tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52732702280053038832024-03-05T21:31:53.790-08:00Write StuffThe blog home of Meradeth Houston, author of COLORS LIKE MEMORIES, THE CHEMISTRY OF FATE, SURRENDER THE SKY, AN ABSENCE OF LIGHT, TRAVELERS, SOMEONE ELSE'S SOUL, and THE COINCIDENCE MAKERS!Meradeth Houstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06741790047121063893noreply@blogger.comBlogger1311125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273270228005303883.post-54100826090387072612020-12-14T01:00:00.063-08:002020-12-14T07:54:08.414-08:00Cover Reveal for IN DEFIANCE OF FATE & the first chapter!<p> You all, I can't even begin to say how excited I am about this cover reveal. IN DEFIANCE OF FATE is a companion to <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZCD958Z/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0">THE COINCIDENCE MAKERS </a>and it is epic and the cover is just amazing. I mean, look at it:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0f-BbX4fxPjWO9qlmFhWXRXcRJPn54gxwyCOw-xIIhxRI1ungTjQz23A8uijE0ysLNracHxhpy-npevqjAb0SU2iYTNLVba9SfYolLx3kSXuahil5KBH_KLKhuVyU3lW3JPrScPsBw40r/s2048/In+Defiance+of+Fate+Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1280" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0f-BbX4fxPjWO9qlmFhWXRXcRJPn54gxwyCOw-xIIhxRI1ungTjQz23A8uijE0ysLNracHxhpy-npevqjAb0SU2iYTNLVba9SfYolLx3kSXuahil5KBH_KLKhuVyU3lW3JPrScPsBw40r/w250-h400/In+Defiance+of+Fate+Cover.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Check it out on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56275236-in-defiance-of-fate-meradeth-houston?fbclid=IwAR1ZUDjz1bKx_NiZB9yuiWZqetp6AmEeDcMx-VOwncKO3w7emouGcfk98ZA" target="_blank">Goodreads and add it there!</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QHHB7H5?fbclid=IwAR2Zvjg59m5HR-luSkE4Rt1bnKIamBlu6vW13UML4S8--V7cOvUQNlKFl5k" target="_blank">PREORDER IT HERE!</a></div><br /><i>As far as Ami’s concerned, her job as a cosmic coincidence maker has gotten her all she’s ever wanted: the man she loves, a house on the beach, and work that hasn’t required her to save the world…recently. But, fate is about to drag Ami and Luke back to San Francisco for a job that will make her question everything she thought she knew about who, and what, she is.</i><div><br /></div><div>So, shall we have a little sneak peak at the first chapter? Bear in mind we're still editing so there will be some rough edges here, but let's see what Ami and Luke are up to!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>***</b></div><div style="text-align: center;">Chapter 1</div><div><div>Three hours and twelve minutes. They’d ticked by on my watch—my only real source of light from its faint electronic surface—while I struggled to keep myself from screaming in the tight space that was the trunk of my mark’s FIAT Sienna. A trunk I’d locked myself in, only to later realize I was stuck. </div><div><br /></div><div>“So, tell me again how you got yourself in there?” Luke thought at me, tapping on the exterior of the all too tiny compartment. The sound was an amplified metallic pinging from where I was cramped. </div><div><br /></div><div>My knees were pressed to my stomach as I laid on my side in a horrible parody of a yoga position—ironically, I was in yoga pants and a tee meant for yoga, even though I had definitely not been doing that today. Maybe if I had, I might have been able to feel my right hip in the last two hours.</div><div><br /></div><div>“Just let me out!” I mentally shouted back. With the one leg I could move, I kicked against the side of the car, making a muffled thump.</div><div><br /></div><div>Luke chuckled and I heard him tinkering away at the exterior lock. It took him all too long to get it popped. If I hadn’t known better, I would have guessed he delayed so he could laugh a little longer at the predicament I’d gotten myself into. That thought disappeared as the door lifted and cool air washed over my face.</div><div><br /></div><div>“Thank the gods,” I breathed aloud, reaching out to snag Luke’s proffered hand. His warm grip wrapped around my much smaller hand, a little rough and very, very right for my soul.</div><div><br /></div><div>Uncurling myself from inside took a lot more effort than I would have thought. My body was numb and aching as Luke had to half-lift me, his other hand under my knees, from the space. I rested against the dented bumper as feeling slowly returned to my feet. But, as the blood returned, they started to sting with pins and needles, and I longed to kick off my simple flat sandals and go find a quiet spot to lie down. Instead, I stared at my feet and tried to wiggle my toes, painted a bright (“That used to be so scandalous” Luke noted) red. The cracked cement of the parking garage made a pattern that looked roughly like a duck.</div><div><br /></div><div>“So, the trunk?” Luke asked, watching me with a furrowed brow now that he’d stowed his little leather container for his tools. </div><div><br /></div><div>I grimaced at my own stupidity, but went with the truth. “I got stuck without a ride. I wanted to make sure they made it here in time, but then he picked up some more people and there wasn’t any space.” I’d been happily riding in the backseat that was coated in a layer of soda bottles and chip wrappers, invisible, pleased I’d managed to get my mark out of his house and to the mall in time to make his appointment with fate. A fate that Luke and I had forced to happen.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then they’d picked up two more loud and noisy guys and I’d been stuck. A quick move left me scrambling into the trunk, worried they’d had a change of plans and would no longer head to the mall. That had been stupid, as they came here anyhow, and the interior release lever to open the trunk had been nothing more than a sharpened remnant of plastic that damn near cut me. Thankfully they hadn’t heard me swearing about that over their music and laughter.</div><div><br /></div><div>“So, the trunk. Okay. I mean, you could have just called for a cab or something,” Luke noted.</div><div>“And risk them not coming here?” I stood on my painful feet, winced, and sagged back against the bumper rubbing my hands over my face. My skin felt oily and hot, and I longed to wash off the grime of the day.</div><div><br /></div><div>Luke shrugged. “Well, at least I could find you.”</div><div><br /></div><div>“My hero,” I said in a singsong tone. It was half to tease, and half the truth. I hated getting stuck in tight, contained spaces. I had nightmares about them, after some horrible run-ins in my all-to-long history. But that didn’t negate how I also felt like a fucking idiot.</div><div><br /></div><div>Finally, I rotated my ankles one by one and was able to stand. The parking lot was mostly empty vehicles parked haphazardly in every direction, but as I slammed the trunk with a giant thunk, a woman emerged from around the corner and gave me a funny look. Even she didn’t stop me from sticking my tongue out at the Sienna. </div><div><br /></div><div>Making sure I didn’t have any crumbs or hair stuck to my skin or clothes, I snagged my giant black leather bag (filled with my emergency gear, of which I was now going to add an empty container when we got home because my bladder felt like it was going to explode), and huffed a sigh. “Shall we?” I motioned toward the entrance to the mall, a bright entry into an air-conditioned other world.</div><div><br /></div><div>Luke did a funny, old fashioned formal bow and offered me his arm. I grinned and rubbed my poor aching fingers once more, before I allowed myself to be led toward the lights and shops and music. My legs still didn’t bend without protest and I longed to go home, but our pay-off was ahead of us and after having to spend that much time in a space I could barely move my head meant I damn well wanted to watch whatever was about to play out with our marks.</div><div><br /></div><div>The smell of food worked wonders on my senses. So did a quick trip to the bathroom. I’d probably broken my bladder by holding it for hours, especially after all the tea I’d had that morning. When I reemerged, Luke had hunted down a supply of pao de queijo, which were little cheesy bread bites I promptly stole from him. </div><div><br /></div><div>“I’m not sharing,” I said as I popped one in my mouth whole, trying to make it sound like I joked, but in reality, I was going to smack him if he even tried. I’d skipped breakfast to make it out to my assignment’s house and had regretted it all morning, staring into the dark of the damn trunk. The cheese was sharp and the bread soft and I moaned a little as my stomach stopped barking at me.</div><div><br /></div><div>“I got my own. Trust me, I’ve learned that lesson,” Luke winked and held up his own portion in the little white paper bag, oil seeping through the corners.</div><div><br /></div><div>This was precisely why I loved him. It helped that I’d known him for time immemorial and he looked like I’d dreamed up some kind of movie star and made him mine—all dark brown hair just a bit too long and a physique that made me grateful we lived near the beach where he didn’t think anything of taking his shirt off. I, on the other hand, thought about it a lot.</div><div><br /></div><div>It had been a couple of years since we’d figured out the truth about our relationship, or lack thereof, and I kept waiting for the amazingness to wear off. For the tarnish of reality to sink in. The fact that it hadn’t sometimes made me worried—all relationships had their issues, right? But things had been, well, wonderful. I had someone to talk to, to remember the terrible lyrics to the stupid seafaring tune I’d sung three hundred years ago and couldn’t remember the last verse to (we’d ended up making up our own). I’d worried about realizing this was all some kind of crazy dream, until my best friend Melody reminded me I should damn well enjoy it while it lasted if I was going to think that way.</div><div><br /></div><div>She was right. So, while I kind of couldn’t believe my luck most days, I didn’t push it. And I did my best to let Luke know how much I appreciated him, even if he did give me shit for getting locked in a trunk for </div><div>hours. Which, I deserved, completely. </div><div><br /></div><div>Mowing down on the little cheesy goodness, we walked into the main area of the mall, which was bright and spotless and filled with people. Terrible music with a too-fast beat kept up a low hum in the background. Stores with perky lights filled the corridors and a large central area was accented with tropical plants in giant white planters that surrounded the seating areas. We snagged an empty table, bolted to the floor off to one side, perfectly positioned to watch all that happened.</div><div><br /></div><div>My mark currently sat exactly where I’d seen him in the mental image I’d been given at the start of this job. He leaned over a cement picnic table, chatting animatedly with a couple of friends, the three of them sharing a platter of fries. Loud laughter and a few pokes and nudges kept them all engaged, while keeping an eye out for attractive women, of which there were plenty. </div><div><br /></div><div>“This assignment is depressing,” Luke muttered as we watched his mark enter the central area, arm in arm with a tall guy about her age, somewhere in their late teens. She couldn’t stop herself from touching him, her manicured hands roving his torso, barely masked by a thin white tee. He laughed and drank it in. Not that I blamed him—she was beautiful, with her long curtain of dark hair, flawless tan, and perfect athletic build. It was probably her low-cut shirt he liked best, but I liked to think it was her engaging conversation that kept him laughing along with her.</div><div><br /></div><div>“Forty-three seconds,” Luke noted, his eyes glued to the table of older teens I’d listened to talk about girls, and food, and porn, and video games, for hours while shoved in their trunk. I returned my attention to them, noticing that one of them was now quiet, watching the PDA couple from across the open dining area with a wide-eyed expression.</div><div><br /></div><div>We could practically watch his thoughts roll through his mind as he debated saying something about the newcomers. In the end, he didn’t have to. The other guys, my mark included, looked around to try and figure out what was going on that had their friend so dumbfounded.</div><div><br /></div><div>Which was when my mark noticed the girl. Who he had, until that second, thought was his girl. Seeing her there with her hands in the hot guy’s back pockets, made it clear she had her eyes on a different prize. Namely the hottie she’d started kissing in a way that made me wonder if they planned on devouring each other right out in the open. My little inner prude wished they’d find somewhere private to eat each other’s faces off. I’d definitely spent way too much time in the Puritanical Americas. </div><div><br /></div><div>“Oh, gods, I don’t think I can watch,” I silently said to Luke, all the same leaning out a little to see around a large planter, trying to get a better look at the whole thing. The leaves were kind of pokey, but I brushed them aside to make sure my view was unencumbered. Popping my last cheesy bite in my mouth, I certainly wasn’t looking away.</div><div><br /></div><div>My mark stood slowly, hands splayed on the table in front of him. Both of his friends flanked him as he walked, zombie-like, toward his now ex. She didn’t see him coming until he tapped her shoulder and she whirled around in a wave of hair that looked like a shampoo commercial. Her expression ran through a range of emotion so fast that it was almost impressive—confused, then sad, then angry, then clearly, deeply upset.</div><div><br /></div><div>“I mean, what did she think was going to happen?” I muttered to myself. Not that I wanted to see her get hurt, but it was damn stupid on her part to think this hadn’t been the inevitable outcome.</div><div><br /></div><div>Okay, so it wouldn’t have happened without some serious nudging from me and Luke. My boy, the cuckolded lover, had been planning on studying all day. I’d had to get his friends to get him out, and it had not been easy to pull him away from his books. He never left them easily. Today, it took reminders of burn out and the need to get out and exercise, and how friendship was more important in the long run, and as much other BS pop-psych that I could dangle in his inbox, on headlines in his social media feeds, or have his friends discuss. Finally, my wheedling won out, just in time to get Luke’s lady in line and here.</div><div><br /></div><div>No one likes a bad breakup. But, the thing is, making them happen sometimes can be as important as getting two people together. Something Luke had reminded me of at least a dozen times during the past week or so of our work. </div><div><br /></div><div>So, while we watched the girl’s expression crumple and chase after my mark, only to be firmly stopped by one of his friends, I sighed and tried to not be entirely fed up with the day.</div><div>Luke touched his head to mine as we watched the drama unfold, including a glorious send-off from the boy-toy the cheater had been with. </div><div><br /></div><div>“Maybe he’s supposed to become a famous doctor and needs to spend more time on his studies,” Luke said with a little shrug as we slumped back onto a bench after the others were gone.</div><div><br /></div><div>“Or she is going to save the Amazon now that she’s seen the errors of her dating ways,” I said. It was a game we sometimes played—we often had no idea why we had to make these little coincidences happen. We figured there had to be some larger reason, and since that was sometimes obvious, or became so over time, even these little weird jobs had to have an underlying purpose. Whatever the hell that was, though, neither of us knew.</div><div><br /></div><div>Luke slipped an arm around my waist, warm and comforting. I tucked myself in next to him, breathing in his smell of rain and cinnamon. Both of us watched in silence as the world carried on around us. Whatever small tuck in the fabric of the universe we’d just made, it was done, and we were back to being the silent observers of the millennia that passed us by. This had gotten lots more fun and interesting now that Luke and I had figured out our issues. For example, we could sit together and marvel at the way so many stared at their phones all day, oblivious to all that passed them by. Some things never changed though, like the little kids merrily chasing each other around the cluster of tables on the other side of the courtyard, shrieking in glee. Their moms barely glanced up, lost in conversation with one another. Over by a clothing shop, two pre-teens giggled and attempted to flirt, at least until his mom emerged from the store and the kid turned tomato red.</div><div><br /></div><div>A mom pushing a stroller with her tiny pink-booted baby passed right in front of us. My heart ached as I craned to see the tiny face, scrunched in a frown. She’d clearly just had photos taken and her frilly white dress made her look like a doll. I would have given just about anything—my immortality included—to have a tiny Luke and me baby. While that was out of the question, even all these years later, somehow the sting hadn’t subsided.</div><div><br /></div><div>Before I could wallow in grief for what could never be, pressure slammed into my chest, causing me to </div><div>gasp and press both hands against my sternum. It hurt, like my chest was going to fly apart and my heart land in my lap with a wet plop. I didn’t even have time to go invisible, the pain was just there, pounding, with no room to change my state. It pulsed in my fingertips and behind my eyes, my brain scrambling to figure out why.</div><div><br /></div><div>Gasping for breath that wouldn’t fill my lungs, I slumped from the bench to the ground. The plants poking me didn’t even register beyond the crashing pain. It was everywhere. Nothing specific was wrong. But, this was not normal. Not okay. Luke moaned next to me and something screamed in my mind that we were both facing this. We had no one but each other to help. Now both of us were crumpled on the bench or ground and trying not to explode into a million little pieces.</div><div><br /></div><div>Had the snacks been poisoned? Were we going to turn into little puddles of dust right here in the middle of the shopping center, and blow away like a bad vampire film? Was it our time to finally be done with this too long life?</div><div><br /></div><div>The sharp pain of my heart trying to escape my ribs had all of my attention, no possibility it could hurt more, until my head thumped back against the bench behind me. An image knocked itself into my brain with the force of a baseball bat swung at full speed.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>***</b></div><div><b>So, what happens? Well, you'll just have to snag a copy and find out!</b></div>Meradeth Houstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06741790047121063893noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273270228005303883.post-79923488302267185232020-09-01T03:00:00.011-07:002022-09-15T06:43:20.877-07:00Cover Reveal: THE GREY QUEEN by JM Sullivan<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdOtiPBX8Slfs27szAs5zV8g5vWNkSW_-yAoZsLiHSLw24v8pFzRXLIuptA-iWBNoMm1xn0gqM1UzYkU3z4Afyr7U3Ys-qMUoo6WsHd-3w3aXDbyLCNhT464-cqUoK4x96qbxDx7p88A8G/s1600/THE+GREY+QUEEN+CR+BANNER.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="820" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdOtiPBX8Slfs27szAs5zV8g5vWNkSW_-yAoZsLiHSLw24v8pFzRXLIuptA-iWBNoMm1xn0gqM1UzYkU3z4Afyr7U3Ys-qMUoo6WsHd-3w3aXDbyLCNhT464-cqUoK4x96qbxDx7p88A8G/s640/THE+GREY+QUEEN+CR+BANNER.png" width="640" /></a></p>
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<span face="">Title: The Grey Queen<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face="">Author: J.M. Sullivan<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face="">Genre: YA Dystopian<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face="" style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Publication Date: October 13<sup>th</sup>, 2020<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face="" style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Publisher: Bleeding Ink Publishing<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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When Alice defeated the Red Queen, she thought the worst was over. <br /> <br /> Until the Grey Queen rose. <br /> <br /> Ever since her sister, Dinah, contracted the momerath virus, Alice Carroll’s world has been twisted upside down. Spurred by a desperate determination to save her sister, Alice has braved every peril Wanderland has to offer--rogue momerath, hostile survivors, and treacherous queens. But now, there is a new threat creeping in on Alice, one that leaves her facing an impossible choice. <div><br /> Does she follow her heart and save her sister, or abandon her to save the world?<div><br />
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><span color="" face=""><span style="font-size: large;">Book Links: <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span color="" face=""><a href="https://amzn.to/3ltCpqq">Alice</a> | </span></span><span color="" face=""><a href="https://amzn.to/3lwjuLF">Broken Glass</a> | </span><span color="" face=""><a href="https://amzn.to/34ZnfDJ">The Grey Queen</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Check out the new covers for </span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span color="" face="">Teacher by day, award-winning author by night, J.M. Sullivan is a fairy tale fanatic who loves taking classic stories and turning them on their head. When she’s not buried in her laptop, you can find her watching scary movies with her husband, playing with her kids, or lost inside a good book. Although known to dabble in adulting, J.M. is a big kid at heart who still believes in true love, magic, and most of all, the power of coffee. If you would like to connect with J.M., you can find her on social media at @jmsullivanbooks-- she’d love to hear from you.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span face="">Author Links:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span face=""><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16508815">Goodreads</a> | </span><span face=""><a href="https://amzn.to/2SS5c9t">Amazon</a> | </span><span face=""><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jmsullivanbooks/">Facebook</a> | </span><span face=""><a href="https://twitter.com/@jmsullivanbooks">Twitter</a> | </span><span face=""><a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/j-m-sullivan">Bookbub</a> | </span><span face=""><a href="https://jmsullivanbooks.com/">Web</a></span></div>
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<b><span face=""> </span></b><b style="text-align: center;"><span color="" face=""><span style="font-size: large;">Book Links:</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span color="" face=""><a href="https://amzn.to/3ltCpqq">Alice</a> | </span></span><span color="" face=""><a href="https://amzn.to/3lwjuLF">Broken Glass</a> | </span><span color="" face=""><a href="https://amzn.to/34ZnfDJ">The Grey Queen</a></span></span></div>
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</div></div>Meradeth Houstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06741790047121063893noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273270228005303883.post-1270295995396460732020-08-03T03:00:00.042-07:002020-08-03T03:00:09.740-07:00Author Spotlight: TRANSCENDING DEPRESSION: A QUEST WITHOUT A COMPASS by Larry Godwin PhD<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Hb0KKHmwSqiPajQ2eBFFuDadoNTEl1899uM9V__4YvNEI9GcoB_fkTUO_p29DCXojHukeWwwRzSuRehcux_MAqXkkZ8bOsXmxleHch2nAiouppoloxY6ttK_oE64188TVb6K_jO_9Z8b/s1360/71JkbSMko4L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1360" data-original-width="880" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Hb0KKHmwSqiPajQ2eBFFuDadoNTEl1899uM9V__4YvNEI9GcoB_fkTUO_p29DCXojHukeWwwRzSuRehcux_MAqXkkZ8bOsXmxleHch2nAiouppoloxY6ttK_oE64188TVb6K_jO_9Z8b/w212-h328/71JkbSMko4L.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>The author's personal narrative represents the chronology of his mental illness over a span of 49 years, as well as his attempts to understand it and cope with it. Selected entries from his journals constitute the source and follow an authentic progression over time. In them, he relates insights about the origin of his disorder. He also describes thoughts and feelings that arose and his reactions to events that took place at various times, as influenced, for better or worse, by psychiatric medications and supplements. The primary motivation for presenting his history is to encourage others who grapple with either chronic depression or occasional bouts. He hopes his journey resonates with some, validates feelings, and sparks the thoughts "I'm not alone" and "I will feel better." This book can also help family members and friends of the mentally ill find compassion and enable them to understand the struggle. It could, as well, benefit those who care for the depressed, and interest the curious and the voyeur. The author's goal is to save lives.<h2 style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Transcending-Depression-Quest-Without-Compass/dp/0578694913/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1591833544&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Snag a copy on Amazon!</a></h2><div>I've known Larry for a while through the local writing group I run at the city library, and he is a wonderful, inspirational human, and has a lovely writing style. If this sounds like something that you or a friend would find useful, I highly recommend it!</div><div><br /></div><div><b>From the author himself:</b> <i>Transcending Depression</i> is one man’s personal narrative that chronicles his mental illness over a span of 49 years. In concise entries from his journals, the author narrates his story, hoping to encourage others who grapple with either chronic depression or occasional bouts. Godwin’s book provides an unguarded window into his experience, with refreshing, brutal honesty and sincerity. The style comprises a blend of the narrative, the emotional, and the quasi-scientific. His message is uplifting without being sentimental. This book can help family members and friends of the mentally ill find compassion and enable them to understand the struggle. <b>His goal is to save lives.</b></div>Meradeth Houstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06741790047121063893noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273270228005303883.post-60410399693775765622020-07-20T04:00:00.000-07:002020-07-20T04:00:05.500-07:00After Reading: FOUR ZINES OF ELSEWHERE by Meg Moseman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This volume collects four lovingly crafted zines/artists' books — Of Elsewhere: An Exoskeleton, Of the Firebirds, Of Unreal Identities, and Of Sorrow’s End — into a single 48-page work of fantastical (perhaps mystical) poetry, prose, and artwork.</div>
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<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Four-Zines-Elsewhere-Meg-Moseman-ebook/dp/B08C9VSYS3/ref=sr_1_1?crid=OL7EP9G6ZJYY&dchild=1&keywords=four+zines+of+elsewhere&qid=1595101890&sprefix=four+zines+%2Caps%2C231&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Pick up a copy!!</a></b></div>
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We had a chance to get to know Meg last week (<a href="https://meradethhouston.blogspot.com/2020/07/meg-moseman-author-of-four-zines-of.html#.XxOpwpNKjlw" target="_blank">check out her interview</a>!), so today I thought I'd post a review of her Four Zones of Elsewhere, which such a delight!</div>
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Meg's exploration of themes of the fantastical, as well as self exploration, are lyrical and a pleasure to explore. The artwork that accompanies them is wonderful, with a million little details to find in the bright colors and intricate designs. They fit perfectly with the poetry in surprising ways, and offer an additional layer to ways to perceive the work. I positively loved spending an afternoon reading through all of the zines together, letting them sink in with their delicious depth. My personal favorite is Of the Firebirds, which also carries my favorite artwork, and this line, which I feel is a lovely way to draw in a new reader: "Watch out, dreamers, so that you know when you have crossed out of the realm of solid things into this one, which can never be whole with the wholeness you know." There are so many parts that left me sitting back to let the idea and image roll around in my mind. This is a total delight!</div>
Meradeth Houstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06741790047121063893noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273270228005303883.post-7207152888994632062020-07-13T04:00:00.000-07:002020-07-13T04:00:03.284-07:00Meg Moseman author of FOUR ZINES OF ELSEWHERE #author #interview<i>I'm incredibly happy to introduce my friend and fellow author, Meg Moseman, to you all today! Meg and I have worked together in the library writing group for over seven years now and she has been an indispensable help in so many of my books. Her work is positively lovely and I deeply admire it (and her!), so when I learned she was making her Zines more widely available online, I was very excited! I love the combination of her artistic outlets, art and poetry, and will share more about her piece next week. But for today, <a href="https://megmoseman.com/" target="_blank">let's get to know Meg</a>! (And, should you be interested, my answers to these questions <a href="https://megmoseman.com/2020/07/13/author-interview-with-meradeth-houston/" target="_blank">can be found on her blog</a>:)</i><br />
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<b>Are you a plotter or a pantser?</b><br />
I’m a plotter who spent years trying to be a pantser. You see, Diana Wynne Jones wrote about how, for her, careful outlines “kill it dead.” I loved her accounts of her process, and I wanted mine to be like that too. Of course, (surprise!) different people are different. While I come up with wild and strange ideas when I’m lucky — in the right mood, confident enough, what have you — they don’t come on command. What’s more, I am usually not good at plots at all. They bore me. I like situations and feelings — perhaps why my published writing is poetry, even though I am probably better at prose.<br />
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<b>Who are some favorite authors, and why do they mean so much to you?</b><br />
My deepest favorites are Diana Wynne Jones and C.S. Lewis. Diana Wynne Jones is a wild, sideways, gloriously original thinker who writes twisty, sneaky, wise, literate fantasy, mostly for children. I’ll talk more about C.S. Lewis in a moment, but for now I’ll say he represents (by comparison, at least) my “left brain” (though I know that dichotomy oversimplifies the reality): bright, clear, thoughtful, reasoned, scrupulously moral — intensely emotional, too, more openly so than DWJ, but in a what I think of as a “daylight” way; there are intuitions, surreality, and dream-logic like hers, too, but they are not given as much sway. I haven’t bonded as deeply with any authors since, but, for speculative fiction, I love Jason Vanhee’s short YA horror novel Engines of the Broken World, everything I’ve read by Octavia Butler, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Charles Williams’ novels, and David Lindsay’s bizarre A Voyage to Arcturus. For classics, I especially like Hawthorne, Melville, Henry James, Dickinson, Wallace Stevens, and Blake.<br />
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<b>What inspired your most recent book?</b><br />
This book is an anthology of zines I’d made before and printed locally. In the first three zines, I took poems and snatches of prose I’d written previously and illustrated them copiously. In the fourth, the art (mostly self-portraits, defined loosely) came first, and I wrote or borrowed (from public domain sources) commentary to accompany them. All are part of a larger project I call Evernost — a prose/poetry/visual art thing revolving around a fantasy plot, a girl’s mystical experience, and the cycle of the seasons in constantly evolving ways.<br />
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<b>How does your day job as a bookstore clerk affect your creative work? Has it changed your standards? Has it changed how you look at writing?</b><br />
I started out thinking I was a middle grade or young adult writer. You’d think working in the children’s section of a bookstore would be inspirational, but even though I love my job — I work with smart, hilarious, wonderful people — engaging with books as merchandise (how many Amazon reviews? how long did it take to sell last time we had it? appealing cover?) rather than as — relationships? — records of inner worlds? — intense and unique emotional experiences? — makes me jaded and pessimistic. I think it’s given me a desire to be not only different (I hope, and half-believe, that we are all different, unique, despite our drive to shove ourselves and each other into boxes) but visibly different. I’ve wanted to mix poetry and art and prose for years, but I’m not sure I would have dared to if I hadn’t been depressed by the volume of passionate, good, careful kids’ fantasy and seen how generic it all seems from a distance. (Seems, not is. I’m vain, though; I don’t even want to seem generic, especially not to myself.)<br />
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<b>Inspiration and perspiration — in what forms does inspiration come to you? How important is “the muse” to your creative process? What parts of writing “just come” and what parts require hard work? </b><br />
My muse is — tricky. She runs away whenever I look straight at her but waves sparkly things at me that I can only see from the corner of my eye when I’m trying to work. For a few years, I could make myself write thousands of words a day whether I was “feeling it” or not, but that sense of resolve has faded, and I didn’t get satisfying results anyway. Beginnings, seeds, ideas, feelings — come (though rarely these days; I struggle to fulfill old visions rather than stumbling upon new ones). Periods of enthusiasm, which may be slightly different from inspiration itself, make work exciting rather than painful. But soon enough exhaustion sets in and everything is hard work — that’s the base state.<br />
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<b>Tricky touchy one: God. We are two pretty secular people, but we both find ourselves drawn to topics usually associated with religion (again in our different ways). Why?</b><br />
I’ve been fascinated with the trappings of religion — every religion I met, pretty much — since I was tiny and asked my parents, with giggles and unbearable embarrassment, to have me baptized. When I was thirteen came C.S. Lewis’s adult fiction and Christian apologetics, which I devoured even though I disagreed passionately with most of his arguments. Something about his imagination, his style of thinking, and his wit “clicked” with me more dramatically than any writer’s has before or since, to the point that I still can’t tell which thoughts of mine are mine and which come from something I’ve read of his. I hope that Evernost, in addition to fleshing out moments of intense inspiration, will also help me grapple with his thought.<br />
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<b>About the Author:</b><br />
Meg has enjoyed drawing, writing, and assembling books since the age when she could barely write her own name. She lives in the mountains of Montana, where she puts her English degree to use in the children’s section of an independent bookstore. In her spare time, she reads, writes, and illustrates fantasy and poetry, mostly centered on a huge project she calls her “I want to be William Blake when I grow up” project. Favorite authors include C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, Diana Wynne Jones, Kafka, Melville, Dickinson, and many others. Her poetry has appeared in Heroic Fantasy Quarterly and The Mythic Circle, and she recently self-published Four Zines of Elsewhere! Check out her <a href="http://www.amazon.com/author/megmoseman" target="_blank">Amazon author page</a>, or, if pictures are more your thing, her <a href="http://instagram.com/dreamswithopeneyes" target="_blank">Instagram</a> and her <a href="https://www.redbubble.com/people/openeyeddreams/shop" target="_blank">Redbubble</a>.<br />
<br />Meradeth Houstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06741790047121063893noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273270228005303883.post-60856854865566602902020-07-07T04:00:00.000-07:002020-07-07T04:00:00.144-07:00Book Blitz: A SPECTACLE OF SOULS by Jessica Julien<div style="margin: 0 auto 15px; text-align: center;">
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<strong>A Spectacle of Souls</strong><br /><strong>Jessica Julien</strong><br />(Circus of the Stolen #1)<br />Published by: Bleeding Ink Publishing<br />Publication date: July 7th 2020<br />Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance<br />
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Caitlyn always thought she was just your average small-town waitress, but she’s anything but average. Suffering from frequent headaches and vivid daydreams, her oddities mask a secret hidden deep within her mind—one that could defeat even the cleverest of psychics. </div>
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When a mysterious circus arrives in town, Caitlyn is immediately drawn to it. While visiting the hypnotic show, she meets a seer who warns her of a gruesome future and urges her to stay away. But soon, Caitlyn finds herself ensnared in the show and the Ringmaster himself. </div>
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Recognizing Caitlyn’s powers for what they are, and believing they are the ones he has been searching for, the Ringmaster is determined to claim them as his own. Trapped within the circus and the Ringmaster’s devious grip, Caitlyn realizes that to escape the seer’s foretold fate, her only choice is to fight. Banding together with Bevier, an imprisoned psychic, Meg, an eccentric seamstress, and Daniel, a handsome magician, Caitlyn falls into the Psychic Realm to thwart the Ringmaster and stop the show before they succumb to his control and are trapped forever in his spectacle of souls.</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52702063-a-spectacle-of-souls" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> / <a href="https://amzn.to/31AaPAj" target="_blank">Amazon</a> / <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-spectacle-of-souls-jessica-julien/1136812939?ean=2940164027919" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> / <a href="https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/a-spectacle-of-souls" target="_blank">Kobo</a></div>
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Author Bio:<br />
Born in the picturesque state of Washington, Jessica Julien is the marketing director of a boutique publishing company, a stay at home mom, wife, and wanderluster. When not drafting marketing plans or doing laundry, she spends her time writing young adult and new adult novels focused on the paranormal and supernatural inspired by her love of all things dark and twisty. With her vivacious imagination, witty personality, and ability to bring sarcasm to a new level Jessica creates unique worlds and characters that readers can't help but hate to love and love to hate. </blockquote>
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In her free time, Jessica can be found enjoying a cup of dark roasted coffee while snuggling under a blanket with a good book. When the weather is right she hops in the car with her husband, son, and dogs to road trip across the country where she delights in eating red vines, drinking iced lattes, and singing loudly in the passenger seat.<br />
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<a href="https://jessicajulien.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> / <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16795953.Jessica_Julien" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> / <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jjulienauthor/" target="_blank">Facebook</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/jjulienauthor" target="_blank">Twitter</a> / <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jessicaljulien/" target="_blank">Instagram</a></div>
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Meradeth Houstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06741790047121063893noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273270228005303883.post-86793977255205187252020-06-29T04:00:00.000-07:002020-06-29T04:00:07.441-07:00After Reading: CALVIN GETS THE LAST WORD by Margo Sorenson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Calvin’s dictionary is proud to go wherever Calvin goes —the breakfast table, school, baseball practice, and home again — helping Calvin search for the perfect word to describe his super-annoying older brother. After looking all day, Calvin finally finds the word he’s looking for at bedtime. And when he does, the dictionary is as surprised as you will be. (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51184396-calvin-gets-the-last-word?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=jSLn43Lc22&rank=1" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>)<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0884488225/ref=x_gr_w_bb_sin?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_sin-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0884488225&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2" target="_blank">Pre-order a copy now!</a></h3>
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I don't often review children's books here, but that's not because I don't adore them--I just don't get the chance to often! So, when my dear friend Margo Sorenson reached out with her upcoming release, I jumped at the chance. I am so glad I got to read this! It's positively adorable and wonderfully unique. I love that it's told from the dictionary's perspective, which is a great twist. Plus, there are some fun words to learn, woven in perfectly to the story. Calvin's relationship with his brother is authentic and made me giggle. Little boys with milk squirting out their noses? Totally funny and accompanied by illustrations that made me smile, and I know kids will crack up! Speaking of illustrations, Mike Deas does a great job bringing the household and school to life, with great little details readers will enjoy exploring right alongside the new words. Overall, a wonderful book, heartfelt and fun, and perfect for classroom read or at home with some siblings :)</div>
<br />Meradeth Houstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06741790047121063893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273270228005303883.post-87968708078329217852020-05-11T04:00:00.000-07:002020-05-11T04:00:01.675-07:00After Reading: ELEANOR & PARK by Rainbow Rowell<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Eleanor is the new girl in town, and with her chaotic family life, her mismatched clothes and unruly red hair, she couldn't stick out more if she tried.</i><br />
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<i>Park is the boy at the back of the bus. Black T-shirts, headphones, head in a book - he thinks he's made himself invisible. But not to Eleanor... never to Eleanor.</i><br />
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<i>Slowly, steadily, through late-night conversations and an ever-growing stack of mix tapes, Eleanor and Park fall for each other. They fall in love the way you do the first time, when you're young, and you feel as if you have nothing and everything to lose. </i>(<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15745753-eleanor-park" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>)<br />
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I know, another book report ;) They're just easier right now, while I try to find a good groove for getting into blogging again. The world lately hasn't helped much with finding that mojo. It's just...such a mess. My heart aches for those who have lost loved ones. For the sick, for the lonely. It's hard to focus on much else. Except books. I have been reading quite a lot. Writing is slow and sticky, but also happening. Now that my tough spring semester is over, I'm planning on making words on the page a better habit. We'll see if I manage it! Anyhow, on to this book:<br />
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I've heard about a million rave reviews for this novel. So many people madly LOVE it. I'm afraid this won't be that kind of review. I honestly didn't find much in it that I could identify with. I love YA and this book made me question whether I've gotten too old to enjoy such a novel. It's hard to say. But, while it was interesting and I finished it, I just...didn't care for it. The characters were fine, the writing wonderful, but while I was a kid in the 80's, I don't remember much of it. Mix tapes were sort of a thing, but I didn't ever really get into them. I didn't date until college; I never really had that whole "fall in love the way you do the first time" while young, which is an experience central to the novel. So, the novel itself just kind of fell flat for me. And Eleanor. God. Her household was horrific and entirely troublesome, and perhaps hit a little too close to home. And on some level, I wanted to see her win. Like, I read so that I can see the characters win over their adversaries--to give me a little hope that it's possible. But Eleanor just...didn't. She survived, yes, and there's good in that. But I wanted to see her crawl out of herself a bit more, to have a way to win. It just bothered me to watch her let everything happen to her and never seem to stand up on her own. Yes, yes, it's important to have books like that, too. But I guess it just didn't hit me right. I've meant to check out more of Rowell's work, but honestly, I'm not too sure I want to now. Maybe in the future I'll find myself drawn to something with a bit of a different theme :)Meradeth Houstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06741790047121063893noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273270228005303883.post-80830278012097372662020-04-27T03:30:00.000-07:002020-04-27T03:30:04.705-07:00After Reading: THE LIBRARY OF THE UNWRITTEN by AJ Hackwith<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>In the first book in a brilliant new fantasy series, books that aren't finished by their authors reside in the Library of the Unwritten in Hell, and it is up to the Librarian to track down any restless characters who emerge from those unfinished stories.</i><br />
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<i>Many years ago, Claire was named Head Librarian of the Unwritten Wing—a neutral space in Hell where all the stories unfinished by their authors reside. Her job consists mainly of repairing and organizing books, but also of keeping an eye on restless stories that risk materializing as characters and escaping the library. When a Hero escapes from his book and goes in search of his author, Claire must track and capture him with the help of former muse and current assistant Brevity and nervous demon courier Leto.</i><br />
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<i>But what should have been a simple retrieval goes horrifyingly wrong when the terrifyingly angelic Ramiel attacks them, convinced that they hold the Devil's Bible. The text of the Devil's Bible is a powerful weapon in the power struggle between Heaven and Hell, so it falls to the librarians to find a book with the power to reshape the boundaries between Heaven, Hell ... and Earth.</i> (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41961994-the-library-of-the-unwritten" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>)<br />
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Oh, this was SUCH a fun read! As an author, and a reader, the idea of books becoming "real" is always enticing. Who hasn't wanted to enter a favorite book and live there? Or as an author, to have their book become real? For me, while immersed in the written word, those moments when they become the world around me--when I disappear within them--are bliss. And this novel explores that and how characters can become real. (This reminds me a bit of the Velveteen Rabbit--something that's referenced in the book as well, but it definitely rung true.) It's such an interesting idea too: a library of unwritten books. And yes, it totally made me think of those books that live on my harddrive and are never going to be finished. Sorry to those characters stuck in generally not-so-pleasant place! There are so many lines within the book, too, that just made me have to close my eyes and savor them. The story itself is fun and fast paced and intriguing. The characters are positively wonderful, too, and I deeply loved Claire and them all. I can't wait for the next one!Meradeth Houstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06741790047121063893noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273270228005303883.post-68863933283989795202020-04-13T04:00:00.000-07:002020-04-13T04:00:04.362-07:00New Covers for the Sary Books! It's been a little over a month since I last posted, but it feels like years. I do hope you are all staying home and staying healthy in these strange times. It's definitely a little scary out! Things here in Montana are going okay, although I'm honestly sick to death of zoom. I've been averaging about 4-5 hours a day on it for meetings and class and I'm so done with talking to my computer. At least we've had a little nicer weather to allow us to hit the local trails (when they're not too busy--Missoula is an outdoor community so we've had to turn around a few times when it's clear we won't be able to maintain distance). Still, I'm very much looking forward to this all being over, although I imagine that won't be really until we have a vaccine in a good long while.<br />
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Anyhow, on a writing note, I've really struggled to get words on the page lately. Like, I spend so much time on my computer, I do not want to sit and look at the screen any longer. Plus, just being generally worried about people and things has made it hard to focus. But, I've been productive in other ways! I recently had my rights for my backlist Sary books returned to me, so I've had a little fun putting together new covers and getting those back online. Check em out!<br />
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“They are everywhere, can be anyone, and are always the last person you’d expect.”<br />
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When Tom stumbles across his grandfather’s journal, he’s convinced the old man was crazier than he thought. The book contains references to beings called the Sary, immortals who are assigned to save humans on the verge of suicide. They certainly aren’t allowed to fall in love with mortals. The journal claims Tom’s grandfather did just that, resulting in his expulsion from the Sary. As strange as the journal seems, Tom can’t get the stories out of his head; especially when he finds the photo of his grandfather’s wings.<br />
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Tom’s only distraction is Ari, the girl he studies with for their chemistry class. Ari has one goal when she arrives in town: see how much Tom knows about the Sary and neutralize the situation. This isn’t a normal job, but protecting the secrecy of the Sary is vital. If Tom is a threat to exposing the Sary to the public, fate has a way of taking care of the situation, usually ending with the mortal’s death. While Ari spends time with Tom, he becomes more than just an assignment, but how far can a relationship go when she can’t tell him who she really is? When she finds out just how much Tom actually knows about the Sary, Ari is forced to choose between her wings, and her heart.<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08695VCHN/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i5" target="_blank">THE CHEMISTRY OF FATE on Amazon</a></div>
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Julia has a secret: she killed the man she loved. It was an accident—sort of.<br />
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Julia is a Sary, the soul of a child who died before taking her first breath. Without this 'breath of life' she and others like her must help those on the verge of suicide. It's a job Julia used to enjoy, until the accident that claimed her partner's life—an accident she knows was her fault. If living with the guilt weren't enough, she's now assigned to help a girl dealing with the loss of her mother, something Julia's not exactly the best role model for. If she can't figure out a way to help her, Julia's going to lose her position in the Sary, something she swore to her partner would never happen.<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B086PQ4324/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i3" target="_blank">COLORS LIKE MEMORIES on Amazon</a></div>
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Gabby lives by two unbreakable rules: don’t expose her kind, the Sary, and don’t fall in love—too bad some rules are made to be broken.<br />
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When Gabby’s most difficult charge accidently shoots her in front of a class full of students, the event exposes her carefully hidden identity. She shifts from looking like a normal teen to her secret Sary form, revealing her wings and the existence of her kind—immortals who try to keep people from committing suicide. Her incident attracts the attention of the next leader of the Sary, Jassen, who offers her an impossible bargain: she can keep her wings if she makes amends with those who know the truth. Things get more complicated when a rebel Sary, intent on exposing them to the world, starts interfering with Gabby’s work. And there’s no denying her attraction to Jassen, who is torn between his duties and his heart. With threats at every turn and her immortality on the line, Gabby has to find a way to save the Sary or surrender the sky forever.<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B086JV1V5S/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i4" target="_blank">SURRENDER THE SKY on Amazon</a></div>
Meradeth Houstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06741790047121063893noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273270228005303883.post-8915314071952291402020-03-02T04:00:00.000-08:002020-03-02T04:00:08.673-08:00After Reading: THE SIXTH WORLD books 1 & 2 by Rebecca RoanhorseWelcome to March!! Hopefully spring is beginning to show her face, even if just a little bit. Montana actually has had some beautiful weather lately and it's beyond amazing.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36373295-trail-of-lightning" target="_blank">TRAIL OF LIGHTNING</a> and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37920490-storm-of-locusts" target="_blank">STORM OF LOCUSTS</a>. People, if you haven't read these yet, go snag copies <b>now</b>. You won't regret it. They're quick reads that grab you and don't let go. Plus, I am a majorly huge fan for Navajo mythology, mainly because my research centers on this part of the world, and these are honestly like book-crack. I couldn't put them down, and it's one of those few series where I stalk the author online now in hopes of word of when we'll get the next few books. I'm hard pressed to name what makes these books so well done: the world building is fantastic, they're unique, the pacing is spot-on, but really it comes down to some utterly wonderful characters. Maggie, the MC, is fabulous. She's been through some serious sh!t, and that's evident and shapes her in ways that are realistic and tough, but she's also someone I'd love to sit down and talk to for a bit. Or just watch. Honestly, it's a bit of a girl-crush :) Anyhow, this series isn't to be missed, and the next one needs to come out soooooooon!Meradeth Houstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06741790047121063893noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273270228005303883.post-78233625600144138442020-02-10T04:00:00.000-08:002020-02-10T04:00:09.540-08:00After Reading: THE BROKEN EARTH series by NK Jemisin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I picked up <i>The Fifth Season</i> while traveling over the summer, and ended up promptly inhaling it. Of course, I had to continue on to the rest of the series, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/112296-the-broken-earth" target="_blank">The Broken Earth</a>. This post-apocalyptic tale, spun out over three novels and several years, does an excellent job of grounding everyone in a world where things have gone wrong. Really wrong. The earth is in revolt, and humanity has managed to scrape by for the last few thousand years out of mostly sheer luck...and people who have the ability to control the earth and sometimes tame the horrors that occur. The world building is superb and fantastic, and I love the nuance and layers that are built in and spun out over the books. It brings the story alive. And while that element is fantastic, it's truly the characters that make this series absolutely wonderful. The first novel, especially, was so artfully done in bringing things together at the end in a way that was so utterly satisfying. Essun, the main character, goes through so very much throughout the tale, and yet her humanity, her humanness that encapsulates her loves and hates and frustrations--that all comes through. At times, it felt like she was standing beside me, whispering the story she was relating in my ear. Truly, she leapt off the page, as did all the rest of the characters, with their multitude of complications and personalities. What a read!</div>
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In case my gushing doesn't make it obvious, this is worth a read! Be sure to check it out--you will not be disappointed. </div>
Meradeth Houstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06741790047121063893noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273270228005303883.post-33703705351345291102020-02-03T04:30:00.000-08:002020-02-03T04:30:00.687-08:00Guess who has fallen off the blogging bandwagon? #amwritingI enjoy blogging. I really do. But it seems lately to be the first thing to go if I end up getting busy. And lately, well, there's been more work to do than hours in the day. I know I say that a lot, but 'tis the truth :)<div>
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So, what has been up lately? Well, lots! <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZCD958Z/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0" target="_blank">THE COINCIDENCE MAKERS</a> is out in the world. Have you snagged a copy?</div>
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I'm busy trying to put together the sequel, which has been a blast to write. I love the characters and being able to get back into their world!</div>
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Work is work. <i>Busy</i>. I have six of my dozen graduate students finishing this spring and it's a bit of a herding-cats scenario. Fun, but definitely taking up all of my time. Eeking out a few hours to write a week is a challenge.</div>
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It's been a really weird winter here in Montana. Almost no snow in the Missoula valley. It was 60F here yesterday, which is unheard of. Freaks me out for sure, although there's a part of me that loves the more California-like winter.</div>
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I've been busy trying to plan my nuptials for this coming summer. Wedding planning is not for the faint of heart, nor is it terribly awesome. Like, why must there be so much pressure to make this crazy expensive party? While my inner anthropologist analyzes this, I can't seem to escape the intense need to ensure I do it "right."</div>
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Life rolls on at a breakneck speed and I struggle to find the quiet happy moments. I read a lot at night. I long for summer. I snuggle with my puppies. And I hope for moments where I don't feel as if I'm constantly failing to attain some impossible goal. Things get easier at some point, don't they?</div>
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Meradeth Houstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06741790047121063893noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273270228005303883.post-947055653839769802019-11-04T04:30:00.000-08:002019-11-04T04:30:02.032-08:00Deleted Scenes and Book Trailers for THE COINCIDENCE MAKERS! #amreadingOh, wow, people, it's been a busy month! Or over a month. Yikes! I am doing my best to keep on top of things, but life just is unrelenting. Shrug.<br />
<a href="https://winkgo.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/67-Hilarious-Teacher-Memes-53-720x679.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="679" data-original-width="720" height="188" src="https://winkgo.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/67-Hilarious-Teacher-Memes-53-720x679.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
"Be an academic," they said. "It'll be fun!" They said. Uh huh. So. Much. Fun...<br />
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But, I do have a book coming out! Like, WHOA, finally :) LOL! I wrote <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Coincidence-Makers-Meradeth-Houston-ebook/dp/B07ZCD958Z/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&ref_=dbs_a_w_dp_b07zcd958z" target="_blank"><b>THE COINCIDENCE MAKERS</b></a> like years ago (umm, 4 I think?) and we're finally seeing the light. I can't wait for everyone to meet Ami and Luke! <b>November 19th </b>will be here in a blink. Anyhow, I'm talking about coincidences and synchronicities over on the <a href="http://www.untetheredrealms.com/2019/11/coincidences-and-synchronicities.html" target="_blank">Untethered Realms blog today</a>, and delving into how those play into where stories come from. Come say hello!<br />
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And, if you're really up for some fun, <a href="https://mailchi.mp/9a26b2702f6b/a-special-treat-about-the-coincidence-makers-by-meradeth-houston" target="_blank">I have a deleted scene I sent out yesterday with my newsletter</a>. I promise it's lots of fun and worth the read, especially if you love giant coincidences that will blow your mind a little (this one is based on a true life story!).<br />
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And now for the super fun book trailer for the book!<br />
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<!--End mc_embed_signup-->Meradeth Houstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06741790047121063893noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273270228005303883.post-23053556958767550732019-10-14T04:00:00.000-07:002019-10-14T04:00:03.593-07:00Cover Reveal for THE COINCIDENCE MAKERS by Meradeth Houston (and some #NYCC!) #amreading<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Alrighty, I've been teasing about the release for <i>The Coincidence Makers</i> for, like, years now. I know I'm not supposed to have favorites among my books, but I do. I totally do. And this one is definitely a book of my heart. So, I really hope people enjoy it :) Let's see that cover, shall we?</span><br />
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<a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1570755128l/48409288._SY475_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="320" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1570755128l/48409288._SY475_.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
In THE COINCIDENCE MAKERS, by Meradeth Houston, as far as Ami’s concerned, invisibility is good for three things: bank vaults, men’s locker rooms, and saving the world.<br />
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For Ami and her partner, Luke, becoming invisible is part of their job. Their mysterious employer assigns them to make “coincidences” happen, from reuniting long lost lovers to toppling empires. For their next job, they must stop a bio-terrorism attack on San Francisco. To pull it off, they’ll have to break into illegal labs and federal buildings that make bank vaults seem easy.<br />
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Working side by side to arrange the coincidence, Ami hopes for a chance to finally push their relationship past the friend-zone. Her telepathic link with Luke has made it hard to keep her feelings secret for so many years. But just when things start to heat up between them, they accidentally alert the FBI to their existence. Now agents are chasing them down hilly streets and invading their homes in the middle of the night.<br />
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With three days until the attack, Ami and Luke must escape their FBI tail while keeping their own emotions from getting in the way. That’s not an easy task when their telepathy goes on the fritz and their only lead for who’s behind the plague just might be the one who releases it. With millions of lives hanging in the balance, they’re going to need more than a coincidence to pull it all off.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48409288-the-coincidence-makers" target="_blank">Click Here to Add!!</a></td></tr>
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I had a wonderful time showing my book off recently at New York Comic Con, which was so incredible. Mind blowing and intense and so many amazing costumes and just whoa! Plus, I'd never managed to make it to New York before so it was a whole lot of fun getting to explore the city a bit. Here are a couple of my pics, for those of you who may have missed them on my social media:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip-sZTWrNTbigrM-ES9gvNGyV3knFVUl2xgw5G5cUWACAYJT-j9gCIraUNWThZO96oLzUimJC_ECW7FpTLVU4nxVaBsD6E0YDzgNxQi-1RodFopKHPmyRKtIGEnF5ROlpnC4d8Jf8lUIP4/s1600/video_0_b08c434c173d491c89e38941b819c550.mp4" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip-sZTWrNTbigrM-ES9gvNGyV3knFVUl2xgw5G5cUWACAYJT-j9gCIraUNWThZO96oLzUimJC_ECW7FpTLVU4nxVaBsD6E0YDzgNxQi-1RodFopKHPmyRKtIGEnF5ROlpnC4d8Jf8lUIP4/s320/video_0_b08c434c173d491c89e38941b819c550.mp4" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, being the dork that I am, displaying my cool new cover :)</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7SNyN5beyX15Sdp0JB-QGVkrfM9qn-JAJRZkQBqIB-sxA3K1PnLS0yhvYgR2Y-pZHVLmic5fHnIj5iNz8XNvL3OOjZPLQMALW3STacw7auGPmvDIDKv3vJ3vsoRoNUH04w5hobeiaAbrP/s1600/FB544AE0-3067-4A5A-A029-85A985655F45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="901" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7SNyN5beyX15Sdp0JB-QGVkrfM9qn-JAJRZkQBqIB-sxA3K1PnLS0yhvYgR2Y-pZHVLmic5fHnIj5iNz8XNvL3OOjZPLQMALW3STacw7auGPmvDIDKv3vJ3vsoRoNUH04w5hobeiaAbrP/s320/FB544AE0-3067-4A5A-A029-85A985655F45.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwGWRa92D-HAWm-q5R11MiXKTuIfU3A7gOa1I3EorxvwLdWKxdlcMIGZEfd44vXgxgc3ww9ucbYiubSlzA7_sPCIrQ6y349YPrCnl1SVRmsYoeynnkXGUOOPWSE7LhQozWgOkaNoKeeJqB/s1600/79DDE9EB-3A5A-45C5-8CE7-46A09CD32A47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="901" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwGWRa92D-HAWm-q5R11MiXKTuIfU3A7gOa1I3EorxvwLdWKxdlcMIGZEfd44vXgxgc3ww9ucbYiubSlzA7_sPCIrQ6y349YPrCnl1SVRmsYoeynnkXGUOOPWSE7LhQozWgOkaNoKeeJqB/s320/79DDE9EB-3A5A-45C5-8CE7-46A09CD32A47.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In case that's not super easy to see, that's Garth Nix and Veronica Roth, just a couple of the cool authors I got to see and listen to. Talk about a huge creativity boost!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="901" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxkJDrIQAi0mZUtVKLXka-EjDXZ9xXdXBW7_eym1Q-4yJJ1kx1Ch2ZecwrzFGmo2GPIAcoIXyokBK1U6IBn52pYusz-h1iFgtyoKySlUMe5tYn9V-ccpJowmQp9TLoP9a6qSZOOnEODp3f/s320/ABD93ADF-F827-4952-B717-23E13F9F46EE.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="180" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My publishing family (minus my agent)!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6mtsTJe-iTD4bLRaQooEnmmrQXkUpw3Yq0rVLDIK-3o43xln7nRD4SO8-gZAxC1QNNV55uzN82s96DhQWCl_30DcqbAlMWrs3iB_lIIrhIM6c4VQC_HlWR-zZ7JAtS7CO-AZnq9NCepFc/s1600/8D28EB58-AD17-4030-87D9-D4D136163AFE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="901" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6mtsTJe-iTD4bLRaQooEnmmrQXkUpw3Yq0rVLDIK-3o43xln7nRD4SO8-gZAxC1QNNV55uzN82s96DhQWCl_30DcqbAlMWrs3iB_lIIrhIM6c4VQC_HlWR-zZ7JAtS7CO-AZnq9NCepFc/s320/8D28EB58-AD17-4030-87D9-D4D136163AFE.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghub0qWXNtJdleGiK0mZI-1SSLJeEvBqL9ul4sQcoGQoR59WFfWF9muUPv4DKCBrLcDwMdLe0aMQQwia9qr8MRxJYjiYRpLECHlSMl0l9h1ty_ixjdLmiI2wRrE48HDDYDDXKdNG5ouO0n/s1600/C3AKlSRQRkqXZboL%2525k0Fbw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghub0qWXNtJdleGiK0mZI-1SSLJeEvBqL9ul4sQcoGQoR59WFfWF9muUPv4DKCBrLcDwMdLe0aMQQwia9qr8MRxJYjiYRpLECHlSMl0l9h1ty_ixjdLmiI2wRrE48HDDYDDXKdNG5ouO0n/s320/C3AKlSRQRkqXZboL%2525k0Fbw.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">While exploring the city, I left a copy of Someone Else's Soul out for people to find. Totally loved doing that and am gonna do it again here soon!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-WxeQAIJqzZ5EsuDQu5eYBgAOlJeOeIbnhOQn9AYDwQtXVTt5D51dzkjyAwAjCpfkfbkEWkfb7QXIUQodc6mkN8AdOx1EM_PRVRkuGycM4YFn9j6v7BwYjU2CNp8FFmxgJg-dw_SU2Mk/s1600/CF14079F-E9E7-44D9-9526-E2A3550DD047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="901" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-WxeQAIJqzZ5EsuDQu5eYBgAOlJeOeIbnhOQn9AYDwQtXVTt5D51dzkjyAwAjCpfkfbkEWkfb7QXIUQodc6mkN8AdOx1EM_PRVRkuGycM4YFn9j6v7BwYjU2CNp8FFmxgJg-dw_SU2Mk/s320/CF14079F-E9E7-44D9-9526-E2A3550DD047.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIdSMb_TscT-P9j0loGlZLSSotEXsJDs4xKVkvYGwfntTCcbCYEg-pN8wo8g8HAIjNp4csnWnEJbdZy01To7RAuIFgSFZPFfRLuUSKmdsbCQgoAI5OPg-RADHva5VGWI0sxJidj8k5tIGm/s1600/E179AB55-9A00-4438-9CF7-C8E7553EAB15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="901" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIdSMb_TscT-P9j0loGlZLSSotEXsJDs4xKVkvYGwfntTCcbCYEg-pN8wo8g8HAIjNp4csnWnEJbdZy01To7RAuIFgSFZPFfRLuUSKmdsbCQgoAI5OPg-RADHva5VGWI0sxJidj8k5tIGm/s320/E179AB55-9A00-4438-9CF7-C8E7553EAB15.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I ate a lot while in the city. A LOT. Because I never get to have amazing international food in Montana.</td></tr>
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Okay, just a few of my silly shots! Hope you enjoy and definitely there'll be more news about THE COINCIDENCE MAKERS in this place as release date nears!Meradeth Houstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06741790047121063893noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273270228005303883.post-19898621662710954552019-09-23T04:00:00.000-07:002019-09-23T04:00:02.459-07:00After Reading: THE FIFTH SEASON by NK Jemisin #amreading<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386803701l/19161852.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="320" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386803701l/19161852.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the way the world ends. Again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Three terrible things happen in a single day. Essun, a woman living an ordinary life in a small town, comes home to find that her husband has brutally murdered their son and kidnapped their daughter. Meanwhile, mighty Sanze -- the world-spanning empire whose innovations have been civilization's bedrock for a thousand years -- collapses as most of its citizens are murdered to serve a madman's vengeance. And worst of all, across the heart of the vast continent known as the Stillness, a great red rift has been been torn into the heart of the earth, spewing ash enough to darken the sky for years. Or centuries.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now Essun must pursue the wreckage of her family through a deadly, dying land. Without sunlight, clean water, or arable land, and with limited stockpiles of supplies, there will be war all across the Stillness: a battle royale of nations not for power or territory, but simply for the basic resources necessary to get through the long dark night. Essun does not care if the world falls apart around her. She'll break it herself, if she must, to save her daughter. </span>(<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19161852-the-fifth-season">Goodreads</a>)<br />
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I stumbled across this one while perusing the bookstore and wasn't completely sold on it at first, mainly because I'm not a huge fan of dystopia (I seem to get enough of that watching the news...). But, a discussion with my fiance and the Nebula it won tilted the book into my purchase pile and I brought it home. There, I promptly devoured it. It is one helluva read. Twists and turns and the three storylines all so artfully brought together. I absolutely loved it and am already enjoying the next in the series. It's very different in parts--the second-tense telling for one of the threads was always a bit jarring when I'd get to those chapters for the first paragraph or two--but I enjoyed the pacing and characters and fitting it all together. Epic novel and well worth checking out if you haven't!<br />
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<b>What have you been enjoying reading lately?</b>Meradeth Houstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06741790047121063893noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273270228005303883.post-38451222885426981852019-09-16T04:00:00.000-07:002019-09-16T04:00:07.089-07:00Upcoming Events! #amwritingWow has it been one insane summer! Things have finally started to settle in a bit in my new digs, as well as the start of the new semester (as a tenured professor, too!). Summer was too short, as ever, and as things start to creep into fall, there are a few things coming up that I am SO excited about. Whatever might I be up to? Well....<br />
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This is probably the most squee-worthy event that I've ever been to! I'm still in shock that I am going to the <a href="https://www.newyorkcomiccon.com/NYCC-NOW/">New York Comic Con</a> and having a book signing! Holy. Sh!t. I haven't been to NYC before and honestly am unable to contain my excitement to see the places that are featured in so many of my favorite novels. Plus, I get to meet with the amazing other authors from Bleeding Ink Publishing, see the rest of the Con events, and am totally going to geek out like crazy. If you're around, come see us!!<br />
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The other biggie in my world this fall is that <i>The Coincidence Makers</i> will be releasing! Dates have shifted a bit but I'll be sure to post a LOT about this upcoming book as I'm so stoked to share it with the world. It's one of my particularly favorite book-babies and I hope people enjoy it as much as I loved writing it.<br />
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<b>What is going on this fall in your worlds? </b>Meradeth Houstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06741790047121063893noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273270228005303883.post-24513887150309307732019-08-26T04:00:00.000-07:002019-08-26T04:00:05.568-07:00After Reading: TIME'S CONVERT...and...THE GIRL WHO COULD MOVE SH*T WITH HER MINDYeah, so, blogging...not been with it all that well of late. I need to remedy this. I also need to do about ten million other things, so we'll see how it all works out :) It's not that I don't enjoy writing here, it's more that I find it hard to get it accomplished every week. Habit, I assume, would help! Anyhow, I have been reading, as much as I possibly can, and have a few recommends:<br />
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<i>On the battlefields of the American Revolution, Matthew de Clermont meets Marcus MacNeil, a young surgeon from Massachusetts, during a moment of political awakening when it seems that the world is on the brink of a brighter future. When Matthew offers him a chance at immortality and a new life free from the restraints of his puritanical upbringing, Marcus seizes the opportunity to become a vampire. But his transformation is not an easy one and the ancient traditions and responsibilities of the de Clermont family clash with Marcus's deeply held beliefs in liberty, equality, and brotherhood.</i><br />
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<i>Fast-forward to contemporary Paris, where Phoebe Taylor--the young employee at Sotheby's whom Marcus has fallen for--is about to embark on her own journey to immortality. Though the modernized version of the process at first seems uncomplicated, the couple discovers that the challenges facing a human who wishes to be a vampire are no less formidable than they were in the eighteenth century. The shadows that Marcus believed he'd escaped centuries ago may return to haunt them both--forever.</i> (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45162277-time-s-convert">Goodreads</a>)<br />
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I have adored this series so much. The world building and characters and depth is lovely to get lost in. I've also started following the online community that are also fans and am blown away by the others who follow and think and daydream about this series--it's impressive! (Also, I'll admit, there's a part of me that hopes to someday have the same sort of following...wishful thinking to be sure!) Anyhow, I loved getting to see more of the characters beyond the previous books, to learn more about Marcus, and to understand more about their pasts. While there isn't a huge arc to this novel, I did deeply enjoy it, mainly because the world is just so much fun to exist in. Also, minor plug for the TV show, which is actually really well done and very fun!<br />
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<i>For Teagan Frost, sh*t just got real.</i><br />
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<i>Teagan Frost is having a hard time keeping it together. Sure, she's got telekinetic powers—a skill that the government is all too happy to make use of, sending her on secret break-in missions that no ordinary human could carry out. But all she really wants to do is kick back, have a beer, and pretend she's normal for once.</i><br />
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<i>But then a body turns up at the site of her last job—murdered in a way that only someone like Teagan could have pulled off. She's got 24 hours to clear her name—and it's not just her life at stake. If she can't unravel the conspiracy in time, her hometown of Los Angeles will be in the crosshairs of an underground battle that's on the brink of exploding...</i> (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41155087-the-girl-who-could-move-sh-t-with-her-mind">Goodreads</a>)<br />
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Well, this novel couldn't be more different than the one above if it tried. Actually, there are some commonalities: good world building, great characters, and someplace I enjoy spending time. Honestly, in reading this, I felt like this novel was a whole lot more in line with what I write than anything else: tons of action, a lot of running for their lives, and a delightfully sassy MC who has a unique ability. Granted, this is about a thousand times better than what I write, but whatever. It's a fun romp and I am very excited that there will be more to the series! Also, kudos to the author for making note that GENETICS CAN NOT GIVE YOU PSYCHOKINESIS. Sorry, just doesn't work that way. Sure, some of the other things that Tegan's siblings deal with are possible potentially, but genetics is not going to allow you to move stuff with your mind ;) Anyhow, from this scientist, that was a solid thumbs up.Meradeth Houstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06741790047121063893noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273270228005303883.post-64534532868183155632019-07-22T04:00:00.000-07:002019-07-22T04:00:09.801-07:00After Reading: TOTEM #1-3 by author Christine Rains #amreading<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It’s a dark day when someone murders one of their own.<br />
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Shifters across Alaska are going missing. When up and coming interior designer Ametta Dorn rescues the gorgeous Kodiak shifter Lucky Osberg, she comes into the crosshairs of two relentless hunters. While Lucky sets his sights on wooing her, the killers seek to not only capture her in her powerful polar bear form but to also take her skin.<br />
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To prevent her murder and the deaths of other shifters, she must work with Lucky to track down and stop these merciless hunters. After all, their enemy’s plan for shifter skins is something much more terrifying than collecting mere trophies. (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31675146-dark-dawning?from_search=true">Goodreads</a>)<br />
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t’s not only the dead who whisper upon the wind.<br />
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An ancient totem pole has gone missing, and its pieces are scattered across Alaska. Restoring the seven totem tokens may be the only way to save every shifter in the world.<br />
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Kinley Dorn, a geeky architect with a heart of gold and a polar bear shifter, jumps at the opportunity to help her family find the lost pieces. Their idea of “helping” involves staying indoors to research online. Work leads Kinley to sexy lynx shifter Ransom Averill. He coaxes her away from the safety behind her computer and into the path of a rampaging giant. Terrifying as the monster might be, she must brave its mountain because the owl totem is calling to her through silent whispers. (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31676269-silent-whispers?from_search=true">Goodreads</a>)<br />
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No one messes with Saskia Dorn’s family and gets away with it.<br />
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The same murderous shifters who had hunted her sister have attempted to steal a magical totem pole. Since the pieces are scattered across Alaska, Saskia, a polar bear shifter, takes her search to the tundra for any signs of the lost totems.<br />
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Instead she finds Sedge, the latest reincarnation of the old Inuit Bear god, who just happens to be the man who broke her heart.<br />
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They come across a small native village tormented by the Jinxioc, evil gnomes with an appetite for human flesh. Sedge declares he will rid the people of the menace, believing a totem token is nearby affecting the devils’ behavior. At his side, Saskia battles to save the tribesmen, but it could mean sacrificing herself. (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31676307-cloak-of-snow?from_search=true">Goodreads</a>)<br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Okay, so it's been a busy summer around here. I have pretty much had to come to accept that my setting for getting anything done is at the <i>Panic And Stress </i>level all the time. Not good for my health or sanity, but I guess I make shit happen... lol! But, I do read a lot. I'm majorly behind on my reviews, but I loved the first three of this series (still working on the rest) so figured I'd do a lump review:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The start of this wonderful series had me up really late reading. The characters are so interesting and I really enjoyed the sister's dynamic, their differences, and how they've all struggled with their family's history, their sense of self, and then the challenge's placed before them now. Each book was a great adventure, and they way they all wove together was expertly done. Plus, it's adorable to see the three sisters handle relationships and their regular lives on top of the dark and terrifying dangers they face. I devoured the first three books in a flash and can't wait to finish out the series!</span>Meradeth Houstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06741790047121063893noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273270228005303883.post-38971527231271197662019-06-24T04:00:00.000-07:002019-06-24T04:00:01.122-07:00Science for Authors: Why Would You Clone A Dinosaur? #amwritingWhile I don't work with cloning in my laboratory, one of the questions I get asked all of the time is whether or not we'll be able to clone/revive extinct species. Jurassic Park movies of course play a role in this, and there has been plenty of other articles/books/TV shows that talk about the potential of bringing back extinct species.<br />
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So, first of all, when people think of this, most of the time it's the idea of bringing back mammoths, or dinosaurs, or something big and amazing from earth's history. But, really, there are a few other things to consider: many species have been driven extinct by human actions and bringing them back may aid in restoring the ecology of places that now no longer have a species that was necessary to fill whatever niche the extinct species filled. This has always struck me as a something that would be really amazing to do, as maybe we could help repair some of the damage humans have done to the natural world.<br />
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But, of course, that's not what most people think about :) Many would love to see a T-Rex in person (so long as they wouldn't be eaten!), and there are other cool things that would be awe inspiring. Here's the thing: with our current technology, we don't have access to the DNA from dinosaurs. Yep, even if it's stuck in amber. See, DNA degrades with time, just like the rest of our body. So the longer it's been since the organism was alive, the less "good" DNA that we can read is around. This makes any sort of ability to make say, a T-Rex, really hard.<br />
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There are other species, like mammoths, where we do have pretty decent DNA, as there have been nearly whole individuals locked in the permafrost and recently found. From these, though, we still have the issue of their DNA being degraded. It's like having a huge puzzle of billions of little pieces (the basepairs of A, T, C, & G that make up all our genomes) that have been broken into tiny pieces. Making sure all the pieces are there, and put back together in the right way, is not so easy. In reality, we don't have 100% of any mammoths genome to date, as there are always a few missing pieces.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir9ZQaKscajH7ATzCpeM0Cd5U5_LZr5KyGDK0AKSkRX7LJgAPLnl875kCTqJHJtWMgdXSjjHBMfBuK_l1XjwoqmEmLunPLP7WPbGOyqq7ScwyA5W8YybmVNMyEXXliYQh4FdwLfTLpD_bs/s1600/dinomeme18-56a256ba5f9b58b7d0c92bbc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="640" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir9ZQaKscajH7ATzCpeM0Cd5U5_LZr5KyGDK0AKSkRX7LJgAPLnl875kCTqJHJtWMgdXSjjHBMfBuK_l1XjwoqmEmLunPLP7WPbGOyqq7ScwyA5W8YybmVNMyEXXliYQh4FdwLfTLpD_bs/s320/dinomeme18-56a256ba5f9b58b7d0c92bbc.jpg" width="320" /></a>This all being said, there are a few things that could be done to clone these species. These are still pretty theoretical, and contingent on a whole lot of other technicalities I'll touch on in a bit. But, what can be done is, if we're able to identify most of the differences in the pattern of A/T/C/G's in, say, an extinct mammoth, and a closely related elephant today, it's possible to edit the elephant's genome to resemble that of a mammoth. So, go in and switch the A in an elephant's genome to the T it is in mammoths. This could be done with the CRISPR-Cas9 editing system, although the number of changes are huge and the effectiveness questionable. The other way this could be done is through back-breeding. This is basically finding two individuals with a lot of the extinct species' DNA and breeding them together. The offspring would then potentially have even more of the extinct species' DNA, and through generations of this it would be possible to end up with an few individuals with most of the ancestral genome. But then there's always the question of whether or not all of the differences between the mammoth and elephant have been found, because the original mammoth copy of the puzzle isn't the best.<br />
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The other way this could be done would be to build the genome from scratch. This is a huge undertaking--billions of basepairs all linked together in the way that a mammoth's would be--but not too impossible in the near future. Again, so long as we have a good copy of the original.<br />
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Direct cloning will never work for any of these species. That's because, in order to do so, one needs an intact and healthy cell nucleus to transfer into another cell (and egg that has had its own nucleus removed), in order to have the cell start using the genome to build a body. No really old and dead species has an nucleus/genome intact enough to do this, as, again, they degrade after death.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg817Q14ljQLRYqv_wJgBtRWTmCx8PQAhyxHbQqICrvd4D6M6n5AOKA0f_dkfmzMd75goa742v4GNzct4pL2OseGigUZkjv1gQIIoiNMuWHxPqjZWyXc7Usiq2JZdP-R7jPdQfh-u0HrMcc/s1600/scientists-say-they-can-recreate-living-dinosaurs-within-the-next-35498151.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="566" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg817Q14ljQLRYqv_wJgBtRWTmCx8PQAhyxHbQqICrvd4D6M6n5AOKA0f_dkfmzMd75goa742v4GNzct4pL2OseGigUZkjv1gQIIoiNMuWHxPqjZWyXc7Usiq2JZdP-R7jPdQfh-u0HrMcc/s320/scientists-say-they-can-recreate-living-dinosaurs-within-the-next-35498151.png" width="282" /></a>Okay, so say someone does manage to get all the mammoth changes incorporated into a genome, gets it into an egg, and it starts to replicate and grow. Those hurdles are pretty crazy hard already, but then it's necessary to get that egg implanted into a potential mother, and have her carry it to term. Anyone who is familiar with IVF knows this is hard enough in humans when the cells are our own--doing so between two species, and especially with species who have complicated reproductive timing, is even harder. We even know now that modern human mothers probably couldn't carry to term babies made with a Neanderthal father--their immune systems were incompatible. And humans and Neanderthals are super close cousin species!<br />
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But, say this all works out. A mamma elephant has a baby mammoth. Then what? How ethical is it to have a single member of a long gone species hanging around, especially if that species is known to have been highly social? Where does this individual live, when it no longer has the vast frozen tundra to wander? Honestly, it makes me kind of sad to think about what this poor individual might have to endure.<br />
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Anyhow, this is all to say, that cloning of extinct species is possible. Maybe. Easy? Definitely not. Worth it? Maybe, as we could potentially help in bringing back, say, extinct species of Galapagos tortoises or Carrier Pigeons. But if you're really hoping for a pet Velociraptor sometime, it's probably (a) not happening anytime soon, (b) maybe not the most ethical of things to do, and (c) a good way to get eaten ;)Meradeth Houstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06741790047121063893noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273270228005303883.post-13609542487590483642019-06-03T04:00:00.000-07:002019-06-03T04:00:12.945-07:00After Reading ENCHANTED INC. by Shanna Swendson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>DON'T MESS WITH HEXES</i><br />
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<i>Katie Chandler had always heard that New York is a weird and wonderful place, but this small-town Texas gal had no idea how weird until she moved there. Everywhere she goes, she sees something worth gawking at and Katie is afraid she's a little too normal to make a splash in the big city. Working for an ogre of a boss doesn't help.</i><br />
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<i>Then, seemingly out of the blue, Katie gets a job offer from Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc., a company that provides tricks of the trade to the magic community. For MSI, Katie's ordinariness is an asset.</i><br />
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<i>Lacking any bit of magic, she can easily spot a fake spell, catch hidden clauses in competitor's contracts, and detect magically disguised intruders. Suddenly, average Katie is very special indeed. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>She quickly learns that office politics are even more complicated when your new boss is a real ogre, and you have a crush on the sexy, shy, ultra powerful head of the R&D department, who is so busy fighting an evil competitor threatening to sell black magic on the street that he seems barely to notice Katie. Now it's up to Katie to pull off the impossible: save the world and--hopefully--live happily ever after.</i> (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/603398.Enchanted_Inc_">Goodreads</a>)<br />
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Okay, so opening mention: my agent asked me to read this as I started in on revisions on my WIP. So, while reading, I was being extra picky and trying to parse out a lot of what was going on at the writing level, and less at the general-reading level. Which may be a bit why I found the plot itself to be a bit lacking. Like, I wanted to see more happen. It seemed to take until the very last chapter for that to occur, and even then I found myself doing going "wait, all that build up for <i>that</i>?" LOL! Okay, that's me being uber critical. The best thing about this book was the way the setting and characters were described. I loved the writing and the creativity of the setting and world. It was hilarious and very well done. Katie, while a tad bit of a Mary Sue, was also engaging and had a quick mind and was well drawn. There were a few times when I wanted her to be more active in her predicament, but how she responded to the world around her fit well with how she'd been put together. Anyhow, overall, I am curious to check out the rest of the series, but have a long list of other reads to check out ahead of that, as well as my own WIP... :)Meradeth Houstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06741790047121063893noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273270228005303883.post-71645919793826367272019-05-28T04:00:00.000-07:002019-05-28T04:00:15.671-07:00Three Weeks Post Release of SOMEONE ELSE'S SOULToday marks three weeks post release and I thought I'd chat here a little bit about what that's been like :) Honestly, it's been a whirlwind in many respects, both a bit amazing and a bit difficult.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Awkward photo of me at the signing.</td></tr>
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Starting with the awesome: I had such a wonderful time at my book signing! So many lovely people came, listened to me, and snagged copies of my book. It was utterly lovely. My mom even joined in, which was icing on the cake.<br />
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I also participated at MisCon, our local sci-fi and fantasy convention, over Memorial Day weekend. This was super fun, as always, and I had a good time discussing all the ins and outs of writing with people, along with how to use science and anthropology to be better world builders and writers. While I am certainly not any kind of expert, I had a wonderful time and learned just as much from listening to the other lovely authors in attendance as anyone else there.<br />
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On this kind of note, I have another book signing coming up at the end of June at our local Barnes and Noble, if you're in the area! Details will be in my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MeradethHouston/">Facebook page</a>. Hopefully I won't end up there by myself, lol! This is definitely one of my weird fears.<br />
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Now for the more honest part of things, because I tend to do that kind of thing. It's been a rough couple of weeks, both for family health reasons that I won't go into here, but also because I wish sales were better, I wish reviews were better, and I wish I knew how to work with both. Marketing has never been my strong suit, but right now I feel a bit like I'm spinning my wheels and unable to see a good way forward. I probably ought to do some reading and figure out a few things, but I keep feeling a bit:<br />
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The other thing that I've been dealing with is a few reviews that have, well...sucked. While the vast majority of the reviews have been lovely, I have had a few from people that clearly did not like the book. Fine, I know that every book is not for every reader, but it has certainly stung. I know that I've read books that I flat-out did not care for, but I often am mindful of that in a review (and won't leave ones that are utterly scathing on public places if it comes down to it). Anyhow, that's been a little hard to work past and something I need to work on.<br />
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So, where am I really? Dealing :) Working on my next novel. <i>Really</i> looking forward to the release of THE COINCIDENCE MAKERS. Marketing where I can. And generally being the kind of author that's working toward a bigger, better future!Meradeth Houstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06741790047121063893noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273270228005303883.post-36325152682596204892019-05-20T04:00:00.000-07:002019-05-20T04:00:01.944-07:00After Reading: APPARENT POWER by Dacia M. ArnoldBefore touching on the book, I just want to say a GIANT thank you to everyone who has helped support me for my book release! Someone Else's Soul has been out for a couple of weeks now and I just can't say enough about all the lovely and amazing people who have helped spread the work, write reviews, and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MKVT6YW">snag copies</a>. And thanks as well to be publishing house, <a href="http://bleedinginkpublishing.com/">Bleeding Ink Publishing</a>, because they have been awesome beyond belief :)<div>
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Okay, on to this book:</div>
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<i>A dormant gene awakens in a quarter of the world’s population and the effects are apocalyptic. With an even rarer gene, the life of Valerie Russell turns into a shocking race against time.</i></div>
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<i>When the human body begins to require more electricity than needed to keep a heart beating, cars lose power, phones no longer function, and planes fall from the sky.</i></div>
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<i>Stranded in southern Colorado, a hundred miles from home—and from her two-year-old son— Valerie must find it within herself to trek the distance with the help of a questionable assembly of ex-military friends of the family.</i></div>
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<i>But the awakening has a different effect on Valerie. While others absorb electricity, Valerie’s abilities are not as limited, making her the key to unlocking a worldwide genocide of those who were not affected.</i></div>
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<i>As she evades the rising totalitarian government, Valerie is also faced with a moral choice: risk failure and attempt to save the masses from the regime’s deadly plot or run and preserve only the lives of her family.</i></div>
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<i>How does a mother make such an impossible choice?</i> (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40553602-apparent-power">Goodreads</a>)</div>
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After reading this, I'll never see the Denver airport as anything other than creepy :) LOL! Okay, really, that's not a spoiler. But I did really enjoy being able to picture this setting so well after all the time I've been stuck in that giant labyrinth. And since my brother used to live in Colorado Springs, I instantly felt like I could put myself into the setting of this novel. Not that Arnold leaves you any time to get too comfortable with anything--this is one fast-paced novel with all kinds of twists and turns that kept me up reading way too late. Not only is the insanity that results from the situation unfolding in the novel totally believable (totalitarian gov't--totally see it!), the emotions Valerie feels ring so true. She has to face some crazy stuff, but I really liked her fortitude. Overall, a really interesting and fun read, and I'm looking forward to the next!</div>
Meradeth Houstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06741790047121063893noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273270228005303883.post-5768300298663506542019-05-06T04:00:00.000-07:002019-05-06T04:00:01.433-07:00SOMEONE ELSE'S SOUL Available This Week! #amreading #scifiIT'S FINALLY HERE!! Release day, that is :) Well, it'll be release day on Tuesday the 7th. Honestly, I can barely believe it!<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Someone-Elses-Soul-Meradeth-Houston/dp/1948583011/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr="><b><span style="font-size: large;">Care to snag a copy?</span></b></a></div>
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A few other fun things are going on this week, of course. First off, who doesn't love a giveaway?<br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/NerdGirl.NG/photos/a.465798776835258/2243464319068686/?type=3&theater&hc_location=ufi"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Enter Here!</span></b></a></div>
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There's also a little fun on Facebook :)</div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1709002055997874/"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Come join me on Tuesday evening!</span></b></a></div>
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And I'd love to have you join me for my signing and little release day shindig at Shakespeare and Company in Missoula! If you're in the area, please come join me!</div>
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It's going to be a busy but awesome week--hope to see you around the web or in person!</div>
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Meradeth Houstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06741790047121063893noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273270228005303883.post-89877637547328515252019-04-29T04:00:00.000-07:002019-04-28T12:33:21.089-07:00One Week Out! Release Day Fast Approaching for SOMEONE ELSE'S SOUL #upcomingrelease #giveaway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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How did that happen? It feels like an eternity ago that I was thinking, "Oh wow, I've got a full year until this book comes out!" And Wham! It's in a WEEK. <br />
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So, what's an author to do? Well, I figured a little giveaway was in order. What do you think? :) Because <a href="http://authornews.penguinrandomhouse.com/all-about-pre-orders/">pre-orders of books are SUPER important</a>, I figured it wouldn't hurt to offer a little incentive. Here's how this'll roll:<br />
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<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MKVT6YW">Pre-order Someone Else's Soul</a> from Amazon, or <a href="http://bleedinginkpublishing.com/books/someone-elses-soul/">preferably my publisher.</a></li>
<li>Send me a copy of your receipt/invoice/whatever proof. You can reply to this email or send it to my email (mhouston@meradethhouston.com)</li>
<li>Do this before April 30th!</li>
<li>Don't just turn around and return it, m'k? Because that sucks</li>
<li>I'll select a winner for a $5 USD Amazon gift-card to be delivered to your email address!</li>
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ALSO, if you happen to be in the Missoula area, I'll be doing a fun little reading/signing/party thing at Shakespeare & Company on the 8th. Come join in the fun--there will be treats!<br />
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There are going to be a LOT of other giveaways for my release, with some awesome prize packages, but this is to get this party started. Feel free to spread the word, and THANK YOU to everyone who purchases a copy! Words can't express how happy it makes me to share the stories that rattle around in my brain.<br />
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Meradeth Houstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06741790047121063893noreply@blogger.com1