tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73365805587542118162024-03-08T05:23:50.299-05:00My Bronze Horseman PurgatoryMy thoughts on the extraordinary Bronze Horseman series by Paullina Simons!Purgatory Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04206226666250028550noreply@blogger.comBlogger94125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7336580558754211816.post-64562354912897800082022-03-14T12:36:00.000-04:002022-03-14T12:36:21.435-04:00How to Help Ukraine ❤️<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh224kvYM02ru-gsdFh5ah3twlTi-YrezSESw0bwgxwkzjmsb76Lel6waZLyJvew-mHRLMo7zPUhn2ucYv4M7sB7qW9oqGHZQB7SvlN5AZtpcSDJR67ojWGuG752-e2LDXT7CU8aeOeJ9vo1hvl_IebT3qKWv8mnAbm7kTVQ-oW3VD_O_Dptl8Blz_l=s750" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="750" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh224kvYM02ru-gsdFh5ah3twlTi-YrezSESw0bwgxwkzjmsb76Lel6waZLyJvew-mHRLMo7zPUhn2ucYv4M7sB7qW9oqGHZQB7SvlN5AZtpcSDJR67ojWGuG752-e2LDXT7CU8aeOeJ9vo1hvl_IebT3qKWv8mnAbm7kTVQ-oW3VD_O_Dptl8Blz_l=w158-h158" width="158" /></a></div>Wondering how to help? Try the Ukrainian-Russian crisis page on <a href="https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=9366" target="_blank">Charity Navigator</a>. They offer star ratings for charities, so you'll know your donation will get into the right hands and truly help the people of Ukraine. ❤️<p></p><p> <br /></p>Purgatory Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04206226666250028550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7336580558754211816.post-67373085113974569422018-04-05T22:22:00.001-04:002018-04-21T07:54:21.729-04:00The Bronze Horseman Series: Still Can't Put it Down<span style="background-color: transparent;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"During the days I was reading this book I ate comparitively little. It quelled the appetite. Starvation on such a scale makes one feel almost guilty for having enough and to spare." </span></i></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">~Peter Lewis from The Daily Mail on Anna Reid's <a href="https://amzn.to/2GEoQUw" target="_blank">Leningrad; Tragedy of a City Under </a></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2GEoQUw" target="_blank">Siege 1941-1944</a></span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D4x7ZZmq5pY/WsbYGn0RxxI/AAAAAAAAJn0/j2BpORW8mxYDNUurqrzs-95TMGLHzGiawCLcBGAs/s1600/leningraddead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="418" data-original-width="468" height="178" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D4x7ZZmq5pY/WsbYGn0RxxI/AAAAAAAAJn0/j2BpORW8mxYDNUurqrzs-95TMGLHzGiawCLcBGAs/s200/leningraddead.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have never been a big fan of rereading a book series, no matter how life-altering. One could say I am slave to the element of surprise. However, seven years have passed since I read The Bronze Horseman, so a few of the details have gone by my brain's proverbial wayside, making it fair game in the "new to me" department.</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> And l</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">et's face it; I am not getting any younger. My memory is pretty sketchy when we're talking about last week's meatloaf or teriyaki chicken, let alone a series I read in 2011.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So I am happily (and miserably) wading through a scrumptious, literary bliss that only Paullina Simons can serve; I am </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">rereading The Bronze Horseman series. And for some reason, unbeknownst to me, I find</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> myself even more affected by it now than I was during my first read when I started this blog. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(I'm talking CAN'T PUT IT DOWN! Me! The non-rereading spoiler freak!)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And today, while googling WWII Leningrad yet again, I stumbled upon <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/books/article-2032706/BEYOND-HORROR-They-ate-cats-sawdust-wallpaper-paste--babies-Leningrads-agony-Nazis-tried-starve-submission-LENINGRAD-TRAGEDY-OF-A-CITY-UNDER-SIEGE-1941-44-BY-ANNA-REID.html" target="_blank">Peter Lewis' sobering article</a> and was struck by its very first paragraph. I can relate so well as of late. I gained a bit of weight this past fall (personal reasons, yada yada, I'm a comfort eater) and need to take it off. And it's not easy for me, as I have a monstrous sweet tooth. But last week, as I was reading about Tatiana giving her bread-and-cardboard rations to her neighbors and started sarcastically thinking "<i>Oh poor me! I have to measure my craisins on my salad full of chicken and vegetables!" </i>I suddenly realized it's just not all that tough to eat a little less. These people went through unspeakable horrors while dealing with starvation. Surely I can handle measuring portions and skipping dessert. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And PS - in between googling WWII Leningrad, Lake Ladoga, the rivers Volga and Kama, Lazarevo, etc etc...I find myself scouring the internet, looking for actors to play Shura. And frankly, I just don't know that it can be done. He is so vivid in my mind, and no one works, for one reason or another. Wrong eyes, wrong hair, too short, too thin, etc, etc. I applaud Paullina for sticking to her guns and not letting someone come along and alter the series. That happens time and again in TV and film, whether in miscasting, script changes, location sacrifices, etc. It would kill me to see that happen to our Tatia and Alexander. ❤️</span></span><br />
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Purgatory Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04206226666250028550noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7336580558754211816.post-81546953875354655552016-01-23T11:37:00.001-05:002016-01-23T11:37:53.283-05:00Books for Bronze Horseman FanaticsJust came across the article "<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/off-the-shelf-/addicted-to-outlander-11-_b_8089982.html">Addicted to Outlander? 11 Books to Read During the Long Wait for Season Two</a>" and wanted to share. I'd have put The Bronze Horseman first on this list, but I'm thrilled that <a href="http://offtheshelf.com/author/caitlin-kleinschmidt-2/?mcd=z_150904_OTS_caitlinkbio_Outlander_HP" target="_blank">Caitlin Kleinschmidt</a> gets it - and is willing to share her appreciation for Shura and Tatia with the masses. Hear, hear! Purgatory Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04206226666250028550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7336580558754211816.post-68595458434501422532015-08-04T11:08:00.001-04:002015-08-04T11:08:48.447-04:00Paullina Simons as...Paullina Simons!<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wwDrMniZFD0?rel=0" width="560"></iframe>Purgatory Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04206226666250028550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7336580558754211816.post-48186215241034405532014-11-09T13:15:00.002-05:002014-11-09T13:15:15.869-05:00Russian Soldiers and a PuppyEver see something and immediately feel awful for Shura? Yeah...this. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Jzbu7VGFQZQ/VF-u1vuwT8I/AAAAAAAAHRY/yVabniZ11Bo/s1600/russiansoldierspuppy.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Jzbu7VGFQZQ/VF-u1vuwT8I/AAAAAAAAHRY/yVabniZ11Bo/s1600/russiansoldierspuppy.png" height="530" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.thisblewmymind.com/50-surprising-photos-from-the-past-that-show-how-different-life-used-to-be/#_" target="_blank">ThisBlewMyMind.com</a> </td></tr>
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<br />Purgatory Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04206226666250028550noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7336580558754211816.post-12285331350759618772014-02-20T10:32:00.001-05:002014-02-20T10:35:38.464-05:00Paullina Simons Interview on HenryCavill.org<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7OoMuhIeJh4/UwYfUXNaOUI/AAAAAAAAGfg/45d93XsrZAA/s1600/henrycavilltank.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7OoMuhIeJh4/UwYfUXNaOUI/AAAAAAAAGfg/45d93XsrZAA/s1600/henrycavilltank.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a>Check out <a href="http://henrycavill.org/en/exclusive/authors/item/914-paullina-simons-talks-the-bronze-horseman-and-henry-cavill-as-alexander" target="_blank">this awesome interview</a> <a href="http://henrycavill.org/">HenryCavill.org</a> did with <a href="http://paullinasimons.com/" target="_blank">Paullina Simons</a>, regarding The Bronze Horseman series. They ask her about how she feels about Henry Cavill playing Shura...and her answer just might surprise you. <br />
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Ya know...I truly don't know how to feel about that possibility. I don't hate it; I don't love it. I loved Henry Cavill in both <a href="http://www.sho.com/sho/the-tudors/home" target="_blank">The Tudors</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0245844/" target="_blank">The Count of Monte Cristo</a>. I guess I'd say I'm not pushing for it...but I'm fine with it, too. <br />
Neutral, party of 1? Purgatory Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04206226666250028550noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7336580558754211816.post-53637679998304990822013-12-02T11:09:00.001-05:002013-12-02T11:10:33.420-05:00Bellagrand Teaser<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y02bvnk-oRI/UpywISnIwjI/AAAAAAAAGJE/nmN_PUdmXys/s1600/bellagrand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y02bvnk-oRI/UpywISnIwjI/AAAAAAAAGJE/nmN_PUdmXys/s200/bellagrand.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
SO excited. Paullina Simons posted <a href="http://www.bookvibes.com.au/img/newsletters/EDMs/BellagrandEDM/Bellagrand_Extract.pdf" target="_blank">a teaser of her new novel</a>, Bellagrand, on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PaullinaSimonsAuthor" target="_blank">her facebook page</a> this AM. <br />
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Bellagrand is the sequel to Children of Liberty...and gives us "the rest of the story" about Gina and Harold Barrington! Haven't read Children of Liberty yet? You can check out my synopsis <a href="http://www.mybronzehorsemanpurgatory.com/search?q=children+of+liberty" target="_blank">here</a>. (MAJOR spoilers, so beware!)Purgatory Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04206226666250028550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7336580558754211816.post-68111092716081100442013-10-27T19:35:00.002-04:002013-10-27T19:42:15.294-04:00Tatiana's Table Baking DayLOOK HOW CUTE Tonya and Donna are on their (first annual??) Tatiana's Table Baking Day! I love it!!! And let me tell you... I am lucky enough to have tasted Tonya's AMAZING cupcakes; these two are SERIOUS bakers!<br />
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<br />Purgatory Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04206226666250028550noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7336580558754211816.post-24429557127874147692013-09-09T13:51:00.001-04:002013-09-09T13:52:59.295-04:00History Learning Site: The Siege of Leningrad <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Thanks so much to Clay, my friend and fellow Bronze Horseman fan, for telling me about <a href="http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/siege_of_leningrad.htm">this informational page about the Siege of Leningrad</a>. It's a really compelling read. <br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; line-height: 18px;">"Dogs and cats were hunted for food and stories emerged of cannibalism - freshly buried bodies were, according to some, dug up in the night."</span><br />
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Absolutely chilling. <br />
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<br />Purgatory Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04206226666250028550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7336580558754211816.post-44090087043154117172013-09-05T14:37:00.000-04:002013-09-05T14:39:11.972-04:00Pretty Rose Tatiana Dress<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xTVr1gBotNo/UijO453JUfI/AAAAAAAAFs4/zFN3lhQ0Wlo/s1600/rosedress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xTVr1gBotNo/UijO453JUfI/AAAAAAAAFs4/zFN3lhQ0Wlo/s200/rosedress.jpg" width="157" /></a></div>
Julia sent me <a href="http://us.asos.com/ASOS-Rose-Watercolour-Skater/115s6h/?iid=3091900&cid=13930&sh=0&pge=0&pgesize=200&sort=1&clr=Cream&mporgp=L0FTT1MvQVNPUy1Sb3NlLVdhdGVyY29sb3VyLVNrYXRlci9Qcm9kLw" target="_blank">this link to ASOS</a> where you can buy a pretty rose dress like Tatiana's (although I'm assuming hers didn't have such a plunging neckline. LOL!)<br />
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This reminds me of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=594396083934737&set=a.139656829408667.13995.112118485495835&type=1&theater" target="_blank">the dress Paullina Simons shared</a> on her Facebook page a while back. Nice find, Julia!Purgatory Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04206226666250028550noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7336580558754211816.post-26143068739141974022013-06-21T18:21:00.000-04:002013-06-22T21:49:31.700-04:00Children of Liberty: The Rest of the Story<b><span style="color: #990000;">SPOILER ALERT: I am finished Children of Liberty.</span></b><br>
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I cannot believe how wrong I was about this book before I read it. If you are terrified - as I was - STOP feeling that way right now and listen up.<br>
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I am so glad I put my head down and trudged in. Before reading this book, I had such disdain for Harold Barrington. I thought he was a selfish non-human. Now I see that couldn't have been further from the truth. <br>
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I wondered how anyone could willingly take their family into the inescapable dungeon of Communism. <br>
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But now I get it. <br>
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Harry was a product of his Victorian-into-Edwardian, upper crust environment. Class defined you and you were slave to it at all times. What you should do vs what you want to do. What you must think vs how you wish to feel. It's all so overwhelming (and yet, some people thrive on that kind of limitation and structure.) I wonder if losing Harry's mother at 13 had something to do with his inability to nurture his own own feelings. <br>
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Regardless, money and status held Harry back in life...from his friends, from his family and most importantly, from himself. <br>
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In the words of Patsy Cline, one of my favorite singers of all time: "<i>I don't want to get rich...just live good</i>." Ain't it the truth!<br>
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My heart aches for Harry's inability to foster his emotions and speak up for himself. Don't get me wrong, in many ways he was a spoiled brat who had zero appreciation for the life he lived on Easy Street. Things he was given in abundance, others had to work their fingers to the bone to achieve. And even then, they could only have a mere fraction of what Harry took for granted. But honestly, this poor soul was never going to be able to crawl out from under that massive cloud of wealth and prestige, yet remain an accepted member of his own family. Years of oppression can make a man so bitter, he doesn't know his own face in the mirror anymore...no matter what tax bracket he falls under.<br>
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And because of that, I am so immensely glad I read this book. Now I "know" Harry...and you should, too. I highly recommend this prequel to those of you who love the Bronze Horseman series as I do.<br>
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My enormous thanks to Paullina Simons for not only writing this beautiful story, but also for <a href="http://www.mybronzehorsemanpurgatory.com/2013/03/children-of-liberty-is-here.html" target="_blank">sharing it with me</a>. :)<br>
<br>Purgatory Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04206226666250028550noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7336580558754211816.post-5080997424662065322013-06-20T16:52:00.001-04:002013-06-20T16:52:08.110-04:00Children of Liberty: Here it Comes!<b>SPOILER ALERT: I am on part one of Chapter 12: Tulips.</b><div><br></div><div><i>"My Harry has invested in not one but two restaurants in Lawrence!"</i></div><div><br></div><div>I'm sorry...did someone just punch me in the stomach? Because I can't breathe. Oh Ben. Poor, poor Ben. I can't even imagine what kind of stunt you are going to pull now that you know what Harry's been up to. Fly off to South America? Stay and never speak to Harry again? Steal Alice? Oh the possibilities are endless! I don't even want to keep reading because I'm enjoying this free falling feeling of "OH NOOOOO!!!!!"</div><div><br></div><div>"The suspense is terrible. I hope it will last." </div>Purgatory Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04206226666250028550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7336580558754211816.post-47593202135556549272013-06-19T20:03:00.001-04:002013-06-20T16:40:30.287-04:00Children of Liberty: Something Wicked This Way Comes<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">SPOILER ALERT: I am starting Chapter 11: "The Quarry" in Children of Liberty</span></b><br />
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"<i>No man is rich enough to buy back his past</i>." ~ Oscar Wilde<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eP6ksYkdAms/UcJDa2XEHGI/AAAAAAAAFc8/KwtlmXgzBa4/s1600/stopmebefore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eP6ksYkdAms/UcJDa2XEHGI/AAAAAAAAFc8/KwtlmXgzBa4/s200/stopmebefore.jpg" width="200" /></a>I haven't mentioned that I'm reading Children of Liberty because it's a busy time of year for me with school ending...so I don't have a ton of time to read. For some reason, I feel this need to sign up to be a class mom every year...and between Christmas and the end of the school year, it's a wonder I don't have a substance abuse problem.<br />
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THAT SAID...there is no better feeling than having to put the book down RIGHT AWAY and blog...and I just had that feeling. I can't stop myself, folks. I have to say what's on my mind. <br />
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This book is fascinating because I am a sucker for class struggles. And this book has loads of them. There is nothing like a good Paullina Simons period novel to get you wistfully thinking of your grandparents and having an aching in your stomach to have them back again so you could ask them a million questions about their youth.<br />
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Having read The Bronze Horseman series, I know what happens to Gina and Harry. That is the main reason I was terrified to read this book. But I am on page 199 and they're nowhere near couple status. Gina's got a crush on Harry...and he barely knows she's alive. (Actually he pushes her, kicking and screaming, out of his head whenever she pops into it...but we won't get into my theories right now.) And so far, although he reads 24/7 and takes political classes at Harvard, he has shown ("shown" being the operative word here) zero interest in politics, let alone Communism. So I am now at the edge of my seat, wondering what is going to happen. <br />
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Once Harry decided to help Gina with Salvo's restaurant, I said "Here we go...now we're getting down to brass tacks". <br />
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But what made me jump up and grab the computer??<br />
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<b>Alice is happy Salvo quit the mill because he was nice to her?</b> Wow. And I get it - it was over a hundred years ago. It wasn't proper for him to smile at her...and she knew he was "interested" (who wouldn't be?) But wow. WOW. He quit! And she doesn't care. And he needs the money. And now he's going to open a restaurant and she's going to find out since Harry is fronting the loan...and she's going to remember Salvo...<br />
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Oh this just got completely DELICIOUS!!!!!<br />
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And I don't want to cheapen this beautiful story by blurting out my usual "oh no she di'nt" banter. <br />
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So I'll just quietly say: <br />
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Ho. Ly. Cow. <br />
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That's all for now. I have GOT to go read! Popsicles and teacher gifts be damned!Purgatory Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04206226666250028550noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7336580558754211816.post-64398391054740990162013-03-12T21:19:00.000-04:002013-03-12T21:30:39.037-04:00The Bronze Horseman FILMSit. DOWN. No seriously...you may need to LIE DOWN for this.<br />
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Paullina announced today that <a href="http://paullinasimons.com/2013/03/the-bronze-horseman-film-news/" target="_blank">the Bronze Horseman FILM is going into pre-production by the end of the year</a>!!!!<br />
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I am SPEECHLESS!<br />
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Apparently <a href="http://www.ita.me.uk/index.html" target="_blank">ITA Productions</a> is using her script (THANK GOD) and she now has the tedious task of revising it so it will fit into the production company's desired timeframe. That means cutting scenes, y'all. But don't be scared. PAULLINA is doing it...so you know it will get done with conviction by the person who knows the story and characters best.<br />
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Last year I had the outstanding opportunity to help revise a script as well as be involved with casting and finally watch <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2190467/" target="_blank">the film I worked on</a> come to life on screen. Let me tell you, it is a daunting task and Paullina has her work cut out for her. There can be a lot of heartache involved when you have to cut certain scenes, but it has to be done in order to meet running time expectations. And the casting struggle of who's right for the part vs who's available vs who's interested is a constant source of stress for months. And you think about all of this 24/7 while trying to live your "regular" life in the pickup line at school and in the checkout line at Shoprite, a la <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0007305575/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0007305575&linkCode=as2&tag=m02d7-20%22%3ESong%20in%20the%20Daylight%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=m02d7-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0007305575%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank"></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0007305575/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0007305575&linkCode=as2&tag=m02d7-20">Larissa Stark</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=m02d7-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0007305575" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
! ;)<br />
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Bottom line...none of this is going to be easy for Paullina. Unbelievably rewarding, yes. But easy? No way. So let's all remember to be KIND to her from here on out regarding casting...and what scenes end up on the cutting room floor. <br />
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That said, let's discuss, discuss, discuss! <br />
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<br />Purgatory Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04206226666250028550noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7336580558754211816.post-17908565224877446412013-03-12T19:53:00.000-04:002013-03-12T20:41:16.586-04:00CHILDREN OF LIBERTY is Here!Guess what came today?!? The copy of Children of Liberty I won in Paullina's contest!!! I am beyond thrilled!!<br />
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My heartfelt THANKS goes out to Paullina Simons for being awesome, as usual, and sending me this book. I can't WAIT to read it!<br />
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Hildy, et al - when do we start?!<br />
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<br />Purgatory Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04206226666250028550noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7336580558754211816.post-70253090077536211812013-02-20T13:42:00.003-05:002013-02-20T13:43:57.140-05:00Bronze Horseman CharmsCheck out these FANTASTIC charms Tonya just made! She's making more...I'll post them when she's finished!<br />
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<br />Purgatory Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04206226666250028550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7336580558754211816.post-40131309820915537672012-12-11T15:05:00.000-05:002012-12-11T15:09:42.294-05:00Tatiana's Table for the Holidays?<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0007241607/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0007241607&linkCode=as2&tag=m02d7-20" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0007241607&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=m02d7-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=m02d7-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0007241607" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />It's the holiday season! And you know what that means? Time to ask your family to buy you <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0007241607/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0007241607&linkCode=as2&tag=m02d7-20">Tatiana's Table: Tatiana and Alexander's Recipes for Food and Love</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=m02d7-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0007241607" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />! Now's your chance to sit back and let someone buy it for you! Purgatory Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04206226666250028550noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7336580558754211816.post-72252860273014166412012-11-14T12:38:00.002-05:002012-11-14T12:38:53.421-05:00Ellis Island Photos<br />
<span style="color: #990000;">SPOILER ALERT: Do not read unless you have read Tatiana and Alexander. </span><br />
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Tonya sent in this fantastic link to <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/photos/life-rare-photos-from-ellis-island-slideshow/life-ellis-photo--179212558.html" target="_blank">new photos of Ellis Island</a> and said it reminded her of Tania and Anthony...and I couldn't agree more!<br />
Purgatory Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04206226666250028550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7336580558754211816.post-75664558582209586882012-08-03T08:13:00.002-04:002012-08-22T15:39:50.058-04:00When Books Come to LifeSPOILER ALERT: Don't read unless you've read The Summer Garden!<br />
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Scroll down if you have. If you haven't, LOOK AWAY and scroll past it. :)<br />
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Hildy took a trip to Arizona and sent me this photo. There were only two words in her email:<br />
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Shura?? SHURA!!!<br />
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<br />Purgatory Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04206226666250028550noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7336580558754211816.post-7497385653134393322012-05-03T14:15:00.000-04:002012-05-03T14:15:15.646-04:00Children of LibertyPaullina's new book, Children of Liberty <a href="http://paullinasimons.com/2012/04/all-about-children-of-liberty/">comes out in the fall of 2012</a>.<br />
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What's it about?<br />
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Two words: SHURA'S PARENTS!<br />
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Not in Leningrad. Oh noooo. This one tells the story of when they first met and continues on from there.<br />
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I have the same feeling I had before reading A Song in the Daylight. I MUST read it. But I am TERRIFIED. <br />
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Let me tell you a little something about Paullina Simons: She knows how to do angst RIGHT. She will have you staring out the window for weeks after you finish the book...thinking and rethinking it through until your eyes ache because you forgot to blink. <br />
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In short: I CAN'T WAIT!!!Purgatory Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04206226666250028550noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7336580558754211816.post-30870969294808576152012-04-14T16:36:00.002-04:002012-04-14T16:36:43.402-04:00Surah, Where Did You Go?Surah, come back! Jen J, Hildy, Cari and I went on to answer your post and it's gone!!<br />
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Let's discuss! :)Purgatory Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04206226666250028550noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7336580558754211816.post-29977075022486316832012-03-25T23:26:00.000-04:002012-03-25T23:34:38.128-04:00Tatiana's Table: A Man's Perspective<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you are looking for the greatest tribute to Paullina Simons and The Bronze Horseman series, look no further. My good bud, Clay has posted <a href="http://engineered4life.blogspot.com/2012/03/brief-interruption.html">the most fantastic account</a> on his blog "Engineered for Life" of not only his travels in Russia, but also his love of the Bronze Horseman series and his recipe testing with Tatiana's Table (which comes complete with photos of him traveling with it around the globe!)<br />
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<br />Purgatory Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04206226666250028550noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7336580558754211816.post-31369298701086815082012-02-07T13:12:00.001-05:002012-02-07T13:12:30.216-05:00Delectable Dangling CarrotsEven the mere MENTION of a possible option makes me happy. I love how Paullina throws a little chum our way and watches the feeding frenzy. :)<div>
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<br /></div>Purgatory Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04206226666250028550noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7336580558754211816.post-56977677569669610682011-11-14T22:07:00.001-05:002011-11-14T22:08:04.223-05:00Tatiana's Table CONTESTPaullina Simons is giving away TEN COPIES of Tatiana's Table! Check out the rules on <a href="http://paullinasimons.com/2011/11/christmas-giveaway/" target="new">her website</a>...and make sure you get your entry in by November 25th! GOOD LUCK!!!Purgatory Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04206226666250028550noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7336580558754211816.post-73117240981488856772011-09-07T14:09:00.000-04:002011-09-07T14:09:18.126-04:00Russian jet crash kills 43, many top hockey stars<a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h7oaZPeyFeYJHi3gxh0mAJ7yZxiQ?docId=2cfadcc31ea649d586194c35014bfee7">This</a> is a terribly sad story (that mentions the Volga and Minsk). My heart goes out to the families.Purgatory Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04206226666250028550noreply@blogger.com0