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1. <?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><?xml-stylesheet href="http://www.blogger.com/styles/atom.css" type="text/css"?><feed xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom' xmlns:openSearch='http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/' xmlns:blogger='http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008' xmlns:georss='http://www.georss.org/georss' xmlns:gd="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005" xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867211331020558596</id><updated>2024-04-12T19:18:42.537-07:00</updated><category term="angel of death"/><category term="reviews"/><category term="the chosen chronicles"/><category term="review"/><category term="giveaway"/><category term="novel"/><category term="shadow of death"/><category term="5 stars"/><category term="changeling"/><category term="ricardo pinto"/><category term="stone dance of the chameleon"/><category term="vampire"/><category term="Dark Dragon Publications"/><category term="Erotic"/><category term="PayPal"/><category term="Short Story"/><category term="Smashwords"/><category term="book."/><category term="Amazon."/><category term="An Echo In The Bone"/><category term="Authors"/><category term="Birthday"/><category term="Book Trailer"/><category term="Contest"/><category term="Diana Gabladon"/><category term="Facebook"/><category term="Fan Expo"/><category term="Flash Fiction"/><category term="Hallowe&#39;en"/><category term="Halloween"/><category term="ISBN"/><category term="Publish"/><category term="Publishers"/><category term="Thank You"/><category term="The Dark"/><category term="The Guest"/><category term="WAV Design Studios"/><category term="ad astra"/><category term="agents"/><category term="author"/><category term="books"/><category term="copyright"/><category term="destiny&#39;s blood"/><category term="doll"/><category term="ebook"/><category term="fantasy"/><category term="fiction"/><category term="galley"/><category term="hardcover"/><category term="immortal vampire"/><category term="interview"/><category term="jean auel"/><category term="kindle"/><category term="land of painted caves"/><category term="marie bilodeau"/><category term="nicole chardenet"/><category term="paperback"/><category term="paranormal"/><category term="query"/><category term="red hot readers"/><category term="stars"/><category term="submissions"/><category term="tars"/><category term="the angel of death"/><category term="the chosen"/><category term="the standing dead"/><category term="third god"/><category term="twilight"/><category term="vampires"/><category term="writing"/><category term="young republican yuppie princess"/><title type='text'>Karen Dales, Author</title><subtitle type='html'>Karen Dales is the Award Winning Author of The Chosen Chronicles which include, Changeling, Angel of Death and Shadow of Death. She is currently working on the next novel in the series - Thanatos.</subtitle><link rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default?redirect=false'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/'/><link rel='hub' href='http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/'/><link rel='next' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default?start-index=26&amp;max-results=25&amp;redirect=false'/><author><name>Karen Dales</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06863449247777478067</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='21' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaEKAwTPEYi4thp3UpaHbBLokWeXmS_bMYs1Klmv6oCe2AjLYIXukByj2Ma43cSuX83teY6FpEFLgqAbczIXBo8QGZXV6IwvZacRG8vodFRY0S2WzWoTuHViDycIHFeDE/s220/SODcover+jpg.jpg'/></author><generator version='7.00' uri='http://www.blogger.com'>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>93</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>25</openSearch:itemsPerPage><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867211331020558596.post-8678288422405682389</id><published>2014-02-07T06:16:00.002-08:00</published><updated>2014-02-07T12:53:30.297-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Birthday Giveaway!</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style=&quot;color: #b4a7d6;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;userContent&quot; data-ft=&quot;{&amp;quot;tn&amp;quot;:&amp;quot;K&amp;quot;}&quot;&gt;This weekend (Feb 9th) is my 45th birthday. &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt;
2. In celebration of this event, I am offering 45 copies (ebook format) of
3. my Award Winning Series THE CHOSEN CHRONICLES, which include
4. Changeling, Angel of Death and Shadow of Death. <br /> <br /> In return, as
5. your birthday gift to me, I hope that you'll put the books next on your
6. to be read pile and once you've read the books, you'll post honest
7. reviews on Amazon/Goodreads/etc., wherever you wish. <br /> <br /> If you're interested in doing so, please email me at karendales@karendales.com with the subject heading "Birthday", and don't forget to indicate which ereader you read on.</span></span></span><br />
8. <br />
9. <span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">For a listing of each of the books, keep reading. If they are something you'd enjoy, email me.:) </span></span></span><br />
10. <br />
11. <span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">Come February 10th, the offer will be expired. </span></span></span><br />
12. <span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><br /></span>
13. <br />
14. <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
15. <span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">CHANGELING: Prelude to the Chosen Chronicles </span></span></span></div>
16. <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
17. <span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">by Karen Dales</span></span></span></div>
18. <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
19. </div>
20. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
21. <span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRc7MY_fwMvn52M2V2aMiCze6J6PcHTlJ3oiH9Ei1c1VHdX3xVwObpLJ4LpPpUt_utTryvcGFFS23ZXTUmnFLwAJaMbKq1dFScQ3YgKz0G_Wb-NwaaNalRDANvTUndcKtr9ZbM9WC9B91z/s1600/Changeling+720+pixel.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRc7MY_fwMvn52M2V2aMiCze6J6PcHTlJ3oiH9Ei1c1VHdX3xVwObpLJ4LpPpUt_utTryvcGFFS23ZXTUmnFLwAJaMbKq1dFScQ3YgKz0G_Wb-NwaaNalRDANvTUndcKtr9ZbM9WC9B91z/s200/Changeling+720+pixel.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></span></span></div>
22. <span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span><span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
23.  
24. </span></span></span><br />
25. <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
26. <span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="artistic-body-c4"> </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="artistic-body-c4">“One of the best...books I have read in
27. awhile.” (5 Stars)</span> <span class="artistic-body-c4">-<wbr></wbr> Readers Helping
28. Authors</span></span></span></span>
29.  
30. </div>
31. <span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></span></span><br />
32. <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
33. <span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="normal-c">Abandoned at birth and left to die, alone in the forest, the Angel
34. is found by the local healer. </span></span></span></span></div>
35. <span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
36.  
37. </span></span></span><br />
38. <div class="normal-p" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
39. <span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="normal-c">He grows up, cared for by Auntie, until her fearful predictions
40. come true. Discovered in his secret grove, his life is transformed, evoking
41. demons that demand more than he can give. </span></span></span></span></div>
42. <span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
43.  
44. </span></span></span><br />
45. <div class="normal-p" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
46. <span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="normal-c">It is alone, exiled by humanity that he comes across the one who
47. would change his life forever, to become – The Angel of Death.</span></span></span></span></div>
48. <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
49. <span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="normal-c"> </span></span></span></span><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></b></span></span></span></div>
50. <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
51. </div>
52. <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
53. <span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">ANGEL OF DEATH: Book One of the Chosen
54. Chronicles </span></b></span></span></span></div>
55. <div class="normal-p" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
56. <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
57. <span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">by Karen Dales</span></b></span></span></span></div>
58. <span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
59.  
60. </span></span></span><br />
61. <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
62. <span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Winner of the Siren Books Award for Best Horror 2010 and the Siren
63. Books Award for Best Overall 2010.</span></span></span></div>
64. <span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
65.  
66. </span></span></span><br />
67. <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
68. <span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">#1 on Goodreads Best Vampire Books from New Authors since April 2013 </span></span></span></div>
69. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
70. <span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #e06666;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjusyir0z2GnwYCJ6PSdJcUnbyi24-MCQxKnOcFm7EeuTj7h4TePVbbiqL_fddW1sSyVyXQMSfaryoNMlusFmLUmreb2uQUm42f8AePr80qCnaKEXlSq8F6Wgl2ZUEOmbfLhAabA6auFsER/s1600/AOD+720+pixel.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjusyir0z2GnwYCJ6PSdJcUnbyi24-MCQxKnOcFm7EeuTj7h4TePVbbiqL_fddW1sSyVyXQMSfaryoNMlusFmLUmreb2uQUm42f8AePr80qCnaKEXlSq8F6Wgl2ZUEOmbfLhAabA6auFsER/s200/AOD+720+pixel.jpg" height="200" width="136" /></a></span></span></div>
71. <span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #e06666;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></b></span><span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
72.  
73. </span></span></span><br />
74. <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
75. <span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="artistic-body-c1">“A dark and
76. gripping tale by a true mistress of supernatural fiction. Karen Dales brings
77. fresh blood to the vampire genre.” —Michelle Rowen, </span><span class="artistic-body-c2">National
78. Best Selling Author.</span></span></span></span></div>
79. <span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
80.  
81. </span></span></span><br />
82. <div class="artistic-body-p0" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
83. <span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="artistic-body-c1">“For readers
84. who adore textured layers in their literary tapestries, rich in colorful
85. emotions, Karen Dales is one writer of vampire fiction they’ll want to read.”-
86. Nancy Kilpatrick, </span><span class="artistic-body-c2">Award Winning Author and Editor.</span></span></span></span></div>
87. <span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
88.  
89. </span></span></span>
90. <br />
91. <div class="artistic-body-p0" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
92. <br />
93. <span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Plagued by demons from his past,
94. the Angel walks a fine line between his heart and his fears to uncover the
95. mystery of who is killing the Vampires of London. He discovers the culprits but
96. at a high cost – the irrevocable discovery of what he truly is and the
97. Destruction of one he loves.</span></span></span></div>
98. <div class="artistic-body-p0" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
99. <div class="artistic-body-p0" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
100. </div>
101. <div class="artistic-body-p0" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
102. </div>
103. <div class="artistic-body-p0" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
104. <span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">SHADOW OF
105. DEATH: Book Two of the Chosen Chronicles </span></span></span></div>
106. <div class="artistic-body-p0" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
107. <span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">by Karen Dales</span></span></span></div>
108. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
109. <span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROYi9Shf8fkcoSUqbyxBsb0fc9YojqtfZp_W-SNZ4oPSax9hHkClSdifnaXxc9GlHE2uIKMdQryufx4Vp1Eh-PJZ8CjfG1O-5jUXb7bU20YGCnNTp0nanQGCIIGGbap9RwUWwSQT7dwoR/s1600/SOD+720+pixel.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROYi9Shf8fkcoSUqbyxBsb0fc9YojqtfZp_W-SNZ4oPSax9hHkClSdifnaXxc9GlHE2uIKMdQryufx4Vp1Eh-PJZ8CjfG1O-5jUXb7bU20YGCnNTp0nanQGCIIGGbap9RwUWwSQT7dwoR/s200/SOD+720+pixel.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></span></span></div>
110. <span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
111.  
112. </span></span></span>
113. <br />
114. <div class="artistic-body-p0" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
115. </div>
116. <span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"A dark, compelling thriller
117. that will keep readers turning the pages well past bedtime." - Kelley
118. Armstrong, New York Best Time Selling Author.</span></span></span><br />
119. <span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
120.  
121. </span></span></span>
122. <br />
123. <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
124. <br />
125. <span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="normal-c">Haunted by nightmares of his past misdeeds and
126. failings the Angel wants nothing more than to be left alone. It is across the
127. Atlantic, in a foreign country, that he joins Notus, taking up the mantle once
128. more as a protector in a land where those who would see him dead have
129. flourished.</span></span></span></span></div>
130. </div>
131. </div>
132. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/8678288422405682389/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2014/02/birthday-giveaway.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/8678288422405682389'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/8678288422405682389'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2014/02/birthday-giveaway.html' title='Birthday Giveaway!'/><author><name>Karen Dales</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06863449247777478067</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='21' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaEKAwTPEYi4thp3UpaHbBLokWeXmS_bMYs1Klmv6oCe2AjLYIXukByj2Ma43cSuX83teY6FpEFLgqAbczIXBo8QGZXV6IwvZacRG8vodFRY0S2WzWoTuHViDycIHFeDE/s220/SODcover+jpg.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRc7MY_fwMvn52M2V2aMiCze6J6PcHTlJ3oiH9Ei1c1VHdX3xVwObpLJ4LpPpUt_utTryvcGFFS23ZXTUmnFLwAJaMbKq1dFScQ3YgKz0G_Wb-NwaaNalRDANvTUndcKtr9ZbM9WC9B91z/s72-c/Changeling+720+pixel.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867211331020558596.post-468087991151401032</id><published>2013-10-01T00:00:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2013-09-27T07:38:17.296-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Amazon."/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Facebook"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="giveaway"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Halloween"/><title type='text'>Hallowe&#39;en&#39;s 4000 Likes GIVEAWAY!</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style=&quot;color: #c27ba0;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;In appreciation of all my fans, I am offering this wonderful Giveaway! Hope you&#39;ll celebrate the Hallowe&#39;en season by entering. Good luck to everyone!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
133. <br />
134. <br />
135. <br />
136. <a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/41e16b12/" id="rc-41e16b12" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
137. &lt;script src=&quot;//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js&quot;&gt;&lt;/script&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/468087991151401032/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2013/09/halloweens-4000-likes-giveaway.html#comment-form' title='15 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/468087991151401032'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/468087991151401032'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2013/09/halloweens-4000-likes-giveaway.html' title='Hallowe&#39;en&#39;s 4000 Likes GIVEAWAY!'/><author><name>Karen Dales</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06863449247777478067</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='21' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaEKAwTPEYi4thp3UpaHbBLokWeXmS_bMYs1Klmv6oCe2AjLYIXukByj2Ma43cSuX83teY6FpEFLgqAbczIXBo8QGZXV6IwvZacRG8vodFRY0S2WzWoTuHViDycIHFeDE/s220/SODcover+jpg.jpg'/></author><thr:total>15</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867211331020558596.post-5353572564222159608</id><published>2013-09-10T06:47:00.001-07:00</published><updated>2013-09-10T06:47:51.247-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Teaching Creative Writing!!!</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Georgia,&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;I&#39;m so excited!!! I&#39;ll be teaching CREATIVE WRITING for the City of Toronto.&lt;br /&gt;If you&#39;re interested in signing up, I&#39;m teaching it at two locations. Here&#39;s the info, course number and where to sign up! It&#39;s open to everyone.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Stephen Leacock Community Centre (Studio Rm C) &lt;br /&gt;(2520 Birchmount Road, Scarborough)&lt;br /&gt;Mondays starting October 7th 10am to 12pm&amp;nbsp; -&amp;nbsp; 8 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;Course number: 2343224&lt;br /&gt;416-396-4040&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Annette Rec Centre (Dance Studio C)&lt;br /&gt;(333 Annette St, North of High Park)&lt;br /&gt;Sundays starting September 29th 10am to 12pm&amp;nbsp; -&amp;nbsp; 9 Weeks&lt;br /&gt;Course Number: 2343033&lt;br /&gt;416 392-0736&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;You can register ONLINE at&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://efun.toronto.ca/TorontoFun/Start/Start.asp&quot;&gt;https://efun.toronto.ca/TorontoFun/Start/Start.asp&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;OR &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;You can call the Locations at the phone numbers provided above and sign up that way.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/5353572564222159608/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2013/09/teaching-creative-writing.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/5353572564222159608'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/5353572564222159608'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2013/09/teaching-creative-writing.html' title='Teaching Creative Writing!!!'/><author><name>Karen Dales</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06863449247777478067</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='21' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaEKAwTPEYi4thp3UpaHbBLokWeXmS_bMYs1Klmv6oCe2AjLYIXukByj2Ma43cSuX83teY6FpEFLgqAbczIXBo8QGZXV6IwvZacRG8vodFRY0S2WzWoTuHViDycIHFeDE/s220/SODcover+jpg.jpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867211331020558596.post-5957616729428634076</id><published>2013-03-22T10:32:00.001-07:00</published><updated>2013-03-22T10:32:30.458-07:00</updated><title type='text'>3000 Words</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style=&quot;color: #9fc5e8;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I have been a writer since I could hold pencil to paper. Most authors can claim the same.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
138. <span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /> Through my school years I was lucky enough to have teachers that encouraged my creative writing. I even 'self-published' a short story when I was in Grade 5 as part of an English project. I still remember the story--Tuesday Jane Disappeared. I remember the editing process with my teacher. I recall the pictures I drew to illustrate the story. I can still visualize how this book looked when it was bound with a cover I created. It was the spark that ignited the desire to write professionally.</span></span><br />
139. <span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /> In high school, I took all of the creative writing courses offered. I couldn't get enough, but that wasn't all. I was blessed with teachers who allowed their students to be creative in their assignments. Instead of an essay, I created a fake newspaper. Instead of spouting off facts by rote for tests, I was allowed to write fiction so long as the facts were still there. In my four years there, my love for writing grew.</span></span><br />
140. <span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /> In university I joined the faculty of humanities so that I could enter their creative writing department. Nervous, I presented my portfolio and was accepted for 1st year creative writing. I loved it. I loved learning how to craft fiction, how to edit it, how to make words flow in a way that would delight readers. I applied for second year. A smaller number were chosen. I got in. Third year came, the hardest to get into. I applied and I was chosen. I was thrilled. I learned more, but now I was placed in the position of being a prose writer in a group of poets. I don't do poetry. I don't like it. I don't write it. That's me. My professor loved my work. The others enjoyed it, but, being poets, couldn't offer much in the way of criticism. That was left to the professor and I learned more about editing than ever before.</span></span><br />
141. <span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />  Now, years later, I am a published author of three books, with at least two more on the way. I am also a freelance editor, having edited children's books to erotica. I love reading. I love writing. I love editing, but one thing I have discovered is that there is truth to the belief that one only requires 3000 words to communicate. Unfortunately, it doesn't translate well when it comes to creative writing.</span></span><br />
142. <span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /> If you've ever seen John Branyan's stand up sketch "The Three Little Pigs" you'll understand what I'm talking about.</span></span><br />
143. <h1 id="watch-headline-title">
144. <span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="watch-title  yt-uix-expander-head" dir="ltr" id="eow-title" title="John Branyan - The Three Little Pigs"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></h1>
145. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
146. <iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/OxoUUbMii7Q?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
147. <br /> <span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;">Through the centuries, we have lost the use of many wonderful words in our everyday use of the language. Worse, there appears to be a similar occurance in modern literature and genre fiction.</span></span><br />
148. <span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /> Can one write a novel with the knowledge of 3000 words? </span></span><br />
149. <span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /> Yes.</span></span><br />
150. <span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /> Will it read well?</span></span><br />
151. <span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /> Probably not. Word repetition on paper (or digitially) pops out. Words that repeat too often stick out like sore thumbs.</span></span><br />
152. <span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /> I remember reading a wonderful fantasy novel within a 10 book series. All the other books were exemplarily written and edited, except for this one book. I can't tell you how many times I saw "Nonetheless" or "Nevertheless" in the novel. I read this novel several years ago. Sadly, this is what stuck out. Thankfully, the next novel in the series didn't have this editorial faux paux.</span></span><br />
153. <span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />There is a reason why the thesaurus was invented: to help writers write better; to learn new words; to ensure that creative writing includes more than the use of 3000 words.<br /><br /> If you are a writer, observe your process and determine better descriptives. Increase your vocabulary so that when you write your narrative you will have the tools to create lasting and profound images in the imaginations of your audience. Lastly, so that your editor can see that you can write beyond a grade 6 reading/writing level and not have to pull you up by your bootstraps to learn more than 3000 words.<br /><br /> I have been accused of using words that my readers don't know. If it means that they have to go to a dictionary to look it up to learn the meaning of a new word, then I know, as an author, I am doing more than providing entertainment...I am providing education. </span></span><h1 id="watch-headline-title">
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479. &lt;br /&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/5957616729428634076/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2013/03/3000-words.html#comment-form' title='60 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/5957616729428634076'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/5957616729428634076'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2013/03/3000-words.html' title='3000 Words'/><author><name>Karen Dales</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06863449247777478067</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='21' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaEKAwTPEYi4thp3UpaHbBLokWeXmS_bMYs1Klmv6oCe2AjLYIXukByj2Ma43cSuX83teY6FpEFLgqAbczIXBo8QGZXV6IwvZacRG8vodFRY0S2WzWoTuHViDycIHFeDE/s220/SODcover+jpg.jpg'/></author><thr:total>60</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867211331020558596.post-4045201987748132633</id><published>2013-02-04T20:36:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2013-02-04T20:36:06.537-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Reviews and Writers</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style=&quot;color: #d5a6bd;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;I&#39;ve been thinking and debating and debating and thinking about whether to write about this topic for quite some time. Lately I&#39;ve come to realize I need to state something very important to me--reading reviews from people who have read my novels really lifts my spirits and gives me the encouragement to keep on writing. Because of how &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;I&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt; feel about reviews, I--rightly or wrongly--extrapolate from that to include that most other authors take pleasure and encouragement from reading reviews of their books, thus I &lt;u&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;b&gt;ALWAYS&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/u&gt; leave reviews of novels I have read, whether the authors are friends (in the real or virtual worlds) or not.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
480. <span style="color: #d5a6bd;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
481. <span style="color: #d5a6bd;"><span style="font-size: large;">I'm sure many of you who are reading this has seen the postings on Facebook, Twitter, etc., how best to support the authors you enjoy--by leaving reviews. In a sense, having readers do so has replaced fan mail, thus telling the world for everyone to see what the reader really thinks about the book. This garners the all important word-of-mouth, which, as authors, we hope will engender others to read our works<span style="font-size: large;">.</span></span></span><br />
482. <br />
483. <span style="color: #d5a6bd;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">So why am I writing about something that many people already know about? W<span style="font-size: large;">ell, there's a difference between knowing and acting. I know that my books sell--a lot<span style="font-size: large;">, but I<span style="font-size: large;">, as a <span style="font-size: large;">reader/reviewer, find it strange that there aren't more reviews posted<span style="font-size: large;">.<span style="font-size: large;"> I know it takes  time <span style="font-size: large;">out of one's very busy life to write and post a review, but a review doesn't need to be a <span style="font-size: large;">book report. S<span style="font-size: large;">ometimes the briefest <span style="font-size: large;">of reviews can make the greatest of impact<span style="font-size: large;">s on the writer.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
484. <br />
485. <span style="color: #d5a6bd;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">I know that as a<span style="font-size: large;">n author I must write for myself--which I do, <span style="font-size: large;">but I also know<span style="font-size: large;">, as an author, that a <span style="font-size: large;">pat on the <span style="font-size: large;">back from a reader can help the <span style="font-size: large;">words flow faster.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
486. <br />
487. <span style="color: #d5a6bd;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">I </span>also go by the adage<span style="font-size: large;">, "If you can't say something nice, then don't say a<span style="font-size: large;">nything at all." This means be<span style="font-size: large;"> truthful in <span style="font-size: large;">your reviews, but don<span style="font-size: large;">'t post negative reviews out of spite or in an attempt to sabotage another's <span style="font-size: large;">dream.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
488. <br />
489. <span style="color: #d5a6bd;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">If you read and/or write, please take the time to post a sentence or two of a review up on the site you bought your book from. Believe it or not, <span style="font-size: large;">fan<span style="font-size: large;">s inspire writers as much, i<span style="font-size: large;">f not more so, than <span style="font-size: large;">writers inspiring fans.</span></span></span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
490. <br />
491. <span style="color: #d5a6bd;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> If you've read any of my books in THE CHOSEN CHRONICLES,<span style="font-size: large;"> and you haven't yet posted a review, please take the time to do so<span style="font-size: large;">. <span style="font-size: large;">You're words will inspire me to create more works for you to enjo<span style="font-size: large;">y<span style="font-size: large;">, and then it'll become a wonderful cycle where everyone wins.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
492. <br />
493. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #d5a6bd;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;Thank you!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/4045201987748132633/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2013/02/reviews-and-writers.html#comment-form' title='5 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/4045201987748132633'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/4045201987748132633'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2013/02/reviews-and-writers.html' title='Reviews and Writers'/><author><name>Karen Dales</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06863449247777478067</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='21' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaEKAwTPEYi4thp3UpaHbBLokWeXmS_bMYs1Klmv6oCe2AjLYIXukByj2Ma43cSuX83teY6FpEFLgqAbczIXBo8QGZXV6IwvZacRG8vodFRY0S2WzWoTuHViDycIHFeDE/s220/SODcover+jpg.jpg'/></author><thr:total>5</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867211331020558596.post-1011504269724182058</id><published>2013-01-17T08:15:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2013-01-17T08:15:38.218-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Children and Facebook</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style=&quot;color: #c27ba0;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;Warning: These are MY points of view. If you disagree with them, that&#39;s fine, but please keep them to yourself.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
494. <br />
495. <span style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="font-size: large;">This weekend my son, The Bug, turns 9, his last year before double digits, and as he's grown older I've become a little more sensitive to him and his use (and future use) of the internet.</span></span><br />
496. <span style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
497. <span style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="font-size: large;">Over the last year I was stunned to find several of my friends, who have children younger than 13, allow their sons/daughters to establish Facebook presenses. How did I find out about this? They sent me friendship requests. Needless to say I was stunned! Not only at these children, but at their parents who have allowed this. And yes, the parents knew about it and gave their blessings.</span></span><br />
498. <br />
499. <span style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="font-size: large;">Yesterday a friend came over and told us about how his girlfriend's
500. child of 9 goes onto these chat boards on the internet. I was horrified!</span></span><br />
501. <br />
502. <span style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="font-size: large;">I understand that Facebook and the internet at large is the best way to keep in contact with loved ones, but so few have any knowledge of privacy settings or consider the implications of posting certain things up. There are trolls and dangerous individuals out there who prey on the innocence and lack of comprehension children have regarding such actions. Regardless of how things are set up on Facebook, LinkedIn, Pintrest, etc., there is still the ability to completely fabricate who you are and what you intend towards others. Children do not get this. Maybe some do, but, really, I'm not going to trust some stranger over the internet to converse with my child, whom I do trust. </span></span><br />
503. <br />
504. <span style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="font-size: large;">My son is NOT on Facebook and DOES NOT have email, etc. His computer is in the livingroom so I can keep an eye on what he does, which, thank the Universe, is play video games on it.</span></span><br />
505. <span style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
506. <span style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="font-size: large;">These situations also stirred up long held in feelings about people using their children, or other people's children, as their Facebook Avatars, etc. I understand the exhilleration of having a new child and wanting to let everyone in the world know, posting photos the the newborn and details up on Facebook, etc. It's euphoric to be a new parent, and maybe that, coupled with sleep deprivation, caused the new parent to not consider the implications of posting that information up on the internet for everyone to see. I'm glad that Facebook was born the same year and month as my son, not getting real huge momentum until later, thus the temptation to post about my child, etc., wasn't there.</span></span><br />
507. <span style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
508. <span style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="font-size: large;">As many of you know, I very rarely, if ever, post any photos of my son, and I never reveal his name. I don't use his image as my avatar on Facebook. If I do post photos of my son they are sent to only those I've chosen to send them to through my privacy settings. If I post about my son, I don't mention his name - EVER.</span></span><br />
509. <span style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
510. <span style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="font-size: large;">My son is entitled to have privacy. My experience on Facebook and the rest of the internet is mine, not his. When he is interested, and my husband and I deem he's responsible enough and old enough, then he will be allowed an email address and to go on Facebook. But one thing's for sure, I will honour and respect Facebook's guideline that no one under 13 is allowed on. That, I believe, is one smart thing that Facebook has done.</span></span><br />
511. <span style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
512. &lt;span style=&quot;color: #c27ba0;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;End Rant&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/1011504269724182058/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2013/01/children-and-facebook.html#comment-form' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/1011504269724182058'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/1011504269724182058'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2013/01/children-and-facebook.html' title='Children and Facebook'/><author><name>Karen Dales</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06863449247777478067</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='21' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaEKAwTPEYi4thp3UpaHbBLokWeXmS_bMYs1Klmv6oCe2AjLYIXukByj2Ma43cSuX83teY6FpEFLgqAbczIXBo8QGZXV6IwvZacRG8vodFRY0S2WzWoTuHViDycIHFeDE/s220/SODcover+jpg.jpg'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867211331020558596.post-7162489309587309813</id><published>2012-12-17T11:13:00.001-08:00</published><updated>2012-12-17T11:14:47.709-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Dark Dragon Publishing: $.99 KINDLE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY SPECIAL on THE CHOSEN CHRONICLES!!!</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style=&quot;color: #e06666;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://darkdragonpublishing.blogspot.com/2012/12/99-kindle-christmas-holiday-special.html?spref=bl&quot;&gt;Dark Dragon Publishing: $.99 KINDLE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY SPECIAL!!!&lt;/a&gt;: We of Dark Dragon Publishing&amp;nbsp;   are happy to offer you a wonderful&amp;nbsp;   Christmas /Hol iday Season Present!      From     Saturday, Decembe ...&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
513. <br />
514. <span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-size: large;">DDP has all three of my AWAR<span style="font-size: large;">D WINNING </span>novels:  </span></span><br />
515. <span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Changeling-Prelude-Chosen-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B004XJCLIS" target="_blank">Changeling: Prelude to the Chosen Chronicles</a></span></span><br />
516. <span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Angel-Death-Chosen-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B004XJ6V3Y" target="_blank">Angel of Death: Book One of the Chosen Chronicles</a></span></span><br />
517. <span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Death-Chosen-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B004XDY67S" target="_blank">Shadow of Death: Book Two of the Chosen Chronicles</a></span></span><br />
518. <span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
519. on Holiday special for $.99 EACH on KINDLE! So make sure you pick up your copies before the price goes up! Just click on each of the Titles!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/7162489309587309813/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2012/12/dark-dragon-publishing-99-kindle.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/7162489309587309813'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/7162489309587309813'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2012/12/dark-dragon-publishing-99-kindle.html' title='Dark Dragon Publishing: $.99 KINDLE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY SPECIAL on THE CHOSEN CHRONICLES!!!'/><author><name>Karen Dales</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06863449247777478067</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='21' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaEKAwTPEYi4thp3UpaHbBLokWeXmS_bMYs1Klmv6oCe2AjLYIXukByj2Ma43cSuX83teY6FpEFLgqAbczIXBo8QGZXV6IwvZacRG8vodFRY0S2WzWoTuHViDycIHFeDE/s220/SODcover+jpg.jpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867211331020558596.post-1803254063223885717</id><published>2012-12-10T08:57:00.001-08:00</published><updated>2012-12-10T08:59:02.772-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Dark Dragon Publishing: Submissions: How to Submit</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style=&quot;color: #e06666;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://darkdragonpublishing.blogspot.com/2012/12/submissions-how-to-submit-and-how-not.html?spref=bl&quot;&gt;Dark Dragon Publishing: Submissions: How to Submit&lt;/a&gt;: If you follow Dark Dragon Publishing on Facebook or Twitter, you may already know that we are now open for query submissions. In that announ...&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
520. <br />
521. <span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">This article by my publisher, <a href="http://darkdragonpublishing.com/" target="_blank">Dark Dragon Publishing</a>, is wonderful and gets right to the point. I hope that you will click on it and read it. It's a must read for any author who is interested in submitting queries to them or to any agent/publisher.</span></span></span><br />
522. <span style="background-color: black;"><br /></span>
523. &lt;span style=&quot;color: #cccccc;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;background-color: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;background-color: black;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Georgia, &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;, serif; font-size: large;&quot;&gt;Cheers!&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/1803254063223885717/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2012/12/dark-dragon-publishing-submissions-how.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/1803254063223885717'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/1803254063223885717'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2012/12/dark-dragon-publishing-submissions-how.html' title='Dark Dragon Publishing: Submissions: How to Submit'/><author><name>Karen Dales</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06863449247777478067</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='21' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaEKAwTPEYi4thp3UpaHbBLokWeXmS_bMYs1Klmv6oCe2AjLYIXukByj2Ma43cSuX83teY6FpEFLgqAbczIXBo8QGZXV6IwvZacRG8vodFRY0S2WzWoTuHViDycIHFeDE/s220/SODcover+jpg.jpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867211331020558596.post-6191537011176392401</id><published>2012-10-31T15:00:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2012-10-31T11:46:52.853-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Flash Fiction"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Short Story"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="The Dark"/><title type='text'>The Dark: A Short Story for Hallowe&#39;en</title><content type='html'>&lt;h1 style=&quot;color: #d5a6bd; font-family: Georgia,&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,serif;&quot;&gt;
524.  
525.  
526. <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">THE DARK </span></span></h1>
527. <br />
528. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #d5a6bd; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
529. <span style="font-size: small;"><i>I wrote the following flash fiction to see if I could. I hope you enjoy it!</i></span></div>
530. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #d5a6bd; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
531. <br /></div>
532. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #d5a6bd; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
533. <span style="font-size: small;">The freezing stone floor set off a spasm of shivering and she awoke, unknowing of her surroundings for they were as pitch. Panic set in. She had been walking to her car. Where was she? How did she get here? <i>Don't panic, </i>she thought in an<i> </i>effort to quiet her malleate heart<i>. </i>Turning over, she crawled on all fours, her hands burning on the cold as they fluttered to feel what she could not see.</span></div>
534. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #d5a6bd; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
535. <br /></div>
536. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #d5a6bd; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
537. <span style="font-size: small;">Knees aching, her hands scraped against a wall as firm and
538. steadfast as the floor. She whimpered. She needed to get out; needed to be
539. free; needed to bathe in the warm summer sun. </span></div>
540. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #d5a6bd; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
541. <br /></div>
542. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #d5a6bd; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
543. <span style="font-size: small;">Following the right angled path of wall and floor, she
544. scrabbled to gain purchase of her surroundings. No sound except for her
545. panicked breath, rasping clothes and tapping fingers, filled her consciousness.
546. She flailed about, searching for a break in the wall, a difference between
547. frozen stone and a possible wooden door, but found none. </span></div>
548. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #d5a6bd; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
549. <br /></div>
550. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #d5a6bd; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
551. <span style="font-size: small;">Stumped, unknowing how many circuits of the small room she
552. had spun, she grasped the wall before her and pulled herself up. If there was
553. no indication in the blackness of a door near the floor, then maybe there would
554. be one higher up. Again, hands outstretched before her, she circumambulated the
555. midnight stone room. </span></div>
556. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #d5a6bd; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
557. <br /></div>
558. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #d5a6bd; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
559. <span style="font-size: small;">Nothing.</span></div>
560. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #d5a6bd; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
561. <br /></div>
562. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #d5a6bd; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
563. <span style="font-size: small;">No door. No window. No way in. No way out.</span></div>
564. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #d5a6bd; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
565. <br /></div>
566. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #d5a6bd; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
567. <span style="font-size: small;">How did I get here? WHERE AM I?! Her mind cried out.</span></div>
568. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #d5a6bd; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
569. <br /></div>
570. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #d5a6bd; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
571. <span style="font-size: small;">A rasping sound, far above, followed by a chuckle. Something
572. hard hit her on the head before a wash of fluid cascaded, splashing, over her.
573. More laughing, deep and male, before it was cut off by the same rasping sound.</span></div>
574. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #d5a6bd; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
575. <br /></div>
576. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #d5a6bd; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
577. <span style="font-size: small;">Her back sliding down against the frozen stone, she crumpled
578. to the chilled floor, hugging herself, her tears mingling with the droplets
579. eking their way down her face. She knew now she was captured, that far above,
580. in the darkness, was the door she must have fallen through into this place,
581. this oubliette. It still did not explain why she could not see, why all around
582. her was atramentaceous.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
583. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #d5a6bd; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
584. <br /></div>
585. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #d5a6bd; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
586. <span style="font-size: small;">Numb from the cold, her fingers brushed away a droplet
587. threatening to fall in her eye and halted the motion at the strange feeling
588. before her finger tips. Breath staggering, she brought both hands to her eyes
589. and felt –</span></div>
590. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #d5a6bd; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
591. <br /></div>
592. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #d5a6bd; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
593. <span style="font-size: small;">Nothing.</span></div>
594. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #d5a6bd; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
595. <br /></div>
596. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #d5a6bd; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
597. <span style="font-size: small;">Her eyes were gone!</span></div>
598. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #d5a6bd; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
599. <br /></div>
600. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #d5a6bd; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
601. <span style="font-size: small;">Only empty sockets remained!</span></div>
602. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #d5a6bd; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
603. <br /></div>
604. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #d5a6bd; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
605. <span style="font-size: small;">Mouth opening, she screamed into the darkness. Her tongue was gone, too.</span></div>
606. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/6191537011176392401/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2012/05/dark.html#comment-form' title='13 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/6191537011176392401'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/6191537011176392401'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2012/05/dark.html' title='The Dark: A Short Story for Hallowe&#39;en'/><author><name>Karen Dales</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06863449247777478067</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='21' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaEKAwTPEYi4thp3UpaHbBLokWeXmS_bMYs1Klmv6oCe2AjLYIXukByj2Ma43cSuX83teY6FpEFLgqAbczIXBo8QGZXV6IwvZacRG8vodFRY0S2WzWoTuHViDycIHFeDE/s220/SODcover+jpg.jpg'/></author><thr:total>13</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867211331020558596.post-3849081102679693003</id><published>2012-10-25T08:01:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2012-10-25T08:01:25.836-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Hallowe&#39;en Skull and Cross Bones Cookies</title><content type='html'>Last night I mentioned that I made 6 dozen skull and cross bones cookies in my update.&lt;br /&gt;
607. <br />
608. Then people started asking to see photos, so I posted a couple of them of the cookies.<br />
609. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
610. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8jhXGw3w2w6-wQAnVObxgEWF-moYc3LURDGNjpBmskgFPYQ4_CgSPgJw37yTdFdL0OGTRb6K5Pi5QPw5TAzUKNM0IiUYsGGRULPf5BptvkYVlO7hV85dhSLs_KYHGFQ3moVRrqP0SauM/s1600/IMG_0537.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8jhXGw3w2w6-wQAnVObxgEWF-moYc3LURDGNjpBmskgFPYQ4_CgSPgJw37yTdFdL0OGTRb6K5Pi5QPw5TAzUKNM0IiUYsGGRULPf5BptvkYVlO7hV85dhSLs_KYHGFQ3moVRrqP0SauM/s320/IMG_0537.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
611. <br />
612. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
613. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbXkBZdAVp1K9_zvN7Xn_3fydx2KNuNWRCRFzwl5J4xPDOt3Y1O00MIWpKEi5Tu5LOjtwW3MrxX8gsFu3KdgXe-TecZhqq_4I_GxHhpXvzuEMzF2md2Cqj7RmtFdieeTN2ZTdQsT-xc9Q/s1600/IMG_0536.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbXkBZdAVp1K9_zvN7Xn_3fydx2KNuNWRCRFzwl5J4xPDOt3Y1O00MIWpKEi5Tu5LOjtwW3MrxX8gsFu3KdgXe-TecZhqq_4I_GxHhpXvzuEMzF2md2Cqj7RmtFdieeTN2ZTdQsT-xc9Q/s320/IMG_0536.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
614. <br />
615. <br />
616. <br />
617. <br />
618. I was then asked to post the recipe, so here it is!<br />
619. <br />
620. <i><u>Plain and Simple Sugar Cookies</u></i><br />
621. <br />
622. 1 cup butter(softened)/margerine<br />
623. 1 1/2 cup sugar<br />
624. 2 eggs<br />
625. 4 cups of flour<br />
626. 1 tbsp baking powder<br />
627. 1/4 cup milk<br />
628. <br />
629. <br />
630. <ol>
631. <li>In a lage bowl, cream together butter/margerine and sugar until smooth.</li>
632. <li>Add eggs and continue beating until creamy.</li>
633. <li>Stir in flour and baking powder alternately with the milk, to make a fairy stiff dough.</li>
634. <li>Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and kneed a few times by hand to make it smooth and workable.</li>
635. <li>Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes.</li>
636. <li>Preheat oven 350F.</li>
637. <li>Cut dough into 4 peices.</li>
638. <li>Work 1 peice at a time.</li>
639. <li>Roll onto lightly floured surface to an even 1/4 inch thickness.</li>
640. <li>Cut out shapes and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet at least 1 inch apart.</li>
641. <li>Bake 13 to 15 minues until the cookies are very slightly browned on the bottom, but still light on top.</li>
642. <li>Let them cool before decorating. </li>
643. </ol>
644. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/3849081102679693003/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2012/10/halloween-skull-and-cross-bones-cookies.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/3849081102679693003'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/3849081102679693003'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2012/10/halloween-skull-and-cross-bones-cookies.html' title='Hallowe&#39;en Skull and Cross Bones Cookies'/><author><name>Karen Dales</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06863449247777478067</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='21' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaEKAwTPEYi4thp3UpaHbBLokWeXmS_bMYs1Klmv6oCe2AjLYIXukByj2Ma43cSuX83teY6FpEFLgqAbczIXBo8QGZXV6IwvZacRG8vodFRY0S2WzWoTuHViDycIHFeDE/s220/SODcover+jpg.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8jhXGw3w2w6-wQAnVObxgEWF-moYc3LURDGNjpBmskgFPYQ4_CgSPgJw37yTdFdL0OGTRb6K5Pi5QPw5TAzUKNM0IiUYsGGRULPf5BptvkYVlO7hV85dhSLs_KYHGFQ3moVRrqP0SauM/s72-c/IMG_0537.JPG" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867211331020558596.post-2215237150187509449</id><published>2012-10-16T20:46:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2012-10-16T20:46:37.900-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="angel of death"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="changeling"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="doll"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="ebook"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="giveaway"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Hallowe&#39;en"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="kindle"/><title type='text'>HALLOWE&#39;EN GIVEAWAY!!!</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Georgia,&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #f6b26b; font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;userContent&quot;&gt;Hallowe&#39;en is around the corner and what better way to celebrate than having a Giveaway!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
645. <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
646. <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-size: large;"><span class="userContent">There are THREE prizes to win for THREE lucky winners, but to win one of them, you have to enter.</span></span></span><br />
647. <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
648. <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-size: large;"><span class="userContent">The prizes are: </span></span></span><br />
649. <ul>
650. <li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-size: large;"><span class="userContent"> </span></span><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-size: large;"><span class="userContent"> a signed limited edition of Angel of Death (includes
651. Changeling)</span></span></span></li>
652. <li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-size: large;"><span class="userContent">  a Kindle/ebook version of Angel of Death</span></span></span></li>
653. <li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-size: large;"><span class="userContent"> a handmade
654. Angel of Death Doll!</span></span></span></li>
655. </ul>
656. <span style="color: #f6b26b; font-size: large;"><span class="userContent"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So make sure you enter! </span></span></span><span style="color: #f6b26b;"><span class="userContent"> </span></span>
657.  
658. <a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/41e16b11/" id="rc-41e16b11" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
659. &lt;script src=&quot;//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js&quot;&gt;&lt;/script&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/2215237150187509449/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2012/10/halloween-giveaway.html#comment-form' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/2215237150187509449'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/2215237150187509449'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2012/10/halloween-giveaway.html' title='HALLOWE&#39;EN GIVEAWAY!!!'/><author><name>Karen Dales</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06863449247777478067</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='21' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaEKAwTPEYi4thp3UpaHbBLokWeXmS_bMYs1Klmv6oCe2AjLYIXukByj2Ma43cSuX83teY6FpEFLgqAbczIXBo8QGZXV6IwvZacRG8vodFRY0S2WzWoTuHViDycIHFeDE/s220/SODcover+jpg.jpg'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867211331020558596.post-6832890742637832916</id><published>2012-08-30T09:28:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2012-08-30T09:31:12.162-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Deconstructing Fan Expo</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Georgia, &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;, serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #6fa8dc;&quot;&gt;It&#39;s been a week since &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.fanexpocanada.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Fan Expo&lt;/a&gt; began and four days since it ended, and I have to say that this was one of the best Fan Expo experiences I&#39;ve ever had!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
660. <br />
661. <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">When I was informed where my table would be, I admit to be dubious and somewhat disgruntled for they had placed me and the other author guests out in the hall, not in the Dealer's room as they had in the past. Upon closer examination I realized that we would be situated across from Hall G, which is the largest hall where many celebrity guests speak at. <i>Okay,</i> I thought.  <i>Maybe this wouldn't be detrimental.</i> In fact, it turned out to be fortuitous.</span></span><br />
662. <br />
663. <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Thursday I prepared for long lines and confusion as to where I would need to go to get my guest badges. There was no confusion or long line. It was clear and easy, the first time in a couple of years that getting my guest passes and parking passes were simple and straight forward! What a joy and a great relief to my stress levels!<br /><br />If you've seen the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151525203650166.501337.637435165&type=1&l=a012b97d95" target="_blank">photos</a> I took you may have noticed that I was positioned between the wonderful <a href="http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/" target="_blank">Kelley Armstrong</a> and the amazing <a href="http://www.violettemalan.com/" target="_blank">Violette Malan</a>.  </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">It was a joy to spend time with these lovely ladies. I would also like to extend my congratulations to Kelley for her novel, Bitten, being picked up to be turned into a television series, and to Violette for the release of her new novel, Shadowlands.</span></span><br />
664. <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><br /></span></span>
665. <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Other authors of what we dubbed "Authors Alley" included <a href="http://www.stephenpearl.com/" target="_blank">Stephen B. Pearl</a>, <a href="http://jmfrey.net/" target="_blank">J.M. Frey</a>, <a href="http://lesleylivingston.com/" target="_blank">Leslie Livingston</a>, <a href="http://adriennekress.com/" target="_blank">Adrienne Kress</a>, Nancy Kilpatrick, Max Turner and <a href="http://www.mariebilodeau.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Marie Bilodeau</a>. It was wonderful seeing all these creative folks together!</span></span><br />
666. <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><br /></span></span>
667. <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Thursday also saw me on my first panel regarding indie publishing. It was a lot of fun. Stephen B Pearl, <a href="http://www.sasscadeaux.com/" target="_blank">Sass Cadeaux</a>, Alan Draven and I had a great time being moderated by the lovely Monica Kuebler of Rue Morgue. It was wonderful to finally meet Sass. We've been FB friends for some time! It's too bad we couldn't have spent more time together.<br /><br />The only drawback to Thursday evening was that I was unable to attend <a href="http://www.wordfire.com/" target="_blank">Kevin J. Anderson</a>'s booksigning he had invited me to. </span></span><br />
668. <br />
669. <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Friday saw me with my most signings and therefore I couldn't go into the Dealer's room and schmooze around like I wanted to. I did managed to run in and see if Kevin was at his publisher's table, but I kept missing him. Such was my luck.:)</span></span><br />
670. <br />
671. <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Saturday saw the craziest day. I learned later that the building had to be closed off from new attendees for a few hours because the building's maximum had been reached at 55, 000 folks. </span></span><br />
672. <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><br /></span></span>
673. <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">As some may know, I tend to bring my family along when I go to conventions. My son and my husband get to go and have fun while I have the joy of signing books.:) Well, on Saturday morning, before everything began, I was able to go into the Dealer's Room and do a bit of shopping while my husband and son stayed at the table. When I returned I noticed whom my author friends were speaking with. I was surprised.</span></span><br />
674. <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><br /></span></span>
675. <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">My son wanted to go into the Dealer's room to go play at the Lego booth but I had to stop him from going. I told him that "Gimili was here" and he started looking around for someone in costume. I turned him around and pointed at the gentleman talking with my author friends, and said to my son, "That's the actor who played Gimili. That's John Rhys-Davies."</span></span><br />
676. <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><br /></span></span>
677. <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Well, my son's eyes popped out of his head and a big smile grew on his face. I asked Mr. Davies if he would be kind enough to pose for a photo with my son as my son's a big LOTR fan. Mr. Davies did. He sat down beside my son, we took photos, and he talked to my son in his "Gimili" voice. It was fantastic. After, he stood up to go to his signing area, but he wanted to give my son something. He looked in his satchel, couldn't find it, and then, asking my son's name, said he would come by the next day and give him the present. We were floored! </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">We were all on a high!</span></span><br />
678. <br />
679. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
680. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy5cEtHqKkpXthdJ0gB7z6OCQhfHBSdKLqi9xL7Rr42oLlhatweo3sQPaKRLA-oM3EHEeaNu5QBwleQZuDUz8ZWWzsboTau7VD7z04UsuLWB4SfRAk7gm8YpM0LAHM4oAsozHZww8kEgs/s1600/IMG_0459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy5cEtHqKkpXthdJ0gB7z6OCQhfHBSdKLqi9xL7Rr42oLlhatweo3sQPaKRLA-oM3EHEeaNu5QBwleQZuDUz8ZWWzsboTau7VD7z04UsuLWB4SfRAk7gm8YpM0LAHM4oAsozHZww8kEgs/s320/IMG_0459.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
681. <br />
682. <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><br /></span></span>
683. <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Saturday also had Kevin popping over to see me at my table. It was so wonderful of him to take the time to do so. We sat and talked for a bit, getting to know each other a tiny amount. We have been friends on Facebook for quite some time, so it was lovely to finally meet him in person. He signed the copy of Clockwork Angels I had.</span></span><br />
684. <br />
685. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
686. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinpdwks8TDc7DHr4WUssLBGLZHuFojKtfLl8yzTB2-6cXXo6iJVXwhluWMNEtBjTJZtSENSC1ccyX2LK-pXNdVD-5FQyBQ9NTWSBy12bSDTSsw2mBB-tTBhi3dMK0xtbTAFFxfdYsgXGs/s1600/IMG_0466.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinpdwks8TDc7DHr4WUssLBGLZHuFojKtfLl8yzTB2-6cXXo6iJVXwhluWMNEtBjTJZtSENSC1ccyX2LK-pXNdVD-5FQyBQ9NTWSBy12bSDTSsw2mBB-tTBhi3dMK0xtbTAFFxfdYsgXGs/s320/IMG_0466.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
687. <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><br /></span></span>
688. <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Saturday afternoon had me on a panel about Vampires (of course.:) which went brilliantly. The only downside to Saturday is that I had to turn down a dinner get-to-gether because of a growing migraine. </span></span><br />
689. <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><br /></span></span>
690. <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Sunday was sadly and gratefully the last day.By about 10am the show was fully underway and I couldn't keep my son at the table waiting for Mr. Davies--if he was going to show up. My husband and son went off to the Lego booth to play. Shortly after that, I realized my husband had taken the money pouch and I had to run into the Dealer's room to get it. To my horror and dismay, when I returned, Mr. Davies had come by in our absense! Violette and her friend, Barb, tried to keep him there for my return, but he couldn't stay. Instead, he kept his promise and left a signed print of him as Gimili for my son. He even remembered my son's name!</span></span><br />
691. <br />
692. <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Well, I asked Barb to run in and get my hubby and son. As soon as they came back I told them what had transpired. I said the only thing to do was to go over to Mr. Davies and say thank you, and that's exactly what my son and I did. My son was so happy and excited that he couldn't stop bouncing!</span></span><br />
693. <br />
694. <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Sunday ended Fan Expo on a high note, with memories that will last us a lifetime. I did better than I expected and realized the 'experiment in action' of having us in the hall worked out very well for me.</span></span><br />
695. <br />
696. <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">I want to say a public thank you to all those volunteers who helped make it flow as well as it did, and to all the guys at Hobby Star who made it all happen!  </span></span><br />
697. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Georgia, &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;, serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #6fa8dc;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/6832890742637832916/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2012/08/deconstructing-fan-expo.html#comment-form' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/6832890742637832916'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/6832890742637832916'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2012/08/deconstructing-fan-expo.html' title='Deconstructing Fan Expo'/><author><name>Karen Dales</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06863449247777478067</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='21' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaEKAwTPEYi4thp3UpaHbBLokWeXmS_bMYs1Klmv6oCe2AjLYIXukByj2Ma43cSuX83teY6FpEFLgqAbczIXBo8QGZXV6IwvZacRG8vodFRY0S2WzWoTuHViDycIHFeDE/s220/SODcover+jpg.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy5cEtHqKkpXthdJ0gB7z6OCQhfHBSdKLqi9xL7Rr42oLlhatweo3sQPaKRLA-oM3EHEeaNu5QBwleQZuDUz8ZWWzsboTau7VD7z04UsuLWB4SfRAk7gm8YpM0LAHM4oAsozHZww8kEgs/s72-c/IMG_0459.JPG" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867211331020558596.post-6069838918202755739</id><published>2012-08-14T14:00:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2012-08-14T14:00:09.519-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Fan Expo Update</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;It&#39;s nine days away from Canada&#39;s largest Multi-Media and Multi-Genre Convention - Fan Expo (&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.fanexpocanada.com/&quot;&gt;www.fanexpocanada.com&lt;/a&gt;).&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
698. <br />
699. <span style="font-size: large;">If you want to think about it, it's Canada's version of San Fran's ComicCon, and FanExpo is expecting over 80,000 people to attend over the four days.</span><br />
700. <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
701. <span style="font-size: large;">Some of you may already know, but if not, I'm one of the Horror Author Guests <a href="http://www.fanexpocanada.com/horror-guests/karen-dales/%20" target="_blank">http://www.fanexpocanada.com/horror-guests/karen-dales/  </a>(Yeay!!!!)</span><br />
702. <br />
703. <span style="font-size: large;">I'm thrilled to announce that I will be signing copies of my Award Winning Series, THE CHOSEN CHRONICLES, and will have Chibi Chosen and Buttons, too, at my table <span style="color: #e06666;">L70</span>! I'll be sharing it with the magnificent Violette Malan and will be beside #1 NYT author, Kelley Armstrong. </span><br />
704. <br />
705. <span style="font-size: large;">We'll be located outside of the main room, so before you head on in, come on by and say 'hi' and pick up a book or two! Here's the floorplan of the event!  </span><br />
706. <span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.fanexpocanada.com/2012/forms/2012-FLOORPLAN.pdf">http://www.fanexpocanada.com/2012/forms/2012-FLOORPLAN.pdf</a></span><br />
707. <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
708. <span style="font-size: large;">I will also be on two great panels, moderated by the exquisit Monica Kuebler, editor of Rue Morgue.<br /><a href="http://www.fanexpocanada.com/2012/forms/2012-HORROR-SCHEDULE.pdf">http://www.fanexpocanada.com/2012/forms/2012-HORROR-SCHEDULE.pdf</a></span><br />
709. <br />
710. <span style="font-size: large;">Here are the two panels:</span><br />
711. <br />
712. <span style="font-size: large;">INDIE GENRE FICTION</span><br />
713. <span style="font-size: large;">An in-depth look at the self-publishing and small press horror scenes. How to break in, get published and get your stories in front of readers. With authors Sass Cadeaux, Stephen Pearl, Karen Dales and Alan Draven Moderated by Monica S. Kuebler. </span><br />
714. <div style="color: #e06666;">
715. <span style="font-size: large;">Thursday, August 23rd @ 8pm in Room 707</span></div>
716. <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
717. <span style="font-size: large;">LIFE AFTER TWILIGHT AND TRUEBLOOD</span><br />
718. <span style="font-size: large;">How do the purveyors of vampire fiction keep their bloodsuckers fresh and interesting after the mainstream's been oversaturated by the creatures of the night? With authors Nancy Kilpatrick, Karen Dales, Sue Dent, Crissy Calhoun and Liisa Ladouceur. </span><br />
719. <span style="font-size: large;">Moderated by Monica S. Kuebler.</span><br />
720. <div style="color: #e06666;">
721. <span style="font-size: large;">Saturday, August 25th @ 5pm in Room 703</span></div>
722. <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
723. <span style="font-size: large;">I hope that you will come by to this great event, stop over to at least say 'hi' and have the best time of your life!<br /><br />If you can't make it, you can always order my books through online retailers in both trade paperback and ebook formats (Kindle/Nook/Kobo, etc) by going to<a href="http://www.darkdragonpublishing.com/books.html" target="_blank"> http://darkdragonpublishing.com/books.html</a></span><br />
724. &lt;br /&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/6069838918202755739/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2012/08/fan-expo-update.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/6069838918202755739'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/6069838918202755739'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2012/08/fan-expo-update.html' title='Fan Expo Update'/><author><name>Karen Dales</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06863449247777478067</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='21' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaEKAwTPEYi4thp3UpaHbBLokWeXmS_bMYs1Klmv6oCe2AjLYIXukByj2Ma43cSuX83teY6FpEFLgqAbczIXBo8QGZXV6IwvZacRG8vodFRY0S2WzWoTuHViDycIHFeDE/s220/SODcover+jpg.jpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867211331020558596.post-4264486308476900090</id><published>2012-07-18T15:49:00.001-07:00</published><updated>2012-07-18T15:49:36.004-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="agents"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="query"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="submissions"/><title type='text'>Submit To The Submission</title><content type='html'>&lt;!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;&lt;xml&gt;
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1051. </style>
1052. <![endif]-->
1053.  
1054. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1055. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">I find it incredibly intriguing at the presumption of
1056. some authors when it comes to searching for an agent and/or publisher for their
1057. manuscript. In high school, college, and university, creative writing courses
1058. focus on the craft of writing. Once released from those institutions a writer
1059. will hole-up in their privacy, writing what they believe to be the perfect
1060. novel. Others may move their training into individual writing courses. One
1061. thing that is rarely taught is the process of querying agents and/or publishers.</span></span></div>
1062. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1063. <br /></div>
1064. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1065. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">So many writers and would-be published authors have no
1066. clue how to spark the interest of an agent/publisher, let alone how to find
1067. one. It is the business end of the world of the writer that is almost never
1068. taught. So I have deigned to embark, albeit briefly, in offering my meager
1069. knowledge of the process.</span></span></div>
1070. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1071. <br /></div>
1072. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1073. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">The number one most important thing you must have,
1074. before you begin your search, is to finish your manuscript.</span></span></div>
1075. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1076. <br /></div>
1077. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1078. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Let me say that again, especially
1079. for all you fiction writers out there (this does not necessarily hold true for
1080. non-fiction, but it still helps): </span></span></div>
1081. <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
1082. <span style="font-size: large;"><i><span lang="EN-US">FINISH YOUR MANUSCRIPT.</span></i></span></div>
1083. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1084. <br /></div>
1085. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1086. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">This means you have completed the
1087. draft, edited it, fixed it/rewrote it, maybe having another edit it for you,
1088. fix it again, and then leave it alone. The more you try to ‘fix’ it, the
1089. greater the chance to F-it up. Do not try and have different versions that can
1090. be sent to different agents/publishers because you’re trying to second guess
1091. what they may want. Have one version. If you are incredibly lucky to be taken
1092. on by a publisher your novel WILL be ripped apart through an intensive editing
1093. process you never expected. This is not necessarily the case with agents, but I
1094. go too far. Let’s say you’ve completed your manuscript, what happen next?</span></span></div>
1095. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1096. <br /></div>
1097. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1098. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">For many of us, finding an agent
1099. is the next stage. It is usually the agent that acts as a gateway into the
1100. publishing world, but how to possibly secure an agent? I will tell you this;
1101. just because you want an agent doesn’t mean you’ll get one.</span></span></div>
1102. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1103. <br /></div>
1104. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1105. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">There are directories on the
1106. internet that lists numerous agents. Find them and then learn which of the
1107. agents are reputable, accepting unsolicited queries, the genres they represent,
1108. and their specifications on how they like their query packages. This process
1109. takes time and research. Any agent that expects money from their clients beyond
1110. some photocopying is someone you do not want to query. Remember, take your time
1111. and research each agent you wish to query. Make a list of agents with their
1112. contact information.</span></span></div>
1113. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1114. <br /></div>
1115. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1116. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">You’ve got your list. Now what?</span></span></div>
1117. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1118. <br /></div>
1119. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1120. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">The hardest part.</span></span></div>
1121. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1122. <br /></div>
1123. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1124. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Now you must compose a query
1125. letter and different synopses of different lengths to accommodate the desires
1126. of the agent. This query is a ONE page letter of introduction of your book and
1127. yourself. It MUST be punchy enough to catch the agent’s eye so as to continue
1128. reading. It should also be formatted and written as a BUSINESS LETTER. If you
1129. don’t know how to write in ‘business speak’ then it is high time you learn. It
1130. shows your professionalism. There are many examples of finely crafted query letters
1131. out there, find them on the internet and study their structure. If you’ve got a
1132. beta-reader, use him/her. Make sure that query letter is as perfect as you can
1133. make it. As for your synopses, good luck. It MUST be amazing and it is one of
1134. the HARDEST things to write. Again, use your support network to help you edit
1135. it and edit it and edit it, etc., until they are perfect.</span></span></div>
1136. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1137. <br /></div>
1138. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1139. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Okay. The manuscript is completed.
1140. The query letter is written. Different synopses are finalized. The list of
1141. agents is done. Now you’re ready.</span></span></div>
1142. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1143. <br /></div>
1144. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1145. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Not so long ago all query
1146. submissions were sent by snail mail. It was costly and time consuming and bad
1147. for the environment. Today, more and more agents recognize the impact of all
1148. these submission packages have on the environment, therefore most now accept
1149. queries via email, though some still expect hard copy submissions. In EVERY
1150. CASE personalize each query letter to the agent you are sending to. Never ever
1151. send it “To Whom It May Concern.” If you don’t know, then don’t send. Whoever
1152. receives it with that will ensure your query hits the recycling bin, virtual or
1153. real.</span></span></div>
1154. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1155. <br /></div>
1156. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1157. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">For the sake of this blog, let’s
1158. assume the queries are sent electronically.</span></span></div>
1159. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1160. <br /></div>
1161. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1162. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">I’ve already stated that EACH
1163. query is to be individually personalized. It also means that for each agent you
1164. send an email DO NOT C.C. other agents of send out a blind c.c. (b.c.c.) so
1165. that you only have to send one query email. If you do so your query will BE
1166. DELETED. If the content of your email isn’t a professionally written, business
1167. style query letter, most likely it will be DELETED. This means no “Hi, I saw
1168. you’re accepting queries, please look at mine.”</span></span></div>
1169. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1170. <br /></div>
1171. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1172. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Many agents (and publishers) will
1173. inform potential author/clients how they want the email to look and even to
1174. what’s in the subject heading and whether or not they want the submissions as
1175. part of the email or as an attachment. If they want attachments, then they’ll
1176. let you know what document formats they accept. How will you glean this
1177. information? Very simply, through your research in who to query. If you don’t
1178. have this information, then you need to double check your research.</span></span></div>
1179. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1180. <br /></div>
1181. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1182. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Okay. You have everything picture
1183. perfect. Now it’s time to show your baby and press the SEND button.</span></span></div>
1184. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1185. <br /></div>
1186. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1187. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Let’s be perfectly clear. Agents
1188. are extremely busy people who receive hundreds of queries a month. DO NOT take
1189. it personally when you receive a form letter rejection. It has nothing to do
1190. with you. It’s just that they are that busy. </span></span></div>
1191. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1192. <br /></div>
1193. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1194. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Let’s stop here for a moment with
1195. the realization that you WILL receive rejections. This is par for the course.
1196. If you can’t accept it, then you shouldn’t be looking or representation to a
1197. traditional publisher, or even looking for a publisher. One thing you should
1198. NEVER do is email the agent back with an anger filled letter. Doing so burns
1199. bridges fast than a forest fire. Agents talk to each other and if you throw a
1200. Diva-fit at each agent you receive a rejection from, therefore don’t be
1201. surprised if you get black-balled. Do not become one of the “Authors Behaving
1202. Badly” Club.</span></span></div>
1203. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1204. <br /></div>
1205. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1206. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Now to continue on a positive
1207. note.</span></span></div>
1208. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1209. <br /></div>
1210. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1211. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">After a slew of rejections, you
1212. receive a response requesting part or the whole manuscript. Congrats! Do
1213. something to celebrate. An agent is interested! Send him or her what he or she
1214. wants and the wait.</span></span></div>
1215. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1216. <br /></div>
1217. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1218. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">And wait.</span></span></div>
1219. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
1220. <br /></div>
1221. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
1222. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">And wait.</span></span></div>
1223. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1224. <br /></div>
1225. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1226. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Just because you send an agent the
1227. requested manuscript doesn’t guarantee a yes. This is the HARD part. You have
1228. to wait for the agent to read the manuscript and decide if it, and you, are
1229. something he or she can a) work with and b) more importantly, sell to
1230. publishers. Give the agent/publisher time. Generally, it’s three months, and in
1231. most cases the agent/publisher will assume that you have stopped querying until
1232. they make the decision to take you on or not. </span></span></div>
1233. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1234. <br /></div>
1235. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1236. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">If you receive a rejection at this
1237. point, it’s okay to be sad. Do something to pick you up and get back on the
1238. horse. In most cases, if you’re rejected at this point there won’t be a form
1239. letter; you’ll receive a personalized letter explaining why. In rare
1240. occurrences, they’ll ask you to resubmit when you’ve fixed those issues.</span></span></div>
1241. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1242. <br /></div>
1243. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1244. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">I try to be a positive person, so
1245. let’s say after all this time and effort an agent is interested in signing you.
1246. YEAY! Go out! Celebrate, but just because you signed with an agent doesn’t mean
1247. that the agent will be able to find a publisher for your novel.</span></span></div>
1248. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1249. <br /></div>
1250. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1251. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Did I say I try to be positive?</span></span></div>
1252. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1253. <br /></div>
1254. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1255. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">I was!</span></span></div>
1256. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1257. <br /></div>
1258. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1259. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">I’m also realistic.</span></span></div>
1260. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1261. <br /></div>
1262. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1263. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">So if this is the route you wish
1264. to try, go for it! I tried too. One thing you need to know in this business is
1265. that you must have strong determination. If going this route isn’t your thing,
1266. then look at self-publishing—that’s another blog post! Regardless of the path
1267. you take, to succeed you must work hard and understand this is a business no
1268. different than McDonald’s selling Big Macs. The only difference is that we’re
1269. selling a piece of ourselves called our Novel(s).</span></span></div>
1270. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1271. <br /></div>
1272. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1273. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">One thing I’m asked over and over
1274. in interviews is what advice I give to new and would-be authors. I give the
1275. same answer. </span></span></div>
1276. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
1277. <br /></div>
1278. <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
1279. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Never give up! Never
1280. surrender!</span></span></div>
1281. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1282. <br /></div>
1283. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1284. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Cheers!</span></span></div>
1285. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1286. <br /></div>
1287. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1288. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Karen Dales</span></span></div>
1289. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1290. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Award Winning Author</span></span></div>
1291. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1292. <br /></div>
1293. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1294. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Kelley Armstrong, #1 New York Times Best Selling
1295. Author says of Shadow of Death, "... dark...compelling ...that will keep
1296. readers turning the pages well past bedtime."</span><span></span></span></div>
1297. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1298. <br /></div>
1299. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1300. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Order of The Chosen Chronicles:</span></span></div>
1301. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1302. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Changeling: Prelude to The Chosen Chronicles</span></span></div>
1303. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1304. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Angel of Death: Book One of The Chosen Chronicles</span></span></div>
1305. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1306. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Shadow of Death: Book Two of The Chosen Chronicles</span></span></div>
1307. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1308. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">(Soon To Be Released - Thanatos: Book Three of The
1309. Chosen Chronicles)</span></span></div>
1310. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1311. <br /></div>
1312. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1313. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Reviews from fans - <a href="http://karendales.com/fanreviews.html">http://karendales.com/fanreviews.html</a></span></span></div>
1314. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1315. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Reviews from media/authors - <a href="http://karendales.com/reviews.html">http://karendales.com/reviews.html</a></span></span></div>
1316. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1317. <br /></div>
1318. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1319. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Please check out the series.</span></span></div>
1320. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1321. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">"The Chosen Chronicles" are now $.99 for
1322. each eBook.</span></span></div>
1323. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1324. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">(also available in Trade Paperback)</span></span></div>
1325. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1326. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Amazon/Kindle -<span> 
1327. </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Karen-Dales/e/B004TG6U1Y/">http://www.amazon.com/Karen-Dales/e/B004TG6U1Y/</a></span></span></div>
1328. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1329. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Barnes & Noble - <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/karen-dales">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/karen-dales</a></span></span></div>
1330. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1331. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Smashwords - <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/KarenDales">http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/KarenDales</a></span></span></div>
1332. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1333. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Kobo - <a href="http://www.kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=the+chosen+chronicles">http://www.kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=the+chosen+chronicles</a></span></span></div>
1334. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
1335. <span style="font-size: large;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">iTunes -<span>  </span><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/ca/artist/karen-dales/id442956746?mt=11">http://<span style="font-style: normal;">itunes.apple.com/ca/artist/karen-dales/id442956746?mt=11</span></a></span></i></span></div>
1336. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
1337. <br /></div>
1338. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
1339. <br /></div>
1340. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1341. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Keep up to date with me and my writing on:</span></span></div>
1342. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1343. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Website – <a href="http://karendales.com/">http://karendales.com/</a></span></span></div>
1344. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1345. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Facebook - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/karendalesauthor">https://www.facebook.com/karendalesauthor</a>
1346. </span></span></div>
1347. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1348. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Twitter - <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/karendales">https://twitter.com/#!/karendales</a></span></span></div>
1349. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1350. <span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Amazon – <a href="http://amazon.com/author/karendales">http://amazon.com/author/karendales</a></span></span></div>
1351. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1352. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&lt;span lang=&quot;EN-US&quot;&gt;Goodreads - &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.goodreads.com/karendalesauthor&quot;&gt;http://www.goodreads.com/karendalesauthor&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/4264486308476900090/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2012/07/submit-to-submission.html#comment-form' title='6 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/4264486308476900090'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/4264486308476900090'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2012/07/submit-to-submission.html' title='Submit To The Submission'/><author><name>Karen Dales</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06863449247777478067</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='21' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaEKAwTPEYi4thp3UpaHbBLokWeXmS_bMYs1Klmv6oCe2AjLYIXukByj2Ma43cSuX83teY6FpEFLgqAbczIXBo8QGZXV6IwvZacRG8vodFRY0S2WzWoTuHViDycIHFeDE/s220/SODcover+jpg.jpg'/></author><thr:total>6</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867211331020558596.post-73385117522923625</id><published>2012-06-20T07:18:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2012-10-16T20:47:05.959-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Dark Light: An anthology of Horror fiction to support those in need.</title><content type='html'>I don&#39;t usually do this. In fact, I&#39;ve never done this before on my blog, but the reasoning to do so was the right reasons.&lt;br /&gt;
1353. <br />
1354. Dark Light is an anthology of Horror fiction edited by Carl Hose where ALL the proceeds go to charity. It releases today in both ebook and trade paperback. In celebration of this wonderful anthology I have the honour of interviewing Mr. Hose about the project and hosting a giveaway of a signed (by Mr. Hose) copy of Dark Light to one lucky person.<br />
1355. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1356. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4nC8HgQ48JvbWgN1D5FjXCasYzFF-e8KAgWVKqaoVoM5xuKugRlt6fEK2-a1iQ7LbFDBU9d4lttHmQ1MKc5lDfY_EIr8mQwX8IapBDFw3dWa6pNoTtcYNPtHQt1YoEJQ2igz3PdK8gE/s1600/Dark+Light.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4nC8HgQ48JvbWgN1D5FjXCasYzFF-e8KAgWVKqaoVoM5xuKugRlt6fEK2-a1iQ7LbFDBU9d4lttHmQ1MKc5lDfY_EIr8mQwX8IapBDFw3dWa6pNoTtcYNPtHQt1YoEJQ2igz3PdK8gE/s320/Dark+Light.jpg" width="221" /></a></div>
1357. <br />
1358. <br />
1359. <div class="MsoNormal">
1360. <span style="color: #e06666;">Karen: Hi, Carl, thanks for coming onto my blog to discuss
1361. your newly released anthology, "Dark Light." Can you tell us what
1362. inspired you to create this anthology?</span><br />
1363. <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /></div>
1364. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8;">
1365. Carl: Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to
1366. help out, Karen. It means a lot. </div>
1367. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8;">
1368. My daughter Ireland was born six weeks premature and had to
1369. spend three weeks in NICU. To be with her, my wife, Marcee, and I would have
1370. had to travel. We were fully prepared to sleep in the NICU, but one of the
1371. nurses insisted we check into one of the three Ronald McDonald Houses on the premises.
1372. That in itself was an interesting experience, which I detailed in the
1373. introduction to "Dark Light." Anyway, RMH provided us with what
1374. amounted to a pretty nice hotel room, three meals a day, all prepared by volunteers,
1375. and access to the kitchen any time we wanted. They also had a playground and
1376. welcomed visits from our family and friends whenever we wanted. It's just
1377. amazing what the organization does year round.</div>
1378. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8;">
1379. <br /></div>
1380. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8;">
1381.  One night, while
1382. catching a breather in the room at RMH before our daughter's next feeding, I
1383. told my wife I wanted to do something to pay back RMH for all they were doing
1384. for us and what they do for other families all the time. The idea for the
1385. anthology seemed obvious. I knew I couldn't do it on my own, however, so that
1386. night I began contacting all the writers on my Facebook page – some of the
1387. biggest names in the horror genre – and I asked for a story. Almost none of
1388. them said no. There was no time between asking for a story and receiving it. I
1389. also got a few stories from writers who saw the call for submissions on Darkest
1390. Markets.<br />
1391. <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /></div>
1392. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8;">
1393.  The title "Dark
1394. Light" seemed fitting for horror writers writing for a good cause. I
1395. started asking for submissions in early February and the book will be out June
1396. 20th. There are 42 writers and 44 stories. It's huge and there is such a range
1397. of horror themes included. I think readers are going to dig it.</div>
1398. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #ea9999;">
1399. <br /></div>
1400. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e06666;">
1401. Karen: Why, specifically, did you choose to have the
1402. anthology in the horror genre? One would think, from your experiences, a more
1403. uplifting genre would have been preferable. </div>
1404. <div class="MsoNormal">
1405. <br /></div>
1406. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8;">
1407. <span style="line-height: 115%;">Carl:
1408. That's a good question, and a lot of the writers actually submitted stories
1409. with horror themes they felt were more acceptable to the cause, but I write
1410. horror, as do the writers I contacted. I didn't believe we needed to write
1411. sunshine and happy endings just because we were writing for a great charity.
1412. The truth is, I think it says a lot that writers who are traditionally known
1413. for dark thoughts came together</span></div>
1414. <div class="MsoNormal">
1415. <span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">so
1416. quickly and gave so much of their time to answer a call to support RMH. Many of
1417. these writers didn't even know me, but they came on board without hesitation.
1418. That's positive regardless of the content of the anthology. Horror writers have
1419. kids and families as well, and they can care as deeply as anyone. Besides, when
1420. a rock band supports a charity, they don't play classical because it's proper –
1421. they play loud rock 'n' roll.</span><br />
1422. <br style="color: #e06666;" /><span style="color: #e06666;">
1423. Karen: So true! The Horror genre is very broad in its definition, or what one
1424. can find in it, what types of horror stories can be found in “Dark Light” that
1425. will titillate readers?</span></span></div>
1426. <div class="MsoNormal">
1427. <br /></div>
1428. <div class="MsoNormal">
1429. <span style="color: #a2c4c9;">Carl: There is a broad range of stories in the horror genre,
1430. you're right about that. And that just about tells you what you will find in "Dark
1431. Light." With the number of writers, both established and fairly new, and
1432. their varying styles, there will definitely be something for just about
1433. everyone. The stories range from traditional horror themes to serial killers,
1434. from ghosts to demons, with some humor and experimental stuff thrown on. The range
1435. is huge, but the book has a really even feel to it. Readers should not only
1436. enjoy reading some of their favorite authors, but will hopefully find others
1437. they will enjoy in the process.</span><br />
1438. <br />
1439. <span style="color: #e06666;">Karen: That’s really great information. Thanks! I know that you mentioned
1440. earlier that you are a writer, is “Dark Light” your first foray into editing,
1441. especially that of an anthology?</span></div>
1442. <div class="MsoNormal">
1443. <br /></div>
1444. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8;">
1445. Carl: I've edited a lot of novels and anthologies, both
1446. professionally and as favors to friends. This is my first time acting in the capacity
1447. of publisher and editor. Editing is simple and straightforward, but</div>
1448. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8;">
1449. giving birth to an anthology is a different animal
1450. altogether. Getting submissions, reading them, rejecting some, editing what
1451. remains, getting proofs out to the authors, coordinating the contractual stuff,
1452. formatting the book, making sure I didn't forget anybody and that I spelled all
1453. the names correctly -- that stuff can get overwhelming. Writing is much easier
1454. for me.</div>
1455. <div class="MsoNormal">
1456. <br /></div>
1457. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e06666;">
1458. Karen: What, in the whole process of creating “Dark Light,”
1459. have you found to be the most rewarding aspect of the endeavour?</div>
1460. <div class="MsoNormal">
1461. <br /></div>
1462. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8;">
1463. Carl: Seeing the generosity of the writers is the most
1464. rewarding aspect. I can remember where I was when each of these writers got in
1465. touch to say they would do the anthology. I heard back from almost every one of
1466. them before my daughter was even out of the hospital. Walking around in a daze
1467. between RMH and the hospital, I'd check my Facebook on my phone and find a
1468. "Yes, I'd be happy to help out, here's a story."</div>
1469. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8;">
1470. <br /></div>
1471. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #9fc5e8;">
1472. Other than that, the most rewarding aspect has been pulling
1473. it together so quickly. This is a huge book -- nearly six hundred pages -- and
1474. to have it conceived and ready to release in just four months is an awesome
1475. feeling. All of the writers in this book should be commended for having acted
1476. on everything quickly to allow me to move at this pace. I didn't want this to be
1477. one of those anthologies it takes a year to get out. There's no need for that,
1478. and because everyone cooperated so well, the pieces fell together.</div>
1479. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e06666;">
1480. <br /></div>
1481. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e06666;">
1482. Karen: “Dark Light” sounds like it’s packed with many
1483. amazing and wonderful stories, and since the proceeds are going to a great
1484. cause, where can a reader pick up a copy? Will “Dark Light” be available in
1485. both print and ebook formats?</div>
1486. <div class="MsoNormal">
1487. <br /></div>
1488. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #a2c4c9;">
1489. Carl: The book will be available in all digital formats,
1490. available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Sony Reader Store, and Kobo. It will
1491. also be available in print at Amazon, some online stores, and a few brick and mortar
1492. stores. I tried for the widest possible distribution. My website, <a href="http://carlhose.net/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">http://carlhose.net</span></a>
1493.  will have complete information, or
1494. people can find me on Facebook and add me as a friend. From there, you can
1495. check out the Dark Light Facebook page. The book will roll out on or before
1496. June 20th. I'm excited about it. I love the stories and hope readers will too.</div>
1497. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #a2c4c9;">
1498. <br /></div>
1499. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1500. <iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/omTtmpoRBHk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
1501. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #a2c4c9;">
1502. <br /></div>
1503. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #a2c4c9;">
1504. <br /></div>
1505. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #a2c4c9;">
1506. Available on KINDLE - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Light-ebook/dp/B008C3UM32" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Light-ebook/dp/B008C3UM32</a></div>
1507. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #a2c4c9;">
1508. <br /></div>
1509. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #a2c4c9;">
1510. For other formats soon to be available, check out <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span><a href="http://carlhose.net%20/" target="_blank">http://carlhose.net </a><br />
1511. <br />
1512. For a chance to win a signed copy! Good luck!<br />
1513.  
1514. </div>
1515. <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #a2c4c9;">
1516. </div>
1517. <a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/" id="rc-41e16b9">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
1518. <script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js">
1519. &lt;/script&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/73385117522923625/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2012/06/dark-light-anthology-of-horror-fiction.html#comment-form' title='28 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/73385117522923625'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/73385117522923625'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2012/06/dark-light-anthology-of-horror-fiction.html' title='Dark Light: An anthology of Horror fiction to support those in need.'/><author><name>Karen Dales</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06863449247777478067</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='21' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaEKAwTPEYi4thp3UpaHbBLokWeXmS_bMYs1Klmv6oCe2AjLYIXukByj2Ma43cSuX83teY6FpEFLgqAbczIXBo8QGZXV6IwvZacRG8vodFRY0S2WzWoTuHViDycIHFeDE/s220/SODcover+jpg.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4nC8HgQ48JvbWgN1D5FjXCasYzFF-e8KAgWVKqaoVoM5xuKugRlt6fEK2-a1iQ7LbFDBU9d4lttHmQ1MKc5lDfY_EIr8mQwX8IapBDFw3dWa6pNoTtcYNPtHQt1YoEJQ2igz3PdK8gE/s72-c/Dark+Light.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>28</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867211331020558596.post-6222387182905017514</id><published>2012-05-22T11:09:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2012-05-22T11:09:30.222-07:00</updated><title type='text'>The Sequence of Editing</title><content type='html'>&lt;div style=&quot;color: #b4a7d6;&quot;&gt;
1520.  A question was asked on a FB group about how novels are edited. I wrote the following in response and then realized I can share it with you wonderful folks on my blog.</div>
1521. <div style="color: #b4a7d6;">
1522. <br /></div>
1523. <div style="color: #b4a7d6;">
1524. As an editor, the rule of thumb for editing goes from the largest to the smallest. This means you start with the content/substance of the novel: plot, facts, flow, character development, use of language, ensurance that the voice of the author and thus the characters are consistent, etc. I want to note that substance/content editing can be several rounds of rewrites.<br /><br />Once the rewrites to the substance/content of the novel are complete, then comes the line editing. This is where the structure of the novel is edited, where the sentences and paragraphs, even chapter breaks and scene breaks, are studied and fixed so as to keep a constant flow in the narrative. <br /><br />Once those re-writes are done, then it goes to copy editing. This is where grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc., get a good going over.<br /><br />Once those re-writes are done, then the galley is produced and is edited/proofread. This is the LAST chance for the author to make any changes/fixes to the novel before it goes to print/epub. Here is where any last minute copy editing can be done (it's sooooooo easy to miss things), if the author needs to change something such as a last re-write of a scene or paragraph, etc., (so long as it's not more than 20% of the novel lest the author piss off their publisher) it can be done at this point. The galley edits are the point of no return.<br /><br />Once the galley is signed off, then it goes to print.<br /><br />What MANY indie publishing houses fail at is the editing. They think ONE round of editing is enough. It is not. As a reader, I won't read novels from certain indie presses because of their horrific lack of editing for their authors. I feel bad for the authors of those houses, but honestly, they should take up the issues of bad editing with their publisher.<br /><br />When Angel of Death and Changeling were picked up, the owner of DDP at that time had one editor deal with it. I trusted that editor and that person did not do a proper job. In fact, I was lucky, because that same editor mangled another author's book in the extreme. Both that editor and that owner are gone (thank GOD!) so now editing is done by professionals.  I'm also going to say, just because an individual reads a lot of books, does not make that person a publisher OR an editor.</div>
1525. <div style="color: #b4a7d6;">
1526. <br /></div>
1527. <div style="color: #b4a7d6;">
1528. If you are interested in my editing services, please email me at karendales@karendales.com</div>
1529. <div style="color: #b4a7d6;">
1530. <br /></div>
1531. <div style="color: #b4a7d6;">
1532. If you would like to check out my novels (which are now properly edited), please check out the links below.</div>
1533. <div style="color: #b4a7d6;">
1534. <br /></div>
1535. <div style="color: #b4a7d6;">
1536. Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Karen-Dales/e/B004TG6U1Y</div>
1537. <div style="color: #b4a7d6;">
1538. Barnes and Noble - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/karen-dales</div>
1539. &lt;span style=&quot;color: #b4a7d6;&quot;&gt;Smashwords - https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/KarenDales&lt;/span&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/6222387182905017514/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2012/05/sequence-of-editing.html#comment-form' title='3 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/6222387182905017514'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/6222387182905017514'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2012/05/sequence-of-editing.html' title='The Sequence of Editing'/><author><name>Karen Dales</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06863449247777478067</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='21' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaEKAwTPEYi4thp3UpaHbBLokWeXmS_bMYs1Klmv6oCe2AjLYIXukByj2Ma43cSuX83teY6FpEFLgqAbczIXBo8QGZXV6IwvZacRG8vodFRY0S2WzWoTuHViDycIHFeDE/s220/SODcover+jpg.jpg'/></author><thr:total>3</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867211331020558596.post-5723038517941120984</id><published>2012-05-14T20:14:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2012-05-14T20:14:20.544-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Indy Press Publishing Survival list</title><content type='html'>My author friend, Violette Malan, posted this and I had to share it. &lt;a href=&quot;http://mandydegeit.wordpress.com/2012/05/14/when-publishing-goes-wrong-starring-undead-press/&quot;&gt;http://mandydegeit.wordpress.com/2012/05/14/when-publishing-goes-wrong-starring-undead-press/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In this day and age, one MUST be very, very careful which small/indy publishing house you sign to. With new technology making it easier for self publishing, so too does it make it easier for would-be publishers with no real experience to start up publishing houses. Many of these people have never taken a course on how to publish, or even how to edit. Many of these people are self published individuals who have decided to take it upon themselves to do &#39;it&#39; for others. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Some warning signs one MUST be aware of when looking at small/indy publishing houses is:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;1) How they present themselves. I&#39;m not saying their websites have to look like any of the 6 Sisters and their imprints, but it should look professional in accordance to their branding. This also means spelling and grammar errors.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;2) How they correspond to potential authors and readers. If the publisher can&#39;t compose an email with proper grammar and spelling, then how can you be sure your novel/short story will be properly edited?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;3) Ask FIRST about the editing process if offered a contract. If they have a professional editor, with credentials, editing your book, then that&#39;s a good sign. There are different stages of editing and one round is never enough. I know one author, who had to go back to substantive edits with his Large house publisher TEN times for rewrites.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;4) That they aren&#39;t signing authors left, right and centre, and putting those books out in a matter of 6 months or less. There are reasons why it takes a year to 18 months (on average) to get a book out, unless you&#39;re going with Harlequin. If they are delivering quantity over quality for the number of staff, you know it&#39;ll be a poor product.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;5) BEFORE you submit to a small/indy house, read something they&#39;ve already put out. If you find substantive errors in the book, that&#39;s a BIG red flag, even if they say the book has been edited numerous times. If you find tense shifts, again, they should not be there at all. If you find consistent and numerous grammar and spelling errors, there&#39;s another red flag. &lt;note: a=&quot;&quot; all=&quot;&quot; and=&quot;&quot; are=&quot;&quot; as=&quot;&quot; because=&quot;&quot; beings.=&quot;&quot; books=&quot;&quot; but=&quot;&quot; do=&quot;&quot; errors=&quot;&quot; everywhere,=&quot;&quot; from=&quot;&quot; grammar=&quot;&quot; happen,=&quot;&quot; have=&quot;&quot; houses=&quot;&quot; human=&quot;&quot; if=&quot;&quot; it&#39;s=&quot;&quot; large=&quot;&quot; problem.=&quot;&quot; spelling=&quot;&quot; the=&quot;&quot; then=&quot;&quot; these=&quot;&quot; time,=&quot;&quot; we=&quot;&quot; well.=&quot;&quot; why?=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I hope this helped.&lt;/note:&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/5723038517941120984/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2012/05/indy-press-publishing-survival-list.html#comment-form' title='3 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/5723038517941120984'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/5723038517941120984'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2012/05/indy-press-publishing-survival-list.html' title='Indy Press Publishing Survival list'/><author><name>Karen Dales</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06863449247777478067</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='21' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaEKAwTPEYi4thp3UpaHbBLokWeXmS_bMYs1Klmv6oCe2AjLYIXukByj2Ma43cSuX83teY6FpEFLgqAbczIXBo8QGZXV6IwvZacRG8vodFRY0S2WzWoTuHViDycIHFeDE/s220/SODcover+jpg.jpg'/></author><thr:total>3</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867211331020558596.post-1302900151420777609</id><published>2012-03-28T08:12:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2012-03-28T08:12:11.751-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="interview"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="the angel of death"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="the chosen chronicles"/><title type='text'>Interview with The Angel of Death</title><content type='html'>About a month ago I set up a question for my fans as to which character  from my award winning series, The Chosen Chronicles, they would like to  see interviewed. It didn’t take long to see that the Angel was the one  most everyone wanted.&lt;br /&gt;
1540. <br />
1541. I then opened the floor to my fans so that they could ask the interview  questions. Out of those posted on my Facebook Fan Page  https://www.facebook.com/KarenDalesAuthor, and here on my blog, 20  questions were picked. Out of those who posted questions, one lucky  person will win a Chibi Chosen of the Angel  http://karendales.com/chibichosen.html The name of the winner will be  revealed at the end of the interview.<br />
1542. <br />
1543. So here we go!<br />
1544. <br />
1545. For many of you, The Chosen Chronicles, featuring the main character of  The Angel, has given you many answers and many questions about the Angel  and the story as a whole. Today, I’m interviewing the Angel.<br />
1546. <br />
1547. <span style="color: #e06666;">1 - Okay, we were all there when you and Tarian met and fell for each  other, and we were around while the Good Father took you away, so I  guess I’m curious to know: When, why, and how long were you back in that  area? Were there any living relatives or villagers who knew or  recognized you, as Gwyn or the Angel, while you fell in love with  Tarian’s granddaughter? If so, how did that all go down? – Ressa Empbra  Author</span><br />
1548. <br />
1549. The Angel:  I did not realize what my feelings were with Tarian until I  was told that Notus and I were leaving. It is hard to let go of the  people you care about, but I am grateful for the first lesson. Notus and  I never returned to that village. When we returned to that region, the  village was no more. We never return to a place while there are those  who could remember us still there. Questions about our longevity would  be detrimental to our existence.<br />
1550. <br />
1551. As to Tarian’s granddaughter, that is a very hard question to answer. We  met elsewhere than Geraint’s village, in different circumstances. I  don’t think either one of us expected to fall in love with each other as  she was promised to another man for political reasons. Needless to say,  to the victor goes the spoils and history is that which is written by  those who are victorious. It is true with her and our brief time  together. One only needs to look in mythology to see who she was and  what happened, though my perspective of what occurred is very different  to what historians wrote down.<br />
1552. <br />
1553. <span style="color: #e06666;">2 - If you were given the choice of being chosen would you have said yes? – Stephanie Buzzell</span><br />
1554. <br />
1555. The Angel:  Yes. Most definitely. Being Chosen opened up my life and illuminated the night so that I could live again.<br />
1556. <br />
1557. <span style="color: #e06666;">3 - When you think of yourself, what name do you think of? – Shannon Neprily</span><br />
1558. <br />
1559. The Angel: Jeanie asked me something similar the first night we were  truly together. As to what name I think myself to be...I don’t. I am who  I am. If people need to apply names to me, then they do. I have been  called so many things and so many names, that after all these centuries  they are all me and I am all them, good and bad.<br />
1560. <br />
1561. <span style="color: #e06666;">4 - If you could go back and change one thing about your past, what would it be? – Danielle Williams</span><br />
1562. <br />
1563. The Angel: There are so many things one can regret over such an  extensive lifetime. I’m not immune to such things, but for me, I would  have forced Jeanie to stay at Bridget’s while Fernando, Bridget and I  confronted Katherine. Had I known what would have befallen her—and I  should have known better—I would have tied her up so that she would not  have come. Because of that, I am solely to blame as to what happened to  Jeanie. It is a regret I will never be free from.<br />
1564. <br />
1565. <span style="color: #e06666;">5. - If you had one single wish, what would you wish for? Rebeeyah E. Miguel Iglesias</span><br />
1566. <br />
1567. The Angel: To have tied Jeanie to that bed that night so long ago. Had I  done so, my life would have been happier because we would be together.<br />
1568. <br />
1569. <span style="color: #e06666;">6 - Do you think you are blessed or cursed and why? Rebeeyah E. Miguel Iglesias</span><br />
1570. <br />
1571. The Angel: I believe that everyone goes through times where they believe  they are living a blessed or cursed life. Being Chosen has definitely  been a blessing, but how that has changed me to become the Angel of  Death is something I consider a curse. I do not enjoy taking the lives  of others. I do it because it is sometimes a necessity, and at other  times it is a requirement. Relieving your friends of their lives is  extraordinarily difficult, but being able to save someone from being  harmed balances it out. We all have a role to play in this world, mine  is that of the Angel.<br />
1572. <br />
1573. <span style="color: #e06666;">7 - Angel of Death, do you try to remain neutral in the fight between good and evil? Lenore Wolfe</span><br />
1574. <br />
1575. The Angel: I’m going to tell you a bit of truth. You may not like it.  You may revile me because of it. There is no ‘good’ or ‘evil.’ It is all  a matter of perspective. What one person calls evil, another calls  good, and visa versa. I am not here to judge. I have been in the employ  of what some may call an evil person, while to him and his followers, he  was great. It is what history writes of those deeds and persons, and we  all know that history is written by the victors.<br />
1576. <br />
1577. I do not try and take sides, but Notus is always there to guide and be a  sounding board so that I do not lose my perspective on what I believe  to be right and wrong.<br />
1578. <br />
1579. When we were in Palestine, with Richard the Lion Heart, I did things  that, to many, were horrific, but to my employer, they were grand. Even  Notus was drawn into the righteousness of the cause. It was only after I  was wounded that perspective returned to him, but was it because of  what happened to me, or was it that he regained a new perspective on the  war? You would have to ask him.<br />
1580. <br />
1581. <span style="color: #e06666;">8 - What do you like about the night? Rebeeyah E. Miguel Iglesias</span><br />
1582. <br />
1583. The Angel: Everything. It is quiet, even in this day and age in  comparison to a city’s daytime bustle. It contains beauty that most  mortals fail to see and it holds mysteries that hide in shadows. There  is life in the dark. More than most could ever imagine.<br />
1584. <br />
1585. If you’ve ever been to a jungle, you notice the sounds, but at night, the place truly comes alive.<br />
1586. <br style="color: #e06666;" /><span style="color: #e06666;"> 9 - What is your religious belief? Rebeeyah E. Miguel Iglesias</span><br />
1587. <br />
1588. The Angel: The woman who raised me taught me one way of living in  harmony with the earth and things of the spirit. Notus tried to convince  me to follow his religion. I have met individuals of every religion on  this planet. One thing that I know is that none of them are more correct  than the other. Each is a path leading to the same place, if one is  true to their path. I am not a religious person, but I understand and  respect things of the spirit.<br />
1589. <br />
1590. <span style="color: #e06666;">10 - How do you choose your next victim? Linda Rendell-Hayes</span><br />
1591. <br />
1592. The Angel:  I do not kill if it is not required. Those that I feed from  are ones who are down on their luck, street people if you will.  Prostitutes, mostly, depending on the circumstances and where I am. If I  come upon a criminal in the middle of the act, I will feed off of him.  In the times of the Black Death, I did not need to feed on such persons.  Too many cried out for a painless death. Notus and I gave it to them. I  will only kill if it is absolutely necessary.<br />
1593. <br />
1594. <span style="color: #e06666;">11 - What is one word that describes you and why? : ] Minahil Jaay</span><br />
1595. <br />
1596. The Angel: Enigma, because to those around me, close and afar, question  what I am, even though I have been accepted as Chosen. Also, because I  still question who I am, even after all these centuries.<br />
1597. <br />
1598. <span style="color: #e06666;">12 - If you could go back and finish living your life alone in your cave  after everything you've been through, would you do it? Shannon Neprily</span><br />
1599. <br />
1600. The Angel: No, I would not. I realized that, despite everything I’ve  been through, there are good people in the world who do not judge me by  my appearance alone, but by my character as an individual. Notus was  always one of those, and it is for him and friends like him that keeps  me out of that cave, even though there are many times I wish I could  still retreat to it.<br />
1601. <br />
1602. <span style="color: #e06666;">13 - If you had the power to change/redo one significant moment ... which would it be and why? Moira Hawthorne Copeland</span><br />
1603. <br />
1604. The Angel: I’ve answered a similar question earlier in this interview,  but this question is slightly different. For that, I’ll answer this.  That one particular moment would be when I was a child in that grove.  Instead of staying to watch Eira, her sister and cousins, I would  immediately leave. I believe I possibly would be a different person  today if I had left. Regardless, I don’t regret what happened that day  because I am who I am now because of it and many other experiences.<br />
1605. <br />
1606. <span style="color: #e06666;">14 - What would you idea vacation spot be? And why? Stephanie Buzzell</span><br />
1607. <br />
1608. The Angel: I’ve been around the world many times and seen many things. I  have my favourites, home being one, but a place to get away from  everything would be somewhere north and in the wilderness. In this  modern age there is less and less untouched nature, and it is that which  I miss and enjoy when I am out in it.<br />
1609. <br />
1610. <span style="color: #e06666;">15 - Are you and Fernando Friends? or just someone you get along when needed be? Sarah Kalaitzidis</span><br />
1611. <br />
1612. The Angel: At first it was a relationship of convenience in our mutual  effort to find out who was poisoning the Chosen’s food supply and get  back what Katherine took from us. I did not go in expecting to be  partnered, but Fernando was persuasive. I also knew that it was better  to work together than separately. There was never any love lost between  us. I knew he had an agenda that went beyond the obvious, but in the end  he proved himself honourable.<br />
1613. <br />
1614. Are we friends? As much as we can be. I think if it weren’t for Bridget,  we wouldn’t be. I know that I can trust Fernando now, and that counts  for a lot.<br />
1615. <br />
1616. <span style="color: #e06666;">16 - Do you have any bad habits? If yes, what are they? Minahil Jaay</span><br style="color: #e06666;" /> <br />
1617. The Angel: You would have to ask Notus about that. I’m sure I do. Everybody does. As to what they are, ask Notus.<br />
1618. <br />
1619. <span style="color: #e06666;">17. What constitutes an innocent person, to you? And what is unforgivable? – Shannon Neprily</span><br />
1620. <br />
1621. The Angel: A child is innocent. Innocence is relative and dependent upon  one’s sense of right and wrong. But in general terms, most people are  innocent about many things.<br />
1622. <br />
1623. As to what is unforgiveable, someone who knowingly, and with full  intent, does something to someone/something to cause irrevocable harm to  that person/thing. Notice I didn’t say hurt, and I wish to point out  that harm is a matter of perspective as well.<br />
1624. <br />
1625. <span style="color: #e06666;">18. If you were able to, would want to have children? Minahil Jaay</span><br style="color: #e06666;" /> <br />
1626. The Angel:  I don’t know. I’ve never thought about it. Having children  is an incredible responsibility. I don’t know if I could do it.<br />
1627. <br />
1628. <span style="color: #e06666;">19. What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of Notus? Rebeeyah E. Miguel Iglesias</span><br style="color: #e06666;" /> <br />
1629. The Angel: <smiles> Notus can appear to be very simple, but he  isn’t. He cares—a lot. Because of that, he feels things very deeply.  Sometimes too deeply and this causes him grief. He is a very  compassionate man who has great difficulty in dealing the hurts that  this world puts on him, me or others he cares about.<br />
1630. <br />
1631. <span style="color: #e06666;">20. What do you love most about Jeanie? Rebeeyah E. Miguel Iglesias</span><br style="color: #e06666;" /> <br />
1632. The Angel: Her spirit. She is passionate and will fight for who she  cares for. It is this inner fire that draws me to her. She doesn’t back  down, even when she should. If there is something she wants, she will  fight to get it. I think if it hadn’t been for this we wouldn’t have  been together. She instigated our relationship, and I’m happy she did.<br />
1633. </smiles><br />
1634. <br />
1635. <br />
1636. <br />
1637. If you enjoyed this interview of the Angel, and would like to read more  about his life and adventures, please check out my award winning series,  The Chosen Chronicles. They are available in both trade paperback and  ebook/kindle.<br />
1638. <br />
1639. Kindle and epub versions are now only $.99 each and can be found at:<br />
1640. <a data-cke-saved-href="http://amazon.com/author/karendales" href="http://amazon.com/author/karendales">http://amazon.com/author/karendales</a> and <a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/KarenDales" href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/KarenDales">https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/KarenDales</a><br />
1641. <br />
1642. I look forward to reading your reviews and comments.<br />
1643. <br />
1644. Sarah Kalaitzidis is the winner of the Chibi Chosen of the Angel! Congratulations!</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/1302900151420777609/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2012/03/interview-with-angel-of-death.html#comment-form' title='2 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/1302900151420777609'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/1302900151420777609'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2012/03/interview-with-angel-of-death.html' title='Interview with The Angel of Death'/><author><name>Karen Dales</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06863449247777478067</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='21' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaEKAwTPEYi4thp3UpaHbBLokWeXmS_bMYs1Klmv6oCe2AjLYIXukByj2Ma43cSuX83teY6FpEFLgqAbczIXBo8QGZXV6IwvZacRG8vodFRY0S2WzWoTuHViDycIHFeDE/s220/SODcover+jpg.jpg'/></author><thr:total>2</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867211331020558596.post-603126232252452055</id><published>2012-03-23T13:06:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2012-03-23T13:06:55.393-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Sirens A-Blazing or Why Some Elderly SHOULDN&#39;T DRIVE RANT!</title><content type='html'>I&#39;m sorry if my little rant here is going to piss off some folks, but I just have to!&lt;br /&gt;
1645. <br />
1646. Today the power went off in my area. Why? A little old man lost control of his car a couple of blocks away and somehow affected the power lines. He flipped his car onto its side after ramming into a whole bunch of parked cars on the side of the road. The ensuing traffic mess made it very dangerous for my son to walk home from school as cars were driving hither and thither on my street trying to get around the mess. So why the F was this little old man driving in the first place?!<br />
1647. <br />
1648. My neighbourhood is plauged by old drivers who can barely see over their steeringwheels, let alone their FEET! I'm of a firm believer that once you turn 70 you MUST provide a certificate from an ophthalmologist or optomistrist saying your eyes are good to drive every two years. Here in Ontario, one must have an aquity of 40/20 in at least one eye to drive (that's corrected vision, i.e. glasses, etc). I know this because I used to work in ophthalmology (it's why I know how to spell it, too.:) <br />
1649. <br />
1650. I also believe that once over 70 years of age, there should be driving tests for seniors, and licences should be taken away if they can't meet minimum standards, which include correct reaction time.<br />
1651. <br />
1652. I'm tired of watching these elderly drivers run into things because of whatever reason. (I once watched dumbfounded as an old woman drove her car into a parked car after having noticed that car while she sat with her left turn blinker on to get down that same parking isle!) <br />
1653. <br />
1654. It has been almost four hours since the accident, with its incredible amount of sirens, and still sirens are a-blazing. Why? Because impatient people are getting lost in my area as they try to by-pass the closed major intersection, and are ending up in their own accidents.<br />
1655. <br />
1656. All I can say is that thank the Universe I can walk to where I need to go, but even still, I have to becareful not to get run over (like I nearly did when crossing the street when bringing my son home...and yes...it was a residential street.)<br />
1657. <br />
1658. I hope that little old man doesn't die, but I do hope his licence gets taken away for good.<br />
1659. <br />
1660. Cars are more dangerous than guns, in some cases. The sad thing is that cars are put into the hands of those who SHOULDN'T drive.<br />
1661. <br />
1662. Rant Off.</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/603126232252452055/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2012/03/sirens-blazing-or-why-some-elderly.html#comment-form' title='3 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/603126232252452055'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/603126232252452055'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2012/03/sirens-blazing-or-why-some-elderly.html' title='Sirens A-Blazing or Why Some Elderly SHOULDN&#39;T DRIVE RANT!'/><author><name>Karen Dales</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06863449247777478067</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='21' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaEKAwTPEYi4thp3UpaHbBLokWeXmS_bMYs1Klmv6oCe2AjLYIXukByj2Ma43cSuX83teY6FpEFLgqAbczIXBo8QGZXV6IwvZacRG8vodFRY0S2WzWoTuHViDycIHFeDE/s220/SODcover+jpg.jpg'/></author><thr:total>3</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867211331020558596.post-1222491405508823185</id><published>2012-03-14T06:50:00.001-07:00</published><updated>2012-03-14T06:51:33.227-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Erotic"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="PayPal"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Smashwords"/><title type='text'>PayPal Reverses Proposed Censorship</title><content type='html'>&lt;b&gt;Received the following from my publisher from Smashwords. We&#39;re very very happy!&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
1663. <br />
1664. March 13, 2012<br />
1665. <br />
1666. Smashwords author/publisher update:  PayPal Reverses Proposed Censorship<br />
1667. <br />
1668. Great news.  Yesterday afternoon I met with PayPal at their office in San Jose,<br />
1669. where they informed me of their decision to modify their policies to allow legal<br />
1670. fiction.<br />
1671. <br />
1672. Effective last night, we rolled back the Smashwords Terms of Service to its<br />
1673. pre-February 24 state.<br />
1674. <br />
1675. It's been a tumultuous, nerve-wracking few weeks as we worked to protect the right<br />
1676. of writers to write and publish legal fiction.  <br />
1677. <br />
1678. I would like to express my sincere thanks to Smashwords authors, publishers and<br />
1679. customers.  You stood up and made your voice known.  Thank you to every Smashwords<br />
1680. author and publisher who wrote me to express opinions, even if we disagreed, and<br />
1681. even if you were angry with me. You inspired me to carry your cause forward.   <br />
1682. <br />
1683. Smashwords authors, publishers and customers mobilized. You made telephone calls,<br />
1684. wrote emails and letters, started and signed petitions, blogged, tweeted, Facebooked<br />
1685. and drove the conversation. You made the difference.  Without you, no one would have<br />
1686. paid attention. I would also like to thank the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF),<br />
1687. The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE) and the National<br />
1688. Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC). These three advocacy groups were the first to<br />
1689. stand up for our authors, publishers and customers. Their contribution cannot be<br />
1690. overstated.  We collaborated with them to build a coalition of like-minded<br />
1691. organizations to support our mutual cause. Special kudos to Rainey Reitman of EFF<br />
1692. for her energy, enthusiasm and leadership. <br />
1693. <br />
1694. I would also like to thank all the bloggers and journalists out there who helped<br />
1695. carry our story forward by lending their platforms to get the story out.  Special<br />
1696. thanks to TechCrunch, Slashdot, TechDirt, The Independent (UK), Reuters, Publishers<br />
1697. Weekly, Dow Jones, The Digital Reader, CNET, Forbes, GalleyCat & EbookNewser and<br />
1698. dozens of others too numerous to mention.  <br />
1699. <br />
1700. I would like to thank our friends at PayPal.  They worked with us in good faith as<br />
1701. they promised, engaged us in dialogue, made the effort to understand Smashwords and<br />
1702. our mission, went to bat for our authors with the credit card companies and banks,<br />
1703. and showed the courage to revise their policies.  <br />
1704. <br />
1705. This is a big, bold move by PayPal.  It represents a watershed decision that<br />
1706. protects the rights of writers to write, publish and distribute legal fiction.  It<br />
1707. also protects the rights of readers to purchase and enjoy all fiction in the privacy<br />
1708. of their own imagination. It clarifies and rationalizes the role of financial<br />
1709. services providers and pulls them out of the business of censoring legal fiction.  <br />
1710. <br />
1711. Following implementation of their new policies, PayPal will have the most liberal,<br />
1712. pro-First-Amendment policies of the major payment processors.  Will Google Checkout<br />
1713. and Checkout by Amazon be next now that the credit card companies have clarified<br />
1714. their positions, and have essentially given payment providers the permission to<br />
1715. adopt more enlightened policies?   Finally, thanks to Selena Kitt of Excessica and<br />
1716. Remittance Girl for helping me to understand and respect all fiction more than I<br />
1717. ever have before.<br />
1718. <br />
1719. This is a bright day for indie publishing.  In the old world, traditional publishers<br />
1720. were the arbiters of literary merit.  Today, thanks to the rise of indie ebooks, the<br />
1721. world is moving toward a broader, more inclusive definition of literary merit.<br />
1722. Smashwords gives writers the power and freedom to publish.  Merit is decided by your<br />
1723. readers.  Just as it should be.<br />
1724. <br />
1725. <br />
1726. Thanks,<br />
1727. <br />
1728. Mark Coker<br />
1729. Founder<br />
1730. Smashwords</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/1222491405508823185/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2012/03/paypal-reverses-proposed-censorship.html#comment-form' title='3 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/1222491405508823185'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/1222491405508823185'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2012/03/paypal-reverses-proposed-censorship.html' title='PayPal Reverses Proposed Censorship'/><author><name>Karen Dales</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06863449247777478067</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='21' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaEKAwTPEYi4thp3UpaHbBLokWeXmS_bMYs1Klmv6oCe2AjLYIXukByj2Ma43cSuX83teY6FpEFLgqAbczIXBo8QGZXV6IwvZacRG8vodFRY0S2WzWoTuHViDycIHFeDE/s220/SODcover+jpg.jpg'/></author><thr:total>3</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867211331020558596.post-3721642822759110514</id><published>2012-03-09T14:55:00.001-08:00</published><updated>2012-03-09T14:59:00.292-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Karma In Action</title><content type='html'>I have to share this story with you. I really do.&lt;br /&gt;
1731. <br />
1732. A few weeks ago I was contacted to see if I wanted to go to a seminar to learn about Mastermind groups. It sounded interesting even though there was no description of the seminar. In fact, looking back on it, my gut said I should go. Unfortunately, I couldn't because the start time was prohibitive to me. I emailed them, indicating my interest and my inability to attend on that day and time.<br />
1733. <br />
1734. A few days before the seminar was to proceed I recieved another email, this one informing me that the date and time of the Mastermind seminar had been rescheduled. Wonderfully enough it landed on a day and time that I could go. I signed up, still following my intuition. Still having NO clue as to what Mastermind was.<br />
1735. <br />
1736. The day of the Mastermind seminar came. It was a blustery day that begged me to stay home. Again I felt the urge to show up. <br />
1737. <br />
1738. I entered the room and felt a familiarization with the presenter of the seminar. I didn't know why or where this feeling came from. I shrugged it off.<br />
1739. <br />
1740. As the presenter started the seminar with each one of us introducing ourselves, he promptly turned to me and said, "I was thinking of you yesterday. I owe you money."<br />
1741. <br />
1742. <i><b>WHAT??????</b></i> I was stunned. Now I was trying to figure out who the heck this person was. Yes, he seemed familiar, but I still couldn't place him. It was at the break, when he gave me money that it all came together. He used to be my Shiatsu client!<br />
1743. <br />
1744. About 10 years ago, when I was still working full time as a Shiatsu Therapist out of my home, he used to come to me on a regular basis. He was also having a lot of hard times then, as well. Because of that, he bounced a cheque with me. I had tried to reach him, but never saw hide nor hair of him again. I shrugged the whole incident off.<br />
1745. <br />
1746. In a weird confluence, our paths had crossed again at this seminar. He was leading it (a new career for him) and he was surprised to have had the thought of me the day before and how he owed me for the bounced cheque. This was <b><i>ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO!</i></b> <br />
1747. <br />
1748. It was wild. At the break he gave me the money and said that he felt a great relief, as though his Karmic debt to me was now fulfilled.<br />
1749. <br />
1750. I had followed my gut to go to this seminar. The Universe conspired to make sure I would be there. Never before had I experienced such a tangible effect of Karma on my life. If I ever had doubt before, I don't anymore.<br />
1751. <br />
1752. Cheers!<br />
1753. <br />
1754. Karen Dales<br />
1755. Award Winning Author<br />
1756. <br />
1757. "The Chosen Chronicles" are now $.99 for each eBook.<br />
1758. (also available in Trade Paperback)<br />
1759. Amazon/Kindle <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Karen-Dales/e/B004TG6U1Y/">http://www.amazon.com/Karen-Dales/e/B004TG6U1Y/</a><br />
1760. Barnes & Noble - <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/karen-dales">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/karen-dales</a><br />
1761. Smashwords <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/KarenDales">http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/KarenDales</a>.<br />
1762. <br />
1763. Order of The Chosen Chronicles:<br />
1764. Changeling: Prelude to The Chosen Chronicles<br />
1765. Angel of Death: Book One of The Chosen Chronicles<br />
1766. Shadow of Death: Book Two of The Chosen Chronicles<br />
1767. (Soon To Be Released - Thanatos: Book Three of The Chosen Chronicles)<br />
1768. <br />
1769. Keep up to date with me and my writing on:<br />
1770. Website – <a href="http://karendales.com/">http://karendales.com/</a><br />
1771. Facebook - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KarenDalesAuthor">https://www.facebook.com/KarenDalesAuthor</a><br />
1772. Twitter - <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/karendales">https://twitter.com/#!/karendales</a><br />
1773. Paranormal & Dark Fantasy Writers -<a href=" https://www.facebook.com/groups/275723322475302/"> https://www.facebook.com/groups/275723322475302/</a><br />
1774. Amazon - <a href="http://amazon.com/author/karendales">http://amazon.com/author/karendales<br />
1775. </a><br />
1776. Kelley Armstrong, #1 New York Times Best Selling Author says of Shadow of Death, &quot;... dark...compelling ...that will keep readers turning the pages well past bedtime.&quot;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/3721642822759110514/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2012/03/karma-in-action.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/3721642822759110514'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/3721642822759110514'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2012/03/karma-in-action.html' title='Karma In Action'/><author><name>Karen Dales</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06863449247777478067</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='21' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaEKAwTPEYi4thp3UpaHbBLokWeXmS_bMYs1Klmv6oCe2AjLYIXukByj2Ma43cSuX83teY6FpEFLgqAbczIXBo8QGZXV6IwvZacRG8vodFRY0S2WzWoTuHViDycIHFeDE/s220/SODcover+jpg.jpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867211331020558596.post-1475853742419133022</id><published>2012-03-03T08:03:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2012-03-03T08:03:35.886-08:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Authors"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Erotic"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="PayPal"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Publishers"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Smashwords"/><title type='text'>Smashwords Call to Action against PayPal in support of Erotica Authors/Publishers</title><content type='html'>My publisher received the following from Smashwords! Read it! It&#39;s important! I&#39;m sickened by the idea that PayPal is demanding Smashwords to remove legal content from its authors and indy publishers. I don&#39;t care who is forcing PayPal into doing this, but it&#39;s not right. I don&#39;t write erotica, but I can see Smashwords&#39; fear that this is going to become a slippery slope to censorship to many other genres.&lt;br /&gt;
1777. <br />
1778. Please read the following letter from Smashwords!<br />
1779. <br />
1780. <br />
1781. PAYPAL CENSORSHIP UPDATE ________________________________________<br />
1782. In case you haven't heard, about two weeks ago, PayPal contacted Smashwords and gave us a surprise ultimatum: Remove all titles containing bestiality, rape or incest, otherwise they threatened to deactivate our PayPal account. We engaged them in discussions and on Monday they gave us a temporary reprieve as we continue to work in good faith to find a suitable solution.<br />
1783. <br />
1784. PayPal tells us that their crackdown is necessary so that they can remain in compliance with the requirements of the banks and credit card associations (likely Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, though they didn't mention them by name).<br />
1785. <br />
1786. Last Friday, I sent the following email to our erotica authors and publishers: <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/press/release/27">https://www.smashwords.com/press/release/27</a><br />
1787. <br />
1788. Then on Monday, I issued an update, and announced we would delay enforcement of PayPal's guidelines so we and PayPal could continue our discussions: <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/press/release/28">https://www.smashwords.com/press/release/28</a><br />
1789. <br />
1790. THE PROBLEM: PayPal is asking us to censor legal fiction. Regardless of how one views topics of rape, bestiality and incest, these topics are pervasive in mainstream fiction. We believe this crackdown is really targeting erotica writers. This is unfair, and it marks a slippery slope. We don't want credit card companies or financial institutions telling our authors what they can write and what readers can read. Fiction is fantasy. It's not real. It's legal.<br />
1791. <br />
1792. THE SOLUTION: There's no easy solution. Legally, PayPal and the credit card companies probably have the right to decide how their services are used. Unfortunately, since they're the moneyrunners, they control the oxygen that feeds digital commerce. Many Smashwords authors have suggested we find a different payment processor. That's not a good long term solution, because if credit card companies are behind this, they'll eventually force crackdowns elsewhere. PayPal works well for us. In addition to running all credit card processing at the Smashwords.com store, PayPal is how we pay all our authors outside the U.S.<br />
1793. <br />
1794. My conversations with PayPal are ongoing and have been productive, yet I have no illusion that the road ahead will be simple, or that the outcome will be favorable.<br />
1795. <br />
1796. BUILDING A COALITION OF SUPPORT: Independent advocacy groups are considering taking on the PayPal censorship case. I'm supporting the development of this loose-knit coalition of like-minded groups who believe that censorship of legal fiction should not be allowed. We will grow the coalition. Each group will have its own voice and tactics I'm working with them because we share a common cause to protect books from censorship. Earlier today I had conversations with the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE) and the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC). I briefed them on the Smashwords/PayPal situation, explained the adverse affect this crackdown will have on some of our authors and customers, and shared my intention to continue working with PayPal in a positive manner to move the discussion forward.<br />
1797. <br />
1798. The EFF blogged about the issue a few days ago: <a href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/02/legal-censorship-paypal-makes-habit-deciding-what-users-can-read">https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/02/legal-censorship-paypal-makes-habit-deciding-what-users-can-read</a><br />
1799. <br />
1800. Today, ABFFE and NCAC issued a press release: <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/83549049/NCAC-ABFFE-Letter-To-PayPal-eBay-re-Ebook-Refusal-2012">http://www.scribd.com/doc/83549049/NCAC-ABFFE-Letter-To-PayPal-eBay-re-Ebook-Refusal-2012</a><br />
1801. <br />
1802. I will not be on the streets with torch in hand calling for PayPal's head, but I will encourage interested parties to get involved and speak their piece. This is where you come in...<br />
1803. <br />
1804. HOW YOU CAN HELP: Although erotica authors are being targeted, this is an issue that should concern all indie authors. It affects indies disproportionately because indies are the ones pushing the boundaries of fiction. Indies are the ones out there publishing without the (fading) protective patina of a "traditional publisher" to lend them legitimacy. We indies only have each other.<br />
1805. <br />
1806. Several Smashwords authors have contacted me to stress that this censorship affects women disproportionately. Women write a lot of the erotica, and they're also the primary consumers of erotica. They're also the primary consumers of mainstream romance, which could also come under threat if PayPal and the credit card companies were to overly enforce their too-broad and too-nebulous obsenity clauses (I think this is unlikely, but at the same time, why would dubious consent be okay in mainstream romance but not okay in erotica? If your write paranormal, can your were-creatures not get it on with one another, or is that bestiality?<br />
1807. <br />
1808. The insanity needs to stop here. These are not questions an author, publisher or distributor of legal fiction should have to answer.). All writers and their readers should stand up and voice their opposition to financial services companies censoring books. Authors should have the freedom to publish legal fiction, and readers should have the freedom to read what they want.<br />
1809. <br />
1810. These corporations need to hear from you. Pick up the phone and call them. Email them. Start petitions. Sign petitions. Blog your opposition to censorship.<br />
1811. <br />
1812. Encourage your readers to do the same. Pass the word among your social networks.<br />
1813. <br />
1814. Contact your favorite bloggers and encourage them to follow this story. Contact your local newspaper and offer to let them interview you so they can hear a local author's perspective on this story of international significance. If you have connections to mainstream media, encourage them to pick up on the story. Encourage them to call the credit card companies and pose this simple question, "PayPal says they're trying to enforce the policies of credit card companies. Why are you censoring legal fiction?" Below are links to the companies waiting to hear from you. Click the link and you'll find their phone numbers, executive names and postal mailing addresses.<br />
1815. <br />
1816. Be polite, respectful and professional, and encourage your friends and followers to do the same. Let them know you want them out of the business of censoring legal fiction.<br />
1817. <br />
1818. Tell the credit card companies you want them to give PayPal permission to sell your ebooks without censorship or discrimination. Let them know that PayPal's policies are out of step with the major online ebook retailers who already accept your books as they are. Address your calls, emails (if you can find the email) and paper letters (yes paper!) to the executives. Post open letters to them on your blog, then tweet and Facebook hyperlinks to your letters. Force the credit card companies to join the discussion about censorship. And yes, express your feelings and opinions to PayPal as well. Don't scream at them. Ask them to work on your behalf to protect you and your readers from censorship. Tell them how their proposed censorship will harm you and your fellow writers.<br />
1819. <br />
1820. Visa: <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q/pr?s=V+Profile">http://finance.yahoo.com/q/pr?s=V+Profile</a><br />
1821. <br />
1822. American Express: <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q/pr?s=AXP+Profile">http://finance.yahoo.com/q/pr?s=AXP+Profile</a><br />
1823. <br />
1824. MasterCard: <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q/pr?s=MA+Profile">http://finance.yahoo.com/q/pr?s=MA+Profile</a><br />
1825. <br />
1826. Discover: <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q/pr?s=DFS+Profile">http://finance.yahoo.com/q/pr?s=DFS+Profile</a><br />
1827. <br />
1828. Ebay (owns PayPal): <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q/pr?s=ebay+Profile">http://finance.yahoo.com/q/pr?s=ebay+Profile</a><br />
1829. <br />
1830. _________ Starting Sunday, if our email systems can handle it, we will send out an email to several hundred thousand registered Smashwords members who are opted in to receive occasional Smashwords service updates. The email will combine Read an Ebook Week with the censorship call to action. Let's start a little fire, shall we? Thank you for your continuing support of Smashwords. With your help, we can move mountains.<br />
1831. <br />
1832. Best wishes, <br />
1833. <br />
1834. Mark<br />
1835. Mark Coker Founder <br />
1836. Smashwords <a href="http://smashwords.com">http://smashwords.com</a><br />
1837. blog: <a href="http://blog.smashwords.com">http://blog.smashwords.com</a><br />
1838. twitter: &lt;a href=&quot;http://twitter.com/markcoker&quot;&gt;http://twitter.com/markcoker&lt;/a&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/1475853742419133022/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2012/03/smashwords-call-to-action-against.html#comment-form' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/1475853742419133022'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/1475853742419133022'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2012/03/smashwords-call-to-action-against.html' title='Smashwords Call to Action against PayPal in support of Erotica Authors/Publishers'/><author><name>Karen Dales</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06863449247777478067</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='21' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaEKAwTPEYi4thp3UpaHbBLokWeXmS_bMYs1Klmv6oCe2AjLYIXukByj2Ma43cSuX83teY6FpEFLgqAbczIXBo8QGZXV6IwvZacRG8vodFRY0S2WzWoTuHViDycIHFeDE/s220/SODcover+jpg.jpg'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867211331020558596.post-6798258202724071023</id><published>2012-03-01T13:48:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2012-03-01T13:48:56.356-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Questioning the Angel of Death</title><content type='html'>A while ago I posted a question to see who of my characters in The Chosen Chronicles you would like to see interviewed on my blog. There was a VERY clear winner - The Angel of Death.&lt;br /&gt;
1839. <br />
1840. So, this now means I need questions for the Angel, and this is where I need help from you fine folks. If you have a question to ask the Angel from my series The Chosen Chronicles, please post it, but only one. <br />
1841. <br />
1842. Out of all the entries, 20 questions will be picked and from that, one person will win a Chibi Chosen of the Angel (&lt;a href=&quot;http://karendales.com/chibichosen.html&quot;&gt;http://karendales.com/chibichosen.html&lt;/a&gt;) when the interview goes live on my blog. Good luck!</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/6798258202724071023/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2012/03/questioning-angel-of-death.html#comment-form' title='4 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/6798258202724071023'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/6798258202724071023'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2012/03/questioning-angel-of-death.html' title='Questioning the Angel of Death'/><author><name>Karen Dales</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06863449247777478067</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='21' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaEKAwTPEYi4thp3UpaHbBLokWeXmS_bMYs1Klmv6oCe2AjLYIXukByj2Ma43cSuX83teY6FpEFLgqAbczIXBo8QGZXV6IwvZacRG8vodFRY0S2WzWoTuHViDycIHFeDE/s220/SODcover+jpg.jpg'/></author><thr:total>4</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867211331020558596.post-5194927160190065</id><published>2012-02-09T13:34:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2012-02-09T13:34:34.600-08:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Birthday"/><title type='text'>Birthday Wishings</title><content type='html'>For some strange reason I’ve been having a difficult time with the idea that I’m now a year older. Never before have had I felt anxiety around my birthday. This year has sent me thinking about the reasons.&lt;br /&gt;
1843. <br />
1844. I’m not going to say how old I am, but suffice it to say, I’m older than most of all my friends, and some of them by more than a decade. It is said that by hanging around with a younger crowd it will keep one young. This is true, but it can also make one feel older. It’s amazing how life experience can age you, especially when you’re more in line with some of your friend’s parents, by age, than your friends.<br />
1845. I think another aspect to my birthday anxiety is that a part of me wishes I have accomplished more by this age. Maybe I’m I’m going through a mid-life crisis. Who knows? I do know that, rationally, I’ve done very well for myself as an author, mother, wife and friend. I guess it’s normal to refect on what could be better and find ways to achieve that.<br />
1846. <br />
1847. One major reason, I’ve come to realize, and respect, is that I am at the age my mother was when she started having serious heart problems that resulted in her having a quad-bypass when I was fourteen. Yes, she was young. I know that I’m concerned that history will repeat itself with me despite the fact that I try and live healthily. I guess it’s a matter of wait and see.<br />
1848. <br />
1849. I haven’t asked my friends and family for gifts this year, and nor do I expect them. I have enough stuff in my house, though one can never have enough books, ebook or dead tree.:) <br />
1850. <br />
1851. There’s only one thing more that I would like for my birthday: To touch more folks with my writing, whether that be through my blog, twitter, facebook and/or my novels, and for those whom I have touched to let me know by emailing me and/or posting reviews of my novels. <br />
1852. <br />
1853. If these things were to happen, along with all the great things that have already occurred so far, then  I know that this year’s birthday will be the best!<br />
1854. <br />
1855. Cheers!<br />
1856. <br />
1857. Karen Dales<br />
1858. Award Winning Author<br />
1859. <br />
1860. "The Chosen Chronicles" are now $.99 for each eBook.<br />
1861. (also available in Trade Paperback)<br />
1862. Amazon/Kindle <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Karen-Dales/e/B004TG6U1Y/">http://www.amazon.com/Karen-Dales/e/B004TG6U1Y/</a><br />
1863. Barnes & Noble - <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/karen-dales">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/karen-dales</a><br />
1864. Smashwords <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/KarenDales">http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/KarenDales</a>.<br />
1865. <br />
1866. Order of The Chosen Chronicles:<br />
1867. Changeling: Prelude to The Chosen Chronicles<br />
1868. Angel of Death: Book One of The Chosen Chronicles<br />
1869. Shadow of Death: Book Two of The Chosen Chronicles<br />
1870. (Soon To Be Released - Thanatos: Book Three of The Chosen Chronicles)<br />
1871. <br />
1872. Keep up to date with me and my writing on:<br />
1873. Website – <a href="http://karendales.com/">http://karendales.com/</a><br />
1874. Blog - http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/<br />
1875. Facebook - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KarenDalesAuthor">https://www.facebook.com/KarenDalesAuthor</a><br />
1876. Twitter - <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/karendales">https://twitter.com/#!/karendales</a><br />
1877. Paranormal & Dark Fantasy Writers - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/275723322475302/">https://www.facebook.com/groups/275723322475302/</a><br />
1878. Amazon - <a href="http://amazon.com/author/karendales">http://amazon.com/author/karendales</a><br />
1879. <br />
1880. Kelley Armstrong, #1 New York Times Best Selling Author says of Shadow of Death, &quot;... dark...compelling ...that will keep readers turning the pages well past bedtime.&quot;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/5194927160190065/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2012/02/birthday-wishings.html#comment-form' title='3 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/5194927160190065'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/5194927160190065'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2012/02/birthday-wishings.html' title='Birthday Wishings'/><author><name>Karen Dales</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06863449247777478067</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='21' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaEKAwTPEYi4thp3UpaHbBLokWeXmS_bMYs1Klmv6oCe2AjLYIXukByj2Ma43cSuX83teY6FpEFLgqAbczIXBo8QGZXV6IwvZacRG8vodFRY0S2WzWoTuHViDycIHFeDE/s220/SODcover+jpg.jpg'/></author><thr:total>3</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867211331020558596.post-5729555051701045537</id><published>2012-02-03T12:46:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2012-02-03T12:46:19.203-08:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="jean auel"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="land of painted caves"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="review"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="reviews"/><title type='text'>Review for Jean Auel&#39;s &quot;Land of Painted Caves&quot;</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8318666-the-land-of-painted-caves&quot; style=&quot;float: left; padding-right: 20px&quot;&gt;&lt;img alt=&quot;The Land of Painted Caves (Earth&#39;s Children, #6)&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; src=&quot;http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1320479438m/8318666.jpg&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8318666-the-land-of-painted-caves&quot;&gt;The Land of Painted Caves&lt;/a&gt; by &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/861.Jean_M_Auel&quot;&gt;Jean M. Auel&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
1881. My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/254541789">1 of 5 stars</a><br /><br /><br />
1882. I fell in love with Jean Auel's Earth's Children series when Clan of the Cave Bear was first released. I loved that book. I loved the second one and even the third. As the four and then the fifth book came out, my love affair was being strained. <br/><br/>It took 30 years for Ms. Auel to produce the 6 books of the series, but frankly, she would have been better to stop at the third, if not the fourth.<br/><br/>I had high hopes for The Land of Painted Caves. They were crashed to the dark abyss of those caves. <br/><br/>Ms. Auel would have been better writing a travel guide to these painted caves she so obviously visited. Her research, etc, was excellent. Unfortunately, in the span of her research for her books she forgot something very important - how to tell a story.<br/><br/>The CONSTANT repetition, the lack of any plot until the very last of the book, the need to skim over pages and pages just to get to a possible point, were only a few of the issues I had with this book.<br/><br/>As an author myself, I feel that a lot of the onus of this book's miserable failings has to land on Ms. Auel's editors. In my opinion, they did not do their job. I do believe that this book could have been better written, in both plot and structure. <br/><br/>I hate to say it, but if you love Earth's Children, then don't read past the Mammoth Hunters, you'll only become more and more dissappointed, especially when you reach the Land of Painted Caves.<br />
1883. <br/><br/><br />
1884. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/2286422-karen-dales&quot;&gt;View all my reviews&lt;/a&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/5729555051701045537/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2012/02/review-for-jean-auels-land-of-painted.html#comment-form' title='2 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/5729555051701045537'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2867211331020558596/posts/default/5729555051701045537'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://karendalesauthor.blogspot.com/2012/02/review-for-jean-auels-land-of-painted.html' title='Review for Jean Auel&#39;s &quot;Land of Painted Caves&quot;'/><author><name>Karen Dales</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06863449247777478067</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='21' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaEKAwTPEYi4thp3UpaHbBLokWeXmS_bMYs1Klmv6oCe2AjLYIXukByj2Ma43cSuX83teY6FpEFLgqAbczIXBo8QGZXV6IwvZacRG8vodFRY0S2WzWoTuHViDycIHFeDE/s220/SODcover+jpg.jpg'/></author><thr:total>2</thr:total></entry></feed>

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