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Corfu, Greece
Liana Metal lives in Greece, on the island of Corfu. She is an EFL teacher(MAEd -Applied Linguistics), book reviewer and freelance writer. Liana is also an artist. Her drawings/paintings can be found both online at www.aggelia-online.gr and at several shops in Corfu town. To contact the artist visit http://LianaMetal.tripod.com or her blog at http://LianasKerkyra.blogspot.com Η Ηλιάνα Μεταλληνού διδάσκει Αγγλικά στην Κέρκυρα, γράφει άρθρα και ιστορίες για έντυπες και ηλεκτρονικές εκδόσεις σε όλο τον κόσμο και ζωγραφίζει. Μπορείτε να την επισκεφθείτε στην ηλεκτρονική διεύθυνση http://toasprosaligari.blogspot.com και http://www.coffeetimecorfu.com

Storytime

Storytime
A book for kids/ 3 stories in English

Saturday, January 31, 2009

The White Snail is here!


The White Snail book for kids has been printed. It's high time I started promoting it!

Here is the cover. This is the Greek one.
On the reverse side of the book there is the English cover. Thus the book has two covers, no back cover. Next time I will show you the English cover.

I contacted two local bookshops this morning and they are interested in displaying it. Snail cards will be printed next week to give out to all the places I visit.
More news soon!

Liana

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

A contest for writers!

Edgy Christian Fiction Lovers
Readers and authors sharing great edgy fiction that inspires...
Pamela S Th...
Pamela S Thibodeaux has invited you to the event 'A Sweetheart of a Contest' on Edgy Christian Fiction Lovers!
Hey Friends,

I'm having a great contest - hope you'll check it out!

Thank You for your continued support!

Pamt

A Sweetheart of a Contest Time: February 1, 2009 at 6am to February 13, 2009 at 7pm
Location: Global
Organized By: Pamela S Thibodeaux & Pertinent Promotions

Event Description:
A Sweetheart of a Contest



As we all know, the flagging economy is forcing businesses to make tough decisions and the book industry is no exception. Book stores are closing. Publishers are laying off people, cutting back on production, and pulling titles from distribution.

What’s an author to do?

Get those sales up.

So Author Pamela S Thibodeaux is having a Valentine’s Day contest Where Everyone Receives a Gift!

Between Jan. 31st & Feb. 13th

Everyone who enters will receive Thib’s Teaser (a pdf with blurbs/excerpts/discount coupons/short story) AND their name will be entered into a drawing for the GRAND PRIZE – simply email Pertinent Promotions at ppromocntst@aol.com with Sweetheart Contest in the subject line.

No Purchase Necessary to Participate

~HOWEVER ~

Purchase any (1) Tempered novel and, along with Thib’s Teaser you will receive a Special Surprise Gift and your name will go into the drawing twice for the Grand Prize! Simply forward a copy of your receipt or proof of purchase to ppromocntst@aol.com (include your mailing address for the surprise gift).



Purchase 2 Tempered novels and in addition to Thib’sTeaser you will Receive a Special Surprise Gift, Your pick of a FREE download of either Choices or Cathy’s Angel and three chances to win the Grand Prize! Simply forward a copy of your receipt or proof of purchase to ppromocntst@aol.com (pick your short story and include your mailing address for your surprise gift)



Purcahse the first 3 Tempered novels (Tempered Hearts, Tempered Dreams & Tempered Fire) and in addition to Thib’s Teaser you will Receive: A Special Surprise Gift, Your pick of a FREE download of either Cathy’s Angel or Choices a FREE autographed copy of Tempered Joy and 4 chances to win the Grand Prize! Simply forward a copy of your receipt or proof of purchase to ppromocntst@aol.com (pick your short story and include your mailing address for your autographed copy of Tempered Joy & your surprise gift)

Together we can take the Tempered Series to Amazon’s Best Seller List!



**Amazon Purchase NOT Your ONLY Option**

If you purchase Any of the Tempered Series according to the rules above from your local book store, MAIL a copy of your receipt to Pertinent Promotions c/o Pamela S Thibodeaux, PO Box 324, Iowa, LA 70647 and your prizes will be the same as those listed.



Same rules apply if you purchase DIGITAL copies of The Tempered Books *Note* If you purchase digital copies of Tempered Hearts, Tempered Dreams, and Tempered Fire according to the rules above, you will receive a digital copy of Tempered Joy. *Digital copies also available @ All Romance Ebooks!



Winner will be announced on Feb 14th

*All entrants will be added to Pertinent Promotions and the Author’s personal mailing lists.*

Grand Prize: CD of my TWRP titles which includes 3 short stores (Cathy’s Angel, Choices, & A Hero for Jessica), 1 full-length novel The Inheritance and an advanced copy of my Upcoming Release Winter Madness (short story) and a Valentine Gift Basket!

http://www.pamelasthibodeaux.com


See more details and RSVP on Edgy Christian Fiction Lovers:
http://edgychristianfictionlovers.ning.com/events/event/show?id=1911457%3AEvent%3A41032&xgi=gV8Sclk
About Edgy Christian Fiction Lovers
A group of readers and writers who enjoy edgy fiction, and in particular edgy Christian fiction. This network is a place to meet readers and writers and discuss the latest and greatest fiction that inspires.
Edgy Christian Fiction Lovers 383 members
732 photos
111 songs
67 videos
165 discussions
10 events
374 blog posts

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Storytime on Amazon

My first book is on Amazon!
I have just created an author page and a new blog on Amazon, and I hope that someone will stop by and preview my book!

The three stories Storytime includes deal with the following issues:

self-esteem

friendship

nature.

I believe each story will not only entertain the readers but will make them think about certain topics from a new angle.

I welcome your feedback!

Have a great day,

Liana

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Carole's blog tour

Carole McDonnell is a poet, Christian Mom, Black woman and Bible study writer. Her Bible study, “Seeds of Bible Study,” is available for free download at www.carolemcdonnell.ning.com.

Carole McDonnell has a blog for Christians, for people who are part of a minority and for writers. You can visit her at www.carolemcdonnell.ning.com. She is also an essayist, devotionalist, reviewer and writer of speculative fiction.

Wind follower is her latest novel.

Wind Follower can be bought at barnes and noble, amazon, borders, and at the juno website which is
www.juno-books.com/windfollower.html


Carole is now doing a Blog Tour of the Psalms beginning Jan 1, 2009 and will last for a year.

Any bloggers want to join in?


The bible study is available at http://www.lulu.com/content/1832478

for free download.

The following sites take part in this tour:

http://otiumsanctum.com/2009/01/02/blogging-the-psalms/

http://pen-of-the-wayfarer.blogspot.com/2009/01/psalm-46.html

http://carolemcdonnell.blogspot.com/2008/12/most-absurd-war-psalm-2.html



Friday, January 2, 2009

How the idea of the White Snail developed...


Read this little story to get to know my Snail secret! There is a snail recipe at the end of the story!

Happy New Year!

Christmas snails!

“Mom,” my five year-old daughter, Lisa, begged, “Shall we make cookies? Please!”

I was tired after five hours work at school, and a couple of more of doing housework, but I couldn’t resist her enthusiasm. After all, in two days we would have Christmas and she deserved a treat!

“Cookies, animals…please!” she kept on shouting.

Forming the pastry was one of her favorite tasks, and so was mine! Art in the kitchen was fun. In no time we started making the dough.

The kitchen was small and crammed as our new flat was too small for the three of us, and soon, all four of us-a baby was on the way. We tried to find a bigger flat in the town, but our income did not allow more space, at least for the time being.

I placed a big bowl on the square kitchen table and pushed a stool nearby for Lisa to stand on. She had already found a long apron and I helped her tie it around her tiny waist. Then she washed her hands in the kitchen sink. Now she was ready to start.

She gave me the flour, sugar and yogurt and I mixed the butter and eggs. I had to stir everything using a big wooden spoon, as the mixer was in the box-no room to place it anywhere! Now the dough was ready. Lisa took a small piece and played it in her tiny fingers humming a tune.

“What are you making?” I asked her across the kitchen table.

“A snail,” she said seriously.

She formed a long strip of dough and then made one ring over another, shaping a snail.

“Clever girl!” I said. “I’ll make one, too.”

In no time we managed to fill a tray with big and small snails, a whole snail family. I brushed them with lemon juice and sugar, and put them into the oven. The kitchen soon smelt of vanilla. When the cookies were ready, I let them cool on the kitchen table. But Lisa couldn’t wait!

“Let me have one snail, a tiny one!” she begged.

“They are still too hot! Be patient! A few more minutes?”

I knew I had to do something to distract her from the cookies.

“I’ll tell you a story, with snails!” I announced her. “When the story ends, you can have a snail!”

“Okay Mom,” she agreed.

And my first kids’ story came out.

“There was a big family of snails, living in a big garden…,” I went on and on, pausing every now and then to invent the rest of the story. Lisa heard the story asking questions in between, like “why?”-that was her favorite- and then, it was time for the cookies.

When Lisa went to bed later that evening, I sat at the kitchen table looking at the snails on the tray. An idea flashed over, and that was it! I grabbed a piece of scrap paper and started sketching a family of snails: Big ones, small ones, a big garden with flowers. Soon the whole story emerged, the story I had told Lisa before eating her tiny snails. I did not write a single word at that time, I only sketched and sketched dozens of snails till I had produced the whole story on paper.

It felt so good! I had fun and I liked it! Then the doorbell rang and my husband was at home. That day was a long, but surely an interesting one. I put the scrap paper aside and forgot all about it.

Years later, when I took up a creative writing course, I remembered my snail story. I searched my files and luckily, I found them. I always kept things that were related to my kids, such as their first paintings, poems, and so on. It was really exciting to reproduce the same story in words. I also painted the pictures of the story carefully. And I finally created a picture book.

I self published it for my students at school, and I distributed it to them. They were motivated to draw their own pictures and add them to the story. They liked it and they encouraged me to go on. I sent a copy to Lisa, who lives now in UK, and I know that this little book will always remind her of her early years at home.

This little snail story was the beginning of a new outlook in my life –now that Lisa and my son are away studying- a new creative challenge to help me go on with my life. What is sweeter than some snail cookies for Christmas?

Xmas Snails recipe

------------------------

Ingredients:

4 cups of flour

1 teaspoonful baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

A pinch of salt

1 cup margarine or butter

1 ½ cup sugar

1-2 eggs

1 lemon –the rind grounded only

½ cup yogurt

Vanilla essence

Lemon juice

Sugar

-------------

Mix flour with baking powder, soda and salt. Beat butter and add sugar. Add the egg and lemon grind. Add flour, yogurt and vanilla. Make snail cookies and place them on greased tin. Wet the top with lemon juice and sprinkle sugar. Bake at 180 C or until golden for 15 minutes.

Visit the new edition of the White Snail at http://support49100.blogspot.com


NOTE

Please, feel free to pass this little story along to your friends or to other blogs.
Thanks!

Liana