tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26867473833372593022024-03-08T03:32:30.007-08:00Faleena Novelist | Filmmaker | Actress
Faleena Hopkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08371206200662942963noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686747383337259302.post-70821895620788262942023-12-12T21:45:00.001-08:002023-12-12T21:45:42.264-08:00Cocker Brothers and their Bonus Scenes: What are they? <p> <span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;">After I finished Book One,</span><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;"> </span><i style="font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;">Cocky Roomie: Jake Cocker,</i><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;"> I wrote the first bonus scenes. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">That's when I fell in love. </span><br /><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Hopelessly, crazily, in absolute love. </span><br /><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">When I wrote Book One's bonus scenes I met Jake's three kids. Laughed a ton when I met them. And cried when I wrote Jake and Drew's fifteen-year anniversary, because she's eight years older than him and is struggling with aging...but what he says and does, melted me. </span><br /><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">It was then that I stared at my computer screen, wearing my favorite sweats and fuzzy socks, and literally voiced aloud, "Oh shit, I'm going to have to write books for all their kids, aren't I?" </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3weVNmdVlJ7Q4tdyUr_jtEaC3jYbIZ3Ped3xSrvzuydxvj7lGPG53_MIp2yIfJlY5jkWMl_DPB3VriqRsTHd5dgxtWsNZ_qSVYQln4xk3DyvH14A5F0f3sGfb4tIjIPB2DNskZdSCq88/s1600/best-friend-sayings.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="298" data-original-width="440" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3weVNmdVlJ7Q4tdyUr_jtEaC3jYbIZ3Ped3xSrvzuydxvj7lGPG53_MIp2yIfJlY5jkWMl_DPB3VriqRsTHd5dgxtWsNZ_qSVYQln4xk3DyvH14A5F0f3sGfb4tIjIPB2DNskZdSCq88/s400/best-friend-sayings.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">It was going to be a lot of writing, and I'd only just finished Book One. </span><br /><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Books 1-5 launched over five months. Then I had written nearly a novel a month for the next eighteen. Fifteen books out. #CoffeeAddict </span><br /><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;">My life changed. And I was starting to help other people's lives, too. </span><br /><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I began getting letters from readers saying my books helped them through hard times. </span><br /><br /><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">When Book Six: <i>Cocky Soldier: Jeremy Cocker,</i> came out, I got letters that wives had read some passages to their husbands who had PTSD, and received, "Yep, that's about right," from their men...and healing. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I received stories of illnesses in themselves and/or family (yes, sometimes it was both), grief over deaths and job losses, marriages that had been threatened -- time and depression had taken it's toll...but were now on the mend because the wife started laughing again because of my books. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvEECh3Vk81LKL-C_fC84SYAHJmgmi7zd4Sdr3-W4j1AUmLAf7BzanaC6T8aSaN9pVDCeMBHZ4P_WvhK2ZbKBXCKSejic8CuAz921ur_YhXfr6pdmKPtEHxT-6ITh89YIkkT7oBD1Bv0A/s1600/cocker+brothers+readers+healing.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="241" data-original-width="354" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvEECh3Vk81LKL-C_fC84SYAHJmgmi7zd4Sdr3-W4j1AUmLAf7BzanaC6T8aSaN9pVDCeMBHZ4P_WvhK2ZbKBXCKSejic8CuAz921ur_YhXfr6pdmKPtEHxT-6ITh89YIkkT7oBD1Bv0A/s400/cocker+brothers+readers+healing.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I cried many times, reading these heartfelt messages, absolutely stunned. </span><br /><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The covers are sexy, sure. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">They have funny titles, yes. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">But there are real-life troubles in them.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">And ways to overcome them.</span><br /><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The Cocker Family is tight-knit, crazy loyal, and they're flawed. They fight their obstacles in order to be able to love. There are stories of addiction, overcoming infidelity, lost loves, the list goes on. </span><br /><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;">But they overcome these struggles and they do it with courage and a sense of humor. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiBCi64KR6IJdmIxUUHbg7ufojwwPU_FeTo0lwoOVRqIoY1hm0wziTCfMnYQZUaID7YqR4M_OlTCgxEBs5ggW3fD3I7WfqiyfQGytR1NLMmIiUB8Vl2uDrJ_LKfOrfYMoeChMZfJoPkTI/s1600/happy+turtle.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="527" data-original-width="700" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiBCi64KR6IJdmIxUUHbg7ufojwwPU_FeTo0lwoOVRqIoY1hm0wziTCfMnYQZUaID7YqR4M_OlTCgxEBs5ggW3fD3I7WfqiyfQGytR1NLMmIiUB8Vl2uDrJ_LKfOrfYMoeChMZfJoPkTI/s320/happy+turtle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>Laughter heals as much as crying. Maybe more? Can't tell.</span><br /><br /><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">We all have rough stuff we must go through in this weird journey called life. </span><br /><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Brain Candy, </span><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I affectionately call them</span><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">. When the shit hits the fan in your life, <i>you need candy. </i></span><br /><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><i>Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down - </i>Mary Poppins. </span><br /><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Cocker Brothers = medicine, what medicine? </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">There are now 26 books out - and two compilations of Bonus Scenes. (Books 17 and Book 26) </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">More are coming. Ben Cocker is being revealed as I write it, chapter by chapter, on Amazon's Kindle Vella, <a href="http://authorfaleenahopkins.com" target="_blank">via my website,</a> until it's complete. <br /></span><br /><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Which brings me to the conclusion of this semi-detailed story. Still here? God bless you. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Faleena Hopkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08371206200662942963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686747383337259302.post-57740569675338175242022-12-07T09:00:00.012-08:002022-12-07T09:00:00.149-08:00How To Rate A Kindle eBook Without Leaving A Review<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGrwOrcsuV71Y_iX7d87XFP-iAh4TpFDYXXAyUTmPEKgvEIhy_KAEMS_FAPM2Bs3lmOpo96WdgKi-hbWSi8jEhewcpZM7EGPjmNWcWkBekxwrS1d9ebMYA-e9jIS0UwgXIns196z2feAYQZRqMhH9C8b-NZbRbMBF7YjXGgg6HiGgnkOxTj9e0slFK/s2048/IMG_8763.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGrwOrcsuV71Y_iX7d87XFP-iAh4TpFDYXXAyUTmPEKgvEIhy_KAEMS_FAPM2Bs3lmOpo96WdgKi-hbWSi8jEhewcpZM7EGPjmNWcWkBekxwrS1d9ebMYA-e9jIS0UwgXIns196z2feAYQZRqMhH9C8b-NZbRbMBF7YjXGgg6HiGgnkOxTj9e0slFK/w640-h480/IMG_8763.PNG" width="640" /></a></div><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Do you love reading Kindle books but don't know what to say when it comes to reviewing them?<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">You want to express yourself, and give love to the authors of books you enjoyed, but thinking of what to write in a review has felt like a chore? <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Well lookie what we have here, good news! You can now rate your Kindle books without having to write a single word. All you need to do is click the star-rating at the end of your book and skip right over that pesky review box. And voila! <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Huh?!! Where? How?<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">When you're finished with your book, a pop-up window appears with stars to push. THEN it asks for a review, so it SEEMS like you have to leave one. But you can skip that the stars still show show up.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Your Kindle device (or the free Kindle app if you read on your phone) will show you how many stars you can give the book out of five. Choose whichever star-rating fits how much you enjoyed it - one star if you thought it was absolute crap, two if so-so, three if it was entertaining but you probably won't read it again (or even think about it), four if you enjoyed it a lot, and frankly if you did, I'd say why not give it five and help your favorite authors out. We rely on reviews and getting great feedback when someone has loved our stories inspires us to keep writing more!</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Ratings matter just as much as reviews. So don't forget to give your kindle books a rating so other people can read what you think about them.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">It's kind of like magic to be able to rate without reviewing now - but only kind of.<br /><br />Happy rating!</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Faleena</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://geni.us/lnkbioromanceblog" target="_blank">My Books & Stuff</a><br /><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9N4PFZZ_M3YSxAwNQajUBaYEhAQsS9QHbUT1iZNugCPl39R6Mr_jqdqF8bgMWXsazHhBCmKXyhTPZmieX2HoLREmR5op265HFf62IYK6LOFFCfa_YZ_1vXRjx6FN9DqOenL-gWHSAzkNAXz2o2Rg4zRQXp_KHkVBknLVW37cHqW9XpOs9N0bguIAj/s1290/Author%20Faleena%20Hopkins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1290" data-original-width="1284" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9N4PFZZ_M3YSxAwNQajUBaYEhAQsS9QHbUT1iZNugCPl39R6Mr_jqdqF8bgMWXsazHhBCmKXyhTPZmieX2HoLREmR5op265HFf62IYK6LOFFCfa_YZ_1vXRjx6FN9DqOenL-gWHSAzkNAXz2o2Rg4zRQXp_KHkVBknLVW37cHqW9XpOs9N0bguIAj/w136-h137/Author%20Faleena%20Hopkins.jpg" width="136" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p>Faleena Hopkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08371206200662942963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686747383337259302.post-72653879927770186042022-12-05T14:28:00.001-08:002022-12-05T16:04:11.892-08:00How Amazon's Algorithm Works For Books<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYIyP3fG7-ER7UHupqvLZNyTUzYKjwvtXrn3lhQ26CWKeSFCBb4g5QVV0lJMewB-ZlW8l2gsyX0JRkYDfSrtFMBT-zQ7oTLDhbyuaWyFOjMnLa9eoyIR6YlbgCizi2NWPSWDSDwESVHJPztmh4fhHzbnrRBI7a5f0knPoH3goaoKEEens4P1k3Sb-q/s2048/IMG_8762.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYIyP3fG7-ER7UHupqvLZNyTUzYKjwvtXrn3lhQ26CWKeSFCBb4g5QVV0lJMewB-ZlW8l2gsyX0JRkYDfSrtFMBT-zQ7oTLDhbyuaWyFOjMnLa9eoyIR6YlbgCizi2NWPSWDSDwESVHJPztmh4fhHzbnrRBI7a5f0knPoH3goaoKEEens4P1k3Sb-q/w404-h303/IMG_8762.PNG" width="404" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">If you’re someone who loves books, you may have wondered how Amazon is able to curate book recommendations just for you. It’s all thanks to the amazing algorithms that they use. <br /><br />Amazon algorithms are what help them decide which book should appear at the top of your book list and which book should stay low on the list. It’s a complex system that uses many different factors to decide which book is best suited for you. <br /><br />These algorithms look at book reviews, book ratings, and even how well it is selling on Amazon. If a book has been highly rated by other customers and is also selling well, then it’s more likely to appear at the top of your book list. <br /><br />The algorithms also take into account what you’ve been searching for and looking for on Amazon. So if you have been searching for books about a certain author or topic, you’ll see those books recommended more often. <br /><br />Amazon’s algorithms are constantly being tweaked and updated to ensure that customers get the best book recommendations for them. This means that booksellers need to stay on top of their game if they want to make sure their book is selling well on Amazon. <br /><br />By understanding how Amazon’s algorithms work, booksellers can better market their books and increase their chances of being seen by more potential customers. It’s all thanks to the amazing algorithms that Amazon uses! <br /><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">They’re doing some pretty incredible work helping you find what makes you happy, and save time searching through the millions of books they offer. </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">So next time you log onto Amazon and see book recommendations tailored for you, give a silent thank-you to their algorithm experts.</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"> ;)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Faleena</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://lnk.bio/faleena" target="_blank">See My Books & Stuff</a><br /><br /><br /></span></div><p></p></div>Faleena Hopkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08371206200662942963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686747383337259302.post-63086119876958544082019-09-27T18:14:00.001-07:002022-10-14T18:35:31.519-07:00How long does it take to heal from lady-surgery? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_CFKtyt-lLvkZr9X74cKmaKHW-fwrPTpT1hfz1EMRxnI-bedsDECHe66z4E7tE3s0TjaioPXOvr9Xrtf5lDbKFwo1CsM9JIIq_hXlbuEiMpN2bAvUikbPnKbs4IcXNfbDobDQo6ZNNhA/s1600/FB+Surgery+Video.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_CFKtyt-lLvkZr9X74cKmaKHW-fwrPTpT1hfz1EMRxnI-bedsDECHe66z4E7tE3s0TjaioPXOvr9Xrtf5lDbKFwo1CsM9JIIq_hXlbuEiMpN2bAvUikbPnKbs4IcXNfbDobDQo6ZNNhA/s640/FB+Surgery+Video.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">When an unexpected surgery left me minus one fallopian tube and months of recovery, I made <a href="https://www.facebook.com/authorfaleenahopkins/videos/436212047016668/">a very personal live video</a> to help other women <i>- and men who accompany their women to the emergency room.</i></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>I googled and googled and googled with tears of frustration running down my cheeks when I needed help. </b></span></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Only the doctors were talking. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Not the patients. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">And the doctors didn't know what they were talking about, when the surgery is over and you go home a different woman than when you went in. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I hope this helps you, if you're googling like I was. </span><br />
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">On July 17, I thought my appendix was bursting. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">It turned out I had a growth twisting my fallopian tube (benign, thank God) that had to be removed. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Because of its large size they were not able to do laparoscopic surgery. I had open surgery with a full 8in incision and a big chunk of me missing and having to come back together, afterward. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I'm sorry to say that the doctors who predict it will take 6 weeks to heal, are wrong. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Maybe it does for some of us. But from the response I got from my fans in the live video, for most it took much longer. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b>Women, did you know </b></span><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">our ovaries regulate our cholesterol levels </span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">- </b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">not just our estrogen?</span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br />Yep, I didn't either. In fact not one of the hundreds of women I interact with did.<br /><br />The physician's assistant let that slip right before the surgeon came in and suggested I have everything removed. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Everything. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">As a preventative. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">As a preventative!!!</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">If you have healthy ovaries, leave them where they are.<br /><br />If they have to go, fine, they have to go. <i>But only if they have to.</i> <br /><br />You could be on cholesterol pills for life, why? Read on.<br /><b><br /></b></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><b><span style="font-size: large;">They will suggest hysterectomy even if you don't need one, </span></b>probably to protect themselves from a future lawsuit.</b></span></div>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">My favorite thing the surgeon said was, "Well, since you can't have children, we're going to remove..." and then she listed one by one each item of my lady parts. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Wait, what?<br /><br />Since I can't have babies, let's remove my reproductive system?<br /><br />Turns out they recommend this a lot. <br /><br />My readers shared their stories. <br /><br />So have my friends.<br /><br />My neighbor was told she should have one because her bladder was acting up. Her bladder! So she should have a hysterectomy?! WTF.<br /><b><br />What <i>they don't tell us</i> is the impact it will have on our bodies, the ones we have to live with for the rest of our lives. The ones that are precious and house our souls. </b><br /><br />But hey, at least they won't get sued. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I told them no way. <br /><br />They argued again, "But you could have trouble on your left side in the future." </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I said, "Then I'll have surgery on my left side in the future. But I do not give you permission to take out what is healthy." <br /><br /><br />My story is more detailed in<a href="https://www.facebook.com/authorfaleenahopkins/videos/436212047016668/"> the live video if you'd like.</a> It's a half-hour long. <br /><br />If you're like me, googling the hell out of this stuff to find some relief, I hope this video helps you know that <i>you're not alone. </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b>Two things in the video that could help you: </b></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>Arnica</b> is a topical ointment to apply not on the incision, but around it. My life changed. Before Kathleen gave me this tube, every garment I wore hurt. It was a struggle to sit, walk, anything. This eased my pain so much. I hope it helps you. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>Portable Laptop Desk </b>- I put this <i>under my blankets,</i> over my naked body while I slept on my back. It formed a canopy, covered and warm with NOTHING TOUCHING ME in the place I hurt. <br /><br /><u>T<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Executive-Office-Solutions-Mount-Notebook-MacBook-Light-Sitting-Black/dp/B00RQ3JQMM">his freaking amazing contraption</a></u> is what I used. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><i><br /></i></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><i><br /></i></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><i><b style="font-size: x-large;">Things you might go through.</b></i></span></div>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>When you walk, you might feel </b>like there are two parts of you, the upper and the lower, and they could just break off at any moment. Perfectly normal. Don't test it.</span><br />
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>Nevertheless... walk as soon as you can. </b>Even that day. It will help you heal and not atrophy. But do it like the slow zombies on the walking dead...like you've got nowhere to be and nothing but time. Then do it like the faster zombies...later. There is no rushing this healing process. </span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>In addition to sleeping with that desk, </b>I also put pillows under my legs so that I'm not so stretched out and the incision isn't pulling. Much more comfy. It's like I'm on my side, only I'm not. </span><br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>They told me not to lift anything </b>heavy for six weeks. They were right. Not that I could. I swear I had the strength of a three-year-old for the first three weeks. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>When you're doing normal stuff like, </b>you know, scrubbing a pot, it might feel really freaking weird. Jiggling is really, really, really, really, really, REALLY weird. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>You might feel like there's someone </b>inside your tummy and they've attached a string to your belly button and are tugging it over and over. For days. Guess what? That goes away! Woohoooo!!! Hang in there. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>You might lose weight.</b> Because, you know, you can't exercise and foods that make you bloated might be <i>most</i> foods. And bloated in this condition is the worst. Ugh. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">THE WORST.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /><br /><b>Avoid foods that bloat. </b><a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/13-foods-that-cause-bloating">Here's an article that helped me about which foods cause bloating and what to eat instead.</a></span><br />
<b><br /></b>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>Clothes suck. </b>Go for soft dresses that hang and don't cling. I had only two and you know, there's five more days in the week. So I logged onto Amazon and bought five dresses for about $20 each because I couldn't walk to return them if they were terrible. And they kind of were. I didn't wear them in public, but in private I thanked them their ability to not hurt me.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>Patience ebbs and flows.</b> For me, at least. I am a very optimistic person but there have been days when I felt it was never going to get better. It does. And getting depressed will not help. In fact, laughter has been shown to aid healing...but<i> since you can't laugh with abdominal surgery without a pillow over your incision, </i>try smiling a lot instead. Watch light-hearted comedies that make you feel good. Spend time on some serious self-love in your mind. Watch those thoughts and when you feel down, ease yourself back up. </span><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>And what I didn't say in the video but should have. </b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">It sucks bad, and it's okay to cry. But you know what? You're alive. You're breathing when so many aren't. You will get better. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">How long will it take to heal? I'm still working on it and I'm over 9 weeks now. Luckily when I shared that video, another woman who'd had her F-tube removed shared that it took her 3-4 months. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Is it weird that that made me feel better?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Nope. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Because we women need to know we're not alone with all the stuff that is thrown our way. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">So hello. Nice to e-meet you. <br /><br />You're not alone. <br /><br />You will get better. I am getting better every day, and boy, do I have a new appreciation for walking. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Yesterday I danced for the first time since I told that cabbie, "Drive fast!"<br /><br />It wasn't my normal all-out dancing...but it was something. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Keep taking those steps in your own recovery. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You're almost there. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">xx, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Faleena </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">#livewithlight</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://authorfaleenahopkins.com/" style="text-align: center;">Website</a><span style="text-align: center;"> | </span><a href="http://imdb.com/name/nm0394162/" style="text-align: center;">IMDB</a><span style="text-align: center;"> | </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/authorfaleenahopkins" style="text-align: center;">FB PAGE</a><span style="text-align: center;"> | </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/faleenasfamily" style="text-align: center;">FB Group</a><span style="text-align: center;"> | </span><a href="http://instagram.com/faleenalove stories" style="text-align: center;">Instagram</a></div></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
Faleena Hopkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08371206200662942963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686747383337259302.post-13634560897125294542018-06-03T21:19:00.000-07:002020-01-27T21:01:23.313-08:00To Create is to Heal is to Create<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxOyYIl772D4N2YpiKXSX9olNBEt0JhumtuF_af2IGECGT4KPjVr36-63li6tWqER1aM5tqMlzON0_6Z2W-ug' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<h3 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Filming starts soon. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Very soon.</span></h3>
<h3 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<div style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">If storytellers, of any medium, stop doing what we are driven in our hearts to do, we're not happy or healthy. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">Steven Pressfield writes about this in his wonderful book The War of Art. </span></div>
<blockquote class="graf graf--blockquote graf-after--p" id="2ebf" name="2ebf" style="--baseline-multiplier: 0.17; background-color: white; border-left: 3px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.84); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.84); font-family: medium-content-serif-font, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 21px; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 1.58; margin: 29px 0px 0px -23px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-left: 20px; text-align: start;">
"If tomorrow morning by some stroke of magic every dazed and benighted soul woke up with the power to take the first step toward pursuing his or her dreams, every shrink in the directory would be out of business. Prisons would stand empty. The alcohol and tobacco industries would collapse, along with the junk food, cosmetic surgery, and infotainment businesses, not to mention pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, and the medical profession from top to bottom. Domestic abuse would become extinct, as would addiction, obesity, migraine headaches, road rage, and dandruff." - Steven Pressfield, <a href="https://amzn.to/2xFfRy3" target="_blank">The War of Art </a></blockquote>
<br /></div>
</h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">_____________________</span></div>
<h3 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">For indie filmmakers, here's some tech-</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">fun to chew on after our first all-crew-on-deck production meeting: </span></span></h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We're shooting with a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_EOS_C300_Mark_II" target="_blank">Canon C300 Mark II</a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">4K Format 16:9</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We've got six Leica lenses. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'm so excited about these. <a href="http://www.lasplash.com/user/2125-Felle_with_photography_also_by_Felle/articles" target="_blank">Back when I was a fashion photog</a>, I always wanted Leica's. We're renting...but still. It's very cool. I shot/shoot with a Canon 5D Mark II, and while we could have used that, we opted for the better quality of the C300.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Our sound guru has</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> 8 lav mics and 2 booms. We'll be deciding daily on set which to use before every set up, per her recommendation. S</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">he informed us her equipment has timecode and we'll jam it with the camera. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Both the cinematographer and editor were stoked about that. It helps immensely with editing.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our film's actors are working under the <a href="https://www.sagaftra.org/" target="_blank">SAG Ultra Low Budget</a> contract. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We have film insurance through <a href="https://www.athosinsurance.com/" target="_blank">Athos</a>.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I saw <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0751102/" target="_blank">David O'Russell</a> do two Q&A's after his film screenings through SAG back when I lived in LA. He shared that he loves to light the room so that there will be no film crew in it, as often as he can. It's just him, the DP, and the actors who get to run the scenes pretty much start to finish like they do in a play. It gives actors the ability to settle into the life of those moments rather than the normal stop/start that is very common in moviemaking.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We'll be doing that style. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Only sometimes our boom operator will be dancing along next to the DP. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We're getting two 8 terabyte hard drives. One to edit, one backup. Always back up. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The editor and DP agreed that editing the film on one hard drive is better for working in the software rather than bouncing around between drives. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After a quick search they <a href="https://amzn.to/2xEZZvt" target="_blank">found these on Amazon</a> for less than if we bought one 8, and two 4s. We try to cut costs anywhere we can, so we initially thought slicing the backup drives would be better. Nope. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The rental car for the location shoot will be paid for with my credit card's points. That's one way we're creatively trimming costs but not quality. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">During filming we'll dump the media cards onto a hard drive then hand it off to the editor. W</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">e'll get dailies with a day's lag time, give him space to work. </span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This is all for rough. After filming is wrapped, he and I will be working closely together to do the final storytelling. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I got the edit-as-we-go method from Kevin Smith, as I mentioned in the video, from </span><a href="https://amzn.to/2LTnR1s" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">his audiobook: "Tough Shit"</a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">. I love listening to his realness, amusing delivery, and amazing advice. He edits his own films. Amazing. Thank you, Kevin for not staying Silent like Bob, for telling us how you did it all. You are the man. </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I also mentioned <a href="https://amzn.to/2Hgekhi" target="_blank">Ed Burn's book, "Independent Ed,"</a> which is truly inspiring to indie filmmakers. Thank you, Ed, for sharing all that you have with the community. Keep getting those 12 Best Days. You are a beacon of awesomeness. I'm buying more of your books to pass out.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We started the meeting discussing why we got into film. Most of us had been struck by the power and magic of movies as children and knew we wanted to make them, but didn't know how. One was raised in China and had never seen a film until he was past childhood because they didn't play them at the local movie houses. Some of us thought we could make films, then changed our minds, and changed our minds once more when we realized you can do anything you want to in life. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">You just have to learn how.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">All of us now love our jobs. We are filmmakers. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Like I said in the video -- bunch of scrappy mo'fo's.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">_____________________</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This movie is not from The Cocky Series.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This movie is an entirely new story.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I'll share what I can as we go along, as those </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">before me </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">have done, those who've inspired this film to be made in the first place. </span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We live in a new world where anything is possible. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://nofilmschool.com/2015/07/tangerine-sundance-iphone-5s-sean-baker-radium-cheung-interview" target="_blank">People have made feature films on iPhones.</a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<h3 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Have the will and you'll find the way. </span></h3>
<h3 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> xx, Faleena Hopkins</span></h3>
<h3 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</h3>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHkLk9IGuxwmHlb-xR9Onp0jZ_p1-lc5bABR0nbC12FKdA0HR5fJRcjbSm3flcS82hXaFZkVqsrOr4LJGNgL-KsVDlZQkPqPqQmuR7_UeXVX-2rCBT36yb7wMwaA1naWI840NK5tfdANw/s1600/Faleena+Hopkins+%2523cockygate+romance+author+directs+film+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1312" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHkLk9IGuxwmHlb-xR9Onp0jZ_p1-lc5bABR0nbC12FKdA0HR5fJRcjbSm3flcS82hXaFZkVqsrOr4LJGNgL-KsVDlZQkPqPqQmuR7_UeXVX-2rCBT36yb7wMwaA1naWI840NK5tfdANw/s640/Faleena+Hopkins+%2523cockygate+romance+author+directs+film+2.jpg" width="523" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0tpmXD6_5qoUXgxzf02mQpmNEMkRUmGkkPMWu7bjpc3OQKjaX6NYI9r5H_n1lzi2C54UN8zzLEXWXqUfA8ZUflEpvQb65jLJ5MK48CYLJmy02_swoALssdaH_IAUlFh6yO5HnqOYjO3Q/s1600/image1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0tpmXD6_5qoUXgxzf02mQpmNEMkRUmGkkPMWu7bjpc3OQKjaX6NYI9r5H_n1lzi2C54UN8zzLEXWXqUfA8ZUflEpvQb65jLJ5MK48CYLJmy02_swoALssdaH_IAUlFh6yO5HnqOYjO3Q/s400/image1.jpeg" width="398" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<em style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.87); font-family: Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; text-size-adjust: auto;"><a href="https://protectyoheart.tumblr.com/info" target="_blank">"...the campaign has been, and always will be, a reminder to the people of the importance self-love and self-appreciation."</a> - </em><em style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.87); font-family: Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; text-size-adjust: auto;"><a href="https://protectyoheart.tumblr.com/info" target="_blank"> Protect Yo He(art)</a> </em><br />
<em style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.87); font-family: Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; text-size-adjust: auto;">Snapped this today from the sidewalk on my way to our crew meeting. </em><br />
<em style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.87); font-family: Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></em>
<em style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.87); font-family: Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "times"; font-style: normal; text-align: justify;">Bio: I've been putting pen to page since age six (actually started with crayon, but you get the idea) and in 2013 I self-published my first novel as me, then a bunch more under a pen name until coming out of the steamy-romance-writing-closet in 2015 for good. In 2016 my series </span><i style="color: black; font-family: Times; text-align: justify;">Cocker Brothers, The Cocky Series</i><span style="color: black; font-family: "times"; font-style: normal; text-align: justify;"> launched it, selling half-a-million over the next two years. My thing is family loyalty, loads of humor, real life situations and steamy love.</span></em>Faleena Hopkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08371206200662942963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686747383337259302.post-89822491602267713452018-05-27T15:26:00.014-07:002022-10-16T00:15:46.366-07:00Author Faleena Hopkins: Why I Filed To Trademark My Series and Unwittingly Created #Cockygate<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">I'm about to tell the real story. Stay tuned. <br /><br />Amended 10/14/22 - I posted this story - my story as promised and had over 50k views in two days. I didn't want that many - it showed how many were either 1) bloodthirsty or 2) just curious.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">I told people in that post of my story that I would take it down soon after because I named names and hated gossip. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">But the impact of that article stopped - kinda - the smear campaign against me when people heard the truth and said, oh... these people are doing this for like, comments, views, and sales. Most importantly sales. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Many people these days will crush a person even when they don't know them, especially when they don't, in order to further themselves. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">And to be clear, the author who tweeted my cease-and-desist letter that lit the match to dynamite saying "I have to admit, I felt intimidated," had over 120 books published. At the time I had 30. You can't bully up. But people, until the blog-post of my story went live on this blog, hadn't looked at her Amazon profile. Or at the fact that when they all came to her 'aide' she then pushed this book and that book and this book and that book until they got quiet. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">But the mob had erupted. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Over 40 authors had created the book "Cock Tales" a compilation that can still be found on Amazon today. Or at least on Goodreads. They made a video, each smiling after the last, claiming to come together after one author - me, a self-pub without the backing of a big publishing house - to bring me down in the name of 'sisterhood'. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">The mob that was incited flagged my instgram and I lost 10k fans. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">I unpublished my FB Page and they rejoiced, thinking they'd done it. I only know that because they tagged me in the post. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">I apologized, but it was too late. The mob had all pointed their lives anger at something and that kind of fury, regardless of where it is based from, cannot be stopped. They didn't care if I was just me. They couldn't listen to reason. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">They said I was a member of.... but stopped saying it when I publicly countered that I'm the descendent of a slave and a plantation owner. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">They said I was after 'the newbie author' but stopped saying it when I publicly reminded the world that I'd been a speaker at - and had not been paid to be so, had even paid for my flight and hotel rooms - at two self-pub writer's conferences just month's prior in order to help new authors achieve their dreams of getting their stories out to readers who will be entertained and hopefully uplifted by them.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">They hit my feature film, <i>Just One More Kiss </i>with one-stars on IMDb before anyone had seen it, while I was still editing it, and there's nothing I can do about it today. Except know in my heart that it's a great fucking film and I will die proud of it. The real reviews balanced that average - even tho it now rests at only a sad 4.9 - they're all I care about. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">I tried to avoid court but the Romance Writers of America, who was gathering other romance authors together and funding the case against me, a union I'd never heard of (because a self-pub doesn't need protection from anyone except a union who wouldn't even accept them for a long time) wouldn't return my call and steamrolled forward in the name of sisterhood. RWA imploded a year later on accusations of racism with 23 board members resigning within days of being blasted on social media. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">When we were in Federal court I was in the throes of filming <i>Just One More Kiss</i> because it was scheduled before the bizarreness of 'Cockygate' began and I had no choice. I had to not only make a film I'd spent years dreaming of but field lie after lie and take reporters calls in between takes. And that was fucking hard but I was dealing with it. But then one of the "Cock Tales" authors who was spearheading the lawsuit had vanished, essentially. She was not answering calls/emails from her attorney. It was revealed her mother had just died. I heard this and the world spun out on me. My mom left this world on Dec. 20, 2005, and I was holding her hand and talking her through it when she left. For the next three years I was a basketcase. I know how losing a mom feels. I'll never forget the day the lawyers told me. There I was in the middle of a shitstorm and the world got very still. I told them, What are we doing? Her mother just died. This doesn't mean anything. I want to settle. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">The lawyers spoke. We settled. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">And that original article I'd posted here that had over 50k views finally calmed most people down. Readers/Viewers began commenting on the videos attacking me with accusations that they were just going after sales and view, likes, comments, and why? </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">But it didn't really end. Not for me. It's been 4.5 years now and I still get attacked every time I do anything. I was strong at first, kept writing in the series I loved, until a few things I couldn't control happened. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">The harassment continued, as I mentioned. If you've ever had anyone who doesn't like you, you know how that feels, and multiply it. In July 2019, a year into the Cockygate harassment, I felt a pain in my abdomen and had to have open surgery, not laparoscopic, to remove a large growth that was strangling my right fallopian tube. I was pretty sure that was an uncanny affliction since I was being attacked by women en masse and couldn't fix it so it manifested into a physical growth that was... you know. Two months in, when my dog was boarded because I couldn't walk her and I was dictating into my phone Book 24 of Cocker Brothers, May's story, because I needed to write even though I couldn't sit up, one of my readers wrote to with an attachment of the "Cocky Heroes Club" that was about to launch. An author, female, far more successful than I had gathered one-hundred authors to publish in the Cocky Heroes series to take my series down. One. Hundred Authors. I cried my fucking brains out. I changed the titled of my books, removing Cocky from them, just having their characters' names. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Because I just couldn't fight anymore. My whole system broke down. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Then the pandemic happened. I wrote Book 25, Lexi's story, uploading a chapter a day to my App only to give my readers, and me, a respite from the world's bullshit. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">But by this time it had sunk in, the PTSD. I was finished. I tried to write Book 26 four times but my fingers shook when I typed and I hated all of the drafts. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Honestly the shit hit the fan in so many ways. My dad died right in front of me with no warning. I battled my step-siblings to help our youngest sister keep her house. I bought them out of the trust to keep my parents' dream house. And this whole fucking time, all I wanted to do was write and make movies and I couldn't do anything but punch back to the hits that were coming at me. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Finally - FINALLY - I stopped. <br /><br />Looked around. <br /><br />And realized what's important. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">None of what I was worrying about... is. <br /><br />Like a phoenix I began to heal and say fuck them all. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">I could be on the streets and as long as I know I'm a good human, I'm good. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">I could make someone smile and that is a fucking nuff. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">I could never write a book again and that's okay. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">My worlds exist. <br /><br />I've written good books. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">They uplift people. <br /><br />That's what matters. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">I could stop breathing and the world would go on. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">But what do I want? </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">I want to lighten people's loads. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">I want to open not just my heart, but everyone's. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">I want to be the light when it's dark. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">So I will do that. I am that. For months now I've focused on healing because that is worth everyone's time, not just mine but everyone I touch. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">So today, when I saw some angry human leaving a fresh one-star on Jake's story, the one I've just renamed and rebranded with my new fuck it, <i>I'm in it to win it </i>romcom philosophy, I don't have to tell them that they're wrong about me. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Because I don't give a FLYING FUCK what anyone thinks about me. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">They aren't in my shoes, my bed, my car, my plane, my life, when I die. I am. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">And I know without question that I am fucking awesome just the way I am, flaws and all. In fact, it's the 'flaws' that make me special. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Oh, and I did change my name like the Cockygate mob wanted me to when they hoped (campaigned for) my writing under a psuedonym (can't even spell it because I don't believe in it) to hide me from the world. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">NO, babies... I lost my last name.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">I'm the only Faleena writing on Amazon. At least today. So I don't hide it. <br /><br />I claim it. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">I am Faleena. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Yes, that Faleena. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">The one they all came after. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">But haters gotta hate. <br /><br />Light has gotta dispel Shadow.<br /><br />Fuck the shadow and the hate. <br /><br />You Be You. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Thank you for listening. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">I hope you know it's all a game. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Love is the answer. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Especially loving all the little things. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Faleena</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><a href="http://authorfaleenahopkins.com/" style="text-align: center;">Website</a><span style="text-align: center;"> | </span><a href="http://imdb.com/name/nm0394162/" style="text-align: center;">IMDB</a><span style="text-align: center;"> | </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/authorfaleenahopkins" style="text-align: center;">FB PAGE</a><span style="text-align: center;"> | </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/faleenasfamily" style="text-align: center;">FB Group</a><span style="text-align: center;"> | </span><a href="http://instagram.com/faleenalove stories" style="text-align: center;">Instagram</a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br />
</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>Faleena Hopkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08371206200662942963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686747383337259302.post-14270383783287820232018-05-13T23:04:00.002-07:002022-10-14T18:34:55.463-07:00Writing Romance Amidst A Storm: Keep Nose To Grindstone. Check.<div>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">Despite the current chaos I shut off social media and put fingers to keyboard to do what I do: write about true love and overcoming hardships to have the life you deserve. </span></h3>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZBvVpvEwr8nxUB8Kfl5wLp4Us4dGBdjgs3C5VzZkYUYYh0eQ6rvnmHciGzjiuOYpf-jM8lyrLTyKPOwAs4p-z6ZsyvU6Eg3F029WLDSe8AN1Yg21jhyz4GxLkXIL9ifCEmiRfzeHCY_4/s1600/Cocky+Mother%2527s+Day.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="921" data-original-width="1035" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZBvVpvEwr8nxUB8Kfl5wLp4Us4dGBdjgs3C5VzZkYUYYh0eQ6rvnmHciGzjiuOYpf-jM8lyrLTyKPOwAs4p-z6ZsyvU6Eg3F029WLDSe8AN1Yg21jhyz4GxLkXIL9ifCEmiRfzeHCY_4/s1600/Cocky+Mother%2527s+Day.png" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I was so grateful when I quietly launched this today that, despite the lies and gossip swirling around me, I found my fans still with this family. Tonk Jr's Book launched at 47 in the Kindle Store, all genres.<br /><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I'll continue to write under my real name and ignore those who whisper, advise, warn, and shout that I should go back to a pen name and hide. <br /><br />Nobody should hide what they love. <br /><br />Nobody.<br /><br /><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">And yes, I'll not drink whiskey before recording a live video again. Oops.</span><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">xx, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Faleena</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://authorfaleenahopkins.com/" style="text-align: center;">Website</a><span style="text-align: center;"> | </span><a href="http://imdb.com/name/nm0394162/" style="text-align: center;">IMDB</a><span style="text-align: center;"> | </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/authorfaleenahopkins" style="text-align: center;">FB PAGE</a><span style="text-align: center;"> | </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/faleenasfamily" style="text-align: center;">FB Group</a><span style="text-align: center;"> | </span><a href="http://instagram.com/faleenalove stories" style="text-align: center;">Instagram</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Faleena Hopkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08371206200662942963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686747383337259302.post-43311088231029024802017-12-25T11:08:00.003-08:002022-10-14T18:30:18.573-07:00Sophia, The Pet Adoption That Changed My Whole World<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp-sBL0WVvUmjlk68QyYihIHqQ60qhw9g1N49xiz5z85uBEtHOSDg_WsDVB-nhUJhvKvthD2s8sQ5ohwybjFrLGbpLLgUOBXpEZbLY7bsVPC2ZVswpeg-uLo8wSLcdXruL5cYUvQYvkbE/s1600/IMG_1301.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp-sBL0WVvUmjlk68QyYihIHqQ60qhw9g1N49xiz5z85uBEtHOSDg_WsDVB-nhUJhvKvthD2s8sQ5ohwybjFrLGbpLLgUOBXpEZbLY7bsVPC2ZVswpeg-uLo8wSLcdXruL5cYUvQYvkbE/s400/IMG_1301.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Ready for a rescue dog love story? :)</span></div>
<i></i><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-weight: normal;">Meet Sophia. </span></i></i></div>
<i>
</i><i></i>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-weight: normal;">I just have. </span></i></i></div>
<i>
</i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">It took me a year and ten months before I was ready. That's how much our pets stay in our hearts. You don't want to replace them. </span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">
</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">It feels...wrong. </span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">
</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">But finally I'd stopped enough strangers on the streets asking to pet their dogs. </span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">
</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I knew it was time to get my own. </span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">
</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"></span>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Four times I went to two shelters in my neighborhood. </span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><div style="text-align: left;">
They had some cute pooches but none seemed exactly right. </div>
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The final day, Dec. 13, 2017, I was petting a possible dog who was cute, happy, and small and could be carried on planes or the subway without a hitch. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">But she didn't feel right to me. In my heart. </span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdd_FAQlnLBRGSrNCZ3tA7dzOchXRo9zXfzx8vZi6d20RHdsyNSIq9VrD881O3SVdQhuf6u4HjwvNUT77Gkq8DNRvN8F6UfDsBIlQcYiUVf2xmFeoC7Bby89Btupub8YkZ2bTO03VL64A/s1600/25396085_10155265115582634_6846456210348935935_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdd_FAQlnLBRGSrNCZ3tA7dzOchXRo9zXfzx8vZi6d20RHdsyNSIq9VrD881O3SVdQhuf6u4HjwvNUT77Gkq8DNRvN8F6UfDsBIlQcYiUVf2xmFeoC7Bby89Btupub8YkZ2bTO03VL64A/s400/25396085_10155265115582634_6846456210348935935_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A hug on Day One before I'd even gotten her home. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I was drawn to a sullen dog who was curled up on her cot behind the glass. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">(many are sullen in the shelters, but trust me, they don't stay that way) </span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">She was practically hairless. Turns out she lost it from stress.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I saw that she was seven, and looked it. </span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="text-align: left;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></b>
<b style="text-align: left;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: small;">Something told me to meet her. </span></b><br />
<b style="text-align: left;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I was like, <i>Seriously? </i></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"></span></i><br />
<i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"></span></i></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Can I please see Sophia?" I asked the volunteers at <a href="https://www.bestfriends.org/">Best Friends Animal Society</a>.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Two brought her to a meet-and-greet room. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">She was a mess. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Shaking like a tiny chihuahua. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I asked if she shook all the time. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">They said the phrase they kept repeating: "She's been through a lot." </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12.8px;">The "a lot" was dragged out with meaning. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">What is</span><i style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; text-align: center;"> a lot?</i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLjCxXTnV15PEfIX1OzDPvW81onqxAlLwfd8vGEaJsVt9kGNZ0Bss_R4StT_Q1UMPbzWoLcsiytplefwWM7QqEe8NK_A7_Cl53Or9Vqg62DapWZCMQKXGz-mdBcoxg3vdya46aOhSQIrs/s1600/image1.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLjCxXTnV15PEfIX1OzDPvW81onqxAlLwfd8vGEaJsVt9kGNZ0Bss_R4StT_Q1UMPbzWoLcsiytplefwWM7QqEe8NK_A7_Cl53Or9Vqg62DapWZCMQKXGz-mdBcoxg3vdya46aOhSQIrs/s320/image1.jpeg" width="319" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-small;">The first day...slept all the way through it.</span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
</h4>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Well, Sophia was stranded in Hurricane Harvey. Remember those videos on the news where boats went around picking up stranded dogs? She then stayed in a shelter with about 500 dogs in Houston for a couple months until Best Friends came and got her. She arrived in New York on Dec. 1st. I got her 12 days later. She'd lost her family and was uprooted and hadn't found a new home.</span></div>
</div>
<b></b><br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: small;">I walked into that shelter planning on getting a healthy dog. </span></b></h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">One who was good with other dogs. </span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Hopefully smaller so I could take her/him on a plane. </span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Instead I looked at this shaking, nearly hairless Pointer, and said, </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"I want that one!" </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The first two days with her, she slept the entire time. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The stairs petrified her. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I discovered that rain was the worst...</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">because of the hurricane it meant certain death. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">But you know what? </span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: small;">She hasn't shaken once since I brought her home. </span></b></h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The stairs that once scared her, she now <i>runs down</i>. </span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Her hair is growing back! </span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj38eUNPRhc_s-YqVC09W23b8KrOcW2ykds4c8JZEsb1BUdDYpMWFMWeFyNm7aV9Rjkn06u_30WvnkCOVY1jpFA2OcljeIiBht_IpBhNWOTzCznIFP3jO0rQJUBAoUDgU5y6IMLmn3wgWE/s1600/25299298_10155265115587634_6817995971752855624_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj38eUNPRhc_s-YqVC09W23b8KrOcW2ykds4c8JZEsb1BUdDYpMWFMWeFyNm7aV9Rjkn06u_30WvnkCOVY1jpFA2OcljeIiBht_IpBhNWOTzCznIFP3jO0rQJUBAoUDgU5y6IMLmn3wgWE/s320/25299298_10155265115587634_6817995971752855624_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She chose her dog bed.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOmoMrr9Gl3x_tY_r02k5e6od3vA6lppJODZ69NLXGoX5Uf__POhw8IeftecI6JMB5_d2y5R8v_adboS56_CpiqdnmVrrxOqqK-2I5JpH8U_1bRP-qfqcnIZz3BiQhMYAvJJsWgqUCNhI/s1600/IMG_1313.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOmoMrr9Gl3x_tY_r02k5e6od3vA6lppJODZ69NLXGoX5Uf__POhw8IeftecI6JMB5_d2y5R8v_adboS56_CpiqdnmVrrxOqqK-2I5JpH8U_1bRP-qfqcnIZz3BiQhMYAvJJsWgqUCNhI/s320/IMG_1313.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">shy high-five</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">There are patches where it will never (I think she was burned at one time.) But the rest is beginning to fill out. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I never expected it would.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">We went out in the rain for a second time and she didn't freak out! </span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">She's feeling safe with me, and trusts that I've got her, even in the rain. </span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Where at first on the street she growled at dogs... </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">(after being in a shelter with 500 of them, I would, too!)</span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Now she's curious about them, </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">sniffs them with her tail wagging, </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">whines a little to get closer, </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">and probably soon will want to play. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">And it's only been two weeks of loving her back to happiness. </span></div>
</div>
<h3>
<b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Each day she blossoms into who she really is. </b></div>
</div>
</span></b></h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">And the best part is, so do I. </span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">With each hurdle we overcome together, </span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I laugh, I've cried, </span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I feel joy in my heart watching her learn to trust again. </span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I needed a furry friend. </span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">And she's older, so yes...</span></i></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I don't know how long we'll have together. </span></i></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">
But I can give her the best last years of her life. </span></h3>
<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">(Where'd I get her cute dog coat? <a href="http://amzn.to/2DLKEc7">It was only $16 friggin bucks here on 'Zon.</a> Reversible, too. Crazy. She's in a size XL. Trim the edges of the velcro to soften them, but it's so cheap, whatdya expect? Enjoy!</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">) </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">xx, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Faleena Hopkins</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #bf9000;"><a href="http://authorfaleenahopkins.com/" style="display: inline; outline: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s;">Website</a> | <a href="http://amzn.to/2yk71kg">Hot Book Series</a> | <a href="http://facebook.com/authorfaleenahopkins" style="display: inline; outline: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s;">FB Page</a> | <a href="http://instagram.com/faleenahopkins" style="display: inline; outline: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s;">Instagram</a></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0EoJ2PtNyt_udNBRKD6P-xIGfm2dZKpeuplzPIzx0QNb2NdGit4BVZWe3d1wUDEdAe1I-w3ZLzTTYrYLKu6EPgF6YDd4eK8nY-1bPMkv4TGpn2ABD7HBrHViSigFjuoiNi28v_UdRLP0/s1600/author+faleena+hopkins.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0EoJ2PtNyt_udNBRKD6P-xIGfm2dZKpeuplzPIzx0QNb2NdGit4BVZWe3d1wUDEdAe1I-w3ZLzTTYrYLKu6EPgF6YDd4eK8nY-1bPMkv4TGpn2ABD7HBrHViSigFjuoiNi28v_UdRLP0/s640/author+faleena+hopkins.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Got her <a href="http://amzn.to/2DLKEc7">a matching doggie jacket</a> (but not on purpose -- I don't think ahead like that)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiodMscPLxGlhOoAY53_b3li8pkJEvkg-qonAyII0Tv9B7lmCZwREtLhuHSUctJX9chA_3n0OssqG6GBKWvO-PPM4Br4ua-US0gb1C9XBcY6cHeBdH8bRavlTWT6MhIwC0XziQ0tXIG0qI/s1600/25398653_10155265115547634_766177818620916592_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiodMscPLxGlhOoAY53_b3li8pkJEvkg-qonAyII0Tv9B7lmCZwREtLhuHSUctJX9chA_3n0OssqG6GBKWvO-PPM4Br4ua-US0gb1C9XBcY6cHeBdH8bRavlTWT6MhIwC0XziQ0tXIG0qI/s400/25398653_10155265115547634_766177818620916592_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grumpy the Cat - Her fave to this day (a month later)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Faleena</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://authorfaleenahopkins.com/" style="text-align: center;">Website</a><span style="text-align: center;"> | </span><a href="http://imdb.com/name/nm0394162/" style="text-align: center;">IMDB</a><span style="text-align: center;"> | </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/authorfaleenahopkins" style="text-align: center;">FB PAGE</a><span style="text-align: center;"> | </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/faleenasfamily" style="text-align: center;">FB Group</a><span style="text-align: center;"> | </span><a href="http://instagram.com/faleenalove stories" style="text-align: center;">Instagram</a></div>Faleena Hopkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08371206200662942963noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686747383337259302.post-10466428836880134122017-04-09T21:00:00.007-07:002022-10-14T18:29:31.208-07:00From Atlanta to New York City<style type="text/css">
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Verdana; color: #5856d6; -webkit-text-stroke: #5856d6}
span.s1 {font-kerning: none}
</style>
<br />
<div class="p1">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcsb_BFzlLeyXbMGPTSXubXbf1aBcj6_SRhLETrdjtYvNELRoKjZze3pk-PRbydWx3bRmVxkXgiYypii1a_N6u6vtqNyVOxWmQiDEHv9tnOuYgtSol1tpZ9QGgvA5LCyywJiUBsZsx9UM/s1600/Faleena+Hopkins+8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1598" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcsb_BFzlLeyXbMGPTSXubXbf1aBcj6_SRhLETrdjtYvNELRoKjZze3pk-PRbydWx3bRmVxkXgiYypii1a_N6u6vtqNyVOxWmQiDEHv9tnOuYgtSol1tpZ9QGgvA5LCyywJiUBsZsx9UM/s400/Faleena+Hopkins+8.jpg" width="398" /></a></div>
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
So here's a story from an author...but this is memoir, not fiction. </h3>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">In Jan. 2007 I rented a sublet in Brooklyn, NY, and was living bi-coastal between there an Los Angeles, my home since '93. I was a photographer at the time, shooting anything with a face. Actors, musicians, babies, families, dogs, more babies. Shot three NYC Fashion Weeks and sold my images to various magazines. Published editorials, too, like the one you see here.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig5ivUf43tplEKU5GrRxWQ5FLBQRHLxR4IM7C-J_kowK9TDiEHcdUrQHbkAVRserwgZOhQOK6dL2eajDYYriXpilCOOwA8_bUmc90Y2-6aKI0LJekJ0gZDjzP2ydXh0km1lNq1WF-tzsk/s1600/faleena+hopkins+photography+1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig5ivUf43tplEKU5GrRxWQ5FLBQRHLxR4IM7C-J_kowK9TDiEHcdUrQHbkAVRserwgZOhQOK6dL2eajDYYriXpilCOOwA8_bUmc90Y2-6aKI0LJekJ0gZDjzP2ydXh0km1lNq1WF-tzsk/s400/faleena+hopkins+photography+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">But the thing was my mother, my best friend, had died just a year before. And six months before that I was going through a divorce. When she got diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer I quit acting and threw myself behind the camera. I was running from grief but I didn't know that. I just thought I was being a jet-setter. Hey look at me, living on both coasts! I'm perfectly fine. Don't look too close. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">New York felt like home, just as LA had. But with my feet stretched across the entire country (yes, that gives some of those middle states a great view of my special place. heheh) I couldn't keep standing. Finally one night I broke down and cried my heart out in Brooklyn, on the floor sobbing. Not just ugly but HIDEOUS CRYING. And I chose to go to where I had the most friends, Los Angeles. Because you know... we need those. They make life better.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">
BACK TO MY ORIGINAL SENSE OF PURPOSE - I'M AN ACTOR, DAMMIT</span></h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxtClANGxJxZqxJkNr9zdeoMqhlH2H0VomneeuxcS8Cq3dUAsdBgiu7NxlD7LLwijastKIcwBm7bt-ifkslJbFKG1owedScQfpqDBcVCDa_o0kzAahyphenhypheneQH5gZbkde9jSyoqFMeGbPJcts/s1600/The+Russian+Spy.15.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxtClANGxJxZqxJkNr9zdeoMqhlH2H0VomneeuxcS8Cq3dUAsdBgiu7NxlD7LLwijastKIcwBm7bt-ifkslJbFKG1owedScQfpqDBcVCDa_o0kzAahyphenhypheneQH5gZbkde9jSyoqFMeGbPJcts/s400/The+Russian+Spy.15.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From The Russian Spy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">In 2011 or 2012, I can't remember which (Los Angeles has a way of making years fly by because every day is the same there - always sunny), I tiptoed out from behind the camera to try out acting again. I'd dated a guy who said he was an actor but who wasn't doing anything about it. Anyone who knows me is aware of the fact that I encourage people to follow their dreams. It's what I do. I can't help it, even when it's as annoying as fuck. Anyway, when I encouraged him that rubbed off on me. I started saying, "Hey WTF, I always knew I was an actor, what am I doing???!"</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I put together a web series: The Russian Spy, that's a whole other story. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hie8umfkKcU">And part of it is on YouTube </a>but not all because there was another network at that time and it's gone now and....blah blah blah. Who cares! I'm not talking about that. HOWEVER, writing, directing, acting in, editing, producing, that thing taught me a lot. So it's worth mentioning. And I do love it and will be editing it all as one piece when I get my new production website up.</span></div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">
HOW LENA DUNHAM CHANGED MY LIFE AND WE'VE NEVER MET. </span></h3>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Then lightning hit. I was watching GIRLS on HBO, which I love even when I don't, and Lena Dunham's character, Hannah, got hired to write an eBook. She spends the whole episode talking about it. I was cocking my head and asking, "What the hell is an eBook?"</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">So I looked it up. "Wait a minute, I can publish my own books? I don't have to ask permission?!" </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Since I'm a rebel (and a control freak) at heart, I HATE ASKING PERMISSION TO LIVE. And to me, creating is living.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I've always been a writer AND an actor. I used to write little books when I was around six years old, tie them with yarn and sell them to my parents for a buck. (which is often what I still charge for New Releases. My readers will be amused by that. Fuck inflation, right?) When I was three my mom put me on the bar counter where she performed in a band, and I sang "I wanna be loved by you," to the whole bar!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">But for just the writing, the idea that I could publish my own books was LIFE CHANGING. I googled "successful indie self-pub authors interviews" and read everything I could find.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">If you have any dream or skill you need, the information is on the web. Google it. Think about what you're looking for, put those words in the search and start reading. The answers are all there.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I had this book halfway written that's not a Twilight-like vampire story. It's more Anne Rice-y. There's romance in it...sure...but it doesn't end well. Because you know, they're vampires. I put my photography biz on hold, went to my dad's house (Terry Mackey. I have two dads.) and wrote for seven weeks until I finished my first book with the help of him editing it. His friend Suzanne Scotten who is an award winning English teacher, she edited it too. <a href="http://amzn.to/1Yf2BT6">Published Fire Nectar in May 2013.</a> Readers didn't dig it. What are ya gonna do?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Anyhoooooo...</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">FINDING OUT THAT STEAMY ROMANCE AND I MIX REALLY, REALLY WELL</span></div>
</div>
</h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">A few months later I tried my hand at my first erotic romance novel. It was more <i>Sex and The City</i> meets <i>Devil Wears Prada</i> meets <i>Bridget Jones Diary </i> - than <i>50 Shades</i>, but I'm a goofy chick who did Stand-Up Comedy for five years (1999-2004) so I can't take BDSM seriously. It's not my thing. I'm not knocking it for you if you're into it, so don't get pissed if you love being spanked. Me? I start laughing.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">My first erotic romance book - <i>I Love My Breakup </i>- took off like gang busters, and I wrote two more about her friends - three girls in NYC, heavy with Fashion Week and all the things I'd learned while being in that city. That September, 2013, I surpassed my income from Photography. (If you read this book next to one of my current novels you will see I'm a much better writer now, but it's still a fun read.</span></div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 18.72px;"><br /></span></div>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><div style="text-align: center;">
PUT THE PEN NAME DOWN. WALK AWAY FROM THE PEN NAME</div>
</span></h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I wrote under a pen name, Sabrina Lacey. I was obsessed, but still trying to act and get in the business and I felt that they wouldn't like me writing these steamy books. Then one of my successful actress girlfriends convinced me to come out of the erotic-romance-writing-closet: "It explains why you're not acting, and I think it makes you more interesting!"</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I was terrified. If you're a steamy romance READER you've probably noticed a lot of cartoons in lieu of author bio photos because few people want to say aloud that they write this stuff. Despite truck loads of anxiety I put my big girl pants on and told the world it was really me writing these books. Got mixed reactions, but weathered the blows.</span></div>
<h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">ATLANTA HERE I COME WITH NOTHING BUT COURAGE FIGHTING BACK THE FEAR.</span></div>
</div>
</h3>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNDqMCmGmA1MPa2c45lJDiroNsX2IwKtAexLa5dvRwpJMmxdzClr3qo1vmEEkB7KIELudCXDbv7MX1KIcyVNRbOXq6W_KK2nr-O1SRJQP4VXrAi6s_sKfQ0mSDSf5KYHW3IVopFY5a1q0/s1600/Atlanta+Sunrise+by+Faleena+Hopkins.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNDqMCmGmA1MPa2c45lJDiroNsX2IwKtAexLa5dvRwpJMmxdzClr3qo1vmEEkB7KIELudCXDbv7MX1KIcyVNRbOXq6W_KK2nr-O1SRJQP4VXrAi6s_sKfQ0mSDSf5KYHW3IVopFY5a1q0/s320/Atlanta+Sunrise+by+Faleena+Hopkins.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This photo is the day I left, not the day I arrived, but I'm putting it here anyway. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">So let's skip forward to the day I decide to move to Atlanta. I did it for acting, not books. The industry is booming there. Thanks to the tax incentive shows get a huge write off if they film in Georgia. Marvel has even created a studio there. It's huge, and since I'd taken such a long break from acting I could offer myself up as a "local hire," which is someone they don't have to fly into town, pay for hotel and such.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I sold everything, drove across country with only a car full of boxes, my dog, and my best friend who would fly back once we got there. I also had a screenplay in my pocket that I planned to make once I had the money to do it indie-style, like I did with my books. Did I know anyone in the city? Not. One. Soul.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">In Atlanta I was lucky enough to get a roommate who was an insta-friend. Found him on Craigslist of all places. Austin, you helped change my life. And you were/are a great friend to me, thank you. And no, everybody, we didn't sleep together. He is <i>not</i> Jake from Cocky Roomie, but he did give me the idea, because you know...what if...</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">
THE DAY THE COCKER BROTHERS WERE BORN INSIDE MY WEIRD HEAD</span></h3>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFQnYgNNL5jjFz4j-G_HGB1ep1UAERWBxJYmgnhgdY97ae_-xoPHsouzIQW24SmCvrjz2SsYeS2DZLTfkzK9DG35cbK9R3m6MKiiBEz85PrqGclT5Z1GxwQV9jW1QPemnsxO8McTkLZ0M/s1600/Where+the+Cocker+Brothers+began+by+Faleena+Hopkins.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFQnYgNNL5jjFz4j-G_HGB1ep1UAERWBxJYmgnhgdY97ae_-xoPHsouzIQW24SmCvrjz2SsYeS2DZLTfkzK9DG35cbK9R3m6MKiiBEz85PrqGclT5Z1GxwQV9jW1QPemnsxO8McTkLZ0M/s320/Where+the+Cocker+Brothers+began+by+Faleena+Hopkins.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where the Cocker Brothers were born, my apartment building in ATL</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I never expected to create Cocker Brothers of Atlanta, it was a pure miracle when that inspiration hit. One day I was devising a way to get back to contemporary steamy romance over paranormal. I'd gone back to the supernatural after the I Love My... series and while I loved my wolves I wanted to write about real people again.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Suddenly I had this idea about six brothers. Each with their own book. Each man different from the other. I searched for images online to inspire me and designed all six covers before I wrote a single word. (Since I was a photographer for a decade, I know Photoshop like the back of my hand and I make my own covers.)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">The reason I created those covers first is that I knew that if I was going to write about this family I needed a clear picture of the men's faces before me so they would be more real to me, their eye colors correctly described, their hair just right.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I always liked Joe Cocker's name - the musician - and thought that would fit perfectly for their nicknames, the <i>Cocky Brothers</i> - six guys with confidence to spare because their Daddy taught them to be real men, and their momma taught them to hold out for a different kind of woman.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I started typing Jake's book. I don't outline, I just start writing. The first scene with him and Drew had me laughing and I knew I was doing the right thing.</span></div>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Here's the thing to know about my books, if you're just now finding me - they're about good people like you and me who are overcoming obstacles in order to find true love. Yes, they have hot sex. Because when you meet your soulmate there is going to be hot sex. But it's not just about that. Anyone who's read one of my books will tell you that. Call it Mommy Porn all you want. I couldn't care less. A guy friend recently called over a table of eight of us, "Hey, Faleena, how do you feel about writing porn?"</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I grinned and called back, "I love it!"</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">He stared at me a second and then broke out laughing. He was trying to fuck with me and it's not possible.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I'm not ashamed of these books. I FUCKING LOVE THEM.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">
WHY I'VE LEFT ATLANTA EVEN THOUGH IT CHANGED MY LIFE</span></h3>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidIZdMpQwEV6S8ehOR-Vn4HzznmvDXKBLhhSo_alcTsDR15ejjpyIALaKFt12pHjcPXk-xJLKWQMoLgFWQahNDiQDmlHzvGESddu_-SqV9mK-UDhFgrCHHutUFxDGOW5nLBzuBGbJ2Bw0/s1600/Faleena+Hopkins+and+her+guardian+angel.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidIZdMpQwEV6S8ehOR-Vn4HzznmvDXKBLhhSo_alcTsDR15ejjpyIALaKFt12pHjcPXk-xJLKWQMoLgFWQahNDiQDmlHzvGESddu_-SqV9mK-UDhFgrCHHutUFxDGOW5nLBzuBGbJ2Bw0/s320/Faleena+Hopkins+and+her+guardian+angel.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In Ball Ground, GA, and I think that shadow is my guardian angel's wings</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Trouble in paradise: Atlanta itself was starting to be hard on me. I don't understand racism, and the south still has it. I was raised in California where we're very progressive and I just never had that experience until I moved to ATL. I haven't written about it in my books because I'm hoping that one day it won't be there anymore. And my stories aren't about that, except maybe a little in <i>I Love My Fire</i>, but that's not an Atlanta book.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">So last month, Mar 5-12, I took a trip to NYC just to get away and check it out again. I knew I was going to be moving there again soon but when I sat down to lunch with a friend, she told me in her oh-so-sexy-and-adorable British accent, "A friend of mine has a fantastic sublet in the best neighborhood for half the price of normal apartments, do you want it?"</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I said, YES.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Then for the next few weeks, with many tears involved since it was happening really fucking quickly, I soaked in as much of Atlanta as I could. Like this waterfall Austin and I went to. And that weird little truck with the eyeballs in Ball Ground, Georgia where we ate in the Burger Bus and I bought a kitchen towel from a local store that read: Don't Quit Your Day Dream.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Anything I'd missed in the year and a half I'd been there, I soaked in, so that I could keep writing about this family from a warm place in my heart. Plus, I'll be going back for auditions whenever they come up. So, that's cool.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGlCUaK8nOvglzHHZOSYMGlE4Dpp22_5_XIclaN9V1AyefjNRZq3SRMjXGpEKXypF0Tbwu49n9Fxif_BcUP0sDsIiKP2O4RG3g4R8rSvUBBhweQRXPzadkcJdUthBxkZ8TiQvDTTh5gYc/s1600/Faleena+Hopkins+Georgia+Waterfall.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGlCUaK8nOvglzHHZOSYMGlE4Dpp22_5_XIclaN9V1AyefjNRZq3SRMjXGpEKXypF0Tbwu49n9Fxif_BcUP0sDsIiKP2O4RG3g4R8rSvUBBhweQRXPzadkcJdUthBxkZ8TiQvDTTh5gYc/s400/Faleena+Hopkins+Georgia+Waterfall.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">
SUMMARY SUMMARY PLEASE GOD A SUMMARY</span></h3>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwyGoAvqaCPwd_AKUBTS3eXnzlLpAub9ALCLTuvMzMDTMDnlWY8dfjZ9dT3efabey1YZYqpBYAF6CvDBQfXnzMUwMRT1CGlHQvc1FTpTYEPxPMlrsbquDhajnbWX-cSN1XroHq6rEfYuw/s1600/Faleena+Hopkins+at+Laguardia.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwyGoAvqaCPwd_AKUBTS3eXnzlLpAub9ALCLTuvMzMDTMDnlWY8dfjZ9dT3efabey1YZYqpBYAF6CvDBQfXnzMUwMRT1CGlHQvc1FTpTYEPxPMlrsbquDhajnbWX-cSN1XroHq6rEfYuw/s320/Faleena+Hopkins+at+Laguardia.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">This is a decade and three careers that I'm putting into one blog post, give me a break here.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">IN SUMMARY...In Jan. 2007 I rented a sublet in Brooklyn.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">In April 2017 I rented a sublet in Manhattan.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Wow. Almost ten years later exactly. This is me at LaGuardia airport and below is the view I saw the night I arrived.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Only this time everyone's alive. I'm not grieving. I'm not getting over a terrible marriage from a guy who was stealing from me and telling me he loved me at the same time. My books are well received and wonderful readers write to me saying things sometimes that make me cry the good kind of tears.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">God gave me another chance.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I've still got my script in my pocket only now I've almost got the money to make it. I'll be shooting it indie style, because I guess that my thing, isn't it? I'll be writing my Cocker Brothers books, loving every minute of getting to know who their kids are (Hannah's book was first and there are 16 to go!)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Meanwhile I'll reach out to cinematographers, sound engineers, and find my production team. Because it turns out that maybe I wasn't meant to be just an actor. Maybe I was meant to be a writer-actor-director, like Woody Allen, Ed Burns, Ben Affleck and the list of dudes goes on. Maybe that's why I spent all those years behind the camera. Maybe that's why I learned how to do allllllll of this, so I could make stuff MY WAY now that the world has stepped into an era where the power is in our hands.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Even if we're women.</span></div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br />I'M WHATEVER THE FUCK I WANT TO BE.</span></h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I'm an indie. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I'm a chick. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I'm a divorcee.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"> I'm not a mother, but I love kids. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Don't ask me why I don't have any.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I'm me.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Oh, and P.S. I'm not in my twenties anymore. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Or my thirties. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">There is no time limit on a dream. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">How old will you be once you get 'there'? </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Exactly as old as you'd be if you didn't try. </span></div>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">xx, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Faleena Motherfucking Hopkins</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">If there are typos tell me nicely so I'll fix 'em.</span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><a href="http://authorfaleenahopkins.com/">Website</a> | <a href="http://imdb.com/name/nm0394162/">IMDB</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/authorfaleenahopkins">FB PAGE</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/faleenasfamily">FB Group</a> | <a href="http://instagram.com/faleenalove stories">Instagram</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7-C5Tg8MECitKmPhAaQ-juRzjebzkWqnA71vPXlHA7VuiJhGU8h3sNhzmSFecYKuuSL6s3T7lDq9uuHN084K1H7s5lln8TAC4Bp8Ac3Le4vvxqOSEHoG3MoJ0exV3FmfWiz4oAwVU3WA/s1600/New+York+City+by+Faleena+Hopkins.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7-C5Tg8MECitKmPhAaQ-juRzjebzkWqnA71vPXlHA7VuiJhGU8h3sNhzmSFecYKuuSL6s3T7lDq9uuHN084K1H7s5lln8TAC4Bp8Ac3Le4vvxqOSEHoG3MoJ0exV3FmfWiz4oAwVU3WA/s640/New+York+City+by+Faleena+Hopkins.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SoHo, NYC, April 6th, 2017</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE9KXsSOLfBqMUby8COt3Prp9r1ZzcXqmxw-1oMT-kY5yTksiYvKsq3HNgnRzOiGNI10xEkckywxb9yJ89Psh0wh3yaJc2L01Gp6w8-QySdu5SlZ0x0JDKSXFMOqVqGF6bu1gomYmsDY0/s1600/Faleena+Hopkins.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="727" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE9KXsSOLfBqMUby8COt3Prp9r1ZzcXqmxw-1oMT-kY5yTksiYvKsq3HNgnRzOiGNI10xEkckywxb9yJ89Psh0wh3yaJc2L01Gp6w8-QySdu5SlZ0x0JDKSXFMOqVqGF6bu1gomYmsDY0/s320/Faleena+Hopkins.jpg" width="310" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWbEJiX-dmZqgjoj5cM62rhMVvwLtWuREW9dbO4ItZ3q66TiNB4bkUlLeH-CUJk1LE6HnuL4z6fcKqAMPNt5hOg1JVq7cEMfoTKs9vv45mZ4YxHqn3mr_-E1BWjq8GA6YQ9uDRpvklf34/s1600/Welcome+to+New+York+by+Faleena+Hopkins.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWbEJiX-dmZqgjoj5cM62rhMVvwLtWuREW9dbO4ItZ3q66TiNB4bkUlLeH-CUJk1LE6HnuL4z6fcKqAMPNt5hOg1JVq7cEMfoTKs9vv45mZ4YxHqn3mr_-E1BWjq8GA6YQ9uDRpvklf34/s400/Welcome+to+New+York+by+Faleena+Hopkins.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Faleena Hopkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08371206200662942963noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686747383337259302.post-20303487992830030262016-02-24T06:00:00.000-08:002017-03-15T13:06:40.927-07:00Best Places To Promote Your Self-Published Fiction eBook.<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9JzeYpiozOpFESIGxLMZJtbp3PVpx5XWq65ZBtiu2QfbP4J8GXc0iBLQWVRb3hVm7gtPgPeNB2yXU15idl-xhnUmPBoLDGlYk-krueINU4ymEsfrwM_Ny3ssP19nCPSqt0m5li6go4aM/s1600/IMG_3036.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9JzeYpiozOpFESIGxLMZJtbp3PVpx5XWq65ZBtiu2QfbP4J8GXc0iBLQWVRb3hVm7gtPgPeNB2yXU15idl-xhnUmPBoLDGlYk-krueINU4ymEsfrwM_Ny3ssP19nCPSqt0m5li6go4aM/s400/IMG_3036.PNG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">*****Updated March. 2017 where you see it noted. If I didn't mark a note on that site then it's still strong. I checked the other parts of this post and it's all current to what I use that works. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you're like me and you're an author doing everything by yourself (self-published and workin' hard), then you are probably wondering where to promote your book and not waste money.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A lot of them want you to spend your money with them. They<i> say </i>they can help your book get seen.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've used a ton of those stupid ones, and I'm not going to slam anyone.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I will, however, give you my joy-list. The places that have worked for me and who I trust. Their names are linked to their sites. Everyone will get different results, but I like these guys. This is purely from my experience. You may not have the same results. You may have better ones. Who knows.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>This post is told in three parts. </b></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">1. My List of Faves </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">(all of which I've used unless noted)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">2. What I Look For When Finding A New Promo Place</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">3. Why The F*** Do Authors Give Away Free Books???</span><br />
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.24px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>WHEN & HOW I BOOK THEM - Mar. 2017 add. </i>Amazon's data algorithms protect against surges, best to stagger promotions to show Amazon it's a steady flow - on days RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER. A few sites promoting your book on this day, a few the next, some newsletter swaps thrown in, bam bam bam. I like to do this for at least five days. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.24px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.24px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;">NL swaps are thanks to the help of other authors in your genre </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.24px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;">who are willing to swap.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.24px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (in your genre only! Keep those Zon Algorithms strong and clean) </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.24px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.24px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;">It's the opposite-ish with free promos. Those you want a big burst because there is no algo-protection and the rank will jump up. So book all the freebies on the same day, or on two days, then let the readers find you in those high ranks. Sometimes I have my book free for all of Kindle Unlimited's alloted five days, sometimes two. Play around with it. But I always have the free promo-sites scheduled for day one, and a couple on day two to keep rank high.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u><b>1. MY LIST </b></u></span></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Each place has their own rules. Some need at least 10 reviews averaging an above 4.0 rating, others couldn't care less. Read the fine print at each website you click to. Check their site for current rates.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.bookbub.com/partners/how-it-works" target="_blank">Bookbub</a> (cost varies per genre)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">*They're the mother ship. The bomb. Expensive and worth every penny. Only they rarely accept you. But try. Then try again. <i>Keep trying. </i>You will have thousands of paid downloads and skyrocket to the top of your Amazon category, if not all of Amazon. But I always choose their free book option, because I'd rather have my book in the hands of 18-30 thousand people over 2k. But that's just me. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://freebooksy.com/for-the-authors/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Freebooksy </span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">*Freebie promos. I've had 4,000-12,000 books downloaded a day with them. The last book I promoted was up just this month. It was a new release, three books out at once. The series has been doing great, after the Freebooksy promo. They ROCK.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://robinreads.com/author-signup/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Robin Reads</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">March 2017 add. These guys are awesome. Book ahead of time, they book up and they're picky about who they take. Which is how they keep subs. (that's a lot of use of the word 'book' there. hehehe)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://bargainbooksy.com/sell-more-books/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bargainbooksy </span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">*Their sister company for .99 promos and higher, but you'll get better sales on .99. Cost to promote varies by genre. For me they've been good for about 100 sales the day it goes up. I know they're building that list so it may have improved. It also matters that you have a popular genre. My best recommendation is that you double up your .99 sales places on the same day to get them helping each other get your book's ranking up with more sales.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://www.myromancereads.com/join-authors-promo/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My Romance Reads</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">*Romance Books mostly. (Mar. 2017 - their results aren't as strong as they used to be but they're still good for paid promos. Too expensive for free. Do NL swaps instead.) Costs varies by genre.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://www.booksends.com/advertise.php" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">BookSends</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">New add - Lots of people are using them now, as of Mar. 2017...but will it work for you? Mayyyybe!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://lovekissedbooks.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Love Kissed Promotions</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Newer one - Mar. 2017</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://romancedevoured.com/romance-devoured-ad-spot-calendar/" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://romancedevoured.com/romance-devoured-ad-spot-calendar/" target="_blank">Romance Devoured</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Newer one - Mar. 2017 -haven't used but it's booked out a month ahead and other romance authors have told me it's good.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.hotstuffromance.com/advertise.html">Hot Stuff Romance</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Newer one - Mar. 2017 </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">(trying next week for myself) </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Used to be Naughty books or something, but they've come up in the world and I've heard from several authors they give a nice bump to sales. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://readcheaply.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Read Cheaply</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(Haven't tried this one in a while - Mar. 2017 comment. test it out.) They might charge a small fee now. I always see a spike when I use them. I always book them on the same day as another smaller company so that they work in tandem to push the rank up.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://readcheaply.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Kindle Books and Tips</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">*Read the rules. They're picky here...but that's why readers stay loyal to places. So don't get mad. (not sure if they're still strong - you'll have to check. I've gone steamier since this post and they don't like that - Mar 2017)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://www.ebookstage.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">eBook Stage</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(Haven't tried this one in a while - Mar. 2017 comment. test it out.) *They tweeted and FB posted about one of my titles last May without my asking them to, and I looked at my free downloads and went, "Whoa. What happened here?" A really nice spike. Then I saw the tag on Twitter. (I tried to find the exact numbers for you, on Amazon but the chart wouldn't go back to May. So, you'll have to trust me. If they charge, it's nominal.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://www.bookscream.com/authors.php" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">BookScream</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Like eBook Stage, they mentioned me without my hiring them to. They're starting out and needed content. Again, a good spike. Worth checking them out because they're free...for now.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div>
<a href="http://bookbarbarian.com/why-advertise/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">BookBarbarian</span></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I don't write in this genre, yet, so I haven't used them, but I hear from Fantasy authors that they're VERY good. Give 'em a shot.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">
That's my tried and true list. </span></h3>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At the end of this post, I've incl. a very long list of sites offering promotion who I've not used. Let me know in the comments if I should add anyone, and please include your numbers so everyone can benefit from your experience. Feel free to include what genre they're great for. We'd love to know about more wise investments that cover the gamut.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">***Crucial Caveat: <b>Readers buy books with great blurbs, covers, opening pages for the Look Inside feature, and strong reviews. </b>If your book does not have these things presented in a professional manner, none of these promotion places can do diddly-squat.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Empower them, and you, by having your book well made, proofread, and hopefully a page-turning read.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<u style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> 2. What I Look For When Finding A New Promo Place</span></b></u></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">New places come up all the time. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1) I check out their Facebook Page and Twitter-post action. But mostly Facebook Page.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">People on FB are usually only active at a 10% rate because FB makes you pay for your posts to be seen by more. True Story. So if someone's got 2,000 followers and 20 likes on a post, that's good. It means people are interested. If people are interested, they'll see your book.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If the page get more likes and comments than 10%, they're rockin' it, and I will (almost) beg them to promote me.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If someone is posting like a mo'fo' and there is <i>no one</i> liking the posts but <i>them</i> - DO NOT GIVE THEM YOUR MONEY.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2) I look at their sites, at the books they're promoting now. How is the book RANKED at the end of the day? How was it in the beginning? I will actually start a day checking, and end it checking back. This is an investment...do the research. Ranking shows if there were downloads. Yes, Kindle Unlimited affects rank, too. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you don't have the time, then just check at the end of the day. If the books they promoted that day - the ones with good covers that people would actually click on - are still ranked in the 50,000's or 100,000, no bueno. Move on. Or throw your money at them and don't be upset if it didn't work out. Everything is a learning experience. I just like to learn and keep my money. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqhohbxp4tAipYMprJkIJGTH7HIUmAGqPnU7NRF-lFxdRRDSBOnPHBb5YfL9ylXaP0UY0kNrg7TOqjIh9G3i3hZgRvtVeM36BHyoWD7ePz6JnjQDr2dQxJklpvRM0i4Kl5pcYJvu18PMA/s1600/promotion+sites.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqhohbxp4tAipYMprJkIJGTH7HIUmAGqPnU7NRF-lFxdRRDSBOnPHBb5YfL9ylXaP0UY0kNrg7TOqjIh9G3i3hZgRvtVeM36BHyoWD7ePz6JnjQDr2dQxJklpvRM0i4Kl5pcYJvu18PMA/s400/promotion+sites.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u><br /></u></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>3. Why Promote and What The F*** Is Free All About???</b></u></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I know your book is awesome. I know people should be reading it. But how can they <i>if they don't know it's out there?</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We all know what Absolut Vodka is, yes? You know about Apple Computers? That's because they advertise.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>And even though we all know who they are</i>--<i>they STILL advertise, because it works. </i></span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>WHY FREE? </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I know. You've done all that hard work. You've paid for an amazing cover. You spent hours looking for typos. You kept your significant other up with questions about where to take the story next. "Yes, but should I kill the main character like they did in Game of Thrones, honey???"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And after all that and more, you're going to give your sweet little brain child away? YES YES <span style="text-align: center;">YES. Not forever. Just for a little while. Or forever, if you want to go the permafree route. (google what that means if you don't know.)</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Trader Joes gives away samples. And we buy the product.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Audible gives away a free month. And we subscribe afterward.</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A lot of people don't want to pay to find out they don't like a new author.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But they WILL take a free book and give you a shot!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And you just might have found your next super-fan.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Many of my most loyal readers found me via my free books...and then they bought all the others. And I'm doing quite well now. </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: left;">I'm a six figure author.</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: left;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It will enable you to reach not just a couple hundred readers like the paid promos do, but THOUSANDS of readers. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And yes, get ready. You probably will get some 1 star reviews. Because thousands of people read your book, it's the law of averages. But who cares. It doesn't matter that much. Keep writing.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Happy publishing!!</span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><b>xx, Faleena</b></i></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><a href="http://www.authorfaleenahopkins.com/" target="_blank">My Website</a> | <a href="http://amzn.to/1UBx2DG" target="_blank">My Books On Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/authorfaleenahopkins" target="_blank">Facebook Page</a></i></span></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ36XhSrfkJPhBzb7FnFD8bX94eW8-kEelCXrJxxlQ8tv6P8al0x6N-nFQjmWtUSP1k0cgmrauw6imRNV_vOGYk6PeOZ7eyuQnY2CQQ97uxQeFlrtWZNz_eXZhoYgtOvOyK5kL6sQMGDM/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ36XhSrfkJPhBzb7FnFD8bX94eW8-kEelCXrJxxlQ8tv6P8al0x6N-nFQjmWtUSP1k0cgmrauw6imRNV_vOGYk6PeOZ7eyuQnY2CQQ97uxQeFlrtWZNz_eXZhoYgtOvOyK5kL6sQMGDM/s400/photo.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Me when I used to be blonde, writing at my favorite coffee shop when I lived in LA.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I tipped well since I practically lived there.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here is a list of sites you can promote on. These I cannot vouch for, personally. I grabbed this list from Kboards and the author wasn't stoked about the results of their promo...but they spread it out over seven days, which I don't recommend. And this screenshot is from my bookmarked UK sites...but this was a long time ago. You'll have to test these out.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtCgsqc1GX3Il6GP3D5glfiBcp0zfa_Lm9fKfl8Czpqtyg0iS9raw_iJ5_qRFqxH0taT9UMAFn7uJq60NA1gLYZ3OuHUITv3TEDfRZ4jrcohpQBRg9pkhrLiogBzJdc90jjCeGaHo8Rjk/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-03-15+at+6.59.11+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtCgsqc1GX3Il6GP3D5glfiBcp0zfa_Lm9fKfl8Czpqtyg0iS9raw_iJ5_qRFqxH0taT9UMAFn7uJq60NA1gLYZ3OuHUITv3TEDfRZ4jrcohpQBRg9pkhrLiogBzJdc90jjCeGaHo8Rjk/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-03-15+at+6.59.11+AM.png" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.728px; line-height: 19.2192px;">Reading Deals</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.728px; line-height: 19.2192px;">Awesome Gang</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.728px; line-height: 19.2192px;">Pretty-Hot</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.728px; line-height: 19.2192px;">Book Goodies</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.728px; line-height: 19.2192px;">Many Books</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.728px; line-height: 19.2192px;">Kboards banner</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.728px; line-height: 19.2192px;">Magic of Books Blitz</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.728px; line-height: 19.2192px;">ENT</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.728px; line-height: 19.2192px;">Book Goodies</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.728px; line-height: 19.2192px;">Sweetfree Books</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.728px; line-height: 19.2192px;">Booktastik</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.728px; line-height: 19.2192px;">eReader Cafe - Book of the Day</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.728px; line-height: 19.2192px;">Book Goodies</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.728px; line-height: 19.2192px;">It's Write Now</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.728px; line-height: 19.2192px;">mybookplace</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.728px; line-height: 19.2192px;">eBookImpresario</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.728px; line-height: 19.2192px;">Booklover's Heaven</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.728px; line-height: 19.2192px;">ebookhounds</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.728px; line-height: 19.2192px;">Booksends</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.728px; line-height: 19.2192px;">eReader IQ</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.728px; line-height: 19.2192px;">Book Goodies</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.728px; line-height: 19.2192px;">eBookhabit</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.728px; line-height: 19.2192px;">It's Write Now</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.728px; line-height: 19.2192px;">free99books</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.728px; line-height: 19.2192px;">GenrePulse</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.728px; line-height: 19.2192px;">Bookscream</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.728px; line-height: 19.2192px;">Book Goodies</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.728px; line-height: 19.2192px;">It's Write Now</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.728px; line-height: 19.2192px;">Bargain eBook Hunter</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.728px; line-height: 19.2192px;">Book Goodies</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.728px; line-height: 19.2192px;">eBooksAddict</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.728px; line-height: 19.2192px;">The Fussy Librarian</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.728px; line-height: 19.2192px;">Bargain eBook Hunter</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.728px; line-height: 19.2192px;">Digital Book of the Day - Book of the Day</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
Faleena Hopkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08371206200662942963noreply@blogger.com5