Posts Tagged With: reading

Author Blog-in: Moments Collide by Angela Graff

For the next few weeks, I’m going to be participating in an Author Blog-in, courtesy of Kate Policani, and her wonderful efforts to showcase indie authors, and help each other gain more exposure and a larger potential fan-base.

Today I’ll be featuring my book.

My book, Moments Collide, is available here on Amazon and CreateSpace, and more information can be learned about my writing on my Facebook Page, or this blog.

Moments Collide is the story told by Felix LaPage, a young man with huge musical aspirations.  Growing up, Felix developed a love of music, and with his cello, worked his way through school to try and become a musical success.

However, that’s not the whole story.  While working toward his musical dreams, Felix met a woman who would change the course of his life, but not necessarily in a good way.  With this woman, Rayne, Felix learns that not everyone is kind or selfless.  Struggling through Rayne’s verbal and emotional abuse, Felix also must face getting over her multiple affairs.

It’s one night, on a long train-ride home, where Felix meets a young woman who shows him a different path, a path that could lead to his own personal happiness, free of struggle and pain.  It’s up to Felix, however, to choose whether or not he’s meant to walk the painful path with Rayne, or a path that allows him to be free.

Below is a short excerpt from the book.  The book is available on the Kindle Library, which I highly encourage people to check it out.  Any and all reviews are highly appreciated.  Please enjoy the small bit of my story.  Much love to all the readers and writers out there.  Thanks for checking out my blog!

Note: this excerpt has had the language edited to keep it to a G rating for other bloggers.  Please note that the actual text in the book consists of adult language.  Thank you! 

As I approached my door, my phone began to ring again, the bells piercing through my thoughts in an extremely unpleasant way.  I was not surprised to see Rayne’s number and this time I answered it.
“Hello?”
“Uhg, Felix,” she hissed at me.  “What have you been doing all day that you couldn’t answer my calls?”
“Oh, I was just busy,” I said, my voice oddly calm.  “I did want to tell you, though; I had a visitor last night around midnight.”
“What kind of visitor?” she asked, her voice heavy with suspicion.
“Well, it was your friend Richard, actually.  Before I go on, Rayne, is there anything you want to tell me?  Anything at all?”
“Um… no,” she said.  Her voice was suddenly small and scared.  “Why?”
“Oh I don’t know,” I said, and the hard edge began to form around my words.  “I thought maybe you’d like to confess to cheating before I call you out on it.”
“Felix,” she cried.  “Is that what he said?  He said he and I slept together?!  I told you that he was going to try and pull this when I left!  I told you he was in love with me!”
“He had pictures of the two of you… YOU CARELESS PERSON!”  My voice went from calm to rage in a nanosecond.  Fury rushed through me and I couldn’t stop screaming.  “HE HAD PICTURES OF YOU AND HIM FROM THE SECURITY CAMERA, YOU DIRTY, DISGUSTING, LYING…!  SO TELL ME AGAIN THAT HE’S LYING, RAYNE!  TELL ME AGAIN!”
She was sobbing now, hysterically, and I didn’t care.  She blubbered on behind her sobs, words that I didn’t understand.  I caught an “I’m so sorry”, “made a huge mistake”, “went too far”, but none of it mattered.  She was a liar, she was unfaithful, and above all she put me at risk because she didn’t bother to tell me the truth.
“Do you realize that I have to get tested now, Rayne?!” I shouted at her.  I was still outside, not caring who heard me.  I was pacing the grass, kicking around the towels that Richard had left out in the rain.  “Do you realize that I could be infected with something because you slept around and didn’t bother to care about who you affected?!  Are you proud of yourself, Rayne?  Is this something you’re proud of!?  Are you happy now, with what you did?  Was he worth it?!”
“Felix, please,” she begged, her sobs still punctuating every syllable.
“No, shut up.  You don’t get to talk to me.  You don’t get to say my name.  You don’t get to ask me for anything.  When we get home you and I will discuss the end of our relationship, and at least this long drive you have ahead of you will give you time to reflect on whether or not losing an upright, honest man was worth your little fest with some dirty piece of junk.  Good bye, Rayne.”
With that, I hung up.  I was shaking, and my neighbor was outside staring at me.  He gave me an ‘I’m sorry, man’ smile and went back inside as I opened my front door and walked in.  My adrenaline was pumping and part of me wished she was there right now so I could keep screaming.
Screaming, however, was not going to make it better.  Even in my state of mind I knew that, and the two hours it took her to get home allowed me to be calm.  I was sitting on the couch when she walked in.  Her face was white and she looked petrified.  She set her keys down and started to sit next to me so I stood up and walked across the room.
The pictures were now on top of the TV, still unopened, and I threw them to her.  “Enjoy the show,” I said as she opened the folder and pulled out the stack.  I took care not to look at them but it was clear by her face that whatever the cameras captured was pretty graphic.
“I had no idea there was a camera,” she said.
“Well lucky for me then, isn’t it, or I might have never known,” I bit.
“Felix, if you’ll just listen to me for a minute-”
“Rayne, you don’t get to talk,” I snapped at her, my temper perilously close to shooting off.  “You’re going to sit there, keep your mouth shut, and listen to what I have to say.”
Tears streamed down her cheeks and she let out a little sob, but she knew I had her.  I would have felt sorry for how I was treating her if for one moment I thought her tears were because she felt bad for what she had done.  Unfortunately, for both of us, I knew she was only upset because she’d been caught.  She’d been caught in such a way that she couldn’t talk her way out of it.
“Rayne, I can’t afford this place on my own yet, so I can’t kick you out.  I was already speaking with the office but because of your credit they won’t let me off the lease so I can move out to a place I can afford, so for now, you get to move out of our bedroom and sleep in the second bedroom.  You and I will split bills down the middle, and you will carry the weight of the extra finances until I can afford to buy myself a car– a problem I wouldn’t have if you hadn’t insisted I sell my car to buy you a ring which you threw in my face just weeks later.”
“We’re both going to get tested, which you’re paying for, and if we need any treatments, you’ll also pay for those.  You won’t talk to me, you won’t touch me, you won’t look at me.  You won’t be spending any time with me, and if you ask me for anything, literally anything, I will spit in your face.  Do I make myself clear?”
With tears pouring down her face, make-up smeared, looking devastated, hurt and on the verge of hysterics, she nodded.  “I’m so sorry,” she breathed from beneath her tears.  “I love you, Felix, I really do.”
“Don’t ever say that to me again,” I hissed at her, my temper boiling, my face going red and hot.  “Don’t you ever dare!”
“But I do!” she cried in defense.
“I don’t care if you think you do, Rayne!” I bellowed.  “Your sick, sick mind has no idea what love is!  You have no idea what selflessness, love, or compassion are.  You don’t get to use those words to me.  You gave away that right when you opened your legs and let that slime-ball in!  If I hear you say anything like that to me again so help me you will not like what happens.”
“Felix,” she wept, “what can I do to make it better?”
“Nothing,” I hissed, leveling my finger in her face.  “Nothing, Rayne.  It’s over.  You disgust me.  I can barely look at you right now without vomiting all over the floor.  You cheated on me and you lied about it!  You spat on everything that I thought was true about our relationship.  Five years, Rayne.  Five!  You have no respect for anyone or anything and believe me if I could kick you out right now I would.  I would not hesitate for a moment.”
At that point I was done.  I didn’t feel like she’d had enough, but I was done listening to her sobbing, because it was all self-serving.  If she had cared she wouldn’t have done it.  If it was a one-time affair I might have believed she was sorry, but they had been screwing for months, and she had been hiding and lying and there was no excuse.  There was no forgiveness for that.
I turned and went to my room, shutting the door and wishing desperately that we had a working lock.  She gave me some space until around ten that night when she knocked timidly asking for her things.  I grabbed a handful of clothes, not paying attention to what I had in my hands, and her pillow, and shoved them at her.  I didn’t look at her and didn’t give her a second to speak.
I shut the door again and flopped down on the bed, letting out a heavy sigh.  I wanted out so badly, but I was stuck.  I didn’t know how to make it work so she could be gone and that was the part that was killing me.
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Author Blog-in: Europa Rising by Sean MacUisdin

 

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Author Blog-in Day 2: Lethal Inheritance by Tahlia Newland

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Author Blog-in: Don’t Judge a Book By Its Magic

Don’t Judge a Book By Its Magic

(Book 1 of The Convergence series)

By Kate Policani

Genre: Fantasy

Mark the date on your calendar for Don’t Judge a Book By Its Magic’s Virtual Release Party Oct 26th-28th!

Guest spots available! Please email katepolicani(at)gmail.com to join the party as a guest!

 

Here is what my editor Kathleen Firstenberg has to say about my upcoming book: http://kathleenfberg.webs.com/apps/blog/show/14688705-how-to-win-friends-and-influence-magicians

A review by the Bookworm Extraordinaire: http://www.thebookwormextraordinare.blogspot.com/2012/09/review-dont-judge-book-by-its-magic-by.html

Synopsis:

I’m a normal girl. I am. I love shoes, fragranced body care, and hair products. I love all the chick flicks that have come out in the theaters in the last 2 years (and a lot of the old ones) and I obsess about my wardrobe.  I respond positively to most of the marketing directed at females in my age group.

My name is Colleen Underhill, and the only abnormal thing about me is that I just discovered I am, or I transformed into, a magician; not the disappearing bunny kind, but the power-shooting-out-of-your-hands kind of magician.

My problem now is that I do NOT believe in magic. Well, I believe in it. I have seen it shoot out of my own hands, but I oppose it in a moral sense; no hexes, no spells, no incantations, no potions, no amulets, no tomes, no casting circles, no eye of newt, none of that. I have to be very clear because people pressure me about it. Whatever they say about “how it’s done,” this is a morality issue for me and I will not cave in to their pressure.

But what do I do now?

Don’t Judge a Book By Its Magic on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16045564-don-t-judge-a-book-by-its-magic

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For love of the story: Why I can’t get enough

I just love the stories! I’m not too picky about genre as long as the writing is passable. But why?

  1. I love looking inside people’s heads. Yes, it’s creepy but you know you do too. (And I don’t mean the X-rated stuff. That kind of thing is so overdone.) What a person says and does reveals a lot, but what they care enough about to put on paper is something else. The ideas are refined and thought-out, and they are something important. They may not be 100% honest, but they are usually sincere. Some writers don’t even write based on their conscious thoughts!
  2. People are unique. Duh, Kate. Of course they are. But…it’s fascinating. Nobody will do exactly the same thing as I would in a certain situation, and I want to see what they think they would do in a situation. I compare it to what I would have done and what makes a good story. (Those are often different.) I like fiction, in particular, because it is entirely from the author’s head with maybe just a reference to reality. I can really see the author’s point of view from that angle.
  3. It inspires me. I think of it as “input” that fuels my “output” of my own writing. There is a mystery balance there that I have to maintain. Hearing others’ stories, real or fiction, fuels up my writing batteries for later. I get ideas of things to do and to avoid.

Why do you love stories?

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A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Words

Sometimes you just have to say it with a picture.

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A Quiz: Will you like traditional or self-published books?

What kind of reader are you?
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New Review: The Footloose Killer by Michelle Johnson

The Footloose Killer

By Michelle Johnson

Genre: Mystery, Law Enforcement

Read my review here: http://katepolicanisreviews.wordpress.com/2012/10/04/the-footloose-killer-by-michelle-johnson/

Synopsis:

When another dismembered foot washes up along the Virginia Beach oceanfront, the VBPD is stumped. It’s the eighth year in a row, always just as the frenzied tourist season starts. And for the eighth year in a row, there is no body, and there are no suspects. Continue reading

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IWU Blog Tour Guest Interview: Olivia Hardin

This September I was privileged to join in the IWU Blog tour! (Yes, it’s technically October now, but you know how it is.) Please welcome Olivia Hardin.

Author Olivia Hardin

Olivia Hardin realized early on how strange she was to have complete movie-like character dreams as a child. Eventually she began putting those vivid dreams to paper and was rarely without her spiral notebooks full of those mental ramblings. Her forgotten vision of becoming an author was realized when she connected with a group of amazingly talented and fabulous writers who gave her lots of direction and encouragement. With a little extra push from family and friends, she hunkered down to get lost in the words. She’s also an insatiable crafter who only completes about 1 out of 5 projects, a jogger who hates to run, and is sometimes accused of being artistic, though she’s generally too much of a perfectionist to appreciate her own work. A native Texas girl from Port Arthur, Olivia still lives in the beautiful Lone Star state with her husband Danny and their puppy Bonnie. Continue reading

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Are Self-published Books a Good Choice for Readers?

When you look for a book, do you want something popular? Do you want to read all the latest and coolest stories? Or do you want something that pushes the boundaries?

If you translated your buying experience with SP (self-published books) versus TP (traditionally-published books), you might say that TP books are like major brands purchased at a national chain store, such as Cheerios. Conversely, SP books are like a farmer’s market bag of organic rolled oats. Both have their benefits and their drawbacks. Which cereal would you choose?

There are several things to consider when choosing whether to pick a TP book or go indie: Continue reading

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If I Became a Zombie I’d Moan, “Booookkkssss”

I’d be a terrible zombie because I wouldn’t get any juicy brains, just books.

Yes, I have another book forming! This is the second book in The Convergence series. Yes, I haven’t even released the first book, Don’t Judge a Book By Its Magic, but I’ve started the second! It’s called, “Sorcery Loves Company“.

The question now is, which book will I finish first: Sorcery Loves Company or The Stray? It’s really a toss-up because it will depend on which inspires me first.

Hey! If you reply to this post with your guess as to which I finish first and you’re right, I’ll send you a free print copy when it’s released!

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New review: Puzzlebook: 104 Puzzle Quizzes

Puzzlebook:104 Puzzle Quizzes

by Grabarchuk Puzzles

Genre: Puzzles

Read my review here: http://katepolicanisreviews.wordpress.com/2012/09/21/puzzlebook104-puzzle-quizzes-by-grabarchuk-puzzles/

Buy on Amazon

Synopsis:

This is the final Volume 5 of the Top Rated Puzzlebook: Puzzle Quizzes series. In this brand-new puzzle collection you will find 104 pictorial, hand-crafted puzzle quizzes in different themes: logic, visual, spatial, counting, geometry, matchstick, coins, searching, and much more. Be sure to check Puzzlebook: 100 Puzzle QuizzesPuzzlebook: 101 Puzzle QuizzesPuzzlebook: 102 Puzzle Quizzes, and Puzzlebook: 103 Puzzle Quizzes for more!

Hot News
Over 750,000 downloads for the Puzzlebook series! Discover why thousands of Kindle users are addicted to Puzzlebooks.

Novelty
All puzzle quizzes are original creations by the Grabarchuk Family and delivered exclusively for Kindle.

Interactivity
You can interactively answer and check a puzzle quiz by clicking the respective answer button. Only the correct answer leads to the solution page.

Ranking
The collection is specially created for all kinds of solvers – beginners, skillful, and expert alike. The puzzles are arranged so that you start with the easy (*) puzzles and progress to the hard (*****) puzzles.

Enjoy it in Color Too!
The book is created in full-color. Enjoy a colorful experience playing it on Kindle Fire or in a Kindle app on iOS, Android, PC, Mac, etc.

Happy Puzzling!

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Book Release Party Oct 26-28

VIP Guests Wanted!

I’m getting ready for the Virtual party in a month and six days! Visit the Party Page for a list of participation needs: https://katepolicani.com/release-party/ I’m open to suggestions if you have a great idea for a way to join the party!

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New Review: Poppy the Proud by Emlyn Chand

Poppy the Proud

By Emlyn Chand

Illustrated by Sarah Shaw

Genre: Children

Read my review here: http://katepolicanisreviews.wordpress.com/2012/09/19/poppy-the-proud-by-emlyn-chand/

Evolved Publishing brings you the third of the BIRD BRAIN BOOKS by Emlyn Chand, “Poppy the Proud.” This children’s picture book, with full color illustrations by artist Sarah Shaw, is perfect for kids 4-6 years old.
~~~~~~~~~~
Poppy is the prettiest peacock in the entire garden, but one day his privileged existence is upset when an all-white peacock is born and promptly named the most beautiful by a smitten flock. Intensely jealous, Poppy no longer knows where he fits in and decides to reclaim his title as the fairest bird in all the land, no matter what it takes.

In a desperate attempt to regain the admiration of his peers, Poppy steals items from the humans that visit his park. He wraps himself in a beautiful silk scarf, wears a series of ornate bangles around his neck, and even tries to dye his feathers with colored dust from a festive Holi celebration. Unfortunately, each of these attempts not only fails to improve his appearance, they actually make it worse. What’s a poor bird to do?

In this compelling tale of self-esteem, pride, and learning what makes each of us special, Poppy the peacock discovers that true beauty lies beneath the feathers.

About the Author:

Emlyn Chand emerged from the womb with a fountain pen clutched in her left hand (true story). Since then, she has always loved to hear and tell stories. When she’s not writing, she runs a large book club in Ann Arbor and is the president of author PR firm Novel Publicity. Emlyn enjoys connecting with readers and is available throughout the social media Internet world. Visit www.emlynchand.com for more info. Don’t forget to say “hi” to her sun conure Ducky!

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Today is My Day! Last Day for Blog-in September!

Thank you for visiting the Blog-in and extra thanks to our wonderful authors participating! Don’t forget to sign up for October’s Author Blog-in! Please visit my book, The Disenchanted Pet, on these awesome blogs:

http://harshadpassion.wordpress.com/blog/

http://sharonscrazycats.blogspot.com/

http://therapywriting.wordpress.com/

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