Xavier’s path: Sophia doesn’t remember him.
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The only obstacle that has kept Sophia from Xavier is a horrific car crash that erased her memory at seventeen. She’s spent the last ten years fighting to reclaim a sliver of her past that her mother refuses to help her remember. When Sophia meets Xavier at the London show, however, all her fantasies come to life in one night of passion. Discovering he is the missing link, she is determined to find all the pieces to their love story and her memory.
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Xavier wants forever. Sophia wants her memory. If they take this chance, they’ll have to start over. How far are they willing to go get what they want? And when the past catches up to them, can they handle the truths it has hidden?
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There is a <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/31551-recaptured-dreams">Goodreads book giveaway</a>.
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Author Bio:
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Justine lives in the Midwest, happily catering to her family, which consists of a horse-obsessed teenage daughter and four crazy dogs. She’s never moved from her hometown, but hopes to grow old in a much warmer climate.
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During the day she works a normal job with college students who try their best to keep her young. They’ve done a good job thus far. At night, said teenage daughter and her horse require mounds of love and attention. The weekends belong solely to her and her writing. That’s when she morphs into a sticky bug, unable to leave the confines of her computer chair.
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She started writing three years ago after seeing a movie that set off a chain reaction she couldn’t have stopped if she’d wanted. It’s not a hobby for her; it’s an obsession. One she loves and one she loves to share.
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Contact Justine by email: <a href="mailto:dell.justine@gmail.com">dell.justine@gmail.com</a>
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Recaptured Dreams on <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13529826-recaptured-dreams" target="_blank">Goodreads.</a> <br>
Recaptured Dreams on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Recaptured-Dreams/361387940555451" target="_blank">Facebook.</a><br>
Friend her on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/#!/Dell.Justine" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br>
Check out her <a href="http://www.justine-dell.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Blog. </a><br>
Find her on <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/JustineDell" target="_blank">Twitter.</a><br>
Find Recaptured Dreams on <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7399449-justine-dell" target="_blank">Goodreads </a>Profile<br>
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And don't forget to check out <a href="http://omnificpublishing.com/" target="_blank">Omnific Publishing. </a>Romance ... without the rules.
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/3g_GSNqPrUo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Christi Goddardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08590491851753709622noreply@blogger.com164tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179540938463830608.post-41499260156716612362012-08-24T16:04:00.000-05:002012-08-24T16:04:13.665-05:00Isen: A Chilling New Breed of Evil<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is a guest post by author S. M. Boyce. She wanted to introduce an evil creature from her debut series, the Grimoire Trilogy.
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What would you do if your soul was trapped in another’s body—and they could use the skills and knowledge you’ve built thus far in your life? What if they could don your appearance at any time, live your life if they wanted, and you could only watch?
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That’s exactly what isen—soul stealers from the world of the Grimoire Trilogy—do every day. Each soul makes an isen more powerful, but comes at a price: the souls rattle around in the isen’s head, driving them slowly insane. To remain immortal, the isen has to keep stealing...if they don't, they grow old and eventually die.
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Seeing the barb in an isen’s palm reaching out to steal your soul is the surest sign you’ll be trapped as their slave until they die. Want to learn about them anyway? Check out <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005W5L38G?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B005W5L38G&linkCode=xm2&tag=hubp0aaf-20">Lichgates</a> (Grimoire Trilogy #1) to get hooked.
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<center>Find Out More Online</center><br>
<center><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12900806-the-grimoire">Lichgates’ Goodreads Page</a> | <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHAo2-dx1u4&list=PL9FB17242C4A45BCC&index=1&feature=plpp_video">Book Trailer</a> | <a href="http://www.thegrimoirebooks.com/">The Grimoire Trilogy Website</a></center> <br>
<center><a href="http://www.thegrimoirebooks.com/2012/03/26/chapter-1-the-human-excerpt-from-lichgates-the-grimoire-trilogy-1/">Read the 1st Chapter FREE</a></center>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKqXl7SUJMOLsdc-6n3dOqg6I2M-383ZrDpHuk0s7SGjeuujbKHkKuL2fiqxi9p-C7l6fki5jGuywOY7-3PHCi-bmoQ0cCyidnd4HFgwP_BVXaJDvhP_GDSEpdpwBwrN2ykKDFl7fcrdM/s1600/Lichgates.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKqXl7SUJMOLsdc-6n3dOqg6I2M-383ZrDpHuk0s7SGjeuujbKHkKuL2fiqxi9p-C7l6fki5jGuywOY7-3PHCi-bmoQ0cCyidnd4HFgwP_BVXaJDvhP_GDSEpdpwBwrN2ykKDFl7fcrdM/s320/Lichgates.jpg" /></a></div>
<center>Grab Your Copy of Lichgates</center>
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<center><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005W5L38G?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B005W5L38G&linkCode=xm2&tag=hubp0aaf-20">Amazon (US)</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Grimoire-Lichgates-adventure-ebook/dp/B005W5L38G">Amazon (UK)</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-grimoire-s-m-boyce/1111251724">B&N</a> </center>
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<center>Author Bio & Contact</center>
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S.M. Boyce is a fantasy and paranormal fiction novelist who also dabbles in contemporary fiction and comedy. She’s a sarcastic twit, but her friends seem to like her anyway. She updates her blog (http://blog.smboyce.com) a few times each week so that you have something to wake you up in the morning (who still uses coffee?). Her B.A. in Creative Writing qualifies her to serve you french fries.
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<a href="http://blog.smboyce.com/">Blog</a> | <a href="http://www.smboyce.com/">Website</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thesmboyce">Facebook</a> | <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/thesmboyce">Twitter</a></center>
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<center><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5280531.S_M_Boyce">Goodreads Page</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/S.M.-Boyce/e/B005WL2N8O">Amazon Author Page</a></center>
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Christi Goddardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08590491851753709622noreply@blogger.com83tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179540938463830608.post-20729913898685559962012-08-08T16:46:00.001-05:002012-08-08T16:48:01.556-05:00Guest Post by Author Nikki JeffordA Writer’s Habitat
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Photo essay by Nikki Jefford.
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For the past year and a half we’ve resided in a rather funky dwelling in Friday Harbor, WA (San Juan Island).
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1. Can’t see a single neighbor from any window on the three acre property. An introvert’s idea of paradise.
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2. Jungle cat montage in the entry. The previous owner was a tile maker.
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3. 3 in a tree
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4. The Beware Chair. Cover in moss below a circle of chains hanging from a tree in the back of the property. A little creepy.
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5. Would make a great filming spot for the Blair Witch Project.
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6. I’m still finding things hidden in…
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7. ...and under trees
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8.Did the Wicked Witch of the West leave behind a shoe?
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Alas, we must leave this funky place. Our landlady put it on the market at the beginning of the year and just reduced the price. I’ve enjoyed the human quiet here on Point Caution Drive and the sounds of birds, hooting owls, and bats flying overhead when I walk my dog down the road at night. It’s also been a place of great productivity in writing. Every author needs a retreat.
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Nikki Jefford is the author of the Spellbound fantasy series. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Entangled-Spellbound-1-ebook/dp/B007BCORJK"><i>Entangled</i></a> (book one) is a semifinalist in The Kindle Book Review’s Best Indie Books of 2012 YA category. Nikki is a third generation Alaskan who found paradise in the not-so-tropical San Juan Islands where she is, once more, neighbors with Canada. She resides with a Frenchman named Sebastien and a Westie named Cosmo.Christi Goddardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08590491851753709622noreply@blogger.com282tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179540938463830608.post-62573581525761815622012-08-05T07:06:00.000-05:002012-08-05T07:06:18.459-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.lightsonoutreach.com/the-raffle/">The biggest online book raffle</a> is happening now through Wednesday, August 8th. (No purchase necessary.) Signed paperbacks, posters, bookmarks and eBooks by 10 authors, including New York Times and USA Today Bestseller, Slyvain Reynard.
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This event was organized by ocean and animal loving author Rachael Wade (<i>Resistance Trilogy</i>) and includes <i>Entangled</i> author Nikki Jefford, recent YA semifinalist in the <a href="http://thekindlebookreview.blogspot.com/p/ya-semifinalists.html">Kindle Book Reviews Best Indie Books of 2012</a>.
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Check out the charities these authors support and enter to win the mother load!Christi Goddardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08590491851753709622noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179540938463830608.post-46827942452786684002012-07-29T14:22:00.000-05:002012-07-29T14:22:35.871-05:00Last Day of Book Fair!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://wendysrusso.com">Wendy Russo</a>, author of the upcoming novel <i>January Black</i>, hosts Crescent Moon Press authors Christine Ashworth (<i>Demon Hunt</i>), Cindy Young-Turner (<i>Thief of Hope</i>), Constance Phillips (<i>Fairyproof</i>), Diane M. Haynes (<i>Rift Healer</i>), Louann Carroll (<i>A Shadow of Time, Gemini Rising</i>), Lynn Rush (<i>Awaited, Wasteland, Prelude to Darkness</i>), Renee Reardon (<i>Moonlight Bleu, Crimson Sunrise</i>) and Sasha Summers (<i>Hollywood Ever After, Medusa; A Love Story</i>). This is the place to be for paranormal, romance, and fantasy lovers!
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<a href="http://wynnechanning.wordpress.com/">Check out</a> the Young Adult Paranormal novel <i>What Kills Me</i> and get the novel for free by following Wynne Channing on Twitter or by liking her Facebook Page! Send her a private FB message or Tweet: “I’m dying to read <i>What Kills Me</i> by @WynneChanning!” and she will reply with a Smashwords coupon code! Codes will expire July 30th!
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Paranormal Thrillers <i>Vigilare</i> and <i>Vigilare: Hell Hound</i> are available for a great deal <a href="http://www.brooklynjamesblog.blogspot.com">here</a>. Brooklyn James also showcases her YA Women’s Fiction novel <i>The Boots My Mother Gave Me</i>, which features a soundtrack to go along with it. The soundtrack has original songs written/co-written and performed by the author! Very unique and interesting so check out the multi-talented Brooklyn James!
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<a href="http://cindyyoungturner.com/blog/">Cindy Young-Turner</a>, author of <i>Thief of Hope</i>, hosts an eclectic selection of novels on her blog. R. J. Burroughs, author of <i>The Boys of ’58</i>, and Sam Bennett, author of <i>Memoirs of a Trumpet Teacher</i>, have books that will make you laugh. Alan Zendell, author of <i>The Portal</i>, <i>Wednesday's Child</i>, and <i>Critical Focus</i>, touches on dystopian futures, time travel twists, and political intrigue. Cindy Young-Turner’s fantasy novel will take you to a new world and introduce you to a heroine with a fighting spirit.
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<a href="http://louanncarrollbooks.weebly.com/blog.html">Here</a> you can find out about Louann Carroll’s novels, <i>A Shadow of Time</i> and <i>Gemini Rising</i>. <i>A Shadow of Time</i> is a Paranormal Romance and <i>Gemini Rising</i> is the first book in her Science Fiction Romance series. You can enter her giveaway for a chance to win a free copy!
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And that's a wrap for the Book Fair! I hope you all have a chance to go visit the sites that are hosting the fair so you can learn about all of these indie books!Christi Goddardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08590491851753709622noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179540938463830608.post-89187843224183870122012-07-28T09:32:00.000-05:002012-07-28T17:05:38.261-05:00Book Fair, Day Three!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Since books don't really grow on trees (no matter how nice that would be, and so efficient), we must venture out into the world and find them elsewhere. We are now in day three of our Book Fair! Here's some more sites I would like to share with you.
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Want to know more about Melissa Douthit’s fantasy series, the Legend of the Raie’Chaelia Trilogy? <a href="http://melissadouthit.com/">Here</a> is the place to get the first four books for FREE! That’s right! <i>The Raie’Chaelia</i>, <i>The Firelight of Maalda</i>, and the two prequel novellas <i>The Vanishing</i> and <i>The Journey Begins</i> will all be free. You can also get more info about <i>The Return</i> which comes out in November! Also featured on her blog is Rebecca Hamilton (<i>The Forever Girl</i>, <i>Her Sweetest Downfall</i>), Ashley Andrews (<i>The Heaven I Found in Hell</i>), and Christie Rich (<i>Five</i>, <i>Dark Matter</i>, <i>Genesis</i>).
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Meet <a href="http://lit-dark-prince.blogspot.com/">Nathan Squiers</a>, the Literary Dark Prince, and find out about his Crimson Shadow Series. The series is a Horror/Occult/Paranormal Thriller set that includes the first novel <i>Crimson Shadow: Noir</i> and a series of shorts including <i>Wicked Paints</i>, <i>Magic Murderer</i>, and <i>Just Another Night</i>. You can win all of them by entering his giveaway!
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Meet another great group of authors! <a href="http://www.beccahamiltonbooks.com/blog">Rebecca Hamilton</a>, author of <i>The Forever Girl</i> and <i>Her Sweetest Downfall</i> hosts Wynne Channing (<i>What Kills Me</i>), Riley J. Ford (<i>Into You</i>), Christie Rich (<i>Five</i>, <i>Dark Matter</i>, <i>Genesis</i>), yours truly (<i>Four in the Morning</i>), Beck Sherman (<i>Revamp</i>) Alan Zendell (<i>Critical Focus</i>, <i>The Portal</i>, <i>Wednesday's Child</i>) and S. M. Boyce (The Grimoire Trilogy: <i>Litchgates</i> and <i>Treason</i>) on her blog. Giveaways and discounts along with a heaping dose of the paranormal!
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The great <a href="http://alifeamongthepages.wordpress.com/">Robert Zimmermann</a> hosts authors Michael Cargill (<i>Underneath</i>, <i>Shades of Grey: Short Story Collection</i>), and Sandra Perez Gluschankoff (<i>The Last Fernandez</i>) on his blog. Here you can enter to win one of ten copies of each of Michael Cargill’s books and sign up to be notified when Sandra Perez Gluschankoff’s Historical Fiction is released! While you are there, check out Robert Zimmermann’s poetry!
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Plenty of authors are represented <a href="http://blog.smboyce.com/">here</a>! S. M. Boyce (The Grimoire Trilogy: <i>Litchgates</i> and the upcoming second book <i>Treason</i>) hosts authors Melissa Douthit (<i>The Legend of the Raie’Chaelia Trilogy</i>), Rebecca Hamilton (<i>The Forever Girl</i> and <i>Her Sweetest Downfall</i>), Alan Zendell (<i>Critical Focus</i>, <i>The Portal</i>, <i>Wednesday’s Child</i>), Cindy Young-Turner (<i>Thief of Hope</i>), yours truly (<i>Four in the Morning</i>), Barry Nove and D. H. Aire (<i>Flights of Fantasy</i> and <i>Highmage’s Plight</i>) and Kayla Curry (<i>Obsidian</i>). There will be fun, deals, and giveaways!
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<a href="http://www.vaempires.com/blog">Thomas Winship</a>, author of <i>Vaempires: Revolution</i> and <i>Vaempires: White Christmas</i> will be featuring all Fantasy on July 26th, all Paranormal Romance on July 27th, all Horror/Sci-Fi on July 28th and all Vampire books on the 29th! Make sure you stop in and see what he has for each category!
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Believe it or not, that's not all. I have several more things to tell you about, but I'll do that in tomorrow's. I hope everyone's having a fabulous Saturday!
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<br>Christi Goddardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08590491851753709622noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179540938463830608.post-27463655348630418842012-07-27T08:35:00.001-05:002012-07-27T08:35:30.541-05:00Book Fair, Day Two!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So, it's time for a mountain of books to come falling your way!
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At our <a href="http://www.anaccidentaldad.com/">fourth blogger booth</a>, you'll find the author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Diary-Accidental-Dad-ebook/dp/B00803FBVW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1343394907&sr=8-2&keywords=Diary+of+an+accidental+dad">Diary of an Accidental Dad</a>, Alex Goetchius. His novel is a humorous parenting book. Those who buy <i>Diary of an Accidental Dad</i> from Amazon.com and leave a comment will also receive an e-book of <i>When I Was a Kid</i>. More details on his site!
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Over on <a href="http://www.ashleyandrewsblog.com">Ashley Andrews' blog</a> you’ll find out more about her book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Heaven-Found-Hell-ebook/dp/B008AGS4PE">The Heaven I Found in Hell</a>, a YA Romance with some laughs! You can enter to win an e-copy of her book for free! See her blog for more!
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<a href="http://brandonrluffman.wordpress.com/">Here</a> is the place you want to be if you are looking for a great horror read! Brandon R. Luffman hosts Beck Sherman, author of <i>Revamp</i> and Steven Katriel, author of <i>The Portrait of Alatiel Salazar</i>. You can also sign up to be notified when Brandon R. Luffman’s <i>Frostwalker</i> is released and enter giveaways!
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Tons of authors are featured on <a href="http://christierich.blogspot.com">this blog</a>! Christie Rich is the author of the <i>Elemental Enmity Series</i> which includes, <i>Five</i>, <i>Dark Matter</i>, and <i>Genesis</i>. She is also hosting Wynne Channing, author of <i>What Kills Me</i>; Rebecca Hamilton, author of <i>The Forever Girl</i> and <i>Her Sweetest Downfall</i>; S. M. Boyce, author of <i>Litchgates</i> and the next installment of the Grimoire Trilogy—<i>Treason</i>; Melissa Douthit author of the <i>Legend of the Raie’Chaelia</i> Trilogy; Riley J. Ford, author of <i>Into You</i>; and Kayla Curry, author of <i>Obsidian</i>, the first book of the Mystic Stones Series. There will be giveaways and discounts at this blog booth, so don’t miss it!
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<a href="www.dhr2believe.net">The authors D. H. Aire and Barry Nove</a> will be showcasing <i>D. H. Aire’s Highmage’s Plight</i> and their anthology of short stories <i>Flights of Fantasy: Volume One</i>. If you like fantasy, check in with them each day of the fair for a blog article and learn more about the promotion for Highmage’s Plight. The first 100 interested buyers will get free membership to the online evolving book and it’s sequels that are serialized on writing.com! See the blog for more details!
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<a href="http://www.djkirk.net/particular-stones-blog.html">Here</a> is the perfect place to explore the Science Fiction works of David J. Kirk, author of <i>Particular Stones</i> and Kathleen Papajohn, author of <i>Maligned</i>. Both authors are doing a giveaway, and a signed copy of <i>Particular Stones</i> is up for grabs, so stop in and find out how to enter both giveaways!
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<a href="http://jennifermbarry.com/">Hang out with the girls</a>! Featuring authors Jennifer M. Barry (<i>Side Effects</i>, <i>The Kingdom</i>), Kathleen Papajohn (<i>Maligned</i>), Robin Boren (<i>Suburban Hustler</i>) and Christie Rich (<i>Five, Dark Matter, Genesis</i>) this blog has a lot to offer from giveaways to girl talk!
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<a href="www.katelutter.blogspot.com">Visit</a> <i>Wild Point Island</i>! This is the setting and the title for Kate Lutter’s Paranormal Romance novel. Here you can enter her contest to win one of three awesome prizes: First Prize-$20 Amazon Gift Card, Second Prize-$10 Amazon Gift Card, and Third Prize: Free copy of <i>Wild Point Island</i>. All you have to do is tell her the title of your favorite book in 25 words or less! More details on her site!
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There's a whole heap of books still to come on future posts.Christi Goddardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08590491851753709622noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179540938463830608.post-183425442345289162012-07-26T08:35:00.002-05:002012-07-28T00:13:03.408-05:00Blogger Book Fair Day One!The Blogger Book Fair starts today! We have many authors participating in this Book Fair, and there's tons of prizes and books to hear about.
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At A.E. Howard's blogs <a href="http://aehowardwrites.com/blog">A.E. Howard Writes</a> and <a href="http://wayfaringartist.com">Wayfaring Artisst</a> Find out about A. E. Howard’s YA Fantasy <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13556982-flight-of-blue?utm_medium=api&utm_source=author_widget">Flight of Blue</a>! The novel is part one of the Keeper of the Keys Chronicles. She’ll have giveaways and a 15% discount on the paperback version of her book. Go to her blogs to see more details!
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Alana Rock hosts three authors on her blog <a href="http://darkobsessionchronicles.blogspot.com/">Dark Obsession Chronicles</a>; John Corwin, author of <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13378876-sweet-blood-of-mine">Sweet Blood of Mine</a> and <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14759655-dark-light-of-mine">Dark Light of Mine</a>, P. A. Lupton author of <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14759655-dark-light-of-mine">Bound by Blood</a> and Derrolyn Anderson, author of the Marina’s Tales Series. You can get book one of the Marina’s Tales Series, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10864804-between-the-land-and-the-sea">Between the Land and the Sea</a>, for free by visiting Alana’s Blog and while you are there, sign up for the giveaways of Corwin’s <i>Sweet Blood of Mine</i> and Anderson’s <i>Bound By Blood</i>!
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Okay, that's the first three booths! There's tons more, but I don't want to weigh you down with a huge post, so I'm breaking it down into several posts during the next three days. The Book Fair ends July 29th, so do some clicking, people! Free stuff awaits you. Click on the Book Fair button on the top right of my blog if you're too impatient to find out who the rest of the authors are. :-)Christi Goddardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08590491851753709622noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179540938463830608.post-21757525106631003622012-07-18T20:29:00.000-05:002012-07-18T20:29:12.811-05:00Blog Book Tours and Book FairsSo, I still can't figure out this new Blogger layout because I'm deficient, so hopefully this doesn't look like total crapola when I'm done.
The summer has been a busy one, so much so that my online time has been far too whittled down for me to function properly at such an important time in my life. However, there are a couple of things going on right now with my book. One is A blog book tour. The details are all on this posting <a href="http://darkmindbooktours.blogspot.com/2012/07/four-in-morning-now-on-tour.html">HERE</a>. Also, there is a book fair that is for many authors that I am going to be a part of. Click on the BOOK FAIR link on the right for the blog hosting it. There's going to be free stuff. You should check both places out, people. We all love free stuff, right? I feel so accomplished right now, having finally blogged about something. I deserve a pat on the head.
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<a href="http://i1173.photobucket.com/albums/r599/grubbyhalo/Gajeel06.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="281" width="500" src="http://i1173.photobucket.com/albums/r599/grubbyhalo/Gajeel06.gif" /></a></div>Christi Goddardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08590491851753709622noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179540938463830608.post-26777285739316048332012-06-23T06:33:00.001-05:002012-06-23T06:33:54.915-05:00Twitter Release PartyToday is my Twitter Release Party, so if anyone wants to come by and chat on Twitter, the details are in the tab above or just click <a href="http://www.christigoddard.com/p/four-in-morning-twitter-release-party.html">HERE</a>. Sounds enticing, right? I fail at pimping myself, I always have. Anyhoo, I'll be around all day so if the mood strikes, pop on in and say howdy.Christi Goddardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08590491851753709622noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179540938463830608.post-45478812536932814862012-06-07T13:18:00.001-05:002012-06-07T13:23:01.630-05:00Vic Caswell is EpicFor those who don't know (and I just spotted this myself), my friend, aspiring-x over at Hairnets and Hopes, is starting an illustration business so be fabulous and go check it out! Here's the link:
<a href="http://viccaswell.blogspot.com/2012/06/grand-opening.html?showComment=1339092654675#c8170636996575657094">Vic Caswell</a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5XxHTKY0scM1l21UpfqjiJ411FNKeQ1oavS56d9RZLtsJOY2Gwa20q6jgs_5IJ7PZEPP1Uowm-_00gK_NLyk-ZTyyDz1_a2ae1Roml-Vi2ueX7C-mhvHWieb5RrjE-9YLoQft_nLwDNs/s640/openingimage1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="169" width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5XxHTKY0scM1l21UpfqjiJ411FNKeQ1oavS56d9RZLtsJOY2Gwa20q6jgs_5IJ7PZEPP1Uowm-_00gK_NLyk-ZTyyDz1_a2ae1Roml-Vi2ueX7C-mhvHWieb5RrjE-9YLoQft_nLwDNs/s640/openingimage1.jpg" /></a>Christi Goddardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08590491851753709622noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179540938463830608.post-36969310856938486732012-06-04T18:43:00.000-05:002012-06-04T18:44:10.448-05:00Small UpdateI'm still trying to adjust to this new Blogger layout. It reformats my paragraphs into one giant paragraph. Anybody out there able to tell me how to make it stop? Anyway, if I keep it short, then maybe it won't look so awful. I was interviewed by the lovely Law Reigns at her <a href="http://lawreigns.com/2012/05/26/christi-goddard-the-editor-that-saved-her-writing-career/">website</a>. Also, my ebook is no longer at the introductory $0.99 rate, so my apologies to those who didn't get a chance to snag it at that price (were any of you interested). It was that price for the month of May, but unfortunately I was unable to announce that before the other day due to my mysterious circumstances. Well, I'm going to keep this short since--again--not liking this new layout that squashes my paragraphs. Happy Monday, y'all.Christi Goddardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08590491851753709622noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179540938463830608.post-16021300583056019072012-05-29T10:34:00.001-05:002012-05-29T10:34:25.797-05:00A Bit of NewsIs Christi even alive? That's what y'all have been wondering, right? Well, due to factors I will not relay in a public setting, I have been unable to be a social butterfly at all. Feel free to speculate amongst yourselves.
This was most problematic considering my book came out during my absence. I'm nothing if not cursed, life has proven again and again.
Anyhoo, the book seems to be doing okay. The people who have read it seem to enjoy it, and that's all I ever wanted, really. As I've said before, I'm a storyteller. Just spinning my imagination and entertaining people gives me the most joy over anything else. Well... aside from chocolate.
Oh, and whipped cream on TOP of chocolate. Winning combo, right there.
So, my book is available in print and e-format. The Kindle Edition is on an introductory special right now of $0.99. That's practically free, right?
Here's my Kindleboards page: <a href="http://www.kindleboards.com/book/?asin=B0084P70J2">Kindle</a>
And my Amazon page: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0084P70J2">Amazon</a>
.....and what is up with Blogger? My formatting is totally whacked. I don't like this new look at all.Christi Goddardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08590491851753709622noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179540938463830608.post-56469090009771690752012-03-05T10:30:00.002-06:002012-03-05T10:33:45.317-06:00I'm Elsewhere TodayMy super-good friend Mia Hayson is interviewing me over on her <a href="http://literaryjamandtoast.blogspot.com/">super-awesome blog</a> today. Pop over and take a look, if you're interested.Christi Goddardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08590491851753709622noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179540938463830608.post-91710173674325139512012-03-01T13:18:00.003-06:002012-03-01T13:28:35.998-06:00Reading the Hapless CharacterFew things bother me more than reading a story only to find that little time has passed before I think the character is a moron. While I enjoy amusing stories and even really weird ones that might make almost no sense, I am not amused by a character who is unable to make good decisions - the 'bumbling idiot' character, I suppose. I know a lot of people like this sort of thing, and no offense intended towards those who do, but it's just not my thing.<br /><br />But I did grow up a little bit recently while contemplating the mistakes characters make -those mistakes that make me want to toss the book and write the character off as an idiot who can only be saved by some kind of divine intervention. While I might be able to see the right decision, that doesn't mean I should expect the character to. If my life was a book and I was the main character (a book no one would read, but work with me here) and I made one of my awesome mistakes, someone reading my story would think I was a complete moron.<br /><br />So, my two cents is this: keep reading, even when a character might appear to be rather thick or maybe even hopeless. We're on the journey with them, and hopefully they'll learn from their mistakes. After all, the journey is the story, and it's up to us writers to make sure that our characters make mistakes worth learning from.Christi Goddardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08590491851753709622noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179540938463830608.post-40989861413248213902012-02-22T21:19:00.002-06:002012-02-22T21:42:32.729-06:00A Stroll Down Memory LaneI was reading through some old blog posts from when I first started out on this little journey of mine two years ago and also reading the comments posted by those of you who have been with me the longest. It might seem crazy to say this, but I miss that part of my journey. I miss posting about query letters sent or what I read at some agent's blog or having meltdowns that you guys talk me down from. Weird, huh?<br /><br />I also found this little story I shared, and I giggled all over again. I thought I'd post it again for those who never saw it or those who might enjoy reading it again.<br /><br />--------------------------------------<br /><br />Have you ever felt like you were not explaining yourself well enough, so took that extra, over-the-top bit of oomph to really get your point across --only to then wish you had kept your big mouth shut? I learned at a very young age to stop myself from doing this. Let me explain:<br /><br />My father had a best friend since childhood who had two daughters appx the same age as my sister and me. They traveled from Kansas to Colorado (where I lived at the time) one summer to visit when I was nine. My sister was ten, the other two girls were nine and eleven.<br /><br />My sister and the eldest of the two usually picked on me and the other nine year old. They would taunt us and say things that weren't very nice --or just beat us up. One night, while in my room, the four of us got into a <span style="font-style:italic;">VERY</span> heated discussion that attracted the attention of the adults who then called us into the living room.<br /><br />The four of us dutifully answered the call, and I was the one volunteered to explain what all the commotion was about. <br /><br />"Chelle and Julie are saying that Kris and I are girlfriends." <br /><br />**Crickets** <br /><br />**Step-mother arches brow inquiringly**<br /><br />"They said that we <span style="font-style:italic;">sleep </span>together." <br /><br />**Again the parents say nothing, but look sort of amused**<br /><br />At that point, I was sure that all four adults were complete idiots. How could they not understand how totally <span style="font-style:italic;">violated </span>I was to have my sexuality questioned at the tender age of nine? <br /><br />So, in effort to make them fully understand the depth of my horror, I puffed out my chest and said, "They said that we... you know... <span style="font-style:italic;">F**K</span>."<br /><br />I did not see the other three girls behind me back away, but my dad often likens it to the parting of the Red Sea. My step-mother looked furious. My father and his best friend burst out laughing. His best friend's wife told us all to go back to our bedrooms and leave each other alone.<br /><br />So, in short, I did not get my ass whooped, but I can tell you that is the memory that always pops into my head whenever I think someone is not getting my point. Now, instead of continuing on, I just assume they are an idiot and keep my mouth shut so I don't sound like one. <br /><br />Also, no offense intended to those of alternative lifestyle in the telling of this story. I was nine and had no idea what homosexuality really was. Now I have many friends of the persuasion who make sure I understand fully. :-)Christi Goddardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08590491851753709622noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179540938463830608.post-75222872522595974132012-02-19T21:55:00.003-06:002012-02-19T22:05:17.925-06:00RegretsI try not to have them. I know that each mistake I've made has led me to where I am, so I don't spend a lot of time thinking about the whatifs and ifonlys (ifonlies?) of what might have been. Going to a different school or taking a different job or moving to a different town at any point would have changed the journey that I've been on to find myself. Maybe some roads could have been easier, but would I still be the person I am today if I hadn't totally messed up a bajillion times?<br /><br />But there are things I regret that remind me that I'm still growing as a person. My biggest regret is the way I lose contact with people. We all do it, right? That friend in high school who goes to another college. Time passes, phone numbers get lost, addresses get misplaces, people move... and after a while you decide, 'hey, if we've not talked in a few months, what's a couple more?' Eventually, it's been so long, you start to think, 'hey, maybe we're not actually friends anymore.' It's not because you liked them any less or grew angry. It's because you just didn't take the time, and part of you resented the fact that they didn't take the time, either.<br /><br />I regret that I did this with one of my friends. I've been thinking a lot about them lately, and now that we've not spoken in six years, I can't find the courage to give them a call. Kind of sad, isn't it? Do you have a friend like that? A person who pops into your head when you glance at the phone and make excuses to yourself, calling them 'reasons' not to call?Christi Goddardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08590491851753709622noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179540938463830608.post-9050438355685011522012-02-11T18:56:00.002-06:002012-02-11T19:09:20.522-06:00Guilty PleasuresWe all have them, right? I have the kind of personality that compels me to completely immerse myself into something I find that catches my imagination. I can become so focused on something that I hardly turn my mind to anything else. It can be that way with writing or reading, and it usually is, but lately I've rediscovered my love of cartoons. <br /><br />Okay, okay, to be honest, I've always loved cartoons. I'm really just a big kid. But my daughter loves anime, a thing which I have always avoided and disliked since the early Pokemon years (gods, that show drove me nuts). BUT, I will now admit, I have found a <span style="font-weight:bold;">FEW</span> anime series that I really enjoy, so I have spent far too much free-time catching up with series on Netflix.<br /><br />Much like what I choose to read or write, I am very specific in what I want in this form of entertainment, and I am only interested in Victorian Era style anime that has no ninjas or tiny-outfitted girls who have been 'blessed' shall we say in the chest department. There is murder and conspiracies and complicated plots, all of which are right up my alley. The few anime I enjoy are based on the manga series of their namesakes, so I have had to learn how to read manga. It... takes some getting used to, reading backwards.<br /><br />How about you guys? What are your guilty pleasures?Christi Goddardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08590491851753709622noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179540938463830608.post-15462417563687383022012-02-06T10:52:00.008-06:002012-02-06T12:36:50.105-06:00So, a bit of news...I'm being published. Yes, yes, it took me ages to work up the nerve to announce it. I was offered back in September and since then it's been a hectic life of editing two books (two were signed) and getting all my ducks in a row, and I pretty much abandoned EVERYBODY because I am <span style="font-style:italic;">the suck</span>. The holiday season didn't help, either.<br /><br />Procrastination might have also been a contributing factor.<br /><br />So anyway, book coming out. Huzzah! It's the third book I wrote, initially called "Meantime Elsewhere" but it is now called "Four in the Morning."<br /> <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQNF4eX8QLasJx_ipqMN5vmrHl-x0hqio-7XgjwV8unBP_BHMCauQwnGHDZgrdiUU7YMbsazLMm3c8Xc-QURUG5RrYQ00JSpW3kQyX0x6fJ4lkvOWQXxuhJPWnNIMszNcV5pVImDaxVO0/s1600/fourinthemorning.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQNF4eX8QLasJx_ipqMN5vmrHl-x0hqio-7XgjwV8unBP_BHMCauQwnGHDZgrdiUU7YMbsazLMm3c8Xc-QURUG5RrYQ00JSpW3kQyX0x6fJ4lkvOWQXxuhJPWnNIMszNcV5pVImDaxVO0/s400/fourinthemorning.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706087994368971970" /></a> This is the e-book cover. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaRCfAUCpoQi5R3v7g6VuYVkfmh3w2YUmlr2F_IbfcqHt_I80im29wQfi7JsnfvdzIJq13i4KUgbGgINgac7nPOZXUUSYf4-ZbW5kJfnCv8PTp_gPmW83XoGgHM7a0SDShnC6k4qYFa3s/s1600/Large+cover.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaRCfAUCpoQi5R3v7g6VuYVkfmh3w2YUmlr2F_IbfcqHt_I80im29wQfi7JsnfvdzIJq13i4KUgbGgINgac7nPOZXUUSYf4-ZbW5kJfnCv8PTp_gPmW83XoGgHM7a0SDShnC6k4qYFa3s/s400/Large+cover.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706088412857327602" /></a> Below that is the printed cover.<br /><br />The synopsis is on <a href="http://www.immortalinkpublishing.com/books.php?id=9">this page</a>, and the first pages of the book are on <a href="http://immortalinkpublishing.tumblr.com/post/14674904310/four-in-the-morning-chapter-1">this page</a>.<br /><br />I've posted my trailer on my <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cDNC4Ckt8E&feature=plcp&context=C3df4099UDOEgsToPDskLU5d5WK4y9GzhNrJE_68_6">youtube account</a>.<br /><br />So... I guess that's everything on me. What about you guys? Up to anything new this year? Tell me all about it. I'm going to be making my blog rounds again since I know I've been a <span style="font-style:italic;">serious</span> slacker in that regard.Christi Goddardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08590491851753709622noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179540938463830608.post-33022338447520916102011-09-05T14:40:00.000-05:002011-09-07T09:33:18.145-05:00The Book That Scares YouI hear that tossed around a lot - the idea that there is a book within yourself that you are too afraid to write. I thought it was my last manuscript, MEANTIME, ELSEWHERE until I read a book hauntingly beautiful and I wondered if I had it in me to write in a similar way. More literary, I suppose. Most everything I write is full of my kind of humor with dark themes, but is definitely more concept or commercial than it is literary.<br /><br />So, I gave it a go and wrote MONSTERS SYNONYMOUS. Honestly, I think it's the best thing I've ever done. It was so hard to write it, but the challenge of it pushed me in ways I never imagined. It is also -quite ironically- the fastest I have ever written a book. Even though I'm aware literary books aren't as popular as commercial, I don't regret doing it. I feel like it opened up a whole new world for my writing by doing it. I look forward to writing my next one, and entertain the idea of rewriting older stuff. Yes, I'm sort of nutty like that.<br /><br />Anyhoo, any of you ever tried this? Going so outside your familiar and comfortable territory - be it writing or entertainment or anything - and discovered this whole new world you'd been missing out on?Christi Goddardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08590491851753709622noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179540938463830608.post-26626023055128149232011-08-20T22:37:00.000-05:002011-08-20T23:34:50.051-05:00Inspiration LightningEver have it? You're sitting around mulling something mundane over when from east of left field comes this jolt of inspiration. I had that happen a couple of days ago and now all I can think about is my new WIP.
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<br />I am attempting something I've never done before because I want to push myself to be a better writer, the kind of writer I know I can be if I work hard enough. They say to challenge yourself and write something you're afraid you can't do. I've definitely done that. With each page I pause and stare at it, not sure if I'm on the right path.
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<br />It doesn't matter, I think. Just being on a path, no matter how far removed from the heavily trod one it is, may be enough. All roads lead to Rome. Some just take a more scenic route than others.
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<br />How about you? Feeling inspired? What inspires you to keep going?Christi Goddardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08590491851753709622noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179540938463830608.post-25627687457321108802011-08-16T15:22:00.000-05:002011-08-16T17:32:45.660-05:00Write On Con<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3KvBk_i1W6uQm3ggaNxiY8vUukgeu3Ke51NXtvyk5NHAWRk7ZmbDFfwtuVY3W5nbHvuddpDnETcO8-CLnVu_L5GXXqKvjsXIN4EnbEoK6N7eIjYU8SvAAeS186t2QeLTxkMtQm_wfdow/s1600/white+skunk.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 318px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3KvBk_i1W6uQm3ggaNxiY8vUukgeu3Ke51NXtvyk5NHAWRk7ZmbDFfwtuVY3W5nbHvuddpDnETcO8-CLnVu_L5GXXqKvjsXIN4EnbEoK6N7eIjYU8SvAAeS186t2QeLTxkMtQm_wfdow/s400/white+skunk.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641560855476666706" /></a>
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<br />Why the skunk? Because I love skunks, of course. This is my dream pet. I want one so bad.
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<br />What a week, guys! Has everyone been over at
<br /><a href="http://writeoncon.com/">Write On Con</a>, soaking up the info and harassing... I mean... <span style="font-style:italic;">interacting </span>with the lovely agents and authors? If not, get your booties over there. That's where I'll be all week.
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<br />On the writing front, I found me the most awesome editor in the world and she's helping me get my MS in tip-top shape. Can't say enough about this, chickadees and monsieurs. Editors are the bomb.
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<br />For a bit of smiles, I suggest you watch <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dULOjT9GYdQ">The Funniest Dang Thing Ever</a>
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<br />It's got Spock. You gotta love Spock.Christi Goddardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08590491851753709622noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179540938463830608.post-8314198047667235242011-08-13T11:14:00.000-05:002011-08-13T13:34:56.435-05:00StereotypesThey’re everywhere, aren’t they? Try as we might, our experiences tell us to expect things of people who act a certain way, dress in a particular style, or enjoy certain things. And this has nothing to do with race. A white person dressed in jean cutoffs and a salsa-stained t-shirt (or what society has now ‘cleverly’ deemed the “wife-beater”) leaves you with a different impression than the same person dressed in business attire.
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<br />There are so many misleading stereotypes in the world:
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUcB5NS4M1PG-lb_fVTLvC8wW8nyYdE99aUmFpR9JMWNA9ZUTSGdw0MYH2dRzLxz4IYZFk0bnriiMY5nFjXrdIP69VkI-Zl4hfLaEHX_Lv8yD3u2i4UdT-dlQCefAmKunkfRwWUsGeLjo/s1600/blog+001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 249px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUcB5NS4M1PG-lb_fVTLvC8wW8nyYdE99aUmFpR9JMWNA9ZUTSGdw0MYH2dRzLxz4IYZFk0bnriiMY5nFjXrdIP69VkI-Zl4hfLaEHX_Lv8yD3u2i4UdT-dlQCefAmKunkfRwWUsGeLjo/s400/blog+001.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640377787839899778" /></a>
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<br />But how do we keep this out of our writing? More importantly (at least to me), how do I keep my readers (or potential agents) from assuming my character is going to be a stereotype just because of the way I have her dress?
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<br />I know many people make assumptions about me when they see me in person. They see my two-colored hair (either black and red or black and blue), my tattoo, lip piercing, black novelty t-shirt (either a band or a ‘dark’ movie), and leather renfaire shoes, and from that visual, assumptions are made about the sort of person I am.
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<br />There are things they would not assume about me:
<br />1) I volunteer for the animal shelter
<br />2) I give clothes, books, and toys to battered women’s shelters instead of Goodwill
<br />3) I participate in toy drives every Christmas
<br />4) I buy insane amounts of Girl Scout cookies to help friends’ kids
<br />5) I spend all my free time writing and not doing something ‘unsavory’
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<br />To name a few. I doubt they would assume other things:
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<br />1. My favorite bands are Blue October, Seether, CCR, Pink Floyd, The BoDeans, and I love soundtrack albums from movies. Music with a lot of screaming annoys me.
<br />2. My favorite movies are Galaxy Quest, Erik the Viking, Holy Grail, 13th Warrior, Knight’s Tale, Finding Nemo, Four Brothers, How to Train Your Dragon, Sweeney Todd, V for Vendetta, and The Lord of the Rings series.
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<br />These are movies I can watch on an endless loop for days. Yes, I’m weird that way.
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<br />Because I am overweight, they assume I eat too much. The truth is I eat once a day, sometimes a snack as well. My problem is that I don’t move, so yeah – they’re right to assume I’m physically lazy, but it’s also because my job was 8 hours at a desk and then write all night, but now it’s write all day and all night. I’m not lazy in my mind.
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<br />My character dresses in a goth way and is a little overweight. I wonder if readers would be put off by her just because of that, if they’d feel like they can’t relate to her because they can’t identify with her. Also, if agents would make the same assumption of readers and dismiss my MS based on that. My MC is not a stereotype. She has layers and motivations, dreams and hopes, disappointments and heartache.
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<br />And, before anyone assumes incorrectly, she is not a mini-me. In high school I was skinny as a rail with blonde hair, and was very much a grunge girl. Most days. I occasionally had a girly moment and wore a skirt.
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<br />Do any of you have this worry? That an agent will read your query and your pages and assume your character is not going to ‘speak to’ them, as some put it, because they have never been in a certain clique (or even actively disliked people in that clique) and therefore dismiss your character’s story?
<br />Christi Goddardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08590491851753709622noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179540938463830608.post-5083333030709007602011-08-11T23:27:00.000-05:002011-08-11T23:42:16.365-05:00100 Word StoryAs I normally do, I entered one of Janet Reid's 100 word contests, lost, and posted here on my blog for your amusement.
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<br />The five words to be included in the story:
<br />echo
<br />fever
<br />jelly
<br />roll
<br />t-bone
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMdHyoLmQi9rwMJ49XHKH7Gb9FUuelCkRZenQFwoA1ogki-X8IxqI0UFv36-oepvvQwT52o3M0HzycCbA17tECz1dlNckTySeec6xEEN87777kqMykNDWjQkwVA0tiLNoMdy5fGtBqk54/s1600/bag.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 227px; height: 327px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMdHyoLmQi9rwMJ49XHKH7Gb9FUuelCkRZenQFwoA1ogki-X8IxqI0UFv36-oepvvQwT52o3M0HzycCbA17tECz1dlNckTySeec6xEEN87777kqMykNDWjQkwVA0tiLNoMdy5fGtBqk54/s400/bag.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639824735126397282" /></a>
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<br />Afternoon Delight
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<br />The sweat caked with the powdered sugar against her leathery tanned skin, like white jelly spread thin over golden toast.
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<br />On the floor beside the bed lay a half-eaten swiss cake roll, smashed into the carpet, and a t-bone cooled on the nightstand which had proved useless.
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<br />As the carnal fever almost sated, I gazed with heavy lids down at the paper bag which hid her face. A stick-figured character drawn in red gel pen smiled up at me.
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<br />Our agreement was an echo in my mind.
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<br />“Food sex? With you? Okay, but on one condition…” Christi Goddardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08590491851753709622noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7179540938463830608.post-52189193964618363662011-08-09T09:35:00.000-05:002011-08-09T10:41:23.461-05:00What Makes Us Who We AreI have two teenage daughters. As I watch them go about their lives in their own little universes, it inevitably leads to flashbacks of my own teenage years. My high school career was at the very end of the 80s and very beginning of the 90s, so I have two of our most warped decades to thank for my personality. I also blame a lot of it on my dad.
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<br />When I get an idea for a story I want to tell, I write it down. But as I read back through it once it’s done, I can see the influences from my teenage years. It’s all there, glaringly obvious to me. If I ever become published, I think it might come as no surprise to my readers to discover who my major media influences were (and in many cases, still are).
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<br />The Far Side – I have six books of Gary Larson’s collections, and they are left out and read through daily when I have a few minutes of ‘me’ time. This current sentence was going to be TMI, but I removed it. You’re welcome.
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<br />Pictured: How I Plot My Character's Life, Part I.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimIcJkfd8MHX8TEwa7DePSmF9Zlkkxq6Bg4ExqMJHFRsWp-ocDihwRVOtAKU6JDT6jio9SmyYfGa76AJfEPbBBrJ-RBn38fIhY-TIvqMU2wB-4RHmrYq3ikZyOXkQMOSu3WrneRxlZFsc/s1600/blog+post+01.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 307px; height: 377px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimIcJkfd8MHX8TEwa7DePSmF9Zlkkxq6Bg4ExqMJHFRsWp-ocDihwRVOtAKU6JDT6jio9SmyYfGa76AJfEPbBBrJ-RBn38fIhY-TIvqMU2wB-4RHmrYq3ikZyOXkQMOSu3WrneRxlZFsc/s400/blog+post+01.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638879882709076946" /></a>
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<br />Sci-Fi – I was going to list out specifics, but really it needs to be lumped into one. X-Files, Star Wars, Star Trek, the Terminator, Sliders, X-Men comics, etc.
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<br />Pictured: OMG Heaven.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBVv6X4TiLtIlnQOO5gUtCV1YualMWSRZ1MIQtqdEldJqkz6MYBcEER0nFC3O6G9DjrFWBzE3VdVsDyOzSlLywjJUjOLsIp8fq81YRy_x-YmLYRcbccIDf1TdsOigl3vsnjwRf4dVnytg/s1600/blog+post+02.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 259px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBVv6X4TiLtIlnQOO5gUtCV1YualMWSRZ1MIQtqdEldJqkz6MYBcEER0nFC3O6G9DjrFWBzE3VdVsDyOzSlLywjJUjOLsIp8fq81YRy_x-YmLYRcbccIDf1TdsOigl3vsnjwRf4dVnytg/s400/blog+post+02.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638880112961324082" /></a>
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<br />Monty Python’s Flying Circus – They used to show re-runs late at night on MTV, as well as Britain’s The Young Ones. These were happy, happy times for me, my friend. The offbeat and unexpected plots have heavily influenced my own plotting.
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<br />Pictured: How I Plot My Character's Life, Part II. You might notice a running theme...
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJJ_xujR8qxsGnvzfHKGtkVY2KBjBBijtfkaGB0-h5H3qqyOyVUYJMFdh8JgNTIS87D8L02DpTgARiGTsgt2ekcWysCdZK_UIqW0r8eBAlSeTDJeHxujKgvVYk8ELpTP8izmJVXPo8Cuw/s1600/blog+post+03.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 399px; height: 287px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJJ_xujR8qxsGnvzfHKGtkVY2KBjBBijtfkaGB0-h5H3qqyOyVUYJMFdh8JgNTIS87D8L02DpTgARiGTsgt2ekcWysCdZK_UIqW0r8eBAlSeTDJeHxujKgvVYk8ELpTP8izmJVXPo8Cuw/s400/blog+post+03.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638880268259837362" /></a>
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<br />Dean Koontz – Yes, I mention him on occasion. I read my first Koontz book when I was 12. Lightning. It was about time travel, fighting Nazis, redemption, and being a writer. It’s been a huge influence on me, and most likely why my first three series I wrote dealt with time travel, and why I suck up all things time travel like a sponge. A lot of people dismiss Koontz as a horror writer and never try him, but he’s written some of the most amazing characters I’ve ever read.
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<br />Pictured: OMG Heaven cubed. Aka: The Incarnate of Awesome.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBOhDoEHZbLRuPrQR1d99QHSeY36YFS3CZnyJuIrzBtR5T3_njkYGWZ0U2Ylzyng4yrLMHhvG8yY9vGLWctA8FeEyHmmd9RkQnv7Bqept64ZcpwlglVurxb3so7dMkEDUZqoSi08OWDqY/s1600/blog+post+04.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 383px; height: 271px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBOhDoEHZbLRuPrQR1d99QHSeY36YFS3CZnyJuIrzBtR5T3_njkYGWZ0U2Ylzyng4yrLMHhvG8yY9vGLWctA8FeEyHmmd9RkQnv7Bqept64ZcpwlglVurxb3so7dMkEDUZqoSi08OWDqY/s400/blog+post+04.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638880458295054530" /></a>
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<br />Darlene Conner – Played by Sara Gilbert on Roseanne. I was (and in many ways still am) a version of this character, so much so my dad called me ‘Darlene’ half the time. It reflects in my narrative voice when I write.
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<br />Pictured: Me and my nerdy boyfriend. Funny how I look more like Roseanne now. OMG. WE <span style="font-style:italic;">DO</span> TURN INTO OUR MOTHERS.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirmdezcSIItXSMkJnm_YDA_2OcdK1GfpjaJJdbNd_vMbAO-nbLDfdCuDAkvUvNyPwuXpSgHR5CDAOLfsoeYsU_0zG2iPldj43eH-hOht3OLN5wagxgMFSgYvpJx5yYjgB21XO2-iiTIzk/s1600/blog+post+05.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 382px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirmdezcSIItXSMkJnm_YDA_2OcdK1GfpjaJJdbNd_vMbAO-nbLDfdCuDAkvUvNyPwuXpSgHR5CDAOLfsoeYsU_0zG2iPldj43eH-hOht3OLN5wagxgMFSgYvpJx5yYjgB21XO2-iiTIzk/s400/blog+post+05.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638880649755488642" /></a>
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<br />So, there’s my list. What’s yours? What are the defining media influences on you and your writing?
<br />Christi Goddardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08590491851753709622noreply@blogger.com12