tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15077860878537445412024-03-13T19:38:38.719-07:00Into My World...Of reading, writing, creating, and much more.beefranklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084370376503535359noreply@blogger.comBlogger182125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507786087853744541.post-1437889997972584462021-03-20T10:09:00.004-07:002021-03-20T10:09:50.123-07:00Review: House at the Bottom of a Lake<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MM0Q8i-zCrk/YFYpODnvZTI/AAAAAAAADpI/i-fobCs7DMk06j7hO7b_1DZ2TmXx3ihdgCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="318" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MM0Q8i-zCrk/YFYpODnvZTI/AAAAAAAADpI/i-fobCs7DMk06j7hO7b_1DZ2TmXx3ihdgCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" width="169" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>A House at the Bottom of a Lake</b><br />Author: Josh Malerman<br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">My rating: </span>⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐<p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Synopsis</b>:</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Both seventeen. Both afraid. But both saying yes.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">It sounded like the perfect first date: canoeing across a chain of lakes, sandwiches and beer in the cooler. But teenagers Amelia and James discover something below the water’s surface that changes their lives forever.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">It’s got two stories.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">It’s got a garden.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">And the front door is open.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">It’s a house at the bottom of a lake.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">For the teens, there is only one rule: no questions. And yet, how could a place so spectacular come with no price tag? While the duo plays house beneath the waves, one reality remains:</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Just because a house is empty, doesn’t mean nobody’s home.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>My Review:</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I am both in awe of what I have read and baffled by it. I am left with so many questions; yet the amount of feelings, wonders, and thoughts that this work has provoked has somehow overwhelmed my desire to answer said questions. I don't need answers. I am content with this book as a whole and how it has left this sense of enthrallment when I think back to it. This was one of those books I will think back upon with a smile.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Find out more about the book and where to purchase it:</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32712167-a-house-at-the-bottom-of-a-lake" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br /></span><a href="https://joshmalerman.com/books/a-house-at-the-bottom-of-a-lake/" style="font-size: large;" target="_blank">Author Website</a></p><p><br /></p><p>-Brenda Franklin, Author of the Pulse Trilogy</p>beefranklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084370376503535359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507786087853744541.post-40843083069830978012018-02-22T10:00:00.000-08:002018-02-22T10:00:12.333-08:00Cover Reveal for SERENE by Diana Nixon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">SERENE </span></div>
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by Diana Nixon</div>
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Shattered Series (Story, #3)</div>
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Blurb:</div>
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I used to think that my life was a picture of perfection. I had everything a twenty-five-year-old woman could wish for: a loving family, friends, a dream job and a fiancé who thought the world of me.<br />
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Until the day I lost it all… Including my ability to see.<br />
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The car accident took away not just my vision, but also a part of me that I was sure I would never be able to get back.<br />
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And then I met him… Stanley Burke. A kind of a man I thought didn’t exist anymore: understanding, loving, supportive and generally too good to be true.<br />
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Without effort, he breathed life into my frozen heart, making it beat faster than ever before.<br />
He became a light that my eyes would never see again. He made me feel things that were long lost and forgotten.<br />
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Only I couldn’t give him what he deserved.<br />
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Because in my pitch-dark world, there was no place for love…<br />
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“I’ve never been so scared of losing someone in my entire life… Then again, I’ve never had anyone as important as you are to lose…”<br />
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Add on <b>GOODREADS</b>: </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38460710-serene">https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38460710-serene</a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Shattered Series</span></div>
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Book 1: Shattered</div>
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Book 2: Fragile</div>
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Book 3: Serene</div>
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<b>About the author:</b><br />
Diana Nixon, an International Bestselling Author of contemporary and paranormal romances. She was born in Minsk, Belarus. She has a Master of Law degree and speaks several foreign languages, including English, Polish and Spanish.<br />
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Diana’s writing career is like a roller coaster ride. It started with a fantasy novel named Love Lines, that was originally written in Russian and only later, it was translated into English. Since then, she has published 19 more books, both of contemporary and fantasy genres. Diana's books are being translated into Spanish, French and Russian.<br />
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<b>Website</b>: <a href="http://www.diana-nixon.com/">www.diana-nixon.com</a><br />
<b>Twitter</b>: @DianaNixon9 <a href="https://twitter.com/DianaNixon9">https://twitter.com/DianaNixon9</a><br />
<b>Instagram</b>: @authordiananixon <a href="https://www.instagram.com/authordiananixon/">https://www.instagram.com/authordiananixon/</a><br />
<b>Facebook</b>: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/authordiananixon/?ref=settings">https://www.facebook.com/authordiananixon/?ref=settings</a><br />
<b>Pinterest</b>: <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/diananixon96/">https://www.pinterest.com/diananixon96/</a><br />
<b>Goodreads</b>: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5814368.Diana_Nixon">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5814368.Diana_Nixon</a><br />
<b>Amazon</b>: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Diana-Nixon/e/B007PY0IMO/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1519224711&sr=8-1">https://www.amazon.com/Diana-Nixon/e/B007PY0IMO/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1519224711&sr=8-1</a><br />
<br />beefranklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084370376503535359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507786087853744541.post-38062172923097056952017-11-04T09:14:00.001-07:002017-11-04T09:14:24.897-07:00October Reads 2017<div style="text-align: center;">
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Eight fun reads down! 34 of 52. 18 more to go until my goal at the end of the year. I might not make it due to the fact that this time of the year is crazy busy. But I have discovered so many amazing authors this year and I look forward to discovering many more.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Adult Reads:</span></b></div>
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<b>The Sleeping Beauty Killer by Mary Higgins Clark ⭐⭐⭐⭐</b><br />
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Goodreads synopsis:<br />
The third thrilling installment in the bestselling Under Suspicion series from #1 New York Times bestselling author and “Queen of Suspense” Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke—television producer Laurie Moran puts everything on the line to help a woman she thinks was wrongfully convicted of murder.<br />
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Casey Carter was convicted of murdering her fiancé—famed philanthropist Hunter Raleigh III—fifteen years ago. And Casey claims—has always claimed—she’s innocent. Although she was charged and served out her sentence in prison, she is still living “under suspicion.” She hears whispers at the grocery store. She can’t get a job. Even her own mother treats her like she’s guilty. Her story attracts the attention of Laurie Moran and the Under Suspicion news team—it’s Casey’s last chance to finally clear her name, and Laurie pledges to exonerate her.<br />
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With Alex Buckley taking a break from the show—cooling his potential romance with Laurie—Under Suspicion introduces a new on-air host named Ryan Nichols, a young legal whiz with a Harvard Law degree, Supreme Court clerkship, experience as a federal prosecutor, and regular stints on the cable news circuit. He’s got a big reputation and the attitude to match it. Ryan has no problems with steering—and stealing—the show, and even tries to stop Laurie from taking on Casey’s case because he’s so certain she’s guilty.<br />
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An egomaniacal new co-host, a relentless gossip columnist who seems to have all the dirt (and a surprising informant), and Casey’s longstanding bad reputation: Laurie must face this and more to do what she believes is right, to once and for all prove Casey’s innocence—that is, if she’s innocent… The Sleeping Beauty Killer will keep you guessing until the very end.<br />
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1482527141l/31208858.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="31208858" border="0" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1482527141l/31208858.jpg" width="210" /></a><b>The Woman Who Couldn't Scream by Christina Dobb </b><b>⭐⭐⭐</b><br />
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Goodreads synopsis:<br />
From the New York Times bestselling author comes the fourth novel of suspense taking place in Virtue Falls, Washington.<br />
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Beautiful Merida is married to a wealthy older man who takes her around the world as his trophy. Merida is everything a man could want. But a traumatic accident years before left her without the ability to speak. When her husband dies, she knows it's her chance to exact revenge on those responsible for her accident—and that vengeance begins in Virtue Falls. Reinventing herself, she slips into village life, biding her time. But someone knows exactly who she is and will use this chance to finish what was started years ago. And this time an accident for Merida will mean silencing her forever.<br />
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<b>The Blackest Crimson by Debbie Webb </b><b>⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐</b><br />
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Goodreads synopsis:<br />
Detective Bobbie Gentry was psyched when she was offered the opportunity to work with the FBI on a special task force in the search for a heinous serial killer known as the Storyteller. What she didn't expect was for the serial killer to follow her home on Christmas Eve...<br />
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The Storyteller couldn't resist Bobbie no matter the risk. He murdered her husband and would have murdered her child but the little boy got away. Now Bobbie's fight for survival might just be more than he bargained for...<br />
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One of them must die.<br />
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The Blackest Crimson is the prequel to No Darker Place, the first in the stunning Shades of Death series!<br />
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Goodreads synopsis:<br />
After being left at the altar, Jade Roberts seeks solace at her best friend’s ranch on the Colorado western slope. Her humiliation still ripe, she doesn't expect to be attracted to her friend’s reticent brother, but when the gorgeous cowboy kisses her, all bets are off.<br />
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Talon Steel is broken. Having never fully healed from a horrific childhood trauma, he simply exists, taking from women what is offered and giving nothing in return...until Jade Roberts catapults into his life. She is beautiful, sweet, and giving, and his desire for her becomes a craving he fears he'll never be able to satisfy.<br />
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Passion sizzles between the two lovers...but long-buried secrets haunt them both and may eventually tear them apart.<br />
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1494857919l/33998324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="33998324" border="0" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1494857919l/33998324.jpg" width="231" /></a><b>A Snow Country Christmas by Linda miller </b><b>⭐⭐⭐⭐</b><br />
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Goodreads synopsis:<br />
It's a Christmas affair to remember as a Hollywood mogul discovers his inner cowboy—and the woman of his dreams—amid the rugged beauty of Wyoming.<br />
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Raine McCall would take snow-covered mountains over a star-studded premiere any day. But when hotshot movie executive Mick Branson arranges dinner on Christmas Eve to discuss a work opportunity, she's intrigued—by the offer and the man. She's a no-makeup, no-frills single mom, who's happy with her quiet life. Sharing chili cheeseburgers and sizzling kisses with Mick is sure heating up her holiday, but country girl and power player don't mix…<br />
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It's not just work that's brought Mick back to Mustang Creek. Since he first visited to oversee a documentary, free-spirited graphic designer Raine has been in his head. Her approach to life is as unconventional as her quirky holiday ornaments. Their attraction is undeniable—and so are their differences. Putting down roots in the Wild West wasn't in the script. But there are some Christmas gifts you can't walk away from, even when they turn your whole world upside down…<br />
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1400602609l/28187.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="28187" border="0" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1400602609l/28187.jpg" width="205" /></a><b>The Lightning Thief </b><b>⭐⭐⭐⭐</b><br />
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Goodreads synopsis:<br />
Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse—Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy's mom finds out, she knows it's time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he'll be safe. She sends Percy to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends—one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena—Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.<br />
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<b>Gill's All Night Diner </b><b>⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐</b><br />
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Goodreads synopsis:<br />
Bloodier than Fried Green Tomatoes!<br />
Funnier than The Texas Chainsaw Massacre!<br />
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Welcome to Gil's All Night Diner, where zombie attacks are a regular occurrence and you never know what might be lurking in the freezer . . .<br />
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Duke and Earl are just passing through Rockwood county in their pick-up truck when they stop at the Diner for a quick bite to eat. They aren't planning to stick around-until Loretta, the eatery's owner, offers them $100 to take care of her zombie problem. Given that Duke is a werewolf and Earl's a vampire, this looks right up their alley.<br />
But the shambling dead are just the tip of a particularly spiky iceberg. Seems someone's out to drive Loretta from the Diner, and more than willing to raise a little Hell on Earth if that's what it takes. Before Duke and Earl get to the bottom of the Diner's troubles, they'll run into such otherworldly complications as undead cattle, an amorous ghost, a jailbait sorceress, and the terrifying occult power of pig-latin.<br />
And maybe--just maybe--the End of the World, too.<br />
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Gory, sexy, and flat-out hilarious, Gil's All Fright Diner will tickle your funnybone--before ripping it out of its socket!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Children's book:</span></b></div>
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<b>Creepy Pair of Underwear </b><b>⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐</b><br />
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Goodreads synopsis:<br />
Jasper Rabbit is NOT a little bunny anymore. He’s not afraid of the dark, and he’s definitely not afraid of something as silly as underwear. But when the lights go out, suddenly his new big rabbit underwear glows in the dark. A ghoulish, greenish glow. If Jasper didn’t know any better he’d say his undies were a little, well, creepy. Jasper’s not scared obviously, he’s just done with creepy underwear. But after trying everything to get rid of them, they keep coming back!<br />
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beefranklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084370376503535359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507786087853744541.post-1303311731797182262017-10-19T05:17:00.004-07:002017-10-19T05:17:24.178-07:00September Reads!<div style="text-align: center;">
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The month of September passed quickly. Like, I went to bed at the end of August and suddenly here it is October! what happened? I can tell you for sure that I finished seven books in this month, ate a lot of sonic when I wasn't supposed to be eating out a lot, got hardly any sleep thanks to a puppy, and still managed not to murder anyone. . . at least no bodies or cops have turned up so that's a plus! :D</div>
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Anyway, here are my September reads and my ratings.</div>
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Books I have read September:</div>
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Adult Fictions:</h3>
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<u><b>Those Girls by Chevy Stevens ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐</b></u><br />
thriller, suspense, horror fiction<br />
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Synopsis from Goodreads:<br />
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Chevy Stevens is back with her most powerful, emotional thriller yet— a story of survival…and revenge.<br />
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Life has never been easy for the three Campbell sisters. Jess, Courtney, and Dani live on a remote ranch in Western Canada where they work hard and try to stay out of the way of their father’s fists. One night, a fight gets out of hand and the sisters are forced to go on the run, only to get caught in an even worse nightmare when their truck breaks down in a small town. Events spiral out of control and a chance encounter with the wrong people leaves them in a horrific and desperate situation. They are left with no choice but to change their names and create new lives.<br />
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Eighteen years later, they are still trying to forget what happened that summer when one of the sisters goes missing and they are pulled back into their past.<br />
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This time there’s nowhere left to run.<br />
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As much of a thriller as it is a deep exploration of the bonds among sisters, THOSE GIRLS is an unforgettable portrait of desperation, loyalty, and evil.<br />
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<u><b>The Marsh King's Daughter by Karin Dionne</b></u><u><b>⭐⭐⭐⭐</b></u></div>
thriller, suspense, psychology fiction<br />
Synopsis from Goodreads:<br />
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<i>I was born two years into my mother's captivity. She was three weeks shy of seventeen. If I had known then what I do now, things would have been a lot different. I wouldn't have adored my father.</i><br />
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When notorious child abductor - known as the Marsh King - escapes from a maximum security prison, Helena immediately suspects that she and her two young daughters are in danger.<br />
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No one, not even her husband, knows the truth about Helena's past: they don't know that she was born into captivity, that she had no contact with the outside world before the age of twelve - or that her father raised her to be a killer.<br />
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And they don't know that the Marsh King can survive and hunt in the wilderness better than anyone... except, perhaps his own daughter.<br />
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1444071262l/25644437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="25644437" border="0" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1444071262l/25644437.jpg" width="212" /></a><b><u>Find Her by Lisa Gardner </u></b><u><b>⭐⭐⭐⭐</b></u></div>
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thriller, suspense, psychology fiction, mystery,</div>
Synopsis from Goodreads:<br />
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<i>Flora Dane is a victim. </i></div>
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Seven years ago, carefree college student Flora was kidnapped while on spring break. For 472 days, Flora learned just how much one person can endure.</div>
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<i>Flora Dane is a survivor.</i></div>
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Miraculously alive after her ordeal, Flora has spent the past five years reacquainting herself with the rhythms of normal life, working with her FBI victim advocate, Samuel Keynes. She has a mother who’s never stopped loving her, a brother who is scared of the person she’s become, and a bedroom wall covered with photos of other girls who’ve never made it home.</div>
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<i>Flora Dane is reckless. </i></div>
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. . . or is she? When Boston detective D. D. Warren is called to the scene of a crime—a dead man and the bound, naked woman who killed him—she learns that Flora has tangled with three other suspects since her return to society. Is Flora a victim or a vigilante? And with her firsthand knowledge of criminal behavior, could she hold the key to rescuing a missing college student whose abduction has rocked Boston? When Flora herself disappears, D.D. realizes a far more sinister predator is out there. One who’s determined that this time, Flora Dane will never escape. And now it is all up to D. D. Warren to find her.</div>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1403544444l/21535784.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="21535784" border="0" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1403544444l/21535784.jpg" width="211" /></a><b><u>The Cinderella Murder by Mary Higgins Clark</u></b><br />
<b><u>book 2 in under suspicion </u></b><u><b>⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐</b></u><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Thriller, suspense, mystery, fiction</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><br /></span>
Synopsis from Goodreads:<br />
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Television producer Laurie Moran is delighted when the pilot for her reality drama, Under Suspicion, is a success. Even more, the program—a cold case series that revisits unsolved crimes by recreating them with those affected—is off to a fantastic start when it helps solve an infamous murder in the very first episode.</div>
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Now Laurie has the ideal case to feature in the next episode ofUnder Suspicion: the Cinderella Murder. When Susan Dempsey, a beautiful and multi-talented UCLA student, was found dead, her murder raised numerous questions. Why was her car parked miles from her body? Had she ever shown up for the acting audition she was due to attend at the home of an up-and-coming director? Why does Susan’s boyfriend want to avoid questions about their relationship? Was her disappearance connected to a controversial church that was active on campus? Was she close to her computer science professor because of her technological brilliance, or something more? And why was Susan missing one of her shoes when her body was discovered?</div>
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With the help of lawyer and Under Suspicion host Alex Buckley, Laurie knows the case will attract great ratings, especially when the former suspects include Hollywood’s elite and tech billionaires. The suspense and drama are perfect for the silver screen—but is Cinderella’s murderer ready for a close-up?</div>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1447604559l/25111011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="25111011" border="0" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1447604559l/25111011.jpg" width="212" /></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><b><u>All Dressed in White by Mary Higgins Clark </u></b></span><u><b>⭐⭐⭐⭐</b></u><br />
<b><u>book 3 in under suspicion</u></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Thriller, suspense, mystery, fiction</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><br /></span>
Synopsis from Goodreads:<br />
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The second thrilling novel in the New York Times bestselling Under Suspicion series following The Cinderella Murder, featuring intrepid television producer Laurie Moran as she investigates the case of a missing bride.</div>
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Five years ago Amanda Pierce was excitedly preparing to marry her college sweetheart in a lavish ceremony at The Grand Victoria Hotel in Palm Beach. Then, with their guests and families on site, Amanda disappeared.</div>
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In present-day New York City, Laurie Moran realizes a missing bride is the perfect cold case for her investigative television series, Under Suspicion. She and her team set out to recreate the night of the disappearance at the Florida resort with Amanda’s friends and family in attendance, hoping to shed new light on the mystery as the series has done in past episodes. With a jealous sister, playboy groomsmen, Amanda’s former fiancé now married to a bridesmaid, and rumors about the “beloved” bride herself, Laurie and Under Suspicion host Alex Buckley quickly realize everyone has a theory about why Amanda vanished into thin air.</div>
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One thing is certain: whoever was behind Amanda’s disappearance plans to keep the truth hidden “until death do they part…”</div>
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The bestselling Under Suspicion series from Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke offers “plenty of intrigue and excitement” (Publishers Weekly, on The Cinderella Murder). Featuring the chilling suspense and elegant settings readers have come to love, All Dressed in White is not to be missed. </div>
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<h3 style="font-weight: normal; text-align: center;">
<u>Children's books</u></h3>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1178924021l/854402.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="854402" border="0" height="282" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1178924021l/854402.jpg" width="320" /></a><b><u>The Kitten Named Moonlight </u></b><u style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>⭐⭐⭐⭐</b></u></div>
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by: Author Martin Waddell and illustrator Christian Birmingham<br />
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Synopsis from Goodreads:<br />
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Martin Waddell and Christian Birmingham's nostalgic picture book about an adored pet is also a tender celebration of family storytelling. </div>
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"I'd like my story again, Charlotte said. The one I like best, about Moonlight and me." Once, Charlotte's mother tells her, a very small white kitten was alone and lost. But then a little girl, driving along the coast with her mother, saw two eyes shining brightly in the darkness. "I know who saw them!" says Charlotte, and together she and her mother describe a cold winter night by the sea, a lost kitten, and a brave rescue by moonlight. </div>
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Martin Waddell's magical story and Christian Birmingham's luminous paintings tell a warm and evocative tale--one sure to inspire young children to chronicle some of their own family adventures.</div>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1501324382l/33158525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="33158525" border="0" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1501324382l/33158525.jpg" width="222" /></a> </div>
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<b><u>Wishtree by Applegate </u></b><u><b>⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐</b></u><br />
by: Author Katherin Applegate and illustrator Charles Santoso<br />
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Synopsis from Goodreads:</div>
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Trees can't tell jokes, but they can certainly tell stories. . . .</div>
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Red is an oak tree who is many rings old. Red is the neighborhood "wishtree"—people write their wishes on pieces of cloth and tie them to Red's branches. Along with her crow friend Bongo and other animals who seek refuge in Red's hollows, this "wishtree" watches over the neighborhood.</div>
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You might say Red has seen it all. Until a new family moves in. Not everyone is welcoming, and Red's experiences as a wishtree are more important than ever.</div>
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beefranklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084370376503535359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507786087853744541.post-91482184379368075372017-09-01T08:00:00.000-07:002017-09-01T08:00:01.202-07:00August ReadsWith three months down in my new job I feel amazing. Not only that, but my husband and I got a puppy! Her name is Ursulina. She is a ball of energy and exactly what our older Lab needs. Amazingly enough our two cats actually really like her. So I am all around in bliss. Most of the time. :)<br />
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Below are a list of books I read this month in no particular order.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In August:</span><br />
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<u><b><span style="font-size: large;">Fiction</span></b></u></div>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1394666544l/19322169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="19322169" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1394666544l/19322169.jpg" /></a><b>Bones never lie</b> (Book 17)<br />
Author: Kathy Reichs<br />
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐<br />
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Synopsis from Goodreads:<br />
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In the acclaimed author’s thrilling new novel, Brennan is at the top of her game in a battle of wits against the most monstrous adversary she has ever encountered.<br />
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Unexpectedly called in to the Charlotte PD’s Cold Case Unit, Dr. Temperance Brennan wonders why she’s been asked to meet with a homicide cop who’s a long way from his own jurisdiction. The shocking answer: Two child murders, separated by thousands of miles, have one thing in common—the killer. Years ago, Anique Pomerleau kidnapped and murdered a string of girls in Canada, then narrowly eluded capture. It was a devastating defeat for her pursuers, Brennan and police detective Andrew Ryan. Now, as if summoned from their nightmares, Pomerleau has resurfaced in the United States, linked to victims in Vermont and North Carolina. When another child is snatched, the reign of terror promises to continue—unless Brennan can rise to the challenge and make good on her second chance to stop a psychopath.<br />
<br />
But Brennan will have to draw her bitter ex-partner out of exile, keep the local police and feds from one another’s throats, and face more than just her own demons as she stalks the deadliest of predators into the darkest depths of madness.<br />
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In Bones Never Lie, Kathy Reichs never fails to satisfy readers looking for psychological suspense that’s more than skin-deep.<br />
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<br />
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1493288087l/34997211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="34997211" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1493288087l/34997211.jpg" /></a><b>In a Whisper</b><br />
Author: Diana Nixon<br />
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐<br />
Synopsis from Goodreads:<br />
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There are things that are so hard to say aloud. Especially when it comes to something that you never thought your heart was capable of feeling…<br />
In Ashton Bright’s life, there is no place for feelings. A successful surgeon, he knows how to make hearts beat faster, yet his own heart is as cold as a scalpel. He doesn’t know how to do romance, and he knows even less about love.<br />
The day Nicola Holt comes to work as Ashton’s assistant, everything he believed was right for him becomes wrong. For someone whose everyday job is saving lives, Ashton finds himself too weak to stand against Nicola’s charm.<br />
But most of all, he hates that she makes him feel things – the things he once swore to never allow himself to be submerged in.<br />
“I have spent my whole life searching for what I have found in you. I do not want to let it go...”<br />
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<br />
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1462215721l/29203612.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="29203612" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1462215721l/29203612.jpg" /></a><b>Sting</b><br />
Sandra Brown<br />
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐<br />
Synopsis from Goodreads:<br />
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When Jordie Bennet and Shaw Kinnard lock eyes across a disreputable backwater bar, something definitely sparks. Shaw gives off a dangerous vibe that makes men wary and inspires women to sit up and take notice. None feel that undercurrent more strongly than savvy businesswoman Jordie, who doesn't belong in a seedy dive on the banks of a bayou. But here she is . . . and Shaw Kinnard is here to kill her.<br />
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As Shaw and his partner take aim, Jordie is certain her time has come. But Shaw has other plans and abducts Jordie, hoping to get his hands on the $30 million her brother has stolen and, presumably, hidden. However, Shaw is not the only one looking for the fortune. Her brother's ruthless boss and the FBI are after it as well. Now on the run from the feds and a notorious criminal, Jordie and Shaw must rely on their wits-and each other-to stay alive.<br />
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Miles away from civilization and surrounded by swampland, the two play each other against their common enemies. Jordie's only chance of survival is to outwit Shaw, but it soon becomes clear to Shaw that Jordie isn't entirely trustworthy, either. Was she in on her brother's scam, or is she an innocent pawn in a deadly vendetta? And just how valuable is her life to Shaw, her remorseless and manipulative captor? Burning for answers-and for each other-this unlikely pair ultimately make a desperate move that could be their last.<br />
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With nonstop plot twists and the tantalizing sexual tension that has made Sandra Brown one of the world's best-loved authors, STING will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the final pages.<br />
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#1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Sandra Brown jolts the reader from the first page of this heart-pounding story of corruption, treachery, and ceaseless deception . . .where nothing is what it seems and every truth brought to light exposes a darker lie.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1384456102l/18107951.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="18107951" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1384456102l/18107951.jpg" /></a><b>Midnight Crossing</b><br />
Author: Charlene Harris<br />
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐<br />
Synopsis from Goodreads:<br />
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Welcome to Midnight, Texas, a town with many boarded-up windows and few full-time inhabitants, located at the crossing of Witch Light Road and Davy Road. It’s a pretty standard dried-up western town.<br />
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There’s a pawnshop (someone lives in the basement and is seen only at night). There’s a diner (people who are just passing through tend not to linger). And there’s new resident Manfred Bernardo, who thinks he’s found the perfect place to work in private (and who has secrets of his own).<br />
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Stop at the one traffic light in town, and everything looks normal. Stay awhile, and learn the truth...<br />
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<br />
<br />
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1286468472l/2509372.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="2509372" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1286468472l/2509372.jpg" /></a><b>Renegade Son</b><br />
Author: Lisa Jackson<br />
My Rating: ⭐<br />
Synopsis from Goodreads:<br />
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The prettiest single mom in Montana<br />
With unscrupulous enemies, a rebellious child and a ranch that was slowly being sabotaged, Danielle Summers had to shore up her defenses! If she wasn't careful, rugged Chase McEnroe would invade more than just her property -- he'd trespass on her heart.<br />
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Chase wasn't planning on seducing Danielle for her land. His reasons for wanting the sexy single mom in his bed had more to do with desire. But that didn't mean this renegade son was ready to settle down. It would take more than a beautiful woman with a pretty piece of property to make this confirmed bachelor change his tune.<br />
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But then, Chase had never counted on falling in love...<br />
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1397768065l/18143968.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="18143968" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1397768065l/18143968.jpg" /></a><b>I've got you under my Skin</b><br />
Author: Mary Higgins Clark<br />
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐<br />
Synopsis from Goodreads:<br />
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When Laurie Moran's husband was brutally murdered, only three-year-old Timmy saw the face of his father's killer. Five years later his piercing blue eyes still haunt Timmy's dreams. Laurie is haunted by more: the killer's threat to her son as he fled the scene: Tell your mother she's next, then it's your turn . .<br />
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Now Laurie is dealing with murder again, this time as the producer of a true-crime, cold-case television show. The series will launch with the twenty-year-old unsolved murder of Betsy Powell. Betsy, a socialite, was found suffocated in her bed after a gala celebrating the graduation of her daughter and three friends. The sensational murder was news nationwide. Reopening the case in its lavish setting and with the cooperation of the surviving guests that night, Laurie is sure to have a hit on her hands. But when the estranged friends begin filming, it becomes clear each is hiding secrets . . . small and large.<br />
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And a pair of blue eyes is watching events unfold, too . . .<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Young Adult Fiction</u></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1485991317l/8621462.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="8621462" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1485991317l/8621462.jpg" /></a><b>A Monster Calls</b><br />
Author: Patrick Ness<br />
My Rating: 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐<br />
Synopsis from Goodreads:<br />
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The monster showed up after midnight. As they do.<br />
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But it isn’t the monster Conor’s been expecting. He’s been expecting the one from his nightmare, the one he’s had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming…<br />
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This monster is something different, though. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.<br />
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It wants the truth.<br />
<br />beefranklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084370376503535359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507786087853744541.post-17050025605347232212017-08-25T18:30:00.001-07:002017-08-26T10:22:06.396-07:00July Reads<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
I recently got a new job working at the library and I am proud to say that I have finally found time to read all the books I want that are sitting at my finger tips! At my job before I was constantly under stress (which I did enjoy at times) and unable to pull away from work, even at home. Now, I can separate the two and I find that my stress levels have gone down exponentially. Which means I will live longer! Or, so I hear. :) With all that being said here is a list of book I finished in July.</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<u><span style="font-size: large;">Fiction reads</span></u></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1474710061l/32019356.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="32019356" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1474710061l/32019356.jpg" /></a></div>
You Will Pay<br />
Author: Lisa Jackson<br />
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐<br />
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Synopsis from Goodreads:<br />
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It starts as a prank a way to blow off steam after a long summer at Camp Horseshoe. Among the teen counselors, tensions and hormones are running high. No wonder the others agree when Jo-Beth Chancellor suggests they scare Monica O Neal a little .or a lot. Monica has it coming, and no one will really get hurt. What could go wrong?<br />
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Everything.<br />
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Twenty years later, Lucas Dalton, a senior detective with the sheriff s department, is investigating the discovery of human remains in a cavern at what used to be Camp Horseshoe. Lucas knows the spot well. His father, a preacher, ran the camp, and Lucas worked there that infamous summer when two girls went missing. One is believed to have been killed by a convict on the loose. Monica O Neal is thought to have drowned and been washed out to sea.<br />
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Lucas knows he should step down from such a personal case. He s already jeopardized his career by removing evidence of his involvement. But maybe it s time to uncover the whole truth at last. That s why five former female counselors are coming back to the small Oregon town among them, Bernadette Warden, the woman Lucas has never forgotten. Each one knows something about that terrible night. Each promised not to tell. And as they reunite, a new horror unfolds. First come notes containing a personal memento and a simple, terrifying message: You will pay. Then, the murders begin.<br />
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It started years ago. But it will end here as a web of lust, greed, and betrayal is untangled to reveal a killer waiting to enact the perfect revenge.<br />
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1260468195l/7159515.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="7159515" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1260468195l/7159515.jpg" /></a><b>Still Missing</b><br />
Author: Shevy Stevens<br />
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐<br />
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Synopsis from Goodread:<br />
On the day she was abducted, Annie O’Sullivan, a 32-year-old realtor, had three goals—sell a house, forget about a recent argument with her mother, and be on time for dinner with her ever-patient boyfriend. The open house is slow, but when her last visitor pulls up in a van as she's about to leave, Annie thinks it just might be her lucky day after all.<br />
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Still Missing interweaves the year Annie spent as the captive of a psychopath in a remote mountain cabin, which unfold through sessions with her psychiatrist, with a second narrative following the events after her escape—her struggle to piece her shattered life back together and the ongoing police investigation into the identity of her captor.<br />
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Still Missing is a shocking, visceral, brutal and beautifully crafted novel.<br />
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1446648546l/26263487.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="26263487" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1446648546l/26263487.jpg" /></a><b>If I Run</b><br />
Author: Terry Blackstock<br />
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐<br />
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Synopsis from Goodread:<br />
Casey knows the truth.<br />
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But it won’t set her free.<br />
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Casey Cox’s DNA is all over the crime scene. There’s no use talking to police; they have failed her abysmally before. She has to flee before she’s arrested . . . or worse. The truth doesn’t matter anymore.<br />
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But what is the truth? That’s the question haunting Dylan Roberts, the war-weary veteran hired to find Casey. PTSD has marked him damaged goods, but bringing Casey back can redeem him. Though the crime scene seems to tell the whole story, details of the murder aren’t adding up. Casey Cox doesn’t fit the profile of a killer. But are Dylan’s skewed perceptions keeping him from being objective? If she isn’t guilty, why did she run?<br />
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Unraveling her past and the evidence that condemns her will take more time than he has, but as Dylan’s damaged soul intersects with hers, he is faced with two choices. The girl who occupies his every thought is a psychopathic killer . . . or a selfless hero. And the truth could be the most deadly weapon yet.<br />
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1469313534l/30649227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="30649227" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1469313534l/30649227.jpg" /></a><b>If I'm Found</b><br />
Author: Terry Blackstock<br />
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐<br />
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Synopsis from Goodread:<br />
Is Dylan hunting Casey to prosecute her or protect her?<br />
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Casey Cox is still on the run, fleeing prosecution for a murder she didn’t commit. Dylan Roberts—her most relentless pursuer—is still on her trail, but his secret emails insist that he knows the truth and wants to help her. He’s let her escape before when he had her in his grasp, but trust doesn’t come easily.<br />
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As Casey works to collect evidence about the real murderers, she stumbles on another unbearable injustice: an abused child and a suicidal man who’s also been falsely accused. Casey risks her own safety to right this wrong and protect the little girl from her tormenters. But doing so is risky and just may result in her capture—and if she’s captured, she has no doubt she’ll be murdered before she ever steps foot in a jail.<br />
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In this riveting sequel to the USA Today bestseller If I Run, evil lurks, drawing Casey out of the shadows . . . but there is light shining in the darkness. Is Dylan a provision from the God who loves her, or another heartache yet to happen?<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Non fiction</u></span></div>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1429101901l/23848559.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="23848559" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1429101901l/23848559.jpg" /></a><b>Furiously Happy, A funny book about horrible things</b><br />
Author:Jenny Lawson<br />
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐<br />
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Synopsis from Goodread:<br />
In LET'S PRETEND THIS NEVER HAPPENED, Jenny Lawson baffled readers with stories about growing up the daughter of a taxidermist. In her new book, FURIOUSLY HAPPY, Jenny explores her lifelong battle with mental illness. A hysterical, ridiculous book about crippling depression and anxiety? That sounds like a terrible idea. And terrible ideas are what Jenny does best.<br />
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According to Jenny: "Some people might think that being 'furiously happy' is just an excuse to be stupid and irresponsible and invite a herd of kangaroos over to your house without telling your husband first because you suspect he would say no since he's never particularly liked kangaroos. And that would be ridiculous because no one would invite a herd of kangaroos into their house. Two is the limit. I speak from personal experience. My husband says that none is the new limit. I say he should have been clearer about that before I rented all those kangaroos."<br />
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"Most of my favorite people are dangerously fucked-up but you'd never guess because we've learned to bare it so honestly that it becomes the new normal. Like John Hughes wrote in The Breakfast Club, 'We're all pretty bizarre. Some of us are just better at hiding it.' Except go back and cross out the word 'hiding.'"<br />
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Jenny's first book, LET'S PRETEND THIS NEVER HAPPENED, was ostensibly about family, but deep down it was about celebrating your own weirdness. FURIOUSLY HAPPY is a book about mental illness, but under the surface it's about embracing joy in fantastic and outrageous ways-and who doesn't need a bit more of that?<br />
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">Children books</span></u></div>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1497291895l/31145060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="31145060" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1497291895l/31145060.jpg" /></a><b>Stay: A girl, a dog, and a bucket list</b><br />
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐<br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Synopsis from Goodreads:</span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Eli the dog has been with Astrid since her parents brought her home from the hospital as a baby. Now Astrid is getting older, and so is Eli. Before he slows down too much, Astrid wants to make fun memories with him. So she makes a bucket list for Eli, which includes experiences such as eating with him in a restaurant, and taking him down a slide at the playground.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">But in the end, what is most important to Eli is the time he spends with Astrid, whom he loves dearly. Sisters Kate and M. Sarah Klise have created a story that reminds readers of all ages that time with our loved ones is the most precious gift of all.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Young adult</u></span><br />
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1355013144l/272320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="272320" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1355013144l/272320.jpg" /></a><b>Define Normal</b><br />
Author: Julie Anne Peters<br />
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐<br />
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Synopsis from Goodreads:<br />
Antonia is eager to participate in the new peer counseling program at school—until she learns the person she's supposed to counsel is Jasmine Luther. "Jazz" is anything but Antonia's peer. She's a punker, a druggie, a gang hanger. As their peer counseling sessions progress, Antonia and Jazz discover they have more in common than they could ever have imagined. Can a "normal" person like Antonia trust a psycho freaky whacked-out punker like Jazz? Does she dare?<br />
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beefranklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084370376503535359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507786087853744541.post-50660470559736477772017-04-28T10:42:00.000-07:002017-04-28T10:42:45.902-07:00<div style="text-align: left;">
Diana Nixon, an International Bestselling Author of contemporary and paranormal romances, is a woman of contradictions. She was born in Minsk, Belarus. She has a Master of Law degree and speaks several foreign languages, including English, Polish and Spanish.<br />
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Diana’s writing career is like a roller coaster ride. It started with a fantasy novel named Love Lines, that was originally written in Russian and only later, it was translated into English. Since then, she has published 17 more books, both of contemporary and fantasy genres. Diana's books are being translated into Spanish, French and Russian.<br />
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If you haven't already heard the final for her Fantasy series, Love Lines, Upon The Stars is coming out soon. But we are not here for that today. Today we are elated to be revealing the cover for the second book in her Romance duet Set Me Free!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Book 1 Set Me Free</span></b></div>
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It was supposed to be just another day at work for a local newspaper reporter, Stella Holt. She had always loved her job, and believed she was good at it. Until one day when she was sent to interview the author of a worldwide bestseller who had made so many women fall in love with him.</div>
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James Collins is not just a word-painter. His every work is a masterpiece, a perfect blend of mystery and mind-blowing romance. Only in his own life, there is no place for romance. He knows everything about women, starting from what they like most, and to the ways to seduce them with only a glance. But there’s a secret that has been aggrieving him for years, a secret that has locked his heart forever…</div>
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“I thought I would never fall in love with you, Stella. And I didn’t… I drowned in you…”</div>
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--------------------<b>My Review</b>-------------------</div>
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Set Me Free is a Romance about a journalist, Stella, and a sexy romance writer, James, whose instant connection is both tantalizing and terrifying. The heat they feel for one another is the kind of fire that could either kill them or send them to the stars of happiness, if either one could fully commit and overcome their past to survive a future together.</div>
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Some relationships are about overcoming one’s past to find your future and this is one of those stories. Filled with laughter, naughty scenes, and pull at your heart strings moment, especially when it comes to James back story. As the story progresses James decides, like with all his other women he is going to take what he wants and be done with her. He will just use her as inspiration for his latest book. But it doesn’t turn out like he expected and she isn’t so easy to forget. He is drowning in all things Stella as she is falling pretty hard for a man that she told herself to stay away from! Darn her uncle for making her interview such a man as James. Just five questions, how bad could this be? Yep, it is bad. How is it even possible to resist such an enticing man and in the end there is no fighting him. She just has to hang onto and enjoy the joy that is, loving James. :)</div>
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This story is a fiery one with plenty of passionate scenes along with an array of humorous moments. What’s a good romance novel without a little fun? And it is crammed pack with it! From Stella’s hilarious sister and the moment they see James swimming in the nude, to her best friends betting against her in sleeping with James (I would be in on this bet), it’s all fun! There isn’t a duel moment and I expected no less from author Diana Nixon. She puts her heart and wonderful spirit into everything she writes and I can’t get enough of it. I would recommend this to anyone, be it your first time reading Diana’s work or someone familiar with her writing, it’s just too fun to pass up.</div>
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My favorite scene, as will be many others, would have to be the cooking lesson. Got to love a man that knows his way around a kitchen. ;)</div>
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And NOW! What you have been waiting for!! The next book in her Set Me Free duet is!</div>
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Isn't it lovely!?</div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">IN A WHISPER by Diana Nixon</span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">COVER REVEAL</span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are things that are so hard to say aloud. Especially when it comes to something that you never thought your heart was capable of feeling… </span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In Ashton Bright’s life, there is no place for feelings. A successful surgeon, he knows how to make hearts beat faster, yet his own heart is as cold as a scalpel He doesn’t know how to do romance, and he knows even less about love.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The day Nicola Holt comes to work as Ashton’s assistant, everything he believed was right for him becomes wrong. For someone whose everyday job is saving lives, Ashton finds himself too weak to stand against Nicola’s charm. </span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But most of all, he hates that she makes him feel things – the things he once swore to never allow himself to be submerged in. </span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“I have spent my whole life searching for what I have found in you. I do not want to let it go...”</span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>ADD ON GOODREADS: </b></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34997211-in-a-whisper" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34997211-in-a-whisper</span></a></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you haven’t read the first story from SET ME FREE duet, DO IT NOW!!!</span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Available in Paperback, Kindle and e-Book formats.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stores: </span><a href="http://www.diana-nixon.com/store" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">www.diana-nixon.com/store</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">s</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: 35.45pt;"><b>For more information on Diana Nixon or her books please visit her sites below:</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Official page</b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.diana-nixon.com/" style="text-decoration: none;">www.diana-nixon.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Twitter</b></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: @DianaNixon9 </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://twitter.com/DianaNixon9" style="text-decoration: none;">https://twitter.com/DianaNixon9</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Instagram</b></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: @authordiananixon </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/authordiananixon/" style="text-decoration: none;">https://www.instagram.com/authordiananixon/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Facebook</b></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/authordiananixon/?ref=settings" style="text-decoration: none;">https://www.facebook.com/authordiananixon/?ref=settings</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Facebook </b></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">- Libros de DIANA NIXON: </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/librosdediananixon/?ref=settings" style="text-decoration: none;">https://www.facebook.com/librosdediananixon/?ref=settings</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Pinterest</b></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/diananixon96/" style="text-decoration: none;">https://www.pinterest.com/diananixon96/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Google</b></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>+</b></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/112813735252711884205/posts" style="text-decoration: none;">https://plus.google.com/u/0/112813735252711884205/posts</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Goodreads</b></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5814368.Diana_Nixon" style="font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5814368.Diana_Nixon</a><br />
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beefranklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084370376503535359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507786087853744541.post-89322191271926525992017-01-03T06:38:00.000-08:002017-01-03T06:38:14.998-08:00Books read in 2016<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Books read in 2016:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b>Nancy Drew Books:</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The secret of the Old clock 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Hidden staircase 🌟🌟🌟🌟</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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The bungalow Mystery 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟</div>
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The mystery at the Lilac Inn 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟</div>
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The Secret of shadow Ranch 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟</div>
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The Secret of Red gate Farm <o:p></o:p> 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟</div>
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The clue in the Diary 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟</div>
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Nancy’s Mysterious Letter 🌟🌟🌟🌟</div>
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The Sign of the Twisted candles <o:p></o:p> 🌟🌟🌟🌟</div>
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Password to Larkspur Lane <o:p></o:p> 🌟🌟🌟🌟</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<b>Sherrilyn Kenyon:</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Silent Truth (B.A.D. Agency, #4) <o:p></o:p> 🌟🌟</div>
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Bad Attitude (B.A.D. Agency, #1) <o:p></o:p> 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟</div>
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Unleash the Night (Dark-Hunter, #8; were-hunter, #2) <o:p></o:p> 🌟🌟🌟</div>
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Dream Chaser (Dark-Hunter, #13; Dream-Hunter, #3) <o:p></o:p> 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟</div>
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Sins of the Night (Dark-Hunter, #7) <o:p></o:p> 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟</div>
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<b>Christine Feehan:</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Oceans of Fire (Drake Sister, #3) <o:p></o:p> 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟</div>
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Cat’s Lair (Leopard People, #7) <o:p></o:p> 🌟🌟🌟🌟</div>
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A Christine Feehan Holiday Treasury (Drake Sisters, #2) <o:p></o:p> 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟</div>
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Fire Bound (Sea Haven, #5) <o:p></o:p> 🌟🌟🌟🌟</div>
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Dark Fire (Dark, #6) <o:p></o:p> 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<b>Lynsay Sands:</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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A Quick Bite (Argeneau, #1) <o:p></o:p> 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟</div>
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Tall, Dark, & Hungry (Argeneau, #4) <o:p></o:p> 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟</div>
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<b>T.S. Joyce:</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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Lumberjack Werebear (Saw Bears, #1) <o:p></o:p> 🌟🌟🌟🌟</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<b>V. Vaughn:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Brindle (Winter Valley Wolves, #1) <o:p></o:p> 🌟🌟</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<b>Disney:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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Descendants: Junior Novel <o:p></o:p> 🌟🌟🌟🌟</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by John Tiffany <o:p></o:p> 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<b>Anna Snow:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Bubblegum Blonde <o:p></o:p> 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<b>Kylie Scott:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Dirty (Dive Bar, #1) <o:p></o:p> 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Lick (Stage Dive, #1) <o:p></o:p> 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟</div>
beefranklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084370376503535359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507786087853744541.post-23157516534194829422016-09-08T11:25:00.000-07:002016-09-08T11:25:03.570-07:00September reading goal!<span style="color: orange;">Four books for my goal that I WILL accomplish this September! I have already started to read Bubblegum Blonde and I find it hilarious. So far it's a great read. I hope the rest of September is just as fun.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1444257883l/26885468.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="26885468" border="0" height="400" src="https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1444257883l/26885468.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Bubblegum Blonde by Anna Snow</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
From author Anne Snow comes a brand new series about a not-so-dumb blonde who has her hands full...<br />
<br />
"Expect the unexpected" has been Barb Jackson’s motto ever since the day she became a private investigator. But when a blast from the past in the form of her cheating ex-boyfriend shows up in her office and begs her to help him clear his name in an ongoing murder investigation, she fears this time she might have bitten off more than she can chew. But as Barb reluctantly takes the case, she uncovers deadly secrets and it becomes obvious someone is now out to get her. Suddenly Barb finds herself in a race against the clock to clear her ex's name and keep herself alive. And to make matters worse, hunky homicide detective Tyler Black is nipping at her heels—in more ways than one! If anyone can get to the bottom of this mystery it’s Barb...if she can keep herself alive.<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span>
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<br /></div>
Gabe, Jace, and Ash: three of the wealthiest, most powerful men in the country. They’re accustomed to getting anything they want. Anything at all. For Gabe, it’s making one particular fantasy come true with a woman who was forbidden fruit. Now she’s ripe for the picking...<br />
<br />
When Gabe Hamilton saw Mia Crestwell walk into the ballroom for his hotel’s grand opening, he knew he was going to hell for what he had planned. After all, Mia is his best friend’s little sister. Except she’s not so little anymore. And Gabe has waited a long time to act on his desires.<br />
<br />
Gabe has starred in Mia’s fantasies more than once, ever since she was a teenager with a huge crush on her brother’s best friend. So what if Gabe’s fourteen years older? Mia knows he’s way out of her league, but her attraction has only grown stronger with time. She’s an adult now, and there’s no reason not to act on her most secret desires.<br />
<br />
As Gabe pulls her into his provocative world, she realizes there’s a lot she doesn’t know about him or how exacting his demands can be. Their relationship is intense and obsessive, but as they cross the line from secret sexual odyssey to something deeper, their affair runs the risk of being exposed—and vulnerable to a betrayal far more intimate than either expected.<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="117645" height="320" src="https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1314938450l/117645.jpg" width="195" /></div>
<br />
Another exciting mystery begins for the young detective when her friends Bess and George ask her to investigate a rumor that their wealthy great-granduncle, Asa Sidney, is virtually a prisoner in his own mansion. But solving the mystery and befriending Carol Wipple, the sixteen-year-old foster daughter of the caretakers of the old mansion, nearly costs Nancy the friendship of Bess and George. It takes all of Nancy's sleuthing ability as well as diplomacy to save it.Nancy braves one danger after another to bring to justice the swindlers who are stealing Asa Sidney’s fortune. With only the sign of the twisted candles to guide her, Nancy uncovers hidden treasure and an amazing letter that ends a family feud and brings unexpected happiness to Carol.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="48795" height="400" src="https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1314938586l/48795.jpg" width="262" /></div>
<br />
Blue bells will be singing horses! This strange message, attached to the leg of a wounded homing pigeon, involves Nancy Drew in a dangerous mission. Somewhere an elderly woman is being held prisoner in a mansion, and Nancy is determined to find and free her. Meanwhile, the young detective’s close friend, Helen, begs her to solve a second mystery.…<br />
<br />
<span style="color: orange;">Happy Reading,</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: orange;">-Brenda</span><br />
<br />beefranklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084370376503535359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507786087853744541.post-72402481495604294572016-09-05T15:43:00.000-07:002016-09-05T15:43:04.214-07:00My August Reads!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1470734340l/29069989.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="29069989" border="0" height="320" src="https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1470734340l/29069989.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Harry Potter and the Cursed Child</b></div>
<b><br /></b>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>(<span style="color: orange;">My rating 5 Stars</span>)</b></div>
<br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: merriweather, georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, a new play by Jack Thorne, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. The play will receive its world premiere in London’s West End on July 30, 2016.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: merriweather, georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: white; font-family: merriweather, georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: merriweather, georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: white; font-family: merriweather, georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.</span></span><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1438509658l/23507758.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="23507758" border="0" height="320" src="https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1438509658l/23507758.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
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<b>Descendants (Disney version) Junior Novel</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>(<span style="color: orange;">My Rating 4 Stars</span>)</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos are the offspring of some of the most terrible villains of all time. They're offered a chance to leave the Isle of the Lost, where they have been imprisoned all their lives, and go to prep school in the idyllic kingdom of Auradon with all of the "good" kids. There, they must choose whether or not to follow in their parents' evil footsteps. Watch out Auradon--here come the Descendants!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange;">A fast pace, fun read for young readers.</span></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ocanNAtSI2k/V83x7ZVsjiI/AAAAAAAACQM/LcKFXJyKviM0SKhA_X454aWKzCY1mEPXgCLcB/s1600/Nancy%2Bdrew%2Bbooks%2B6-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ocanNAtSI2k/V83x7ZVsjiI/AAAAAAAACQM/LcKFXJyKviM0SKhA_X454aWKzCY1mEPXgCLcB/s400/Nancy%2Bdrew%2Bbooks%2B6-8.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Nancy Drew Books!</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<b>Nancy Drew Book 6 Mystery at Red Gate Farm (<span style="color: orange;">My rating 5 stars</span>)</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
When Bess Marvin purchased an expensive bottle of Oriental perfume, she never expected to stumble into a mystery. Now Bess, Nancy, George, and their new friend Jo are out to unravel the secrets of a mysterious conspiracy, a secretive cult, and a ring of counterfeiters in The Secret of Red Gate Farm.<br />
<br />
<b>Nancy Drew Book 7 Clue in a Diary (<span style="color: orange;">My rating 5 stars</span>)</b><br />
<br />
Nancy uses a lost diary to exonerate an innocent prisoner.<br />
<br />
<b>Nancy Drew Book 8 Nancy's Mysterious Letter (<span style="color: orange;">My Rating 4 Stars</span>)</b><br />
<br />
Nancy receives a letter informing her that she is heir to a fortune. This story tells of her search for another Nancy Drew.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: orange;">If there was ever a book where I think Nancy would have been killed in the ones I have read I think this one is at the top of the list. She is nearly run over and knocked out. If the man scheming against her was a little more cruel he would have done away with Nancy long ago. Girl, you are dso lucky you are a fictional character. :D</span><br />
<br />
I'm impressed that I got to read this much with how busy things have been. I will write about that later, but for now, this has been my list of reads for the month of August. What did you read in August?<br />
<br />
<br />
-Brenda Franklin, author of The Pulse Trilogy.beefranklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084370376503535359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507786087853744541.post-36674158553563887542016-07-24T05:39:00.000-07:002016-07-24T05:39:23.965-07:00When I'm lost after I finish a book. . . <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 100%;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">After a Book is finished I get a little lost. Part of me is still shocked that I somehow haven't exploded after hitting the publish button on the computer! I find myself staring blankly at the book on different sites remembering everything that went into it and having that moment of both doubt and excitement. But I think that comes with everything that you put out there of yourself. You would think after publishing three other paperbacks that it would get easier. Ha! That's a big fat no! I hear whispers of worry about how it will be taken by those that read it, but that's what I have my amazing husband for. He has been my rock--and annoyance at times--when I start to freak out. He grounds me and gives me positive thoughts when my mind gets too cluttered from worry. </span><span style="line-height: 100%;">I think everyone needs that person to smack the sense back into you
when you are freaking out or when your head begins to get too big
from the accomplishment. Just one good smack should do it. As long as
it's with love. :)</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 100%;"><span style="line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Some writers jump
right on another project while others take a breather. Well, I'm the
kind that takes ten steps back (<span style="color: #f6b26b;">after being smacked, of course</span>) to
find my focus again. I mean, I've just written my heart on God knows
how many pages and unless I'm going to keep with the story I'm
writing (<span style="color: #f6b26b;">a sequel</span>) then it's best to get some space or else my books
will follow the same path and I don't want that. I want something
different from each book I write.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Granted, I did
writer <a href="http://brendafranklin.wix.com/authorbrendafranklin#!pulse-world-books/cnec">The Pulse Trilogy</a> so they were written back to back. But in
the case with <a href="http://brendafranklin.wix.com/authorbrendafranklin#!guardian-books/c1zjp">Guardian, A Fated Pairing</a> I took a step back because I
wanted something different and boy did it shift. I find Guardian to
be a grittier book and I love it! It reads differently then the Pulse
Trilogy because I stepped back. Gave my work a little space before
starting. Hell, I also gave it a lot of space when I finished the
first draft. Good things come to those who wait and work hard.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">But now that I have
finished and published <a href="http://brendafranklin.wix.com/authorbrendafranklin#!nightmares-and-remedies/bra9g">Nightmares And Remedies</a> I found myself
searching a little for things to do.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">That is until the other day.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I hadn't wanted to write a word until
the day before yesterday. I opened up an old e-mail account that I check once in a
blue moon and found an e-mail
about doing <a href="http://campnanowrimo.org/">Camp NaNoWriMo </a>in July. It's basically a write as much as
you can (<span style="color: #f6b26b;">until you reach your personal goal</span>) in the month of July.
And I don't know what happened but suddenly I started to actually
consider it. Yeah, I only had 8 days left, but it could be fun. It
doesn't need to be anything my readers are ever going to see. This
could be just for me. Heck, I could write ANYTING! Not like I
couldn't before, but this changed things because I suddenly was
placed into a Camp group and had supporters and a goal.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">After figuring out
what I was going to write I ended up writing out 15K w</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">ords and I'm
still going strong.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Another thing that
helps to get me refocused it reading. The moment you finish a project
you should be picking up a book to read. That stack of 10 books
that's been calling your name since you started writing still might
not look appealing but you should at least grab one and read two
chapters. Which I did. That was another yesterday accomplishment.
Again, I had found a purpose and with it the spark I needed to get
back on my feet.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">It's different
every time I finish a story, but no matter what I always find my wa</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">y
back to it. Even if I have to persuade myself by buying that
beautiful book at the store or having my husband read out loud to me.
So that all of you know, my sweetie pie has a lovely voice and reads
very well. ;) But regardless of what I do, at the end of the day Writing is part of who I am. It's in my DNA. I might wander a bit, but I always find my way back.</span><br />
<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Brenda Franklin</span></span></h2>
</div>
beefranklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084370376503535359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507786087853744541.post-6715932298128360342016-07-23T08:53:00.000-07:002016-07-23T08:53:04.552-07:00Camp NaNoWriMo FUNJoin the fun of Camp NaNoWriMo, where people come together to support each others writing goals! There are only 9 days left for the event but it's worth it. You can set your goal at any word count.<br />
<br />
I am working on a story called, Melody's Howl and I want to reach 50,000 Words. I'm already at 15,000! Whether you are writing to turn it into a book for people to read and enjoy or writing for your own personal fun it doesn't matter. It's to support each other and accomplish goals. To feel the success of reaching that word count and realizing you have just achieved greatness!! You did between your busy work schedule, home life, and school. You can do anything if you put your mind to it.<br />
<br />
So come and join Camp Nanowrimo, there's always room for a few more storytellers.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://campnanowrimo.org/">http://campnanowrimo.org/</a><br />
<br />
Brenda Franklin, author of <a href="http://brendafranklin.wix.com/authorbrendafranklin#!pulse-world-books/cnec">A Steady Pulse</a>.beefranklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084370376503535359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507786087853744541.post-85134473463079057672016-07-13T12:22:00.000-07:002016-07-13T12:22:37.774-07:00How do you publish a book?<div style="text-align: center;">
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<b>How do you publish a book?</b></div>
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I've been asked this question a lot lately so I figured I'd write out my response here. :) Now, there are probably other ways to go about getting published that I haven't mentioned, I"m just covering what I have done on my own for self-publishing and what I know about going through an agent. There are exceptions for everything and for all I know your ex Sister-In-Law is BFF with the editor at some company and smuggled your manuscript into his/her stack and you were picked! I mean, you never know. Again, I'm going to go over what I know and my own experiences. If you have any recommended sites to help budding writers please post a comment below.</div>
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There are two routes you can take for publishing that we are going to talk about.</div>
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1.) <b>Publishing with someone (<span style="color: #f6b26b;">agent and publishing house</span>)</b></div>
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If you want to use an agent they will take the bulk of the work that you would have to do yourself for self-publishing. Such as editing (<span style="color: #e69138;">though it needs to be as perfect as possible</span>), deciding upon the cover (<span style="color: #f6b26b;">you are lucky to get options as a new author</span>), uploading into medias (<span style="color: #f6b26b;">though you still should advertise, it is your book after all</span>), and taking it to publishing houses to get it out there for the world.</div>
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If you are going to try this route first then I would make sure the MS (<span style="color: #f6b26b;">Manuscript</span>) is finished and edited. Agents want finished works.</div>
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To find an agent you can go to a number of places: <a href="http://aaronline.org/Find?&tab=2">http://aaronline.org/Find?&tab=2</a> is one of many. Always research your agent and send what they would like. If you write romance don't send a Query to to an agent looking for Middle Grade stories. I know that sounds like common knowledge, but I have read many agent complaints about this simple mistake and they won't read your letter. Also, make sure the agent is even accepting queries at this time. Some people are closed if they are over swamped with work.</div>
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A Query letter can be found and explained here: <a href="http://www.agentquery.com/writer_hq.aspx">http://www.agentquery.com/writer_hq.aspx </a>This site gives a breakdown of a query letter as well as example links towards the bottom.</div>
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You can send out as many letter as you would like to different people, just follow their submission guidelines located on their sites. And good luck! :D There world is huge and sometimes you might get a hundred nos before you get that one yes that will make all the difference. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/24/book-published_n_4143819.html">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/24/book-published_n_4143819.html</a></div>
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2.) <b>Self-Publishing</b></div>
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There are probably more ways such as selling your work to the publishing house directly and buy copies to sell to individual businesses and some such, but I haven't researched those enough to know the correct way to do this route.</div>
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For Self-publishing you have to do everything an agent would do. You take over being the editor, cover designer, marketer, and anything else you need to be. Granted, there are plenty of people out there who will help you. There are editors and cover designers who are more than willing to help you out for a price, and I find that it is worth it. Just know who you are buying from. Join an author group on social media and start asking questions. The community is one of the best ways to not only advertise yourself, but to make connections and gain experience.</div>
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Decide if you want to make it ebook only or paperback (<span style="color: #f6b26b;">which the sites you go through for this usually have an ebook ability So no use doing the work twice over when some site does it all for you</span>.)</div>
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If you want to make it a paperback you can pick between two sites that I know of. <b>Lulu </b>and <b>Createspace</b>. Both sites are just personal preference. I would read through each and find out their rules, royalties, distributors, and their own clients even. It's personal preference. I use Createspace and my friend, Diana, uses Lulu. I have books from both companies and they don't look any different from one another.</div>
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Both sites also take you through a thorough step by step process to help you publish giving examples and explanations to most everything. If you aren't certain about something there are forums to turn to or you can even message the people of the site directly.</div>
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Once you decide what site they should provide you with templates on how to properly Format your book, which to me, takes the longest! Or you can pay someone to do it for you. I personally don't want to waste the money on something when I can just take the time to do it myself. You're first Book is the slowest to format because you're learning all of this, but don't let it deter you at all.</div>
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Once you follow the sites and send off your cover and book to be looked at they will let you know once it is accepted and also tell you if there are any issues for you to change and you can do so and then send it to be submitted to the site for selling.</div>
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Now, all along this way (<span style="color: #f6b26b;">depending on who you are</span>) you could be advertising yourself and setting up cover reveals, guest blog posts, sneak peak excerpts for people to be teased with, and the release date all the way up until the book finally is out. Even after you should keep posting about it from time to time, hold a raffle, give away signed copies. I mean anything to spread the words of your book at that point. But it won't sell itself.</div>
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In the end it's your choice which route you would like to do. :)</div>
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I hope this helps out a bit. If you have anymore questions let me know.</div>
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Brenda Franklin, author of <a href="http://brendafranklin.wix.com/authorbrendafranklin#!pulse-world-books/cnec">The Pulse Trilogy</a>.</div>
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<b>Some more helpful links: </b></div>
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<a href="http://createspace.com/">Createspace.com</a></div>
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<a href="http://lulu.com/">Lulu.com</a></div>
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<b>Cover Artists:</b></div>
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Jennifer Munswami (She did my Pulse Trilogy Book) <a href="http://www.jennifermunswami.com/">http://www.jennifermunswami.com/</a></div>
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<b>(Facebook groups you should look at!)</b></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/GiGiCoverDesigns/">https://www.facebook.com/GiGiCoverDesigns/</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/WeCOVERIt/">https://www.facebook.com/groups/WeCOVERIt/</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/bookcoverbydesign/photos/a.257923174340190.64987.254127928053048/846191978846637/?type=3">https://www.facebook.com/bookcoverbydesign/photos/a.257923174340190.64987.254127928053048/846191978846637/?type=3</a></div>
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beefranklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084370376503535359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507786087853744541.post-5839380061015211312016-05-20T08:00:00.000-07:002016-05-20T08:00:37.316-07:00Nightmares and Remedies 1st Excerpt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3ZbkejbHfGQ/VzuqcuEX5AI/AAAAAAAACAg/PvEWXDmCqV0f6ngOyPyDdmm-NPM5AOJLACLcB/s1600/Nightmares%2Band%2BRemedies%2BFacebook%2BBanner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3ZbkejbHfGQ/VzuqcuEX5AI/AAAAAAAACAg/PvEWXDmCqV0f6ngOyPyDdmm-NPM5AOJLACLcB/s400/Nightmares%2Band%2BRemedies%2BFacebook%2BBanner.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-size: large;"><b>Title</b>: Nightmares and Remedies</span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-size: large;"><b>Series</b>: A Pulse World Novel</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: white;"><b>Genre</b>: Paranormal Romance</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-size: large;"><b>Release Date</b>: July 1st 2016</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Blurb</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Haunted by reoccurring nightmares of silver eyes and sharp fangs, Bethany Jean, is at her wits end. She feels like she’s being watched all the time. At home, in the street; even at work! Nowhere feels safe. But just when she’s considering help for her delusions Bethany comes face to face with a living breathing vampire whose obsession with Bethany is deadly.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Lucas was one of many vampires looking for a murderer, what he didn’t expect was to find the man’s latest victim, Bethany, alive and turned into a vampire! Setting side his attraction for the woman Lucas is forced to take a back seat to finding the vampire at large so that he can watch and explain what’s going on when the woman wakes up, but convincing this woman that he is a good guy and the fact that she is no longer human isn’t going to be a walk in the park.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">With a killer on the loose, a house full of vampire testosterone, and Bethany walking around in nothing more than Lucas' shirt, you can guarantee this is going to be one hell of a time and with any luck it could end in their favor. That is, if Bethany realizes that being a vampire has its perks.</span><br />
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<o:p> --------------------------------<b><span style="font-size: large;">Excerpt</span></b>----------------------------------</o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She looked tiny, she stood huddled with her shoulders up and
her arms wrapped tightly around her leaned forward slightly making her appear
much younger and smaller then she was. Her large eyes were dark and wild,
filled with terror. A terror Lucas instantly felt he wanted to replace. No
woman should look this hurt. Flakes of silver were sprinkled in her eyes telling
Lucas what she was. She was a converted. Could she be the murderer?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As quickly as the thought came Lucas dismissed it. He could
see <i>her</i>. He could see the lack of a
killer and the mind of a woman lost. Watching as she stepped back he felt his
heart tighten in his chest. There was no way she was the one responsible for
the killings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Blood covered her clothes as her feet moved through the
small lining of snow fresh on the ground.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Stay away!” The woman ordered with a mix of fear and pushed
anger into her voice. Her limbs shook violently as she moved further back and
away from him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Lucas, there’s no one here. But man does it smell. I see
blood and puddles of vomit. And restraints. God the smell.” Rupert gagged.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Calm down.” Lucas took a step forward. The woman inched
back. Her eyes slid towards the river. “Whatever you’re thinking, don’t.” Lucas
spoke reaching out towards her mind instantly to stop her from doing something
reckless. The moment he touched her mind he saw the struggle she had gone
through and the pain that was coursing through her<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The thoughts and feelings running through her knocked the
wind out of him. They were raw and alive striking at him like hundreds of bees
their stingers all aimed to numb and incapacitate him, but he held it together.
His face never flinched as he endured the rolling wave of fire burning through
her— and him. They felt it together and for that one moment he breathed with
her, willing her a second of peace as they let out their breath into the cold
night.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Her will and determination to survive was strong. She
shouldn’t have even been standing in her condition. Lucas tightened his grip on
her mind to take control. He needed her to stop before something bad happened.
He needed to reach her and tame the demon roaring in the back of his mind at
the man that had grabbed her, because he could see everything. He could feel
everything done to her and he was outraged and distressed by it. By the
feelings flooding his mind and turning his body against him in this moment in
which he needed to be at his best. Alert and unshakable, but he was the
opposite. And as he reached to her mind to help he saw their connection in her
eyes followed by her instinct and knew he was too late.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Bethany knew what was coming. She knew her body wouldn’t be
hers anymore if she waited any longer. Without a second’s hesitation she
launched herself into the dark waters of the fast moving river. This was her
only choice. The only thing she was capable of deciding for herself. There were
no regrets as her body locked up instantly and her eyes closed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> Lucas did the only thing he could do, jump in the
freezing river after her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">About the author:</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C9IAeM5taws/Vzurt2lh07I/AAAAAAAACAo/Q7BOfPffef0C_pB7K0C0xB456wg09qMtQCLcB/s1600/Brenda%2Bsmile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C9IAeM5taws/Vzurt2lh07I/AAAAAAAACAo/Q7BOfPffef0C_pB7K0C0xB456wg09qMtQCLcB/s200/Brenda%2Bsmile.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Brenda Franklin was born and raised in Louisiana surrounded by fantasy, romance, and the paranormal. She's always had a love for writing, having written her first horror story before middle school about a monster that devoured people in the night-I believe they call him the Boogie Man.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Brenda points the blame/thanks for her obsessive need to write and read about vampires to her father who had an old bookshelf in their living room when she was growing up. From top to bottom it was filled with combat related books, old westerns, books by Dean Koontz, Stephen King, and Brian Lumley, and many more fascinating reads. But the book Brenda remembers the most was ‘Interview with a Vampire’ by Anne Rice. After reading it, she's never been the same since.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Follow Brenda on:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/BeeFranklin613"><span class="InternetLink">Beefranklin613</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorBrendaFranklin"><span class="InternetLink">Author
Brenda Franklin</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Blog: <span class="InternetLink"><a href="http://beefranklin.blogspot.com/">Into My World…</a></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/bns613">Smashwords</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Other works:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/kindle-store/dp/B00CC9Y5QM"><span class="InternetLink">Guardian, A Fated Pairing</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Pulse Trilogy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Steady-Pulse-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B0099U5U02/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1376320781&sr=1-1"><span class="InternetLink">Book one, A Steady Pulse</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Barely-Beating-Pulse-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00AA2F9UE/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1376320840&sr=1-3"><span class="InternetLink">Book two, Barely Beating</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="InternetLink"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Flat-Pulse-Trilogy-Brenda-Franklin-ebook/dp/B00EHKG5HG">Book three, Flat Line</a></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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beefranklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084370376503535359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507786087853744541.post-58628746533926155702016-05-09T08:00:00.000-07:002016-05-09T08:00:07.025-07:00Eden's Hollow story idea<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 32px;">
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Prologue:</div>
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The Weather was
harsh at half past three and the wind was threatening to blow the
house away. To be more precise it was just one house. All the other
homes down JC Drive were dealing with an onslaught or rain and wind,
but nothing to the extreme of house number 4116.</div>
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From the outside it
was nothing more than the same cookie cutter house with white fences,
the perfect cut lawn, and the same two matching trash bins at the end
of its paved driveway. There was nothing special about the house
chosen - number 4116 - not from the outside, anyway.</div>
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But within the white
door of number 4116 and beyond the powder blue trim and white paint
was a secret. A well-kept secret for nearly a millennium.</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
A woman, her human
name Patricia Faulk - and yes, human is the appropriate term for the
creatures that filled her ever growing neighborhood, though she was
nothing of the sort. She was guarding a Portal -- placed conveniently
in her spare bedroom -- and guard it with her life she would, until
this night, September seventh, when a raging storm awoke her from her
rest at half past three.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Patricia, whose real
name could not be spoken by humans only those that crossed through
the portal could wield her name, awake from the cry of the storm and
bolted to its source -- the portal! Her slender figure moved
gracefully and with ease around her collection of books stacked in
high towers throughout the living room and into the small hall. Her
long red hair lightly damp from the shower she had taken hours
earlier had unraveled and clung across her fair skinned neck and
cheeks curling around her cherry red lips and dark brown eyes.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
This was not a
normal portal crossing.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
She fell to the
floor and crossed her legs in front of the bedroom door. She closed
her hands on her knees, tilted her head back, with closed her eyes to
focus. To cross a portal you must first knock on the door and wait
for an answer, that was what Patricia was doing.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
She was answering.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Reaching a quick
mediation-like state her body began to glow and small runes crawled
across her arms and legs, across her belly and neck, until her whole
body was being blotched out by the blacken ink of the symbols. Her
body rose three feet off the ground and those black symbols, one by
one, echoed out and appeared around the frame of the door.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
One by one the
letters glowed, until finally the doorway opened allowing passage
into her home. But as the door opened and two people stepped in a
third clawed through reaching with bloodied talons out. This was one
of malicious intent and on instinct she closed the portal, but the
storm remained as the pounding against the magical door continued
demanding her to open it.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Who has stepped
through this portal?” She asked pulling from her trance, but her
first response was not anything what she expected it to be. It was
the wailing of a baby.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
She opened the door
into her spare room revealing a large man, an Archangel, covered in
blood soaked cloth and armor wielding a long golden sword with a
white handle and three sets of tattered wings. His body was shaking
and mangled as he forced himself up off the floor just barely
cradling a small creature whose cries were beginning to wane on
Patricia’s nerves.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Portal master,”
he spoke with ragged breath. “I am sorry to have brought this upon
you, but I must beg of you to help.”</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Why does an
Archangel need my help?” She asked unmoving with cold eyes at the
intruder into her home.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“I do not. But she
does.” He dropped his sword and held out the little girl for the
woman to see.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“What use do I
have with that thing?”</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“This thing is no
mere child.” His body was too worn and tried to hold her any
longer. He fell forward still managing to stay on his elbows with her
carefully propped up. Slowly and carefully he laid her down. He
turned the infant on her side touching the back of her neck.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“What is she?”
The woman gasped as a couple of runes upon her body began to appear.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“They are trying
to get through.” He spoke.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Who have you
brought to my door?” she demanded.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“It’s the
Darkness.”</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“What?” she
hissed as more symbols lit up.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“And if they get
their hands on this child then the Darkness will be released. She
needs time to grow strong. To fight this."</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
She turned to the
door and looked to her arms, already her body was shifting and her
eyes felt the urge to shut. They were forcing her to open up. “And
you brought them here?” She demanded. “You are disrupting the
order, the way things are done! You will be punished!” She turned
back around to the silence of the room and to the archangel now
touching the back of the child’s neck.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
His wings dissolved,
his weapons and armor faded, and soon his very image fluttered. With
his last breath he focused on the portal master sending out a rush of
light against her body. Then he was gone.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
She turned back to
the portal with rage towards the Archangel and did the only thing she
could do to save her life from the Darkness threatening her and the
life of the child. She had to sever her connection with the other
dimension and once severed the first thing she had to do was hide the
child.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 100%;">For the child was
something an Archangel would give his life for, she would ensure his
last request be fulfilled and pray that death did not soon await her.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 100%;">--Brenda Franklin, author of The Pulse Trilogy</span></div>
</div>
beefranklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084370376503535359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507786087853744541.post-19169485395514371462016-05-06T08:00:00.000-07:002016-05-06T08:00:30.400-07:00Nightmares and Remedies Cover Reveal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lFDG5Q52dps/VytTNYdH-GI/AAAAAAAAB9o/290Jgi6d4mQ5P8rnrkmSy0Herwb6Q6U2gCLcB/s1600/nigtmares%2Bcover%2BFB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lFDG5Q52dps/VytTNYdH-GI/AAAAAAAAB9o/290Jgi6d4mQ5P8rnrkmSy0Herwb6Q6U2gCLcB/s640/nigtmares%2Bcover%2BFB.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: white; font-size: large;"><b>Title</b>: Nightmares and Remedies</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: white; font-size: large;"><b>Series</b>: A Pulse World Novel</span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: white;"><b>Genre</b>: Paranormal Romance</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: white; font-size: large;"><b>Release Date</b>: July 1st 2016</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">
<span style="color: white;">Blurb</span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">
<span style="color: white;">Haunted by reoccurring nightmares of silver eyes and sharp fangs, Bethany Jean, is at her wits end. She feels like she’s being watched all the time. At home, in the street; even at work! Nowhere feels safe. But just when she’s considering help for her delusions Bethany comes face to face with a living breathing vampire whose obsession with Bethany is deadly.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">
<span style="color: white;">Lucas was one of many vampires looking for a murderer, what he didn’t expect was to find the man’s latest victim, Bethany, alive and turned into a vampire! Setting side his attraction for the woman Lucas is forced to take a back seat to finding the vampire at large so that he can watch and explain what’s going on when the woman wakes up, but convincing this woman that he is a good guy and the fact that she is no longer human isn’t going to be a walk in the park.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">
<span style="color: white;">With a killer on the loose, a house full of vampire testosterone, and Bethany walking around in nothing more than Lucas' shirt, you can guarantee this is going to be one hell of a time and with any luck it could end in their favor. That is, if Bethany realizes that being a vampire has its perks.</span><br />
<div style="font-size: small;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-size: small;">
<br /></div>
</div>
beefranklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084370376503535359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507786087853744541.post-71911791968757201982016-05-04T08:35:00.001-07:002016-05-04T08:35:24.743-07:00Louise Book 1 and 2 by Diana Nixon blurbs<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9Ck-E2jWXEI/VyoUoZsnmSI/AAAAAAAAB9M/GbAD1kOEG_MQY1uctPOa10RkeeWgVd2EgCK4B/s1600/LOUISE%2BFONT_small%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><img border="0" height="325" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9Ck-E2jWXEI/VyoUoZsnmSI/AAAAAAAAB9M/GbAD1kOEG_MQY1uctPOa10RkeeWgVd2EgCK4B/s400/LOUISE%2BFONT_small%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Book 1: Louise by Diana Nixon</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Book Blurb:</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
It
doesn’t hurt to dream, unless you know your dreams will never come
true.</div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
Since
childhood, Louise Woods has wanted to become a dancer. The day she
arrives at Le Papillon – a private cabaret club where men come to
enjoy the beauty of women dancing, her life completely changes.
Louise lives in the club and the rules of living and working there
cannot be ignored or broken. Either you do your best to please the
clients, or you are out. No flirting, no secret affairs, just
dancing.</div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
During
her first public show, Louise meets a stranger who pays for the
privilege to have her privately dance for him. He won't let her see
his face, he won't even introduce himself, but he will make an offer
that she won’t be able to refuse. He won’t make any hollow
promises, but he will make her believe she is special…
</div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
“I
hate following the rules,” he’ll say, “but I do love breaking
them.”</div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
Will
she dare to risk losing everything she has, just to make the darkest
of the stranger’s fantasies come true? Once the decision is made,
there will be no way back…</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Add on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24838327-louise">GOODREADS</a> and <a href="http://www.diana-nixon.com/#!stores/mlttq">BUY HERE</a>!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">My Review:</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
Louise
is a woman who is both kind and strong; locked away in a world of
little freedom. As a child she grew up in an orphanage under the role
of an evil woman. A place where your best friend could be your enemy.
Where your very survival depended on the amount of money you collect
off of the streets. It was survival of the fittest. How can this
young girl survive in a world such as this? But after an encounter
with a kind man with beautiful eyes she makes a promise that she
intends to keep. No one will harm her.</div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
As she
turns eighteen freedom is at her fingertips. The last thing to do is
to go to a cabaret club called, Le Papillon to see about a job to be
a dancer, but it isn’t exactly what she had in mind and when she
protests the owner, Drew, makes it very clear that he has bought her
and she will work under him until her debt is paid off. The horror is
when he proves that she signed the document herself keeping her suck
there. A trick well played by the orphanage and him. Again she has no
freedom, but the illusion of. At least she loved to dance.</div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
The
atmosphere of the story is beautiful. The scenes are elegant with
layouts that make me want to visit these places. I want to be an
exclusive member to this club. All the characters you come across, no
matter how small you grow to love and hate. And quickly you find that
everyone has a story that Louise can’t help but bring to the
surface. She is a woman wise beyond her years in a world that she has
only known as a cage.</div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
But
there is hope. As a mysterious masked man steps into her life. What
woman wouldn't fall under his spell? And that begs an even better
question, why did he want Louise? And is there more to Le Papillon
then meets the eye?</div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
Diana
Nixon has written a powerful story filled to the brim with mystery,
intrigue, and romance, with a character and a plot that both
captivates and steals your heart. I don’t think I had a moment
where I put the book down. I was just that drawn into it. And the
ending left me both satisfied and breathless, like I had just
experience my first kiss and then I was saying ‘goodbye’.</div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
The
only way you could ever upset me, Diana, is if you tell me there
isn’t a book two. Haha But knowing you there will be one soon
enough. And I look forward to reading it.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2OPMA4A3o4I/VyoUUPGyM9I/AAAAAAAAB9E/ocHqdITo45o9DKUVIDI8LCD2lQeKu1fNwCK4B/s1600/TUESDAY_LOUISE.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2OPMA4A3o4I/VyoUUPGyM9I/AAAAAAAAB9E/ocHqdITo45o9DKUVIDI8LCD2lQeKu1fNwCK4B/s400/TUESDAY_LOUISE.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Book 2: Louise: A Knew Beginning</span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">COMING SPRING 2016</span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Book Blurb:</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
Life
is not always easy. Especially when you are in love with the man
whose life is so much different from yours. Power, money, respect –
these are the things that a girl raised in an orphanage can only
dream about. But sometimes, love is the only power that you need to
get whatever you wish for…</div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
Louise
Woods had always been a fighter. She had known since childhood that
everything has a price. But freedom was the only thing that she could
never have.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
Living
in a world of lies and betrayal, will she sacrifice her love to
become finally free?
</div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
Or
will she let her heart win?</div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
A new
journey full of passion and forbidden dreams; it’s a new dance,
it’s a new life.</div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
“We
will start it all from the very beginning, from the very first kiss…”</div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Add on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28053668-louise">GOODREADS</a>!</span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">~~About the Author~~</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Official page: </span><a href="http://www.diana-nixon.com/" style="font-size: x-large;">www.diana-nixon.com</a></div>
<br />
<a href="https://joselisjournal.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/10520634_548001248666392_6622454048362840415_o.jpg?w=474" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="10520634_548001248666392_6622454048362840415_o" border="0" height="320" src="https://joselisjournal.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/10520634_548001248666392_6622454048362840415_o.jpg?w=474" width="224" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Diana Nixon, an International Bestselling Author of contemporary and paranormal romances, is </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">a woman of contradictions. She was born in Minsk., Belarus. She has a Master of Law degree </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">and speaks several foreign languages, including English, Polish and Spanish.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Diana’s writing career is like a roller coaster ride. It started with a fantasy novel named Love </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Lines, that was originally written in Russian and only later, it was translated into English. Since </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">then, Diana has published 15 more books, both of contemporary and fantasy genres.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Diana Nixon is the founder of Inks and Scratches, a literary magazine intended to help authors </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">of all genres find readers and spread the news about their writing all over the world.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
FOLLOW ON:</div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Diana-Nixon/203165316483322?ref=hl">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/DianaNixon9">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/diananixon96/">Pinterest</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/authordiananixon/">Instagram</a>, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5814368.Diana_Nixon">Goodreads</a></span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
-Brenda Franklin, author of The Pulse Trilogy and Guardian, A Fated Pairing.beefranklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084370376503535359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507786087853744541.post-58820543283529532432016-03-04T08:00:00.000-08:002016-03-04T08:00:13.762-08:00Rating a Nancy Drew<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
How do you Rate a
Nancy Drew Mystery Book</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
When it comes to
rating a Nancy Drew Book I look for the enjoyment I got out of the
book more then nit picking the story, the characters, and the plot. I
take into the account that this is a book written sometime ago
(Originally before 1960 For the one's I have read). Wording will have
changed (slang terms, unfamiliar items, or techniques that we don't
often hear), clothing, sexism is present (But it doesn't rub it in
your face with negatives, it's part of the time), relationships, and
just about everything feels a little different then nowadays because
it was a different era. It is to be expected.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
You have to always
remember that these books were written as standalone with the set
purpose of capturing young audiences. They were also published in
bursts. Not one every so many months but in short bursts allowing for
people to buy them in bulk and enjoy them quickly. It's a quick read.
All the books ended leading you to know that there was another
mystery around the corner. They also decided that Nancy Drew couldn't
get married or have kids or truly progress in that way. They wanted
the viewer to stay focused on the same character structure that you
could rely on in every book with the same bunch of people for long
periods of time.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
So I rate by
enjoyment. And these basic questions:</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Did the story make
sense from beginning to end?</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Was there anything
that felt off or something not explained?</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Did the outcome
satisfy me?</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
By the end of the
book was I smiling? (This is very important. A book like this should
make you smile.)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
If all of these are
met, then I will rate it a five because I know that young people,
preteens, teens, and kids would love it. I believe they would be even
thrilled to read through one of these books and I hope they do!! We
need more Nancy Drew and Hardy Boy readers. :)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
If I am left feeling
unsure about the outcome or unsatisfied in anyway I try to figure out
why. Did the end not feel right? Was the twist so left field that I
didn't enjoy the led up to it because only a scientist saw it coming?
Was a character not as strong or as weak as I think they should have
been for a scene? This will make me give it a 4 star rating and in a
rare case a 3. You would have to really leave me feeling off to get a
3. But it happens.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
As of right now a 1
or 2 star has yet to be seen for a Nancy Drew Book by me and I hope
to never give one. But there is always a chance. Maybe after I
finished Nancy Drew I should start reading The Hardy Boys! :)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
-Brenda Franklin, author of <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-steady-pulse-b-franklin/1110360890">The Pulse Trilogy</a></div>
beefranklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084370376503535359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507786087853744541.post-65099334581999157302016-02-29T08:00:00.000-08:002016-02-29T09:27:05.545-08:00Books read in February 2016<div>
February was a crazy month, but so much fun. I can't believe it has come and gone just like that. One thing about the month that I knew was coming and it shouldn't have surprised me was the fact that my reading list completely changed. I managed to read only three of the books I had on my list of #to-reads and the rest fell to the wayside. But my goal of 4 books a month has easily been passed. I accomplished 7 books this month.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
That brings my total reads up to. . . . . . . . . 15!! Yeah! Two months down of reading, writing, and family time. I will reach my goal of 50 and pass it. :D</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Books read in February of 2016!!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Nancy Drew Books:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
4-The Mystery at Lilac Inn-----------------------5 Stars</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
5-The Secret of Shadow Ranch----------------- 5 Stars</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Sherrilyn Kenyon Books:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Sins of the Night (Dark Hunter 7) --------------5 Stars</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Christine Feehan Books:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Cat's Lair (Leopard People 7) ----------------4 Stars</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Oceans of Fire (Drake Sisters 3) ------------ 5 Stars</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Lynsay Sands Books:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Tall, Dark, and Hungry (Argeneau 4) --------5 Stars</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
A Quick Bite (Argeneau 1) ------------------- 5 Stars</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Next month I'm going to try and add in some young adult books and change it up a little as well as continue reading my Nancy Drew books. :) </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
March To Be Read List coming soon!!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
--<b>Brenda Franklin</b>, eccentric author of The Pulse Trilogy.</div>
beefranklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084370376503535359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507786087853744541.post-44866916313866515972016-02-22T08:00:00.000-08:002016-02-25T17:38:04.911-08:00Pulse World Novel: Nightmare and Remedies UPDATE!<div style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Best friend of Elizabeth Parks, leading lady of my Pulse Trilogy, is getting her own book! Bethany Jean was briefly seen in the series and I thought I was done with her, but apparently I wasn't! What started out to be a a short story turned into a full length novel. But Bethany and Lucas had a lot to say and do with one another that I couldn't stop writing! But I am certain you are going to love everything they do <i>with </i>and <i>to </i>one another. :D<br />
<br />
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 16px;"><b>Title</b>: Nightmares and Remedies</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 16px;"><b>Series</b>: A Pulse World Novel</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Genre</b>: Paranormal Romance</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Page numbers</b>: 375</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 16px;"><b>Release Date</b>: July 2016</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
Raven haired rebel Bethany Jean may have had her memories altered to forget that horrible day, but the nightmares just won't stop. And as she throws in the towel to call a doctor for help a man with silver eyes steps into her world making it painfully clear that her paranoia and nightmares aren't in her head. They are real.<br />
<br />
Bethany isn't just fighting for her sanity anymore, she is fighting for her life!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
---More teases to come as we work our way closer to June---</div>
<br />
This is a book on it's own with new characters that I may expand upon in later books. I'm still working out the kinks. Other than the trilogy these books will be standalone with the labels A Pulse World Novel to place them into the same world. I will keep a posting on my website of the correct timeline order if my stories start to go back, parallel, or jump into to future.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
As of right now the time order is:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>The Pulse Trilogy:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
A Steady Pulse</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Barely Beating</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Flat Line</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Coming soon:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Nightmares and Remedies</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;">
-Brenda Franklin, author of <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-steady-pulse-b-franklin/1110360890">The Pulse Trilogy</a></div>
beefranklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084370376503535359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507786087853744541.post-53923132301991376622016-02-03T09:00:00.000-08:002016-02-03T09:00:09.682-08:00February goals and reading list<span style="color: #e69138;">Here we are in February! There are so many things happening in February that it can be a little overwhelming. For one thing there are birthdays on 8th, 10th, 11th, 14th, and 23rd. On top of that you have Chinese New Years (8th-year of the Monkey starts!), Valentine's Day, and then three days of fun at the wonderful Marble Slab Creamery and Great American Cookie. That will be a three day packed with lots of cookies and cakes that could feed the state!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #e69138;">I don't know about you but this is going to be a very busy month. :) So let's kick it off with my Bookish reading list.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #e69138;">Who doesn't love the author of the Time Quartet, Madeline L'Engle? She is an amazing writer and I picked this little book up at a cute little book shop on the side of the road. Such a cute place.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-15qup57aJDo/VrFmRft3YGI/AAAAAAAAByA/WU7dvMaWt5k/s1600/a%2Bring%2Bof%2Bendless%2Blight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-15qup57aJDo/VrFmRft3YGI/AAAAAAAAByA/WU7dvMaWt5k/s400/a%2Bring%2Bof%2Bendless%2Blight.jpg" width="236" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><b>A Ring of Endless Light</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
After a tumultuous year in New York City, the Austins are spending the summer on the small island where their grandfather lives. He’s very sick, and watching his condition deteriorate as the summer passes is almost more than Vicky can bear. To complicate matters, she finds herself as the center of attention for three very different boys.<br />
<br />
Zachary Grey, the troubled and reckless boy Vicky met last summer, wants her all to himself as he grieves the loss of his mother. Leo Rodney has been just a friend for years, but the tragic loss of his father causes him to turn to Vicky for comfort—and romance. And then there’s Adam Eddington. Adam is only asking Vicky to help with his research on dolphins. But Adam—and the dolphins—may just be what Vicky needs to get through this heartbreaking summer.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #e69138;">Then there are my Sherrilyn Kenyon picks of the month, and yes, I am finally coming to the end of my Kenyon collection. Soon I am going to have to restock!! :)</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JqFxUr0d4sM/VrFnh8s0fpI/AAAAAAAAByM/97JgOXbJ05Q/s1600/dream%2Bhunter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JqFxUr0d4sM/VrFnh8s0fpI/AAAAAAAAByM/97JgOXbJ05Q/s400/dream%2Bhunter.jpg" width="243" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Dream Hunter</b></span><br />
<br />
In the ethereal world of dreams, there are champions who fight to protect the dreamer and there are demons who prey on them...<br />
<br />
Arik is such a predator. Condemned by the gods to live eternity without emotions, Arik can only feel when he's in the dreams of others. For thousands of years, he's drifted through the human unconscious, searching for sensation. Now he's finally found a dreamer whose vivid mind can fill his emptiness.<br />
<br />
Dr. Megeara Kafieri watched her father ruin himself and his reputation as he searched to prove Atlantis was real. Her deathbed promise to him to salvage his reputation has now brought her to Greece where she intends to prove once and for all that the fabled island is right where her father said it was. But frustration and bad luck dog her every step. Especially the day they find a stranger floating in the sea. His is a face she's seen many times.... in her dreams.<br />
<br />
What she doesn't know is that Arik holds more than the ancient secrets that can help her find the mythical isle of Atlantis. He has made a pact with the god Hades: In exchange for two weeks as a mortal man, he must return to Olympus with a human soul. Megeara's soul.<br />
<br />
With a secret society out to ruin her expedition, and mysterious accidents that keep threatening her life, Megeara refuses to quit. She knows she's getting closer to Atlantis and as she does, she stumbles onto the truth of what Arik really is.<br />
<br />
For Arik his quest is no longer simple. No human can know of a Dream-Hunter's existence. His dream of being mortal has quickly turned into his own nightmare and the only way to save himself will be to sacrifice the very thing he wanted to be human for. The only question is, will he?<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5DP0Wk2j8TU/VrFmTjS4hBI/AAAAAAAAByQ/D9JBdNNLsGE/s1600/dream%2Bwarrior.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5DP0Wk2j8TU/VrFmTjS4hBI/AAAAAAAAByQ/D9JBdNNLsGE/s400/dream%2Bwarrior.jpg" width="247" /></a><br />
<b style="font-size: x-large;">Dream Warrior</b><br />
<br />
We are the Dolophoni. Diligent. Vigilant. Fierce and inescapable. Servants of the Furies, we are the right hand of justice and no one stands before us.<br />
<br />
The son of Warcraft and Hate, Cratus spent eternity battling for the ancient gods who birthed him. He was death to any who crossed him. Until the day he laid down his arms and was banished into exile.<br />
<br />
Now an ancient enemy has been unleashed and our dreams are his chosen battlefield. The only hope we have is the one god who swears he will never fight again.<br />
<br />
As a Dream-Hunter, Delphine has spent eternity protecting mankind from the predators who prey on our unconscious state. But now that her allies have been turned, she knows in order to survive, the Dream-Hunters need a new leader. Someone who can train them to fight their new enemies. Cratus is her only hope. But she is a bitter reminder of why he chose to lay down his arms.<br />
<br />
Time is running out and if she can’t win him to her cause, mankind will be slaughtered and the world we know will soon cease to exist.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eV7Gs_ux9Vo/VrFoeW7THOI/AAAAAAAAByU/CfnhCmjYdUQ/s1600/sins%2Bof%2Bthe%2Bnight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eV7Gs_ux9Vo/VrFoeW7THOI/AAAAAAAAByU/CfnhCmjYdUQ/s400/sins%2Bof%2Bthe%2Bnight.jpg" width="243" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sins of the Night </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
In the realm of the Dark-Hunters there is a code of honor that even immortal bad boys must follow:<br />
<br />
Harm no human. Drink no blood. Never fall in love.<br />
<br />
But every now and again a Dark-Hunter thinks himself above the Code. That's when I'm summoned. Who am I? I'm the one thing the fearless fear. Step over the line and it's my wrath you will face. Nothing can touch me. Nothing can sway me. I am relentless and unfeeling.<br />
<br />
Or so I thought until I met a female Dark-Hunter who goes by the name of Danger-it's not just her name, it's how she lives her life. She doesn't trust me at all. And who could blame her? She alone knows that I'm here to be judge, jury and most likely executioner of her friends. Yet she is my key to saving some of them. Without her, they all will die.<br />
<br />
Dangereuse St. Richard is a deadly distraction. Something about her is reawakening a heart I thought was long dead. But in a race against evil, the only hope mankind has is that I do my duty. And how can I do my duty when it means that I will have to sacrifice the only woman I've ever loved?<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #e69138;">I also have a few from the author Tess Gerritsen. Some of y'all might no her based of the TV series Rizzoli and Isles, but in the books things are a bit different. She writes medical thrillers, romance and suspence and I have just started to really get into her work. The first book I read by her had me cringing so much I kept putting it down to breath, but I loved it anyway (The Surgeon). Now it's onto the next book by her.</span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dq3DA6CbVI4/VrFofkaNPxI/AAAAAAAAByc/nCHvH1JK9kM/s1600/the%2Bapprentice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dq3DA6CbVI4/VrFofkaNPxI/AAAAAAAAByc/nCHvH1JK9kM/s1600/the%2Bapprentice.jpg" /></a><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Apprentice</span></b><br />
<br />
It is a boiling hot Boston summer. Adding to the city’s woes is a series of shocking crimes, in which wealthy men are made to watch while their wives are brutalized. A sadistic demand that ends in abduction and death.<br />
<br />
The pattern suggests one man: serial killer Warren Hoyt, recently removed from the city’s streets. Police can only assume an acolyte is at large, a maniac basing his attacks on the twisted medical techniques of the madman he so admires. At least that’s what Detective Jane Rizzoli thinks. Forced again to confront the killer who scarred her—literally and figuratively—she is determined to finally end Hoyt’s awful influence . . . even if it means receiving more resistance from her all-male homicide squad.<br />
<br />
But Rizzoli isn’t counting on the U.S. government’s sudden interest. Or on meeting Special Agent Gabriel Dean, who knows more than he will tell. Most of all, she isn’t counting on becoming a target herself, once Hoyt is suddenly free, joining his mysterious blood brother in a vicious vendetta. . . .<br />
<br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1sWhA_IlTw0/VrFqgwHXJsI/AAAAAAAAByo/NGYANk1pXTc/s1600/in%2Btheir%2Bfootsteps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1sWhA_IlTw0/VrFqgwHXJsI/AAAAAAAAByo/NGYANk1pXTc/s320/in%2Btheir%2Bfootsteps.jpg" width="190" /></a><b><span style="font-size: large;">In Their Footsteps</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
Old secrets die hard....<br />
The quiet scandal surrounding her parents' deaths twenty years ago has always haunted Beryl Tavistock. Now she's decided that the only way to exorcise the ghosts of the past is to search for the truth. Beryl starts asking dangerous questions, and the answers are proving that old secrets die hard.<br />
<br />
Caught in what's become a deadly game of cat-and-mouse, her quest takes her from the rain-slick streets of Paris to the sun-drenched isles of Greece. And as she gets pulled into a world of espionage, Beryl quickly discovers that she needs help. Richard Wolf, an ex-CIA agent and a man she's only just met, is her only hope.<br />
<br />
But in a world where trust is a double-edged sword, friends become enemies, and enemies become killers . . .<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-phIMrN8-wBo/VrFq8oEce-I/AAAAAAAABys/Vw6cxuPlnlE/s1600/the%2Bsecert%2Bat%2Bred%2Bgate%2Bfarm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-phIMrN8-wBo/VrFq8oEce-I/AAAAAAAABys/Vw6cxuPlnlE/s200/the%2Bsecert%2Bat%2Bred%2Bgate%2Bfarm.jpg" width="130" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bDFv9-vNL1g/VrFq8r-WUoI/AAAAAAAAByw/hEtJOxidlNU/s1600/the%2Bsecert%2Bof%2Bshadow%2Branch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bDFv9-vNL1g/VrFq8r-WUoI/AAAAAAAAByw/hEtJOxidlNU/s200/the%2Bsecert%2Bof%2Bshadow%2Branch.jpg" width="126" /></a><span style="color: #e69138;">And the Last two books that I am going to read are from the wonderful Young Adult Mystery series Nancy Drew. Book number 5 and 6! My goal this year is to read books 1-10 that I got from my wonderful mother on Christmas of 2015 and I intend to do just that. :)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<br />
All descriptions and images were taken from Goodreads.<br />
<br />
So Wish me luck on my February goals and I will see you again very soon.<br />
<br />
--Brenda Franklin, author of The Pulse Trilogy.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span>
<br />beefranklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084370376503535359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507786087853744541.post-80502867865947587772016-01-30T09:00:00.000-08:002016-02-01T08:52:41.128-08:00January Book ReadsJanuary comes to an end and my reading goal shifted. Have you ever had one stack of books where you tell yourself you <i>are</i> going to read them and then you see another stack of books that look a little more appealing and reach for it instead.<br />
<br />
Well, that's exactly what happened!<br />
<br />
I started with a goal of reading 10 Nancy Drew books and the next thing I know I'm nose deep in a Sherrilyn Kenyon book! I just can't keep away.<br />
<br />
On the bright side I read Nancy Drew 1-3 and then 4 Kenyon books. This brings Jan 2016 Books read to 8 out of 52! that's a great thing. If I read 8 books a month all year I will have read about 96 books!! That is amazing, but my goal isn't that high and I know I will get distracted and be busy, so let's drop that down a little.<br />
<br />
I have 44 books to go and 11 more months. so as long as I stay reading 4 books a months I will reach my end year book goal on time.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Books read so far for the Year 2016!!</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Nancy Drew Books:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1-The Secret of the Old Clock---------5 Stars</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
2-The Hidden Staircase-----------------4 Stars</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
3-The Bungalow Mystery--------------5 Stars</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Sherrilyn Kenyon Books:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Bad Attitude (B.A.D. Agency Book 1) ----------3 Stars</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Silent Truth (B.A.D. Agency Book 4 w/ Dianna Love) ------2 Stars</div>
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Unleash the Night (Dark Hunter 8) -------------- 5 Stars</div>
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The Guardian (Dark Hunter 20) ------------------ 5 Stars<br />
Dream Chaser (Dream Hunter) ------------------- 5 Stars</div>
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On to the next month! February To Be Read List coming soon!!</div>
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--Brenda Franklin, Silly human being with delusions of monsters and worlds in my head. :)</div>
beefranklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084370376503535359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507786087853744541.post-89169870267578883752016-01-03T17:34:00.000-08:002016-01-05T10:19:44.008-08:00January 2016 reading goal<div class="MsoNormal">
My January 2016 reading goal is to read the first ten of the Nancy Drew books! It’s been a long time since I have read any and I thought, since I had the mystery bug, I might as well make use of my Christmas present. So reading Nancy Drew it is!<br />
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So far I have read <i>the secret of the old clock</i>, <i>the hidden staircase</i>, <i>Then Bungalow Mystery</i>, and I am reading <i>The mystery at Lilac Inn</i>. There is 64 of these run short stories all at about 180 pages. They are fun quick reads that take me back to Jr. High when I first started to read them. I remember being engrossed in them, I couldn’t read enough of them. Though reading them now it feels different and I see the details in a different light or the themes to be a bit cliché I will always love the stories and the feelings I remember when enjoying one and I look forward to my own children reading them as well.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Fun fact: Did you know that Nancy Drew is a Pseudonym (Pen) Name for multiple authors produced by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratemeyer_Syndicate">Stratemeyer Syndicate</a>.Both male and female authors wrote the series. Another amazing fact that I picked up is that there are 175 books! 175!! That's amazing! Nancy Drew ran from 1930 to 2003. And Nancy Drew got an overhaul from 2004-2012 with the books titles, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girl_Detective">Nancy Drew: Girl Detective</a>.<br />
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Are there any mystery books you would recommend?<br />
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-Brenda Franklin</div>
beefranklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084370376503535359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507786087853744541.post-39486127470027334692015-12-31T15:00:00.000-08:002015-12-31T15:00:24.880-08:00Top Ten 2015 ReadsMy 2015 top ten list!! It was a hard one figure out, but after enough thought this is how they fall. And I'd love to hear from you. Leave a comment below and tell me what your favorite reads were in 2015! Here we go . . .<br />
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<b>10th place</b></div>
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<b>Set Me Free by Diana Nixon</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">It was supposed to be just another day at work for a local newspaper reporter, Stella Holt. She had always loved her job, and believed she was good at it. Until one day when she was sent to interview the author of a worldwide bestseller who had made so many women fall in love with him.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">James Collins is not just a word-painter. His every work is a masterpiece, a perfect blend of mystery and mind-blowing romance. Only in his own life, there is no place for romance. He knows everything about women, starting from what they like most, and to the ways to seduce them with only a glance. But there’s a secret that has been aggrieving him for years, a secret that has locked his heart forever…</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">“I thought I would never fall in love with you, Stella. And I didn’t… I drowned in you…”</span></span></div>
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<b>One Lucky Vampire by Lynsay Sands</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Luck be a vampire tonight . . .</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">When Nicole Phillips agreed to hire a housekeeper, she pictured someone a little frumpy and almost certainly female. Instead, she gets gorgeous, unmistakably male Jake Colson. The man is proving indispensable in the kitchen—and everywhere else. Except Jake might not be a mortal man at all.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Who wouldn't want to be a tall, dark, powerful vampire? Jake, for one. He's barely had time to adjust to his new state before he's roped into a family favor. Still, secretly playing bodyguard to sweet, sexy Nicole is turning out to be the wildest ride of his life. First he'll put a stop to whoever's targeting her. Then he'll prove that this kind of love, and luck, happens only once in an eternity.</span></span></div>
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<b>8th Place</b></div>
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<b>Wild Rain by Christine Feehan</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">To escape an assassin, Rachael finds sanctuary in the rainforest, where the most exotic of all creatures walks: Rio. But when he unleashes his secret animal instincts, Rachael fears that her isolated haven could become an inescapable hell...</span></span></div>
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<b>Biting the Bullet by Jennifer Rardin</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">This is a mission unlike anything my vampire boss, Vayl, and I have ever been on. It's not our usual take them out and run; it's an undercover mission that needs the whole gang: a psychic, an interpreter, and a weapons specialist. We're joining a Special Ops team to nail the Wizard, a major terrorist thorn in the military's side. We've never gone in with such heavy artillery before, but the more the merrier, right? Um . . . nope. At least not since Vayl and I learned part of our job is to ferret out a mole concealed in our unit.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">To add to our problems, we're being harried by a pack of reavers bent on revenge, and targeted by a Seer who wants to share Vayl's power - at any cost. Oh yeah, and let's not forget the army of demonic, soul-sucking parasites either. This is going to be a blast.</span></span></div>
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<b>6th Place</b></div>
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<b>Viper Game by Christine Feehan</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">GhostWalker Wyatt Fontenot knows the price he paid for the secret military experiments that gave him his special catlike abilities. After all, he left his bayou home a healer and came back a killer. While Wyatt and his GhostWalker brother Gator may have known exactly the sort of game they were getting into, Wyatt never anticipated where it would lead—or to whom.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">The swamps hold many mysteries, but few are as sinuously seductive as Le Poivre de Cayenne. The woman the locals call Pepper is every bit as enigmatic as the three little girls she’s desperately trying to protect. From what, Wyatt is soon to discover. Right now Pepper needs a man like Wyatt. Passionately. But her secrets are about to take them both deeper into the bayou than either imagined—where desire is the deadliest poison of all.</span></span></div>
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<b>Another One Bites the Dust by Jennifer Rardin</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Jaz Parks has enough trouble in her personal life. What she doesn't need is more trouble with her vampire boss and another mission. This time she has to retrieve a vital piece of biotechnology by killing the maniac who stole it: an ancient Chinese vamp. Their cover in this mission: professional entertainers at the Corpus Christi's Winter Festival. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">The crew's all here: a psychic, a techno-wizard, a singing vampire, a juggling PI, and Jaz. Holy crap in a bottomless well, Jaz is going to bellydance. It's definitely, probably, quite possibly going to be the end of the world as we know it.</span></span></div>
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<b>The Tales of Beedle the Bard</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><i>The Tales of Beedle the Bard</i>, a Wizarding classic, first came to Muggle readers’ attention in the book known as <i>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows</i>. Now, thanks to Hermione Granger’s new translation from the ancient runes, we present this stunning edition with an introduction, notes, and illustrations by J. K. Rowling, and extensive commentary by Albus Dumbledore. Never before have Muggles been privy to these richly imaginative tales: “The Wizard and the Hopping Pot,” “The Fountain of Fair Fortune,” “The Warlock’s Hairy Heart,” “Babbitty Rabbitty and Her Cackling Stump,” and of course, “The Tale of the Three Brothers.” But not only are they the equal of fairy tales we now know and love, reading them gives new insight into the world of Harry Potter.</span></span></div>
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<b>Earth Bound by Christine Feehan</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">After escaping from a cult, Lexi found refuge with her sisters on the farm that more than sustained her body—it nurtured her soul as well. But she never forgot the terror she left behind or the always present fear that the cult would find her again, and claim her. Then her nightmare came true.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Lexi was discovered and threatened—only to be suddenly saved by a stranger. He is Gavriil Prakenskii, and he’s awestruck by the woman he’s rescued. She is destined for him. He can feel it in his soul. But how can Lexi find happiness with a man steeped in secrets and shadows, one intimately acquainted with violence, and whose very love could be the death of them?</span></span></div>
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<b>Murder at Longbourn by Tracy Kiely</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Planning New Year’s resolutions to rid her life of all things unhealthy, Elizabeth Parker has dumped fatty foods, processed sugar, and her two-timing boyfriend. Indeed, the invitation to join her Aunt Winnie for a How to Host a Murder Party on New Year’s Eve at Winnie’s new Cape Cod B and B comes just in time. But when the local wealthy miser ends up the unscripted victim, Elizabeth must unearth old secrets and new motives in order to clear her beloved aunt of suspicion. The suspects include the town gossip, a haughty rich woman, and an antiques business owner much enamored of his benefactress, a Mrs. Kristell Dubois. If that isn’t bad enough, Elizabeth must also contend with her childhood nemesis, Peter McGowan—-a man she suspects has only matured in chronological years—-and her suspicions about his family’s interest in Winnie’s inn.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Yesterday, her only worry was of ever finding her Mr. Darcy. Now she has a murder to solve. Is it any wonder her resolution to achieve inner poise is in tatters?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">By reimagining characters and themes lifted from the treasured classic Pride and Prejudice, and crafting an expert, intricate mystery, Tracy Kiely has brought to life something very special: a new cozy series that is clever, vibrant, and utterly disarming.</span></span></div>
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<b>1st Place</b></div>
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<b>Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Sophie has the great misfortune of being the eldest of three daughters, destined to fail miserably should she ever leave home to seek her fate. But when she unwittingly attracts the ire of the Witch of the Waste, Sophie finds herself under a horrid spell that transforms her into an old lady. Her only chance at breaking it lies in the ever-moving castle in the hills: the Wizard Howl's castle. To untangle the enchantment, Sophie must handle the heartless Howl, strike a bargain with a fire demon, and meet the Witch of the Waste head-on. Along the way, she discovers that there's far more to Howl—and herself—than first meets the eye.</span></span></div>
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beefranklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084370376503535359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507786087853744541.post-28031498735484932652015-12-02T07:39:00.000-08:002015-12-02T07:39:44.817-08:00Cover Reveals for Shattered and Louise IIAuthor Diana Nixon is kicking off 2016 with two new releases! Louise II, and Shattered! And here today is the amazing covers for these two books!!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xt6Tw4pO94c/Vl8M-vvr9iI/AAAAAAAABoI/V4aoquz34aA/s1600/shattered.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xt6Tw4pO94c/Vl8M-vvr9iI/AAAAAAAABoI/V4aoquz34aA/s640/shattered.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
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SHATTERED<br />
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By DIANA NIXON<br />
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COMING JANUARY 2016<br />
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Blurb:<br />
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It was love at first sight; a story that was supposed to last forever. A young heart that had never known true love, and a lonely soul seeking something real. I was that soul, and Elizabeth Brown was my beautiful heart, innocent and full of lawless passion. She made me believe that love can change anything. And it did change me… It broke me, it shattered me.<br />
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The betrayal that I never saw coming, was like a dagger straight through my heart. In the blink of an eye, my love was replaced by endless hate and pain that I thought I would never be able to forget. But who would have thought that even bleeding hearts can love? Who would have believed that in eyes with no hope, a new fire can start burning?<br />
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“I will make her fall for me again. And then, I will ruin her, just like she ruined me…”<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Add on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28053723-shattered">Goodreads</a></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gcgo2DJLg_Q/Vl8Nctq5AiI/AAAAAAAABoQ/KAsc27t-h00/s1600/Louise%2Bbook%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gcgo2DJLg_Q/Vl8Nctq5AiI/AAAAAAAABoQ/KAsc27t-h00/s640/Louise%2Bbook%2B2.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
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LOUISE<br />
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BOOK II<br />
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A NEW BEGINNING<br />
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By DIANA NIXON<br />
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COMING FEBRUARY 2016<br />
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Blurb:<br />
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Life is not always easy. Especially when you are in love with the man whose life is so much different from yours. Power, money, respect – these are the things that a girl raised in an orphanage can only dream about. But sometimes, love is the only power that you need to get whatever you wish for…<br />
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Louise Woods had always been a fighter. She had known since childhood that everything has a price. But freedom was the only thing that she could never have.<br />
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Living in a world of lies and betrayal, will she sacrifice her love to become finally free?<br />
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Or will she let her heart win?<br />
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A new journey full of passion and forbidden dreams; it’s a new dance, it’s a new life.<br />
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“We will start it all from the very beginning, from the very first kiss…”<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Add on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28053668-louise">Goodreads</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Official page: <a href="http://www.diana-nixon.com/">www.diana-nixon.com</a></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">~~About the Author~~</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://joselisjournal.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/10520634_548001248666392_6622454048362840415_o.jpg?w=474" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="10520634_548001248666392_6622454048362840415_o" border="0" height="320" src="https://joselisjournal.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/10520634_548001248666392_6622454048362840415_o.jpg?w=474" width="224" /></a>Diana Nixon, an International Bestselling Author of contemporary and paranormal romances, is a woman of contradictions. She was born in Minsk, Belarus, where she currently lives and works on her books. She has a Master of Law degree and speaks several foreign languages, including English, Polish and Spanish.<br />
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Diana’s writing career is like a roller coaster ride. It started with a fantasy novel named Love Lines, that was originally written in Russian and only later, it was translated into English. Diana had always wanted her story to be well-known all over the world, that’s why she started working with the US publishers, but it was not easy living in Belarus. The book needed to be translated, edited and promoted. After almost a year of hard work, Diana had finally received the first copy of Love Lines. Since then, she has published more then a Dozen works, both of contemporary and fantasy genres.<br />
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-Brenda Franklin, author of The Pulse Trilogy and Guardian, A Fated Pairing.beefranklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09084370376503535359noreply@blogger.com0