Now Available! BEYOND EVENTIDE: BOUND (Book 2.5)

New book debut!

Sarah M. Cradit's avatar...and then there was Sarah

ITS HERE!

BEYOND EVENTIDE: BOUND is Now Available! Book 2.5, and the sixth overall release in the highly rated House of Crimson & Clover series, is now available across most major retailers.

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Ana, Finn, and Aidrik are forever bound. By love, promises, and the undeniable threads of fate.

Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00JK54RAU
BN: http://bit.ly/1eqQpqZ
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/426645
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1htTHjb
Itunes: Coming Soon!
Diesel: Coming soon!
CreateSpace: https://www.createspace.com/4750224
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1ea6bLW

Day one reviews are already rolling in….

“This series just keeps getting better and better, and I just can’t seem to get enough!”

 “I read it in one sitting and want MORE! I love this series more than I ever thought possible and absolutely can’t wait for the next installment.”

“I really enjoyed this paronormal/fantasy, the originality of the story line and learning more of each.”

“It was hard to give this five stars…not because it wasn’t good, but because I wanted more.”

“You…

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The Year of Green Cake

Yahoo Image Search

Yahoo Image Search

(First, I will say that the picture above is a Green Tea Cake.  I never had it and I assume it’s yummy.  I chose it for the color, which is important to the following story.)

Being Jewish, one of the worst times you can have your birthday is in April.  You run the risk of it falling within the days of Passover.  Why is this bad?  Because one of the big things about Passover is that you can’t eat ‘leavened bread’.  This means anything that rises like bread, rolls, pies, pasta, rice (I know certain sects do eat this on Passover, Squirt.), and cakes.  So if your birthday falls on this, you have a few options.  Go without cake, break the rules, or have a Kosher for Passover cake.  Here’s a tale of when my mom took the third option:

Two of my friends came over for fun and cake.  Now, I think this was one of the first years my birthday was placed under Passover rules.  It had fallen on the holiday before, but I still got pizza and normal cake on those days.  Guess I was being shown how to be an adult and this event sure didn’t help.

My mom bought a Kosher for Passover cake, which you can assume wasn’t a big seller even on the holiday.  Well, she cut us each a slice and the first thing I notice is that the yellow cake inside the chocolate had green spots.  Not fuzzy or gross, but green.  So my mom said it was supposed to look like that.  After all, it’s not a normal cake, so why would the color be normal?  One friend did the smart thing and ate around the green spots.  Me and the other friend were less cautious.

This thing tasted like gasoline smells.  Seriously.  You ever take a bite of something and you just know it’s how a foul stench would taste if you bit the source?  That would be this atrocity of a cake.  My mom thought I was overreacting since I had been complaining about being denied pizza and a real cake.  She took one bite and was off to the store with the remains to get a refund.  Also an ice cream cake.  Come to think of it, this might be why my family sticks to homemade cakes (my sister the scientist/baker) and ice cream cakes.

Anyway, the green cake story still gets brought up today.  It’s burned into my memory and I get nervous whenever I hear ‘Kosher for Passover’.  Though, I’ve called the rule that my birthday is a day off from the holiday.  Just for that one slice of pizza and a cake I know hasn’t been sitting on the shelf since Moses listened to his GPS to cross the desert.

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Family of the Tri-Rune Blog Tour Day 9

First, a big thank you to everyone who has wished me a Happy Birthday and has helped with promoting the books today.  The following are the 3 bloggers/authors who are part of the big tour, so I hope you give their blogs and books a look. Click on the covers for the Amazon sites:

My GRL by John W. Howell

My GRL by John W. Howell

This author has made an amazing thriller and is already working on the sequel.  He’s always there to help fellow authors with blog tours and promotions as well as bringing a laugh every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with his posts.  I’m always looking forward to his Top 10 Lists, Hump Day stories, and Friday haiku.

Thank you to John W. Howell!

John on Facebook!
John on Twitter!

Red Clay and Roses by S.K. Nicholls

Red Clay and Roses by S.K. Nicholls

The author behind this Southern Fiction story has many stories and opinions to tell on her blog.  Whether its a tale from her life or her insight into the world of writing, it’s an adventure whenever her blog posts appear in my email.  Another blogger worth knowing and always there to lend a hand.

Thank You to S.K. Nicholls!

S.K. Nicholls on Facebook!
S.K. Nicholls on Twitter!

CLICK FOR AMAZON SITE

CLICK FOR AMAZON SITE

This is a man with many hats, which he wears at the same time.  Reviewer, author, and blogger behind the Literary Syndicate are only a few.  Most days I wonder how he avoids being put in one of those self-hugging jackets.  His opinion pieces are always fun to read. You can check out his first book, which is a satirical set of short stories about working in retail.

Thank You to Papi Z!

Papi Z on Facebook!
Papi Z on Twitter!

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Today I Turn 34 . . . Yippee?

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Yahoo Image Search

I have grown to ‘meh’ my day
Not oohing at the passing time
For it feels just like a Wednesday
No different from the rest

I know not when this started
That my birthday held few sparks
Perhaps from years of mere survival
Instead of living true

I’m sure a cake is coming
People ask what I have planned
Movie and lunch tomorrow
Then an escape when weekend comes

This day always makes me weird
Because I take it so in stride
Appreciating the good blessings
While drifting to the tenth

Maybe I’m simply old
Dreading the birthday that I miss
A sense of mortality I fear
Before my legacy is locked

                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Typically, I hit my birthday with a Happy ‘Not Dead’ Day poem.  I did that last year.  So I just wrote something on a whim. Don’t get me wrong.  I always appreciate the well wishes and knowing people care.  It’s just that something about gaining another year that doesn’t fill me with the joy I had as a child.  Maybe it’s because I pay bills now and am an ‘adult’.

For the actual day, I don’t expect to do much outside of the Internet.  People work while I go about my business.  Tomorrow is movie and dinner with the wife and Saturday I’ll be ‘hopefully’ heading into New York City to hang with Greg.  The tradition has typically been to escape the family for a day and get some time away from the chaos.  At least I don’t have to deal with Passover this time.  I’ll share that story tomorrow.

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Because it’s your birthday and you’re my best friend

A beautiful birthday poem by my best friend.

Ionia Froment's avatarreadful things blog

Because you are my best friend
I write to you from the heart
I keep your biggest secrets
and blame the dog when you…

Because you are my best friend
I tell you all mine too
like the time I did that one thing
at that one place
with you know who

Because you are my best friend
I let you pick your slice of pizza first
I offer you my final beer
even when I’m dying of thirst

Because You are my best friend,
you share that beer with me
and cut that last slice in half
mine slightly larger, I can see

So on this special day,
when you ring in another year
I’m so glad that your my best friend
the one I hold most dear.

Happy Birthday to you, my friend. I Love you.

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Birthday Present?

Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

So tomorrow is my birthday and I figure it’s the perfect time to say this:

I would be so happy and appreciative to anyone who decides to promote any of my books tomorrow.

Thanks to anyone who wants to help and look for the 3 volunteers for the blog tour tomorrow.

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Family of the Tri-Rune Blog Tour Day 8

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Yahoo Image Search

Today’s volunteer is a lover of books and a prolific reviewer.  If you’re looking for something to read then check out her blog and wander through her recommendations. She is always there to lend a hand with promoting new books and contests, so keep your eyes out for some incredible debuts.

Thank You to Teri Polen!

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Welcome to Ye Olde Bakery: Cakes Are Fresh, Bakery is Olde

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Yahoo Image Search

(Yes, I agree the guy who writes these ‘Shop Skits’ should make a category for them.  Must be the old age and a sense of laziness.  What?  Get on with the post and stop breaking the fourth wall?  Fine, but you really should look into that category, boss.  Maybe it’ll be there by the time this goes live.)

Welcome, young man!  What can I get for you?  Ah, a birthday cake for your mother is one of our specialties.  She’s an immortal Elf Queen . . . Well, we’re always up for a challenge here.  Just write down the particulars like flavor, colors, and message.  Any special decorations?  Head of the Orc that killed your father?  We’ve got a lot of fondant in the back, so give me a picture and I’ll see what I can do.  I’ll put some green icing in the thing to imitate the blood since I have a feeling that would go over well with your family.

Do you want to hunt your own cake?  I see you’re confused, so I’ll explain.  This is a magical bakery where all of our products are free range.  We make them in the Ovens of Pinocus and let them roam around the forest out back.  What if the animals eat them?  I admit we lose a few cupcakes and rolls from time to time.  For the most part, the products are left alone now that the animals know he danger.  We still check every product to make sure they’re clean and they haven’t eaten a rabbit or something.  Unless you want that type of filling.  No?  Then grab one of those lightning wands and come along.

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Yahoo Image Search

As you can see we gave them plenty of room to roam with a forest to give them shade and a river for them to keep moist.  We don’t add the icing and decorations until we get them inside and de-animate them. Simple procedure that will cause no damage to your cake.  Now, you wanted silver velvet, which is one of the rarer breeds.  I think they stay around the eastern flower beds and hide among the vanilla wedding cakes.  If we’re lucky, we’ll find a big one.  If not then I’ll let you take two and we’ll tier them.  Yes, I’ll put the the head between the tiers and make it look like jaws are crushing it.  You’re not letting this thing go.  By the way, watch out for the eclairs because they spit and that goop can attract the muffin herds.  Not dangerous unless you’re allergic to whatever breed shows up, but it would force us back into the bakery where we have to clean up.

Here we go and there’s a nice-sized silver velvet right there.  See it lurking in the tall grass?  You can catch it by the shimmer from the sun.  Just go over there and zap it until it stops fighting back.  Your mother would be happier if you do it than some old baker with a bum leg.  What injured my leg?  Nothing.  I hit it on a table corner this morning and it still hurts.

Now go get that cake!  You can do it, kid.  Don’t show any fear and stay on your toes.  Watch out for the chocolate layer cake on your left!  Uh-oh.  Hey, Cal!  We have any ‘Sorry for your Loss’ cakes out here?

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A discussion about poetry with Pamela

Big interview about poetry!

Ionia Froment's avatarreadful things blog

My good friend and fellow author Pamela Beckford has recently taken her first foray into the publishing world. Today we are going to sit down with her and talk a little bit about her experiences and the art of poetry itself. Please welcome her to Readful Things and take a moment to check out her sites:

http://poetrybypamela.wordpress.com/

http://pamela984.wordpress.com/

You have been experimenting lately with different forms of poetry. Are there some that are easier to work with than others? What has been your favourite so far?

Thank you for noticing the different forms I’ve been working with. I really have enjoyed learning about them and how to make them work. I think that many times the shorter poems (tanka, doidotsu, cinquain, etc) are more difficult than a longer poem. With the shorter ones, the choice of words to make the biggest impact and convey just exactly the right feeling, can…

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Birthdays in Literature Mean Uh-Oh

Yahoo Image Search (Fellowship of the Ring)

Yahoo Image Search (Fellowship of the Ring)

One thing I’ve learned in writing is that when you see a birthday scene, something BIG is about to happen.  Whether it be Bilbo Baggins leaving the ring to Frodo or Harry Potter being told he’s a wizard, this event is always a precursor to major plot.  You ever read a series and wonder why nobody celebrates their birthday?  It’s because nothing major happens around that time besides cake, punches to the arm, and the internal realization that you have to reteach yourself the answer to ‘how old are you?’  I’m 2 days away from being 34 and I still forget to say I’m 33.

It’s rather easy to work in a birthday scene because it’s a time when you can have all the characters gathered without a long explanation.  We’re here for a party!  Simple.  It makes a great backdrop for ominous events too because you get some extra impact.  Very few people like to see a celebration interrupted, so you’ll get a little twist when the villains attack the party.  Those that do enjoy such malicious behavior will get a joyous laugh that helps people around them know to keep small children away from them.

It’s easy to see why this is a popular scene too.  We all have coming of age traditions and memories.  Not all of them are religious too.  You can get a learner’s permit at 16 and you can drink when you’re 21.  Society functions off picking an age where you’re allowed to do things.  Fiction simply takes it in the direction of you being at the age to go on a dangerous, epic adventure to save the world.  It’s an easily understood and accepted point of change in a character’s life because we’ve all been there.  Even in minor ways like the first birthday party you don’t have one of your grandparents.  (First time I dealt with that was my Bar Mitzvah, so that one stands out for me.)

So, what do you think of birthdays in literature?  Are you the type to see the scene coming and brace for plot impact?

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