tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42429337733000613662024-03-14T07:46:07.984-04:00Daily DistractionsShari Arnoldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15393609010526562080noreply@blogger.comBlogger150125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242933773300061366.post-74196070109715046232017-11-21T01:14:00.000-05:002017-11-21T01:14:14.505-05:00#jonahgramsI'm working. And guess what I'm working on??<br />
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KATE TRIUMPH BOOK 2 !! It is coming!! It is coming!!<br />
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And just in case you can't wait...<br />
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Now that Jonah and Kate are reunited they are spending plenty of time together. You know, getting to know each other and such.<br />
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Andrew decided that Jonah needed a new hobby so he gave him a camera, showed him how to use it, and is hoping it will keep Jonah's hands busy. Busy hands don't fight people, right?<br />
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Right.<br />
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Over the next few weeks Jonah will be taking over my instagram feed. If you want to see what he and Kate are up to head on over to instagram and follow me at:<br />
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BbvGnvFlsmv/?taken-by=shari_arnold_writes" target="_blank">shari_arnold_writes</a><br />
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Posts coming soon!!!Shari Arnoldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15393609010526562080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242933773300061366.post-45380034920277485332017-07-24T14:16:00.002-04:002017-07-24T14:16:43.418-04:00INSTA me!WOW. So... I haven't been around in a while.<br />
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Just wanted to stop in and redirect you all to my instagram page. I have found that I'm hanging in that neighborhood more often lately. Feel free to follow me on instagram at:<br />
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/shari_arnold_writes/?hl=en" target="_blank">shari_arnold_writes</a><br />
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I post book updates and lots of photos.<br />
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Photos and writing... and cats, of course.<br />
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See y'all soon!Shari Arnoldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15393609010526562080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242933773300061366.post-71376563944375095662017-01-02T21:52:00.000-05:002017-01-02T21:52:41.782-05:00#perspectiveWell, would you look at that. It appears I haven't written a post in awhile. Turns out I'm easily distracted.<div>
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January feels like a good time to begin again, yeah?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4LBEaCUI-qdOwOAIGv0YX8nrvADUjkhdwJv-UBxYogMaQ2EKXlOq3afeJOSJ79oC53700zfjlYeSJQgX_tSKOdSOtnBglRmnHMLbr8kbuIVvP85EsFZY_DFkl3Vu6sEvmYJq_qJIviQc/s1600/gm.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4LBEaCUI-qdOwOAIGv0YX8nrvADUjkhdwJv-UBxYogMaQ2EKXlOq3afeJOSJ79oC53700zfjlYeSJQgX_tSKOdSOtnBglRmnHMLbr8kbuIVvP85EsFZY_DFkl3Vu6sEvmYJq_qJIviQc/s200/gm.jpeg" width="161" /></a>The other day when I was dancing around my living room, listening to George Michael, and confessing to my children how, when I was a teenager, I had a life-size poster of him on my bedroom wall —you know the one: bare feet, jeans, guitar and a sultry smile– it hit me that one more piece of my childhood had been taken away this year. I know that seems dramatic. I never knew George. I never even saw him in concert. I was too young to venture out with my sisters to the show. It could have also been that at the tender age of 14 my parents weren't thrilled to send me to a concert titled the "I Want Your Sex" tour. Instead I was given a token black concert t-shirt. I didn't know what "Explore Monogamy" meant, but I wore that t-shirt with pride, much to the horror of my mother.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj9Ne0aPsDq0XYOLQwkgjE0qIG55jpDrlUQX8DAt15Yd7wl-k5jFyUSloyDbwc9UhaR9eC1B2NFM342AzbIsXCyrugcy0dQAgqD0AaGitCtmbhJ0DVnXhc6Ev5bgc4dVm817u_bYelUQI/s1600/mockingbird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj9Ne0aPsDq0XYOLQwkgjE0qIG55jpDrlUQX8DAt15Yd7wl-k5jFyUSloyDbwc9UhaR9eC1B2NFM342AzbIsXCyrugcy0dQAgqD0AaGitCtmbhJ0DVnXhc6Ev5bgc4dVm817u_bYelUQI/s200/mockingbird.jpg" width="123" /></a>The thing is George Michael was only one of the pieces I lost this year. Added to the collection are two authors that contributed to my love of reading, and later writing: Lois Duncan and Harper Lee.</div>
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I can still remember the day my teacher closed the book after reading two chapters of <i>To Kill A Mockingbird</i> and I knew what I would be doing the moment I got home from school. My dad never hesitated to take me to a bookstore when I asked. And he never hesitated to buy me a book I was too desperate to continue reading before school the next day.</div>
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And Lois Duncan... well. She's pretty much the reason I can't watch scary movies to this day. Reading her books at night were terrifying. But I did it anyway. She taught me entirely too much about ESP and a whole lot about how tension in a novel is created.</div>
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Lois Duncan and Harper Lee. They are my go-to authors. You know, when someone asks who you read as a child, or who your favorite authors are. They are the ones. </div>
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Musicians, authors and, oh yeah. Actors. 2016 took a few of them as well.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPP0jPkuZIAwhUwczCRaWc4jv0Vyr4MDn2f17WPBznzq97XoR6g_oeJ3CFl6KlOQYRQn5TJhiCC7rauXWMtyX5E-Ia85pk_ErRJXHKB-XpJ7dCyDXduh4JlfIgLVwIl1LB4kVxubnSQGU/s1600/singing.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPP0jPkuZIAwhUwczCRaWc4jv0Vyr4MDn2f17WPBznzq97XoR6g_oeJ3CFl6KlOQYRQn5TJhiCC7rauXWMtyX5E-Ia85pk_ErRJXHKB-XpJ7dCyDXduh4JlfIgLVwIl1LB4kVxubnSQGU/s200/singing.jpeg" width="200" /></a>I never really got into Star Wars. It wasn't until last year when I was dragged to <i>The Force Awakens </i>that I finally got it. Yeah. That was a movie I could get behind. In fact I just watched it again for the third time. Carrie Fisher was a classic. She was Princess Leia all the way until the end. But it was the loss of her mother that stole another piece from me. <i>Singing in the Rain</i> was my childhood. When I was sick or down or bored, or it was a day that ended with a Y, I watched <i>Singing in the Rain</i> or <i>On the Town. </i>This year when the dreaded flu invaded my house I slipped those movies into the DVD player and watched my daughter soak in the healing vibes otherwise known as Hollywood musicals. </div>
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George Michael. Harper Lee. Lois Duncan. Carrie Fisher. Debbie Reynolds. Only a few of the pieces that filled our backgrounds. Our geography. To me they were the pieces that pushed forward my creativity, forever filling the spaces between my highs and lows.</div>
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This month begins again my continued writing of KATE TRIUMPH book 2. Writing is never easy. Sometimes I need to take a break. But the need to create is always there, even when the world feels like it's turned a bit too far to the right, or the people who painted your childhood are missing. </div>
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January is always a good month to start writing.</div>
Shari Arnoldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15393609010526562080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242933773300061366.post-76888889163244234352016-01-14T13:31:00.001-05:002016-01-14T13:31:20.915-05:00WORKINGWow. Look at that. It's 2016.<br />
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WELCOME BACK!<br />
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For those of you who have noticed I haven't been hanging around the blog lately, well, I haven't.<br />
The holidays were busy and now it's time to get back to work. Like, seriously.<br />
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This year I plan on finishing two novels. Yep. Two.<br />
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The second installment of KATE TRIUMPH is one of them, and a new idea as well.<br />
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I will keep you updated.<br />
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Until the next post, however, please know that I'm working.<br />
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And with working comes music and walks and staring out windows and such. All good things.<br />
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So, yeah. Working.Shari Arnoldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15393609010526562080noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242933773300061366.post-89698190629597955892015-11-17T09:29:00.001-05:002015-11-17T09:29:41.130-05:00IT'S MY BOOK BIRTHDAY!!Happy Book Birthday to MYSTIQUE!! It is finally out in the world!!<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 19.32px;"><b>Only Bauer Grant can pull off gorgeous while dead. But staying dead is another thing entirely. When he wakes up at his own funeral, the town of Mystique calls it a miracle, until it happens again. Something is bringing the residents of Mystique back to life, but what? Presley Caine finds herself caught up in the mystery when Bauer asks her to visit him. Presley can’t figure out why the most popular guy in school is so drawn to her. And when Bauer is kidnapped soon after, she looks to Bauer’s brooding best friend Sam, whose dad works for the powerful Mystique military base, for answers. In her quest to discover the truth, Presley’s relationship with Sam deepens, her feelings for Bauer are tested, and it becomes clear that her own mysterious past is somehow connected to these strange events. But is she strong enough to handle the truth when it is finally revealed?</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 19.32px;">I am so excited for you all to read it!! YAY BOOKS!!</span></span>Shari Arnoldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15393609010526562080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242933773300061366.post-24674341783775988612015-11-06T11:46:00.001-05:002015-11-06T11:46:34.038-05:00SO CLOSE!!A week this Tuesday MYSTIQUE is out!! Can you believe it??<br />
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You can preorder it off Amazon <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mystique-Shari-Arnold-ebook/dp/B016PMLECE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1446827857&sr=8-2&keywords=shari+arnold" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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And enter the Goodreads giveaway <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/enter_choose_address/160864-mystique" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Or check out the blog tour <a href="http://www.memyshelfandi.com/2015/11/mmsai-tour-presents-official-blog-tour.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Or simply stare at the cover here: <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ7u_MgXM8tUR_NW8CLUqmAFXLDhLzpcJUhKFbh4tclUlV106Pir5ocnt89uf6-qYvn7LoncpuDUzKieaSg4VfcX6cmh1ERo1AXc12cFnMXj9_40BDkrwK_k5FVBz9ezDPmyT77b9aavg/s1600/Mystique_Cover_Digital.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ7u_MgXM8tUR_NW8CLUqmAFXLDhLzpcJUhKFbh4tclUlV106Pir5ocnt89uf6-qYvn7LoncpuDUzKieaSg4VfcX6cmh1ERo1AXc12cFnMXj9_40BDkrwK_k5FVBz9ezDPmyT77b9aavg/s640/Mystique_Cover_Digital.jpg" width="412" /></a></div>
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It's coming!!!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">November 17th, 2015</span></div>
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Shari Arnoldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15393609010526562080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242933773300061366.post-51937798411674297052015-10-30T11:09:00.001-04:002015-10-30T11:09:33.105-04:00HAPPY HALLOWEEN!! In honor of Halloween being tomorrow and all... I figured it would be a good time to share the first chapter of <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15015612-mystique" target="_blank">MYSTIQUE</a>!!<br />
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It's a tad bit spooky, but there is love as well. Of course there is. =)<br />
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Enjoy!!<br />
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<img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxYExs9-iABsr86bcemwWObnmkXpZtE4JUA07T70E2sKG4R_mxOuSqeY3YhlohxbeUhY2lPBL9NlD2smxrizOrmWu2iiWf7pGIeGmGpPMXbGb0HaDJZUjvbnOm5nCq_fcUCTU6cOtAjr0/s320/Mystique_Cover_Digital.jpg" width="207" /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15015612-mystique" target="_blank">https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15015612-mystique</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i>1.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i>Only Bauer Grant can pull off gorgeous while dead. His dark
blond hair is tucked behind his ears, and his full lips are still pink. I’m
drawn to his reflection in the gold cross hovering above his casket. His body
is laid out as if in sleep. The church is overflowing, mostly with students.
Some faces I recognize, but most are still a blur of new; new school, new town,
new, new, new. I stand near the back of the church. I want to sit, pretend I’m
one of Bauer’s friends here to mourn a life unfinished, but the truth is I’m
working. For the last twenty minutes, I’ve been chasing down pings, chirps, and
pop song ringtones, doing my best to silently convey “Turn off your cell phone.
You’re at a funeral!” Apparently sadness is best communicated through text
messages and Facebook status updates. <o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A tall middle-aged man who
introduced himself as Bauer’s uncle reads his eulogy—seventeen years of life
summarized in three short paragraphs. The congregation sniffles and weeps along
with Bauer’s family, who are sitting in the front row. No one is more
distraught than his mother, who clutches a pale blue handkerchief in her right
hand, her eyes disbelieving, while a parade of tears soaks the collar of her
black dress.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I think
back to Monday and how I awoke to sunshine, but once the news started
circulating, it was as if someone had placed a lampshade over the town of
Mystique. The clouds grew thick, the sky turned dark, and down every hallway at
school, someone was whispering his name.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Bauer. Bauer. Bauer.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> When said in a hush, it sounds like wind blowing. And
that’s when the November chill arrived. I watched it move the trees outside my
English class while the girl behind me wept silently into her notebook. I
wanted to offer her comfort, but instead, I handed her a crumpled-up tissue
from the bottom of my backpack. And later, when I passed her in the hall, she
smiled and said, “Thanks, new girl.” You’d think in a town this small they’d
remember my name. <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I still
don’t know how he died. I asked my boss Lisa, who is the funeral director, but
she mumbled something about how it wasn’t important. “Just keep the aisles
clear, Presley.” Words she said so often they could be her life’s mantra. While
herding people to their seats, I tried my best to eavesdrop, but all I got was
“So sad to lose someone so young” or “Without Bauer, there’s no hope for the
football team.” And that was only near the back of the church. No one was
talking up by the family, where the collective silence was as respectful as it
was unsettling. <o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>His uncle’s
voice breaks, and the microphone amplifies it to the back of the church. He
barely gets to his seat before losing it altogether. I shift my feet awkwardly.
I can’t cry. It wouldn’t be right. I didn’t even know Bauer. Even though I saw
him every day at school and occasionally kept an eye out for him in between
English class and calculus, when we’d usually pass in the hall, that still
doesn’t make him my friend. And yet since the moment they wheeled his casket
into the church, my throat has felt tight.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The service
ends with a song. The congregation finds the strength to sing, even though most
of the people around me appear to be busy staring down at their hands while
they fight off the tears that will eventually flow at the cemetery.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I move to
open the back doors, lifting empty Kleenex boxes as I go. Three men stand near
the exit, looking very military in pressed suits so clean and dark in color
that without the shiny trinkets pinned to their chests, they’d blend into the
walls. They haven’t spoken a word to anyone since their arrival, instead, they
just continue to hold up the back wall with their regulated posture. Is Bauer’s
family military? I shrug internally. One more thing I never knew about him.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I glance
back at Bauer as the music swells to a finish, and he’s still where I left him,
laid out in a velvet-lined box. Everyone files out of their seats, eyes
touching upon Bauer’s face for the last time. <o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Lisa busies
herself with gathering the flowers to take to the cemetery. She looks up and
summons me with her eyes. I know what she wants. It’s my job to explain to the
family how they have a few more minutes to say their good-byes before we close
and seal the casket.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I glance
over at the front pew. Bauer’s mother and father are huddled together as if
drawing strength from each other. Bauer’s thirteen-year-old sister, Ophelia, is
staring straight ahead as if she’s willing herself to be anywhere but here.
With her right hand, she pats and soothes her younger sister, Jill, who in her
three-year-old state doesn’t appear to know exactly why everyone is so sad. Or
why Bauer isn’t responding to his name being called over and over again.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When Lisa
sees me falter, she approaches the family. Perhaps I’m not cut out for this. It
feels insensitive to rush them. Lisa does it with a smile. My thoughts return
to Bauer. For someone so popular, he sure did know how to look right at you in
the hallway and make you feel like you weren’t invisible. I was too afraid to
approach him when he was alive. And now that he’s dead, I’m still afraid.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>His eyes
are closed. I try to remember what color they are, but my mind is blank. Blue?
No. Green? I’m pretty sure I never noticed. I was too busy trying to look away.
No one wants to get caught staring at the hot, popular kid. It’s so unoriginal.
<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I reach
out, daring my fingertips to touch him. I keep expecting his chest to rise and
fall, but he remains still and silent. He’s cold, not like ice cold (which is
what I was expecting), but more like when you touch one of those wax figures at
Fisherman’s Wharf. You expect them to come to life, turn to you and brush your
hand away, but instead you realize they aren’t real. They were never real,
unlike Bauer. He may look too good to be true, with his clear skin and long
eyelashes, but just last week, he was kissing his girlfriend in the doorway of
my calculus class. Right before I reached them, Bauer stepped out of the way,
narrowly missing me. I wanted to roll my eyes and be all “get a room,” but once
Bauer looked at me, I forgot to use my words. The blush that colored his cheeks
when he apologized did funny things to my stomach. He seemed genuinely sorry.
All I could do was race for my seat, hoping no one else noticed how Bauer’s
embarrassment was contagious. But Sam noticed. It appears Bauer’s best friend
misses very little. Sam’s eyes followed me from the front row and only moved on
once our class started. <o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The lights
in the church begin to dim as if a show is about to start, and I slip away from
the casket. I can hear Lisa explaining to his family how in a few minutes the
pallbearers will be coming to get the casket. “It’s okay,” she whispers. “It’s
time to say your good-byes.”<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Bauer’s
family rise to their feet as one, their arms encircling each other like a
football huddle. Their next play: saying good-bye. For a split second, I wish I
could be a part of that huddle, slip right under the rope of arms and move into
the center. It’s very different from how my aunt and I acted at my
grandmother’s funeral. It was just the two of us, and yet not once did we
touch.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A
single-file line of men enters the church and gathers around the coffin. I
recognize Sam near the front. His hair is cut short, neat and trimmed around
his ears, and normally he would be one of the taller boys in the church, but
today his shoulders are slumped. I can’t make out his expression as he stares
down at his friend, only that his jaw is clenched. When the man closest to him
calls his name, he looks up and our eyes meet. I’m the first to look away.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
pallbearers’ heads collectively crane toward Bauer as if in prayer. Lisa moves
toward the casket with a large metal key in her hand, and I’ve already
forgotten what I’m supposed to be doing. What was I thinking when I took this
job? Oh, yeah, college. <o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Suddenly, a
loud gurgling noise fills the church, followed by a gasp of breath. The
pallbearers spring back from the casket. Some fall to the floor. I’m left a
clear view of Bauer, who is no longer still but shifting restlessly in his
casket like a fish pulled from the water. The sound that escapes my lips is
something between a scream and a gulp. I take a step forward and then another—I
have to see it for myself. Bauer’s flailing stops as abruptly as it began, and
his eyes snap open. When he sits up in the casket, my face is the first thing
he sees.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i> I hear a
solid thunk from behind me as Lisa
hits the floor.</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br clear="all" style="mso-break-type: section-break; page-break-before: always;" />
</span><!--EndFragment--><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Don't forget it comes out NOVEMBER 17th!! </span>Shari Arnoldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15393609010526562080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242933773300061366.post-63647514058973442312015-10-27T11:35:00.000-04:002015-10-27T11:35:12.663-04:00MYSTIQUE the cover!!!Three weeks from today <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15015612-mystique" target="_blank">MYSTIQUE</a> is out!! Wanna see the cover??<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-xeSfGEt7V68eUSQ9nXScRJD22J1KzEkGkXCjderm0iXo4L4G48AKDla9X4lV7OR4MXYcfD8-3hggZxJYCSvvbZeCinhVAIFSQPFFgzPhOaSXfnNxEUajB__rSjth9WkO4B4reFwybxc/s1600/Mystique_Cover_Digital.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-xeSfGEt7V68eUSQ9nXScRJD22J1KzEkGkXCjderm0iXo4L4G48AKDla9X4lV7OR4MXYcfD8-3hggZxJYCSvvbZeCinhVAIFSQPFFgzPhOaSXfnNxEUajB__rSjth9WkO4B4reFwybxc/s320/Mystique_Cover_Digital.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 19.32px;"><b><i>Only Bauer Grant can pull off gorgeous while dead. But staying dead is another thing entirely. When he wakes up at his own funeral, the town of Mystique calls it a miracle,until it happens again. Something is bringing the residents of Mystique back to life, but what? Presley Caine finds herself caught up in the mystery when Bauer asks her to visit him. Presley can’t figure out why the most popular guy in school is so drawn to her. And when Bauer is kidnapped soon after, she looks to Bauer’s brooding best friend Sam, whose dad works for the powerful Mystique military base, for answers. In her quest to discover the truth, Presley’s relationship with Sam deepens, her feelings for Bauer are tested, and it becomes clear that her own mysterious past is somehow connected to these strange events. But is she strong enough to handle the truth when it is finally revealed?</i></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 19.32px;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 19.32px;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 19.32px;">November 17 is coming!!</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 19.32px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 19.32px;"><br /></span></span>Shari Arnoldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15393609010526562080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242933773300061366.post-73098530649697705582015-10-14T10:10:00.003-04:002015-10-14T10:10:57.761-04:00MYSTIQUEIt's coming!! It's coming!!<br />
<br />
It has been a very long wait... believe me, I know.<br />
<br />
But it is official. MYSTIQUE is coming!<br />
<br />
And the release day is...<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">NOVEMBER 17!!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
Yes. Five weeks away!!<br />
<br />
Here's the synopsis off <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15015612-mystique" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>:<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 19.32px;"><b>Only Bauer Grant can pull off gorgeous while dead. But staying dead is another thing entirely. When he wakes up at his own funeral, the town of Mystique calls it a miracle,until it happens again. Something is bringing the residents of Mystique back to life, but what? Presley Caine finds herself caught up in the mystery when Bauer asks her to visit him. Presley can’t figure out why the most popular guy in school is so drawn to her. And when Bauer is kidnapped soon after, she looks to Bauer’s brooding best friend Sam, whose dad works for the powerful Mystique military base, for answers. In her quest to discover the truth, Presley’s relationship with Sam deepens, her feelings for Bauer are tested, and it becomes clear that her own mysterious past is somehow connected to these strange events. But is she strong enough to handle the truth when it is finally revealed?</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 19.32px;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 19.32px;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 19.32px;">Stay tuned for the cover reveal...</span>Shari Arnoldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15393609010526562080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242933773300061366.post-30612135987556169182015-08-24T19:30:00.002-04:002015-08-24T19:32:14.750-04:00I DO BELIEVE IN FAIRIES. The first time my husband saw a hummingbird he nearly fell off the balcony. We were visiting family in Utah at the time, and he'd never ever seen one in his whole entire life! (He was in his late twenties) Needless to say it was a memorable day. I can still remember the sound of his tiny shriek of surprise. (It wasn't that tiny)<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZWjjcmqAjQdvBOcLUQQDnJdNl-erVCzFIufl7p_r8nqD8Hdm8c_6xVs5hYRVEkqKVUHAJOynI_li6vKKS2vKbjlwvcm3S0oS7h_55NKDteUQ4Wf3YloGaEYcz9O4cxHx40IymY-Syi-Q/s1600/hummingbird-garden-hover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZWjjcmqAjQdvBOcLUQQDnJdNl-erVCzFIufl7p_r8nqD8Hdm8c_6xVs5hYRVEkqKVUHAJOynI_li6vKKS2vKbjlwvcm3S0oS7h_55NKDteUQ4Wf3YloGaEYcz9O4cxHx40IymY-Syi-Q/s320/hummingbird-garden-hover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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(Hummingbirds have been known to startle some people)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Recently we bought a hummingbird feeder. It's red and filled with red sugar water, and for the first few weeks it dangled from my porch, ignored by all hummingbirds. Probably didn't help that we watched it constantly.<br />
<br />
"We don't have hummingbirds in Connecticut," my husband told me. "I've never seen one and I'm pretty sure they don't exist around here."<br />
<br />
In the last few weeks the hummingbirds have circled our feeder and kitchen window as though they are more interested in us than we are in them. (Which isn't possible)<br />
They do exist in Connecticut. And they have embraced our hummingbird feeder.<br />
<br />
Truth is, once you spot a hummingbird in real life you see them everywhere. They followed us to Canada. They flew past us while we were exploring a lavender field here in Connecticut, and a few times now they have chirped at me while hovering just shy of my face.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibFsn846jufNnGqE7kuJi-H-kZLa66dwLyhuRF-AB3CXBdnDmFpReIXqM7oHMrsE8lxzdBWT-W9245zbgA4bH_A3S3ibQ9LwxpRD-wYfM1zkNLvhE9JE4l4psZhWJW9zsH7r9f3BmrCNg/s1600/fairies.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibFsn846jufNnGqE7kuJi-H-kZLa66dwLyhuRF-AB3CXBdnDmFpReIXqM7oHMrsE8lxzdBWT-W9245zbgA4bH_A3S3ibQ9LwxpRD-wYfM1zkNLvhE9JE4l4psZhWJW9zsH7r9f3BmrCNg/s1600/fairies.jpeg" /></a><br />
To me hummingbirds are a sign that fairies could also exist. They are magical. And magic is something I believe in.<br />
<br />
My favorite stories to write have a taste of magic to them. Not witches-and-potions magic, but anything-could-happen <br />
magic.<br />
<br />
If you've read <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24809194-neverland" target="_blank">NEVERLAND</a>, well, you probably already know this. For years I've believed in a boy who could fly.<br />
<br />
In my next book, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15015612-mystique" target="_blank">MYSTIQUE</a>, (coming soon) you will get a taste of a new form of magic. A magic that is bringing an entire town back to life (literally) starting with a seventeen-year-old boy named Bauer.<br />
<br />
Disclaimer: You won't find any fairies in <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15015612-mystique" target="_blank">MYSTIQUE</a>. But it's still a fun read.Shari Arnoldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15393609010526562080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242933773300061366.post-1757900328004462482015-07-07T15:00:00.003-04:002015-07-07T15:00:51.484-04:00WRITING THE SEQUEL<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6yht2-_ltR9HVOPew1xsxiHf82t3Yt_Ma5ZY0F93-Vf43z56lh1ApehcF2AGpyVxiIdMawKzfEoqFx_scf7Gc36CAZptnLobA0RMNuWe1qJWKYppaecpkCgnCwTmtHYYnDC_UmH2zsTk/s1600/Kate_Triumph_Cover_SMLer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6yht2-_ltR9HVOPew1xsxiHf82t3Yt_Ma5ZY0F93-Vf43z56lh1ApehcF2AGpyVxiIdMawKzfEoqFx_scf7Gc36CAZptnLobA0RMNuWe1qJWKYppaecpkCgnCwTmtHYYnDC_UmH2zsTk/s320/Kate_Triumph_Cover_SMLer.jpg" width="213" /></a>There are certain things every author must do when writing a sequel, one of which is the most important: make it as good, if not better than the first.<br />
<br />
I am currently brainstorming and building the foundation for the next KATE TRIUMPH novel (otherwise known as KATE THE SECOND) and I have a whole lot of ideas and character arcs brewing in my head. I think about Jonah. Alot. And I think about Kate and Zack and how Kate and Zack will grow and develop in book 2. And I think about Andrew. And how his family is growing as well.<br />
<br />
And I think about Olivia. Kate's mother is always in my thoughts.<br />
<br />
It has been a very rainy summer so far in New England and as much as I've missed summer and sunshine, rain is helpful when you're writing about Mercer Island. But sun is much preferred when your characters leave the rainy West Coast and head to someplace warmer, and far more dangerous. =)<br />
<br />
Just in case you were wondering what this blog post is about:<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">KATE TRIUMPH BOOK TWO is coming...</span></b>Shari Arnoldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15393609010526562080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242933773300061366.post-69802111620971467372015-05-07T12:05:00.001-04:002015-05-07T12:05:08.155-04:00NEVERLAND AND MUSICToday is day FOUR of the NEVERLAND BLOG TOUR!! If you missed any of the other stops and want to take the tour with us go <a href="http://www.memyshelfandi.com/2015/03/mmsai-tours-presents-official-blog-tour.html" target="_blank">here</a>!<div>
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUCqD4LVQ8ua5hTbD0R_9srGjTQ9gPab7RkQclBEEt-XY8tOHEu07i0ObEG1MPvaSd4dWuhR4RRfb4mYejhPJjr21w-pX0k9UsN4pl4R7dTkhwqW-rbV5P8ToDd_blHXRsX67GMEG55D4/s1600/Cover_Final_Small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUCqD4LVQ8ua5hTbD0R_9srGjTQ9gPab7RkQclBEEt-XY8tOHEu07i0ObEG1MPvaSd4dWuhR4RRfb4mYejhPJjr21w-pX0k9UsN4pl4R7dTkhwqW-rbV5P8ToDd_blHXRsX67GMEG55D4/s320/Cover_Final_Small.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<div>
Reviews and interviews and playlists, Oh my!! And a giveaway as well!! =)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But today is the day I share the NEVERLAND PLAYLIST!! </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Music is extremely important to me. Without it my stories would never happen. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Wanna hear what inspired the flying scene? Or the setting for NEVERLAND??</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Click <a href="http://www.memyshelfandi.com/2015/03/mmsai-tours-presents-official-blog-tour.html" target="_blank">here</a>!! </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'd love to hear from you if any of the music connects with you as well!!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Happy Reading!! (And listening) </div>
Shari Arnoldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15393609010526562080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242933773300061366.post-8138908009018468202015-04-07T09:07:00.001-04:002015-04-07T09:07:54.619-04:00TODAY IS THE DAY!!!NEVERLAND IS OUT!!!<br />
<br />
Today I get to share Meyer with all of you!! He has been following me around for awhile now, hanging out on rooftops, and today is the day you all get to meet him.<br />
<br />
I can not tell you how happy this makes me!!!<br />
<br />
NEVERLAND is available at:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Neverland-Shari-Arnold-ebook/dp/B00UM9HZ3E/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8" target="_blank">Amazon</a> in Ebook/Paperback<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/532636" target="_blank">Smashwords</a> in all forms of ebook<br />
<br />
<br />
Happy NEVERLAND day!! I hope you all enjoy my reimagining of Peter Pan!!<br />
<br />
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<br />Shari Arnoldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15393609010526562080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242933773300061366.post-90199017543395763852015-03-12T11:31:00.000-04:002015-03-12T11:31:39.788-04:00COVER REVEAL!!!It's here!! Finally!!<br />
<br />
I'm soo excited to share the cover for NEVERLAND!!!<br />
<br />
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!!!<br />
<br />
So. Without dragging it out even more than I need to...<br />
<br />
Here is <b>NEVERLAND</b> available <b>April 7, 2015</b><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkL8LJf4oOInOvE5VeH8GJm8ZIVt0b_B-g4HiNHCNOXscL9jwwGozmYS-TuAPWe7q4mURg5cxfxhGwlXL60TsfeIQau68b16yIz4ZZ_3C6nwAm-HYVwpDAUHmOJT4nl8803OW7WH8bk2I/s1600/Cover_Final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkL8LJf4oOInOvE5VeH8GJm8ZIVt0b_B-g4HiNHCNOXscL9jwwGozmYS-TuAPWe7q4mURg5cxfxhGwlXL60TsfeIQau68b16yIz4ZZ_3C6nwAm-HYVwpDAUHmOJT4nl8803OW7WH8bk2I/s1600/Cover_Final.jpg" height="640" width="425" /></a></div>
<br />
Here is the synopsis from <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24809194-neverland" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>:<br />
<br />
<b><span id="freeText5223756146347234409" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">It’s been four months since seventeen-year-old Livy Cloud lost her younger sister, but she isn’t quite ready to move on with her life — not even close. She’d rather spend her time at the Seattle Children’s hospital, reading to the patients and holding onto memories of the sister who was everything to her and more.<br /><br />But when she meets the mysterious and illusive Meyer she is drawn into a world of adventure, a world where questions abound.<br /><br />Is she ready to live life without her sister? Or more importantly, is she brave enough to love again?<br /><br />Will Livy lose herself to Neverland or will she find what she’s been searching for?</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"> </span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"><br /></span></b>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">It will be available for pre-order soon... likely by this evening. =) Feel free to add it on Goodreads.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"><b>Available April 7, 2015</b><span style="font-size: 13.8000001907349px;"> </span></span></span></span>Shari Arnoldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15393609010526562080noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242933773300061366.post-63548563718620995902015-03-02T11:22:00.002-05:002015-03-02T11:22:39.899-05:00WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE?I didn't read Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie until I was in 8th grade. I remember staying in one Saturday and reading and reading and reading and falling in love with Peter.<br />
<br />
I remember thinking he was a brat at some moments and completely intriguing at others. But from that day on I carried a piece of him with me.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhORInBQjiB21nxxGyKeDFMTE0v6wuYeOmBCI-rKdPXosidRdgntckBIBM0vlGkpylFqIad0tHT2R4QMhlQce5CBMd_ybponpUpFcZidh-4Zck3K2zRvZZQe7761cFHDL4rNf0xqjJGmJI/s1600/peter+pan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhORInBQjiB21nxxGyKeDFMTE0v6wuYeOmBCI-rKdPXosidRdgntckBIBM0vlGkpylFqIad0tHT2R4QMhlQce5CBMd_ybponpUpFcZidh-4Zck3K2zRvZZQe7761cFHDL4rNf0xqjJGmJI/s1600/peter+pan.jpg" height="320" width="214" /></a><br />
When I was visiting London at the age of twenty I stumbled upon the Peter Pan sculpture in Kensington Gardens. I know it's shameful that a true Peter Pan fan such as myself didn't think to track it down, I had to find it by accident. But there it was... and I remember just staring at it as though it had followed me there.<br />
<br />
I was working on a completely different book when the idea for <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24809194-neverland" target="_blank">NEVERLAND</a> showed up. I remember standing in my kids' bedroom, looking out the window at the other rooftops I could see, and there it was: my shiny new idea. It was horrible timing. I was on deadline and I had no time for Peter, let alone Meyer — who became my main male protagonist.<br />
<br />
But NEVERLAND didn't wait. It followed me around, and haunted me until everywhere I went I found myself staring up at rooftops imagining Meyer nearby.<br />
<br />
I spent a lot of time thinking about "what if" situations after I read Peter Pan. In April you will all get a chance to read my "what if" when NEVERLAND releases. <br />
<br />
I hope you find it magical. And I hope Meyer follows you around rooftops the way he still follows me.Shari Arnoldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15393609010526562080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242933773300061366.post-91703521967651810662015-02-17T15:09:00.001-05:002015-02-17T15:09:15.480-05:00TEASER TUESDAY!!Is it Spring yet?? Yeah. Whatever.<br />
<br />
Even though it's negative temps outside (seriously?? WHY!?) there are good things happening today!<br />
<br />
It's TEASER TUESDAY! Super exciting, I know!<br />
<br />
Before the cover of <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24809194-neverland" target="_blank">NEVERLAND</a> is launched (soon, I promise) I thought it might be fun to give a little teaser.<br />
<br />
This story is about love and relationships... and magic. There should always be magic.<br />
<br />
Enjoy!!!<br />
<br />
<h2>
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24809194-neverland" target="_blank">NEVERLAND</a> <span style="font-size: small;">By Shari Arnold</span></b></h2>
<br />
<br />
<b><i>Chapter 1</i></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i>It’s
just before dinnertime at the Seattle Children’s Hospital. Beef Stroganoff
tonight. My sister’s favorite. I’m almost to the best part of Peter Pan — you
know where Wendy has just walked the plank and everyone on the ship is freaking
out because there was no splash. <o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i>I
pause for a moment and smile down at the newest addition to story hour. She
smiles back. She’s still clutching her mother’s hand like it’s her lifeline,
but she’s no longer hiding behind her. So that’s something. Her light-colored
eyebrows and pale skin make me think she was a blonde before they shaved her
head and injected her with poison. And the light in her mother’s eyes tells me
there’s still hope.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i>“Where’s
Wendy?” Jilly calls out even though she’s heard this story countless times
before. The way the children are watching me you’d think it was the first time
I’d read it to them. Jilly claps loudly and the IV attached to her right hand
sways back and forth as if it shares her excitement. <o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i>“Well,”
I say, drawing out the word. “What do you think happened to her?”<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i>“Peter
Pan!” the children chorus, all except Gerald. He’s sitting in his mom’s lap,
eyeing me as if I’m foolish for asking this question. <o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i>“She’s
dead. Drowned in the water,” he says, before his mom shushes him. Lately Gerald
has developed a fascination with death. And from what I hear some of the other
parents find it off-putting.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i>“No!
She’s not dead!” Jilly says in her most authoritative voice. “It’s Peter Pan.
He’s saved her.”<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i>And
I laugh. Of course it is. Who else would it be?<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i>I
turn the book around to show them the illustrations and they collectively lean
in close. A handful of the kids are sitting on the floor near my feet while the
few who are too sick to leave their beds create a perimeter around us. But
every last one of them is locked on, waiting for the happy ending. Even Gerald.
Their eyes are wide and curious, and I love that. If I focus on their eyes I
can forget the disease each one carries around like a nametag. I can forget
that statistics rule their lives. I used to do this with my sister, Jenna, and
near the end she would put her face right up to mine so that our noses were
touching and say, “Can you see me, Livy?” and I’d say, “Always.”<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i>Sometimes
when I close my eyes I still see her: honey and peach-colored and never without
a half-eaten candy necklace hanging around her neck. At least that’s how she
used to be. But most of the time I have to pull out a photograph and remind
myself of what her smile looked like, how her mouth was a mix of permanent and
baby teeth. And how she had this funny little birthmark near her right temple
that was shaped like an elephant, and when asked about it she would claim it
was a tattoo because it would make my mother cringe and my father chuckle.
After only four months of her being gone I have to rely on a photograph to
remember how her eyebrows were so blonde you couldn’t see them unless you
looked really close. And how her laughter was so loud and freeing that it would
usually catch the attention of perfect strangers on the street.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i>“Livy?
What happened to Wendy?” Jilly says, bringing me back to the present. I turn
the book around and flip to the next page.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i>“Tick,
tock. Tick tock,” I read and the children squeal: “It’s the crocodile!”<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i>I
stop reading long enough to glance up. I wish I could capture their joy and
hold it in my pocket, bringing it out on those days when even the promise of a
new toy can’t drudge up a smile. “This is what happiness sounds like,” I’d tell
them as if a simple reminder is all they need to feel better.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i>“What
happens next?” Gerald calls out, and then thinking better of it he rolls his
eyes and says, “not that I’m interested.” <o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i>I’m
about to answer when I notice him. That same boy. The one I occasionally see
when no one else is paying attention. He’s standing just inside the doorway
wearing dark jeans and a hoodie. His arms are folded, his ankles crossed. He’s
lounging while standing up. And when our eyes meet he grins. Who is he? I know he doesn’t belong to
any of the children here because I’ve asked. In fact, no one on this floor
seems to claim him at all. But nevertheless, there he is. Watching me.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i>“Are
you going to finish, Livy?” Gerald asks with his sandpaper voice. “You know,
some of us aren’t going to live forever.”<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i>The
boy in the doorway raises an eyebrow as if he too is wondering if I’m going to
finish. But he isn’t a boy. He’s perhaps a year or two older than me, which
would make him barely an adult. Not a boy. But there’s something about his
smile that makes him appear younger. More youthful.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i>“Of
course I’m going to finish,” I answer, except now I’m nervous. My hand shakes
when I turn the page and even though I will myself not to, I clear my throat.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i>“The
sound of ticking is coming from the water down below. Tick. Tick. Tick.” I take
a breath while the children continue to hold theirs. And he’s watching me.
Still watching me. <o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i>I
finish the story just as Nurse Maria strolls in to announce that it’s time for
dinner. But the children don’t want food. They want Peter Pan. The few who
entered the playroom on their own two feet are now flying about with their arms
extended and their pajamas flapping. I smile while I watch them. They look so
free, so happy. For a moment I forget their troubles, just like they have.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i>“Again!
Again!” they cry. “Read it again!” Even little Sammy, who rarely makes any
noise at all, has joined in. Sometimes I don’t even hear his footsteps before
he tugs on my shirt to get my attention.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i>“Please,
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i>When
I glance toward the doorway the mysterious boy is gone. </i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Cover coming soon!!</span></div>
Shari Arnoldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15393609010526562080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242933773300061366.post-89862159235572864252015-02-03T14:37:00.000-05:002015-02-03T14:37:18.812-05:00NEVERLANDFor all of us who can't wait until Spring (who listens to groundhogs anyway) I've got some great news!<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
My next YA/Paranormal, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24809194-neverland" target="_blank">NEVERLAND</a>, will be released in APRIL!!</div>
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<br /></div>
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Here's the synopsis: </div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<b><i><span id="freeText1542222574174477897" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">It’s been four months since seventeen-year-old Livy Cloud lost her younger sister, but she isn’t quite ready to move on with her life — not even close. She’d rather spend her time at the Seattle Children’s hospital, reading to the patients and holding onto memories of the sister who was everything to her and more.<br /><br />But when she meets the mysterious and illusive Meyer she is drawn into a world of adventure, a world where questions abound.<br /><br />Is she ready to live life without her sister? Or more importantly, is she brave enough to love again?<br /><br />Will Livy lose herself to Neverland or will she find what she’s been searching for?</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"> </span></i></b></div>
<div>
<b><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"><br /></span></i></b></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">This is a re-imagining of Peter Pan set in Seattle. I CAN NOT tell you how excited I am to get this out into the world. Peter Pan has always been one of my favorites, and I hope you all fall in love with Meyer. =)</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">It is up on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24809194-neverland" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>!! Feel free to add it!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">Cover Coming Soon!!</span></div>
Shari Arnoldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15393609010526562080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242933773300061366.post-41382625954480641412015-01-29T15:48:00.000-05:002015-01-29T15:48:17.812-05:00BEING INDIEI'm all about being Indie!!<br />
<br />
KATE TRIUMPH is now available at <a href="http://www.kingsenglish.com/" target="_blank">The King's English</a> bookstore in SLC, Utah!<br />
<br />
More indie stores coming soon! =) But I had to start with The King's English because it's my favorite and it's surrounded by mountains!!<br />
<br />
If you are in or around SLC go find it there!!Shari Arnoldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15393609010526562080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242933773300061366.post-89799067018479308012015-01-28T11:38:00.000-05:002015-01-28T11:38:27.799-05:00CALIFORNIA DREAMING<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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How I spent my winter vacation...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGG-XRQ-moAB17FMmIZkctL5bYJ2pH5oSJ6zY9F1Esbj-_l07sSCAb7CCuK28lvAONBHZ5vlOgMEf8DYKFXeL_Yy4yQPEF55V9_c6R0gQSYx9XF2EtzQYsdcp9_URPBy9MdtiRYZO8hPk/s1600/snow+mountains.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGG-XRQ-moAB17FMmIZkctL5bYJ2pH5oSJ6zY9F1Esbj-_l07sSCAb7CCuK28lvAONBHZ5vlOgMEf8DYKFXeL_Yy4yQPEF55V9_c6R0gQSYx9XF2EtzQYsdcp9_URPBy9MdtiRYZO8hPk/s1600/snow+mountains.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixoqk72P33S7kWGRT4SvXWgSYCNiyVqB9R3W-vJvqjvVAE3kpiSuZeplEEO1VTzKRwcvakQoHe-U6YcVZIyl2d62ouKCpmHtwobq5ZOv7RJxDvWFlfxbB6keKdtKF4-bWZY7b8Ob9GkLU/s1600/mountains+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">Over the holidays we traveled out west where the mountains are big and the family is plentiful. We were there over Christmas and New Years and it made me realize how beautiful the mountains are and how much I've missed them. OH! And I missed my family as well. =)</a><br />
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And then just after January hit we took a detour over to California to the place where I was born and raised, and for the first time I truly felt like I was coming home. It's strange how your childhood memories center everything you are. I no longer have family there, but the smells in the air; the color of the light — everything was familiar. Everything felt like me.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Lemon trees </span></i></div>
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I've lived a couple of places for a decent amount of time, and it's been a long while since I've been back to California. But it remembered me in a way <i>I</i> <i>haven't</i> in a really long time.<br />
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It's always nice to feel familiar. Even better when it comes with sunshine.<br />
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In KATE TRIUMPH I've always related to Kate's need to belong somewhere. She's forced to move often and has yet to find a home. And when she ends up in Mercer Island, a place that isn't familiar to her, a place where she doesn't have childhood memories, she eventually finds her familiarity.<br />
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She finds her home.<br />
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Currently I'm working on the continuation of her story as well as finishing up the edits on my next YA novel, NEVERLAND. It's been brought to my attention that the common thread in these novels is my female protagonist's need to feel familiar.<br />
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This is very evident in Kate as well as Livy (NEVERLAND) and I believe it's a theme that will continue as Kate's story continues.<br />
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But the truth is every character I've ever met is vulnerable and strong in some way. It makes them feel human. Real.<br />
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I hope you feel this, relate to this, in Kate and soon Livy. Characters should jump off a page. They should speak to you. Make you feel something.<br />
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Otherwise we writers aren't doing it right.<br />
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<br />Shari Arnoldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15393609010526562080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242933773300061366.post-37346157279988473722015-01-15T15:03:00.001-05:002015-01-15T15:03:58.617-05:00Well, Hello There, 2015!!Happy Holidays!!<br />
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Wait. Let's try that again.<br />
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Welcome back!! So... I've been gone for about a month or two, but now that it's 2015 and things are back to happening it's time for more recent blog posts. YAY blog posts!! Right??<br />
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Anyway.<br />
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The KATE TRIUMPH book trailer is still in the works, and so far it looks AWESOME!!<br />
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Have you read KATE yet??! If you have I'd love to hear from you! Reviews make my day! =)<br />
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Now that 2015 is here... I feel I should spread some news...<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">!!!!</span></b><br />
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Did you hear about that one book I've been working on and can't wait to share with you?? NO?<br />
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Well. More details coming soon, but let me throw this your way...<br />
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Do you love Peter Pan? Do you love Seattle?? Do you love love and young adult novels and such??<br />
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=)<br />
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NEVERLAND will release in early Spring!!<br />
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Stay tuned for more details.<br />
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And happy reading!Shari Arnoldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15393609010526562080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242933773300061366.post-37015078527242914382014-11-28T10:43:00.000-05:002014-11-28T10:43:00.952-05:00A SALE AND A BOOK TRAILER! This week has been a busy one. There is a lot going on in KATE TRIUMPH-land.<br />
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First things first... KATE TRIUMPH is currently on sale over on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kate-Triumph-Shari-Arnold-ebook/dp/B00NWM7BKK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417188986&sr=8-1&keywords=kate+triumph" target="_blank">Amazon</a>. You can pick it up for $0.99!! $0.99 I tell you!!<br />
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And!!<br />
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The excitement continues...<br />
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We are currently working on the KATE TRIUMPH book trailer!! Continue to check back here for updates and teasers and stuff.<br />
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Here's a photo from the set... =)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvzx8QRNqVp4mmu-qVY4cRPcMeEKlruKN0_rg6oIXcBoS5TSeHdBv63e1yN6ybSK5DlmRXCqoHG8NPdAw3Vh7PpkfqN161gquL5kAQZ7PRXJm-6vkwz7JmLh4ZoV5XTd7eNE04OTF0PkQ/s1600/on+set.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvzx8QRNqVp4mmu-qVY4cRPcMeEKlruKN0_rg6oIXcBoS5TSeHdBv63e1yN6ybSK5DlmRXCqoHG8NPdAw3Vh7PpkfqN161gquL5kAQZ7PRXJm-6vkwz7JmLh4ZoV5XTd7eNE04OTF0PkQ/s1600/on+set.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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SOOO EXCITING!!!<br />
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Hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving!! =)Shari Arnoldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15393609010526562080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242933773300061366.post-42368638117095311312014-11-19T12:49:00.002-05:002014-11-19T12:51:30.248-05:00News! Updates and Giveaways!! Sorry for the radio silence. I was away in Texas and just got back last night. While I was gone some super awesome things happened and I wanted to share them with you!!<br />
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First: KATE was written up in the Huffington Post!! YES!! I KNOW! You can find that awesomeness <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/emily-liebert/a-major-triumph-author-sh_b_5996954.html" target="_blank">here</a>!<br />
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There have been a few contests going on around the internet to win an ebook of KATE. You can find some here:<br />
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<a href="http://mybookaddiction.com/guest-post-giveaway-kate-triumph-by-shari-arnold/" target="_blank">Giveaway</a> at My Book Addiction!<br />
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<a href="http://mythicalbooks.blogspot.com/2014/11/life-gets-bit-more-complicated-and-lot.html" target="_blank">Giveaway</a> at Mythical Books!<br />
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<a href="http://happytailsandtales.blogspot.com/2014/10/kate-triumph-spotlight-and-giveaway.html" target="_blank">Giveaway</a> at Happy Tails and Tales!<br />
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<a href="http://literarywinner.com/2014/11/kate-triumph-shari-arnold/" target="_blank">Giveaway</a> at Literary Winner!<br />
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<a href="http://cbybookclub.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/book-blitz-giveaway-kate-triumph-by.html" target="_blank">Giveaway</a> at Chosen By You Book Club!<br />
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<a href="http://bibliophilemystery.blogspot.ro/2014/10/book-blitz-excerpt-and-giveaway-kate.html" target="_blank">Giveaway</a> at Bibliophile Mystery!<br />
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And!! You can also enter to win a paperback over at Goodreads! Enter <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/111942-kate-triumph" target="_blank">here</a>!!<br />
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OH!! And KATE made it on TV!! Watch it <a href="http://www.wfsb.com/video?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=10836883" target="_blank">here</a>!!<br />
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And for all of you who prefer epub files you can also find KATE TRIUMPH on <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/493277" target="_blank">Smashwords</a>!!<br />
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Remember!! Reviews are very important!! =)<br />
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Now I'm off to continue working on the next KATE!! More news coming soon!! =)<br />
<br />Shari Arnoldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15393609010526562080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242933773300061366.post-32080257779758505162014-10-23T11:38:00.000-04:002014-10-23T11:38:24.315-04:00MUSIC AND BOOKS<div>
A story always begins with an idea, but for me that story won't get written without a soundtrack. I can never start writing until I have the "feeling" of the story just right. That feeling basically sets the mood and foundation of the story and helps me get ideas whenever I'm feeling stuck. For KATE TRIUMPH my "feeling" song was "23" by Blonde Redhead. I knew as soon as I heard it that it would be played over and over again until the beginning was just right.</div>
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And as for the rest of the story, here's a list of all the songs that contributed to the making of KATE TRIUMPH: (in alphabetical order)</div>
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Amandine "For all the Marbles" </div>
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Animal Collective "My Girls"</div>
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Beirut "Elephant Gun"</div>
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Blonde Redhead "23"</div>
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The Cinematic Orchestra "To Build You A Home"</div>
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The Decemberists "The Crane Wife 3"</div>
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Feist "1234"</div>
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John Mayer "Say"</div>
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My Morning Jacket "Touch Me I'm Going to Scream, Pt. 2"</div>
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The New Pornographers "The Bleeding Heart Show"</div>
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Peter Bjorn and John "Nothing to Worry About"</div>
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Silversun Pickups "Lazy Eye"</div>
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Stars "Look Up"</div>
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Stars "Take Me To The Riot"</div>
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Enjoy the music! And I hope you enjoy <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23221260-kate-triumph" target="_blank">KATE</a>!</div>
Shari Arnoldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15393609010526562080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242933773300061366.post-52218994864567141732014-10-21T14:12:00.001-04:002014-10-21T14:12:27.486-04:00HOW TO MAKE IT THROUGH YOUR BOOK BIRTHDAYLast Thursday <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23221260-kate-triumph" target="_blank">KATE TRIUMPH</a> officially made her debut into the world. There was much joy, some crying and a whole lot of sugar consumed. Like, a lot a lot. I have learned that the only way to make it through a stressful/exciting moment is to eat Nutella straight from the jar.<br />
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Here's proof:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVhlOqGpyb6CDSZaj-7xOMZ8V7Zd0KqTFBNsJF4FqnNDL7AQ-kLtJ-0KLgRML8Dh5Lyp8VRPFYZjklqpNHQIe3A9h8gN_79B5B6U6oFmYFOQXbNjfWDBdZ1uStvsbPzxC_YxmSOSxLs5I/s1600/IMG_20141021_113800385_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVhlOqGpyb6CDSZaj-7xOMZ8V7Zd0KqTFBNsJF4FqnNDL7AQ-kLtJ-0KLgRML8Dh5Lyp8VRPFYZjklqpNHQIe3A9h8gN_79B5B6U6oFmYFOQXbNjfWDBdZ1uStvsbPzxC_YxmSOSxLs5I/s1600/IMG_20141021_113800385_HDR.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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This is the big bottle, people, not the small one. It was full on Thursday. A few days later I need to buy more.<br />
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And just because a bottle of Nutella doesn't look all that celebratory I visited this place:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiJIA8acmOK0f5qznR8gNxxLqzHmDhzAFn_XLrm7XITVo-3lSDYFUajMvjDfqfUID6KECJ5aELXX0die56xv9uaTiq5i0M269NBgQhAEZc14JQRpqvoMRHwa1ds19fomg90MxEXLVPhNg/s1600/IMG_20141016_121420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiJIA8acmOK0f5qznR8gNxxLqzHmDhzAFn_XLrm7XITVo-3lSDYFUajMvjDfqfUID6KECJ5aELXX0die56xv9uaTiq5i0M269NBgQhAEZc14JQRpqvoMRHwa1ds19fomg90MxEXLVPhNg/s1600/IMG_20141016_121420.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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And brought some home. (No photo because they didn't last very long)<br />
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Now that <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shari-Arnold/e/B00O77XZA4/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1" target="_blank">KATE TRIUMPH</a> is alive and out in the world here is where she is currently residing:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUXeW5hDAyxHIrcKuLK8ADi3PdwuRnnaKWClEV_Oh9Tx431fgmPIp-Y9CqcaVwK4aE77j0ag_Km-GsakK8bPKen248RIIPGEg9WwRNbNxC5BIEJF9TQK2qa2dt4j9KQgmj063ij9rbiKw/s1600/IMG_20141020_135942.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUXeW5hDAyxHIrcKuLK8ADi3PdwuRnnaKWClEV_Oh9Tx431fgmPIp-Y9CqcaVwK4aE77j0ag_Km-GsakK8bPKen248RIIPGEg9WwRNbNxC5BIEJF9TQK2qa2dt4j9KQgmj063ij9rbiKw/s1600/IMG_20141020_135942.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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She is very happy there.</div>
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OH! And this happened: </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHwQFy3edFfqRETwNXUYbpdiAu90Xqfarz594q6Z1-VlL7O7MECdWtEcMsf1KsIFvP9kMLnpYz8yQ7SpnJoMZiyB0neTQV9ZTN7N8Ta2zMQwkRnbIe5yo6ZyUxY094MnNkYnZNq5hjoqI/s1600/IMG_20141017_172028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHwQFy3edFfqRETwNXUYbpdiAu90Xqfarz594q6Z1-VlL7O7MECdWtEcMsf1KsIFvP9kMLnpYz8yQ7SpnJoMZiyB0neTQV9ZTN7N8Ta2zMQwkRnbIe5yo6ZyUxY094MnNkYnZNq5hjoqI/s1600/IMG_20141017_172028.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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Yes. I totally made the news feed with JK Rowling. Here is the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/emily-liebert/a-major-triumph-author-sh_b_5996954.html" target="_blank">link</a>. No, I won't be visiting her at her castle, but I'd love to visit Scotland. I've always wanted to go there. Like, ALWAYS. </div>
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I hope you all enjoy reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shari-Arnold/e/B00O77XZA4/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1" target="_blank">KATE TRIUMPH</a>!! Now off to write the next one. =)</div>
<br />Shari Arnoldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15393609010526562080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4242933773300061366.post-59698589115141389282014-10-14T14:56:00.000-04:002014-10-14T15:00:13.674-04:00CONFESSIONS OF A DEBUT AUTHOR<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: left;">On Thursday, October 16th (<b><span style="color: red;">two days from now!!!</span></b>) my YA Paranormal debut, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23221260-kate-triumph"><span style="color: red;">KATE TRIUMPH</span> </a>will be out in the world. Two days. Two days is not a very long time. However, the story of how this book came to be a debut is rather long.</span></div>
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I'll give you the short version.</div>
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About eight years ago I got the idea that I wanted to write a novel. I've always thought about writing, I'd written countless short stories and such, but never had I attempted to write an entire book. While I was writing it I thought about publishing it. Of course I did. I thought about getting an agent and an editor, and having people buy it and read it. I hoped that it would sell. I remember my husband would try to keep me grounded by telling me how statistically difficult it was to get a book published and I would smile and say, "Yes, but I believe."</div>
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And I did. A lot. </div>
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Then one day (not very long after I'd finished writing my second book) it sold. And I thought, this is it. I'm an author.</div>
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The road of my debut book had many twists and turns. But eight years later I have a physical copy of my book. And it is real. And I still have hope.</div>
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It isn't all that easy writing a book. And it's even less easy selling it. But I'm proud of what I've accomplished, and this Thursday I hope you will all help me welcome <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kate-Triumph-Shari-Arnold-ebook/dp/B00NWM7BKK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413313184&sr=8-1&keywords=kate+triumph" target="_blank">KATE</a> into the world. And read it too. =)</div>
Shari Arnoldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15393609010526562080noreply@blogger.com0