tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64016593227679931022024-02-19T08:21:46.055-08:00Lou Harper's BlogLou Harper's BlogLou Harperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016676176117488961noreply@blogger.comBlogger434125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401659322767993102.post-91381982626230989842017-03-19T12:01:00.006-07:002017-03-19T12:32:35.652-07:00It's Undead! <br />
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<span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Spirit-Sanguine-Lou-Harper-ebook/dp/B06XQT5GFT" rel="nofollow" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><br /><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS2HCKqeLnMK8S_s1LkQtansBCDjOIc90zBX_6GANgOL9CSXWNzv2X1jbdS-HQXjDtwBzAhzOKB1iqaISCcAho_ejnaaSZ6OO46Ns1xi14lgM0lbp2pImIcBfEHdKPhJINvExBzRmIJ5wc/s320/SpiritSanguine.jpg" width="213" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><br />I managed to convince Amazon that I indeed own the right to Spirit Sanguine, and the book is <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Spirit-Sanguine-Lou-Harper-ebook/dp/B06XQT5GFT" target="_blank"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; color: #042eee;">back on the shelves</span></a> in a shiny new cover. </span></div>
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Unfortunately, I lost all my old Amazon reviews in the process. In hopes of garnering new ones I have the book on <a href="https://www.instafreebie.com/free/Z2zw1"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; color: #551a8b;">Instafreebie</span></a> until Apri 2. </span></div>
Lou Harperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016676176117488961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401659322767993102.post-19178355162447469582017-03-17T11:10:00.000-07:002017-03-17T11:10:04.724-07:00Everything Old Is New Again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Q-LRW5UsqyDtHs_5XL4gUHWo51mWyW4F9HV0Ymt8xdXN-3XNHV3rj-XSP1RhgRcBFESXhOiLq0vhlMiGh31-QTKdenJANxGTlcMDTsVUKPxm1vOAivg7NXk8DD5OiBfPGFpk36y6ysnW/s1600/SpiritSanguine_Reveal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Q-LRW5UsqyDtHs_5XL4gUHWo51mWyW4F9HV0Ymt8xdXN-3XNHV3rj-XSP1RhgRcBFESXhOiLq0vhlMiGh31-QTKdenJANxGTlcMDTsVUKPxm1vOAivg7NXk8DD5OiBfPGFpk36y6ysnW/s1600/SpiritSanguine_Reveal.jpg" /></a></div>
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Due to the closing of Samhain Publishing the rights of several books return to me. I plan to republish them with new covers. Last Stop and the Sanguine books are on top of the list. I expect to put those three back on the virtual shelves in March. The Secrets series will follow over the spring and Summer.</div>
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After some consideration I decided to keep them in Kindle Unlimited for now, so they'll be only available on Amazon. I submitted Spirit Sanguine a few days ago but it's still "under review."</div>
Lou Harperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016676176117488961noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401659322767993102.post-67133814262438577252016-11-22T09:12:00.002-08:002016-11-22T09:12:38.896-08:00Free Books, Woohoo!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.michaeljensen.com/free-books/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLDwpyVpsy_5GOG9Ti231Qdrol_xGnZyVp-lfsOTmlyUuuKoH-15jlCnbCnjkfvjXNEqf68zt8Jzcz7jIJOKYKCmOqXMg5AjuVqhD666UMltnQgKtxzKe9y2N88M7QwlljTflummcdZB3g/s640/BGGBanner.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's only a few days to the infamous Black Friday when–at least in the US–bloodthirsty hordes invade shopping outlets in frenzied search of bargain. Being of puny constitution I do my shopping online, and there's no better deal then free. Click on the banner above for a cornucopia of m/m books.<br />
<br />Lou Harperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016676176117488961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401659322767993102.post-84711636028940633292016-09-29T08:43:00.000-07:002016-09-29T08:43:27.744-07:00Dead and Very Lost<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBRBrrMAjgB02dtThzPsW7DZ6z_IOf4vazKSC-MMNVBK_Ylyk8y3Hvb7RIXbEsIfYuDA6pNek8Y1KecnzbaPs_2eB-yn2URb9dUviPZiKn6so6abzZQjMTiuy0hn6m1mopSMsYVYdjlkao/s1600/DeadInAndLost_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBRBrrMAjgB02dtThzPsW7DZ6z_IOf4vazKSC-MMNVBK_Ylyk8y3Hvb7RIXbEsIfYuDA6pNek8Y1KecnzbaPs_2eB-yn2URb9dUviPZiKn6so6abzZQjMTiuy0hn6m1mopSMsYVYdjlkao/s320/DeadInAndLost_500.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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I fail at promo. I have a new book out but I haven't sent copies to review sites, flogged it to death on Facebook or twitter, or even made a blog post about it until now. I have no excuse.<br />
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Somehow <i>Dead and Lost</i> managed to become an ARe bestseller–no idea how that happened. It's Amazon ranking isn't too horrible either.<br />
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<i>Dead and Lost </i>is the third installment in the confusingly numbered L.A. Paranormal series about Leander, the psychic pet detective and his grumpy roommate-slash-lover, Jon. This time the story is told from Leander's point of view. It picks up some time after the last book, Dead in the Desert left off. Leander finally caved in and agreed to help Cora to find out how the child's skeleton ended up in a shallow grave in the desert. Immediately they run into trouble.<br />
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Excerpt:<br />
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I stood in a cold room, eyes and head bowed, cradling a child’s skull in my hands. It must’ve been quite a picture—scrawny blond guy doing creepy stuff—but I was too busy dumping conscious thought from my mind to consider my self-image. As the thoughts went they took with them the scent of disinfectants and the chill, and the heat of the Mojave desert flowed in.</div>
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<span style="text-indent: 17.8px;">The part of my consciousness that stayed on guard knew it was all in my head but I felt the sun beating down on my skin and the coarse dirt under my feet as vividly as on the day we’d found the body. The boy’s essence—spirit if you will—trickled in to fill the empty spaces. Time passed backwards and I felt cold again, but an organic sort, full of the sounds of animals scurrying under the night sky. Burrowing insects were going about their business all around me in the soil.</span></div>
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But these were only the memories of the bones, not the child’s. I tugged on them gently, hoping they’d lead me back further, to the moment of death at least, but instead they frayed into nothing, and I was left alone in a bright room at the Los Angeles County Morgue, clasping a skull.</div>
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Well, not completely alone. Detective Cora Bennet stared at me, anticipation in her eyes and notepad poised in her hand. She knew the answer the moment our gazes met, but only the smallest slump of her shoulders showed her disappointment.</div>
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“Sorry, got nothing,” I said, confirming her hunch.</div>
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“Too long in the ground?”</div>
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“Maybe.” I put the skull back into the cardboard box, next to the rest of the bones, as gently as I could.</div>
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“Maybe?” Cora’s brown eyes were sharp but warm. She made me think of my mom, even though I’d been too young when she’d died to remember her by anything but photos and psychic impressions she’d left behind in our home. Cora had the same gentle but firm quality about her. “What is it?” she pushed.</div>
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I put the lid of the box back in place while herding my fuzzy impressions and stray ideas into a coherent bunch. “Well, you know, it’s the emotions that make a lasting mark,” I started.</div>
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“And nothing causes stronger emotions than dying violently,” she added.</div>
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“Exactly. So I’m thinking, maybe I can’t pick up anything because he died peacefully. No trauma. It’s at least a good thing, right?” We both knew a small child didn’t just end up buried in the middle of the desert without foul play, but I liked to believe he didn’t suffer. The alternative was that my talents simply crapped out on us. Psyching wasn’t exactly a science.</div>
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“Hm.” Cora put her notepad away. “Let’s go, Leander.” Most people called me Lea, but for some reason Cora stuck to my full first name.</div>
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She turned and I followed her, eager to be out of the morgue. The truth to be told, I hadn’t wanted to be there in the first place. I’d had human remains spill their secrets to me before, but they’d all been adults. I’d dreaded to do the same with a child, and this is why I’d dragged my feet after Cora had first asked me. I’d hoped she’d solve the case without me. To her credit, she hadn’t pressed, but after two months guilt got the better of me and I offered my services.</div>
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Cora blinked up at the crisp blue sky as we stepped outside—September was drawing close with nice, warm weather. I had a notion she didn’t much like coming here either. “What are you in the mood for?” she asked, heading for the car. I knew she meant lunch.</div>
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Psyching generally made me tired and hungry, though the effects were minimal this time, probably because I’d barely done any of it. I said as much as I dropped into the passenger seat. “If you just take me home, I’ll be fine.”</div>
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She put the car in gear. “No way, Jose. I’ve been told in no uncertain terms to feed you after…your thing. I wouldn’t dare to disobey.”</div>
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I had a good idea who talked to her. “It was Jon, wasn’t it? He’s a bit bossy.” Warmth spread through me faster than wildfire in August at the mere thought of my Grumpy Bear. I imagined the scene—Jon giving instructions and out-gruffing Cora. He was a champion gruffer, but I knew the truth—he was all care and compassion inside. I probably didn’t deserve him, I planned to keep him for good anyway.</div>
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Fortunately, Cora’s attention was on the traffic and didn’t notice me grinning like an idiot.</div>
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“Yes, your boyfriend and I had a long chat,” she admitted. “To be honest, you could use some more meat on your bones. Is it true you used to live on toast and Ramen noodles?” She could’ve only learned this from Jon.</div>
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“And sandwiches. I’m an expert sandwich maker. Did Jon mention <i>that</i>?” I huffed.</div>
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“It didn’t come up. I don’t know about you, but I could murder some Pad Thai.”</div>
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“Sounds good. I know a good place in Pasadena,” I added, since we were going to end up there anyway, as she had to drive me home.</div>
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She nodded and made for the freeway.</div>
Lou Harperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016676176117488961noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401659322767993102.post-30482532775841548222016-08-31T08:38:00.003-07:002016-08-31T08:38:43.861-07:00Wednesday Word: Conker<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWDhObKvwBzo5Mq9xCh8Dy38pLZ9YTk7Gu7CmD3AzzDsVfCudqLAPfelvCTWfX5JdWQYieGX4cslAEEgGnTpSeAy49oFmQFqQB-pasASHgqEzYs-WSFvduhUjwy1A9ZVxLfdOa1McuJ5D1/s1600/conkers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWDhObKvwBzo5Mq9xCh8Dy38pLZ9YTk7Gu7CmD3AzzDsVfCudqLAPfelvCTWfX5JdWQYieGX4cslAEEgGnTpSeAy49oFmQFqQB-pasASHgqEzYs-WSFvduhUjwy1A9ZVxLfdOa1McuJ5D1/s1600/conkers.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span class="hg" style="font-family: Baskerville; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; line-height: normal;"><span class="hw" d:dhw="1" role="text" style="font-size: 24px;" syllabified="conk·er">conker<span class="gp tg_hw"></span></span><span class="pr" style="color: #777777; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> |<span class="ph t_respell" d:pr="US" lexid="m_en_us1235394.003" style="margin-left: 0.3em; margin-right: 0.3em;">ˈkäNGkər</span>| </span><span class="gp tg_hg"></span></span><span class="sg" style="display: block; font-family: Baskerville; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; line-height: normal; margin-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="se1" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 0.2em;"><span class="posg" role="text"><span class="pos" d:ps="1" style="margin-right: 0.3em;"><span class="gp tg_pos" style="margin-right: 0.3em;">noun</span></span><span class="gp tg_posg"></span></span><span class="lg"><span class="ge" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light; font-size: 13px;">Brit. </span></span><span class="msDict t_core" d:abs="1" id="m_en_us1235394.001" style="display: block; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="df" role="text">the hard shiny dark brown nut of a horse chestnut tree<span class="gp tg_df">.</span></span><span class="gp tg_msDict" role="text"></span></span><span class="msDict t_subsense" d:abs="1" id="m_en_us1235394.002" style="display: block;"><span class="gp tg_msDict" role="text">• </span><span class="fg" role="text"><span class="gp tg_fg">(</span><span class="f" style="font-weight: 600;">conkers</span><span class="gp tg_fg">) </span><span class="gp tg_fg"></span></span><span class="gg" role="text"><span class="gp tg_gg">[ </span>treated as <span class="sy">sing.</span><span class="gp tg_gg"> ] </span><span class="gp tg_gg"></span></span><span class="df" role="text">a children's game in which each child has a conker on the end of a string and takes turns trying to break another's with it<span class="gp tg_df">.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
I Had no idea conker was another name for horse chestnut until I came across "dead rat conkers" reading Terry Pratchett. I missed these guys from the old country–when I was growing up they were everywhere. The trees lined majors streets, their cones of white flowers signaling spring, and their seeds littering parks and sidewalks in the autumn. When the spiky pods open the seeds that emerge are warm brown and shiny–irresistible for small children. Unfortunately, the shine dulls within a few days.<br />
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<br />Lou Harperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016676176117488961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401659322767993102.post-1140262876096415182016-08-10T09:31:00.001-07:002016-08-10T09:31:22.585-07:00Wednesday Word: Tiffin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="hg" style="font-family: Baskerville; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; line-height: normal;"><span class="hw" d:dhw="1" role="text" style="font-size: 24px;" syllabified="tif·fin"><span apple_mouseover_highlight="1"><b>tiffin</b></span><span class="gp tg_hw"></span></span><span class="pr" style="color: #777777; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> |<span class="ph t_respell" d:pr="US" lexid="m_en_us1298797.002" style="margin-left: 0.3em; margin-right: 0.3em;">ˈtifin</span>| </span><span class="gp tg_hg"></span></span><span class="sg" style="display: block; font-family: Baskerville; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; line-height: normal; margin-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="se1" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 0.2em;"><span class="posg" role="text"><span class="pos" d:ps="1" style="margin-right: 0.3em;"><span class="gp tg_pos" style="margin-right: 0.3em;">noun</span></span><span class="gp tg_posg"></span></span><span class="lg"><span class="ge" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light; font-size: 13px;">Indian</span> or <span class="reg" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light; font-size: 13px;">dated </span><span class="gp tg_lg"></span></span><span class="msDict t_core" d:abs="1" id="m_en_us1298797.001" style="display: block; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="df" role="text">a <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">light</span> meal, especially lunch<span class="gp tg_df">.</span></span></span></span><span class="gp tg_sg"></span></span><span class="etym" role="text" style="display: block; font-family: Baskerville; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 2em; margin-top: 2em;"><span class="gp ty_label tg_etym" style="font-size: 14px; margin-right: 0.4em;">ORIGIN </span><span class="dg">early 19th cent.</span>: <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">apparently</span> <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">from</span> <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">dialect</span> <span class="italic" style="font-style: italic;">tiffing<span class="spc"></span></span><span class="trans" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;"><span class="gp tg_tr">‘</span>sipping<span class="gp tg_tr">,</span><span class="gp tg_tr">’</span></span> <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">of</span> unknown <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">origin</span><span class="gp tg_etym">.</span></span><br />
I don't remember where I picked up this word, but it must've been something British.Lou Harperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016676176117488961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401659322767993102.post-28435401370499325412016-07-27T09:09:00.001-07:002016-07-27T09:09:35.871-07:00Wednesday: Penumbra<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM3q1rBuOUrKIN3V76sfHzxD2NXfhukadyWQYWpjTGzP9cJ9jqVo8EjslFqBdKpEEnCYP65WpxaJlW_mGND9vgAH2JoS4Jd3ShnXWi-kFX9IIORq194IIdB0mwmca1hTMv94feQvad3jSu/s1600/penumbra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM3q1rBuOUrKIN3V76sfHzxD2NXfhukadyWQYWpjTGzP9cJ9jqVo8EjslFqBdKpEEnCYP65WpxaJlW_mGND9vgAH2JoS4Jd3ShnXWi-kFX9IIORq194IIdB0mwmca1hTMv94feQvad3jSu/s1600/penumbra.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span class="hg" style="font-family: Baskerville; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; line-height: normal;"><span class="hw" d:dhw="1" role="text" style="font-size: 24px;" syllabified="pe·num·bra">penumbra<span class="gp tg_hw"></span></span><span class="pr" style="color: #777777; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> |<span class="ph t_respell" d:pr="US" lexid="m_en_us1276775.007" style="margin-left: 0.3em; margin-right: 0.3em;">peˈnəmbrə</span>| </span><span class="gp tg_hg"></span></span><span class="sg" style="display: block; font-family: Baskerville; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; line-height: normal; margin-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="se1" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 0.2em;"><span class="posg" role="text"><span class="pos" d:ps="1" style="margin-right: 0.3em;"><span class="gp tg_pos" style="margin-right: 0.3em;">noun</span><span class="gp tg_pos" style="margin-right: 0.3em;"></span></span><span class="infg"><span class="gp tg_infg"> (</span><span class="sy">pl. </span><span class="inf" style="font-weight: 600; margin-left: 0.3em;">penumbrae<span class="gp tg_inf"></span></span><span class="pr" style="color: #777777; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> |<span class="ph t_respell" d:pr="US" lexid="m_en_us1276775.011" style="margin-left: 0.3em; margin-right: 0.3em;">-brē<span class="gp tg_ph">, </span></span><span class="ph t_respell" d:pr="US" lexid="m_en_us1276775.012" style="margin-left: 0.3em; margin-right: 0.3em;">-brī</span>| </span>or <span class="inf" style="font-weight: 600;">penumbras</span><span class="pr" style="color: #777777; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span><span class="gp tg_infg">) </span></span><span class="gp tg_posg"></span></span><span class="msDict t_core" d:abs="1" id="m_en_us1276775.001" style="display: block; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="df" role="text"><span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">the</span> partially shaded outer region of the shadow cast by <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">an</span> <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">opaque</span> object<span class="gp tg_df">.</span></span><span class="gp tg_msDict" role="text"></span></span><span class="msDict t_subsense" d:abs="1" id="m_en_us1276775.002" style="display: block;"><span class="gp tg_msDict" role="text">• </span><span class="lg" role="text"><span class="sj" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light; font-size: 13px;">Astronomy </span></span><span class="df" role="text">the shadow cast by the earth or moon over an area experiencing a partial eclipse<span class="gp tg_df">.</span></span><span class="gp tg_msDict" role="text"></span></span><span class="msDict t_subsense" d:abs="1" id="m_en_us1276775.003" style="display: block;"><span class="gp tg_msDict" role="text">• </span><span class="lg" role="text"><span class="sj" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light; font-size: 13px;">Astronomy </span></span><span class="df" role="text">the less dark outer part of a sunspot, surrounding <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">the dark</span> core<span class="gp tg_df">.</span></span></span></span><span class="gp tg_sg"></span></span><span class="subEntryBlock t_derivatives" style="display: block; font-family: Baskerville; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 2em; margin-top: 2em;"><span class="gp ty_label tg_subEntryBlock" style="display: block; font-size: 14px; font-variant: small-caps; margin-bottom: 0.4em;">DERIVATIVES </span><span class="subEntry" id="m_en_us1276775.006" style="display: block;"><span class="l" role="text" style="font-weight: 600; margin-right: 0.4em;">penumbral </span><span class="pr" style="color: #777777; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">|<span class="ph t_respell" d:pr="US solitary" lexid="m_en_us1276775.024" style="margin-left: 0.3em; margin-right: 0.3em;">-brəl</span><span class="gp tg_pr"></span>| </span><span class="posg" role="text"><span class="pos" style="margin-right: 0.3em;"><span class="gp tg_pos" style="margin-right: 0.3em;">adjective</span></span></span><span class="msDict t_core" id="m_en_us1276775.005"></span></span></span><span class="etym" role="text" style="display: block; font-family: Baskerville; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 2em; margin-top: 2em;"><span class="gp ty_label tg_etym" style="font-size: 14px; margin-right: 0.4em;"><span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">ORIGIN</span> </span><span class="dg"><span class="date">mid 17th <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">cent.</span></span></span>: <span class="la">modern Latin</span>, from <span class="la">Latin</span><span class="ff" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;">paene </span><span class="trans" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;"><span class="gp tg_tr">‘</span>almost<span class="gp tg_tr">’</span></span> + <span class="ff" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;">umbra </span><span class="trans" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;"><span class="gp tg_tr">‘</span>shadow<span class="gp tg_tr">.</span><span class="gp tg_tr">’</span></span></span><br />
Not all shadows are created equal.<br />
<br />Lou Harperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016676176117488961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401659322767993102.post-43745669911412749822016-07-13T10:47:00.000-07:002016-07-13T10:47:32.581-07:00Wednesday Word: Ruminant<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3EEkr8fIjRa6F0XmdeKEavLpSq9KOdCI8i0U6TquAY02Vn3LGwjfy5yBi7rjrtsiRuZL3N-DTZeL2ndBA5Aq69s9otRK0SBjIOVZGOaJW4H9Xb8x8mJqGOB8PdoJ3zTLS8UhRHfp8hSSo/s1600/sheep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3EEkr8fIjRa6F0XmdeKEavLpSq9KOdCI8i0U6TquAY02Vn3LGwjfy5yBi7rjrtsiRuZL3N-DTZeL2ndBA5Aq69s9otRK0SBjIOVZGOaJW4H9Xb8x8mJqGOB8PdoJ3zTLS8UhRHfp8hSSo/s1600/sheep.jpg" /></a></div>
<span class="hg" style="font-family: Baskerville;"><span class="hw" d:dhw="1" role="text" style="font-size: 24px;" syllabified="ru·mi·nant"><br /></span></span>
<span class="hg" style="font-family: Baskerville;"><span class="hw" d:dhw="1" role="text" style="font-size: 24px;" syllabified="ru·mi·nant">ruminant<span class="gp tg_hw"></span></span><span class="pr" style="color: #777777; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> |<span class="ph t_respell" d:pr="US" lexid="m_en_us1286254.004" style="margin-left: 0.3em; margin-right: 0.3em;">ˈro͞omənənt</span>| </span><span class="gp tg_hg"></span></span><span class="sg" style="display: block; font-family: Baskerville; margin-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="se1" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 0.2em;"><span class="posg" role="text"><span class="pos" d:ps="1" style="margin-right: 0.3em;"><span class="gp tg_pos" style="margin-right: 0.3em;">noun</span></span><span class="gp tg_posg"></span></span><span class="se2" d:abs="1" style="display: block; margin-top: 0.4em;"><span class="gp ty_label tg_se2" style="font-weight: 600;">1 </span><span class="msDict t_first" id="m_en_us1286254.001" style="display: inline; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="df" role="text"><span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">an</span> even-toed ungulate mammal that <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">chews</span> <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">the</span> cud regurgitated from its rumen. <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">The</span> <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">ruminants</span> <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">comprise</span><span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">the</span> cattle, sheep, antelopes, <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">deer</span>, giraffes, and their relatives<span class="gp tg_df">.</span></span></span><span class="gp tg_se2"></span></span><span class="se2" d:abs="1" style="display: block; margin-top: 0.4em;"><span class="msDict t_first" style="display: inline; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="df" role="text"><span class="gp tg_df"><br /></span></span></span></span><span class="se2" d:abs="1" style="display: block;"><span class="gp ty_label tg_se2" style="font-weight: 600;">2 </span><span class="msDict t_first" id="m_en_us1286254.002" style="display: inline; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="df" role="text">a contemplative person; a <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">person</span> given to meditation<span class="gp tg_df">.</span></span></span></span></span><span class="se1" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 0.2em;"><span class="posg" role="text"><span class="pos" d:ps="1" style="margin-right: 0.3em;"><span class="gp tg_pos" style="margin-right: 0.3em;">adjective</span></span><span class="gp tg_posg"></span></span><span class="msDict t_core" id="m_en_us1286254.003" style="display: block; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="df" role="text">of or <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">belonging</span> to <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">ruminants</span><span class="gp tg_df">.</span></span></span></span><span class="gp tg_sg"></span></span><span class="etym" role="text" style="display: block; font-family: Baskerville; margin-bottom: 2em; margin-top: 2em;"><span class="gp ty_label tg_etym" style="font-size: 14px; margin-right: 0.4em;">ORIGIN </span><span class="dg">mid 17th cent.</span>: from <span class="la">Latin</span><span class="ff" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;"> ruminant- </span><span class="trans" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;"><span class="gp tg_tr">‘</span>chewing over again<span class="gp tg_tr">,</span><span class="gp tg_tr">’</span></span> <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">from</span> the verb <span class="ff" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;">ruminari</span>, from <span class="ff" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;">rumen </span><span class="trans" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;"><span class="gp tg_tr">‘</span>throat<span class="gp tg_tr">’</span><span class="gp tg_tr"></span></span><span class="xrg"> (see <span class="xr" style="font-variant: small-caps; font-weight: 600;">rumen</span>) </span><span class="gp tg_etym">.</span></span><br />
So if someone says "You're such a ruminant!" they're either calling you a sheep or a deep thinker. Perhaps all sheep are deep thinkers.<br />
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<br />Lou Harperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016676176117488961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401659322767993102.post-11832368354100326362016-02-17T08:20:00.000-08:002016-02-17T08:20:07.906-08:00Wednesday Word: Celerity<span class="hg" style="font-family: Baskerville;"><span class="hw" d:dhw="1" role="text" style="font-size: 24px;" syllabified="ce·ler·i·ty"><b>celerity</b><span class="gp tg_hw"></span></span><span class="pr" style="color: #777777; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> |<span class="ph t_respell" d:pr="US" lexid="m_en_us1231562.002" style="margin-left: 0.3em; margin-right: 0.3em;">səˈleritē</span>| </span><span class="gp tg_hg"></span></span><span class="sg" style="display: block; font-family: Baskerville; margin-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="se1" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 0.2em;"><span class="posg" role="text"><span class="pos" d:ps="1" style="margin-right: 0.3em;"><span class="gp tg_pos" style="margin-right: 0.3em;">noun</span></span><span class="gp tg_posg"></span></span><span class="lg"><span class="reg" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light; font-size: 13px;"> archaic </span>or <span class="reg" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light; font-size: 13px;">literary </span><span class="gp tg_lg"></span></span><span class="msDict t_core" d:abs="1" id="m_en_us1231562.001" style="display: block; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="df" role="text">swiftness of movement<span class="gp tg_df">.</span></span></span></span><span class="gp tg_sg"></span></span><span class="etym" role="text" style="display: block; font-family: Baskerville; margin-bottom: 2em; margin-top: 2em;"><span class="gp ty_label tg_etym" style="font-size: 14px; margin-right: 0.4em;">ORIGIN </span><span class="dg">late 15th cent.</span>: from <span class="la">Old French </span><span class="ff" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;">celerite</span>, from <span class="la">Latin</span><span class="ff" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;"> celeritas</span>, from <span class="ff" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;">celer </span><span class="trans" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;"><span class="gp tg_tr">‘</span>swift<span class="gp tg_tr">.</span><span class="gp tg_tr">’</span></span></span><br />
Sometimes I wonder how and why word usage changes. I can understand "landau" going out of fashion, but what was wrong with "celerity"? Aside from sounding like a root vegetable.<br />
<br />Lou Harperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016676176117488961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401659322767993102.post-88772800450533145462016-02-10T07:42:00.000-08:002016-02-10T07:42:07.296-08:00Wednesday Word: Brumous<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHm2jsq4lQQhYNpKFXStm9jok7dXiOqqbvKae7qePArhUneV3GqQ40VKGd3hTZi6L-JUpAEq1_VyPp_vc6O0XTbZ96qdhQK8dCqoNz1Kl1pfokk_uXhVQ73HghnGBdC4CqJcp3gPvZD_lW/s1600/IMG_2791.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHm2jsq4lQQhYNpKFXStm9jok7dXiOqqbvKae7qePArhUneV3GqQ40VKGd3hTZi6L-JUpAEq1_VyPp_vc6O0XTbZ96qdhQK8dCqoNz1Kl1pfokk_uXhVQ73HghnGBdC4CqJcp3gPvZD_lW/s320/IMG_2791.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="hg" style="font-family: Baskerville;"><span class="hw" d:dhw="1" role="text" style="font-size: 24px;" syllabified="bru·mous"><b>brumous</b><span class="gp tg_hw"></span></span><span class="pr" style="color: #777777; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> |<span class="ph t_respell" d:pr="US" lexid="m_en_us1229086.002" style="margin-left: 0.3em; margin-right: 0.3em;">ˈbrəməs</span>| </span><span class="gp tg_hg"></span></span><span class="sg" style="display: block; font-family: Baskerville; margin-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="se1" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 0.2em;"><span class="posg" role="text"><span class="pos" d:ps="1" style="margin-right: 0.3em;"><span class="gp tg_pos" style="margin-right: 0.3em;">adjective</span></span><span class="gp tg_posg"></span></span><span class="lg"><span class="reg" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light; font-size: 13px;"> literary </span><span class="gp tg_lg"></span></span><span class="msDict t_core" d:abs="1" id="m_en_us1229086.001" style="display: block; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="df" role="text">foggy; wintry<span class="gp tg_df">.</span></span></span></span><span class="gp tg_sg"></span></span><span class="etym" role="text" style="display: block; font-family: Baskerville; margin-bottom: 2em; margin-top: 2em;"><span class="gp ty_label tg_etym" style="font-size: 14px; margin-right: 0.4em;">ORIGIN </span><span class="dg">mid 19th cent.</span>: from <span class="la">French</span><span class="ff" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;"> brumeux</span>, from <span class="la">late Latin</span><span class="ff" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;"> brumosus </span>(from <span class="ff" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;">bruma </span><span class="trans" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;"><span class="gp tg_tr">‘</span>winter<span class="gp tg_tr">’</span></span>)<span class="gp tg_etym">.</span></span><br />
That's the local scene from about a month ago—it gets foggy in my 'hood once in a few years. Currently it's summer in LA with sunny skies and temperatures in the eighties. Not a drop of rain in sight. El Niño has been a big disappointment so far.<br />
<br />Lou Harperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016676176117488961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401659322767993102.post-50501682770715666162015-12-29T11:55:00.001-08:002015-12-29T11:55:41.077-08:00Cover-OffJordan Castillo Price is one of the first m/m authors I read, and she is part of the reason I started writing in the genre. So not surprisingly, I was a tad nervous meeting her in person at the Atlanta GRL, even though we had interacted only plenty times before. Fortunately, she was cool, and a little crazy, and we hit it off.<br />
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Jordan and I both design book covers too, and it's nice to have someone to talk shop with. It was her idea to do a design-off—both of us coming up with an original book cover using the same basic elements. These are the final result. Guess who did which one.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRssyQSXGp-Gg-PAk8wBKVvKy6NL1Xtr7OYfyk6Quq24xu25XCmUqbcM0FyuuRYZyZx0j0I1s5kAYiQ7lwFzCK1BSLRq2fYzy9jJzxL-4izoXR0t7GC_cJ0aGJBS8bFfcXun-eRqB9Uajw/s1600/123159_original.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRssyQSXGp-Gg-PAk8wBKVvKy6NL1Xtr7OYfyk6Quq24xu25XCmUqbcM0FyuuRYZyZx0j0I1s5kAYiQ7lwFzCK1BSLRq2fYzy9jJzxL-4izoXR0t7GC_cJ0aGJBS8bFfcXun-eRqB9Uajw/s400/123159_original.jpg" /> </a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT9JkL8FC-hZ8XCGQjEoM2V9gwUpFZOy8hlcN96NJbbxDWwVwFWTxt2smge7hwKDe6Ewor3RSmGp6NN4R39sVRzOztlGUIZo0oAn0W0pVQ2CQ3hf8Fjk8qMiG9JqkMIX7W2ojNpU5OZAuQ/s1600/128256_original.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT9JkL8FC-hZ8XCGQjEoM2V9gwUpFZOy8hlcN96NJbbxDWwVwFWTxt2smge7hwKDe6Ewor3RSmGp6NN4R39sVRzOztlGUIZo0oAn0W0pVQ2CQ3hf8Fjk8qMiG9JqkMIX7W2ojNpU5OZAuQ/s400/128256_original.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
See the whole creative process in action on <a href="http://jordan-c-price.livejournal.com/257471.html" target="_blank">JCP's web page</a>.<br />
<a href="" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Lou Harperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016676176117488961noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401659322767993102.post-22478481903211074272015-12-16T09:46:00.001-08:002015-12-16T09:46:19.577-08:00Wednesday Word: Tiffin<span class="hg" style="font-family: Baskerville;"><span class="hw" d:dhw="1" role="text" style="font-size: 24px;" syllabified="tif·fin"><b>tiffin</b><span class="gp tg_hw"></span></span><span class="pr" style="color: #777777; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> |<span class="ph t_respell" d:pr="US" lexid="m_en_us1298797.002" style="margin-left: 0.3em; margin-right: 0.3em;">ˈtifin</span>| </span><span class="gp tg_hg"></span></span><span class="sg" style="display: block; font-family: Baskerville; margin-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="se1" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 0.2em;"><span class="posg" role="text"><span class="pos" d:ps="1" style="margin-right: 0.3em;"><span class="gp tg_pos" style="margin-right: 0.3em;">noun</span></span><span class="gp tg_posg"></span></span><span class="lg"><span class="ge" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light; font-size: 13px;">Indian</span> or <span class="reg" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light; font-size: 13px;">dated </span><span class="gp tg_lg"></span></span><span class="msDict t_core" d:abs="1" id="m_en_us1298797.001" style="display: block; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="df" role="text">a light meal, especially lunch<span class="gp tg_df">.</span></span></span></span><span class="gp tg_sg"></span></span><span class="etym" role="text" style="display: block; font-family: Baskerville; margin-bottom: 2em; margin-top: 2em;"><span class="gp ty_label tg_etym" style="font-size: 14px; margin-right: 0.4em;">ORIGIN </span><span class="dg">early 19th cent.</span>: apparently <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">from </span>dialect <span class="italic" style="font-style: italic;">tiffing <span class="spc"></span></span><span class="trans" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;"><span class="gp tg_tr">‘</span>sipping<span class="gp tg_tr">,</span><span class="gp tg_tr">’</span></span> of unknown origin<span class="gp tg_etym">.</span></span><br />
So very British. I think I spotted it in a Ngaio Marsh novel.<br />
<br />Lou Harperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016676176117488961noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401659322767993102.post-14277343460519380482015-10-26T10:16:00.001-07:002015-10-26T10:16:59.943-07:00EPIC Cover<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTgH0hTOlbyR3k5wrxjx3_pnxQtjeAKx_t7fgysH2FLxr3viCwqM5x25jywN2Tee3-Tp7n_z5ysX2xs0yqVH9tN-ZZSMtvt0wYec4I6HgpeO4lC2rOptzMEHKnneCBwT35luIK-7g1IKOr/s1600/epic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTgH0hTOlbyR3k5wrxjx3_pnxQtjeAKx_t7fgysH2FLxr3viCwqM5x25jywN2Tee3-Tp7n_z5ysX2xs0yqVH9tN-ZZSMtvt0wYec4I6HgpeO4lC2rOptzMEHKnneCBwT35luIK-7g1IKOr/s1600/epic.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
I'm usually terrible at entering competitions—too clueless to know about them, and lazy to do something about the few I know—but for once got my shit together enough to enter a couple of my cover designs to <a href="https://www.epicorg.com/" target="_blank">EPIC</a>. One of them was chosen to be a finalist. This is the full print version of the cover:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH8gWqxoDrmLQcMGEmPNOYOa0ee7bFW7M58TR5TN07Em1OAYUWXeGidjnbrm-rbGchw6tP1952iaGlszGM-0Y1F3L-eX_GoW6FWeZ-svXbLC6BB8JbzdWyeR9iafCC2_7PVLfpmsLvOk-w/s1600/PeopleBehavingBadly_POD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH8gWqxoDrmLQcMGEmPNOYOa0ee7bFW7M58TR5TN07Em1OAYUWXeGidjnbrm-rbGchw6tP1952iaGlszGM-0Y1F3L-eX_GoW6FWeZ-svXbLC6BB8JbzdWyeR9iafCC2_7PVLfpmsLvOk-w/s400/PeopleBehavingBadly_POD.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
The book's not m/m but straight-up mystery. Most of the covers I design are not even romance, and I like the variety. The concept came from the author, as it's generally the case. It has more individual elements than any cover I've done so far. This is where it begun:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2wWo2uPSTLz6T4OiRb1nvO9iaxYBpQ3IXP28NxlY03GTqic0n-UedaJ0waQKV070mJQE-FxskNWmPAY4Vq9q_83d9cwtStfJcSFhpjCfBRvUrJMPhWQ0J3kuvib4Y2-NZDZtTaDVdbb95/s1600/BG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2wWo2uPSTLz6T4OiRb1nvO9iaxYBpQ3IXP28NxlY03GTqic0n-UedaJ0waQKV070mJQE-FxskNWmPAY4Vq9q_83d9cwtStfJcSFhpjCfBRvUrJMPhWQ0J3kuvib4Y2-NZDZtTaDVdbb95/s320/BG.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Yes, it was a bit of work putting it all together. :P<br />
<br />
<a href="" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Lou Harperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016676176117488961noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401659322767993102.post-45216434512239853022015-10-07T10:33:00.000-07:002015-10-07T10:33:01.112-07:00Wednesday Word: Propinquity<span class="hg" style="font-family: Baskerville;"><span class="hw" d:dhw="1" role="text" style="font-size: 24px;" syllabified="pro·pin·qui·ty"><b>propinquity</b><span class="gp tg_hw"></span></span><span class="pr" style="color: #777777; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> |<span class="ph t_respell" d:pr="US" lexid="m_en_us1281172.003" style="margin-left: 0.3em; margin-right: 0.3em;">prəˈpiNGkwətē</span>| </span><span class="gp tg_hg"></span></span><span class="sg" style="display: block; font-family: Baskerville; margin-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="se1" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 0.2em;"><span class="posg" role="text"><span class="pos" d:ps="1" style="margin-right: 0.3em;"><span class="gp tg_pos" style="margin-right: 0.3em;">noun</span></span><span class="gp tg_posg"></span></span><span class="se2" d:abs="1" style="display: block; margin-top: 0.4em;"><span class="gp ty_label tg_se2" style="font-weight: 600;">1 </span><span class="msDict t_first" id="m_en_us1281172.001" style="display: inline; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="df" role="text">the state of being <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">close to</span> someone or something; <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">proximity</span><span class="gp tg_df">:</span><span class="gp tg_df"></span></span><span class="eg" role="text"><span class="ex" style="font-style: italic;"> he kept his distance <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">as though</span> afraid <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">propinquity</span> might lead him into temptation</span><span class="gp tg_eg">.</span></span></span><span class="gp tg_se2"></span></span><span class="se2" d:abs="1" style="display: block;"><span class="gp ty_label tg_se2" style="font-weight: 600;">2 </span><span class="msDict t_first" id="m_en_us1281172.002" style="display: inline; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="lg" role="text"><span class="reg" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light; font-size: 13px;">technical </span><span class="gp tg_lg"></span></span><span class="df" role="text">close kinship<span class="gp tg_df">.</span></span></span></span></span><span class="gp tg_sg"></span></span><span class="etym" role="text" style="display: block; font-family: Baskerville; margin-bottom: 2em; margin-top: 2em;"><span class="gp ty_label tg_etym" style="font-size: 14px; margin-right: 0.4em;">ORIGIN </span><span class="dg"><span class="date">late <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">Middle English</span></span></span>: from <span class="la">Old French </span><span class="ff" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;">propinquité</span>, from <span class="la">Latin</span><span class="ff" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;"> propinquitas</span>, from <span class="ff" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;">propinquus </span><span class="trans" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;"><span class="gp tg_tr">‘</span>near<span class="gp tg_tr">,</span><span class="gp tg_tr">’</span></span> <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">from</span> <span class="ff" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;">prope </span><span class="trans" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;"><span class="gp tg_tr">‘</span>near to<span class="gp tg_tr">.</span><span class="gp tg_tr">’</span></span></span><br />
I acquired this word curtesy of P.G. Wodehouse. Propinquity, desired and otherwise, is a major theme of his books. And pigs.<br />
<br />
Characters in British books have such great names. Like Gussy Fink-Nottle. American books suffer from a shortage of Fink-Nottles and the like. Somebody much more assiduous than me could do a scholarly research about the relationship between national character and naming of fictional characters. I've often wondered how Terry Pratchett named the denizens of Discworld.<br />
<br />Lou Harperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016676176117488961noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401659322767993102.post-262124696163130612015-09-25T05:00:00.000-07:002015-09-25T05:00:06.890-07:00Guest Post by Edmond Manning
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<a href="" name="_GoBack"></a><span style="font-size: 24.0pt;">How Much Research?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Xi3t1_eyoQ3lM1bfBtQup4nrUPckxAmxrAJGeIBW99IeJrTGGSt7_7bfFaTpDxT4irVnoTofd-1CLFNoESjtk5pYH2OsiGJD5sYIDdsef9R_OkvbhnXloI9K9GFnIzjjgFAOvpZ71P12/s1600/Author+Photo+-+Bear+King.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Xi3t1_eyoQ3lM1bfBtQup4nrUPckxAmxrAJGeIBW99IeJrTGGSt7_7bfFaTpDxT4irVnoTofd-1CLFNoESjtk5pYH2OsiGJD5sYIDdsef9R_OkvbhnXloI9K9GFnIzjjgFAOvpZ71P12/s400/Author+Photo+-+Bear+King.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Tomorrow, I sit with a panel of
authors at the <a href="https://gayromancenorthwest.wordpress.com/">Great
Northwest Meet-Up</a> devoted to how authors research their books. I imagine
one of the big questions will be, “How much is enough?” Like most expert
panelists, I will default to the safe answer: “I don’t know. It depends. What are you writing?”</div>
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Maybe I shouldn’t answer based
on personal experience. I mean, I’ve done some crazy shit researching books. </div>
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<ul>
<li>In Marin County, California, I bought a giant cooler so I
could fill it with food and rope it to rocks jutting out of the ocean. This was
an almost impossible task. And I was almost swept out to sea, so dangerous AND
stupid.</li>
<li>One summer, I bought a dozen ears of corn and spray-painted
them each with a wide variety of fluorescent green paints. When these tests
were concluded, I drove into the country to visit actual corn fields and spray-paint
corn stalks to see which combination of paint and sparkles glowed in the dark.
I painted at sunset and then came back hours later to conduct my tests.</li>
<li>I convinced my employer to let me move to New York City for
a month so I could research what it’s like to live in the city. I lived in a
tiny studio apartment and slept on a mattress on the floor.</li>
<li>While in New York, I pretended to be homeless for a day,
begging for change on Wall Street, so I could capture the experience in writing
(as much as one can after one day).</li>
</ul>
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I’m willing to go quite far. Maybe even too far. But how much book research
is enough?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
It depends. <o:p></o:p></div>
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There are a couple questions an author should answer before deciding
how much to invest. <o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
<ol>
<li>Is the physical setting important? Follow-up question: Does the exact time frame (year, month,
day) matter in this physical setting?</li>
<li>Are you inventing a world? Follow-up question: What does the audience expect in your
world?</li>
<li>How familiar is the audience with the environment of the
novel?</li>
</ol>
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I’ll answer each one. Maybe these answers provide something more
concrete than “it depends.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>1. Is the physical setting important? <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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The obvious answer is, yes, of course it is. But is it really? If your
book takes place in Paris, France, you must ask yourself if the readers want to
know that Rue des Barres is cobblestone, unlike its intersecting street, Rue
Francois Miron. Does that matter? Or do your readers want to know that your
main character “…strolled down a cobblestone street, admiring the cathedral
gargoyles on either side who showered stone glares down upon him.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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There is no right answer here, just this question: are you going for
accuracy or are you going for mood? <o:p></o:p></div>
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Readers enjoy Tom Clancy novels because of his unswerving dedication to
describing every deck—every bolt—of a military-grade warship. They WANT
accuracy. If you’re writing a thriller, and the secret documents are buried
under a national landmark, every detail matters: the number of rooms, the year it was built, the security
measures, etc. Readers want to believe in your accuracy. <o:p></o:p></div>
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But if they’re reading for mood….<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
Mood is created by a combination of accurate details and invented ones.
Too much accuracy and you don’t create a mood. For example: “Babe, I picked up groceries for our
romantic dinner. I got some organic, gluten-free noodles from a company that
sponsors the right political candidates, cage-free, locally sourced eggs from a
farm that treats its chickens humanely and does not feed them ground up chicken
beaks, butter with no trans-fatty acids…” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
One hundred percent factual and accurate. And horribly dull. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Follow-up question: does the exact time frame (year, month,
day) matter in this physical setting?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
If it does, it means you’re trying to capture a very specific mood
which is essential for the story. Great! Be sure to capture those exact details
which make it different from what was before and what came after. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
In <i>King John</i>, I wrote about
Burning Man in 2002. The year mattered. In 2002, Burning Man was roughly twelve
years old, and was well established as an insane costume party in the desert.
Crowds were up to roughly 30,000. Massive, but not the overwhelming 75,000
crowd event it was in 2014. More importantly, some of the deep criticisms that
began in 2004 and grew through 2008 had not yet surfaced. Beginning in those
years (and continuing into more recent years), burners felt the event had
become too corporate, too top-heavy with bureaucracy, had imposed too many restrictive
rules. The unpopular 2007 raffle for admission tickets created furious outrage among
dedicated attendees. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
The year 2002 is important because it’s possible to highlight the art,
the music, the wild freedom and exploration at a time before more serious
disgruntling began. (Disgruntling is completely a legitimate word. Do research.
Look it up.)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
One caveat to discussing the exact year or month. Usually, the
important details are expressed in atmosphere and mood. If I have my narrator
say, “Burning Man at this time isn’t so corporate,” that’s telling, not
showing. (Also, how does he know what’s going to happen in the future?) You’ve
got to do your research and then find a way to <i>show</i> your research, not tell it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<b>2. Are you inventing a world? </b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
In 2014, I wrote a short story for the Goodreads M/M Romance Group event,
Don’t Read in The Closet. The title was <a href="http://www.mmromancegroup.com/broken-phoenix-by-edmond-manning/"><i>Broken
Phoenix</i></a>. I found this writing
activity to be a lovely diversion from writing my series, which requires a lot
of detailed research. Once I started writing, what surprised me was how much
MORE research I had to do for a fake, invented world. As the world’s creator, I
needed to understand and explain why the rocks on the ground lit up from the
inside, how many kilometers between important geographic milestones, why the
sky was the color it was. Why was the planet’s dog moon broken? Why was it called
the dog moon?<o:p></o:p></div>
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One of the oddest things I had to “research,” was the exact process a
phoenix goes through as it bursts into legendary flame. My main character (a
phoenix) could not “flame on,” so I had to explore and explain where he broke
down. What didn’t happen? Chemical malfunction? Did he not secrete the right
hormones? Was he inhibited by some mental anguish, such as lack of confidence? My
beta readers asked me questions I could not answer. Until I answered them, my
readers were not happy.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Just because there’s no Wikipedia entry for your made-up world, doesn’t
mean you’re off the hook. You have to “research” all the origin stories, the
languages, the technology (or lack of technology). Do you have to communicate
it all? No. Do you have to communicate all the details of this world in the
first paragraph of your story? No. Only do that if you’re a terrible writer.
But you must have worked through these details either in drafts or in your head.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Follow-up question: What does the audience expect in your world?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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In reading the reviews for <i>Broken
Phoenix</i>, I learned a curious thing. I had written a shifter story. Any
being that can transform into something else (like a bird into fire and then
back to bird form), is a shifter. Seriously, I had no idea. I don’t read
shifter fiction. (I didn’t know the word “shifter.”) But apparently, there are
a lot of expectations in shifter fiction. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Broken Phoenix</i> was criticized for not giving the more
detailed explanations in the backstory that shifter fiction traditionally provides.
I did not provide the entire history of these shifters. I did not explain how
they could or could not shift into other animals. Why birds? I did not explain
(deliberately in this case) how phoenix traveled between worlds. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I would argue that, as an author, I can provide (or not provide)
whatever details I want. If you don’t see what you were expecting, tough luck.
It’s my story. That’s a pretty shitty attitude, however. Authors are in <i>relationship</i> with their readers. I had
no idea I would frustrate readers who might have otherwise loved the story. I
know now! In the rewrites for that story (a second edition), I’m answering some
of the questions that I did not address in the first edition. <o:p></o:p></div>
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This isn’t just an issue of creativity. It’s research.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>3. How familiar is the audience with the environment of the
novel?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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If your audience might know San Francisco quite well—and you’re writing
about San Francisco—you could get yourself in trouble. Well, unless you do your
research. Again, you may not have to know which streets are cobblestone, but
you should know how long it takes to get from Chinatown to the Golden Gate
Bridge, or from which buildings you can see the bay. Details. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I myself find research difficult, so I cheated. <o:p></o:p></div>
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My cheat? Well, my first book, <i>King
Perry</i>, was set in San Francisco. I needed the book set in a time before
cell phones were ubiquitous, so I chose the year 1999. I benefited from the
fact that very few people could argue some of the city’s details with me. Ha!
Can’t catch me with inaccurate building names for a city that existed in 1999!
Another way I cheated is in the excerpt below. Vin and his weekend guest,
Perry, drive up to a fancy hotel in the financial district. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">"This
chain isn't performing well financially," Perry says at last. "Their
San Francisco location was a big investment, and first and second quarters were
far below expectations. They could close this site before Q4."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">"Is
this big news on Wall Street?" <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">"Yeah,"
he says, uncertainly. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I
watch him and wait.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">He continues with a quick blush, "People in the bank are
talking, because they want to see the duck parade before the hotel
closes."</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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After the book was published, several readers emailed to tell me that
there was “no big fancy chain with a duck parade in San Francisco.” I agreed
and reminded them that Perry had mentioned the chain wasn’t doing well in San
Francisco. They said, “Oh, that’s right…” That was back in 1999. I explained
that in my imagination, the hotel closed down. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Ha. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Research problem solved! Fake hotel demolished! <o:p></o:p></div>
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In the end, the solutions to research issues are all about your
relationship with your readers. What do they want? How much do they need to
believe? Where can they suspend disbelief? At what point do they shake their
heads and say, “You’ve gone too far.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s surprising, what matters to people. In <i>King John</i>, I referenced art that was displayed in 2002. I included
historical events from that year’s Burning Man. Still, someone emailed me to
say, “You never once mentioned where the Porta Potties were.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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Perhaps some research details are best left unshared. <o:p></o:p></div>
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If you’re attending the <a href="https://gayromancenorthwest.wordpress.com/">Great Northwest Meet-Up</a>
tomorrow, come visit our research panel! I’m joined by Anne Tenino, Ethan Day,
and Jove Belle. We’re speaking from 11:10 am–12:00 noon, on the fourth floor in
Room 5. We’d love to see you. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Oh, and feel free to ask me how to make a stalk of corn glow in the
dark. <o:p></o:p></div>
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* * * * *<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBx64Eund9r8op2uQe4mVWWLn_vs0DOeMorBoZXJInNC1llG0nMYAsTkAmVz-N7iaz27n0ihGvO6lxI2e6_mUpT0SOCBQON6a_7i-h2zxxu1a37Tnh2sywraP3tBxGK_7e12ahiFgfFG-R/s1600/Author+Photo+-+Serious.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBx64Eund9r8op2uQe4mVWWLn_vs0DOeMorBoZXJInNC1llG0nMYAsTkAmVz-N7iaz27n0ihGvO6lxI2e6_mUpT0SOCBQON6a_7i-h2zxxu1a37Tnh2sywraP3tBxGK_7e12ahiFgfFG-R/s320/Author+Photo+-+Serious.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Edmond
Manning is the author of the romance series, <i>The Lost and Founds</i>. The books in this series include </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/King-Perry-Edmond-Manning/dp/1613723784/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330392662&sr=1-1"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">King Perry</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">, </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/King-Mai-Lost-Founds-ebook/dp/B00DXMVCO0/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373858065&sr=1-1&keywords=king+mai"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">King Mai</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> (a 2014 Lambda
Literary finalist), </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Butterfly-King-Lost-Founds-Book-ebook/dp/B00NOCBR80/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1411101802&sr=8-9&keywords=the+butterfly+king"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The Butterfly
King</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">,
and </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/King-John-Lost-Founds-Book-ebook/dp/B014OI7MZY/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1441131926&sr=8-6&keywords=Edmond+Manning"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">King John</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">. <i>King John </i>takes place at Burning Man. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p> </o:p>* * * * *</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Giveaway!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Winner’s Prize: An eBook copy of King John<o:p></o:p></div>
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(Leave a Comment here and then click the link below)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/0dde053710/">King John Rafflecopter Giveaway</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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* * * * *<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Where to get your copy of King John:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/King-John-Lost-Founds-Book-ebook/dp/B014OI7MZY"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">King John on
Amazon</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-kingjohn-1885827-340.html"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">King John at
All Romance eBooks</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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***</div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26195309-king-john"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">King John on Goodreads</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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* * * * *<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">About King John:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<i>English attorney Alistair Robertson can’t quite believe an
astonishing tale of kingship and transformation he hears at Burning Man, the
annual counter-culture art festival in the Black Rock desert. Who are the Found
Kings? Is “being kinged” as magical as it sounds?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<i>Determined to find the mysterious garage mechanic named Vin
who helps men “remember who they were always meant to be,” Alistair catches his
quarry amid the extravagant sculptures, fire worshipers, mutant cars, and
lavish costumes. After searching for three years, he’ll finally get to ask the
question burning inside him: “Will you king me?”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<i>Wandering together through the desert, Vin Vanbly and
Alistair explore Burning Man’s gifting culture and exotic traditions, where
they meet the best and worst of their fellow burners. Alistair’s overconfidence
in Vin’s manipulative power collides with Vin’s obsessive need to save a
sixteen-year-old runaway from a nightmarish fate, and the two men spiral in
uncontrollable, explosive directions.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<i>In this fourth adventure of
The Lost and Founds, beneath the sweltering summer sun and the six billion
midnight stars, one truth emerges, searing itself on their hearts: in the
desert, everything burns.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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* * * * *<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQS8Y9EeWH7AA23GBsi_bSrfIrRI58EMOKGgJ6tuijy2rYbuK1Ma3Hgp3esxXBMzRnWK3BV-NK-EhfoZxBjOyQCw9QBvNJYT07B4R5DIDyBTRrlFHzeDd6cLW0qOcMwDlk2XKAMn90q7cq/s1600/King+John+Blog+Tour+Banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQS8Y9EeWH7AA23GBsi_bSrfIrRI58EMOKGgJ6tuijy2rYbuK1Ma3Hgp3esxXBMzRnWK3BV-NK-EhfoZxBjOyQCw9QBvNJYT07B4R5DIDyBTRrlFHzeDd6cLW0qOcMwDlk2XKAMn90q7cq/s400/King+John+Blog+Tour+Banner.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">King John Blog Tour:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Mon, Sept 7 </span><a href="http://www.myfictionnook.com/"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">My Fiction Nook</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Mon, Sept 7 </span><a href="https://ajrosewrites.wordpress.com/"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">AJ Rose Books</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> pre-release
excerpt #1<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Tues, Sept 8 </span><a href="http://thornysterling.com/"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Thorny, Not Prickly</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> pre-release
excerpt #2<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Wed, Sept 9 </span><a href="http://www.lcchase.com/"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Love Out Loud</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> pre-release
excerpt #3<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Thurs, Sept 10 </span><b>Facebook Release Party</b><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">, 7p-9p Central, hosted by </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100007943175498&fref=hovercard"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Bike Book Reviews</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Fri, Sept 11 </span><a href="http://reviewsbyamoslassen.com/"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Reviews by Amos Lassen</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Sat, Sept 12 </span><a href="http://vanessanorth.com/"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Vanessa North.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Tues, Sept 15 </span><a href="https://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com/"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">MM Good Book Reviews</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Wed, Sept 16 </span><a href="http://thenovelapproachreviews.com/"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The Novel Approach</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Thurs, Sept 17 </span><a href="http://purpleroseteahouse.charliecochet.com/"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Purple Rose Tea House</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Fri, Sept 18 </span><a href="http://posyroberts.com/"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Posy Roberts.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Sat, Sept 19 </span><a href="http://zipperrippers.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Zipper Rippers</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Tues, Sept 22 </span><a href="http://joyfullyjay.com/"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Joyfully Jay</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Wed, Sept 23 </span><a href="http://boysinourbooks.com/"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Boys In Our Books</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Thurs, Sept 24 </span><a href="http://itsaboutthebook.com/"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">It’s About the Book</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Fri, Sept 25 </span><a href="http://www.louharper.com/"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Lou Harper.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Sat, Sept 26 </span><a href="http://lovebytesreviews.com/"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Love Bytes Reviews</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Sun, Sept 27 </span><a href="http://sinfullysexybooks.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Sinfully Addicted to Male Romance</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Mon, Sept 28 </span><a href="http://josephinemyles.com/"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Josephine Myles.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Tues, Sept 29 </span><a href="https://mollylollyauthor.wordpress.com/"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Molly Lolly</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Wed, Sept 30 </span><a href="http://cupoporn.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Coffee and Porn in the Morning</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Wed, Sept 30 </span><a href="http://www.stumblingoverchaos.com/administrivia"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Stumbling Over Chaos</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Thurs, Oct 1 </span><a href="http://thebloggergirls.com/"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The Blogger Girls Reviews</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Sat, Oct 3 </span><a href="http://becausetwomenarebetterthanone.com/"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Because Two Men Are Better Than One</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Sun, Oct 4 </span><a href="http://raineotierney.blogspot.com/p/the-hat-party.html"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The Hat Party!</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Fri, Oct 2 </span><a href="http://reviewsbyjessewave.com/"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Jessewave</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Mon, Oct 5 </span><a href="http://www.prismbookalliance.com/"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Prism Book Alliance</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Tues, Oct 6 </span><a href="http://www.jayceeedward.com/"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Jaycee Edward.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Wed, Oct 7 </span><a href="http://heartsonfirereviews.com/"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Hearts on Fire Book Reviews</span></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--EndFragment--><br />Lou Harperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016676176117488961noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401659322767993102.post-45119798146751365702015-09-16T10:14:00.001-07:002016-01-26T08:13:34.667-08:00Wednesday Word: Pawl<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="hw" d:dhw="1" role="text" style="font-family: baskerville; font-size: 24px;"><b>pawl</b><span class="gp tg_hw"></span></span><span class="pr" style="color: #777777; font-family: "times new roman";"> |<span class="ph t_respell" d:pr="US" lexid="m_en_us1276196.003" style="margin-left: 0.3em; margin-right: 0.3em;">pôl</span>| </span><br />
<span class="sg" style="display: block; font-family: "baskerville"; margin-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="se1" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 0.2em;"><span class="posg" role="text"><span class="pos" d:ps="1" style="margin-right: 0.3em;"><span class="gp tg_pos" style="margin-right: 0.3em;">noun</span></span><span class="gp tg_posg"></span></span><span class="msDict t_core" d:abs="1" id="m_en_us1276196.001" style="display: block; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="df" role="text">a pivoted <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">curved</span> bar or lever whose free end <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">engages</span> <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">with</span> the <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">teeth</span> of a cogwheel or ratchet so that <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">the wheel</span> <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">or</span> ratchet can only turn or move one way<span class="gp tg_df">.</span></span><span class="gp tg_msDict" role="text"></span></span><span class="msDict t_subsense" d:abs="1" id="m_en_us1276196.002" style="display: block;"><span class="gp tg_msDict" role="text">• </span><span class="df" role="text">each of a set of short stout <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">bars</span> <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">that</span> <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">engage</span>with the whelps and prevent a <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">capstan</span>, windlass, or winch from recoiling<span class="gp tg_df">.</span></span></span></span><span class="gp tg_sg"></span></span><span class="etym" role="text" style="display: block; font-family: "baskerville"; margin-bottom: 2em; margin-top: 2em;"><span class="gp ty_label tg_etym" style="font-size: 14px; margin-right: 0.4em;">ORIGIN </span><span class="dg">early 17th cent.</span>: perhaps from <span class="la">Low German</span> and <span class="la">Dutch</span><span class="ff" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;"> pal </span>(related to <span class="ff" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;">pal </span><span class="trans" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;"><span class="gp tg_tr">‘</span><span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">fixed</span><span class="gp tg_tr">’</span></span>)<span class="gp tg_etym">.</span></span><br />
One of those things you never knew what they were—like the metal bit at the end of shoestrings. The things for which the words <i><b>thingamajig</b></i> and <b><i>whatchamacallit</i></b> were invented.<br />
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<br />Lou Harperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016676176117488961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401659322767993102.post-64611011859974854042015-08-26T09:54:00.000-07:002015-08-26T09:54:08.021-07:00Wednesday Word: Theurgy<span class="hg" style="font-family: Baskerville;"><span class="hw" d:dhw="1" role="text" style="font-size: 24px;" syllabified="the·ur·gy"><b>theurgy</b><span class="gp tg_hw"></span></span><span class="pr" style="color: #777777; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> |<span class="ph t_respell" d:pr="US" lexid="m_en_us1298316.009" style="margin-left: 0.3em; margin-right: 0.3em;">ˈTHēərjē</span>| </span><span class="gp tg_hg"></span></span><span class="sg" style="display: block; font-family: Baskerville; margin-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="se1" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 0.2em;"><span class="posg" role="text"><span class="pos" d:ps="1" style="margin-right: 0.3em;"><span class="gp tg_pos" style="margin-right: 0.3em;">noun</span></span><span class="gp tg_posg"></span></span><span class="msDict t_core" d:abs="1" id="m_en_us1298316.001" style="display: block; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="df" role="text">the <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">operation</span> <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">or</span> <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">effect</span> of a <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">supernatural</span> or <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">divine</span> agency in <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">human</span> <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">affairs</span><span class="gp tg_df">.</span></span><span class="gp tg_msDict" role="text"></span></span><span class="msDict t_subsense" d:abs="1" id="m_en_us1298316.002" style="display: block;"><span class="gp tg_msDict" role="text">• </span><span class="df" role="text">a <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">system</span> of white magic <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">practiced</span> by the early <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">Neoplatonists</span><span class="gp tg_df">.</span></span></span></span><span class="gp tg_sg"></span></span><span class="subEntryBlock t_derivatives" style="display: block; font-family: Baskerville; margin-bottom: 2em; margin-top: 2em;"><span class="gp ty_label tg_subEntryBlock" style="display: block; font-size: 14px; font-variant: small-caps; margin-bottom: 0.4em;">DERIVATIVES </span><span class="subEntry" id="m_en_us1298316.006" style="display: block;"><span class="l" role="text" style="font-weight: 600; margin-right: 0.4em;">theurgic </span><span class="pr" style="color: #777777; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">|<span class="ph t_respell" d:pr="US solitary" lexid="m_en_us1298316.013" style="margin-left: 0.3em; margin-right: 0.3em;">THēˈərjik</span><span class="gp tg_pr"></span>| </span><span class="posg" role="text">adjective</span><span class="msDict t_core" id="m_en_us1298316.003"></span><span class="gp tg_subEntry">.</span><span class="gp tg_subEntry"></span></span><span class="subEntry" id="m_en_us1298316.007" style="display: block;"><span class="l" role="text" style="font-weight: 600; margin-right: 0.4em;">theurgical </span><span class="pr" style="color: #777777; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span><span class="posg" role="text">adjective</span><span class="msDict t_core" id="m_en_us1298316.004"></span><span class="gp tg_subEntry">.</span><span class="gp tg_subEntry"></span></span><span class="subEntry" id="m_en_us1298316.008" style="display: block;"><span class="l" role="text" style="font-weight: 600; margin-right: 0.4em;">theurgist </span><span class="pr" style="color: #777777; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span><span class="posg" role="text"><span class="pos" style="margin-right: 0.3em;"><span class="gp tg_pos" style="margin-right: 0.3em;">noun</span></span></span><span class="msDict t_core" id="m_en_us1298316.005"></span></span></span><span class="etym" role="text" style="display: block; font-family: Baskerville; margin-bottom: 2em; margin-top: 2em;"><span class="gp ty_label tg_etym" style="font-size: 14px; margin-right: 0.4em;">ORIGIN </span><span class="dg">mid 16th cent.</span>: <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">via</span> <span class="la">late Latin</span> from <span class="la">Greek</span><span class="ff" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;"> theourgia </span><span class="trans" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;"><span class="gp tg_tr">‘</span><span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">sorcery</span><span class="gp tg_tr">,</span><span class="gp tg_tr">’</span></span> from <span class="ff" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;">theos </span><span class="trans" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;"><span class="gp tg_tr">‘</span>god<span class="gp tg_tr">’</span></span> + <span class="ff" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;">-ergos </span><span class="trans" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;"><span class="gp tg_tr">‘</span>working<span class="gp tg_tr">.</span><span class="gp tg_tr">’</span></span></span><br />
<div style="font-family: Optima; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 5px;">
I nicked this word straight from Grand-Wizard Terry Pratchett to use in my own story. Magic is all fine and well for common use, but institutional purposes—like police reports—you need a more officious-sounding term.</div>
<div style="font-family: Optima; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 5px;">
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Lou Harperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016676176117488961noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401659322767993102.post-20278485154175011672015-08-25T09:23:00.001-07:002015-08-25T09:25:59.774-07:00Stuff About World Building<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZcsJfDAwBxbF-2KCjfDuO_R0sOuX6Hij0WIN0-_XjQD88SFUiIUxTI2ulZL5gohIs-D6kTE9bkUmCyCJT4r3YFgYZmfLsBtOOKNKmU-xm18MIYm4TJ9Dg_n93D8qBHzP-3Mq0otgf2Uh9/s1600/charmed-400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZcsJfDAwBxbF-2KCjfDuO_R0sOuX6Hij0WIN0-_XjQD88SFUiIUxTI2ulZL5gohIs-D6kTE9bkUmCyCJT4r3YFgYZmfLsBtOOKNKmU-xm18MIYm4TJ9Dg_n93D8qBHzP-3Mq0otgf2Uh9/s1600/charmed-400.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Charmed</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> and Dangerous</span></b></i><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> finally hit the shelves today, and I figured I’d blather about world
building a little. Not because I’m an expert, but reading the other stories in
the anthology I kept going <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">oh, that’s
brilliant, I wish I thought of it! </i>And it started me thinking about world
building. So much of what makes a speculative fiction story solid is behind the
scenes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">One Hex Too Many</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> centered on magic, the fae
only got a mention, but they were already in the background, waiting for their
chance to step out. They’ll get that chance in the sequel. Here are a few
tidbits about them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">In this world magic is real and paranormal
creatures share it with humans. The history if this reality was much similar to
ours up till the industrial revolution. At that junction the encroachment of
human technology forced a portion of fae kind deeper into hiding, some withdrew
completely—they might have even gone extinct, though one never knows for sure.
Others responded to the challenge by stepping out of the shadows, make their
presence known beyond all doubt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">As you might expect, humankind had a mixed
reaction to the arrival of these emigrants of another dimension. Preternatural
Beings (official term) still haven’t fully integrated into human society, but
the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fae Rights League</i> is working hard
to change this. Some fae do better than others. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The strength and resilience made ogres
perfect for strong-arm jobs from body guards to mob enforcers. The drawback of
employing ogres is that you can buy only their services, not their loyalty.
That belongs only to their clans. Ogres are also smarter than they look, and
are staring up their own businesses—something not all humans find agreeable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Trolls are as strong, if not stronger, than
ogres, but their solitary nature and idiosyncratic ways keep their interactions
with humans minimal. They are masters of adaptation a can seamlessly blend into
their environment. Griffin Park, across from the river from New Sky is the home
of sever rock trolls and forest trolls. There’s at least one city troll living
in Faetown, but he spends the daylight hours looking just another brick wall.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Well, that’s it for now. I might prattle on
about goblins and pixies at some other time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>Charmed and
Dangerous</i></span></b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">
is available on <a href="http://amzn.to/1SwCXdZ"><span style="color: blue;">Amazon</span></a>
- <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940152302554"><span style="color: blue;">BN</span></a> - <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1027171033"><span style="color: blue;">iTunes</span></a> - <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/Search/Query?fcmedia=Book&query=9781935540809"><span style="color: blue;">Kobo</span></a> - <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/571813"><span style="color: blue;">Smashwords</span></a> (ePub) -
<a href="https://payhip.com/b/f5jB"><span style="color: blue;">Payhip</span></a>
(multiformat, accepts PayPal)<span style="mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6401659322767993102" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6401659322767993102" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Lou Harperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016676176117488961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401659322767993102.post-85730736003118901232015-08-19T10:20:00.000-07:002015-08-19T10:21:47.811-07:00Wednesday Word: BalaclavaI was listening to <b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2140157.Star_Trap?ac=1" target="_blank">Star Trap</a></i></b> by Simon Brett when the word came up, and left me puzzled. So I stopped the audiobook, opened the dictionary app, and got a mini history lesson.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXLGNqmzKyN_BNXvsbfrOZ-rar4za5CyBeCId21EvvBuTBerfuYALDE83UbB8VLA-ZgLvRTRxmmQKD0Vq0jF05yMKjHPQhvQRLqCFWGLVjN_OcMUDsHHPVtPLj65-0UTwrl2lUQw2hCaFT/s1600/blaclava.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXLGNqmzKyN_BNXvsbfrOZ-rar4za5CyBeCId21EvvBuTBerfuYALDE83UbB8VLA-ZgLvRTRxmmQKD0Vq0jF05yMKjHPQhvQRLqCFWGLVjN_OcMUDsHHPVtPLj65-0UTwrl2lUQw2hCaFT/s320/blaclava.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span class="hg" style="font-family: Baskerville;"><span class="hw" d:dhw="1" role="text" style="font-size: 24px;" syllabified="bal·a·cla·va"><b>balaclava</b><span class="gp tg_hw"></span></span><span class="pr" style="color: #777777; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> |<span class="ph t_respell" d:pr="US" lexid="m_en_us1224520.002" style="margin-left: 0.3em; margin-right: 0.3em;">ˌbaləˈklävə</span><span class="gp tg_pr"></span>| </span><span class="vg" style="margin-left: 1em;"><span class="gp tg_vg">(</span>also <span class="v" style="font-weight: 600;"><span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">balaclava helmet</span></span><span class="gp tg_vg">) </span></span><span class="gp tg_hg"></span></span><span class="sg" style="display: block; font-family: Baskerville; margin-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="se1" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 0.2em;"><span class="posg" role="text"><span class="pos" d:ps="1" style="margin-right: 0.3em;"><span class="gp tg_pos" style="margin-right: 0.3em;">noun</span></span><span class="gp tg_posg"></span></span><span class="msDict t_core" d:abs="1" id="m_en_us1224520.001" style="display: block; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="df" role="text">a <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">close-fitting</span> garment covering the whole head <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">and</span> <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">neck</span> <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">except</span> for parts of the face, <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">typically</span> <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">made</span> <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">of</span> wool<span class="gp tg_df">.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<div class="lineart" layout="Half" style="background-color: white; float: right; max-width: 33%; padding: 1em 0em 0.5em 1.5em;">
<a href="file:///Library/Dictionaries/New%20Oxford%20American%20Dictionary.dictionary/Contents/Images/balaclava.png" style="color: #2971a7; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<div style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: 600; text-align: center;">
<a href="file:///Library/Dictionaries/New%20Oxford%20American%20Dictionary.dictionary/Contents/Images/balaclava.png" style="color: #2971a7; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><br /></a></div>
<a href="file:///Library/Dictionaries/New%20Oxford%20American%20Dictionary.dictionary/Contents/Images/balaclava.png" style="color: #2971a7; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">
</a></div>
<span class="sg" style="display: block; font-family: Baskerville; margin-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="se1" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 0.2em;"><span class="msDict t_core" d:abs="1" style="display: block; text-indent: -1em;"></span></span><span class="gp tg_sg"></span></span><span class="etym" role="text" style="display: block; font-family: Baskerville; margin-bottom: 2em; margin-top: 2em;"><span class="gp ty_label tg_etym" style="font-size: 14px; margin-right: 0.4em;"><span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">ORIGIN</span> </span><span class="dg"><span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">late</span> 19th cent.</span>(<span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">denoting</span> <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">a</span> <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">garment</span> worn <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">originally</span> by soldiers serving in <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">the</span> <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">Crimean War</span>): named after <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">the</span> <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">village</span> of <span class="name">Balaclava</span>in the <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">Crimea</span> <span class="xrg">(see <span class="xr" style="font-variant: small-caps; font-weight: 600;">Balaclava, Battle of</span>)</span><span class="gp tg_etym">.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX32q0Jh_woaijtqtO1HyUVHTdB738QPjQpI_J4CNQySl5QSNI3A3DOpVAMX-pqk2c_OYVTDQg7H4kGMDj1_6i5KVvaSXwXnnGpejUvq86DH7N9DSwLUFIOZKTTNS7rhhOdVgmmG1pyUJg/s1600/ChargeOfTheLightBrigade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX32q0Jh_woaijtqtO1HyUVHTdB738QPjQpI_J4CNQySl5QSNI3A3DOpVAMX-pqk2c_OYVTDQg7H4kGMDj1_6i5KVvaSXwXnnGpejUvq86DH7N9DSwLUFIOZKTTNS7rhhOdVgmmG1pyUJg/s400/ChargeOfTheLightBrigade.jpg" width="302" /></a></div>
<span class="etym" role="text" style="display: block; font-family: Baskerville; margin-bottom: 2em; margin-top: 2em;"><span class="hw" d:dhw="1" role="text" style="font-size: 24px;" syllabified="Bal·a·cla·va, Battle of"><span apple_mouseover_highlight="1"><b>Balaclava, Battle of</b></span><span class="gp tg_hw"></span></span><span class="pr" style="color: #777777; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> |<span class="ph t_respell" d:pr="US" lexid="m_en_us1224519.002" style="margin-left: 0.3em; margin-right: 0.3em;">ˌbaləˈklävə</span>| </span></span><span class="etym" role="text" style="display: block; font-family: Baskerville; margin-bottom: 2em; margin-top: 2em;"><span class="gp tg_etym"><span class="sg" style="display: block; margin-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="se1" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 0.2em;"><span class="msDict t_core" d:abs="1" id="m_en_us1224519.001" style="display: block; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="df" role="text"><span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">a</span> battle of <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">the</span> Crimean War, fought between <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">Russia</span> <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">and</span> <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">an</span> <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">alliance</span> of British, French, and <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">Turkish</span> forces in and around the port of <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">Balaclava</span> (<span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">now</span> Balaklava) in the southern <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">Crimea</span> <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">in</span> 1854. <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">The</span> battle ended <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">inconclusively</span>; and is <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">chiefly</span> remembered as the scene of <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">the</span> <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">Charge of the Light Brigade</span><span class="gp tg_df">.</span></span></span><span class="msDict t_core" d:abs="1" id="m_en_us1224519.001" style="display: block; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="df" role="text"><span class="gp tg_df"><br /></span></span></span><span class="msDict t_core" d:abs="1" id="m_en_us1224519.001" style="display: block; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="df" role="text"><span class="gp tg_df"><span class="hg" style="text-indent: 0px;"><span class="hw" d:dhw="1" role="text" style="font-size: 24px;" syllabified="Charge of the Light Bri·gade"><b>Charge of the Light Brigade</b></span><span class="pr" style="color: #777777; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span><span class="gp tg_hg"></span></span><span class="sg" style="display: block; margin-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="se1" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 0.2em;"><span class="msDict t_core" d:abs="1" id="m_en_us1232165.001" style="display: block; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="df" role="text">a British cavalry charge in 1854 during the Battle of Balaclava in the Crimean War. A misunderstanding between the commander of the <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">Light</span> Brigade and his superiors led to the <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">British</span> cavalry being destroyed. The charge <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">was</span> <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">immortalized</span> in verse by Tennyson<span class="gp tg_df">.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
Most I recall of my high school history classes is boredom and the recitation on names and dates. All I actually know of history is from books, films, and television.<br />
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The Charge of the Light Brigade sounds like humongous military fuck-up worthy of <i>Black Adder</i>. Although George McDonald Frasier gave it a good go too in<b> <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/142460.Flashman_at_the_Charge?from_search=true&search_version=service" target="_blank">Flashman at the Charge</a></i></b>. Sir Harry Flashman is the perfect anti-hero, an unabashed coward who constantly finds himself in the heat of the battle, despite his best efforts to avoid them.<br />
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My favorite though is Astrid Amara's <b style="font-style: italic;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20551629-the-devil-lancer?from_search=true&search_version=service" target="_blank">Devil Lancer</a>. </b>Probably because it's full of dark paranormal mystery and steamy m/m goodness.<br />
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As I was searching for images on Pinterest, I discovered that the Crimean War was also<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2920984/" target="_blank"> Florence Nightingale's</a> first big job.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi66B5GKwOR11PFtvKAmUmXUugEwuBwwIhQC7Wfet2sYTnGRUdrOgIcIBXCCP75vwELOLiPLMzpt-2HvRcbAm2zNBwtqKth_BVBHcjuBxhyphenhyphenix_c5Cib9uP1gieuspCO46S9grrl4ausYxYD/s1600/florence-nightingale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi66B5GKwOR11PFtvKAmUmXUugEwuBwwIhQC7Wfet2sYTnGRUdrOgIcIBXCCP75vwELOLiPLMzpt-2HvRcbAm2zNBwtqKth_BVBHcjuBxhyphenhyphenix_c5Cib9uP1gieuspCO46S9grrl4ausYxYD/s400/florence-nightingale.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />Lou Harperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016676176117488961noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401659322767993102.post-35327153373142647632015-08-05T07:53:00.001-07:002015-08-05T07:53:49.199-07:00Wednesday Word: Bollix & Bollocks<d:entry class="entry" d:parental-control="1" d:title="bollix" id="m_en_us1227694" style="display: block; font-family: Baskerville; margin: 0em 0em 3em;"><span class="hg"><span class="hw" d:dhw="1" role="text" style="font-size: 24px;" syllabified="bol·lix"><span apple_mouseover_highlight="1"><b>bollix</b></span><span class="gp tg_hw"></span></span><span class="pr" style="color: #777777; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> |<span class="ph t_respell" d:pr="US" lexid="m_en_us1227694.003" style="margin-left: 0.3em; margin-right: 0.3em;">ˈbäliks</span><span class="gp tg_pr"></span>| </span><span class="pr" style="color: #777777; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span><span class="lg"><span class="reg" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light; font-size: 13px;">vulgar slang </span></span><span class="gp tg_hg"></span></span><span class="sg" style="display: block; margin-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="se1" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 0.2em;"><span class="posg" role="text"><span class="pos" d:ps="1" style="margin-right: 0.3em;"><span class="gp tg_pos" style="margin-right: 0.3em;">verb</span></span><span class="gp tg_posg"></span></span><span class="gg" role="text"><span class="gp tg_gg"> [ </span>with <span class="sy">obj.</span><span class="gp tg_gg"> ] </span><span class="gp tg_gg"></span></span><span class="fg"><span class="gp tg_fg">(</span>usu. <span class="f" style="font-weight: 600;">bollix something up</span><span class="gp tg_fg">) </span><span class="gp tg_fg"></span></span><span class="msDict t_core" d:abs="1" id="m_en_us1227694.001" style="display: block; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="df" role="text">bungle (a task)<span class="gp tg_df">.</span></span></span></span><span class="se1" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 0.2em;"><span class="posg" role="text"><span class="pos" d:ps="1" style="margin-right: 0.3em;"><span class="gp tg_pos" style="margin-right: 0.3em;">pl.</span><span class="gp tg_pos" style="margin-right: 0.3em;"></span><span class="gp tg_pos" style="margin-right: 0.3em;">noun</span></span><span class="gp tg_posg"></span></span><span class="msDict t_core" id="m_en_us1227694.002" style="display: block; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="xrg" role="text">variant spelling of <span class="xr" style="font-variant: small-caps; font-weight: 600;">bollocks</span><span class="gp tg_xrg">.</span></span></span></span></span></d:entry><d:entry class="entry" d:parental-control="1" d:title="bollocks" id="m_en_us1227695" style="display: block; font-family: Baskerville; margin: 0em 0em 3em;"><span class="hg"><span class="hw" d:dhw="1" role="text" style="font-size: 24px;" syllabified="bol·locks"><b>bollocks</b><span class="gp tg_hw"></span></span><span class="pr" style="color: #777777; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> |<span class="ph t_respell" d:pr="US" lexid="m_en_us1227695.003" style="margin-left: 0.3em; margin-right: 0.3em;">ˈbäləks</span><span class="gp tg_pr"></span>| </span><span class="vg" style="margin-left: 1em;"><span class="gp tg_vg">(</span>also <span class="v" style="font-weight: 600;">ballocks</span> or <span class="v" style="font-weight: 600;">bollix</span><span class="gp tg_vg">)</span><span class="gp tg_vg"></span></span><span class="lg"><span class="reg" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light; font-size: 13px;"> vulgar slang</span>, chiefly <span class="ge" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light; font-size: 13px;">Brit. </span></span><span class="gp tg_hg"></span></span><span class="sg" style="display: block; margin-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="se1" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 0.2em;"><span class="posg" role="text"><span class="pos" d:ps="1" style="margin-right: 0.3em;"><span class="gp tg_pos" style="margin-right: 0.3em;">noun</span></span><span class="gp tg_posg"></span></span><span class="se2" d:abs="1" style="display: block; margin-top: 0.4em;"><span class="gp ty_label tg_se2" style="font-weight: 600;">1 </span><span class="msDict t_first" id="m_en_us1227695.001" style="display: inline; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="gg" role="text"><span class="gp tg_gg">[ </span>in <span class="sy">pl.</span><span class="gp tg_gg"> ] </span><span class="gp tg_gg"></span></span><span class="df" role="text">the testicles<span class="gp tg_df">.</span></span></span><span class="gp tg_se2"></span></span><span class="se2" d:abs="1" style="display: block;"><span class="gp ty_label tg_se2" style="font-weight: 600;">2 </span><span class="msDict t_first" id="m_en_us1227695.002" style="display: inline; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="df" role="text">used to express contempt, annoyance, or defiance<span class="gp tg_df">.</span></span></span></span></span><span class="gp tg_sg"></span></span><span class="etym" role="text" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 2em; margin-top: 2em;"><span class="gp ty_label tg_etym" style="font-size: 14px; margin-right: 0.4em;">ORIGIN </span><span class="dg">mid 18th cent.</span>: plural of <span class="italic" style="font-style: italic;">bollock</span>, variant of earlier <span class="italic" style="font-style: italic;">ballock</span>, of <span class="la">Germanic</span>origin; related to <span class="xrg"><span class="xr" style="font-variant: small-caps; font-weight: 600;">ball</span></span><span class="gp tg_etym">.</span></span></d:entry><br />
Another word I want to steal from the Brits. The greedy imperial bastards keep hogging the best ones. Bollocks to them, I say.<br />
<br />Lou Harperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016676176117488961noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401659322767993102.post-35468287741633030142015-07-29T08:05:00.001-07:002015-07-29T08:05:44.697-07:00Wednesday Word: Embonpoint<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKWp5zzpDnfPZkJv98hXUWYU5Y91VhtYLiv6vNJ9UK5pe0cGXJJIOLaNZnI_Gsrkwmhei0V9BbNxErUCJhuwdvFyZKkZ_-zz5o5EiHeLcQfoN1XP2jze-DkiSR0pzLyZg1dLkay8rR148k/s1600/Hilda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKWp5zzpDnfPZkJv98hXUWYU5Y91VhtYLiv6vNJ9UK5pe0cGXJJIOLaNZnI_Gsrkwmhei0V9BbNxErUCJhuwdvFyZKkZ_-zz5o5EiHeLcQfoN1XP2jze-DkiSR0pzLyZg1dLkay8rR148k/s400/Hilda.jpg" width="310" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(Illustration by Duane Bryers)</span></div>
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<span class="hg" style="font-family: Baskerville;"><span class="hw" d:dhw="1" role="text" style="font-size: 24px;" syllabified="em·bon·point"><span apple_mouseover_highlight="1"><b>embonpoint</b></span><span class="gp tg_hw"></span></span><span class="pr" style="color: #777777; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> |<span class="ph t_respell" d:pr="US" lexid="m_en_us1243783.002" style="margin-left: 0.3em; margin-right: 0.3em;">ˌäNbôNˈpwaN</span>| </span><span class="gp tg_hg"></span></span><span class="sg" style="display: block; font-family: Baskerville; margin-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="se1" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 0.2em;"><span class="posg" role="text"><span class="pos" d:ps="1" style="margin-right: 0.3em;"><span class="gp tg_pos" style="margin-right: 0.3em;">noun</span></span><span class="gp tg_posg"></span></span><span class="msDict t_core" d:abs="1" id="m_en_us1243783.001" style="display: block; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="df" role="text">the plump or fleshy part <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">of</span> a person's body, in particular a woman's <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">bosom</span><span class="gp tg_df">.</span></span></span></span><span class="gp tg_sg"></span></span><span class="etym" role="text" style="display: block; font-family: Baskerville; margin-bottom: 2em; margin-top: 2em;"><span class="gp ty_label tg_etym" style="font-size: 14px; margin-right: 0.4em;">ORIGIN </span><span class="dg">late 17th cent.</span>: from <span class="la">French</span><span class="ff" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;"> en bon point </span><span class="trans" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;"><span class="gp tg_tr">‘</span>in good condition<span class="gp tg_tr">.</span><span class="gp tg_tr">’</span></span></span><br />
I don't recall where I picked up this beauty. Might have been a book by Terry Pratchett. Or was it KJ Charles? They are both excellent at broadening my vocabulary. Lou Harperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016676176117488961noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401659322767993102.post-16440146163352907112015-07-22T09:15:00.001-07:002016-01-26T08:19:49.796-08:00Wednesday Word: Eldritch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="hg" style="font-family: "baskerville";"><span class="hw" d:dhw="1" role="text" style="font-size: 24px;" syllabified="el·dritch">eldritch<span class="gp tg_hw"></span></span><span class="pr" style="color: #777777; font-family: "times new roman";"> |<span class="ph t_respell" d:pr="US" lexid="m_en_us1243452.002" style="margin-left: 0.3em; margin-right: 0.3em;">ˈeldriCH</span>| </span><span class="gp tg_hg"></span></span><span class="sg" style="display: block; font-family: "baskerville"; margin-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="se1" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 0.2em;"><span class="posg" role="text"><span class="pos" d:ps="1" style="margin-right: 0.3em;"><span class="gp tg_pos" style="margin-right: 0.3em;">adjective</span></span><span class="gp tg_posg"></span></span><span class="msDict t_core" d:abs="1" id="m_en_us1243452.001" style="display: block; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="df" role="text">weird and sinister or ghostly<span class="gp tg_df">:</span><span class="gp tg_df"></span></span><span class="eg" role="text"><span class="ex" style="font-style: italic;"> an eldritch screech</span><span class="gp tg_eg">.</span></span></span></span><span class="gp tg_sg"></span></span><span class="etym" role="text" style="display: block; font-family: "baskerville"; margin-bottom: 2em; margin-top: 2em;"><span class="gp ty_label tg_etym" style="font-size: 14px; margin-right: 0.4em;"><span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">ORIGIN</span> </span><span class="dg"><span class="date">early 16th <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">cent.</span></span></span> (originally <span class="la">Scots</span>): perhaps related to <span class="xrg"><span class="xr" style="font-variant: small-caps; font-weight: 600;">elf</span></span><span class="gp tg_etym">.</span></span><br />
I came across this word during my search into all things paranormal. It has a wonderful ring.<br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6401659322767993102" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6401659322767993102" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Lou Harperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016676176117488961noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401659322767993102.post-34841448619205251352015-07-21T10:13:00.000-07:002015-07-21T10:14:41.500-07:00Charmed and Dangerous Update and Cover Reveal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeeLgH3m6zhX2n4C0FJkohfKpc2B7wNku8G85iZM4Tv2ELV0-XRc00Kp9OXiwseJwlIg2rQO-cTSJihWfEpACwfqWJauDips9ihgjzmod4KIGHmgO1LwOkC8_UxEwuAyMpYUP5vO_XmbgJ/s1600/charmed-cover-600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeeLgH3m6zhX2n4C0FJkohfKpc2B7wNku8G85iZM4Tv2ELV0-XRc00Kp9OXiwseJwlIg2rQO-cTSJihWfEpACwfqWJauDips9ihgjzmod4KIGHmgO1LwOkC8_UxEwuAyMpYUP5vO_XmbgJ/s1600/charmed-cover-600.jpg" /></a></div>
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A few months ago Jordan Castillo Price asked me if I'd be interested in contributing a short story to an anthology she was putting together. I didn't have to think about it twice—it was a no brainer. Especially, considering the other authors involved. </div>
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The tricky bit was deciding on the story. Fortunately, I have a Moleskine notebook where I jot down stray ideas, disembodied dialogues, and other random bits and bobs. One struck my fancy right away: a comic take on the old trope of the narrator looking into a mirror and describing what he sees. In my version he does just that, but the visage in the mirror isn’t his own reflection.</div>
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This is how it happens in the final telling:</div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> A blond man with blue eyes and cheekbones sharp enough to etch crystal looked at me from the mirror. Even my regrettably caffeine-starved brain registered the wrongness of this image. I knew for a fact that my own coloration was dull brown and the less was said of my cheekbones, the better.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Mirror-man waited patiently while I stared. His good looks were as overdramatic as the sky outside. His left brow twitched in a familiar way. "Good morning, Detective Mulligan."</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Good morning, Leslie,” I said. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” I was aiming for sarcasm but I’d had too few hours of sleep to hit the bullseye.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He gave me a toothy smile. “I'm happy to see you too, Buttercup. Or should I say Teddybear?”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I scratched my—admittedly hairy—chest. “Whatever you want, Les, just get on with it.” Leslie Morland, assistant to Captain Karl Parker, my boss, had many excellent qualities. Short-windedness wasn’t one of them.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“The Captain wants to see you as soon as you get in.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“You could’ve called on the phone, like normal people. Or, even better, leave a note on my desk.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Biannual test of alternate communications—Captain’s mandate.” His lips formed a lewd curve. “And I wouldn’t want to pass up my chance to see you in your morning glory. Besides, I wanted to be sure you actually made it in before noon.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“I had a late night,” I grumbled, and it was true—I hadn’t gotten home from the stakeout till the wee hours.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“So I heard. Nonetheless, Captain Parker would love to see you in person, the sooner the better. I’ve been waiting for you to rise for the last twenty minutes. You should really put a mirror into your bedroom.” His leer deepened. “Over the bed would be ideal.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Not in your dreams,” I retorted. Departmental use of mirrors for communications was strictly regulated and safeguarded with multiple layers of security hexes, but nothing was ever a hundred percent safe. There was always a small chance one of those rogue hacker wizards—wackers for short—could get through. In over a decade on the Force I developed a healthy dose of paranoia.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Leslie pursed his lips—they got a lot of exercise. “I beg to differ. Everything’s possible in my dreams.” His voice switched to business—more or less. “Pleasantries aside, when can we expect you to grace us with your manly presence?”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Forty minutes. Now go away; I need to shave.”</span></div>
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To get to this point, however, I had to figure out who was looking into the mirror and who was looking back and how all this came about. The process involved figuring out the man character’s name, job, his back story, and the world around him, where mirrors could do funny things. It was an exhilarating process, filled with possibilities and potential, and I succeed a little too well. <b><i>One Hex Too Many</i> </b>is the first my story entirely set in an alternate universe/reality, but not the last one. I’m already working on the sequel.</div>
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If you like m/m paranormal romance and or urban fantasy <b><i>Charmed and Dangerous</i></b> is guaranteed to have something to tickle your fancy. It’ll come out on August 25, but is available for <a href="http://amzn.to/1RNbJPZ" target="_blank">preorder on Amazon </a>already. Have fun!</div>
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(Isn't that cover just sexy?)</div>
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Lou Harperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016676176117488961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401659322767993102.post-10604558385006279522015-07-15T03:00:00.000-07:002015-07-15T03:00:09.831-07:00BIG Announcement<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid7n6O_ScEzVoBE-YRRZ77dQgmmE4eWrc6XZJXk1gvC80xpyo1pmHohxEuz7Wc7e1ApwiLzLdn9eDeHDIu216OX9HxID6UtYM6sQw772aD5Lr3Tf6iER6n9Buqorg3hzDiytJbbRoN0dQ7/s1600/charmed-abstract-450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid7n6O_ScEzVoBE-YRRZ77dQgmmE4eWrc6XZJXk1gvC80xpyo1pmHohxEuz7Wc7e1ApwiLzLdn9eDeHDIu216OX9HxID6UtYM6sQw772aD5Lr3Tf6iER6n9Buqorg3hzDiytJbbRoN0dQ7/s1600/charmed-abstract-450.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>I’M STOKED.</b></div>
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There’s this frakking big paranormal anthology coming out in a month and I can’t wait to read it. Oh, and I have a story in there too. It’s one illustrious company. Check out the official announcement:</div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Immerse Yourself</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">In TEN worlds of Magic</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">It’s magical. It’s man on man. And I promise you, my friends, it’s massive. I’ve put together an all new, all-star m/m paranormal anthology. It’s coming August 25, and I can’t wait to unveil it.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">There’s something in this gigantic collection for everyone: ghosts and goblins, spellcasters and shifters. You’ll find a great mix of fresh new storyverses and riveting standalone stories from several popular m/m series.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Just check out our m/m rock star lineup!</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Astrid Amara</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">KJ Charles</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Charlie Cochet</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Rhys Ford</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Ginn Hale</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Lou Harper</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Jordan L Hawk</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Nicole Kimberling</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Jordan Castillo Price</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Andrea Speed</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">And keep your eyes peeled for our cover reveal on July 21.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12px;">The antho is massive, over 180,000 words, I’ve been told. What happened is that some of us suck at following directions and flew way over the word count goal. And writing too much is not my usual problem. But Astrid was the worst offender.</span></div>
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JCP designed one smolderingly sexy cover, I can’t wait to show it off. STAY TUNED!</div>
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<a href="" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Lou Harperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016676176117488961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401659322767993102.post-74463914710403453832015-07-08T10:42:00.001-07:002016-01-26T08:19:58.987-08:00Wednesday Word: Goblin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="hg" style="font-family: "baskerville"; font-size: 12px;"><span class="hw" d:dhw="1" role="text" style="font-size: 24px;" syllabified="gob·lin"><b>goblin</b><span class="gp tg_hw"></span></span><span class="pr" style="color: #777777; font-family: "times new roman";"> |<span class="ph t_respell" d:pr="US" lexid="m_en_us1251296.002" style="margin-left: 0.3em; margin-right: 0.3em;">ˈgäblin</span>| </span><span class="gp tg_hg"></span></span><span class="sg" style="display: block; font-family: "baskerville"; margin-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="se1" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 0.2em;"><span class="posg" role="text"><span class="pos" d:ps="1" style="margin-right: 0.3em;"><span class="gp tg_pos" style="margin-right: 0.3em;">noun</span></span><span class="gp tg_posg"></span></span><span class="msDict t_core" d:abs="1" id="m_en_us1251296.001" style="display: block; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="df" role="text">a mischievous, ugly, dwarflike creature of folklore<span class="gp tg_df">.</span></span></span></span><span class="gp tg_sg"></span></span><span class="etym" role="text" style="display: block; font-family: "baskerville"; margin-bottom: 2em; margin-top: 2em;"><span class="gp ty_label tg_etym" style="margin-right: 0.4em;">ORIGIN </span><span class="dg">Middle English</span>: from <span class="la">Old French </span><span class="ff" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;">gobelin</span>, possibly <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">related</span> to <span class="la">German</span><span class="ff" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;"> Kobold </span><span class="xrg">(see <span class="xr" style="font-variant: small-caps; font-weight: 600;">kobold</span>) </span>or to <span class="la">Greek</span><span class="ff" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;"> kobalos </span><span class="trans" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;"><span class="gp tg_tr">‘</span>mischievous <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">goblin</span><span class="gp tg_tr">.</span><span class="gp tg_tr">’</span></span> <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">In</span> <span class="la">medieval Latin </span><span class="ff" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;">Gobelinus </span>occurs as the <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">name</span> of a mischievous spirit, said to <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">haunt</span> Évreux <span apple_mouseover_highlight="1">in</span>northern France in the 12th cent<span class="gp tg_etym">.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">Lately I've been researching supernatural creatures of myth and folklore. To my surprise, I found a profusion of diminutive creatures, whose sole purpose in life is to vex humans. Kobold, goblin, hobgoblin, imp, and boggart are just a few of their names.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">They go back all the way to ancient Greece where kobaloi—plural for kobalos—were messing with people's heads and property. They are called dokkaebi in Korea and duende in Latin America, and I'm sure there are many more.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">Their range is wide—they live in fields, marshes, along streams or waterfalls, and often in barns or people's homes, though staying invisible most of the time. Their common characteristic is their mischievous nature. Even the benevolent ones tend to be temperamental. Goblins and pixies make the milk go sour or cause travelers lose their way. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">We don't believe in invisible fairy-creature anymore, but I suspect goblins and their cousins are exceptionally adaptable. Like urban foxes and hawks that nest on skyscrapers, they've followed us into the city. They are the ones who misplace our keys and steal socks from the dryer. It's the only logical explanation.</span></div>
<br />Lou Harperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016676176117488961noreply@blogger.com1