tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38531766632104990952024-03-17T21:03:48.825-06:00Stories By Mina KhanMina Khan, Author of Sexy Paranormal Romance & AdventureRashda Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803134396969891096noreply@blogger.comBlogger192125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853176663210499095.post-4401452179733849172017-01-02T07:00:00.002-07:002017-01-02T07:26:00.403-07:00A quote on creativity and living to start off 2017<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">"The beautiful thing about the soul is that it's not the ego, not the personality, and not the mind. It places no judgments, it is free from expectations. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The nature of the soul is innocent, childlike. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The essence of the soul is loving, its essence is joy. Sometimes it is the one unfading note of joy in an entire life symphony of suffering and pain. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And the soul is active, dynamic. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Its task is to gain experience of itself, the created world and universe, and the divine. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The soul's energy--in its human form--is creative energy; its drawn to activities that are creative, especially those that mirror the soul itself as poetry writing (or story telling, imho) does. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And the soul's goal is to return home--whatever you imagine that to mean--as an experienced being." ~ </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sandford Lyne</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Writing poetry from the inside out</i></span></div>
Rashda Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803134396969891096noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853176663210499095.post-62287115710530200042016-06-23T21:52:00.001-06:002016-06-23T21:52:33.678-06:00Good News!<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>de`sire</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: cyan; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">/de'zi(e)r/</span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>noun</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">1. A strong feeling of wanting to have something or wishing for something to happen</span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Verb</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">1. Strongly wish for or want (something)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On Jan 1, 2016 I had this strong urge to do something with my fiction. Anything. Any small act that would let me know that I wasn't giving up on my lifelong dream.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So on that day, I polished up on one of my short stories and sent it out to the world. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now many months later, I'm happy to share my story, "Desire," won one of the finalist prizes in the Nelson Algren Literary Awards competition hosted by the Chicago Tribune. Woohoo! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You can read the entire story here: <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/books/ct-trib-nation-note-06-19-2016-20160620-story.html" target="_blank">Tribune Announces Algren Award Winners</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I can breathe easier.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">xoxo,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mina</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">P.S. I'll be publishing the story with a recipe in the near future. :)</span>Rashda Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803134396969891096noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853176663210499095.post-61274455984769287912016-06-05T06:35:00.000-06:002016-06-05T06:43:39.954-06:00Truth About Fiction and Non Fiction<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="fcqie" data-offset-key="1pvfa-0-0" style="background-color: black;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Congratulations to Neil Gaiman for the publication of The View from the Cheap Seats, a collection of his non-fiction essays, speeches and more. And huge thanks for him sharing this nugget of truth and insight: </span><br />
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<span data-offset-key="1pvfa-0-0"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: white;">"It's a relief that it's published: I don't think I've ever been as nervous about a book coming out as I have been about this one. </span><span style="color: orange;">You can hide behind fiction</span><span style="color: white;">. You can't hide behind things that are about what you think and believe."</span></span><span style="color: #1d2129;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">~ Neil Gaiman on the publication of </span><i style="color: white; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The View from the Cheap Seats</i><span style="color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062262262/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0062262262&linkCode=as2&tag=minakhanblogs-20&linkId=4ce762a6d9036131b542800a1ca0f9e9" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">The View from the Cheap Seats: Selected Nonfiction</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=minakhanblogs-20&l=am2&o=1&a=0062262262" style="border: none; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px;" width="1" /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Now that I have been working as a journalist for about six months, the truth of the above words hit home. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And, it's not just the sharing of my personal thoughts and beliefs -- which my weekly food column give me an opportunity and forum for -- that is hard. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Writing stories about real people and real issues comes with responsibility that weighs on your soul.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Today I have two front page stories in the paper. One is about a 97-year-old World War II veteran who continues to work as a laundry delivery man. Jack Brownfield is a modest, practical West Texan, which means he's a man of few words and a lifetime of deeds. </span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Getting his story out of him was not an easy task and took several visits. I'm honored he shared his story with me and I hope I was able to do it justice: </span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://bit.ly/WWIIVeteranJackB">http://bit.ly/WWIIVeteranJackB</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here's the Photo Essay on Jack Brownfield: </span><span style="color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://spark.adobe.com/page/hfUSr/">https://spark.adobe.com/page/hfUSr/</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I also wrote about a story about local government not following proper procedures. This one was hard because it was a mix of a lot of good and a lot of bad, and trying to present the complex story in a fair and balanced way was important to me.</span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://bit.ly/CountyParkPlan">http://bit.ly/CountyParkPlan</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Well, that's about it for this time. Keep reading and finding treasures hidden in words.</span><br />
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Rashda Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803134396969891096noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853176663210499095.post-25151586395230629402016-01-01T07:49:00.001-07:002016-01-01T09:02:29.125-07:00New Year's Resolutions of a Writer<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thank you for being a part of my story in 2015 and here's to new adventures in 2016. May we always have good books around!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So have you made any resolutions for the new year?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here are mine...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lol, okay, on the more practical side: I continue to search for easy and quick recipes that'll help me feed my family and myself healthy, home-cooked meals with minimum fuss and stress. To that end, I found this helpful <a href="http://food52.com/blog/15431-new-year-s-resolutions-you-can-tackle-tomorrow-hungover">list of articles on Food52 about tackling New Year's Resolutions</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Also, I have returned to full-time journalism again. At the end of 2015, I covered issues like Texas' Open Carry policy, an ordinance banning texting and other cell phone/computer use while driving, and stories about our local family shelter. Important stories that help make a different in my community.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">However, this means I didn't get much of my own writing done at the end of 2015 and I miss my words. While fiction seems to pale in importance when I compare them to some of my journalistic pieces, the truth is when I desperately need solace and hope, I turn off the news. Instead, I find myself a good story with romance and adventure...and yes, I find everything I need. So in 2016 I'm seeking to balance my two writing worlds.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">xoxo,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mina</span>Rashda Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803134396969891096noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853176663210499095.post-32712031478813589562015-12-12T20:54:00.000-07:002015-12-13T08:38:03.441-07:00Give the Gift of Books #GiveABookI believe books make the best gifts and I'm not the only one who thinks so....<br />
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If you want a personalized copy of one of my books for yourself or to give as a gift, the deadline to order them is Tuesday, Dec. 15. All you have to do is drop me an email at minakhan [AT]wcc[dot]net and we can work the details out!</div>
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Also, there's a PRICE DROP!</div>
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Thanks! :)</div>
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<br />Rashda Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803134396969891096noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853176663210499095.post-53898060789137319762015-11-27T07:32:00.000-07:002015-11-27T12:18:39.779-07:00The Color of Love Blog Hop #WeNeedDiverseBooksI love reading books that reflect the diversity of the world because that's the world I know. Visit your grocery store, library or big box store and look around. You'll see people of all shapes, color, sizes. We are a world made up of individuals. A story world becomes more real to me when it reflects that diversity. So here I'm participating in The Color of Love Blog Hop. Check out the delicious graphic:<br />
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Here's a list of my favorite multicultural and/or interracial reads to share with you:<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008Z434WE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B008Z434WE&linkCode=as2&tag=minakhanblogs-20&linkId=MTIITQRFIEDYAQJY" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B008Z434WE&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=minakhanblogs-20" height="200" width="132" /></a></div>
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=minakhanblogs-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B008Z434WE" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008Z434WE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B008Z434WE&linkCode=as2&tag=minakhanblogs-20&linkId=Z52E4JWGTWJ5VLBU" rel="nofollow">Spice and Secrets (Bollywood Confidential)</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=minakhanblogs-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B008Z434WE" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H8TBQCC/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00H8TBQCC&linkCode=as2&tag=minakhanblogs-20&linkId=D4P6MEM7JYMIPZZJ" rel="nofollow">Third Daughter (The Dharian Affairs, Book One)</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=minakhanblogs-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00H8TBQCC" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JVW6GQ0/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00JVW6GQ0&linkCode=as2&tag=minakhanblogs-20&linkId=52O2TJY6EFE6JYKW" rel="nofollow">A Bollywood Affair</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=minakhanblogs-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00JVW6GQ0" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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And here's a little something for the young people in our lives:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVpyIPLO5_-Mb9tDVnyXrWQcbQt79Z42ezK48KWcRnPMV9pVjzTaGiZ24EHP-xW6cnuVUzhpodHS4S1E71iOaJc3yuUNnyHTCAmme8un2kivt1-3_zVWxZQ1-i-4FtyI55y_s_L5Nh5KQ/s1600/World_Playground_W.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVpyIPLO5_-Mb9tDVnyXrWQcbQt79Z42ezK48KWcRnPMV9pVjzTaGiZ24EHP-xW6cnuVUzhpodHS4S1E71iOaJc3yuUNnyHTCAmme8un2kivt1-3_zVWxZQ1-i-4FtyI55y_s_L5Nh5KQ/s200/World_Playground_W.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://store.barefootbooks.com/world-playground-cd.html/?bf_affiliate_code=000-1uhy">World Playground </a> </div>
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<a href="http://store.barefootbooks.com/kids-world-playground.html/?bf_affiliate_code=000-1uhy">Kids World Party</a></div>
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Thanks for visiting with me! Now here are all the wonderful goodies up for grabs: </div>
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For my personal prize you get a signed copy of my <b>A Tale of Two Djinns</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsFroqwW_16YxM0a2FQcncrWd6vtpc4vZEjwZsMJCT0Fm0gxq8LUPqeyKAzxCw-EtVAQpJyWKpFvgXpZizxNVpdyTALwrn-o_ml3Vnx3Tb963GYHCYz907sl5Y_s0e1o7OVQMF_r8vD1A/s1600/A+Tale+of+Two+Djinns+-+Mina+Khan+eBook+CVR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsFroqwW_16YxM0a2FQcncrWd6vtpc4vZEjwZsMJCT0Fm0gxq8LUPqeyKAzxCw-EtVAQpJyWKpFvgXpZizxNVpdyTALwrn-o_ml3Vnx3Tb963GYHCYz907sl5Y_s0e1o7OVQMF_r8vD1A/s320/A+Tale+of+Two+Djinns+-+Mina+Khan+eBook+CVR.jpg" width="199" /></a></div>
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To enter: 1. Join my newsletter list: <a href="http://blogspot.us6.list-manage2.com/subscribe?u=75e556018e&id=2f46db3e30">SUBSCRIBE</a></div>
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2. Leave a comment on the blog with your email<br />
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A winner will be picked at random and announced Dec. 7. Good luck!</div>
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<b>GRAND PRIZES</b></div>
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<td height="35" style="height: 26.25pt; width: 48pt;" width="64"><b>Prizes</b></td>
<td style="border-left-style: none; width: 32pt;" width="43"><b>Gift Cards</b></td>
<td style="border-left-style: none; width: 42pt;" width="56"><b>E-books</b></td></tr>
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<td height="20" style="border-top-style: none; height: 15pt;">1st Prize</td>
<td style="border-left-style: none; border-top-style: none; text-align: right; width: 32pt;" width="43">$75 </td>
<td style="border-left-style: none; border-top-style: none; text-align: right;">6</td></tr>
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<td height="20" style="border-top-style: none; height: 15pt;">2nd Prize</td>
<td style="border-left-style: none; border-top-style: none; text-align: right; width: 32pt;" width="43">$50 </td>
<td style="border-left-style: none; border-top-style: none; text-align: right;">5</td></tr>
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<td height="20" style="border-top-style: none; height: 15pt;">3rd Prize</td>
<td style="border-left-style: none; border-top-style: none; text-align: right; width: 32pt;" width="43">$30 </td>
<td style="border-left-style: none; border-top-style: none; text-align: right;">5</td></tr>
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<td height="20" style="border-top-style: none; height: 15pt;">4th Prize</td>
<td style="border-left-style: none; border-top-style: none; text-align: right; width: 32pt;" width="43">$15 </td>
<td style="border-left-style: none; border-top-style: none; text-align: right;">5</td></tr>
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<td height="21" style="border-top-style: none; height: 15.75pt;">5th Prize</td>
<td style="border-left-style: none; border-top-style: none; text-align: right; width: 32pt;" width="43">$10 </td>
<td style="border-left-style: none; border-top-style: none; text-align: right;">5</td></tr>
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<td height="20" style="border-top-style: none; height: 15pt;">6th Prize</td>
<td style="border-left-style: none; border-top-style: none; text-align: right; width: 32pt;" width="43">$5 </td>
<td style="border-left-style: none; border-top-style: none; text-align: right;">5</td></tr>
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You can also win...<b>Book Boxes!</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">To enter for the prizes, use the rafflecopter! </span></div>
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<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="75c4d51c103" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/75c4d51c103/" id="rcwidget_bkht59p8" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="// widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Now check out the <a href="http://www.inlinkz.com/wpview.php?id=561332&r=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lovebitesandsilk.co.uk%2Fp%2Fcolor-of-love-2015-blog-hop.html">Other Participating Authors!</a></span>Rashda Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803134396969891096noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853176663210499095.post-68077781635038691602015-11-16T10:14:00.002-07:002015-11-16T10:26:11.717-07:00Fall Into Romance Blog Hop<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn8k6vGJl5c3nqpFXVL7ZalCn_q4NXdvcbMRmQ9yfaDbws6NlGtw89SHwcmI4JC2iJzI6qLOyaDTkBmJtw_VHL0x7etTlX2V3cTIRihAjiQLVRavvvKyASsJAlJtPB2mz4U_kzxg8Hs3I/s1600/scribblers-fall-into-romance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn8k6vGJl5c3nqpFXVL7ZalCn_q4NXdvcbMRmQ9yfaDbws6NlGtw89SHwcmI4JC2iJzI6qLOyaDTkBmJtw_VHL0x7etTlX2V3cTIRihAjiQLVRavvvKyASsJAlJtPB2mz4U_kzxg8Hs3I/s320/scribblers-fall-into-romance.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I love everything about fall -- the chill in the air, the changing colors of leaves, fuzzy socks and delicious cups of hot chocolate. So when Sexy Scribblers mentioned they were having a blog hop, I hopped in faster than you can say "Bunny Wabbit!"<br />
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My favorite thing about fall though has to be Pecan Pie. Growing up in Bangladesh, I'd never even heard of pecans or pecan pie. It was during my first semester in college and the U.S., I was missing home, when the cafeteria lady nudged a pecan pie in my direction with the words: "Pie fixes everything!"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL3Ic-IIk9P-xdMdJ5g0NRrHRlbV_znuxLRdl7G6eTWWFT60O8ZVbZtCAjNs46LgAzSOJ7wuuHToXw2fCPaapQC10DunQVaoKk9cbAu2KT39LHirxLOualndtHdibAvZ8CG8jUI8vmD9E/s1600/2011-06-10+087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL3Ic-IIk9P-xdMdJ5g0NRrHRlbV_znuxLRdl7G6eTWWFT60O8ZVbZtCAjNs46LgAzSOJ7wuuHToXw2fCPaapQC10DunQVaoKk9cbAu2KT39LHirxLOualndtHdibAvZ8CG8jUI8vmD9E/s320/2011-06-10+087.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The first bite and I zeroed in on the rich, sticky goodness on my plate. While I still missed home, that piece of pie did cheer me up and set me on a course of culinary discovery.<br />
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Pecan pie again came up when I met my husband-to-be's family. His mother made pie following the recipe she'd received from her mother-in-law. I thought (and still think) it was the best pecan pie ever.<br />
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I semi-joke that I said yes to my Darling Hubby's proposal because of the pie...and yes, I did get the recipe after saying, "I do."<br />
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Up for grabs, the sexy scribblers are giving away 12 ebooks (various genres). To enter check out the rafflecopter at the end of the post.<br />
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My personal giveaway:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbGD12N7F2sWEfvIb3oaTzAE5fAlzCGiQEb45y4675nDE0bhYp-HhT-AiT8ur7ZvKWjJfsgD1pkQqznYF-w_98cxyHl0GlDQsb_ISS67bh-Dwh0xO9kILH38Sna1OQIheQNtUZo2OOQow/s1600/Starbucks-5-gift-card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbGD12N7F2sWEfvIb3oaTzAE5fAlzCGiQEb45y4675nDE0bhYp-HhT-AiT8ur7ZvKWjJfsgD1pkQqznYF-w_98cxyHl0GlDQsb_ISS67bh-Dwh0xO9kILH38Sna1OQIheQNtUZo2OOQow/s1600/Starbucks-5-gift-card.jpg" /></a></div>
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To enter just tell me: How You Fell Into Romance? What's your meet cute? (and leave me your email address or twitter handle so I can contact you if you win)</div>
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A winner will chosen by Ms. Random & announced on Nov. 22!</div>
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<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="bb55253850" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/bb55253850/" id="rcwidget_vtoayzka" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
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Check out the other hop participants: <a href="http://www.inlinkz.com/new/view.php?id=571517">http://www.inlinkz.com/new/view.php?id=571517</a><br />
<br />Rashda Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803134396969891096noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853176663210499095.post-37442075317113687682015-11-02T10:59:00.002-07:002015-11-02T11:18:16.800-07:00Inspiration Behind Whispers of Shadow and Flame I love knowing how stories come about because every author thinks differently and the lightning strike of inspiration can happen anytime and anywhere. I was in book lust as soon as I saw the cover of L. Penelope's new release...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgikpvAkUtiVDFf3Dz-q8KMe-Gb7tngSMwqAdTLfwL77TRx2keXyuczfesA8A8BG534Gn32NW-AylJXtqBy_jSSA_J6vkqfQ2DABellXcpgYAS233w-1YpLJhfc8B0PTDL8zvuAgSF7qo8/s1600/Whispers-of-Shadow-and-Flame-Web-600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgikpvAkUtiVDFf3Dz-q8KMe-Gb7tngSMwqAdTLfwL77TRx2keXyuczfesA8A8BG534Gn32NW-AylJXtqBy_jSSA_J6vkqfQ2DABellXcpgYAS233w-1YpLJhfc8B0PTDL8zvuAgSF7qo8/s320/Whispers-of-Shadow-and-Flame-Web-600.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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Not only is it a beautiful cover in the visual sense, but the title <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017AGPG28/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B017AGPG28&linkCode=as2&tag=minakhanblogs-20&linkId=ICTOA7UCH3C55P72" rel="nofollow">Whispers of Shadow & Flame (Earthsinger Chronicles Book 2)</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=minakhanblogs-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B017AGPG28" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
is super intriguing. If that wasn't enough, the tag line definitely sinks the hook deeper. Also, I'm always looking for diverse books to read and not too many fantasy titles have a black man on the cover...so bonus!</div>
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Once I checked out the blurb, there was no turning back:</div>
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<strong>Genre:</strong> Fantasy Romance, Dieselpunk </div>
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<strong>Age Range:</strong> Adult
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Born with a deadly magic she cannot control, Kyara is forced to become an assassin. Known as the Poison Flame, she is notorious and lethal, but secretly seeks freedom from both her untamed power and the blood spell that commands her. She is tasked with capturing the notorious rebel called the Shadowfox, but everything changes when she learns her target’s true identity.</blockquote>
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Darvyn ol-Tahlyro may be the most powerful Earthsinger in generations, but guilt over those he couldn’t save tortures him daily. He isn’t sure he can trust the mysterious young woman who claims to need his help, but when he discovers Kyara can unlock the secrets of his past, he can’t stay away.</div>
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As forbidden desire ignites their hearts, Kyara and Darvyn grapple with betrayal, old promises, and older prophecies—all while trying to stop a war. And when a new threat emerges, the cost of their love might just be too high.</div>
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<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017AGPG28/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B017AGPG28&linkCode=as2&tag=minakhanblogs-20&linkId=ICTOA7UCH3C55P72" rel="nofollow">Now Available on Amazon </a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=minakhanblogs-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B017AGPG28" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></b>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27152907-whispers-of-shadow-flame" target="_blank"><b>Add to Goodreads</b></a></div>
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Any how, I'm so glad L. Penelope decided to share the inspiration behind Whispers:</b><br />
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What happens next? That was the question I asked myself as soon as the edits were done on my first novel, <em>Song of Blood & Stone</em>. With a publication date set for the first book, I knew I had to get started on the next in the series. I had notes and rough outlines for the four books in the Earthsinger Chronicles, but that wasn’t the same thing as really <em>knowing</em> what was about to go down.</div>
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Before I could write it, I had to feel it. And to feel it, I had to walk down the road of heartbreak that my characters inevitably take – at least in my mind.</div>
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My inspiration comes from emotion – many times I’ll read or watch or listen to something that’s got me all in the feelings, and then I’ll try to figure out how to elicit those emotions in others.</div>
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For <em>Whispers of Shadow and Flame, </em>I was really interested in exploring what it would feel like to fall for the worst person imaginable? Like, someone who was trying to kill you, or someone you were supposed to kill or harm. Also, what would it feel like to have no control over what you did? What would you be willing to do to exert some autonomy over your life?</div>
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I was a teenager at one point, so I’m very well acquainted with that feeling of being strapped in by all the boundaries and wanting to break free. But adulthood isn’t the paradise we imagined as kids. There are still plenty of forces pulling us in different directions, as well as choices being made for us, and responsibilities we can’t shirk..</div>
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Writing, just as much as reading, has always been an escape for me. A way to work out frustrations and make the world make sense. Whether I’m reading about other peoples’ characters, or creating my own, I’m looking for that sense of freedom that comes from taking on another’s burdens, at least for a little while.</div>
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<b><em>Whispers of Shadow and Flame</em>, book two in the Earthsinger Chronicles is out now. To celebrate launch week, book one, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PYWRNKO/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00PYWRNKO&linkCode=as2&tag=minakhanblogs-20&linkId=YYYRPBXDNSF3VJ2M" rel="nofollow">Song of Blood & Stone (Earthsinger Chronicles Book 1)</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=minakhanblogs-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00PYWRNKO" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />is on sale for $.99</b>.
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About the Author</h2>
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<img alt="L. Penelope" height="220" src="https://www.dropbox.com/s/iy388rtsgp8bhb6/LeslyePhoto.jpg?raw=1" width="230" /></div>
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Leslye Penelope believes love is magic and likes her romance with a healthy dose of imagination. She's been writing since she could hold a pen and is the author of new adult, fantasy, and paranormal romance with multicultural characters.</div>
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At one time or another she's been a filmmaker, tape dubber, tech support specialist, model, poll worker, professor, and DJ. She has a quote from <em>The Matrix</em> tattooed on her arm and sometimes dreams in HTML. After living on both coasts, she settled in Maryland with her husband and their furry dependents: an eighty-pound lap dog and an aspiring feral cat.</div>
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Sign up for new release information and monthly giveaways on her website: <a href="http://www.lpenelope.com/" target="_blank">http://www.lpenelope.com</a>.</div>
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<a href="http://www.twitter.com/leslyepenelope">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/authorlpenelope">Facebook</a> |<a href="http://lpenelope.com/newsletter"> Newsletter</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9870934.L_Penelope">Goodreads</a></div>
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Giveaway</h2>
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<a class="e-widget" href="https://gleam.io/wXemA/whispers-of-shadow-flame-giveaway" rel="nofollow">WHISPERS OF SHADOW & FLAME giveaway</a></div>
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Rashda Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803134396969891096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853176663210499095.post-1380474545927145722015-10-28T06:43:00.001-06:002015-10-28T10:04:55.570-06:00Ready For Halloween? Something Wicked HopI love Halloween! It's the most fun U.S. holiday ever and I embraced every bit of it -- from the chill in the air to the messy art of carving pumpkins. As a writer, I imagine myself as different characters I write about and this is one time of the year I can step outside of my writing room, actually dress up and "be" that character in public. What fun!<br />
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Also, nothing beats the deliciousness of reading a spooky story or watching a scary movie. Love, love, love the thrills and chills that make goosebumps dance over my skin. Hey, I'm the girl who spent her wedding night in a haunted house...so there.<br />
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So yes, I'm ready for Halloween! I have already gone on a ghost tour at the historic <a href="http://www.fortconcho.com/" target="_blank">Fort Concho</a> under a full moon, with local paranormal investigators and volunteer re-enactors. Yes, it was a school night, but I figured the kids would enjoy it and it'd be educational. We all got to play with ghost hunting equipment. Hee, so much fun!<br />
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Here's a video for you:<br />
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Another treat for you:<br />
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If you're looking for a Halloween read? You can still pick up DARK SECRETS: A Paranormal Noir Anthology for 99 cents (price will be increasing to $2.99 on Nov. 1). However, if you're a KOBO reader, you can get even more of a price break -- they're running a fabulous sale (50% OFF) on a whole bunch books, including <a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/dark-secrets-28" target="_blank">DARK SECRETS</a>! Here are the details and promo codes:<br />
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United States/Australia/New Zealand<br />
October 27th – October 30th<br />
Promo Code: GET50SALE</div>
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Canada<br />
October 28th – October 31st<br />
Promo Code: CA50SALE</div>
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United Kingdom<br />
October 30th – November 2nd<br />
Promo Code: UK50SALE</div>
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I'm also participating in the Something Wicked Blog Hop with about 48 other authors and bloggers...so lots of reads and giveaways! Only thing is, it's actually a Facebook hop.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZFXRTzDzLWfXgtOrtYGLx-RgvIC3Ku00oiEEfKcrgkTwKZGwo2hmKg2KKhpd4UxKIlt1CixcYQMJzEwT4ObNQAz8zhaIXfGtx9Lj1lJpBJfsrNcRAvjpPCsji5W0kKcc7VMoxI7mHLjU/s1600/SOMETHING.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZFXRTzDzLWfXgtOrtYGLx-RgvIC3Ku00oiEEfKcrgkTwKZGwo2hmKg2KKhpd4UxKIlt1CixcYQMJzEwT4ObNQAz8zhaIXfGtx9Lj1lJpBJfsrNcRAvjpPCsji5W0kKcc7VMoxI7mHLjU/s320/SOMETHING.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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You can find out about my giveaway on my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Mina.Khan.Author" target="_blank">FB Author Page</a>, but you can also bunny hop through the Master List of participants...<br />
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~Master List of participants found here: <a href="http://bit.ly/1W2B4Hy" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/1W2B4Hy</a><br />
~Rafflecopter Giveaway: <a href="http://bit.ly/1RkSHM1" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/1RkSHM1</a><br />
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What are your Halloween plans? What ever you do, stay safe & have fun!<br />
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<br />Rashda Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803134396969891096noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853176663210499095.post-83089807690384673212015-10-15T18:03:00.000-06:002015-10-15T18:03:04.085-06:00RT Book Reviews On DARK SECRETSHappy day today because we just found out that RT Book Reviews gave <b>DARK SECRETS: A Paranormal Noir Anthology</b> 4 stars and a lovely write up. Here check it out:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg5sSUoouw81RGufoYh4wIp4ns87LIMvDwdnmtWrLKQeuRtNvXb7UIJ0zAGsHfuqjoa6DsjqMDL318IELPfcpK9U9QDOWb-Om3dkknDNOsVplJo5MzcJdd6bqPIU1RaSufl8E7rQBn0vU/s1600/DS+RT+review.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg5sSUoouw81RGufoYh4wIp4ns87LIMvDwdnmtWrLKQeuRtNvXb7UIJ0zAGsHfuqjoa6DsjqMDL318IELPfcpK9U9QDOWb-Om3dkknDNOsVplJo5MzcJdd6bqPIU1RaSufl8E7rQBn0vU/s640/DS+RT+review.jpg" width="329" /></a></div>
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To put this in perspective, they give their Top Picks 4.5 stars (sigh, yes missing that .5 star). Also an RT review in the romance world is akin to a NYT review in the literary world...so time for giddiness and happy dancing! :D</div>
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<br />Rashda Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803134396969891096noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853176663210499095.post-7698592847678853342015-10-04T05:41:00.000-06:002015-10-04T05:52:54.155-06:00Sunday Snippet and Goodreads #Giveaway!<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here's Sunday Snippet from </span><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://minakhan.blogspot.com/2015/09/dark-secrets-is-out-book-release.html" target="_blank">DARK SECRETS: A Paranormal Noir Anthology</a></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> for your reading pleasure and a Goodreads giveaway!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The snippet I'm sharing is from my story, <i>The Djinn In the Mirror</i>, in the anthology:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">She clapped her hands and wished for Ashmael.</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">His distinctive spicy sandalwood scent
alerted her to his presence, followed by a soft rustle. She twirled about and
threw herself onto the djinn’s broad chest.
“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“But—</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Dahlia grabbed his face and pulled it down to
her, then proceeded to give him a big, wet sloppy kiss on his sexy mouth. When
they parted, the djinn for once looked utterly confused and shocked. She
grinned. “See I keep my bargains.”</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">He wiped his mouth with the back of one hand,
all the while keeping his gaze fixed on hers. “You call that a kiss?”</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Temper stirred inside her, along with a flush
of embarrassment. “You don’t?”</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A lazy smile spread his lips as he grasped
her chin and tilted her face up. “Let me show you.”</span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Want to read more, plus FIVE other awesome stories? Right now we're having a <b>99 cent</b> sale and you can grab a copy at:</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Amazon: <a href="http://goo.gl/9qoY5Q">http://goo.gl/9qoY5Q</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">B&N: <a href="http://goo.gl/UM5Nvs">http://goo.gl/UM5Nvs</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">iTunes: <a href="https://goo.gl/rXJGly">https://goo.gl/rXJGly</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kobo: <a href="https://goo.gl/X3fpSH">https://goo.gl/X3fpSH</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Google Play Link: <a href="https://goo.gl/nWqUXc">https://goo.gl/nWqUXc</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="text-align: center;">ARe Link: <a href="https://goo.gl/iPSq8R">https://goo.gl/iPSq8R</a></b> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">OR you can enter for a chance to win 1 of 2 lovely paperbacks!</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/" target="_new">Goodreads</a> Book Giveaway
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26825016"><img alt="Dark Secrets by Rachel Caine" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1443367868l/26825016.jpg" title="Dark Secrets by Rachel Caine" width="100" /></a>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26825016">Dark Secrets</a>
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by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15292.Rachel_Caine" style="text-decoration: none;">Rachel Caine</a>
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Giveaway ends October 31, 2015.
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See the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/156691" style="text-decoration: none;">giveaway details</a>
at Goodreads.
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<a class="goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink" href="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/enter_choose_address/156691">Enter Giveaway</a>
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<script charset="utf-8" src="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/widget/156691" type="text/javascript"></script>Rashda Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803134396969891096noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853176663210499095.post-78172547541010708282015-09-30T18:10:00.003-06:002015-10-04T05:42:14.151-06:00Fall Books I Am Dying to Read<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now that <b><a href="http://minakhan.blogspot.com/2015/09/dark-secrets-is-out-book-release.html" target="_blank">DARK SECRETS: A Paranormal Noir Anthology</a></b> is out in the world, I can happily get lost in my TBR pile and indulge in some wonderful reading. Just in time too, because Oct. 1 is the release day for </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0160338Q8/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0160338Q8&linkCode=as2&tag=minakhanblogs-20&linkId=UY4BTNH7B6LK7EJ2%22%3EBeneath%20a%20Waning%20Moon:%20A%20Duo%20of%20Gothic%20Romances%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=minakhanblogs-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0160338Q8%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Beneath A Waning Moon</a></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm dying to read this because I really enjoy the writing of both the authors, Elizabeth Hunter and Grace Draven, and the blurbs sound just the right mix of chills and sweetness</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0160338Q8/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0160338Q8&linkCode=as2&tag=minakhanblogs-20&linkId=6IUCNKXADV5DYT33" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B0160338Q8&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=minakhanblogs-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=minakhanblogs-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0160338Q8" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><span style="background-color: clear; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 19.32px;">In A VERY PROPER MONSTER, Josephine Shaw spends long nights filling the pages of her Gothic stories with the fantastic and the macabre, unaware that the suitor her father has arranged is one of the dark creatures she’s always dreamed. For Tom Dargin, courting an ailing spinster was only one duty in a long life of service to his sire. But after he meets the curious Miss Shaw, will Tom become the seducer or the seduced? Can a love fated to end in tragedy survive a looming grave? </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: clear; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 19.32px;">In GASLIGHT HADES, Nathaniel Gordon walks two worlds—that of the living and the dead. Barely human, he's earned the reputation of a Bonekeeper, the scourge of grave robbers. He believes his old life over, until one dreary burial he meets the woman he once loved and almost married. Lenore Kenward stands at her father’s grave, begging the protection of the mysterious guardian, not knowing he is her lost love. Resolved to keep his distance, Nathaniel is forced to abandon his plan and accompany Lenore on a journey into the mouth of Hell where sea meets sky, and the abominations that exist beyond its barrier wait to destroy them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1617730157/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1617730157&linkCode=as2&tag=minakhanblogs-20&linkId=TYO4UUWEMFSMO35E">The Bollywood Bride</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=minakhanblogs-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1617730157" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></b> released on the 29th also and is so on my TBR list.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00RRT31YO/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00RRT31YO&linkCode=as2&tag=minakhanblogs-20&linkId=BAQKON53LGI5Q677" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00RRT31YO&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=minakhanblogs-20" height="200" width="132" /></a> M<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">y Sari Sister Sonali Dev writes a wonderful mix of romance and women's fiction, East and West, the role of the individual along with an extensive family unit. I know this will make me laugh, cry and cheer.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: Clear; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 19.32px;">Ria and Vikram spent childhood summers together, a world away from Ria's exclusive boarding school in Mumbai. Their friendship grew seamlessly into love--until Ria made a shattering decision. As far as Vikram is concerned, Ria sold her soul for Bollywood stardom and it's taken him years to rebuild his life. But beneath his pent-up anger, their bond remains unchanged. And now, among those who know her best, Ria may find the courage to face the secrets she's been guarding for everyone else's benefit--and a chance to stop acting and start living.</span><span style="background-color: clear; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 19.32px;"> </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014RM9JS0/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B014RM9JS0&linkCode=as2&tag=minakhanblogs-20&linkId=ZDMXQU6YR7DDQIHP" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B014RM9JS0&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=minakhanblogs-20" height="200" width="124" /></a><br />
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1516887611/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1516887611&linkCode=as2&tag=minakhanblogs-20&linkId=SUOFC2ULKK2WC2DJ">A Taste of Heaven</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=minakhanblogs-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1516887611" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> just looks delicious. Yummy, right? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's a foodie romance between a 47-year-old widow and a 49-year-old Scottish chef and they meet on a reality cooking contest.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Food, older couple, a Scot, and romance...what's not to hook? Yup, I'm so looking forward to reading this!</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011PVYITQ/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B011PVYITQ&linkCode=as2&tag=minakhanblogs-20&linkId=VGNY3DJY5QJIPQZN" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B011PVYITQ&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=minakhanblogs-20" height="200" width="132" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1515097498/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1515097498&linkCode=as2&tag=minakhanblogs-20&linkId=WEPD5ZBIS5TN52G4"><b>A Tiger's Bride (A Lion's Pride)</b> (Volume 4)</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=minakhanblogs-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1515097498" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> Life often gets serious enough, that I adore books that make me laugh out loud. I enjoy Eve's stories for the humor and sexiness, but her Kitty Kats have definitely got their claws in me. Besides, I just finished reading the previous book in the series, and Dimitri, the Russian tiger, is HOT. Rowwrrr!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: clear; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 19.32px;">When at first you don’t succeed—turn to abduction. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: clear; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 19.32px;">It’s all in a day’s work when this Siberian tiger meets the woman he wants. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 19.32px;">An accidental kidnapping? Check. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: clear; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 19.32px;">A forced marriage? Check. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: clear; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 19.32px;">A virgin bride? Damn. There go his plans for seduction and here comes the pressure into making her first time perfect. Because everyone knows that's the one she'll remember, forever. Gulp. </span><span style="background-color: clear; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 19.32px;">Add in a plane crash as well as hunters out to capture them and the heat is truly on. </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015WQQEBU/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B015WQQEBU&linkCode=as2&tag=minakhanblogs-20&linkId=STMPQOSVG6GRINO7" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B015WQQEBU&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=minakhanblogs-20" height="200" width="132" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I recently lost a dear family member who was grappling with Alzheimers, so this last book hits close to my heart --</span><br />
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<img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=minakhanblogs-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B015WQQEBU" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> <span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015WQQEBU/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B015WQQEBU&linkCode=as2&tag=minakhanblogs-20&linkId=QPQW32UYYH5HI2FV">Forget Me Not: Charity Anthology Supporting Alzheimers and Brain Health</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=minakhanblogs-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B015WQQEBU" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: clear; color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">10 artists auditioning for a shot at working with the Reed Brothers </span><br />
<span style="background-color: clear; color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">10 skins, each with a story to tell </span><br />
<span style="background-color: clear; color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">10 perfect tattoos so they'll never forget </span><br />
<span style="background-color: clear; color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">A little bit of healing </span><br />
<span style="background-color: clear; color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">A whole lot of heart </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: clear; color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">An anthology of ten short stories by ten different authors who are donating 100% of the proceeds to benefit Alzheimer's and brain health. Join Tammy Falkner, Jane Charles, Ava Stone, Marquita Valentine, Lexi Eddings, Lj Charles, Andris Bear, Jerrica Knight-Catania, Caren Crane and Diane Franks to help combat this terrible disease. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm a pretty eclectic reader and read across the board and in different genres. So here's a few more that snagged my attention:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013QDDESC/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B013QDDESC&linkCode=as2&tag=minakhanblogs-20&linkId=2LQVGSMEDOTAWG6B">Breaking Boundaries (SEAL Team Heartbreakers Book 5)</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=minakhanblogs-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B013QDDESC" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></b> (The only military romance series I read faithfully.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014CR0OES/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B014CR0OES&linkCode=as2&tag=minakhanblogs-20&linkId=YP6UJDDFXW72JEGS"><b>Harvest Moon</b></a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=minakhanblogs-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B014CR0OES" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> (Book 4 in one of my favorite shifters series)</span><br />
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<img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=minakhanblogs-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0147RGW9E" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011AB7MF8/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B011AB7MF8&linkCode=as2&tag=minakhanblogs-20&linkId=5P4EYX3VYI44CE2L">Protect and Serve: Soldiers, SEALs and Cops: Contemporary Heroes from NY Times and USA Today and other bestselling authors</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=minakhanblogs-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B011AB7MF8" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> (Hawtness in Uniform...yum!)</b><br />
<b><br /></b>And, in case you want to add<b> DARK SECRETS </b>to your reading list:<b> <a href="http://minakhan.blogspot.com/2015/09/dark-secrets-is-out-book-release.html" target="_blank">Click Here for more info!</a></b><br />
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Happy Reading!<br />
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MinaRashda Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803134396969891096noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853176663210499095.post-35139567174506118702015-09-29T07:46:00.002-06:002015-10-04T05:42:00.677-06:00DARK SECRETS is OUT! #Book Release #giveaways<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Woot! <b>DARK SECRETS: A Paranormal Noir Anthology</b> is out in the world today. Releasing a new book is like birthing a child -- awesome, scary, joyful. Thank you to all my readers, I couldn't write my stories without your love and support.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Six award-winning authors bring you this spellbinding collection of stories about dark desires, mysterious worlds, and danger that lurks in the shadows of the night. Where nothing is black and white; where things might not be as they seem; where magic and mayhem rule.</span></div>
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<b>Amazon: <a href="http://goo.gl/9qoY5Q">http://goo.gl/9qoY5Q</a><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>B&N: <a href="http://goo.gl/UM5Nvs">http://goo.gl/UM5Nvs</a><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>iTunes: <a href="https://goo.gl/rXJGly">https://goo.gl/rXJGly</a><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Kobo: <a href="https://goo.gl/X3fpSH">https://goo.gl/X3fpSH</a><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Google Play Link: <a href="https://goo.gl/nWqUXc">https://goo.gl/nWqUXc</a><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>ARe Link: <a href="https://goo.gl/iPSq8R">https://goo.gl/iPSq8R</a></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thanks to all the bloggers who are supporting us with reviews and posts. I greatly appreciate you and y'all ROCK!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Review from <a href="http://www.ismellsheep.com/2015/09/book-review-dark-secrets-paranormal.html?spref=pi" target="_blank">I Smell Sheep</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>A Bookish Foodie Post at <a href="http://rachaelstapleton.blogspot.ca/2015/09/adventures-of-bookish-foodie.html" target="_blank">The Mysterious Ink Spot</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Review in the Dungeons of <a href="http://lacrimsonfemme.blogspot.com/2015/09/review-dark-secrets.html?spref=pi" target="_blank">La Crimson Femme</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Scary Movie Recs with <a href="http://bookedandloaded.com/2015/09/29/spotlight-giveaway-dark-secrets-a-paranormal-noir-anthology/" target="_blank">Booked and Loaded</a></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Review with <a href="http://bookedandloaded.com/2015/09/29/review-of-dark-secrets-a-paranormal-noir-anthology/" target="_blank">Booked and Loaded</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Interview with the <a href="https://bookgatherer.wordpress.com/2015/09/26/dark-secrets-anthology-interviews-review/" target="_blank">Book Gatherer</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Review from <a href="http://redrosesforauthors.blogspot.com/2015/09/dark-secrets-paranormal-noir-anthology.html" target="_blank">Red Roses for Authors</a></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>13 Halloween Reads from <a href="http://blog.writingwhiledistracted.com/?p=686" target="_blank">Writing While Distracted</a></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Review at <a href="http://butterfly-o-meter.com/2015/09/dark-secrets-by-rachel-caine-cynthia-eden-megan-hart-suzanne-johnson-jeffe-kennedy-mina-khan" target="_blank">Butterfly-O-Meter</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(I'll add more as they come in!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Check out the cool <a href="https://youtu.be/9kdRPN57V4k" target="_blank">Dark Secrets video Rachel Caine </a>made!</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9kdRPN57V4k" width="560"></iframe>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>To celebrate the release we're giving away a $120 Amazon Gift Card and a lovely Gothic Choker Set.</b></span></div>
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Rashda Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803134396969891096noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853176663210499095.post-52997714648182079142015-09-28T07:10:00.001-06:002015-09-28T07:11:18.623-06:00OMG, Just 1 More Day for DARK SECRETS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLWXcUswCDzgoOXOiwDrUiZCwTgR9CTaGvVf0LNzS98rsDobFsvsCTSr80454dNf3SQBfuGOwA9wlUiq3H3IGUsKfogGPRfPrkaD_ySG27u1fZ4KvBev7FAfwiBfQFcmwid35XRokT91U/s1600/DS+1+day+Tease.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLWXcUswCDzgoOXOiwDrUiZCwTgR9CTaGvVf0LNzS98rsDobFsvsCTSr80454dNf3SQBfuGOwA9wlUiq3H3IGUsKfogGPRfPrkaD_ySG27u1fZ4KvBev7FAfwiBfQFcmwid35XRokT91U/s400/DS+1+day+Tease.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Oh wow, just 1 more day until DARK SECRETS is out and finally, FINALLY, B&N has approved the title and it's live. I thought I'd have a nervous breakdown because they were taking so long and the clock kept ticking...sigh. Any how,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://goo.gl/UM5Nvs" target="_blank">Dark Secrets is live and on BandN</a>!!!</b></span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But speaking of nerves...I feel sick -- unable to sleep, gut churning, sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, brain sort of caught in the headlights type of sick. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This doesn't make sense, because I <b>know</b> this is a solid collection (we have some rather decent reviews on Goodreads and I have read each and every story), but I'm still having an attack of the nerves.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So why, why am I dealing with a case of nerves along with everything else? Does anyone else get inexplicable anxiety? What's the best way to deal with them?</span></div>
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<br />Rashda Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803134396969891096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853176663210499095.post-17458247551506822412015-09-24T14:16:00.001-06:002015-09-25T10:23:20.595-06:00Psst! The Reviews For Dark Secrets Are Rolling In...<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Eeep! The reviews have started rolling in...and I'm a nervous wreck. You see this anthology is my special baby. Some people like to create fantasy football teams, I like to dream up fantasy author collections. So DARK SECRETS brings together some of my auto-buy authors. I love their words and I hope all of you out there will love them too...I know, that's impossible because reading is so individual...but, it's my baby....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Anyhow, here are some reviews I'm thrilled about:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: clear; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 25.2px;">"At $.99 you would be a fool not to grab this one. Whether you love urban fantasy or PNR, you will find something to love in each story." ~ I SMELL SHEEP</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: clear; line-height: 25.2px;">To read the rest of the review, visit <a href="http://www.ismellsheep.com/2015/09/book-review-dark-secrets-paranormal.html?showComment=1443123118214#c4501216632402911209" target="_blank">I SMELL SHEEP</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;">Then there's:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: clear; color: white; line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Provocative, refreshing, melancholy and reminiscent of Grimm Fairy Tales. I thoroughly enjoyed all the stories. Usually in an anthology I read it for one author. I generally hope that I like that author's story. It's always iffy with anthologies because the more authors, the more chances one of the stories could disappoint and the overall rating drop. After reading this book, I'm still loving the authors who made me want to read this book. In addition, I've found new authors I must explore."</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: clear; color: white; line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But my favorite part of this review is: "Who is this Mina Khan?"</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: clear; color: white; line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To read the rest of this review, <a href="http://lacrimsonfemme.blogspot.com/2015/09/review-dark-secrets.html" target="_blank">visit the <b>Dungeon</b></a><span style="font-size: 14px;">...</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiubg4rfm9Js3EEcaEVXWaxnr7lT8JW4okoOzkrzIUBrX969s0BOR4saEfQlGWKHulosEOpB-CVoJiPn66i9Dd5dZ8Fjo3U6mMx4mflKjMblhBrZSfdd3I08ssWpRIa0ybvJIg3pOiQZuQ/s1600/Dark-Secrets1-200x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiubg4rfm9Js3EEcaEVXWaxnr7lT8JW4okoOzkrzIUBrX969s0BOR4saEfQlGWKHulosEOpB-CVoJiPn66i9Dd5dZ8Fjo3U6mMx4mflKjMblhBrZSfdd3I08ssWpRIa0ybvJIg3pOiQZuQ/s1600/Dark-Secrets1-200x300.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Release Date: September 29, 2015</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But we do have it on preorder:</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0147D7JTU/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0147D7JTU&linkCode=as2&tag=minakhanblogs-20&linkId=EWYLWXA2RHIYKGPG">Dark Secrets: A Paranormal Noir Anthology</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=minakhanblogs-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0147D7JTU" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/dark-secrets/id1040348573?mt=11" target="_blank">Dark Secrets on iTunes/iBooks</a></span></b></div>
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<b><a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/dark-secrets-28" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dark Secrets on KOBO</span></a></b></div>
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<a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Rachel_Caine_Dark_Secrets?id=zWloCgAAQBAJ&hl=en" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dark Secrets on Google Play</span></b></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-darksecretsaparanormalnoiranthology-1874217-153.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dark Secrets on ARe</span></b></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></span>Rashda Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803134396969891096noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853176663210499095.post-36473563558303279632015-09-16T10:54:00.000-06:002015-09-16T10:55:25.569-06:00Reading Words Out Loud<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 29px;">"Poetry is a call to action and it also </span><em style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 29px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">is</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 29px;"> action. Sometimes we say, "This tragedy, it happened far away. I don't know what to do. I'm concerned but I'm just dangling in space." A poem can lead you through that, and it is made of action because you're giving your whole life to it in that moment. And then the poem — you give it to everyone."</span> </blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 29px;">~ Juan Felipe Herrera, U.S. Poet Laureate</span></blockquote>
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Because I share the same belief in the power of words as Mr. Herrera, I'm stepping out of my comfort zone this evening and sharing my poem <b>"Peace Is A Cat"</b> at the Peace, Poetry and Prose event at out local university. <br />
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Usually, I prefer to pour my words out into a food column, an essay or a story and let those words speak for themselves. Readers are an important part of the process. They choose to pick up some words and not others, and in reading they imbue those words with their own perspective and interpretation. And thus a work is translated from one heart to another.<br />
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However, sometimes words need to be claimed by the author and spoken aloud. When the world seems to be breaking apart all around you and your heart aches because you feel helpless, "just dangling in space." In those moments, it's important to capture our take on reality into words and then release those written visions to fly free among other hearts.<br />
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So today, though my voice will tremble and I'll be shaking, though I'm mostly a very shy person and want to crawl into the shelter of a tent/fort/cave built from printed pages of my words, I will stand in front of an audience and read my poem to them.<br />
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Please send me positive thoughts, vibes and chocolate as moral support!<br />
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Love,<br />
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Mina<br />
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<b>P.S. Here's <a href="http://www.npr.org/2015/09/15/438630601/poet-laureates-migrant-childhood-was-like-living-in-literature-every-day" target="_blank">a wonderful interview of Herrera</a>!</b>Rashda Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803134396969891096noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853176663210499095.post-78289039055771889902015-09-09T09:14:00.000-06:002015-09-24T14:16:56.359-06:00Want A Sneak Peek at The Djinn In The Mirror?<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ashmael, the hero, in my story The Djinn in the Mirror (part of the DARK SECRETS: A PARANORMAL NOIR ANTHOLOGY) looks a lot like my favorite Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan. Here check him out:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhploWezo1c-nLqHYT5cdcCLCVGHa0kECd7Ox_iTvdinR-KICLx5TNfJFdcOkEnUjylTRRAm7s9mBzd7s1Nt8MQSJVCVgfSxhJ1wROXnxMb350BfQVFgz-AgicJFOR_UrPfwJZT4TCaN-4/s1600/Hrith.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhploWezo1c-nLqHYT5cdcCLCVGHa0kECd7Ox_iTvdinR-KICLx5TNfJFdcOkEnUjylTRRAm7s9mBzd7s1Nt8MQSJVCVgfSxhJ1wROXnxMb350BfQVFgz-AgicJFOR_UrPfwJZT4TCaN-4/s400/Hrith.jpg" width="288" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Want to read an excerpt from The Djinn In The Mirror? You're in luck! Jeffe Kennedy is hosting an <b><a href="http://www.jeffekennedy.com/a-djinn-in-the-mirror/" target="_blank">excerpt on her blog</a>!</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiubg4rfm9Js3EEcaEVXWaxnr7lT8JW4okoOzkrzIUBrX969s0BOR4saEfQlGWKHulosEOpB-CVoJiPn66i9Dd5dZ8Fjo3U6mMx4mflKjMblhBrZSfdd3I08ssWpRIa0ybvJIg3pOiQZuQ/s1600/Dark-Secrets1-200x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiubg4rfm9Js3EEcaEVXWaxnr7lT8JW4okoOzkrzIUBrX969s0BOR4saEfQlGWKHulosEOpB-CVoJiPn66i9Dd5dZ8Fjo3U6mMx4mflKjMblhBrZSfdd3I08ssWpRIa0ybvJIg3pOiQZuQ/s320/Dark-Secrets1-200x300.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Release Date: September 29, 2015</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But we do have it on preorder:</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0147D7JTU/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0147D7JTU&linkCode=as2&tag=minakhanblogs-20&linkId=EWYLWXA2RHIYKGPG">Dark Secrets: A Paranormal Noir Anthology</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=minakhanblogs-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0147D7JTU" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span></b></div>
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<b><a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/dark-secrets-28" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dark Secrets on KOBO</span></a></b></div>
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<a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Rachel_Caine_Dark_Secrets?id=zWloCgAAQBAJ&hl=en" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dark Secrets on Google Play</span></b></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-darksecretsaparanormalnoiranthology-1874217-153.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dark Secrets on ARe</span></b></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(More links coming soon!)</span></div>
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Rashda Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803134396969891096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853176663210499095.post-65208328882075485202015-09-08T10:58:00.000-06:002015-09-09T09:12:47.760-06:00Teasing You on #TeaserTuesday....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2WVolULgYn2D-Ro8b7TY9mkJvon9KXMmT2epNIhGRv4LuMSMnSIqUxyVgEHvxPtumr9JMIIsdldpQIN3GulJzhzhKT_8OAjsVxgf6puCItm7LaLN1dTBeO66gioT19TY2Cy4_jkRj318/s1600/Djinn+Teaser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2WVolULgYn2D-Ro8b7TY9mkJvon9KXMmT2epNIhGRv4LuMSMnSIqUxyVgEHvxPtumr9JMIIsdldpQIN3GulJzhzhKT_8OAjsVxgf6puCItm7LaLN1dTBeO66gioT19TY2Cy4_jkRj318/s320/Djinn+Teaser.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Release Date: September 29, 2015</b></div>
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But we do have it on preorder:</div>
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<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0147D7JTU/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0147D7JTU&linkCode=as2&tag=minakhanblogs-20&linkId=EWYLWXA2RHIYKGPG">Dark Secrets: A Paranormal Noir Anthology</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=minakhanblogs-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0147D7JTU" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></b></div>
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<b><a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/dark-secrets-28" target="_blank">Dark Secrets on KOBO</a></b></div>
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<a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Rachel_Caine_Dark_Secrets?id=zWloCgAAQBAJ&hl=en" target="_blank"><b>Dark Secrets on Google Play</b></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-darksecretsaparanormalnoiranthology-1874217-153.html" target="_blank"><b>Dark Secrets on ARe</b></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(More links coming soon!)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Initially, it's digital, but we are working on getting print copies done...so stay tuned!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Also...the signup for review copies of DARK SECRETS is now open! We'd really appreciate your help getting the word out, so check out the<b><a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1RSWsJBYuZ6BmdAQp8pfz2IVWV0OpW6pHAD1wRowdYPw/viewform?usp=send_form" target="_blank"> <span style="font-size: large;">review request form</span></a></b>.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<b>Blurb:</b><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Six award-winning authors bring you this spellbinding collection of stories about dark desires, mysterious worlds, and danger that lurks in the shadows of the night. Where nothing is black and white; where things might not be as they seem; where magic and mayhem rule.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.8667px;">MARION, MISSING</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.8667px;"> by Rachel Caine (detective, ghost)</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>FEMME FATALE</b> by Cynthia Eden (detective, vampire)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.8667px;">DANCE WITH THE DEVIL</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.8667px;"> by Megan Hart (deal with the devil)</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.8667px;">THE CONSORT</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.8667px;"> by Suzanne Johnson (fae in contemporary New Orleans)</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>HEART’S BLOOD</b> by Jeffe Kennedy (a Twelve Kingdoms novella, fairy tale retelling)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>THE DJINN IN THE MIRROR</b> by Mina Khan (a Djinn World novella, djinn, witches, ghosts)</span></div>
Rashda Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803134396969891096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853176663210499095.post-10757119172264759742015-09-03T07:03:00.000-06:002015-09-08T10:57:41.699-06:00Hello September! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2SqGl8acyg473eGVYG270SqvPUIQfAxxEeEWKcYiNvdip38mjuDHrPilQhdMIjCOHEzweM_DdP6LPM9OlTCKf8ScaoaDBDpIbJsPdrgEiz9u8ExWUcVRuE-u8HD3I57TqXhA3wBLJrSk/s1600/DS+Collage1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2SqGl8acyg473eGVYG270SqvPUIQfAxxEeEWKcYiNvdip38mjuDHrPilQhdMIjCOHEzweM_DdP6LPM9OlTCKf8ScaoaDBDpIbJsPdrgEiz9u8ExWUcVRuE-u8HD3I57TqXhA3wBLJrSk/s400/DS+Collage1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Release Date: September 29, 2015</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
But we do have it on preorder:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0147D7JTU/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0147D7JTU&linkCode=as2&tag=minakhanblogs-20&linkId=EWYLWXA2RHIYKGPG">Dark Secrets: A Paranormal Noir Anthology</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=minakhanblogs-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0147D7JTU" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/dark-secrets-28" target="_blank">Dark Secrets on KOBO</a></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Rachel_Caine_Dark_Secrets?id=zWloCgAAQBAJ&hl=en" target="_blank"><b>Dark Secrets on Google Play</b></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-darksecretsaparanormalnoiranthology-1874217-153.html" target="_blank"><b>Dark Secrets on ARe</b></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(More links coming soon!)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Initially, it's digital, but we are working on getting print copies done...so stay tuned!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Also...the signup for review copies of DARK SECRETS is now open! We'd really appreciate your help getting the word out, so check out the<b><a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1RSWsJBYuZ6BmdAQp8pfz2IVWV0OpW6pHAD1wRowdYPw/viewform?usp=send_form" target="_blank"> <span style="font-size: large;">review request form</span></a></b>.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<b>Blurb:</b><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Six award-winning authors bring you this spellbinding collection of stories about dark desires, mysterious worlds, and danger that lurks in the shadows of the night. Where nothing is black and white; where things might not be as they seem; where magic and mayhem rule.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.8667px;">MARION, MISSING</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.8667px;"> by Rachel Caine (detective, ghost)</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>FEMME FATALE</b> by Cynthia Eden (detective, vampire)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.8667px;">DANCE WITH THE DEVIL</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.8667px;"> by Megan Hart (deal with the devil)</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.8667px;">THE CONSORT</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.8667px;"> by Suzanne Johnson (fae in contemporary New Orleans)</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>HEART’S BLOOD</b> by Jeffe Kennedy (a Twelve Kingdoms novella, fairy tale retelling)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>THE DJINN IN THE MIRROR</b> by Mina Khan (a Djinn World novella, djinn, witches, ghosts)</span></div>
Rashda Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803134396969891096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853176663210499095.post-56690893574375641302015-08-28T05:40:00.000-06:002015-08-28T05:40:18.722-06:00Pretty Surprise BadgeWoot! Look at the pretty <b><a href="https://www.allromanceebooks.com/index.html" target="_blank">All Romance</a> </b>sent me and my co-authors:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8lRJxnLakwvNsPw-wEKTuOh9fyQPyhh_CXT5qC4t-nQRGukSzEyEetiv1mxMCaiYrYv-zBMm35yt9mdnGmF-O6fXRYLa4TSMsyFbK-YCrelwjfPHm1D3Ftq5TvxVkFXxM1zhOMceDQCM/s1600/BestsellerIcon100X100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8lRJxnLakwvNsPw-wEKTuOh9fyQPyhh_CXT5qC4t-nQRGukSzEyEetiv1mxMCaiYrYv-zBMm35yt9mdnGmF-O6fXRYLa4TSMsyFbK-YCrelwjfPHm1D3Ftq5TvxVkFXxM1zhOMceDQCM/s1600/BestsellerIcon100X100.jpg" /></a></div>
So happy to share that DARK SECRETS<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiubg4rfm9Js3EEcaEVXWaxnr7lT8JW4okoOzkrzIUBrX969s0BOR4saEfQlGWKHulosEOpB-CVoJiPn66i9Dd5dZ8Fjo3U6mMx4mflKjMblhBrZSfdd3I08ssWpRIa0ybvJIg3pOiQZuQ/s1600/Dark-Secrets1-200x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiubg4rfm9Js3EEcaEVXWaxnr7lT8JW4okoOzkrzIUBrX969s0BOR4saEfQlGWKHulosEOpB-CVoJiPn66i9Dd5dZ8Fjo3U6mMx4mflKjMblhBrZSfdd3I08ssWpRIa0ybvJIg3pOiQZuQ/s320/Dark-Secrets1-200x300.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<br />
Hit the <a href="https://www.allromanceebooks.com/bestsellers.html" target="_blank">ARe Bestsellers List</a>. WooHoo!<br />
<br />
Release Date is: September 29, 2015<br />
<br />
But we do have it on preorder:<br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0147D7JTU/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0147D7JTU&linkCode=as2&tag=minakhanblogs-20&linkId=EWYLWXA2RHIYKGPG">Dark Secrets: A Paranormal Noir Anthology</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=minakhanblogs-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0147D7JTU" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></b><br />
<br />
<b><a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/dark-secrets-28" target="_blank">Dark Secrets on KOBO</a></b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Rachel_Caine_Dark_Secrets?id=zWloCgAAQBAJ&hl=en" target="_blank"><b>Dark Secrets on Google Play</b></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-darksecretsaparanormalnoiranthology-1874217-153.html" target="_blank"><b>Dark Secrets on ARe</b></a><br />
<br />
(More links coming soon!)Rashda Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803134396969891096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853176663210499095.post-59904804959036152042015-08-21T08:53:00.001-06:002015-09-08T08:10:33.385-06:00DARK SECRETS, A Paranormal Noir Anthology: Cover RevealWoot! I'm so thrilled to finally be able to share DARK SECRETS, a paranormal noir anthology I'm in with some amazing authors -- <a href="http://www.rachelcaine.com/" target="_blank"><b>Rachel Caine</b></a>, <b><a href="http://www.cynthiaeden.com/" target="_blank">Cynthia Eden</a></b>, <b><a href="http://meganhart.com./" target="_blank">Megan Hart</a></b>, <b><a href="http://suzannejohnsonauthor.com/" target="_blank">Suzanne Johnson</a></b>, and <b><a href="http://www.jeffekennedy.com/" target="_blank">Jeffe Kennedy</a></b>. I LOVE reading these ladies! So "Thrilled!" is an understatement. :)<br />
<br />
Check out our awesome cover!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Tt7iZNFk0b52gM_OcMPXz3s5XtZGc4YvTTuEeJL77IDON1PYeS7oq5bLWb5y5r0uHKeNXuPum8glHOoDrbd8sh_ZZLXlh5PrlYGh_Aqezvb00tzkrJmwryQsmcMwIX6nhtsHZ1EuKwo/s1600/Dark-Secrets1-200x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Tt7iZNFk0b52gM_OcMPXz3s5XtZGc4YvTTuEeJL77IDON1PYeS7oq5bLWb5y5r0uHKeNXuPum8glHOoDrbd8sh_ZZLXlh5PrlYGh_Aqezvb00tzkrJmwryQsmcMwIX6nhtsHZ1EuKwo/s1600/Dark-Secrets1-200x300.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
(Thanks to Robin Ludwig of Cover design by Robin Ludwig Design Inc.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.gobookcoverdesign.com/">www.gobookcoverdesign.com</a>)</div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
Release Date is: September 29, 2015<br />
<br />
But we do have it on preorder:<br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0147D7JTU/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0147D7JTU&linkCode=as2&tag=minakhanblogs-20&linkId=EWYLWXA2RHIYKGPG">Dark Secrets: A Paranormal Noir Anthology</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=minakhanblogs-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0147D7JTU" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></b>
<br />
<br />
<b><a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/dark-secrets-28" target="_blank">Dark Secrets on KOBO</a></b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Rachel_Caine_Dark_Secrets?id=zWloCgAAQBAJ&hl=en" target="_blank"><b>Dark Secrets on Google Play</b></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-darksecretsaparanormalnoiranthology-1874217-153.html" target="_blank"><b>Dark Secrets on ARe</b></a><br />
<br />
(More links coming soon!)<br />
<br />
Initially, it's digital, but we are working on getting print copies done...so stay tuned!<br />
<br />
Also...the signup for review copies of DARK SECRETS is now open! We'd really appreciate your help getting the word out, so check out the<b><a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1RSWsJBYuZ6BmdAQp8pfz2IVWV0OpW6pHAD1wRowdYPw/viewform?usp=send_form" target="_blank"> <span style="font-size: large;">review request form</span></a></b>.<br />
<br />
<b>Blurb:</b><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Six award-winning authors bring you this spellbinding
collection of stories about dark desires, mysterious worlds, and danger that
lurks in the shadows of the night. Where nothing is black and white; where
things might not be as they seem; where magic and mayhem rule.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">MARION,
MISSING</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> by Rachel Caine (detective, ghost)</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>FEMME FATALE</b> by
Cynthia Eden (detective, vampire)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">DANCE
WITH THE DEVIL</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> by Megan Hart (deal with the devil)</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">THE
CONSORT</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> by Suzanne Johnson (fae in contemporary New Orleans)</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>HEART’S BLOOD</b> by
Jeffe Kennedy (a Twelve Kingdoms novella, fairy tale retelling)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>THE DJINN IN THE
MIRROR</b> by Mina Khan (a Djinn World novella, djinn, witches, ghosts)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br /></div>
Rashda Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803134396969891096noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853176663210499095.post-63805178825166734002015-08-20T22:25:00.001-06:002015-08-23T07:58:21.838-06:00Finding The Right Book Con For YouDo you remember the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears? How she has to try all the different porridge, and the different beds before she finds the right one? Well, finding the right book con is exactly like that.<br />
<br />
Since being published in 2011, I have been to several cons and events. Some have been large with thousands of people. I think the highlight of those cons have been the Mega-Star Authors I have fan-girled over and got my books signed. I remember my encounters with legends like Nora Roberts, Patricia Briggs, and Marjorie M. Liu. Squee!<br />
<br />
The downside is I'm part introvert, so at some point (and it doesn't take much) the noise level and the sheer number of people overwhelm and exhaust me. I have to go hide in my hotel room.<br />
<br />
I have also attended wonderful little luncheons, a pleasant few hours to connect with a table full of people. These are lovely, but they are over too soon. I wistfully wrap up bookish discussions and take my leave. My favorite is the<b> <a href="http://www.southernmagic.org/luncheon.html" target="_blank">Southern Magic Reader Luncheon</a></b> in Birmingham, Alabama. Those ladies know how to party!<br />
<br />
But there are some cons that fit you just right. They're a blast and when you leave, you're both exhausted and energized. A strange, but good place to be. For me, <b><a href="http://authorsafterdark.org/" target="_blank">Authors After Dark</a></b> is that con. It's not too big, and it's not too short.<br />
<br />
You have amazing authors and readers come together, all united by their love of books.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7AqJcZ4W32KEMgCIaHfZzRnsBXT8kxlQu2dCXvZw_KXuBpq8nalLl3bjcV6fyQonVvL9YKLpLawzpl7N7eNb8je1Cc17txd90ks1U1AgHWtKCSbuza01k-4ZfUHz9U2JsJm6LLcHIq9k/s1600/AAD+Signing+Karin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7AqJcZ4W32KEMgCIaHfZzRnsBXT8kxlQu2dCXvZw_KXuBpq8nalLl3bjcV6fyQonVvL9YKLpLawzpl7N7eNb8je1Cc17txd90ks1U1AgHWtKCSbuza01k-4ZfUHz9U2JsJm6LLcHIq9k/s320/AAD+Signing+Karin.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<br />
This year, the Mistress of Ceremonies was the very awesome and sweet Sherrilyn Kenyon.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv8HBrK-oPc1ic4mrxAS8uj8Swhkk5_Io1fNOTzJWRzZaJyYUwk9bRTyZI-Ah7iWzq7Osxzugb736gP_0aNq2Jf4wG1Pb2JOx2AlYzzKSGXqaykWcNPYNe8U6SDn7Hxk3305IHWK14EU8/s1600/Kenyon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv8HBrK-oPc1ic4mrxAS8uj8Swhkk5_Io1fNOTzJWRzZaJyYUwk9bRTyZI-Ah7iWzq7Osxzugb736gP_0aNq2Jf4wG1Pb2JOx2AlYzzKSGXqaykWcNPYNe8U6SDn7Hxk3305IHWK14EU8/s320/Kenyon.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
It's about 4-5 days long and you get to see the same people running around so before you know it they are familiar faces, and then friends.<br />
<br />
The panels are awesome! Most of the AAD readers attending the con are serious readers, they know their genres and books, they can discuss book boyfriends and plot twists into the wee hours of the night. So authors are not just talking heads behind tables during sessions. Instead you have dynamic, deep bookish conversations.<br />
<br />
Some of the panels I was on this year: Odd Paranormals, MCIR: What the heck is that? (Half our attendees thought it was Motorcycle Club, but went ahead and stayed for our discussion of Multicultural and Inter Racial stories -- Yay!), Crossing Genres and more. The Dragon panel was packed!<br />
<br />
But most importantly, everyone is excited to be there and ready to have fun.<br />
<br />
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<br />
So thank you Stella and wonderful staff for this wonderful year! Next year, <a href="http://authorsafterdark.org/" target="_blank">AAD</a> will be in Savannah and it'll be the last one in the U.S. for a while...so I'm both sad and looking forward to it. I know it'll be grand.<br />
For more information about the <a href="http://authorsafterdark.blogspot.com/2015/07/information-on-authors-after-dark-2016.html" target="_blank">Savannah AAD in 2016 click on this link</a>.Rashda Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803134396969891096noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853176663210499095.post-23707165750847437352015-08-08T19:31:00.000-06:002015-08-09T06:10:56.935-06:00Book Review of Ink and Bone (The Great Library series)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Yay! One of my favorite authors <b><a href="http://rachelcaine.com/" target="_blank">Rachel Caine</a></b> has another fantastic series I can get lost in. Even better, I can share this story world with my darling husband, our teen and our tween because it happens to be YA/Steampunky alternate reality. I love introducing my family to wonderful reads and this one definitely needs to be shared.</div>
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Check out the gorgeous cover:</div>
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<br />
It’s a brilliant, chilling, thought-provoking book. It reminded me of Harry
Potter, The Hunger Games, and Fahrenheit 451. But in the end it’s its own story.<br />
<br />
The central premise (and character) is: The Great Library of Alexandria still exists. As a book lover who haunts her local library on a regular basis, I LOVED this. But then, Caine takes it up a notch and turns the library into this Big Brother type of entity. The most AWESOME & original villain ever. Caine builds her world with so much skill that I could imagine her twisted reality and it terrified me.<br />
<br />
*There are fearsome lion automatons!*<br />
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Jess, the main character, loves books...so I immediately connected to him.<br />
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<strong style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"></strong><br />
<blockquote>
<em><b>"You have ink in your blood, boy, and no help for it. Books will never be just a business to you."</b></em></blockquote>
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This is a dark coming of age story where Jess finds out about divided loyalties, what freedom means and what it costs, the difference between what is portrayed and what is real. And we are there every step of the way.<br />
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*Yes, this book made me cry.*<br />
<br />
I'm a big proponent of <b><a href="http://weneeddiversebooks.org/" target="_blank">#WeNeedDiverseBooks</a></b>. Raising children with mixed heritages, I'm always on the lookout for stories that show a well-rounded and diverse cast. Ink and Bone delivers. In fact, diversity is a natural part of this world. The library brings together the brightest young minds from all over the world to train into future librarians.Each character is fully developed -- you know their vulnerabilities and their strengths.<br />
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The story doesn't shy away from tough topics and questions -- we see the realities of war, poverty and oppression. All of this is presented not in a preachy fashion, but presented in a tension-filled gripping read. Ink and Bone made me think and made me feel. And that is all I can ask of a good book.<br />
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I'm looking forward to the rest of this complex series.Rashda Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803134396969891096noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853176663210499095.post-77256190086518054172015-07-31T19:50:00.001-06:002016-01-01T07:54:58.215-07:00The Joy of RomanceI'm thrilled because August 1 marks the start of<b> <a href="http://www.readaromancemonth.com/" target="_blank">Read-A-Romance Month</a></b>, a month long online celebration of romance and the romance genre created by the brilliant Bobbi Dumas. This year, I'm even more joyful because the uber awesome and indomitable <b><a href="http://sonalidev.com/" target="_blank">Sonali Dev</a></b> actually mentioned me in her RARM post. SQUEE! Thank you, darling!<br />
<br />
So here's my contribution to RARM 2015:<br />
<br />
I read and write romance because it brings me joy.<br />
<br />
One of the first things I fell in love with in Texas are the long stretches of desolate roads ribboning into the horizon under a wide open sky. I'd get in my truck, turn the radio on and take off. The exhilarating rush of freedom filled me with joy. A joy that made me grin and feel invincible.<br />
<br />
But recently, after Sandra Bland and her ill-fated Texas traffic stop, I have lost that particular joy. Now when I drive, especially along almost empty stretches, my heart hammers a frantic beat as it climbs into my throat and I keep checking for law enforcement. I'm not Black, but I'm not White either. I'm brown with a Muslim name. More importantly, I'm a woman.<br />
<br />
Sometimes I think most of the world has declared a war against women.<br />
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I know I need to reclaim my joy, master my fears, and live. So I seek refuge in romance.<br />
<br />
Romance knows no boundaries: people of all colors, all orientation, all religious identity, all economic strata, from different worlds and of various abilities, fall in love. That is the root of all conflict and also hope.<br />
<br />
Experiencing two characters falling in love fills me with hope. I dream with them about a wonderful future, I swoon at that perfect dialogue and first kiss, I wonder how these two will overcome the roadblocks in their relationship and how they'll be better together, I shed tears for them and cheer them on.<br />
<br />
No matter how tough things get, the hero and heroine may falter and stumble, but they never give up the love they feel for each other. Heroines and heroes are strong, unique and celebrated as individuals and together.<br />
<br />
When they finally earn their Happily-Ever-After, I'm filled with hand-clapping, twirling joy.<br />
<br />
When the world seems to be falling apart, romance shares an important message: "Love Conquers All."<br />
<br />
I know the stories I read and write are fiction and they can only hold me for a little while. I know the glass is both half-full and empty, but I choose to celebrate the water within the glass and the love within the pages. Sometimes, you just need that bit of a respite, a reminder of what is important, to catch your breath and continue to live life with joy in your heart.<br />
<br />
<b>Recommendations: </b>Here are some authors who have helped replenish me -- Sharon Shinn, <a href="http://marjoriemliu.com/" target="_blank">Marjorie M. Liu</a>, Patricia Briggs, <a href="http://nalinisingh.com/" target="_blank">Nalini Singh</a>, <a href="http://www.jeffekennedy.com/" target="_blank">Jeffe Kennedy</a>, and Sonali Dev, <a href="http://www.ljcharles.com/home.html" target="_blank">L.J. Charles</a> and <a href="http://sabaatahir.com/" target="_blank">Sabaa Tahir</a> and so many more.<br />
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<b>Q and A:</b><br />
<br />
1 - Tell us about a moment in your life when you experienced sheer joy.<br />
<br />
Mina: Wildfire won the 2014 Prism award for best first book. The first time I held the award in my hands, surrounded by my family and friends, with chocolates (I was at the KOD Death by Chocolate party) waiting for me was when I experienced sheer, perfect joy.<br />
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2 - Tell us about a place that brings you
joy, or is attached to a memory of joy.</div>
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Mina: The Llano River. A beautiful river to play in, water so clear you can see fish, rocky outcrops to climb and explore, wildflowers in bloom. This was where my DH first said "I love you" to me and where we've spent countless family reunions. It always brings me joy.</div>
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3 - Tell us about a sound that brings you joy
(or a memory attached to sound — music, laughter, wind chimes… ?)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
Mina: My daughter's unrestrained giggles.</div>
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4 - What recent book have you read that
brought you joy. (Or a book you read in your life that brought you so much joy
you’ve never forgotten it.) Why?<br />
<br />
Tiger Eye by Marjorie M. Liu, a paranormal romance, was life changing for me in
terms of reading and writing. It’s partially set in China and the hero, Hari, is
Indian and a tiger shifter. I not only loved the story (still do), but it also
opened my mind to the reality that yes, you can have stories set in Asia, with
Asian heroes and Asian foundations. It made me realize I could write my stories.<br />
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5 - And for fun, the joy of choice ;o)
~</div>
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Pick your Chris! Chris Hemsworth, Chris Pine,
Chris Pratt, Chris Rock, Chris Evans or Christopher Plummer (circ. 1964 aka
Capt. Von Trapp?) - trying for a little diversity! ;o)</div>
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Mina: Chris Pine! </div>
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Leave a comment telling me what brings you joy (and your email or twitter handle so I can contact you if you win) and you maybe randomly picked to win a signed copy of WILDFIRE.<br />
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xoxo,<br />
<br />
Mina<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Author
Mina Khan, originally from Bangladesh, is now a proud West Texan. She writes
fiction dealing with identity, feminist issues and multicultural influences.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">She’s
also worked for about 20 years as a journalist, covering business, technology,
politics, and government in Bangladesh and the U.S.
Now she writes a weekly food column for her local paper.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">To
sign up for Mina’s quarterly newsletter with release updates and inside
information on the stories, please check out:
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://eepurl.com/wb-8n">http://eepurl.com/wb-8n</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Rashda Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803134396969891096noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853176663210499095.post-1541943426323221292015-07-27T14:14:00.001-06:002015-07-28T07:40:51.338-06:00An Ode To My Cats<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My mother said</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I live in a House of Cats<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Meaning:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cats rule the roost <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And I<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">No longer own my house.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I chose to take her words<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As a compliment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My cats make<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The faux Persian carpet<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That much prettier.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My cats<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">make my house <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Into home.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP1Bo007K4rpc6HA67ybB5YM2GuTb_qqElL33bSt9MMZsdIhY_xzKvs6SvdfL2nyAB3O8NaYnhzCByeB2J1g1osyUnrE2o5DFwH9BVhNR3RSXarwLCLvMMhvH8sg2pTiV89TSWGJL6p-g/s1600/Tramp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP1Bo007K4rpc6HA67ybB5YM2GuTb_qqElL33bSt9MMZsdIhY_xzKvs6SvdfL2nyAB3O8NaYnhzCByeB2J1g1osyUnrE2o5DFwH9BVhNR3RSXarwLCLvMMhvH8sg2pTiV89TSWGJL6p-g/s320/Tramp.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(Tramp -- DH found her as a tiny, scrawny kitten on the farm. Her mother had died and she was all alone. She's our Alpha Kitty)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJHW6tp-wJDdidpoAbzKODRIGNtkII8cKUEjVOlIPjI2OfsDi3EwBiil0exFBqxYCD26fmwyyyI2k5XKEzi0sJscTA0BXNzWTIfpO2KPDCRgAYRm9c-Czh3OOcQANyMuCVWrisYTOOlpQ/s1600/Cats.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJHW6tp-wJDdidpoAbzKODRIGNtkII8cKUEjVOlIPjI2OfsDi3EwBiil0exFBqxYCD26fmwyyyI2k5XKEzi0sJscTA0BXNzWTIfpO2KPDCRgAYRm9c-Czh3OOcQANyMuCVWrisYTOOlpQ/s320/Cats.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(I fell in love with Yoda, when I was helping a friend find homes for her cat's kittens. He's lovable rogue and I should have named him Hans Solo.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Missing: Gypsy, a calico, who is impossible to photograph and the late, sweet Buckets, who is greatly missed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Love,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mina</span></div>
Rashda Khanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04803134396969891096noreply@blogger.com0