tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31525981943593688222024-03-12T18:18:03.348-07:00Angela Morrison's liv2writAngelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12767644921005073798noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152598194359368822.post-29104858581086223432023-02-14T07:41:00.003-08:002023-02-14T07:41:38.134-08:00ROCKHOUND is out!<p> <span style="font-size: medium;">ROCKHOUND is now available. Thanks to everyone who preordered it. You should have your actual book today! While you wait for it to arrive, you can listen to me reading it on YouTube. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">When you hold it in your hands, I'm sure you'll agree with me that it turned out beautifully! The illustrations are so detailed and clever. Emily Brunner, the illustrator part of our team, did an incredible job. And you will want to do one more huge favor for us, could you <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Rockhound-Angela-Morrison/dp/1956357513/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1RV6J9EYDNVD8&keywords=rockhound+by+angela+morrison&qid=1676381318&sprefix=rockhound+by+ange,aps,142&sr=8-1" target="_blank">please stop by Amazon and leave a review</a>? Thank you, thank you! </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">(And don't forget to join us on <a href="https://fb.me/e/5CVRYG2Ha" target="_blank">Saturday for our Facebook Live celebration. (That's February 18th at 10 AM--or watch the replay anytime</a>.) </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8Kushjdo3no" width="474" youtube-src-id="8Kushjdo3no"></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><div><br /></div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12767644921005073798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152598194359368822.post-7040030053437466352023-02-13T11:54:00.002-08:002023-02-13T11:54:59.671-08:00Lawley releases ROCKHOUND trailer<p> <span style="font-size: medium;">Lawley just released a very cute trailer for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Kushjdo3no" target="_blank">ROCKHOUND in YouTube. Watch it now</a>!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTyZ5Xw045NAcYFnZydDBy3kifAB6lwZHLPktz4rsiM2JBAJGjKbDSco1i1x_slh_KH9vpp6KjSji5O0H0fWZHC-tpLT0dZMNW00Ww_KV0Hv4rKgHi9XZP-WooqVz1d-xdbufSPJyo8YdShkF4OuOu3_pN2IwGP1kl1RG3w1uH7K10JEYg8VVBVkKsRA/s3300/Rockhound_Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="3300" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTyZ5Xw045NAcYFnZydDBy3kifAB6lwZHLPktz4rsiM2JBAJGjKbDSco1i1x_slh_KH9vpp6KjSji5O0H0fWZHC-tpLT0dZMNW00Ww_KV0Hv4rKgHi9XZP-WooqVz1d-xdbufSPJyo8YdShkF4OuOu3_pN2IwGP1kl1RG3w1uH7K10JEYg8VVBVkKsRA/s320/Rockhound_Cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12767644921005073798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152598194359368822.post-89751591055580755882023-02-11T17:29:00.000-08:002023-02-11T17:29:01.928-08:00"You Rock!" Tee Shirt Now Available!!!<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span data-offset-key="foo-0-0" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Emily Brunner, ROCKHOUND's wonderful illustrator, released the "You Rock" T-shirt on </span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://www.teepublic.com/t-shirt/38745828-you-rock?store_id=1952547" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="foo-1-0">TeePublic </span></a><span data-offset-key="foo-2-0" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">and </span><a class="_3Bkfb _1lsz7" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://www.redbubble.com/i/t-shirt/You-Rock-by-BarefootSeeker/138372189.240QL" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="foo-3-0">Redbubble.</span></a><span data-offset-key="foo-4-0" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> It's so cute. I even ordered the onesie for Rachel's new baby. I promise pictures as soon as they arrive! Check them out. I bet you can't resist, either. You can wear it as you read ROCKHOUND. Release day is just three days away!!</span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCisQ2TVUU0bbOlCN3PeCTrMY-ud8XQGW8brNqQUgxO0hgJYId3rwiDnYmH2pMG-N-ot3KIJ2OVfNBCDpAUUA7oAMO6CR7cd66cezQT4nNqYMPk8hieUgZVEcwg0RPFgI_AvLHI81f4orcuPkzHvUDni0TcjNbwF-2fwOoueXiVFNTETegWBK__yPR1g/s3300/Rockhound_Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="3300" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCisQ2TVUU0bbOlCN3PeCTrMY-ud8XQGW8brNqQUgxO0hgJYId3rwiDnYmH2pMG-N-ot3KIJ2OVfNBCDpAUUA7oAMO6CR7cd66cezQT4nNqYMPk8hieUgZVEcwg0RPFgI_AvLHI81f4orcuPkzHvUDni0TcjNbwF-2fwOoueXiVFNTETegWBK__yPR1g/w458-h340/Rockhound_Cover.jpg" width="458" /></a></div><br /><span data-offset-key="foo-4-0" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12767644921005073798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152598194359368822.post-86048994102755322272023-02-07T12:44:00.001-08:002023-02-07T12:44:57.023-08:00Facebook Live ROCKHOUND Launch Week Celebration, Feb. 18th, 10 AM MST/AZT<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjySDVzpQtJzOdx5WCqJbl5Nh7R99TJiJWnhPBNvY0XAjGYKI3Tv01X02Fc5SLb1i7aUnBex7hTOV4WvPh6MvZW7Vq8PKe12f2_FbvKdwixgTWye-eMOSLy5_XiHwSlqP7PSJBxJ1Z9W0O_kXqRhTOeianzSj3-ODuxxDqCZhQq10qIFMLa6N_zoKTODQ/s1640/celebrate%20rockhound's%20launch%20week.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="924" data-original-width="1640" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjySDVzpQtJzOdx5WCqJbl5Nh7R99TJiJWnhPBNvY0XAjGYKI3Tv01X02Fc5SLb1i7aUnBex7hTOV4WvPh6MvZW7Vq8PKe12f2_FbvKdwixgTWye-eMOSLy5_XiHwSlqP7PSJBxJ1Z9W0O_kXqRhTOeianzSj3-ODuxxDqCZhQq10qIFMLa6N_zoKTODQ/w548-h307/celebrate%20rockhound's%20launch%20week.jpg" width="548" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">My family, friends, and readers are so spread out, so a launch party in Arizona would leave so many people out. So I'm planning my first ever Facebook Live event. <a href="https://fb.me/e/5CVRYG2Ha" target="_blank">Click here </a>and the link will take you to the event page on Facebook. I hope to see you there! Haven't got your copy yet? <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Rockhound-Angela-Morrison/dp/1956357513/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1CC64BR9QGZLU&keywords=rockhound+by+angela+morrison&qid=1675802640&sprefix=%2Caps%2C115&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Pre-order it on Amazon today, so it's delivered on the 14th! </a></span><p></p>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12767644921005073798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152598194359368822.post-82584287500677829742023-02-06T20:40:00.001-08:002023-02-06T20:40:27.283-08:00ROCKHOUND for Your Valentine!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxaiEcjZVAfwGw4o4lLYKRoWwbHcoQ3dOqCeK7wZxsWpugPM7TAZEaX0FILDQBBfzEJGGqe9zYe1nCrSwlm72eMfJ9Xk5UuWMTpknt2aMhdkcPidAuaGcVLE0WYgUDr9ANMd7NKTiaFAOQ2SU7rlvE8DxDBmr_4q2-S7JS4ybHqZYYRcekuBaJuEdwdA/s940/Valentine's%20Day%20Release.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="409" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxaiEcjZVAfwGw4o4lLYKRoWwbHcoQ3dOqCeK7wZxsWpugPM7TAZEaX0FILDQBBfzEJGGqe9zYe1nCrSwlm72eMfJ9Xk5UuWMTpknt2aMhdkcPidAuaGcVLE0WYgUDr9ANMd7NKTiaFAOQ2SU7rlvE8DxDBmr_4q2-S7JS4ybHqZYYRcekuBaJuEdwdA/w545-h409/Valentine's%20Day%20Release.jpg" width="545" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;">I'm honored that ROKCHOUND is being released for Valentine's Day. At it's heart, it's a story about taking what you love most out of hiding and sharing it with the world--so it's perfect for Valentine's Day. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Rockhound-Angela-Morrison/dp/1956357513?ref_=ast_author_dp" target="_blank">Pre-order now on Amazon, so you will have it on February 14th! </a>Thanks so much. </span><p></p>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12767644921005073798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152598194359368822.post-83577782481233103362023-02-03T04:20:00.000-08:002023-02-03T04:20:46.855-08:00ROCKHOUND's releases soon! <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp7hfPZl38FWQal6Gz_7bIsaT1nV-tU_9Vokd9whjdAg6uQkvgw26pVcNF-ZmSV30v4riHza869nOj2jVrx7m6_aozRCW3lQCCzy4KiSDJ25h3HjIP-CD9NqYSNhjK2UDHIwkxqfM6Yysp6xVb8nIs-s6n9JXlRi_nmV-weG0wHsTfRPt3Ou4O3YpNdw/s3300/Rockhound_Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="3300" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp7hfPZl38FWQal6Gz_7bIsaT1nV-tU_9Vokd9whjdAg6uQkvgw26pVcNF-ZmSV30v4riHza869nOj2jVrx7m6_aozRCW3lQCCzy4KiSDJ25h3HjIP-CD9NqYSNhjK2UDHIwkxqfM6Yysp6xVb8nIs-s6n9JXlRi_nmV-weG0wHsTfRPt3Ou4O3YpNdw/s320/Rockhound_Cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The long wait for ROCKHOUND's release is almost over. I can't believe it will be here soon. I bought a box of early books to give to friends and family. They are beautiful. The colors are vibrant and the pictures are witty and fun. I love how it adds to my story. Isn't the cover fun. Emily Brunner, the illustrator, was an amazing partner. She really brought the book to life. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Rockhound-Angela-Morrison/dp/1956357513/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1S05UUP0WJEPE&keywords=rockhound+by+angela+morrison&qid=1675426624&sprefix=ROCKHOUND+by+%2Caps%2C95&sr=8-1" target="_blank">You can order it on Amazon now!</a></span></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Rockhound-Angela-Morrison/dp/1956357513/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1S05UUP0WJEPE&keywords=rockhound+by+angela+morrison&qid=1675426624&sprefix=ROCKHOUND+by+%2Caps%2C95&sr=8-1" target="_blank"><br /></a><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiohZ5KtjnXYoljHoXqWBJaJ6_jt7Iyk9b-uPReC05IMwRtyGgDF34KcjhLaSMifwtbB3uyWto_1DJytVWilYKXOjv1q0Jjg9UnJAwX5CDxI7dO5XOZobSlCY8OpR3YftCInyBLN2LBuvgBAninxddL-YUM6eBba2DmZC7jCjqhG7CceXfpQpITmMzdPg/s4032/62C3E329-C966-4BE3-BC20-60F7C7E71E19_1_201_a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiohZ5KtjnXYoljHoXqWBJaJ6_jt7Iyk9b-uPReC05IMwRtyGgDF34KcjhLaSMifwtbB3uyWto_1DJytVWilYKXOjv1q0Jjg9UnJAwX5CDxI7dO5XOZobSlCY8OpR3YftCInyBLN2LBuvgBAninxddL-YUM6eBba2DmZC7jCjqhG7CceXfpQpITmMzdPg/s320/62C3E329-C966-4BE3-BC20-60F7C7E71E19_1_201_a.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12767644921005073798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152598194359368822.post-89602127747313494472022-04-29T15:43:00.000-07:002022-04-29T15:43:09.588-07:00SNEAK PEAK: Art from ROCKHOUND<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgR5emA7j-MqbNDbalAwyRWnLGoZQfO_4Ex4_O44sN2SCbo-mdK3yOxnoFPMESbbF8nguKaxWPjorcjmuRZnj3GDnHWwm8Pe4-KuttLTyRC3DyRX0loE_9KORio7r8lRteC50USge319wL3954RUXX2aN7Sjq52TPbdcnwbmBseO-bD0q7PVbKAQMt2g/s1221/face%20sketches.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1221" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgR5emA7j-MqbNDbalAwyRWnLGoZQfO_4Ex4_O44sN2SCbo-mdK3yOxnoFPMESbbF8nguKaxWPjorcjmuRZnj3GDnHWwm8Pe4-KuttLTyRC3DyRX0loE_9KORio7r8lRteC50USge319wL3954RUXX2aN7Sjq52TPbdcnwbmBseO-bD0q7PVbKAQMt2g/w640-h504/face%20sketches.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>Lawley found ROCKHOUND an amazing illustrator: Emily Brunner. These are the first sketches she did for the book. Don't they look exactly like Gavin? Lawley will release ROCKHOUND on February 14, 2023. Emily is working on the pictures now. Stay tuned for more speak peaks!!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6_2y1lGQAgbgHKL21gOezsmXpkeiMd76rlu5Ekq9YzgWzwpCEO9Vmetmmy-BJDmeZ-S-Wq5Yqcy4aAy4o-tj0DDsB7tiTjak67I_fL63NppInhFjtJJVNRI0Ml3AVdcEmzkz_g-SPRPlO2z1dd288jKd-9XlJd0dFzERnQLcw_VFj3GKXAC_t4RzTgA/s1221/Unknown.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1221" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6_2y1lGQAgbgHKL21gOezsmXpkeiMd76rlu5Ekq9YzgWzwpCEO9Vmetmmy-BJDmeZ-S-Wq5Yqcy4aAy4o-tj0DDsB7tiTjak67I_fL63NppInhFjtJJVNRI0Ml3AVdcEmzkz_g-SPRPlO2z1dd288jKd-9XlJd0dFzERnQLcw_VFj3GKXAC_t4RzTgA/w640-h504/Unknown.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12767644921005073798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152598194359368822.post-41955353251755280612021-12-13T14:59:00.001-08:002021-12-13T15:02:21.049-08:00Lawley Publishing Acquired my debut picture book, ROCKHOUND!!!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVAN5Z0NeEEbRnaRNUBClaaG-Zhz8ZMmyOn2o8_0JshJaQRWGJXzHGiaWh3Wb9AZb-1sVFWXN0l7x2pT-h6-P7KfioRxnoW7UIFuArlurJaDZfCuIkBQIK5TtfXtQ9YegL5g7dASoZyGKHzH3HwmLr2ehyW3E2NogpL286UqJQP_dUclfUPvoYNwVL4A=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVAN5Z0NeEEbRnaRNUBClaaG-Zhz8ZMmyOn2o8_0JshJaQRWGJXzHGiaWh3Wb9AZb-1sVFWXN0l7x2pT-h6-P7KfioRxnoW7UIFuArlurJaDZfCuIkBQIK5TtfXtQ9YegL5g7dASoZyGKHzH3HwmLr2ehyW3E2NogpL286UqJQP_dUclfUPvoYNwVL4A=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"> I sold my debut picture book, ROCKHOUND! I'm thrilled to join the Lawley Publishing Family. ROCKHOUND was inspired by my rock-collecting grandson, Gavin. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">When my fictional Gavin's beloved rock collection fills upstairs, downstairs and the garage, his family says, "No more rocks!" What will he do with all those rocks? The real Gavin has such a sweet-nature. You'll see the fictional Gavin finds a kind solution--just like my inspiration would have. </span></p>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12767644921005073798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152598194359368822.post-88732239413284825012021-07-15T11:43:00.001-07:002021-07-15T11:43:56.903-07:00The Order of the Flick, a new middle grade release.<p> <span style="font-size: medium;">Amazon has just launched a new service on Kindle--Kindle Vella, stories you read episode by episode. Very fun and an exciting opportunity for authors to reach new readers. So I decided to rescue a funny, middle grade sci-fi, save-the-world adventure, <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/product/B097XR2FG7" target="_blank">The Order of the Flick. </a></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4kwMQKN9IcQ/YPB_3QFXhEI/AAAAAAAANpk/WqHk9PP2Lk8jC8WkswivXl2E5R9GEY8UgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1555/D4BBB792-F2C8-45A8-AAF4-ECDB9950A71E_1_201_a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1555" data-original-width="1555" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4kwMQKN9IcQ/YPB_3QFXhEI/AAAAAAAANpk/WqHk9PP2Lk8jC8WkswivXl2E5R9GEY8UgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/D4BBB792-F2C8-45A8-AAF4-ECDB9950A71E_1_201_a.jpeg" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">To flick or not to flick? That is the question. Philo, a sixth-grade, boogie-flicking, defender of the weak against thuggies, plans a summer creating video games with his buds. But his great Aunt Wiggy whisks him off to Switzerland. When an automaton in a museum recognizes the Sign of the Flick and comes to life, Philo must stop the biggest baddest thuggie from attacking the super collider at CERN. Will he save the world from certain annihilation? Or are we toast? It all comes down to a flick.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">You can read Kindle Vella on Amazon.com or just open your Kindle app on an iPhone or iPad. It's a beta release now. I hope it will expand to Kindles and android phones/tablets soon. </span></p><div><br /></div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12767644921005073798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152598194359368822.post-79033847730818403172021-06-21T11:04:00.001-07:002021-06-21T11:04:44.674-07:00Happy Birthday to Mom<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SI9jFu_eWbA/YNDRxUJT3SI/AAAAAAAANnk/8K2aUvnoOmYOqqkCecx-ZC7dgLLC9ltkACLcBGAsYHQ/s1346/BB670D7B-346E-4626-A6C8-89EBC38A7A06.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1346" data-original-width="970" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SI9jFu_eWbA/YNDRxUJT3SI/AAAAAAAANnk/8K2aUvnoOmYOqqkCecx-ZC7dgLLC9ltkACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/BB670D7B-346E-4626-A6C8-89EBC38A7A06.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Happy Birthday, to my dear mom! She's 83. We actually got to go into her care home with cake and grandkids. We sang to her and gave her hugs. I'm excited to announce that I've finished FIREBUG, a middle grade novel inspired by Mom's childhood. It's set in Rexburg, Idaho, in the years just following World War II. If I can find a publisher, readers will have it in their hands soon. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12767644921005073798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152598194359368822.post-90893920109046319982014-07-21T15:01:00.002-07:002014-07-21T15:01:44.804-07:00FREE Kindle Promo for AN OCEAN ATWEEN US<div>
This week, my brand new book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JX52CF4#" target="_blank">AN OCEAN ATWEEN US, is free on Kindle</a> for the first time ever!</div>
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I'd love to have you download, read and review it. It needs some more love on Amazon and Goodreads. </div>
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This is a first love story that tugs on your heartstrings like SING ME TO SLEEP and TAKEN BY STORM. You'll fall in love with Will Glover like you did Derek and Scott and Michael--I promise. </div>
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Plus, it's set in Scotland, so if you love Scottish guys and accents as much as I do, you'll love this book.</div>
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The promo is going well so far. It hit #1 on the free Teen and Young Adult Historical Romance ebook list. Exciting stuff! </div>
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And #8 on the Scottish Historical Romance List!! Not sure if we really fit on this list. Take a look at the other titles. YIKES!! My books is Scottish, historical and romantic. But it is also a literary coming-of-age journey. </div>
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Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12767644921005073798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152598194359368822.post-10422861606818287122014-06-02T02:20:00.003-07:002014-06-02T02:20:53.886-07:00Thank You Presents for all my ReadersThank you all for your support of AN OCEAN ATWEEN US! You are already making a difference. I've got three thank-you presents for you.<br />
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First, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HG6YI8Q" target="_blank">SING ME TO SLEEP will be free on Kindle tomorrow</a>, Tuesday, June 3, and June 9 and 16th!<br />
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Second, <a href="http://www.wattpad.com/user/angela-morrison" target="_blank">I am posting TAKEN BY STORM in its entirety on WATTPAD.COM!</a> Enjoy and please tell your friends.<br />
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And, third, here's an excerpt from AN OCEAN ATWEEN US! <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JX52CF4" target="_blank">It's still just $0.99 on Kindle. </a> Watch this blog. I'll be posting more excerpts. (Read <a href="http://www.angela-morrison.com/an-ocean-atween-us.html" target="_blank">first three chapters free at www.angela-morrison.com.</a>)<br />
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From Chapter 1, <i>Who will kiss me?</i><br />
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. . . I scan the other maids dancing in the shadows of the coal works. I’ve kent them all forever. Like Lucie, here, who I’m spinning and catching like I have so many times afore.<br />
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“Will ye be playing for us tonight?” Lucie eyes the wee pipe that hangs about my neck from a bit of yarn snitched from Mither’s workbasket.<br />
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“Aye, lassie.”<br />
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Lucie steps to the center and her feet flash as the other maids make way for her to perform the setting steps. She’s always light and fleet. Moves like a fairy. She spins and faces me again.<br />
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“William Glover, the Fourth.” She drawls out my full name with a fetching frown on her face. “It’s no proper for ye to be calling me lassie no more.”<br />
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Lucie has her thick, black hair pulled back and pinned up. I’m used to seeing it long and dirty, filled with more rats than the coal pits, flying every place at once. I do not have the heart to tell her about the swatch come loose from her pins and hanging down her back.<br />
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“Begging yer pardon, Mistress Lucie.” I squeeze the hard-worked hand she fits into mine. “Ye do look like a proper maid this evening.” There’s warmth behind my words that surprises us both. My face gets hot, and Lucie turns pink. She grows confused and misses a turn.<br />
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Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12767644921005073798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152598194359368822.post-38493934023517975562014-05-22T09:01:00.003-07:002014-05-22T09:01:49.432-07:00AN OCEAN ATWEEN US - Launch Celebration Sale!I'm celebrating the release of <span id="goog_1926344751"></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JX52CF4" target="_blank">AN OCEAN ATWEEN US with a $0.99 Kindle sale<span id="goog_1926344752"></span>.</a> The price will be reduced for a limited time so hurry and download it now.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">I'm so excited to share this book with you--my wonderful readers. I've been working on it, one way or the other, most of my life.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Growing up, my mother told the most thrilling bedtime stories about my Scottish ancestors who emigrated in the 19th Century. As a teen, I discovered a wealth of family histories gathered by my grandmother and great grandmother. As a young mother, I began researching the Glover family, Scotland, coal mining, and every place they stopped on their journey west. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Decades of research, trips to coal mines in three countries, an MFA in Writing, four published YA novels, and a gazillion drafts later, I'm so pleased to bring you Will Glover's story, An Ocean Atween Us. I did my utmost to make it every bit as thrilling as my mother's tales, and, of course, added a big dose of romance. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">I hope my ancestors aren't looking down from heaven and shaking their heads. I have to admit, I turned my great-great-great grandmother's big brother into the hottest collier lad to ever leave Scotland and broke his heart a couple of times along the way. This is a novel--not a history book. I think the Glover family will be pleased to live again in its pages. I did my best to convey the gritty reality of 19th century coal mines, ocean voyages on tall ships, and frontier settlements. I also didn't shy away from the realties of Will's relationships as he comes of age in a new land. He's a flesh and blood, flawed character who struggles--like all of us.</span><br />
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Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12767644921005073798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152598194359368822.post-11122786589830868172014-04-25T07:34:00.000-07:002014-04-25T07:34:08.970-07:00AN OCEAN ATWEEN US is now live on Kindle!!!AN OCEAN ATWEEN US is now live on Kindle. We're still tweaking the cover for the print version, but I'm so excited to share this novel with you I'm offering the ebook at a bargain "pre-release" price of $1.99.<br />
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So, if you want to be one of the first to read and review it, you can download it now. Enjoy!<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JX52CF4" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JX52CF4</a><br />
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Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12767644921005073798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152598194359368822.post-26303130206595404332014-04-25T03:16:00.000-07:002014-04-25T03:16:12.793-07:00KINDLE DEALS ON ALL MY BOOKS--ACT FAST!This weekend I'm up in Utah at the LDStormaker Conference, and I'm running Kindle deals and free promos for the participants and all of YOU!! Please, please, please share them with your friends. The promos run from today to April 26th at midnight. ACT FAST!<br />
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SING ME TO SLEEP is FREE!!! <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HG6YI8Q" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HG6YI8Q</a> This is the first time ever I've been able to offer SING for free. If you love it and don't have it here's your chance!<br />
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TAKEN BY STORM is discounted to $.99. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008H5MVZW" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008H5MVZW</a><br />
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UNBROKEN CONNECTION is FREE! <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003Z0CUHI" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003Z0CUHI</a><br />
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CAYMAN SUMMER is FREE!! <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0052MFSGW" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0052MFSGW</a><br />
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Remember, you don't need a Kindle. You can download the Kindle app on your smart phone, tablet, or any computer.<br />
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Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12767644921005073798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152598194359368822.post-28350227116271140152014-04-23T20:11:00.002-07:002014-04-23T20:11:13.548-07:00AN OCEAN ATWEEN US Cover UpdateAndy just sent me a work-in-progress draft of the cover. It's really coming together. I love the ship, but we've decided Will's face is a bit too wide and maybe he needs to be a tad more handsome. I'm loving the hair, though. He's still working on the rigging ropes, water, and sky. The more I look at it, the more I like it.<br />
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What do you think?<br />
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Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12767644921005073798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152598194359368822.post-91520098831195804452014-04-19T06:47:00.002-07:002014-04-19T06:47:50.879-07:00AN OCEAN ATWEEN USI've got some exciting news for my devoted readers who've waited and waited and waited for a new book from me. The wait is just about over!!<br />
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Last fall, after some deep soul-searching, I left my agent, and now I'm managing my work myself. I finished my revision of SLIPPED and am happy to report it is under consideration with an editor I'm dying to work with.<br />
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After even more soul-searching, I decided to indie publish my historical coming-of-age love story, AN OCEAN ATWEEN US.<br />
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It will be available, literally, any day!!! I hired my son's company, <a href="http://iqsoup.com/" target="_blank">iqSoup</a>, to design the cover, and their illustrator is working on an original painting for it right now.<br />
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Here's the rough sketch to give you an idea of what we're planning. I can't wait to see this come to life.<br />
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I've been working on the back cover text. So, imagine the painting above with a handsome brooding hero staring out at you. You pick up the book and read:<br />
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Will Glover, a proud Scots coal mining lad, is forced to leave Lucie, the lass he loves, behind when his father commits the family to a mining venture in the New World. Despite the ocean that will separate them, he vows to return for her. Angry with his father and broken-hearted, he resents the dangers he must face and nurtures the loneliness in his soul. One devastating letter, brings all his plans crashing to the ground. Will he spend the rest of his life cankered with bitterness or learn to forgive and love again?<br />
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SING ME TO SLEEP and TAKEN BY STORM readers will recognize the luminous, heart-wrenching, coming-of-age love story they’ve come to expect from award-winning, critically acclaimed author, Angela Morrison, set in a very different time and place. After decades of research and rewriting, Morrison brings you a story inspired by her own heritage and what she terms her “masterpiece.” <br />
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AN OCEAN ATWEEN US is the first book in Morrison’s WE, GLOVER'S series, a family saga told in intense, coming-of-age journeys, from one generation to the next.<br />
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You want to read more, right?Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12767644921005073798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152598194359368822.post-88462201034877444662013-12-23T06:51:00.005-08:002013-12-23T06:51:53.616-08:00I'm Back with Good News!I've been off-line so I could concentrate on writing new books for you to enjoy, but I've returned to bring you back an old favorite, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HG6YI8Q" target="_blank">SING ME TO SLEEP's new Kindle version</a> is now live in Kindle bookstores around the world! Merry Christmas!!<br />
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So where've I been? Well, last Christmas--just a few days after my last post--instead of relaxing and enjoying our grandkids who'd flown in from the East coast, our daughter who'd just got engaged, and our son and his wife who'd just moved close to us, we bought a new house and sold our old one. It all happened in a matter of days. I'm still trying to catch up.<br />
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Then, as planned, after our daughter's wedding and our youngest graduated (as the salutatorian for his high school, yes I'm a proud mamma), we packed our bags for Switzerland. For the past six months, we've been traveling back and forth between Arizona and Switzerland.<br />
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Moving is not good for writing--even worse for blogging. I did manage to get back to revising my time-travel post-nuclear winter rogue assassin meets Jane Austen heroine in medieval Europe novel, SLIPPED. With the help of my critique bud who swapped manuscripts with me all fall, I got a full draft completed. I'm at the polishing stage. I'll give you a taste of it soon. I promise. I think you'll love it.<br />
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I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year! Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12767644921005073798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152598194359368822.post-74993468895598222672012-12-18T12:25:00.001-08:002012-12-18T12:25:03.493-08:00Prayers for the Season<br />
On December 6th, Bill O'Reilly reported that a six-year-old girl in North Carolina wrote a poem for Veteran's Day about her grandfathers who both served in Vietnam. In the poem, she wrote, "They prayed to God for peace. They prayed to God for strength." Someone complained, and the Superintendent of McDowell County Schools decided this child couldn't write about her grandfathers turning to God in times of trouble--at least not at school.<br />
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I prepared to write a post about all the books I love--from Katherine Paterson's <i>Bridge to Terebithia </i>and Kate Dicamillo's <i>Because of Winn Dixie </i>and my Arizona author friend Amy Dominy's debut novel, <i>OyMG</i>--that all have characters who pray. Maybe someday I will write that post and share quotes from those prayers, and my worries that we are replacing spirituality with magic, but not today.<br />
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The testimony of twenty first graders in Newtown, CT, speaks far louder that I ever could. As the entire nation, "prayed to God for strength" and "prayed to God for peace," we learned what the young girl in North Carolina learned from her grandfathers. God is there. He is real. He hears and answers prayers. And sends strength, peace, love and comfort. He soothes broken hearts and teaches us how to bind each others wounds.<br />
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I've felt His power in times of loss in my own life. In Leesie's words, "Happiness . . . filled me up. Tangible--like you could pour it from a pitcher." Like Leesie, I was "overcome" with the power of God's love. Prayer unlocks it. All you need to do is ask.<br />
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I don't know why a troubled young man shot those beautiful children in a sleepy Connecticut town, but I do know that now they are wrapped in God's loving arms--and he won't let them go until their parents are ready to join them forever.<br />
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All my love and prayers for you, my wonderful friends and readers, this season of celebration and goodwill,<br />
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Angela<br />
Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12767644921005073798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152598194359368822.post-86329395583081044292012-11-15T10:38:00.003-08:002012-11-15T10:38:40.304-08:00Free Ebooks and English Teachers!<br />
Starting at midnight tonight, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Unbroken-Connection-Taken-Storm-ebook/dp/B003Z0CUHI/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1341360254&sr=1-1&keywords=unbroken+connection" target="_blank">Unbroken Connection</a> </i>and <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/CAYMAN-SUMMER-Taken-Storm-ebook/dp/B0052MFSGW/ref=pd_sim_kstore_3?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2" target="_blank">Cayman Summer </a> </i>are free on Kindle for 3 days!! I'm flying up to Las Vegas for the National Council of English Teachers (NCTE) annual conference. I'm excited to spend three days sharing with and learning from the nation's English teachers.<br />
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I'm presenting "An Author's Toolkit: Techniques from the Pros," with two friends from Vermont College. I'm so excited to see them again. I'm also part of a roundtable discussion on digital storytelling, "Getting Digi With it," where I'll be telling them all about my amazing readers and what we did together over on my <i><a href="http://caymansummer.blogspot.com/2010/10/messy-messy-rough-draft.html">Cayman Summer</a> </i>blog<i>. </i><br />
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English teachers are my heroes, past and present, so I'm offering the free promo for them, and also to thank you! Thanks for all your patience, love and support.<br />
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Next stop, Vegas!<br />
Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12767644921005073798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152598194359368822.post-6800874150937325792012-10-15T12:50:00.003-07:002012-10-15T12:50:41.283-07:00Free "Plot Challenged" Webinar<br />
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My free 2-hour webinar, "Plot Challenged," is Wednesday, October 17th, 7 PM EST. Follow this link to register <a href="http://www.writingforchildrenlive.com/Angela_Morrison.html">http://www.writingforchildrenlive.com/Angela_Morrison.html </a><br />
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If you have a hard drive full of great ideas and a few opening chapters, this webinar is for you. I'll go over four plotting strategies that I use and editors expect.<br />
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The webinar is available online, so writers can join us from anywhere in the world. If you can't make the live broadcast, no worries. Registrants have free access to the call for 24 hours following it.<br />
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If you missed my first teleconference, "Get them Talking: From Dialogue to Scene," you can download it for a small fee at <a href="http://www.writingforchildrenlive.com/Angela_Morrison.html">http://www.writingforchildrenlive.com/Angela_Morrison.html </a><br />
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Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12767644921005073798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152598194359368822.post-25609789603707174862012-10-02T08:04:00.003-07:002012-10-02T08:05:41.107-07:00FREE Teleconference Tomorrow!<br />
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My free teleconference for writers, "Get them Talking: From Dialogue to Scene," broadcasts October 3rd--tomorrow! Kim at <a href="http://www.writingforchildrenlive.com/Angela_Morrison.html" target="_blank">Writing for Children Live</a> tells me that if you phone in or tune in online for the <i>live </i>broadcast, you'll get to ask questions. </div>
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If you've ever had an agent tell you to "show not tell," you need this teleconference.</div>
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I teach an easy-to-understand, no pressure technique that will help you craft dynamic scenes that will create a movie in your readers' heads. </div>
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This teleconference includes a detailed handout you can download plus my guide to punctuating dialogue as a bonus.</div>
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We're offering a follow-up, free 2-hour webinar, "Plot Challenged," on October 17th.</div>
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The broadcasts are available via telephone and online, so writers can join us from anywhere in the world. If you can't make the live broadcast, no worries. Registrants have free access to the call for 24 hours following it. Following that you can purchase the teleconference for a small fee.<br />
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Follow this link to register: <a href="http://www.writingforchildrenlive.com/Angela_Morrison.html">http://www.writingforchildrenlive.com/Angela_Morrison.html </a> Please join us!</div>
Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12767644921005073798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152598194359368822.post-26064516405732764752012-09-25T13:54:00.000-07:002012-09-25T13:54:37.769-07:00Reading at Changing HandsI and several other Phoenix area authors will be reading and signing books at Changing Hands, Thursday, Sept. 27, 6:30-8:30 at Writers Unite to Fight Cancer's awards ceremony for their first writing contest. I was honored to judge. You are all invited! Its so much more fun to have friendly faces in the audience. See you there.<br />
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<br />Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12767644921005073798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152598194359368822.post-25651883391400855622012-09-10T16:56:00.003-07:002012-09-10T16:56:41.626-07:00Free Teleconference and Webinar Starring ME!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Helvetica;"></span><br />
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I'm excited to announce I'm presenting my workshop, "Get them Talking: From Dialogue to Scene," on a free teleconference call, Oct. 3rd, 7 PM EST sponsored by Writing for Children Live. Registrants have free access to the call for 24 hours following it. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I'm doing a follow-up free webinar, "Plot Challenged," on October 17th. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I love this concept. As an author, I get to share my expertise with fellow writers without leaving my cozy office. And writers get a lecture from the comfort of their own homes. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Follow this link to register: <a href="http://www.writingforchildrenlive.com/Angela_Morrison.html" style="color: blue;">http://www.writingforchildrenlive.com/Angela_Morrison.html</a> </div>
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Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12767644921005073798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152598194359368822.post-29296660961282714562012-07-03T20:40:00.001-07:002012-07-03T20:40:23.904-07:00From Faith to Fiction or Write from Inner Truth and Don't Wreck it!My daughter is training for Teach for America this summer. She just sent me an email asking how to teach her class about the moral or main message of the story. She needs this post--now! It's based on my MFA critical thesis and my favorite presentation. The photos are slides direct from my presentation. I made them extra-large, jumping off the page, so you can read them clearly.<div>
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From Faith to Fiction: Lessons from Katherine Paterson</div>
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or Write from your Inner Truth and Don't Wreck it!</div>
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In my last post, I listed writing from your deepest beliefs in my revised, “Write What you Know,” mantra. </div>
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The wise and wonderful Jane Yolen, in her book Touch Magic, explains:</div>
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My inner truth is my faith and when I tried to add that to my creation, I ran into even more difficulties. Regardless of what a writer’s inner truth is, it must make up the core of your story. BUT, doing the very thing Jane Yolen tells us and our heart urges us to attempt, can lead to some egregious errors that can turn your fiction into something you didn’t intend.</div>
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When I was trying to do this and making an awful mess of it, I turned to Katherine Paterson’s work--artistic and critical--for advice. Katherine has always been public about her faith and is not shy about discussing how it impacts her work. Hallelujah! I studied her and that study became the basis of my MFA critical thesis, graduate lecture, and a lecture I recently gave at BYU’s annual writing for children and young adults conference. (Fabulous conference, by the way. Go if you ever get the chance.)</div>
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I can’t include the whole lecture in this post, but I can share the most important highlights. </div>
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For me it all started with fellow LDS novelist, Ann Canon. Her editor, Wendy Lamb, vice president at Random House Children’s Books and publisher of the imprint that bears her name, told a packed ballroom full of children’s writers at SCBWI’s 2001 annual conference in sunny Los Angeles that she “keeps finding books that deal with teenagers and faith” and would like to see more. Good news. She explained she didn’t want to see “overly” religious novels, but appreciated novels that explore “the meaning of faith in kids’ lives today.” She had just finished editing Charlotte’s Rose. This was such a revelation for me. It was the first time I thought it was possible for me to “write what I know” and have an audience outside Mormondon.</div>
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I wrote to Wendy Lamb and asked her what characterized an “overly” religious novel. The first thing on her list was, “PROSELYTIZING.” Critics used to call this egregious mistake, didacticism.</div>
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For centuries, didactic books, meaning books that instruct in “moral, ethical or religious matters”—not simply books that teach-- (Holman 131) dominated children’s literature. Today, overt preaching is not tolerated by children’s editors, librarians or the kids themselves. An author who intrudes religious doctrine that does not play an integral part in the life of the character into her narrative at best bores the reader at worst annoy him/her enough to disrupt the fictive dream she has worked so hard to create. Critics will lay charges of proselytizing. The art the writer has endeavored to create will fail. And editors, like Wendy Lamb, will reject the manuscript. (Believe me, I know.)</div>
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Our wonderful expert, Katherine Paterson, clarifies this issue in terms a writer can apply. In an article for U.S. Catholic entitled, “The Spiritual Reading Life of Children,” she explains: </div>
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Stories that teach religious doctrine will always have their place. Christ’s parables in the New Testament will never go out of style. Moses, Job, and Esther teach important religious truths to the faithful far better than straight sermonizing. Religious presses, magazines and curriculum departments all appreciate the power of story to strengthen the faithful and convert the doubting. But, as Paterson says, these stories are not fiction and “have little to say outside their faith communit[ies]” (Terabithia.com “Questions” 2).</div>
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If a writer is steeped in a particular faith, it is difficult for her to discern if what she writes will feel like proselytizing to a reader outside that faith, and a writer who has spent years writing for her faith community faces a constant struggle to keep propaganda out of her attempts. No writer of fiction who is serious about her art will be pleased if the novel she has poured her blood, sweat and tears into only rises to the level of propaganda. Of course, most are too humble to claim that what they have created is art, but a writer who is religious will probably want her fiction to do more than entertain. </div>
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Paterson provides an important key. She says, “When authors write serious fiction, even if the reader is to be a child, they are struggling to find an answer for themselves” (“The Spiritual” 3). Propaganda will result if the writer begins with the answer. Fiction is a writer’s tool for discovery. Questions give life to fiction. </div>
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Leave those statements for critics, editors and lit classes.</div>
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When people who have not read her books ask Paterson what “message” or “moral values” she tries to teach children, she says, </div>
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Remember Sam Goldwyn? Messages belong in telegrams. Stories are born of questions. What if? What would happen if? How would he feel if that happened? Then what would she do? If a writer is an expert on religious doctrine, he should write essays. If he has a question or a problem that excites or torments or terrifies his adult or child self—that’s the stuff of fiction. Fiction can rise to the level of art if it is an honest quest for personal answers.</div>
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This is a huge challenge, for writers who, because of their faith and life experience, feel they already have the answers—the truth. Maybe these writers can ask themselves if they understand the truth. Can they live up to the truth. How does the world around them react to the truth. I have found through my own attempts that my novel wouldn’t work until I discovered the thing that scared me the most and faced it through my characters. </div>
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What freaked me out most as a teen? What did I least want to deal with as a fiction writer? Sexuality. Let’s be frank, sin. What is TAKEN BY STORM all about? Grief? Yah. Faith. Of course. Spirituality. I even managed that. But it comes right down to, Michael expresses love through sex and Leesie is a righteous girl with a loving, compassionate heart, and healthy hormones, trying to keep the law of chastity. All these other LDS authors are writing noble fantasy with sweet, pure romance in them, and I’m writing a standard’s night girls won’t put down. I get abstinence. Thanks a lot. At least, the powers on high sent Stephanie that dream and her Edward made abstinence hot so I could FINALLY SELL THIS BOOK!</div>
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When those same powers on high made it plain, how far I had to test Leesie, and I realized I would have to write a couple of fairly frank, not explicit, but honest, temptation scenes, I did not want to go there. It was painful writing those scenes. They took revision after revision. I fretted, I cut, I prayed, I rewrote again and again and again. I ran out of time or I’d still be trying to perfect them. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever written. </div>
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Paterson has often said that she writes “out of [her] own needs” (“The Aim of the Writer” 227). When she hears the fears expressed by her children—and now grandchildren—and the thousands of young people who write to her, she remembers her own fears as a child. She says, “I seem to be in tune with the questions my children and their friends are asking. Is there any chance that human beings can learn to love one another? Will the world last long enough for me to grow up in it? What if I die?” (“The Aim of the Writer” 227). </div>
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I know why I wrote TAKEN BY STORM, why I had to craft those difficult scenes. It was for the young women in my early morning seminary class in London, Ontario, Canada—who faced this challenge every day of their lives—and all the young women like them. In the LDS community, we lose so many young women to non-member boyfriends. The culture around us is saturated with temptation. We have to face it—confront it—and cheer for the righteous if we can.</div>
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Painful questions yield fiction that has the power to move people, change people, but not through means of persuasion. Through a story that evokes that truth. This is the power of art.</div>
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I also learned that nauseatingly good characters who never make mistakes are impossible to write about and how to judge what type of religious detail and experience to include in your novel. I’ll include some that material in later posts. </div>
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Today, let’s just start asking questions and take heart from some inspiring words from Katherine:</div>
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Amen, sister, amen!</div>
</div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12767644921005073798noreply@blogger.com0