tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9613325662929425372024-02-18T22:46:54.306-05:00Jo Michaels BlogA blog dedicated to the education and support of Indie authors.<br>
Also striving to providing great book recommendations and reviews for readers.Jo Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02005237887461809640noreply@blogger.comBlogger1226125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961332566292942537.post-66157999927297798942021-02-08T09:31:00.002-05:002021-02-08T09:31:41.555-05:00Cover Competition - The Adventures of Tara and Pep Pep Book Four: Learning About 911<p>Good morning and happy Monday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I have a request coming to you all from the very sweet Wanda L. Roberts. Grab your coffee or tea and let's get going!</p><p>I'm sure you've all heard of AllAuthor by now, and I'm sure you know they do a cover of the month competition.</p><p>Wanda's children's book, <i>The Adventures of Tara and Pep Pep Book Four: Learning About 911</i>, was chosen for this month's contest, and she's asking you all to pop on over and give her a vote, if you don't mind. Links and such you need to complete this are next, so keep scrolling!</p><p>Click <a href="https://allauthor.com/cover-of-the-month/11046/" target="_blank">here</a> to vote for this cute cover.</p><p>You'll need to log in, but you can do so either with your Facebook credentials or with your AllAuthor account (or create an AllAuthor account).</p><p>Here's a snapshot of the book cover you'll be voting for:</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4iMwOP7JI6m9isZt_m846svxvJBPpfTj3k1q3dGFPGFnk0sjx4nvZQBOYqOLh2IUpmnTG7BxbQKgYP4B1U-UIOih5NAbmmZm6ZM2Nmnm4NBNOQLSlp9a3gEoMPaipvyDj-OcGl97iaact/s499/cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="386" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4iMwOP7JI6m9isZt_m846svxvJBPpfTj3k1q3dGFPGFnk0sjx4nvZQBOYqOLh2IUpmnTG7BxbQKgYP4B1U-UIOih5NAbmmZm6ZM2Nmnm4NBNOQLSlp9a3gEoMPaipvyDj-OcGl97iaact/s320/cover.jpg" /></a></div><br />Isn't that cute?<br /><p></p><p>If you'd like to buy the book, you can find it on Amazon <a href="http://a-fwd.com/asin=B08Q9WF2MB" target="_blank">here</a>. </p><p>$2.99 for Kindle and $9.99 for paperback.</p><p><b>Blurb: </b>The Adventures of Tara and Pep Pep is an adorable book series that is sure to bring out international smiling faces everywhere. The fun educational activities included in each book encourage your child to learn numbers, colors, and words as well as compassion towards rescue dogs.<br /><br />These beautiful stories of Toby, his dad, and Tara and Pep Pep are sure to be adored by children, and warm any mother's heart! Come along with Tara and Pep Pep while they visit the 911 emergency facilities and learn from Mid Molly Mobile how to handle a emergency!<br /></p><p>Thank you all so much!</p><p>That's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!</p><p><br /></p><p>Jo<br /></p>Jo Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02005237887461809640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961332566292942537.post-80751453936388400402021-01-06T11:08:00.001-05:002021-01-06T11:10:00.726-05:006 Routine and Productivity Tips<p>Happy Wednesday, good people of the blogosphere! I hope you're all enjoying your new year thus far. Today, I'm talking about how to stick to your routine and be productive no matter what you're doing. I won't bore you with a long introduction up here, so grab your coffee or tea, and let's dive on in!</p><p>As you all may know, when the pandemic hit, my characters ran from Covid like the bulls in the streets of Pamplona, abandoning me to the woes and worries of the world with nothing to distract me and the very real possibility of getting trampled by depression. It was touch and go there for a minute, but I managed, through the power of flour, to pull myself out of the trenches and keep forging ahead. I created my <a href="http://bit.ly/bakingauthor" target="_blank">baking channel</a> and <a href="https://bit.ly/DigitalCookbook" target="_blank">companion cookbook</a>.<br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJT4_ntiJa5kyYpnBhjcRHEVI80mkYkMV82gCLKG8O90Sfu_jVfOb3_Gg0SP0iP_4peP_KSUfgk_6FBWror1hs_0ry-4wzBa6DXvNCPoAUF06aV7h2HWPMGuJoM5qF5bmQHy7kKe1XSYDF/s1134/2020BAKECOOK.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1134" data-original-width="1134" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJT4_ntiJa5kyYpnBhjcRHEVI80mkYkMV82gCLKG8O90Sfu_jVfOb3_Gg0SP0iP_4peP_KSUfgk_6FBWror1hs_0ry-4wzBa6DXvNCPoAUF06aV7h2HWPMGuJoM5qF5bmQHy7kKe1XSYDF/s320/2020BAKECOOK.png" /></a></div>My biggest assets have always been my ability to schedule myself for maximum productivity and form routines to keep myself focused. I changed gears so fast I'm surprised my transmission didn't fall out, but here we are, nearly a year later, and I'm still going strong. Below, I'll share a few of my most helpful tips for achieving something you wish to do.<p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Take the time to learn everything you can about the thing you're trying to do.</b> Whether that's using a video camera, editing reels, or proofing dough, find out the how and the why. You'll be better prepared when you get to the action stage of this list.</li><li><b>Use a calendar and be realistic. </b>Don't set yourself unobtainable goals a year in the future. Start now (or as soon as humanly possible) and start small. There's no need to go crazy. 100 words every day for a year is 36,500 words. Things add up. Pick a date and just start!<br /></li><li><b>Plan ahead. </b>Grab yourself a day planner with the hours of each day outlined (mine was $20 at Michael's). Spend an hour each Sunday planning your week. If that's not realistic, loosely outline targets you want to hit then segment and figure out how many hours you need to use to achieve them. Find those hours. For my YouTube channel, I plan a whole three months ahead, and I know exactly when I need to start taping recipes for the next quarter to get them all done in time. Then, I break that down by days then by hours (photo below). Usually, I have lunch breaks planned out, too, but I've been horribly lacking in that area lately, choosing to eat what I film instead. :)<br /></li><li><b>Stick to your planned routine as though your very life depended on it.</b> Don't let anything get in the way. If you have other obligations, schedule around them to begin with. If something pops up that you can't avoid, reschedule your action item right away. Don't put things off with the intention to "get to them" later and not making a firm plan to do so. You'll never get to them.<br /></li><li><b>Tell people what you're doing, and ask them not to disturb you during that time.</b> Turn off all your ringers if you need to, and step away from the computer if you can. If not, disable your internet while you write or film or hammer or knit, whatever you're doing. Be as protective of your time as a mama bear is with her cubs. People interrupt? Maul their asses. You now have permission. :) Aren't I generous? haha</li><li><b>Be a finisher. </b>If it matters to you, you'll find a way, and if not, you'll find an excuse. Close your eyes, dive in, and give it everything you've got. Even if nothing comes of it, you gave it your all, and that makes you a winner every time. Celebrate those successes of finishing. Even if it's only forty-five minutes all to yourself (if you get this reference, you're now my bestie-haha! <i>I'm totally kidding, Tia. You'll always be my bestie!</i>).<br /></li></ol><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsvr81dIwusTCVvMmPRs0NV9vMpKlOcDaxqnZmXoK4PtDT-LuyyQwiLqk7jGH9M6DcK0ASwgA5wzmqzjvBFCmOQ0kbT3tlWAkKU4yIKbeYiMWW_o-lk2WmDASqp1Gh8UKu3rJwX_1PBQzo/s2048/IMG_3953.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1349" data-original-width="2048" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsvr81dIwusTCVvMmPRs0NV9vMpKlOcDaxqnZmXoK4PtDT-LuyyQwiLqk7jGH9M6DcK0ASwgA5wzmqzjvBFCmOQ0kbT3tlWAkKU4yIKbeYiMWW_o-lk2WmDASqp1Gh8UKu3rJwX_1PBQzo/w400-h264/IMG_3953.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />Above all, don't be hard on yourself. Enjoy whatever it is you're doing, because if you don't enjoy it, what's the point? You don't have to be what everyone else considers perfect. Be your own version of greatness. Yours is the only opinion that matters.<p></p><p>I hope you all got something out of this and forge ahead with new energy in this year of 2021. Our future is what we make it. Let's make it great.</p><p>Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!</p><p>Jo<br /></p>Jo Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02005237887461809640noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961332566292942537.post-36619875220293865182020-09-10T14:16:00.001-04:002020-09-10T14:16:03.241-04:00Life - Now and Then<p>Happy Thursday, y'all!</p><p><b>What's everyone been up to?</b></p><p>Today, I'm musing. Thinking about the past, the present, and the future.</p><p>It's strange to me to think that we'll eventually refer to time as before COVID and after. I'll admit, I was a bit worried there in the beginning, before the studies of people on my particular brand of medication were done. Having an immune system that acts like the Hulk on steroids is no joke. Many of the folks in the group I'm in (specifically for this medication) have gotten the 'Rona and did just fine. Seeing as I'm relatively healthy otherwise, I relaxed a little when I read those posts and the studies that came out of the first group of deaths and survivals (from actual doctors, not the news).</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizRw9kBOr1e98kGCdY6fW-Uem2H-Sv5lWFEjQeCLIBSamykKIY7bevk7fQb73ynqKj6BiGu7QoLN4ELOBBuEjXTwMxAELukOjyTyWOTnyBswK2VsoXwtF-v-aqJ4sU_yGSLAibwMWN_8z3/s1000/quarantine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizRw9kBOr1e98kGCdY6fW-Uem2H-Sv5lWFEjQeCLIBSamykKIY7bevk7fQb73ynqKj6BiGu7QoLN4ELOBBuEjXTwMxAELukOjyTyWOTnyBswK2VsoXwtF-v-aqJ4sU_yGSLAibwMWN_8z3/s320/quarantine.jpg" width="320" /></a> <br /></div><p></p><p>Yes, I still wear my mask everywhere, but I was a shut in before all this mess. Not too much has changed with that. But so many things have changed with me as a person...</p><p><b>Do you find that to be true? Did you experience any kind of growth during this quarantine and everything that happened because of it? </b>I'll turn comments back on for this post so I can hear from y'all. Spammers have been out of control or I would've done it sooner. Nothing like waking up to fifty notifications about comments that are all BS. *eye roll*</p><p><b>I was struggling with a lot of things:</b> loss of my alone time, loss of motivation, loss of concentration... I could go on and on. But sharing my cooking has really helped me pull myself back together. Added bonus: I GOT A NEW PLANNER with hourly slots. I can't even tell you how much these things help me. I'm back in the groove so much more now than I was before.</p><p>Of course, there are still adjustments to be made. My kiddo is home most of the time now, so I still need to plan around that. She has no issue barging in on me while I'm working. Haha. It is what it is for now, but I need to get back to writing. There's no way to explain to anyone what interruptions do to a writer's train of thought unless that person is also a writer. I need silence and a strict schedule.</p><p>Know what writers also need, I've found? <i>A guarantee that what we're doing won't be yanked out from under us suddenly.</i> When we commit to a book, to putting words on the page, we need to feel like it'll be complete at some point or we lose all desire to sit down and work at it.</p><p>At least, that's me. If I think that tomorrow will be the end of my writing career, I start to wonder why I'd even bother with another book or why I'd worry about finishing what I'm working on. <b>What's the point?</b></p><p>Thankfully, I've still been working on the second installment of <i>Recipe for Redemption</i> with Tia and Kelly. This one is Izzy's story, and it's shaping up to be one helluva novel. With that will come an all new set of recipes (that I get to create) for the book.</p><p><b>How fun is that?</b></p><p>Anyway, I do wonder when, or if, things will return to some semblance of what they were before. I'm thinking things will change in ways we can't even fathom yet, but I also look forward to a future where there's not a big question mark hanging over everyone's heads.</p><p><b>Things that happened in my life during quarantine: </b>EVERYTHING I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO GOT CANCELLED. A new job and total move to a different state (for me) threatened. Hubby lost his job and had to find a new one. Everyone was home all the time. Kiddo struggled with her social life from being housebound. Finances went tits up along with the old job, and we had to do some major adjusting quickly. I gained the COVID-20 around my middle. My arthritis finally hit a breaking point, and even moving started causing pain. I started a new medication for my MS that has weird side effects. SO MUCH. Ugh.<br /></p><p>But all that aside, I've learned a lot, too. I've taken on deep introspection, and I've started to realize my emotional triggers more deeply than I did before. For that, I'm grateful. I now know why I burst into tears after a particularly intense workout and why I get so damned upset when things change without advance notice. It's taken a lot, but I'm getting there. </p><p><b>How about y'all?</b> <br /></p><p>As you all know, I also started <a href="http://bit.ly/bakingauthor" target="_blank">a cooking channel over on YouTube</a>. Feel free to join me!<br /></p><p>Now I just feel like I'm rambling, so I'll head on out of here. I hope everyone has an amazing week ahead.</p><p>Until next time, WRITE ON.</p><p>Jo<br /></p>Jo Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02005237887461809640noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961332566292942537.post-62689270352341068092020-08-10T10:12:00.002-04:002020-08-10T10:12:21.403-04:00Baking, Cooking, and Recipe Submissions<p>Welcome back, everyone! I know the blog has been silent, but I've been busy learning... stuff. Since all this COVID-19 crap started, my brain has been in Dug and squirrel mode. I haven't been able to focus on anything much, so I turned to learning. That's always been my go-to fix. I believe I could've been a professional student. I love to learn. ALL THE THINGS!</p><p>Since the pandemic, I've gone through tons of bread flour. Practicing, reading, and filing information away for later use. Check out some of my bakes:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxGyxqk4Pht-INGqYn_L5ZLSa3LPlU-Fs-aQLpMK3z7mFC40w0G3uSksSdBOaRThtNBkXSeUo674lMKi1Ki_dob7JBxESGCTlsgMO0ij3BA0bmVirz6sMgtb08uwc3wcf5FnE0gdkS5Gmc/s840/BreadSquare.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="840" data-original-width="840" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxGyxqk4Pht-INGqYn_L5ZLSa3LPlU-Fs-aQLpMK3z7mFC40w0G3uSksSdBOaRThtNBkXSeUo674lMKi1Ki_dob7JBxESGCTlsgMO0ij3BA0bmVirz6sMgtb08uwc3wcf5FnE0gdkS5Gmc/w512-h512/BreadSquare.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><p>Now is later. I've launched a YouTube channel where I'll be sharing the following:</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Recipes of my own.</li><li>Recipes submitted by folks.</li><li>Bread recipes.</li><li>Recipes I find on the web.</li><li>Bonus videos when something interesting is going on (like a new food hitting the market) <br /></li></ul><p>As far as recipes I find on the web, they'll be stuff I want to try and/or want to see how long they <i>really </i>take from start to finish. Yes, all the bread in the image above is coming. I'm planning one video a week on Mondays.<br /></p><p>I WILL take requests, too. <b>If you have a recipe you've never been able to nail, shoot it my way, and I'll give it a go. Describe the issue you're having during the making. Maybe together, we can figure it out.</b></p><p>I also leave in my crazy bloopers. Ha!</p><p>If you'd like to join me over there, here's the link to my channel: </p><p>And here's my most recent video:</p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6_ZIq-KsP88" width="560"></iframe></p><p>Next week, I'm doing basic bread, so that should be entertaining.</p><p>I hope to see you all over there. Let's relax and do some cooking and baking!</p><p>That's all for today, folks! Until next time, BAKE ON!</p><p>Jo<br /></p>Jo Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02005237887461809640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961332566292942537.post-76511004604116143302020-03-20T16:38:00.000-04:002020-03-20T16:38:52.619-04:00An Open Letter to Whomever Will Listen Concerning COVID-19Happy Friday, y'all. I know a ton of people are going crazy because of quarantine, but hopefully, this will give you something to pass the time. Yeah, I know I'm going to go on and on here, but it's time we all started thinking about this. Grab your coffee or tea, get comfy, and let's get going.<br />
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To Whomever it May Concern (or to those folks that might listen),<br />
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It's time to stop reacting to things that are happening with the COVID-19 outbreak. <b>Just. Stop. It.</b> What's happened has happened. There's literally <i>nothing </i>you can do about it. No amount of complaining will fix it. No amount of saying <b>it's not real</b> will make it go away. It's <i>very</i> real. Those things that happened are done. Over. In the past. Untouchable.<br />
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How about you start looking to <b>tomorrow</b>? Or perhaps the next day? Next week, maybe? <b>All of those?</b><br />
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Plan for what's <b>coming</b>, not what's already happened. <b>I know you see it.</b> You're not going into this situation blind. You have models from other countries that will tell you exactly how this virus will progress and what it will do. Think forward rather than backward. Put resources where they'll be needed <b>tomorrow </b>and not where they were needed <b>yesterday</b>. Yesterday is over. Tomorrow is coming.<br />
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We've known this was coming since <i>December</i>. And if someone like me, who's not as smart as so many others, saw it and planned for it, I have to wonder why you didn't. Why you didn't look at the people you govern and care like a mother does for her children? That's <b>literally </b>your job. It's not to make the right step or be infallible. You need to <i>be human and care</i>. Then take the steps to protect the ones you're supposed to protect. Admit when you screw up. We can handle that. Humility will get you everywhere. Then give us an actionable plan you've truly thought through and not some half-assed solution that addresses what happened before today.<br />
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Denying there's anything to worry about will make people lift their eyebrows at you. We're smarter than that. Give us some credit, will ya? Because you're not taking it seriously, there are thousands (possibly tens of thousands--I have no idea) on the beaches in Florida, tens of thousands (more?) still going out for dinner in crowded restaurants, and who knows how many traveling everywhere.<br />
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You have to convey the seriousness of the situation to the public, even if you have to eat a little crow along the way. <b>Make people listen to protect them. That is your job.</b><br />
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There are so many states refusing to shut down. Do it before it gets out of control, or you won't be able to control it. That much, I can promise you. For every ten known cases, how many do we not know about? <b>Think about that</b>. We're smart enough to figure it out. Why aren't you?<br />
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<b>People are hoarding because they're terrified.</b> They <i>know </i>they don't have all the information. They're not freaking stupid. They know there's something y'all aren't telling us. Humans can handle the truth when you give it, but you <i>have </i>to be honest. If we feel like we're being lied to, we overreact and think the worst. <b>It's hard to have conspiracy theories if someone is being blatantly honest and presenting you with a plan.</b><br />
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Yeah, I know, I know. You're being honest. You don't think there's anything to worry about. <i>*insert eye roll* </i>If that's true, then why declare a national state of emergency? Come on. <b>We're not idiots.</b> Stop treating us like we are. Please.<br />
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We have a hard time getting behind something we don't understand, and we don't understand this thing. What you're saying will happen here doesn't match what we're seeing happen elsewhere. Because of that, people are either all over the beaches in Florida or holed up in their homes, afraid to leave.<br />
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<b>Do you see what I'm getting at?</b><br />
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Do what you need to do to get this crap under control. <b>We won't hold it against you.</b> Maybe if you're honest with the information and take needed precautions (huge thanks to all those counties in GA that have already shut down--appreciate y'all for caring--not sure it'll matter in the long run because of the other guys), we might actually have a chance. If you continue to lie, we're all screwed.<br />
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How about you start ordering ventilators today instead of the day you realize you need them. You know it's coming. <b>Tomorrow is changeable. Yesterday is not. </b><br />
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For all you people calling this COVID-19 a hoax or a scare-tactic from the media: Do you think the whole world is in on some conspiracy to scare you? Come on. You're all smarter than that. And for what it's worth, every time you cite those things above? You're saying those lives lost already don't matter and the ones that will be lost in the coming months don't either.<br />
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Honestly, I've lost one parent, and if one of y'all acts stupid and causes me to lose the other because you didn't listen? Shame on you. Shame. On. You.<br />
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<b>Look past what you're being told and examine other countries.</b> There are plenty of case studies out there for you to look at. Don't be sheep. Think for yourselves. Then get your kids, siblings, parents, and friends on board. Get those college kids off the beaches. Quarantine them at home for a month after. This is what you're gonna have to do to keep this thing from spreading.<br />
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Y'all, wash your hands. <b>Stay home whether you feel sick or not (if you can)</b>. You know this thing is contagious way before you show symptoms. Think of others. If you hoarded toilet paper out of panic, that's okay. Give a roll to an elderly person. Just leave it on their porch. They'll be grateful.<br />
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<b>AND STOP FIGHTING.</b> It's not worth it. Nothing is worth that, not even the last loaf of bread at Walmart. If you need to know how to bake bread, there's a video on my FB page that walks you through it. If you need to wipe your butt, use a rag and throw it in the washer with some bleach. It's what our great-great grandparents did. They made out just fine.<br />
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<b>Also, please thank a nurse, doctor, truck driver, or EMT today.</b> They're the ones keeping this country moving, and they'll be the ones that have to keep going, day after day, no matter how sick they get.<br />
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I'm disgusted at the blatant disregard for human life I'm seeing, but I'm also touched by the kindness I see happening everywhere. Be the kindness.<br />
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I hope someone hears this and we all start paying attention.<br />
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Peace and Love, Fellow Humans,<br />
<br />
JoJo Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02005237887461809640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961332566292942537.post-58797755194122285842020-03-13T14:47:00.003-04:002020-03-13T14:47:46.701-04:00An Author and Reader Guide to StoryOrigin - Part One - Signing Up with SO and Integrating Mailing ListsHey all! I hope you're doing well and staying out of the way of the mess hitting the fan right now. Today, I'd like to introduce you all to a platform that's been getting a lot of traction called <a href="https://storyoriginapp.com/" target="_blank">StoryOrigin</a>. I'm not gonna lead in with a bunch of yakkity, so just grab your coffee or tea and let's get going!<br />
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<b>*******AS ALWAYS, THERE IS NO COMPENSATION FOR ME TO DO THIS AND NO AFFILIATE LINKS ARE USED******</b> That being said, know that all opinions are my own, and I'm free to give them. ;) <br />
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<b>First off: What is <a href="https://storyoriginapp.com/" target="_blank">StoryOrigin</a>?</b><br />
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<a href="https://storyoriginapp.com/" target="_blank">StoryOrigin</a> is a platform for authors to gain new subscribers to their newsletters through group promotions and swaps, give out ARC copies, have a universal book link page, and distribute audio codes. Newsletters are a huge part of most authors' marketing efforts, so you need to know how to make the most out of every tool available!<br />
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But there's more!<i> I know, right?</i> StoryOrigin is also a site for readers to find ARC copies and keep up with how they're doing on their reviews.<br />
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If you don't have a mailing list and want to use StoryOrigin for some other reason (ARCs, audio code distribution, etc...), this post isn't for you. Scroll to the bottom of this page and find the links to the next parts!<br />
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<b>Best of all, right now, it's free, so let's get you enrolled!</b><br />
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There's a lot to go over, but we'll start with signing up, integrating all the mailing list types, and press forward from there. All posts will be listed and linked on all posts for easy navigation.<br />
<br />
Start by going to the StoryOrigin homepage:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggBo3CakdLNXj0ft5wVS7i06dhC0WFZyOrF2RU0xZLHfFrQJhDtW1wnlWQ3T8fp85K0Siv1-q8-3CCpYnjdqWFmLyHKEBuuIf2_D3Cu1xVboBwbPJno0m5LavyTleV8cDn1kWQ2lFUhqxt/s1600/SO-Homepage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="824" data-original-width="1600" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggBo3CakdLNXj0ft5wVS7i06dhC0WFZyOrF2RU0xZLHfFrQJhDtW1wnlWQ3T8fp85K0Siv1-q8-3CCpYnjdqWFmLyHKEBuuIf2_D3Cu1xVboBwbPJno0m5LavyTleV8cDn1kWQ2lFUhqxt/s320/SO-Homepage.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Click Login in the top right hand corner.<br />
Click Signup! Where it asks if you're new to us. If you've already gotten this far, feel free to skip to the relevant content. :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXukVI5muwHQja04M7KZiG8k0JDSqQb_erJsL36KhfmrLJ-bJ5ZeUY-PlHZq47jIoknIPYByFENnYn2uNmDOd2rJJsV2zpfdkX08wnePXu6zMxeqMbBFcZI6IBKNtDEAPN3J7IdEmlK6Jm/s1600/SO-NewAccount.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="840" data-original-width="625" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXukVI5muwHQja04M7KZiG8k0JDSqQb_erJsL36KhfmrLJ-bJ5ZeUY-PlHZq47jIoknIPYByFENnYn2uNmDOd2rJJsV2zpfdkX08wnePXu6zMxeqMbBFcZI6IBKNtDEAPN3J7IdEmlK6Jm/s320/SO-NewAccount.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>
Enter Name and Email Stuffs. <b>I'm making dummy accounts that will be deleted once this tutorial is done.</b> If you have an author website, feel free to click to add it. You also need a privacy policy IF you have an email client that requires one, so go ahead and link it.<br />
Next, you'll see a page that looks like this. We're gonna start at kinda the bottom and work our way up.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1QTjsHE-qbYwOV29_FzXyfR6X0NioiCd-SSfCGVXkgMTV2NrVxkd_CeFvmhvpek6e3IS3T6OEguUKjLe5bVnA3g70kOC3QvEqBRQMzDc59sOqChoJpcVEb70fb8CdDArRJfQlE4HbYVye/s1600/SO-Dashboard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1QTjsHE-qbYwOV29_FzXyfR6X0NioiCd-SSfCGVXkgMTV2NrVxkd_CeFvmhvpek6e3IS3T6OEguUKjLe5bVnA3g70kOC3QvEqBRQMzDc59sOqChoJpcVEb70fb8CdDArRJfQlE4HbYVye/s320/SO-Dashboard.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Go all the way to the bottom and click Author Profiles.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji65YnVU0cwQ3fr0r8c2HIcaRX2xZIfeIehd0OEWrZaKhKG1JeSrB0md2LC4ZZD0VLvV_MO93mG2Bwu9_xx30k9eUNdrXJRkrEWBXd7edyyEXfEoRQUdGg8JaQvw1HtWvdjttXZ8111Ywb/s1600/AuthorProfiles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="917" data-original-width="1600" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji65YnVU0cwQ3fr0r8c2HIcaRX2xZIfeIehd0OEWrZaKhKG1JeSrB0md2LC4ZZD0VLvV_MO93mG2Bwu9_xx30k9eUNdrXJRkrEWBXd7edyyEXfEoRQUdGg8JaQvw1HtWvdjttXZ8111Ywb/s320/AuthorProfiles.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Right now, you have to have a new account to manage more than one profile, but hopefully, this functionality will be available soon. You should see your author name and website (if you added one) listed.<br />
Let's go one higher and click on Integrations. This is where you'll connect your mailing list and a VERY important function of the site.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUXIxO9POmE53dvWLP4aGD7z8jJPzrN5-qA4XmqyAiB7fHsm-IN-j6xLITUqbdR4rH3Q6lrl5RWebPeNTI1ipBNdem7ZEht3PDaxyBxwNbxGtnig6hHMYs-v4ZRA2p0a4Bl0_LGi3Zopfk/s1600/SO-MAILING-LIST-INT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="824" data-original-width="1600" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUXIxO9POmE53dvWLP4aGD7z8jJPzrN5-qA4XmqyAiB7fHsm-IN-j6xLITUqbdR4rH3Q6lrl5RWebPeNTI1ipBNdem7ZEht3PDaxyBxwNbxGtnig6hHMYs-v4ZRA2p0a4Bl0_LGi3Zopfk/s320/SO-MAILING-LIST-INT.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<b>MAILCHIMP </b></h3>
Click the blue button to integrate and select your provider from the list. I'm going through each one, starting with <a href="https://mailchimp.com/" target="_blank">MAILCHIMP</a>, so if your provider is different, scroll down until you find that instruction. Select Mailchimp from the dropdown and click Authenticate Mailchimp.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDsVdzVkwWR1D5dq-y5FcXRQ48TZGeEGJa1IHfgYr8pLikQKQJovB5WshmlytPiF-q0CZotF2ZqwqW63x2sNx36lHAHxDOGJ7RCN9pX2Utc9i1wCumUhYPzr90BXFjy-aKTcB4JFxmorEB/s1600/SO-AUTH-MAILCHIMP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="542" data-original-width="781" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDsVdzVkwWR1D5dq-y5FcXRQ48TZGeEGJa1IHfgYr8pLikQKQJovB5WshmlytPiF-q0CZotF2ZqwqW63x2sNx36lHAHxDOGJ7RCN9pX2Utc9i1wCumUhYPzr90BXFjy-aKTcB4JFxmorEB/s320/SO-AUTH-MAILCHIMP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Sign in to your Mailchimp account and click Allow.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjobcMrAH76yEpOC1zU5NV44ED3SVj-tFwtAIMuEl4R8ECKG2_x7Q5rCgopNFmxD2YHcsc37ZZqfJocMSdeYeN9OB3TKZYIHEAQaHeI6rNM-CnGolkKwm11tGstTniJAixl8zPv1Sv9ea8u/s1600/SO-MAILCHIMPALLOW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="942" data-original-width="1319" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjobcMrAH76yEpOC1zU5NV44ED3SVj-tFwtAIMuEl4R8ECKG2_x7Q5rCgopNFmxD2YHcsc37ZZqfJocMSdeYeN9OB3TKZYIHEAQaHeI6rNM-CnGolkKwm11tGstTniJAixl8zPv1Sv9ea8u/s320/SO-MAILCHIMPALLOW.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
There you go! All done! You should be taken back to the page on StoryOrigin that shows your Integrations. Your Mailchimp account should be listed like so:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhftjzgWTKhA_sVgiF7fzKoHtmxbgIqPKNZWNtIiLRN7kzd5Ol9hCC1insy6jTA1dsXvSQNLjqfOHjG5rrliJCIjMF-F1FeixKqP2Dqyu7AUcrns5BhAKe6ErbI_DQpUEbamFtaduUd_pMC/s1600/MAILCHIMPSUCCESS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="1600" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhftjzgWTKhA_sVgiF7fzKoHtmxbgIqPKNZWNtIiLRN7kzd5Ol9hCC1insy6jTA1dsXvSQNLjqfOHjG5rrliJCIjMF-F1FeixKqP2Dqyu7AUcrns5BhAKe6ErbI_DQpUEbamFtaduUd_pMC/s320/MAILCHIMPSUCCESS.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<b>MAILERLITE</b></h3>
On to the next one: <a href="https://app.mailerlite.com/users/login/" target="_blank">MailerLite</a> Click Integrate Email Provider and choose MailerLite from the dropdown. You should see this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKXpUghyphenhyphenx0gdrDm7LksMuqVKzqBgdH67khaM3nFZJir7yWGRrgrXcdeDfD7JhfZ4hNDw6X1fL8fbxiM8YYORCtByN_qvEQGvtSSBtIgYvKR6sGecUfWl8BPv0i2IRCpeDuW10GmgZ7Iuyw/s1600/SOMAILERLITECHOOSE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="840" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKXpUghyphenhyphenx0gdrDm7LksMuqVKzqBgdH67khaM3nFZJir7yWGRrgrXcdeDfD7JhfZ4hNDw6X1fL8fbxiM8YYORCtByN_qvEQGvtSSBtIgYvKR6sGecUfWl8BPv0i2IRCpeDuW10GmgZ7Iuyw/s320/SOMAILERLITECHOOSE.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Your API key is found by clicking your name in the top right hand corner on MailerLite, selecting Integrations, then clicking USE next to Developer API. Will look like this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJGXABfpfV7qxX9zo8Q79GiQqQJrcwUPbUt_jI2rihzWT9pfQDNZLsTk3HWOW1LUI3NThPokY63EULnScZLlFM8Fph3yNywZ1IbeuHnzz5Dpz488C_IhHxypexSog3qlgWshKi8guJuByu/s1600/MLAPIKEY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="779" height="73" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJGXABfpfV7qxX9zo8Q79GiQqQJrcwUPbUt_jI2rihzWT9pfQDNZLsTk3HWOW1LUI3NThPokY63EULnScZLlFM8Fph3yNywZ1IbeuHnzz5Dpz488C_IhHxypexSog3qlgWshKi8guJuByu/s320/MLAPIKEY.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Copy it. Go back to StoryOrigin and paste the string of letters and numbers in. Click save. MailerLite is now on your list. You should see it back at your Mailing List Integrations page.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIozlwaEt4oydZ5LhgdI8ToLf3M1Ev0qBhhyVxuKNNA3wcPVu6XDqwUBV1B4FCEjfH3uLJofzXIoRmG1QUfJXRaY3XVbHD_PS7dP_IFxT5sjrvHzqqR6b2u8A4NmN2_jMxaU5DGUZFTS1O/s1600/ML-Integrated.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="791" data-original-width="1600" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIozlwaEt4oydZ5LhgdI8ToLf3M1Ev0qBhhyVxuKNNA3wcPVu6XDqwUBV1B4FCEjfH3uLJofzXIoRmG1QUfJXRaY3XVbHD_PS7dP_IFxT5sjrvHzqqR6b2u8A4NmN2_jMxaU5DGUZFTS1O/s320/ML-Integrated.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<b>ACTIVECAMPAIGN</b></h3>
Now, we'll go on to <a href="https://www.activecampaign.com/" target="_blank">ActiveCampaign</a>. Click Integrate Email Provider and choose ActiveCampaign from the dropdown. StoryOrigin walks you through this one:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha0HXcQj1JNgHGBuzi64MmWYtUXtYPAoi0_e8wg9ObgJhmWjy2ciOtL0S-KRnGG-LYkhVNJ86pLi6jFZyrKqlOTNgK1ZZ1lfX9bo6sS4NCkPnbSrLyluz3dYTzg_48STyDEJt0CAK0nUfx/s1600/ActiveCamp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="907" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha0HXcQj1JNgHGBuzi64MmWYtUXtYPAoi0_e8wg9ObgJhmWjy2ciOtL0S-KRnGG-LYkhVNJ86pLi6jFZyrKqlOTNgK1ZZ1lfX9bo6sS4NCkPnbSrLyluz3dYTzg_48STyDEJt0CAK0nUfx/s320/ActiveCamp.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Follow the directions (copyable text on ActiveCampaign is a little difficult to see, but it DOES copy):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ0W2SWacfKF7cqgKmP-Y-wiDMiODLBaA4TZNzULrhA7J_YN18dn9Q6qZkoDwQC-aoRdYMA9JROQZizpY1HKUTnJJg3u-0EMQNU6Vnz5E_yHAPTx9-YmdIZhxxzUhe6FZAOta00_bh3S3w/s1600/ACWalkthroughURLAPI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="926" data-original-width="1365" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ0W2SWacfKF7cqgKmP-Y-wiDMiODLBaA4TZNzULrhA7J_YN18dn9Q6qZkoDwQC-aoRdYMA9JROQZizpY1HKUTnJJg3u-0EMQNU6Vnz5E_yHAPTx9-YmdIZhxxzUhe6FZAOta00_bh3S3w/s320/ACWalkthroughURLAPI.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcx2HhffCqxEuDpjl89wiJ5HENh6ZoOXkrfyY7I4nFAqgZoRuxcgRiLrCs2uWqIhe9ZxsTUqfrzqtAqklqJOuSj6m4jEzy6tDcIYYeIkvLjSdkit8LN02LWtJh79ZskXMLYKfsmfe_1QC1/s1600/AC_APIANDURL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="712" data-original-width="970" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcx2HhffCqxEuDpjl89wiJ5HENh6ZoOXkrfyY7I4nFAqgZoRuxcgRiLrCs2uWqIhe9ZxsTUqfrzqtAqklqJOuSj6m4jEzy6tDcIYYeIkvLjSdkit8LN02LWtJh79ZskXMLYKfsmfe_1QC1/s320/AC_APIANDURL.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
and click Save. ActiveCampaign should be added to your Mailing List Integrations page.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxFZC1RFXRlb-JpBsP-d7SWgE28PQiJqxm_rRyR8zviVn2fmuJhZtrRVZI8Oq3eDylazBonsksxHJJ9lE8C-aUT1oZ8TbaUdL4c2Nm0dh3lI3OX-qoFyXV40uQjB6kCbhl53bmWrdpDy37/s1600/ACSuccess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="1600" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxFZC1RFXRlb-JpBsP-d7SWgE28PQiJqxm_rRyR8zviVn2fmuJhZtrRVZI8Oq3eDylazBonsksxHJJ9lE8C-aUT1oZ8TbaUdL4c2Nm0dh3lI3OX-qoFyXV40uQjB6kCbhl53bmWrdpDy37/s320/ACSuccess.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<b>AWEBER </b></h3>
Now we're headed to the next one! <a href="https://www.aweber.com/" target="_blank">AWeber</a>! Click Integrate Email Provider. Choose AWeber from the dropdown.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY6HZ4B0KRlBTCQDXfy3SfTKdXGb-C13hvw8HHmwGwgW5twlOhiiKi82rE8Xqx3-mvlWuFR5Q1cMizlG5ONvA2eWBunfrE6vRIXCzT9idk8sguNfwtOkkVou2sW94dMeYQHUANL-v-pVjs/s1600/aweber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="463" data-original-width="756" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY6HZ4B0KRlBTCQDXfy3SfTKdXGb-C13hvw8HHmwGwgW5twlOhiiKi82rE8Xqx3-mvlWuFR5Q1cMizlG5ONvA2eWBunfrE6vRIXCzT9idk8sguNfwtOkkVou2sW94dMeYQHUANL-v-pVjs/s320/aweber.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Click Authenticate AWeber, log in to your AWeber account, click Allow Access, and it should appear on your Mailing List Integrations page (I couldn't do this one because they want a credit card up front).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYKzHcnwHCf8GcZKPxjtUuUJXXcTWz36kF5aQpPmp1ZGcuUPeqvT82bDvW6fNTNbvbn8TW3A3mY-YpbJBVS4Ee_eq8tlhH1b81P5Cz5DeoE4zBzTh6oaoHNUZLRHSQC_k_9ni8Abh6oZlo/s1600/AWebLogin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="860" data-original-width="923" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYKzHcnwHCf8GcZKPxjtUuUJXXcTWz36kF5aQpPmp1ZGcuUPeqvT82bDvW6fNTNbvbn8TW3A3mY-YpbJBVS4Ee_eq8tlhH1b81P5Cz5DeoE4zBzTh6oaoHNUZLRHSQC_k_9ni8Abh6oZlo/s320/AWebLogin.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<b>CONVERTKIT </b></h3>
But we're moving on to <a href="https://convertkit.com/" target="_blank">ConvertKit</a>! Integrate Email Provider. Choose ConvertKit from the dropdown.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKze8PmxyTysLG8qexYpkugGqwQOXSZsexitJloMhoMsPWDuc90zTuxTDrm7pA4Qe2ly9fqChSYWcyNW1Ur7BakOZ9wyS0yBr0F9UqsX8dy-7_QlnyNRKI62XCzNwSTnXwoRcwYzTexqPZ/s1600/ConvertKit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="621" data-original-width="854" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKze8PmxyTysLG8qexYpkugGqwQOXSZsexitJloMhoMsPWDuc90zTuxTDrm7pA4Qe2ly9fqChSYWcyNW1Ur7BakOZ9wyS0yBr0F9UqsX8dy-7_QlnyNRKI62XCzNwSTnXwoRcwYzTexqPZ/s320/ConvertKit.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Click on the hyperlink: Click here in the text. It will bring you to the page shown below. You can also get there by logging into ConvertKit, choosing Account, then Account Info. The arrows show where the info is on the page. You have to click SHOW to get the API Secret.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJKClgIqPblU5cVUBPzZ-yxGYXIHnJpJK-NQXhu2SeyHFCMJpzpZE975SZxyF7gGxqTSwuqUhlit4hyNsSc_xUOaLkCo0qm9qZWFgOnHDffidVYZWcEit2VyUOUEyQmOFYs-N8hD4ddHiw/s1600/CK_APIandSecret.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="739" data-original-width="1600" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJKClgIqPblU5cVUBPzZ-yxGYXIHnJpJK-NQXhu2SeyHFCMJpzpZE975SZxyF7gGxqTSwuqUhlit4hyNsSc_xUOaLkCo0qm9qZWFgOnHDffidVYZWcEit2VyUOUEyQmOFYs-N8hD4ddHiw/s320/CK_APIandSecret.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Click save, and ConvertKit will be added to your Mailing List Integrations page. And that's it! Super easy to add your mailing list(s)!<br />
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<b>Next time, we'll go over the next two tabs up: </b>Subscribers and Posted Mailing Lists.<br />
<br />
Links to all other posts in this series will go below this line (I'll add them as they're completed).<br />
Part Two - Subscribers and Posted Mailing Lists<br />
<br />
Thanks for reading, and remember to WRITE ON!<br />
<br />
JoJo Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02005237887461809640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961332566292942537.post-33849144896931022832019-11-20T08:33:00.000-05:002019-11-20T08:33:06.661-05:00Guerrilla Grannies and Upcoming ReleasesHappy Wednesday, everyone! Like I said in my last post, I'll only be around the blog to discuss new and upcoming books. Well, I'm here! I have so many things in the works right now. Let's not get bogged down in leader fodder. Grab your coffee or tea, and jump right in!<br />
<br />
My releases for the next few months are as follows:<br />
Gray is the New Black - Guerrilla Grannies - Mission One -- December 9, 2019<br />
'Twas the Night Before - A Magical Holiday Romance Anthology -- December 17, 2019<br />
Vanquished - Angles and Vampires - Book One -- January 21, 2020<br />
Pushing Up Posies - Guerrilla Grannies - Mission Two -- February 20, 2020<br />
Breaking Bad-er - Guerrilla Grannies - Mission Three -- April 8, 2020<br />
<br />
Here are the covers! Aren't they prettiful?<br />
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<br />
I have <i>Diablerie</i>, book two of the Angels and Vampires series, halfway done, and <i>Breaking Bad-er</i> is also halfway there. I'll be finishing the planned Guerrilla Grannies books first, and then I'll let you know when <i>Diablerie </i>will release.<br />
<br />
Anyway, about <i>Gray is the New Black</i> and why I wrote it.<br />
<br />
As many of you may know, I lost my mother a year ago in September. She LOVED The Golden Girls and Designing Women. I thought: Why not bring a bit of Charlie's Angles into the mix? and my Grannies series was born. I had the pleasure of reading my mom the first five chapters of <i>Gray </i>while she was sick in bed. She laughed so hard she lost her breath. Yeah, I've been working on that book for that long. I fell into a bit of a rut when she died, and I ended up writing <i>Manipulation </i>instead of finishing <i>Gray</i>. Every time I read that book, I'm reminded of her. It's both a good and a bad thing.<br />
<br />
I miss her like crazy. She was the one I ran all my ideas past, and she was always the first to get a book I was working on.<br />
<br />
That pug on the front of the book is featured heavily in the story. His name is Biscuit, and he was a real pug that belonged to a very good friend of mine. He passed not long before my mom did. To help ease the pain, I put him in a book so my friend would have a little piece of him forever.<br />
<br />
Anyway, before I depress you some more, if you'd like to read chapter one of <i>Gray</i>, you may do so on my website <a href="https://www.writejomichaels.com/gg1excerpt" target="_blank">here</a>. If you're a subscriber to my <a href="https://www.subscribepage.com/v7m6g6" target="_blank">newsletter</a>, you'll get something really special this Friday, too.<br />
<br />
If I don't talk to you before Thanksgiving, please have a wonderful holiday!<br />
<br />
Until next time, WRITE ON!<br />
<br />
JoJo Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02005237887461809640noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961332566292942537.post-71246686867718110712019-10-09T13:20:00.001-04:002019-10-09T13:20:24.723-04:00So, I Did the Thing, Bit the Bullet, Whatever, and I'm Writing an Open Letter of SortsHi all! Long time no see, eh? I've been a busy bee, publishing, writing, doing all the things, and setting up my first *gasp* real newsletter. Bet you're all wondering what happened to me, eh? Grab your coffee and settle in. Let's do this thing.<br />
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<br />
This blog is handy when you need information, and according to one reader, I wasn't doing enough about providing that information. Hence the death of new posts.<br />
<br />
I usually don't let comments get to me, but that one was particularly nasty. If you're out there reading this, commenter, congratulations! You won. I stopped blogging altogether. Now where do you get your tips and tricks or general information? Was it worth it, being nasty to someone you don't even know? You not knowing what was going on in MY life at that time and typing out that comment was the literal last straw for me.<br />
<br />
My husband was in chemo, and I was dealing with my own medical issues that I'm not going into here because it doesn't matter. I pushed through. I'm still around, just not here where I have to listen to your crap and have no way to block you.<br />
<br />
Here I was, busting my fingers each day on a post when I was worn out, taking time to capture screenshots and/or make how-to videos (all free and with no ads, mind you) when it was all I could do to get out of bed and stay that way each day, and I was met with your crappy words.<br />
<br />
I can't block you from my blog because you commented here anonymously (and I didn't approve said comment). Way to be brave, hiding behind your computer screen, tearing other people down, and telling them they aren't doing enough for YOU.<br />
<br />
But I DO have control over other things: My Facebook (I do love that block feature), my IG (same block feature), and my books. <b><i>That's</i></b> where I've been spending my time. Not here, where you can make me feel small.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I DID NOT STOP. I just stopped <i>here</i>.</span></div>
<br />
Now, I've started a newsletter, because I DO miss talking with the people that matter/care and come to me for news and advice on all things bookish.<br />
<br />
Guess what? I can block you there, too, and that was my final deciding factor in making one. Oh, and I also got super fit with the time I got back from not blogging, so that's something I guess I should thank you for. #Winning<br />
<br />
If y'all have made it this far, thanks for being staunch supporters of my blog (unless you were that commenter). I tried to help others more than I helped myself, and my newsletter will have news from the Indie world, some musings of my own, a great book quote, and information about books that have recently released (mine and others). Perhaps I'll even drop in a review from time to time. Who knows?<br />
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">You can subscribe <a href="http://bit.ly/newsletterjm" target="_blank">here</a> if you're interested.</span></div>
<br />
If not, no hurt feelings, but know I won't be back here unless it's to scream about my new releases, and ALL comments will be turned off on ALL posts thereafter. I don't need that kind of negativity in my life.<br />
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I wish you all the best.<br />
<br />
Jo out.Jo Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02005237887461809640noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961332566292942537.post-32569749815684158252018-06-04T08:48:00.000-04:002018-06-04T08:48:09.786-04:00New Release - The HouseHappy Monday, everyone! Today, I bring you the release of THE HOUSE! I'm super excited about this book for several reasons. I'll tell you why, but first, grab your coffee or tea! Got it? Awesome. Let's get going!<br />
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We'll start off with some fun facts! <br />
<ul>
<li> This book is written in first person. Not anything you've ever seen
from me before (I'm a third-person writer), and it kinda skeers me
because I've never done it. </li>
<li> It's told from the house's POV, as
though the house is speaking to the reader, so it's done as an
observer--the house remembering watching the people living inside and
telling you the stories.</li>
<li> The House is a collection of short stories within one, longer, story.</li>
<li> There are five shorts:<br /> The Butcher<br /> Fred, Marna, and Kimberly McDade<br /> Lacy Mae Ritter<br /> Mark and Olivia Cullpepper<br /> The Writer </li>
<li> Guess who The Writer is!</li>
<li>
If you guessed Jo Michaels, you'd be correct. Yes, I wrote a book with a
story in it about me writing a book for the entity telling us the
story.</li>
<li> Confused yet? It'll all make sense when you read the book. I promise.</li>
<li> Now for the sucky part! I know, I know! Sorry.</li>
<li>
If you plan to read <a href="http://bit.ly/SerialKiller3" target="_blank"><i>Intensification </i></a>(the third story in the Pen Pals
and Serial Killers series), you MUST read it first. <i>The House</i> gives too
many things away about <i>Intensification</i>. They're tied and twisted together in
several ways.</li>
</ul>
Here's the book trailer!! :D<br />
<br />
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LJ3rh3w_TdU" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
Now for all the things like details!<br />
<br />
<b>Title</b>: <i>The House: A Killer Collection of Short Stories</i> (Pen Pals and Serial Killers - Book Four)<br />
<b>Author</b>: Jo Michaels<br />
<b>Genre</b>: Psychological Thriller<br />
<b>Length</b>: 218 printed pages<br />
<b>Buy Links</b>: <a href="http://bit.ly/SerialKiller4" target="_blank">Amazon Kindle</a> ~ <a href="http://bit.ly/SerialKiller4" target="_blank">Paperback</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGYTupznqgol07wJr3nwN_5sFw8vLqir5hwAQ6SMD1j7q_POAWQ2rqC_xECoC6u3b3mrnJJPjOIyAQ37KOdTQOCWO3oQ61YoBq_90T-m7l4yH8PSN3CKgnEfj9vds2jxkJYrmlvg7QLA0x/s1600/Cover_Final_SFW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="514" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGYTupznqgol07wJr3nwN_5sFw8vLqir5hwAQ6SMD1j7q_POAWQ2rqC_xECoC6u3b3mrnJJPjOIyAQ37KOdTQOCWO3oQ61YoBq_90T-m7l4yH8PSN3CKgnEfj9vds2jxkJYrmlvg7QLA0x/s320/Cover_Final_SFW.jpg" width="205" /></a><b>Blurb</b>:<br />
<i>This house is cursed, and everyone who lives there is in grave danger.</i><br />
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Ever wonder what stories you’d hear if walls could talk? <br />
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What if those walls witnessed unimaginable horrors?<br />
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Inside these pages is the story of one such house. What it sees, the people it meets, and what happens when a terrified spirit is invited to stay.<br />
<br />
Story 1 – The Butcher<br />
Story 2 – Marna, Fred, and Kimberly McDade<br />
Story 3 – Lacy Mae Ritter<br />
Story 4 – Mark and Olivia Cullpepper<br />
Story 5 – The Writer<br />
<br />
The House is a collection of short stories that ties in with the Pen Pals and Serial Killers series by Jo Michaels. You’ll find a couple of those characters named, and discover how one grew the teeth he used on the women he captured later.<br />
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~~~~~~<br />
<br />
Excerpt time!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Story 1 – The Butcher</b></span></div>
<br />
My yellow paint; pretty, white shutters; and pristine porch were sullied by the first man who dwelt here. I call him The Butcher, but his name was Butch Campion, and he was thirty-seven. His face is one I’ll never forget, and the atrocities he committed are things I still shudder to think about. We met one month after I was born. He walked in, so proud and full of himself, his feet sending vibrations through my floorboards as he tromped through, checking every room like he was planning to bring a whole family in and bring them up. I thought we’d get along famously and was looking forward to warming the feet of small children as they played.<br />
<br />
Once the papers were signed, and I was his property, things went well for a month or so. He’d go to work, come home, sit on the threadbare couch, and drink beer. To my chagrin, he didn’t seem to have a wife or children, so there was nothing for me to do during the day except sit here.<br />
<br />
It was after that first month that I started to figure he might not be my ideal owner after all. My lawn was never cared for, and the ivy growing nearby was allowed to spring up, threatening to take over the cute porch the builders thought to add. Butch would go out and bring home booze of some kind, cigarettes, and fast food. He never cooked, and he left wrappers and empty boxes all over the place, making me smell like a trash can. Roaches scuttled in, intent on a good meal, and he’d squish the ones he saw, leaving their carcasses to decompose where they met their gruesome end.<br />
<br />
~~~~~~<br />
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Teasers!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Are you ready?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://bit.ly/SerialKiller4" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Buy it now!</span></a></div>
<br />
I hope you enjoyed this post!<br />
<br />
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!<br />
<br />
JoJo Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02005237887461809640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961332566292942537.post-69632615965498785522018-05-04T07:00:00.000-04:002018-05-04T07:00:09.445-04:00New Release - IntensificationHappy Friday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I'm excited to announce the release of the third book in my Pen Pals and Serial Killers series, Intensification. Read on for a snippet and other great info!<br />
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<b>Title</b>: <i>Intensification </i>- Pen Pals and Serial Killers - Story Three<br />
<b>Author</b>: Jo Michaels<br />
<b>Genre</b>: Psychological Thriller<br />
<b>Length</b>: 232 printed pages<br />
<b>Buy Links</b>: <a href="http://bit.ly/SerialKiller3" target="_blank">Amazon Kindle $3.17 ~ Paperback $19.99</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgXYfuOTSOMTRscm0IPvwdA_jHqxdcHATKXQUnEvxN1j8CcYcyDLcTqBWi0VAOorAH35KIXKIWvgdm8ryiWasyc4QM331a3P-orvt3Kmi8SgPEfRWwrS9PDFOuuOvBYXnkZsQpnDCzI0Rd/s1600/IntensificationSFW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="492" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgXYfuOTSOMTRscm0IPvwdA_jHqxdcHATKXQUnEvxN1j8CcYcyDLcTqBWi0VAOorAH35KIXKIWvgdm8ryiWasyc4QM331a3P-orvt3Kmi8SgPEfRWwrS9PDFOuuOvBYXnkZsQpnDCzI0Rd/s320/IntensificationSFW.jpg" width="196" /></a><b>Blurb</b>:<br />
Detective Hank Reynolds has just been handed the case of a lifetime. Another reality TV star has gone missing, and it’s up to the Atlanta police department to find her before it’s too late. While he’s digging around, he discovers there have been nearly twenty similar kidnappings in the surrounding areas over the last twenty years, and while trying to find out more—and a witness that’s still alive—he’s dragged into a past he wishes he could erase. His dreams become nightmares about the women, and his sanity unravels. Even his eyes begin to play tricks on him, but no hallucinations are as devious as the antics of the killer—who’s always one breath away—waiting for the chance to strike again. <br />
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<b>NOTE: This is a stand-alone novel in a series with crossover characters and may be read independently of the other books.</b><br />
<br />
~~~ <br />
<br />
Are you excited? You should be!! This is unlike any of the other books in the series, and I have my fingers crossed you enjoy it. For really, Claude will keep you up at night. He's worse than Tobias could ever have been.<br />
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SECOND NOTE: There's a book releasing on June 6th that ties in HARD with this book titled The House. You need to read this one before you read that one. Otherwise, it'll spoil the surprise. Ready for the excerpt? Awesome. Here's a teaser to start you out:<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Hank</b></span></div>
<br />
At six a.m. sharp, the alarm sounded, jolting Hank out of a deep sleep. He rolled onto his back, one hand absently slapping at the offending noise. Finally, it stopped, and he groaned. It was like he hadn’t slept in weeks, and it was starting to take a toll on him. A decision was made then and there that one of the sleeping pills the doctor had prescribed would be taken that night. Just one night of rest was all he needed to trudge on through another few weeks of restlessness.<br />
<br />
He peeled himself out of bed, pressed the button on the coffee pot, and headed for the shower. Music poured out of his mouth, and he took the detachable sprayer and held it in front of his lips, filling the small space with crescendos and a strong, natural vibrato. It was his favorite time of day, before dealing with the people from the office, before having to get into it with victims calling about some bullshit that might or might not have happened in the middle of the night; in that moment, he was just a man with music in his soul and warm spray from his shower microphone.<br />
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Once he was clean, he stepped out and toweled off, going to the kitchen to pour a huge cup of the coffee he could smell from the bathroom. He gulped at it, loving the way it burned as it made its way to his stomach. A sigh tore out of him. <i>Perfection.</i><br />
<br />
His routine was firmly established, and the next half hour was spoken for as he trimmed his beard, brushed his teeth, and dressed for the day in slacks and a button down, strapping his gun holster over his torso. He always grabbed his wallet and badge as he left the bedroom, and those went in his back pockets. Then, he filled his travel cup with more coffee and left for the day. On the drive to the precinct, he checked his voicemail. There were three calls: One from his ex-girlfriend inviting him for drinks—delete, another from his partner about the upcoming softball game—save, and a third from someone he didn’t know from some online bullshit magazine asking for a quote about the rich-girl kidnapping—delete.<br />
<br />
He sighed and threw the phone on the passenger’s seat, leaning back with two hands on the wheel, and finished driving to work while yelling at other drivers to pay attention to what they were freaking doing before they killed someone. Some days he was so tempted to hit the switch on the light bar so people would move the hell out of the way and he wouldn’t have to sit in traffic.<br />
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Pulling into the lot, he parked in his designated spot and got out, nearly empty coffee thermos in hand, to go up to his office. His partner was already there.<br />
<br />
“Morning,” Hank said.<br />
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“Dude. Phones are still blowing up over that rich-girl model that went missing. Cap says we need to nail this bastard soon.” Tony thumped the desk with his forehead. “Sorry. Good morning to you, too.”<br />
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“Do we have any new information?”<br />
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“No. That’s the thing. There have been a million and one ‘hot tips,’ but none of them check out, ya know?”<br />
<br />
Falling into a rolling chair behind a desk facing Tony’s, Hank shook his head as his anger bubbled. “Don’t know what Cap wants us to do about it if we don’t have any damned leads. The guy snatching these women might as well be a goddamned ghost! Unless there’s more than one, and if so, they’re goooood.”<br />
<br />
“I know. You’re preaching to the choir, man.”<br />
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“I’m just so f*ing frustrated with it all.”<br />
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“Well, what do you want to do today? Beat the streets?”<br />
<br />
“We’re gonna have to.” Frustrated, he pulled the file folder over and flipped it open. A pretty brunette smiled out of the photograph. Missing nearly a week, she’d disappeared while grocery shopping at a local store, one with no exterior cameras. He read over the report once again, but the only thing that stuck out to him was that she’d been on TV on some reality show about marriage. A few cases with eerie similarities had come over his desk the previous two years, but they’d already gone cold due to lack of evidence and witnesses, and his mind whirled. He wondered if anyone else had thought about that. <i>I wonder if it’s a pattern.</i><br />
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Their captain stuck his head out the door and barked at them, “Get in my office. Now!”<br />
<br />
With a sigh, Tony and Hank rose and went through the glass door into the chaos beyond.<br />
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“Take a seat, boys.”<br />
<br />
They did, neither of them saying a word, Hank still clutching the file.<br />
<br />
“I need you two on top of your game. This f*er has everyone terrified to take a step outside.”<br />
<br />
Hank held up a hand. “Whoa. Hold on a sec, Cap. I was just thinking that maybe this isn’t random and isn’t linked with those other two sloppy snatch-and-grab jobs from Fulton County. It struck me a few minutes ago that Sharon makes the fourth young woman that’s been kidnapped in what might be a series. All four of the women I’m thinking of have been on one reality TV show or another, and all have gone missing over the last few years. That suggests a pattern, right? I’m not sure ‘Jane the Wife’ has anything to be afraid of—as long as she doesn’t live in Fulton county. My guess is, those two will be solved pretty quickly. They’re lacking the finesse of the Sharon one.”<br />
<br />
“Right. Suggests. There’s no way to be sure of that, Reynolds. If all the women in your recollection had gone missing after being part of one show, we’d have something.”<br />
<br />
Truer words were never spoken, and he knew it; he just didn’t really like it all that much. A kidnapper had to be established several years and have a definitive pattern, but the cases they were working had no links between all the victims, only four out of six that he could see. It also seemed the reality kidnapper had only been active a little while, but if Hank’s suspicions were correct, the guy had snatched three other women who were in the public eye, but lesser known than the most recent. <i>Reality kidnapper. Damn, I’m f*ing clever.</i><br />
<br />
“My gut tells me we’ll catch someone soon, so I want you boys looking into everything you can think of, okay? Get out there and get me some answers. I need to assure people that my guys aren’t complete morons.” Cap crushed his cigarette in the ashtray and waved his hands. “Get!”<br />
<br />
Tony and Hank got up and left, neither of them with a spring in their step.<br />
<br />
“Let’s go, big guy,” Tony said.<br />
<br />
“Wait a sec. I’m gonna grab another cup and look at something on my computer.” Hank refilled his travel thermos, capped it, and then pulled up the previous three cases that were on his mind, scanning them quickly. He shut everything down and stood. “Okay. Ready. Let’s do this shit.”<br />
<br />
They got into Tony’s black Impala and pulled out, headed for the grocery store the missing girl had been taken from.<br />
<br />
~~~~ END EXCERPT ~~~~<br />
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So? What do you think? I edited out some bad language. Tried to catch them all. Sorry if I missed one or two!!! This section happens right after the opening, so you're familiar with the killer already.<br />
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Do you hope Hank and Tony catch the bad guy?<br />
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Did you pick it up? If not, what are you waiting for? Go!<br />
<br />
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!<br />
<br />
JoJo Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02005237887461809640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961332566292942537.post-15919441613685738892018-04-10T07:00:00.000-04:002018-04-10T07:00:32.367-04:00New Release - The Blood King<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Title: The Blood King (Book 1 of the Brighton Duology)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Author: Liz Long<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Genre: Young Adult Dystopian<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Cover Designer: Molly Phipps of We Got You Covered Book Design<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Publication Date: April 10<sup>th</sup>, 2018<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Hosted by: </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://ladyambersreviews.blogspot.com/">Lady Amber’s PR</a></span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Blurb:</span></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">In the kingdom of Brighton, a President-turned-King offers poor teens the chance to join KEY, the King’s Education for Youth. Seventeen-year-old Reina Torres jumps at the chance to be of service to her country, wanting to learn more about Brighton’s history and future through the Media industry.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The King himself takes an interest in Reina, offering private interviews; he soon commands her to marry his cruel son. Reina, however, cannot ignore her growing feelings for Iris, a fellow KEY student, despite knowing the laws. Reina discovers refusal means punishment much worse than death, and why King Magnus hasn’t aged in decades, thanks to his KEY program.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrMJnRxiSVWsdRmaXaD-zdvQiJmifeAxXaoVXjSAMfw3ojqLIs5kQYnu6h3-jYeRGdyyLio3crO8nadMM8g8Z9a2Hm6_ZilzjgQkZC8sqGcs0fspYPZn4mn8hZYKdDFYMjfMNiROgRuCXS/s1600/Author-Bio.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="82" data-original-width="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrMJnRxiSVWsdRmaXaD-zdvQiJmifeAxXaoVXjSAMfw3ojqLIs5kQYnu6h3-jYeRGdyyLio3crO8nadMM8g8Z9a2Hm6_ZilzjgQkZC8sqGcs0fspYPZn4mn8hZYKdDFYMjfMNiROgRuCXS/s1600/Author-Bio.png" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhHsRxn6JUCA2gRvRQVkcuX-nOxfadCHzKp0oWZd38_ipbgZX05_ogvk0mYyQZdzosYBWZNfWGWJlC9x2frvY9BW-DI2z8Iks2ztMBomVgOcGChUHJ3WYqaeLvYVXbuWQJv71g_KRx36qZ/s1600/Liz+Long.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="589" data-original-width="589" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhHsRxn6JUCA2gRvRQVkcuX-nOxfadCHzKp0oWZd38_ipbgZX05_ogvk0mYyQZdzosYBWZNfWGWJlC9x2frvY9BW-DI2z8Iks2ztMBomVgOcGChUHJ3WYqaeLvYVXbuWQJv71g_KRx36qZ/s200/Liz+Long.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Liz Long is a proud graduate of Longwood University and author of ten novels. Her inspiration comes from action and thriller genres and she spends entirely too much time watching superhero movies. Her day job as Associate Editor includes writing for a magazine publisher in Roanoke, VA. She is also the director of the Roanoke Regional Writers Conference and the annual Roanoke Author Invasion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Comic book readers and fans of CW Network smash hits Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, and Netflix’s Daredevil will root for Liz Long’s bestselling YA summer series as the HoA’s gifted teen superheroes attempt to save their city from its impending demise. The Donovan Circus series has best been described as "X-Men meets the circus." Adult horror story Witch Hearts tells the tale of a serial killer hunting witches for their powers. New Adult PNR A Reaper Made is about a teen Reaper who gets caught between falling in love or saving her sister's soul. All titles are available for paperback or ebook on Amazon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">To learn more about Liz (including more information on her books, plus writing, marketing, and social media tips), visit her website: </span><a href="http://lizclong.com/"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">http://lizclong.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Author Links:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Website: </span><a href="http://lizclong.com/"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">http://lizclong.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">BookBub: </span><a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/liz-long"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">https://www.bookbub.com/authors/liz-long</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Buy Links:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Amazon: <a href="http://amzn.to/2DcsbmP">http://amzn.to/2DcsbmP</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Amazon UK: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0798JJH35">https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0798JJH35</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">iBooks: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1339463595">https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1339463595</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">B&N: <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-blood-king-liz-long/1127881584">https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-blood-king-liz-long/1127881584</a></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">Kobo: </span><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-blood-king-4" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-blood-king-4</a></div>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ONE</span></b></h2>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">My grandmother once told me our country used to be a democracy. Years ago, when she was a little girl, a man became president. He loved the power so much he kept it, killed his opponents and dared others to come forward. Those who did lost, and with it, our free will.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The man declared himself a King, vowing to take care of the people who best served him. And he did keep his word–those who were loyal to him stayed in their own places of power, content to take orders from a megalomaniac. There were parties and festivals, food and drink and no expense spared.<o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The King remained on his throne of gold, the years turning into a decade, then two and three and four. Eventually, the people in his new kingdom grew complacent, adapting to their circumstances. They couldn’t flee because these were their homes, they said, and fighting was out of the question. Families stayed together this way, they said, and they’d surely be rewarded for their loyalty. Many people in the kingdom died waiting.<o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Eventually people accepted things the way they were, forgot how life used to be. And so the King continued on ruling, content to keep his power over the country. He went to war with other countries who dared threaten us, subduing them thanks to his plans and weapons. Attacks decimated over half of our own country, leaving much of what was once green and fruitful now barren and brown.<o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">He won, thanks to the money he pumped into his military. It was the best in the world, and it only took three years for everyone else in the world to realize it. Over half of the human population, on the entire earth, blown to smithereens. He rebuilt the kingdom on top of our old ruins, promising a glorious new era. Other countries would bow to us and fear his name. He was the King of our country, not the world, but he might as well have been. The smaller battles that broke out across the years never amounted to anything. No one could truly spar with him because they knew he’d bomb their entire civilizations off the map.<o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">It was a folk tale, this story of King Magnus Brighton. Stories our grandparents made up to get through their days, to scare the younger generation into behaving. I knew better, could read the papers and listen to the media. They only had positive things to say about how our King had saved us all, and continued to fight for our prosperity. People had jobs and homes, food on their table, so why would we possibly complain about being able to live our lives?<o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">My own father fought for King Magnus, gave his life to protect his country in the last war. </span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">When rebels attacked Brighton a little over a decade ago, my father volunteered, rather than be drafted. I remember the morning he left, the proud look on his face as he kissed my mother and me goodbye. He’d known exactly what he was walking into and still he’d kept a brave face. I hadn’t realized it at five years old, but at seventeen, I knew he’d been willing to die for his country that had given him so much.</span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">As soon as my mother received notice of my father’s death, she packed our things and we went all the way to the other side of what was left of the country. Mama said she couldn’t bear to be so close to the heart of the kingdom, but I knew there was something more. I had no idea what, of course, but I had been too devastated at the loss of my father to question it then and now it just seemed like a waste of time. Things were the way they were, and no amount of questioning or wondering would bring my dad back. I missed him everyday, as much as the day he’d left, but he was never coming back.<o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">My mother was the rule follower, hated it when I bent them by breaking curfew or grumbled about the overbearing soldiers. I couldn’t stand her smothering. The King probably couldn’t even be bothered to reach us way out here, but she didn’t want to take any chances.<o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">
</span> <br />
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I don’t know why she bothered. Everyone out here was too busy working to worry about breaking the rules. It’s not like anyone had any real technology, anyways. We had the newspapers and TV, but no one had those fancy phones city people flaunted in those strange commercials we saw on a staticky TV. The wars had taken technology out in most of the rest of the world, leaving King Magnus once again ahead of the curve in luxury. In our tiny part of the world, most of us felt lucky to have what little we did, and dared not ask for anything more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Jo Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02005237887461809640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961332566292942537.post-78501914589129530542018-04-02T08:00:00.000-04:002018-04-02T08:00:05.278-04:00Cover Reveal - Jaclyn and the Beanstalk<div style="margin: 0 auto 15px; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<b>Jaclyn and the Beanstalk </b><br />
<b>Mary Ting</b><br />
Published by: Vesuvian Books<br />
Publication date: September 4th 2018<br />
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult<br />
<blockquote>
What Fate Awaits A Girl Who Hears Monsters At Night…<br />
Sixteen-year-old Jaclyn looks up to her father. An honest man who once fought for the king, he now teaches Jaclyn how to use her wits—and her sword.<br />
But he has a secret. And his secret may have a connection to the one thing Jaclyn is hiding from him.<br />
Upon hearing “monsters” are terrorizing the small villages around Black Mountain, Jaclyn’s father and his friends head out to hunt them … but they don’t return.<br />
Armed only with her sword and three magic beans—a gift from a mysterious old woman—Jaclyn sets out for Black Mountain to save her father.<br />
On her climb, one bean drops and grows into a beanstalk, catching her when she falls.<br />
She isn’t the only one that takes the ride. Jack, her childhood friend and secret crush, is following her.<br />
Together, Jaclyn and Jack must battle to save not only their fathers, but the townspeople the beasts plan to lay waste to before it’s too late.</blockquote>
<div style="font-size: 130%; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39353711-jaclyn-and-the-beanstalk" target="_blank">Add to Goodreads</a></div>
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<blockquote style="margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px;">
Author Bio:<br />
International Bestselling Author Mary Ting/M. Clarke resides in Southern California with her husband and two children. She enjoys oil painting and making jewelry. Writing her first novel, Crossroads Saga, happened by chance. It was a way to grieve the death of her beloved grandmother, and inspired by a dream she once had as a young girl. When she started reading new adult novels, she fell in love with the genre. It was the reason she had to write one-Something Great. Why the pen name, M Clarke? She tours with Magic Johnson Foundation to promote literacy and her children's chapter book-No Bullies Allowed.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://marytingbooks.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Website</a> / <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4388953.Mary_Ting" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> / <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMaryTing" target="_blank">Facebook</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/maryting" target="_blank">Twitter</a></div>
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Jo Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02005237887461809640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961332566292942537.post-10196895817640075142018-03-27T08:54:00.001-04:002018-03-27T08:54:28.031-04:00TWO Awesome New Releases - Provocation and HunterHappy Tuesday, good people of the blogosphere! Eeek! Today, I'm bringing you information on TWO new releases. One is the psychological thriller you've been waiting for, and the other is a PNR. Got your clicking fingers ready? Let's GOOOOOO!!!<br />
<br />
<b>Book details:</b><br />
<br />
<b>Title</b>: <i>Provocation </i>- Pen Pals and Serial Killers - Story Two<br />
<b>Author</b>: Jo Michaels<br />
<b>Genre</b>: Psychological Thriller<br />
<b>Length</b>: 294 printed pages<br />
<b>Buy Links</b>: <a href="http://bit.ly/SerialKiller2" target="_blank">Amazon Kindle</a> ~ $3.27<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgPWtss4Y8LpcuelPtbICeXFOGHbuU_xG5ur4TPzLoosE9CcSwLOAu2cLDtXK5qIWPSpxNjDaIA-4rDcVzrFIfhXI0tj6mWYzD_OoI_6YWmIB-POzvJQPMXUvJEmsPMvEI43lIv-3xLHuo/s1600/Provocation_SFW_Jo+Michaels.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="387" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgPWtss4Y8LpcuelPtbICeXFOGHbuU_xG5ur4TPzLoosE9CcSwLOAu2cLDtXK5qIWPSpxNjDaIA-4rDcVzrFIfhXI0tj6mWYzD_OoI_6YWmIB-POzvJQPMXUvJEmsPMvEI43lIv-3xLHuo/s320/Provocation_SFW_Jo+Michaels.jpg" width="196" /></a><b>Blurb</b>:<br />
<br />
Doctor Victoria Ward has been killing men for over thirty years. Her
victims all have one thing in common: they’re abusive. Righteousness is a
close companion—it helps her sleep at night—and she holds the virtue
closely as she defends the innocent, upholding the law when it won’t
rise to protect those who need it most. When she meets a young girl
named Kelly, and follows her down a twisted path of deception, Doc Ward
finds herself face-to-face with a ghost from her past. Never before has
she wavered in her resolve—but can she defend another against someone
she loves?<br />
<br />
If you'd like to read an excerpt (or two) here are a couple on the blog:<br />
<br />
Excerpt 1: <a href="http://jomichaels.blogspot.com/2018/01/book-excerpt-provocation-pen-pals-and.html" target="_blank">Chapter 1</a><br />
Excerpt 2: <a href="http://jomichaels.blogspot.com/2018/02/book-excerpt-2-provocation-pen-pals-and.html" target="_blank">Chapter 2</a><br />
<br />
Now it's time for the second book in the lineup, but stay until the end if you'd like to see the trailer for <i>Provocation</i>! Don't forget to pick up <i>Emancipation</i>, too! See if you can find the characters that cross over from one to the other!<br />
<br />
<i>Emancipation </i>will be available on all platforms TODAY, but you can grab it at Amazon RIGHT NOW. Go <a href="http://bit.ly/SerialKiller1" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
Ready for the second book?<br />
<br />
<b>Title</b>: <i>A Vampire's Thirst: Hunter</i><br />
<b>Author</b>: Bella Roccaforte<br />
<b>Genre</b>: Adult PNR<br />
<b>Length</b>: 327 e-book pages<br />
<b>Buy Links</b>: <a href="http://a-fwd.com/asin=B07BQ5F6K6" target="_blank">Amazon Kindle</a> ~ <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1128294222?ean=2940159030443" target="_blank">B&N</a> ~ <a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Bella_Roccaforte_A_Vampire_s_Thirst_Hunter?id=Jg9TDwAAQBAJ" target="_blank">Google Play</a> ~ <a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-vampire-s-thirst-hunter" target="_blank">Kobo</a> ~ All $2.99<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkvYGxNEVm0qjHtfEmSc8bmqHVFc-5Zk-qfN4sYZx1BSEiRaiK3V4ZPduUrTuOkSZJc-szG9HbnxPYXTenBqg_nXHuPKWav8FSeEuR0OQncGKFNJYTIwWW7jV8KNpEfHqjkiPc4nQEYLkA/s1600/Hunter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkvYGxNEVm0qjHtfEmSc8bmqHVFc-5Zk-qfN4sYZx1BSEiRaiK3V4ZPduUrTuOkSZJc-szG9HbnxPYXTenBqg_nXHuPKWav8FSeEuR0OQncGKFNJYTIwWW7jV8KNpEfHqjkiPc4nQEYLkA/s320/Hunter.jpg" width="213" /></a><b>Blurb</b>: <br />
Hunter Webb, an ancient Viking Vampire, wants one thing: to be with his one true love…an impossibility seeing as he is refused entry to Valhalla for being a Vampire. Instead, he’s dedicated his life to finding a “cure” for vampirism so that he may die in battle as a human and feast in the hall among the gods and find the other half of his heart.<br />
<br />
While working in the lab he is struck down by a mysterious illness that shakes the very foundation of his entire existence. The desire to feed ALL of his urges drives him to the edge of insanity. After thousands of years of control, his craving for warm blood and hot sex take over all of his reason…until a tiny vial of blood changes everything. One taste and he remembers what it’s like to feel, hope and live again.<br />
<br />
Now he must find the owner of the blood or they will both be in grave danger. Will Hunter find his bloodmate before they both lose themselves to the Thirst?<br />
<br />
The hunt is on, the battle fierce…only the strong survive a Vampire’s Thirst.<br />
<br />
~~~~<br />
<br />
Now, it's time for the Provocation trailer! Hope you enjoy it!<br />
<br />
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/repY6KzmPVA?rel=0" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
<b>What do you think? Gonna grab these?</b><br />
<br />
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!<br />
<br />
JoJo Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02005237887461809640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961332566292942537.post-22184595748478617192018-03-22T10:15:00.000-04:002018-03-22T10:15:49.458-04:00New Release - Angelicus - Book 4 of the Meadowsweet ChroniclesHappy Thursday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I bring you a new release from the fabulous Katie M. John! Strap in and get your coffee!! Here we go!<br />
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<br />
‘Angelicus’ Book 4 of The Meadowsweet Chronicles<br />
Published by Little Bird Publishing House London. <br />
Date of Release 22nd of March 2018 Buy it here! <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078N34MBP" target="_blank">Amazon US</a> ~ <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B078N34MBP" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a><br />
Author Katie M. John<br />
Website <a href="http://www.katiemjohn.com/" target="_blank">www.katiemjohn.com</a><br />
<br />
SERIES BLURB:<br />
There’s no light without dark. <br />
Fox Meadowsweet is a Witch. Jeremiah is a Witch Hunter. The Meadowsweet bloodline has lived in the sleepy English village of Heargton for thousands of years. Jeremiah Chase is a New York boy in exile. <br />
Neither of them asked for their past, but now it’s the only thing that can save their future as dark and ancient paranormal forces threaten to obliterate the world. <br />
When a local college girl is discovered ritually murdered and covered in strange symbols, old suspicions rise, ancient fears manifest, and centuries-spanning blood feuds reignite between the old households of the village. <br />
With their ancestral reputation of magic and witchcraft, eyes turn to the three beautiful Meadowsweet sisters. Including the eyes of Jeremiah Chase, who finds himself inexplicably drawn the quirky wild beauty of the middle sister, Fox. <br />
But as Jeremiah learns the history of her bloodline, he also unearths the dark and tangled story of his own family, giving him knowledge of a terrible and diabolical legacy.<br />
<br />
BOOK TRAILER!!<br />
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<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cCHmhuKcKpk" width="560"></iframe><br />
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RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY!!<br />
<br />
Giving away a Witchy Hamper of surprise goodies worth $75 and a Semi-precious stone pendant made of amethyst and rose quartz.<br />
<br />
<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="351a3afe1" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/351a3afe1/" id="rcwidget_zuwddmud" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><br />
<script src="https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script>
<br />
FREE BOOK 1<br />
<br />
‘Witchcraft’ BOOK 1 of the SERIES IS ON FREE DOWNLOAD<br />
Book 1 'Witchcraft' is on FREE download<br />
Kindle US: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NG5CLTE" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NG5CLTE</a><br />
Kindle UK: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00NG5CLTE" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00NG5CLTE</a><br />
iBooks: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id950645919" target="_blank">https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id950645919</a><br />
KOBO: <a href="https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/witchcraft-16" target="_blank">https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/witchcraft-16</a><br />
Nook: <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/witchcraft-kati%E2%80%A6/1127088200" target="_blank">https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/witchcraft-kati…/1127088200</a><br />
<br />
~~~~<br />
<br />
<b>What do you think? Look good?</b><br />
<br />
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!<br />
<br />
JoJo Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02005237887461809640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961332566292942537.post-65034900071531896992018-03-21T08:00:00.000-04:002018-03-21T08:00:04.978-04:00Meet a Book Blogger - Platypire Reviews (J. Hooligan)Hey all you spiffy people! I'm J. Hooligan and I run the blog Platypire Reviews, which mostly consists of shenanigans and book reviews.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwMwlTIX4mhukqdSZcyi4l6fOR0Kd-0fAUtypQR2o96fWdianuThSq46LR7k9H9MvZEN2f7mw2LSqHDQGAn5sLDP9veWJuRcXfDoogs_FH5OWiLg0nKe7OaxjEMJfqzRjulb_FHznySW9b/s1600/Platypire.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="396" data-original-width="381" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwMwlTIX4mhukqdSZcyi4l6fOR0Kd-0fAUtypQR2o96fWdianuThSq46LR7k9H9MvZEN2f7mw2LSqHDQGAn5sLDP9veWJuRcXfDoogs_FH5OWiLg0nKe7OaxjEMJfqzRjulb_FHznySW9b/s320/Platypire.png" width="307" /></a></div>
<br />
I started the blog a little over 4 years ago because I do what I want. Really though, I'm a bit eccentric for most blogs and I wanted to be free to express my "creative" silliness without having to do things like convincing someone to let me do book reviews in a platypus onesie. I also wanted to make a place for people to write book reviews however they wanna (legally) with no obligations or genre requirements.<br />
<br />
As for me, I am an eclectic reader. I don't have a favorite genre, I read all sorts of books in whatever formats I can read them in. I just prefer them to be good.<br />
<br />
Places you can find me:<br />
Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/platypire" target="_blank">http://www.facebook.com/platypire</a><br />
Blog: <a href="http://www.platypire.com/" target="_blank">http://www.platypire.com</a><br />
Twitter: <a href="https://www.twitter.com/platypire" target="_blank">https://www.twitter.com/platypire</a><br />
Instagram: <a href="http://www.instagram.com/platypire" target="_blank">http://www.instagram.com/platypire</a><br />
<br />
Thanks all your fabulous people for taking some time out of your day to get to know me a little bit more. You're wonderful and I appreciate your awesomeness.<br />
<br />
~~~ <br />
<br />
What are y'all waiting for? Get to following! Jo Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02005237887461809640noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961332566292942537.post-89889547927187089792018-03-19T08:09:00.000-04:002018-03-19T08:10:03.850-04:00Storytime Book Reviews & Promotions Announces New Author Coaching ServiceHappy Monday, good people of the blogosphere! Whew! I feel like I just survived the apocalypse. Complications of the flu. *shrugs* Anyway, I have some awesome news to share with you all today. While scrolling my Facebook feed, I saw that one of the promoters I know has a new author coaching service, thought you all might like to know about it, and offered to share for her. She has an awesome early-bird offer. Grab your coffee, or tea, and let's get going!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3-lF7620G1nvf-PJMBdzNxFin39eEo01zyLxMV5nwygvVq5RpPq-ezKe_f-exiNPLRITJsWUpph3W-y-8cCfM6JqywDk3GA5sCLn8KL1Jx9fZJUa_c96Do6697eprZV1G-mwtwfpD3Pjp/s1600/Storytime+Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="784" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3-lF7620G1nvf-PJMBdzNxFin39eEo01zyLxMV5nwygvVq5RpPq-ezKe_f-exiNPLRITJsWUpph3W-y-8cCfM6JqywDk3GA5sCLn8KL1Jx9fZJUa_c96Do6697eprZV1G-mwtwfpD3Pjp/s400/Storytime+Banner.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Storytime Book Reviews & Promotions announces new author coaching service.<br />
This new service is $150.00 and comes with the following:<br />
<ul>
<li>group sprinting</li>
<li>group discussion</li>
<li>one on one time for thirty minutes each week (many times this will be more than thirty minutes because I like to talk)</li>
<li>assistance with word tracking</li>
<li>help with plot development and character development</li>
<li>reading chapters and or full manuscripts</li>
<li>help with outlines/plotting/planning your book or series</li>
<li>discussions on time management</li>
<li>discussions on self care and health</li>
<li>promotion of a backlist title once a month in the Storytime newsletter/FB and Twitter</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw2mctWxVXs7BSAzoPDZZ7ciYxcoRQ8uVvueigAaXu8mEn7lk15ji12-Oo94SMUALzK7-jn5d5ikg0Q2sBgyg5qP8NQJKam3l8kgLnUs3mcl05TPWtK2K4IYa20hvgDDfBYSGixeWjFxiw/s1600/Author+photo+resized%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="160" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw2mctWxVXs7BSAzoPDZZ7ciYxcoRQ8uVvueigAaXu8mEn7lk15ji12-Oo94SMUALzK7-jn5d5ikg0Q2sBgyg5qP8NQJKam3l8kgLnUs3mcl05TPWtK2K4IYa20hvgDDfBYSGixeWjFxiw/s200/Author+photo+resized%25281%2529.jpg" width="133" /></a>Storytime is run by Jennifer Malone Wright. Jennifer has been a published author since 2010 and has run Storytime since 2014.<br />
<br />
You can find Storytime via the links below!<br />
<br />
<b>Website </b>- <a href="https://storytimebookreviews.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">https://storytimebookreviews.wordpress.com/</a><br />
<b>Facebook </b>- <a href="https://www.facebook.com/storytimebookreviews/" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/storytimebookreviews/</a><br />
<b>Facebook readers group</b> - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1161764723843298/" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/groups/1161764723843298/</a><br />
<b>Twitter </b>- <a href="https://twitter.com/Storytime4Ever" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/Storytime4Ever</a><br />
<b>Instagram </b>- <a href="https://www.instagram.com/storytimebookreviews" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/storytimebookreviews</a><br />
<b>Email contact</b> - storytimebookreviews [at] gmail.com<br />
<br />
That price is only if you get in the door now, so if you're interested, I'd jump ON it if I were you.<br />
<br />
<b>What do you think?</b><br />
<br />
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!<br />
<br />
JoJo Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02005237887461809640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961332566292942537.post-84138777675540688992018-03-07T08:00:00.000-05:002018-03-07T08:00:01.418-05:00Meet a Book Blogger - Epilogue Book Blog (Holly and Taylon)Please welcome Epilogue Book Blog! Grab your coffee or tea, and let's get going!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxV1wbXdg5fw5Rz0O3zYcyHlx5cnaPCez4_kDBXNJsaM2uOzxD_vGtQZOiQgZByibiTHWCudgr9akYSb5aJ_uVCxjs1IxyVvVEgd-Mh2OXMHUKRF5Q12AKggIVYjsztJLOne93x86P0woM/s1600/EpilogueBookBlog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxV1wbXdg5fw5Rz0O3zYcyHlx5cnaPCez4_kDBXNJsaM2uOzxD_vGtQZOiQgZByibiTHWCudgr9akYSb5aJ_uVCxjs1IxyVvVEgd-Mh2OXMHUKRF5Q12AKggIVYjsztJLOne93x86P0woM/s320/EpilogueBookBlog.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Epilogue Book Blog consists of two halves!<br />
<ol>
<li>Holly, the awkward one, breaks out into hives when meeting her favorite authors; quotes Michael Scott of The Office daily; and has harbored a crush on the Hanson brothers since seventh grade. </li>
<li>Taylon—also known as the one with the “cool name” and “red glasses”—despises tomatoes, (somehow) functions without the aid of coffee, and befriends people on the dance floor when given the opportunity. </li>
</ol>
The two of us are friends from college who share many things in common, including full-time teaching careers and a tremendous love for the written word. In 2014, the two of us began sharing recommendations with each other, poolside, discussing fictional characters with a passion that only fellow readers can appreciate. Purely a hobby for us, blogging allows those well-written gems to be shared with a broader audience.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4jE8kmpjtfI6dFIIaGIsIOdwr1ZhU5DUAlG00QXAB-StW1_BiJGv6GO7oZUCYg039GDaEhY2If5SHiRWPkVOnU3OXD7DI92FnHmjbFyrPTJ4tg3u_SnPwLkpgCMLEnUsV8Uk9Dre3imi6/s1600/Girlwithredglasses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4jE8kmpjtfI6dFIIaGIsIOdwr1ZhU5DUAlG00QXAB-StW1_BiJGv6GO7oZUCYg039GDaEhY2If5SHiRWPkVOnU3OXD7DI92FnHmjbFyrPTJ4tg3u_SnPwLkpgCMLEnUsV8Uk9Dre3imi6/s320/Girlwithredglasses.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Holly:</b> I tend to read in phases that not even I can predict. While in 2014, I tended toward romance (mostly contemporary and new adult), I’m currently binging psychological thrillers and horror. I also read literary fiction and enjoy my fair share of classics. My favorite books of all-time are The Reader by Bernhard Schlink and Summer of my German Soldier by Bette Greene.<br />
<br />
<b>Taylon:</b> I have a hard time picking genre; for me, it’s more about content. I ended the year with a “light” read mood—a quick and easy story, even if predictable. Other times, I want something that moves me, much like how favorite authors Colleen Hoover, Tarryn Fisher, and Kandi Steiner push me to think and reflect. Either way, good writing/story-telling is a must.<br />
<br />
Rather than requesting and accepting arcs (with corresponding deadlines), we currently prefer to purchase books, which allows more freedom in terms of a timeline. Reviews are typically posted on Goodreads, our Wordpress website, and Amazon (when our submissions aren’t rejected). A brief review/recommendation is usually shared to our Facebook page as well. <br />
<br />
Wordpress: <a href="https://epiloguebookblog.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">https://epiloguebookblog.wordpress.com/</a><br />
Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/epiloguebookblog/" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/epiloguebookblog/</a><br />
Holly’s Goodreads profile: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/9705560-holly-epiloguebookblog" target="_blank">https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/9705560-holly-epiloguebookblog</a><br />
<br />
Thanks so much to Jo Michaels for this opportunity to share with her followers! <br />
In a climate where readers have so many options, we truly appreciate those who follow, interact, and trust Epilogue Book Blog to provide genuine reviews and recommendations. <br />
<br />
How amazing was that post? Get to following these gals!Jo Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02005237887461809640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961332566292942537.post-245101864691841872018-02-28T09:47:00.003-05:002018-02-28T10:41:32.300-05:00Book Excerpt #1 - Intensification - Pen Pals and Serial Killers Story ThreeHappy Wednesday, everyone! Today, I'm scheduled to give you all an excerpt of my WIP, Intensification. Warning: It's not for the feint of heart. This excerpt will introduce you to both main characters, Detective Hank Reynolds and Claude. I hope you enjoy it! As a side note, Provocation is with the proofreader, and a release date will be coming at you soon! If you missed the first two excerpts from that book, check them out <a href="http://jomichaels.blogspot.com/2018/01/book-excerpt-provocation-pen-pals-and.html" target="_blank">here </a>and <a href="http://jomichaels.blogspot.com/2018/02/book-excerpt-2-provocation-pen-pals-and.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Grab your coffee, or tea, and let's get going!<br />
<br />
<b>First, a little about the book:</b><br />
<br />
<b>Title</b>: <i>Intensification </i>- Pen Pals and Serial Killers - Story Three<br />
<b>Author</b>: Jo Michaels<br />
<b>Genre</b>: Psychological Thriller<br />
<b>Length</b>: Looking like it'll be around 70k<br />
<b>Release Date</b>: TBD (Spring 2018 for sure)<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH4uSvHWJF0v-F-9RINPk8yyTkEdy1X_U6PPXJxFEIIJZVk4t2Id3wqbdVCjJn8BaEva6oCPYTmcDo4Ek34ibRVqt6LJwDkRb8eNz6qR2c7q6YLb7euEQ8M8_YIUPTeEX4k1E31AwGP5zJ/s1600/IntensificationSFW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="492" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH4uSvHWJF0v-F-9RINPk8yyTkEdy1X_U6PPXJxFEIIJZVk4t2Id3wqbdVCjJn8BaEva6oCPYTmcDo4Ek34ibRVqt6LJwDkRb8eNz6qR2c7q6YLb7euEQ8M8_YIUPTeEX4k1E31AwGP5zJ/s320/IntensificationSFW.jpg" width="196" /></a><b>Blurb</b>:<br />
Detective Hank Reynolds has just been handed the case of a lifetime. Another reality TV star has gone missing, and it’s up to the Atlanta police department to find her before it’s too late. While he’s digging around, he discovers there have been nearly twenty similar kidnappings in the surrounding areas over the last twenty years, and while trying to find out more—and a witness that’s still alive—he’s dragged into a past he wishes he could erase. His dreams become nightmares about the women, and his sanity unravels. Even his eyes begin to play tricks on him, but no hallucinations are as devious as the antics of the killer—who’s always one breath away—waiting for the chance to strike again.<br />
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Now for the excerpt!<br />
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Chapter One</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Claude</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rolling over, Claude’s eyes fell on the clock. Ten p.m. He
grinned. That would give him plenty of time to do the things he wanted to do
and still be back before it was time to get up and get moving for the day.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
His feet made no noise as he padded down the hall to the
garage, and he disabled the alarm system before opening the door. Careful not
to knock anything over, he made his way in the dark to the table on the other
side of the room and slid it to one side. A few wrenches hanging from pegs
banged together, but there was no noise otherwise. Every night he went out, he
was more grateful he’d thought to put the rollers on the legs. Once the table
was slid aside, he stuck his pinky finger through a hole in the sheetrock and
pulled.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It swung forward easily, the hole the only indication there
was anything there. Inside were the articles he’d worn every night: A gray
coverall, high boots, and a baseball cap with his favorite team’s logo
emblazoned on the front.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He chuckled as he pulled it on, the NY turned toward the
back. F--- the Red Sox and the horse they rode in on, he’d be a Yankees fan
until the day he died.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Carefully, he folded the pajamas he’d been wearing before
and put them in the hidey-hole, closing the door softly. His boots were in his
hand, and he waited until he was safely in the alcove of the side door before
slipping them on his feet. It wouldn’t do to leave prints from boots he wasn’t
supposed to have anywhere inside.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hands in his pockets, he stepped to the sidewalk, casting
his gaze both directions before turning left and scurrying down three blocks
then going right. His house was the fourth one on the left in the cul-de-sac, a
large Tudor with an impressive privacy fence, a high gate, and only a few
lights on inside that backed up to a large, wooded area. Before he went up to
the door, he grabbed the mail out of the box, snickered at the fliers inviting
him to shop at one store or another—they really didn’t want him anywhere near
their establishments—and threw everything in the neighbor’s recycling bin.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It had been nearly a week since he’d been able to come home,
and he could almost hear his beauties calling out to him. His hand shook as he
put the key in the lock and turned, the excitement he was feeling threatening
to boil over and consume him whole.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Claude dashed in and spun to engage the deadbolt, also
sliding the long chain into place. Once it was locked, he allowed himself to
relax. He peeled off the hat and boots, leaving them near the door, and the
next to go was his coveralls. No clothing was required in his home, but he
preferred to keep the boxer-briefs on. Sitting on chairs in the nude just made
his balls sweaty, and he wasn’t about to suffer the discomfort.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As he walked through the kitchen, he swatted Alice on the
ass and whispered in her ear, “I’ll be back in a few minutes. I have something
to take care of first.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She giggled in response, and he checked her wires to make
sure she was secure before moving on to Nadine.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“How are you tonight, my love?” he asked, caressing her
beautiful, brown face.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I’m excellent, Claude. How are you?” Her sweet voice was
like milk and honey to his ears, and he kissed her on the tip of her nose.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Wonderful. Glad to be home.” After checking her wires as
well, he ignored the other ladies and went for the door to the basement. He
glanced around to be sure no one was watching and pulled his key out of its
hiding place under the plant nearby.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Door finally unlocked, he gave it a hard tug, enjoying the
cool hiss of air as the seal broke. He stepped through and pulled the door shut
all the way, re-engaging the locks, before hitting the switch to turn on the
light. The LEDs nearly blinded him, and as soon as they came to full strength,
she started screaming.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Again.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There was no need to run or get angry, so he whistled as he
made his way down the steps to her cage, laughing to himself the whole time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When he rounded the corner, something whizzed past his head,
and he ducked back.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Easy now. You sure you want to throw things at me, madame?”
He’d been working on his French accent, and it was nearly perfect.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“F--- you! Let me the f--- out of here, you f---ing psycho!”
Her cage bars rattled.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“That’s not a nice way to speak to me, cherie. I saved you.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“F--- that!” Her voice was so shrill, it echoed off the
soundproof walls and bounced around like a pinball.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He winced and leaned out a bit so he could see her. There
was nothing else nearby for her to throw, and her hands were empty, so he
stepped all the way out and smiled at her. “Cherie, I’ve missed you.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She backed away from his side of the cage, flattening her
body to the back bars, her eyes wide and fixed on his approaching form.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That was the reaction that made him feel most powerful—when
they moved away as though they could sense there was something dark inside him.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I recognize you. You were that guy on the news, huh?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“No. That wasn’t me.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Then your twin brother? I don’t understand how you two can
be so diff—”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He launched himself at the bars. “Shut. Up.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Laughter sprung up and out of her.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Don’t you dare talk about things you have no knowledge of,
or I’ll end your life right now.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“That’s what you plan to do anyway, right? So why should I
give a sh-t if you care what I’m saying or not?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Because what you say is the line drawn between whether you
enjoy your death or have a really f---ing hard time of it, bitch.” He snarled
as the last word dripped from his lips and smiled when she flinched.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As he tracked a path around the outside of the cage, she
moved, too, keeping her body on the side farthest away from him. The way her
muscles moved under the skin of her thighs made his c-ck hard, and he wiped
drool off his chin. Her breasts were magnificent creatures, rising and falling
every time she panted. Though she could use a washing, she was still the most
alluring one he’d taken.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“You are so beautiful,” he whispered as he moved.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“F--- you!” she screamed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I can’t wait to add you to my collection. You’ll be my
prized possession. I already have a room made up for you, and it’s just like
something you’d pick for yourself. I can hear you thanking me now.” He lifted
his voice a few octaves as he mimicked her. “‘Oh, Claude, I love every part of
it so very much! You’re the best ever.’ And then maybe you’ll give me a kiss.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“You know <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">nothing</i>
about me, and there’s no way I’m <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ever</i>
going to kiss you.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Oh, but I do, Sharon. I do. I watched you for months on
television, and then I followed you, always in the shadows where you couldn’t
see me. That prick you were dating wasn’t worthy of you, darling.” His hand
snaked out and caught her hair, and he pulled her to the bars closest to him.
“You’ll never have to worry about not having the right man again, because I
promise to take care of you for all time.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Killing someone isn’t taking care of them.” Tears were
streaming down her face then, and her shoulders sagged. “Please, Claude.
Please. Let me go?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pulling her head back, he yanked on her hair so the skin on
her throat grew tight, the pulse banging away just under the surface. His teeth
ached to sink into the supple flesh, tear at it, but he knew if he did, her
corpse would be ruined, and he wanted her in his collection very badly.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He inhaled, savoring her perfume.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Please,” she whispered.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“No.” It was a simple answer, and he watched her to see how
she might react. That always told him the most about the women—how they
responded when they didn’t get something they’d begged for.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rather than grow angry, she softened, and her shoulders
shook.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Weak. Just as I expected.” His fingers opened, and he
dropped her, letting her sink to the floor. “Tomorrow, mon cherie. Tomorrow!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After bringing her some food that he left on a paper plate
near the cage, he replenished her supply of water bottles then whistled his way
back upstairs.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
His ladies were waiting, and he had big plans for the
evening.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He locked the door and stowed the key after making sure none
of the women were watching, and then he went to join Ginger on the couch. “Mind
if I have the remote?” he asked.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Not at all, Claude.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Taking it from her hand, he was careful not to knock around
the supporting wire and damage the limb again like he’d done the week prior. It
had been a bitch to repair, and he just didn’t have the time to dick around
with it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With a click of the red power button, the television came
on, and he activated the DVR, looking for the latest episodes of <i>She Wants to
Marry Him</i>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Carefully, he put one arm around Ginger and pulled her
close, moving her head so it rested on his shoulder. He kissed her blonde hair
and laughed when the photos of the women on the show scrolled across the
screen, their names emblazoned underneath. “Remember when you were on this
show?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hand in her hair, he moved her head up and down.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I bet you do. That d-ckless wonder didn’t know what he had
in you, did he?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Her head moved left and right.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Let’s see what happens tonight.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For two hours, he caught up on episodes he’d missed, using
the notebook on the coffee table to write down details he thought might be
important later on.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He tossed the pad back on the table, turned the television
off, stood, and adjusted Ginger so she looked like she did when he arrived,
caressing her chin with his thumb. “You’re so beautiful. It’s a shame you
didn’t win that one, but it was probably because you’re so stupid.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Returning to the kitchen and Alice, he wrapped his arms
around her from behind and pressed himself to her back and rear. She was still
firm, and he liked it. Her roundness made him ache with desire. He buried his
face in her hair but pulled back when he got a whiff of something unpleasant.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Moving her hair to one side, he examined her neck, and found
a small patch of skin had peeled back, revealing the stuffing he’d packed her
with. A little more digging in the hole found the culprit of the horrendous
smell. It was a tiny patch of mildew. She’d been near the sink too long and
needed to dry out.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Alice, darling. You’re positively rotting from the inside
out. I’ll need to move you, okay?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Her head moved up and down.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Perhaps Hailey would like to take your place. I’ll just go
ask her. Be right back.” He sprinted up the stairs, flipping on the light at
the landing, and making a hard right into the master bedroom. There, he found
Hailey lying on the bed with Juniper lying nearby, one hand covering one of
Hailey’s breasts. “Get up, ladies! I need Hailey dressed and downstairs to take
Alice’s place. You want to do that, sweetheart?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Of course, Claude. Anything for you,” she answered.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He dug a pretty dress out of the closet and helped Hailey
into it, and then he lifted her over his shoulder and carried her down, careful
not to bang her head on anything.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Alice was unhooked from the wires, the dry sponge taken from
her hand, and she was placed on the floor nearby. Hailey was buckled in, the
sponge put in her right hand, and a clean plate fixed to her left with some
Velcro strips he kept in a nearby drawer. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After carrying Alice upstairs, stripping her naked, and
arranging her in the bed with Juniper, he pressed his back to the wall to
admire his handiwork, deciding quickly that her hand was too high. He adjusted
it so it was between Alice’s legs and sighed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Perfect.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Again, he backed up to the wall and peered at them. His ---- immediately as he watched them play with one another, giggling,
kissing, and rolling on the bed, but he shook it off. There was no time for
that right then. He had to get back before his time expired. Kissing each lady
on the head, he scurried out and down the steps, his hard-on dropping the
moment he stepped off the last one.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Well, my lovelies, I’ll see you all tomorrow! We’ll have a
splendid party soon! I’ll bring champagne, and you can welcome Sharon with open
arms when I finally bring her up.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They cheered.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He quickly dressed and hurried out the door, being sure to
lock it behind himself, before jogging back the way he’d come.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Quickly and quietly, he snuck through the garage door,
changed, rearmed the alarm system, and slipped back into bed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Hank</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At six a.m. sharp, the alarm sounded, jolting Hank out of a
deep sleep. He rolled onto his back, one hand absently slapping at the
offending noise. Finally, it stopped, and he groaned. It was like he hadn’t
slept in weeks, and it was starting to take a toll on him. A decision was made
then and there that the sleeping pills the doctor had prescribed would be taken
that night. Just one night of rest was all he needed to trudge on through
another few weeks of restlessness.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He peeled himself out of bed, pressed the button on the
coffee pot, and headed for the shower. Music poured out of his mouth, and he
took the detachable sprayer and held it in front of his lips, filling the small
space with crescendos and a strong, natural vibrato. It was his favorite time
of day, before dealing with the people from the office, before having to get
into it with victims calling about some bullshit that may or may not have
happened in the middle of the night; in that moment, he was just a man with
music in his soul and warm spray from his shower microphone.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once he was clean, he stepped out and toweled off, going to
the kitchen to pour a huge cup of the coffee he could smell from the shower. He
gulped at it, loving the way it burned as it made its way to his stomach. A
sigh tore out of him. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Perfection.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
His routine was firmly established, and the next half hour
was spoken for as he trimmed his beard, brushed his teeth, and dressed for the
day in slacks and a button down, strapping his gun belt to his waist. He always
grabbed was his wallet and badge as he left the bedroom, and those went in his
back pockets. Then, he filled his travel cup with coffee and left for the day.
On the drive to the precinct, he checked his voicemail. There were three calls:
One from his ex-girlfriend inviting him for drinks—delete, another from his
partner about the upcoming softball game—save, and a third from someone he
didn’t know asking about the rich girl kidnapping—delete.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He sighed and threw the phone on the passenger’s seat,
leaning back with two hands on the wheel, and finished driving to work while
yelling at other drivers to pay attention to what they were freaking doing
before they killed someone.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pulling into the lot, he parked in his designated spot and
got out, coffee in hand, to go up to his office. His partner was already there.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Morning,” Hank said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Dude. Phones are blowing up over that rich girl model that
went missing. Cap says we need to nail this bastard soon.” Tony thumped the
desk with his forehead. “Sorry. Good morning to you, too.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Do we have any new information?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“No. That’s the thing. There have been a million and one
‘hot tips,’ but none of them check out, ya know?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Falling into a rolling chair behind a desk facing Tony’s,
Hank shook his head as his anger bubbled. “Don’t know what Cap wants us to do
about it if we don’t have any damned leads. The guys snatching these women
might as well be g--damned ghosts!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I know. You’re preaching to the choir, man.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I’m just so f---ing frustrated with it all.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Well, what do you want to do today? Beat the streets?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“We’re gonna have to.” Frustrated, he pulled the file folder
over and flipped it open. A pretty brunette smiled out of the photograph.
Missing nearly a week, she’d disappeared while grocery shopping at a local
store, one with no exterior cameras. He read over the report once again, but
the only thing that stuck out to him was that she’d been on TV on some reality
show about marriage. There had been a couple of similar cases over the previous
two years, and he assumed it was a pattern. He wondered if anyone else had put <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that</i> together.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Their captain stuck his head out the door and barked at them
to “get in his office. Now.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With a sigh, Tony and Hank rose and went through the glass
door.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Take a seat, boys.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They did, neither of them saying a word, Hank still
clutching the file.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I need you two on top of your game. This f---er has
everyone terrified to take a step outside.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He held up a hand. “Whoa. Hold on a sec, Cap. I’m thinking
maybe this isn’t random and isn’t linked with those other two snatch-and-grab
jobs from Fulton County. It struck me a few minutes ago that four young women
who’ve been on one reality TV show or another have gone missing over the last
few years. That suggests a pattern, right? I’m not sure Jane the Wife has
anything to be afraid of—as long as she doesn’t live in Fulton.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Right. Suggests. There’s no way to be sure of that, Reynolds.
If they’d all gone missing after being part of one show, we’d have something.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Truer words were never spoken, and he knew it; he just
didn’t really like it all that much. A kidnapper had to be established a number
of years, and have a definitive pattern, but the cases they were working had no
links between all the victims, only four out of six. It also seemed their
realty perp only been active a little while. If Hank’s suspicions were
correct, the guy had already snatched the three other women who were in the
public eye, but lesser known than the most recent.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“My gut tells me we’ll catch someone soon, so I want you
boys looking into everything you can think of, okay? Get out there and get me
some answers. I need to assure people that my guys aren’t complete morons.” Cap
crushed his cigarette in the ashtray and waved his hands. “Get!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tony and Hank got up and left, neither of them with a spring
in their step.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Let’s go, big guy,” Tony said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Wait a sec. I’m gonna grab another cup.” Hank refilled his
travel thermos and capped it. “Okay. Ready. Let’s do this sh-t.”</div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">They got into Tony’s car, a black Impala, and
pulled out, headed for the last known address of the missing girl and the
grocery store she’d gone missing from.</span><br />
<br />
~~~~~<br />
I hope you enjoyed that! EEP!<br />
<br />
What do you think? Is Claude's house weird or what?<br />
<br />
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!<br />
<br />
JoJo Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02005237887461809640noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961332566292942537.post-90877788126190801442018-02-26T09:34:00.000-05:002018-02-26T09:34:21.786-05:00How to: Deal with the FluIs it Monday already? *waves* Hi there, good people of the blogosphere! Holy crap did I ever have one helluva week. Tuesday, I woke up feeling like death warmed over. It's been a fight since then. I've decided that I'm never getting sick ever again, there's just too much to do in a week, and I can't be missing work, so wish me luck with that. I finally feel kind of human, so today's post is tongue-in-cheek about how to care for yourself when you catch the flu. Because I missed some days posting (which sucks because my posts were all planned out), I'll be doing a quick adjustment to my lineup for the next couple of weeks. Ready to dive into today? Grab your coffee, and let's get going!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIEHcynaXLmDeEB6N3eYl1Ng3QwLyy8hYS5DgnPT5BPkBsEKPEuzodOaI4kvGdtqDkoi3gJBzZOcpajPkjj1Es6vTiPPqDvxkFcGJM9T8TDZ3KqSW0_LISUkV9u3mhKMc4BGw4-uucV-9u/s1600/9611515_ml.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1522" data-original-width="1233" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIEHcynaXLmDeEB6N3eYl1Ng3QwLyy8hYS5DgnPT5BPkBsEKPEuzodOaI4kvGdtqDkoi3gJBzZOcpajPkjj1Es6vTiPPqDvxkFcGJM9T8TDZ3KqSW0_LISUkV9u3mhKMc4BGw4-uucV-9u/s320/9611515_ml.jpg" width="259" /></a><b>Here are the steps to take when you have the flu:</b><br />
<ul>
<li><b>See your doctor</b> and get tested so you can get the good meds, but please, wear a mask when you go out of the house.</li>
<li><b>Crash in bed</b>, and don't get up unless the house is on fire or you realllllly have to pee.</li>
<li><b>Send someone out for medication</b> to alleviate the symptoms; make sure you have something for fevers.</li>
<li><b>Drink a LOT of water</b>. Not only will this help you stay hydrated, it'll also help keep your fever down.</li>
<li><b>Find a new show and binge-watch it</b>.</li>
<li><b>Don't plan to cook or clean or do anything but lie in bed</b>.</li>
<li><b>Have soup.</b></li>
<li><b>Sleep as much as you can</b>. Sleep helps your body worry about fighting off the flu rather than keeping your daily body in balance.</li>
<li><b>Be prepared to suffer alone</b>. No one wants to catch what you have, so help them help you. Limit your activity in your home, and use lots and LOTS of anti-bacterial stuff on surfaces.</li>
</ul>
I know all that seems like no-brainer stuff, but you wouldn't believe the folks out there trying to work while they're sick. Take the time off. You'll get better faster.<br />
<br />
This year, the flu seems to present itself differently for everyone, so here are some signs to watch out for:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Vomiting</b>. Not just mild nausea, I'm talking full-on, bowl-hugging, seeing-everything-you've-eaten-for-a-week vomiting (this is how my husband's started).</li>
<li><b>Headache</b>. Like someone is splitting your head open with an axe (this is how mine started).</li>
<li><b>Chills</b>. Your whole body feels like one big nerve on edge.</li>
<li><b>Fever</b>. You'll know you have a fever when you get cold/chilly.</li>
<li><b>Sore Throat</b>. As though you've swallowed a piece of sandpaper that won't go down.</li>
<li><b>Cough</b>. Hacking-up-a-lung coughing (this is how my daughter's started).</li>
<li><b>Body Aches</b>. Every muscle hurts.</li>
<li><b>Sneezing</b>. Uncontrollable, with or without a stuffy nose. </li>
</ul>
Now, not everyone has all of these symptoms when they catch the flu. My daughter had no chills or fever, but she nearly coughed up a lung. My husband never got a cough, but he sneezed like crazy. I only had chills and fever and body aches. So, no matter what symptoms you have, start at the doctor!<br />
<br />
This flu is nothing to play around with, y'all. And if you start wheezing, go to the ER or UrgentCare.<br />
<br />
<b>Did any of you come down with the crud? Did you have symptoms not listed here? How did yours present?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Help folks out and post your story in the comments below!</b><br />
<br />
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!<br />
<br />
JoJo Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02005237887461809640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961332566292942537.post-10332367246866118272018-02-21T08:00:00.000-05:002018-02-21T08:00:05.998-05:00Meet a Book Blogger - A Star that Reads (Starr Ochoa)Hey y’all! My name is Starr, I’m a reader, a future nurse (my hope), and a person who is dabbling in writing. <br />
<br />
I run an Instagram blog that you can follow <a href="https://instagram.com/astarthatreads" target="_blank">@astarthatreads</a>. I started this blog because my friend forced me to get an Instagram account so we could stay in touch and I didn’t just want another social media account that I wouldn’t use. I started thinking about things I would do with it and realized I wanted to share my love of reading. I mostly read romance, but willing to try and open to other genres.<br />
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<br />
I’m currently doing author spotlights on Instagram: You give me teasers, cover reveals, excerpts, etc, to share to my followers and hopefully you gain some followers as well. <i can="" if="" info="" interested="" more="" provide="" re="" you=""> I’m willing to share all genres through my blog. <br /><br />
</i><b>*Review policy</b>, I haven’t thought about a set of rules I follow, but I will be honest. I try not to post bad reviews <because are="" books="" like="" not="" on="" or="" purely="" subjective="" them="" who="" will="">, but if you want to send me your book and want me to review it, I will! My reviews are either short and sweet or a paragraph of me fangirling and demanding people get this book. Lol. I post on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/13780124-starr" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/astarthatreads/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/" target="_blank">Amazon</a>. <br /><br />
Thank you all for taking the time out of your day to read this long post. ❤ I hope you decide to join me on Instagram.</because><br />
<i can="" if="" info="" interested="" more="" provide="" re="" you=""><because are="" books="" like="" not="" on="" or="" purely="" subjective="" them="" who="" will=""><br /></because></i>
<because are="" books="" like="" not="" on="" or="" purely="" subjective="" them="" who="" will="">How awesome is that?? Y'all go give her a follow and some content, for Pete's sake!</because><i can="" if="" info="" interested="" more="" provide="" re="" you=""><because are="" books="" like="" not="" on="" or="" purely="" subjective="" them="" who="" will=""></because></i>Jo Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02005237887461809640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961332566292942537.post-16081925414479129222018-02-19T09:22:00.000-05:002018-02-19T09:22:21.762-05:00How to: MicroplotHappy Monday, everyone! I hope you had a fantastic weekend and are ready to crank out the words this week! Today, I'm talking about microplotting. You know, that thing you do when you're furiously writing your novel. Oh! You don't do that? Don't know how? Well, sit back, relax, sip your coffee, and read on!<br />
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Some people have a detailed plot when they sit down to write their novels. If that's you, this post isn't your friend. But if you're of the other kind, the plansters, who only know where the story begins and ends when you start writing, and maybe have a couple of plot points you want to hit along the way, you may find this useful.<br />
<br />
Microplotting isn't a long, drawn-out plot. You make decisions on the fly about what's going to happen to your characters, and you type them out like so:<br />
<br />
In this chapter:<br />
Beatrice will discover who has betrayed her.<br />
How that happens:<br />
She finds the key.<br />
She opens the door.<br />
She reads the riddle.<br />
She solves the riddle, but has to seek help from Hayman to do so.<br />
When Hayman reads the riddle, he becomes ill.<br />
Beatrice must speak the answer aloud.<br />
The betrayer's name appears in smoke, and it disappears just before Hayman comes to.<br />
<br />
Then, you go above the microplot and write furiously. When you're typing out the microplot points, that's when you look up any names or important features you want to remember as you're writing. If there's something you don't know or forgot to include, type XXX in the place of the item and move on. Keep writing. Don't slow down to look it up. If you're consistent with your marker type, then you can do a find later and take the time to fact check or do research.<br />
<br />
Microplotting can push your novel to a whole new level, but be careful of getting sidetracked. Stay on the path to the conclusion you're pushing toward. It's fun.<br />
<br />
I don't know about all of you, but every time I've tried plotting out each chapter, I fail and end up having to scrap it and re-do the whole thing. Now, I go high-level plot points and fill in the blanks as I write. My loose outlines look something like this:<br />
Chapter 1 - Introduce character, tone, and setting. Be sure to drop nuggets of what's coming (the beginning of change from now to the end).<br />
Chapter 2 - Beatrice gets in trouble at school for something and a letter is sent home.<br />
Chapter 3 - Beatrice is grounded because of the letter, and she ends up acting out at school again in some way.<br />
Chapter 4 - Beatrice is suspended.<br />
Chapter 5 - Beatrice meets Mark, and he ignores her because she's a "bad girl" (this makes her want to change because she really likes him). <br />
... other chapters I fill in like the ones above. <br />
Last Chapter - Beatrice and Mark finally get together.<br />
<br />
So, in each chapter, I microplot how to flesh it out once I get there. Those outlines are treated as living documents and are changed often.<br />
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I hope this helps some of you when you're sprinting!<br />
<br />
Did you find this useful? What do you do when writing? Plotter? Pantser? Plantser? Hit me with your process!<br />
<br />
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!<br />
<br />
JoJo Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02005237887461809640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961332566292942537.post-35960071432463975952018-02-16T10:05:00.000-05:002018-02-16T10:05:49.225-05:00Let's Stop Talking About Gun Control and Mental HealthHello, good people of the blogosphere. Today, I'm going on a NSFW rant and providing a realistic action plan for those of you that are interested in being the change you want to see happen. Get your coffee ready, because... Well, you may be here a while.<br />
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Earlier this week, there was yet another shooting at a school, taking seventeen more young lives. Understandably, people are pissed. I'm pissed. I'm sure you're pissed.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Those seventeen lives were just beginning.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Those seventeen lives matter.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">As of today, those seventeen join many, many more in a string of senseless MURDERS at SCHOOLS. Let's call them what they are.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>School is a place my child should be safe.</b> It's supposed to be the fucking government's responsibility to CARE for, and PROTECT my child when she's not with me.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">But they're failing to do that.</span></b></div>
<br />
<b>Let's look at some 100% honesty right now:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Shooter drills AREN'T WORKING (they were in place in Florida and activated - seventeen children STILL DIED).</li>
<li>Americans will NEVER give up their guns, and the US will NEVER try to force its citizens to give up their guns.</li>
<li>Most schools in the US are on a limited budget, hence metal detectors can't be afforded.</li>
<li>A majority of kids aren't as supervised nowadays as they were even ten years ago by their parents.</li>
<li>When kids see counselors at school, the kids aren't feeling heard (if they feel as though they can go to the counselor in the first place, that is).</li>
<li>Guns are too accessible.</li>
<li>Talking about mental illness and praying isn't doing DICK. </li>
</ul>
<br />
So, rather than scream at the media, march to show how you feel, or post a rant on Facebook about how GUNS ARE EVIL AND SHOULD BE DESTROYED, how about you do something in your own community?<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">ACT. Don't just talk about how pissed you are.</span></b></div>
<br />
<b>An action plan that just might work:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Get involved. Go to the school and talk to the principal or the PTO person. Get all the parents in your community together in a MANDATORY meeting. You don't show up? Your kid gets suspended until you attend a meeting. The worst thing the principal can say is no, and if he/she does that, ORGANIZE A MEETING OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL ON YOUR OWN. Don't fucking give up.</li>
<li>Harsh? You BET YOUR ASS IT IS.</li>
<li>But it's time to make people stand up and take responsibility for their own kids' actions. It's time to get them INVOLVED in preventing this shit from happening AGAIN.</li>
<li>Involve local law enforcement. Have those wonderful folks in blue come in and teach child/gun safety to EVERY parent (that's what your meeting is about). In school or out of school, MAKE THIS HAPPEN.</li>
<li>Hold a community fundraiser to buy trigger locks the officers can give away for free and use them to teach people how to use and how to keep firearms SAFE and out of the hands of our fucking kids!</li>
<li>Have the counselor talk to the parents about recognizing signs of depression and thoughts of violence. </li>
<li>Visit EVERY GUN STORE within a 30 mile radius of YOUR house, and ask them what THEY'RE doing to vet the people who come in to buy firearms. Demand change if need be. These stores have a responsibility to act in a way that makes the cities they sell guns in safer. </li>
<li>Ask local law enforcement to visit the stores regularly and do checks. FOLLOW UP.</li>
<li>Do a fund raiser to help PAY for those metal detectors we ALL want so very badly.</li>
<li>People will follow you. They're SCARED. And they have every right to be.<b> Sometimes, people just need a leader with a loud, strong voice.</b></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Don't <i>talk </i>about change. Be the change. Make the change happen.</b></span></div>
<br />
If ONE person in every school district takes these safety matters into their own hands, that takes care of the whole US.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">It just takes <i>one </i>person to make a difference.</span></div>
<br />
This action plan won't be 100%, but it'll CERTAINLY reduce the likelihood of more of this shit happening a great deal.<br />
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Parents HAVE to be involved. Don't wait or depend on the government to do something.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>DO SOMETHING.</b></span></div>
<br />
I'll be doing something, because I refuse to sit by and let fear of sending my child to school be a chain around my damned neck. I want her to live, grow up to be whatever she wants, have the chance to fall in love, get married, and have children of her own.<br />
<br />
I do NOT want some angry little bastard to get a bug up their ass and take her life before she's even begun to live it.<br />
<br />
HELL NO. FUCK THAT.<br />
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<b>Sorry for the language today. Y'all have anything to add?</b><br />
<br />
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!<br />
<br />
JoJo Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02005237887461809640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961332566292942537.post-37633057145105744012018-02-15T11:57:00.000-05:002018-02-15T11:57:52.827-05:00Emancipation Wins Silver in the Chapter of Excellence Contest by WADHappy Thursday, everyone! Today's post... Oh my goodness. I was so excited last night when I got an e-mail announcing that Emancipation took a silver award in the Chapter of Excellence Contest held by Writers After Dark. I have to share some of the details! Grab your coffee, or tea, and let's get going!<br />
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Here's all the details about the book (gonna start there):<br />
<br />
<b>Title</b>: <i>Emancipation </i>(Pen Pals and Serial Killers - Story 1)<br />
<b>Author</b>: Jo Michaels <br />
<b>Genre</b>: Psychological Thriller<br />
<b>Length</b>: 70k<br />
<b>Buy Link</b>: Amazon <a href="http://bit.ly/SerialKiller1" target="_blank">Kindle</a> ~ <a href="http://a-fwd.com/asin=1517463661" target="_blank">Paperback</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN5qf1_We-p7qaJRB_mTSxNdyejwrdTBgyzQVApISmmkmD_Fv38g5Ti0SEySPUgv7h8veJ2zGZqm8qrArREg9zXfHzoZOOBDvzPkZV0-ju6roUtaWEC_6wc2VbK7I9D0OVbvpcuLAHZojU/s1600/EmancipationCoverSFW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="387" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN5qf1_We-p7qaJRB_mTSxNdyejwrdTBgyzQVApISmmkmD_Fv38g5Ti0SEySPUgv7h8veJ2zGZqm8qrArREg9zXfHzoZOOBDvzPkZV0-ju6roUtaWEC_6wc2VbK7I9D0OVbvpcuLAHZojU/s320/EmancipationCoverSFW.jpg" width="196" /></a><b>Blurb</b>:<br />
Tobias Butler has been sitting on death row since being sentenced for a gruesome murder in 2007. Bored out of his mind, he decided to apply to the online pen pal program in 2012. It's a pleasant distraction—nothing more, nothing less—for three years, until he's contacted by a beautiful, smart young lawyer named Jess. She's convinced he's innocent and wants to see him freed. As they organize their attack on the judicial system, he wonders how she plans to get his conviction overturned—because he's guilty, and he knows it. Jess is desperate to release him—and he's desperate to feel his hands squeeze the life out of her once she does.<br />
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<b>Information about the contest:</b><br />
Writers were to submit either the prologue or chapter one to the contest, and each entry was judged by how well that chapter gripped the reader, making them want to find out more. <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Click <a href="https://writersafterdark.net/2018/02/15/chapter-of-excellence-winners/" target="_blank">here</a> to see ALL the winners. There are some awesome books on there, and I'm humbled to be included among them. </span></div>
<br />
Here's my certificate:<br />
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<b>EEP! So excited! Huge thanks to WAD for everything they do.</b><br />
<br />
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!<br />
<br />
JoJo Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02005237887461809640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961332566292942537.post-46807668749228609002018-02-14T18:05:00.000-05:002018-02-14T18:05:55.811-05:00Author Life ABCs - CHappy Wednesday again, everyone! So, for your second post today, I'm back on my Author Life ABCs with the letter C. Today's topic is appropriate, I feel, because it's also Valentine's Day. We're out there spreading the love so our friends and family have an amazing day. What I want to know is what you're doing for yourself today. Let's chat about my word and the topic a bit. Ready? Hold on to your desk, and let's get going!<br />
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Today's word is:<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Crossfit</span></b></div>
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<b>/ˈkrôsˌfit/</b><br />noun - trademark<br />noun: CrossFit; noun: Cross Fit<br />A high-intensity fitness program incorporating elements from several sports and types of exercise.</div>
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Stay with me! I'm not talking about Crossfit for your body, so let's rename it to CrossCT (Cross Creative Training).<br />
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That's right, a one-hour exercise program for writers to keep our brains engaged and active. I hope y'all try this! I'm gonna! Ready? 3, 2, 1, GO!<br />
<ul>
<li>5 minutes of hard and fast writing only dialogue</li>
<li>10 minutes, new characters, describing scene</li>
<li>5 minutes, same characters, short world-building in a genre other than your own</li>
<li>5 minutes learning the definition of a new word by randomly flipping open the dictionary and popping your finger down</li>
<li>10 minutes, four new characters telling the reader their first impressions of one another</li>
<li>5 minutes of micro-plotting</li>
<li>5 minutes of speed editing the first dialogue you wrote</li>
<li>10 minutes of prose with no dialogue using the word you just learned</li>
<li>5 minutes of typing out a conversation with one of your characters</li>
</ul>
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And you're done! That seems fun, right? Anyway, what I'm trying to get to here is that you should take terms and things you're familiar with and apply them to your writing. Have some fun. Flex your muscles!<br />
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Never stop learning how to write, market, and do. This is your career.<br />
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<b>What do you think? You gonna give it a whirl?</b><br />
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I'll post my results sometime next week. Should be fun!<br />
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Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!<br />
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JoJo Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02005237887461809640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961332566292942537.post-80396867242329202342018-02-14T10:03:00.001-05:002018-02-14T10:03:49.704-05:00Photoshop 101.3 - Magnetic Lasso ToolHappy Wednesday! You're getting two posts today and two posts tomorrow! I'm playing catch up, and I can't WAIT to show you all what I've been working on, but it'll have to wait until the author is ready to share it. :) Today, for this first post, I'm going to introduce you to a tool called the magnetic lasso. It's really nifty! Grab your coffee, or tea, and let's get going, shall we?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic3CN3unC-BWsHMwaO3UrJfHqId3xko5sW68Ixs7CZh63-ImQfX8BMOuY1j-r93_W-jAPqXZYK4BBMrXJoVlM4i8gcIAfTQkWmjwI1Rq65GNOZg7NXw1Y4i0r_2Vr67pa7iV45uUVCtY_Y/s1600/PSHowTo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="756" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic3CN3unC-BWsHMwaO3UrJfHqId3xko5sW68Ixs7CZh63-ImQfX8BMOuY1j-r93_W-jAPqXZYK4BBMrXJoVlM4i8gcIAfTQkWmjwI1Rq65GNOZg7NXw1Y4i0r_2Vr67pa7iV45uUVCtY_Y/s320/PSHowTo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyYKaV2ERF3Bz8Pkm_mBtGTvj_JOgRJamNLhzb7UfKExm5z0VilJICT556Bg3ie2Mh9nATyJkjRUjKtcCs2' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<b>So? What did you all think of that one? Did you learn anything new or useful?</b><br />
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Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!<br />
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Jo Jo Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02005237887461809640noreply@blogger.com0