Dandy Day by Annie Wood
Day is a thirty-five year old free-spirited, commitment-phobic, Venice Boardwalk roller skating waitress. When Dandy is suddenly dumped by her therapist, right when they were on the brink of figuring out why her relationships last only a whopping three months, Dandy decides to take her relationship issues into her own hands. With the reluctant help of her lifelong best friend, Simon, Dandy tracks down her exes one by one and does a relationship autopsy on each of them in order to get to the bottom of her relationship challenged life.
A short novel about love, friendship and grown ups (sort of) growing up (sort of).
~~~ The Review ~~~
Dandy Day by Annie Wood is a quirky read as expected, (What else would come from a book about a 35 year old roller skating waitress?) but that’s not to say that it’s predictable. Far from it.
Once I got past the unprofessional fill-in therapist, Dandy Day became a fun and over the top look at relationships and life on Venice Beach–a world that seems too colorful to believe and few of us ever get to experience. Take an interesting setting, a fun premise, and a quirky yet lovable heroine and you have Dandy Day.
I think there’s a little bit of Dandy in all of us, that never-quite-grew-up child that scratches to get out from time to time. Just another reason why Dandy is irresistible!
Animated Excerpt: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuRylE-2C3E
Pinterest Board: http://www.pinterest.com/gypsywood/dandy-day-a-novella-by-annie-wood/
~~~ Author Bio ~~~
Annie was born in Hollywood, raised in the valley. She avoided the valley girl accent by speaking backwards for the first 15 years of her life. As an actress she has guest starred on several TV shows. You may remember her best in her recurring role onBecker with Ted Danson, Lara in Good Luck Chuck and as the host of her own nationally syndicated dating show, BZZZ! which she also co-produced. As a writer, she is a produced and published playwright and recently had a comedic scene in the NBC/UNIVERSAL showcase. Her web-series, Karma’s a B*tch
THE WEB and season 2 is now in the works. Her books of comedic scenes, Snapshots! & Act Up & Make a Scene have been performed on Hollywood stages and is available on Amazon. She lives in Los Angeles with her charming, Italian husband and her equally charming, Jewish/Buddhist/Italian dog, Lucy.
I Will
(a poem about writing by Annie Wood)
one day
when i am older;
and slower;
i will sit in my favorite chair
and i will write what pleases me.
i will not worry about them.
i will not feel the need to climb;
to fight;
nor will i wish with all my might;
for jobs.
for opportunities.
for money.
i will find comfort in the stillness.
i will find peace within the knowing.
i will smile to myself and remember only what i choose to remember.
and i will be joyous.
and i will be abundant.
and i will be successful beyond my wildest dreams.
in fact, why not start practicing now?
i will now sit in my favorite chair
and i will now write what pleases me.
Chronicle of the Mound Builders by Elle Marie
Archaeologist Dr. Angela Hunter discovers an ancient codex at a Mississippian Indian dig site in the St. Louis area. Knowing the Mississippians, or Mound Builders, had no written language, she is determined to solve the mystery of the 700-year-old, perfectly preserved codex.
In the early 1300’s, an Aztec family is torn apart. A judge rebelling against the Aztec tradition of human sacrifice is cursed and escapes his enemies with his 12-year-old son. They travel from the Gulf of Mexico up the Mississippi River to settle in the thriving community of Migaduha, modern-day Cahokia Mounds, Illinois.
Angela recognizes the symbols as Aztec pictograms and begins to translate the story. However, other forces also want the codex and will do anything to get it. Can she learn the secrets of the chronicle before the tragic events of the past are repeated today?
~*~*~*~ The Review~*~*~*~
I love to read indie books because they give a new perspective in reading. However, this one was a little more than I had bargained for. And I mean that in the best possible way.
Chronicle of the Mound Builders is a long book filled with a great many historical facts and details about archaeological digs all wrapped up in a complex story.The book is told from two different time perspectives: the early 1300s and present day. The chapters go back and forth, present to past and back to present again all the while building the story of the Aztec-esque urn and the codex it contains.
As a former history major I discovered something about myself while reading this book: ancient history is not my favorite. Not by a long shot. But in all fairness to Elle Marie and the undeniable work she put into this book, I went to amazon and read the reviews there. Unorthodox, I know, but as a reviewer of indie books and an author for a small house, I know what kind of work goes into a novel of this length and I wanted to be as fair as possible. Elle Marie spent her time (and possibly money) to get this book out for others to read. She put her heart out there and that alone deserves commendation.
What discovered is that Chronicle of the Mound Builders is just not my kind of book. That doesn’t mean that it’s not well written, or poorly formatted. It was neither of those things. As I said before, it is very complex,almost too much so for my distracted brain. But…I know a great many people who would fall head first into such a detailed and intricate tale and not emerge until the very last page.
That said, if you love deep books, with involved plots cleverly woven through historyand fact, then this is the book for you!
~*~*~*~ Author Bio ~*~*~*~
Elle Marie started writing at the urging of her husband, who always believed she was destined to be an author. After first publishing a nonfiction book, Living the Thin Life, she turned to fiction.
A visit to Cahokia Mounds sparked a fascination with the mysterious Mound Builders, about whom so little is known. What was their culture like? How did ordinary people live in the 14th century? What caused the civilization to vanish, seemingly overnight? She put her imagination to work and came up with a story line that put it all together.
By day, Elle works in the information technology field at a large financial services firm. She is a graduate of the Missouri University of Science & Technology and lives in the St. Louis area with her husband. Chronicle of the Mound Builders is her first novel.
~*~*~*~ Connect with Elle ~*~*~*~
Website: http://www.chronicleofthemoundbuilders.com
~*~*~*~ Buy the Book ~*~*~*~
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Chronicle-Mound-Builders-Elle-Marie/dp/1479206652
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/chronicle-of-the-mound-builders-elle-marie/1113712738?ean=9781479206650
Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009Z6MXPK
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/chronicle-mound-builders/id631871824?mt=11&ign-mpt=uo%3D4
~*~*~*~ Elle Marie on Tour ~*~*~*~
http://www.clpblogtours.com/2013/03/chronicle-of-mound-builders-by-elle.html
Amie's Reviews 