tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41968144721116905512024-02-07T21:00:26.252-08:00Enduring RomanceKimber Lihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982239712083114488noreply@blogger.comBlogger820125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196814472111690551.post-27899902095126759172011-08-01T09:56:00.000-07:002011-08-01T09:56:29.027-07:00Enduring Romance is RetiredIt was a glorious four year run, making love connections between authors and readers! And those Cyber-Launch Book Parties were a blast. A big thanks to everyone who ever popped in. If anyone wants to follow me around the blogosphere, I can be found at my main site<span style="color: #473624;"> <a href="http://www.kimberan.com/">Kimber An</a> </span>and will be spending a lot of time at our new group blog for ePublished YA authors, Fabulously Young ePubs.Kimber Lihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982239712083114488noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196814472111690551.post-66983141908029890762011-08-01T09:54:00.000-07:002011-08-01T09:54:47.909-07:00Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows, Part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6NnsG03neMpH0Tp_7PW3V5plzSnWcFHHkRoykrjs-pRf1uv3mA93zYjYyOSny_kW1fD7MkgVyd_mNX76eqSyUrHPrLuEuOErYjdjCrkzXT2KBbJRJtEZ6Vy2hk0W-4IPyfOtUpqcn-u4/s1600/HP7P2poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6NnsG03neMpH0Tp_7PW3V5plzSnWcFHHkRoykrjs-pRf1uv3mA93zYjYyOSny_kW1fD7MkgVyd_mNX76eqSyUrHPrLuEuOErYjdjCrkzXT2KBbJRJtEZ6Vy2hk0W-4IPyfOtUpqcn-u4/s400/HP7P2poster.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>Countdown to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows-</i>Book Seven-Part 2-<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>THE REST OF HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS BY J.K ROWLING!!</u></i></b><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Yep, it’s time for Part II!!!! Whoo-hoo! It’s the Last Battle, and it’s awesome!! Here we go: </div>.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>WARNING!!!!!! <o:p></o:p></u></i></b></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>ENJOY!<o:p></o:p></u></i></b></div>.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Okay, where were we? Oh, yeah. Dobby just died, they’re at Shell Cottage with Luna, Dean, Mr. Ollivander, and Griphook. Wonderful. </div>.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The trio only stays there long enough to interrogate Griphook and Mr. Ollivander about the possibility of a Horcrux in the Lestranges’ vault and the possibility of Lord Voldemort having (dun-dun-doww!!) the Elder Wand, respectively. </div>.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So they set off to break into Gringotts-not a good idea, to say the least. This is proved when the treasure in the vault is cursed and nearly kills them, a horde of goblins turn up and nearly kill them, and they hitch a ride on a blind dragon (do NOT try that at home!), which again, nearly kills them. </div>.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Luckily, though, they get the Horcrux-a cup that used to belong to Helga Hufflepuff. Unluckily, Griphook got the sword, so they have nothing to destroy it with. Unluckier still, Voldemort’s noticed Harry’s going after his Horcruxes. He’s going around checking on them-and no doubt he’s going to be slightly annoyed when he discovers most of them are gone. Okay, that was a bit of an understatement. Try REALLY REALLY YELL-HIS-LUNGS-OUT-ZAP-SOME-GOBLINS/HOUSE ELVES/WHATEVER’S HANDY annoyed. That also means he’s going to turn up at Hogwarts and probably protect his Horcrux there even more securely. </div>.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Harry has to get there first. They Apparate into Hogsmeade, where they discover the Death Eaters have the whole place under their control. They’re nearly captured but rescued by Aberforth Dumbledore, Dumbledore’s brother! </div>.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Aberforth protests their fighting Voldemort and all, telling them Dumbledore’s full backstory in the process, but eventually lets them into Hogwarts via a passageway to the Room of Requirement. </div>.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There they meet Neville, Luna, Ginny, and some other old friends, including Cho Chang which makes things a little awkward. But eventually they sort things out and Luna takes Harry to the Ravenclaw dormitory to see a model of what Harry thinks is the Hogwarts Horcrux-Rowena Ravenclaw’s long-lost diadem. </div>.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>While there a Death Eater attacks, is Stunned by Luna, and the Death Eater and her brother are tied up by Professor McGonagall, who decides to support Harry and fight Voldemort. A little later we meet Snape, who duels Professor McGonagall and escapes, presumably to join Voldemort, who by the way is on his way to Hogwarts RIGHT NOW!!!!</div>.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Luckily, no one decides to run and scream their lungs out. Unluckily, Voldemort is aware of what is going on and prepares to take over Hogwarts. The Order of the Phoenix joins in and the battle begins. </div>.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Meanwhile, Harry finds Ron and Hermione. Somehow they managed to get into the Chamber of Secrets, get a basilisk fang, and destroy the cup Horcrux, sharing their first KISS (YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!) in the process. Now they’ve just got to figure out how to get the diadem. </div>.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Luckily, Harry gets a brainwave and comes up with the answer: it’s in the Room of Requirement! Unluckily, Draco Malfoy and his henchmen Crabbe and Goyle follow him there. Crabbe, who seems to be a bit rebellious lately, sets a Fiendfyre curse going, and the trio, Draco, and Goyle barely manage to get out. Luckily, the fire destroys the Horcrux. Unluckily, Crabbe dies in the blaze. </div>.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And the tearjerking only starts there. It quick succession three people we never thought would die do just that. I’m not saying who, but it’s pretty major. </div>.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>All this has Harry close to despair. Only heightening the drama is Professor Snape’s death at the hands of Voldemort. But before he dies, he gives Harry a memory. Harry heads up to Dumbledore’s office. He finds out from the memory that-surprise!!!-Dumbledore had planned his death with Snape, so Snape never truly won the Elder Wand from Dumbledore-and thereby, neither did Voldemort! Actually, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Draco </i>did-remember, he’d Disarmed Dumbledore right before Snape killed him. So technically it was Draco-and remember, Harry took Draco’s wand at Malfoy Manor, so now-dun dun doww!!-the Elder Wand is Harry’s! Yeah, confusing, I know. But really, are there any good books that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">aren’t?</i></div>.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But even bigger than that is the revelation-<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Harry’s a Horcrux! </i></div>.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Yep, you heard me right. Harry has a bit of Voldemort’s soul living in him. This explains how Harry got Parseltongue, and all those times he read Voldemort’s mind, and how his scar would hurt whenever Voldemort was really angry, really happy, or really close. </div>.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Unfortunately, it also means that Harry has to die if anyone’s to beat Voldemort. </div>.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So he does. </div>.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</div>.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Now, don’t everyone go running and screaming in panic. Harry doesn’t die. He <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">almost </i>dies, which is another matter entirely. </div>.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He survives, again, due to a serious lapse of good sense on Voldemort’s part. Remember when Voldemort took Harry’s blood to revive himself way back in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Goblet of Fire</i>? Well, that’s what saves Harry now. When he took Harry’s blood, Voldemort bound them both to life while the other lived. In other words, Voldemort can’t kill Harry, and vice versa. Not for long, though! </div>.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And plus, Voldemort just unknowingly destroyed the piece of his soul that was in Harry, so there’s only one Horcrux left-nasty old Nagini. </div>.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>She’s soon taken care of by everyone’s favorite cheer-on-able hero, Neville, leaving Harry and Voldemort in the final showdown. Who will win?! Will Harry win, and save the whole world, wizards and Muggles alike? Or will the former-super-cute Tom Riddle turned Voldemort win and take over the world?!</div>.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I’m not saying, but it should be obvious if you’ve been paying attention.</div>.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Well, that’s it everyone! I have now reviewed the whole Harry Potter series! I think I did an OK job, but it’s nothing at all like the actual book, so I recommend you go read the whole series. It’s been really fun reviewing these, and I hope you enjoyed it. Sadly the series is now at an end: all the books and movies have been released. But it’s been great! Now go read some more, and I’ll be back with more great reviews! Until then, happy hippogriffs to you!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>Kimber Lihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982239712083114488noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196814472111690551.post-74346783775966527162011-07-31T07:15:00.001-07:002011-07-31T07:15:41.820-07:00Fabulously Young ePubs!Come check out the new group blog- <a href="http://fabulouslyyoungepubs.blogspot.com/">Fab ePubs</a>Kimber Lihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982239712083114488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196814472111690551.post-507822355293713302011-07-30T06:59:00.000-07:002011-07-30T06:59:08.070-07:00Fabulously Young ePubs Launches Tomorrow!Pop on over and check it out. We have NINE authors contributing from three different publishers. <a href="http://fabulouslyyoungepubs.blogspot.com/">Fabulously Young ePubs</a>Kimber Lihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982239712083114488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196814472111690551.post-73093189507049160412011-07-25T10:53:00.000-07:002011-07-25T10:53:26.447-07:00Fabulously Young ePubs!Hey, Blog Buds, the other Decadent YA authors and I are throwing together a group blog, so I'll be transitioning to that this weekend as Enduring Romance goes into retirement. If you are or know anyone who is an *ePublished* Young Adult author, please let us know! We're all Decadent right now, but we'd like to include non-Decadent authors to spread the love. <a href="http://fabulouslyyoungepubs.blogspot.com/">Fabulously Young ePubs</a>Kimber Lihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982239712083114488noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196814472111690551.post-81351215935075720732011-07-24T19:32:00.001-07:002011-07-24T19:32:33.332-07:00Five Star Review for CRUSHED SUGAR!<a href="http://iheartyabooks.blogspot.com/2011/07/crushed-sugar-ophelia-dawson-chronicles.html">CRUSHED at I Heart YA Books</a>Kimber Lihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982239712083114488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196814472111690551.post-69486892617366018202011-07-23T10:34:00.000-07:002011-07-23T10:34:41.496-07:00More of Kimber Jr's Top Ten HARRY POTTER Stuff<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn5u3GWQ4NSCVREdrhb3lUpQo3i91YWoGAY3FuoC0S1EVp2ujxO8feJYgfvsdmqnTs9w6iqEh0ElXROVrmMug0vtanX7x68FxqX4CjK4NQyrBgumNdIqv4x_zJ9b1tTo0cpcpq8cptiQ0/s1600/luna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn5u3GWQ4NSCVREdrhb3lUpQo3i91YWoGAY3FuoC0S1EVp2ujxO8feJYgfvsdmqnTs9w6iqEh0ElXROVrmMug0vtanX7x68FxqX4CjK4NQyrBgumNdIqv4x_zJ9b1tTo0cpcpq8cptiQ0/s400/luna.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Kimber An here: This is excellent feedback on why readers like certain characters.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My Top Ten favorite Harry Potter characters<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Luna Lovegood-because she is AWESOMENESS ITSELF!!!! I like her because she has imagination and believes in things she can’t see, and she’s a very good character. She also knows how to stand up for herself! ;)<o:p></o:p></span></div>.<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Hermione Granger-because she is among the greatest heroines of all time!!!!! She’s cool because she’s a bit of a know-it-all but that’s a good thing because she’s able to help Harry with the hunt for the Horcruxes. She’s also not afraid to punch bullies like Malfoy! She’s a really good friend and is always there for Harry and Ron and she’s just truly brilliant! And plus-she has a really good sense of timing! ;)<o:p></o:p></span></div>.<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ginny Weasley-because she is a true Gryffindor!!!!! I’m pretty sure a lot of people just think of her as Harry’s love interest. NOT TRUE!! Yes, she likes Harry. And Harry likes her. And they kiss like four times-holding the record for most kisses between the same two characters in Harry Potter-but she’s so much more!!! Hey, she dueled Death Eaters in the Department of Mysteries, not to mention took part in the Battle of Hogwarts!! She grew a lot from the timid first-year who was possessed by Tom Riddle in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Now its clear-she’s a true Gryffindor!<o:p></o:p></span></div>.<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Harry Potter-because he is a truly realistic protagonist!!!! Now Harry is the person who generally comes to mind when you think of Harry Potter-for obvious reasons. He is like the greatest protagonist ever, just because of the way he grows from book to book. When he’s eleven, he acts like an eleven-year-old. When he’s fifteen, he acts like a fifteen-year-old. And when he’s seventeen, he acts like a seventeen-year-old. He’s also the type of hero you care about. He’s not some random guy running around zapping this other bald guy for no apparent reason. He’s a boy who lost his parents to a very evil wizard and wants to avenge them and everyone else who’s lost their lives to Voldemort. You really care about him and let me tell you that really comes into play in the last part of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. All in all, just a truly great character!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>.<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">5.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ron Weasley-because he is a very good friend to Harry!!!! Ron can be a confusing character. He’s often insensitive and sometimes a bit unkind, but he’s really a very loyal friend to Harry and Hermione. He’s also prone to jealousy, but in the end shows himself as a true Gryffindor, fighting alongside Harry in pretty much every major battle he’s in. Not to mention he, like Hermione, has a very good sense of timing!! ;)<o:p></o:p></span></div>.<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">6.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mrs. Weasley-because she’s the one who zapped Bellatrix!!!!! Of course, that one act pretty much seals her place in my top ten, because I absolutely <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hate </i>Bellatrix. But more than that, she acts as a mother figure to Harry, whose mother was killed by Voldemort. She’s very caring and can be very fierce-as she demonstrated when she zapped Bellatrix-when those she loves are in danger. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZnV-GvQDl5r4i3Y0HkMnOt1Ru5aVFsfqrKoV5AECfNPRtJjbil1uaT-0EfURZJf5ojsjoADhOAgCeyZRgY6Zc8UZMp7f3LAF6d-yengOge4uIiEnrD8qtMYINmkOBWvWBnEdJoH4dJMI/s1600/MrsWeasley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZnV-GvQDl5r4i3Y0HkMnOt1Ru5aVFsfqrKoV5AECfNPRtJjbil1uaT-0EfURZJf5ojsjoADhOAgCeyZRgY6Zc8UZMp7f3LAF6d-yengOge4uIiEnrD8qtMYINmkOBWvWBnEdJoH4dJMI/s320/MrsWeasley.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>.<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">7.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Bellatrix Lestrange-because she was bad, but she was very, very good at it!!! Honestly, even I have to admit she was a really good villainess, possibly second only to Cruella DeVil. In fact I’d say she’s my all-time favorite villain, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Harry Potter </i>or not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would say she even beats out Voldemort in terms of true evilness, but I don’t think so. They’re about equal in terms of true evil, and after all that’s what being a villain’s all about. <o:p></o:p></span></div>.<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">8.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Fred & George Weasley-because they are the main sources of comic relief, yet still manage to be true heroes!!!! These twins are two of the funniest characters I’ve ever encountered in books in general, and yet they still manage to pull off the whole hero routine, and do it well. Not to mention they got revenge on Professor Umbridge, who in my opinion is second in nastiness only to Bellatrix and Voldemort themselves! Truly awesome!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>.<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">9.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Neville Longbottom-because he is a true unsung hero!!!!! Truth be told, he’s not the type you’d expect to become a hero-though then, neither is Luna. But boy does he become one in the end!!!! He’s the one who defeated Nagini, the last remaining Horcrux, with the sword of Gryffindor. I’m going to say right now, they expanded his role quite a bit in the movie of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, and I love how they did it. It’s absolutely magnificent, and if you didn’t think Neville was a true hero yet, you would now!! <o:p></o:p></span></div>.<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">10.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Severus Snape-because he is a truly dynamic, tragic character!!!! Surprised? Don’t be. He is a surprisingly dynamic character. In the first few books he’s just basically a big bully to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. In Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince, you learn more about him, including his backstory. Honestly, before I saw the movie, I never thought I’d get that emotional over Snape. He’s just not the type you have much sympathy for-until the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Pt. 2). Then, just when you start thinking “OK, Snape’s a definite villain ‘cause he killed Dumbledore and pretty much took over Hogwarts, oh, and not to mention he’s a Death Eater,” BOOM!! That whole thing just positively shatters and you really get to see what a tragic life Professor Snape had. You’d never have thought it, but he is a true hero and deserves his place on my list. </span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">My Favorite Harry Potter Book & Movie:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Book: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows-just because it’s when you see everything completed and it all makes sense.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Movie: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2-it’s just magnificent and emotional and everything else a truly great movie should be. Hands down my favorite Harry Potter movie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"></div>Kimber Lihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982239712083114488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196814472111690551.post-33160618667330357092011-07-20T08:30:00.000-07:002011-07-20T08:30:46.346-07:00Top Ten Favorite HARRY POTTER Moments<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEink4Ga8N0YYM4W3k_Y9zz_TKlvDmr-LV3Eb7tjYYQVuN3GT4QR19_gcMQyWBsZ6DzADBypAOSEVZDy2SBGGQo3E5AA17_V4K3YKQxcLs1a9tUfd_LS3zAcsxgQjPshxcNFbe49C28TmdE/s1600/HP7P2poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEink4Ga8N0YYM4W3k_Y9zz_TKlvDmr-LV3Eb7tjYYQVuN3GT4QR19_gcMQyWBsZ6DzADBypAOSEVZDy2SBGGQo3E5AA17_V4K3YKQxcLs1a9tUfd_LS3zAcsxgQjPshxcNFbe49C28TmdE/s400/HP7P2poster.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>In celebration of the last <em>Harry Potter </em>movie, my daughter compiled several lists of favorites. Besides being fun, I think it's helpful to us writers to see what appeals to readers. <br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Movie Only: this scene is only in the movie, not the book<o:p></o:p></span></div>.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">BaM: this scene is in both the book and the movie<o:p></o:p></span></div>.<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Harry and Hermione’s dance-movie only, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1<o:p></o:p></span></div>.<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Dumbledore’s Farewell-BaM (but they’re very different), Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince<o:p></o:p></span></div>.<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ron and Hermione say Goodbye-movie only, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows pt. 2<o:p></o:p></span></div>.<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Hermione Punches Malfoy-BaM, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-17GLD1KxkE">Clip on YouTube</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>.<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">5.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ron & Hermione’s Kiss-BaM, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Pt. 2)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGxv_ovSHJsiyDGdmF8vFy8OXVwG88Br1dBOX3JZcFkcfZCAoj_mUKpql1LTKf-SHWB9PlJArU2aE68BZARb7jR4NYJmUw9TSf97Zal-i80pADi2MD-kH4lQXMHeUnDcQasTe-8SU7hbI/s1600/ref1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGxv_ovSHJsiyDGdmF8vFy8OXVwG88Br1dBOX3JZcFkcfZCAoj_mUKpql1LTKf-SHWB9PlJArU2aE68BZARb7jR4NYJmUw9TSf97Zal-i80pADi2MD-kH4lQXMHeUnDcQasTe-8SU7hbI/s320/ref1.jpg" width="261" /></a></div>+<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9xZGdTDynjSQRt1nO6mMzgcd53tbafNF-9PmxzLM0VOglGaeXHgUGhY9kmOuGGdIIsrsrE8Zja0K7KD13xiaHLgWgBXRh3PX72uRopeCApR2af1yAFBu1_ASJc5JWRRq-u_4SoG2B-EM/s1600/ref2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9xZGdTDynjSQRt1nO6mMzgcd53tbafNF-9PmxzLM0VOglGaeXHgUGhY9kmOuGGdIIsrsrE8Zja0K7KD13xiaHLgWgBXRh3PX72uRopeCApR2af1yAFBu1_ASJc5JWRRq-u_4SoG2B-EM/s320/ref2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">6.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Harry & Ginny’s Kiss-BaM, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince<o:p></o:p></span></div>.<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">7.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Harry & Ginny’s Kiss-BaM, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (pt. 1)<o:p></o:p></span></div>.<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">8.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Harry & Ginny’s Kiss-movie only, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2<o:p></o:p></span></div>.<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">9.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Harry & Cho’s Kiss-BaM, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix<o:p></o:p></span></div>.<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">10.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mrs. Weasley Zaps Bellatrix Lestrange-BaM, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (pt.2)</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">"NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU B***!"</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd8Y7vma8G-svlVAdYZ1Y1yWJ7TilN1yA0Wth7s7VOSntrMVI5YogZUhfT9KJKV3RoCH5jty9hkPRWp4KJ9i-jfvE2Iyuj0jrAUGQKNH4JUkSJVq79lE3Lbs6HXWlxxKAN31u6lpovGTU/s1600/mrs+weasley1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd8Y7vma8G-svlVAdYZ1Y1yWJ7TilN1yA0Wth7s7VOSntrMVI5YogZUhfT9KJKV3RoCH5jty9hkPRWp4KJ9i-jfvE2Iyuj0jrAUGQKNH4JUkSJVq79lE3Lbs6HXWlxxKAN31u6lpovGTU/s320/mrs+weasley1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Of course, this IS a personal favorite of MAMA BEARS like me the world over!Kimber Lihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982239712083114488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196814472111690551.post-74534498515429930812011-07-17T07:31:00.000-07:002011-07-17T07:31:40.814-07:00This Blog Will Retire August 1st......after four glorious years of making love connections between Readers and Writers. It will remain online, but become Read Only. Please pop back in for updates between now and August 1st.Kimber Lihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982239712083114488noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196814472111690551.post-54700393725718274602011-07-17T02:34:00.000-07:002011-07-17T02:34:01.284-07:00What Matters Most?Most of the young adult fiction I write has to do with people saving the world. (Hell, that's what most of my fiction deals with in some way.) But as we know from super-hero movies, even when you're saving the world, you still have a life. So at what point does one fall prey to the other?<div><br /></div><div>I have a tendency to come into popular TV series late. <i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i>? I started watching in season 6. <i>Smallville?</i> Uh...on DVD right around the time it ended its run. (Yay for jumping on <i>Supernatural</i> from the start! But...it doesn't take place in high school, so we'll save that for another day's analysis.) But one great thing about watching so much of these shows all at once is that the trends kind of whack you over the head with a two-by-four. </div><div><br /></div><div>Buffy and Angel I understood. He was instrumental to helping her save the world (or occasionally trying to destroy it himself) more than once. So that was a romance that fit right in with her being the chosen one. But her other romances? Not quite as much. </div><div><br /></div><div>And don't even get me started on Clark Kent. Seriously, boyo, save the world or get the girl. </div><div><br /></div><div>There's a delicate balancing act when you're dealing with world-ending matter and dating. How many times did Clark have to ditch Lana to go be a hero before she got the message that he had something more important going on? (Granted, he <i>did</i>, but since she didn't know, that isn't the point.) And Buffy? The only boyfriends that stuck for that girl were the ones who also weren't quite "normal", and every one of them that lasted knew she was the Slayer. And you know that the love interest always ends up in trouble, especially if they aren't super-(or supernatural)-powered. </div><div><br /></div><div>So how does a character decide what matters most? The love-interest or "the world"? One's immediate and one's...kind of vague. The balance of one life you know and care intensely about weighed against the many strangers. And what does that decision say about them as a "person"? The copout, of course, is that they can manage to save everyone. Sometimes it works. Sometimes though, it just looks like a cheat. </div><div><br /></div><div>As a writer, it's something I try to weigh very carefully, because reality says it can't work every time. At some point, the character has to decide and someone has to lose. </div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196814472111690551.post-47151656203471790732011-07-07T05:04:00.000-07:002011-07-07T07:44:07.371-07:00YA Decadent Blog Stomp: Bitter Roses<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguGcoXUi7dp7tIaUtGcUrqdmRa78GsBL0Fu6qD_oF0S6IotltFGdzD45U_0olaL3rvklWLbUstAJk63_CkzfkDVMm0KKPgv2PF0MxTi6jcKru5Z5QQgC0VrZ3cRDOAyYIjjOAsY_EmLQ4/s1600/CS_SM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguGcoXUi7dp7tIaUtGcUrqdmRa78GsBL0Fu6qD_oF0S6IotltFGdzD45U_0olaL3rvklWLbUstAJk63_CkzfkDVMm0KKPgv2PF0MxTi6jcKru5Z5QQgC0VrZ3cRDOAyYIjjOAsY_EmLQ4/s200/CS_SM.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>Good morning, Blog Buds! It's my turn for the blog stomp. Please scroll to the bottom or click on the Blog Stom icon on the sidebar to the left to learn how you can enter the daily drawings and the Grand Prize drawing for the loaded KINDLE! <br />
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Looking around at all the wonderful YA Authors I hang out with at Decadent got me thinking about why I write Young Adult in the first place. Well, at first, I didn't. I had no idea what I wrote. I just had big stories in my head and I wrote them down. It wasn't until people started critting them for me over at <a href="http://www.critiquecircle.com/">Critique Circle</a> , people like <a href="http://gwentheavenger.blogspot.com/">Sara Gwen</a> who was a teenager at the time, that I started getting feedback about having a 'voice' best suited to writing for teens. Duh. So, I worked on toning that voice and packaging my stories for that audience. <br />
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So, why is my voice best suited for teens? My personal opinion is my lack of Bitter Roses. What I mean by that is Adults seem to go through a change at around age 20 (scientifically speaking, this is the age at which the human brain stops growing) and they begin to look back on their childhood and adolescence either in Bitterness or through Rose-Colored Glasses. Their ability to Think and Feel as their younger selves diminishes dramatically. (I've seen a similar thing happen around age 40, but that's for a different post.)<br />
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This diminishing never happened for me.<br />
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Here's a song to demonstrate what I mean:<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EzEhW1VO9M">'When I Grow Up' by the Beach Boys</a><br />
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As I was saying, I still Think and Feel childhood and adolescence, which is undoubtedly why I was a Childcare Professional for years and years before having my own four children and finally becoming a published YA author.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlfRc3kviglc1jIcgPLuV4MgYl_i4YUnL7lgt0oGfKM6XhGN0I_FRkaocWmbTglIRyq5Bo7CHPKy2ZNz_yuE5n1MElb4ekhR0XO5y1dUKaeAnjqI_68raL2qdCZ5SZ8OzIQfcmDNqLudI/s1600/SR_LGa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlfRc3kviglc1jIcgPLuV4MgYl_i4YUnL7lgt0oGfKM6XhGN0I_FRkaocWmbTglIRyq5Bo7CHPKy2ZNz_yuE5n1MElb4ekhR0XO5y1dUKaeAnjqI_68raL2qdCZ5SZ8OzIQfcmDNqLudI/s200/SR_LGa.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>And there's another thing. My childhood and teens were far from ideal. I've read that other authors, most notably <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7A26jG-1VgI">J.K. Rowling</a> write for young people as a way to recapture childhood, because their own was not-so-good. I know I'm nowhere near the calibur of author Rowling is, but I think I've learned something she has too and I've learned to infuse my stories with it. You can either let Pain fester into Bitterness and end up miserable. Or, you can turn Pain on its ear and become Empathetic to those who suffer similarly. This is why the heroine of the Ophelia Dawson Chronicles is an Empath. It's a supernatural ability for her, but any human can learn empathy by really seeing and feeling for those around her, and then acting in a compassionate way. I'm not saying I've arrived at that, but my journey in life is taking me there.<br />
<em>*</em><br />
<em>Commenters on today’s post are entered to win a Decadent title of their choice. In addition, all commenters will be entered into Decadent’s grand prize drawing. There’s some great stuff to win, so please enter today and enter often!</em><br />
<em>.</em><br />
<a href="http://www.kimberan.com/">Kimber An</a>Kimber Lihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982239712083114488noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196814472111690551.post-86787044632225233812011-07-07T03:25:00.000-07:002011-07-07T03:25:00.559-07:00Thank youI hadn't quite expected to be doing this so soon, but I'd like to say thank you to Kimber An for having me as a reviewer on Endurance Romance. She was the friend who went 'go for it!' when I mumbled about becoming a book reviewer and getting a blog. I'm so glad I took her advice! <div><br /></div><div>Today's my last review on ER for a while. I've had to think through a few long term plans because of my health, and I'm cutting back on extra responsibility outside my own review blog. I'll still pop in to read posts, and I'll definitely be back if I have any publication news for my own novels. Although there's a big ocean between us, I've had fun working alongside Kimber An, Rebecca, Mfitz, Kimber An Junior (whose reviews are hilarious and always have me grinning madly at my laptop screen). I might be able to come back one day, but I'll have to see where life takes me first. </div><div><br /></div><div>Never stop reading! Books are what make the world go round, along with love and friendship, all of which are found here. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196814472111690551.post-65614127765968416182011-07-07T02:04:00.000-07:002011-07-07T02:04:00.626-07:00The Jinn Darazgosh by Musharraf Ali Farooqi<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje2e44X98rovFymYSsYc75jDKwLWPbFufTOImVk8s64IjnD3-TYAEpT2Q465aBim5tMMteCSSSsVoT-TqKtHUMyX5G0Lu5D7vXzGok9iyi-gWBH4yK2fMM2p7R7V-IIR1aBqHmBX7aHhs/s1600/darazgosh-cover-colour.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje2e44X98rovFymYSsYc75jDKwLWPbFufTOImVk8s64IjnD3-TYAEpT2Q465aBim5tMMteCSSSsVoT-TqKtHUMyX5G0Lu5D7vXzGok9iyi-gWBH4yK2fMM2p7R7V-IIR1aBqHmBX7aHhs/s400/darazgosh-cover-colour.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626276014128042722" /></a><br /><div><br /></div>June 2011, Kindle ebook <div>Short story (fable) </div><div>Review copy </div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Summary of the book received with the publicity info </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(42, 42, 42); line-height: 17px; "><i style="line-height: 17px; font-style: italic; "><span class="Apple-style-span" >A Fable Relating How the Curiosity of a Jinn Led to the Usual Unhappy Results and Brought About the Closure of the Heavens Upon His Race</span></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; "><i style="line-height: 17px; font-style: italic; "><br /></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia; ">As this was such a short story, I won't use my usual review format. I think this is the first Islamic fable I've read. I was really intrigued by it, and I wasn't disappointed with the story. Darazgosh is quite a character, and a prime example of how the full story is often needed to fully understand a situation. I was constantly trying to second guess the story, and I failed miserably every time (a good thing). It is a really short tale, but it's one that's going to remain with me for a long time. I know I'll be re-reading it to remember the finer details, as well as for remembering that situations are often never what they appear to be, because no one ever knows all sides of it. That's the fun of life! </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >You can find out more about Musharraf on his <a href="http://www.mafarooqi.com/index.html">website</a>. </span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196814472111690551.post-5623507553552267082011-07-06T05:41:00.000-07:002011-07-06T05:41:16.816-07:00YA Decadent Authors Chat Tonight!at <a href="http://www.theromancestudio.com/chat.php">The Romance Studio</a>Kimber Lihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982239712083114488noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196814472111690551.post-75836858407230961602011-07-05T06:53:00.000-07:002011-07-05T06:53:15.360-07:00Done with SWEET BYTES!Woo-hoo! <a href="http://www.kimberan.com/">Kimber An</a> is a happy author today!Kimber Lihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982239712083114488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196814472111690551.post-84727116413777685592011-07-05T04:27:00.000-07:002011-07-05T04:27:42.062-07:00Decadent YA Chat for Blog TourIt's tomorrow night, July 6th. Come and be entered into the Blog Stomp's prize drawings!<br />
<a href="http://www.theromancestudio.com/chat.php">Decadent YA Chat at the Romance Studio</a>Kimber Lihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982239712083114488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196814472111690551.post-48934640623026153702011-07-02T08:00:00.000-07:002011-07-02T08:00:54.051-07:00Decadent Publishing YA Blog Tour Starts Today!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilhrfMYZ-TO0BR6msNaE_-CCr628P1JBlh7JYA231QXSv7azCcT8aAw5U87rqpUK3i1JzqoGpooFhMYuwMqFny7C7v8Tddj7yNsaEwG-s9xtO-6Uf289AwbQzOzPPB4eh8vTyol-IWJnA/s1600/YA+Blog+Stomp+2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilhrfMYZ-TO0BR6msNaE_-CCr628P1JBlh7JYA231QXSv7azCcT8aAw5U87rqpUK3i1JzqoGpooFhMYuwMqFny7C7v8Tddj7yNsaEwG-s9xtO-6Uf289AwbQzOzPPB4eh8vTyol-IWJnA/s1600/YA+Blog+Stomp+2011.jpg" /></a></div>Good morning, Blog Buds!<br />
.<br />
My publisher, Decadent, kicks off its month-long blog tour today, starting at home with <a href="http://decadentpublishing.blogspot.com/2011/07/lets-get-this-party-started.html">Let's Get This Party Started!</a> This one's hosted by fellow YA author, <a href="http://lesliesoule.com/aboutus.aspx">Leslie Soule</a> who is also one of my editors.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNfXL0AScaIc4_2_GeOmIshOvjIwDxw7bWl59jqS5kSf2LBz25bDwiFd3R1ayLde9bLSthgdxA1KtHkYJXpwNb-F8CRYCaWQ3nvexu7cMFTpULhmgp-mw9k6aa6I1JHwoLnVSkzn7PKxI/s1600/fallenwood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNfXL0AScaIc4_2_GeOmIshOvjIwDxw7bWl59jqS5kSf2LBz25bDwiFd3R1ayLde9bLSthgdxA1KtHkYJXpwNb-F8CRYCaWQ3nvexu7cMFTpULhmgp-mw9k6aa6I1JHwoLnVSkzn7PKxI/s320/fallenwood.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
Leave a comment under this post or any other related post here or at one of the other participating blogs and you will be entered into the prize drawings.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Grand Prize: An Amazon Kindle loaded with SIX eBooks!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">First Prize: a free eBook each month for 12 months</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Second Prize: a free eBook each month for 6 months.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Additionally, each stop on the blog tour will have a drawing for an eBook on its assigned day.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This blog's stop is July 7th. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Today's stop is at <a href="http://decadentpublishing.blogspot.com/2011/07/lets-get-this-party-started.html">Daily Dose of Decadence</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzEmwvQxsLyqKi6y0XpxcU4JwM-5rAwaVJ92JoyggEOB7iYaW-fW5n-TdaX0ab9YuYJVHJF07IuOo-li_VWxfnJPejDjv2VNQCXqF911SKFMNqtb9oBF2m9W_KUGkBr-Usbl0DD9z_lvs/s1600/Decadent_Letterhead_LG.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzEmwvQxsLyqKi6y0XpxcU4JwM-5rAwaVJ92JoyggEOB7iYaW-fW5n-TdaX0ab9YuYJVHJF07IuOo-li_VWxfnJPejDjv2VNQCXqF911SKFMNqtb9oBF2m9W_KUGkBr-Usbl0DD9z_lvs/s400/Decadent_Letterhead_LG.png" width="400" /></a></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Kimber Lihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982239712083114488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196814472111690551.post-33425413357750076882011-06-19T00:15:00.000-07:002011-06-19T00:15:00.444-07:00Romance Endurance TrainingI have to admit, the title <i>Enduring Romance</i> always makes me giggle a little bit. Because if you think about it, it can be taken two (or maybe more) ways. First is the straight-forward "romance that lasts forever" sweetness and light. Then there's the "putting up with romance" angle. On any given day, I can alternate between those two meanings like they're on opposing sides of a wildly swinging pendulum.<br /><div><br /></div><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj00sUx-xCpAW-oTcSocxkksb5m1J42CZ1YUk9Z-MtNKEHYELwyxA1HwXnqzWnXPVGfu7AaIN8UAGhXDBj7ZxvQWBDjkk-WE608VGTdLKet2Fpfl4l_YJHMUGDGIYvJNI4BcJFBXDlJ1Uc/s200/disney-princess_55192_1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5619769345394679682" /><div>You see, I consider myself primarily a "strong romantic elements" type of author. I can do straight romance, but I have a much harder time with it. I think the problem is I have a hard time looking at romance and falling in love as the primary part of anyone's story. An important part to be sure, but primary? For me that only works in fairy tales. So when I read or write romance, I always have to put on my princess glasses and see the world in this rainbow of cartoon colors. Sometimes it works...sometimes it doesn't. </div><div><br /></div><div>Strong romantic elements though? (Happy sigh) That's <i>my </i>sweet spot. It still has all the magic of boy meeting girl (or girl meeting girl or boy meeting boy...whatever match-up the story at hand needs), but like in life it's told within the framework of a bigger picture. Characters get to fall in love while finding the bad guy or running from danger or saving the world. It still happens, but it isn't the primary focus of their lives.</div><div><br /></div><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtKCV_d5j-DTZW1F1P5XDhEWB6nTuN2-FFrxAx0HgX1Kyj6CHFcQnZpSMOqdRg-gyoXOmw6TATRVO3i_OQE0tqPWb-JzrIUufpLUEtrmuz6_h95zwHQs5LgD2heDH4-aFbc-INPaTNFgA/s200/PS_MD.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5619769052532915266" /><div>Because whether we like to admit it or not, there's always more than romance going on. There's school and jobs and family and friends, and sometimes falling in love has to take a backseat to those other things. For me, in romance stories, it always wants to be in the front seat--preferably driving. </div><div><br /></div><div>Oddly enough, the first novel I ever tried to write was a romance. It was an epic love story about these two kids who ran away together as teenagers then were torn apart by life and how they fought to find each other again later. There was war and natural disaster and all sorts of stuff going on, but the focus of the story was the main characters and their emotional journey with each other. It...uh...*cough*...never made it very far. As much as I loved the idea (and still do, as a matter of fact) I couldn't write it. </div><div><br /></div><div>Romance writers get a lot of grief from people saying how easy it is to write that "fluff". I'm pretty sure the only people who say that are the ones who've never tried writing it. Romance is <i>hard</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div>Then again, so is falling in love. </div><div><br /></div><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg66kq0hXMHY9UE0YILV5_9ZULQoC8kcMgTOIlasIguWeDIMYgP0-8ln1vHO5AnT_iVxE7bOBYoHO14gm2xTqPAbGNnMc79GAbQIbD_TZUOXxkrgDrQxZX2JOOFvNOBRp7OgYpPB9wfQ10/s200/AMK-SD-PRO-01W.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5619769594175864258" /><div>~*~*~</div><div><br /></div><div>Julie Particka is the author of <i>Pretty Souls</i>, book one of the <i>Paranormal Response Team </i>series, and the newest contributing member to <i>Enduring Romance</i>. She'll be posting every third Sunday. In the meantime, you can find her online at her <a href="http://julieparticka.com/">website</a>, <a href="http://julieparticka.com/blog/">blog</a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Julie-Particka/188238667871397">Facebook page</a>, and <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/Selestial">Twitter</a>. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196814472111690551.post-37973627740831798962011-06-16T01:23:00.000-07:002011-06-16T01:23:00.227-07:00Summer at Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbCYEAvw2pDLLWuRM1miMkwj8n-ct5siNGZ3QjJX4hQkvsy3dTmb4PFDA83p2Ve7Y6RZs20mRPZbtveoDei7HqdOpdWqeTp7wrdTGWoKcdLWh-_7aK6-AiDo2j_PsoAQGLfrOmL1T1378/s1600/summer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbCYEAvw2pDLLWuRM1miMkwj8n-ct5siNGZ3QjJX4hQkvsy3dTmb4PFDA83p2Ve7Y6RZs20mRPZbtveoDei7HqdOpdWqeTp7wrdTGWoKcdLWh-_7aK6-AiDo2j_PsoAQGLfrOmL1T1378/s400/summer.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br />
<br />
9th June 2011 (UK), Mira Books<br />
540 pages, Paperback<br />
Review copy<br />
<br />
Romance<br />
<br />
<b>Book blurb</b><br />
<i>Olivia Bellamy has traded her trendy Manhatten life for a summer renovating her family's crumbling holiday resort. Tempted by the hazy, nostalgic memories of summers past - childhood innocnece and the romance and rivalries of her teens - it's the perfect place to flee after her broken engagement. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>But what began as an escape may just be a new beginning. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>As Olivia uncovers secrets buried thick with dust, one by one her family return, their lives as frayed at the edges as the resort. Her father and the mystery woman in the tatty black and white photograph, Uncle John, who's trying to be a father again to his teenage kids. Conna Davis, the first love she never forgot. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>Laughter is ringing around Willow Lake once more. This could be Olivia's summer of a lifetime!</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<b>Nayuleska's reasons for loving Olivia:</b> although she's been emotionally burned, she focuses on a project and gives it her all. It's not her fault that because of the project ghosts from the past emerge: they are mysterious, painful and pleasurable.<br />
<br />
<b>Is there another character who deserves a mention? </b>Daisy - initially she isn't someone I like or relate to, but she cares so much for her brother, and just wants to be loved by her father. I like who she becomes by the end of the story.<br />
<br />
<b>How evil/nasty is the enemy? </b>Substance abuse is horrific at any age. Keeping essential secrets about a loved one's past can initially cause an awful lot of hurt, but it doesn't last forever.<br />
<br />
<b>Are there plenty of plot twists and surprises? </b>Apart from the obvious ones indicated in the blurb, there were a nice lot of surprises. I especially liked how the story switched povs, and switched from the present day to the past (mostly to life at camp).<br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>One of my favourite parts was...</b>frustratingly I thought I'd put a bookmark at my favourite part, but I haven't so I haven't go the exact details. It was when Daisy became happier with her family situation, and wanted to do something with her life.<br />
<br />
I give this romance/family saga 9/10, with the romance rated between mildly sensual to sensual, there's also some strong language and substance use/abuse.<br />
<br />
If you like this I recommend <i><a href="http://nayusreadingcorner.blogspot.com/2011/04/lilys-journey-by-tania-crosse.html">Lily's Journey</a> </i>by Tania Crosse, another story full of family secrets and character growth.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGA9MMBiD40WHUNUHmsFaPhZI0Lyti2AA2Po-KncguA1goO5l6320jzYk623dbVUSkWbi72E8e1FDAI6jd6VnZOf1Qh31nZn6YySNCbFsaL5qhWZD4XBMXqK5pbKsrW9baUpMlpkP9Mlk/s1600/lily%2527s+journey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGA9MMBiD40WHUNUHmsFaPhZI0Lyti2AA2Po-KncguA1goO5l6320jzYk623dbVUSkWbi72E8e1FDAI6jd6VnZOf1Qh31nZn6YySNCbFsaL5qhWZD4XBMXqK5pbKsrW9baUpMlpkP9Mlk/s200/lily%2527s+journey.jpg" width="125" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196814472111690551.post-47506625376527143232011-06-04T05:02:00.000-07:002011-06-04T05:02:00.681-07:00Kimber An is At Reader Girls Today<a href="http://readergirls.blogspot.com/2011/06/guest-post-interview-by-bianca-from.html">Bianca Interviews Adrian and Ophelia</a>Kimber Lihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982239712083114488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196814472111690551.post-77455163565305425272011-06-02T06:23:00.001-07:002011-06-02T06:23:21.339-07:00Kimber An's Site<a href="http://www.kimberan.com/p/kimber-ans-calendar.html">Updated</a>Kimber Lihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982239712083114488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196814472111690551.post-5696155576295404052011-06-02T02:59:00.000-07:002011-06-02T02:59:00.187-07:00Wanted! By Kate Thompson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyiXhTnsV7QYtgeZm7eh53B_6HRPeRsrg6fhoKC2jK9XxYDI2oSnwzIZ213XTRJumNvJ_YGneev-3kLRZ2LuC6f2A7A2Y1REzHmCY711tygkwDQjdWLiQeK9581u7jyJpUOlDEPoccFCA/s1600/wanted.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyiXhTnsV7QYtgeZm7eh53B_6HRPeRsrg6fhoKC2jK9XxYDI2oSnwzIZ213XTRJumNvJ_YGneev-3kLRZ2LuC6f2A7A2Y1REzHmCY711tygkwDQjdWLiQeK9581u7jyJpUOlDEPoccFCA/s400/wanted.jpg" width="285" /></a></div><br />
<br />
September 2010, Bodley Head (UK publisher)<br />
128 pages, Hardback<br />
Review copy<br />
<br />
Children's, Historical, 9+<br />
<br />
Drama, ancient Rome, mad emperors, misunderstanding, tense moments, family ties and support, some humour<br />
<br />
Summary from <a href="http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/catalog/bookcb.htm?command=Search&db=main.txt&eqisbndata=0370329902">Random House Children's Books</a> (UK)<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;">Marcus is a young baker in Ancient Rome, living with his family in the shadow of the murderous Emperor Littleboots. When a slave boy shoves the reins of a sleek, beautiful horse into Marcus’s hands seconds before he is killed by a soldier, Marcus knows he’s in danger – because the horse is Incitatus, the Emperor’s most prized and powerful animal.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;">Will Marcus find a way to keep Incitatus hidden? Are the rumours of Littleboots’s death true – or is it all a trick? And how can Marcus save himself, and his family?</span></i></span><br />
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<b>Nayuleska's reasons for loving Marcus...</b>he's one plucky boy, although some might see him as unfortunate when Incitatus decides he likes Marcus & won't leave his side.<br />
<br />
<b>Is there another character who deserves a special mention? </b>Incitatus - that horse has such character!<br />
<br />
<b>How evil/nasty is the enemy? </b>I'd say pretty evil considering how Marcus could be executed at any moment.<br />
<br />
<b>Are there plenty of plot twists and surprises? </b>It's surprising how much a small book took me by surprise. Never just a book on the number of pages!<br />
<br />
<b>One of my favourite parts was...</b>when it ended. I could finally breathe a sigh of relief and not worry about Marcus.<br />
<br />
I give this 9/10 - the illustrations added to the sense of action throughout the book.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196814472111690551.post-12490857701132751092011-05-28T10:53:00.000-07:002011-05-28T10:53:58.837-07:00SUGAR RUSH Reviewed<a href="http://gotromancereviews.blogspot.com/2011/05/sugar-rush-by-kimber.html">Got Romance Reviews</a> Caution: This is an over-18 site.Kimber Lihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982239712083114488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196814472111690551.post-84731918228252922372011-05-28T10:49:00.000-07:002011-05-28T10:49:04.175-07:00CRUSHED SUGAR Reviewed<a href="http://gotromancereviews.blogspot.com/2011/05/crushed-sugar-by-kimber.html?zx=9ca07dfdcc429564">Got Romance Reviews</a> Caution: This is an over-18 site.Kimber Lihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982239712083114488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196814472111690551.post-86989484572210234012011-05-23T05:29:00.000-07:002011-05-23T05:29:36.636-07:00Kimber An at Daily Dose of DecadenceI'm talking about the <a href="http://decadentpublishing.blogspot.com/2011/05/ophelia-dawson-chronicles-playlist.html">PLAYLIST</a> for the Ophelia Dawson Chronicles there today.Kimber Lihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03982239712083114488noreply@blogger.com0