{"id":603,"date":"2014-07-17T06:27:00","date_gmt":"2014-07-17T12:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mariaelenawrites.com\/a-world-wide-blog-tour\/"},"modified":"2023-08-15T18:48:46","modified_gmt":"2023-08-15T18:48:46","slug":"a-world-wide-blog-tour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mariaelenawrites.com\/blog\/2014\/07\/17\/a-world-wide-blog-tour\/","title":{"rendered":"A WORLD-WIDE BLOG TOUR"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Sandy Bruney invited me on a blog tour with her and other writing friends.<\/p>\n<p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:DocumentProperties>  <o:Template>Normal.dotm<\/o:Template>  <o:Revision>0<\/o:Revision>  <o:TotalTime>0<\/o:TotalTime>  <o:Pages>1<\/o:Pages>  <o:Words>151<\/o:Words>  <o:Characters>865<\/o:Characters>  <o:Company>Renaissance Middle Charter School<\/o:Company>  <o:Lines>7<\/o:Lines>  <o:Paragraphs>1<\/o:Paragraphs>  <o:CharactersWithSpaces>1062<\/o:CharactersWithSpaces>  <o:Version>12.0<\/o:Version> <\/o:DocumentProperties> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings>  <o:AllowPNG\/> <\/o:OfficeDocumentSettings><\/xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument>  <w:Zoom>0<\/w:Zoom>  <w:TrackMoves>false<\/w:TrackMoves>  <w:TrackFormatting\/>  <w:PunctuationKerning\/>  <w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt<\/w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>  <w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt<\/w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>  <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0<\/w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>  <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0<\/w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>  <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas\/>  <w:SaveIfXMLInval>false<\/w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>  <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false<\/w:IgnoreMixedContent>  <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false<\/w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>  <w:Compatibility>   <w:BreakWrappedTables\/>   <w:DontGrowAutofit\/>   <w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables\/>   <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx\/>  <\/w:Compatibility> <\/w:WordDocument><\/xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState=\"false\" LatentStyleCount=\"276\"> <\/w:LatentStyles><\/xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]><![endif]-->   <!--StartFragment--><span style=\"font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;\">Sandy Bruney was born in New York State and moved frequently during her early years.&nbsp; She was an educator until she moved to North Carolina.&nbsp; Her writing career began there as a <\/span><\/p>\n<div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mariaelenawrites.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Sandycropped.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/mariaelenawrites.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Sandycropped.jpg\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>reporter for a local newspaper (where she later became the city editor) and, for ten years, wrote a column called \u201cConfessions of a Yankee Housewife.\u201d &nbsp;But writing fiction was her first love, so she resigned from her position and wrote her first novel, <i>I\u2019d Rather Go to California<\/i>.&nbsp; Since then, Sandy has written three novels, <i>Angels Unaware, The Lunch Club, The Almost Bride<\/i>, and co-wrote <i>Plotz<\/i> with Elbert Marshall.&nbsp; One of her novels, <i>Angels Unaware<\/i>, is partly based on her life during her battle with cancer. &nbsp;Her stories are about women, their loves, their friendships, their trials, and how they uplift and support each other. &nbsp;<span style=\"font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;\">For more information about Sandy Bruney, her novels, and her new release (coming soon!) go to her website, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sandrazbruney.com\/\">www.sandrazbruney.com<\/a>or visit her on her blog, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sandybruney.blogspot.com\/\">ww.sandybruney.blogspot.com<\/a>.<\/span><!--EndFragment-->   <br \/><span style=\"font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;\">Now, I am supposed to write a bit about myself and my work.<\/span><br \/><span style=\"font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;\">I have been globe-trotting since an early age and my refuge has always been novels, although I am not real keen on biographies. &nbsp;To relax, I read some more, but I love playing video games (which I am awful at, but I try) and, yes, I do admit it, I am a junkie of Facebook games. &nbsp;When I am stressed, I watch <i>Twister <\/i>and <i>The Lord of the Rings<\/i>&nbsp;trilogy. &nbsp;My husband knows my mood just from listening to the television. &nbsp;Gardening is a calming hobby and hanging out with my friends at our &#8220;Whine&#8221; parties is a joy. &nbsp;Part of my heart is also in teaching literature to middle school students and imparting all the knowledge I have and am still accruing.<\/span><br \/><span style=\"font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;\">I am currently working on my second novel, <i>The Book of Hours<\/i>, which is the sequel to my debut novel <i>The Coin. &nbsp;<\/i>It is a romantic suspense and set both in California and London. &nbsp;This novel will complete the story of Gabriela and Richard, and I can&#8217;t say more. &nbsp;It is on the editing stage and should be published very, very soon.<\/span><br \/><span style=\"font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;\">I don&#8217;t think my work differs from others of its genre. &nbsp;After all, it has romance and it is suspense, but it does stray from others out there by the characters I create and the settings I use. &nbsp;My characters are as real as possible, with true moral dilemmas, painful choices, and angst. &nbsp;My settings are based on places in which I have lived and are an integral part of the plot twists and action of the novel.<\/span><br \/><span style=\"font-family: Cam\nbria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;\">Why do I write what I do? &nbsp;Because I LOVE it. &nbsp;I have always had a predilection for murder and mayhem, with love thrown into the mix, and a few twists to the story. &nbsp;I have been wanting to write this genre since I read Mary Stewart&#8217;s <i>Madam, Will You Talk?<\/i>&nbsp;and Anya Seton&#8217;s <i>Stranger at the Gates. <\/i>I also love TV shows like <i>Sherlock Holmes,&nbsp;CSI-Criminal Investigation, <\/i>and anything that touches on detectives, police procedurals, and criminals.<\/span><br \/><span style=\"font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;\">My writing process is slow. &nbsp;I like to digest scenes, dialogue. &nbsp;I usually go back to the chapter just written and improve, tweak, add or discard until I feel it is perfect. &nbsp;I am not the type of writer who can dish out 10,000 words at a pop. &nbsp;The latter being said, the action scenes are the ones that come more easily and I can really pop those out. &nbsp;Don&#8217;t know why.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;\">But, enough about me. &nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"font-family: Cambria;\">Let me introduce the next author on the blog train: &nbsp;Mari Christie. &nbsp; She loves to write historical fiction, Regency romance, and poetry. &nbsp;Please visit her site and support her by leaving a comment or like at <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.marichristie.info\/\" style=\"font-family: Cambria;\">www.marichristie.info<\/a><span style=\"font-family: Cambria;\">. &nbsp; &nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<div style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mariaelenawrites.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/mari_author_web_header-13.png\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/mariaelenawrites.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/mari_author_web_header-13.png\" height=\"112\" width=\"320\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sandy Bruney invited me on a blog tour with her and other writing friends. Sandy Bruney was born in New York State and moved frequently during her early years.&nbsp; She was an educator until she moved to North Carolina.&nbsp; Her writing career began there as a reporter for a local newspaper (where she later became &#8230; <a title=\"A WORLD-WIDE BLOG TOUR\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/mariaelenawrites.com\/blog\/2014\/07\/17\/a-world-wide-blog-tour\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about A WORLD-WIDE BLOG TOUR\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-603","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-welcome-to-my-blog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mariaelenawrites.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/603","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mariaelenawrites.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mariaelenawrites.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mariaelenawrites.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mariaelenawrites.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=603"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/mariaelenawrites.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/603\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3155,"href":"https:\/\/mariaelenawrites.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/603\/revisions\/3155"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mariaelenawrites.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=603"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mariaelenawrites.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=603"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mariaelenawrites.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=603"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}