#atozchallenge K is for Iain Kelly, Keeping, King's, Kingdom, Klocek-Lim

K is for https://iainkellywriting.com
I love THIS blog because:

• Iain Kelly is an exceptional writer.        

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“Keeping us Healthy” and “Keeping us Going” make up Usborne’s Family Heroes collection. These picture books introduce young readers to some of the essential workers keeping our communities functioning safely. These books are a great way to open important conversations with our children!

https://d10323.myubam.com/p/8454/keeping-us-healthy?e=2068440

"Shipping only available to USA and  military bases from the provided Usborne link." - Kathryn Mowers (Consultant for the Dorner family)

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K is for these books on my TBR:

• King's (The King Trilogy, Book 1) by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff
• currently free on Kindle
• Dark Fantasy
• Possibly myth & legend (#14 in Greco-Roman Myth & Legend Fantasy eBooks)
• Sounds like the tv show Lucifer, and a bit like Xavier in my Existence books
• Kingdom of Embers: Extended Finale (Kingdom Journals Book 1) by Tricia Copeland 
• Won a copy during YASH
• YA Vampire book
• YA urban fantasy 
• "she comes face-to-face with a handsome, full-grown version of her childhood imaginary friend"
• Disintegrate by Christine Klocek-Lim
• "When you can manipulate matter like putty" - reminds me of my Existence books
• "Teen & Young Adult Paranormal & Urban Fantasy eBooks"

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QUESTIONS: 

• Have you been to this favorite blog of mine?
• Have you read any of these books?
• If you're a writer, do you seek out books that remind you of your own work? (Or is that just me?)

        

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#atozchallenge J is for Janet, Jack and the Three Bears, Josie's Coat

J is for https://asmile4ufromjanet.blogspot.com  (and https://scr4pl80.wordpress.com)
I love THIS blog because:

• Janet is such a friendly person. The blogging community is better for having her in it.
• She's so creative! Beautiful pictures, great looking Etsy items, interesting post. 
• Janet is great about replying to comments and visiting blogs. Which, I know, is basically what I touched on with the first reason. But she's such a great blogger that it's worth mentioning twice.       

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A new book, released from Usborne earlier this year, is “Jack and the Three Bears”. This mixed up fairy tale will have you and your readers laughing out loud, as Jack is NOT expecting to bump into Baby Bear in the Giant’s castle. This is an enjoyable read for ages 3+, that they will come back to time and time again!

https://d10323.myubam.com/p/8805/jack-and-the-three-bears?e=2068440

"Shipping only available to USA and  military bases from the provided Usborne link." - Kathryn Mowers (Consultant for the Dorner family)

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J is for these books on my TBR:

• Josie's Coat: A YA Sci-Fi Novelette by Amy McNulty
• A YA sci-fi reimagining of the tale of Jacob’s favorite son Joseph, his dreams, and his famous coat.
• Free on Kindle

J is for J Lenni Dorner:

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QUESTIONS: 

• Have you been to this favorite blog of mine?
• Have you read any of these books?
• What's your favorite book that starts with the letter J?

        

Please consider getting a shirt.

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#atozchallenge I is for inspirational, I Say Ooh, I'm Fine, Into the Shadows, Iphigenia

I is for Positive Letters .... inspirational stories ....
I love THIS blog because:

• Hilary really puts herself into her blog
• There are great pictures 
• I don't think I've ever read one of her posts and NOT learned something.       

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“I Say Ooh, You Say Aah” is a hilarious and interactive storybook. Young readers follow verbal or visual cues throughout the book to interact, like ‘Simon says’. This book is sure to be read many times with loads of laughter and fun! Great for ages 4-9, but can be enjoyed even a little younger and older!

https://d10323.myubam.com/p/6830/i-say-ooh-you-say-aah?e=2068440

"Shipping only available to USA and  military bases from the provided Usborne link." - Kathryn Mowers (Consultant for the Dorner family)

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I is for these books on my TBR:

• I'm Fine and Neither Are You by Camille Pagán
• Diverse book
• explores truthfulness and boundaries in friendship, marriage, and more
• Into the Shadows (Book 1 of the Into the Shadows Trilogy) by Karly Kirkpatrick
• The description reminds me of my Existence books
• got it free on Kindle
• Iphigenia Murphy by Sara Hosey 
• homeless teen drama
• I like the cover
• the most diverse borough in New York City

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QUESTIONS: 

• Have you been to this favorite blog of mine?
• Have you read any of these books?
• How many people who have been or are currently homeless do you personally know?

        

Please consider getting a shirt.

Thanks to:https://unsplash.com/photos/lUaaKCUANVI , https://unsplash.com/photos/npxXWgQ33ZQ , https://unsplash.com/photos/eMP4sYPJ9x0

#atozchallenge H is for DL Hammons, The Human Body, His Dark Magic, Holly Banks, Humanity's Protectors

H is for https://www.dlhammons.com/
I love THIS blog because:

• WriteClub
• Déjà vu Blogfest 
• BLOG BLITZ
• DL has crafted a wonderful blogging community for writers       

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“The Human Body” is from a very interactive series, called Shine-A-Light, where your reader holds a flashlight under the page and something special appears! This series engages readers and gives them the opportunity to discover and learn new vocabulary! In the Human Body, readers will see muscles flex, watch food travel through the digestive system, see the skeleton holding them up, and more! This is great for ages 3+.

https://d10323.myubam.com/p/5869/human-body-the-shine-a-light?e=2068440

"Shipping only available to USA and  military bases from the provided Usborne link." - Kathryn Mowers (Consultant for the Dorner family)

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H is for these books on my TBR:

• His Dark Magic (Northern Circle Coven Series Book 1) by Pat Esden
• I won this in the New Adult Scavenger Hunt
• combine science with sorcery
• awaken Merlin himself
• Holly Banks Full of Angst by Julie Valerie
• debut novel
• sounds like several comedies I enjoy
• Humanity's Protectors: An Influence Series Origin Novella by David R. Bernstein
• reminds me of my Existence series (because of the Humanity's Protectors title)
• ability to manipulate reality

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QUESTIONS: 

• Have you been to this favorite blog of mine?
• Have you read any of these books?
• What's your favorite happy memory from the last year?

        

Please consider getting a shirt.

Thanks to:https://unsplash.com/photos/lUaaKCUANVI , https://unsplash.com/photos/npxXWgQ33ZQ , https://unsplash.com/photos/eMP4sYPJ9x0

#atozchallenge G is for Olga Godim, Good as New, Gathering Water, Good Intentions

G is for https://olgagodim.wordpress.com/
I love THIS blog because:

• magic, swords, and imagination
• digital imagery 
• I know Olga from WEP, IWSG, and now also from A to Z       

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“Good as New”  is an adorable reusable sticker book. This book is new this year but follows in the footsteps of “All Better”, one of Usborne’s top-selling books.  Young readers will delight in the five animal friends’ misadventures and be eager to help them with the five reusable and repositionable stickers. Perfect for ages 2-5!

https://d10323.myubam.com/p/8832/good-as-new?e=2068440


"Shipping only available to USA and  military bases from the provided Usborne link." - Kathryn Mowers (Consultant for the Dorner family)

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G is for these books on my TBR:

• Gathering Water by Regan Claire
• foster kid
•  control over the elements - reminds me of my Existence series
• Young Adult Paranormal & Urban Fantasy 
• Good Intentions (The Road to Hell Series, Book 1) by Brenda K. Davies
• a wall to divide the surviving states
• unleashed Hell on Earth (Sounds like Supernatural)
• Myth & Legend Fantasy 

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QUESTIONS: 

• Have you been to this favorite blog of mine?
• Have you read any of these books?
• Have you watched the tv show Supernatural? 

        

Please consider getting a shirt.

Thanks to:https://unsplash.com/photos/lUaaKCUANVI , https://unsplash.com/photos/npxXWgQ33ZQ , https://unsplash.com/photos/eMP4sYPJ9x0

#AtoZChallenge F is for Fiction Can Be Fun, Forgotten Fairy Tales, Five F Books, and the #IWSG

https://forms.gle/dXBFi5zphGnRu7Rc8

The sign-up CLOSES today!!!

F is for https://fictioncanbefun.wordpress.com/
I love the Fiction Can Be Fun blog because:

• Lots of good articles for writers
• Writing Resources
• Flash fiction       

“Forgotten Fairy Tales of Brave and Brilliant Girls” is an empowering book, great for fairy-tale lovers and for those looking for strong, intelligent women to be the central characters in their books! The eight stories in this collection are based off of classic folk and fairy tales, but the girls in these stories go off on adventures rather than settling for a prince. A great read for ages 7 and up!

https://d10323.myubam.com/p/7904/forgotten-fairy-tales-of-brave-and-brilliant-girls?e=2068440

"Shipping only available to USA and  military bases from the provided Usborne link." - Kathryn Mowers (Consultant for the Dorner family)

F could be for Fragile Remedy, except I just read and am reviewing it on the 21st for R. (Surf to Operation Awesome to check out the review.)

So, here are five of my other TBR books and some reasons I'm planning to read them:

• Freyja's Daughter (Wild Women Book 1) - Rachel Sullivan
  
• Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance. 
• "All that changes the night she heads out for a date, hoping to get lucky—and gets screwed instead." 😄😆
• Forged by Fate (Fate of the Gods Book 1) - Amalia Dillin
• Free on KU
• Mixes different religions/ myths, and adds more fiction on top.
• Fire's Song (Shaudrey Universe Book 1) - J.E. Mueller
• I won a copy of this book.
• "With her very touch able to kill,"
  
• NA Fantasy
• Festive Mayhem: Nine Stories of Holiday Mystery, Crime, and Suspense
  
• Thank goodness I bought a copy while it was still for sale! 😅
• A surprise Christmas bonus becomes too tempting for Philadelphia nursing assistant Brianna Byers to resist—even if accepting requires some skillful skirting of the law.
• "Holiday Holdup" by Paige Sleuth. In this Cozy Cat Caper
• Fangs & Fins: A YA Urban Fantasy Novel - Amy McNulty
• Free on KU and free with Prime
• YA urban fantasy series
• "Will the two young women forge peace between warring magical worlds… or die for the ones they love?"
• Bookworm Ember Goodwin (calling a MC a bookworm instantly gets my attention 📚📚)

Interesting fact...
FRACTIONS OF EXISTENCE also starts with an F. 😉

 

QUESTIONS: 

• Have you been to this favorite blog of mine?
• What's your favorite F book?
• Did you make an IWSG post today?

        

Please consider getting a shirt.

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Shout-out to Alex and the awesome co-hosts for today: PK Hrezo, Pat Garcia, SE White, Lisa Buie Collard, and Diane Burton!

April 7 question - Are you a risk-taker when writing? Do you try something radically different in style/POV/etc. or add controversial topics to your work?

https://youtu.be/xIcocBg6yDY

I came across this video while listening to an Elton John song on YouTube. It's a university class discussing Lord of the Rings.

Can you imagine writing something so epic that almost half a century after you're dead, your writing is still so talked about that there are actual university classes devoted to it?

Some of us can't even get a dozen readers to leave book reviews.

I want to say yes, that I'm a bit of a risk-taker. 

An editor suggested I should dumb-down some of my urban fantasy. Here's one example:

Orotund is the exact word I wanted to use. If you know the character, you know why.

There's a character coming later in the Existence series that will certainly be controversial. I rather expect to be quite hated by some very hateful people. 

Rule-breaking... the "rules" say not to do a dream sequence or a flashback... I have a *flashback dream sequence. (*Minor Spoiler alert.)

Do I think there will a university class dedicated to discussing my Existence series fifty years after I'm dead?

Well... only if most of the fictional bits become non-fiction. 

Though, if that's the case, there won't be a class to discuss the books. 🤔😲

Is Fractions of Existence controversial? Is it radically different? 

I'll leave you with two excerpts and a review from a fellow speculative fiction writer so you can decide.

#atozchallenge E is for ERE, Extraordinary Life, Elements, Enchanted, Excalibur

E is for https://easyreaderediting.com/blog (ERE)
I love THIS blog because:

• There are some writing tips I haven't seen elsewhere      

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Usborne’s “Extraordinary Lives” series features fully illustrated books with real-life narratives, timelines, facts and more, each focusing on the life of an inspiring historical or modern day figure. This includes people like Anne Frank, Rosa Parks, Katherine Johnson, Amelia Earhart, Serena Williams, Nelson Mandela, Stephen Hawking, and more! These books are great for children 7-11 years old.

https://d10323.myubam.com/p/8672/extraordinary-life-of-mary-seacole-the?e=2068440

"Shipping only available to USA and  military bases from the provided Usborne link." - Kathryn Mowers (Consultant for the Dorner family)

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E is for these books on my TBR:

• Elements of Untethered Realms by 15 authors
• Speculative Fiction
• I won the box set
• Book 1 is free on Amazon
• Enchanted Kingdoms by 31 authors
• stories you loved as a child have been twisted into wildly addictive tales
• All proceeds benefit Puzzle Peace United, a children's autism charity.
• Excalibur Rising: Book One of an Arthurian Saga by Eileen Enwright Hodgetts
• I love the King Arthur story
• great cover
• edge-of-your-seat fantasy suspense novel laced with wit and history

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QUESTIONS: 

• Have you been to this favorite blog of mine?
• Have you read any of these books?
• Who is your favorite King Arthur character?

        

Please consider getting a shirt.

Thanks to:https://unsplash.com/photos/lUaaKCUANVI , https://unsplash.com/photos/npxXWgQ33ZQ , https://unsplash.com/photos/eMP4sYPJ9x0