tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22624247787837095592024-03-05T22:09:00.243-05:00Jeanette Pekala, Photographer.Writer.EditorJeanette Pekalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01731017932866890060noreply@blogger.comBlogger150125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262424778783709559.post-48670070146167699282019-02-11T09:58:00.000-05:002019-02-11T09:58:06.054-05:00Random Topic Thursday: Things You Wish You HadThings You Wish You Had<br />
<br />
I'm not a very materialistic person. Really, I'm not. The best things in life are free according to yours truly. So this was a hard one for me. So I'm going to try to choose three things I wish I had.<br />
<br />
1) A Puke Disposal Worker: <br />
<br />
I know, I can be gross. It's true though. I hate, hate, hate cleaning up puke. With 2 kids and a crazy dog that eats anything that's nonedible under the sun there tends to be a puke mishap about twice a month in my home. And they never make in to the toilet in time. Bask in my frustration people, there's plenty of it to go around. I'm grinding my teeth as I jot this. Anyways, I need a disposal person on staff (considering I have a staff) to whom I pay handsomely to clean up puke when it does occur within my home. <br />
<br />
2) Perfect Hair/Skin Days:<br />
<br />
The second thing I wish I had were perfect hair and skin days. I remember once when I traveled to the west coast where there is NO HUMIDITY when my hair was perfect and my skin was flawless for the 2 weeks I visited. Jeanette Pekalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01731017932866890060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262424778783709559.post-47025765217714211552019-02-11T09:56:00.000-05:002019-02-11T09:56:51.097-05:00Love Stories for Valentine's Day: YA Books<h2>
Love Stories for Valentine's Day: YA and NA Books</h2>
With Valentine's Day just around the corner, we're all in the spirit of happily ever after. Here's my list of some of my favorite love stories to keep with the spirit of the season. These are not sappy sobbing love stories (sorry Nicholas Sparks, your books are masterpieces, but they are not for me). I prefer books (both YA and NA) with plenty of romance, humor, drama and action. If you're like me, here are some of my faves.<br />
<br />
#10<br />
<br />
Juliet<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6a6FOS8JTC0ErIwhDBA2vWByT1Uoy64T6Qr9-1-1i9Hh6-4elCcPDDetFiJuzuNyKIpnhzbtap-J0LzFtRMkMq5xj4gQVJq-sLREkzUs4vNu_tLoIpStOZs6IdfemHFAJnc_fjx4fy4I/s1600/juliet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6a6FOS8JTC0ErIwhDBA2vWByT1Uoy64T6Qr9-1-1i9Hh6-4elCcPDDetFiJuzuNyKIpnhzbtap-J0LzFtRMkMq5xj4gQVJq-sLREkzUs4vNu_tLoIpStOZs6IdfemHFAJnc_fjx4fy4I/s1600/juliet.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
#9<br />
<br />
Twilight Series<br />
<br />Jeanette Pekalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01731017932866890060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262424778783709559.post-40482208128664456582019-01-11T14:33:00.000-05:002019-02-11T09:54:12.634-05:00Silly Sicilian Recipes<h2>
Silly Sicilian Recipes</h2>
<br />
<h3>
"Lasagna to Die for"</h3>
<div>
and</div>
<h3>
"Apple Crisp"</h3>
<br />
A few years ago, I started a cookbook, "The Silly Sicilian". I thought it was quite good. I enjoyed writing it. It came easily to me. I even thought my comedic writing was incredibly clever. It was going great until my inexperience back then caught up with me. <br />
<br />
My computer crashed! <br />
<br />
This was at a time when I didn't back up my work. These days I have back up for my back up (and sometimes back up for that too). I will never make that mistake again! Before "Culture Shock", I had written and nearly completed 2 other books -- one a novel (untitled) and the other a cookbook which I named "The Silly Sicilian".<br />
<br />
My work may not be able to be rescued, but my recipes can be. These are time tested and taste bud approved recipes that I've perfected over the years. I hope you will try them and enjoy them as much as we have.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Lasagna to Die for</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Time: 30
mins (Sauce will take at least 2 hours to simmer. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">You can make
it ahead and freeze it or start early)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Serves: 8-12
</span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ingredients </span></u></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2 tbsp.
extra virgin olive oil</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 medium
onion, chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">4 garlic
cloves, minced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">4 cartons of
strained tomatoes </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">(Pomi brand
26.46oz containers are best)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 tsp basil,
divided</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 tsp,
oregano, divided</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">½ tsp
parsley</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 lb. Ground
beef</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 lb. sweet
Italian sausage</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Salt and
Pepper to taste</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sugar
(needed if sauce is acidic)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 ¾ cup
ricotta cheese</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 egg,
slightly beaten</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">12 pieces of
oven-ready lasagna noodles,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Uncooked and
unsoaked</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">(I like
Ronzoni brand)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">4 cups
shredded mozzarella</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">¼ cup
Parmesan cheese</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Directions: </span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sauce:</b> In a stock pot, sauté extra
virgin olive oil and onions foe 2-3 mins. Add garlic and sauté an additional
minute. Add four strained tomato containers, ½ tsp basil, ½ tsp oregano, ½ tsp
parsley and salt and pepper. Bring to a slow boil. Lower heat to simmer. In a
pan, brown ground brown and sweet Italian sausage. Season meat with salt and
pepper. Combine the meat mixture with the tomato sauce in the stock pot. Let
contents of stock pot simmer for at least 2 hours. Let sauce cool before
assembling. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Lasagna:</b> Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a small bowl, combine ricotta cheese, egg, ½ tsp basil, ½ tsp oregano. Set
aside. Spread ¾ cup of sauce on the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish. Place 3
pieces of lasagna noodles crosswise over the sauce. They should not overlap or
touch – they will expand while cooking). Spread 2/3 cup of the ricotta mixture
evenly over the noodles. Spread ¾ cup of the meat sauce evenly over the
ricotta. Sprinkle one cup of mozzarella cheese. Layer the same amount of
noodles, ricotta, sauce, and mozzarella cheese 2 more times. Top with the 3
remaining lasagna pieces. Top noodles with sauce (reserve some sauce to serve
tableside), remaining mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil
and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake at 10-15 minutes
until hot and bubbly. Let stand for 5 minutes. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
_______________________________________________________________________</div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Apple Crisp</span></b></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Time: 50-60 mins</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Serves: 4-6</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Ingredients</span></u></b></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">6-8 apples, peeled and sliced thin</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">1 cup flour</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">1 cup sugar (white or brown)</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">1 stick butter, softened </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">½ tsp cinnamon (nutmeg and clove, if desired)</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Salt, pinch</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Directions: </b>Preheat
oven to 375 degrees. In a baking dish, add apples and cinnamon (nutmeg and
clove, if desired). Stir until well mixed. In a separate bowl cream together
flour, sugar, butter, salt. The mixture will be lumpy and look like butter
crumbs. Sprinkle the butter crumbs over the apples evenly. Bake for 45 mins or
until golden brown and bubbly. Enjoy alone or with a scoop of vanilla ice
cream. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
</div>
<span style="line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>_______________________________________________________________________</span></span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Let me know if you try any of these out! I want to know what you think!!!</div>
<span style="line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br clear="all" style="mso-special-character: line-break; page-break-before: always;" /></span>
</span><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Jeanette Pekalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01731017932866890060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262424778783709559.post-48153872236669500592019-01-10T14:17:00.000-05:002019-02-11T09:54:30.958-05:0020 of the Cheesiest Jokes Ever Told<h2>
20 of the Cheesiest Jokes Ever Told</h2>
I've been told -- by many people -- my entire life that my jokes are cheesy. They are, I'll admit. There is something so silly (maybe a bit juvenile) about my sense of humor. <br />
<br />
The way a cheesy joke comes across may be dismissive in another's eyes, but in mine, they are comedy gold. So to all of my kindred spirits out there, this list is for you!<br />
<br />
Say Cheese!<br />
<br />
<img alt="Image result for say cheesse" class="mimg" data-bm="31" height="149" src="https://www.bing.com/th?id=OIP.uAjVnFPODusWEpWYdhcDVAHaFj&w=275&h=206&c=7&o=5&dpr=1.25&pid=1.7" style="color: #c0b30c;" width="200" /><br />
<br />
1) <u>Why did Johnny throw the clock out the window?</u> He wanted to see time fly!<br />
<br />
2) <u>Why is there a gate around cemeteries?</u> Because people are dying to get in.<br />
<br />
3) <u>What do you call cheese that isn't yours?</u> Nacho cheese.<br />
<br />
4) <u>Where do pencils go on vacation? </u>Pencil-vania.<br />
<br />
5) <u>Why didn't the skeleton go to the dance?</u> He had no body to dance with.<br />
<br />
6) <u>How much does it cost for a pirate to get his ears pierced? </u>A buck an ear!<br />
<br />
7) <u>Why don't sharks eat clowns? </u>They taste funny.<br />
<br />
8) <u>How do you make a tissue dance?</u> Put a little boogie in it!<br />
<br />
9) <u>Why is Peter Pan always flying?</u> He never lands.<br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="See the source image" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgedksf3Fmid5cAf_Jtg95uASAIxkK8m2CORRLCJmiECSB3EXrjJqcwLGraw1LXjBngUiSOVsgFZtgG3a_8QoQtOzYLDBf6eJkjDOz5QZANMuSpie_XKgp0aMo8OBorkCJlEsWO71s36oQ/s320/Peter+Pan+Disney+1953+Peter,+Wendy,+John,+Michael,+Tinker+Bell+and+Big+Ben.jpg" width="320" /><br />
<b><br /></b>
10) <u>Knock, Knock. Who's there? Dwayne. Dwayne who? </u>Dwayne the tub, I'm drowning!<br />
<br />
11) <u>A man walked into a bar.</u> Ouch!<br />
<br />
12) <u>Why did the picture go to jail?</u> It was framed!<br />
<br />
13) <u>Why does Snoop Dogg have an umbrella? </u>fo' drizzle<br />
<br />
14) <u>What do you call a cow with no legs? </u>Ground beef.<br />
<br />
15) <u>How do billboards talk? </u>Sign language.<br />
<br />
16) <u>What happened to the man that shoplifted a calendar?</u> He got 12 months.<br />
<br />
17) <u>Why was six afraid of seven? </u>Because seven eight nine.<br />
<br />
18) <u>What did one ocean say to the other? </u>Nothing. they just waved.<br />
<br />
19) <u>Did you see that new pirate movie?</u> It was rated argh!!!!!!<br />
<br />
20) <u>What kind of bagel can fly?</u> A plain bagel.<br />
<br />
:)<br />
<br />
If anything, I hope these jokes brightened your day and eased the torture of monotony for a few minutes.<br />
<br />
Are there any favorite cheesy jokes of yours that you would like to share?Jeanette Pekalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01731017932866890060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262424778783709559.post-83233135150277656982019-01-09T20:19:00.000-05:002019-02-11T09:54:46.289-05:00Talk like a Pirate Glossary<h2 class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
Talk Like a Pirate Glossary</h2>
<u></u><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<u></u></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<u><br /></u></div>
<br />
<br />
Before you batten down the hatches and it's time to fly your Jolly Roger with pride and learn how to officially speak like a regular 'ol sea dog. Who knows? It may save you from being shark bait one day!<br />
<br />
Don your best deep, raspy pirate voice and learn the words and phrases used to sail the seven seas.<br />
<br />
<img alt="See the source image" height="250" src="https://gonautical.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/pirateship1280x800.jpg" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" width="400" /><u><b><i><br /></i></b>
</u><br />
<u><br /></u>
<br />
<h3>
Pirate Words and Phrases </h3>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
Argh! - excitement or disgust</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
Ahoy! - Hello!</div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
Ahoy, Matey - Hello, my friend!</div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
Ahoy, me Hearties! - the same as saying "Hello, my
friends!"</div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
All hands on deck! - a call for all of the ship's crew to come to the main deck</div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span><br />
Avast ye<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> - stop and pay attention
</span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
Aye - yes</div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
Batten down the hatches - put everything away on the ship
and tie everything down because a storm is brewing</div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
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Bilge rat - a scoundrel </div>
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Blimey! - exhortation of surprise</div>
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Blow me down! - expression of shock of disbelief </div>
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Blow the man down - command to kill someone</div>
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Booty - treasure</div>
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Buccaneer - a pirate</div>
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Bucko - a buccaneer </div>
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Cat O'Nine Tails - a whip with nine strands</div>
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Cleave him to the brisket - to cut across the chest, from
one shoulder to the lower abdomen</div>
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Corsair - pirates in the Mediterranean Sea</div>
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Crow's nest - small platform atop the mast where the lookout
stands</div>
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Cutlass - short heavy curved bladed sword used by pirates</div>
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Davy Jones' Locker - final resting place at the bottom of the sea for drowned pirates</div>
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Dead men tell no tales - leave no survivors</div>
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Doubloons - other coins or found in pirate hoards and stashes</div>
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Feed the fish - will soon die</div>
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Fire in the hole! - warning of a canon being fired</div>
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Grog - pirate drink made of rum, water, and lime</div>
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Hang 'im from the yardarm - punishment of those captured
in battle</div>
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Head - the pirate ship's toilet</div>
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Heave Ho - give it some muscle and push it</div>
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</span><br />
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Hempen Halter - a noose for hanging</div>
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</span><br />
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Hornswaggle - cheating</div>
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</span><br />
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Jacob's Ladder - the rope ladder one uses to climb aboard
a sloop</div>
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Jolly Roger - pirate's flag including white skull and crossbones
over a black field</div>
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</span><br />
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<br /></div>
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Keelhaul - punishment in which a person where dragged underneath
the pirate ship from side to side </div>
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and was lacerated by the barnacles
on the vessel</div>
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</span><br />
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<br /></div>
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Lad, lass, lassie - a younger person</div>
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</span><br />
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<br /></div>
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Landlubber - big, slow clumsy person who doesn't know how
to sail</div>
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</span><br />
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<br /></div>
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Letters of Marque - letters issue from governments during
wartime to privateers endorsing the piracy </div>
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of another vessel</div>
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</span><br />
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<br /></div>
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Man-O-War - pirate's ship outfitted for battle</div>
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</span><br />
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<br /></div>
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Me - my</div>
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<br /></div>
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Matey or Me Hearty - shipmate or friend</div>
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</span><br />
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<br /></div>
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Mizzen - third mast from the bow of the ship on ships that
have three or more masts</div>
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<br /></div>
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Mutiny - shipmates rally against the captain</div>
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</span><br />
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<br /></div>
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Old Salt - an experienced sailor</div>
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</span><br />
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<br /></div>
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Pieces of eight - coins or found in pirate stashes</div>
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</span><br />
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<br /></div>
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Pillage - rob, sack or plunder</div>
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</span><br />
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<br /></div>
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Poop deck - the part of the ship farthest to the back, which
is usually above the captain's quarters. </div>
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This is not the bathroom.</div>
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</span><br />
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<br /></div>
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Privateer - government-sponsored pirates</div>
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</span><br />
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<br /></div>
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Rum - pirate's traditional alcoholic beverage</div>
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</span><br />
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<br /></div>
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Run a shot across the bow - warning shot to another vessel's
captain</div>
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</span><br />
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<br /></div>
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Savvy? - do you understand and do you agree?</div>
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</span><br />
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<br /></div>
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Scallywag - mild insult akin to rapscallion or rogue</div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Scurvy Dog - a scoundrel </span></div>
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</span><br />
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<br /></div>
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Scuttle - to sink a ship</div>
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</span><br />
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<br /></div>
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Seadog - old pirate or sailor</div>
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<br /></div>
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Sea shanty - song used to synchronize crew movement and pass the time</div>
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</span><br />
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<br /></div>
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Shark bait - will soon join Davy Jones' Locker</div>
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</span><br />
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<br /></div>
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Shipshape - cleaned up and under control</div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
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Shiver me timbers! - comparable to "Holy Crap!"</div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span><br />
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<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
Son of a Biscuit Eater - insult directed towards someone
you don't like</div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
Splice the mainbrace! - give the crew a drink!</div>
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<br /></div>
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Swabber - a general insult or a mate that is lower in the pirate hierarchy (swabs the deck)</div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span><br />
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<br /></div>
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Thar she blows! - Whale sighting</div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span><br />
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<br /></div>
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Three sheets to the wind - drunk</div>
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<br /></div>
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Swashbuckler - an adventurous and brave soul</div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span><br />
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<br /></div>
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Walk the plank - punishment in which person walks off a
board jutting over the side of the ship while </div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
at sea. The consequence
is drowning and a visit to Davy Jones' Locker. </div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span><br />
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<br /></div>
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Weigh anchor and hoist the mizzen! - pull up the anchor
and the sail and let's get going</div>
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<br /></div>
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Wench - A piratical way to address a familiar lady </div>
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<br /></div>
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X marks the spot - the spot on a map where the treasure is buried</div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span><br />
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<br /></div>
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Ye - you</div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span><br />
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<br /></div>
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Yo Ho Ho - pirate laughter</div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span><br />
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</div>
<div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike><br /></strike></div>
<div>
__________________________________________________________________________</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
That is my list. It should get you swashbucklers started before September 19th which is international "Talk Like a Pirate Day". </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Do you mateys have anything else to add to the list?</div>
<br />Jeanette Pekalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01731017932866890060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262424778783709559.post-65444259013636843392016-09-27T09:56:00.000-04:002019-02-11T09:55:06.850-05:00Why, Why, WhyI'm not a poet. <br />
<br />
<br />
This is raw emotion in jacked up poetry form. <br />
<br />
<br />
I call it Why, Why, Why<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Why, Why, Why</u></strong><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Why? Why? Why? I shout. </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">What have you done? </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">What have I become?</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">You’ve taken a piece of me I may never get back.</span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I feel it. I feel my love slipping away. </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">A heartbeat fading,</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Pulsing slower and slower until there’s nothing at all, but no, </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">No! I won’t let that happen. </span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I’ll stay strong. </span></div>
<br />
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I’ll move on. </span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">No!</span></div>
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</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">No, I won’t</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I’ll stay </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I’ll stay and endure.</span></div>
<br />
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll make the best of it. </span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I’ll be a part of it. </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">It’s a part of me after all. </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Maybe I caused it. </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I may be the reason it all occurred. </span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Was it my lack of beauty, of prowess, wisdom or charm?</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was I not listening to the
screams did they not send an alarm? </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">To my brain. </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">It wasn’t listening . </span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The cries of help, </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Shouting </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Why? Why? Why? </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">My own shouts were louder, blocking out any other cry. </span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">It was only me. </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">My pain. </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">My suffering.</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t hear anyone else. </span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Nothing else mattered but my pain. </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">How could you do this? </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Do this to me! </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I’ve done nothing wrong…but have I? </span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">No, I’m the innocent. </span></div>
<br />
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The one who has been wronged. </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">For my shouts are louder. .</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">My pain is stronger,</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Deeper than you will ever know. </span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">But how could you know? </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">You can’t hear my shouts. </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We’ve yet to let it all out. </span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">My shouts are internal as are yours. </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We plague ourselves with our own pain. </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Dragging along our skeletons as a heavy burden to carry on our own. </span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Why? Why? Why?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why do we do this to ourselves? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Is it pride, embarrassment, shame, cowardice? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Maybe possibly it is. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">It is all of those things. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Shouldn’t there be trust between us? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">These emotions should flow free. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Why can’t I trust you? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Why can’t you trust me? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I don’t know. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I just don’t know. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Let your shouts out I beg! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Please let them out! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">For I am dying to hear those drowned out shouts. </span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">My shouts are still too loud. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I may need a fix. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">To cancel out the sound and let something else in. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Wait! What is that? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">A noise I do hear. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">This sound that I hear is all torture and fear. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">This can’t be. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">My own pain is worse. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I can’t let it in. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">My mind may combust. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">There is too much upstairs. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">No room for your fears. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">My own screams creep back. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Licking up like rising flames. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">There you are old friend. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I thought you went away, </span></div>
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<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">But you are with me each and every day. </span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">This is me now. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">A fraction of my old self. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Of what I’ve become. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The rest has drifted away, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Tucked somewhere deep inside</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Where all good things go to die. </span></div>
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<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Where I take my emotions and let them hide. </span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">For I have job to do, </span></div>
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<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">All my shouts have dwindled. </span></div>
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</div>
<br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">There is nothing left. </span></div>
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</div>
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<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I’m a robot. </span></div>
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</div>
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<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I carry on. </span></div>
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</div>
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<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I feel nothing. </span></div>
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<br />Jeanette Pekalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01731017932866890060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262424778783709559.post-49195954674442282952014-09-04T13:43:00.001-04:002019-02-11T09:56:05.715-05:005 Reasons to NOT Move in with Someone<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<u>5 Reasons to NOT Move in with Someone</u></h2>
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Random Topic Thursday</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBqv7D_tH6pieabTa8seZZ-0qTpoLUg4jF7uWr_i6zCFQPG6HPKH2f5jI13A4ZPQYMBMqJOZNdMiC4gi5TQ7J5J8vGRl8HiRd8UaIWHacxBkAIvGyJkb90PIEPvwprlWtfZOw_nQPeMn0/s1600/thCA7RPVHQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBqv7D_tH6pieabTa8seZZ-0qTpoLUg4jF7uWr_i6zCFQPG6HPKH2f5jI13A4ZPQYMBMqJOZNdMiC4gi5TQ7J5J8vGRl8HiRd8UaIWHacxBkAIvGyJkb90PIEPvwprlWtfZOw_nQPeMn0/s1600/thCA7RPVHQ.jpg" /></a></div>
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Reason #1</div>
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They have a room they've told you never to enter under any circumstances. Late in the night you think sometimes you hear screaming.</div>
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Reason #2</div>
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They have a list of names on the refrigerator. All those names are female and have a line drawn through them. That's when you realize they are his ex-girlfriends.</div>
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Reason #3</div>
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They have disembodied Barbie doll parts stuffed in the freezer in between the TV dinners. </div>
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Reason #4</div>
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They have a row of prescription drugs in their medicine cabinet labeled by the days of the week (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, etc.) next to a bottle of whiskey.</div>
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Reason #5</div>
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His movie collection consists of nothing but "Silence of the Lambs", "Saw" (the entire series), "Psycho", and "Texas Chainsaw Massacre"</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhenicJw1VBsU7O8FQcnI7wMtix37yJJL1QscobUxyVoOy2lchpv5n51SAFWi5U_6qsQ6Jh_FFtzEoduCkf8_jlJqYCjV4le4L6FOLR-GpafMZm9x7P1MRv9E8aYhusct9wSrSwJxn9AF8/s1600/Professional+Head+Shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhenicJw1VBsU7O8FQcnI7wMtix37yJJL1QscobUxyVoOy2lchpv5n51SAFWi5U_6qsQ6Jh_FFtzEoduCkf8_jlJqYCjV4le4L6FOLR-GpafMZm9x7P1MRv9E8aYhusct9wSrSwJxn9AF8/s1600/Professional+Head+Shot.jpg" width="135" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">After finishing her degree in Sociology from the University of Florida, Jeanette Pekala had no idea what she wanted to do with her life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">While her husband was deployed overseas, she focused on what she loved to do, write, where she has finally found an outlet for her overactive imagination. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She lives a not so normal life that thrives on the macabre with her husband and three children working on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Shock Wave</i>, book 2 in the <a href="http://adventuresoflifeandliterature.blogspot.com/p/culture-shock.html" target="_blank">Culture Shock Series</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Jeanette Pekalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01731017932866890060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262424778783709559.post-66555575508839542302014-04-01T13:29:00.001-04:002019-02-11T09:56:23.303-05:005 Tips for Writers to Stay on Task<h2>
5 Tips for Writers to Stay on Task</h2>
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I am the world's best procrastinator. If procrastination became an Olympic sport, I would be a world champion. A gold medalist. I'm also an individual that when focused (doesn't happen too often) can achieve anything in the most efficient and pleasant manner possible. I know what I want and what I love. I never steer clear of the course when I'm focused. I have 5 methods that help me stay on task. I use these methods in all platforms in life when I need motivation to get going. <br />
Here's a quick list that I hope can shed some light on your focusing problems while writing the next big series. <br />
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Tip 1<br />
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Make it a Chore<br />
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I know that sounds as fun as sticking your head in a deep fryer, but it works. Here's an example from another area of my life. For the longest time (3 years...don't tell), I made excuses as to why I couldn't go to he gym: it's too expensive, I'm a busy mom that works full-time, it's out of the way, etc. This continued until I said, "screw it! I'm going to make time for the gym". I made a conscious effort to go on days when my hubby picked up the kids from school before I got home or I would go at night after the kiddos were in bed. It didn't matter if I was there a couple hours or a half an hour. It didn't matter if I pushed the limits of my workout or if it was a total slacker workout...the bottom line...I worked out. Same as writing. The bottom line...I wrote something. It doesn't matter how much or how great. <br />
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Tip 2<br />
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Make a List<br />
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I need to set deadlines for myself. If I don't, I tend to procrastinate like crazy. Making a list of deadlines may work for you as well. I will finish (blank) chapters by (blank) date. Or after you've finished writing one day, take five minutes afterward to write up a to-do list of what to do on your next writing session. I need to research a swampy environment, what goes into pickling vegetables, work on character development for Suzie, and finish chapter 2.<br />
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Tip 3<br />
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Minimize Interruptions<br />
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A nice quiet room for writing is not for me, it actually distracts me more, but for some people, they prefer silence or solitude. Whatever works for you, but that isn't the only distraction. Since most writers use computers to type out their work, we get distracted much easier. The computer has the internet, thus giving us information at our fingertips. I sometimes start looking up the correct usage of a slang word, but end up on a celeb site looking up a movie by the same name. One way to avoid the runaway train of internet searching is to go into your computer's settings disable your access to the worldwide web. It's okay...you can do it (it's not permanent, I promise!)<br />
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Tip 4<br />
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Stick to a Routine<br />
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Routines. We have them for every day activities like getting ready for work. You have a sequence of events each morning that help you get out the door on time. So why don't you apply this method to your writing? Here's my routine. I brew some coffee and pour myself a cup while my laptop fires up. I start my Skyrim Pandora station (awesome writing music). Then I pick my spot to write (outdoors if the weather is nice or on the couch in my favorite spot). I then lay my notes next to me, read the last paragraph I typed and away I go. <br />
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Tip 5<br />
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Hide all other Devices<br />
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I mean it! Hide your phone, your tablet, your kids (jk). Try to make sure all other media is away from you, i.e. TV and current novel. It should just be you, your laptop, and your words. The trifecta of authors everywhere. <br />
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Now I need to stop procrastinating by writing blog posts and get back to what I love to do...write fiction!<br />
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What are some of the tips that you use to stay on task while writing? Tell me what you do!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhenicJw1VBsU7O8FQcnI7wMtix37yJJL1QscobUxyVoOy2lchpv5n51SAFWi5U_6qsQ6Jh_FFtzEoduCkf8_jlJqYCjV4le4L6FOLR-GpafMZm9x7P1MRv9E8aYhusct9wSrSwJxn9AF8/s1600/Professional+Head+Shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhenicJw1VBsU7O8FQcnI7wMtix37yJJL1QscobUxyVoOy2lchpv5n51SAFWi5U_6qsQ6Jh_FFtzEoduCkf8_jlJqYCjV4le4L6FOLR-GpafMZm9x7P1MRv9E8aYhusct9wSrSwJxn9AF8/s1600/Professional+Head+Shot.jpg" width="217" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Jeanette Pekala is the author of Culture Shock and the soon-to-be-released Shock Wave.</span>Jeanette Pekalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01731017932866890060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262424778783709559.post-19157368895400618932014-02-27T14:21:00.000-05:002019-02-11T09:56:39.741-05:00What Type of Books do You Read Based on Your Zodiac Sign?<h2>
What Type of Books do You Read Based on Your Zodiac Sign?</h2>
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What's your sign? Mine is Sagittarius. I know what I like to read, so I wanted to see what experts of the zodiac would say about my reading choices. I pulled bits and pieces from parts of my research and jumbled them all up to make sense. These are the tidbits I found. <br />
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Let's have a little fun and see if what they say matches what you like to read.<br />
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<u>Aries</u><br />
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Aries are always too busy socializing to read much or prefer to not read at all, but if they did, they would read "how to influence others" type of books, management, motivational<br />
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<u> Taurus</u> <br />
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"How to manage your money" type of books, magazines like "Better Homes and Gardens" <br />
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<u> Gemini</u> <br />
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Very clever reads or thrillers, a book frequented by book clubs. This sign seems to be quite the conversationalist and would want to be on the up and up about popular books. <br />
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<u> Cancer</u> <br />
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Cook books and 'How to take care of your family and finances' or 'get rich quick' books<br />
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<u>Leo</u><br />
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Definitely not interested in reading unless the book is about themselves, poetry, philosophy.<br />
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<u> Virgo</u><br />
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Anything analytical, heavy science books, books on health<br />
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<u>Libra</u><br />
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History, maybe even historical romance<br />
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<u>Scorpio</u> <br />
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Murder mysteries, ghost stories.<br />
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<u> Sagittarius</u> <br />
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Political, crime novels, spiritual<br />
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<u> Capricorns</u> <br />
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Self-improvement books <br />
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<u> Aquarius</u> <br />
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Will read just about anything and everything.<br />
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<u> Pisces</u><br />
<u></u><br />
Philosophy books, Book of Quotes, Artsy books, Yoga and Zen-like stuff. <br />
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Like I mentioned before, I'm a Sagittarius and I believe the experts are WRONG! I am probably the least political person you will find. I steer clear of all things politics. Crime novels are okay, but I definitely don't lean that way unless it comes REALLY VERY VERY HIGHLY recommended. Other than that...nope. Fantasy, romance, adventure, action, those are my types of books that I gravitate toward. It's silly because most Sags are very down to earth which I am in my real life, but not when I'm reading. That is my escape.<br />
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So what say you? Are the experts correct? Or are they batsh*t crazy? What's your sign and what do you like to read? Jeanette Pekalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01731017932866890060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262424778783709559.post-38918427628698968342014-01-15T21:11:00.000-05:002019-02-11T09:57:28.579-05:00SHOCK WAVE by JEANETTE PEKALA to be released soon<h2>
SHOCK WAVE by JEANETTE PEKALA to be released soon</h2>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The much anticipated cover reveal and synopsis of the second book in the Culture Shock Series, Shock Wave.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Seventeen-year-old, Macy Holmes thought she had it all. The
boy of her dreams is hers, the meddling witches are locked up, and she finally
has true friends. That all goes down the drain when Chad goes missing, the
witches have escaped, and her friends aren’t accompanying her to the small
beach community of Cedar Key where her parents have rented a house for the
summer. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Max Forrester, regardless of being the world’s biggest
flirt, never thought he would love again until he met Macy Holmes. He still
holds a torch for her even though she quickly fell in love with his best friend,
Chad. When Max is sent to look after Macy while in Cedar Key, he shares a dark
secret with her. The secret binds them together. Will they develop a more
romantic situation or will Max forever be in the friend boat? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">When Macy is captured, she sees the world through Chad’s
eyes. Will she like what she sees or will it leave her trembling in fear of the
monster Chad is capable of being? She will have to make the choice of whether
her love for Chad is strong enough to overlook the ghastly deeds he has done or
if ever reliable fun-loving Max is the man for her.</span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">What will Macy do when she doesn’t know whom to trust?
Friends have become enemies and enemies, friends. The stakes are higher in this
thrilling sequel of Culture Shock all the way to the bloody end. </span></div>
Jeanette Pekalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01731017932866890060noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262424778783709559.post-14871053845925487352013-12-26T15:25:00.001-05:002019-02-11T09:57:50.078-05:00Review: The Deepest Cut<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Review of "The Deepest Cut"</h2>
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Title: The Deepest Cut A Mackinnon Curse<br />
Author: J.A, Templeton<br />
Publication Date: 10/01/2011<br />
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<em>Synopsis:</em><br />
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<span id="freeText10761578717510881795">Sixteen-year-old Riley Williams has been able to see ghosts since the car crash that took her mother’s life and shattered her family. Guilt-ridden over the belief that she’s somehow responsible for her mom’s death, Riley is desperate to see her mother’s elusive spirit to gain her forgiveness. <br /><br />When her father moves the family to Scotland so they can all start over, Riley believes her life couldn’t get worse––that is until the ghost of nineteen-year-old Ian MacKinnon catches her purposely cutting herself. An uneasy truce quickly turns into friendship, and soon Riley’s falling hard for Ian. <br /><br />Riley believes her gift could help Ian end the curse that has kept him tied to the land for centuries, but that would mean letting him go forever and she’s not sure she is strong enough to do that. As if her life wasn’t complicated enough, the spirit of the woman who killed Ian returns and she’ll stop at nothing to keep Riley from helping Ian find eternal peace.</span><br />
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<em>Review:</em><br />
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I kind of stumbled across this one while perusing through the kindle store. I liked the cover and the title seemed intriguing enough to click on it. So I did, click on it. After reading the synopsis and a couple reviews, I was sold. <br />
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The story takes place in rural Scotland where the main character moves with her broken family after tragically losing her mom in a car wreck that she was involved in. To deal with the pain, Riley cuts herself. It's her form of a drug fix. The author handled the very real issue of cutting seriously but not preachy which I was afraid it would have been. Never did it detract from the story, but added depth and realism to the character. <br />
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Not only has Riley been cutting since that tragic day, but since her mom's accident now she can see the dead. I know flashback to the Sixth Sense, but really it wasn't like that at all. At first it was a little funny. Then she meets her love interest Ian, which quickly because a love interest of mine (sorry hubby). The thing is...Ian is a ghost. <br />
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Riley and Ian get close a little too close for the liking one particular ghost. A ghost bent on revenge and the one holding Ian earthbound. Laria, the evil ghost, gets scarier and scarier with each scene. I found myself creeped out on several occasions. I'm reading the second book now and let me tell you that it gets scarier still. She's just creepy and crazy enough to pull it off. <br />
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I really liked the combo of horror and regular old YA fiction. The characters and setting were original and realistic, even a little historic at times. I enjoyed it until the very end. <br />
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Peace,<br />
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Jeanette Pekala<br />
Author of Culture ShockJeanette Pekalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01731017932866890060noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262424778783709559.post-77762281333852242792013-10-05T19:11:00.001-04:002019-02-11T09:58:28.507-05:00FREE days on Amazon...Worth it?<h2>
Free days on Amazon...worth it?</h2>
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Yesterday was my first free day on Amazon kdp select. I was apprehensive at first. I had the common thought all authors have. "Why would I list it for free? I won't make any money." "I don't want to devalue my work" . Even general skepticism like "will it even working to promote sales. "</div>
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After day one I'm pretty confident that it will boost sales. In just one day, I received 3000 downloads of Culture Shock. That's 3000 people that will eventually read it and talk about it, blog about it, review it on Amazon, or post to Twitter or Facebook. </div>
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It's true that I didn't earn a dime but from a promotion standpoint it's gold. I've been getting such great reviews but not enough to generate any real attention. Amazon kdp select will help with that. You know after you read something on a kindle your asked to review it or rate it? Plus, you can post it to your corner of social media. Then after that if you didn't rate it...you get that reminder email about a week later asking you to rate it.</div>
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Reviews on Amazon sell books on Amazon. I know as a reader I won't even look at the book's description unless it has over 100 reviews (mostly positive). So the amount of reviews is worth the risk of giving away your book for free for a few days. </div>
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I'll keep you updated when it's all over and let you know how I did. Good luck to you all.</div>
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Happy reading, </div>
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Jeanette<br />
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So it's been a month now since my FREE days on Amazon. I was shock at the amount of exposure I received. Even though I didn't make a cent, I was able to get my book in the hands of 4,125 people!!! I did do a lot of promoting via social media and through many of those FREE book referral sites.<br />
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I was a little ticked that many of my friends and family members took advantage of the free promo Thanks for the support!!! You couldn't spew out the $3.99??? No biggie..as long as you leave a review...otherwise, you're getting kicked off my Christmas list. <br />
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Anywhooooo, I received after a month only 5 more reviews. It's a long book, so I'm hoping people are taking their time reading it and I'll get some more reviews. I can't complain though. They are all good reviews from complete strangers! <br />
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I will definitely do another FREE promo in the future, especially when my second book is released or just to boost exposure. I'll update this blog if the reviews rise drastically so you can see if the FREE days eventually pay off. <br />
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Thanks for hanging out and reading through my little experiment. Hopefully you've gained a little insight.<br />
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Reaching for the Stars,<br />
JP<br />
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Jeanette Pekalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01731017932866890060noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262424778783709559.post-6122488949723293402013-09-26T11:28:00.001-04:002019-02-11T09:58:53.268-05:00My Review of Jenny Pox by JL Bryan<br />
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Jenny Pox</h2>
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My Review of Jenny Pox by JL Bryan<o:p></o:p></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I loved this book. You see a lot of supernatural these days.
I’m not complaining, but it’s the truth. Some things can get a little run into
the ground, if you know what I mean. Jenny Pox was separate of the common
supernaturals. It was a breath of fresh air. Could you imagine never in your
entire life being able to touch someone in fear that you would kill them? That
is…until you met the one person you can. Even for her father to hug her he had
to don a suit with mittens and if I recall correctly some sort of net over his
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">There were three supernatural characters in this book with
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I enjoyed Jenny Pox until the end.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The end was sooooo outlandish. I thought for sure it was all
going to be a joke and she would wake up from this crazy dream. The book was so
good up until that point. I did enjoy the gruesomeness of it all at the end but
it just didn’t make sense and it could have been pulled off in a much better
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I won’t deny it though…even though the end was craziness in
a hand basket, I still loved, loved, loved the story. You could really connect
with Jenny, Seth, and even Jenny’s dad. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">4.91 Stars!!!!</span></div>
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Jeanette Pekalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01731017932866890060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262424778783709559.post-55674833837649293322013-09-13T15:48:00.003-04:002019-02-11T09:59:15.326-05:00Collection of Different Types of Creative Writing Exercises<h2>
Collection of Different Types of Creative Writing Exercises</h2>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">What does a marathon runner do to prepare for the big day? They train. They condition. Well, as a writer there isn't much running to do but as <em>all</em> published authors know, writing a novel is like running a marathon. To stay sharp while typing away use some of these exercises to train and condition your brain. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Below is a list of some pretty cool creative writing exercises. Whether you're trying to get out of a writing slump, stuck on dialogue, or just want to brush up on your skills, these are some great tools to use to perfect your craft.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong>Dictionary Drama: </strong></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Pick three random words from your dictionary. Write something with these three words in it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong>This is me: </strong></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Write about someone you wanted to be like. Use this opportunity to describe the person in great detail. Who knows? This might become the main character in your next novel.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /><strong>It’s in The News:</strong> Newspapers and magazines provide great ideas. Pick an article from a newspaper or magazine and use it to inspire a story or poem. You could also write a letter to the editor in response to the article.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong>Picture Please: </strong>Pick an old photograph or picture in a magazine. Study it for a few moments and write something about it. Who is in the picture? How old are they? Where are the headed? What has just happened to them? Why are they in the picture? What else can you see in the picture that could be important? What about a title?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong>Doodle Chart: </strong>Design a doodle chart about yourself or someone you know in your journal. Make some basic drawings or sketches and label them. People should be able to learn something about you when they look at it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong>Like and Dislikes:</strong> Make a list of your likes and dislikes in your journal. Use them to write a poem or a short descriptive piece. Keep them updated.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong>Proverbs and Quotations:</strong> Pick a proverb or quotation. Make sure that you understand its meaning and use it to write a story, essay or poem.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong>Food:</strong> Man must eat. Describe the detail in a set table or pick a certain food and use it to inspire a story or poem. Why do people eat certain foods? Where do people eat? What foods are associated with festive occasions?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong>Weather: </strong>You always see authors describing weather between scenes, so how about practicing writing about weather. Write about something that you have experienced where weather has played a major part?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong>Who am I?:</strong> Write about something without using the exact word. End off the paragraph with the words “Who am I?” When you are finished give it to someone else to read. Do they know what you mean?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong>Turn a poem into a short story:</strong> For someone like me that is so NOT up-to-speed with poetry. This is a fun one. A poem uses tight language to convey emotional or intellectual ideas in an imaginative and new way. A single poem can provide a rich source of creative writing ideas for fiction writers who can use specifics in the poem as a starting point for a narrative. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong>Name That Character: </strong>I'm totally doing this one next Friday night with my friends. I do this all the time. I'll give people names or make up names for them even if I know what their names are. I can pretty much take credit for most people's nicknames and all of the pets I've ever owed. Look at a photograph of a person. The photographs can be close up headshots, distance shots, or activity shots. Suggest a name for the character, based on whatever they can learn or intuit from the image. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">I hope these are some helpful events for all the struggling wordsmiths out there. Happy Writing!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";"></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Jeanette Pekala is the author of Culture Shock Series, a YA Paranormal series.</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Stalk her at any of her usual haunts:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Facebook: </span></span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/JeanettePekalaAuthor" target="_blank"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: x-small;">https://www.facebook.com/JeanettePekalaAuthor</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Goodreads: </span></span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/goodreadscomlifeandliterature" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-small;">http://www.goodreads.com/goodreadscomlifeandliterature</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Blog: </span></span><a href="http://adventuresoflifeandliterature.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-small;">http://adventuresoflifeandliterature.blogspot.com/</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Website: </span></span><a href="http://jeanettepekala.com/" target="_blank"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: x-small;">http://jeanettepekala.com/</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Twitter: </span></span><a href="https://twitter.com/JeanettePekala" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-small;">https://twitter.com/JeanettePekala</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span>Jeanette Pekalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01731017932866890060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262424778783709559.post-68059617686667225792013-08-26T10:15:00.001-04:002019-02-11T09:59:29.824-05:00How to Market and Promote your Self-Published Book<h2>
How to Market and Promote your Self-Published Book</h2>
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My debut novel, Culture Shock, was released on March 26, 2013. I've worked very hard to get my book out there and to spread the word. It has received many great reviews on over 20 different blogs, on goodreads.com, Amazon and B&N. Below are the different avenues I used in the past months to get noticed.<br />
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<ul>
<li><strong>Blogging:</strong> Blogging has probably been the best avenue of promoting my book. All my posts on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. all lead back to my blog where you can purchase the book and find all the viable links to purchase it as well. I write not only posts about promoting my book, but posts that will draw people in. Writing Tips, Author Spotlights, Read and Reviews of books I personally read, and of course my favorite Random Topics which seem to be off-the-wall at times, but that's me. You can really grasp the sense of an author's personality from their personal blog. <a href="http://adventuresoflifeandliterature.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://adventuresoflifeandliterature.blogspot.com/</a></li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><strong>Website:</strong> My website is a static platform on the web and nothing else. It has all the book's information, buy links, biography, etc. I titled it after my name like most authors do: <a href="http://www.jeanettepekala.com/" target="_blank">http://www.jeanettepekala.com</a></li>
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<ul>
<li><strong>Facebook:</strong> I have my own author page which boasts upcoming events in the life of Culture Shock, funny tidbits about writing and reading and general ups and downs of my life. In only 3 months I was able to hit over 200+ followers and that number keeps rising. <span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/JeanettePekalaAuthor"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.facebook.com/JeanettePekalaAuthor</span></a></span></li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><strong>Twitter:</strong> I use Twitter as a sounding board for everything going on with my book and blog. I post every article on my blog and the price and link to buy my book. Sometimes I even use a popular quote from my book and the link to buy. Anything to draw the reader's attention.<a href="https://twitter.com/JeanettePekala" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/JeanettePekala</a></li>
</ul>
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<li><strong>Pinterest:</strong> Of course the picture of the book cover is up there and my bio pic, but I also put up images of the setting of the story. It takes place in North Central Florida and partially in NYC, so I like to incorporate pics of both settings. My pics have been shared, liked, and re-pinned numerous times. <a href="http://pinterest.com/jeanettepekala/" target="_blank">http://pinterest.com/jeanettepekala/</a></li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><strong>Goodreads.com:</strong> Probably my favorite. Goodreads has allowed me an audience of 20 million avid readers and a networking platform with authors, bloggers, and readers alike. It's an online community of all things 'books'. I've joined tons of groups where I've met awesome people, have done guest posts, interviews, read and reviews, etc for the people I've met which only boosts my exposure. I'm also a goodreads author in the author program which allows me a blog through goodreads and I am able to do giveaways which have skyrocketed the amount of people adding my book to their to-be-read list. <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/goodreadscomlifeandliterature" target="_blank">http://www.goodreads.com/goodreadscomlifeandliterature</a></li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><strong>YouTube:</strong> I'm fairly new to YouTube, having missed the craze of it. It wasn't that popular when I was in high school. I've only done one interview video and have had my book on a few podcasts and YouTube videos done by others, but not much else....YET! I have grand plans to make some funny videos that will draw in a lot of people. It just takes some planning, but I plan to read excepts from my book and have some silly things happen. You know what? You'll just have to check me out in a month or so on YouTube. Nanny, nanny, boo, boo!!! LOL.</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><strong>Blog Tours:</strong> Now these cost money, but sometimes it's well worth it. Make sure the touring company you go through has quite a following. Cover reveals are important before your book is released to drum up some anticipation for your book. It's the first introduction to your book that most people will see and if your book cover is any good, it will stick with most readers. Cover reveals are fairly cheap. The review tours and book blasts are a little pricier but well worth it. They usually offer read and reviews, interviews, guest posts, and spotlights on 15-45 blogs (depending on how much you pay) and some of these blogs have hundreds and thousands of followers. Sometimes it's well worth it. You'll have to weigh the costs since it will cut into your bottom line. </li>
</ul>
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I'm trying to hit the local market now with book signings and trying to snag some radio and podcast spots, etc. If anyone has any advice in those markets, please let me know. I hope these marketing and promoting points can help guide you.<br />
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Happy Reading Y'all!!!<br />
<br />
<br />
Jeanette Pekala is the author of Culture Shock. A witty take of mystery and romance with a large helping of southern hospitality. <br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">CULTURE
SHOCK is a witty tale of mystery and romance with a large helping of southern
hospitality.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Macy Holmes
is a seventeen-year-old socially-isolated introvert since her best friend's
death a year ago. When her family decides to move from Manhattan to the quaint
country town of Bougainvillea, Florida, Macy finds she's in a completely
different world. Macy is no longer the outsider hiding behind designer clothes
when she is sought out by three strange students, one of whom she is
particularly interested in. The more time she spends with Chad the more things
don't add up. When his true identity is finally revealed, Macy is pulled into a
supernatural society with its saturation of inhabitants residing in
Bougainvillea. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You would
think she has enough on her plate, but no, then her dreams become infiltrated
by an external magical force, Macy and her band of supernatural misfits must
find the culprit behind the magic-induced nightmares. They must dodge zombie
assassins, shifty shape-shifters and high school bullies in order to stop this
perpetrator before Macy, her friends or her parents pay the ultimate price.
Especially when Macy has the sneaking suspicion that these dreams are
reality...<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<br />Jeanette Pekalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01731017932866890060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262424778783709559.post-63340334347117524732013-08-23T11:51:00.000-04:002019-02-11T09:59:42.301-05:00After Forever Ends : Review<h2>
After Forever Ends by Melodie Ramone: Review</h2>
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<span id="freeText1199076848770406045"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Orphaned by her mother and brushed off by her dad, fifteen year old Silvia Cotton had lived a lonely life. That is until 1985 when her father moved the family from the Highlands of Scotland to the Midlands of Wales. It is there she was enrolled in Bennington, a private boarding school, met the charming and rebellious Dickinson twins, Oliver and Alexander, and her regrettable life was changed forever. <br /><br />Locked into a fierce friendship with Alexander and lost to a whirlwind romance with Oliver, Silvia found herself torn away from everything she thought she knew. Married too soon, she moved with Oliver to a rustic cabin deep in a Welsh wood and embarked upon a life she'd never planned for, surviving on hope she never knew existed and faith she never knew she had. She made her way through university and onto a career, only to surrender her ambition to raising her children and living a life that was strikingly "normal". But what is normal? Certainly not what ensued in the wood.<br /><br />True love, faeries, friendship, loves lost and gained. Old magic, fate, doubt, strength and courage, Silvia's story could belong to anyone, but it is her own. Simple yet extraordinary, told in retrospect with wit and candor, Silvia recalls a life of joy and sorrow, laughter and tears. As she unravels the tangled web of her days, she reveals the secrets that exist in an ancient wood, how hearts given freely can become the stuff of magic, and how true happiness was never any further than her own back garden.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong><u>My Review:</u></strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My first introduction to After Forever Ends was through a blog roll. I noticed a post from an author explaining why she wrote the book she did, After Forever Ends. I remember reading that post and thinking one word: PASSION. This writer has put her all into this book. Just from the way she wrote that post on her blog persuaded me to put After Forever Ends on my To Be Read list. Not long after that did I have the pleasure of making the acquaintance of the lovely author herself, Melodie Ramone, via social networking and that just projected me further to purchasing the book. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">After Forever Ends follows the story of a girl from Scotland who moves to Wales as a teenager and meets these identical twin boys at her new school. It follows the progression of her life from about age 15 to 85. There are many ups and downs along the way. It kept me hooked from beginning to end. I absolutely loved the characters. I felt as if they were friends/family/lovers in my own life. Silvia and Oliver's relationship reminded me very much of my own with my husband. Always laughing/being silly and deeply in love. We make our friends sick. Even though Silvia and Oliver's relationship drew me in, it was Alexander (Oliver's twin brother) that I had the hots for. It's gotta be that bad boy image. Gets me everytime. I'm such a sucker. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">You really get pulled into the world Silvia, Oliver, and Alex create in the wood. You start believeing in faeries. You laugh when they laugh and cry when they cry. I was emotionally torn by this book toward the end. I won't tell you what happened but I will tell you that someone dies and I was so broken up about it that I had to put the book down for a couple of weeks. I actually felt like I had lost an actual family member--not a character in a book. I tried picking it back up after those few weeks, read two sentences and started bawling again!!! I eventually finished and was very glad I did. What a great read. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I had the pleasure to connect with Melodie Ramone (how cool is her name?), the author of After Forever Ends, via social networking. She and I swapped emails back and forth and I have to say it was her passion for her story and her overall personality that gave me that extra push to purchase and read After forever Ends. In no way, shape, or form did meeting her online encourage this excellent review. The story speaks for itself. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">5 out of 5 Stars!!!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Happy Reading,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Jeanette P</span><br />
<br />Jeanette Pekalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01731017932866890060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262424778783709559.post-86598173756181484132013-07-30T10:41:00.002-04:002019-02-11T09:59:53.348-05:00How to Describe Hair Color<h2 style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "geneva" , sans-serif;">How to Describe Hair Color</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">From natural colors to funky streaks of blue and pink, hair color can help a reader visualize and even understand your character better. There are a few basic shades; blonde, brown, red, black, gray, and white. Why leave it at that? You want a vivid description of your characters so the reader can place together the different attributes the author has given them to create a fictional character in their mind.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Below is a list of descriptive words to liven up the natural colors, but don't stop at just describing the colors differently with fancy-dancy words. Remember characters can have almost any color hair you want to give them thanks to an invention called hair dye. There are highlights and lowlights. Natural hair color has highlights too. Exposed roots from where the hair has grown out which is a good description for explaining a disheveled character or someone who isn't vain about their looks and carefree. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Don't forget you can also describe hair color without using color at all.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "geneva" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Example: Her hair was as smooth and dark as melted decadent chocolate. </span></span></div>
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Here are a list of different words to expand from the natural hair colors. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><u>Blonde:</u> ash, flaxen, golden, honey, platinum, tawny, wheaten, sandy, strawberry, dishwater, fair, bleached</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><u>Brown:</u> bronze, mousy, sandy, chestnut, mahogany, russet, sorrel, ash, muddy</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><u>Red:</u> ginger, copper, flaming, fiery, auburn, sable, terra-cotta, ruby, crimson, carrot, burgundy</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><u>Black:</u> ebony, sooty, raven, jet, greasy, ink, midnight, obsidian, onyx</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><u>Gray</u>: steel, silver, ash, salt and pepper, iron</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><u>White:</u> ivory, pearl, snowy, cotton ball, milky, fleecy</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">You can find some of these descriptions in my debut novel, Culture Shock. I like to bring my characters alive with descriptive writing. Hair color is just one aspect, but it can say a lot about a character, so don't skip over this seemingly insignificant detail.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
</span>***Read an <a href="http://adventuresoflifeandliterature.blogspot.com/2012/08/excerpt-from-culture-shock.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">excerpt</span></a> from Culture Shock, my debut novel and a love story
with a dangerous edge.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaYm2LuMPIezOMdMLSqjn18XltO_6GZD3jXRVcowJ9Slr4M1lKLKXbjdamE6Fn8MEhuJgBSthpy7fj5wm9eTZRlyxsXt1KNLZiycszEKXaFMT54iWAjeUg3YgsoepKqFIH-jtnokhxR_g/s320/Cover.jpg" width="200" />
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">CULTURE
SHOCK is a witty tale of mystery and romance with a large helping of southern
hospitality.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Macy Holmes
is a seventeen-year-old socially-isolated introvert since her best friend's
death a year ago. When her family decides to move from Manhattan to the quaint
country town of Bougainvillea, Florida, Macy finds she's in a completely
different world. Macy is no longer the outsider hiding behind designer clothes
when she is sought out by three strange students, one of whom she is
particularly interested in. The more time she spends with Chad the more things
don't add up. When his true identity is finally revealed, Macy is pulled into a
supernatural society with its saturation of inhabitants residing in
Bougainvillea. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">You would
think she has enough on her plate, but no, then her dreams become infiltrated
by an external magical force, Macy and her band of supernatural misfits must
find the culprit behind the magic-induced nightmares. They must dodge zombie
assassins, shifty shape-shifters and high school bullies in order to stop this
perpetrator before Macy, her friends or her parents pay the ultimate price.
Especially when Macy has the sneaking suspicion that these dreams are
reality...</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Createspace, and right here on this blog (see the sidebar).</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Happy Reading!!!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">XOXO,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">J</span></span></div>
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Jeanette Pekalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01731017932866890060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262424778783709559.post-31470686355551573102013-07-29T14:27:00.000-04:002019-02-11T10:00:06.218-05:00What's Your Writing Routine?<h2>
What's Your Writing Routine?</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm6vceGOj2BNma2iu0s9ykwaC3wTWdDIZu5jD9gwGN12fP450R3h3MZ11ySJy-pvVpddQ9T8DK6nFAVatlczVtWNi2HXkX6XTMcxsHbW_M6fmbBkR6pF70rqYLOTEsCxKOhNgcAOt_ud8/s1600/untitled.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm6vceGOj2BNma2iu0s9ykwaC3wTWdDIZu5jD9gwGN12fP450R3h3MZ11ySJy-pvVpddQ9T8DK6nFAVatlczVtWNi2HXkX6XTMcxsHbW_M6fmbBkR6pF70rqYLOTEsCxKOhNgcAOt_ud8/s1600/untitled.png" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfst59QCDAKiOv9w6hDO05MtCAgNov8-PVVahIZDMod3pUD4-V0Lag_5Q1AdHIZfdfliCTc-fQPY-hAT-ps3kHy5Igp7DQZL6sSJCYJAJ5q3YjeOW4SlkzatL2I_AQ6waPPXuWVR7qoCA/s1600/imagesCA16AFVK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfst59QCDAKiOv9w6hDO05MtCAgNov8-PVVahIZDMod3pUD4-V0Lag_5Q1AdHIZfdfliCTc-fQPY-hAT-ps3kHy5Igp7DQZL6sSJCYJAJ5q3YjeOW4SlkzatL2I_AQ6waPPXuWVR7qoCA/s1600/imagesCA16AFVK.jpg" /></a></div>
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Do you have a routine as a writer? Is there a specific setting you are most comfortable in? Music or silence? Busy coffee shop or an office? Share with us what your routine is while writing.<br />
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Here's mine:<br />
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I used to be able to write much more often than I do now, so the frequency of my writing spouts are sporadic, but I still carry the same routine each time. First off, I make the biggest, most caffeinated pot of coffee I can. I'll set up my laptop in the meantime while I'm waiting for my pot of coffee to brew. Then I will sit either in the backyard (if I'm watching kids) or in a locked bedroom (if hubby is watching kids) and type away, taking sips from my coffee frequently (actually between paragraphs unless I'm on a roll). While I'm writing I like to have music without lyrics playing softly in the background. My favorite is the Skyrim station on Pandora. The sh*t kicks a$$. It's the perfect mix of soothing and action-packed. It has its highs and lows and is perfect for my genre of writing. <br />
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This routine has helped me to stay comfortable and inspired. So what's your routine? Have any quirks (like wearing your lucky underwear while writing)? Do you have a beverage or snack nearby? Are you surrounded by family or in solitude? <br />
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Please share. I'd love to know what your routine is when you write...Jeanette Pekalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01731017932866890060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262424778783709559.post-26212536829872760332013-07-25T16:00:00.000-04:002019-02-11T10:00:19.940-05:00Random Topic Thursday : Morbid Thoughts<h2>
Random Topics : Morbid Thoughts</h2>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Because I'm feeling stabby today here are some morbid thoughts. It's been a craptastic day in my world and strangely enough, these thoughts are cheering me up...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">If a person dies and then springs back to life, do they get their money back for
the coffin? </span><br />(Money Back Guarantee for Zombies???)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Do they bury people with their braces on?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(They shouldn't. Family members could cash in on the scrap metal...just saying...)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">If ghosts can walk through walls and glide down stairs, why don't they fall
through the floor? </span><br />(Right? The law should still apply?)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">If laughter is the best medicine, who's the idiot who said they 'died laughing'?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(Sometimes it's the medication that kills us)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">When lightning strikes the ocean why don't all the fish die?</span><br />(It's because God likes Sushi)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Do Jewish vampires avoid crosses or Stars of David?</span><br />(I'd have to say all religious idols apply)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Why do we sing "Rock a bye baby" to lull a baby to sleep when the song is about
putting your baby in a tree and letting the wind crash the cradle on the
ground?</span><br />(And you wonder where those Mothers get ideas to harm their children...it's been there all along)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">How does Freddy Kruger wipe his butt? </span><br />(I say this all the time about women who get those ridiculous talon claw-length acrylic nails...how on earth can they wipe their butts with those things on? Same applies for Freddy Kruger...)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Is it appropriate to say "good mourning" at a funeral?</span><br />(I guess it depends on whose funeral you're attending. Some people just can't take a joke.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Ahh, I feel better now. My day is a little poopish. Back to work. Later Suckers!!!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Heart, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">J</span>Jeanette Pekalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01731017932866890060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262424778783709559.post-78559340968404056532013-07-24T17:00:00.000-04:002019-02-11T10:00:33.517-05:00TBR: To Be Reading .... My List is Growing<h2>
TBR : "To Be Read" </h2>
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The List is Growing</h3>
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I'm trying to finish off some books. One caught me off guard and I had an emotional reaction to it so I had to set it aside for a while. It hit too close to home for the time being. But here is what I'm currently reading along with what is on my TBR list. All this while writing Book #2, Shock Wave. LOL. <br />
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<u>Currently Reading:</u><br />
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<u>To Be Read:</u><br />
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<br />Jeanette Pekalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01731017932866890060noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262424778783709559.post-21791021708936036112013-07-24T11:00:00.000-04:002019-02-11T10:00:46.821-05:00The Birth of a Book: Becoming an Author and Publishing a Novel<h2>
The Birth of a Book: Becoming an Author and Publishing a Novel</h2>
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This is Part 3. Click these links for <a href="http://adventuresoflifeandliterature.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-birth-of-book-becoming-author-and.html" target="_blank">Part 1</a> and <a href="http://adventuresoflifeandliterature.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-birth-of-book-becoming-author-and_23.html" target="_blank">Part 2</a><br />
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The writing, editing, and publishing process was such a long and extensive journey that I finding it hard to remember all the steps I took. <br />
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We covered the writing in part 1 and the editing in part 2. <br />
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We started on Cover Design, but never finished.<br />
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The cover design was so difficult. Not to mention every channel (KDP, Pubit, Createspace) want a different size or format. Argh! I had already chosen my cover image, so next was the font of the words. I went to <a href="http://www.dafont.com/">http://www.dafont.com/</a> and chose a free font that I loved. It's fancy and romantic but looks like dripping blood. Romantically Gruesome! Perfect! <br />
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My cover designer and I must have tried 15 different placements of the title and author name on the cover. But it just didn't work until the graphic designer at my office suggested using a strip of grunge wallpaper behind the lettering to make it pop. I had never heard of it, so I went and Googled it. Found a super-awesome-mega-extreme one that I loved and put it behind the lettering. Perfection! <br />
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After a few more sizing adjustments, we were golden.<br />
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So I had my cover, ISBNs, and my business was formed. I still had to format. After doing some research I found it was fairly easy. I couldn't imagine having to pay Createspace or other author services to do it for me. One lesson I learned is to format while writing to cut out that extra step. That's what I'm doing with Book 2, Shock Wave. <br />
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I turned up some Snoop Dogg and did some page breaks after each chapter, did my cover pages (copyright page, title page, dedication page), did the table of contents and made sure all the text was within the format that was needed for uploading to Amazon's KDP. It took literally 20 minutes.<br />
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I was ready to upload to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Createspace (for my paperback) when I learned that all three required different formatting. No problem. <br />
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The ebooks didn't require page numbers so with the paperback version you had to make your electronic file look exactly how it will on each page. I had the hardest time with the page numbers (getting them to go on the outsides of the pages, so I gave up with that and put them in the middle of the pages). For ebooks the ToC is hyperlinked to the chapters (reasoning for the page/chapter breaks and ToC without page numbers - all ereaders are different sizes), so for the paperback I had to do a real table of contents. Plus, I did an author page with a pic and bio of me in the back of the paperback. <br />
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I had done all of this, but I still hadn't received any real useful feedback so as my photographer friend and I were talking she mentioned that she can't wait to read it. She's extremely intelligent and very literary (she's also a talented poet) so I offered to give her an advanced copy if she could help me with some final edits and changes. <br />
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She gave me what I needed. A comprehensive edit. She read and re-read it to find errors and inconsistencies within the text and we were able to rid the novel of many errors. I'm sure there are still some, but you show me even one (professionally published included) book without an error and I'll bow down to you because so far I haven't encountered one. <br />
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So I had the completed versions uploaded and ready to present to the public. I was so nervous at this point. From the advanced readers, I was given the idea that it was really good, but I knew them all personally. I wanted to hear from a complete stranger that they liked it. So that was the true test. Will the public accept Culture Shock and love it?<br />
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Marketing. The endless task. Marketing when you're self-published is so important. I started marketing early on. I started when I first started writing Culture Shock. I started this blog first, Adventures of Life and Literature, to document my journey as a writer, to give book reviews, and to spout the random strange musings of my brain. <br />
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Then I discovered the world of Twitter and have over 2000 followers. I created a Goodreads account as a reader a while ago and then opened an author account with Goodreads. It's a fantastic networking site for authors. It helps create that bond between reader and writer. The giveaways have received many entries through that site. Finally, I got on Facebook and Pinterest. I also have a website where you can learn more about the book, author, etc. <a href="http://jeanettepekala.com/" target="_blank">jeanettepekala.com</a><br />
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So the book was now up for sale and I was hoping since I hyped it up big time up until the release date, I would get tons of sales. Not so....it is very difficult to sell books. Don't get me wrong, my sales are steady and I'm happy with the progress and attention, but please don't have delusions of rolling in the dough. It takes self-published authors a while to become recognizable to a few people besides family and friends. Hopefully, you or I can gain popularity quickly and sales will skyrocket, but for the meantime it's steady, but I'm happy. <br />
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Blog tours have been a supertastic outlet for this author! Dedicated readers who have review blogs will read your book and write reviews. They cost anywhere from $20 and up. Depending on what you're looking for. A cover reveal, review post, interviews, promos, etc. They have gained me many bits of attention and quite a few sales.<br />
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I keep plucking away with my networking and have distributed these beautiful bookmarks and done many giveaways. But you or anyone else who purchases ebooks know, <em>reviews</em> sell books. If it doesn't have at least 100 reviews/ratings, I don't even consider it unless it's free. I know...I'm so bad, but we are all guilty of it. So that's my goal is to raise the number of reviews so people will stop and take a look.<br />
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I've been getting some great reviews from complete strangers so I've accomplished what I set out to do. Bring hours of enjoyment and entertainment into people's lives. I can't wait for book 2 to come out. It should be ready in the fall.<br />
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So that's my story so far. Share your story. Your failures or successes. I would love to hear them.<br />
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***Read an <a href="http://adventuresoflifeandliterature.blogspot.com/2012/08/excerpt-from-culture-shock.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">excerpt</span></a> from Culture Shock, my debut novel and a love story
with a dangerous edge.<o:p></o:p><br />
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You can<strong> stalk me</strong> on:<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">Email: jdpekala@gmail.com<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">Facebook: </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/JeanettePekalaAuthor" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.facebook.com/JeanettePekalaAuthor</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">Goodreads: </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/goodreadscomlifeandliterature" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 16pt;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.goodreads.com/goodreadscomlifeandliterature</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">Blog: </span><a href="http://adventuresoflifeandliterature.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 16pt;"><span style="color: blue;">http://adventuresoflifeandliterature.blogspot.com/</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">Website: </span><a href="http://jeanettepekala.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">http://jeanettepekala.com/</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Jeanette Pekalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01731017932866890060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262424778783709559.post-54544645637619460732013-07-23T12:20:00.002-04:002019-02-11T10:01:16.790-05:00The Birth of a Book: Becoming an Author and Publishing a Novel<h2>
The Birth of a Book: Becoming an Author and Publishing a Novel</h2>
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To read the first part of the story, click <a href="http://adventuresoflifeandliterature.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-birth-of-book-becoming-author-and.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Ah, so where did we leave off. Yes, that's right...my epiphany of when I discovered that I truly wanted to self-publish sort of. My book is published through a publishing company, but I own that company. Hey, it still counts.<br />
<br />
I finally had gotten through the editing. It was terrible. Absolutely hell on earth, but the final product is worth it, but I still hadn't received some helpful feedback. I was so burnt out on the editing that I had to put the book aside. <br />
<br />
I decided to start my own publishing company and have Culture Shock's series be its very first title. I plan to take on other authors in the future, but for the time being it's only me. I'm unfortunately only one person and can only handle so much. I then became an official business owner of TNT Publishing, LLC.<br />
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I started researching about formatting and cover design. I decided not to go with Createspace author services because I figured I was smart enough to format on my own and not pay someone to do it for several hundred dollars, plus I found that Createspace will list themselves as your publishing company, especially if you use their free ISBN, so I negated that route. <br />
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I started searching around about copyrighting my book. I do own the rights to it, but never actually got it copyrighted. It's expensive, timely, and unnecessary. The book is my own and I read that if you wrote it, it's yours and I have proof if it's even brought before the courts so I didn't stress on that front. <br />
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Next came the ISBN number fiasco.<br />
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Do not...I repeat, do not get an ISBN # from anywhere else except Bowker (see link below). They are the official site. I tell you this because, I tried saving a few cents and went with a company that claimed their ISBNs were half of what Bowker costs. It was true and I thought I had beat the system. They seemed totally legit until I went to assign those ISBNs (since you need separate ones for the ebook and paperback) to my publishing company. It said that those ISBNs were already owned by someone else. So I went online and typed in my ISBNs and found they were owned by MooDoo Productions or something like that. I was P.O.ed. I couldn't believe I wasted $70 on ISBNs that I don't own the rights to and I would never want the word MooDoo associated with my book. <br />
<br />
So I researched some more and found out about companies that do that and don't tell you up front. I knew something was fishy when they said to email them my book information but didn't ask for the publishing company.<br />
<br />
So I went to Bowker and got my official ISBNs. I ordered 10 so all my numbers would by in sync for future projects. It cost about $250, but it was worth it. I don't have to order another ISBN for a very long time and they are mine. Or at least TNT Publishing's. Here is the link for Bowker: <a href="http://isbn.org/standards/home/index.asp">http://isbn.org/standards/home/index.asp</a><br />
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After acquiring ISBNs for my publishing company, I started talking with a photographer friend of mine regarding cover design. I knew already that I didn't want some generic cover art, plus authors have been running into problems to where cover designers are using the exact same cover image on book after book. No thank you. I want an original. My photographer friend really wanted to do it for me. I love her work, she's truly amazing but I was nervous that she would not be able to pull off what I was looking for. <br />
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I took the chance.<br />
<br />
We drove down to Micanopy, FL which is just one town north of where Bougainvillea, FL (the fictional town in Culture Shock) is located. It's a picturesque little town with tons of history. It's fabulous. So we drove down there on a weekday with 6 kids in the back of her minivan and did the photo shoot for Culture Shock. We went to various locations. It took her about 2 months to edit about 5 phenomenal cover images for me to choose from. I was torn between two. I was hoping it would speak to me and I would know it was the one (much like my wedding dress did), but it didn't. It was tough. I was trying to choose the right image for marketing purposes, what encompasses the story and tone I'm looking for and to really showcase the main character's personality. I decided early on that there would be a theme to my covers. It would be Macy Holmes, the main character, on each cover alone with her back facing the reader to see what she sees. <br />
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I loved the image now the choose the font and placement of the title and my name. It sounds easy, but was much harder than we both imaged.<br />
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Tune in tomorrow for more of the trials and tribulations associated with the Birth of a Book.<br />
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Happy Reading,<br />
<br />
Jeanette P<br />
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***Read an <a href="http://adventuresoflifeandliterature.blogspot.com/2012/08/excerpt-from-culture-shock.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">excerpt</span></a> from Culture Shock, my debut novel and a love story
with a dangerous edge.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">CULTURE SHOCK is a witty tale of mystery and romance with a
large helping of southern hospitality.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Macy Holmes is a seventeen-year-old socially-isolated
introvert since her best friend's death a year ago. When her family decides to
move from Manhattan to the quaint country town of Bougainvillea, Florida, Macy
finds she's in a completely different world. Macy is no longer the outsider
hiding behind designer clothes when she is sought out by three strange
students, one of whom she is particularly interested in. The more time she
spends with Chad the more things don't add up. When his true identity is
finally revealed, Macy is pulled into a supernatural society with its
saturation of inhabitants residing in Bougainvillea. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">You would think she has enough on her plate, but no, then
her dreams become infiltrated by an external magical force, Macy and her band
of supernatural misfits must find the culprit behind the magic-induced
nightmares. They must dodge zombie assassins, shifty shape-shifters and high
school bullies in order to stop this perpetrator before Macy, her friends or
her parents pay the ultimate price. Especially when Macy has the sneaking
suspicion that these dreams are reality...</span></div>
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<br />Jeanette Pekalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01731017932866890060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262424778783709559.post-659722426455046732013-07-17T11:51:00.000-04:002019-02-11T10:01:31.604-05:00The Birth of a Book : Becoming an Author and Publishing a NovelThe Birth of a Book<br />
<br />
This will be a series of posts. It includes my experience of becoming a debut author and my trials and tribulations along the way with lessons learned, tips and other fun stuff. <br />
<br />
<br />
First off, let's start with the writing. I got the concept for Culture Shock, my debut YA paranormal novel, from a nightmare. The nightmare was so intense and real. It left me freaked out for the rest of the night, but I wrote down the entire nightmare and it became the climax of Culture Shock. You need to have great ideas/concepts and jot down everything. Any idea about the plot, scenarios, characters, settings, etc. EVERYTHING! <br />
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It took me 3 months to write the first draft of Culture Shock. Most people find that shocking, but it just flowed. The story was literally spewing out of my mind and onto the page. Where I needed more clarification, I researched. This was the easy part for me.<br />
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Next...my dreaded nemesis...editing. Oh, editing how I loathe thee. Even though it only took three months to write the first draft, it took 8 months to edit it to where I wanted it. I like to separate the creative process from the technical process. I do not edit while I'm writing. Never. It will screw up your creative juices, drink them dry, and you'll be left second guessing everything. Don't edit while writing your first draft; you'll only bug yourself out. <br />
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I probably went through the draft 28 times before I felt it was right for my proofreaders. I chose four people that were close to me, but little did I know, I chose the wrong people for proofreading. They would tell me they loved it, but I have yet to have one of them tell me an error or inconsistency. It wasn't until right before publishing that I received some real feedback. <br />
<br />
Oh wait, I take that back...one proofreader told me I spelled 'crash' wrong on p.78. <em>One error</em> though there were many in a book of nearly 700 pages. Wow! <br />
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Next, I tried the traditional publishing path. I researched agents. Even made a darn spreadsheet of them and queried almost every single one of them that would except my genre. I did hours upon hours of research and queried so many agents, but it was futile. They weren't interested. I can sleep at night knowing that out of the 500,000-250,000 submissions each agency receives a year, they usually only publish 5, so I didn't feel so bad.<br />
<br />
So I decided to self-publish with a twist. I started my own publishing company, TNT Publishing, LLC. Yes, as of right now I'm the only author, but I plan to take on more one day. For right now, it's just me.<br />
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I was a little down about now being picked up by an agent, but being the person I am, I always look on the bright side. I have freedom to be as creative as I'd like and I get to choose my title and cover. I won't have to fight to keep a certain scene in my book. I didn't have to answer to anyone and it felt great. I could be as artistically free as I'd like, which should be how art is developed with a freedom mixed with passion and strong feelings, not some business venture.<br />
<br />
So now came more research. How to self-publish...tune in tomorrow for the second part of this series, The Birth of a Book.<br />
<br />
<br />
***Read an <a href="http://adventuresoflifeandliterature.blogspot.com/2012/08/excerpt-from-culture-shock.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">excerpt</span></a> from Culture Shock, my debut novel and a love story
with a dangerous edge.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
or contact me:<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">Email: jdpekala@gmail.com<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Jeanette Pekalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01731017932866890060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262424778783709559.post-31292296349882626512013-06-24T12:49:00.000-04:002019-02-11T10:01:44.406-05:00Review: Hidden Gem by India Lee<h2>
Review : Hidden Gem by India Lee</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4e9sRmuqzRz2PeIZ_KK0ze5rltroBtDMOv8pXkRcs_in8JrdK29PWp6MhcBfFVtDPNKvQZjgQzkVhuX9qXg4ubv2UQP4o3cplYy9BHY-XvFE_kqoprvbjXgQ4vR1ClEqIWkAdVCObJgc/s1600/untitled.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4e9sRmuqzRz2PeIZ_KK0ze5rltroBtDMOv8pXkRcs_in8JrdK29PWp6MhcBfFVtDPNKvQZjgQzkVhuX9qXg4ubv2UQP4o3cplYy9BHY-XvFE_kqoprvbjXgQ4vR1ClEqIWkAdVCObJgc/s1600/untitled.png" /></a></div>
<u>Title:</u> Hidden Gem #1<br />
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<u>Author:</u> India Lee<br />
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<u>Published:</u> 2011<br />
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<u>Description:</u> <br />
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<span id="freeText10647728250711692043">Lavishly disguised pop singer, Queen Bee, is known abroad for her high-fashion wardrobe and killer vocals. In the states, she's just Gemma Hunter - shy suburban teenager in her strange new role of high school junior. <br /><br />Luckily, Gemma is taken under the wing of the fiery and popular Madison, who leads her into the high school life of the charmed. Her world as Gemma quickly becomes everything she ever wanted in a normal life - that is until international teen heartthrob, Tyler Chase, announces his celebrity crush on Queen Bee. Suddenly, Gemma's alter ego becomes a household name as the handsome singer's loyal "Tyler Chasers" create a frenzy to discover her true identity. <br /><br />And just when Gemma thinks she can hide from the celebrity drama in her high school life, Lucas - her next door neighbor as well as Madison's boyfriend - develops an interest in her that goes far beyond platonic, and Gemma soon learns that rumors aren't strictly for the stars.</span><br />
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<u>~My Thoughts~:</u><br />
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Hidden Gem was a cute, mild YA read. It wasn't action-packed or full of romance, even though it had its moments. I really liked the book. It showed the double life of Gemma/Queen Bee (who I think was inspired by Lady Gaga) as both a pop goddess and a regular high school student trying to keep her fame over wraps in order to enjoy her teenage years. <br />
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Gemma has many (3) love interests in the book Lucas and Damien for when she's Gemma (oh Damien, you're still my fav) and Tyler Chase, a famous pop singer (who I think was inspired by Justin Bieber) for when she's playing Queen Bee. <br />
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It really played into Gemma going through a real high school experience: gossiping friends, mean girls, sports, prom. All good fun stuff she would miss out on if she hadn't kept her identity hidden. So she goes on a journey and struggles with her original identity as herself. <br />
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It was a quick read and I really liked it, but I'm not rushing to get to the second one. <br />
<br />
~*~*~*~<br />
<br />
Right now I have a giveaway going on for $25 Amazon (or B&N or iBookstore, etc. ) Gift Card and an ecopy of Culture Shock, Click the link below to enter!!!<br />
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/f2a37270/" id="rc-f2a37270" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<br />
<br />
Ends in 5 days...don't wait!!!<br />
<br />
<br />Jeanette Pekalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01731017932866890060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262424778783709559.post-65784471903170326482013-06-20T08:27:00.000-04:002019-02-11T10:01:55.588-05:00Culture Shock A-Z<h2>
Culture Shock A-Z</h2>
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Here's a fun way to find out what Culture Shock, the first book in the debut series by Jeanette Pekala, is all about. If you like any of these topics you will certainly like Culture Shock.<br />
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A - Angel Dust, Architecture, Antebellum<br />
B - Bougainvillea, Bonfire, Balsam Beige, Blood<br />
C - Chad, Colt, Crash, Cat Scratch Fever, Country, City<br />
D - Danira, Dreams, Death, Designer, DKNY<br />
E - Emma, Elves<br />
F - Fairy, Forrester Compound of Werewolves, Fire Breather, Forever 21, Fangs<br />
G - Gypsy, Glamour, Ghouls, Gainesville<br />
H - Humorous, Hustler, Howl<br />
I - Injury<br />
J - Jelena, Jetta<br />
K - Keg Party, <br />
L - Lemon juice, Lexi, Lucky<br />
M - Max, Muddin', Manhattan, Mabel<br />
N - Nightmares, New York, Necromancy<br />
O - October, Old Book, <br />
P - Pascal, Paint War, Paynes Prairie<br />
Q - Quality<br />
R - Rodney, Raleigh, Rice Balls<br />
S - Still Chich Boutique, Spells, Starlite Diner, Strawberry Malts, Southern Gentleman, Shoplifting<br />
T - Trey, Trailer Parks, Tube Socks<br />
U - Uncle Earl, University of Florida<br />
V - Vampire, Volkswagen<br />
W - Werewolf, WWII, Witches, Warlock<br />
X - X-cellent read (Like how I did that?)<br />
Y - Yeehaw!, Yapping Puppies<br />
Z - Zombie Squad<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">CULTURE SHOCK is a witty tale of mystery and romance with a
large helping of southern hospitality.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Macy Holmes is a seventeen-year-old socially-isolated
introvert since her best friend's death a year ago. When her family decides to
move from Manhattan to the quaint country town of Bougainvillea, Florida, Macy
finds she's in a completely different world. Macy is no longer the outsider
hiding behind designer clothes when she is sought out by three strange
students, one of whom she is particularly interested in. The more time she
spends with Chad the more things don't add up. When his true identity is
finally revealed, Macy is pulled into a supernatural society with its
saturation of inhabitants residing in Bougainvillea. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">You would think she has enough on her plate, but no, then
her dreams become infiltrated by an external magical force, Macy and her band
of supernatural misfits must find the culprit behind the magic-induced
nightmares. They must dodge zombie assassins, shifty shape-shifters and high
school bullies in order to stop this perpetrator before Macy, her friends or
her parents pay the ultimate price. Especially when Macy has the sneaking
suspicion that these dreams are reality...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">***Read an <a href="http://adventuresoflifeandliterature.blogspot.com/2012/08/excerpt-from-culture-shock.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">excerpt</span></a> from Culture Shock, my debut novel and a love story
with a dangerous edge.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">Contact
Links<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">Email: jdpekala@gmail.com<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">Facebook: </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/JeanettePekalaAuthor" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.facebook.com/JeanettePekalaAuthor</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">Goodreads: </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/goodreadscomlifeandliterature" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 16pt;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.goodreads.com/goodreadscomlifeandliterature</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">Blog: </span><a href="http://adventuresoflifeandliterature.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 16pt;"><span style="color: blue;">http://adventuresoflifeandliterature.blogspot.com/</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">Website: </span><a href="http://jeanettepekala.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: blue;">http://jeanettepekala.com/</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">Twitter: </span><a href="https://twitter.com/JeanettePekala" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 16pt;"><span style="color: blue;">https://twitter.com/JeanettePekala</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">Pinterest: <a href="http://pinterest.com/jeanettepekala/"><span style="color: blue;">http://pinterest.com/jeanettepekala/</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 16pt;">weheartit: <a href="http://weheartit.com/jeanette_pekala"><span style="color: blue;">http://weheartit.com/jeanette_pekala</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Happy Reading,</div>
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JP</div>
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Jeanette Pekalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01731017932866890060noreply@blogger.com0