tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86297574675218432862024-02-07T03:57:44.956-05:00Shauna RobertsShauna Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871768714926149114noreply@blogger.comBlogger303125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629757467521843286.post-10401441632118259172016-11-29T14:35:00.003-05:002016-11-29T14:35:57.436-05:00New short story published<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I took part in an anthology with some other people in OCC-RWA, my local Romance Writers of America chapter. We just published it as a Kindle ebook, and it will soon be out in trade paperback.</div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><i>Secrets of Moonlight Cove</i> contains six short romances by six authors, set in the small California beach town of Moonlight Cove, where everyone has a secret…<br /></span></div>
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Here is our brand-new trailer, which went up last night:</div>
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This is the first trailer I've ever made, and I'm pleased with how it turned out. My husband, David Malueg, lent his voice for the narration.</div>
<br style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">You can find the book at Amazon at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Moonlight-Cove-Romance-Anthology-ebook/dp/B01M2B1PVG/" style="color: #000790; text-decoration: none;">https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Moonlight-Cove-Romance-Anthology-ebook/dp/B01M2B1PVG/</a>.</span><br />
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Shauna Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871768714926149114noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629757467521843286.post-11459150397838584212016-06-07T23:48:00.001-04:002016-06-07T23:48:10.035-04:00Ice Magic, Fire Magic is an award finalist<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXpZrDHwAP3MeCRsUXG_HJkJRrOhwOTT3XCfroo7MbNa-PyghmHMbn6jjRpa9-hZgkRTLf4sRNE5E53Nk7PbKPCHVCf9m7l3ua5pec1wfGH3LerBfzliiHTg1eAcgSjLS3iuWq8OeY7K96/s1600/holtfinalist.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXpZrDHwAP3MeCRsUXG_HJkJRrOhwOTT3XCfroo7MbNa-PyghmHMbn6jjRpa9-hZgkRTLf4sRNE5E53Nk7PbKPCHVCf9m7l3ua5pec1wfGH3LerBfzliiHTg1eAcgSjLS3iuWq8OeY7K96/s320/holtfinalist.gif" width="299" /></a></div>
<i>Ice Magic, Fire Magic</i>, my 2015 fantasy novel, has finaled in the Holt Medallion Award contest in the Novel with Strong Romantic Elements.<br />
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The award luncheon will be Saturday. Unfortunately, I can't get to Virginia to attend, but I've got my fingers crossed that the final-round judges like it! </div>
Shauna Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871768714926149114noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629757467521843286.post-66272370367736948892016-04-18T10:44:00.000-04:002016-04-18T10:44:01.953-04:00Stuff in my yard: The Monarch butterfly<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I set my alarm for 5:45 am so that I would not miss the emergence of the Monarch from its chrysalis.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I missed it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It was already out and hanging from a stick. It was still dark outside, so I didn't even try to get a picture. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I went back to bed but was too excited to sleep. So I showered and dressed, and by then it was light enough to photograph.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg18YLVr2wdXzb3bSBzPrk205x5LLvNk0_l6ujhU5GgxP3_9eVWeAh2UxvZVPjSnDUCaChkpOdwxWMOuzisfgiLP6SjtiCPP1JvircgSDY1JyK4cRlFqJ-rHaMmnxKUi74XtPpX3KNQEjVe/s1600/IMG_2148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="561" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg18YLVr2wdXzb3bSBzPrk205x5LLvNk0_l6ujhU5GgxP3_9eVWeAh2UxvZVPjSnDUCaChkpOdwxWMOuzisfgiLP6SjtiCPP1JvircgSDY1JyK4cRlFqJ-rHaMmnxKUi74XtPpX3KNQEjVe/s640/IMG_2148.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>First shot of butterfly. Note the empty chrysalis hanging from a stick at upper left.</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Butterfly is ready for life and tries to escape its box.</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP7EuTCz2j9eOnDZskjHz_2KJQv4HVi8HFMFfAIeiHN09ZILAdWEIRQWkBPOXbBTZ5g_8zek35TV7keE39wcxJ_hHtCGFk8SmCsXyd-5tH0rkobwjoQZltNz1bQ04C-1udotXFfebH3RTd/s1600/IMG_4517.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP7EuTCz2j9eOnDZskjHz_2KJQv4HVi8HFMFfAIeiHN09ZILAdWEIRQWkBPOXbBTZ5g_8zek35TV7keE39wcxJ_hHtCGFk8SmCsXyd-5tH0rkobwjoQZltNz1bQ04C-1udotXFfebH3RTd/s640/IMG_4517.jpg" width="515" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Facts: Butterflies can be handled when young; I look awful in the mornings.</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOXbQ32bD_uYYkRPc-w-sLKObYp6e9DjYM8ZjOheuS_n1dXXuQ5moR2KaPSYNPt8jojaF4GLFgR__myyyEDwT4U_opNsaxpeLyMFFhG4v3QCw5PhXvSHObeluJNRLVfBHRLehHO1dVBItb/s1600/IMG_4524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="507" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOXbQ32bD_uYYkRPc-w-sLKObYp6e9DjYM8ZjOheuS_n1dXXuQ5moR2KaPSYNPt8jojaF4GLFgR__myyyEDwT4U_opNsaxpeLyMFFhG4v3QCw5PhXvSHObeluJNRLVfBHRLehHO1dVBItb/s640/IMG_4524.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>The black dots on the lower wings close to the torso identifies it as a male.</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOYs8w_QEFXwetSvkgspCwCNdHhpLpOhKV8ox5lC5H9_SrGHJsF3n9Njgyrp1NmF-5j3MxwxVoB6KMeoDqce5KHob8POgpZxE3CWHCcjrh4ZIG07fR-olLg7KkyzT_QkFjJO4fmKY5TpTO/s1600/IMG_4529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="529" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOYs8w_QEFXwetSvkgspCwCNdHhpLpOhKV8ox5lC5H9_SrGHJsF3n9Njgyrp1NmF-5j3MxwxVoB6KMeoDqce5KHob8POgpZxE3CWHCcjrh4ZIG07fR-olLg7KkyzT_QkFjJO4fmKY5TpTO/s640/IMG_4529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Butterfly rests on a finger.</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbzUIolWaiBL-NS46Fqi4KFhZC-eHqm5pkfyp3m1faQGOMIiR_Wedn0luTGr0g0Ga_39Bkyc50wnuZezd4j5Ionoct4j0pd1Df6Q-p7BT6RJB7o8rCJgkBjXh8nukeSwRChJklgUlSHGob/s1600/IMG_4531.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbzUIolWaiBL-NS46Fqi4KFhZC-eHqm5pkfyp3m1faQGOMIiR_Wedn0luTGr0g0Ga_39Bkyc50wnuZezd4j5Ionoct4j0pd1Df6Q-p7BT6RJB7o8rCJgkBjXh8nukeSwRChJklgUlSHGob/s640/IMG_4531.jpg" width="572" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Butterfly's face</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii-meB8bVnoKdo6FkCgNRnzJn9iCoPZoFWNVrLIx2DwVxOb5sbwK8O8z1CHOoLZ5m2bZaliQUTjkR_22Z38UTgxqf5zrC1QD1sJl2lS8esksYJ5b6GLwyYao20kBY64Ag09nPSd_AiIRdE/s1600/IMG_4533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="521" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii-meB8bVnoKdo6FkCgNRnzJn9iCoPZoFWNVrLIx2DwVxOb5sbwK8O8z1CHOoLZ5m2bZaliQUTjkR_22Z38UTgxqf5zrC1QD1sJl2lS8esksYJ5b6GLwyYao20kBY64Ag09nPSd_AiIRdE/s640/IMG_4533.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Butterfly rests on butterfly bush (</i>Buddleja sp.)<i> in butterfly garden.</i></span> </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimx7GBCF9YyKc3zSbZewwp2PZCxG4FlIyr6BSo0nEXlrSJR4sJzQSuxYzNR2VLrdwbz0oxHaQRfEAu-2IQCbAmGV9BZWyCxbiC_2STA2aDtW-HB-pCMMIbIUpwG-3d0rM3SSteVRIezsNj/s1600/IMG_4535.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimx7GBCF9YyKc3zSbZewwp2PZCxG4FlIyr6BSo0nEXlrSJR4sJzQSuxYzNR2VLrdwbz0oxHaQRfEAu-2IQCbAmGV9BZWyCxbiC_2STA2aDtW-HB-pCMMIbIUpwG-3d0rM3SSteVRIezsNj/s640/IMG_4535.jpg" width="464" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Still resting</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ8_6HiiYMrQ2dPpQv4vHQ_i_gT2u4Tco7ciCQjg2n6E3JagK8QsvH4lA4KTno7_UMl2N-ICzB66SqDf1n35UszxRFHDgO9NZwRVynLYjFKVyymZxpv4zKq2pwW2bLu6TXncFwPcCiF2HO/s1600/IMG_4545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="604" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ8_6HiiYMrQ2dPpQv4vHQ_i_gT2u4Tco7ciCQjg2n6E3JagK8QsvH4lA4KTno7_UMl2N-ICzB66SqDf1n35UszxRFHDgO9NZwRVynLYjFKVyymZxpv4zKq2pwW2bLu6TXncFwPcCiF2HO/s640/IMG_4545.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Empty chrysalis</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I planted milkweed (Asclepius sp.) in two of our xeriscaped bird and butterfly gardens. I have been checking them every other day or so but have not yet found any more caterpillars. I'll keep looking. We had a lot of fun with this caterpillar.</span><br />
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Shauna Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871768714926149114noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629757467521843286.post-75512171566898990932016-04-17T21:49:00.000-04:002016-04-17T21:49:06.776-04:00Tomorrow our Monarch butterfly emerges<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimppiNVC6-_U5dV8WefnFiMK3GcfyAU5zRQzIkKAsr7j7SvcMAxGiO9OIjJrkl6_LJSCEy1FA5mAfQmfyIRqbL5v4pIffrTM3n8KB3-S2VYu3JC3W385KC_bj8qOg0Es1ens7lkSCMtlfg/s1600/IMG_2141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimppiNVC6-_U5dV8WefnFiMK3GcfyAU5zRQzIkKAsr7j7SvcMAxGiO9OIjJrkl6_LJSCEy1FA5mAfQmfyIRqbL5v4pIffrTM3n8KB3-S2VYu3JC3W385KC_bj8qOg0Es1ens7lkSCMtlfg/s400/IMG_2141.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
Our Monarch caterpillar turned into a chrysalis April 5, and today the chrysalis finally turned dark. If you look carefully, you can see the orange and black wings through the chrysalis, which is becoming transparent.</div>
Shauna Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871768714926149114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629757467521843286.post-60479357691976156532016-04-05T21:54:00.006-04:002016-04-05T21:54:48.707-04:00Stuff in my yard: My caterpillar transforms<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In my last blog post (<a href="http://www.shaunaroberts.com/2016/03/stuff-in-my-yard.html">http://www.shaunaroberts.com/2016/03/stuff-in-my-yard.html</a>), I had a photo of a Monarch butterfly (<i>Danaus plexippus</i>) caterpillar, fifth instar, on a milkweed plant in my yard. I brought it inside, put it in a lettuce container with some sticks, and fed it milkweed every day. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Yesterday, it stopped eating and roamed its enclosure in apparent distress. About 8:30 pm when we checked it, it was hanging in a J shape, the sign that it is preparing to shed its last skin and reveal a chrysalis:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWx-M-Y1mjiChB53jDADqjmUUlTMbz47upRwxTb_EnXu6gLW3AoCdefcLh7iD_Q0DQTYT7TFUrWggn8RrSWaL1TgztTe_16kEYQti6E4s_eebAWgK1H4sq63MF8RTYNGU3MEJD1JuCb2zF/s1600/caterpillar+in+a+J+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWx-M-Y1mjiChB53jDADqjmUUlTMbz47upRwxTb_EnXu6gLW3AoCdefcLh7iD_Q0DQTYT7TFUrWggn8RrSWaL1TgztTe_16kEYQti6E4s_eebAWgK1H4sq63MF8RTYNGU3MEJD1JuCb2zF/s320/caterpillar+in+a+J+-+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Monarch caterpillar in J shape</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">(Please excuse the poor picture you see if you blow it up. The light was bad, and I had forgotten we had a tiny, usually useless tripod. This was taken at about 1/20 s.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This morning, I checked the caterpillar several times, and at about 10 am, it was wiggling around. After the first shot, I set up the camera on the tripod. Over the next few minutes, the caterpillar's skin peeled off:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQn6xxyPOrf6bFkVW1_h6DT4WIqPmWA5R07z-L0VRaHm0U0L4Gz6441oB-t6FgINRuI_9H839DTFXD0iniDd-prHbQFHxYLDGbvUy0xDDLwV285RTySsMUD9oXRMaQ32nxZnwDPR9WPtK8/s1600/caterpillar+becomes+a+chrysalis+-+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQn6xxyPOrf6bFkVW1_h6DT4WIqPmWA5R07z-L0VRaHm0U0L4Gz6441oB-t6FgINRuI_9H839DTFXD0iniDd-prHbQFHxYLDGbvUy0xDDLwV285RTySsMUD9oXRMaQ32nxZnwDPR9WPtK8/s320/caterpillar+becomes+a+chrysalis+-+8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Then it did what one book calls the "chrysalis dance" to get completely rid of its skin:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk12lt82oEOv6hu7MrX_ewNx39r1lUnmOitwD7hzztxVHgH-oaXNAOXhEUMyhH3Nffk4UqbekZqFJIkjR7ZmXPQS5ddyY3WPCw5CDQQl21k_xdG8Auv7-hhWEoQPwwjXhHV2RMZfJIEulJ/s1600/chrysalis+dance+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk12lt82oEOv6hu7MrX_ewNx39r1lUnmOitwD7hzztxVHgH-oaXNAOXhEUMyhH3Nffk4UqbekZqFJIkjR7ZmXPQS5ddyY3WPCw5CDQQl21k_xdG8Auv7-hhWEoQPwwjXhHV2RMZfJIEulJ/s320/chrysalis+dance+-+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>beginning of chrysalis dance</i></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguW2DWuV2lvgLtH94SF-KjdA34a6eZ8Tso0g4DD2zf78p0yEkNEemhhI9c9Vn0EBEg-YwgrXI4GmEkEAwsQ_HNMFnlOskeHBy-TD-bQLZ7Rqd-eUqR1O6axCQJSduD8FiSa6ogbbYJxxKU/s1600/chrysalis+dance+-+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguW2DWuV2lvgLtH94SF-KjdA34a6eZ8Tso0g4DD2zf78p0yEkNEemhhI9c9Vn0EBEg-YwgrXI4GmEkEAwsQ_HNMFnlOskeHBy-TD-bQLZ7Rqd-eUqR1O6axCQJSduD8FiSa6ogbbYJxxKU/s320/chrysalis+dance+-+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEG55SyIeCcutNTfQ8ZZcCIo6b1qGvD5VHLTy-QbkdIc-2wFZN7jpPiB4vVrBHgKEAOqfWLBbVuNd2xvxT1FqMxDeKCVn_fGd4lnExJfow-VdXOdSt-eyRcV7UBCuZ8W1xl1gtzwjTq94n/s1600/chrysalis+dance+-+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEG55SyIeCcutNTfQ8ZZcCIo6b1qGvD5VHLTy-QbkdIc-2wFZN7jpPiB4vVrBHgKEAOqfWLBbVuNd2xvxT1FqMxDeKCVn_fGd4lnExJfow-VdXOdSt-eyRcV7UBCuZ8W1xl1gtzwjTq94n/s320/chrysalis+dance+-+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZJGyqutIkEMjLPD7MmPNuaHxc5nhIsRXRud3mAI4YVWhaSKKlw8e8ucB9GL9E922sM3Dn4sXCNAPftfPlehf1xNLXVAyaZaERcyyiB0GEuit_0bM7LUXtQ_6x4tR4EtbaZtT2aWcgGTi3/s1600/chrysalis+dance+-+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZJGyqutIkEMjLPD7MmPNuaHxc5nhIsRXRud3mAI4YVWhaSKKlw8e8ucB9GL9E922sM3Dn4sXCNAPftfPlehf1xNLXVAyaZaERcyyiB0GEuit_0bM7LUXtQ_6x4tR4EtbaZtT2aWcgGTi3/s320/chrysalis+dance+-+7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzhN6UJ-6yatUoiproHCr9bIf0OvuFkRXHv6IRnhZ1kaB2yVJfcKGZbKp8JZC7gqMtMRYyNhob87xdyIrFONbShfdnb-b1_C4pujJ8JNxpmKomzPtJ-0V2149jwunfuYOaCBYipP1ghCWJ/s1600/chrysalis+dance+-+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzhN6UJ-6yatUoiproHCr9bIf0OvuFkRXHv6IRnhZ1kaB2yVJfcKGZbKp8JZC7gqMtMRYyNhob87xdyIrFONbShfdnb-b1_C4pujJ8JNxpmKomzPtJ-0V2149jwunfuYOaCBYipP1ghCWJ/s320/chrysalis+dance+-+10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You can see above that at first, the previous stripes were still visible. Two hours later, it looked like this:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf2AAW1HPiyXhXEv_E1uSEpEiN1UK4J_ExeJH6Y5jvs8zjYCBCPVzw-RApAlkZmnUqoPi6u1zDeHXeWn_sVUn14x4KJe3fVPS8B-BBVGqaNnae1z2TrQNIG9wfVOefo6qrGIILdNiCIgSv/s1600/chrysalis+2+hours+later+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="481" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf2AAW1HPiyXhXEv_E1uSEpEiN1UK4J_ExeJH6Y5jvs8zjYCBCPVzw-RApAlkZmnUqoPi6u1zDeHXeWn_sVUn14x4KJe3fVPS8B-BBVGqaNnae1z2TrQNIG9wfVOefo6qrGIILdNiCIgSv/s640/chrysalis+2+hours+later+-+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The chrysalis is fully formed but still has dead skin attached and light striping.</i> </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Once the old skin drops off, I'll be able to discover whether it's female or male.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Now to wait. According to my caterpillar book, it will turn into goo inside and slowly reconstitute itself as a butterfly. It should emerge from the chrysalis in one to two weeks. I'll photograph its emergence for you if I'm lucky enough to see it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Meanwhile, I'll continue to check my milkweed plant for eggs and more caterpillars.</span><br />
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Shauna Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871768714926149114noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629757467521843286.post-6775601398068606102016-03-31T20:50:00.002-04:002016-03-31T20:50:56.146-04:00Stuff in my yard<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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In creating my first waterwise garden, I included a milkweed plant. Yes, one single milkweed plant in a garden full of plants that attract butterflies.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIgVnyKUAIM_Q_0IR2NSBlG9dX4_RgQ9bA6UiAQ7fdrzT7CMkYCcg1V2zefIYr-6h7dkrWBtXUAgN-l8aeJfAz2kWUSL-Ue_W1kw2IZ3guJ3FuhWMCuBkMvnoXvtvY8e87Lv74xtU-fUCT/s1600/IMG_4413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIgVnyKUAIM_Q_0IR2NSBlG9dX4_RgQ9bA6UiAQ7fdrzT7CMkYCcg1V2zefIYr-6h7dkrWBtXUAgN-l8aeJfAz2kWUSL-Ue_W1kw2IZ3guJ3FuhWMCuBkMvnoXvtvY8e87Lv74xtU-fUCT/s400/IMG_4413.jpg" width="326" /></a></div>
Then I learned how much milkweed Monarch caterpillars eat.<br />
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I planted another milkweed in the first garden and eight in the second garden.<br />
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In the fall, Monarchs were hanging out by the plants, and I think they laid some eggs, but the plants also had lots of aphids. No caterpillars, though.<br />
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Today I went out and checked all the milkweed plants again and found a caterpillar! I put it—with the milkweed stem it was on, another milkweed stem, and several sticks of various diameters—into a large plastic spinach box in which I had poked a lot of holes.<br />
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The caterpillar has climbed onto the thickest, tallest stick and is sitting there. I hope we'll wake up to a beautiful chrysalis soon and then in a few days a butterfly.<br />
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I'll keep you updated.<br />
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Shauna Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871768714926149114noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629757467521843286.post-59544962198228078942016-03-28T18:19:00.001-04:002016-03-28T18:19:57.047-04:00See me live on Blab Wednesday night!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_E_gvTjxiwFkCKF9qsN_mmI5znZQy1UyCusNpXrtHGh-YLOYuvCodOmacheL2ZvL_k5XbTRKahGblj11rdYQo9MHXflRIUJOBuvOr1xB0cDg0MBXL2drIEzeD-R8TjVl5OrJNEZwhIGKn/s1600/IMG_4379.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_E_gvTjxiwFkCKF9qsN_mmI5znZQy1UyCusNpXrtHGh-YLOYuvCodOmacheL2ZvL_k5XbTRKahGblj11rdYQo9MHXflRIUJOBuvOr1xB0cDg0MBXL2drIEzeD-R8TjVl5OrJNEZwhIGKn/s320/IMG_4379.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Brittlebush, a local desert plant now blooming</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Wednesday night, March 23, I'll be on the interview show "Elena and Kitty Blabbing about Books" from 7 pm to 8 pm Pacific time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You can watch me live (or watch the taped video anytime afterward) at <a href="https://blab.im/elenadillon-elena-and-kitty-blabbing-about-books-with-fantasy-author-shauna-roberts">https://blab.im/elenadillon-elena-and-kitty-blabbing-about-books-with-fantasy-author-shauna-roberts</a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You may have to sign up with Blab first to view the interview, but I've done that myself recently, and it was easy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://elenadillon.com/" target="_blank">Elena</a> and <a href="http://kittybucholtz.com/" target="_blank">Kitty</a> tell me they'll be asking about my background, what I'm reading, and, of course, my writing and books. If you watch live, you can make comments and ask questions in the right column labeled "Live Chat." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hope to see you Wednesday night!</span><br />
<br /></div>
Shauna Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871768714926149114noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629757467521843286.post-57814419432340817802016-03-05T11:33:00.001-05:002016-03-05T11:33:29.292-05:00Appearances and other news<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8MuiGgXZORPi6U-NVc6I2F3XNencZeCZCPZDk_po-K3SZCDtuHkGH9Uuu3w3yGKA8OvsliCVNkvVSkKg17O9PVkgHPO-1W2SyFiYV9jyJfOM77wiZDPmekV1WrBh13BgJgwc-RUkpUbqh/s1600/%25232+new+bookcover+Measure+of+a+Man.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8MuiGgXZORPi6U-NVc6I2F3XNencZeCZCPZDk_po-K3SZCDtuHkGH9Uuu3w3yGKA8OvsliCVNkvVSkKg17O9PVkgHPO-1W2SyFiYV9jyJfOM77wiZDPmekV1WrBh13BgJgwc-RUkpUbqh/s320/%25232+new+bookcover+Measure+of+a+Man.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>The Measure of a Man</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
My horror novelette "The Measure of a Man" is getting a new cover soon. It will continue to be available at <a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Measure-Man-Shauna-Roberts-ebook/dp/B00MD7NW1W/">http://smile.amazon.com/Measure-Man-Shauna-Roberts-ebook/dp/B00MD7NW1W/</a>.<br />
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In addition, the audiobook should be out within a month, read by Justin James in his gorgeous voice.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Online interview</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Michelle Knowlden interviewed me about writing in general and the genesis of <i>Ice Magic, Fire Magic</i> on her blog yesterday <a href="https://mlknowlden.wordpress.com/2016/03/04/march-2016-first-friday-breakfast-with-an-author-shauna-roberts/" target="_blank"><b>here</b></a>.<br />
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<b>Book signing</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
If you're in Southern California, I'll be selling and signing <i>Claimed by the Enemy</i> and <i>Ice Magic, Fire Magic</i> at The Lab anti-mall (whatever that is) in Costa Mesa on Saturday, March 26. The Orange County Writers Book Fair will last from 11 am to 4 pm and feature two dozen authors. Find out more about the fair at <a href="http://ocwriters.org/book-fair/">http://ocwriters.org/book-fair/</a>.<br />
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<b>I get Blabbed</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
On March 30 at 7 pm Pacific time, I'll be interviewed as part of a Blab. I don't quite know what a Blab is yet, but I do know you'll be able to watch it live on your computer or later from the archives. I'll put up more info later.<br />
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<b>Romance Writers of America</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
If you're coming to San Diego in July for the Romance Writers of America's annual meeting, keep an eye out for me! I'll be there and hope to see many friends. For more information and to sign up, go to <a href="https://www.rwa.org/p/cm/ld/fid=538">https://www.rwa.org/p/cm/ld/fid=538</a>.</div>
Shauna Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871768714926149114noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629757467521843286.post-74622699793676500472016-02-17T11:00:00.000-05:002016-02-17T11:00:06.146-05:00The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Government publications are not subject to copyright, so I am happy (and within the law!) to share the newest government guidelines for staying healthy. I hope you find them useful in your life.<br />
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To read the article at its original site and have access to all the links there to more information, go <a href="http://health.gov/news/dietary-guidelines-digital-press-kit/2016/01/top-10-things-you-need-to-know/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Also, there's still a day left to enter my Goodreads contest to <b>win</b> a free copy of my new fantasy novel, <i>Ice Magic, Fire Magic</i>. Click on "Enter giveaway" in the Goodreads box at top right.<br />
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✥✥✥✥✥<br />
<header class="entry-header" style="font-family: 'open sans', helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 30px;"><h1 class="entry-title" style="font-family: Martel, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.75em; line-height: 1.3; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em;">
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #660000;">
Top 10 Things You Need to Know About the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans</span></h1>
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><span class="posted-on" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: url("about:blank"); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; padding-left: 1.25em;">Posted on <a href="http://health.gov/news/dietary-guidelines-digital-press-kit/2016/01/top-10-things-you-need-to-know/" rel="bookmark" style="color: #77008d; text-decoration: none;"><time class="entry-date published" datetime="2016-01-07T12:08:57+00:00">January 7, 2016</time></a></span><span class="byline" style="font-size: 0.85em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;"> by <span class="author vcard"><a class="url fn n" href="http://health.gov/news/author/odphp/" style="color: #77008d; text-decoration: none;">ODPHP</a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">The Dietary Guidelines provides a clear path to help Americans eat healthfully, informed by a critical, and transparent review of the scientific evidence on nutrition.</span></div>
<ol style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2.5em;">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">A lifetime of healthy eating helps to prevent chronic diseases like obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, and Type 2 diabetes.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">Healthy eating is one of the most powerful tools we have to reduce the onset of disease. The Dietary Guidelines recommendations can help you make informed choices about eating for you and your family.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">The path to improving health through nutrition is to follow a healthy eating pattern that’s right for you. Eating patterns are the combination of foods and drinks you eat over time. A <a href="http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/chapter-1/a-closer-look-inside-healthy-eating-patterns/" style="color: #77008d; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">healthy eating pattern</a> is adaptable to a person’s taste preferences, traditions, culture and budget.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">A healthy eating pattern includes:</span><ul style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2.5em;">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">A variety of vegetables: dark green, red and orange, legumes (beans and peas), starchy and other vegetables</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">Fruits, especially whole fruit</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">Grains, at least half of which are whole grain</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">Fat-free or low-fat dairy, including milk, yogurt, cheese, and/or fortified soy beverages</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">A variety of protein foods, including seafood, lean meats and poultry, eggs, legumes (beans and peas), soy products, and nuts and seeds</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">Oils, including those from plants: canola, corn, olive, peanut, safflower, soybean, and sunflower. Oils also are naturally present in nuts, seeds, seafood, olives, and avocados.</span></li>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">Healthy eating patterns limit added sugars. Less than 10% of your daily calories should come from added sugars. <a href="http://www.choosemyplate.gov/what-are-added-sugars" style="color: #77008d; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">ChooseMyPlate.gov</a> provides more information about added sugars, which are sugars and syrups that are added to foods or beverages when they are processed or prepared. This does not include naturally occurring sugars such as those consumed as part of milk and fruits. </span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcYfamL9n6x6Ze9VkTtV7BUm1AS2PRhzSSNCty32snOmu1MZfDnvebxBiHi6GtO3SWeo3gpoj6vgoC7YGEFwDFi3pjJG3wEI_LEHT5SGH8II8pTveSv6xIIPkeqnrdKuoCKG8YJnE_fvyu/s1600/myplate_magenta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: #f3f3f3; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcYfamL9n6x6Ze9VkTtV7BUm1AS2PRhzSSNCty32snOmu1MZfDnvebxBiHi6GtO3SWeo3gpoj6vgoC7YGEFwDFi3pjJG3wEI_LEHT5SGH8II8pTveSv6xIIPkeqnrdKuoCKG8YJnE_fvyu/s400/myplate_magenta.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">MyPlate has replaced earlier representations of good diets such as the Food Pyramid and the Four Food Groups.</i></td></tr>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">Healthy eating patterns limit saturated and <em>trans</em> fats. Less than 10% of your daily calories should come from saturated fats. Foods that are high in saturated fat include butter, whole milk, meats that are not labeled as lean, and tropical oils such as coconut and palm oil. Saturated fats should be replaced with unsaturated fats, such as canola or olive oil</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">Healthy eating patterns limit sodium. Adults and children ages 14 years and over should limit sodium to less than 2,300 mg per day, and children younger than 14 years should consume even less. Use the Nutrition Facts label to check for sodium, especially in processed foods like pizza, pasta dishes, sauces, and soups.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">Most Americans can benefit from making small shifts in their daily eating habits to improve their health over the long run. <a href="http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/chapter-2/current-eating-patterns-in-the-united-states/#figure-2-2empower-people-to-make-healthy-shifts" style="color: #77008d; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Small shifts in food choices</a>—over the course of a week, a day, or even a meal—can make a difference in working toward a healthy eating pattern that works for you.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">Remember physical activity! Regular physical activity is one of the most important things individuals can do to improve their health. According to the Department of Health and Human Services’ <a href="http://health.gov/paguidelines/" style="color: #77008d; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Physical Activity Guidelines</a> for Americans, adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity each week and should perform muscle-strengthening exercises on two or more days each week. Children ages 6 to 17 years need at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day, including aerobic, muscle-strengthening, and bone-strengthening activities.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">Everyone has a role– at home, schools, workplaces, communities, and food retail outlets – in encouraging easy, accessible, and affordable ways to <a href="http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/chapter-3/strategies-for-action/#figure-3-3strategies-to-align-settings-with-the-2015-2020-dietar" style="color: #77008d; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">support healthy choices</a>.</span><ul style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2.5em;">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">At <strong>home, you and your family</strong> can try out small changes to find what works for you like adding more veggies to favorite dishes, planning meals and cooking at home, and incorporating physical activity into time with family or friends.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><strong>Schools</strong> can improve the selection of healthy food choices in cafeterias and vending machines, provide nutrition education programs and school gardens, increase school-based physical activity, and encourage parents and caregivers to promote healthy changes at home.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><strong>Workplaces</strong> can encourage walking or activity breaks; offer healthy food options in the cafeteria, vending machines, and at staff meetings or functions; and provide health and wellness programs and nutrition counseling.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><strong>Communities</strong> can increase access to affordable, healthy food choices through community gardens, farmers’ markets, shelters, and food banks and create walkable communities by maintaining safe public spaces.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><strong>Food retail outlets </strong>can inform consumers about making healthy changes and provide healthy food choices.</span></li>
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Shauna Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871768714926149114noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629757467521843286.post-68865476078410436052016-02-11T10:47:00.000-05:002016-02-11T10:47:24.952-05:00giveaway and other news <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Goodreads giveaway </b><br />
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<i>Ice Magic, Fire Magic</i> is currently a Goodreads giveaway book. To enter for a chance to win one of six copies, click on the widget at the top of the right column or go to <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/173323-ice-magic-fire-magic">https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/173323-ice-magic-fire-magic</a>.<br />
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Sorry, but this time the contest is only open to those in the United States.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihw-4BKe9nV1ViKuDGxLqYUVdOJfYzDKdyJnpXAy34X15phawU6XpJZSVnExrVy46IwICaRQV_ahWp-MsQaLKES0hhYsf1sglqg43Wluu_VDvLZpg_8m3-9Wk8KfzA-r_0_99mGbSL1W-K/s1600/new+bookcover+Measure+of+a+Man.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihw-4BKe9nV1ViKuDGxLqYUVdOJfYzDKdyJnpXAy34X15phawU6XpJZSVnExrVy46IwICaRQV_ahWp-MsQaLKES0hhYsf1sglqg43Wluu_VDvLZpg_8m3-9Wk8KfzA-r_0_99mGbSL1W-K/s320/new+bookcover+Measure+of+a+Man.jpg" width="199" /></a><b></b><br />
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<b>Cover redesign</b><br />
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I'm redesigning the cover of <i>The Measure of the Man</i>. The first draft at right gives you an idea of the direction I'm going.<br />
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The antique drawing of a 16th-century Portuguese carrack lets readers know the time period, and the blood-dripping title font, the dark edges, and the fire suggest violence.<br />
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The cover redesign was spurred by the upcoming release of the audiobook for <i>The Measure of a Man</i>. I'll announce it when it's available.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2szLi8v7oDmij5ThHDiS3Rwp3FBRbrHb6Jrvhzug28w3ed6cAnGLEtldDE36CczTfOsKQwnFJurFxc6raBxOUCx7_ISrMH9xz33GmbxGzSvszlsfJjwonsHGcMKQSmngAB_T_eGk4GlbN/s1600/final+cover%252C+Measure+of+a+Man+ebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2szLi8v7oDmij5ThHDiS3Rwp3FBRbrHb6Jrvhzug28w3ed6cAnGLEtldDE36CczTfOsKQwnFJurFxc6raBxOUCx7_ISrMH9xz33GmbxGzSvszlsfJjwonsHGcMKQSmngAB_T_eGk4GlbN/s200/final+cover%252C+Measure+of+a+Man+ebook.jpg" width="125" /></a>I hope the new cover will better catch the eye of people who like dark fantasy and horror.<br />
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Several people have told me that the current cover at left, which shows Flores Island (where the story takes place) and only hints at the plot with a few drops of blood and the black carrack, did not look dark enough. Cover design is tough. I liked the contrast between the beautiful island and the blood dripping from the title, but apparently it was too subtle.<br />
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Shauna Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871768714926149114noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629757467521843286.post-45407765620941588892016-01-20T18:04:00.000-05:002016-01-20T18:04:29.379-05:00Strangest review of Ice Magic, Fire Magic ever<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I stumbled across this bizarre review (? or possibly a description?) of my fantasy novel <i>Ice Magic, Fire Magic</i> at the site <a href="http://kindlepaperwhite.1001boutique.top/ice-magic-fire-magic-english-edition/">http://kindlepaperwhite.1001boutique.top/ice-magic-fire-magic-english-edition/</a> and wanted to share it with you:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #34495e; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 22px;">Some of the customer reviews speak that the</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #34495e; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"> </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #34495e; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-weight: 700; line-height: 22px;">Ice Magic, Fire Magic (English Edition)</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #34495e; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #34495e; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 22px;">are splendid luggage. Also, It Is a pretty well product for the price. Its great for colony on a tight budget. Weve found pros and cons on this type of product. But overall, Its a supreme product and we are well recommend it! When you however want to know more details on this product, so read the reports of those who have already used it.</span> </span></div>
Shauna Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871768714926149114noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629757467521843286.post-39457259993481187362015-12-07T06:00:00.000-05:002015-12-07T06:00:06.756-05:00Season's readings holiday hop<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Zv-CqNCDA743JJtFxiK0T1-BvZVM9-oLzQQFP5vuE2kyQbGQ_OAhBQx4_2Fzs5pjiFkwaEJFGzysIoiG-UMaWXgHLNJ37_sF_CQaxxe1InpXu9u-B6myBVWuyd7BP8BRfhNoGLhv_9yC/s1600/NewSGBlogMochaMemoirsLG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Zv-CqNCDA743JJtFxiK0T1-BvZVM9-oLzQQFP5vuE2kyQbGQ_OAhBQx4_2Fzs5pjiFkwaEJFGzysIoiG-UMaWXgHLNJ37_sF_CQaxxe1InpXu9u-B6myBVWuyd7BP8BRfhNoGLhv_9yC/s320/NewSGBlogMochaMemoirsLG.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I'm taking part in another blog hop. This one starts today and lasts one week. It promotes <a href="http://mochamemoirspress.com/" target="_blank">Mocha Memoirs Press'</a> new holiday releases as well as some of its backlist. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There's a list of participating blogs below as well as a Rafflecopter whose prizes include ebooks, gift cards, and swag.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But first, my own blog-hop post on the most important holiday in ancient Mesopotamia . . . one that celebrated barley and continues to be celebrated by millions of people to this day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">✥✥✥✥✥</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>The Akītu festival of Mesopotamia</b> </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW2goSUCL9ZAEzS_rO8Ekreg56SrgYdiJvQvCu3zLwJuAoGLklTYi5ZaS5pK0jG1UHG6o64HfTv3xNvLzb2JKy_wqyRe5j-lERx1TMXX9nthdMtDnaHu0Pqs_hdcKYGQJiNdTEduoSXmXP/s1600/Escourgeon-Hordeum_vulgare_subsp._vulgare.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW2goSUCL9ZAEzS_rO8Ekreg56SrgYdiJvQvCu3zLwJuAoGLklTYi5ZaS5pK0jG1UHG6o64HfTv3xNvLzb2JKy_wqyRe5j-lERx1TMXX9nthdMtDnaHu0Pqs_hdcKYGQJiNdTEduoSXmXP/s320/Escourgeon-Hordeum_vulgare_subsp._vulgare.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barley, <i>Hordeum vulgare vulgare</i> [public domain]</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Behold a founder of civilization: Barley! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Barley, a wild grass, was harvested in the Fertile Crescent to make beer perhaps 11,000 years ago. People then discovered how to make bread. Over time, people began planting barley in fields to have a more reliable source. Once they had control over the growth of barley, they selected for several traits that made the barley plant produce more barley. Eventually, most people of the Fertile Crescent settled down in villages near their barley fields.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In Mesopotamia, barley beer and barley bread were daily staples. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The earliest written records that mention the </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">barley (</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">akītu) </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">festival date to the mid-2000s B.C.E. The festival celebrated the sowing of summer crops and the harvest of winter crops. However, only a small percentage of the documents created before then survive and have been translated. The </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">akītu festival could have been millennia old by then.</span><br />
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<!--StartFragment--><!--EndFragment--><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The barley festival </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">outshone all the other festivals and marked the </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">New Year. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The festival was celebrated around the spring equinox and was </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">called akītu (in Sumerian and Akkadian) or re</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">š</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">š</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">attim (in late Akkadian dialects). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Some Sumerian cities, such as Ur and Uruk, celebrated ak</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ī</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">tu at both the spring equinox and the fall equinox. Over time, the festival evolved, taking on additional meanings and adding new rituals. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">By the time of the Babylonians and the Assyrians, the spring and fall </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">akītus</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">, respectively, had become a complex and lavish 12-day extravaganza. Among many, many other events, the </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">akītu now included </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">feasts; dances; singing (both solemn hymns and bawdy songs); performances that included recitation of a creation epic and re-enactments of myths; religious rites; sacrifices; the humbling and penitence of the naked king followed by his crowning or re-crowning; and a procession in which the statue of the main god [Tammuz (or later </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Marduk) for the Babylonians and Ashur for the Assyrians] left</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> his temple to face danger each year and conquer it, returning in a triumphant parade. Meanwhile, statues of lesser gods processed in new clothes to the temple of the main god to honor him.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzL9ceRE1IKnSURyeSP5nnQW1X2G5wDI-yZtT9G1SK35YGG8tmRnjsbRfHvxbmgKbHyjMA2OgpYYCm6qYbkwA3vymfZzWCIZAJD4llabNJam3NLhnIjBS4nGvdfnR1iO9Gewa970pnY8CG/s1600/Berli%25CC%2581n_-_Pergamon_-_Porta_d%2527Ishtar_-_Ur.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzL9ceRE1IKnSURyeSP5nnQW1X2G5wDI-yZtT9G1SK35YGG8tmRnjsbRfHvxbmgKbHyjMA2OgpYYCm6qYbkwA3vymfZzWCIZAJD4llabNJam3NLhnIjBS4nGvdfnR1iO9Gewa970pnY8CG/s320/Berli%25CC%2581n_-_Pergamon_-_Porta_d%2527Ishtar_-_Ur.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An aurochs, one of many beautiful reliefs in glazed brick that once made the Ishtar Gate (constructed about 575 B.C.E.) in Babylon one of the Seven Wonders of the World. During <span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="text-align: left;">ak</span><span style="text-align: left;">ī</span><span style="text-align: left;">tu, statues of deities were paraded through this gate and down a long avenue decorated with glazed bricks to the temple of Marduk. </span> </span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;">[Credit: Josep Renalias, used under <span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #252525; line-height: 26.6px;">the </span><a class="extiw" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/en:Creative_Commons" style="background: none rgb(249, 249, 249); color: #663366; line-height: 26.6px; text-decoration: none;" title="w:en:Creative Commons">Creative Commons</a><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #252525; line-height: 26.6px;"> </span><a class="external text" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en" rel="nofollow" style="color: #663366; line-height: 26.6px; padding-right: 13px; text-decoration: none;">Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported</a><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #252525; line-height: 26.6px;"> license]</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Persian king Cyrus the Great conquered Babylonia in 539 B.C.E. This conquest was not the end of the </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">akītu festival, but rather the beginning of its expansion around the world.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Persians either adopted </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">ak</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ī</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">tu</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> from the Babylonians or enhanced their own existing spring festival with elements of </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">ak</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ī</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">tu</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">, such as the ritual "sacred marriage" between the king and a goddess (represented by either a priestess or a statue of the goddess). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This Persian New Year festival later also integrated aspects of Zoroastrianism. It still exists under a couple dozen names (including Newruz, NuRoz, Noruz, and Nowruz) and is celebrated in many countries as well as by the Parsi of India, some ethnic groups in China, and members of the Bahá'í faith. The god(s) honored by the festival, of course, have changed over the centuries, and in some places it is now a secular festival.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh5BIaerShgE1z4KAEzVn73QhUguut8mq9yD315DB7I-VQXSryxpcQwYhaaWKe5JpBqw98DaaWVQhYNu1NDgEu-B10WhEmbKrNAubRHTl8b86R0k2m6ejUDm0kRC-9SzmG12xb6R9XR7pR/s1600/Novruzbayrami2+Azerbiajan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh5BIaerShgE1z4KAEzVn73QhUguut8mq9yD315DB7I-VQXSryxpcQwYhaaWKe5JpBqw98DaaWVQhYNu1NDgEu-B10WhEmbKrNAubRHTl8b86R0k2m6ejUDm0kRC-9SzmG12xb6R9XR7pR/s400/Novruzbayrami2+Azerbiajan.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;">Novruz feast in Azerbaijan [Credit: <a class="new" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:%D0%90%D0%B7%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B1%D0%B0%D0%B9%D0%B4%D0%B6%D0%B0%D0%BD-%D0%B5-%D0%94%D0%B6%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%83%D0%B1%D0%B8&action=edit&redlink=1" style="background: none rgb(249, 249, 249); color: #a55858; line-height: 26.6px; text-align: start;" title="User:Азербайджан-е-Джануби (page does not exist)">Азербайджан-е-Джануби</a>; used under the<span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #252525; line-height: 28px;"> </span><a class="extiw" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/en:Creative_Commons" style="background: none rgb(249, 249, 249); color: #663366; line-height: 28px; text-decoration: none;" title="w:en:Creative Commons">Creative Commons</a><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #252525; line-height: 28px;"> </span><a class="external text" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en" rel="nofollow" style="color: #663366; line-height: 28px; padding-right: 13px; text-decoration: none;">Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International</a>license<span style="color: #252525;"><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; line-height: 28px;">]</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Cyrus the Great also liberated the Jews who were being held captive in Babylonia. Some Jews took aspects of Mesopotamian culture back to Israel, including ak</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ī</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">tu, which gradually evolved into the </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">New Year festival Rosh Hashanah</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxku_a2GwYK2wPNPBx3jAsqh9qNbj2vfx_daEWW7zqRS-s2Lq63CoFqtYa_drU86jF-jdNHwi8VKLoSyj_vH8i5wkSy7BEGO0CdFQd2uSPyxSdfoxJbW6eQ5jRj_NwR_Vr7YQvBsoMFajV/s1600/Liten_askenasisk_shofar_5380.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxku_a2GwYK2wPNPBx3jAsqh9qNbj2vfx_daEWW7zqRS-s2Lq63CoFqtYa_drU86jF-jdNHwi8VKLoSyj_vH8i5wkSy7BEGO0CdFQd2uSPyxSdfoxJbW6eQ5jRj_NwR_Vr7YQvBsoMFajV/s320/Liten_askenasisk_shofar_5380.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;">Shofar made from a ram's horn. The shofar is blown before and during Rosh Hashanah, which today lasts one or two days and focuses more on penitence than on singing and performances. [Credit: Olve Utne; used <span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #252525; line-height: 28px;">under the </span><a class="extiw" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/en:Creative_Commons" style="background: none rgb(249, 249, 249); color: #663366; line-height: 28px; text-decoration: none;" title="w:en:Creative Commons">Creative Commons</a><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #252525; line-height: 28px;"></span><a class="external text" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/deed.en" rel="nofollow" style="color: #663366; line-height: 28px; padding-right: 13px; text-decoration: none;">Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic</a><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #252525; line-height: 28px;"> license.]</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Other Jews moved to northern Iraq and Syria, taking </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">ak</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ī</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">tu with them. It became the Kurdish Jewish festival of Seharane, which survived intact until the 1950s.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In the first to third centuries C.E., several peoples of northern Mesopotamia and nearby areas converted to Christianity. Since then, these groups have been subject to persecution and even many massacres. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Over the centuries, many fled to other countries and now spread around the world. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Massacres continue to occur in the 21st century. The most recent one took place in 2014 in northern Iraq, when terrorists belonging to Daesh attacked towns of Christianized Mesopotamians. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyoCMyB74fj-mRjGaciqwJwHjAmQBzkzx68SaG4ioxAd20-ZuIq1HQO2KIRRVYbrjQnCR2nOCKoSMUxo5jxfYZ1871X_a7PRKQN4eBmmZPYgAJWalTEOGzKtz5rWEW0E1Ce09T0gWsy7DY/s1600/Assyrians+in+Chicago+better.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyoCMyB74fj-mRjGaciqwJwHjAmQBzkzx68SaG4ioxAd20-ZuIq1HQO2KIRRVYbrjQnCR2nOCKoSMUxo5jxfYZ1871X_a7PRKQN4eBmmZPYgAJWalTEOGzKtz5rWEW0E1Ce09T0gWsy7DY/s320/Assyrians+in+Chicago+better.png" width="220" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As many as 400,000 "Assyrians," as the supposed descendants of the Mesopotamians who converted to Christianity are often called, live in the United States today, with 5,000 in Chicago alone. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Other names, such as Chaldeans, Syriacs, and Arameans, </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">reflect differences in believed ancestral place of origin, the variant of Christianity they belong to, the language or dialect they speak, and other factors. The names and origins of the "Assyrians" are controversial, even among the groups themselves. If you have friends who trace their ancestry back to Mesopotamia, don't automatically assume they consider themselves Assyrians; they may, for example, be proud Chaldeans.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Despite the cultural differences that accrued over hundreds of years of Assyrian diaspora, despite the need for the Assyrians to sometimes hide their identity, the </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">ak</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ī</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">tu survived. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Many Assyrians today celebrate the spring </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">ak</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ī</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">tu on April 1. It has developed</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> several other names including Resha d-Sheta (which is pronounced much like its ancient Akkadian name, </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">re</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">š</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">š</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">attim), </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Kha b' Nisan, and Ha b' Nison. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Wild barley still grows across a wide swath of northern Africa, southern Europe, and Asia. Genetic studies show that, like the </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">ak</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ī</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">tu festival that celebrates it, cultivated barley has changed but remains recognizably like its ancestors of 5,000 years ago. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The stories and books that Mocha Memoirs Press is promoting are:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Cupid-Naughty-Klaus-Collection-ebook/dp/B01867I9K6/" target="_blank">“It’s Christmas, Cupid!”</a> by Dréa Riley<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Under-Mistletoe-Siobhan-Kinkade-ebook/dp/B00AFKTSRG/" target="_blank">“Under theMistletoe”</a> by Siobhan Kinkade<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Holly-Ivy-Selah-Janel-ebook/dp/B00AGIIIUU/" target="_blank">“Holly and Ivy”</a> by Selah Janel<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mistletoe-Dreams-Laurel-Cremant-ebook/dp/B018EP9EDQ/" target="_blank"><i>Mistletoe Dreams</i></a> bundle containing three stories: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">—"A Trick of Frost" by Dréa Riley and RaeLynn Blue<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">—"Naughty Klauses" by Dréa Riley</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">—"Winter’s Guard" by Laurel Cremant</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Other blogs taking part and offering holiday-themed posts—maybe a favorite recipe, a top-ten list, a flash story, or an essay about a holiday or a holiday symbol—are listed below. Click on each name to go to the linked post.</span></div>
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line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a class="_inlinkzA clicktrack" href="http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=26016599" rel="nofollow" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #dd4a38; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Go to www.raelynnblue.blogspot.com/?zx=7ca4a7b8b164462a ">RaeLynn Blue: Spellbinding, Sensual Romance</a> </span></td><td style="border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></td></tr>
<tr style="border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><td class="_inlinkzA" style="border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;">2. </span></td><td style="border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a class="_inlinkzA clicktrack" href="http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=25777308" rel="nofollow" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #dd4a38; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Go to lexxxchristian.wordpress.com ">Alexandra Christian</a> </span></td><td class="_inlinkzA" style="border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;">7. </span></td><td style="border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a class="_inlinkzA clicktrack" href="http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=26016219" rel="nofollow" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #dd4a38; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Go to apenandfire.com/ ">Cindy Lynn Speer</a> </span></td><td class="_inlinkzA" style="border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;">12. </span></td><td style="border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a class="_inlinkzA clicktrack" href="http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=26016615" rel="nofollow" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #dd4a38; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Go to darkgeisha.wordpress.com/ ">Eden Royce: The Dark Geisha</a> </span></td><td style="border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></td></tr>
<tr style="border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><td class="_inlinkzA" style="border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;">3. </span></td><td style="border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a class="_inlinkzA clicktrack" href="http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=25975051" rel="nofollow" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #dd4a38; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Go to marciacolette.wordpress.com/ ">Marcia Colette</a> </span></td><td class="_inlinkzA" style="border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;">8. </span></td><td style="border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a class="_inlinkzA clicktrack" href="http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=26016540" rel="nofollow" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #dd4a38; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Go to www.sherrypeters.com/ ">Sherry Peters</a> </span></td><td class="_inlinkzA" style="border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;">13. </span></td><td style="border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a class="_inlinkzA clicktrack" href="http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=26016637" rel="nofollow" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #dd4a38; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Go to www.paulinebjones.com/ ">Pauline B. Jones: Perilously Fun Fiction</a> </span></td><td style="border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></td></tr>
<tr style="border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><td class="_inlinkzA" style="border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;">4. </span></td><td style="border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a class="_inlinkzA clicktrack" href="http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=25975067" rel="nofollow" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #dd4a38; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Go to selahjanel.wordpress.com/ ">Selah Janel: Come Selahway</a> </span></td><td class="_inlinkzA" style="border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;">9. </span></td><td style="border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a class="_inlinkzA clicktrack" href="http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=26016563" rel="nofollow" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #dd4a38; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Go to www.ascendantkingdoms.com/ ">Gail Z. Martin: Ascendant Kingdoms</a> </span></td><td class="_inlinkzA" style="border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;">14. </span></td><td style="border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a class="_inlinkzA clicktrack" href="http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=26016716" rel="nofollow" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #dd4a38; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Go to www.caroleannmoleti.com/ ">Carole Ann Moletti</a> </span></td><td style="border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></td></tr>
<tr style="border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><td class="_inlinkzA" style="background-color: white; border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Montserrat, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 20.8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;">5. </span></td><td style="background-color: white; border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Montserrat, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 20.8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a class="_inlinkzA clicktrack" href="http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=25975076" rel="nofollow" style="background: 0px 0px; border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #dd4a38; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Go to wynwords.wordpress.com/ ">Wynwords Weblog</a> </span></td><td class="_inlinkzA" style="background-color: white; border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Montserrat, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 20.8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;">10. </span></td><td style="background-color: white; border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Montserrat, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 20.8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a class="_inlinkzA clicktrack" href="http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=26016578" rel="nofollow" style="background: 0px 0px; border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #dd4a38; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Go to samanthadunawaybryant.blogspot.com/ ">Samantha Bryant: Balancing Act</a> </span></td><td class="_inlinkzA" style="background-color: white; border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Montserrat, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 20.8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;">15. </span></td><td style="background-color: white; border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Montserrat, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 20.8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a class="_inlinkzA clicktrack" href="http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=26034345" rel="nofollow" style="background: 0px 0px; border-radius: 0px !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #dd4a38; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Go to www.shaunaroberts.com/ ">Shauna Roberts</a> </span></td></tr>
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Shauna Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871768714926149114noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629757467521843286.post-49705705406483631902015-11-21T15:55:00.001-05:002015-11-21T16:00:10.116-05:00Fun holiday presents that do good!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif0B4vcMwl2KOFz0WeldvO5rFv6E415zVvpNmbenrktDWz0suzzGcsBBQVTtJHvlyAp9pw_BLh1YALNCMd0UxnL5281EjOAkojE_GksoOSGpms0F7qmZYKxqkRk47vZZqzcCaJyFt385ot/s1600/Woodland-Bat-Migration-Socks824-899.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif0B4vcMwl2KOFz0WeldvO5rFv6E415zVvpNmbenrktDWz0suzzGcsBBQVTtJHvlyAp9pw_BLh1YALNCMd0UxnL5281EjOAkojE_GksoOSGpms0F7qmZYKxqkRk47vZZqzcCaJyFt385ot/s200/Woodland-Bat-Migration-Socks824-899.jpg" width="88" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Yesterday I realized I still needed to get a few presents and was scouring the Web for ideas. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I allow browsers to track where I go, and as a result, I get ads tailored (usually) to my interests. An ad for The Elephant Pants company popped up, and I realized that one can support a charity <i>and</i> get an unusual, personal gift that the recipient will certainly not receive ten others just like it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My charitable interests are feeding and housing people, feeding and housing animals, protecting endangered animals, and supporting musicians and writers. The presents ideas below reflect these interests. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjREA4fsCJXQDbxmCxshUgVQ79i7IJTMzuDoTBWdJesGQgYzS4qKMRi-veEFRhbyeq_Zs28jgG_e3r64TVr0iDJXTNjUt5lRD9kBaKktICeKqTqfrVw1uahvWUnSDgS78KuHxFItpBU5UAZ/s1600/elephant-yoga-harem-pants-billie-purple-white-print-front.900w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjREA4fsCJXQDbxmCxshUgVQ79i7IJTMzuDoTBWdJesGQgYzS4qKMRi-veEFRhbyeq_Zs28jgG_e3r64TVr0iDJXTNjUt5lRD9kBaKktICeKqTqfrVw1uahvWUnSDgS78KuHxFItpBU5UAZ/s200/elephant-yoga-harem-pants-billie-purple-white-print-front.900w.jpg" width="150" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>The Elephant Pants</b> company donates a part of the proceeds from its harem pants (for women and kids for everyday wear and suitable for men to wear for yoga or as loungewear or pajamas), tops, leggings, and other elephant-themed products to the African Wildlife Foundation, which supports park rangers who protect elephants from poachers.</span><br />
<a href="https://www.theelephantpants.com/"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">https://www.theelephantpants.com/</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Bat Conservation International</b> helps to conserve bats and their ecosystems and provides information to the public about bats. Its gift shop, Batgoods.com, has a wide range of products in a wide range of prices—including books, bat houses, jewelry, mugs, prints, Christmas ornaments, plush toys, socks (see one set at top), ties, and even carvings and antiques—good for gifting.</span><br />
<a href="http://www.batgoods.com/shop/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">http://www.batgoods.com/shop/ </span></a><br />
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>The Chesapeake Bay Foundation</b> is dedicated to saving the Chesapeake Bay through <a href="http://www.cbf.org/about-cbf/our-mission/educate" style="border: 0px; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">education</a>, <a href="http://www.cbf.org/about-cbf/our-mission/advocate" style="border: 0px; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">advocacy</a>, <a href="http://www.cbf.org/about-cbf/our-mission/litigate" style="border: 0px; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">litigation</a>, and <a href="http://www.cbf.org/about-cbf/our-mission/restore" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">restoration</a>. Its small gift shop has clothes, tote bags, and other items with the foundation's logo.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.cbfshop.com/" style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">https://www.cbfshop.com/</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Habitat for Humanity</b> works worldwide, bringing volunteers together to build homes for low-income people and to revitalize neighborhoods. They also provide shelter for people who've lost homes to natural disasters. Its gift shop sells branded merchandise such as stadium chairs, tents, food, golf items, clothes, tools, and books.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.thehabitatstore.org/">http://www.thehabitatstore.org/</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>The Awkward Robots</b>, otherwise known as the <a href="http://clarion.ucsd.edu/" target="_blank">Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers' Workshop</a> class of 2012, produces an e-book anthology of short stories each year, with the proceeds going to the Clarion Workshop, which has a six-week summer workshop each year to advance the writing careers of 18 people. You can donate as much or as little as you wish for this year's anthology (minimum for last year's,<i> </i>though, is $3) and then download the volume in the format of your giftee's e-reader and email it to them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="color: red;">The Red Volume</span></i> (the 2014 anthology) is <a href="https://gumroad.com/l/awkbotsred#" target="_blank">here</a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="color: orange;">The Orange Volume</span></i> (the 2015 anthology) is <a href="http://awkwardrobots.org/buy" target="_blank">here</a>. <span style="color: #660000;"><i>Please keep reading before ordering! </i></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">From 23 to 30 November, people who donate at least $30 for </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: orange;">The Orange Volume</span></i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> may receive unusual and valuable prizes. For more information on prizes and rules, go </span><a href="http://awkwardrobots.org/post/133520008696/major-writing-book-giveaways" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Don't like my charities? It's easy to find your own. Have you, like me, already received a couple dozen beautiful calendars from charities you donated to and related charities they shared their mailing list with? Rather than letting the calendars you can't use go to waste, you can give them as gifts. Children may especially like the large, gorgeous pictures.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Also think about the museums, parks, and other public services near you that you support. Some may have gift shops, possibly with locally produced gifts. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you want to vet a large charity first, try <a href="http://www.give.org/">http://www.give.org/</a> (run by the Better Business Bureau) or <a href="https://www.charitywatch.org/top-rated-charities">https://www.charitywatch.org/top-rated-charities</a> (run by the American Institute of Philanthropy), or do a Google search to find more vetting organizations.</span><br />
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Shauna Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871768714926149114noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629757467521843286.post-33507710385000361722015-11-16T12:45:00.004-05:002015-11-16T12:45:40.939-05:00New interview with me<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I was interviewed at the blog "<a href="http://ctcommie.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">CT Commie Tiger Mommy</a>" (subtitled "America's most Irish author to come out of Eastern Europe"), and was asked some interesting questions. If you're interested in reading this post, which is not too long, please visit:<br />
<a href="http://ctcommie.blogspot.com/2015/11/mesopotamia-in-historical-fiction.html">http://ctcommie.blogspot.com/2015/11/mesopotamia-in-historical-fiction.html</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In other news, I spent the first weekend in November at the World Fantasy Con, a convention of writers and fans of fantasy, in Saratoga Springs, New York (which I pronounced as "Sarasota" the whole weekend, and no one corrected me). It was a hard place to get to, and the hotel was not fully accessible (and one of the guests of honor was in a wheelchair!), but I think it would be a wonderful city to vacation in in the summer. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Former horse-drawn fire-wagon house across the street from the hotel</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The downtown still has beautiful old houses and commercial buildings, many repurposed, and there were many restaurants and indie bookstores within walking distance, as well as the usual charming little shops found in most tourist destinations. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Shauna; Ruby Katigbak</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">At the con, I got to meet many friends I had known previously only from email or Facebook, as well as renew acquaintances with people I hadn't seen since a previous con. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I sat on a panel about what effect, if any, recent anthropology and archaeology discoveries have had on fantasy fiction. I went to hear friends and favorite authors read from upcoming books and attended parties. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And of course, I always look forward to the bag of free books—lighter this year than usual, but I bought more books from the small presses in the exhibit room.<br />
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Next year, WFC will be in Columbus, Ohio, which is far easier and cheaper to get to (although as a large city, Columbus has fewer things within walking distance of the hotel). It will take place at the end of October 2016. If you think you may be interested in attending, basic information is at <a href="http://worldfantasy2016.org/">http://worldfantasy2016.org/</a>, and more will be added as time goes on. You can see the type of programming that goes on at <a href="http://www.wfc2015.org/program01.html">http://www.wfc2015.org/program01.html</a>, this year's formal program.</span><br />
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Shauna Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871768714926149114noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629757467521843286.post-34179590722553753732015-10-25T03:00:00.000-04:002015-10-25T03:00:03.232-04:00Moon gods of ancient Mesopotamia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This post, part of the </span><a href="http://broaduniverse.org/blog/2015/10/14/full-moon-blog-tour-25-oct-7-nov/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">Broad Universe Full Moon Blog Tour</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, is lo-o-o-ng, so here's a roadmap. First comes my moon-related post with many illustrations. Then comes the Rafflecopter for the blog tour and a list of other blogs participating in the blog tour, where you can enter other contests. Then comes my own contest. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">✥✥</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">✥✥</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">✥</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The myths, legends, and temple and government records of ancient Mesopotamia list thousands of gods and goddesses, demons and protective spirits, and supernatural monsters. Only a few—depending on the text, 60 at most—were considered major gods.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The moon god was one of these major gods, and I’ll call him Nanna/Sin. For him and all gods, I list the Sumerian name first followed by a slash and the Akkadian (Semitic) name of the god with whom the Sumerian god became syncretized. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Even if you don't know the term "syncretization," you probably are familiar with examples of it. Early Christianity encouraged conversions by absorbing pagan solstice and equinox holidays and their symbols into Christian festivals, most notably Christmas and Easter; New Orleans Voodoo combines Catholicism and traditional West African faiths by making correspondences between them so that, for example, Legba and his symbols are equated with St. Peter and his.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Like baseball players, the ancient Mesopotamia gods had stats. Here are the stats for Nanna/Sin:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Names</b>: Nanna, Nannar (Sumerian); Su’en (Akkadian), which eventually morphed into Sîn; Dilimbabbar (Akkadian for “the luminous,” used in literary texts)</span></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Number</b>: 30</span></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Symbols</b>: crescent moon, bull, tripod; cowherd; things shaped like the crescent moon such as the horns of a bull and a boat</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>In this cylinder seal impression, Nanna/Sin, in the guise of the crescent moon, watches a goddess lead a new governor to his king, probably Ur-Nammu. When in this position, the moon looks like a Mesopotamian boat and like bull horns. [public domain]</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Distinguishing traits</b>: beard of lapis lazuli, flowing beard, old age</span></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Duties</b>: with his parents, paternal grandparents, and children, he is one of the "Seven Who Decide the Fates"; every month, during the new moon, Nanna/Sin goes to the Underworld to decide the fates of the dead </span></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Patronage</b>: astronomy, astrology, fertility of animals, divination</span></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Cities whose patron he was</b>: Ur, Harran (see map below for their locations), Ga’eš (a suburb of Ur), Urum</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIMRROjRdtY2CePiMIfMv9T_geDkcGaq5BT9EV21RgjMpzZbKShocokwsnvfgJVVYg9A_3VXf6tFWfPQaB-DgLHTZnmJ3_BvD88nQHPe9ou503bc5vC-rcdT3S_YBgTzr1wzPJyWaGbbnA/s1600/Iraq_Site_300dpi%252C+Ur+marked.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="537" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIMRROjRdtY2CePiMIfMv9T_geDkcGaq5BT9EV21RgjMpzZbKShocokwsnvfgJVVYg9A_3VXf6tFWfPQaB-DgLHTZnmJ3_BvD88nQHPe9ou503bc5vC-rcdT3S_YBgTzr1wzPJyWaGbbnA/s640/Iraq_Site_300dpi%252C+Ur+marked.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Map of modern Mesopotamia with some ancient cities shown. [Map created for public use by the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago. Additions and color by Shauna Roberts. Links to all of the OI's Ancient Near East Site Maps can be found <a href="http://oi.uchicago.edu/research/computer-laboratory/ancient-near-east-site-maps" target="_blank">here</a>.]</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Major temples</b>: É-kišnugal (“house of the great light”) in Ur; É-húl-húl (“house of rejoicing”) in Harran</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj04WkzVEWArugEwWZ00WeT1AMjs19zO6xSGoZQan3ZN_3TlIzr1NxAz0fHAFeb5fvtRTepTKpovPb9M2bg2U9_vUVT-mUDcqgn0qzkW3rdhhbkAU5elqrQn8jLIkSytgYke7hstqtKrR6M/s1600/Ancient_ziggurat_at_Ali_Air_Base_Iraq_2005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj04WkzVEWArugEwWZ00WeT1AMjs19zO6xSGoZQan3ZN_3TlIzr1NxAz0fHAFeb5fvtRTepTKpovPb9M2bg2U9_vUVT-mUDcqgn0qzkW3rdhhbkAU5elqrQn8jLIkSytgYke7hstqtKrR6M/s400/Ancient_ziggurat_at_Ali_Air_Base_Iraq_2005.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;">The ziggarat of the <span style="text-align: left;">É-kišnugal</span><span style="text-align: left;"> temple complex in Ur showing partial restoration of the façade by Saddam Hussein. The ziggarat was started by Ur-Nammu, king of Ur, after his accession in 2047 B.C.E. and finished by his son King Shulgi. The ziggarat fell into ruin over time, and Nabonidus, king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, rebuilt it in the 6th century B.C.E. </span>[public domain]</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Major epithets (nicknames)</b>: Lord of Wisdom; The Luminous; Young Calf of Enlil; Boat; “Diviner of Fates” </span></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>A few other epithets</b>: Frisky Calf of Enlil; The Light of the Land; The Lord Who Alone Is the Rising God; Great Lion of Heaven and Earth; The Wise One on High Who Reaches the Decisions; Lord of Ur; Chief Son of Enlil</span><br />
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</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Wife</b>: Ningal/— (goddess of dream interpretation)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Father</b>: Enlil/Ellil (“Lord Air”; he probably was originally a weather god)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Mother</b>: Ninlil (Sud)/— (“Lady Air”)</span><br />
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</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Children</b>: Utu/Shamash (the sun god); Inanna/Ištar (goddess of sex, war, and the “star” Venus)</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqEs7zbIlQJoXekyJ6mQpV4BsFOQIVttexvmMXtox0B0KklIqNfSatkxnb0dP7OZbV1b4MmNR4hRVCIyJFwyqgtlDveIabZ2PfNTa6TTlsBrEGybz6q2CV0hgwkKlhCXaMWxBcv43YX6iJ/s1600/Kudurru_Melishipak_Louvre_Sb23_n02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqEs7zbIlQJoXekyJ6mQpV4BsFOQIVttexvmMXtox0B0KklIqNfSatkxnb0dP7OZbV1b4MmNR4hRVCIyJFwyqgtlDveIabZ2PfNTa6TTlsBrEGybz6q2CV0hgwkKlhCXaMWxBcv43YX6iJ/s400/Kudurru_Melishipak_Louvre_Sb23_n02.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Stele of King Melishipak I (1186–1172 B.C.E.) shows the king presenting his daughter to Nanaya, an enigmatic goddess who has the same symbols, genealogy, and traits as Inanna/Ištar yet is distinguished from her. Of interest here are the symbols above the scene: Flanking the crescent moon of Nanna/Sin in the middle are (left) the star of his daughter, Inanna/Ištar, and (right) the sun of his son, Utu/Shamash. [public domain]</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Many literary works talk about Nanna/Sin, often with his wife, Ningal. Their courtship and marriage was the subject of myth. Rather than paraphrase and <br /><br />The hymn below praises the temple of Nanna/Sin in Ga’eš. This hymn is one of many honoring small Sumerian temples that Enheduanna, a high priestess of Nanna/Sin at Ur for decades, wrote to help syncretize the gods of Sumer with the gods of Sumer’s Akkadian conquerers—an early example of political propaganda.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;">Note: The translators use ellipses to mark sections where the cuneiform tablets were unreadable. I changed two transliterations and added two definitions. </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">O shrine, great sanctuary founded at a cattle-pen, small shining city of Suen, Kar-zida [“Pure Quay,” the name of the temple at Ga’eš], your interior is a mighty place, your foundation is holy and clean. Shrine, your gipar [residence of the high priestess], is founded in purity. Your door is of strong copper set up at a great place. Lowing cattle-pen, you raise your horns like a bull. Your prince, the lord of heaven standing in celebration, ...... at midday and ......, Dilimbabbar, has erected a house in your precinct, O Kar-zida, and taken his seat upon your dais. <span style="font-size: x-small;">[source: Black, J.A., Cunningham, G., Fluckiger-Hawker, E., Robson, E., and Zólyomi, G., <i>The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature</i> (<a href="http://www-etcsl.orient.ox.ac.uk/">http://www-etcsl.orient.ox.ac.uk/</a>), Oxford 1998–. ] </span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This hymn and all other known temple hymns written by high priestess Enheduanna can be found <a href="http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/section4/tr4801.htm" target="_blank">here</a>. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“A Cow of Sîn” is an incantation to help a woman give birth more easily. It’s known in several forms and depicts Nanna/Sin as a loving cowherd. Here is a translation of one variant:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyvhPijdSWvpfSqop7wXtSg-CTU-R66iGvQGLkLCQJw0erPyqXwIT4-fb_PPGjac5x8pxOEqXLpkW9Do-j9s5mo8w_fqxVyj4EQqafIjCDKFIVnzdjZW3LHaD4FAzggh_vIZkFjxNWsejz/s1600/-revised+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="569" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyvhPijdSWvpfSqop7wXtSg-CTU-R66iGvQGLkLCQJw0erPyqXwIT4-fb_PPGjac5x8pxOEqXLpkW9Do-j9s5mo8w_fqxVyj4EQqafIjCDKFIVnzdjZW3LHaD4FAzggh_vIZkFjxNWsejz/s640/-revised+-+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="text-align: left;">[source: Veldhuis, Niek. </span><i style="text-align: left;">Library of Oriental Texts: Volume 2: A Cow of Sîn</i><span style="text-align: left;">. The Netherlands: Styx Publications, 1991. This publication can be found in its entirety </span><a href="http://dlib.nyu.edu/books/sites/default/files/brill_awdl000001/brill_awdl000001_hi.pdf" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="text-align: left;">.]</span></span></td></tr>
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</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">✥✥</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">✥✥</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">✥</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Below is the Broad Universe Rafflecopter entry form and links to other blogs in the blog tour. The winners for these prizes will be drawn on 10 November. After entering, keep scrolling down to find my own Rafflecopter giveaway of <i>Ice Magic, Fire Magic</i> swag.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="739c9ac21" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/739c9ac21/" id="rcwidget_u1f4w7ac" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><br />
<script src="//widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><!-- start InLinkz script --><br />
<script src="//www.inlinkz.com/cs.php?id=547567" type="text/javascript"></script></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">✥✥✥✥✥</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In my contest, one person will win an <i>Ice Magic, Fire Magic</i> swag pack containing a tote bag, mousepad, notebook, bookmarks, pen, a 2016 calendar magnet, and (not shown) sticky notes and a $10 Amazon gift card. This contest also ends on 10 November. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz-cPYn-1CVD8Oav_i45QpJQgfe8YxXeTg3ipLXp5ZkgXNF7adnJV5nFWD_RY7yi4L8JzwFtiTj1zDdy_VQJSYSogTZT-moerWP0nkA4tg0jmqcs5ZKy3DhKE4d_wahqu8ZLENcN2TfsiN/s1600/IMFM+gift+pack+2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz-cPYn-1CVD8Oav_i45QpJQgfe8YxXeTg3ipLXp5ZkgXNF7adnJV5nFWD_RY7yi4L8JzwFtiTj1zDdy_VQJSYSogTZT-moerWP0nkA4tg0jmqcs5ZKy3DhKE4d_wahqu8ZLENcN2TfsiN/s400/IMFM+gift+pack+2015.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The prize: </i>Ice Magic, Fire Magic<i> swag pack.</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span> <a class="rcptr" data-raflid="eaf1acfc2" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/eaf1acfc2/" id="rcwidget_4khc2drh" rel="nofollow"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">a Rafflecopter giveaway</span></a><br />
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Shauna Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871768714926149114noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629757467521843286.post-37463144507111243092015-10-12T17:06:00.000-04:002015-10-12T17:06:00.871-04:00Something different<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Saturday, I was Puss in Boots, complete with sword and fuzzy tail:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUXQZZG7KIml2ZqJOKPfYYHg53qwHyTUoMSgepYSxnwc2Dt-NsbwOrgtRXJMYHIU0zJB9jTrwgwj-uSsqCFzdE6ggWThLwjHoe_CgyxN5U6tX8d6BQwxZiYiV02W_R431AWMnqBV9c8UOK/s1600/IMG_1994.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUXQZZG7KIml2ZqJOKPfYYHg53qwHyTUoMSgepYSxnwc2Dt-NsbwOrgtRXJMYHIU0zJB9jTrwgwj-uSsqCFzdE6ggWThLwjHoe_CgyxN5U6tX8d6BQwxZiYiV02W_R431AWMnqBV9c8UOK/s640/IMG_1994.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEjy4zg-6nD6yjAVQgAG6NZWIPArwb_a9RoRs5tY1G4VTSNMey9zvH5m00DFyCrToZ1GJEaz3ZNr3Ym0kS8MJDdf-vZ98redfWe5TCR-Lh-QWK8LLAfm_ukD2527VIHtdpWy7J1ibcKnJa/s1600/IMG_1996.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEjy4zg-6nD6yjAVQgAG6NZWIPArwb_a9RoRs5tY1G4VTSNMey9zvH5m00DFyCrToZ1GJEaz3ZNr3Ym0kS8MJDdf-vZ98redfWe5TCR-Lh-QWK8LLAfm_ukD2527VIHtdpWy7J1ibcKnJa/s640/IMG_1996.jpg" width="462" /></a></div>
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Shauna Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871768714926149114noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629757467521843286.post-70315643213450033252015-10-07T13:24:00.002-04:002015-10-07T13:24:36.356-04:00An interview and a signing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.nowastedink.com/" target="_blank">Wendy Van Camp</a> interviewed me at her blog "No Wasted Ink" today. If you have a moment, please check it out at <a href="http://nowastedink.com/2015/10/07/author-interview-shauna-roberts">http://nowastedink.com/2015/10/07/author-interview-shauna-roberts</a>/. She asked some interesting questions no one has ever asked me before.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If you're in southern California, don't forget that many local authors (including myself) as well as bestselling author Lauren Dane are signing Saturday, August 10, in Brea. </span><br />
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<a href="http://occrwa.org/events/orange-county-book-lovers-event-2/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXOttcJvgtEnfAKNcNX2-ufnn4E1rTci64aJWtvjB0MBupEN-yzQ0mf0O2Q7nm1KfWWcAccSrhdR-XBfD-m4yckRrvCzR48Oixrld3sob3uMCaSN-2BG4rZerp9UU12QG7hQ_5Uzh3pnT9/s400/signing+web+graphic.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The event is free, and there will be some door prizes. More info at <a href="http://occrwa.org/events/orange-county-book-lovers-event-2/">http://occrwa.org/events/orange-county-book-lovers-event-2/</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My signing on October 3 went well. Here are the authors at the beginning of the day, before we exhausted ourselves!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>From left: Wendy Van Camp, DeAnna Cameron, Shauna Roberts, Greta Boris, Corey Holst, Rebecca Lang. Missing: Michelle Knowldon, PJ Colando</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Don't forget that Goodreads is running a giveaway for <i>Ice Magic, Fire Magic</i>. Enter at right or go <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/156322-ice-magic-fire-magic" target="_blank">here</a>. </span></div>
Shauna Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871768714926149114noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629757467521843286.post-41915477838167685672015-09-30T12:30:00.000-04:002015-09-30T12:30:01.121-04:00Ice Magic, Fire Magic appearances in October<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Saturday, October 3</span></b><br />
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I'll be signing <i>Ice Magic, Fire Magic</i> and <i>Claimed by the Enemy</i> at the El Dorado High School Holiday Boutique on Saturday, October 3. I'll be at the Books on the Vine booth from<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"> <b><span style="color: blue;">noon to 1 pm</span></b>. </span>I'll be stopping by the booth off and on during the Holiday Boutique, which runs from 9 am to 3 pm.<br />
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El Dorado High School is at 651 Valencia Avenue, Placentia, California, in Orange County.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Saturday, October 10</span></b><br />
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I'll be signing <i>Ice Magic, Fire Magic</i> (and possibly <i>Claimed by the Enemy</i>) at the <a href="http://occrwa.org/events/orange-county-book-lovers-event-2/" target="_blank">Orange County Book Lovers Event</a> at the Embassy Suites Brea from <b><span style="color: blue;">3:30 to 5 pm</span></b>. This is a multiauthor signing featuring bestselling author Lauren Dane and about two dozen local authors.<br />
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The Embassy Suites Brea is at 900 East Birch Street, Brea, California, in Orange County.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Tuesday, October 13</span></b><br />
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I'll be reading an excerpt from <i>Ice Magic, Fire Magic</i> and autographing at the <a href="http://ladyjanessalonoc.com/" target="_blank">Lady Jane Salon OC</a> along with Debra Mullins, Lisa Gail Green, and Pamela DuMond. The salon runs <b><span style="color: blue;">7 to 9 pm</span></b>.<br />
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The salon meets at the Gypsy Den Café at 211 West Center Street Promenade, Anaheim, California, in Orange County.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Goodreads giveaway, October 1–17</span></b><br />
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Or if you're feeling lucky, a Goodreads giveaway of <i>Ice Magic, Fire Magic</i> (for people in the United States and Canada only) will run from October 1 to October 17. The Goodreads box at right will become active October 1 and take you directly to the contest.</div>
Shauna Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871768714926149114noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629757467521843286.post-43309588449134860822015-09-28T20:51:00.002-04:002015-09-28T20:51:42.320-04:00Stuff in my yard: waterwise garden #1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>plate flower with sun and moon</i></td></tr>
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California is having a severe drought. As a result, county water providers have been providing funds off and on to reimburse people who rip out their lawns and either put in plastic grass (eek!) or xeriscape the space and use drip irrigation.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ok6vK1z49uOaeM0NG_xjVO8F1GvHx2WOJY77sfKg0WehuyDhqHhOqyU5fu2kc9Xb4-jOwABe4KMGdMgPuMw1yW66KbztekKPF-D9F1rdsHkuFjRTkmNVvpQ0EqD3sGFI0DaORyfZjo4t/s1600/bench.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ok6vK1z49uOaeM0NG_xjVO8F1GvHx2WOJY77sfKg0WehuyDhqHhOqyU5fu2kc9Xb4-jOwABe4KMGdMgPuMw1yW66KbztekKPF-D9F1rdsHkuFjRTkmNVvpQ0EqD3sGFI0DaORyfZjo4t/s200/bench.jpg" width="198" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">an extravagance: a ceramic bench</span></i></td></tr>
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We were out of town last year when the weather was cool enough to put in gardens. But I started thinking about what we could do on our property, which is slightly over 1 acre and was at the time about half lawn and half desert.<br />
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This year, I started planning three gardens in earnest—a small Mexican-themed garden with very drought resistant native plants that would attract hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, and birds; a large garden with paths, a bench, and drought-resistant plants that would attract wildlife and were either red or had red flowers; and a garden to occupy a 100-foot by 15-foot strip along the street that we can't see from the house.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>succulents and ceramic squirrel</i></td></tr>
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The more I studied the rules and requirements of the reimbursement program, the more Byzantine it seemed. When the program ran out of money, I actually felt relieved. It was still worthwhile to plant the gardens because they would reduce our water bill. Excited from planning and not willing to wait for fall, I plunged into killing the grass in the Mexican garden. (And some people say that studying archaeology is impractical!)<br />
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I finished the Mexican garden and most of the red garden before the heat started hitting the upper 90°s every day. The pictures above are some of the decorative elements. Below are more pictures. I'll post pix of the red garden when it's done.<br />
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If you are interested in making your own waterwise garden, feel free to contact me with questions. You can see my idea files for the three gardens at Pinterest: <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/shaunasroberts/waterwise-garden-1-hummingbirds-and-butterflies/" target="_blank">garden 1: Mexican</a>; <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/shaunasroberts/waterwise-garden-2-birds-mammals-lizards/" target="_blank">garden 2: red</a>; and <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/shaunasroberts/waterwise-garden-3-sidewalk-strip/" target="_blank">garden 3: curbside</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq3zq2ct6rshIPb2i7XoNW-IGBCX3EXEtVs6ppP3vUA45QX3ZymKMSSexUxCV81LEvt6H7xMRVHixDxWYPy1HUCxl83FfJAByPeBANPxpxi6XmEgdzf4FjNcGHPrDLKwjqp_yVSmraQKYT/s1600/birdbath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq3zq2ct6rshIPb2i7XoNW-IGBCX3EXEtVs6ppP3vUA45QX3ZymKMSSexUxCV81LEvt6H7xMRVHixDxWYPy1HUCxl83FfJAByPeBANPxpxi6XmEgdzf4FjNcGHPrDLKwjqp_yVSmraQKYT/s400/birdbath.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Bird bath I built from a hanging planter, the base of a birdbath whose top broke, an old saucer, a plant stake, two legs from a plastic bookcase, and some smooth rocks for short birds to stand on. The birdbath is anchored firmly in the ground, and although the top can be lifted off, I think I've made the whole thing Santa Ana wind–proof. <br />Sadly, in two months, I have not seen a single bird try it out.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjISzk0qTtK74oCHlbjNs0YOEWrhe9Dom9B_LigRqdNLaWyH2Y5WABj75g9hb4285zRb68MLh0nhaN7DFbA1mWBDbpiFkUdGMO3UQisp11z7zNqS2dAm-dlVV6ZopiX4k7bPkANuOdOvuiP/s1600/plate+flower+and+rabbit+planter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjISzk0qTtK74oCHlbjNs0YOEWrhe9Dom9B_LigRqdNLaWyH2Y5WABj75g9hb4285zRb68MLh0nhaN7DFbA1mWBDbpiFkUdGMO3UQisp11z7zNqS2dAm-dlVV6ZopiX4k7bPkANuOdOvuiP/s400/plate+flower+and+rabbit+planter.jpg" width="332" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Another plate flower. It contains five plates and bowls and a silvery center thing. I love plate flowers, and if they weren't so expensive, I would have put in many more. <br />I probably should go to junk stores and get old plates so I can make my own.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Thankfully, the birds</i> do <i>enjoy the fancy pole system for hanging feeders. This is right outside my office window so I can watch birds all day.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I don't know what the purpose of these ceramic balls is, but until the decorative grasses grow bigger, they do a good job of filling in the spaces between them attractively.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Each plant was tiny when it was put in, but after two months some are bushing out, and the milkweed is covered with eggs that I hope were laid by Monarch butterflies and not some creature that will eat all my plants.</i></td></tr>
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Shauna Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871768714926149114noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629757467521843286.post-34597318142290330212015-09-24T17:02:00.000-04:002015-09-24T17:02:08.836-04:00Ice Magic, Fire Magic paperback. Another award. Signings. Newsletter.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Paperback of <i>Ice Magic, Fire Magic</i> finally available</b><br />
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The trade paperback of <i>Ice Magic, Fire Magic</i> has reached online stores at last. Find it at Amazon at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ice-Magic-Fire-Shauna-Roberts/dp/0989263185/">http://www.amazon.com/Ice-Magic-Fire-Shauna-Roberts/dp/0989263185/</a> and at Barnes and Noble at <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ice-magic-fire-magic-shauna-roberts/1122543553?ean=9780989263184">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ice-magic-fire-magic-shauna-roberts/1122543553?ean=9780989263184</a>.<br />
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<b>Another prize for <i>Claimed by the Enemy</i></b><br />
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<i>Claimed by the Enemy</i> has won another award! It was the winner the "Ancient/Medieval/Renaissance" category in the 2015 Romancing the Novel contest, which was sponsored by the Hearts Through History Romance Writers.<br />
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<b>Signings</b><br />
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I'll be signing <i>Ice Magic, Fire Magic</i> in October at three places. If you're in southern California and are interested in having your copy signed (copies will be for sale as well), check out the "News" tab at right.<br />
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<b>Newsletter</b><br />
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The first issue of my newsletter went out last week. The prize this time was a $20 gift certificate to the winner's favorite online or brick-and-mortar bookstore.<br />
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It's not too late to sign up for the free newsletter and be eligible to win the gift certificate. Sign up <a href="http://eepurl.com/Fr3Hf" target="_blank">here</a>. If at anytime you decide you don't want to receive the newsletter anymore, there's a link at the bottom to click to unsubscribe.<br />
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Shauna Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871768714926149114noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629757467521843286.post-54322256451318900562015-09-11T20:17:00.003-04:002015-09-11T20:18:52.323-04:00Over the mountains and through the desert<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Last weekend, I went to the second year of a new sf/f convention, Fandom Verse Expo 2015 in Antelope Valley.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Because the trip was long (2 hours each way) and I had a full day of panels and a booksigning, and because he was curious what the scenery would be like, my husband drove me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I took some pictures on highway 138, between I-15 and the con. Here are some of the better ones so that you can see a different type of desert landscape than I've posted before. Notice how the amount and type of vegetation changes over the stretch of highway, as well as the shape and smoothness or roughness of the mountains.</span></div>
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Shauna Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871768714926149114noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629757467521843286.post-67276836722533233612015-08-27T15:36:00.001-04:002015-08-27T16:04:58.091-04:00Ten years after<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We left.<br />
<br />
We did our part for the neighborhood—we rebuilt, and we rebuilt quickly; I worked on a committee that applied for a revitalization grant for our shopping area; we exchanged contractors' names with everyone we knew and met—but we left New Orleans.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU_71xnIVtAmX72e62e7ltXF6rDFiIuZKVxP8vt0zwSplqQqGiG6PSNUrnsO9ZHdp9KZv3jjbMtNeYMO1XB_P_hxCyHZ6hjDhI6TR7JWjhPjWjpTj82kP_Iz56IL3oK9i3TbZJYyEFYh0l/s1600/Version+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU_71xnIVtAmX72e62e7ltXF6rDFiIuZKVxP8vt0zwSplqQqGiG6PSNUrnsO9ZHdp9KZv3jjbMtNeYMO1XB_P_hxCyHZ6hjDhI6TR7JWjhPjWjpTj82kP_Iz56IL3oK9i3TbZJYyEFYh0l/s400/Version+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Dad indulges my attempt to save the fridge, but Drosophila and mold thwarted me.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Abandoned her, most New Orleaneans would say. A few friends and co-workers are still angry that we left.<br />
<br />
I don't defend our choice. It was the worst decision of my life and of my husband's life. Almost everything I've written since has a theme of loss, recovery, and resiliance. Feelings of estrangement and yearning permeate our lives, a homesickness for which the cure—moving back home—seems far away. <br />
<br />
Ten years after the flood that changed millions of people, writers and others are telling their stories. <br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Articles on the Web </b><br />
<br />
This article explores why so many black people could not come back home to NOLA: <br />
<a href="http://www.takepart.com/article/2015/08/17/katrina-new-orleans-first-person">http://www.takepart.com/article/2015/08/17/katrina-new-orleans-first-person</a><br />
<br />
Stories from Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra members:<br />
<a href="https://www.lpomusic.com/online/article/remembering-katrina" shape="rect">https://www.lpomusic.com/online/article/remembering-katrina</a><br />
<br />
<i>National Geographic</i> profiles people of "grit and determination":<br />
<a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/08/150827-katrina-new-orleans-flood-recovery-voices/">http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/08/150827-katrina-new-orleans-flood-recovery-voices/</a><br />
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Burnell Cotton opens a grocery store in the Lower Ninth:<br />
<a href="http://www.npr.org/2015/08/21/432922681/in-new-orleans-hardest-hit-neighborhood-a-recovery-by-sheer-will">http://www.npr.org/2015/08/21/432922681/in-new-orleans-hardest-hit-neighborhood-a-recovery-by-sheer-will</a><br />
<br />
Lolis Eric Elie explains in rap style why people returned to New Orleans to live:<br />
<a href="http://bittersoutherner.com/katrina-ten-years-later/why-we-came-home#.Vd4Zh3trWBT">http://bittersoutherner.com/katrina-ten-years-later/why-we-came-home#.Vd4Zh3trWBT</a><br />
<br />
One hundred resiliant cities around the world and the challenges each faces:<br />
<a href="http://www.100resilientcities.org/cities#/-_/">http://www.100resilientcities.org/cities#/-_/</a><br />
<br />
Dr. Michael White is determined that NOLA's musical heritage won't die:<br />
<a href="http://www.nola.com/katrina/index.ssf/2015/08/dr_michael_white_lost_everythi.html">http://www.nola.com/katrina/index.ssf/2015/08/dr_michael_white_lost_everythi.html</a><br />
<br />
Is the federal levee flood to blame for all the dystopian sf/f of the past ten years?:<br />
<a href="http://www.tor.com/2015/08/26/hurricane-katrina-dystopia-in-real-time/">http://www.tor.com/2015/08/26/hurricane-katrina-dystopia-in-real-time/</a><br />
<br />
Search for more news stories here, courtesy of the <i>Times-Picayune</i>:<br />
<a href="http://www.nola.com/katrina/index.ssf/2015/08/hurricane_katrina_anniversary_3.html">http://www.nola.com/katrina/index.ssf/2015/08/hurricane_katrina_anniversary_3.html</a> <br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Dr. Bennett deBoisblanc</b><br />
<br />
I used the <i>Times-Picayune</i> link to search for my pulmonologist, Bennett "Dr. Ben" deBoisblanc, and was disappointed to find no recent stories. He was one of the heroes of the storm, keeping flooded Charity Hospital running and people alive for several days until helicopters came to rescue the patients barely surviving without A/C or electricity. His efforts need to be remembered, so here are some old stories about his heroism and his own commentary on the medical crises during the flood:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://abcnews.go.com/2020/TenWays/story?id=2119722">http://abcnews.go.com/2020/TenWays/story?id=2119722</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1218776,00.html">http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1218776,00.html</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/247117/hospital_forgotten_during_katrina_looks_for_future/">http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/247117/hospital_forgotten_during_katrina_looks_for_future/</a><br />
<br />
deBoisblanc's two essays in the <i>American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine</i>:<br />
"Black Hawk, Please Come Down":<br />
<a href="http://www.atsjournals.org/doi/full/10.1164/rccm.2509004#.Vd9XzHtrWBQ">http://www.atsjournals.org/doi/full/10.1164/rccm.2509004#.Vd9XzHtrWBQ</a><br />
"A Letter From New Orleans Five Years Later"<br />
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<div>
<a href="http://www.atsjournals.org/doi/full/10.1164/rccm.201009-1443ED#.Vd9XsXtrWBQ">http://www.atsjournals.org/doi/full/10.1164/rccm.201009-1443ED#.Vd9XsXtrWBQ</a><br />
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<b>A Sampling of Summer 2015 Books </b><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1hnhQXkXm5CTHl4Ki4ttvked0uDwwrtJEF7DT2fofUC3JNZ0aKLCaKopCeknuj224GKslKE_HcN55CjwlDFTbUHpbP-b5RY6oSMJZs6nf9GZwNBknNPVP9UPI57k1fv6V2LmnJ7AyWcg7/s1600/CIMG0645.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1hnhQXkXm5CTHl4Ki4ttvked0uDwwrtJEF7DT2fofUC3JNZ0aKLCaKopCeknuj224GKslKE_HcN55CjwlDFTbUHpbP-b5RY6oSMJZs6nf9GZwNBknNPVP9UPI57k1fv6V2LmnJ7AyWcg7/s400/CIMG0645.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Our ruined belongings piled at the curb, some unidentifiable.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Warning: I haven't read any of these (although I did order some), so I don't know their quality.</div>
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Wendell Pierce (yes, the actor),<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="a-size-large" id="productTitle"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wind-Reeds-Storm-Would-Broken/dp/1594633231/" target="_blank">The Wind in the Reeds: A Storm, A Play, and the City That Would Not Be Broken</a></span></span></i></span></span><br />
<h1 class="a-size-large a-spacing-none" id="title">
<span class="a-size-large" id="productTitle"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Roberta Brandes Grantz, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Were-Still-Here-Ya-Bastards/dp/1568587449/" target="_blank"><i>We're Still Here Ya Bastards: How the People of New Orleans Rebuilt Their City</i></a></span></span></span></h1>
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<div>
Cheri' Ben-Iesau, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Long-September-social-Katrina-responder/dp/1514804271/" target="_blank"><i>The Long September: The Social Life of a Katrina Responder</i></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Ken Wells, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Good-Pirates-Forgotten-Bayous-Hurricane/dp/0300217382/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><i><span class="a-size-large" id="productTitle">The Good Pirates of the Forgotten Bayous: Fighting to Save a Way of Life in the Wake of Hurricane Katrina</span></i></span></span></span></a><br />
<h1 class="a-size-large a-spacing-none" id="title">
<span class="a-size-large" id="productTitle"></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Don Brown, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Drowned-City-Hurricane-Katrina-Orleans/dp/054415777X/" target="_blank"><i>Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina & New Orleans</i></a></span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="font-weight: normal;">(nonfiction graphic novel)</span></span></span></h1>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tamara Ellis Smith, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Another-Hurricane-Tamara-Ellis-Smith/dp/0553511939/" target="_blank"><i>Another Kind of Hurricane</i></a> (fiction for kids)</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Gary Rivlin, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Katrina-After-Flood-Gary-Rivlin/dp/1451692226/" target="_blank"><i>Katrina: After the Flood</i></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
David G. Spielman and others, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Katrina-Decade-Images-Altered/dp/0917860683/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="a-size-large" id="productTitle">The Katrina Decade: Images of an Altered City</span></span></span></i></span></a>
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Shauna Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871768714926149114noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629757467521843286.post-56402967317569744242015-08-15T10:34:00.001-04:002015-08-15T10:34:06.069-04:00Booksigning today<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">One last reminder—I'll be signing <i>Ice Magic, Fire Magic</i> at Mysterious Galaxy Books in San Diego <b>today from 12 to 3 pm</b>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span autocomplete="postal-code" class="postal-code">The tentative list of local authors signing today is </span>Better Hero Army, Ethan Howard, Joshua Rutherford, Abigal Borders,
Shauna Roberts, Vic Warren, Marie Andreas, Ona Russell, Paula Margulies,
Kristen Elise, Cynthia Diamond, Jan St. Louis, Selena Jones, Rachel
Marks, Lynne Kennedy, and Teri MacIntosh. Most or all publish with small publishers and/or are indie authors.</span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGt2OBghzwwxM3FLgy3-SC5X-QhBmpyUci-yBytIzZTpC0TKMd33uxQD1REHB9GS22QB9oZhfn8jwWWqPzLJ-ZS7eDMas5C_m-pr3I5bBNF9fznnI1y4cF9P1ljOeP6F6zYvFai__Ju8eh/s1600/storefront.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGt2OBghzwwxM3FLgy3-SC5X-QhBmpyUci-yBytIzZTpC0TKMd33uxQD1REHB9GS22QB9oZhfn8jwWWqPzLJ-ZS7eDMas5C_m-pr3I5bBNF9fznnI1y4cF9P1ljOeP6F6zYvFai__Ju8eh/s400/storefront.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>the new face of Mysterious Galaxy Books</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Mysterious Galaxy is at a new, larger location: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">5943 Balboa Avenue</span></b><b><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"></span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">Suite 100</span></b></span><br />
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<div class="field-item even">
<div class="addressfield-container-inline locality-block country-US">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><span autocomplete="locality" class="locality">San Diego</span>, <span autocomplete="region" class="state">CA</span> <span autocomplete="postal-code" class="postal-code">92111</span></span></b></span></div>
<div class="addressfield-container-inline locality-block country-US">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span autocomplete="postal-code" class="postal-code">and it specializes in science fiction, fantasy, horror, and mystery. (Yum!) It's a little tricky to find the first time, so drive around the shopping center and look for the storefront at right. It faces the back row of stores.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span autocomplete="postal-code" class="postal-code"> </span></span></div>
<div class="addressfield-container-inline locality-block country-US">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span autocomplete="postal-code" class="postal-code">Occasionally, another kind of book sneaks in to the store. Last time I was there, I bought a historical novel . . . although it was a rather strange novel that I think I need to read again. (<i>John the Pupil</i> by David Flusfeder, if anyone's curious.) Anyway, the store is worth driving an hour or two to check out if you like sf/f/h or mystery. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span autocomplete="postal-code" class="postal-code"> </span></span></div>
<div class="addressfield-container-inline locality-block country-US">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span autocomplete="postal-code" class="postal-code">Today's an especially good day to go because there'll be refreshments at the author event.</span></span></div>
<div class="addressfield-container-inline locality-block country-US">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span autocomplete="postal-code" class="postal-code"></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />More info on the signing at <a href="http://www.mystgalaxy.com/event/local-author-meet-greet-0815">http://www.mystgalaxy.com/event/local-author-meet-greet-0815</a>.</span></div>
<div class="addressfield-container-inline locality-block country-US">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="addressfield-container-inline locality-block country-US">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></div>
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Shauna Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871768714926149114noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629757467521843286.post-20115708650017317942015-08-13T09:00:00.000-04:002015-08-13T09:00:05.667-04:00Booksignings start this Saturday<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Although my fantasy novel <i>Ice Magic, Fire Magic</i> is not yet officially out in paperback yet, I'll be signing copies Saturday at Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore in San Diego from 12 to 3 pm. There will be a dozen other local indie and small-press authors also signing. So if you like sf, fantasy, or mystery, Mysterious Galaxy is the place to be on Saturday afternoon.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyQ0KCt8omy70Q0I5KkZiykAtj5gbW2PTlApryKJ5Ek-gvMt9vRyijrDSpjR-DltwgfQlYUqMgICKDHAmH7Fd8NthjN7FcV3FFaXRvg0KyCjj-F9aznBWcKYKF53E_DNodIB6t9uEeowkb/s1600/*NEW%2BCOVER%2BRoberts%252C%2BIMFM2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyQ0KCt8omy70Q0I5KkZiykAtj5gbW2PTlApryKJ5Ek-gvMt9vRyijrDSpjR-DltwgfQlYUqMgICKDHAmH7Fd8NthjN7FcV3FFaXRvg0KyCjj-F9aznBWcKYKF53E_DNodIB6t9uEeowkb/s320/*NEW%2BCOVER%2BRoberts%252C%2BIMFM2.jpg" width="210" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I love this cover by Tom Vandenberg!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Here's a list of the authors and their books: <a href="http://www.mystgalaxy.com/event/local-author-meet-greet-0815">http://www.mystgalaxy.com/event/local-author-meet-greet-0815</a>. I'm hoping to get there early to check out the books because some look quite interesting.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">If you don't know where Mysterious Galaxy is, you should. It's the best place to find science fiction, fantasy, horror, and mystery in southern California. They have booksignings often, so it's worth a trip.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">How far a trip? It's at <span style="font-size: small;"><span>5943 Balboa Avenue, Suite #100, San Diego, CA 92111</span></span>. Find a map and directions at <a href="http://www.mystgalaxy.com/Store-Information">http://www.mystgalaxy.com/Store-Information</a>.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">If you can't make it, don't worry. The Kindle ebook of I<i>ce Magic, Fire Magic</i> is already available at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ice-Magic-Fire-Shauna-Roberts-ebook/dp/B013IDBDG0/">http://www.amazon.com/Ice-Magic-Fire-Shauna-Roberts-ebook/dp/B013IDBDG0/</a>. You can order the other books from the signing directly from Mysterious Galaxy at </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://www.mystgalaxy.com/event/local-author-meet-greet-0815">http://www.mystgalaxy.com/event/local-author-meet-greet-0815.</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Also, I have several other signings coming up. I'll keep the list on my "News" page as up to date as I can; here is what is there now:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><b>Lancaster, California</b></span></span><br />
<a href="http://fandomverseexpo.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><b>FandomVerse Expo 2015</b></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><b>Labor Day weekend<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"> 2015</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;">I'll be signing <i>Ice Magi</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><i>c, Fire Magic</i>. </span>Stay tuned for date and time<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;">.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;">Placentia, Orange County, California</span></b></span></span></span><br />
<a href="http://www.edhs.org/apps/events/2015/10/3/2197095/?id=0&id=1&id=3" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><b>El Dorado <span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;">High School Holiday Boutique</span></b></span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="_Xbe"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span>651 Valencia Avenue, Placentia</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><b>Saturday, October 3, 2015</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;">I'll be signing <i>Ice Magic, Fire Magic</i> and <i>Claimed by the Enemy</i> at the Books on the Vine booth from noon to 1 pm. M<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;">y novels will be available from 9 am to 3 pm, and I'll <span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;">be stopping by the booth off and on during that time</span>. There will be dozens of other vendors there <span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;">selling holiday presents.</span></span></span></span></span><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"> </span></b></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;">Saratoga Springs, New York</span></b></span></span></span><br />
<a href="http://www.wfc2015.org/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><b>World Fantasy Convention 2015</b></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;">November 5–8, 2015</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;">I'll be signing <i>Ice Magi</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><i>c, Fire Magic</i>. </span>Stay tuned for date and time<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;">.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><b>New Orleans</b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><b>November 2015 </b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;">I'll be signing <i>Ice Magi</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><i>c, Fire Magic</i>. </span>Stay tuned for location, date<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;">, </span>and time<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;">.</span></span> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span style="color: #990000;">Los Angeles</span></span></b></span></span></span><br />
<a href="http://loscon.org/42a/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><b>LOScon</b></span></span></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><b>Thanksgiving weeke<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;">nd</span> 2015 </b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;">I<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><b> </b>expect to<b> </b></span>be signing <i>Ice Magi</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><i>c, Fire Magic</i>. </span>Stay tuned for date<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"> </span>and time<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;">.</span></span> </span></span></span><br />
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Shauna Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871768714926149114noreply@blogger.com2San Diego, CA, USA32.715738 -117.1610838000000331.861779000000002 -118.45197730000002 33.569697000000005 -115.87019030000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629757467521843286.post-87366747049116167452015-08-03T09:00:00.000-04:002015-08-03T09:00:01.603-04:00Interview with author Vanessa MacLellan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Vanessa MacLellan's’s first novel, the time-travel fantasy <i>Three Great Lies</i> (Hadley Rille Books), officially comes out August 6 but it is already available. <i>Three Great Lies</i>
is the story of a half-human, half-elf woman and her struggle to find
her place while, unbeknown to her, an ancient evil has awakened and
plans to use her to destroy the world.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i> </i></b></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">✥✥✥✥✥✥</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /><b><i>Welcome, Vanessa, and congratulations on the publication of your first novel! Please tell us a little about yourself.</i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i><br /></i></b>I'm a tattooed, vegetarian, outdoorsy woman with one head in the clouds and the other firmly settled in my hiking boots. I'm an environmental engineer by day and author, runner, reader, gamer, and naturalist by night (and weekends).<b><i><br /><br />When did you start writing, and why?</i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i><br /></i></b>When I was a wee lass I'd make up stories to tell my mother while she was gardening. I think it started there. My favorite subject was Baggy Piggy, who had a curly Q tail that never ended (I knew this, because I drew him incessantly with pink crayons). I remember, before I could even write, 'writing' (aka doodling) on paper and then reading these works to my great grandmother. Storytelling is in my blood. I guess that's enough of a reason why.<br /><br />Though the fact that I enjoy it doesn't hurt. I have little people in my head (Doesn't every author?) who want me to explore their worlds, flesh out their personalities and goals, and give them something to do. I can't take all the credit; it's partially their fault.<b><i><br /><br />What do you write, and why? What do you enjoy about what you write? </i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i><br /></i></b>I write speculative fiction. Mainly fantasy, though I mix horror and magical realism in there. I write fantasy because fantasy is what first got me excited about reading. I remember my older sister, Audrey, handing me the first of the Piers Anthony "Xanth" novels, and I was astounded at these magical places, characters with magical talents, all of the magical beasts. Magic. Magic. Magic. I wanted that. To live there. Be special. Be something more than just human.<br /><br />I read as much fantasy after that as I could. Tolkien, Eddings, Pratchet, Weiss and Hickman, Duncan. You know the era and the authors. Their books are what fueled me as a young reader. I hope to fuel other readers too.<br /><br />Another reason I write is that joy comes from creation and imagination. Of speculating: What if? and expanding from that. I am the master of my own universe; what is not to like?<b><i><br /><br />What is your latest book? Any forthcoming books?</i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i><br /></i></b>My debut novel, <i>Three Great Lies</i>, releases August 6th. It's fantasy, with historical and literary trappings. It carries a bit of a “Finding My Place in Life” theme.<br /><br />Jeannette Walker, a modern scientist, ends up in ancient, mythological Egypt. Though she constantly casts doubt on the existence of such a world, she has to learn to live in it. While trying to save her mummy friend's soul from a wicked tomb-robbing ring, she realizes a few important things about life. What those are, well, you'll have to read the book!<br /><br />I have one complete manuscript for a dark fantasy I'm currently shopping out and am working on a modern superhero series. There's always something I'm working on. <br /><br /><i><b>Tell us a little about the world of Three Great Lies.</b></i><br /><br />Ancient, mythological Egypt. It never rains. People's lives aren't equal. Prayers constantly dance upon lips. Beer is a meal. Sand is a major filler in the bread. Children of gods walk the street with the heads of animals and prophecy on their lips.<br /><br />To Jeannette it's, of course, a total shock. There are people about in public naked, and jackals speak. A mummy—a desiccated, lumbering thing—chases her through the crowded streets, accusing her of stealing his <i>ba</i>! It's not necessarily a friendly place, but people are people, and even Jeannette is able to find friends in ways she never expected. <br /><b><i><br />Introduce us to some of your characters. What do you like about them?</i></b></span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuHSZBy32Sq0aehAF_HNjdDRCvFBnk-P5fQ4mgp50o56XV091Xs7E141m82VlNYnvhPOJ_S94PwE4JA9TirUn-YuZeVxrQD4tDjSJFXt2YUjFa7GP8_sOReRCTUg0KLE8tY4tbh8BXKiNX/s1600/vanessa+photo+small.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuHSZBy32Sq0aehAF_HNjdDRCvFBnk-P5fQ4mgp50o56XV091Xs7E141m82VlNYnvhPOJ_S94PwE4JA9TirUn-YuZeVxrQD4tDjSJFXt2YUjFa7GP8_sOReRCTUg0KLE8tY4tbh8BXKiNX/s400/vanessa+photo+small.JPG" width="267" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i><br /></i></b>Jeannette Walker is my protagonist. She's in her mid-twenties, a scientists with a jilted past. She still holds the hurt from a past betrayal and has learned to trust nobody and nothing. I love her voice and her mind-chatter. And she's got a good heart that struggles to show through her armor. <br /><br />Abayomi is the dead man walking, a reanimated mummy who seeks his lost <i>ba</i> container so he can continue on to the afterlife. He's a perfect citizen who knows his place in the world and doesn't seek to unbalance tradition. . . . until his friends are endangered; then his loyalty shines like a beacon. True best-friend material!<br /><br />Sanura is the young daughter of Bast, cast out from her litter. She's lost and alone, and Jeannette saves her—saves <i>her</i>!—and she'll never forget such gifts. Sanura, like most young people, is soul-searching, trying to found out exactly why she's been cast away and what her purpose and place is in life. Her journey is one everyone can connect with. She's the spirit of the story.<b><i><br /><br />What fun fact would you like your readers to know about </i>Three Great Lies<i>?</i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i><br /></i></b>A major aspect of the book (the stray-dog theme) sprang to life at an agility dog show. The midsummer day was baking hot, and I had parked myself under a tree for the next show. A Jack Russell Terrier was looking at me with that intelligent tongue-lolling smile terriers have. Honestly, the dog was smiling. <br /><br />And that was the original start of the novel: "The dog was smiling at her." It's since changed, but that line and scene are still in there, the theme planted throughout the novel. The story just unfolded from that one dog's smile.<br /><b><i><br />Any challenges with getting </i>Three Great Lies<i> to where it is today?</i></b></span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJvuzcOS07zykNy4V3OK7TBXu2NxnnAO7VbAiSgubEV-bjhcs6iHvIsBrSzr7-kUNDTaQTi3dVNahG89UxW0SCNOBaSYB9rNkww-WNR9Cptdr_BU3z6c2rD5vao3x_i8gsE0pncN_4VT-L/s1600/HRB+logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJvuzcOS07zykNy4V3OK7TBXu2NxnnAO7VbAiSgubEV-bjhcs6iHvIsBrSzr7-kUNDTaQTi3dVNahG89UxW0SCNOBaSYB9rNkww-WNR9Cptdr_BU3z6c2rD5vao3x_i8gsE0pncN_4VT-L/s200/HRB+logo.jpg" width="135" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i><br /></i></b><i>Three Great Lies</i> has been on a long journey.<br /><br />In 2008, I wrote my fifth NaNoWriMo novel. That was <i>Three Great Lies</i>. It was titled simply <i>Egypt</i> back then. It was a 50,000-word rough draft. Then I added extra plot threads and themes, and it topped out at 140,000 words. That's quite an addition! Then there were years and years of critiquing and editing.<br /><br />Finally in 2013, I begin seeking representation for <i>Three Great Lies</i>, and it was picked up by Hadley Rille Books (which was the most perfect place for this book to land). <br /><br />Now for the rough stuff. As I was due my edits, my publisher had a stroke. (Though he insists he was abducted by aliens to an alternate universe.) It was terrible; we weren't sure whether he would make it. The entire press huddled together in worry and anticipation. I was wavering between feeling devastated for my publisher's situation and worrying about the state of my book (and feeling so so guilty for that). But he did pull through and has worked tirelessly on my novel, by my side every step of the way.<br /><br />Now, we're here, and my novel is published! I think other authors might have pulled their book to seek other representation, but I knew Hadley Rille and my publisher were perfect for my book. <br /><b><i><br />What's your writing process?</i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i><br /></i></b>First and foremost, <i>Three Great Lies</i> was a “pantser” book. I didn't have an outline. I wrote forward from the smiling dog on guts and intentions. I had this idea of where I wanted to go, with no map on how to get there. Now, I am an outliner. I think the process, for me, would have gone so much faster if I'd had a more solid idea of the substance of the story. As it was, lots and lots and lots of editing and rewriting were necessary to make this book shine.<br /><br />When I'm in the thick of writing and editing, I try to work on the novel every single day. It keeps my writing sharp and my mind on the storyline. It keeps me from losing plot threads and missing finer details. For me, every day is the way. (Ooh, that even rhymes.)<br /><br />Another thing I've learned: Do not work heavily on writing in the summer. I like to play outside too much, and I feel guilty if I don't write. Now, I just hold up my hands and let it all go. Summer, for me, is play time. No guilt for taking some time off writing. Because we're our worst guilt-trippers.<br /> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i> </i></b></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">✥✥✥✥✥✥</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i><br /></i></b>You can learn more about Vanessa and <i>Three Great Lies</i> by visiting her Website at <a href="http://www.vanmaclellan.com/">http://www.vanmaclellan.com/</a>. Her book is available from Amazon.com in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Three-Great-Lies-Vanessa-MacLellan-ebook/dp/B010Y96WTO/ref" target="_blank">Kindle</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Three-Great-Lies-Vanessa-MacLellan/dp/0989263142" target="_blank">trade paperback</a> versions.<br /><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></div>
Shauna Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871768714926149114noreply@blogger.com1