Dreamland Book Blog

Friday, February 03, 2012 6 comments

Where did the time fly? I can't believe it has been almost a week since the first day of the Feature Week, without further adue, please enjoy this short story from Water by Terra Harmony!

“Susan, Micah. Keep up.” The Gaia snapped at the kids trailing her. The hired dog sled team had refused to take them further so they were forced to walk the last mile over rough, icy terrain to the shore of Prince William Sound. “And turn off that blasted headset.”

Susan rolled her eyes, but obeyed anyway and slipped her Walkman into her backpack. “It keeps my mind off the coldb. It is freezing out here.” Susan buried her head back under her parka’s thick jacket hood and spared a sideways glance for her younger brother. The bite of an Alaskan winter didn’t seem to be affecting him as much; his mind was elsewhere. Just one month ago, with the untimely passing of the Seven’s Ardwyad, Micah had taken his place. Youngest ever Ardwyad, their adoptive father Cato had said. The Gaia had reservations about an 11-year-old Ardwyad. Several in fact, that she made known to Cato, to Susan and to Micah himself, especially during their tedious trek from Indonesia to Alaska to help with the oil spill.
Her rants did nothing for Micah’s confidence. Since his job was basically to protect and train the Gaia, she really could have helped herself by helping him. Instead, she was making it worse for everyone. Susan couldn’t blame the Gaia too much. Susan knew the Ardwyad’s job was also to kill the Gaia once a stronger one was found. This wasn’t always common knowledge with the Gaias that came through; although Susan was sure this Gaia knew. She has accepted her fate with grace; that is until she met her would-be assassin face to face.

There had been a short send-off ceremony for the trio. The Gaia had tolerated it with her arms crossed tight over her chest, Micah was hanging on every word spoken during the ceremony, and Susan had kept her Walkman on the entire time. Cato blessed them with a prayer;

The Earth is my Mother
I shall not want.
Her breathe is the air that gives me life.
Her hand brings forth the green pastures.
Rivers run forth from her great breasts, remain close.
Fire is her gift, providing purity and warmth.
Her womb is the earth that will enfold me.
Surely, goodness and beauty will nurture me all the days of my life,
and I will become part of the earth forever.

“Here is good.” The Gaia stopped so suddenly, Micah almost ran into the back of her.

“Sorry,” he mumbled. Susan automatically wondered if he was aware of the ‘other’ part of his job; she sure as hell wasn’t going to be the one to tell him. How would he do it anyway? Would they give him a gun? A poison syringe? Was suicide an option - just to spare an 11-year-old boy the trouble? She probably wouldn’t, selfish –

“Susan! Snap out of it!” The Gaia had lost all patience with her charges. “I swear to God, I should’ve been doing this with Sian.” Sian was the former Ardwyad, and had chosen to go with the previous Gaia when it was her time. Susan had only been there a few years, and she hadn’t detected a love interest but what goes on between a Gaia and her Ardwyad mentor was largely private.

The three stood on an icy bank looking out into a sea of oil. Ribbons of gray and brown were strewn over the ocean water, turning almost shiny in the sunlight, and slowly spreading out like an infectious disease. They were told to help, but given very little direction as to how. Cato merely asked they bring as much oil ashore as they could; it would be easier for the Adanas, the earth elementals, to clean up from there.

“Ok, Susan. Do your thing,” said the Gaia.

“My thing?”

“You are a Nerina, yes?”

“Yes,” said Susan.

“A Nerina specializes in the element of water, yes?”

“Yes.”

“This water is dirty, yes?”

Susan grit her teeth together, “Yes.” She was barely able to hold back the string of curse words trying to force their way out.

“So clean it. I didn’t know you needed someone to tell you how to do your job.”

Susan wanted to scream out loud. Instead, she chose to be the adult, and turned to the oil. She had limited practice with Cato, but had more with her mother who was also a Nerina. She wished she could remember more of that training. She wished she could remember more of her mother. At least she has some memories; Micah had been too young to remember anything about their parents. All he had was Cato.

Susan shook off the depression that always set in when she thought of her parents, and concentrated on her task. Almost immediately, she felt herself connect with the water. The tide rushed in to meet her, then pulled a part of her back out with it. Normally she’d have to fight the pull. She would be fighting to stay on land when all she wanted to do is submerge herself in the life-giving liquid. Not this time. This time the water was tainted and sluggish. The dark slime permeated every small cell, leaking into the very essence of the water, the very essence of Susan.

Susan dry-heaved at the feeling, and felt the Gaia huff behind her. She took another deep breath, telling herself it wasn’t really on her. But that was a lie – the water, Susan’s lifeline, was almost beyond repair. All Susan could detect was death; molecules were corroded – and as a result phytoplankton, fish, mammals, and the eco-system as a whole were dying.

Micah stepped up next to his sister. She looked down at him and smiled. His mere presence was calming. Susan attributed it to the fact that although they had an adoptive father, no one would really look out for Micah like she would. He was solely her responsibility. Believing this gave her strength.
She took Micah’s hand in her own, squeezing to feel the ridges of his fingers through their thick gloves, and closed her eyes. The ocean opened itself up to her, revealing its composition, movement, and more importantly, the elemental forces within.

She experimented with those forces, delving into her work, cold forgotten along with time. It took her near three hours before the puzzle before her finally unfolded. Susan targeted the water molecules, charging them with energy. The trace amounts of metals found in the crude oil repelled from the charged molecules, and automatically pushed itself away like two wrong sides of a magnet.

The only problem was, if the oil were to separate from the water, it had to go somewhere, and the only somewhere around that wasn’t water was the shore, which so happened to be where they were standing.
The oil gained momentum, propelled forward by a magnetism force. Within seconds the oil slick was several dozen feet high. Susan, shocked out of her connection with her element, was at a loss on how to stop it.
The Gaia immediately sent her own weaves into the water, trying to undo Susan’s manipulation. But the Gaia’s elemental strength, even with water, was double Susan’s. The surge of her energy into the ecosystem further charged the molecules and caused the slick to pick up speed. Now they both were at a loss at how to stop it.

Micah, feeling largely inept until now, stepped in front of the Gaia. He ignored the oncoming wave of oil and faced her. His hands clenched, and his face had gone red in anticipation of what he thought he must do.
Rivers run forth from her great breasts, remain close. The prayer Cato said before they departed was the only thing running through Micah’s head.

Suddenly, Micah buried his face square between the Gaia’s breasts, which elicited a high-pitched squeak from the Gaia.

Susan’s mouth dropped open. Micah pulled his head out, sucked in a badly needed breath, then looked back at the oil slick. It was still coming. He turned and did another face plant; only harder. Thinking perhaps she couldn’t feel him under all those layers of clothes, he shook his head back and forth.

Just as the wall of crude oil crashed into the shoreline, it lost momentum. It slowed and rolled to a goopy stop right at the trio’s feet. Micah’s move had flustered the Gaia, causing her body to flood with adrenaline. Since her natural reaction of accumulating nearby energy during an adrenaline rush followed; she essentially discharged the molecules.

Susan looked at her brother in wonder. He couldn’t have known how that would play out. Nonetheless, Micah turned back to the Gaia, still wide-eyed, but also with a small smile of accomplishment.
He had done his job; he had finally proven himself worthy of his Ardwyad title. The Gaia slowly raised her hand and issued a neat slap to his face.

“When we get back to the Chakra, I am filing a sexual harassment suit.”

Susan could no longer hold her snort of laughter back; as if the Seven had a human resources department. The Gaia turned on Susan, “Of which you will be included as an accomplice.”

“How – ”

“ – for helping to fulfill the desires of your puberty-stricken brother!”

The Gaia turned on her heel, sliding in what oil had made it that far onto shore, and stomped away in the ice and snow; black boot prints trailing her.

Susan watched the Gaia go, then scooped up some clean snow and put it on her brother’s reddening cheek. He held it in place.

“Well, how was your first time?” She asked.

“It was…” he started to walk after the Gaia, slowly, and Susan followed. “Liberating.”
Susan cleared her throat.

Micah looked up, suddenly appalled, “Wait, did you mean using magic? I mean…I didn’t use any magic. I thought you meant…her, um – “

“Don’t say it. I don’t even want to know what you call them.” Susan spared a sideways glance for her brother, then punched him playfully in the arm. He punched back and missed.

She shouldn’t be so hard on him. He had rougher times with women ahead. It was those handsome green eyes of his; they were going to get him into big trouble one day.

You can find out just how much trouble - check out the Akasha Series, and follow Terra's blog (www.harmonylit.wordpress.com) to get your own dose of magic through her weekly flash fiction posts.

To see more of Terra's flash fiction, check out these blogger sights:

Good Luck Charm at www.readitreviewit.wordpress.com

Ice at www.alexiachronicles.blogspot.com

Raining Mud at www.riteshkala.wordpress.com

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Saturday, January 28, 2012 No comments

Friday, January 27, 2012 7 comments

Friday, January 27, 2012 No comments

Alexia : Welcome Kaitlyn! Let’s jump right in…

Alexia: If you could compare Micah to any celebrity, who would you compare to and why?

Kaitlyn : That is a tough question. I’ve never met anyone like Micah – though I guess I haven’t met any celebrities, either. His green eyes, by far his most striking feature, are just not comparable to any I have come across. The rest of him, well he’d probably pass for a blue-collar worker. Always has a five o’clock shadow on his cheeks and chin, sandy brown hair, about a head taller than me. He is in good shape; strong arms, the hands of a diligent worker…is it getting hot in here? Can we just move on to the next question?

Nat: Oh yes, I think I want to order an ice latte and maybe a cute green eyed waiter.

Alexia: *wipes drool off face, clears throat* uh… sure

Nat: Do you have a favourite book, movie or song?

Kaitlyn : I have a secret crush on anything vampire. They are so powerful, yet at the same time so vulnerable – falling victim to the very thing our world is centered on; the sun. In a way…I guess I can relate. Not about the sun – I love me a good tan, but about being powerful and vulnerable at the same time.

Nat: Me too, who’s your favorite vampire? Mine (currently) is Damon Salvatore from the Vampire Diaries, I’m Vaddicted to him…

Alexia: OMG, Nat, yes – so with you there, Damon is a hotness monster of note!

Alexia: Describe your relationship with Micah, Shawn, and Alex.

Kaitlyn : Micah. Mmmmm – Micah. The name in itself is a delicious rumble between pressed lips, like you just took a bite of the creamiest, most decadent piece of cheesecake ever. Don’t get me wrong. He has his flaws – big ones. But so do I. In a way, these flaws shape who we are. Whether or not we work out as a couple remains to be seen. We definitely have a big talk coming, and our next steps sort of hinge on the outcome of that talk. Don’t tell him I said that, ok? In fact, maybe we should strike that whole bit from the record…

Alex is great – like the little brother I never had. He can be annoying but we get along most of the time. When having the powers that I have goes to my head, he is right there to let me know I have ketchup on my chin. He definitely knows how to keep me grounded.

As for Shawn – not sure I can speak about him right now, especially without retching. Besides, I wouldn’t want our interview to be interrupted by any…storms.

Nat: I would love to meet Micah and Alex, can we go on a triple date? I don’t mind taking Shawn…. I’ll force him to behave for one day!

Alexia: Dude, you’re absolutely loco to want to go on a date with Shawn, the only reason why I’d want to meet Shawn is to go ape shit on his ass… *clears throat* sorry, got carried away there for a sec…

Nat : Well, I needed a date and it’s impossible for you to take Micah and Shawn, unless you wanted to trade Alex with the old man?? I don’t mind taking Alex *grins*

Kaitlyn: Actually, Nat may have a point – perhaps the right woman can make Shawn behave! Besides – those bad boys can be hard to resist…

Nat: How has being a Gaia changed your life?

Kaitlyn : Since I came to the Seven and took on the role of Gaia, everything has changed. Who I thought I was, who my parents were and what they did. Hell – I can’t even look at the ocean the same way I used to.

I only wish I could speak to other Gaias to find out more. What is ultimately expected of us? How did they cope? Maybe they could even teach me a few tricks of their own. When things seem to be at their worst, it helps to remind myself that each of these women were alone, too. Speaking to another Gaia is highly unlikely, as I’ve been told they have all passed on. But as recent experience proves, anything is possible.

Nat: Being a Gaia sounds like a tough job, I wish you all the luck Kaitlyn…

Alexia: Who is your favourite person in your life?

Kaitlyn : For those that have read my story, I think you know the answer to that! : ) I’ll give everyone else a hint – it is a character that isn’t introduced until the very last chapter.

Nat: Unfortunately I couldn’t reveal any spoilers ><

Alexia: Ooh, so exciting!!

Kaitlyn: Oh, yeah. Get your cameras ready!

Nat: Do you miss being a freelance photographer?

Kaitlyn : For sure! I miss everything about it; the freedom, the flexibility, the feeling I get when I snap that perfect picture and it comes out so beautiful people will think it’s been digitally altered. Although being a Gaia offers far more adventure than I could ever want, I miss the adventure of photography. Discovering new places through the lens and sharing it with the world. More than anything, I miss the independence of the job. If I didn’t do the work, I wouldn’t get a paycheck. But it was just me – no one else relied on me and that was far less pressure than what I do now.

Nat: I admire your perspective on photography, I never ventured into the art of photography and I regret for not doing so…

Kaitlyn: No time like the present! And take a few pics for me, the Seven doesn’t give me much free time these days.

Alexia: Can you please explain exactly what ‘The Seven’ does, for those who haven’t read your story yet?

Kaitlyn : The Seven exists to help nature balance itself out. I know – sounds part hippie, part dungeons and dragons – like tree-hugging wizards. Truth of the matter is, mankind is destroying the planet, slowly but surely. The Seven counteracts what humans inflict. There are certain people born with the ability to manipulate the elements; water, air, fire and earth. Those people are recruited to help. There are fewer still born with the ability to manipulate all of the elements to a much stronger degree. I am one of those unlucky few. I can control two or more elements at a time. The problem with this is I may tip the scales, so to speak. It would be easy for me to send the ecosystem out of whack; which is what I was doing, unbeknownst to me, before I joined the Seven. The other problem, or so I’ve been told, is two Gaias cannot be practicing at once. Too much power. So once a stronger one is found…I take my leave.

Nat: That sounds….painful…What would you do when it’s your time to take the leave?

Kaitlyn: Two options come to mind; fight back or run. Though I understand the importance of a Gaia, I definitely don’t agree with many of the Seven’s policies in how to handle them. I can tell you this much, things are going to change.

Alexia: I get the slight inkling that you don’t usually think before speaking – has your mouth ever gotten you into more trouble than you can handle?

Kaitlyn : Oddly enough, no. I think speaking out has put me in enough awkward and even troubling situations that I have learned to cope. I am not superwoman, but I have been through some shit and I am still here. If anything, it has helped prepare me, especially through my ordeal with Shawn and for whatever else is to come.

Nat: Atta girl! Believe me or not, your sarcasm made my day! And had taught me to be more outspoken.

Alexia: *snorts* I could learn a thing or two from you Kaitlyn – I can’t seem to keep my mouth shut when it counts!

Nat: Any future plans for the world?

Kaitlyn : To be honest, it is hard to put the world before myself right now. Sounds selfish, I know, especially given my role as Gaia. But things have changed, even since I became Gaia, and I really need to concentrate on me. I think about this a lot and feel incredibly guilty. Sometimes, I can’t help but wonder if this is the thought process that lead the planet to its current state. There is a saying, “Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little." It’s true, *sigh*, so I promise to recycle this coffee cup after I finish. : ) It’s the little things, ya know?

Nat: Uh huh *sipping the last drop of the ice latte*….Darn it, it’s plastic.

Alexia: I’m with you on that Kaitlyn, each person needs to do their part.

Nat : You’re making me feel bad……zzzzzzzz, I’ll blame it on the person who gave me this plastic cup!

Alexia: Which element is your favourite?

Kaitlyn : It is ultimately water that saved me from Shawn, so yeah - without a doubt my favourite is H2O. There is certainly something intriguing about each of the others, though. Fire is the purest, it cannot be polluted. Earth is steady and strong; the most persistent of the four. Air is, well, in a word – magical. The breath of life, winds of change, all that jazz. But let’s not forget the fifth element – Akasha. The spirit that binds them all.

Nat: My favourite element is also water, nothing but H20 to ensure the continuity of life, without H20 you get droughts, sore throat, constipation ~coughs~ My point is, water symbolizes calm and serenity to me.

Alexia: My fav would be fire! It’s intense, pure and passionate.

Alexia: Well, that’s it for today. Thank you for joining Nat and I, we appreciate you coming in and answering our questions J Good luck with all your adventures – watch your back with that Shawn!

Nat : Hey now, I like Shawn, even if I wanted to stuck a pole up his ---

Kaitlyn: Ladies, ladies – who wants another latte?

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To read Ritesh's interview with Terra, please visit Ritesh Kala's Book Reviews! or visit Alexia's Chronicles and Jennifer's Can't Put It Down blog for more exciting posts!

Remember to read and comment for a chance to get an extra entry for the giveaway! Just in case you missed it, the giveaway is international and is open until 5 February 2012, so be sure to enter! 10 copies of Water (Akasha #1) will be given out to the lucky winners, here's the link to the entry form :

Terra Harmony's Water Giveaway

Thank you for joining me today and see you tomorrow for more exciting posts!

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Thursday, January 26, 2012 4 comments

“Calm down, dude. It’s just a standard inspection – nothing to worry about.” Alex coaxed the nervous, pacing staff member from across the room.

“There is nothing standard about it! They are searching for the same mark this one here has, but I don’t see her being forced to strip down.” He glared at me.

I placed his face; he was on the medical team. Of course he knew my body inside and out. They all did.
Susan stepped to his side. “The women went first, she was already inspected.”

“Bullshit!” He reached underneath his shirt and produced a gun. It was cocked and pressed against Susan’s forehead before any of us could move. “Get on your knees. Arms up and out to the side.”
Susan did as she was told, moving slowly, looking the part of a perfect sacrificial lamb.

He glanced at me next. “What, no lightning strikes?”

I gritted my teeth. “Word travels fast.”

“That would be my fault.” Alex said, raising his hand in confession from across the room. I gave him the best accusatory glance I could muster.

“Shut up! Everybody shut up!” His finger tightened slightly around the trigger.
I looked at the only other man in the room for support, but he was more useless than any of us, huddled behind a large armchair.

I felt Micah just outside the door.

Stop! I commanded. He has a gun to Susan’s head and an itchy trigger finger. Micah didn’t respond but neither did he enter.

Heat crawled up my neck. There was no way I could let Susan get hurt - again. My emotions fed the weather outside and more wind crept in along my weaves, following the already established path.
The gunman allowed a small smile to creep onto his face. “I was warned about you; about some kind of power that is a part of you; runs in your veins. But I don’t see it. I think there is nothing but fear there.”

“You have no idea what is coursing through my veins.” I was slowly stepping toward him as we spoke.
A strong gust of wind made him step forward to keep balance. His face lost all its confidence, his eyes widening. “It doesn’t matter. I was also told to use this to bring you back to him.” He produced a knife, the athame Shawn used to scar me. “I wasn’t planning on doing it just yet but it looks like my plans have changed.”

I was just within reach for him to scrape the point of the knife along my neckline. The sensation sent chills down my spine and Shawn’s smell, his taste, everything that was Shawn invaded my senses, overpowering them. I was too scared, too helpless to do anything but stand there and shake.

My body froze, locked in a block of ice. Through blurred vision I could see the wind picking up dangerously inside the room. If it weren’t for the non-existent ice I would have been knocked over. A muted choking sound fought its way through the wind. I blinked the forming tears away and realized it was the gunman. Still managing to hold the knife and the gun, his mouth worked furiously trying to expel something that wouldn’t come up. As he slowly sank to his knees, Susan rose, chin lifted and eyes narrowed, concentrating on the man. She was drowning him; forcing the water particles carried in on my wind down his throat and into his lungs.

Micah was screaming in my head. What happened? Talk to me!
I tried to respond but only stutters and broken phrases were sent. Finally I managed to emit one clear word, come.

Two blurred bodies appeared. One tackled Susan, taking her out of the gun’s sights. The other simultaneously tackled the gunman and both rolled away like tumbleweed in a windstorm. No longer at my neck, the knife dropped to the ground in front of me, and wavered slightly from the wind, giving it a life of its own. I couldn’t take my eyes away, mesmerized.

Once everyone got to their feet, several heads came into view. Their very outlines wavered.

“What is wrong with her?” barked one voice.

Another voice squeaked, “It’s the knife – hide it. Get it out of here!”

An old, wrinkled pair of hands covered the knife with a towel, wrapping it tightly without touching it and moved it away. Immediately the ice around me burst into liquid and I collapsed to the floor in a splash of water.

Day 3 write up is up guys!! Today, I will be posting an excerpt from Air (Akasha #2), enjoy!!!!

For more of Day 3 with Terra Harmony post, please visit

Ritesh @ Ritesh Kala's Book Reviews (Water Review)
Alexia @ Alexia's Chronicles (Teaser for Air)
Jennifer @ Can't put it down

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Wednesday, January 25, 2012 2 comments

Tuesday, January 24, 2012 4 comments

Tuesday, January 24, 2012 1 comments

E.J Dabel

Ernst J. Dabel is the author of “Pantheons”, and is also the President and co-owner of Dabel Brothers Productions, a publishing company specializing in comics and graphic novels. Ernst’s company has adapted novels by major authors such as Dean Koontz, Laurell K. Hamilton, Jim Butcher, George R.R. Martin, Robert Jordan, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Orson Scott Card, Raymond E. Feist, R.A. Salvatore, Patricia Briggs, Robert Silverberg, Tad Williams, and others.

About The Book :
On the streets, they call fifteen year old orphan Isaiah Marshall the “Indestructible Diamond”. Isaiah is the leader of the “Redrovers”, a group of teenage misfits consisting of his friends Jeremy, Monty, and Pipsqueak, but when they trespass into “Kaliber Academy” to get even with the arrogant Jason Ollopa, they are in way over their heads.

Principal Webb enrolls them into the High School and Isaiah soon learns about the existence of the gods of the Ancient World. Because the gods have refused to fight the last War for fear of the Mysterious Dark, the Powers-that-Be have stripped them of their spiritual bodies and given them mortal, teenage forms.

Isaiah discovers he's not only a god, but that he's the child of the Greek goddess Metis, the son destined to overthrow his cruel and sadistic father Zeus, the Darkener of the Sky, and become the greatest god in all the Pantheons.

Isaiah is thrown into a world where the democratic Olympians, war-mongering Norse, Gothic Celts, firstborn Egyptians, the enlightened Hindu, the animal-like Aztecs, the martial artist Asians, the intelligent Babylonians, the great spirits of the Native American Indians, and the fierce Finnish will war against one another for the greatest of all prizes: the Dominion.

1. How did you come up with such idea for a book? What was your main inspiration?

My brother and agent, Les told me that it would be cool if I could write something where all the pantheons of the ancient world were teenagers in the same school. He also told me if it wouldn’t be awesome to have teen Zeus fighting teen Odin fighting each other, and I guess that was my inspiration.

2. Do you have a song list while you're writing Pantheons?

I simply enjoy listening to Asian music when I’m writing Pantheons. There’s no real song list, just any Asian music will do (grins).

3. What's the story behind the cover art?

When I first saw it, I was like “that’s Zeus!” The clean white outfit, the sophisticated glasses, the nice dark hair, and everything else about him was everything I imagined in Zeus. The whole story if you think about it is mainly about Zeus, even though he’s not the main character, but everything reeks of ‘Zeus’ from beginning to end, lol :)

4. Do you have anyone in mind for the characters?

For actors and actresses, none yet, but for the way they should look, yes :)

5. What was your favorite part in writing the book? Do you have any favorite lines, jokes, or quotes from the book? Perhaps a favorite character you created??

My favorite part in writing the book was the tournament, because it was just lots of fun matching up the various gods and goddesses and making the fights progress in a way I felt was very intense and satisfying for me and the readers. My favorite line was when Oliver Touu tells Isaiah that he has an open rebellion on his hand. Isaiah is my favorite character. He just makes you want to find out what’s going to happen next in his life.

6. Do you envision yourself writing a spin-off for the book?

The plan is to finish the series, but for spin-offs, you never know ;)

7. And lastly, how about a shout out to your readers?

I just want to let all my readers know, “you haven’t seen anything yet. I’m hard at work on Pantheons book #2, so get your popcorn ready, and those of you who prefer chocolate chip cookies and milk, start warming up the oven, because you’re going to be in for a wild ride and the end of the book will shock you!!!

Thank you Ernst for agreeing to do an interview with me! I love Pantheons, it was original and creative and I hope you guys would pick up this book as well!

Review to be added later!

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Monday, January 23, 2012 4 comments