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Author: Deb

International Authors’ Day Wrap-up

International Authors’ Day Wrap-up

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International Authors’ Day is over. I had a great time participating in this newly formed event and blog-hopping the sites of other participants. I only wish I’d had the time to visit everyone, but that’s what next year is for, right? Thank you again to Debdatta Dasgupta Sahay at b00k r3vi3ws for birthing this author awareness tribute! Thank you to the people who commented here and wrote about your favorite authors. I learned about some fascinating writers, and added some…

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International Authors’ Day + Giveaway

International Authors’ Day + Giveaway

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It’s time to celebrate International Authors’ Day! Cheers for the first annual International Authors’ Day Blog Hop hosted by Debdatta Dasgupta Sahay over at b00kr3vi3ws. Participating bloggers (like me!) will discuss their reading habits or favorite books, recognize an author of merit, and provide a giveaway to blog visitors. My Reading Habits I read fiction every day. On my way to work, I listen to audiobooks. I’m currently listening to Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. And loving it! During…

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Ghost Novel Review: Practical Magic

Ghost Novel Review: Practical Magic

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Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman Publisher: Berkley Books, 317 pages Format: Paperback Source: Purchased What it’s about: Following the sudden death of their parents who were “so much in love they failed to notice smoke emanating from the walls of the bungalow where they’d gone to enjoy a second honeymoon” (5), Sally and Gillian move in with their mysterious maiden aunts in a gothic Victorian on Magnolia Street. The young siblings are horrified to discover their aunts are free spirits…

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Ghost Review: Maybe This Time

Ghost Review: Maybe This Time

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  Review: Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie Publisher: Brilliance Audio Format: audiobook Source: Pleasanton Library What it’s about: When Andromeda Miller returns ten years’ worth of alimony checks to her ex-husband, she is met with a surprise. A job offer. A job for one month. Salary: 10,000 dollars. An offer too good for Andy to reject. Andy’s ex-husband North knows that when he sends Andy to the haunted castle she will figure out a way to handle any and…

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Comfort Women: Truth, Please

Comfort Women: Truth, Please

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Truth is scary. The above 1942 advertisement for Philip Morris cigarettes reads as follows: No worry about throat irritation even when you inhale! This exclusive proved Philip Morris superiority is reported by eminent doctors…Finer pleasure plus REAL protection. So, Philip Morris was not exactly telling the truth. Sometimes the Truth sucks. Yet we still have to suck it up and admit the Truth because as renowned essayist George Santayana said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”…

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Splash into Summer Cash Giveaway

Splash into Summer Cash Giveaway

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Splash Into Summer $250 Cash Giveaway June 1st to 20th   Planning a getaway this summer? Or perhaps a staycation with loads of books? (My personal fave.) If so, you’ll want to jump into the cash giveaway contest because…an Amazing Group of Authors & Bloggers have joined with me to bring you one fabulous prize! Start your summer with a Splash! We’re giving away $250 in Paypal Cash. Below you will find the rules and rafflecopter graphic as well as…

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Armchair BEA Introduction

Armchair BEA Introduction

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Hello there, fellow book lovers! Today begins Armchair BEA. I think this is my third year to participate in Armchair BEA, so you may be familiar with it. If not, click here to learn all about it. I love the concept of joining a book conference without traveling to New York (although at some point I’d love to do that, too). The folks at ABEA have asked participants to answer five questions as a sort of introduction. Here are my five…

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Friday Five Challenge

Friday Five Challenge

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Okay, for you writers out there–have you wondered if your cover truly draws a reader in? And for you readers, how does a cover affect your buying decision? It’s Friday, so I’m taking part in Rosie Amber’s Friday Five Challenge today. Here are Rosie’s rules: My Friday Five Challenge is this….. IN ONLY FIVE MINUTES…. 1) Go to any online book supplier, 2) Randomly choose a category, 3) Speed through the book covers, choose one which has instantly appealed to…

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Z is for Zenith

Z is for Zenith

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(Mountain Flare from Flickr creative commons via photopin) Z is for Zenith. Today is the zenith of the Blogging from A to Z challenge. We have arrived intact at the letter Z. Er, sort of. I didn’t quite manage the letter Y though I had a good one. Anyway, the word zenith has three definitions: 1. The point directly above the observer. 2. The highest point above the observer attained by a celestial body (hence, the photo above). 3. The…

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X is for Xenophile

X is for Xenophile

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X is for Xenophile. What is that, you say–a tropical disease? A clerical mallfunction? Actually, a xenophile is a person who is attracted to a foreign locale or foreign cultures (as opposed to a xenophobe who fears the foreign). I think at this point it will not surprise anyone to discover I am attracted to things Korean. Therefore, I am a self-professed xenophile. What is it that draws me to Korean culture? I’ll mention a few things. (image flickr creative…

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W is for Writing with Water

W is for Writing with Water

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(image Flikr creative commons) W is for Writing with Water. I think about water. A lot. For one thing, my state, California, is experiencing its worst drought in 100 years? 500 years? 1,200 years? Depends who is delivering the news. A story in the San Jose Mercury News written by Paul Rogers claims the last time California suffered such a severe drought “Vikings were marauding Europe.” Eek. So I think about water. A lot. I try to make water work…

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V is for Voice

V is for Voice

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(image creative commons via photopin) V is for Voice. The more I read and write, the more I find I’m drawn to voice. Voice. What does that even mean? Voice is the presence of the author that we as readers can observe. You observe voice through tone and mood and, well, I won’t bore you with any more technical aspects. It’s sort of like that old definition of pornography from Justice Stewart’s law clerk–you will know it when you see…

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U is for Umbrella

U is for Umbrella

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  (image flikr/creative commons via photopin) U is for Umbrella. I was struggling for a U word, spent quite a lot of time thumbing through the dictionary. And then, I happened upon umbrella. Writers love words with more than one meaning, so I was ready to explore the world of the umbrella. The umbrella (or parasol) appeared in sculptures of ancient Mesopotamia. The first text to refer to the umbrella dates from 2400 years ago in China. The word umbrella comes…

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