tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60675798274970580622024-03-12T22:01:41.952-06:00Action Adventure Inc.Action Adventure Inc.duvoisinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14938942109242320052noreply@blogger.comBlogger103125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6067579827497058062.post-12673231136004627472018-03-15T05:00:00.000-06:002018-03-15T12:13:50.820-06:00New Release from Scott Bury<h2>
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc508024427">Wildfire: Evacuation</a> </h2>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i1e98_fwKBA/WqqzkjZw6NI/AAAAAAAAA_Q/zVOIxu6C13cIAEuSzBBAkJz6PDGHV0zhgCLcBGAs/s1600/Wildfire%2Bcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="529" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i1e98_fwKBA/WqqzkjZw6NI/AAAAAAAAA_Q/zVOIxu6C13cIAEuSzBBAkJz6PDGHV0zhgCLcBGAs/s400/Wildfire%2Bcover.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">My friend, Scott Bury, has been working on a "Wine Country Mystery," and it's available for pre-order now</span><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 14.979999542236328px;"> on </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wildfire-Tara-Rezeck-mysteries-Book-ebook/dp/B07B3PWK6T"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 14.979999542236328px;">Amazon</span></a><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 14.979999542236328px;"> (for Kindle e-readers) and </span><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/798182"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 14.979999542236328px;">Smashwords</span></a><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 14.979999542236328px;"> (for Kobo, Nook and other e-readers).. Here's an excerpt:</span></div>
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<div class="BodyText">
Tara stuffed her laptop into her
duffel bag and grabbed a couple of other personal items. As she followed Greg
and Alex to the winery, she hit her parents’ speed-dial on her phone. </div>
<div class="BodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Her phone issued a strange tone. She
glanced at the screen. </span><span class="MsoPageNumber"><i><span lang="DA" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Damn—cell
service is out</span></i></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">. </span></div>
<div class="BodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">The big Ford F-150 pickup stood
outside the winery. Roberto looked up as he put a cardboard box into the back,
while the other two winery employees, Mark and Amy, each carried something
else. </span></div>
<div class="BodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Alan was on the landline’s cordless
handset, pacing between the winery and the gate to the vineyard, Charlie
following. “Just get them here,” Tara heard him say. “We’ll all leave together.
We’re not leaving anyone behind.” He shoved the phone back in his pocket as he
strode to the garage. </span></div>
<div class="BodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">A minute later he drove a smaller
Toyota pickup truck out, stopping in front of the winery. “The wait and kitchen
staff can go with Veronica—Miguel, Antonio, Tara, Greg ... and Alex.” </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“Wait a minute, Alan,” Roberto
interrupted. “Will they all fit in her SUV?” </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“Okay, whoever doesn’t can go with you
and the winery staff. The pickers will go with Rosa, and I’ll take whoever’s
left.” As if on cue, a big old flatbed truck with wooden railings around the
bed pulled up, emerged from the smoke roiling in the vineyard. “There’s Rosa
and the picking crew.” </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">The truck halted behind Alan’s Toyota.
The pickers, men and women that Tara had seen once or twice over the past week,
sat in the beds, looking grim but not frightened. </span></div>
<div class="BodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Two winery staff who were carrying
items out to the trucks. “Never mind any more stuff,” Alan growled at Mark and
Amy, who were headed back to the winery. “Just people.” </span></div>
<div class="BodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“I have 21 people, including you, me
and Veronica,” Roberto said.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“There are still two of my people to
come,” said Rosa, stepping out of her truck. “Gabriela and Toby. They were
heading to the south end of the vineyard, last I saw them.”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“I’ll pick them up,” said Alan. “Every
vehicle have an FRS radio? Tune to channel 7-12.” Roberto adjusted dials on his
hand-held radio, and Rosa held hers up to indicate she was ready.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Veronica’s red SUV pulled into the
lot. Alan strode to it and opened the back door. “Shoes? Really?” </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“Just two pairs. Along with the
laptop, the backup hard drive and the photo albums. Irreplaceable stuff.”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Alan sighed. “You’re right. Fine, you
take Charlie.” He pointed at the SUV and bent toward his dog. “Go with
Veronica, he said.”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Charlie sat on his haunches, tail
swishing on the dirt. He sneezed. “No, get into Veronica’s car,” Alan insisted.
</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Charlie yipped and rolled onto his
back. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“Oh, for crying out loud,” Alan
groaned. He took Charlie by the collar and pulled him to the SUV. “All right, I
think that’s everything. You guys get moving. Head to Monte Rio on the Russian
River.”</span></div>
<div class="BodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“I turned on the water in the
irrigation system,” said Mark, one of the winery employees. He was short and
stout with thick black hair and a neat beard. “There’s not much pressure, and
it’s just coming in a trickle, but it should help a little.”</span></div>
<div class="BodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“That’s fine, Mark. Thanks,” Alan
answered, coughing as he got back into his small truck. </span></div>
<div class="BodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“One last sweep,” said Roberto. “Greg,
check the mansion. Mark, the garage. I’ll look in the winery.”</span></div>
<div class="BodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Three men ran in three different
directions. Mark returned first. “No one in the garage.” He coughed.</span></div>
<div class="BodyText">
<span class="MsoPageNumber"><i><span lang="DA" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Is that snow
falling? Impossible. Wait—it’s ash.</span></i><span lang="DA"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<h2>
Wildfire</h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Wildfires
swept across California wine country in 2017, destroying thousands of homes and
businesses, and killing dozens of people. Law school grad and single mother
Tara Rezeck finds herself in the middle of the catastrophe. When she returns to
her job at the most award-winning vineyard in Sonoma County, she finds her
employer’s body in the ashes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">The
question that challenges her brains and her legal training is: was it an accident?
Or was his body burned to hide evidence of murder?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Now
available for pre-order on </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wildfire-Tara-Rezeck-mysteries-Book-ebook/dp/B07B3PWK6T"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Amazon</span></a><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;"> (for Kindle
e-readers) and </span><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/798182"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Smashwords</span></a><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;"> (for Kobo,
Nook and other e-readers). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">You can
read the first two chapters for free on </span><a href="https://www.wattpad.com/story/140613758-wildfire-chapter-1-an-open-door"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Wattpad</span></a><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h2>
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">About the author<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wZ4u3Xwlmeg/Wqq0ea4PWbI/AAAAAAAAA_c/J3AS5zrT9kcMzarjbE3u3Cpw5P6WI4DEQCLcBGAs/s1600/Scott%2BBury.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="611" data-original-width="751" height="162" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wZ4u3Xwlmeg/Wqq0ea4PWbI/AAAAAAAAA_c/J3AS5zrT9kcMzarjbE3u3Cpw5P6WI4DEQCLcBGAs/s200/Scott%2BBury.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">After a
30-year career as a journalist and editor, Scott Bury turned to writing fiction
with a children’s story, Sam, the Strawb Part, and a story that bridged the
genres of paranormal occult fiction and espionage thriller: Dark Clouds. Since
then, he has published 12 novels and novellas without regard to staying in any
one genre.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">In
2012, he published his first novel, the historical magic realism bestseller <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Bones of the Earth</i>. His next book, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">One Shade of Red</i>, was a satire of a
bestseller with a similar title.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">From
2014 to 2017, he published the Eastern Front Trilogy, the true story of a
Canadian drafted into the Soviet Red Army in 1941, and how he survived the
Second World War: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Army of Worn Soles</i>,
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Under the Nazi Heel</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Walking Out of War</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Scott
was invited to write for three Kindle Worlds, where authors base novellas on
the fictional worlds of bestselling series. For Toby Neal’s Lei Crime Kindle
World, he wrote <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Torn Roots, Palm Trees
& Snowflakes, Dead Man Lying </i>and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Echoes</i>.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">For
Russell Blake’s Jet Kindle World, he contributed <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jet: Stealth</i>, featuring the explosive duo of Van and LeBrun.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">And for
Emily Kimelman’s Sydney Rye Kindle World, he brought Van and LeBrun back for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Wife Line</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Three-Way</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Now, he
is beginning a new mystery series with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wildfire</i>,
featuring the smart and passionate Tara Rezeck. Wildfire is currently available
for pre-order on </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wildfire-Tara-Rezeck-mysteries-Book-ebook/dp/B07B3PWK6T"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Amazon</span></a><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;"> (for Kindle
e-readers) and </span><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/798182"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Smashwords</span></a><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;"> (for Kobo,
Nook and other e-readers). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Find
out more about Scott and his writing on his </span><a href="http://scottburyauthor.com/"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">website,
ScottBuryAuthor.com</span></a><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">.</span></div>
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duvoisinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14938942109242320052noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6067579827497058062.post-48908090969871761572017-08-19T12:44:00.000-06:002017-08-19T19:37:35.117-06:00Girl Stalks The Ruins Preview: Ch. 6 The Louvre<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Chapter
6<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">The
Louvre</span></b><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Li Li had wanted to enter the museum through the
shopping mall underneath the complex, no doubt hoping she’d be allowed to
forego the art altogether, and be left to her own devices among all the
boutiques, and teenagers. She’d even taken the trouble to ascertain the
existence of a shop that sold discounted gallery passes, along with its
collection of snow globes and post cards. But her scheme went awry when Andie
announced a desire to see the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jardin des
Tuileries</i>, which meant getting off at the Tuileries metro stop and walking
above the ground the rest of the way to the glass pyramid entrance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">“Why can’t I go this
way?” she pleaded, once they’d finally descended the main escalator. The main
atrium underneath the pyramid was brightly lit even on an overcast day, and she
tugged on Emily’s arm as the others tried to decide which of the three smaller
escalators to choose, each one leading to a different wing of the museum.
“Perry can come with me, if you’re worried. I bet he doesn’t want to look at a
bunch of stupid paintings all day either.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">“It’s not going to be all
day,” Andie said. “Besides, we do things together in this family.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Emily had been studying
the floor plan of the museum this whole time, with one ear cocked to Li Li’s
complaint. She glanced at Perry and smiled, and he returned one of those sad
puppy expressions that meant, “Please don’t make me go shopping with a
teenager,” or something to that effect.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">“I doubt Perry really
wants to go clothes shopping, sweetheart.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">“Fine. Then I can go on
my own. I can find my way around.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Emily glanced at the
floor plan one more time. “How about you and Perry and I go to the Richelieu
wing? That’s where they keep all the cool sculpture. I think Stone will prefer
to explore the Denon wing, where all the really famous paintings are. Okay?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Li Li grudgingly assented
to this proposition, and Emily had guessed right. It wasn’t the museum she
really objected to, but the prospect of having to go wherever Stone wanted, to
see and do what he wanted. Emily turned to Stone, and ran her fingers through
his shaggy hair, and pulled it away from his face. “Is that okay with you?” He
nodded, his eyes a little watery.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Finally, she turned to
Andie and Yuki. “We’ll meet here,” she said, pointing to a room marked in red
on the plan. “It’s the main hall on the first level. Two hours?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">“Shall we keep Ethan and
Jerry with us?” Andie asked, and Emily nodded.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">“We’ll be okay on our
own.” Emily knew this thought would thrill Li Li, and maybe she deserved some
special treatment.</span></div>
<a href="https://ronin1999.blogspot.com/2017/08/girl-stalks-ruins-preview-ch-6-louvre.html#more">Read more »</a>duvoisinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14938942109242320052noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6067579827497058062.post-8926326618984609912017-08-19T12:40:00.000-06:002017-08-19T15:22:13.340-06:00Girl Stalks The Ruins Preview: Ch 5 Paris By Night<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt; text-indent: .3in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">CHAPTER 5<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">PARIS BY NIGHT</span></b><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br></div>
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<br></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">“I know a good place for Moroccan food,” Lieutenant
Zaki Talib said. “But we’ll have to take a train.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">“Is this the place out by
Saint Denis your cousin was telling us about?” Lt. CJ Tanahill asked. “Because
I’ve heard some things about that area.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">“Like what?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">“Well, it’s in La
Courneuve, right? Isn’t that the place people are calling a ‘no-go’ zone for
the police?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">“My cousin says it’s all
a lot of nationalist propaganda. The police do regular patrols there, no one’s
instituting <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">shariah</i>. It’s a French
neighborhood, ethnically diverse, and maybe a bit gritty, but everyone you meet
on the street speaks French. Plus, the food is really great.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">“I say we go,” Emily
said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">“… and it’s only one
train from the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jardin de Luxembourg</i>
stop, which is right around the corner.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">“It’s okay,” CJ said.
“You already sold me.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">“It’ll be safe.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">CJ looked up into Zaki’s
face – and that’s saying something, since she was quite tall herself, her
straight, blond hair making a sharp contrast with his close-cropped black hair
– touched her nose to his, and snaked a hand around his elbow. “There is no
place on this earth I wouldn’t feel safe on this arm.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Emily hooked him from the
other side. “Have you stepped up the workouts? Because these guns seem to have
grown since last spring.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Perry followed after the
trio, happy to bear a distant witness to Zaki’s discomfiture at the subtle
sarcasm of the women. “Better him than me,” he thought.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">They’d just spent a
couple hours relaxing in the famous gardens, discussing world events of great
import, and watching Stone sail a toy boat in the fountain alongside a few of
the local kids. For much of the time, Li Li tried to look bored to conceal her
envy. Eventually, Emily dangled a sketchpad on the edge of Stone’s peripheral
vision, and Li Li got her turn. The park was two short blocks from the hotel
Michael had arranged, and once the sun had set, the kids were sent packing, to
dine in with Andie and Yuki, and give the grown ups ‘some space.’ The remainder
of their night promised to be free and clear, and CJ spoke French well enough
to navigate the City of Lights.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">The early evening traffic
had already thinned out by the time they entered the metro station, and Perry
spotted a half-empty car toward the front of the first train.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">“On a watchlist?” CJ
turned wide-eyed to Emily, once they’d found seats. “What on earth for?”</span></div>
<a href="https://ronin1999.blogspot.com/2017/08/girl-stalks-ruins-preview-ch-5-paris-by.html#more">Read more »</a>duvoisinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14938942109242320052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6067579827497058062.post-72203405455245306462017-08-19T12:37:00.000-06:002017-08-19T15:21:40.134-06:00Girl Stalks The Ruins Preview: Ch 4 Riding The Rails<div class="CSP-ChapterTitle" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "cambria"; text-transform: none;">CHAPTER FOUR<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterTitle" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "cambria"; text-transform: none;">RIDING THE RAILS<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterTitle" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterTitle" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br></div>
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<br></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Of course, the next morning Emily had insisted on
walking to the <i>Hauptbahnhof</i>, pulling luggage the whole way. By the time
they crossed <i>Bismarckstraße</i>, Perry had plenty of motivation to regret
bringing a duffle without wheels. But it was sweet of Stone to make a point of
walking in front with him, carrying his bag even though it had wheels. <i>Had
Emily put him up to it?</i> Perhaps she’d also wanted one last chance to pop
into a shop or two.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">A darker thought presented itself: perhaps she just
wanted to pass through the scene of the previous day’s ‘unpleasantness.’ If it
was catharsis she was after, Li Li appeared not even to notice, though she had
developed an air of inscrutability that could rival Emily’s, on occasion. By
contrast, Stone was preoccupied with the pleasures of walking in a group.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">When they passed by the fountain in the central
market square, too early yet for the tourists to have finished their hotel breakfasts,
and still time for the merchants to busy themselves about opening their shops,
Perry thought a few of them paused to take notice of their little procession.
In fact, one old man, who had just moved several displays onto the pavement in
front of his shop, took particular notice of Emily, and stepped back inside. In
the windows on either side, other faces had paused from their labors to take
notice of her. Perry glanced around the square, and thought this curiosity had
become more widespread than he was comfortable with, though she seemed not to
notice, or at least, was not letting on if she did.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">“<i>Bitte</i>,” the old man cried out. “<i>Warten
Sie mal, </i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">gnädige
Fräulein</span></i><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">.” He turned to say something to the old woman who’d
remained in the back of the shop, and repeated his call, since Emily had not
responded. “</span><i><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Bitte, warten Sie mal</span></i><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Finally, Emily stopped to consider the old man. In
the meantime, the food stalls at the far end of the square had begun to show
signs of life, and some part of their activity seemed to have reference to
them. Perry pulled Stone to one side, to better take stock of the situation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">“<i>Bitte, </i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Fräulein</span></i><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">.” The<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>old shopkeeper had caught up to Emily by this time. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Verzeihen sie uns, gnädige</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fräulein</i>… <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">was sie gestern getan haben… Danke vielmals</i>.” He tried to push a
small package into her hands. </span><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">“<i>Bitte, </i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Fräulein</span></i><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 10.5pt;">.”</span></div>
<a href="https://ronin1999.blogspot.com/2017/08/girl-stalks-ruins-preview-ch-4-riding.html#more">Read more »</a>duvoisinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14938942109242320052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6067579827497058062.post-36192772293745646062017-08-19T12:34:00.000-06:002017-08-19T15:21:25.580-06:00Girl Stalks The Ruins Preview: Ch 3 Morituri Te Salutant<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "cambria"; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER THREE<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "cambria"; line-height: 115%;">MORITURI TE SALUTANT<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br></div>
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<br></div>
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<br></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; line-height: 115%;">“What are you doing?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; line-height: 115%;">Emily
called out to Li Li and Stone in a hushed tone. She’d just caught up with them,
in a sub-basement of the Roman amphitheater in Trier. They’d been scratching
graffiti into the stone wall of a cell probably used in a previous millennium
to hold gladiators before they found a death in the arena. A nearby sign in
German seemed to announce some sort of prohibition. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; line-height: 115%;">“Don’t
do that.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; line-height: 115%;">Stone
shrugged, but Li Li merely pointed to the many symbols and initials that had
already been cut into the rock. “What about those? It’s not like lots of other
people haven’t done it, too.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; line-height: 115%;">Perry
leaned forward to examine some of the etchings. “This one looks like Latin… <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">morituri</i>… something, I can’t quite make
out this last bit.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; line-height: 115%;">“Do
you know what it means?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; line-height: 115%;">“What
am I, a Latin scholar?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; line-height: 115%;">Emily
punched his shoulder. “Don’t tell me you didn’t study it at whatever pompous
private school you went to.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .3in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; line-height: 115%;">Perry
rubbed his chin and tilted his head. “It might mean something like we… or maybe
they who are about to die…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .3in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; line-height: 115%;">“You
mean like the gladiator salute – we, the already dead, salute you?” Emily
grinned at him, pleased with her epiphany.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; line-height: 115%;">“I
imagine the gladiators were fatalists, but I don’t think they had anything on
you.</span></div>
<a href="https://ronin1999.blogspot.com/2017/08/girl-stalks-ruins-preview-ch-3-morituri.html#more">Read more »</a>duvoisinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14938942109242320052noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6067579827497058062.post-14059541143513791562017-08-19T12:31:00.000-06:002017-08-19T15:21:10.290-06:00Girl Stalks The Ruins Preview" Ch 2 Sake Town In Sasebo<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .3in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "cambria"; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER TWO<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "cambria"; line-height: 115%;">SAKE TOWN IN SASEBO<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br></div>
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<br></div>
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<br></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; line-height: 115%;">“Are you sure
about this address, Sir?” Gunnery Sgt Hector Colón turned the paper over, as if
the directions might make more sense that way. “It’s in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sake</i> Town.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; line-height: 115%;">“Is there a
problem, gunny?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; line-height: 115%;">General
Lukasziewicz, the Marine Commandant, had plucked his sergeant out of a hospital
ward a few months back, pinned a Purple Heart on him, and processed his
promotion to Gunnery Sergeant. The injuries Colón had received in the action on
Itbayat provided a convenient excuse to interrupt his progress through the
infantry ranks, at least for a little while, and seemed like a good way to keep
him from being debriefed about certain events by CIA operatives. Colón hadn’t
been assigned to any unit that included Capt Tenno, but he’d flown in her bird
a few times, and took part in the final firefight precipitated by her rescue of
Princess Akane of Japan. When Admiral James Crichton, Commander of the Pacific
Fleet, put a bug in his ear about deflecting any intrusive inquiries into the Jarheads
who’d been there, Lukasziewicz obliged without asking too many questions of his
own. So, for now, Hector Colón drove him wherever he needed to go in and around
Sasebo, Japan.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; line-height: 115%;">“No sir… it’s
just, most of the places on that end of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ginza</i>
don’t… how shall I say?... I don’t know…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; line-height: 115%;">“Spit it out,
Marine.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; line-height: 115%;">“We may not be
welcome there, sir.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; line-height: 115%;">Lukasziewicz
grumbled at this information, and watched as the Albuquerque Bridge, which connected
Nimitz Square, at the west end of the base, to the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ginza</i>, slipped past the side window. “What exactly is an <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">izakaya</i>?”</span></div>
<a href="https://ronin1999.blogspot.com/2017/08/girl-stalks-ruins-preview-ch-2-sake.html#more">Read more »</a>duvoisinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14938942109242320052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6067579827497058062.post-55755726833256867832017-08-19T12:24:00.001-06:002017-08-19T16:08:42.828-06:00Girl Stalks The Ruins Preview: Ch 1 Ramstein AFB<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aYQUP5F1ZEk/WQqdRjU28dI/AAAAAAAAAzw/EGBk0WOFas8wvIrqoJ4KnYNBPKCM1V8eQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/GSTR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aYQUP5F1ZEk/WQqdRjU28dI/AAAAAAAAAzw/EGBk0WOFas8wvIrqoJ4KnYNBPKCM1V8eQCPcBGAYYCw/s320/GSTR.jpg" width="200"></a></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "cambria"; line-height: 115%;">CHAPTER ONE<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "cambria"; line-height: 115%;">RAMSTEIN AFB<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; line-height: 115%;">“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Zwei Biere, bitte</i>.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; line-height: 115%;">This statement nearly exhausted Lieutenant
Commander Perry Hankinson’s knowledge of the German language, and, in the
ordinary course of events, he wouldn’t need much else for the duration of their
stay. For this evening, however, he’d sought out the sort of establishment
unlikely to be frequented by English speakers, or base personnel, or any foreign
tourists. It had meant taking a taxi to Kaiserslautern, the next town over, but
the driver seemed to understand more or less intuitively where he wanted to go.
Emily had offered “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bierstübe</i>,” or something
to that effect – as if she spoke any better German than he did – and here they
were, a dimly lit pub with no big-screen TVs, no ‘high-and-tight’ haircuts, and
no uniforms in sight.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; line-height: 115%;">“This is a relief.” Emily Kane, Captain USMC,
glanced around a room full of civilians from their table in a far corner. Of
course, she’d be indifferent to the question of whether they were locals, but
she might like the feeling of anonymity. No one here would know them. Perry
listened to the long, slow breath she let out. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He used to think she was sighing, or exasperated, when she
did that, but he’d gotten used to her ways over the years. No, the breathing
wasn’t the sign of a mood, bad or good. It was something more… existential.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; line-height: 115%;">“After this morning… no kidding. Was it a melée
before you got there, or…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; line-height: 115%;">“Or what?” She turned her dark eyes upon him, and
he began to regret having let his words run. “Do you really think I go looking
for these things?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; line-height: 115%;">“No, of course not. But…”</span></div>
<a href="https://ronin1999.blogspot.com/2017/08/girl-stalks-ruins-preview-ch-1-ramstein.html#more">Read more »</a>duvoisinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14938942109242320052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6067579827497058062.post-4300944177795686362017-07-06T20:31:00.004-06:002017-07-06T20:33:08.115-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1ouxrJhH894/WV7yUR8O1VI/AAAAAAAAA2I/-4zeX7Q8GhMKy6XVJHQ9_7v6eTpE1Pu3wCLcBGAs/s1600/KissMeCowboyBoxset_FLAT_FINAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1ouxrJhH894/WV7yUR8O1VI/AAAAAAAAA2I/-4zeX7Q8GhMKy6XVJHQ9_7v6eTpE1Pu3wCLcBGAs/s400/KissMeCowboyBoxset_FLAT_FINAL.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
I'd like to spread the word about a new collection of Mountain Romances, <a href="http://kissmecowboy.com/" target="_blank">Kiss Me Cowboy</a>. <span style="background-color: white; font-family: , serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 1px;">All proceeds go to <a href="https://www.heroesandhorses.org/home/" target="_blank">Heroes & Horses</a>, an organization helping veterans in a new way—with horses and wilderness.</span><br />
<br />
My friend, Suzie O'Connell, has contributed to the collection as have five other fine authors, Tessa Layne, Genevieve Turner, Christine Kingsley, Erin Wright, and Amity Lassiter. The whole collection is available at all the major outlets and is only $0.99.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://a.co/81MD9UA" target="_blank">Amazon</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/kiss-me-cowboy/id1234987386?mt=11" target="_blank">iBooks</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/kiss-me-cowboy-tessa-layne/1126384305;jsessionid=66FEC9FE9ED795F7BC9846988A9EEE3D.prodny_store02-atgap03?ean=2940157338749" target="_blank">B&N</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/kiss-me-cowboy-9" target="_blank">Kobo</a><br />
<br />
You can read more about the collection and the project it supports at <a href="http://kissmecowboy.com/" target="_blank">Kissmecowboy.com</a>, or connect with the authors on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KissMeCowboy/" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.duvoisinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14938942109242320052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6067579827497058062.post-47762329934984304602017-05-03T21:26:00.002-06:002017-07-05T08:29:53.720-06:00Cover Reveal for Book 8, GIRL STALKS THE RUINS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aYQUP5F1ZEk/WQqdRjU28dI/AAAAAAAAAzs/YBEplOZHfAwwP2urG2E57vgIjsc12LhIwCLcB/s1600/GSTR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aYQUP5F1ZEk/WQqdRjU28dI/AAAAAAAAAzs/YBEplOZHfAwwP2urG2E57vgIjsc12LhIwCLcB/s400/GSTR.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>
My cover artist, Torrie Cooney, has done it again. Here's the cover for Book 8, which should be available in August. This one is set in France, and follows Emily and Perry in a terrorism thriller.<br />
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I'm also preparing Book 9, due out in December. That one is set in Japan, and follows the intersecting stories of Ryonosuke Shinjo, and Okamoto Haru, characters you may remember from earlier books in the series.<br />
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I think this is going to be a very good year for Emily Kane, and her fans. Thanks for following along with me, and I hope you enjoy these installments as much as I'm enjoying writing them!<br />
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As always, I'd love to hear from you, and you can send me emails <a href="mailto:michikotenno@gmail.com" target="_blank">care of Emily.</a><br />
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Best wishes!duvoisinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14938942109242320052noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6067579827497058062.post-83213056004870697112017-03-14T21:24:00.000-06:002017-04-30T16:32:23.177-06:00Emily Kane Adventures #8<span style="background-color: black; color: orange;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I've had a slight change of plans. Instead of writing Shinjo's story, as announced earlier, in </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Girl Pays A Debt</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">, I've decided to focus on a different story. My wife and I spent last summer in France and England, and we sketched out a couple of possible stories at that time, and she has been urging me to write one of those first. So, here goes!</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: orange;"><span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px;">A team of terrorists invades the Louvre, expecting little resistance from a flock of tourists. Little do they realize they've roused a sleeping dragon. She wasn't lying in wait for them, but when they seize someone she cares about to cover their escape, she'll pursue them across France to get her own back again. No one is what they appear to be in <i>Girl Stalks The Ruins</i>.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: orange;"><span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px;">If all goes well, I'll have Book 8 finished by the end of the summer, and then will turn to <i>Girl Pays A Debt</i>, which I hope to complete before Christmas. Wish me luck, everyone!</span></span>duvoisinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14938942109242320052noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6067579827497058062.post-70950094134674171022017-03-05T20:01:00.001-07:002017-03-05T20:01:49.818-07:00Book 8 Underway!Work has begun on Book 8 of the <i>Emily Kane Adventures</i>. This one takes up Shinjo's story from Book 3 -- the Yakuza who agrees to help Emily in Seoul -- as well as the story of Haru Okamoto, who may be the last living member of the once powerful Heiji <i>daimyo</i>. The working title for this book is <i>Girl Pays A Debt</i>.<br />
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For the Connie Savaransky fans among you, I've also begun sketching a book to follow her adventures, and it looks like the first one will also include Ip Mao Bao, the girl Connie and Danko met in Myanmar in Book 7, <i>Girl Goes To Wudang</i>. If all goes well, both books should be complete by the end of the summer -- take that promise for what it's worth.<br />
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I'll keep you updated on the progress, and if you're on my <a href="http://eepurl.com/OYDYn" target="_blank">mailing list</a>, I'll probably send out a few sample chapters in a few weeks. And look for a sample cover here soon!duvoisinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14938942109242320052noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6067579827497058062.post-9158544122733137782017-02-11T09:15:00.000-07:002017-02-11T19:13:24.876-07:00GIRL GOES TO WUDANG is out now!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fzjsRR2A5aE/WJ-__3b-9xI/AAAAAAAAAx4/XLxH9LzMqIsYXAwPHE09mBqx3MRyXEPawCLcB/s1600/Girl-Goes-To-Wudang-Generic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fzjsRR2A5aE/WJ-__3b-9xI/AAAAAAAAAx4/XLxH9LzMqIsYXAwPHE09mBqx3MRyXEPawCLcB/s320/Girl-Goes-To-Wudang-Generic.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
It took a lot longer than I expected -- I almost want to say it nearly killed me -- but the ebook is available at the following stores:<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N1A5PUI" target="_blank">Amazon</a><br />
<a href="https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/girl-goes-to-wudang/id1204006481?mt=11" target="_blank">iTunes</a><br />
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/girl-goes-to-wudang-jacques-antoine/1125714519;jsessionid=B80D8D91F29C6E6FCCCD33CCF8A3F9C3.prodny_store02-atgap07?ean=2940154222188" target="_blank">B&N</a><br />
<a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/girl-goes-to-wudang" target="_blank">Kobo</a><br />
<a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/698997" target="_blank">Smashwords</a><br />
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I know I always say this, but I think it's best book yet in the series. With each new book, the challenges are greater, and I try to write something deeper, more complex, and more compelling than the previous book.<br />
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Now, my mind has already turned to the next project... actually two projects. The first is to write the story of Shinjo Ryonosuke, the <i>yakuza</i> Emily met in Seoul, in Book 3. This is a tale of revenge and violent confrontations, of a man on the run who needs the help of the strange girl who charmed him several years earlier. Emily will come to his assistance, finding him wounded in an alley in Osaka. To keep him safe will require spiriting him out of town. But the remaining members of his gang are in hot pursuit, and they'll track him to Nagoya, and the Atsuta shrine -- the very shrine that is now home to Emily's acquaintance, Tsukino, and his new charge, Okamoto Haru, the niece of his lost love, Gyoshin Heiji. Does it sound complicated enough? I can hardly wait to dig into the writing of it.<br />
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The second project is the first book focusing on our wandering assassin, and naive moralist, Connie Savaransky, and her new protegé, Ip Mao Bao, a young woman from the Wa homeland in Myanmar. Connie meets her (and so can you) in Book 7, and she has a role to play in the final crisis in that story. I've wanted to devote a book to Connie, maybe more than one, and now I think I've got some suitable story material for her.<br />
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Be patient, but know that I am working as hard as I can. In the meantime, enjoy Book 7, and I'll post as soon as there are more developments.duvoisinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14938942109242320052noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6067579827497058062.post-17493646938760257442016-12-16T12:33:00.003-07:002016-12-16T12:33:55.935-07:00New Paperback Editions Available, and Kindle Unlimited Ebooks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G_jhri7OuBQ/WFQ9_NOEQ4I/AAAAAAAAAv4/VxPGhRoGFeYeI8gQvczLRlbacCmH0P4pQCLcB/s1600/Girl-Takes-The-Oath-Generic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G_jhri7OuBQ/WFQ9_NOEQ4I/AAAAAAAAAv4/VxPGhRoGFeYeI8gQvczLRlbacCmH0P4pQCLcB/s400/Girl-Takes-The-Oath-Generic.jpg" width="261" /></a></div>
Just a heads-up about Books 5 & 6 -- paperback editions of <a href="http://a.co/cA3ZI3P" target="_blank">Girl Takes The Oath</a> and <a href="http://a.co/3r4yE83" target="_blank">Girl Rides The Wind</a> are now available in time for Christmas. These would make great presents for the Adventure-Espionage-Thriller lover in your life. There's still plenty of time for orders to arrive and fit under the tree.<br />
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I'm almost done with Book 7, <i>Girl Goes To Wudang</i>, and though it's taken longer than I expected, it may well turn out to be the best book in the entire series. Emily is posted to the Defense Attaché's office at the US Embassy in Beijing. She is thrust into the middle of several intrigues, and must determine if it's safe to return Li Li to China and her uncle, Jiang Xi, who has requested a reunion, now that he's getting married.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YP0125Nj2Ps/WFQ-RE4HWoI/AAAAAAAAAwE/iEwyMgZkMSoQEN9fHTYcyhURweOJZ-3EwCEw/s1600/Girl-Rides-The-Wind-Generic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YP0125Nj2Ps/WFQ-RE4HWoI/AAAAAAAAAwE/iEwyMgZkMSoQEN9fHTYcyhURweOJZ-3EwCEw/s400/Girl-Rides-The-Wind-Generic.jpg" width="261" /></a></div>
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Also, in a change of policy, Amazon has made it possible for me to offer all six Emily Kane Adventures through the Kindle Unlimited program. What this means is that for a small monthly fee, you can borrow all six ebooks effectively for free. The downside of the KU program is that I have to make the ebooks exclusive to Amazon. If this turns out to inconvenience too many of Emily's fans, I will reconsider participation in the program in 6 months.<br />
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As always, I welcome any feedback you may care to offer on this program, or any aspect of the series.<br />
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duvoisinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14938942109242320052noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6067579827497058062.post-17705697051663562762016-10-27T17:25:00.003-06:002016-10-27T17:25:57.586-06:00New Character name<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z_XZZKVBAwU/VMRUHmoRwfI/AAAAAAAAAg0/LiTs5Iv8PFEtrgPi47710W2J2levp5xxwCPcB/s1600/GirlTakesTheOath3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z_XZZKVBAwU/VMRUHmoRwfI/AAAAAAAAAg0/LiTs5Iv8PFEtrgPi47710W2J2levp5xxwCPcB/s640/GirlTakesTheOath3.jpg" width="419" /></a></div>
Just a head's up to all Emily Kane fans. I've had to make a change to the name of an ongoing character, for technical reasons. In <i>Girl Takes The Oath</i>, Emily faces a Chinese Colonel in the Marine Mud Brawl at Quantico. Originally this character was named Jiao Long, in part because his name contains a reference to a dragon. But in <i>Girl Goes To Wudang</i>, it's become clear that his name should be Feng Long, both because this is more suggestive of martial arts, but also because it makes sense of an ongoing play on words, namely that he is the "swift dragon."<br />
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Part of the problem is that the name Jiao was transliterated according to an out of date rule for alphabetizing Chinese characters, and if read now by Chinese speakers, would not have the connotations I was looking for. I had considered changing it to the more current 'Pinying' spelling as Zhou, but this would be too similar to another character's name, and would suggest a different meaning. In the end, Feng seems to be the best choice.<br />
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I've gone back to make the change in the files for the earlier book so that it will be consistent with the newer one. This means, if you'd like to have the updated version of Book 5, you may need to re-download it from Amazon or B&N or Kobo or iTunes. But don't do it just yet. I will upload the adjusted version as soon as the Book 7 is released.duvoisinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14938942109242320052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6067579827497058062.post-64762535682761415142016-10-22T20:30:00.000-06:002016-10-22T20:31:33.292-06:00The cover for Book #7 is here<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sEDNdeZjjCU/WAwerSA0bmI/AAAAAAAAAt8/clQ3TWZRkxEjdlvG1q13hJuXk4Q3Rd95QCLcB/s1600/Girl-Goes-To-Wudang-Generic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sEDNdeZjjCU/WAwerSA0bmI/AAAAAAAAAt8/clQ3TWZRkxEjdlvG1q13hJuXk4Q3Rd95QCLcB/s640/Girl-Goes-To-Wudang-Generic.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
I'm working hard on finishing Book #7, and part of that is putting together a cool cover. And my cover artist, <a href="http://www.torriecooney.com/" target="_blank">Torrie Cooney</a>, has come up with a beauty.<br />
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In this one, Li Li Tang plays a bigger role than in the previous books. So Torrie thought we should have her on the cover, too, alongside Emily.<br />
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I know I said this about each previous book in the series, but I really feel that this is the best one yet. I've been doing lots of research into Daoism and the Daoist martial arts, especially <i>Bagua Zhang</i>. I've also put a ton of energy into thinking about character names, and have been studying up on Mandarin to get a better sense of the culture and scenery of Beijing, where much of the story is set.<br />
<br />
It'll be finished soon, so look out for it on all the major online ebook retailers.duvoisinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14938942109242320052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6067579827497058062.post-82267907483860617312016-06-06T23:37:00.000-06:002016-06-06T23:37:58.247-06:00New Cover???My cover artist and I have been working overtime on a cover for Book #7 of the <i>Emily Kane Adventures</i>. The working title is :<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Girl Goes To Wudang</div>
<br />
and the cover will sport a tagline roughly to this effect:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
With Li Li in tow, Emily seeks something new at the home of Taoist martial arts,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
... but surviving the trip may require more of her old skills.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
But don't worry. I'm hard at work <i>actually</i> <i>writing</i> the book. This author stuff turns out to be a complex mechanism with a lot of moving parts. Also, sometimes, taking a moment to imagine the cover can help crystallize certain scenes for me.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I'll try to keep you posted on any developments along the way... and once my cover artist and I are satisfied, we may even give you a sneak peek at the finished product!</div>
duvoisinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14938942109242320052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6067579827497058062.post-86934649791220887792016-05-14T16:00:00.000-06:002016-05-14T16:01:45.766-06:00New Cover for Book #1, Girl Fights Back<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WejhZr-ptkY/VzecRoUaI7I/AAAAAAAAArA/G32N6Sy79zsRwhvNfMPslFMOeJIq88z0gCKgB/s1600/Girl-Fights-Back-Generic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WejhZr-ptkY/VzecRoUaI7I/AAAAAAAAArA/G32N6Sy79zsRwhvNfMPslFMOeJIq88z0gCKgB/s640/Girl-Fights-Back-Generic.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Some of you may have already noticed, but for the rest of the world, it's official, <a href="https://amzn.com/B005CIRTSG" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Girl Fights Back</a> has a new cover.<br />
<br />
In case you're wondering, I was fond of the old cover, since it seemed to express at least one dimension of the passions I think Emily Kane experiences in Book #1. But other elements of the cover didn't seem to me to fit as well. She wears too much make-up, and seems too socially self-assured, and mainly displays anger and resentment.<br />
<br />
By contrast, the new cover seems to me to express those passions and others better. In particular, beyond merely exhibiting anger, this image shows her insecurities and her resolve. That's how I tend to think of Emily, a girl who wishes for friends, and worries about her identity, traits she shares with just about every teenager who's ever lived. But she's different, too, full of confidence in one aspect of her life, but also worried about the implications of her vast abilities in the martial arts.<br />
<br />
One last thing it shows is the depth of the darkness of her eyes, which the old cover lacked.<br />
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</div>
duvoisinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14938942109242320052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6067579827497058062.post-54323544832995543642016-01-30T09:57:00.002-07:002016-01-30T10:22:47.736-07:00Let's Get The Emily Kane Movie Made!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/f7/21/16/f7211655f1cb030af1dd9b4ced8d479b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/f7/21/16/f7211655f1cb030af1dd9b4ced8d479b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<pre style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #484848; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.28571429em; max-width: 635px; padding: 12px 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">
</span></pre>
<pre style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #484848; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.28571429em; max-width: 635px; padding: 12px 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I was thinking, the other day, about who I would cast as Emily Kane if anyone ever decided to make the movie. My current choice would be <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haruka_Ayase" target="_blank">Haruka Ayase</a> -- you can see her in <a href="http://asianwiki.com/Ichi" target="_blank">Ichi</a> -- a mediocre remake of the blind-swordsman movie, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056714/?ref_=fn_al_tt_4" target="_blank">Zatoichi</a> [follow the linked titles to find out more about them]. By the way, even if it's not much of a remake, she's great in it.</span></pre>
<pre style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #484848; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.28571429em; max-width: 635px; padding: 12px 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">
</span></pre>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://wfiles.brothersoft.com/g/gianna_jun_59109-1400x1050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://wfiles.brothersoft.com/g/gianna_jun_59109-1400x1050.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<pre style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #484848; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.28571429em; max-width: 635px; padding: 12px 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Another candidate would have been </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jun_Ji-hyun">Jun Ji-hyun</a>, from around the time she made <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood:_The_Last_Vampire_(2009_film)">Blood: The Last Vampire</a>. This is a really bad movie -- maybe wonderfully bad, if that makes any sense -- but it showcases why she might fit the part pretty well. She's probably too old for the part now, but check it out and see if you get the general idea.
Then it occurred to me that in order to catch the attention of any big-time Hollywood producers, the books in the series will need to have a lot more reviews. So, I'm making a blanket request -- if you've enjoyed the books in the series so far, and haven't had time to leave a review yet -- it would really help us get attention in the quarters where it matters if you reviewed them now.
Here's my new motto: Let's get Emily on the big-screen; leave a review now!
Here's a few links to Book One, but please feel free to leave one on any book in the series, as you see fit: <a href="http://smarturl.it/girlfightsback" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://smarturl.it/applegirlfightsback" target="_blank">Apple</a>, <a href="http://smarturl.it/bngirlfightsback" target="_blank">B&N</a>, <a href="http://smarturl.it/kobogirlfightsback" target="_blank">Kobo</a> .
Oh, and if you have your own idea of who you'd like to see play Emily in the movie (or Connie, or Ethan, or Perry...), post your suggestions.
Best wishes to all of you!
... and let's get that movie made!!!</span></pre>
duvoisinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14938942109242320052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6067579827497058062.post-64530517761787406632016-01-07T14:04:00.003-07:002016-01-07T14:38:40.715-07:00Reflections on Emily Kane<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iDeiKpZSs3A/Vo7P_4s_-9I/AAAAAAAAAn4/C4RCaaonSts/s1600/Girl-Rides-The-Wind-iBooks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iDeiKpZSs3A/Vo7P_4s_-9I/AAAAAAAAAn4/C4RCaaonSts/s200/Girl-Rides-The-Wind-iBooks.jpg" width="131"></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A few people have mentioned to me that the Emily Kane series
has become much darker, and even depressing in Book 6 – especially Timothy
Richley, who has sent me some insightful emails on this subject. He suggests
that the darkness seems to have entered Emily’s heart right around the time she
went to Nepal, and ever since she has been overwhelmed by remorse for all the
dead bodies she leaves in her wake, and is even preoccupied by fantasies of her
own death.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I think Timothy’s right about this, and I’ve also been
feeling a need to turn Emily’s thoughts onto sunnier paths. [A side-note: I’m
not entirely in control of this. Emily herself often dictates events as much as
I do. If this makes no sense to you, try writing a book; then you’ll see.] In
Book 7, I plan on accomplishing exactly this, first by turning the focus back to
her little “family” and a reunion of Li Li with her uncle Jiang, but also by giving
Hsu Qi’s positive influence a chance to have a greater impact on Emily. In
particular, I’d like to have her help Emily find some reassurance from her
ghosts.</div>
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<br></div>
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</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--o8LsrhGCpU/Vo7PibaFJ5I/AAAAAAAAAno/AN3Ri_aSYXo/s1600/Girl-Punches-Out-An-Emily-Kane-Adventure-Kindle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--o8LsrhGCpU/Vo7PibaFJ5I/AAAAAAAAAno/AN3Ri_aSYXo/s200/Girl-Punches-Out-An-Emily-Kane-Adventure-Kindle.jpg" width="126"></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I think Emily’s development follows an inevitable trajectory, if you consider a
couple of recurring motifs in the series. I originally imagined Emily as a
remorseful heroine, and wanted to trace the impact of her remorse (and not just
her fists) on the people she encounters. Of course, she is saddened by the
violence she can’t avoid perpetrating, but she also has an impact on the
villains who confront her. In one way or another, she becomes the agent of
their redemption. Connie is the most obvious of these, but also Li Li’s father,
Tang, from Book 1. The West Virginia bikers are another case, and maybe even
Colonel Park, from Book 2. Shinjo is a variant of this from Book 3. Kathy
Gunderson plays this role in Book 5, and in Book 6, Lt. Yan and Tsukino, and to
a lesser extent Gyoshin Heiji, function in this way.</div>
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<a href="https://ronin1999.blogspot.com/2016/01/reflections-on-emily-kane.html#more">Read more »</a>duvoisinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14938942109242320052noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6067579827497058062.post-53356945461149426352015-12-22T11:54:00.001-07:002015-12-22T11:54:56.084-07:00Book 6 is out. Emily Kane in Girl Rides The Wind<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ThlwYWKMMwU/VnmYV4x1hEI/AAAAAAAAAm0/4E0Ho0vGyLk/s1600/Girl-Rides-The-Wind-Generic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ThlwYWKMMwU/VnmYV4x1hEI/AAAAAAAAAm0/4E0Ho0vGyLk/s400/Girl-Rides-The-Wind-Generic.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>
Finally, after all these months, Book Six of <i>The Emily Kane Adventures</i> is available at all major online retailers. It took longer than I expected, but if you ask me, this one is the best book in the series so far. I know, I always say that, but I really think you'll agree with me.<br />
<br />
Anyway, you can find it right now, on <a href="http://smarturl.it/girlrideswindap">iTunes</a>, <a href="http://smarturl.it/girlrideswindam">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/girl-rides-the-wind-jacques-antoine/1123150542?ean=2940152746044">B&N,</a> <a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/girl-rides-the-wind-1">Kobo</a>, <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/601180">Smashwords</a>.<br />
<br />
It's also available on several subscription services, like Scribd and Tolino.<br />
<br />
Enjoy!duvoisinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14938942109242320052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6067579827497058062.post-45035610982620595752015-08-18T09:25:00.000-06:002015-08-28T07:19:17.383-06:00Girl Rides The Wind, Ch. 8, Sneak Preview<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.3in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Baskerville;">Chapter Eight<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 30pt; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Baskerville;">A Question of Wardrooms</span></b><span style="font-family: Baskerville;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Baskerville;">The grind of life on a warship tended to bring its own inertial motivation, a daily round of meetings, exercises and tasks, occasionally interrupted by a “live” mission. Three times, Emily’s chopper had flown the teams out to islands at the southern end of the Philippine archipelago, and each time they’d come up empty, finding only the detritus of abandoned camps. All the while, the Amphibious Squadron steamed eastward, heading for the Marianas where another set of exercises had been scheduled. The Devil Dogs understood what it meant – “Operation Seabreeze” was as much about fostering cooperation as about catching actual terrorists. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Baskerville;">Meanwhile, Emily frequented the “dirty shirt” wardroom, which catered to the aircrews. CJ and Zaki preferred to take their meals in the XO’s wardroom, but Emily didn’t care for the formality, and cafeteria-style service suited her mood better these days. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Baskerville;">“Are you hiding down here?” Perry asked, as he swung a leg over the chair opposite and nudged his tray against hers to make room. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Baskerville;">“Do I have to answer?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Baskerville;">“Aren’t you afraid the senior staff is gonna notice your absence?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Baskerville;">“Yeah, and I hear the ship’s company gets better food,” Emily replied without looking up. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Baskerville;">“The CO has been hinting that he wants another translator at meals.” He looked for any sort of reaction, even annoyance at his suggestion, and when none was forthcoming, he added: “And with you down here, Diao has everything his way with the conversation.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Baskerville;">“Hasn’t it occurred to you that he’s the reason I’m down here?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Baskerville;">“You’re not afraid of him, are you? That would be a first.” When she raised her eyes, he got a pretty good indication that he’d pushed her too far.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Baskerville;">“Not <i>of him</i>,” she snarled, “…<i>for everyone else</i>.”</span><br>
</div><a href="https://ronin1999.blogspot.com/2015/08/girl-rides-wind-ch-8-sneak-preview.html#more">Read more »</a>duvoisinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14938942109242320052noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6067579827497058062.post-17824400044025098522015-08-18T09:24:00.000-06:002015-08-28T07:22:28.811-06:00Girl Rides The Wind. Ch. 7, Sneak Preview<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.3in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Baskerville;">Chapter Seven<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 30pt; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Baskerville;">Chutes and Ladders<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Baskerville;">Emily lay quietly in her rack – the clock they shared showed 0439, and its red eyes blinked back at her. Lettering on the back of an old photo she’d tucked up against the wall above her head shook in the general agitation of the bulkhead. She reached it down and held it out before her face in the dim illumination of CJ’s nightlight. “It’s not over yet,” it read. “Sorry, kiddo.” A finger slipped along one edge and she mouthed the final words: “You can count on me. C.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Baskerville;">Three pictures mattered to her, two of which she’d salvaged from the charred remains of the home she’d grown up in. Those images of her not-yet-recognized mother sustained her childhood, and she kept those back at Michael’s house in Virginia. But this one, a gift from Connie, had become the shoulder she rested on in the darkest moments since, too precious to lose, and too important not to keep near. A sealed plastic bag kept it dry – her one concession to the hazards of shipboard life – but it had been in enough uniform pockets to round off two of the corners. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: Baskerville;">She flipped it over and let her eyes roam across the fading colors on the other side. The jungle-camo green of the men’s fatigues had gone mostly grey, but Connie’s hair was still blond, tied back in a severe pony-tail. There she stood, on a wooden dock in Okinawa or maybe Manila, next to a single-engine seaplane, with three men. Two of them looked directly at the camera, perhaps surprised, but with faces too stony to show it, and a third man stood further back, shaded by the wing, glowering at something behind Connie. And how had someone even be able to take such a picture – this thought had always perplexed her. Was it a friend? But these people weren’t the sort to make friends, not even with each other. Or just an accident? However it had happened, she was sure Connie had demanded the camera, no doubt hissing a not-so-veiled threat on the photographer’s life.</span><br>
</div><a href="https://ronin1999.blogspot.com/2015/08/girl-rides-wind-ch-7-sneak-preview.html#more">Read more »</a>duvoisinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14938942109242320052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6067579827497058062.post-51344291197072560362015-08-18T09:22:00.000-06:002015-08-28T07:21:47.595-06:00Girl Rides The Wind, CH. 6 Sneak Preview<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right; text-indent: .3in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Baskerville;">Chapter
Six<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: right; text-autospace: none;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Baskerville;">Boarding the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bonhomme Richard</i><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 30.0pt; text-indent: .3in;">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Baskerville;">The
ride over to Haneda Airport in two buses took just over an hour—luck of the
draw, since the other company would leave too late to avoid rush hour
traffic—and the charter flights to Nagasaki would occupy another two hours.
From there, a short helo-ride would deposit them at the naval base at Sasebo.
Seating on the plane sorted itself out in predictable ways, by rank and nation,
though nothing required it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Baskerville;">“At
least on the bus, we didn’t have to endure the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">gaijin</i>,” Tsukino muttered, glowering across the aisle to where
Emily sat with Durant and Oleschenko. The flight attendant offered him a water
bottle and a bag of the orb-like, slightly sweetened cookies called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hashimitsu</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Baskerville;">“Are
you still stewing over the drubbing she gave you?” Ishikawa snorted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Baskerville;">Tsukino
growled and turned to Kano for moral support, but none was forthcoming. “You
know it’s not right, Captain, not after what she did to us.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Baskerville;">Kano
waved him off with an angry glance, and stalked down the aisle to look for an
empty seat in the back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Baskerville;">“I
could have told you he wouldn’t bite on that one,” Ishikawa said. “But you have
definitely got to let it go. So you got your ass kicked… so what? It’s not like
you didn’t totally deserve it.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Baskerville;">“Will
you ever shut up, Dice?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Baskerville;">“I
only wish someone had made a video of it.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: Baskerville;">“I’m
sure someone did,” Tsukino huffed.</span><br>
</div><a href="https://ronin1999.blogspot.com/2015/08/girl-rides-wind-ch-6-sneak-preview.html#more">Read more »</a>duvoisinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14938942109242320052noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6067579827497058062.post-42627422036527335862015-07-06T20:55:00.000-06:002015-08-28T07:17:28.913-06:00Sneak Peek at the Cover for Book 6, Girl Rides The Wind<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1d-apY6Cvoc/VeBfMZzeu3I/AAAAAAAAAk4/IQew4y5zJsY/s1600/Girl%2BRides%2Bthe%2BWind%2Bcover%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1d-apY6Cvoc/VeBfMZzeu3I/AAAAAAAAAk4/IQew4y5zJsY/s400/Girl%2BRides%2Bthe%2BWind%2Bcover%2B2.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>
This is only a preliminary version, but my cover artist is ready to polish it up at any moment. I hope you like it!duvoisinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14938942109242320052noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6067579827497058062.post-23939948801060578212015-07-03T20:06:00.000-06:002015-07-03T20:06:03.296-06:00Book 6, Girl Rides The Wind, delayed<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #606060; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;">It's </span><em style="color: #606060; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;">mea culpa</em><span style="color: #606060; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;"> time. Book 6 of the </span><em style="color: #606060; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;">Emily Kane Adventures </em><span style="color: #606060; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;">is not done yet. I know, I said it'd be done by the end of June, and that day has come and gone. I can assure you that I'm working as hard as I can on this one, but it's proving to be more difficult than the previous books in the series.</span><br style="color: #606060; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;" /><br style="color: #606060; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;" /><span style="color: #606060; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;">In fact, I had a long discussion of the problem with my editor, and she pointed out that the difficulty lies in the complexity of this installment. The previous books are all between 80,000 and 90,000 words (roughly the equivalent of a 300 page paperback), but when we went over the story-sketch, and considered the number of events that still need to be worked through, we both realized that this book will probably come in at 120,000 words (450 pages). She says that if I had done a more detailed sketch in the beginning, I'd have seen this and plotted for two books -- in effect a second trilogy within the series (Books 5, 6, 7). I have no intention of doing this, since I'm already 75,000 words into this one; the "Princess Toshi" story-arc will come to a close in this book. But this means that I won't have it finished earlier than the end of July. I apologize for the delay, and am working hard to make this the best book yet. </span></span></span>duvoisinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14938942109242320052noreply@blogger.com1