tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-319351832024-03-05T01:59:33.379-08:00Tianna XanderThe ramblings of award winning, bestselling author, Tianna Xander. For lovers of any Paranormal, sci-fi romance and erotic rpmance.Tianna Xanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17893625991571966602noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125truetag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31935183.post-24737325197068356702023-06-17T20:49:00.002-07:002023-06-17T20:53:12.654-07:00Link to FREEBIES enclosed! Free until July 11th, 2023<p> Hello everyone!</p><p>I'm sorry my blogging habits are so hit and miss. Unfortunately, my life has been hectic with my own health issues and then my husband's kidney cancer. With luck, things might settle down into a new normal after they remove my hubby's kidney later this month.</p><p>I have some newer releases I haven't added to my blog. I will do so over the next few weeks. Or, you can go check them out at Amazon or your favorite retailer. Some of the releases I haven't posted here are in Kindle Unlimited. You'll need to go to Amazon.com to either read or purchase them. </p><p>I have a few things to say about covers. I don't know how you feel about them, but since I'm just restarting my writing career and don't have much money to spend on it with my husband's cancer, my cover artists get my cover images from stock photo companies. Stock photos keep my costs lower. Keeping costs low makes it easier for me to publish my books faster. Instead of having to wait it out until my newest release makes the money back on my cover image before I can release another book, I can release another as soon as my last book sells enough to pay for my inexpensive cover and edits. Having said that, there are very few plus sized cover models in stock images, making plus-sized images difficult to find. Not to mention expensive.</p><p>When my cover artists send me a photo with a thin woman on it, I have to tell myself my heroine is curvy from the waist down. A woman can still be a size 18 or 20 and still look thin from the waist up. I am friends with a few women who have such bodies. </p><p>That said, please don't review <i><b>any</b></i> book on its cover. Review it on the plot, grammar, the story line, or even on the author's writing style. But please, don't judge an author's books by their covers. Sometimes, we can't find an image that works and have to take the closest we can find. And most times, unless we're an indie author, we, as authors, don't have much say over the cover anyway.</p><p>Perhaps, with my first several indie releases, I was so used to not having a say, (because I had a publisher and was traditionally published for 15 years) maybe I took the first cover offered, because that's what I was used to doing. Now, I realize I can say, "No." I can say, "I don't like that." Now, I can ask for something different and I have. My last few covers look great to me. I am working on making myself "picky" when it comes to my covers, but bear with me. I have never been high maintenance and being picky is difficult for me. </p><p>What about those authors who have curvy women on the cover, you might ask? Well, they either are selling waaaay more books than I do and can afford to hire models, or they just plain have more money and fewer bills than most of us. It always comes down to what you can afford. I can't afford to pay a model to sit and pose for my covers. I wish I could. That said, if I ever get to a point where I can afford it, watch out, because you're going to see the best a cover artist can come up with.</p><p>Thanks for reading.</p><p>Until the next time,</p><p>Tianna</p><p>Want some freebies? Check out the link below.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://books.bookfunnel.com/ravensin_devilspeak/3i2qeburov" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="611" data-original-width="1115" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS3AyPJgBRL1XGglMXzg-p5Qxzctmu4qPD2gLYDsS5uIvmsis5mTDSLnLfWnHugzaq8vG46Z17W4NnlCBNiKheYz4g_2oImdCgcbXMDQvTXS4yJtlGN8UrlvZO5yId4oKJi6DsDJr2ys3eaDfKctGv7uoS_ltgkM5k7wQ2P2EyeSDE8lkbmw/w452-h248/Screenshot%20(77).png" width="452" /></a></div><br />Act now and get your free copy of the linked books before time runs out!<p></p><p><a href="https://books.bookfunnel.com/ravensin_devilspeak/3i2qeburov" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ffe599;">Get your freebies here</span> </a>from June 11th, through July 11th.</p><p><br /></p><p>#writersofinstagram, #authorsofinstagram #booktok #bookstagram</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Tianna Xanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17893625991571966602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31935183.post-2489798748859802572021-12-03T17:25:00.002-08:002023-06-17T20:50:44.353-07:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41EBA+9T9JL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="313" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41EBA+9T9JL.jpg" title="Eternal ~ Brides of the Ovedani Book 1" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Eternal ~ Brides of the Ovedani Book 1</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p>Tianna Xanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17893625991571966602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31935183.post-51434539993698925732021-12-03T17:03:00.008-08:002021-12-04T01:17:35.095-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09MYN983H?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_tkin_3&storeType=ebooks" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="313" height="623" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41NTDBMDxvL.jpg" width="390" /></a></span></div><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09MYN983H?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_tkin_3&storeType=ebooks" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></a><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09MYN983H?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_tkin_3&storeType=ebooks" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09MYN983H?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_tkin_3&storeType=ebooks" target="_blank"><i><b>Legend</b></i> </a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Brides of the Ovedani Book #4 Available for preorder. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box; text-align: start;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">She’s a skilled rogue vampire slayer. He’s a legendary vampire with a death wish. Can they get along despite their differences?</span></span></em></div></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">When the sexy and sarcastic vampire hunter
Tara finds her fate colliding with a powerful vampire, she’s thrust into a
dangerous fight for her life. Hunted by a sinister enemy and forced to rely on
Gideon for protection, she can’t help but find him impossible to resist…</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-NZ" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Struggling to maintain control of himself
and grappling with centuries of pain, Gideon sees a glimmer of light in Tara.
For the first time, dying is no longer an option. But if their enemies catch up
to them, he risks losing her forever…<o:p></o:p></span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-NZ"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Can Gideon keep Tara safe from the forces
determined to destroy her? Or will the fear of losing his newfound mate be
enough to push him over the edge?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-NZ" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Short Excerpt:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“What
did you just say to me?” I grasped his arm. “I mean it, darn it. Tell me what
you keep saying to me in Italian.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span lang="IT" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; mso-ansi-language: IT;">“<i>Vivo solo per i tuoi baci.</i>”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">He
leaned forward, giving me another slow, passionate kiss that made my insides
melt like heated butter.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“Loosely
translated, it means <i>I live only for your
kisses.</i>”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">I
glanced down, unable to meet his gaze while my face burned. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">No
one had ever said anything so romantic to me before. I peered up at him, unsure
if he was serious or if it was just a line. Something he used on the women with
whom he planned to have sex.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“Why
do you say that?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“I
have thought of little else since I first saw you when we met.” He held my attention,
his dark eyes intent as he searched my expression for something. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“For
centuries, I searched for a mate, for a woman who would complete me. In absence
of such a woman, I wished for someone, anyone, who could make me feel… anything.”
He took my hand in his and placed a passionate kiss against my palm. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“After
searching for so long, I thought my heart had withered. I thought it long dead.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">For a moment, he
stared down, his thumb caressing the back of my hand.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“I
found myself thinking darker and darker thoughts as the years passed until I
could no longer stand the dark shadows filling my soul.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">With
his head bent over my hand, I couldn’t see his expression, or his eyes—not that
either would have revealed much. They rarely did.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“It
was as though I had lived my life in a perpetual night, with no promise of the
sun.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">He
lifted his head, his intent focus holding mine.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“Then
I saw you sitting in the kitchen at <i>Casa
Sicura</i>. You were a beacon shining through the darkness. Your scent is that of
the sweetest honey, your skin the velvety softness of a perfect flower.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">My
stomach flipped at his earnest words. Either my judgment was lacking, or he
meant every word he said.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">“I
saw you and my heartbeat raged out of control, my breathing stopped and I
realized, in that perfect moment, I didn’t want to breathe if I couldn’t draw
in the scent of your beautiful hair or the glorious honey of your very being.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“Impossibly,
I forgot the centuries of loneliness when I looked into your lovely,
midnight-blue eyes and saw the stars of a darkened sky.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Slowly,
deliberately, he kissed the tips of each of my fingers.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“If
just one of your kisses can bring my dead heart to life, what could two or
three accomplish? Perhaps a miracle, yes?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">He
stared at my lips for a minute, his expression so intense, I almost grabbed him
by the ears and dragged him to me for another passionate kiss. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">I
didn’t because I wanted to hear more. I yearned to hear more. I think I needed to
hear him say the words as much as he needed to say them.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“I
live to kiss your sweet lips because life just isn’t worth living without doing so.
Only you have returned the light to the darkness inside me, and I adore you for
it. What is life without the light? What is breath without life? Before you, I barely
existed. With you, my heart sings and I <i>live</i>.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-NZ"><br /></span></p>Tianna Xanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17893625991571966602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31935183.post-44380985325242178282021-02-27T21:37:00.002-08:002021-02-27T21:40:13.253-08:00<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEOOUTHUPsgnK32AjgSmkGRfYcW2Uh9bq07X8tbmjYS-nZQII8d0hTFP9gozQXvazkIeQPP7IoklaqHmAXWM2RE8Dq_EFaPZ0JNF6mEAysjNe19GWgANZnEsO0a5OQdNDUHPLd/s2698/Truck+and+camper+1a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1166" data-original-width="2698" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEOOUTHUPsgnK32AjgSmkGRfYcW2Uh9bq07X8tbmjYS-nZQII8d0hTFP9gozQXvazkIeQPP7IoklaqHmAXWM2RE8Dq_EFaPZ0JNF6mEAysjNe19GWgANZnEsO0a5OQdNDUHPLd/w640-h280/Truck+and+camper+1a.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Hello!</p><p>One of these days I'm going to remember I should post here more often. I'm trying, really I am.</p><p>With things going the way they are, and the vaccine released, people signing up to get the vaccine and covid-19 (with any luck at all) moving toward the horizon for its sunset goodbye, we need to remember to be grateful for everything in our lives.</p><p>Be grateful for your family and friends, the fact that your needs are met, (providing of course that they are met), and most of all be grateful to be alive. There are some out there who aren't as lucky as we are. Remember, no matter how difficult you might think your life is, there is always someone out there who isn't as lucky as you are. It might be hard to believe sometimes but it's true.</p><p>Before my husband and I got our truck and camper we used to think people who had trucks and campers were lucky, rich even. Then we got our camper and we were happy for a while. Then, after a few months, that happiness wore off. Why? Because now that we had a camper and truck, we wanted a better camper and truck. </p><p>It wasn't because we bought a handyman special, though we did. Now that we've fixed it up it's awesome! The reason we were no longer happy was that we had gotten used to being able to hitch-up and go. One day, we were in our rig on our way to a campground and watching a nice Class A motorhome drive by us. My husband looked at me and said, "Wow, that's nice. Wouldn't it be nice to be that lucky?"</p><p>It made me think for a minute. Since I've always been a glass-half-full kind of girl, I looked at him and replied, "Remember when we didn't have a truck and camper and we thought those with even the oldest, and most rundown campers were lucky to have what they had because we didn't have it?"</p><p>Hubby: "Yes." I could tell by the look on his face that he thought he was about to be schooled. LOL</p><p>He got quiet for a minute and then said, "Do you think there are people who look at us and think we're lucky because they don't have what we have?" Smart man!</p><p>Me: "I'm sure there is someone out there somewhere thinking that. Because we have the time and the wherewithal to do what we want and they don't."</p><p>The moral of my story is, to try to be happy with what you have because THINGS are never going to make you truly happy. Only YOU can do that. YOU are the only person who can make you happy. Sure things and certain people can make you happy for a time, but when push comes to shove, YOU can choose to be happy even if you have nothing. Some of the happiest people in the world have had less than we do right now.</p><p><br /></p><p>Until next time,</p><p>Tianna</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUa9vQMj5fogdBEq_3YyNV527Qd1jHL29msvvdr2H2Rai9n88ct7Jhvi1R0zaGybXQ5BAkwXXuS4dt4SUUpe3q9J9I4zGKSdtfg1FYv6c2J_NUgD0czrCMaX1KSKmQYcN8aHUh/s2559/truck+and+camper+2a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1229" data-original-width="2559" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUa9vQMj5fogdBEq_3YyNV527Qd1jHL29msvvdr2H2Rai9n88ct7Jhvi1R0zaGybXQ5BAkwXXuS4dt4SUUpe3q9J9I4zGKSdtfg1FYv6c2J_NUgD0czrCMaX1KSKmQYcN8aHUh/w640-h308/truck+and+camper+2a.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Tianna Xanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17893625991571966602noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31935183.post-22243198811510989712021-01-01T07:00:00.001-08:002021-01-01T19:16:45.209-08:00<p> Happy New Year! </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeBJRCfR_VhSnAN4CPtFN0Aq90jHsT5VH2BSWffEZ_Nqm09HIKT-XLVr1Ipz-2fdk9XUZgDWGKH5f8sBDFL_JXjAI372IBvWl2okkHX68uyWLwx8LmVyiA7n6PI4OmH-NIimGE/s600/891688615amazing-happy-new-year-fireworks-gif.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="338" data-original-width="600" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeBJRCfR_VhSnAN4CPtFN0Aq90jHsT5VH2BSWffEZ_Nqm09HIKT-XLVr1Ipz-2fdk9XUZgDWGKH5f8sBDFL_JXjAI372IBvWl2okkHX68uyWLwx8LmVyiA7n6PI4OmH-NIimGE/w537-h223/891688615amazing-happy-new-year-fireworks-gif.gif" width="537" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>It's snowing, the wind is blowing, and it's cold, both inside and outside. But today is still a beautiful day! The ground is white with fresh snow, the kids are having fun outside and away from their video games and this is the first day of a New Year.</p><p>With luck, gone are the trials of last year and I am hoping 2021 will be a year to remember. Not because of the bad things that happen, but because of the good. The aligning of the planets on the solstice and the good energy so many people have shared around the world.</p><p>That said, I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and everyone around the world has learned that sharing good things filled with hope and laughter is what the world needs instead of concentrating on the negative and bringing everyone down with you.</p><p>Love yourself, and love your family, friends and neighbors, and we will fill this year with love and joy around the world.</p><p>Happiness comes from within, not without. The poorest people in the world have been happy because they surround themselves with those they love.</p><p>Happy New Year!</p><p>Tianna</p><p><br /></p>Tianna Xanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17893625991571966602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31935183.post-21939651352822316772020-11-30T00:16:00.001-08:002020-11-30T00:16:24.247-08:00<p><span style="color: red; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><i><b style="background-color: black;">Substitute Santa</b></i></span></p><p><span style="background-color: black; font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Fiction's newest magical business is booming!</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>Passionate Inc.:</i></span></span></p><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>Let the experienced crew of Passionate Incorporated help connect you with your true passions. Choose from dozens of magical all-inclusive resorts, cruise ships and outdoor vacations. With a choice for everyone, you can plan the get-away or fantasy of your dreams. No fantasy is impossible with our state-of-the-art services.<br /><br />From beach vacations and paranormal experiences, or even a visit to another world, we at Passionate Inc., strive to make your dreams come true. The Magic is real, and your fantasy can be, too! Call or visit our website at passionateinc.com today!</i></span><div><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Fired six weeks before Christmas, Kat Murphy spends most of her savings for seven magical days at Passionate Incorporated’s new Santa’s Village resort, trying to ignore the inevitable. Her only wish is to help her dying daughter enjoy the magic of Christmas. Plus, she hopes to distract her five-year-old enough to forget to ask Santa to bring her a daddy. When her daughter drags her over to Santa’s workshop to see the big man, Kat wonders if she can resist the hot guy playing the part of Santa. More importantly, does she want to?<br /><br /><br />Dominic Russo is tired of waiting for Passionate Incorporated to find him a mate. As head detective for the Paranormal Law Enforcement agency, his newest undercover assignment includes spending time at a Passionate Inc. resort, filling in for an errant Santa while also searching for a murderous rogue. Dom initially resisted the assignment, because he’s a vampire who hasn’t allowed himself to associate with humans to avoid being involved in another… incident. Will Dom survive two weeks of being near human children, while risking another blackout that sent him into a spiral of self-hate so long ago?</span></div><div><span style="color: white; font-family: Amazon Ember, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: white; font-family: Amazon Ember, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Amazon Ember, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08P9Z324X/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=substitute+santa+tianna+xander&qid=1606721648&sr=8-1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Nj2xIJjagYTCNBGla9GnxPpcY0sIIsJpvqKuuRz3PEm45ZvhsrKfXO3uC4623MlCagsJZ3UtK1AVmmQ2UoowjqjTLoQnxcj0SIBcuTqbk5tQ_RxuQOY4OgZ_ZBC6aft9mO91/s320/Santa+Cover+Final+%25282%2529.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Excerpt:</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“What’s
this?” Kat glanced down at the pamphlet and flipped through the three narrow
pages of literature and photos.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The images caught Kat by surprise. There were
tropical islands, mountain retreats and even a Santa’s Village where she could spend a few days with her daughter.
It might go a long way to helping her get a bit of holiday cheer. Getting into
the Christmas spirit wasn’t going to be easy this year.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Kat had always loved Christmas and to her,
the holidays always started the day after Halloween when everyone took down
their ghoulish decorations and prepared for the end of the year celebrations.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Shifting her attention to the glossy pages,
she read the marketing ploy on the front page.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>Let the
experienced crew of Passionate Incorporated help connect </i>you<i> with your true passions. Choose from dozens
of magical all-inclusive resorts, cruise ships and outdoor vacations. With a
choice for everyone, you can plan the get-away or fantasy of your dreams. No
fantasy is impossible with our state-of-the-art services.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">From
beach vacations and paranormal experiences, or even a visit to another world,
we at Passionate Inc., strive to make your dreams come true. The Magic is real,
and your fantasy can be, too! Call or visit our website at PassionateInc.com
today!<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>Note: One
lucky customer per month will win a two-week vacation package of a lifetime.
What have you got to lose? Call Passionate Incorporated or visit
PassionateInc.com and book your fantasy vacation today!</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“Fantasy
vacation, huh?” After boxing up her lunch, Kat stuffed her check into the
pamphlet and headed for the register. At this point, she didn’t care if she won
a free trip. Her priority was to make sure Bella experienced the magic of
Christmas, no matter what her mother’s hardships might be. Everything else
paled in comparison.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“So,
are you going to apply for a spot before they fill up for the holidays? I would
if I were you. That Santa’s Village thing is right up your alley.” Brenda
guzzled her wine and set her glass on the counter before reaching for the
bottle. “Listen to your best friend and go.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“Do
you really think I should?” Kat chopped up two more carrots and threw them into
a bowl on top of some lettuce and celery. Picking up the small onion she’d
peeled, she sliced it into thin strips and tossed that into the bowl.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“Do
you really want to know what I think?” Brenda raised a brow and poured a
generous amount of red wine into her glass before holding it up in a mock
toast. “Bon voyage.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“Thanks
for the encouragement, but I’d rather talk to sober Brenda right now, <i>thankyouverymuch</i>.”
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“I’m
sober. At least for the time being.” Brenda set down her glass, rested her
hands flat on the counter and leveled her gaze. “Go. You deserve a break and
some time away before you start a new job. You work harder than anyone else I know.
Besides, when was the last time you had a vacation, anyway?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“It’s
been a while,” Kat said with a sigh. She didn’t mind working hard. Not if it
meant providing for her daughter and making her happy.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Still, it had been too long since Kat had
gone anywhere. The last time she had taken more than a day or two off work had
been when Bella was born, and then again, when she’d discovered her daughter had a rare blood disorder. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Bella’s
condition was so rare, her daughter was the only known case. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“At
least I can keep my company insurance for another six months. I don’t know what
I’d do without it.” That was the thing that had frightened her the most.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“Stop
thinking about the money.” Brenda rolled her eyes. “Think with your heart for
once, instead of your head.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“Don’t
you think I want to take Bella to the village? I just don’t know if I can
justify the expense. I should probably be careful what I spend my money on from
here on out.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Kat
had called Brenda and headed home after picking up her daughter from her kindergarten
class, intending to make the reservations before she’d changed her mind. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">As luck would have it, she hadn’t made it halfway home before the doubts started settling
in. She’d changed her mind when she’d thought about how much the trip would cost,
along with the gifts she planned to purchase her daughter for Christmas. Her
mind had changed yet again, the moment Bella had wrapped her arms around her
neck and said, “I love you, Mommy,” for no apparent reason.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“I
love you, Mommy.” Bella skipped into the kitchen. Her daughter had practically
chanted those words since she’d gotten in the car after school.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“Alright,
what do you want?” Kat grinned as she scooped the rest of the veggies up off
the counter and tossed them into the bowl. Those words always preceded a
request for something expensive or nearly impossible to attain.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“I
just love you.” Bella shrugged, took the stool next to Brenda and watched Kat
from the corner of her big, dark-violet eyes. “Mom?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“Yes?”
Kat glanced up, giving her daughter her undivided attention, her wine glass
stalled at her lips.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">They studied each other for a moment before
Bella said, “Can I have a daddy?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“A
what?” Kat almost spit red wine all over her mother’s snow-white, hand
crocheted tablecloth she’d draped over the chair at the end of the table before
she’d started chopping vegetables.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“I
want a daddy.” Bella slouched in her seat, crossed her arms and stuck out her
bottom lip in an adorable pout.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“You’re
going to sprain that lip if you stick it out any farther, squirt.” Brenda
reached over and patted Bella’s head. “Keep it up. You might wear her down one
day.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“She
will not
wear me down. Ever.” Kat glared at Brenda. “You’re
supposed to be on my side. I thought we both agreed we need men in our lives
about as much as the stupid televised sports that usually comes with them.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“Maybe
I changed my mind.” Brenda swayed on her stool for a moment. “Hey, when’s
dinner going to be ready? I think I need to eat something.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“I
told you not to drink so much.” Kat grabbed the bottle of wine just as Brenda
reached for it again. “<i>You</i> have had enough.” She pointed at Brenda
before turning her attention back to her daughter. “I can’t promise you a
daddy, sweetie, but how would you like to take a trip to Santa’s Village?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">A loud crack sounded just as she made her
offer to Bella. “What was that?” Kat rushed to the
window, searching the power lines, and wondering if they would lose their
electricity. That was all she needed. “It sounded like a transformer had
exploded.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“No,
Mommy.” Bella bounced up and down in her seat. “That’s the magic sound I that heared
before. That means Santa is going to bring me a daddy."</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Preorder sale price $3.50</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: black;">Regular price $5.99 </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08P9Z324X/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=substitute+santa+tianna+xander&qid=1606721648&sr=8-1" style="background-color: #ead1dc;" target="_blank">Click here</a><span style="background-color: black;"> to order today!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; tab-stops: 0in .25in .5in .75in 1.0in 1.25in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p></div><div><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><br /></div>Tianna Xanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17893625991571966602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31935183.post-7169801659644564222020-10-30T23:14:00.018-07:002020-10-30T23:14:00.289-07:00What Scares Me<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">It’s Halloween again so I compiled a list of things that
scare me. I figured this was a good time.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: georgia;">1.<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> 1. </span><!--[endif]-->Movies with cliffhanger endings, because you
know damn well it’s going to take at least two years to know what the hell
happens next. And that’s if the movie does well and they even come out with the
sequel. The same for books. Isn't everyone terrified of this?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.filmstories.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/cliffhanger.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="800" height="233" src="https://www.filmstories.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/cliffhanger.jpg" width="246" /></span></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia; text-indent: -0.25in;">2.</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> 2. Eating t</span><span style="font-family: georgia; text-indent: -0.25in;">he last slice of cake, pie or any other family favorite food. You know damn
well if </span><i style="font-family: georgia; text-indent: -0.25in;">you</i><span style="font-family: georgia; text-indent: -0.25in;"> eat it, someone else is going to complain that it was
supposed to have been theirs.</span></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://12t.greatlifepublishing.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2014/10/iStock_000023714483_Small.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" height="221" src="https://12t.greatlifepublishing.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2014/10/iStock_000023714483_Small.jpg" width="332" /></span></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: georgia;">3.<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> 3. </span><!--[endif]-->Spending money on car repairs. It never fails that
once you put five-hundred-dollars into that old clunker, something else is
going to break on it and your shelling out another five bills.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia; text-indent: -0.25in;">4.</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> 4. </span><span style="font-family: georgia; text-indent: -0.25in;">Babies. It’s been so long since I held a baby, I
think I might be afraid I’d drop it.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: georgia;">5.<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> 5. </span><!--[endif]-->Checking the bank account has been especially
scary during these trying times. No one has any money to buy anything, yet the
prices on everything has doubled or tripled. Figure that one out.</span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://oldcurrencyvalues.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/1-1D1L1-e1533455851858.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="719" height="243" src="https://oldcurrencyvalues.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/1-1D1L1-e1533455851858.jpeg" width="561" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia; text-indent: -0.25in;">.</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> 6. </span><span style="font-family: georgia; text-indent: -0.25in;">Breaking down on the side of the road scares me
because of all the unnecessary violence against innocents.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: georgia;">7.<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> 7. </span>Spiders. I hate those creepy buggers.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://s.hdnux.com/photos/01/13/13/45/19708276/8/rawImage.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="409" data-original-width="800" height="203" src="https://s.hdnux.com/photos/01/13/13/45/19708276/8/rawImage.jpg" width="396" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span></span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;">8.</span><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> 8. </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[endif]-->Mice. They might be cute in their own creepy little way but they’re nasty little creatures that poop
on everything.</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: georgia;">9.<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> 9. It scares me that it appears as though the entire world is losing its sense of humor.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> 10. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">At the risk of sounding like a rant, w</span></span><span style="font-family: georgia; text-indent: -0.25in;">hat really
scares me is when someone accuses me of copying an author I've never heard of, who published in 2017 when I released my first book with the same concept in 2012. Now, that scares me.</span></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia; text-indent: -0.25in;"> 11.</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: georgia; text-indent: -0.25in;">What scares me the most these days is losing someone
to Covid-19. </span></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span> I am trying to be funny in this new and strange, strange world. Please bear with me until I get my usual irreverence back.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><o:p></o:p></p>Tianna Xanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17893625991571966602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31935183.post-55300350367958350722019-07-04T09:30:00.000-07:002019-07-04T09:30:04.787-07:00Fixing our Fifth Wheel<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1LdrfkrtS0Ic3QgEFXyh98ji27VxAwauACtOlypmJBijUv14D1Def3CY1erfQ4CXrgXS7PCDxCrq77p65B9a4qaFUu_VYzIzSl_IOx__w0i2-Fd2LaJTDWUZwFswN4eoEpsA/s1600/20180613_135122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1LdrfkrtS0Ic3QgEFXyh98ji27VxAwauACtOlypmJBijUv14D1Def3CY1erfQ4CXrgXS7PCDxCrq77p65B9a4qaFUu_VYzIzSl_IOx__w0i2-Fd2LaJTDWUZwFswN4eoEpsA/s320/20180613_135122.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A little over two years ago, we bought a fifth
wheel camper. It wasn’t expensive, it wasn’t new, and it certainly wasn’t
perfect, but we managed to scrape all of our savings together and pay cash for
it, so it’s ours. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Last winter, we got the nose and the roof fixed,
which means I won’t get rained on in the middle of the night again this year.
Awesome! We got it cheap because it had a wall missing in the back. We fixed that,
too. The man did such a good job you can barely tell it needed to be repaired. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Then, came the wall border.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Unfortunately, the trailer came from the factory
with a wall border along the wall at a height where you might see a chair rail in
someone’s home. Do you think we could find a border to match?</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">No. Of course not.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Could we find a border that was even close?</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">No. Of course, we couldn’t.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Can we even find an easy-to-apply stick-on border? Do they
even make that? They sure do! But do they make it in a design that I would like in the main room of my home away from home?</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Nope. Unless, of course, I wanted Disney characters, hunting scenes, or something you’d find in a pub bathroom. Umm… no thanks.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Instead, we are compelled to purchase a pre-pasted
wallpaper border and hang it ourselves. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Uh, oh.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">After an exhaustive two days of deciding what our
selection would be, we settled on an unobtrusive border with flowers and
hummingbirds. It might match our curtains, or it might not. It’s difficult to
tell when trying to hold the laptop up to the wall. Still, we liked it, so into
the digital cart it went, and we waited. Ten days, we waited for the pretty
hummingbird wallpaper border to arrive at our home.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Me: “The border is here!”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The man: “Great! Does it look as good as it did
online?”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Me: “Yes.” Frowning. “I’m not sure this color is
going to match the curtains, though.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The man: “It’s too late now. We’ve already spent our budget on it.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Me: “True.” Sigh.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The man: “What’s the matter now?”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Me: “I’m afraid to hang it.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The man: “Why?” He looks at me as though I’ve lost
my mind.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Actually, I think I lost it a while ago. I just
haven’t given <i>him</i> the update.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Me: “Because I have this horrible feeling we’re
going to be in here looking like Lucy and Ethel in that episode where they try
to wallpaper Lucy’s bedroom and end up covering everything in wallpaper and
glue.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Does anyone remember seeing that old episode of I
Love Lucy, where Lucy and Ethel hang the wallpaper in Lucy’s bedroom? If you
haven’t, you should watch it. It might give you an idea of our first couple of
attempts at hanging that damned border.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The man: “Who’s who?”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Me: “Well, it’s obvious that I’m Lucy.” I pointed
to my hair. “Red hair. Duh.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The man: “So I’m Ethel, huh?”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Me: “Well, you can’t be Ricky or Fred, neither of
them would ever get up to this kind of mischief with Lucy. That’s strictly
Ethel. Ethel.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg7fjcgmM-3-rPWA-5F4V7E15U3KNiTEe-N896ytgHyFXeUSxrPngsBDc5hYHCsipk6jDf8bVdf_731VXqLZmWUiP5EOJX5swsQs6SJbfGzoP-5rYacBlLxnpAVG7m-l0akOcb/s1600/best.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg7fjcgmM-3-rPWA-5F4V7E15U3KNiTEe-N896ytgHyFXeUSxrPngsBDc5hYHCsipk6jDf8bVdf_731VXqLZmWUiP5EOJX5swsQs6SJbfGzoP-5rYacBlLxnpAVG7m-l0akOcb/s320/best.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The man: “Well, if I’m Ethel, she’s going to do
something right for a change.” He pulls out his tablet, taps on the screen for
a few seconds and grins as he brings up a YouTube how-to video on hanging
wallpaper border.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">He’s so smart. He might drive me crazy with his tendency
to over plan things sometimes, but for this project, his usually annoying habit
really paid off.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDBkBoQtIgXbp89NDGWPEkxrjm5r9jxEjuU2ITPuD-ggxQGV5ZIfcFqIRonyowtCZZpfGDtAZfhrhn_9AMCVe19bhEfH_IoDNGHG5cN6TPTj6hgb81k3rpcbOyB03nF9PiedUt/s1600/20190701_205500.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDBkBoQtIgXbp89NDGWPEkxrjm5r9jxEjuU2ITPuD-ggxQGV5ZIfcFqIRonyowtCZZpfGDtAZfhrhn_9AMCVe19bhEfH_IoDNGHG5cN6TPTj6hgb81k3rpcbOyB03nF9PiedUt/s320/20190701_205500.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We finished our border, and it looks great. Now I
just need to finish making those curtains. I look at my daughter…</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Hey, Ethel!”</span></span></div>
<br />Tianna Xanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17893625991571966602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31935183.post-37267337977930254022019-06-20T00:46:00.000-07:002019-06-20T00:46:03.371-07:00New Release<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ1DRzXfC_6y315VpzUbzWoelwxySKA0Rl7S6qCI958-c9qDSRVoSaGESB0KwL9pls8B1xw1zLSbT3tUeI9IvLK-h5vp-m9OnIv4OGR0T-PQbIV7Jwx5Mb9XgmYzgf4Vm1kQay/s1600/Tempting+Tabitha+OTHER+SITES.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ1DRzXfC_6y315VpzUbzWoelwxySKA0Rl7S6qCI958-c9qDSRVoSaGESB0KwL9pls8B1xw1zLSbT3tUeI9IvLK-h5vp-m9OnIv4OGR0T-PQbIV7Jwx5Mb9XgmYzgf4Vm1kQay/s320/Tempting+Tabitha+OTHER+SITES.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #b4a7d6; font-size: x-large;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tempting-Tabitha-Mexico-48-Zolon-Warriors-ebook/dp/B07T2K5G3T/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=tempting+tabitha&qid=1561013011&s=digital-text&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Tempting Tabitha - Zolon Warrors #4</a></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #b4a7d6; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #b4a7d6; font-size: large;">The Zolon warriors are back in another humorous and sexy tale! Meet Charly's sister in this thrilling continuation in the Zolon Warriors Magic, New Mexico series.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #b4a7d6; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #b4a7d6; font-size: large;">She was purrfectly content until <i>he</i> came into her life.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #b4a7d6; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #b4a7d6; font-size: large;">Tabitha Campbell has lived mostbe of her life as a cat. For the last few years, she's been posing as her long-lost sister's pet. She's perfectly content being her sister's protector and avoiding having to deal with the headaches of being human. Life was going well until <i>he</i> showed up and ruined everything.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #b4a7d6; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #b4a7d6; font-size: large;">He was having the time of his life, tomcatting around until <i>she</i> came into his life.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #b4a7d6; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #b4a7d6; font-size: large;">Deno Brewerigeron, formerly of the faraway planet Zolon, has always been the happy-go-lucky twin. He was certain he would always be a raider since he loves women--all kinds of women--he refused to think about settling down with just one and evolving into a shapeshifting warrior until he met <i>her.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #b4a7d6; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #b4a7d6; font-size: large;">Tabitha is at her wit's end. Her identity has been revealed, and she has a sexy alien shapeshifter from outer space who is trying to convince her that being normal is highly overrated. What's a girl to do when life suddenly no longer makes sense?</span></div>
Tianna Xanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17893625991571966602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31935183.post-54977477985819839872016-06-30T10:03:00.000-07:002016-06-30T10:03:02.594-07:00Author Spotlight: RONIN’S BONDMATE by Mardi Maxwell (M/F, steamy sci-fi romance)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheeZxrfdqLX2aP1JeTvZKAiw-87p62mmPXSDuAeyWtSpJtfdJVszVN4Llz_RPQV4zWZMCRHcl-cJW7ZXLq-4sF3Qc6w9Z_yhJPNDrnsoX4SQB34RjY0SG1QBgdJMeVcvtaCiLK/s1600/MM+Ronin%2527s+Bondmate4+Kindle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheeZxrfdqLX2aP1JeTvZKAiw-87p62mmPXSDuAeyWtSpJtfdJVszVN4Llz_RPQV4zWZMCRHcl-cJW7ZXLq-4sF3Qc6w9Z_yhJPNDrnsoX4SQB34RjY0SG1QBgdJMeVcvtaCiLK/s400/MM+Ronin%2527s+Bondmate4+Kindle.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30277047-ronin-s-bondmate" target="_blank"><b>Ronin's Bondmate</b></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">By </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mardi-Maxwell/e/B00HUWU9FM" target="_blank"><br /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Mardi Maxwell</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Blurb:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Krystali enchantress Belle of the
House of Arlyn stands accused of spying and has been banished from her
community. The truth would exonerate her but she doesn’t dare tell it. As an
enchantress she can provide for herself except when it comes to defense. For
that she needs a worthy warrior.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Zarronian warrior Ronin Hughson
recognized Belle as his mate the moment he saw her. Eager to bond, he
approached her and was immediately put off by her spoiled behavior. After
consulting with the starship’s doctor, he believes Krystali will <a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>produce a kinder mate for him. In the meantime, he feels
drawn to protect the spoiled enchantress.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Belle makes sure he knows she
doesn’t want him anywhere near her. Ronin makes sure she knows he’s the only
warrior willing to protect her. Resigned to traveling together they try to
ignore each other, but Ronin’s mating fever and Belle’s troubles set them up
for a destiny they can’t avoid.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Excerpt:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Ronin Hughson shoved his way through the crowd of
hostile Krystali warriors and their enchantresses. With his pack hooked over
his shoulder, and freedom just a meter away, he hesitated then moved another
step closer to the exit. The battle beginning behind him was one he had every
intention of missing. A rarity for a Zarronian warrior who spent his life
fighting and searching for his mate.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Behind him, Bellya of the House of Arlyn, stood
alone in the center of the room. Angry Krystalis surrounded her, determined to
deliver the punishment she’d worked so long and hard to earn. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">He told himself to keep going. Don’t look back.
Don’t look at her. Don’t—damn, too late. His head swiveled as if he had no
control over it. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">She stood alone, surrounded but in no way
defenseless. Still Zarronian warriors were taught to protect females and she
was quite a sight. Tall and curvaceous with long dark wavy hair and soft brown
eyes. Plump lips made for kissing and hips a warrior could hold onto during the
most intense moments of passion.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Her chin was up and the expression on her face
dared the crowd to do their worst. Although he abhorred her arrogance he
couldn’t help but admire her bravado. He took another step toward freedom then
with a curse he turned back. Honor forced him to stay because whether he liked
it or not the blasted female was his mate!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The moment he’d seen her he’d known she was the one
female in the universe who could save him. The joy, relief and excitement he’d
felt had been overwhelming until he’d actually met her. She’d been rude and
obnoxious and had treated him like saber cat scat. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">He’d made allowances for her. Telling himself she
was young and inexperienced. That they’d just gotten off to a bad start, and he
needed to go slowly with her. Now, after spending more time with her, he knew
she was the last female he wanted as a mate</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">He had six moon phases before the Zarronian mating
fever blazed out of control and killed him. Bonding with Bellya would save him
but he’d rather choose a warriors’ death in battle. Ironically, either choice
would have him fighting for his life.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Disappointed that he’d finally met his mate and she
was so wrong for him, he’d spoken to one of the starship’s doctors. Borg Veeson had advised him to wait a while
in case another Krystali female drew him to her. He’d traveled from one
encampment to another, meeting hundreds of Krystali females. None had caught
his attention, or raised his fever a single degree. Discouraged, he’d returned
to Bellya’s village.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Now, looking around he wondered if one of the other
Zarronian warriors would step forward to protect her. Most of them weren’t even
paying attention to the proceedings. The few who were appeared to do so only
out of curiosity. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Cursing them, he watched as the crowd closed in
around her. She, of course, appeared bored and put out with the entire
proceedings. An attitude that increased the tension in the room. It also increased
the rage of the people around her who were ready for a bit of well-earned
revenge.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Sighing, he moved to within a few meters of her and
prepared himself to save her. </span></div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">His movement drew her attention and for a moment
their eyes met. Her eyes hardened as she gave him a disdainful <i>get lost</i> look then turned her back on
him. He growled with anger and clenched his hands to keep from reaching out and
pulling her over his knee so he could swat her delectable bottom</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">About the Author:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I have four siblings but I've always been the odd ball of the family. My parents used to tell people they had two sons, two daughters, and Mardi. lol I love looking at life from many points of view so that must be why I love the quirky and unique. I believe in UFOs, ghosts and that we have a space station on the dark side of the moon. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">When I read I like romance with BDSM, suspense, and lots of tears and laughter, as well as a happy ending. That's also what I write.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">People ask what I do when I'm not writing. I'm just running around, living my life. I'm a terrible gardener (everything dies) but I refuse to give it up. I like to cook but only when I'm in the mood so most of the time its microwavable veggies and cold fruit with cheese. And don't forget that glass of wine during my evening Wine and Reading Hour. I love to travel, but then who doesn't, and I love just hanging out with family and friends</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Where to find Mardi on the Internet:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/MardiMaxwellRomance" target="_blank">Facebook</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/MardiMaxwellRom" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mardi-Maxwell/e/B00HUWU9FM" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7790271.Mardi_Maxwell" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.mardismentionables.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Mardi's Blog</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mardi-maxwell" target="_blank">Book Bub</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<br /></div>
Tianna Xanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17893625991571966602noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31935183.post-74186684611008661842016-04-18T11:00:00.000-07:002016-04-18T21:23:30.391-07:00<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Writer’s Block and how I deal with it.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj12bXQYs2xbl0ljEoxogBWzYQbvInsWRtz54_RqiRsFhiAigCqdBIkFLhNGub4ZccBpp_NfG1jQUn5QD8AoThTeZnl1dTAnMtQUR0nk9fg2xg_ZmsfF8O7hwC7NKVayZess5qC/s1600/WritersBlock_angle_grande.gif" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: black; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj12bXQYs2xbl0ljEoxogBWzYQbvInsWRtz54_RqiRsFhiAigCqdBIkFLhNGub4ZccBpp_NfG1jQUn5QD8AoThTeZnl1dTAnMtQUR0nk9fg2xg_ZmsfF8O7hwC7NKVayZess5qC/s320/WritersBlock_angle_grande.gif" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Years ago, I rarely got writer’s block. I always knew what I
wanted to write and how to write it. Lately however, I’ve been plagued with
stress from many directions. I’ve had health issues, and schedule changes and
things just don’t seem to mesh together the way they used to.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">So… what did I do? I sat down and wrote up a plan, a
strategy, if you will. What I want to get accomplished in a day. I want to
write at least 1000 words a day. That isn’t impossible for me. I know this
because I used to write 10,000 words a day quite regularly. I want to do
certain things around my home, whether it’s dishes, laundry or just emptying
the trash can in the kitchen. I need to work at the day job. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Unfortunately, I work an hour from my home and I carpool to
save gas money and the three of us rarely have the same schedule so doing
things at home are difficult on days I work. Sometimes, I’m away from my house
14 hours a day, which makes writing that much more difficult. I have a pad of
paper I use during my breaks to write down fleeting thoughts and ideas. I carry
a netbook or mini laptop to record those ideas after work, while I’m waiting
for the others to finish up so we can head home.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I digress...or did I? Can you see how these things can cause
a block? If not, and you’re still writing loads every day. More power to you.
If you can, welcome to the club. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I’ve begun to treat writing a bit like a workout—a workout for
the brain. All day long, I think about what if scenarios for the situations my
characters are in. What if they did this, what if they did that? </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">What if Carrie wasn’t really the birth mother of the baby in
her nursery, what if her baby was with another family, what if he had been
kidnapped at birth because Carrie is the direct descendant of the ruler of a
country, or a world and someone has stolen her child to lay claim to the child’s
rightful kingdom? What if Carrie is a vampire, and her child something special,
because its father is an angel or a demon, or a superhero?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Exercises such as the <i>what
if</i> and <i>why</i> questions some authors
practice are essential to their writing, to their world building. I use as many
of these as I can. What are your characters motivations? If you can’t think of
something to write. Think of these things and eventually, you’ll think yourself
right out of that block.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Some authors--and I include myself in this--switch manuscripts
when they run into a block. Sometimes, just keeping the words flowing, even if
it’s not in the same story, can help you work through the corner you’ve written
your characters into. This can be a good
tactic if you don’t have deadlines. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">If that doesn’t work, ask yourself what are your characters
thinking? Once you figure out what they’re thinking or doing, you should be able
to move on. If you still can’t move on, give yourself an exercise. Write about
your day, or something that upset you. Sometimes, just the act of writing about
anything can get you back on track.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">What if you have a deadline? It’s Wednesday and you have until
Monday to finish your project. What do you do? Try sitting down and writing
something, anything, that takes your characters to another place. Then go back
and read it. Sometimes, you’ll find that while it might not fit exactly where
you’ve written it, it will fit somewhere else in the story. Reread the last few
chapters and try to remember what you were thinking as you wrote them. At one
time, you had an idea of where you wanted to go or you wouldn’t have written it
in the first place.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">With luck, one of these exercises will get you writing
again. If it doesn’t, sit down with your favorite treat and indulge in
something you love. You’ll deserve it after all of that hard work.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Good Luck!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Until the next time, </span></div>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="background-color: #444444;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Tianna</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Or you could try these:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/10-websites-cure-writers-block-writing-prompts/" style="background-color: black;" target="_blank"><br /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/10-websites-cure-writers-block-writing-prompts/" style="background-color: black;" target="_blank">Ten Websites That Help Cure Writer's Block</a></span></div>
Tianna Xanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17893625991571966602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31935183.post-54538268065907758732016-04-11T20:29:00.000-07:002016-04-13T20:46:00.022-07:00The Alpha Male<div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Century Gothic'; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', 'century gothic'; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', 'century gothic'; line-height: 18px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTmc3OXcoKwsgcltAxHpnbAp5lLfVQ54n810noiK8POinBd5jwdf5vN412XQLSg0OE6skwDOVWrhah5HEI_LargVyGkZLDeHvyWvfF6aOZRYXgI03E5kG4GiMIMfnRRCYYu9XD/s1600/TiaBanner+Large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><img border="0" height="105" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTmc3OXcoKwsgcltAxHpnbAp5lLfVQ54n810noiK8POinBd5jwdf5vN412XQLSg0OE6skwDOVWrhah5HEI_LargVyGkZLDeHvyWvfF6aOZRYXgI03E5kG4GiMIMfnRRCYYu9XD/s320/TiaBanner+Large.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white; font-size: large;">What is an alpha male?</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', 'century gothic'; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', 'century gothic'; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white; font-size: large;">To me, he's the kind of man who's easy to fall for--you know, the ones we just can resist. He's usually arrogant. He’s definitely physically strong and has a strength of character that can’t be beat—even if he’s a bit too dominant for our liking. Though sometimes, dominance is a good thing. Usually, all of an alpha male's exasperating characteristics grow on you after a while. Whether you like it or not.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', 'century gothic'; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', 'century gothic'; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white; font-size: large;">Beneath his seemingly thick skin and--sometimes--even thicker head, he’s a man you can't help but fall in love with because he’s just a wonderful guy. He’s a hero in every sense of the word who excites you beyond anything you have ever felt before. His strength, coupled with his keen sense of right and wrong appeals to a lot of women like nothing else could.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', 'century gothic'; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', 'century gothic'; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white; font-size: large;">What’s better is, he’s confident enough to be able to enjoy pursuing a strong, independent woman who can stand up to his more selfish, "it’s my way or the highway side". In fact, he sometimes wants a woman who'll stand up to him and tell him like it is. He wants a mate and a helpmeet who can, and will, be strong enough to face all of their problems head on with him.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', 'century gothic'; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', 'century gothic'; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white; font-size: large;">Mostly, he wants the same things his woman wants. He wants to feel the magic of romance, just as she does. He wants to love and be loved. He needs her to balance his more aggressive side with her gentleness. Most of all, he wants a woman to hold, to love and to cherish as though she were the only woman in the world—a Juliette to his Romeo a queen to his king, a partner and a friend.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', 'century gothic'; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white; font-size: large;">Until next time.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', 'century gothic'; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', 'century gothic'; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white; font-size: large;">Tianna</span></span></div>
Tianna Xanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17893625991571966602noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31935183.post-23304163882776647032016-04-07T19:17:00.001-07:002016-04-09T17:31:15.108-07:00Gideon's Angel - Coming Soon to Extasy Books!<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">A while ago, I posted a character interview with Gideon Molfetta and Tara Tarolf on this blog. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Their story has been a long time in coming. I apologize to readers who have been patiently waiting for another installment in this series. Just remember, the best way to get what you want is to write, message me on Facebook or Twitter and ask. It's that simple. I promise! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">So, this short, unedited excerpt of Gideon's Angel is for those of you who have been waiting for it these past few years. Thank you for writing and asking me to finish it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">Gideon's Angel</span>:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Frumpy and forty-something, Tara Tarolf, is a vampire slayer. After losing her husband to cancer, she devotes her life to making the streets safe for humans by hunting down rogue <i>Cartuotey</i> and bringing the hammer of justice down upon them. In her opinion, men were too much work. She already had one husband, she wasn't looking to add another man to her life. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">On the verge of committing suicide, Gideon Molfetta is everything she had ever dreamed of in a man. It was too bad he was on the verge of committing suicide to avoid becoming the most dreaded of his kind and she wasn't a guide. His kind mated with guides and Tara had no idea what her kind even was. Could she convince Gideon that his mate was worth waiting for, and would he ever tell her what it was he knew about her kind?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">Excerpt</span>:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .2in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">“So, as you can see,” I said, my hands
still raised high above my head. “There’s really no reason to kill me.” <span style="text-indent: 0.2in;">Pausing, I peered through eerie
silence at the man who still had the laser sight of his pistol trained on the
base of my throat and sighed with relief. “It’s about damned time.” The words
came out almost a snarl. Where did a common thug get such an expensive pistol?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .2in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Dropping my arms, I rolled my
aching shoulders forward and back, trying to release the tension from holding
my hands up over my head for so long. In the mood to be nasty, I had an
incredible urge to kick the jerk in the crotch for preying on innocents the way
he did. Instead, I stood glaring at him for a minute before I tossed the idea
aside. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .2in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The guy stared off into space, his
eyes unfocussed. Admittedly, it was the first time I had
ever been proud of my dubious gift to talk someone into a mindless stupor.
Still, it was better than killing the jerk. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .2in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The twenty-seven dollars in my
wallet wasn’t worth dying—or killing—over. The man had no idea who he’d been
dealing with. If the darkness was a thief’s best friend then it was <i>my</i> lover. I could hide from the world in
the daytime. At night, I could practically disappear.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .2in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I scurried away from the idiot,
grabbing his gun before I left. I didn’t need it but I didn’t want him
descending on some unsuspecting mundane with it either. Since a mundane—also
known as a person with no magical abilities—wouldn’t have any way to defend
themselves like me, I figure it’s my duty to keep scum like that from preying
on them if I can. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .2in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">It was a good thing a cold front
came down from Canada earlier in the morning and I had been wearing gloves. Leaving
<i>my</i> prints on the gun was out of
the question, since it was about to make an unannounced appearance at the
nearest police station. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .2in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I moved quickly out of my mugger’s
line of sight, unsure of how long his stupor would last and whether or not he
had another gun hidden on his filthy person. Buildings blurred by me as I ran
through the dark streets looking for a cop.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .2in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Glancing back through the darkness
I frowned. I had lulled him into that stupor, because I hadn’t wanted to hurt
the jackass. I hadn’t accidentally killed anyone yet and I certainly didn’t
want to start any time soon. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .2in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .2in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">However, I wouldn’t go so far as saying I’ve
never taken a life. In fact, I take lives on a fairly regular basis. But then,
I’m a vampire hunter. Taking lives is kind of a prerequisite for the job. Not
that I get a salary for it. Besides, killing a vampire wasn’t like killing a human was
it? I mean…they’re dead
already. Right?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .2in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .2in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">For those of you who haven't already read books one through three, They're available at most retail e-book outlets. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .2in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .2in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Look for: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .2in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Book 1: <a href="http://www.extasybooks.com/virgins-blood/">Virgin's Blood</a> My very first release. I hope to get a new cover soon.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .2in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Book2: <a href="http://www.extasybooks.com/alicia-the-awakening/">Alicia: The Awakening</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .2in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Book 3: <a href="http://www.extasybooks.com/afraid-to-dream">Afraid to Dream</a></span></div>
Tianna Xanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17893625991571966602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31935183.post-80609105108323783762016-03-20T05:16:00.000-07:002016-03-22T05:19:26.321-07:00If I only had a nickel<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Caution; This is a bit of a rant. Read at your own risk.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">If I had a nickel for every time someone asked me when's your new release or what are you working on now. I might be a rich woman. I love my readers and I'm glad they ask. It helps keep me motivated. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">If I had a nickel for every time I told myself that my books just aren't going to write themselves, I could pay my electric bill. If I don't make time to write, it's just not going to happen. So what if I don't vacuum the floor today or the others in the house have to fix their own dinner? I've been working. I've written five-thousand words today. That should count for something, right?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/62/US_Nickel_2013_Obv.png/220px-US_Nickel_2013_Obv.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/62/US_Nickel_2013_Obv.png/220px-US_Nickel_2013_Obv.png" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Balancing the day job, housework and the writing is not an easy thing. Yes, I have a day job. I'm not rich, and as long as internet trolls keep sharing my books on share sites, I'll never even be able to realize my dream of quitting the day job and writing full time. I don't need to be rich, but being able to pay all of my bills every month would be nice. I've yet to accomplish that--even with the day job.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Still, I digress. I meant to talk about finding time to write, not talk about how it's difficult to get motivated when you work your ass off every day and barely get paid for it because people share your work to countless others for free. Again, I digress...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Finding time... What if I give you an example of an average day around my house? I get up at 7:00 to get ready for work. I shower, wake up the guys and rush out to the kitchen to make something for breakfast. By the time breakfast is over, It's around 8:30 and time to take my meds. I take what pills I have to take, After that, I get my insulin out and psych myself up to stick myself three times with a needle. Some say it's easy. Not for me. Occasionally, it hurts like the dickens and that makes me hesitate every time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">After my injections and meds, it's time to make sure everyone else is ready to go. I make my coffee and gather my things together. Okay. Do I have my watch? Check. My glasses? Yep, wearing them. My phone? Check. My netbook for writing on the fly? Check. My notebook for writing on my breaks at work? Yes. Is everyone ready to go?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Finally, sometime between 8:45 and 9:00 we leave the house and get in our ten year-old van (I did mention I'm not rich, right?) and head to work. We carpool because our other car has been broken for over two years and after sinking over $2000 into it, we just couldn't afford to get it going again. The three of us head in to town and the guys drop me off at work at 10:00 am.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The guys go park and sleep or play on their phones in the van until it's time for them to start work, at 1:00. Three hours, they wait to start work and when I'm off at 7:00 I wait two and a half, to three hours for them to finish work. That's when I write.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">In fact, it's 7:10 as I write this in the break room at the day job. Again, I do this because I'm not rich. Hell, I'm not even well off, though I'm sure someone out there believes I am. We'll leave work generally around 9:45 and get home about 10:45, we'll unwind for a few hours and usually hit the bed at about 1:00 am--sometimes a bit later.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Generally, I don't rant, I don't whine, and I don't like airing my problems in a public arena, but I'm a bit fed up with the way things keep going for us. Our roof needs replaced. It's only 13 years old. The electric has been out in about a quarter of my house for a few years now and the foundation is crumbling and falling in under the house.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Why don't you get it fixed, you might ask. Because I'm not rich. I'm not well off and I'm definitely not comfortable. I can tell you what I am, though. I'm tired. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I'm tired of 12 hour days at the day job. I'm tired of my body aching because the docs say I shouldn't be working outside the home at all anymore and why don't I quit and write full time. Most of all, I'm tired of watching the love of my life age as he dreams of someday having a real retirement when it's beginning to appear as though we'll have to work for the rest of our lives. And I'm sick to death of getting Google alerts that tell me my newest releases are on a share site two days after they're released. I'm sick to death of not making enough money with my writing to even pay my medical bills, let alone have enough to live on after paying said bills.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Most of all, I'm sick of going to share sites and seeing that my books have been downloaded 80,000 times EACH. I have over 100 e-books, Do the math.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Again, if I only had a nickel...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span id="goog_1200325200"></span><span id="goog_1200325201"></span><br /></span>Tianna Xanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17893625991571966602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31935183.post-43345442112596550222015-03-23T18:31:00.000-07:002015-03-23T18:48:44.023-07:00Shades of Green<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8vgm1BZ7_8bNUxnHrlaC7qTWaE7FpobaO566m_Psxyii9wC3LBrDakPqrQt6NsXbi58p6U1ISfLEyMt6b3qqNi4eaGcOw6vZgG4BkCLETTQqALQDbDiwyYGYEeUSHaBoistya/s1600/ShadesofGreen6x9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8vgm1BZ7_8bNUxnHrlaC7qTWaE7FpobaO566m_Psxyii9wC3LBrDakPqrQt6NsXbi58p6U1ISfLEyMt6b3qqNi4eaGcOw6vZgG4BkCLETTQqALQDbDiwyYGYEeUSHaBoistya/s1600/ShadesofGreen6x9.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.2in;">
<a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null"><span lang="EN"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Shades of Green</b></span></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.2in;">
<a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" style="text-indent: 0.2in;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.2in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Nymphs are tiny
little creatures. How can one possibly be the mate of two huge polar bear
shifters?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.2in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.2in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Thal had never realized how boring her life as a nymph was until a group
of ogres kidnap her and her kin. When she manages to help her friends and
family escape captivity, she never expected to run into two men and three
leprechauns intending to save them, as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.2in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.2in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">When Kiran and Gaige mount a rescue with three unlikely partners, they
couldn’t be more surprised to realize that one of the tiny nymphs is their mate.
Has Mother Nature played a nasty joke on them or is there more to the tiny lass
than what they think?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.2in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.2in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.2in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.2in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Excerpt:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.2in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua";">“What in bloody hell
do ye think is going on here?” Gaige glanced at his cousin, noting that Kiran
appeared as confounded as he felt, at the moment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.2in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.2in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua";">The ground, which
should be </span><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua";"><span lang="EN">covered in thick-green
grass and dark, fertile loam as it was every spring appeared gray as the snow
melted. There were no light-green blades of grass, no clover. The soil wasn’t as it should be either. It
was as though the very ground was ill. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.2in;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua";"><span lang="EN"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.2in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua";">Trees, usually
sprouting leaves the size of squirrels ears by this time of year, still lay
dormant. Nothing green peered through the bed of dead leaves and equally
dead-looking trees. The forest appeared as lifeless and barren as it did in the
middle of winter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.2in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.2in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua";">The scent of moist
soil and rotting vegetation permeated everything as they walked through the
woods hunting game for the day’s meals. There was nothing. The squirrels and
rabbits stayed sheltered deep in their burrows. Some of them stared out at them
as they passed, their little hearts pounding with fear at the sight and scent
of the two predators striding through the quiet forest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.2in;">
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua";">Shades of Green ~ Highland Bears #5 a polar bear shifter series</span></div>
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Tianna Xanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17893625991571966602noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31935183.post-2471958157470494292015-02-27T17:28:00.000-08:002015-02-27T20:31:57.381-08:00<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Another Goodbye</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">As we grow older, nature forces us to deal more and more
with goodbyes. At first, it’s usually our grandparents, then our friends and parents.
Then, sooner or later, <i>we</i> ourselves must
face death. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Over the years, we lose those we love with increasing
frequency and tears. It doesn’t matter to us—those left behind—that the one we’ve
lost is in a better place. The only thing we dwell on is the loss, the hole in
our lives that our loved ones, our icons, once filled.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I don’t remember the first time I saw his face or heard his
voice. I know must have been around six years-old. What I <i>do</i> recall about watching Leonard Nimoy on that old black and white
TV all those years ago, was his stoic, unsmiling face teaching me that it is
better not to feel at all, than to feel hatred or bigotry. In Mr. Spock’s
world, it was better to feel no emotions at all, than to allow emotions to rule
who we were as people, as humans.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Those feelings just weren’t logical.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Isn’t it strange that a man most known for playing a character
who shunned emotions could stir so many in us at the discovery of his passing? Does
it strike anyone but me as odd that this man, who so shunned emotions on film
for a good part of his career, was loved—is <i>still</i>
loved—by so many?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">The world has lost another icon, another great actor, and a
great man in Leonard Nimoy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Those of us whom the world loves to call Trekkers, Trekkies,
or just plain weirdos, lost a beloved member of our family. We are reeling,
just as we did at the loss of Deforest Kelley and James Doohan. As we slowly
get older we learn that we must deal with the loss of those we looked up to,
sometimes even hero-worshipped, and definitely loved in one way or another.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Thank you for everything you taught us, Mr. Spock. Whether
death takes you into the afterlife or another dimension, wherever you are, we
will miss you dearly. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">And to the rest of us: Live Long and Prosper. </span></div>
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Tianna Xanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17893625991571966602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31935183.post-26946443655100874132015-01-29T19:48:00.002-08:002015-01-29T19:48:31.299-08:00Valentine's Day is for Lovers Bash on Facebook<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hiya, everyone!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Wow it's been a long time since I posted here. I didn't realize that I have been spending so much time writing, at the day job or on social media sites. I should visit here more, and I apologize. It shocked me to see that my last post was on my anniversary, last year.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I just wanted to announce my newest Facebook get together. It's Valentine's Day weekend, Friday, the 13th, through midnight Sunday, the 15th. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If you're a reader, please come and check out all of my author friends who plan to attend. They'll be giving away some great prizes. If you're an author, it's a great chance to talk with some readers and have a few giveaways.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Just email me through my contact information on my website, or join through the link I post on Facebook. It's that easy. The only thing I ask is that readers bring an open mind and authors who plan to do a takeover, please bring at least one giveaway with you for your hour.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I hope to see you there!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Until next time,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Tianna</span><br />
<br />Tianna Xanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17893625991571966602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31935183.post-36943543065488512162014-04-17T21:20:00.004-07:002014-04-17T21:35:12.314-07:00An Interview With A Vampire ~ Repost<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tara: “Hi, everyone! I’m Tara Torolf. I’m a vampire slayer. Tianna had a vampire contact her and asked for an interview to prove they aren’t what everyone thinks. Can you imagine me rolling my eyes? Of course they’re everything they seem. I should know. Though… to be honest, most of them don’t kill their vict—er…donors. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Since Tianna couldn’t do this interview due to her deadlines fast approaching—one of them being my book she hasn’t even started yet, she asked me to interview this…this vampire. I know the answers to most of these questions already, but I’ll ask them since it’s what she wants. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Here with me today, is Gideon Molfetta. He is a Cartuotey here with me to set the record straight before he decides to end his existence. It’s a shame really, considering he is a very good looking man—vampire—whatever. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> “Hello, Gideon. Tianna sends her regards and says thank you for joining me here today.” </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Gideon: “Hello, Tara. It is a pleasure as always.” *winks and tries for a sexy grin.* </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tara: “Don’t start that with me, Gideon. You know I’m a vampire slayer and Tianna’s transparent attempt at matchmaking is not going to work. Now for the questions.
“Do you actually drink blood, or do you suck it up through your teeth like some sort of weird straw?” </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Gideon: “We drink it, actually, though if we’re in dire need it goes up through our teeth and immediately into our bloodstream. *waggles his brows* “It’s a little anti climactic if you know what I mean.” </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tara :“Um… I imagine it is. Is it getting hot in here? .“I know garlic keeps everyone away, but what about silver, crosses and holy water?” </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Gideon: “Um… Silver is for werewolves. That whole thing about it hurting vampires is a myth. It does looks good on us though. As far as crosses and holy water, we are not the spawn of Satan. These things do nothing to us.” </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tara: “What about wooden stakes?” </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Gideon: “I don’t think a wooden steak would taste delicious at all.” *laughs* </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tara: “Do you guys sparkle in the sunlight like the vampires in those movies and novels everyone loves so much or do you actually turn to ash in the sunlight?” </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Gideon: *Laughs* “The only thing sunlight does to us is make us tan.” </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tara: “I thought that nice tan of yours was from a jar.” </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Gideon: *sits back and rests his arms over the back of the chair. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It really shows off the bulge in his pants that puts another question to mind* </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Gideon: “Not on your life. It’s all me, sweetheart. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tara: “Is what they say about the vampire libido true?” </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Gideon: *wink* “Where do you think all of the legends come from?” </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tara: “That’s not an answer, Gideon. Come on, spill. True or not?” </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Gideon: “Oh, it’s true, sweetling.” </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tara: “Prove it!”
Gideon: “Is tonight good?” </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tara: “I didn’t mean with me! Why are you undressing here? Oh, my goodness! Are all Cartuotey built like that? Hoo! Is it getting hot in here or is it just me? Okay, everyone. That’s it for today’s questions. I have a few more interviews to do so make sure you check back often to see who’s in the hot seat next! I have to run now. I have this huge thing on my to do list. See you next time.”</span></span>Tianna Xanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17893625991571966602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31935183.post-82686099212625478932014-03-31T16:08:00.000-07:002016-04-18T18:51:31.380-07:00<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">This particular blog hop is about authors offering a glimpse
into their lives and their work. What our schedules are like and what really
goes on in our heads. Some of us are just the way we portray ourselves online,
others…not so much. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">So, who invited me to talk about myself and the way I write?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.sabrinadevonshire.com/index.html"><span style="color: blue;">SabrinaDevonshire</span></a> nicely dragged me into this and I blame her for any<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>random thoughts that may rear their heads
during this exercise. She is the author of some uber hot erotica over at <a href="http://www.extasybooks.com/">Extasy Books</a>.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I hope you’ll find the time to check out Sabrina’s books and
her website. I also hope that you’ll manage to visit the sites of the three
authors I list below who will, I hope, be posting their own comments next
Monday, April 7<sup>th</sup>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Now it’s time to give you a glimpse at my writing process…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><strong><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">What are you working on?<o:p></o:p></span></strong></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Currently, I’m working on several works in progress. I’m
working on book three of the Taos Wolven Mates series, tentatively titled, The
Grand Duchess. The series is published by Siren Publishing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I’m editing the print version of The Endowed due to release
later this spring. I’m also working on book one of the Caspian Cascade, book
four of The Gate To Fate, Stellar Dare, and book four of The Chosen series. Book
four of the chosen has been a long time coming. I can’t wait to get back into
my vampire world with something just a little different to shake my characters
up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><strong><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">How does my work differ from others in its genre?<o:p></o:p></span></strong></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Hmm… I never know how to answer this. I’m not sure.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I tend to try to make my books character driven and fast
paced. I’ve never really been a fan of overly descriptive passages in a book. I
like description, but some books I’ve read go a little overboard with it. One
of them in particular gave a twenty-six page description of a woman’s ball gown
and her hair style. Another gave a twelve page description of a character’s
dinner. I’d rather not get that caught up in what someone is wearing or eating
unless it’s significant to the plot. I try to give my readers a happy medium
between description, character development and driving the plot to its
conclusion. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I used to be a dedicated pantser. Plots came to me in a
linear manner and I wrote until they reached their final, logical—to my muse
anyway—conclusion. Now, I usually work with an outline. Not because the ideas
don’t flow as easily anymore, but more because I have several series that I
need to keep true to their own mythology. I can’t have people reading minds in
a new book who aren’t supposed to read minds or others having telekinetic
powers whom I’ve already established don’t have that ability. An outline along
with a file with the ‘rules’ are always open while I’m writing the new book in
every series. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The outline is never set in stone. It’s a guideline I follow
during the writing process. I still allow the muse to throw in unexpected
twists and take us all on occasional roller coaster rides. I have to, otherwise
they step in and take a book so far out of my comfort zone, it takes me forever
to write the story. I’ve had this issue with The Grand Duchess. Some passages
are so far out of my comfort zone I can only hope it holds up to my readers’
expectations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Once I feel as though a story is finished, I pass it on to a
few trusted friends who have volunteered to be my beta readers. If it passes
muster on that end, I send it in to my publisher and bite some virtual
fingernails—along with my real nails—until I receive edits. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I love my editors, every one of them. In my opinion, they
are the reason I am where I am today with my writing. For those of you new to
the craft, I can’t stress enough how a good editor can help you polish your
books until they shine like the sun.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><strong><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Why do I write what I do?<o:p></o:p></span></strong></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Love and the idea of being in love was a deciding factor. I
love romance. I have always loved romance. I read my first Harlequin when I was
in my early teens. My sister left it lying about. I wondered what she saw in
them and picked it up. I’ve been hooked ever since.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Of course my tastes have changed throughout the years. I
rarely read a ‘sweet’ romance, but it isn’t unheard of for me to do so. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I read my first paranormal romance in 1999. It was Christine
Feehan’s Dark Prince. Once I<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>read that,
I was stuck on vampires and shape shifters. I powered through every paranormal
romance I could find and went searching for more. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">When I complained to my husband that I couldn’t find anymore
paranormal books to read by my favorite authors, he looked at me and said,
“You’re always making up stories. Look at what happened to that one you used to
tell the kids about their toys coming to life? You never put it on paper and
someone beat you to it. Maybe it’s time you started writing your own.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">So…I tried it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The rest, as they say, is history.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<strong>
</strong><br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><strong><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">How does your writing process work?<o:p></o:p></span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I write whenever I can. I usually try to write a bit in the
morning on the way to the day job. I write on and off throughout the day,
during breaks and lunch then again in the evening on the way home. I do my best
to write after I get home, too. It’s difficult to keep a steady writing schedule
and hold a full time day job. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Believe me, if this was making me rich, I would quit the day
job and write full time. However, since every author knows that the precious
few who make a good living off their writing are those who have been on the NYT
Bestseller list multiple times or those who have gotten TV and/or movie deals. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">So…I do the best that I can. I write as much as I can, when
I can, and hope that someone likes it. So far, it seems as though someone does.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><strong><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Who will we meet next week?<o:p></o:p></span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I’m happy to say that I’ll be introducing you to a few
fellow authors that write hot erotic romance. <a href="http://www.paranovelgirl.com/"><span style="color: blue;">Franny Armstrong</span></a> author of Jinn and
Toxic, <a href="http://www.bookstrand.com/playing-for-keeps"><span style="color: blue;">Kelsie Belle</span></a>
author of Playing for Keeps and I’ve taken the liberty to add <a href="http://www.missymartine.com/"><span style="color: blue;">Missy Martine</span></a> because she’s an awesome
author and friend and I couldn’t find a third so I nominated her. Maybe we'll get lucky and she'll post this on her Facebook page. Missy, I apologize in advance for tossing you under the proverbial bus. LOL</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Now for the featured authors: Give their books a chance and check out their individual pages for their posts next week! Who knows? You might just find yourself another awesome new-to-you author.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Thanks for stopping by!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Tianna</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><a href="http://www.paranovelgirl.com/"> Franny Armstrong</a></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><strong>Jinn and Toxic</strong></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Romance and adventure go hand-in-hand when a set of identical twins with powerful psychic abilities work for the military. Sergeant Jinn Dennison goes AWOL when her sister, Julie, is shot and nearly drowned in a Mexican rainforest. When Jinn's mistaken for Julie by her captain, she soon finds herself branded a traitor.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Tab, (Toxic) McTavish never would have believed Julie would ever betray the team, yet something was strange about her all of a sudden. Toxic Tango Troop's mission was to take down a drug dealer by the name of Iceman, and get out of Mexico fast, but a traitor in their midst has given them away. While on the covert mission, he tries to find his kidnapped sister, Tara, but Jinn wants to rescue her own sister, whose life is in jeopardy.</span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Together, Tab and Jinn find keeping their hearts free harder than chasing after Iceman as they search the rainforest</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://kelsiebelle.wordpress.com/">Kelsie Belle</a></div>
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<strong><a href="http://www.bookstrand.com/playing-for-keeps">Playing For Keeps</a></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Left broken and bleeding, night club owner and accountant Cassidy Samson did her best to pick up the pieces of her broken self and move on with her life. She vowed never to let anyone get close to her heart again…until the potent force of a pair of green eyes threatens to bring her to her knees.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Hired as the new guitarist in the band at the Escape Lounge, Cameron Chase is intrigued and aroused by Cassidy’s tough-as-nails attitude and sets out to barrel through the formidable wall she has constructed around her heart, to get to the real woman behind the façade. He agrees to play by her rules in a reckless game of lust in hopes of finding love.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> But will Cam be able to chase away the demons of Cassidy’s past that threaten to consume her? Will his love be strong enough to make her whole again?</span><br />
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<strong><a href="http://www.missymartine.com/">Missy Martine</a></strong></div>
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<strong><a href="http://www.bookstrand.com/star-wishes">Star Wishes</a></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sarah Keevers had lived and worked in an orphanage in St. Louis since she was five years old. She’d stayed on to protect the younger children from the harsh headmistress. Now, she’s inherited money from a grandfather she never knew she had, and she wants to take the children far away. The only problems are the children don’t legally belong to her, and women have no legal rights in 1856.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So, Sarah changes her name to Samuel Kees, disguises the children, and heads west with her new family. She settles in Big Springs and meets up with Abe West, the local sheriff, and his brother, Ike. The two men discover her secret and decide she’d make the perfect wife.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">They’re going to do everything they can to earn her trust. Will they be able to protect Sarah, and hold on to her love when her picture shows up on a wanted poster for kidnapping?</span></div>
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Tianna Xanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17893625991571966602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31935183.post-60610647527478711242012-05-14T08:09:00.000-07:002012-05-14T08:09:32.626-07:00Someone asked me this question recently and I thought I would blog about it. There are many things I would like to have with me including an infinite supply of clean clothes, but let’s be realistic and say that we didn’t have much time to salvage things from a sinking boat. So, what kind of stuff would I want? I would want things that would help me survive as long as possible while there. This is the list I came up with.<br />
<br />
<br />
1. I would want to have Kevin with me because I wouldn’t want to be stranded anywhere without him. Besides the fact that I love him, he’s a very handy guy to have around.<br />
<br />
2. A two-pack of giant bic lighters.<br />
<br />
3. My laptop bag (waterproofed) as it sits now with ten dvds in it, the laptop filled to the gills with games and e-books. Some romance, some how-to books like How to build a treehouse with a hatchet a shovel and two hunting knives and how to prepare seafood, and topical fruits and vegetables over an open fire and a few that may interest Kevin for entertainment and a solar charger. Okay, I don’t have a solar charger in the bag right now, but the rest is there, with the exception of the how-to e-books I mentioned.<br />
<br />
4. A hatchet<br />
<br />
5. Two hunting knives<br />
<br />
6. A shovel<br />
<br />
7. Fishing line and hooks<br />
<br />
8. A frying pan<br />
<br />
9. A very well-stocked first aid kit<br />
<br />
10. A nice supply of toilet paper because, let’s face it, we have no idea how long we’re going to be stranded now, do we?<br />
<br />
Do you think I’ve forgotten something vital? If so, what? What would you want to have with you if you were stranded on a desert Island?<br />
<br />Tianna Xanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17893625991571966602noreply@blogger.com0E North St, Lakeview, MI 48850, USA43.446419 -85.274197543.3542025 -85.432126 43.5386355 -85.116269tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31935183.post-43421245862723974512011-04-19T19:30:00.000-07:002011-04-19T19:30:31.631-07:00Blog Contest WinnerHi!<br />
As I promised, I have chosen a winner for my blog contest. The Easter basket winner is JackieW who commented on the contest at my website blog. I'm also giving away another prize to one lucky person who commented at my Blogger blog and that is a free copy of the backlist book of their choice. That winner is, Amanda Ann. I have notified the winners by e-mail and I await their reply. If I do not get a reply in seven days, I will choose another winner for any unclaimed prize. <br />
Thanks to all who participated.<br />
TiannaTianna Xanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17893625991571966602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31935183.post-60736535456577032282011-04-04T19:07:00.000-07:002011-04-04T19:07:42.873-07:00In Memory of Shadow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEsFFRW3ce2glqSbjOTOx8CvpbnEC_sIUxtjjRyHUuESKpIwDab8n5Eb-r2hePS9iTShw8sv3HCT25YqtqsbY64VyvSH88MWF-55XZPrD3ffia0OK3xwCTKQr45zl6oJ5ucKFB/s1600/DSC00371.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEsFFRW3ce2glqSbjOTOx8CvpbnEC_sIUxtjjRyHUuESKpIwDab8n5Eb-r2hePS9iTShw8sv3HCT25YqtqsbY64VyvSH88MWF-55XZPrD3ffia0OK3xwCTKQr45zl6oJ5ucKFB/s320/DSC00371.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgUFi9ICQOO7bUTpRnCDgLTEEiFCv5bH0tB2SISh6X5O3ohRsvjvdgafBvHjUjUgcnpci_02EDlxk7w6NoDa1c-kHUfY3Umc9ttXmRAlwEcQ6qQ0GK06Ufh_qjAFeGgz_0T-sl/s1600/Shadow_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgUFi9ICQOO7bUTpRnCDgLTEEiFCv5bH0tB2SISh6X5O3ohRsvjvdgafBvHjUjUgcnpci_02EDlxk7w6NoDa1c-kHUfY3Umc9ttXmRAlwEcQ6qQ0GK06Ufh_qjAFeGgz_0T-sl/s320/Shadow_3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3qbMifFWEBU4001neIYM5WHRGpBLjyNZT-Qeu_FJC9N-kR8QrozVU7K4wYRJ5ZdrM2MLx6CN64J_Zj4VDZdWXLZJYswk2fuz_muKGNaATvXiHi315DUoiYcEkbhCIJdZ8mbmp/s1600/unknown+018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3qbMifFWEBU4001neIYM5WHRGpBLjyNZT-Qeu_FJC9N-kR8QrozVU7K4wYRJ5ZdrM2MLx6CN64J_Zj4VDZdWXLZJYswk2fuz_muKGNaATvXiHi315DUoiYcEkbhCIJdZ8mbmp/s320/unknown+018.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Shadow, you were our best friend when we moved to a new area and had none. You were our protector when things weren't as they seemed. You were always there for us and I can only say that I'm glad we were there for you when you needed us most. <br />
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We were sorry to see you pass, none of us wanted you to go, but we knew your time had come. Sixteen years on this Earth is a long time for someone like you and we know that. It comforts us to know that now you are in a better place, where pain can no longer reach you. Wait for us at the bridge and one day we will all see you again. <br />
<br />
The Rainbow Bridge:<br />
<br />
Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. <br />
<br />
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. <br />
There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable. <br />
<br />
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind. <br />
<br />
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster. <br />
<br />
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart. <br />
<br />
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together.... <br />
<br />
Author unknown...Tianna Xanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17893625991571966602noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31935183.post-18140129031769168252011-03-25T22:43:00.000-07:002011-03-25T22:45:34.112-07:00Blog Contest!I have a blog contest going on from now through the twentieth of April. If you comment here or at my other blog at <a href="http://www.tiannaxander.com/">www.tiannaxander.com</a> . I will give you an entry to win an Easter basket filled with goodies. There are even a few things in it for kids if you feel like sharing. I'll post an image below if I can figure out how to do so.<br />
<br />
Each comment on each blog or blog post gets you one entry. The more you comment, the more entries you get. Don't forget to add your email when and if it asks for it. If you don't want to leave your email that's fine, but you will have to check back to see if you won. Please do remember to check back. I don't want to be stuck with the basket until next year. I'm also giving away another, almost identical basket at my Cyber Release in April at AuthorIsland.com. Please keep checking that site as well. I'll try to remember to post when that is, so you'll have another chance there. I will be giving away two baskets. One on my blog and one at AuthorIsland.com. <br />
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Below are photos of the baskets. Arent those bunnies cute? <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimY8CrAJmwoMs9MopEqJf7A3dw7zP8N8Ca15-BirffnEOE4Wrilobcs_KvewDQtJPOPTEZzWp7jLGKiE6fcP0isQUeEaC2eZgAxBU0Jfh6seihuQ4F6gaKNFJeRe4ScRIyxRcx/s1600/20110316205548.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimY8CrAJmwoMs9MopEqJf7A3dw7zP8N8Ca15-BirffnEOE4Wrilobcs_KvewDQtJPOPTEZzWp7jLGKiE6fcP0isQUeEaC2eZgAxBU0Jfh6seihuQ4F6gaKNFJeRe4ScRIyxRcx/s320/20110316205548.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Tianna Xanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17893625991571966602noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31935183.post-22821964316038452522011-03-25T22:31:00.000-07:002011-03-25T22:31:45.522-07:00Topaz DareTopaz Dare<br />
<br />
by Viola Grace and Tianna Xander<br />
<br />
Blurb:<br />
Topaz has been enjoying the small freedoms that each assignment for retrieval has given her. When confronted by deadly insects that have already killed her targets she has to choose running for her life or finishing her job. She is assisted by another dragon who offers her an option for her time off. He will take her to visit her sister if she will spend some time getting to know him, and part of her is only too delighted to happy to take Kirai up on his offer. Dragons, kidnapping, giant bugs, poisons and meeting a sister she thought dead make for quite the short layover for an active D.A.R.E. agent.<br />
Excerpt:<br />
<br />
“Fine. I have three days left here, so court if you can.” She took strides toward the bone pile and kept her guard up for any of the returning ants. Topaz knelt next to the pile and flipped out a tarp from her pack. Each human bone was accounted for as she placed them carefully on the fabric.<br />
<br />
“They were a scouting party?”<br />
<br />
“I think so. Their actual assignment was not divulged to me.” She shrugged and kept working.<br />
He joined her in carefully separating the human from animal bones, including the locator tags. A glance at her scanner showed that all five of the people she was looking for were in this pile. It was a sad end to her fourth assignment.<br />
<br />
“Do you enjoy your work?” He was trying to engage her in conversation, that much was obvious.<br />
“It has its moments, but it is more of an obligation than work. We aren’t given much of a choice and you know it.”<br />
<br />
“I apologize for my method of getting to know you. It was an act of impulse.”<br />
<br />
She looked at him in surprise. “Thank you for your apology. I don’t think I have ever been the recipient of one before.”<br />
<br />
He cocked his head while he continued to sort bones. “The humans lack manners. They always have.”<br />
She closed her eyes for a moment and sorted through his memories of humans. Dozens of worlds flicked through his mind, including earth. He had known humans when they dressed in long robes with wide sashes and swung swords.<br />
<br />
Kirai was much, much older than he appeared.<br />
<br />
Topaz fished for the last few pieces of human–a handful of toe bones–and gathered the corners of the tarp together. “Well, since this world is not safe for bipedals, I think I had better be going.”<br />
<br />
“May I accompany you?”<br />
<br />
She laughed, imagining the look on the techs faces if she brought him back with her. “I don’t think that would be a good idea.”<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://devinedestinies.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=ebook_flypage&product_id=1524&category_id=25&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=69">Available at Devine Destinies</a> Also available on <a href="http://devinedestinies.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=ebook_flypage&product_id=1524&category_id=25&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=69">Kindle</a></span></strong>Tianna Xanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17893625991571966602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31935183.post-38899484900286109652011-03-11T20:35:00.000-08:002011-03-11T20:35:48.926-08:00Gideon's AngelBook Four of The Chosen series, tentatively titled, <strong>Gideon’s Angel</strong>.<br />
by Tianna Xander<br />
Unedited excerpt:<br />
<br />
“So, you can see,” I said, my hands still raised high above my head, “there’s really no reason to kill me.”<br />
<br />
Pausing, I peered through eerie silence at the man who still had the laser sight of his pistol trained on the base of my throat and sighed with relief. “It’s about stinkin’ time.” The words came out almost a snarl. How did a common thug like this one get a damned expensive pistol as that?<br />
<br />
Dropping my arms, I rolled my aching shoulders forward and back to release the tension from my arms being held up over my head for so long. In the mood to be nasty, I had the incredible urge to kick the jerk in his crotch for preying on innocents the way he did. Instead, I stood glaring at him for a minute before I tossed the idea aside. <br />
<br />
The guy’s eyes were glazed over as expected and, admittedly, this was the first time I had ever been proud of my dubious gift to talk someone into a mindless stupor. Still, it was better than killing the jerk. The twenty-seven dollars in my wallet wasn’t worth dying—or killing—over. The man had no idea who he’d been dealing with. If the darkness was a thief’s best friend then it was my lover. I could hide from the world in the daytime. At night I could practically disappear.<br />
<br />
I scurried away from the idiot, grabbing his gun before I left. I didn’t need it but I didn’t want him descending on some unsuspecting mundane with it either. Since a mundane wouldn’t have any way to defend themselves like me, I figure it’s my duty to keep scum like this from preying on them if I can.<br />
<br />
It was a good thing a cold front came down from Canada early this morning and I was wearing gloves. <br />
I didn’t want my prints on the damned gun since it was about to make an unannounced appearance at the nearest police station. I moved quickly out of my mugger’s line of sight, unsure of how long his stupor would last and whether or not he had another gun hidden on his person. Buildings blurred by me as I ran through the dark streets looking for a cop.<br />
<br />
Glancing back through the shadows I frowned. I didn’t want to hurt the jackass, even if he did prey on those weaker than himself. His first mistake tonight was targeting me. His second, was thinking I was weak. <br />
<br />
I hadn’t accidentally killed anyone yet and I certainly didn’t want to start now. That’s not saying I’ve never taken a life. In fact, I take lives on a pretty regular basis. But then I’m a vampire hunter. Taking lives is kind of a prerequisite for the job. Not that I ever got paid for it…dammit. Besides, killing a vampire isn’t like killing a human is it? I mean…they’re dead already. Right?<br />
<br />
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not a raving psychotic and I don’t run around killing vampires willy nilly. Nor do I dash about lopping off the heads of poor, unsuspecting blood drinkers who only do what they must to survive. I simply watch them, discover their habits and act accordingly. After all, if I skipped around town executing them all, regardless of their habits, I wouldn’t be any better than my vict…er…targets, now would I?<br />
<br />
Jogging through the darkness, I found the nearest police station, concentrated on confusing people’s perceptions and dropped the gun on the front counter. It was the only option available to me. A locked door and three inches of bulletproof glass stood between me and the nearest officer’s desk. It would have to do.<br />
<br />
Glad that I knew using my powers screwed with the operation of electrical equipment, I left the station secure in the knowledge that no one would know who had left it there. The gun still held the mugger’s prints. If the man had a record and had used the weapon to kill someone the police would hunt him down and get him off the streets. That’s how it worked in a perfect world, anyway.<br />
<br />
After leaving the station, I decided to take it easy and catch my breath. Looking up at the sky, I spotted a few stars through the glare of streetlights and stopped to admire them. At least I think they were stars. I suppose they could have been satellites. What do I know about astronomy or is that astrology? I’m forever getting those two mixed up. Whatever. Taking my time, which was something unusual for me, I stood admiring the lights in the sky wishing I had the time to go to the country for a couple of days to admire them in the uninterrupted darkness.<br />
<br />
“Well, well. What have we here?”<br />
<br />
It felt like the hair on the back of my neck stood on end and began to wiggle at the cliché bad guy phrase. It was my usual reaction to the presence of a rogue. What was unusual was the absence of the urge to kill him. Pausing to assess the reason why I felt no necessity for violence, I looked at the man—and I use the term loosely—who accosted me and shook my head with disgust.<br />
<br />
“I swear, some people watch way too much TV,” I said, glaring at another would-be assailant and clapped my hands with mock glee. “Oh, goodie!” My voice was high pitched and dripped with sarcasm as I stared at the freckled, redheaded vampire flashing his elongated, blinding white canines at me. “It’s Howdie Doodie time!” Then I leaned forward and squinted a bit. “Or are you little Opie, all grown up?”<br />
<br />
There’s no real secret in how to tell a good vampire from a bad one. It’s easy if you’re like me and can’t be controlled. The good ones, meaning those who feed to live, not the other way around, will take control of your mind. When they do that, most people don’t even know they’ve met a vampire much less invited them to dinner.<br />
<br />
A bad vampire, read evil incarnate, will not take over a victim’s mind. They want their victims scared. They just love adrenaline-laced blood. In fact they’re addicted to it. It’s like an amphetamine to them. Apparently, my new friend here was one of the latter.<br />
<br />
“Come to me, my sweet.”<br />
<br />
Giggling, I rolled my eyes, crossed my arms then backed up a pace, just because I could. “Don’t you find it hard to strike terror in the hearts of mortals when you look like a cartoon character and sound like a really bad B-movie vampire?” <br />
<br />
Tilting my head, I gave him another assessing look. “You’re not very old, are you?” It wasn’t hard to tell. The real old vampires had a strange, formal speech pattern and looked like they were in their mid thirties. “How old are you, nineteen? Twenty maybe?”<br />
<br />
It just wasn’t like a vampire this young to go rogue. They usually turned out of boredom or some sort of mental instability brought on by living centuries alone. Well, not alone so much as without love.<br />
The boy looked down at himself as though expecting a part of his anatomy to jump up and admit to tattling about his age. He glared at me through narrowed eyes. “How could you tell?”<br />
<br />
I ignored the sound of a few cars passing behind me, knowing I had nothing to fear from this particular vampire. There may be a few ancients out there who had a chance of killing me but it wouldn’t be this one and it also wouldn’t be today. <br />
<br />
“Because,” I replied, leaning closer to get a better look. “The other rogues I’ve met have this…I don’t know…old world air about them. You don’t.” I didn’t add that they all looked at least thirty. This kid looked like just that. A kid. But, to be fair, most people under thirty do look like kids to me now that I’ve passed the big four-oh.<br />
<br />
“Others?” He latched onto that one word, his eyes round. “You’ve met others?”<br />
<br />
Suddenly, the hungry look was washed from his face, replaced with a strange kind of longing. “Do you know where they are?” He looked hopeful. “Do you think they would help me?”<br />
<br />
“Help you? What—”<br />
<br />
If I live to be one-hundred, I don’t think I could be more shocked than when he fell to his knees in front of me. “Take me to them. Please!”<br />
<br />
“Well, hell.”Tianna Xanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17893625991571966602noreply@blogger.com10