tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34016324427300791652024-03-15T21:09:53.913-04:00LAVENDER ROSE RAMBLINGSDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10318926277089882125noreply@blogger.comBlogger374125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401632442730079165.post-42290958469628324762014-08-16T23:15:00.001-04:002014-08-16T23:15:40.091-04:00Progress on my Scarf and Sampler!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB19liJA6U2vc1IgTHJJu-D6HmEj-U8h3dxfKWnt83qquurXIHjXCREmLWhZ1nAAyVy3CWJK84eGTPgzu1Kwi3_eVWK-IaArtHTaPOyVt8d7jpFvefhCsJRX2Xg4DrnGfi-k5k8qG6w9M/s1600/Scarf+%233+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB19liJA6U2vc1IgTHJJu-D6HmEj-U8h3dxfKWnt83qquurXIHjXCREmLWhZ1nAAyVy3CWJK84eGTPgzu1Kwi3_eVWK-IaArtHTaPOyVt8d7jpFvefhCsJRX2Xg4DrnGfi-k5k8qG6w9M/s1600/Scarf+%233+001.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
Scarf completed with the fuzzy mixed color yarn and the Hannah silks in hand painted soft greens and rose, and dark blood red. It's as long as down to my knees once it's been wrapped around my neck a couple of times! I love it! Light weight and light yarns for Florida living...<br />
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This is an update of my "Plantation" sampler. I haven't stitched a lot on it, but have continued to work the verse and am continuing the rose border above. I stitched quite a ways on the yellow zigzag, as well. It continues to be laborious for me because of the size, but I pulled out a frame that you sit on that holds the hoop, and that worked best of anything I've tried, yet. My difficulty really lies in the fact that I can't see as well as I used to so I have to be situated to see the linen in the magnifying light. I enlarged the chart enough that I don't have a problem looking at it anymore.</div>
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I've been putting some of my needlepoint mostly hand painted canvases on eBay the last couple of days. Lots of work! I used to have a needlepoint shop, so there are lots of canvases here...too many for me ever to finish. I hope I get some luck selling them on eBay. I'm "cabbagerose2012" on there.</div>
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Here's a picture of a couple of them:</div>
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(This one isn't hand painted!)</div>
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(This one is hand painted)</div>
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I'm finding I'm going to have to get a better light for photographing them... But of the ten I posted, I have bids on about 5 of them. So, I'm happy with that for a start. They will be running to begin with for 5 days. I'll be posting more later this week. Some Christmas...<br />
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Nothing much going on other than this little bit of stitching, working on eBay and some reading. I'm still trying to get through JoJo Moyes's "Me, Before You." I'm finding it slow and having a hard time understanding why everyone has loved it so much!! But, for the sake of those who have...I'm mustering on. <br />
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I've been listening to "A Feast for Crows: A Song of Ice and Fire" by George R.R. Martin of "The Game of Thrones" fame on audiobook. It's wonderful. Highly recommend it to his fans. Can't wait for the new season on HBO.<br />
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I'll be skipping around this week seeing some of you on Facebook, and others of you on your blogs!<br />
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Happy Stitching!<br />
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Deb/LavenRoseRamblings<br />
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Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10318926277089882125noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401632442730079165.post-69120481914256299252014-08-08T03:09:00.001-04:002014-08-16T22:25:19.171-04:00Back to Stitching After 5 Years Away!!<br />
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Not a great picture, but at least a fairly recent one of me with that little book character my granddaughter sent for a trip to Naples!! Can't remember his name. LOL I've lost 13 lbs. since this picture, thank God! I'm doing Jenny Craig.<br />
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Have you wondered where I've been? I've been writing a book review blog for the last 6 years or so, and sadly neglecting my stitching. Then, about two months ago, I took a notion to pick a couple of things up again and I'm off! I'm really rusty. Need all the help and suggestions I can get. Everything feels awkward. I can't seem to find where to put my arms and elbows! But I figure with a little time, it will all come back to me.<br />
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I hesitate to take any pictures of anything to show you where I am on a WIP since it's been forever!! But I'll show you what I've been working on, below:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-EGSO-uljbnd_im0lejh-ZTNkU8OuxafB4l8NQW-eJfJkg_i6ErRNRDCWeqLKM6qIYA03VXSp9JuCX_q3w95kkw_rxiu8CmT420u-oqNKXh-jzK_U2Sqavs_SayqfIxw2xBALI004zwf-/s1600/LavenRoseRamblings+8+2014+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-EGSO-uljbnd_im0lejh-ZTNkU8OuxafB4l8NQW-eJfJkg_i6ErRNRDCWeqLKM6qIYA03VXSp9JuCX_q3w95kkw_rxiu8CmT420u-oqNKXh-jzK_U2Sqavs_SayqfIxw2xBALI004zwf-/s1600/LavenRoseRamblings+8+2014+004.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is <span style="color: #e06666;">The Plantation Sampler</span> which I still haven't gotten very far on. It's big and difficult to hold, so I'm having some trouble with it. I had it on stretcher bars, but seem to do better with it just "in hand" or on a large hoop. Because of my recent brain tumor and my fading eyesight, it's not easy for me to look back and forth between the pattern and the linen, but I'm working with it. It's good therapy for me. And, I love it. I'm open to any suggestions to help it work better for me. I'm using a standing mag. light which really is wonderful and makes a difference.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJR08JBwuHgx0NkEaT8qPtdxWkd85yFyJ5XCHbCRNf_JLsIbwRMVv1KMBL9E7WVaf1x-SfgfhvnNMtEFOtSNq3J_grbH_XTJc3IWxCDNFI4YHrZGfHfe_IrptVVGkKtp0dPmyKNhyGx45C/s1600/LavenRoseRamblings+8+2014+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJR08JBwuHgx0NkEaT8qPtdxWkd85yFyJ5XCHbCRNf_JLsIbwRMVv1KMBL9E7WVaf1x-SfgfhvnNMtEFOtSNq3J_grbH_XTJc3IWxCDNFI4YHrZGfHfe_IrptVVGkKtp0dPmyKNhyGx45C/s1600/LavenRoseRamblings+8+2014+009.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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These are, of course, a couple of Santas I stitched for Christmas but never got finished. I'm afraid of finishing. Finishing phobia. I always tend to ruin things when I try. So, I figure I'll stitch a bunch of them and take them to my local needlework shop one of these days...or send them off to one of you with a big bribe!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXDRBgSURrGfxC_-5795c1BIu_ZgDBlouTdmnQXlAvaN_vXwYRsMzPXJ0sg9DulOA4sYtST95xfcLdlPrp-64vWb_24tdtW8AIHMOsJbrKCx1-qyUNA-wdBIgE3Ox8cvsppXj-R3O6AOJT/s1600/LavenRoseRamblings+8+2014+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXDRBgSURrGfxC_-5795c1BIu_ZgDBlouTdmnQXlAvaN_vXwYRsMzPXJ0sg9DulOA4sYtST95xfcLdlPrp-64vWb_24tdtW8AIHMOsJbrKCx1-qyUNA-wdBIgE3Ox8cvsppXj-R3O6AOJT/s1600/LavenRoseRamblings+8+2014+005.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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A needlepoint piece I've been working on, on and off for a while. It's nearly finished. It's a faux Matisse. I think I'll just frame it. I need to do some boring outlining, add some beads and silk to the flowers, and finish the browns. I'm leaving the table rough canvas to seem like wicker. Should be nice in my little French stitching room which is mostly yellow and pinks.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMlBQTcdgwoFy5vuE_-5G6DKyoNLuBETvI5phR65WD-DvG2uZ267oP3ciba3t2qzxzXeil1aMPH3wsAP79iQGYVP2wd7AofEAZXxIyGUPCaJ0ra76Qy4AzIS3CpjfPAZBbWhnzOl3n1kz4/s1600/LavenRoseRamblings+8+2014+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMlBQTcdgwoFy5vuE_-5G6DKyoNLuBETvI5phR65WD-DvG2uZ267oP3ciba3t2qzxzXeil1aMPH3wsAP79iQGYVP2wd7AofEAZXxIyGUPCaJ0ra76Qy4AzIS3CpjfPAZBbWhnzOl3n1kz4/s1600/LavenRoseRamblings+8+2014+007.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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I don't even know if you can see this...I'm making a very long, segmented, funky scarf. This is just the first two and a bit sections. I'm using Hannah silk for that hand-painted section in pale green with a touch of rose, and yellow, and I'll be putting in another Hannah silk in the burgundy colors of the shaggy yarn. Rotating colors and yarn textures. I'll post more pics as I go along so it makes sense. Since it's still warm here even in the winter, this is just meant to be a decorative, wrap around the neck thingie for fun. The air conditioning gets very cool in restaurants at night.<br />
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And, last...I have looked for YEARS for a frog for my scissors, and finally found a lovely little ceramic one at an antique shop yesterday. It's hard to get a close up, but I hope you get the feeling of it. I have more scissors in a keepsake box, and hope I'll be lucky enough to find a glass frog one of these days. Meanwhile, I like this one very much!<br />
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So, that's all I have to share in pictures of what I've been doing lately. Please stop by and see me as I try to make some progress on my sampler. I'm also going to pick up one of my Quaker samplers, as well. I love Quakers...still have work to do on Ackworth's Beatrix Potter and a couple of others.<br />
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If you'd care to take a peek at my book review blog you can find it at: <a href="http://abookishlibraria.blogspot.com/">http://abookishlibraria.blogspot.com</a> <br />
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Thanks for stopping. Please leave me a note so I can follow you, too!<br />
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Hugs,<br />
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DebDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10318926277089882125noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401632442730079165.post-14198765878417569972012-05-24T13:35:00.001-04:002012-05-24T13:35:21.544-04:00"50 Shades of Grey" ~Guest Post: "If I Write It, They Will Read It" by Jessica Magill<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Traditionally, I don’t read romance novels. I certainly don’t read erotic romance,<i> </i>and when<i> 50 Shades of Grey </i>was mentioned to me, I immediately brushed it off as a cheap and tacky<i> Twilight </i>rip off. I read a lot, every day in fact, and am interested in many subjects. I am not the squeamish type, and the more daring and unconventional, the more interested I am. I am an unabashed reader. </div>
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This novel piqued my interest when my mother mentioned it and warned me against it!</div>
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I found out that it was about a college-aged girl who falls in love..with a Dominant, or so it was explained to me. I am not your run of the mill "reader," I have a Bachelor’s Degree in English, and read fiction like an English teacher. I always try and look beyond the "cover," read between the lines, understand all the layers of meaning. </div>
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However, the cover of "50 Shades of Grey" immediately drew me in. It is beautiful, haunting, dark, and mysterious. I like the shimmer in the tie. The simplicity of the cover, the single subject, the tie against the opaque background; chic and sophisticated. The cover shows sharp contrasts of color dark and light, grey and black, the focus, simple and strong. Really hadn't jumped out at me from the shelves, though. But, of course I had to find it after being told about its general subject matter. Can’t be that bad if Target is carrying it, right? </div>
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I picked up the book, and read the back, feeling rebellious, cutting edge, and a bit naughty. Expectant and anxious, I was drawn in, and within 10 minutes purchased the book. Now, you readers, if you are here in my review, you too have decided to read on. Are you curious too? Curiosity is the bait. I am hooked.</div>
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E.L. James is brilliant. She hooked me, just as Christian hooks the main character Anastasia Steele. Once you are hooked, you are <i>compelled</i> to keep reading. "Ana" the protagonist, is curious and astute, educated and independent, and at a crossroads in her life, when she unwittingly interviews Christian Grey for her roommate, who needs the article for the school newspaper. </div>
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Begrudgingly, Ana goes in place of her roommate to interview Mr. Grey. </div>
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This simple act of kindness, to "save" her friend from not meeting a deadline, changes Ana’s life. It’s funny how one seemingly mundane event which doesn’t have to be a milestone or a celebration, can change your perspective and take you to a place you never thought you would be, <b><u>ever</u> .</b></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">James slowly wraps the reader in, just as Ana is slowly wrapped in to a relationship with Christian. She lulls you into a sense of false security, leads you to read more, want more, creates a strong justification to you the reader, that you are just "finding out what happens." Just as soon as I was reaching a point of disdain, in that I was predicting the future of this couple, James shocks me with an unexpected twist. Again, I am intrigued, and don’t want to be wrong, I need to keep guessing. What happens to Ana? I am in it now. Just like Ana.</span></div>
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James writes the novel from Ana’s perspective. The commentary is in the first person, and although you may not relate to Ana’s situation, there is something about her that is relatable to all women. She's curious, she's strong, she is willing, and a loyal friend. Aren’t these the very characteristics that we cherish as women? These are the very characteristics that work both in Ana’s favor, and against her. Ana is shrewd, or so she thinks. Ana likes the volley back and forth with Christian. She pushes and pulls, teases and flirts, is confident and insecure. She is both intrigued and wary of Christian; he is an enigma. Much about the thoughts Ana has is relatable to all women. I understand why Ana finds Christian alluring. I find him alluring, too.. he is the ultimate modern bad boy. It seems that both the people and things that scare us a little often intrigues us, and keep us wanting more. </div>
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E.L. James keeps Ana's and Christian’s relationship tense and sweet. I found myself asking the same questions Ana does, feeling the same way she does. Ana is an innocent; naive, but not ignorant. She, like so many of us, is swept away in love and lust. As hard as she tries to rationalize the relationship she has with Christian, her emotions get the best of her, and</div>
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she maintains her emotional connection and even deepens it with him.</div>
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Ana is a realistic. To me, her actions and emotions are genuine. James’s gives her life, makes her a sympathetic character. Similarly, Christian is not someone that I have ever known in real life, but his caricature is. I have wondered many times if what people look like on the exterior matches who they are on the interior. Christian is a modern Heathcliff~brooding, dark and dangerous. He has secrets that keep him locked in his own world. The question is, can Ana unlock them? Or not?</div>
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Thus, the quest Ms James entices us to keep on.</div>
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"50 Shades Grey" has been touted as "Mommy Porn." Yes, the sex scenes are raw and descriptive, but if you are an adult woman, you can handle it. To me, they are not the focus of this intense novel. It is the relationship between Christian and Ana. Their relationship parallels the dominant submissive sex scenes throughout the novel. </div>
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I often asked myself through the novel, who is the dominant? </div>
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Is it really Christian? Or is it Ana? </div>
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Sting says it so beautifully in the lyrics to his song, Wrapped Around Your Finger, "when you find your servant is your master." It is always a paradox, isn’t it? In a split second the position of power can shift, leaving the master the servant and vice versa. I don’t find these scenes offensive. They are intended to be graphic, intense, and peircing. If James had written these scenes in a less intensive way, I as the reader would be less likely to believe them. I read through the scenes, and moved on. To me, in this day and age, like it or not, these scenes are shocking but not outrageous. If the reader makes this the focus of the novel they will lose the beauty of the story as a whole.</div>
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In conclusion, I loved the book" 50 Shades of Grey." Shocked?</div>
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I have since bought the next two books in the series. I understand why women and men all over the world love this series. It is fresh, exciting, dark, and engaging. Ana and Christian are just as real to the audience as Bella and Edward are to "Twi hard" fans. Move over twi-hards! There’s a new couple in town, and they are here to stay. If you haven’t gone to get your copy of" 50 Shades...," you better go now! These books are flying off the shelves faster than the stores can keep them ordered.</div>
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I believe this series will be discussed for years to come. It's a literary phenomena.</div>
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You may just want to take a chance to peek at it. You may want to open Pandora's box. You won’t be disappointed, I promise. Aren’t you curious?</div>
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Written by Jessica Magill</div>
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Guest Writer for A Bookish Libraria</div>
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May 24, 2012</div>
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</span>Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10318926277089882125noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401632442730079165.post-39182579657557095032012-05-24T01:51:00.001-04:002012-05-24T01:53:22.291-04:00"I Couldn't Love You More" by Jillian Medoff~Family Saga for Book Groups!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Being a step-mother has its pitfalls on a normal day, but being one when the chips are down is even more difficult. In "I Couldn't Love You More," Eliot Gordon, referred to as the motherly "good one" by her sisters, loves her "steps" like her own children, but she's often stonewalled as so many caring step-mothers are. In this close monologue of a book, we find out a good deal about mothering, how "Sophie" may have made her choice and why we take the roads in life we do. This is a passionate book that calls to the mother and the fallible in all of us. Read it and weep. I did. A book to share with your friends, mom, sisters and book group. This one will have you talking to yourself, so you'll need a friend to share it with. You may have to buy two copies at one time!!<br />
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The book is published by: Grand Central Publishing/Hachette and is written by Jillian Medoff. You may find it at <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/i-couldnt-love-you-more-jillian-medoff/1100737415?ean=9780446584623">Barnes & Noble</a> and at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/I-Couldnt-Love-You-More/dp/0446584622/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1337832027&sr=1-1">Amazon</a><br />
There are more than 400 pages to this book. <br />
You may also want to visit the author's website here: <a href="http://jillianmedoff.com/">http://jillianmedoff.com</a><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #45818e;"><u>Summary </u>:</span></strong><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e;"><div id="yui_3_3_0_1_1337830742210_3810">
<i id="yui_3_3_0_1_1337830742210_3811">Which child would you save?</i> A decision no parent can even fathom.</div>
<div id="yui_3_3_0_1_1337830742210_3809">
Eliot Gordon would do anything for her family. A 38-year-old working mother, she lives an ordinary but fulfilling life in suburban Atlanta with her partner, Grant Delaney, and their three daughters. The two older girls are actually Eliot's stepdaughters, a distinction she is reluctant to make as she valiantly attempts to maintain a safe, happy household . . .</div>
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Then Finn Montgomery, Eliot's long-lost first love, appears, triggering a shocking chain of events that culminates in a split-second decision that will haunt her beloved family forever. How Eliot survives-and what she loses in the process-is a story that will resonate with anyone who has ever loved a child. With hilarious honesty, wrenching depth, and a knockout twist, I COULDN'T LOVE YOU MORE illuminates the unbreakable bonds of family and reveals the lengths we'll go to save each other, even as we can't save ourselves.</div>
<br /><br /><strong><u>Please take a moment to view this book trailer</u> ~</strong><br /><br />
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<br /><br /><br /><strong><u>Who Is Jillian Medoff </u>?</strong><br />Jillian Medoff's bitterly funny, shocking third novel, <strong>I Couldn't Love You More</strong>, will be available from Grand Central Publishing in 2012. She is the acclaimed author of <strong>Hunger Point </strong>and <strong>Good Girls Gone Bad</strong>, both of which received surprisingly great reviews (surprising to her). A huge seller in the US, <strong>Hunger Point </strong>was the basis for the original Lifetime movie starring Barbara Hershey and Christina Hendricks (<strong>Mad Men</strong>). Although Jillian is proud of <strong>Hunger Point,</strong> had anyone asked, she would not have selected such a bright pink (any pink, frankly) for the trade paperback edition. Her books have been translated into many different languages, including French, Spanish, Hebrew, Turkish, Hungarian, Japanese (abridged), Polish, and German (forthcoming). <br /><strong>The eldest daughter of a traveling salesman, Jillian moved 17 times by age 17, ultimately ending up in Atlanta, where her new novel is set. She has a BA from Barnard and an MFA from NYU, and is grateful for having studied with such luminary writers as Mona Simpson, Jonathan Dee, Robert Coover, and Alice Walker. She also attended Master Classes with Toni Morrison, Joyce Carol Oates, and Grace Paley. Although these authors continue to influence her work in powerful and diverse ways, she suspects few of them, if any, remember her. A former fellow at the MacDowell Colony, Blue Mountain Center, VCCA and Fundacion Valparaiso in Spain, Jillian taught at NYU and the University of Georgia, but for only, like, five minutes. She currently lives in New York with her family, and has no plans to move anytime soon.</strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>The Dame's Review </u>:</span></strong></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial;">I have been reading " I Couldn't Love You More" for over a week. This is very unusual for me. I just had to savor every word of it. I had to take time to take it all in. Like a delicious Godiva truffle, I wanted to take my time to chew over what Jillian Medoff was "saying." This is an extraordinary piece of literature. It's one that warrants such time-taking. It's a book I wanted to cherish and reread, personally. It may be one of those "nightstand" books because I'd like to keep opening it to passages to think on again and again. This may give you some idea of the quality of Ms Medoff's writing. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial;"> I'm not surprised she worked under and studied with some of the finest authors of our times...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial;">it shows up in her work.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial;">I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't do some influencing herself.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial;">The book also meant a great deal to me as a mother and step-mother. Her ability to translate this very delicate balance of love and responsibility,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial;"> of wanting to be loved and wanting to do what's right is just masterful.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial;">Her telling of that risk of giving it all in mothering for what may be receiving little or no return in the long run is what each of us mothers understands...but it's more so for step-moms.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial;">The risks in this book are just staggering. And they kept me nailed to the novel mind and spirit.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial;"><em>At last</em>, I thought,<em> someone gets it down on paper</em>.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial;">I write notes about books as I read them, and I read without reading any reviews or summaries of my books if I can help it. In this case, I kept things to a minimum. So one of my notes to myself was about Sophie's choice. Yes, there is that happenstance in this book and it's as horrifying here and as smashing of lives as you can imagine. The dysfunction of families, and the particular dynamics of three significantly different sisters (all playing their Shakespearean roles) is hilarious enough to break the underlying tensions. But, these are not the only things that captured me about this novel.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial;">Primarily, and in addition to what I've already said about the mothering, I was captivated by its quality of voice. That's a rare thing to me. To so clearly hear the author's voice was stunning. It was hypnotic. It felt as if I were sitting on the sofa of my very best friend and she was telling me her life story. I felt I was hearing her secrets; her intimate thoughts and feelings that she kept inside but was now sharing with me. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial;">This book begins in a sort of monologue. At least, to me there was little dialog. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial;">This sort of thing is ordinarily not appealing to me. </span><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial;">But, as I said, it was simply golden in Jillian Medoff's hands. To this day I'm in awe of that. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial;"> As I write this, I wonder if my readers will even comprehend how something can be told without an emphasis on dialog and be so powerful and absorbing to the reader!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial;">It would be redundant to tell you what "I Couldn't Love You More" is "about," so I won't do that. Only, I will say it is such a beautifully created story of love and sacrifice and redemption. I thought Jillian Medoff's quote of a Willa Cather saying was significant in the beginning of her book:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial;">" There are only one or two human stories, and they go on repeating themselves as fiercely as if they had never happened before."</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial;">This is one of those tellings of one of those lives and times. It may be we've all experienced much of what Ms Medoff describes in her story. It may be this that makes it so relavant and so poinant. And, it's a profound and wonderful telling.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial;">I hope you get your own copy to read and share. You can never have mine...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial;">5 stars</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial;">Deborah/TheBookishDame</span></div>
</span>Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10318926277089882125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401632442730079165.post-2982191122724891862012-05-16T03:50:00.001-04:002012-05-16T03:50:23.627-04:00"Darkroom" by Joshua Graham~Thriller! Giveaway!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #990000;">Dark, deceptive, political intrigue and ghostly images...all this and more await the eager reader who loves a thriller and a mystery in "Darkroom." I lived through the Viet Nam War era, but don't recall having read a single suspense novel that has its focus around the Vietnam cross-culture that made its way to the US. This book is unique in many ways. It has a bit of everything to recommend it: love, mystery, conspiracy, family connections to ancient times and places, politics, terrorism and murder; not to mention the Viet Nam War and the vets that brought home not only images, but other baggage, and loved ones. A must read, this book is fast moving, intriguing and beautifully written to tantalize! Joshua Graham is a fantastic writer who knows when to dangle the carrot and when to pull it back. I loved the whole reading process! His characters are rich in detail, lovable, sad, frightening and strangely familiar. I was literally up all night reading "Darkroom" having such a good time in the process. I couldn't put it down... If you've ever been placed in the moral dilemma of wondering whether you should tell the truth and risk it all, you'll love this book. If you've ever wondered if there are conspiracies and cover ups in political arenas we aren't privy to, you'll love this book... I have to give it a solid...</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;">5 stars!!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">Published by: Howard Books/Simon and Schuster</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;">Visit Mr. Graham's website here: <a href="http://joshua-graham.com/">http://joshua-graham.com</a></span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;">Also see his blog at: <a href="http://joshua-graham.com/blog/">http://joshua-graham.com/blog/</a></span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;"><u>Quick Overview of "Darkroom"</u>: </span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">After scattering her mother’s ashes in Vietnam, photojournalist Xandra Carrick comes home to New York to rebuild her life and career. When she experiences supernatural visions that reveal atrocities perpetrated by American soldiers during the Vietnam War, she finds herself entangled in a forty-year-old conspiracy that could bring the nation into political turmoil.</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;">Launching headlong into a quest to learn the truth from her father, Peter Carrick, a Pulitzer Prize Laureate who served as an embedded photographer during the war, Xandra confronts him about a dark secret he has kept–one that has devastated their family.</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;">Her investigations lead her to her departed mother’s journal, which tell of love, spiritual awakening, and surviving the fall of Saigon.</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;">Pursued across the continent, Xandra comes face-to-face with powerful forces that will stop at nothing to prevent her from revealing the truth. But not before government agencies arrest her for murder, domestic terrorism and an assassination attempt on the newly elected president of the United States.</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><em>Darkroom</em> is a riveting tale of suspense that tears the covers off the human struggle for truth in a world imprisoned by lies.</span><br />
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<u>About Joshua Graham </u>:<br />
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WINNER OF 2011 INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARDS, Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble #1 bestselling author <a href="http://joshua-graham.com/" target="_blank">Joshua Graham’s </a>novel <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003UV98BI/ref=nosim?tag=joshgrah-20&linkCode=sb1&camp=212353&creative=380549" target="_blank">BEYOND JUSTICE</a> is taking the world by storm, one reader at a time. Many of his readers <a href="http://joshua-graham.com/?page_id=712" target="_blank">blame him </a>for sleepless nights, arriving to work late, neglected dishes and family members, and not allowing them to put the book down.<br />
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Suspense Magazine listed BEYOND JUSTICE in its BEST OF 2010, alongside titles by Scott Turrow, Ted Dekker, Steven James and Brad Thor.<br />
His short story <a href="http://www.amazon.com/DOORS-OPEN-Digital-Short-ebook/dp/B004D4ZP86/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1304098297&sr=1-1" target="_blank">THE DOOR’S OPEN</a> won the HarperCollins Authonomy Competition (Christmas 2010.)<br />
<strong><em>Publishers Weekly</em></strong> described BEYOND JUSTICE as: <em>“A riveting legal thriller…breaking new ground with a vengeance…demonically entertaining and surprisingly inspiring.”</em><br />
Joshua Graham grew up in Brooklyn, NY where he lived for the better part of 30 years. He holds a Bachelor and Master’s Degree and went on to earn his doctorate from Johns Hopkins University. During his time in Maryland, he taught as a professor at Shepherd College (WV), Western Maryland College, and Columbia Union College (MD).<br />
Today he lives with his beautiful wife and children in Southern California. Several of Graham’s short fiction works have been published by Pocket Books and Dawn Treader Press.<br />
Writing under the pen name <a href="http://ianalex.com/" target="_blank">Ian Alexander</a>, Graham debuted with his first Epic Fantasy novel <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005Z5FFRS/ref=nosim?tag=joshgrah-20&linkCode=sb1&camp=212353&creative=380549" target="_blank">ONCE WE WERE KINGS</a>, an Amazon #1 Bestseller in multiple categories and Award-Winning Finalist in the SciFi/Fantasy category of The USA “Best Books 2011″ Awards, as well as an Award-Winning Finalist in the Young Adult Fiction category of The USA “Best Books 2011″ Awards, and an Award Winner in the 2011 Forward National Literature Awards in the Teen/Young Adult category. ONCE WE WERE KINGS is available in ebook and hardcover editions.<br />
Look for his next Suspense/Thriller <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005FLODPC/ref=nosim?tag=joshgrah-20&linkCode=sb1&camp=212353&creative=380549" target="_blank"><em>DARKROOM</em> </a>(Simon & Schuster/Howard Books) to be released May 1, 2012!<br />
For Film Rights Josh is represented by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Talent_Agency">UNITED TALENT AGENCY</a>. Please use the <a href="http://joshua-graham.com/contact/" target="_blank">CONTACT</a> button on this website for all inquiries.<br />
You can visit his website at <a href="http://www.joshua-graham.com/">www.joshua-graham.com</a>.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">A Bookish Libraria is pleased to be on the virtual book publicity tour for Mr. Graham sponsored by Pump Up Your Books. To find out more about the GIVEAWAY, please go to this site: <a href="http://pumpupyourbooks.com/">http://pumpupyourbooks.com</a></span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"> and search for "Darkroom"</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Thanks for stopping by! Deborah/TheBookishDame</span><br />
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</div>Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10318926277089882125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401632442730079165.post-40256826315438548142012-05-14T01:53:00.001-04:002012-05-14T01:53:19.877-04:00"The Last Romanov" by Dora Levy Mossanen~A Fabulous Historical Fiction!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkwiDs9kwHeibL10sO22142pVLWyBv78Kifff8ZtGDAWbl8NIecx1jEno1PQvNCcl8hRC4hRe10Do6Qd8XXshnvVpO9J7pROcSMQcNhp-1jRYoG0RVGzJZLLLFMtyo2iG3LajZ8bEV9z4/s1600/Book++The+Last+Romanov.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkwiDs9kwHeibL10sO22142pVLWyBv78Kifff8ZtGDAWbl8NIecx1jEno1PQvNCcl8hRC4hRe10Do6Qd8XXshnvVpO9J7pROcSMQcNhp-1jRYoG0RVGzJZLLLFMtyo2iG3LajZ8bEV9z4/s320/Book++The+Last+Romanov.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">So very gorgeously written, so descriptive and rich in history, this book is unbelievably special. I was sunk from the beginning...and I had so much to do this Mother's Day weekend! Sumptuous writing, so gaudy with lush descriptions of Romanovs, their homes and sycophants that my head was swimming</span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c;"> as if I'd drunk too much Massandra wine from one of the Tsar's seaside estates.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">I was spun back in time to the Palaces with the little witch Darya Spiridova, nanny/aunt to the precious Tsarevich before he and his family were killed. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c;"> Or, was he killed with his family? That's the mystery of "The Last Romanov," that and what true place did Darya play in the unfolding horror and redemption of the past.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">Floating back and forth in time over a span of 80-some years, we are tossed through a magnificent </span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">time of war and peace. Dora Levy Mossanen is a tour guide like none other as she finely details all manner of things,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">lending an authenticity to her story that brings chills of delight to a reader of historical fiction.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">She is quite painterly in her art of writing.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">Historical details are impeccable and gave the reading another pleasurable dimension.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">I was unaware, for instance, but loved finding out, that Empress Alexandra's favorite fragrance was</span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">Rose Blanche.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; color: #134f5c;">This book ended for me with a sigh. I had such reluctance to let it go.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f4cccc;"><span style="color: #134f5c;">I know all of you who love historical fiction will just die for it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; color: #134f5c;">5 luscious stars on a diamond encrusted tray, and a pinch of Ambergris for fragrance!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c;"><u>Particulars of the Book</u>:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">Published by ~ Sourcebooks</span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">Pages ~ About 354</span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">Genre ~ Historical Fiction</span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">Author website: <a href="http://doralevymossanen.com/">http://doralevymossanen.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">Author's blog: <a href="http://doralevymossanen.com/posts/">http://doralevymossanen.com/posts/</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c;"><u>OVERVIEW OF BOOK </u>:</span></div>
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<strong>IN A TIME OF RASPUTIN’S MAGIC AND ROMANOV MYSTERY, </strong><br />
<strong>A YOUNG GIRL FINDS HERSELF AT THE HEART OF THE ROYAL FAMILY. </strong></div>
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She was an orphan, ushered into the royal palace on</div>
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the prayers of her majesty. Yet, decades later, her time</div>
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spent in the embrace of the Romanovs haunts her still. Is she</div>
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responsible for those murderous events that changed everything?</div>
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If only she can find the heir, maybe she can put together the</div>
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broken pieces of her own past—maybe she can hold on to</div>
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the love she found. Bursting to life with the rich and glorious</div>
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marvels of Imperial Russia, The Last Romanov is a magical tale</div>
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of second chances and royal blood.</div>
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<u>A Little Something About This Amazing Author </u>:</div>
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Dora Levy Mossanen was born in Israel as the country was gaining its independence and moved to Iran with her family when she was nine years old. After living in Israel, where female soldiers wore shorts and carried Uzis, she had a difficult time adjusting to Iranian culture, which required women to conceal themselves under chadors. The first days of her arrival coincided with the 1953 coup of Dr. Mossadegh when the Shah fled to Italy. Streets brimmed with demonstrators, supporting Dr. Mossadegh and dragging down statues of Mohammad Reza Shah. And the very next day, portraits of the Shah were displayed again and blaring microphones announced his return. These were her first experiences in a country of contradictions, a culture rich in legend, mythology, folklore, and superstition.<br /><br />Her family’s roots go back 2,500 years in Persia, where her first inspiration and invaluable source of history was her grandfather, Doctor Habib Levy, a renowned historian. Dr. Levy introduced Dora to life in <em>Mahaleh</em>, the Jewish ghetto, to the horrors of anti-Semitism, and to the challenges of being Jewish in a Moslem country. The Islamic Revolution of 1979, the fall of the Shah, and arrival of the Ayatollah Khomeini forced Mossanen and her family to leave Iran. They settled in Los Angeles, California and became part of what is now the largest Iranian community in the United States.<br /><br />Despite being married, raising two daughters, and facing great opposition, Ms. Mossanen went back to school, causing another mini revolution—this one in her own home. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in English literature from the University of California Los Angeles and a master’s degree in creative writing from the University of Southern California.<br /><br />Dora is the bestselling author of the widely acclaimed novels <em>Harem</em> and <em>Courtesan</em>, which have been translated into numerous languages, and is the recipient of the prestigious San Diego Editor’s Choice Award. She blogs for <em>Huffington Post</em>, reviews fiction for the <em>Jewish Journal</em>, and has been featured in various publications.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUFPBelyu2HtHEFqm2zEhOVciYPIU8mcXeyQXPzneqI-KnUl8CYCoNpHrozrwPqTPVMOtV3jEYnRRrfNrlmSAGl0KQdpGJbiPMZTmKS9jhuHR66Cz5OSvo4hL02R9-LziEDcn8EkRmxVvM/s1600/Author++Dora+Levy+Mossanen+pic+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUFPBelyu2HtHEFqm2zEhOVciYPIU8mcXeyQXPzneqI-KnUl8CYCoNpHrozrwPqTPVMOtV3jEYnRRrfNrlmSAGl0KQdpGJbiPMZTmKS9jhuHR66Cz5OSvo4hL02R9-LziEDcn8EkRmxVvM/s320/Author++Dora+Levy+Mossanen+pic+2.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">I hope you'll take time to visit Ms Mossanen's website and blog. Fascinating! You'll love her book...promise.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">Thanks for stopping by.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">Deborah/TheBookishDame</span></div>Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10318926277089882125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401632442730079165.post-28630120381915789942012-05-13T08:40:00.000-04:002012-05-13T09:17:48.014-04:00A Plethora of Mother's Day Gifts! Deborah Batterman & Matt Hammitt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFf9aMNNl1_yywpSzZoWos7r19r2XQeZFoSxUvqwjgAhel8atgeLhxfhHPel-8VBVc7w0C0wZ-udtJ0629oDH3j4kB8TQWEUBOxXZFf2DDGfE8ZMKHxo0iLDSop8ClnqIj3FMWQ8kz8Co/s1600/Book++I+Couldnt+Love+You+MOre.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFf9aMNNl1_yywpSzZoWos7r19r2XQeZFoSxUvqwjgAhel8atgeLhxfhHPel-8VBVc7w0C0wZ-udtJ0629oDH3j4kB8TQWEUBOxXZFf2DDGfE8ZMKHxo0iLDSop8ClnqIj3FMWQ8kz8Co/s320/Book++I+Couldnt+Love+You+MOre.jpg" width="287" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><u>Summary</u>: In the same manner as touching picture books like bestsellers <i>Let Me Hold You Longer</i> and <i id="yui_3_3_0_1_1336864386505_3748">Love You Forever, I Couldn't Love You More</i> tells a sweet, loving, yet powerful message: I couldn’t love you more, but there is someone who does. Through the unique relationship of adorable animals, the book shares that Christ is always with you and he loves you more than you can imagine. This engaging picture book combines lovable and irresistible images with the lyrics from the song (co-written by Jason Ingram and Matt Hammitt). Matt is lead vocalist for Sanctus Real, a Grammy-nominated Christian rock band. The song is on Hammitt’s latest album, <i>Every Fallen Tear</i>. When Matt and his wife, Sarah, were halfway through her pregnancy, they discovered their son would be born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), a rare congenital defect. Matt and Sarah’s son, Bowen, was born on 9/9/10 and received a huge following through the Hammitt’s blog (bowensheart.com), K-LOVE, and ABC News. A portion of the proceeds from the book goes to the foundation the Hammitts’ have started to help parents with children who have this heart condition. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><u>Particlars of the book</u>: </span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Publisher~Tyndale House Publishers</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Pages~28</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Genre~ Children's Fiction/Christian/Inspirational</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><u>About the Author </u>:</span></div>
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Matt Hammitt is the lead singer and a founding member of the band Sanctus Real. Over the past decade, the Grammy nominated, Dove Award–winning group has released five albums and has topped the Christian radio charts with fourteen No. 1 and Top 5 radio hits.</div>
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In 2010, Matt and his wife, Sarah, found out they were expecting their third child. Already the parents of two young daughters, Emmerson and Claire, they were looking forward to an ultrasound that would reveal whether they were having a boy or a girl. "We found out it was a boy, and we were all celebrating," Matt recalls. "But only a few minutes later the doctor came in and told us that things weren't right, that half of the baby's heart wasn't developed. At that time, they didn't think he would survive."</div>
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Diagnosed with Hypoplastic left heart syndrome, little Bowen, whose name means "small, victorious one," defied the odds and survived. But it hasn't been an easy road for Matt and his family. Following Bowen's birth, Matt and Sarah watched their newborn son endure two open-heart surgeries, and they spent more than three months by his bedside at Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Matt and Sarah have shared the pain, as well as the joy, of their journey with others through their blog, Bowensheart.com, which has received more than one million hits to date. Sarah says, "God clearly has His hand in all of this. Our family has been called to walk through this, and we will do our best, even though it's going to be really rough at times."</div>
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"Everything I've watched happen in the hospital—all the pain I've felt—is deepening my faith, strengthening my marriage, and molding my character," Matt says. "Out of what appeared to be a well of emptiness has flowed a fountain of purpose." Matt's album Every Falling Tear, released in 2011, was born out of the heart of a father wrestling with his pain but buoyed by his faith and his love for his family. I Couldn't Love You More is one of the songs on the album. It expresses a parent's desire to share Christ's unconditional love with his child. A portion of the proceeds from both Matt's album and this book will be given to support the Whole Hearts Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded by the Hammitts that is dedicated to helping families with children suffering from congenital heart defects. Matt says, "We've met so many families like us whose children are suffering, and they are looking for hope. It has become our mission to help them find it." </div>
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Find out more about Sanctus Real at: <a href="http://sanctusreal.com/">http://sanctusreal.com</a> and their blog at: <a href="http://www.sanctusreal.com/sanctus-real/c/feed-blog">http://www.sanctusreal.com/sanctus-real/c/feed-blog</a></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><u>The Dame's Nutshell Review</u>: </span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">This is a darling book with the most beautiful of illustrations. I wish I had a copy for every single one of my 7 little grands to keep on their bedside tables. The message of Jesus's love and His never leaving them whether day or night is such a comfort. I know my grands would all be happy to be reminded that someone else loves them much more even than their devoted parents and grandparents!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">Matt Hammitt, and illstrator Polona Lovsin have worked together to bring a stunning little book to life with the collaboration of songwriter, producer and artist, Jason Ingram's input. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">I have always loved the simple and profound messages of their books, but this one is a stand-out!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">I highly recommend it, not just for children with disabilities and those who suffer with hospitalizations, but for all children in all situations.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">It's a perfect book for anytime and anywhere.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">5 sparkling stars...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: black;">Short Stories Choice of the Month</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXmmyIVtizRG3KZbFf5iJ9TWCzbNGfmDBdwNxxabyMRTgH6mbJ01avdeJXCylX7PElbaVcmTsIsG67L1UNMv-aI79yTJ5ZbhYmtJvXkGga1lqoyhC1hJYaItcRTNKHKbKbtCZLgY5yV835/s1600/Book++Because+My+Name+Is+Mother.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXmmyIVtizRG3KZbFf5iJ9TWCzbNGfmDBdwNxxabyMRTgH6mbJ01avdeJXCylX7PElbaVcmTsIsG67L1UNMv-aI79yTJ5ZbhYmtJvXkGga1lqoyhC1hJYaItcRTNKHKbKbtCZLgY5yV835/s320/Book++Because+My+Name+Is+Mother.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black;">With poignancy and humor, Deborah Batterman reminds us in these brief, linked essays that every mother is a daughter, too. The insights she brings to simple acts – looking at old photographs, recalling the smells and tastes of her mother’s cooking, making her daughter’s bed or shopping with her – are as beautifully rendered as they are profound. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">About the Author:</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"> A native New Yorker, Deborah Batterman has worked over the years as a writer, editor, and teaching artist. A story from her debut collection, SHOES HAIR NAILS (Uccelli Press, 2006; digital edition, 2010), was nominated for the Pushcart Prize. Her stories have appeared in anthologies as well as various print and online journals, and she recently completed a novel. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">Find Deborah on her blog at: </span><a href="http://deborahbatterman.com/"><span style="color: black;">http://deborahbatterman.com</span></a><span style="color: black;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><u>Let The Dame Have Her Say </u>:</span></div>
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Deborah Batterman is a woman who knows the intricacies of writing well. She is a writer who can take apart a piece of story like boning a fish, bit by tiny bit, and come out with a delicacy. I love her body of work. It's a delight to read, and I wonder when some major publisher is going to discover her and put her all over the book shelves in every major city across the country. For now, any of us can read her work by finding her on Barnes & Noble for a song. Lucky for us!<br />
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In "Because My Name Is Mother," Deborah has highlighted the dark and the light sides of motherhood. It's a retrospective story making of the push-pull we all probably feel about our own mothers; i.e., that sense of loving them, and at the same time feeling a sort of jealousy or resentment toward them. And, if not a resentment, an awe of the mystique of them on some level. The power of motherhood is addressed in Deborah's short stories, as is the personal weaknesses of women who are mothers. And all this is done with such brilliance and poignancy, we can't help being touched with memory and the madness, and the awareness of our own roles as mothers.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #ea9999;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599;">I'm a huge fan of Batterman's work. I have to stop by her blog fairly often just to get my dosage of her writing and wisdom. She's an amazing artist. She's also one of those who actually sees and interprets the world around her on a regular basis. That's a gift, which makes her a gifted writer.</span> </span><br />
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I loved the second story in this collection, for instance, of her showing her grown daughter by example that it's good to enjoy the moment, to take time to distance oneself from busy-ness when having a moment's pleasure and "relaxation" in a manicure and pedicure salon...putting away cell phones, magazines, etc., to enjoy the moment. She writes of not telling her daughter, but showing by her own choices, and realizing that her daughter might at some time find the way by her example...or not. That's motherhood at it's most mature.<br />
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Let me encourage you to purchase this volume of short stories today or anytime. "Because My Name Is Mother" is a book you'll be reading and passing on to your mother and friends...<br />
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And purchase her book on Barnes & Noble: <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/because-my-name-is-mother-deborah-batterman/1110356646?ean=2940014548731">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/because-my-name-is-mother-deborah-batterman/1110356646?ean=2940014548731</a></div>
<br />
5 stars<br />
<br />
Deborah/TheBookishDame<br />
<br />Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10318926277089882125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401632442730079165.post-22229115546617020532012-05-12T13:12:00.000-04:002012-05-12T13:14:20.597-04:00"Slide" by Jill Hathaway~ A Great New YA Thriller For the Summer!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-ZHjNU8r0441r-GPQeHVPAg9XMlSxyxZVcVyeiJj2X8e559-FA9hW2ykYQTh-4jKctlWvdMDasc7IJkso9hKCyJOJgUszfU7ePnxDgPPgiNMgEHcGGSyQkLu4tC1tu9-QUZCwOjG_JU/s1600/Book++Slide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-ZHjNU8r0441r-GPQeHVPAg9XMlSxyxZVcVyeiJj2X8e559-FA9hW2ykYQTh-4jKctlWvdMDasc7IJkso9hKCyJOJgUszfU7ePnxDgPPgiNMgEHcGGSyQkLu4tC1tu9-QUZCwOjG_JU/s320/Book++Slide.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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Narcolepsy is the
perfect cover for being a "slider," but is it the most socially acceptable when
you're in high school and no longer a cheerleader? I don't think so... Vee has
a hard time with her life in general; her mother recently died, her little
sister has hit puberty with a vengeance and her father's a famously, oft-needed
doctor. She has no friends except a </div>
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strangely different
sort of guy who seems to understand her; but with whom she can't share her
"sliding."</div>
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And, then there's a
murder that she just happens to know about when everyone else thinks it's a
suicide, because she accidently slid into the murder's body when it
happened!</div>
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This suspenseful
novel by Jill Hathaway is a young adult winner by any standards.</div>
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It has the
quintessentially beautiful, pink haired misfit girl, the hunky jock,
cheerleaders, goth-edged gorgeous
guy, the dark stranger guy and the slightly attractive male teacher...along with
the tragic teen aged angst of
suicide and parents missing by death and choice.</div>
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It's all a winning soup.</div>
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The plot is thick
and good.</div>
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<span style="background-color: #d0e0e3;">I loved this book for many reasons. It's well
written, it's absorbing, and </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #d0e0e3;">it's a cliff hanger of the old school
sort.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #d0e0e3;">Jill Hathaway has my attention, and I'll be
looking forward to more of her books.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #d0e0e3;">4 stars from me!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #d0e0e3;">This is a great YA fiction/thriller which I
think adult readers would also enjoy.</span></div>
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<u>Particulars of
the Book</u>:</div>
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Publisher: Balzer
& Bray/Harper Collins</div>
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Pages:
187something</div>
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Genre: YA
Fiction/Thriller</div>
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Author: Jill
Hathaway</div>
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Author's website:
<a href="http://jillhathaway.com/"><span style="color: #33bf9e;">http://jillhathaway.com</span></a></div>
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Author's blog: <a href="http://jillscribbles.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #33bf9e;">http://jillscribbles.blogspot.com/</span></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<u>Summary
</u>:<br />
Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable
truth—her sister's friend Sophie didn't kill herself. She was murdered.<br />
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Vee knows this because she was there.
Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn't actually fall asleep
during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else's mind
and experiences the world through that person's eyes. She's slid into her sister
as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She
learned the worst about a supposed "friend" when she slid into her during a
school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October
night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing
over Sophie's slashed body.</div>
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Vee desperately wishes she could share
her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can't bring
herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she
could confide in Rollins, he has been acting distant lately, especially now that
she's been spending more time with Zane.</div>
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Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets,
lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the
killer before he or she strikes again.</div>
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<u>All About the
Very Stylish Ms Hathaway</u>!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguaj-rx-I37ATO7l1qTUxCjVYU_aKKQAMb5kboKnDgCIy700rjKP-TvOr5fvp_AUvnDHRrkJVhT5OqNAv4Io92qrJZmKPFmOkQjnntDojnusH9G14CkByvJEGmfhDzIVgmCXCzoh3WRxF1/s1600/Author++Jill+Hathaway++Slide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_uid_4qutwl="4" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguaj-rx-I37ATO7l1qTUxCjVYU_aKKQAMb5kboKnDgCIy700rjKP-TvOr5fvp_AUvnDHRrkJVhT5OqNAv4Io92qrJZmKPFmOkQjnntDojnusH9G14CkByvJEGmfhDzIVgmCXCzoh3WRxF1/s1600/Author++Jill+Hathaway++Slide.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />Jill was born and
raised in Iowa. As a child, she loved paper dolls, Archie comics, and writing.
In her adolescent years, she wrote emo poetry and produced paper zines that she
sold for $1 in local comic book and record stores.<br />
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Having earned her
BA in English from the University of Northern Iowa and her MA in Literature from
Iowa State University, she now teaches high school and community college courses
in the Des Moines area. She lives with her husband and young daughter.</div>
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Jill spends her
free time collecting cool gear for her blood elf paladin, watching Veronica
Mars, and listening to angry grrl music.</div>
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SLIDE, her debut
novel, will be released from Balzer & Bray/HarperCollins in 2012.</div>
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Here's a picture of
Jill on tour!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVHvz88-IkyHAPAf1FpUtIY82Z-ET3SOsxY8am4657cS6PWhfPlSGa8tfVhegNu3PQ0-10GcdxSSjs6YbfTC34JKeJTqq4CgrxcGvlZiqgnniGW0wTEV_3Wtl8QzFtvVUD4vsOVIWR3acM/s1600/Author++Jill+Hathaway+on+Tour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_uid_4qutwl="5" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVHvz88-IkyHAPAf1FpUtIY82Z-ET3SOsxY8am4657cS6PWhfPlSGa8tfVhegNu3PQ0-10GcdxSSjs6YbfTC34JKeJTqq4CgrxcGvlZiqgnniGW0wTEV_3Wtl8QzFtvVUD4vsOVIWR3acM/s1600/Author++Jill+Hathaway+on+Tour.jpg" /></a></div>
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You can buy Slide
at: <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/slide-jill-hathaway/1103167921?ean=9780062077905"><span style="color: #33bf9e;">Barnes
& Noble</span></a></div>
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or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Slide-Jill-Hathaway/dp/0062077902/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1336818639&sr=1-1"><span style="color: #33bf9e;">Amazon</span></a><br />or at your favorite
local independent book seller!</div>
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<span style="background-color: #f4cccc;">March 23, 2012</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f4cccc;">Seventeen.com/Cosmogirl reviews SLIDE,
suggesting it to fans of Pretty Little Liars. They say their "jaws literally
dropped" at one of the twists.</span></div>Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10318926277089882125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401632442730079165.post-46775949470196638142012-05-12T03:35:00.001-04:002012-05-12T03:35:51.282-04:00The Future of Mother's~ Hadley, My Granddaughter, Honored on Mother's Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6FUnC2hn5SmhbHNgU03bp4WCr-8smQJmUcHuSiFg0DDohNsJHCHA64X-pVJiq8NiyH8JAjUNnVX7TMvbBd7b8W_iLv4cvC1hdrT79VDciT4zjuCH991R_FFT92Vor8RJ0nb0szO_PbqY/s1600/Hadley+and+Jason+on+ferry+to+marthas+vineyard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6FUnC2hn5SmhbHNgU03bp4WCr-8smQJmUcHuSiFg0DDohNsJHCHA64X-pVJiq8NiyH8JAjUNnVX7TMvbBd7b8W_iLv4cvC1hdrT79VDciT4zjuCH991R_FFT92Vor8RJ0nb0szO_PbqY/s320/Hadley+and+Jason+on+ferry+to+marthas+vineyard.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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This is my sweet granddaughter, Hadley. She's the hope of the future Mother's Days.</div>
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Hadley is my only granddaughter.</div>
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Her dad, here, is my eldest son, Jason, and they live in Massachusetts near Cape Cod. Here, they are taking the ferry to Martha's Vineyard for a visit with friends for the week last year.</div>
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Hadley is an All American Girl. She loves pink and purple...she won't wear anything that doesn't have a predominance of one of those two colors. She loves dresses. fancy shoes and girly jewelry (compliments of her Grammie Debi).</div>
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She's very interested in "Fancy Nancy" and has all of her books from the earliest to the newest!</div>
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She actually loves the word, "actually."</div>
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Hadley has her mom and dad read to her quite often; that is, every night and day.</div>
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Grammie also sends her fancy books about little girls with cute shoes and dress up things, and such.</div>
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This June it's her birthday, just like her gram's, and she will graduate to Fancy Nancy's new chapter book series.</div>
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Hadley loves her new American Doll which she waited a long time to get. Her mom and dad wanted her to be old enough to appreciate the significance of an American Doll. I think they were right. They've taught Hadley</div>
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that sometimes you have to wait for good things, but the waiting is worth it.</div>
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And, Hadley is an out-doorsey girl who took her first steps in Florida holding Grammie's hands, wanting to go outside</div>
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to touch flowers!</div>
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She's in love with flowers and the outside. She has a veggie garden. She takes wilderness walks with her dad and mom. Her mom runs marathons and her daddy recently told her,</div>
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"See that, Hadley. Watch your mother. She's just run a 20 mile race. She can do anything, and so can you!"</div>
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Which just goes to show Hadley has awesome parents to model her parenting!</div>
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Her daddy runs marathons for charity, too.</div>
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And, Hadley collects her toys and gives lots to children who need them every year.</div>
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She also has a baby brother, Gardner, whom she has never shown a moments jealousy about. She's been loving, patient and nurturing toward him, even though he's a happy-go-lucky and rambunctious little guy! </div>
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Hadley isn't. She's quiet and artistic. She'd rather Gardner would leave her dolls and art supplies alone, but she never</div>
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is unkind to him about it. </div>
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Hadley knows how to play kindly and nicely with her friends. She's also a sweet-hearted and thoughtful child to a grammie who lives very far away.</div>
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When she gets sad or upset she runs to her daddy, who knows just how to comfort her. She tells him she needs a moment to download, and she's off and running again!</div>
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I know someday she's going to be a wonderful, loving mother.</div>
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So, this day I dedicate to Hadley Davenport Duncan...the best future mother I think I'll know...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkIG3hStgTTajp05BT06HrNJ6LTc0qbZRDy7HXXgmo5tAz6QFvr8cfBs2ZCQHK_1iAKfB4sEZyy6oAuK2OvCdg7098gJNq6xIY7-9WPPwK2Dzbwo01bVZ-YjvsSL01AUdgIOn5HA-bxIc2/s1600/Roses++white+and+blush+cluster+large+gorgeous.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkIG3hStgTTajp05BT06HrNJ6LTc0qbZRDy7HXXgmo5tAz6QFvr8cfBs2ZCQHK_1iAKfB4sEZyy6oAuK2OvCdg7098gJNq6xIY7-9WPPwK2Dzbwo01bVZ-YjvsSL01AUdgIOn5HA-bxIc2/s1600/Roses++white+and+blush+cluster+large+gorgeous.jpg" /></a></div>
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Happy Pre-Mother's Day, Hadley!</div>
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Love, Grammie Debi</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUMOMXAevMwzx8SE94VksWlyyjJXsnziyvU7oJISaA_W74Pi3TBqdmgcN5nk6dXbjDsHjNMUTRkUSC95oC-HUDZGO7WmcRdDCtak4fLmY2lqMWmdsteYAQTEcAs78US271ytmRiem57uiy/s1600/Hadleys+Sidewalk+Chalk+Drawing++9+11.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUMOMXAevMwzx8SE94VksWlyyjJXsnziyvU7oJISaA_W74Pi3TBqdmgcN5nk6dXbjDsHjNMUTRkUSC95oC-HUDZGO7WmcRdDCtak4fLmY2lqMWmdsteYAQTEcAs78US271ytmRiem57uiy/s1600/Hadleys+Sidewalk+Chalk+Drawing++9+11.bmp" /></a></div>Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10318926277089882125noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401632442730079165.post-68085163996907707232012-05-11T17:37:00.000-04:002012-05-13T08:46:55.782-04:00Mother's Day Week~Honoring My Only Daughter, Jessica, The Best Mother Ever<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzf_vgBQ8OhnFchAA9-lHgZYB5DLXXmQbauzZxFzZRKRdScuXYP38CeXBFnHS7mljUSdMYhLntbq0CYC1zFHVUQv9oCJWCfPambQ2MoythaXVBddPPKm-DoEACOrt4bjC2TPtGaf4UvuM/s1600/Kellan+and+Jess+airplane+2+12+FL+trip.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzf_vgBQ8OhnFchAA9-lHgZYB5DLXXmQbauzZxFzZRKRdScuXYP38CeXBFnHS7mljUSdMYhLntbq0CYC1zFHVUQv9oCJWCfPambQ2MoythaXVBddPPKm-DoEACOrt4bjC2TPtGaf4UvuM/s320/Kellan+and+Jess+airplane+2+12+FL+trip.bmp" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
very best mother I've ever known is my only daughter, Jessica Layne Duncan
Magill. She is the mom we all wish we had. Devoted to her son, Kellan, she
spends endless hours making sure he has all the best in everything. Jessica
wasn't supposed to have children. Through prayer and a tremendous effort on her
part, she was able to complete an IVF and have a little boy.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial;">When she was 34 years old, Jessica
was told she couldn't have children. Her physical problems had overwhelmed her
body, rendering it impossible to carry a child to term,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial;"> let alone allow her to
get pregnant in the first place.</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial;">Since being a mother was her life's
and heart's desire, Jessica refused to accept that diagnosis. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial;"> She asked for a miracle from God,
and asked all of us to pray for one.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial;">She insisted her doctor perform
surgery on her to prep her for the possibility of a pregnancy even if it wasn't
going to happen. The kindly old doctor from South Florida relented, though he
kept counselling her that it didn't mean things would change since she had
multiple issues. He did encourage and support her, though, and told her
anything was possible, and that</span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial;"> he would do his best to insure she had a
wonderful ground to "grow on."</span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial;">Once that was prepped, she began a
series of hormone treatments to stabilize her system which was completely out of
balance and malfunctioning. It had been for years, which was unbeknownst to
us.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial;">Then, after several months, she and
her Coastie (Coast Guard) husband got permission for funding from the Guard,
rallied support from her family, and sought a fertility clinic.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial;">Jess and Kev named themselves: The Magill In It To Win It Team!</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial;">At the clinic, the doctor and nurse
assistant looked over her chart and were skeptical. They considered all she'd
been through and all she'd done to set the stage for her conception. However,
the doctor said he had a 95% success rate and he would do all he could to make a
baby happen for Jessica and Kevin. They were fully committed to the Magill Team
"In It To Win It" goal.</span></div>
<br /><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial;">The nurse practitioner, Lynn, was
Jessica's biggest supporter at the fertility clinic. Encouraging her when the
shots and medications hurt Jessica tremendously, leaving her body battered,
black and blue...welted and sore. Lynn would call, taking a personal interest
in her, telling her she would make it and not to worry.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial;">Jessica never lost hope or faith.
She endured all with a warrior woman's strength.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial;">She would have her baby at all costs,
and she wouldn't be denied.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial;">Even after the loss of her first IVF
fetuses, she kept up the battle.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial;">The second try worked! And, though
Kellan was a preemie, he came through with flying colors. A C-section baby...he
had surgery on his lungs and was in the NICU for 3 weeks, but he was the
strongest child there and came home perfectly well and happy.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial;">While still on the table, directly
after the C-section, the doctors operated removing a benign tumor they had
though was cancer all during her pregnancy. One which she had refused to let
them take when her Kellan was 4 months in utero because it would jeopardize his
life. She said she would take her </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial;">chances that it wasn't cancer for the
sake of having her baby. Her courage got her Kellan home safely, and her own
good report.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial;">She insisted they save her uterus in
the surgery, as well, so she could have more children, if possible.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial;">Amazing girl, amazing
mother.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial;">Now, Kellan is nearly 4 years old.
His intelligence has been tested at a 7-9 year old level. He's a kind and
thoughtful child who loves to read and play with his iPad daily. Read with his
mother, I mean. She reads him about 10 books per night! He insists...and this
doesn't mean baby picture books. He wants to hear chapter books, and has since
he was about 2 1/2. He's a brilliant child in every subject. And he's very
strong willed just like his mother! :]</span></div>
<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial;"> Those plethora of vitamins and
supplements she took to insure</span><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial;"> a strong and</span><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial;"> brainy child must have worked their
own miracles!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial;">Jessica believes in her heart that
Kellan will not be an only child. And though her body fights against her on
every avenue, she will not be beaten. And, of course, there are other ways to have a child.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial;">She's a brave heart. She's the one
who will not take "no" for an answer.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial;">I think she's gotten this from the
Scottish side of her heritage.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial;">She's a mother of real strength and
compassion.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial;">Jessica is also a
trained professional in the work of teaching developmentally delayed children,
and those with autism and asbergers. From the time she was 12 years old she's
volunteered and worked with disadvantaged and institutionalized children.
</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial;">She has a heart for children, and I
believe she has been a mother to many.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial;">Jessica Duncan Magill is the finest
of any mother I know.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial;">I'm very proud to call her my only
daughter on this Mother's Day.</span> </div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial;">Deborah/TheBookishDame</span></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10318926277089882125noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401632442730079165.post-27141064639705397742012-05-11T02:37:00.001-04:002012-05-11T02:37:06.619-04:00"Brave" New Disney/Pixar Movie~ Feminist or Not??<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGF6Lzy-R0aW8beIZ8x_BA2P5LU68dV65A7Zv9OaYk517rvIrHlc7GGD09N351d1S_HV71xCD4uWbbOGD1cvgTu8550azOvXEiscN-2img7tlpPhu1vFdjuQ4Y3AIybgmjRYdHjAAefhWa/s1600/Picture++Brave+by+Disney+Pixar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGF6Lzy-R0aW8beIZ8x_BA2P5LU68dV65A7Zv9OaYk517rvIrHlc7GGD09N351d1S_HV71xCD4uWbbOGD1cvgTu8550azOvXEiscN-2img7tlpPhu1vFdjuQ4Y3AIybgmjRYdHjAAefhWa/s400/Picture++Brave+by+Disney+Pixar.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Gorgeous artwork, as always! I'm so excited to see this latest in the Disney/Pixar family of pictures for children (and their adult children).</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Telling the story of a daring and beautiful Scottish princess, this one reminds me of the old legend of Atalanta whose</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">father wanted her to marry the strongest fighter </span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">in the land, but who bested them at archery and refused to marry!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"></span> </div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">The question has been brought up about whether this time</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Disney has missed or made its mark...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Has it done the wonderful by creating a film, finally, about strong, independent young girls; or, has it only made them </span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">partial heroines who want to be "just like Dad," and</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">eventually come home to a handsome prince,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">home and hearth in the end?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"></span> </div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Well, let me pose the question...what's wrong with having it all?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"></span> </div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Early feminists wanted it all. I still want it all. And, I suspect most of my friends do, too. What's not to love about being able to best a boy/man at a sport or a game of business? What's not to be proud of when you rank at the top of the class...or pass the bar #1 ?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">What's not to be proud of when you're able to give birth</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">to the most beautiful babies on earth, run a household, and be a famous writer like Nina Benneton?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"></span> </div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">I see no big problem with "Brave" if that's how the story is going to be told.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"></span> </div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">I also see no problem if it's told from the perspective of a young girl-woman who is brave and strong and who meets a young boy-man who is also brave and strong. And who both tackle a villain or foe together. (I'm not sure this is what happens at all...)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Don't we, most of us, ban together in some way to fight significant battles?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Even in Disney/Pixar movies with male central figures, often female counterparts help win the day. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"></span> </div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">As a modern-day feminist who isn't a hard-shell one, I have to say that I'm delighted that Disney/Pixar has chosen to give us this little heroine. Feisty, fiery, independent and strong...she just might show little girls it's okay in every way to be themselves if "themselves" is to step out of the</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">traditional princess role. We don't all have to faint at the feet of</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">the handsome prince to win his love. We can also fight beside him.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"></span> </div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">And, if this little Scottish firebrand was cursed by a witch for her streak of independence and defiance, she certainly met the challenge! Young women for ages have been similarly "cursed" and look how far we've come. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">"Can't touch this..." LOL</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"></span> </div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">I'm looking forward to seeing and cheering for "Brave."</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"></span> </div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"></span> </div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Thanks for stopping by!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"></span> </div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Deborah/TheBookishDame</span></div>Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10318926277089882125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401632442730079165.post-82282573454271932552012-05-10T14:24:00.002-04:002012-05-10T14:24:48.350-04:00Mother's Day Week Tribute #2: The Scratchy Mother in Our Lives<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdkx7heYwupAxbgOGnOxAW_lFzIgLE1izZorQmYjvMDGyJbqiTQMXP-C1CnLHD0g2PQqvheO0zpL9B0gP1FLZmrKST3AX-5RSqrhg6F4TTJuCFArNUDwLllQTP_JeOeO7UacWL5FdiJRVY/s1600/Picture++Charlotte+Flowers+Triplett+Riggs++Lenoir+NC.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_uid_h510fk="3" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdkx7heYwupAxbgOGnOxAW_lFzIgLE1izZorQmYjvMDGyJbqiTQMXP-C1CnLHD0g2PQqvheO0zpL9B0gP1FLZmrKST3AX-5RSqrhg6F4TTJuCFArNUDwLllQTP_JeOeO7UacWL5FdiJRVY/s320/Picture++Charlotte+Flowers+Triplett+Riggs++Lenoir+NC.png" width="232" /></a><span style="color: #e06666;">This is my grandmother, Charlotte Flowers Triplett
Riggs. She was a scratchy lady. You'd think a Southern lady from Lenoir, NC,
would be warm and welcoming, sweet, soft, huggie and loving to children,
grandchildren, friends and all family close and far. She wasn't. My darling
grandmother was a reclusive, distant, very standoffish woman. She didn't
emote. :] </span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #e06666;"> She didn't like to hug, and she didn't say, "I love
you." She was a Victorian. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #e06666;"> What she did do is serve. She gave of herself. She
baked delicious meals, cakes, pies, cookies and canned goods which she made sure
found their way into the hearths and hands of everyone she did love, and whom
she found with a need both physical and emotional. What she did was pray. She
was a prayer warrior...those who understand what that means will be in awe of
that. And what she also did was take in a child like me who had lost a daddy
and mother at the age of 5. Even though she had already raised 9 children of
her own, and I'm sure she was desperately tired of having young children
around, she took me in as a full time "child of her own" for nearly 3
years.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666;">When she was dying at a relatively early age of 70 years
old, she called for me and told me she loved me. Told me she loved me and
hugged me, tightly.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666;">Here's what she taught me, too:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #e06666;">*The Bible~scriptures by the day in our daily walk. She
would quote scripture as she did housework...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666;">*Songs. She sang all the time. She loved to sing. I
love to sing, too.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #e06666;">*She taught me to pray and how God would always hear our
prayers.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #e06666;">*She taught me The Lord's Prayer.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #e06666;">*She taught me The 23rd Psalm...."The Lord is my
Shepherd, I shall not want..." When I was afraid or couldn't sleep at night,
she told me this would always help me.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #e06666;">*She took me (along with my Uncle Dude) to church every
single Sunday, placed me in my Sunday School class--took me to Wednesday night
prayer meetings and made sure I knew that</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #e06666;">Jesus loved me.</span></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #e06666;">*She taught me to be kind to others no matter what, and
to always "turn the other cheek."</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #e06666;">*She taught me to "Judge not, that you be not
judged."</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #e06666;">*She taught me about plants, and about crocheting and
books.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #e06666;">*and she kept a journal!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666;">I loved my Grandmother Riggs above anyone on earth when I
was a little girl, and I still hold her in a very special place in my heart
today. I look forward to the day I'll be rejoined with her in
Heaven.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #e06666;">\So, on this day of Mother's Day week,</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #e06666;">I want to honor my very scratchy</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #e06666;">Grandmother Riggs~ Charlotte Flowers Triplett
Riggs</span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666;">one of the great loves of my life.</span></div>Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10318926277089882125noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401632442730079165.post-49339350476235745902012-05-10T00:18:00.001-04:002012-05-10T00:18:14.151-04:00"Unbreak My Heart" by Melissa Walker~The Perfect Summer Reading<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia3cwGJFN8Cq1nXgwcNydvb3YdeeWe_r2NX_IJg6oA3ci1j-4bJXkH_TovrCm8Y7vOOLbyiGPJGABxRtZwZFFwo6YEHZcrEimVZaHxyi1FUXpZUExH-kqY8yhNXJxJ8prPBAenqru41bQT/s1600/Book++Unbreak+My+Heart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_uid_k35siv="3" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia3cwGJFN8Cq1nXgwcNydvb3YdeeWe_r2NX_IJg6oA3ci1j-4bJXkH_TovrCm8Y7vOOLbyiGPJGABxRtZwZFFwo6YEHZcrEimVZaHxyi1FUXpZUExH-kqY8yhNXJxJ8prPBAenqru41bQT/s320/Book++Unbreak+My+Heart.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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<div id="yui_3_3_0_1_1336478056903_2278">
<br /></div>
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Summary: </div>
<br />
<div id="yui_3_3_0_1_1336478056903_2278">
Sophomore year broke Clementine Williams’
heart. She fell for her best friend’s boyfriend and long story short: he’s
excused, but Clem is vilified and she heads into summer with zero social life.
Enter her parents’ plan to spend the summer on their sailboat. Normally the idea
of being stuck on a tiny boat with her parents and little sister would make Clem
break out in hives, but floating away sounds pretty good right now. Then she
meets James at one of their first stops along the river. He and his dad are
sailing for the summer and he’s just the distraction Clem needs. Can he break
down Clem’s walls and heal her broken heart? Told in alternating chapters that
chronicle the year that broke Clem’s heart and the summer that healed it, <i id="yui_3_3_0_1_1336478056903_2385">Unbreak My Heart</i> is a wonderful dual love
story that fans of Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, and Susane Colasanti will flock
to.</div>
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Particulars of the
Book:</div>
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<br /></div>
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Published by:
Bloomsbury </div>
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Pages: 231</div>
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Genre: YA
Fiction</div>
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Author: Melissa
Walker's website: <a href="http://www.melissacwalker.com/"><span style="color: #33bf9e;">http://www.melissacwalker.com</span></a></div>
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<u>About
Melissa</u>! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4FMfP_gS3pifPwkrSbTk8D6cWQCsCPuGqD0tSdycU09m9ZrKHdUHjkoaqe7rQ1twsd9FJ7uiUkDaAiAPN-7gFnpCmttUa9SjUppxHq0clmi7K7RUqEPRdciZs8RpQEc5gzCcKQ90_w3Ku/s1600/Author++Melissa+Walker++Unbreak+My+Heart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_uid_k35siv="4" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4FMfP_gS3pifPwkrSbTk8D6cWQCsCPuGqD0tSdycU09m9ZrKHdUHjkoaqe7rQ1twsd9FJ7uiUkDaAiAPN-7gFnpCmttUa9SjUppxHq0clmi7K7RUqEPRdciZs8RpQEc5gzCcKQ90_w3Ku/s1600/Author++Melissa+Walker++Unbreak+My+Heart.jpg" /></a></div>
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First of all, isn't
she darling?! She's so awesome!</div>
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Secondly, look at
this resume!</div>
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<br /></div>
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<strong>Melissa
Walker</strong> is a writer who has worked as ELLEgirl Features Editor and
Seventeen Prom Editor. All in the name of journalism, she has spent <a href="http://www.melissacwalker.com/media/ellegirl-male-models.jpg"><span style="color: #33bf9e;">24 hours
with male models</span></a> and <a href="http://www.melissacwalker.com/media/ellegirl-princess-diary.jpg"><span style="color: #33bf9e;">attended
an elite finishing school for girls in New Zealand</span></a>, among other
hardships.</div>
She co-founded <a href="http://www.iheartdaily.com/"><span style="color: #33bf9e;">I Heart
Daily</span></a> with fellow ex-ELLEgirl Anne Ichikawa in 2009. It’s a daily newsletter
about likable stuff.<br />Melissa lives in Brooklyn and has a BA in English from
Vassar College. She would tell you her SAT scores too, but, you know, the math
part was hard. She loves meeting teenagers, and is game to speak at your
library or school about writing, books, fashion, magazines or pop culture (but,
you know, in a smart way). <a href="http://www.melissacwalker.com/contact"><span style="color: #33bf9e;">Get
in touch to discuss.</span></a><br /><a href="http://www.melissacwalker.com/portfolio/violetontherunway"><em><span style="color: #33bf9e;">Violet on
the Runway</span></em></a>, <a href="http://www.melissacwalker.com/portfolio/violet-by-design"><em><span style="color: #33bf9e;">Violet by
Design</span></em></a> and <a href="http://www.melissacwalker.com/portfolio/violet-in-private"><em><span style="color: #33bf9e;">Violet in
Private</span></em></a> (Penguin), are the books in a trilogy about a small-town girl
who is scouted to become a model and finds herself in the middle of the crazy
fashion world. <a href="http://www.melissacwalker.com/portfolio/lovestrucksummer"><em><span style="color: #33bf9e;">Lovestruck
Summer</span></em></a> (HarperTeen) is a beach read full of indie rock and cowboys.
<em><a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781599905273" target="_blank"><span style="color: #33bf9e;">Small
Town Sinners</span></a></em> (Bloomsbury) is the story of a girl who wants to star in
her Evangelical community’s <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell_house" target="_blank"><span style="color: #33bf9e;">Hell House</span></a> production.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: #134f5c;"><u>The Dame's Take </u>:</span><br /><span style="color: #134f5c;">This is a book about friendship, first love, real
love and a summer that brought all those relationships into perspective. It's a
" summer love" book with a twist. We see, from the perspective of the main
character, Clem, her story of a troubled infatuation with her best friend's
boyfriend; and, at the same time</span><span style="color: #134f5c;">, we get to
spy on her as she comes to know and develop a healing and loving </span><span style="color: #134f5c;"> relationship with a new boy throughout the
summer. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: #134f5c;"> The success in this novel
comes from the fact that it's not a sappy rendering of the sort it could have
been given the somewhat well-travelled story of summer love. The reason for
that lies in the very capable hands of Melissa Walker, who gives the book a
resonance, and a solid bank of truth to anchor it. I found this little book
well worth the read, and a great book to recommend to YAs for the
summer.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #134f5c;">Without giving away all the
particulars, I want to talk about the name of Clem's parent's sail boat, <em>The
Possibility, </em>and how this really is the primary focus or key to Walker's
story. It is this "possibility" of change; of being taken away from her town
and the source of her heartbreak, the possibility of meeting someone new, the
possibility of helping others and the possibility of growing in understanding of
herself and others, that is the heart of this wonderful novel. This is a girl's
coming of age novel, full of wisdom and full of winds of change. It's because
of the experiences; the "possibilities" afforded her during the summer that Clem
comes to understand what really matters in life and love.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #134f5c;">Melissa Walker is a fine writer who has a good deal to
say to young adults experiencing complicated relationships. If my daughter were
still a teen ager, I would absolutely purchase this book for her for summer
reading. It's a treasure of wisdom in a story that's contemporary and hip.
While I wouldn't recommend it for older YAs, particularly, I do think children
12-17 would really enjoy and benefit from the story. It's great to read a book
that is meant for ordinary, normal teens, too!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #134f5c;">Ms Walker writes beautifully, however, this is not
particularly a cross over novel. I couldn't recommend it for that. I'm giving
the book a </span><br /><br /><span style="color: #134f5c;">3.5 rating with a strong
nod for YA fiction</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #134f5c;">Deborah/TheBookishDame</span><br /><br /><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">GIVEAWAY!!!!!!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">The Author is
giving away a copy of</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">"Unbreak My Heart
!!!"</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">To win,
please:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Follow me on
Twitter and Connect with me on the side bar on Google Friends
Connect....</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Then, leave your
email so I can contact you if you win.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">US entrants only,
please.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Giveaway ends May
31st !!! :]</span></div>
<br />Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10318926277089882125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401632442730079165.post-31965490758711685562012-05-10T00:08:00.001-04:002012-05-10T00:08:11.438-04:00A Little French Vacation...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZJvKyAp6IGdp4gU_qqJUDTUCGsnNc8J015NNL9m3l-GwTYvCBvog_-JhbgT-tnbiw6vJ331H5xYanK-RHaKOdqmZdMDKiPr-pr7EsYN0hDWNhJj0Gc6RHqGPdd4VDMusFOoSte85727o/s1600/Roses++French+clump+of+ruby+and+whitish+pinks.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZJvKyAp6IGdp4gU_qqJUDTUCGsnNc8J015NNL9m3l-GwTYvCBvog_-JhbgT-tnbiw6vJ331H5xYanK-RHaKOdqmZdMDKiPr-pr7EsYN0hDWNhJj0Gc6RHqGPdd4VDMusFOoSte85727o/s320/Roses++French+clump+of+ruby+and+whitish+pinks.bmp" width="309" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666;">I need to share this blog with all of you. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666;"> I get so heartsick wishing I were in Paris sometimes. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666;"> Vicki makes me feel like I've taken a trip there every time I visit her.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #e06666;">Go see her and see what you think. I'm anxious to hear what you find out!</span></div>
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<a href="http://vickiarcher.com/">Vicki Archer</a></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666;">Have a great time....</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666;">and thanks for stopping in to see me.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666;">Deborah</span></div>
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</div>
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</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQDUJayJ2UIcXxSHBARKm46Kdy7vjyztydFVr4hckvDTO5od5D69ycxpoV50cvj7__XwOlBeUdqBklyAuiEH20oqLo6Zp-T1d7KZmREG4GZ-pxd213CKtMLAl4jHGUh_KxezrkeaG3Pjk/s1600/Roses++French+picture++ruby+and+pinkish+white.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQDUJayJ2UIcXxSHBARKm46Kdy7vjyztydFVr4hckvDTO5od5D69ycxpoV50cvj7__XwOlBeUdqBklyAuiEH20oqLo6Zp-T1d7KZmREG4GZ-pxd213CKtMLAl4jHGUh_KxezrkeaG3Pjk/s320/Roses++French+picture++ruby+and+pinkish+white.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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</div>Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10318926277089882125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401632442730079165.post-57337431960585145892012-05-09T23:48:00.001-04:002012-05-09T23:48:35.289-04:00A Battered Book ~ My New Website Features: "What's On My Nightstand" on Sunday Nights<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1gLatLxWJ2A8hy0uwA05_wkg8ylOXVaLJonfbP4lAaYV3feXt2J2GXalmYUrku8aBMQdEnaI4ul2iSjMzeYC8B82hd9jNlzkcDegGnbEwFYSApszh_fsOKcTI4Mw25efgk-eLC0cNmMCE/s1600/The+Bookish+Dame+018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_uid_vwa6vy="3" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1gLatLxWJ2A8hy0uwA05_wkg8ylOXVaLJonfbP4lAaYV3feXt2J2GXalmYUrku8aBMQdEnaI4ul2iSjMzeYC8B82hd9jNlzkcDegGnbEwFYSApszh_fsOKcTI4Mw25efgk-eLC0cNmMCE/s320/The+Bookish+Dame+018.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">I
have a new blog on wordpress called "A Battered Book." I'm using it mostly to
talk about what's new on my nightstand every Sunday night.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium;">I don't know about
you, but I change things I'm reading</span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium;">on my nightstand
very regularly.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium;">I have some old
faithfuls that I keep there all the time.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium;">Those I'm going to
tell you about right away!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium;">Like the first one
you'll hear about if you go to the site right now:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="http://abatteredbook.wordpress.com/"><span style="color: #33bf9e;">http://abatteredbook.wordpress.com</span></a>
</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium;">Then, I'll just
sneak in a new something-somethin' every week with a nutshell review of it.
That nutshell means</span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium;"> a review after
reading the first chapter only.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium;">I meant to do that
at the beginning of 2012 on this blog, but</span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium;">didn't get around
to it. So, I'm going to use A Battered Book </span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium;">for that nutshell
place!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium;">You can also find a
duplicate site on Blogger at:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="http://abatteredbooknook.com/"><span style="color: #33bf9e;">http://abatteredbooknook.com</span></a>
</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium;">Also, it will be
for reviewing ebooks only. Which will be fun, I think.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium;">The authors and
books who are self-publishing on ebook sites need their fair share chance at our
attention, right? :]</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium;">Please take time,
if you have a moment on Sunday nights to join me and find out what bizarre
things I might have</span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium;">On My Nightstand.
:P</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium;">And, if you'd like
to join me with a hop....</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium;">just send me an
email at:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="mailto:thebookishdame@aol.com"><span style="color: #33bf9e;">thebookishdame@aol.com</span></a></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium;">so we can set
something up! I think it would be fun to hop around, don't you? </span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium;">I would love to
know what you have on your nightstand, too!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium;">Thanks for stopping
by....</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium;">Deborah/TheBookishDame</span></div>
<br /><br />PS:
Here's a little, shadowy close up...<br /><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU34dq7CIPtMGkBKOQNxRlkhUVlKREenqj8eSwP5wiaXW_s40rnI6ceEcPJcY2U-jmfOnRwOBKUoRxyrGEf5VvordrPRuwtLFmYAsh8pvu-tIZ5WIblG-4ymxGSJoXx_WlUWmMCF4jCoYu/s1600/The+Bookish+Dame+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_uid_vwa6vy="4" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU34dq7CIPtMGkBKOQNxRlkhUVlKREenqj8eSwP5wiaXW_s40rnI6ceEcPJcY2U-jmfOnRwOBKUoRxyrGEf5VvordrPRuwtLFmYAsh8pvu-tIZ5WIblG-4ymxGSJoXx_WlUWmMCF4jCoYu/s320/The+Bookish+Dame+020.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10318926277089882125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401632442730079165.post-89531698525437496102012-05-09T01:20:00.001-04:002012-05-09T01:20:18.220-04:00Dear Mr. Sendak, We'll miss you.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxWl169FD7l4kNDfDLvk5vISuTHSxQ5rY1NhRfNt0oel1EWg2uYCzOG2YNxQRZ9gaTx_6A4iZ2vEl1UGMyJaPVAkQgGgEwjhvjvonzdv3E9y62XkTCuYE6rUQvFYTwCjUq_3cQuWARAas/s1600/Author++Maurice+Sendak+wdog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxWl169FD7l4kNDfDLvk5vISuTHSxQ5rY1NhRfNt0oel1EWg2uYCzOG2YNxQRZ9gaTx_6A4iZ2vEl1UGMyJaPVAkQgGgEwjhvjvonzdv3E9y62XkTCuYE6rUQvFYTwCjUq_3cQuWARAas/s320/Author++Maurice+Sendak+wdog.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Our beloved "Wild
Thing" has gone back to his island in his little boat where he will undoubtedly
be greeted by many a beastie and wild thing who has loved and missed him over
many years. It will be such a loss for those of us still left over here in The
Night Kitchen...sleeping in our restless beds, waiting for the bread to be baked
and our milk to be poured. </div>
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<br />He
died yesterday at age 83.</div>
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<br /></div>
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When my children
were old enough to sit and listen to music and to my reading to them, I bought
Carol King's rendition of "I'm Really Rosie" and all the other Maurice Sendak
books and poems to music. "Rosie" was a favorite of my daughter's. But, I have
sung "Chicken Soup" to my children hundreds of times, as well as to my
grandchildren and other children, over the course of nearly 40 years. I've sung
it with passion and acted it out because</div>
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I know it by
heart.</div>
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I most recently
bought a set of Mr. Sendak's tiny library for my youngest grandsons. One of
whom was pictured hiding under a table with a little red one in his tiny
hands.</div>
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His dad did the
same thing 30 years prior.</div>
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Maurice doesn't
age, you see.</div>
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"I Don't Care" kept
my grandson, Kellan, on the sofa and quiet when he had a blazing ear infection
last year. He loves to hear me sing it to him whenever we get a chance. </div>
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Kellan is sometimes
a petulant child, and that poem suits him just fine. :]</div>
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It and he are
adorable!</div>
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And, "One Was
Johnny" used to give us all a run for our money. I remember all my children and
me during the years trying to keep up with that song! </div>
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I know all the
songs/poems by heart.</div>
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I've read "Where
the Wild Things Are" hundreds of times, have you? I've purchased "wild thing"
paraphernalia for my children and grands over the past 40 years, and wished I
was young enough to wear them and play with them myself. Even now, I'd take a
Wild Thing stuffed animal, thank you.</div>
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So, here's to you,
Mr. Sendak....and, actually,</div>
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Hail, to the
Chief!</div>
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Good-night, dear
friend.</div>
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My little family
and I love you and will really miss you.</div>
<br /><br /><u>A Small Note About Him
from Galley Cat</u>: (mediabistro.com)<br /><br />Brooklyn-born children’s writer
and illustrator Maurice Sendak. Sendak grew up in Bensonhurst and graduated
Lafayette High School before going on to create wildly popular works—often dark
and with an edge—like Where the Wild Things Are, which won him the prestigious
Caldecott Medal. Even before his passing, the Brooklyn Book Festival had planned
to honor Mr. Sendak with a special bookmark given to attendees at this year’s
festival on September 23, a fitting tribute from Brooklyn—the Creative Capital
of New York City and home to more writers per square inch than anywhere—to one
of its native sons. On behalf of literary lovers throughout Brooklyn and beyond,
I extend our thoughts and prayers to Maurice Sendak’s family, friends and
colleagues.”<br /><br />Please take time to read about him in this long, dedicated
article on Mr. Sendak by <em>The New York Times:</em><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/09/books/maurice-sendak-childrens-author-dies-at-83.html?_r=1"><span style="color: #33bf9e;">http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/09/books/maurice-sendak-childrens-author-dies-at-83.html?_r=1</span></a><br /><br /><br />Deborah/TheBookishDame<br /><br /><br />Please
leave your comments. Do you have a favorite memory of Mr. Sendak's works?Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10318926277089882125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401632442730079165.post-48658536225325160412012-04-27T13:00:00.000-04:002012-04-27T13:00:11.581-04:00Giveaway! "Compulsively Mr. Darsy" by Nina Benneton<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmDItZKQY_zw3F3m4vp8a8D2QXfLsBW1xn6vC_f1bzIgVQXirml4mg9OcHF_lUitmdHfTQfg-9Bdc2wz82Flozh8ry85qCH4yEzHSwfPTRbClIj1MIL3_N7S4EkEoZWfZI3TyADWexCbY/s1600/Book++Compulsively+Mr.+Darcy+by+Nina+Benneton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmDItZKQY_zw3F3m4vp8a8D2QXfLsBW1xn6vC_f1bzIgVQXirml4mg9OcHF_lUitmdHfTQfg-9Bdc2wz82Flozh8ry85qCH4yEzHSwfPTRbClIj1MIL3_N7S4EkEoZWfZI3TyADWexCbY/s320/Book++Compulsively+Mr.+Darcy+by+Nina+Benneton.jpg" width="236" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A thoroughly modern, magnificent re-rendering of a classic that would send Miss Austen into fits of laughter! This book sets Caroline Bingley as a sort of Kardashianish bitch from NYC tabloid hell, and puts another spin entirely on the ever finicky Mr. Collins, for instance. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Rife with social comedy and commentary in our age with all the famous Austen characters, but not all in predictable venues. There are some surprises there. Great fun!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There's sooo much to this book! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy are so well conceived you'll be beside yourself...perfectly set with chronic behaviors in modern times. Loving that OCD on Darcy! LOL</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I promise you, this is THE book to read right now!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">You'll be wanting to read passages of it aloud to your friends.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">From all I know about her, Jane Austen would absolutely approve. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Book groups should be making bee lines for this one...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">the discussions and good laughter will make for a fabulous meeting! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-size: large;">Summary :</span><span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-size: large;">Nina Benneton has taken the best elements of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice and spun a tale with a delightful modern twist, which will more than satisfy the most fickle of Austen fans. COMPULSIVELY MR. DARCY is exquisitely romantic. This is a tenderly written novel which would make even Jane Austen swoon. The Lizzie Bennet and Mr. Darcy who stole your heart in Jane Austen's novel are written to perfection in COMPULSIVELY MR. DARCY.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-size: large;">I loved that way Ms. Benneton worked in the characters from the original book and from other Jane Austen books as well. Some of the characters follow a similar path as the original version, but others go a different direction and it all works. Elizabeth and Darcy have a strong relationship that overcomes their own mistrust and outside influences. The bad people get punished and when you read the last page you think to yourself.... That was really an enjoyable read! I hope that we will see more from Ms. Benneton.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-size: large;">The story delivers characters with quality personalities, a conflict that has substance without being dark and a happy ever after that ends with a giggle. It's well rounded, entertaining and thoroughly lovable. I'd recommend this book as a must read, even for those like me, who've never read a Jane Austin book. Thank you, Ms. Benneton, for a story that had such wonderful heart, I read it in one sitting. It's that good.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-size: large;">It has love,a modern day romance,an old theme with a new idea,misconceptions,understanding,sweet sensuality,misunderstandings and of course strong characters. A must read for anyone who enjoys Pride and Prejudice but in present day.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-size: large;">Compulsively Mr. Darcy is the debut novel of Nina Benneton and it was a really fun read! This take on our beloved Pride & Prejudice finds Darcy and Elizabeth tackling the modern world and more than a few misunderstandings along the way. This funny and entertaining modern adventure is a great adaptation of an old and favorite classic!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-size: large;">There are many similarities to the original Pride and Prejudice story, the same characters are there; there are plenty of differences, even a cameo mention or two of characters from another book (FBI agents Colonel Brandon and Marianne Dashwood – sure hoping that means that will be a future story, maybe, perhaps?). This was a nice and enjoyable story for those who love Pride and Prejudice, and want to read a retelling, but are looking for something a bit different from a lot of others.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-size: large;">...sweet, silly and whole lot of fun. I loved the author's interpretation of these beloved characters and the ones she chooses to be the villains are fabulous. A delightful debut and a must read for any JA fan.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-size: large;">By just looking at the cover, the reader can tell this is going to be a fun book. From her humorous one-liners and wit, to her portrayal of her characters, Nina Benneton offers a great diversion... For readers who enjoy modern Pride and Prejudice variations, lighthearted reads, or want a vacation, this book should be on the top of their to-be-read list.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-size: large;">I love, love, love Jane Austen adaptations. Especially ones that take me out of my Austen comfort zone. This one was definitely very far from my comfort zone. And I absolutely loved every minute of it... Lizzy and Darcy were so squishy sweet and I found myself chuckling at their adorableness at times.</span> </div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: large;"><u>An Interview with Nina Benneton</u></span> :</div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hi, Nina, I can't tell you how very much I've been looking forward to our interview. You've become a favorite in my Jane Austen inspired author groups. I just adored "Compulsively Mr. Darcy." I'm a huge fan of yours!!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank you for agreeing to come to A Bookish Libraria for an interview.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1) Psychologists tell us that when we're ten year old girls we have a solid idea of what we want to be when we grow up, and that's usually what our avocation is. What did you want to be when you were ten? Has it manifested itself in your life?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I was ten, I wanted to be a priest. No, not a priestess. A priest.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why? He's a boy. I wanted to be a boy. He had power over the nuns. I wanted to have power over the nuns.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That celibate thing? Bonus. I wouldn't have to do the yucky with anyone. Ever. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How could a sweet, reverent ten-year-old angelic gal not want to be a priest, I ask you?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Has it manifested itself in my life? Many of the reviews of 'Compulsively Mr. Darcy' come with warnings of 'certain scenes intended for mature audiences,' so, ahem…I'm guessing not.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course, you know, I could be a respectable priest somewhere who has a tabloid addiction, who has the hots for Mr. Darcy, and who dabbles in writing romance.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or, you could be the naughty priest who gets away with just about anything, including murder!! LOL</span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2) What's the biggest challenge you've had to face in your life that caused you to "come of age" or face your own "pride and prejudices?"</span></div>
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<span style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You mean besides not becoming a priest? Yes, LOL, besides that! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Besides that, the next challenge that comes to mind was falling in love with a man who, aghast, belonged to the other political party. I was like Darcy in 'Pride and Prejudice.' I was attracted to this hot guy who had a dry sense of humor that curled my toes, but I was ashamed of having falling in love with this…this political plebeian. I struggled over the thought of introducing him to my friends or bringing him home to my family. He wouldn't fit in. It was election year when we met, you understand. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But no other guys I'd met up until then had held my interest or made me laugh or made me so glad I never became a priest, so, what could I do but grow and humbly admit that I suffered from an arrogant sense political pride? That from my upbringing, I was allowed, encouraged, and almost taught to be selfish and overbearing, to care for no other political concerns beyond my own, to think meanly of the rest of the other political parties, to think meanly of their sense and worth worth compared with my own. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*Italics: adapted from P & P, Volume III, Chapter 16.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm happy to report that he and I , after many years of marriage, now vote for the same political party. Just like dogs and owners, you know, you start to look alike and vote alike and all that…Best of all, he still makes me glad I'm not priest. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Geez, Nina. Phew'! I'm certainly glad that priest thing worked out for you! But, of course we know it did from your writing, too! LOL Okay, here comes a tough one....</span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3) What's the sneakiest thing you ever did that still brings your heart delight when you think of it?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Years ago, when my career-Army brother was home on leave from being stationed overseas, I called my parents' home and left a message on the answering machine for him—in the voice of a bar girl who's looking for her big, American lover-boy…'cause he's promised to marry her and bring her to America,' you understand.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My father gave him the 'talk,' daily. My mother dragged him to her prayer group, daily. To this day, my brother can't convince the pater and mater unit that I was the one behind that phone call. Moi? Sounding like a bar girl? No way. I was the pious one who wanted to be a priest, remember?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, Nina, I'm starting to see how this "priestly" pattern is manifesting itself in your life! ;}</span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4) What's on your nightstand?</span> </div>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(And, may I say, Nina, you got away with something here...you didn't really tell us all of what was on your nightstand, I bet. We just got distracted by all these cool books!!) Here's her answer:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">'I Praise My Destroyer,' a book of poems by Diane Ackerman— because it's National Poetry Month.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #93c47d;">I've heard so much about Diane Ackerman, but mostly in non-fiction circles.</span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #e06666;">I'll have to find this book of poems...or, you could send me an example, Nina!! :] I'm a Keats fan, myself. And an Emily Dickinson one.</span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #93c47d;">'An Actor Prepares' by Constantin Stanislavski, translated by Elizabeth Reynolds Hapwoods—because being a writer is like being a method actor, and sometimes irreverent me can't feel the characters' pain.</span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #e06666;">You know, this has come up several times recently with authors I've read about. Joyce Carol Oates has especially spoken to this in a similar way. She considers her characters and her construction of her novels in the same vein as writing plays. She talks quite a bit about it. Interesting that you're drawn to this as a means of sensing a character's pain.</span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #93c47d;">My book, 'Compulsively Mr. Darcy'— because when I read a good review, I want to know what the dickens the reviewer saw in the book that I didn't when I wrote it.</span> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My english lit. professor, Sister Chiccase, may she always be revered and remembered, said that authors really have no idea about their subconscious intent when they write their books. It's up to us, the readers, to discern that--to cull out what might be meant by what they wrote on a deeper level. So, it's only right you have your book there to see for yourself! :]</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #93c47d;">'Mr. Darcy's Bite' by Mary Lydon Simonsen—because a Darcy howling at the moon is just too delicious to resist.</span> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Seriously! I reviewed this one of Mary's and it was great. Such the nightstand kind of book...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #93c47d;">'The Criminal Law Handbook'— because you never know when you're supposed to be read your Miranda rights.</span> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Actually, somebody reads YOU your Miranda rights when the time comes, Father Benneton.... or try to stay on this side of the law if you haven't finished your monastic requirements!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #93c47d;">'The Prize,' an old Scottish historical by Julie Garwood— because sometimes you need visions of a medieval Scottish man, with a big sword in a kilt, to put you back to sleep when you're awaken by nightmares of being read your Miranda rights by the likes of the Toughest Sheriff in America. </span> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know what you mean. An occasional Scottish man helps me sleep, too, sometimes! :]</span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">Loved, loved that interview and conversation, getting to know Nina. She's so cool ! And, her book is, too. I hope you'll get a chance to pick up a copy very soon. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">You can find it here: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Compulsively-Mr-Darcy-Nina-Benneton/dp/1402262493/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1335544631&sr=1-1">Amazon</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">Or here: <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/compulsively-mr-darcy-nina-benneton/1104176969?ean=9781402262494">Barnes & Noble</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">Or here: <a href="http://www.sourcebooks.com/store/compulsively-mr.-darcy.html">Sourcebooks</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><u>More About Ms Benneton </u>:</span><span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">As a child, Nina Benneton promised the Catholic nuns who taught her that she would grow up and find the cure for cancer, effect world peace, and win a Nobel Prize for something, anything. Her very own Mr. Darcy and the requisite number of beautiful children interrupted her plans. Tired of alphabetizing her spices and searching for stray Barbie shoes she turned to writing. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Her debut novel, Compulsively Mr. Darcy, earned a Best Book review and the Reader's Poll Book of the Month February 2012 from Long and Short Review, 'Hands down…a must read for lovers and fans of classic romance.' Fresh Fiction Review called it a 'tenderly written novel.' Savvy Verse and Wit described it as ' 'More than a love story, Compulsively Mr. Darcy is about loving someone faults and all, accepting and not changing who they are, and growing together in love. Publishers Weekly wrote, 'Die-hard fans of everything Austen will enjoy this update of her classic tale.'</span></div>
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Find her on her website/blog: <a href="http://ninabenneton.com/">Nina Benneton</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Find her on Facebook: <a href="http://facebook.com/ninabenneton">Facebook</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Find her on Twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/@NinaBenneton">@NinaBenneton</a></span><span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Find her on her groupblog: <a href="http://www.austenauthors.com/">www.AustenAuthors.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #76a5af; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">GIVEAWAY!!!! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #76a5af; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">One Book for US only</span></div>
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<span style="color: #76a5af; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">one ebook International</span></div>
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<span style="color: #76a5af; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">ENTER: <span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">Just join my Network followers on the sidebar</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: #76a5af; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Comment leaving your "follower name"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: #76a5af; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">and your email addy</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: #76a5af; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">and follow Nina Benneton on Facebook!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; color: #76a5af; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Giveaway Ends: MOTHER'S DAY!! MAY 13th</span></div>
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<span style="color: #76a5af; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Please tell your friends,</span> <span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">and </span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">THANKS FOR STOPPING BY! :]</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Btw: 5 star book</strong></span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Deborah/TheBookishDame</span> </div>Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10318926277089882125noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401632442730079165.post-86039223731830726842011-12-23T22:47:00.002-05:002011-12-23T22:56:24.262-05:00"Hers: Design with a Feminine Touch" by Jacqeline de Montravel~ Puts Womanly Back into Our Spaces<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwM0YnABvxQJLgkqdsMZ5tijvtESGYv7zIPps7vbRjXSsJmW6IDkCOISwiFBGxL0REUeJI4nGK1Ls8gCfSUijhjot877LNFK_CIvSMFz9m46-Zh1JHIKl3EirIaFLUwIsg5OTcYY6dNoY/s1600/Book++Hers+Design+with+a+feminine+touch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwM0YnABvxQJLgkqdsMZ5tijvtESGYv7zIPps7vbRjXSsJmW6IDkCOISwiFBGxL0REUeJI4nGK1Ls8gCfSUijhjot877LNFK_CIvSMFz9m46-Zh1JHIKl3EirIaFLUwIsg5OTcYY6dNoY/s400/Book++Hers+Design+with+a+feminine+touch.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Published by: Crown Publishing Group</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Pages: 225</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Genre: House and Garden/Interior Decorating</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br />
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</span></div><div align="left"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gorgeously, fully realized photos of feminine style in decor harkens back to the essence of being a woman without censure in this lush and liberating book.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sensuous shapes and styles, delicate to firey colorings and a notable eye for art and accessories give life and light to this book. You may think you've read and seen all there is to know about decorating and design, but you'll be surprised!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is so much to this book that it's difficult to summarize the best of it, but I'm going to try by giving you a highlight I loved best: </span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>The Boudoir</u>:</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The French called it...boudoir meaning "to sulk" which in our day-and-age could easily mean our "meltdown" parlor! Our place to escape from the stresses of the world that call on our resources, sometimes more than we have to give.</span></div><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Virginia Wolff called it "A Room of One's Own," and Jacqueline deMontravel calls it "a state-of-mind" place; one that should be inviting and reflective of who we are at our feminine core, and full of those things that we take particular pleasure in and gain peace from.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After studying this beautiful book, I designed my own perfect place and these are a few of the features:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A huge, ornate mirror framed in mirror pieces and resting on the floor; a button-tufted, large ottoman in blue and champagne silk; a 1700's reproduction chaise, down-filled cushions in washed linen decorated with winter white, blue and pink silk pillows; Louis XVI side chairs in a scrubbed finish; a silver vase of blue hydrangeas and roses...etc...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Does this tell you anything? ;]</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In addition to helping find our feminine center in decorating for our "boudoirs," this beautiful book leads us to rethink such other places in our homes as the living room, garden spaces, bar (even stocking and recipes) and entertainment areas, office and collection displays...including book cases.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I highly recommend this gorgeous book. The pictures alone make it very desirable, of course, as a coffee table book, or for your interior design library collection. But, more than that, it holds a trip back into the vast history of where we've come from and where we're headed as women in design.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial;"><u>Author Profile</u>:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial;">Jacqueline deMontravel is the editor of "Romantic Homes" and oversees publication of "Victorian Homes." Former editor of "Country Magazine," she's been in the business of decorating and publishing for more than two decades.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial;">5 elegant stars</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Deborah/TheBookishDame </span>Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10318926277089882125noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401632442730079165.post-54338758768613725962011-12-21T05:03:00.000-05:002011-12-21T05:03:07.286-05:00Martha Stewart's Handmade Holiday Crafts: 225 Inspired Projects for Year-Round Celebrations<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgurYug2VSlyrWvYkGV2U-na3wpLRO_-QlvcYTUTmx8VMeegxQvTs9dSfODiT2wZGRElVq-8IJPbCxH9CEQ0vcST1OAWIObjOfPuHpaocXyZpIRJ2QWz1lqTSfsXRKCryTWUoXTYf_xPBM/s1600/Book++Martha+Stewarts+Handmade+Holiday+Crafts+etc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgurYug2VSlyrWvYkGV2U-na3wpLRO_-QlvcYTUTmx8VMeegxQvTs9dSfODiT2wZGRElVq-8IJPbCxH9CEQ0vcST1OAWIObjOfPuHpaocXyZpIRJ2QWz1lqTSfsXRKCryTWUoXTYf_xPBM/s400/Book++Martha+Stewarts+Handmade+Holiday+Crafts+etc.jpg" width="326" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Published by: Crown Publishing Group/Random House</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Pages: 369</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Genre: House and Garden/Crafts</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><u>Here's the Scoop</u>:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There is no question that Martha Stewart has long been the reigning queen of DIY home crafts and decorations. In this holiday-centered book, she has gathered the best of her ideas, giving us up-close and fully realized directions on how to create extraordinary crafts and gifts for home, family and friends. Martha doesn't disappoint her fans, and anyone is bound to find something beautiful to create in this holiday crafting book.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Major holidays are segmented and ideas for crafts, home decorating and gift giving are shown for each one: New Year's, Valentine's Day, Easter, July 4th, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas...and all others in between! The large spread photographs are lovely, the ideas are not expensive, but are easily accessible; and, the resulting crafts present bright, festive, magical, and even enchanting pieces.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><u>Here's What I Liked</u>:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><u>Valentine's Day</u>: </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Red tulips in double glass vases with red cinnamon candy hearts were vibrant, beautiful and made an easy presentation for a dinner arrangement.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Also, a carnation heart made of multiples of pink carnations on floral foam to make a centerpiece is quick and gorgeous!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><u>Easter </u>:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Fabulous egg-dyeing techniques using natural formulas made from coffee, cabbage, blueberries, beets and spices made incredibly beautiful and exotic eggs. And, Martha gives specific directions for marbleizing eggs! Actually, most of her egg crafting was exceptional.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><u>Thanksgiving </u>:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Gourd candles made from hollowed out mini gourds with colored, melted candles are just amazing little jewels! Pumpkin carving is fabulous!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><u>Christmas </u>:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">I loved the cookie cutter ornament ideas made from various paper goods, family pictures and such. The gilded, and verdigris Polish inspired eggs, and the ribbon poinsettia wreath was just to die for.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><u>Hanukkah </u>:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Paper packages, a menorah, and satin stars are glowing and sparkling in Martha's hands.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><u>Here's what I found lacking</u>:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Often the crafts are more complex than one would want to become engaged in. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">The directions are not clear cut; that is, they are not in a "recipe/materials" format, but are listed in text, which I found to be more difficult to follow. I needed to break it down for myself on my own paper.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Diagrams sometimes took too much for granted, or at least seemed to expect the more experienced crafter could "fill in the blanks." I wasn't up to some of that!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Several projects were quite time-consuming for very little return or impact.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">And, finally, I found the pictures too small in the working segments.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><u>Overall Rating</u>: 3 stars ~ I can't hightly recommend it, but it's a good book to check out of the library...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Deborah/TheBookishDame</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10318926277089882125noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401632442730079165.post-90483533477152802772011-12-19T15:18:00.000-05:002011-12-19T15:18:05.824-05:00"Christmas at Pemberley~A Pride & Prejudice Christmas Sequel" by Regina Jeffers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDNPzHtuzUN-nlc811jWxMLC9L58Nw8F8KBcM3hGcTNTa9yLnyu-7GSTRlSty6shETmYtbRCV4WUVuMqDl8EtSRnqTeK-VDVgpT4vQ7grpbCu7kvRUYO_yg0zlDqyiqkxSgjzuYlFgF-8/s1600/Book++Christmas+at+Pemberley+a+Pride+and+Prejudice+Christmas+Sequel+Regina+Jeffers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDNPzHtuzUN-nlc811jWxMLC9L58Nw8F8KBcM3hGcTNTa9yLnyu-7GSTRlSty6shETmYtbRCV4WUVuMqDl8EtSRnqTeK-VDVgpT4vQ7grpbCu7kvRUYO_yg0zlDqyiqkxSgjzuYlFgF-8/s400/Book++Christmas+at+Pemberley+a+Pride+and+Prejudice+Christmas+Sequel+Regina+Jeffers.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Published by: Ulysses Press</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Pages: 350 with Afterward</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Genre: Fiction/Regency Romance</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">THE DARCYS AND THE BENNETS</span></div><span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">CORDIALLY INVITE YOU TO</span></div><span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLEY: A PRIDE & PREJUDICE HOLIDAY SEQUEL</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Darcy has invited the Bennets and the Bingleys to spend the Christmastide’s festive days at Pemberley. But as he and Elizabeth journey to their estate to join the gathered families, a blizzard blankets the English countryside. The Darcys find themselves stranded at a small inn while Pemberley is inundated with refugees seeking shelter from the storm.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Without her brother’s strong presence, Georgiana Darcy tries desperately to manage the chaos surrounding the arrival of six invited guests and eleven unscheduled visitors. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">But bitter feuds, old jealousies and intimate secrets quickly rise to the surface. Has Lady Catherine returned to Pemberley for forgiveness or revenge? Will the manipulative Caroline Bingley find a soul mate? Shall Kitty Bennet and Georgiana know happiness?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Written in Regency style and including Austen’s romantic entanglements and sardonic humor, Christmas at Pemberley places Jane Austen’s most beloved characters in an exciting yuletide story that speaks to the love, the family spirit and the generosity that remain as the heart of Christmas.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><u>Pemberley from the Dame's Perspective</u> :</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I only wish I had 10 more days of Christmas and 10 more books written by Regina Jeffers about the Darcys and clan to fill them! This is my very favorite of the Christmas books I've read for review this year. And, I'm so happy to bring it to your attention just in time for your Christmas rush!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d0e0e3; color: #93c47d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">If there is ever a time to get one more book for yourself in that "one for her/him~and one for me" pile; this is the ONE!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Jane Austen would love Regina Jeffers's perfectly Pemberley story that unites not only Elizabeth and Darcy in further intimacy around their soon-to-be first child, but also begins to be-ribbon some family relationships that have kept us aching for more closure.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Regina is the reigning queen (name is rightfully hers) of the sequels to Miss Austen's books, in my humble opinion. She takes care to keep her characters in perfect unity with Jane's intentions, it seems to me. This makes the books all the more close to authentic in nature, and all the more desirable for Austen aficionados. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I lost myself in this wintry novel as it danced among the characters and their longings for connections of heart, purpose and mind. Jane Austen's books are of this quality; not just fluff, but of the substance of true life and its mysteries, if a reader will take a moment to look beyond the surface, as Lizzy would have us do.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">The story of a coming home to Pemberley at Christmastime brought me such pleasure this weekend as I put the last trimmings and touches on our holiday. While I went to church, heard the last of the pre-Christmas sermons and remembered things from past holidays with husbands (yes, there have been a couple--I was widowed very young) and children; "A Christmas at Pemberley..." lifted my heart even more. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">This is a beautifully, thoughtfully written book. Perfectly in keeping with Miss Austen's tone of characters. A positively on-target treat for Darcy and Lizzy fans. If we can't have Jane, at least we have Ms Jeffers! Thank God!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">A Christmas in Regency style that is up-lifting, heartwarming and centered on the things that matter most in life: Love and Family.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">The Best of Christmas Books in 2011 </span><br />
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Deborah/TheBookishDame</span>Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10318926277089882125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401632442730079165.post-44339900409935655232011-11-26T09:04:00.001-05:002011-11-26T09:08:12.774-05:00Dystopian Novel "Divergent" by Veronica Roth ~ Cautionary Tale<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpcBjsiQdRO4M-92jYy3IpHCowDrDT_PNqlrsnNBZzRBl3kWJ0b4OLIyU3zB3zS7bJ3KXWGvj_48HnLLmm3rTUEKudZxEB9QptcCUkbfmC6W-2QcyKeSlLEOSUqTnHD2uJ4s2etlA4CZ8/s1600/Book++Divergent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpcBjsiQdRO4M-92jYy3IpHCowDrDT_PNqlrsnNBZzRBl3kWJ0b4OLIyU3zB3zS7bJ3KXWGvj_48HnLLmm3rTUEKudZxEB9QptcCUkbfmC6W-2QcyKeSlLEOSUqTnHD2uJ4s2etlA4CZ8/s400/Book++Divergent.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Published by: HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Books</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Pages: 487</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Genre: YA Fiction, Dystopian</span><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #f6b26b;">Why Was I Drawn to This Novel?</span> I love dystopians. Truthfully, I'll read almost any novel that says it's dystopian...especially a YA genre. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #f6b26b;">Cover Value?</span> Interesting cover. Again, it's the dystopian look that really caught my eye, and the title, too. That firey circle reminded me of the "eye" on our dollar bill and the secret society that is supposed to represent the "New World Order" in our present world. Creepy!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #f6b26b;">Author?</span> Veronica Roth was not known to me before reading "Divergent." I'm going to be very interested in reading her next book.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #f6b26b;">Series?</span> Yes! The next book in this series comes out in May, 2012. It's called, "Insurgent." Can't wait!!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>My Weekend Review</u>:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">"Divergent" is one of the YA novels I was most curious about this past year. I kept holding off reading it like a gift I wanted to wait to unwrap until a special time; then I realized the year was coming to an end! I'm glad I picked it up last weekend and read it...devoured it, is more like it.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In summary, the story centers around a teen aged protagonist, Beatrice, who is of the important age when she can choose which "faction" or lifestyle she will live and work within for the rest of her life. Of these factions, there are these: Abnegation, which values selflessness; Candor, which values frankness/honesty; Erudite, which values knowledge; Amity, which is a faction concerned with working for peace and compatibility; the "factionless" who have not qualified for any factions so are poor and perform the most menial of jobs, and Dauntless, the brave and bold--the fierce fighters. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Beatrice was born into an Abnegation family but never felt at home within the confines of that restrictive environment, and looks forward to her time of reassignment, albeit with a heavy heart with concerns about hurting her parents and brother. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">When the test administrators come to her school and give her a "stimulation" inoculation to determine her most appropriate faction placement, Beatrice is pulled aside and told she is something called "Divergent" ~ one who could fit in to several factions ~ and something which is never to be shared with anyone at anytime, ever. It is a dangerous thing to be. She is told that to protect her, her test will be made unclear to those it's reported to, and that she should simply choose a faction she feels most inclined to...Abnegation and Daunting, and Erudite being where she scores.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What follows is the story about Beatrice's choice to join the Daunting faction, her initiation within that faction, her love interest, and her wisdom gained that will conclude with a surprise that will bring all the factions into play.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As a dystopian novel, I felt that "Divergent" was fairly successful. Its creation of a futuristic society that had been partitioned into different "factions" to carry on a world which had an apparent catastrophic ending, was believable. Although the setting played at being in a destroyed, futurist Chicago, we have only a few hints to discern that; and, we are not given any knowledge as to what caused the destruction of the "world" or the United States. I felt at a loss for that information.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The initiation section of the book was excellent in concept, but it seemed to take up too much of the story content, in my opinion. It could have been compressed to lend as much impact; possibly more impact. It began to belabor the story, but was pulled out just in time to move on to a conclusion, thankfully. The conclusion, however, seemed rushed in contrast. Possibly the author was cut short by editors, but the ending of her book failed to tie things together well enough to answer questions that seemed pertinent to this particular story. It seemed abrupt, to me.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There is no doubt that Veronica Roth can write a story that is intriguing and full-bodied. She writes one with interest and good character building. I felt as if her characters were realistic and captivating, personal and probable within her world-setting. They engender a caring response, and an understandable connectedness to each other within the novel. I think these are her strong points, and very immediate ones, ultimately making "Divergent" a good book to read. Nothing better than an author who can create great characters we can attach ourselves to!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I would recommend this book to YA readers, and to many adult readers who enjoy dystopian novels. With the small exceptions I've mentioned that do not in any way take from her overall presentation of a worthy novel, this is quite the entertaining book!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">While the story is left unresolved, I expect a second book to conclude it, making this a series. Personally, I'll be looking forward to reading it.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">4 stars and a choice of Erudite for my faction</span><br />
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Deborah/The Bookish Dame</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My Favorite Character? Four <span style="color: #9fc5e8;">You'll have to read the book to find out who that is... ;]</span></span>Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10318926277089882125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401632442730079165.post-85790480290324534042011-11-14T22:57:00.000-05:002011-11-14T22:57:23.304-05:00"Jane Austen Made Me Do It..." Compiled by Laurel Ann Nattress ~ These Short Stories Are To Die For!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoXkkIvEFDdqAzMeF4cVAsBD7qdn2K83urZzJjY3LcZUFhv__O1HHzOHQdLni1LrCSXiqGuViL35Mynb7N00RzSqoJ4PAGvvsHeQIUU4LYo-I0Jy_1vKKzZ4uno2PrsBUhDXKidUncq1Q/s1600/Book++Jane+Austen+Made+Me+Do+It+2++by+various+literary+fiction+ladies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoXkkIvEFDdqAzMeF4cVAsBD7qdn2K83urZzJjY3LcZUFhv__O1HHzOHQdLni1LrCSXiqGuViL35Mynb7N00RzSqoJ4PAGvvsHeQIUU4LYo-I0Jy_1vKKzZ4uno2PrsBUhDXKidUncq1Q/s400/Book++Jane+Austen+Made+Me+Do+It+2++by+various+literary+fiction+ladies.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Published by: Ballantine Books</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Pages: 464</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Genre: Fiction, General & Historical Romance</span></div><br />
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Will it be enough to say that I wish this book had gone on and on just like a Jane Austen novel? </span><br />
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Laurel Ann Nattress has achieved a coup in this first of her books. Who could have imagined that so many "mash-up" short stories would have been released about Jane Austen's novels and her characters? I'll bet the great Jane wouldn't have. And, I'll bet she's having a delighted laugh over this one because it's by far the best of the best in concept and expression of any books like it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: large;">Fun, luminous, entertaining, in the original sense; meaning a time when a book was meant to entertain before television and video games, "Jane Austen Made Me Do It.." is the book of this literay season that you'll want to give your best friends, your daughters, neices and mother. I'm getting copies for Christmas gifts.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">How on earth Ms Nattress ever chose from what had to have been a mountain of fabulous entries, because those that made it are the finest of the finest, I have no idea. With writers such as Stephaine Barron, Janet Mullany, Lauren Willig, Margaret C. Sullivan...and I could go on, I just can't fathom who was left out!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">These stories are about nightmares, ghostly visitations, visits from Austen characters, ideas and imaginations mixed with readings of Jane's books and more. Short stories that lead one into another until you want to grab the orginal books and thumb through them to laugh or cry again at the characters and Jane Austen quotes. And, Jane is quoted with such majesty here.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What more can I say except this is a book great fun to have in your Austen collection. And I know anyone who's read this review so far, by this lackluster blogger, has a Jane Austen collection.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Deborah/LavenderRose</span>Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10318926277089882125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401632442730079165.post-53511680532795927622011-11-14T18:12:00.000-05:002011-11-14T18:12:06.286-05:00Is Latest Trend Towards Demonology & Sexually Explicit Scenes In YA Fiction Concerning?<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Are young adults and adults, alike, being duped by "beautiful covers?"</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Current trends in YA fiction which include more specific sexual content, demonology and in dwellings of fallen angels concern me. When young adult fiction was first identified, it seemed to be separated from other genre. Its content had to do with teen aged "coming-of-age" and angst stories, friendship cliques, family dynamics, mild fantasy, syfy, and boys' sports conundrums, just to name a few fairly harmless plots. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">*It must be said up-front that I do not mean to include these series': "Harry Potter," the "Twilight" series and lighter YA fiction in my discussion but use them only as examples of the evolution of YA fiction toward fantasy in a non-threatening way.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Upon the debut of the "Harry Potter" series, YA fiction took a greater leap into the fantasy world, drawing adult readers as well as young adults and children whose parents readily read the books to them. While this series drew some controversay from conservative groups, it was massively received and marked a new trend toward the magical and mystical we'd not seen in children's literature in recent times. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Then came the vampire series topped by "Twilight" and its copycats. A seemingly harmless group of novels that soft-peddled beautiful, teen aged vampires who were for the greatest part, sad they had to drink blood to survive and wanted to be part of an ordinary high school. No explicit sex and no demonology with succubi and incubus's, werewolves included, at the beginning of this trend. But, not your old-fashioned vampires in the long-run ...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Suddenly, or perhaps insidiously, I'm not sure which, some authors have turned a corner seeming to draw unwitting YAs who seek a little more darkness, and are led by gorgeous book covers. Why have writers begun to lose their sense of what is appropriate for young adults to read? Their sense of direction has become strange. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Some books have begun to tell occult stories, easily drawing the darker sides of teen aged minds and troubled/drug-exposed lives or worse. They're writing stories featuring beautifully etched spirits and angels from the dark side, demonology, losing one's soul, humans selling one's soul forever, in dwellings of angels of darkness, fallen angels who are minions of Satan, sexually explicit scenes and the like.</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What has happened to a sense of concern and awareness of young adult audiences? Where are these stories leading them, anyway?</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'm afraid, but I'm compelled to speak out and to take a stand about this trend. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">When things began to deteriorate in some countries of Europe in the 1920's, no one spoke up about the "mythologically-based" trends of the Nazi regime. Were you aware that their symbols, their beliefs and rules of order were taken from ancient occultism and mysticism? Were you aware that Wagner's music and opera were mythologically based and were the favorites of Hitler and his staff? Beautiful stage settings..gorgeous program covers..stunning performers...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hitler's justification for the murder of Jews and other "undesireables" was based on mythology and beautiful gods and goddesses who came down to fraternize with humans. These stories birthed his compulsion to create the pure Aryan race, which is based on a mythological people. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The symbol for the "SS," Hitler's most feared secret police, is from the mythological symbol for Vril or the "god" Odin. The Swastika is also. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">In an article by Dr. Danny Penman called "Hitler and the Secret Satanic Cult at the Heart of Nazi Germany," he writes:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">"Historians have tended to downplay the occult foundations of Nazism for fear of trivialising its heinous war crimes, but a recent documentary on the Discovery Channel laid bare the untold story of the secretive religion at the heart of fascist Germany. And bizarrely, it is thought to have been based on a 19th Century science fiction novel that predicted flying saucers, an alien race at the centre of the earth, and a mysterious force known as Vril.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">"Occult myths played a central role in Nazism,” says Professor Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke, head of the Centre for the Study of Esotericism at Exeter University. “When we look at these ideas today, we think of them as crazy, but they were central to the early Nazi Party and through them played a critical role in 20th century history.”</span><br />
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">“The Vril society was dedicated to evil,” says historian Michael Fitzgerald. “Through their control of the Nazi party they committed the greatest acts of evil in the 20th Century. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">“Vril occultists worked in complete secrecy doing anything that would promote Aryan power. This ranged from straightforward political assassinations, through to evoking the spirits of the dead, human sacrifice and summoning mysterious energies – or Vril - through sexual orgies.” </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">“They began by indoctrinating the Hitler Youth with Satanic ideologies,” says Michael Fitzgerald. “Children and the future leaders of the SS were taught that compassion was weakness. They were encouraged to celebrate pagan festivals and to carry out occult ceremonies..."</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I'm hoping you will add your comments to this post. I'm hoping I won't be alone in my worries about this trend. I really don't know what else to do but share my concerns.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Deborah/TheBookishDame/LavenderRose</span>Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10318926277089882125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401632442730079165.post-70933032833480414802011-11-04T14:39:00.001-04:002011-11-04T14:43:34.004-04:00"Come Back To Me" by Melissa Foster~ Unforgettable Novel About American Soldier in Iraq<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRJyL6aXxBVJa1kPU4OpTJlJ3hf4zoKcAv22hklAToGOWz3-1p3piD_CfZwoq5qxQKLznOBNpnP-YapECYk0aFBoj2l8N2D7V61ca10ZYWxSIw6J44zdmi3HIV-3_BFgYiHmCrBdUfaCQ/s1600/Book++Come+Back+to+Me+cover+best.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRJyL6aXxBVJa1kPU4OpTJlJ3hf4zoKcAv22hklAToGOWz3-1p3piD_CfZwoq5qxQKLznOBNpnP-YapECYk0aFBoj2l8N2D7V61ca10ZYWxSIw6J44zdmi3HIV-3_BFgYiHmCrBdUfaCQ/s400/Book++Come+Back+to+Me+cover+best.jpg" width="257" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Published by: Greenforge Books</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Pages: 316</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><u>Summary</u>:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Tess Johnson has it all: her handsome photographer husband Beau, a thriving business, and a newly discovered pregnancy. When Beau accepts an overseas photography assignment, Tess decides to wait to reveal her secret--only she's never given the chance. Beau's helicopter crashes in the desert.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Tess struggles with the news of Beau's death and tries to put her life back together. Alone and dealing with a pregnancy that only reminds her of what she has lost, Tess is adrift in a world of failed plans and fallen expectations. When a new client appears offering more than just a new project, Tess must confront the circumstances of her life head on.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Meanwhile, two Iraqi women who are fleeing honor killings find Beau barely alive in the middle of the desert, his body ravaged by the crash. Suha, a doctor, and Samira, a widow and mother of three young children, nurse him back to health in a makeshift tent. Beau bonds with the women and children, and together, with the help of an underground organization, they continue their dangerous escape.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">What happens next is a test of loyalties, strength, and love.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><u>The Dame Reviews</u>:</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Hq1u9iHb5Tk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">For every war in history, there's been a love story that captures the hearts of those in battle and those left behind. Melissa Foster has written that story. The love story of the war in Iraq.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Ms Foster knows how to capture the feelings and thoughts of people and to translate that to the written word into her characters. This is a mighty gift for a writer. It is, in fact, the essence of powerful writing and the thing that authors long to achieve. When authors are asked what makes a good book, or what's the single most important factor that they want to achieve in writing; hands down they respond "writing good characters." Well, Melissa Foster's forte' is just that. I can give her no higher praise.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">You have read the essence of her book in the summary above, and probably watched the video, I hope. It's the story of two young people who have just started a life together and who love each other with all their hearts. The story of not giving up when the worst thing in life has happened to them. It's the story of hope over every possible reason not to believe in it. It's the story, then, of the best in the human spirit.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I've said it before about Ms Foster's novels such as "Megan's Way," which has won so many prestigious awards and is in production for a movie, and for "Chasing Amanda," which has also won a basketful of awards; her writing is just stellar. You can't find a bunch of books you'll love more and that will change your perspective on things.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">An unforgettable book, this is one for you to read this weekend! She's an author who's been compared to Jodi Picoult.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://melissafoster.com/">Melissa Foster</a> is also on Facebook where you can find a great following because she believes in helping other authors, and links to her organization: The Women's Nest.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">5 bold and beautiful stars</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Deborah/TheBookishDame </span>Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10318926277089882125noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401632442730079165.post-67640917822407858692011-11-02T01:07:00.002-04:002011-11-02T01:12:23.146-04:00"Maman's Homesick Pie: A Persian Heart in an American Kitchen" by Donia Bijan is Breath-taking<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOsQ6Goy0Gpppi_4PTQMmZmnZY7Zx1-hGioRx9C_3cPYxZ_Ssuthqlux840DRJ4CdVubFGMTGYMGruSb-N28S1uIpe0MnY3XDkZmCzoiWp1h4Sb4zEpVsfpSZj0OHaDZrS8x3WzVedfYs/s1600/Book++Mamans+Homesick++best+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOsQ6Goy0Gpppi_4PTQMmZmnZY7Zx1-hGioRx9C_3cPYxZ_Ssuthqlux840DRJ4CdVubFGMTGYMGruSb-N28S1uIpe0MnY3XDkZmCzoiWp1h4Sb4zEpVsfpSZj0OHaDZrS8x3WzVedfYs/s400/Book++Mamans+Homesick++best+pic.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Published by: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Pages: 250</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Genre: Memoir</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><u>Summary</u>:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">For Donia Bijan’s family, food has been the language they use to tell their stories and to communicate their love. In 1978, when the Islamic revolution in Iran threatened their safety, they fled to California’s Bay Area, where the familiar flavors of Bijan’s mother’s cooking formed a bridge to the life they left behind. Now, through the prism of food, award-winning chef Donia Bijan unwinds her own story, finding that at the heart of it all is her mother, whose love and support enabled Bijan to realize her dreams. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Donia Bijan graduated from UC Berkeley and the Cordon Bleu. After presiding over a number of San Francisco's acclaimed restaurants and earning awards for her French-inspired cuisine, she ran her own restaurant, L'Amie Donia, in Palo Alto for ten years.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9;"><u>The Dame Savors This One</u>:</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">This is a memoir to savor. It's a breath-taking account of a young woman who lived the life of a cherished and richly encompassed child of the world at large. I became spellbound by Donia Bijan's life story immediately, and found myself holding my breath as I grasped her book, not wanting to read it slowly, but speeding through its pages like a delicious crepe filled with Turkish coffee ice cream.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">While Ms Bijan's memoir is captivating in and of itself, her exotic recipes included at the end of chapters are both slightly tipped with the savory and screaming to be tried in one's own kitchen. I can hardly wait to try her Cardamom Honey Madeleines. Proustians everywhere know of his love affair with Madeleines to begin with, so her distinctive twist of cardamom with trying out farmers' market honeys makes this recipe irresistible to me. We have a great farmers' market in Naples.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">Not to mention that I have a fabulous Madeleine pan I've never used! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">What I found intriguing among so many things about this memoir is the tone of her literary "voice." I suppose I expected a lilting celebration of food and family...a "warm and inviting kitchen" experience as expressed on the cover review. Instead, Ms Bijan's telling of her past life as a refugee from revolutionary-torn Iran, to the shores of a hip and culturally shocking San Francisco, and an unimaginably glorious but difficult training in the bowels of kitchens in Paris, France, is somewhat maudlin. It's reflective. I found it a surprise, and a powerful memoir for that reason.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">Food, studying the art of food preparation and restauranteering isn't what's important in her memoir, it seems to me. What is important is the underlying story of trials, family obligations and examples of dedication to others, of loving and sharing gifts through food, of finding wholeness within the simplicity of homemade and close-to-home foods and ingredients that are discovered. Food was the life-blood of Donia's family. It is also the foundation of her heritage,where she is today, and where her son and future generations are going.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">It was significant to me that her mother was not only a central figure in Donia's learning the importance of food and cooking, but she was a strong role-model: a midwife, a women's liberation advocate, a tireless volunteer in wartime, a teacher, a woman of grace and celebration, a knitter and seamstress, a mother and devoted wife. Her mother didn't show her the example of taking the easy road in life, of failing to show up and give ones best efforts. It's obvious in Donia's life.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">I highly recommend this book of many trips through a life that's magical and meaningful. There is much I've left out because there's so much in this memoir, beautifully told, never boring--quite the opposite--like a teatime set with Brussels lace on a silver tray holding lemon tea steeped in a china pot draped in a knitted cozy...side served with a plate of freshly baked cardamom Madeleines; this book will be in your hands until the last perfect word is read.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">5 delicious stars</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"></span><span style="color: #a2c4c9;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">Deborah/TheBookishDame</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10318926277089882125noreply@blogger.com0