The Book Czar

CSN Product Review

2010-06-08T15:25:00.003-05:00

Hello EVERYONE~

I am very fortunate to be able to do a product review from CSN stores. The CSN store is an online retail company that offer's everything from lights to pet products to clocks to cookware and much much more. CSN store contacted me just recently, and I am thrilled to let you all know about it.

Stay tuned for my review, and thanks for following!

Please follow me!

2009-03-24T11:19:00.001-05:00

As much as I love The Book Czar, I have decided to switch my main reviewing blog over to Wordpress. I am hoping you will follow me to:

The Review From Here

Thanks for all your support - hope to see you there. And if you want to be added to my blogroll over there, just let me know:)

Grayrider by Bruce Skye

2009-02-05T06:11:00.003-06:00

About the Author:

A former technical writer, detail is important to Bruce Skye. His research for the Deathsong Chronicles included medieval armor and fortresses, as well as Celtic names and magic. "If you create a world, it must be consistent. And that's what I strive for Grayrider's world to be. I've built a database of material for each of the Deathsong Chronicles. Those databases aid me in keeping the world the same from book to book.

"When I wrote Grayrider, I followed the advice of Stephen King. I did not write the book following any sort of outline. I have no more idea than my readers do when I write a novel what will happen in the midst of the story. It makes it more exciting for both the readers and myself."

You can visit his website at www.bruceskye.com.

Guest Review by Tess of Fiction to Fruition:

This is a story set in medieval times about a young prince named Gabriel. Years ago, his parents were killed in the castle that they lived in, in the country of Boadhagh. They were poisoned along with some of their friends while eating there evening meal. Gabriel remember the sword "Deathsong" and retrieved it from his father's chambers. Deathsong had magical powers and he headed downstairs with it to the dining room while the enemies were still there. Who he didn't kill with the sword he made them eat the same food his parents ate and they also died.

Now it was time for more revenge. He grabbed his gray cloak, Deathsong, and his horse Windfire and headed to see King Airell, his father's friend. There he finds out that the citizens of Ansgar are fighting their way through the countryside to take over this King's country.

Gabriel, now called Grayrider, becomes the King's number one warrior. Along with the King's daughter, Deirdre, they try to stop the armies that keep approaching.

Deirdre is a sorceress with intense magical power and the enemy they are fighting is led by the Morrigan, the woman who took Deirdre under her wing as her apprentice.

This is a very intense novel full of fantasy and magic. There is also love, loyalty, betrayal, and redemption sprinkled throughout this book. The end is equally non-predictable and sobering. If you like this genre of books you will definitely love this one.

About the Book:

Gabriel, the exiled king of Rivalin, comes before King Airell to warn him the Ansgarian army will invade his kingdom before the night is over. Airell tells him he has no one to send. Gabriel wants revenge for the murder of his family by the Ansgarians. He decides to fight the incursion without help.

As this takes place, Deirdre (Airell’s daughter), flees the kingdom of Cynyr north of Boadhagh. She knows now her mentor, Morrigan, created the Ansgarian army her father has fought for years. She goes south to warn him of her. Because Deirdre does not believe in herself, the young sorceress has difficulty in performing magic.

Once she is reunited with her father, she tells both he and Grayrider about Morrigan. Her power is growing; only Gabriel’s magical sword may yet destroy her. He must go to Cynyr to fight her. He agrees if Deirdre attends him, seeking her counsel. On that journey they fall in love and foil many efforts by Morrigan to kill Gabriel by both armies and sorcerers.

Grayrider fights Morrigan and sees his beloved slain by the sorceress before he is finally able to kill her. He returns to Rivalin brokenhearted. The ending is a complete surprise the reader will not expect at all.

Rebel in Blue Jeans by Beverly Stowe McClure

2009-01-23T01:00:00.001-06:00

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Beverly S. McClure started her writing career early—though she approached it kicking and screaming—when her eighth-grade teacher sent her poem “Stars” to a high school anthology and it was published in Young America Sings. She graduated from Midwestern State University and became a teacher. As soon as she discovered Dr. Seuss and other great children’s stories, she willingly put pen to paper and had stories and articles published in Ladybug, Focus on the Family Clubhouse Jr., U. S. Kids, Jack and Jill and other leading children’s magazines, including an article that was reprinted in a Scott Foresman Pre-K anthology and a breakout article that appeared in the June 2007 issue of Writer magazine.

A multi-published author, Beverly’s Listen to the Ghost and Secrets I Have Kept are available in trade paperback. Her latest release is Rebel in Blue Jeans, and she has four more books under contract. A member of the National Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and their North Texas Chapter, Beverly is the mother of three grown boys and lives in the country with her husband, Jack, where an occasional deer, skunk, or armadillo come to visit.

For more about Beverly and her work, please visit http://beverlystowemcclure.wordpress.com

ABOUT THE BOOK:

What’s a girl to do when her mother runs away with the drummer in a rock band, her friendly relationship with the boys on the neighboring ranch starts to change, and a handsome college guy takes an interest in her? Sixteen-year-old Rebel Ferguson faces these challenges with courage and humor and decides to do three things:
1. Bring her mother home where she belongs.
2. Show her neighbors, Will and Sully Garret, she’s not interested in a serious relationship with either of them.
3. Prove to the Garrets, and to herself, that Rick, the cute college guy, is a gentleman.

Nothing turns out the way Rebel plans, however, and she discovers that people are not always what they seem, and she’s a lousy judge of character. If only humans were as trustworthy and dependable as her puppies, cat, and horses. Can she forgive everyone who has disappointed her?

EXCERPT:

Chapter 1

Rebel Ferguson pulled the currycomb across the mare’s broad back. Fine specks of dust floated in the early morning air. A mockingbird sang outside the stables. A lump the size of a barn owl lodged in Rebel’s throat. How could the bird be so happy when her life had been shattered into millions of pieces? Don’t think about Mom, she told herself. Keep busy.

And she tried. She brushed and brushed Sunrise’s coat until the hair shimmered like a new copper penny. One by one–she counted them–she untangled three sharp burrs from the mare’s coarse mane.

The sudden vroom of a car engine rumbling to life made Rebel’s chest tighten. Even though the driveway was not visible from the stables, she darted to the stall door anyway and looked out the open top section. Rain lingered like teardrops on the red tile roof of the white stucco house nestled among mesquite and cottonwood trees a hundred yards away. Last night’s storm was past, at least the storm outside. The clouds had drifted east, leaving behind a clear blue sky.

But the storm between her parents was etched on Rebel’s heart forever. Oh, they never yelled or fought or said horrible things to each other. They were much too civilized for such childish behavior. Sometimes she wished they would. Anything would be better than the unbearable silence. Except for what had to be said, her parents simply stopped talking to one another. They were polite strangers, and she was caught in the middle, loving them both.

She listened to the hum of her mother’s Jaguar until it faded, leaving behind only the chatter of that annoying bird, the swishing sound of the mare’s tail as she swatted flies, and Rebel’s thoughts. Everyone said she was a carbon copy of her mother. She had the same smoky blue eyes, the same long dark hair, and the same slender build. But outward appearances could be deceiving. Their personalities were complete opposites. Liz Ferguson was a city girl who liked fancy dresses and parties and crowds. Rebel Ferguson was a country girl who preferred jeans, T-shirts, and a few close friends.

WIN PRIZES!!!

The REBEL IN BLUE JEANS VIRTUAL BLOG TOUR '09 will officially begin on January 5 and end on January 30. You can visit Beverly's blog stops at http://www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/ in January to find out more about this great book and talented author!As a special promotion for all our authors, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour to a published author or a $50 Amazon gift certificate to those not published who comments on our authors' blog stops. More prizes will be announced as they become available.

Save Now On Your Virtual Book Tour For 2009

2009-01-18T14:11:00.002-06:00

Luck O’ the Irish March Tour Special!Pump Up Your Book Promotion Presents…

In celebration of St. Patty’s Day, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is passing on the Luck o’ the Irish to you! Sign up for a Luck O’ the Irish March Tour before January 31, 2008 and you will receive this great book promotion package!

* One virtual book tour (March ‘09 only)
* A minimum of 15 - 20 visits on blogs and websites geared specifically for your book, with possibilities of appearing at Reuters, USA Today, Chicago Times, Washington Post and high profile news sites
* Press releases which are specifically written for your book and are syndicated to hundreds of news sites
* Full publicity including but not restricted to daily postings about your book through social networks and other media
* Personalized tour banner
* Personalized tour page

The special price for this package is only $299 and only available for purchase between Dec. 15 - Jan. 31. This discount cannot be applied after the deadline.

Payments can be made via PayPal (Paypal accepts most major credit cards), money order or check.

This special is available not only for books that are recently released, but also for books that were released in the last 2 years.

Space is limited and will be on a first come, first serve basis.

If you are interested, just email me at novelnoise(at)live(dot)com - I will answer any questions that you may have.

Thanks and hope to hear from you soon!

Kissing Games of the World by Sandi Kahn Shelton

2009-01-16T01:00:00.000-06:00

About the Book:

Jamie McClintock, an artist who already has a precarious life caring for her asthmatic little son and struggling to pay the bills, doesn’t have time for love or romance. She and her son live in an old farmhouse with an elderly widower who is raising his grandson—but when her beloved elderly landlord dies of a sudden heart attack, her life is thrown into chaos.

When the late landlord’s estranged son Nate arrives in town to settle his father’s affairs and claim his son, Jamie discovers that the spirited old gentleman devoted to raising his young grandson was actually a philandering, deadbeat dad in his day. At least, according to Nate, a widower whose late wife’s accident left him bereft and entirely incapable of caring for the boy.

Jamie and Nate can’t stand each other from the beginning. He’s a self-absorbed, charismatic, world-traveling salesman who thinks being a dad means just letting his five-year-old son come along with him on his many business trips until he can convince his business partner girlfriend to marry him. He’s sure Jamie is just the latest of his dad’s girlfriends, and he’s only too happy to kick her and her son out of the house so he can sell it and get back to his life.

But then he discovers that being an instant dad isn’t so easy after all, especially when he’s blindsided by feelings of grief over the death of his father whose transgressions he never forgave. And even while he and Jamie are fighting over everything from children’s nicknames to Jamie’s odd-ball fashion choices to Nate’s home renovation methods, they discover that they have two little boys looking to them to ease their grief and loss. It’s not long before Jamie’s defensive self-preservation and Nate’s blustery bravado crumble under the laws of attraction.

In a story that is as much a humorous, poignant contemporary romance as it is the tale of a man coming to terms with his father’s desertion, readers will discover new twists to the modern-day mating dance. Sometimes, Jamie and Nate discover, the person you can’t stand is also person you also can’t stand to live without.

About the Author:

Sandi Kahn Shelton is the author of three novels, all contemporary novels about relationships and family, including What Comes After Crazy, A Piece of Normal, and the latest, Kissing Games of the World. She’s also the author of three nonfiction humor books about parenting, and is a feature reporter for the New Haven Register. For years she wrote the “Wit’s End” column for Working Mother magazine, and she has been a contributor to Redbook, Salon, Reader’s Digest, and Woman’s Day.

She’s been a writer for longer than she can actually remember—but she does remember her first sale. When she was 6 years old, her mother wouldn’t give her money for the ice cream truck, so she ran home and wrote a story and sold it to the neighbors for 20 cents. It was called “The King Who Slept For Three Hours and Forty-five Seconds” and she saw this as the beginning of a promising career path that would keep her in frozen desserts for the rest of her life.

You can visit her website at www.sandishelton.com,and her blog at www.sandishelton.com/blog.

WIN PRIZES:

KISSING GAMES OF THE WORLD VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR '09 will officially begin on January 1 and end on January 30. You can visit Linda's blog stops at http://www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/ in January to find out more about this talented lady!

As a special promotion for all our authors, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour to a published author or a $50 Amazon gift certificate to those not published who comments on our authors' blog stops. More prizes will be announced as they become available.

Sunday at Tiffany's by James Patterson Audiobook Giveaway

2009-01-08T16:42:00.002-06:00

Who wouldn't want to win a copy of James Patterson's book Sunday at Tiffany's on Audio? Well, 3 lucky people will have that chance. To enter, just leave a comment and I will draw 3 winners on January 24th. Only residents of the US and Canada are eligible, and please no P.O. Boxes. Thanks!

About the Book:

As a little girl, Jane has no one. Her mother Vivienne Margaux, the powerful head of a major New York theater company has no time for her. But she does have one friend--Michael--and no one can see him but her. But Michael can't stay with Jane forever, and on her eighth birthday, her imaginary friend must leave her.

When Jane is in her thirties, working for her mother's company, she is just as alone as she was as a child. Her boyfriend hardly knows she's there and is more interested in what Vivienne can do for his career. Her mother practically treats her as a slave in the office, despite the great success of Jane's first play, "Thank Heaven." Then she finds Michael--handsome, and just the same as she remembers him, only now he's not imaginary. For once in her life, Jane is happy--and has someone who loves her back. But not even Michael knows the reason behind why they've really been reunited.

The Terror by Dan Simmons Audiobook Giveaway

2009-01-08T16:29:00.002-06:00

Another giveaway! I have 3 copies of this book to giveaway to some lucky people. You must live in either the US or Cananda and no P.O. Boxes please. This contest will end on January 24th - to enter, please leave a comment with a valid email address. Thanks and good luck!

About the Book:

A blistering winter voyage, complete with scurvy, starvation, and thrilling adventure, is the focus of this powerful and beautifully realized tale of exploration on the high seas. Simmons's writing is so vivid that narrator Simon Vance need only deliver the material with a clear and firm reading to capture the interest of listeners. Vance does this so well that the presentation sounds like a recorded journal entry and captivates listeners from start to finish as he plays his role with the utmost respect for Simmons's work. The result is a moving listening experience--perfectly executed--which transports listeners to the galley of the HMS Terror during its expedition through the Arctic Circle.

The Survivor's Club by Ben Sherwood Audio Giveaway

2009-01-08T16:10:00.003-06:00

Yet another giveaway thanks to Anna Balasi at Hachette Book Group. This audio book will only be available for residents of the US and Canada and they will not ship to P.O. Boxes. To enter, all you need to do is leave a comment. I will pick 3 winners on January 24th. Good Luck!

About the Book:

Each second of the day, someone in America faces a crisis, whether it's a car accident, violent crime, serious illness, or financial trouble. Given the inevitability of adversity, we all wonder: Who beats the odds and who surrenders? Why do some people bound back and others give up? How can I become the kind of person who survives and thrives?

The fascinating, hopeful answers to these questions are found in THE SURVIVORS CLUB. In the tradition of Freakonomics and The Tipping Point, this book reveals the hidden side of survival by combining astonishing true stories, gripping scientific research, and the author's adventures inside the U.S. military's elite survival schools and the government's airplane crash evacuation course.

With THE SURVIVORS CLUB, you can alsodiscover your own Survivor IQ through a powerful Internet-based test called the Survivor Profiler. Developed exclusively for this book, the test analyzes your personality and generates a customized report on your top survivor strengths.There is no escaping life's inevitable struggles.

But THE SURVIVORS CLUB can give you an edge when adversity strikes.

Recovering Me, Discovering Joy by Vivian Eisenecher

2009-01-06T06:08:00.004-06:00

About the Book:

Recovering Me, Discovering Joy reveals how to recover (from any ailment or condition) not to normal but to a better normal. After numerous attempts at sobriety, stints in more than three rehabs, followed by repeated relapses, Vivian shares the “secret” that finally brought her lasting recovery and profoundly changed her life. In an effort to improve the success rate of recovery and quite possibly save lives, one of the book’s main goals is to raise awareness about the profound correlation between depression, social anxiety, and alcoholism. Vivian has struggled with these disorders and is in recovery from all three.

In addition, Recovering Me, Discovering Joy is a remarkably honest book of creative non-fiction about the positive nature of life’s problems. It is about the journey to know oneself. With a sense of humor and an uplifting spirit of gratitude, Vivian suggests ways to live a more meaningful life. She offers a fresh look at enduring truths which we all tend to forget in our day-to-day fast-paced lives. By using stories from people in recovery, famous quotes and personal reflections, she re-establishes the importance of faith in the healing process. Her experience, strength and hope provide the reader with keys to living a richer, easier and happier life.

Review by Tess of Think Between the Ink:

This book is a wonderful and honest account of this author's battle with social anxiety disorder and alcoholism.

I, also, was diagnosed with a panic disorder and agoraphobia in 1980. So, I truly understand the "devastation" of the catastrophic experience. I also agree, that with the right medication and proper counseling this battle can be won. I can thankfully say that I, too, have beat this disorder. But, for those who have not, this book will definitely be of some service to you.

She also explains her self-destructive addiction to alcohol for self-medicating purposes. This, too, I could relate to. You would do anything to take away your pain and unfortunately this demon "seems" to have the answers, temporarily.

This is a very informative book for those who need some help and guidance. There is nothing like hearing it from the horses mouth, so to speak. She offers many solutions and suggestions for you to help you become a more successful and happy person.

I applaud this author for her brutal honesty and compassion for her fellow man as far as these disorders are concerned. It takes a very strong woman to lay out her life so that she may help others. Thanks for the encouragement and support and keep up the good work.

About the author:

Author of Recovering Me, Discovering Joy / Uplifting Wisdom for Everyday Greatness, Vivian Eisenecher has been an inspirational speaker, mentor and writer since 1996. Using her experience, strength and hope, she is committed to helping educate and enlighten the general public about the puzzling aspects of the addiction/recovery process and the strong correlation between anxiety, depression and alcoholism. Vivian holds a marketing degree in Business Administration (magna cum laude). Her other published works include articles for The Chicken Soup for the Soul series, Woman’s World, Viewpoint, and JUST FINE: Unmasking Depression and Anxiety Disorders (due out in 2009). She is featured on the 2009 Faces of Recovery Calendar and is a Board of Director for A New Path (Parents for Addiction Treatment and Healing).

You can visit Vivian Eisenecher's website at: http://www.recoveringme.com/.

Amazing Grays by Maggie Rose Crane

2009-01-04T14:10:00.004-06:00

About the book:

Balanced somewhere between a memoir and a how-to, AMAZING GRAYS is a uniquely refreshing and candid look at midlife for those unwilling to become feeble old women with boobs in their laps, dreams on the shelf, and Memory Lane their only destination. As a leading edge boomer, Maggie uses her own journey through midlife to shatter stereotypes about aging. At the core of her message, she exposes the fears and anxieties that often haunt maturing women and reveals how to mindfully navigate the turbulence with wisdom, perspective and practice. She encourages women to relish their roles as Amazing Grays and not waste time and energy trying to hang on to the past.

For women who are entertaining the possibility of life without hair dye, Maggie shares her story of going gray. She outlines several strategies to take you from colored to natural and includes photos and stories of women who have taken the plunge.

Hers is not an anti-aging message. This book is a little about going gray and a lot about aging mindfully and joyously (with a healthy dose of kicking and screaming) from an everyday womans perspective.

Review:

by Tess 0f Think Between the Ink

This book is a wonderful compilation of how to successfully and gracefully move through your 50's and beyond. This is a difficult time in a woman's life, at best, and this author has certainly provided us with all the information we need to survive and become fulfilled during this time.

She reminds us that we are the "boomer" generation who has never taken anything lying down and that we can change the stigma of what it means to get "old."

I truly give her credit for deciding to let her hair "go gray." She explains in great detail how much damage hair color can do physically to a woman. She has done much research in this area and as a hairdresser myself, I can tell you that her findings are a accurate. Unfortunately, I can also tell you that I'm not as gutsy as she is because I still color my hair. This truly is the one thing woman seem to think they can "control" as far as getting older. But, if we were all honest with ourselves, we would realize that it never looks natural because it isn't.

She also goes into a deep and very informative description of the cause and affects of menopause. I learned so much by reading these chapters. Every woman should be informed about this very crucial part of their lives and the affects it has on all of us. So many unasked questions were answered for me that I actually felt empowered.

There is also a lot of emotional and spiritual suggestions that can certainly pump up any woman who is trying to smoothly move through mid-life. If you feel like you don't know where you "fit" anymore it will become clear after reading this book.

This book is also peppered with anecdotes and quotes throughout. It is a great resource for any woman and I thank this author for making me see things more clearly. This book is highly recommended and you will keep going back to it for encouragement.

About the author:

Maggie Crane was born on the leading edge of the Baby Boom generation, and has had the quintessential boomer experience: she worked her way through college, married, had a child, divorced, thrived in a few careers, survived as a single mom, remarried and struggled with blended family issues.

After traveling the country for nearly a decade delivering leadership and life skills workshops for women, the demands of her travel schedule and the onset of menopause collided with the big 5-0. She was moved to press the pause button on her life and reassess her priorities. She watched in astonishment as her skin began to lose its elasticity, and was mildly horrified when her tummy morphed into a permanent flotation device. Smile lines etched in deeper and she found it necessary to color her hair more often. When she made the decision to stop dyeing her hair, she came face-to-face with her fears about aging in a youth oriented culture. And so began her not-so-graceful quest to age mindfully.

Gradually, Maggie learned that her frustrations, fears and anxieties about aging grew quiet when she faced them directly. She learned to refocus her energies on the people, things and activities that brought a smile to her face and a song to her heart. By letting go of old identities and rediscovering new passions, she has gradually (but not always gracefully) hitched her rope to a growing movement of Amazing Grays.

Sunday Salon - Fourth Annual NaJuReMoNoMo

2009-01-04T09:28:00.002-06:00

Now, that's certainly a mouthful, isn't it? I have vowed to try and track my books better this year (having finished only one so far) and when I saw this I saw it as an opportunity to track them for January and possibly earn a badge...what could be better than that?! Here are the details:

It's hard to believe that it is now the Fourth Annual National Just Read More Novels Month, or NaJuReMoNoMo as I prefer to call it (just not aloud, because it nearly unpronounceable). This is my lower threshold alternative to National Novel Writing Month which requires an awful lot of writing and not everybody can write. But if you are here, you can read. The rules are really, really simple. All you have to do is read a novel in the month of January. Since there always people that want to know the full legalities, here are this year's version of the fine print:

Only Novels Count. This means no non-fiction books, memoirs, short stories, essay collections, or books based on internet memes like LOLcats.
The judge is out on graphic novels. It's your call.
Memoirs Don’t Count. Even if they are fictional. And especially if they are fake memoirs about the Holocaust.
It Can’t Be A Novel You Have Already Read. Expand your horizons. Try some new authors.
You Must Start At The Beginning. If the book is on your nightstand, you have to start over. We are looking at January 1 to January 31. That is 31 days. We are on a deadline.
Have Fun. This a lark. You wouldn't be reading if you didn't enjoy it. And of course we have our valuable prizes. You get to brag about your literacy ability by posting our "Winner" badges on your site. Any book qualifies for the Blue Winner badge. Now a lot of people read more than one. Three books qualifies for the Green Badge. Five gets the Silver Badge and ten is the Gold level.

For more info, click here.

Love and Other Natural Disasters by Holly Shumas

2009-01-02T17:29:00.001-06:00

Eve is eight months pregnant and in the middle of a Thanksgiving celebration when she discovers that her husband Jonathan has developed an intimate relationship with a woman over the past year. Jonathon asserts his innocence (an affair involves physical intimacy, and he didn't have any), while Eve feels deeply betrayed by the emotional connection he shared with someone else. What Jon has done seems so terrifyingly out of character that Eve finds herself questioning her entire reality. Did she ever really know Jon at all? Was their happiness together a lie? Is emotional intimacy more forgivable than sexual intimacy? And can their marriage survive?

Eve and Jon seem to have it all, a wonderful son, Jacob with a baby due in a few months time. But, when Eve overhears Jon on the phone during Thanksgiving dinner her whole world crumbles. Laney happened. Eve makes everyone leave and confronts Jon, who admits to having an "emotional" relationship with Laney over the past year. He doesn't see this as cheating because it never once got physical, although he "has love" for her.

This book was very thought provoking. My husband and I discussed it, and I was with Eve's friend Lil. I thought that an emotional relationship was worse than a physical one, and it would be harder for me to forgive. I was happy with the ending and how the author brought you to it. She also left the possibility of a sequel - I for one would love to know more about what happens with Uncle Charlie.

This is the first book that I have read by this author, but I really enjoyed it. Once again I want to thank Miriam Parker of The Hachette Book Group for sending this to me for review.

Children's Book Author Linda Thieman on Virtual Book Tour January '09

2009-01-01T07:40:00.001-06:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

KATIE AND KIMBLE: A GHOST STORY VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR JANUARY ‘09

Join children’s fiction author Linda Thieman on her first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion Public Relations as she travels the blogosphere in January to talk about her latest release, "Katie and Kimble: A Ghost Story".

Nine-year-old Katie Russell and her family LOOK like a normal family. But the Russell’s don't know they are living with Kimble, the ghost of a ten-year-old girl. That is, until Katie discovers Kimble and the two of them set off on a quest to find out what happened to Kimble's mother. -- Katie & Kimble: A Ghost Story is a chapter book at RL3 (reading level 3), and is the first in a series. The Katie & Kimble books are funny, engaging and exciting, but are not fear-based.

"I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Nonstop action! It has all the elements that will keep this notoriously short-attention audience enraptured: a ghost, mysteries, secrets, danger, friendship, religious intrigue. This is a story for the ages, with everything it needs to stay interesting from beginning to end.“

“The simplicity of the writing is both compelling and intriguing - it tells the story in a straightforward fashion that is also somehow repetitive and lyrical. The descriptions are wonderful, and the history of Kimble is sure to keep readers turning the pages. Also, kids will love all the secrets and mysteries in the book. I think it’s a tale that will appeal greatly to its target audience.“ Judge’s comments from The Writer’s Digest 15th Annual International Self-Published Book Awards (2007)

Linda Thieman writes the Katie and Kimble chapter book series (RL3) and runs the Katie & Kimble Blog (http://www.katieandkimbleblog.com). She is a former English language teacher who has created a set of reading skills activity packets and classroom materials that teachers and homeschoolers can download from the Katie and Kimble Blog free of charge. The materials correspond to the first two books in the Katie and Kimble series and are guided by the standards set for third grade reading skills nationally and in Iowa school systems.

Linda lives in Sioux City, Iowa. She hopes to publish Katie and Kimble: The Golden Door (book 3) in 2009.

For more information please visit http://www.katieandkimbleblog.com/KK--PR--Bk-1-Linda-Thieman.pdf

"I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Linda," says Tracee Gleichner, Tour Coordinator for Pump Up Your Book Promotion Public Relations. "I think this book has everything needed to be a big hit!"

The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker

2008-12-31T15:55:00.005-06:00

When Truly Plaice's mother was pregnant, the town of Aberdeen joined together in betting how recordbreakingly huge the baby boy would ultimately be. The girl who proved to be Truly paid the price of her enormity; her father blamed her for her mother's death in childbirth, and was totally ill equipped to raise either this giant child or her polar opposite sister Serena Jane, the epitome of femine perfection. When he, too, relinquished his increasingly tenuous grip on life, Truly and Serena Jane are separated--Serena Jane to live a life of privilege as the future May Queen and Truly to live on the outskirts of town on the farm of the town sadsack, the subject of constant abuse and humiliation at the hands of her peers.

Serena Jane's beauty proves to be her greatest blessing and her biggest curse, for it makes her the obsession of classmate Bob Bob Morgan, the youngest in a line of Robert Morgans who have been doctors in Aberdeen for generations. Though they have long been the pillars of the community, the earliest Robert Morgan married the town witch, Tabitha Dyerson, and the location of her fabled shadow book--containing mysterious secrets for healing and darker powers--has been the subject of town gossip ever since. Bob Bob Morgan, one of Truly's biggest tormentors, does the unthinkable to claim the prize of Serena Jane, and changes the destiny of all Aberdeen from there on.

When Serena Jane flees town and a loveless marriage to Bob Bob, it is Truly who must become the woman of a house that she did not choose and mother to her eight-year-old nephew Bobbie. Truly's brother-in-law is relentless and brutal; he criticizes her physique and the limitations of her health as a result, and degrades her more than any one human could bear. It is only when Truly finds her calling--the ability to heal illness with herbs and naturopathic techniques--hidden within the folds of Robert Morgan's family quilt, that she begins to regain control over her life and herself. Unearthed family secrets, however, will lead to the kind of betrayal that eventually break the Morgan family apart forever, but Truly's reckoning with her own demons allows for both an uprooting of Aberdeen County, and the possibility of love in unexpected places.

After reading the back of this book, I really wasn't sure what to expect when reading it. This book centers around Truly Plaice. When Truly's mother is pregnant, the whole town places bets as to how big the boy is going to be, and the guesses are high due to the enormous size of her belly. When Dr. Robert Morgan examines her, he notices a lump in her breast, a lump she keeps secret, even though it will kill her. When her water breaks and contractions start, Dr. Robert Morgan tries to help her through the delivery to the best of his ability, but the size of the baby proves to be too much. When he asks her what name she has chosen the last word she utters is Truly. Thus is the beginning of Truly's existence.

Truly is destined to be miserable. Her sister Serena Jane is beautiful by anyone's standards, and not only is Truly homely, she is enormous besides. Her father blames her and the doctor for the untimely death of his wife (even though she would have passed from cancer shortly after her birth) and refuses to seek medical attention for his daughter, even though it is obvious there is something wrong with her.

After the death of their father, the girls are separated. Serena Jane, who is treated as a princess by most of the town, but especially by Amanda Pickerston, is welcomed with open arms into their home. But there is no way they are going to take in something as homely and huge as Truly. Instead, truly is sent to the Dyerson farm, a home of outcasts where she is bound to fit in.

The girls continue to meet weekly, but grow apart even more...not that they were ever really close. They both fall into a pattern with their new families. And Truly continues to grow.

She does have a friend in Amelia, the daughter of the Dyerson's, who becomes like a sister to her. She also catches the eye of Marcus, even if he is the smallest boy in the class, he is full of knowledge and love for Truly, something that get exploited by Bob Bob Morgan, the son of Doctor Morgan, and a boy destined to be the next town Doctor, a tradition that goes all the way back to his great-great-great-grandfather, and his wife Tabitha, who it was rumored was a witch. Bob Bob also has his eyes on Serena, and one night he finally gets her where he wants her, a union that prompts a swift marriage due to her unexpected pregnancy.

Serena and Bob Bob move away and Truly doesn't hear from them for quite some time, with only the occasional letter and picture of her nephew Bobbie. So, when they move back to town she is hopeful that things will change. They don't. That is until Bob Bob (who is now called Robert) comes to tell her that her sister has left and wants her to help him raise Bobbie.

This is the beginning of a fascinating relationship, and a story full of love and incredible deceit. I found the story to be excellent, and truly loved the way the author described the characters. I went through a full range of emotions while reading this, and although it had a happy ending, it was really bittersweet when you realize everything that led to it. Highly recommended!

Tiffany Baker lives in Tiburon, California with her husband and three children. This is her first novel.

Thanks so much to Miriam Parker, of The Hachette Book Group for sending me this ARC to review!

The 2009 ARC Reading Challenge

2008-12-23T12:44:00.006-06:00

This sounded like a great challenge to me and I am going to follow Teddy's version of ARC - anything sent to me by a publisher or author-as an ARC. I do know that this isn't truly what an ARC is, but this will help me keep track of the books I receive.

Here are the rules:
1. To sign up, leave a comment and a direct link to your blog post about this challenge that includes your list from rule #2.

2. List all of the ARC's that you have to read right now. Then throughout the year, you must continue updating that list as you receive more ARC's. (This is important). You should also strike out the ones that you finish.

3. a. All of us who have or will have more than 12 ARC's must read and review 12.

b. All of us who have or will have less than 12 ARC's must read all of the ARC's we have. Note, that if you have 11 ARC's and then receive a 12th one you will be bumped up to catagory a.

4. You don't have to make a list of which ARC's you plan to read, but you can if you want.

5. Crossovers with other challenges are allowed and Audio-books are allowed as long as they are ARC's.

6. Read the books and review them on your blog. If you don't have a blog, you can post your review on sites like Powells, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc. Leave a comment on this post with a link to each of your reviews.

7. Please subscribe to my blog, as I will be posting updates to the challenge periodically.

8. Enjoy!

To sign up click here.

Here is my current list:

1. An Offer You Can't Refuse by Jill Mansell

2. Sucks to be Me by Kimberly Pauley

3. Ruby River by Lynn Pruett

4. Modern Magic by Anne Cordwainer

5. Roads to Quoz by William Least Heat-Moon

6. Lost and Found by Carolyn Parkhurst

7. Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand by Carrie Vaughn

8. Be Strong and Curvaceous by Shelley Adina

9. Drood by Dan Simmons

10. Rock Bottom by Michael Shilling

11. Run For Your Life by James Patterson

12. Houston, We Have a Problema by Gwendolyn Zepeda

13. Love and Other Natural Disasters by Holly Shumas - finished 01/02/09

14. Above the Law by Tim Green

15. The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker

16. Cross Country by James Patterson (audio)

17. Call Me Ted by Ted Turner (audio)

18. Along Stone's Throw by Alphie McCourt (audio)

19. No Experts Needed by Louise Lewis

20. Katie and Kimble by Linda Thieman

21. Blood Harvest by Brant Randall

22. Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell

23. Kissing Games of the World by Sandi Kahn Shelton

Wicked Game by Lisa Jackson and Nancy Bush

2008-12-23T07:07:00.000-06:00

About the book:

ONE BY ONE, THEY’LL DIE…Twenty years ago, wild child Jessie Brentwood vanished from St. Elizabeth’s high school. Most in Jessie’s tight circle of friends believed she simply ran away. Few suspected that Jessie was hiding a shocking secret—one that brought her into the crosshairs of a vicious killer…

UNTIL THERE’S NO ONE LEFT…Two decades pass before a body is unearthed on school grounds and Jessie’s old friends reunite to talk. Most are sure that the body is Jessie’s, that the mystery of what happened to her has finally been solved. But soon, Jessie’s friends each begin to die in horrible, freak accidents that defy explanation…

BUT HER…Becca Sutcliff has been haunted for years by unsettling visions of Jessie, certain her friend met with a grisly end. Now the latest deaths have her rattled. Becca can sense that an evil force is shadowing her too, waiting for just the right moment to strike. She feels like she’s going crazy. Is it all a coincidence—or has Jessie’s killer finally returned to finish what was started all those years ago?

My Review:

20 years have passed since the disappearance of Jezebel “Jessie” Brentwood, but the case is back in the news after bones are discovered at St. Elizabeth’s school. Detective Sam NcNally is hoping that he will finally get the break he deserves, and prove to all of the skeptics that she was murdered all those years ago.

Becca Sutcliff is shocked when she receives a phone call from her ex-boyfriend and true love Hudson Walker. The group of friends that hung out with each other at the time of Jessie’s disappearance is meeting to compare stories. The common belief is that the remains will be identified as Jessie, but they want to make sure that their stories haven’t changed. There seems to be a dark cloud hovering among the members of the group, and when tragedy starts to strike, Becca feels it’s only a matter of time before she’s next.

This paranormal romantic suspense thriller was well thought out and it was impossible for me to tell that it was written by two sisters. I have a feeling I know where the added romance came in, as this isn’t common in most of Lisa’s books. I felt it added nicely to the storyline, and made it appealing to a more diverse crowd.

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

2008-12-21T08:18:00.000-06:00

About the book:

In this stunning new book, Malcolm Gladwell takes us on an intellectual journey through the world of "outliers"--the best and the brightest, the most famous and the most successful. He asks the question: what makes high-achievers different? His answer is that we pay too much attention to what successful people are like, and too little attention to where they are from: that is, their culture, their family, their generation, and the idiosyncratic experiences of their upbringing. Along the way he explains the secrets of software billionaires, what it takes to be a great soccer player, why Asians are good at math, and what made the Beatles the greatest rock band.

Brilliant and entertaining, OUTLIERS is a landmark work that will simultaneously delight and illuminate.

My Review:

I received this book audiobook from Anna Balasi with Hachette Book Group. This is the first audiobook that I had listened to in a very long time, and boy was I glad that I started with this one. To be honest, I wasn't exactly sure what to expect when I started listening to it.

I found this book to be fascinating! Although some of the things he talks about may seem like common knowledge, for instance the fact that if you look at some of the best in their field and corelate that with the amount of time they spent to get there, you will see something very similar. The best musicians, The Beatles included, owe their success to the amount of time they spent practicing. While this may seem like a "duh" moment, the way the author brings these facts to light is new and innovative. It really makes you think.

There are many aspects of this book that I enjoyed, but quite possibly my favorite was the section on the hockey players and birth order. It actually had me looking on the internet to check birthdates of the "best" hockey players that ever played the game (by the way, Wayne Gretzky was born on January 26).

Truly a thought provoking book and one I would highly recommend!

About the author:

Malcolm Gladwell is a staff writer for The New Yorker. He was formerly a business and science reporter at the Washington Post.

2009 Pub Challenge

2008-12-19T20:21:00.000-06:00

Well, here we go, another challenge. This one is right up my alley as well. Here are the details:

Here are the 2009 rules:
Read a minimum of 9 books first published in 2009. You don’t have to buy these. Library books, unabridged audios, or ARCs are all acceptable. To qualify as being first published in 2009, it must be the first time that the book is published in your own country. For example, if a book was published in Australia, England, or Canada in 2008, and then published in the USA in 2009, it counts (if you live in the USA). Newly published trade paperbacks and mass market paperbacks do not count if there has been a hardcover/trade published before 2009.
No children’s/YA titles allowed, since we’re at the ‘pub.’
At least 5 titles must be fiction.
Crossovers with other challenges are allowed.
You can add your titles as you go, and they may be changed at any time.
Sign up at http://teddyrose.blogspot.com
Have fun reading your 2009 books

Not sure what my 9 will be yet, but will update as soon as I do:)

2009 TBR Challenge

2008-12-19T13:05:00.000-06:00

Well, here I go with my challenges. I have them all picked out (of the current ones)...at least I think I do. The first one I joined was the 2009 TBR Challenge. This one sounded like a lot of fun, and seeing how my to be read pile seems to never stop growing I thought it was appropriate to pick this one to start.

If you are interested, here are the rules:

* the challenge is to read 12 TBR books in 12 months -- you can read those all in one month if you want, or one a month, or however you wanna do it.
* you need to have a list posted somewhere for others to see (even if it's in a comment here)
* you CANNOT change your list after January 1st, 2009!!!* you can create an Alternates list of MAXIMUM 12 books, if you want, in order to have options to choose from (you can read these in place of books on your original list).
* audiobooks and e-books ARE allowed
* re-reads are NOT allowed, as they aren't TRUE "TBRs"* you CAN overlap with other challenges
* OPTIONAL: you can join the Yahoo! Group created for participants of the TBR Challenge, if you want to have a place to keep your list, or just to share with others about how you're doing! :)

Ok so here's my list and my alternate list:

1. A Book Thief by Markus Zusak
2. A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore
3. 19 Minutes by Jodi Picoult
4. A Woman of Independent Means by Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey
5. Sucks to Be Me by Kimberly Pauley
6. True Evil by Greg Iles
7. Hide by Lisa Gardner
8. All the Numbers by Judy Merrill Larsen
9. I Am Legend by Richard Mattheson
10. Eat, Drink, and Be From Mississippi by Nanci Kincaid
11. Roads to Quoz by William Least Heat-Moon
12. Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire

Alternates:

1. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
2. Duma Key by Stephen King
3. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Schaffer
4. House of Leaves by Mark Danielwski
5. Heartsick by Chelsea Cain
6. The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson
7. Beloved by Toni Morrison
8. Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith
9. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
10. The Little Friend by Donna Tart
11. Gap Creek by Robert Morgan
12. Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende

Drama and Diplomacy in Sultry Puerto Vallarta by Jenny McGill

2008-12-18T07:19:00.000-06:00

Jenny McGill grew up in the Deep South in Mississippi. After schooling she moved to Dallas where she met her husband, Howard. Their love of Mexico brought them to an early semi-retirement in 1973 in Puerto Vallarta.

About the author:

Jenny and Howard, moved to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico in 1973. She was appointed consular agent by the U.S. State Department in 1982 and spent fourteen years in that position.

Upon retirement, the McGills sought out the tranquility of the western Sierra Madres in the small village of Talpa de Allende, Jalisco. There she devotes her time to writing, promoting local artists and gardening. She says, "My love of robin-egg blue skies, breath taking sunsets that only God could paint, and music, which falls softly on my ear, is reason enough to be in Mexico."

You can visit her website at http://www.mjmcgill.com/.

About the book:

The non-fiction account begins in 1954 when an eager to see the world young woman looks for a path to explore.The first chapter, MEXICAN LOVERS, deals with meeting her husband and their retirement at an early age to a fast social life in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.She was removed from the fast lane with her appointment as consular agent by the U. S. Department of State, and placed into an even faster lane.

The majority of the book is compiled of vignettes of what the Foreign Affairs Manuals of the Department of State likes to call the 4 D’s: Death, Detentions, Destitutes, and Disappearances.The author has added a few D’s of her own: Dope, Dames on my Path, Dirty Old Men, to name a few. Primitive medicine, native superstitions, and sloppy bureaucracy mix and mingle within these pages, while visiting dignitaries such as Queen Elizabeth, ambassadors, secretaries, governors and movie stars rub elbows. Although the American flag is given the highest respect, diplomacy takes on a new meaning as the author slips and slides through the darker side of consular work on foreign soil.

WIN PRIZES!

DRAMA & DIPLOMACY VIRTUAL BLOG TOUR '08 will officially begin on December 1 and end on December 23. You can visit Jenny's blog stops at www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com.As a special promotion for all our authors, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour to a published author or a $50 Amazon gift certificate to those not published who comments on our authors' blog stops. More prizes will be announced as they become available.

When Life Stinks, It's Time to Wash the Gym Clothes by Kelly Epperson

2008-12-17T03:00:00.000-06:00

Join Kelly Epperson, author of the humor book, When Life Stinks, It's Time to Wash the Gym Clothes (RWG Press, Apr. '08), as she virtually tours the blogosphere in December on her first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion.

About the Author:

Kelly Epperson has been dubbed “Everywoman” and “Rare woman” in the same breath. Kelly’s style is uniquely her own, yet she can relate to all of us. Her weekly columns of life, real everyday life as well as travels through Europe, bring a warmth and a wit that we all long for.

Leaving her job at the IRS ten years ago (it was “sucking the life out of her”), she then embarked on a new career, and served as resident court jester, at a local nonprofit agency that taught English and reading to adults.

Kelly’s motto and quote that hangs over her desk is “To love what you do and feel that it matters – how could anything be more fun?!” After a year in France, Kelly returned to the states and launched a fulltime career of writer, ghostwriter, and speaker. Every day, she does the happy dance in her kitchen.

To maintain connection and spread a little joy with friends, family, and readers, Kelly recently started a weekly “happy mail” – When Life Stinks, Find Your Joy. To check it out, send Kelly an email to kel_epperson@yahoo.com.

Kelly lives in Loves Park, IL (city with a heart) with The Man of the Place, her two teenage sons, who are brilliant and witty of course, and a sweet dog Starburst who sheds like crazy. FYI-Kelly hates dog hair, hence, the essay, “It’s Not Easy Being Cruella DeVil.”

For more info, please visit http://www.whenlifestinks.com/.

My Review:

This was exactly my kind of book - a light hearted, easy read. I flew through this book and was able to relate to many of the tales she told. If I was forced to pick a favorite it would most certainly be "When In France..." (September, 2005). It cracked me up to read that her kids were willing to try foie gras du canard (something that I wouldn't even d0) and then labeled it "duck spam".

What I really enjoyed is the fact that I felt like I was sitting down chatting with a friend over a cup of coffee. Each piece had a reference point which I could relate to, and this really is a great way to draw your readers in and make them feel like they are part of the story.

Very well done!

About the Book:

Kelly Epperson, former IRS agent turned English as Second Language teacher turned writer and speaker, unabashedly tells it like it is, heartwarming and hilarious. From tales of life in France to going blonde to buttwear, you'll bust out laughing, you'll get a little misty, and you’ll be sad when this little book comes to an end.

When Life Stinks, It’s Time to Wash the Gym Clothes is a collection of her newspaper columns and no topic is taboo. From the “Job Hazards of Parenting” to “Mysteries of IQ Testing Revealed” to “The Scary, Hairy French Doctor,” you’ll share a hearty laugh as Kelly’s conversational style makes you feel you are a part of the happenings. She also grabs your heart with poignant tales of walking the D-day landing beaches, Grandma O, and her reflections as the days in France come to a close.

Kelly’s fans call her writing “witty, pithy, and real.” A freelance columnist since 2001, Kelly viewed her writing gig as a soul-fulfilling side job. The year in France was a break from reality that propelled her into a new career, that of fulltime writer, ghostwriter and speaker.

In an interview, Kelly states, “Ghostwriting – writing for others under their name – is a fascinating job, and I’ve written for New York Times best selling authors. But to have a book in my own name with no confidentiality clauses is a joy.” Kelly, always the dreamer, may see her name on the New York Times list someday.

Loyal readers are already screaming for more. “Words can’t describe how great your writing makes others feel.” Kelly’s essays are called charming and delightful, and her favorite, “a hoot.”

Some people devour her debut book in one sitting and others savor an essay a day. When Life Stinks, It’s Time to Wash the Gym Clothes reads like a letter to a friend because that is how Kelly sees her readers. In fact, she is now organizing a trip to Ireland with her readers!

Beautiful, inspiring, funny, When Life Stinks defies categories. Certainly women feel a kindred soul, but men too are captivated by Kelly’s writing. All ages too find a warmth and a wit that they can relate to; if ever there was a perfect gift for anyone at any time of year, it is When Life Stinks, It’s Time to Wash the Gym Clothes.

Excerpt:

The Message Is: “Look At My Butt”They’re everywhere. I thought it was a passing fad, but this fashion statement is sticking around. Teenage girls wear sweat pants with words emblazoned across the rear end. No matter the word, “Cute,” “UCLA,” or “Pinch Me,” the real message is “look at my butt.”

I shake my head with envy. Do it while you can, girls.

My fashion consultants, my boys, tell me I could wear sweats like that. “BIG” or “WIDE LOAD” tickle their fancy. They think “Danger: Hazardous Gas” would be hilarious. I think “Made You Look” would be clever.

As women age, more words fit on the gluteus maximus. The classic, “Does this make my butt look fat?” could be popular. Depending upon my mood, I’d wear “Yeah, baby, I still got it,” or “Thanks! No one has checked out my butt since 8th grade.”

Mother-daughter sweats could become a trend. Daughter butt: CHEER. Mom butt: “Would you believe this butt used to fit into a cheerleader skirt?” Mess with minds by stating “Objects in sweat pants are smaller than they appear.” Just for fun, print in vertical letters: Cheek 2 Cheek.

Certain communities are banning billboards so I predict derriere advertising will be common in the future. Young girls can make bucks renting their rumps to Nike with a big swoosh on the tush. Your daughter could earn cash for college by plastering Heineken on her heinie. The Army could attract more recruits with “Be all you can be” brandished on All-American behinds.

It’s bumper stickers, plain and simple. My more mature bumper could work for Jell-o.™ See it wiggle; see it jiggle. Plastic surgeons could drum up business for lipo suction: 1-800-SUCK-FAT. Fitness clubs could do a dual campaign. Tight buns wear “Gold’s Gym.” Doughy buns wear “Gold’s Gym? Is that next to the donut shop?” Sort of the opposite of the old public service ad, “this is your brain/this is your brain on drugs.” This is your butt at Gold’s; this is your butt if you don’t go to Gold’s.

Certain songwriters think bigger is better regarding the backside. Their lyrics could result in size appropriate butt wear slogans. Small: “Bootylicious.” Medium: “I like big butts, and I cannot lie.” Large: “Fat bottom girls, you make the rockin’ world go round.”

“If you don’t use it, you lose it” does not apply to butts. If you don’t use it, you get a whole lot more of it. Sit on it and it will grow. My butt used to be a separate entity from my legs. Over time, they have merged into a new flesh I call the “bleg,” the combined area of drooping butt into upper leg.

I need a butt bra to lift and separate my butt from my leg, giving me back the fanny of my youth. Bleg be gone. Then I’ll wear words across the seat of my pants: “The butt stops here.”

Review:

Kelly Epperson proudly displays her dirty laundry on the pages of When Life Stinks, It's Time to Wash the Gym Clothes. A collection of her famed newspaper columns, the book is a series of heartfelt observations and a well-balanced start for a brilliant writer. This is the kind of book that could easily launch an entire series of collections. It's light and warm-hearted, yet unmistakably comprehensive and soulful.--R. Pulfer, Rockford Review

Win prizes!

WHEN LIFE STINKS VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR '08 will officially begin on December 1 and end on December 23. You can visit Kelly's blog stops at http://www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/ in December to find out where she is appearing!As a special promotion for all our authors, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour to a published author or a $50 Amazon gift certificate to those not published who comments on our authors' blog stops. More prizes will be announced as they become available. The winner(s) will be announced at the end of every month!

My Splendid Concubine by Lloyd Lofthouse

2008-12-16T03:00:00.000-06:00

Join Lloyd Lofthouse, author of the historical fiction novel, My Splendid Concubine (iUniverse, Dec. '07), as he virtually tours the blogosphere in December and January on his first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion!

About the author:

As a field radio operator, Lloyd Lofthouse was a walking target in Vietnam in 1966. He has skied in blizzards at forty below zero and climbed mountains in hip deep snow.

Lloyd earned a BA in journalism after fighting in Vietnam as a U.S. Marine. Later, while working days as an English teacher at a high school in California, he earned an MFA in writing. He enjoyed a job as a maitre d’ in a multimillion-dollar nightclub and tried his hand successfully at counting cards in Las Vegas for a few years. He now lives near San Francisco with his wife, with a second home in Shanghai, China. Lloyd says that snapshots of his life appear like multicolored ribbons flowing through many of his poems.

This link takes you to Lloyd's 'Vietnam Experience' page filled with photos. He took many of them. Since Lloyd still has to edit the photos so they load faster, this page may load slow for older computers.

This link will take you to a media piece from a Southern California newspaper that Lloyd copied and posted on his Website that will give you an idea about his teaching years.

If you are interesting in learning more about Lloyd's teaching experience, you are welcome to read about it at AuthorsDen. 'Word Dancer' is a memoir of the 1994-1995 school year. He kept a daily journal that year. He is using that journal to write 'Word Dancer'. Everyday, when he arrived home, Lloyd wrote an entry in that journal. It sat on a shelf in his garage for fourteen years gathering dust. Spiders moved into the binder and built a nest. After all those years, Lloyd forgot he'd written it. When he was cleaning the garage, he found it again. Lloyd started reading, remembering and writing. Everything he writes in 'Word Dancer' happened. He's using a primary source as his guide. Memory may be faulty, but a daily journal written the day an event took place is as accurate as it can get from the author's point-of-view.

Accomplishments: Lloyd's short story "A Night at the Well of Purity" was named a finalist for the 2007 Chicago Literary Awards.

As a teacher, Lloyd found satisfaction in the number of students that published nationally and internationally while attending his English and journalism classes.

You can visit his website at http://www.mysplendidconcubine.com/.

About the book:

Driven by a passion for his adopted country, Robert Hart became the “godfather of China’s modernism,” inspector general of China’s Customs Service, and the builder of China’s railroads, postal and telegraph systems, and schools, but his first real love is Ayaou, a young concubine.

My Review:

What is a concubine? Concubines are women who cohabit with men but are not married to them. In ancient China it was common for successful men to have several concubines – the Chinese Emperors often kept thousands. Concubines’ situation ranged from pseudo-wives to poorly treated prostitutes. In this book, Robert Hart reveals the information about his concubine, Ayaou, to the Empress before he leaves China and heads back to die surrounded by his family.

Once again, I have found that historical fiction draws me in. I have to admit that I have never heard of Sir Robert Hart, but I have actually googled him to find out even more after reading this book. After reading the first few pages, the description made it easy to visualize the scenes the author was depicting in this story.

I have always had a fascination for the Chinese culture, and this book only piqued it more. Robert Hart leaves Ireland for a new beginning - he needs an escape from the disgrace that he has bestowed upon his family. He is thrust into a culture that he only slightly understands, but he vows that he will be a new man...an honorable man. Then he meets Ayaou.

Robert feels more for Ayaou than he has ever felt for any woman before. He is willing to do absolutely ANYTHING to be able to keep her company, and when he finds out that her father is selling her he decides that he must have her. But sadly, it is not to be. Instead, he ends up buying her younger sister - and at 14 she is quite young to be owned by a man not of Chinese culture. This fact may be disturbing to some readers, but this is a fact based novel, and it is tastefully written. I for one was fascinated.

I found it hard to believe that this was the first book by this author. It was evident that there was much research and hard work put into it. I look forward to reading his next book.

WIN PRIZES!

MY SPLENDID CONCUBINE VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR '08 will officially begin on December 1 and end on January 30. You can visit Lloyd's blog stops at http://www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/ in December and January to find out where he is appearing!As a special promotion for all our authors, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour to a published author or a $50 Amazon gift certificate to those not published who comments on our authors' blog stops. More prizes will be announced as they become available. The winner(s) will be announced at the end of every month!

The Devil Can Wait by Marta Stephens

2008-12-15T03:00:00.000-06:00

Join Marta Stephens, author of the crime mystery novel, The Devil Can Wait (BeWrite Books, Nov. '08), as she virtually tours the blogosphere in December on her first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion!

Editor's Note: Marta is the winner of a free virtual book tour sponsored by Pump Up Your Book Promotion. If you would like a chance to win a free book tour, leave a comment on our authors' blog stops and you could be the next winner! Winners are chosen at the end of every month!

About the author:

Marta Stephens is a native of Argentina who has made Indiana her home since the age of four. This mild-manner lady turned to crime with the publication of the first in her Sam Harper Crime Mystery series, SILENCED CRY (2007) which went on to receive honorable mention at the 2008 New York Book Festival and top ten in the 2007 Preditors & Editors Reader Poll. The second book in the Harper series, THE DEVIL CAN WAIT, will be released by BeWrite Books (UK) on November 3, 2008.

Stephens holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism/Public Relations from Ball State University (IN) where she is employed in human resources. She is a member of Sisters in Crime International, Sisters in Crime Speed City Indiana Chapter, and the Midwest Writer's Workshop.

Stephens believes learning is a life-long adventure. Aside from her writing, she is trained in graphic and web design. She co-designed the award-winning book cover of her debut novel, SILENCED CRY with friend Scott Parkison (IN), created the book trailer, and designed/administers her website, http://www.martastephens-author.com/, her personal blog, http://mstephens-musings.blogspot.com/, and the authors’ blog, MURDER BY 4 http://murderby4.blogspot.com/.

Stephens lives with her husband, daughter (22), and son (20). She enjoys oil paintings, gardening, the family’s pet Boston Bulls and mini Daschunds, and shared moments with family and friends.

About the book:

The city of Chandler, Massachusetts is plunged into terror when the bodies of three local teenagers wash ashore. While homicide detective Sam Harper hunts down the guilty, a sinister plot emerges overseas. From the Vatican to the jungles of South America, a cursed black pearl ring, the demonic prophecy it represents, and the men who pursue its powers find their unfortunate way onto Harper's turf.

Enthralled by the ring's story and a front-page spread, newspaper reporter Jennifer Blake agrees to pick up the ring at a local pawnshop for her former college professor. When she does, unforeseen events shoot Blake to the top of Harper's prime suspect list. Soon, the seemingly unrelated cases converge and the heat is on for Harper to expose the truth behind a Vatican secret and stop the self-righteous man who does the unthinkable in the name of God.

Review:

Marta Stephens knows how to feed the reader the clues and we’re given the opportunity to sit with the detectives as they hash over the cases. I recommend this series to any reader and am convinced it would interest anyone wanting to broaden their reading pleasure.Reviewed by Lucille P Robinson for Alternative Read

My Review:

It's been awhile since I've read a thriller - I have been trying to broaden my horizons when it comes to book reading and although this would have to be one of my favorite genres, I have tried to steer clear of it as of late. I sure am glad this is the one that I read first after being away for a short spell.

"The Devil Can Wait" is a Sam Harper Crime Mystery and is the second in the series. I have not read the first, and you certainly don't need to in order to appreciate this book. But I will certainly be looking for the first in the series, especially if it is anything like this book. The book focuses, or course, on the main character, Sam Harper. He is on the case of what appears to be a serial killer (I know some people will think I am strange, but serial killers, and books about serial killers fascinate me).

Teenage gang leaders are piling up in Chandler, Massachusetts. There is obviously a connection, but each is murdered in a different fashion, and there are no clues as to who is doing it or why. Sam is used to the nitty gritty involved in solving crimes that seem unsolvable to most, but this case will take him to a place most would never expect...the Vatican.

We also visit Colombia where we meet Alejandro. Recently beaten for skimming drugs from druglord Lorenzo, he is hiding with his mother, who is accused of being a witch and killing 3 priests...and she also possesses a black pearl ring - a ring that is wanted by some very dangerous people.

I really feel as if I am unable to do this book justice in reviewing it, without giving away too much of the story. Let me just say that if you are in the mood for a fast paced, well written novel there is no need to look further.

WIN PRIZES!

THE DEVIL CAN WAIT VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR '08 will officially begin on December 1 and end on December 23. You can visit Marta's blog stops at http://www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/ in December to find out where she is appearing!As a special promotion for all our authors, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour to a published author or a $50 Amazon gift certificate to those not published who comments on our authors' blog stops. More prizes will be announced as they become available. The winner(s) will be announced at the end of every month!

Testimony by Anita Shreve

2008-12-13T07:45:00.000-06:00

About the book:

At a New England boarding school, a sex scandal is about to break. Even more shocking than the sexual acts themselves is the fact that they were caught on videotape. A Pandora's box of revelations, the tape triggers a chorus of voices--those of the men, women, teenagers, and parents involved in the scandal--that details the ways in which lives can be derailed or destroyed in one foolish moment.

Writing with a pace and intensity surpassing even her own greatest work, Anita Shreve delivers in TESTIMONY a gripping emotional drama with the impact of a thriller. No one more compellingly explores the dark impulses that sway the lives of seeming innocents, the needs and fears that drive ordinary men and women into intolerable dilemmas, and the ways in which our best intentions can lead to our worst transgressions.

Review:

Believe it or not, this is the first book by Anita Shreve that I have read. And am happy to say that it will not be my last. This book centers around an act at a prestigious private school in Vermont - an act that is sure to change the lives of more than a few people.

When the headmaster (Mike Borden) is handed a tape by his secretary, he has no idea what he is about to view. Never in his wildest dreams did he expect to view a sexually explicit tape involving a 14 year old girl and 3 other students. The thing I enjoyed the most about this book is the fact that it is told from so many different view points. I believe that there are people that did not like this aspect of the book, but I for one found it very intriguing. Maybe in the hands of a lesser author this wouldn't have worked, but that certainly isn't the case with this book.

That said, this certainly is not a book that can be rushed through. You really need to take your time reading this one, or you are sure to become lost and disoriented easily. Some characters are more involved in the story telling, but there are some "blurbs" by characters that are just a few pages in length. All in all it is a very interesting way to write a book - I would love to hear how she kept things straight while writing it.

Thanks again Miriam Parker and The Hachette Group for allowing me to review this fantastic book!

About the author:

Anita Shreve is the critically acclaimed author of 14 novels, including Body Surfing, The Pilot's Wife, which was a selection of Oprah's Book Club, and The Weight of Water, which was a finalist for England's Orange Prize. She lives in Massachusetts.

The Five Lost Days by William Petrick

2008-12-12T06:58:00.001-06:00

Join William Petrick, author of the contemporary fiction novel, The Five Lost Days (Pearhouse Press, Nov. '08), as he virtually tours the blogosphere in December and January on his first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion!

About the author:

William Petrick is an Emmy Award-winning documentary producer/director who has created programs for National Geographic, Discovery, MTV, Court TV and many other cable and broadcast networks. He is currently a senior producer with Bill Moyers Journal on PBS. You can find out more about William's book by clicking here.

About the book:

Struggling documentary producer Michael Burns has traveled to the remote Maya Mountains of Belize to capture exclusive footage of the last surviving curandero. The traditional Mayan healer may hold the key to discovering new medicines among the vast, uncharted flora of the rain forest.

But with a violent civil war spilling across the border from neighboring Guatemala - and Burns inexplicably drawn to the aging curandero's American apprentice - the filmmakers stumble into a more explosive story than they ever could have imagined.

At once an adventure and an exploration into the nature of perception, THE FIVE LOST DAYS exposes the clash between modern culture and ancient beliefs.

REVIEW

“With spare prose, a fascinating location, strong characters and a damn good story, Petrick takes us into journalism’s heart of darkness; that is, the false sense of safety that comes with being the ‘outsider,’ the one who merely covers a story, versus the dangers of what might happen if one day you suddenly step away from of the middle of the road and fall into your story…”-- LINDA ELLERBEE, JOURNALIST AND AUTHOR

WIN PRIZES!

THE FIVE LOST DAYS VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR '08 will officially begin on December 1 and end on January 30. You can visit William's blog stops at http://www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/ in December and January to find out where he is appearing!As a special promotion for all our authors, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour to a published author or a $50 Amazon gift certificate to those not published who comments on our authors' blog stops. More prizes will be announced as they become available. The winner(s) will be announced at the end of every month!

Divorcing Dwayne by J.L. Miles

2008-12-09T06:59:00.000-06:00

Join J.L. Miles, author of the chick lit novel, Divorcing Dwayne (Cumberland House Publishing, Apr. '08), as she virtually tours the blogosphere in December on her second virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion!

About the author:

J.L. Miles (Jackie Lee), a resident of Georgia for over thirty years, hails from Wisconsin via South Dakota. She considers herself “a northern girl with a southern heart”. Her paternal grandfather was christened Grant Lee by her great-grandmother in honor of the many fallen soldiers on both sides of the Mason-Dixon Line.

Ms. Miles is a former D.I.A.L. Systems Engineer for Baker/Audio Telecom, one of the premier forerunners of voice mail. In addition to systems application, she provided voice tracks for several major companies, including Delta Airlines and Frito-Lay Corporation. A former Miss Racine, Wisconsin, Ms. Miles, made television, print and fashion appearances, and participated in various stage productions, including “Joan of Lorraine”, “The Dark at the Top of the Stairs” and “The Miracle Worker”.

She resides in a suburb of Atlanta with her husband Robert. Her debut novel, the critically acclaimed Roseflower Creek, was Cumberland House Publishing’s lead book when it debuted in hardcover. It is also available in Trade paperback. Earl Hamner, creator of The Waltons called it, “A powerful, extraordinary novel.”N.Y. Times best-selling author William Diehl wrote: “The lyric prose will thrill you, the story is unforgettable, and the characters will stay with you forever.”

Cold Rock River, the journey of two young women born a century apart, debuted September 2006 in hardcover. N.Y. TIMES best-selling author DOROTHEA BENTON FRANK writes: “Cold Rock River by J. L. Miles is a powerful story of family, love and loss that will keep you up into the wee hours. Absolutely wonderful! Beautifully told and straight from the heart of an exquisitely talented writer.”

Miles latest project is the Dwayne Series, a three-book southern anthology featuring Francine Harper, who is under felony assault charges for shooting at her husband Dwayne and his stripper/lover Carla from the Peel ‘n Squeal. Francine finds her strengths and reclaims her dignity via a trial and many errors. Divorcing Dwayne debuted April, 2008. Dear Dwayne releases April 2009. Dating Dwayne to follow.

When not writing, Miles tours with The Dixie Darlin’s, four nationally published book-writing belles—with a passion for promotion—serving up helpings of down-home humor and warmth.

Visit the website at http://www.jlmiles.com/.

About the book:

Francine Harper’s in the Pickville Springs County Jail facing felony assault charges. Her offense? She shot at her husband, Dwayne, and his lover, Carla, after catching them together— in the very bed her daddy had carved and given to Francine and Dwayne on their wedding day. Even though she hit the bed and missed the lovers, she soon learns she’s committed a felony, and the deputy district attorney—who’s never been fond of her since she jilted his brother—is determined to prosecute her to the fullest extent of the law. On the other hand, Dwayne is a local celebrity, a talented fiddle player with his own bluegrass band, the Rocky Bottom River Boys. Things are looking up for the band, and they have been selected to record the soundtrack for director Frederick Ford Gumbello’s latest film, Oh Mother, Oh Father, Where Art Thou? When Gumbello comes to town to meet the boys, he becomes enamored with the locale and stays to film the movie since Pickville Springs is the perfect setting for the film.

When Francine makes bail, aided by her best friend, Ray Anne Pickles, she discovers that the checking account she shares with Dwayne contains thirty thousand dollars she can’t account for, and she starts worrying about him. Strange things have been going on, and she still loves him. But she fears that he may have gotten involved with the local mob. Soon Francine finds herself in the arms of rising movie star Clay Carson, which is the last straw for Dwayne, who assaults Clay and disappears. When Dwayne can’t be found anywhere, Francine is suspected of foul play and is arrested for his suspected murder. But Francine is determined to find Dwayne, save him from the mob, and solve the mystery—with Ray Anne’s help, of course. In the interim, she discovers inner strengths and regains her dignity. Now the situation with Dwayne—that’s another story.

I jumped at the chance to be able to review this book. I read "Cold Rock River" a few months ago, and not only did I love the story, but J.L. has a writing style that I thoroughly enjoy. Although this book was totally different, my feelings on the author haven't changed. I loved this one as well!

Francine Harper hasn't ever thought too much of herself, and she knows that she has a more than an ample bottom half. But when she goes to the local pig-pull and sees Dwayne up on stage with the Rocky Bottom River Boys, she believes she has found the perfect man. It doesn't hurt when he compares her looks to Catherine Zeta-Jones. Six months later he asks for her hand in marriage and she jumps at the chance...if only she would have listened to her mother, who tried to warn her.

Not long into the marriage, Francine walks in on Dwayne and his Pamela Anderson wanna-be ex-girlfriend in bed together, with the headboard that was handmade for them by her daddy as a wedding present. Well, that was the last straw and she shoots at them...missing both of them. But, off to jail she goes and awaits trial on numerous charges.

Dwayne on the other hand hits the jackpot when his band lands the soundtrack for director Frederick Ford Gumbello's new film, "Oh, Mother, Oh, Father, Where Art Thou?". After Francine is released on bail, she notices an extra thirty thousand dollars in their joint bank account that she can't account for. And with the mob in town, she has a feeling he may have gotten himself involved with the likes of Joe Bob Banana.

There are so many twists and turns in this novel, but it is always upbeat and is easy to read. I especially loved Nanny Lou, who believes that her husband didn't die after choking on a piece of chicken-fried steak, but is truly alive and cheating on her with her best friend. She is a real riot!

I look forward to reading the two additional books in this series. Great book!

WIN PRIZES!

DIVORCING DWAYNE VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR '08 will officially begin on December 1 and end on December 23. You can visit J.L.'s blog stops at http://www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/ in December to find out more about her latest book!As a special promotion for all our authors, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour to a published author or a $50 Amazon gift certificate to those not published who comments on our authors' blog stops. More prizes will be announced as they become available. The winner(s) will be announced on December 23rd!

Flirting with Forty by Jane Porter

2008-12-04T09:30:00.000-06:00

About the book:

He got the second home and the Porsche. She got the kids and a broken heart. Now Jackie, post-divorce and heading toward the big four-oh, is on vacation in sunny Hawaii and staring down her upcoming birthday-alone. But not for long. She's soon falling for Kai, her gorgeous, much younger surf instructor, and the wild passionate fling they have becomes the biggest surprise of Jackie's life.

Back home in Seattle, Jackie has to struggle with single parenthood...and memories of Kai. He hasn't forgotten her. Yet thousands of miles of ocean-not to mention an age difference that feels even wider-separate them. And, of course, her friends disapprove. When a choice must be made, can she, will she risk everything for her chance at happiness?

Interested in the reading guide? You can find it here.

Let me start out by saying that once again I owe a big thank you to Miriam Parker of The Hatchette Book Group for sending me this book (along with two others by Ms. Porter). Thanks really isn't enough - you're an angel!

This book was one of the best books I have read in the last year! Books like this used to sit on my shelf waiting to be read - I used to limit myself to mostly suspense and horror books and would try and fit in a book of this kind every once in awhile to prove that I wasn't a book snob.

The blogging community has truly been an eye opener and I am truly blessed to have found fantastic people like Miriam who are willing to let me review books of all kinds. This book revolves around the life of Jackie Lauren. She has had an extremely trying year and is struggling to overcome the emotional scars that are left by her divorce and coping with being a single parent. As her fortieth birthday nears, she sees constant reminders about the difference between being a single parent and married families. She isn't sure how she is going to make it through.

She decides to accept the invitation of a friend to a go all out to celebrate turning the big 4-0. Her friend backs out at the last minute, but Jackie decides to go anyway, and try to bring some sunshine into her dreary days, and if any place can do that it would have to be Hawaii.

And boy does the sun shine when Jackie meets Kai, a gorgeous surfing instructor. Sure, he's ten years younger, but he makes her feel the way every woman wants and brings back some of the spark and sass that had been missing for so long. The affair is short, but her feelings for Kai follow her home and she is forced to decide whether she is reading more into them, or if this is a relationship worth pursuing, and if she can do this without the approval of her family and friends.

I really enjoyed this book! Although I haven't reached this age my relationship with my husband was questioned due to the age difference between us. Thankfully my family and friends accepted it, but it did take awhile. I love Jane's writing style and will be sure to read her other books. I really recommend this book and think it is an easy read with some depth and situations that most women can relate to.

About the author:

A UCLA grad with an MA in Writing, I am one of those original book geeks, the girl with the coke bottle glasses that sat with a novel next to the classroom door rather than play during recess. I wrote my first story in first grade, my first picture book in second grade and my first novel in 4th, and I've just continued to write from there—bad poetry, passionate essays, romance rich novels and poignant, bittersweet contemporary fiction.

But writing doesn't always come easy to me. I have to work at it. To go below the surface and find the real story in each story, the heart of the novel, the one the reader will hopefully remember long after the story is through. Writing makes me a bit mad which is why I work very hard to have good hair.

When not writing, what do I do for fun? Travel. I don’t know if it's from growing up in a small Central California town, or living abroad with my family when I was 13, but I crave change, travel, adventure. Put me in a car, a ship, a plane and send me off. I subscribe to countless travel magazines, have a library of travel books, and am always interested in where people have been.

Then of course, there are my kids. Being the mom of two boys I watch a lot of sports, and do goofy boy things with them like create slug habitats and nurture baby geckos. It's not the life I expected—I was such a Barbie doll girl—but its full of Tom Sawyer moments that surprise, delight and absolutely exasperate me but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

The boys and I live in Bellevue, Washington, six miles from downtown Seattle, and with the plethora of pro sport teams, rugged mountains, coffee houses and bookstores, it's the perfect place for a writer to call home.

You can find out more by visiting her website at http://www.janeporter.com/

Here's a little info about the origin of the book:

Yes, I'm dating a surfer, and yes, I got the idea for Flirting with Forty while staying at the luxurious Halekulani Hotel on Waikiki Beach in Hawaii, but two years ago when I had my brainstorm--and tracked down the sexy surfer for an interview--I never imagined we'd have one date, much less still be dating two years later. The fact that we're still seeing each other leads people to believe that Flirting with Forty is about me, us, but I sold the story to 5 Spot before there was an “us”.

I sold the story to 5 Spot when it was just a premise, a huge what if that teased me with lives unlived and paths untaken. The character Jackie is not me, but there is me in Jackie, just as there are memories and conversations that have become embedded, imprinted that demand in their own way to be shared. Spoken.

So which comes first? The writer or the story? The writer, yes, but the writer is made up of a lifetime of stories and everything that goes onto the page starts with an event, a word, a lost opportunity. Stories--books--are shaped by dreams, broken hearts, curiosity, wishes, accidental meetings. I went to Hawaii to finish a book for another publisher and left with a new novel idea. And even with the book finished, the idea lives on.

What if we could reinvent ourselves?

What if we changed our direction mid-stream?

What if wanted more than we had?

And thus (my) books are born.

I live and I write. I write and I live. And as I've tried to explain to my children and non-writer friends, I could not do one without the other. The two are so intertwined that I have been transformed by the writing. I am changed, just as my characters are changed. I write a new heroine now, one that asks questions and isn’t satisfied with a half portion of anything. Rather my heroines today demand happiness. They deserve fulfillment, satisfaction. And in the end, my readers are empowered, too, as the writer, the reader, and the character share one goal—to live more richly, to live with more love.

Copyright © 2006

is it just me or is everything shit? by Steve Lowe and Alan McArthur

2008-12-01T11:32:00.000-06:00

Reviewed by Tim Gleichner

About the book:

An encyclopedic attack on modern culture so hilariously bitter that it actually becomes uplifting. Based on two runaway UK bestsellers, this new American edition has been ingeniously adapted and features exclusive new material for US audiences by Brendan Hay, a former Daily Show headline producer and contributing writer to America: The Book.

If you hate chick lit, Che Guevara merchandise, pop Kabbalah, cosmetic-surgery-gone-wrong-as-tv-programming, DVDs with ads you can't skip, or any of a few hundred other insanely annoying modern things, then this book will finally lend creedence to your frustrations.

Say NO to the awful ideas, terrible people, useless products, and infuriating doublespeak that increasingly dominates our lives. Never before has there been a book so completely full of shit.

Clearly, it isn't just you...

Inside the book jacket this book is referred to as "the standard reference for everyone who believes that everything is shit". It also stated that "never before has a book been so entirely full of shit." I couldn't agree more. I think I understand what the authors were going for. Quick 4-5 paragraph bits of commentary on a wide range of common topics or themes that most everyone can relate to. Sort of Seinfeld, only with a lot more attitude.

The problem for me was I wasn't seeing enough humor. Instead, I saw more long winded rants that were less funny, more whiney, and punctuated throughout by quite a big of vulgar language. Profanity, when used properly and in context, can be quite funny. I didn't find that to be the case in this instance.

I believe the authors would have been better served to narrow down the list of topics, keep them current, and focus on shorter, sharper, commentary. This was just not my type of book in it's present form.

Thanks to Anna Balasi, and the wonderful people at The Hatchette Book Group for providing me with this book to review -you guys rock!

The Gate House by Nelson DeMille

2008-11-24T10:56:00.000-06:00

Reviewed by Tim Gleichner

About the book:

#1 New York Times bestselling author Nelson DeMille delivers the long-awaited follow-up to his classic novel The Gold Coast.

When John Sutter's aristocratic wife killed her mafia don lover, John left America and set out in his sailboat on a three-year journey around the world, eventually settling in London. Now, ten years later, he has come home to the Gold Coast, that stretch of land on the North Shore of Long Island that once held the greatest concentration of wealth and power in America, to attend the imminent funeral of an old family servant. Taking up temporary residence in the gatehouse of Stanhope Hall, John finds himself living only a quarter of a mile from Susan who has also returned to Long Island. But Susan isn't the only person from John's past who has reemerged: Though Frank Bellarosa, infamous Mafia don and Susan's ex-lover, is long dead, his son, Anthony, is alive and well, and intent on two missions: Drawing John back into the violent world of the Bellarosa family, and exacting revenge on his father's murderer--Susan Sutter. At the same time, John and Susan's mutual attraction resurfaces and old passions begin to reignite, and John finds himself pulled deeper into a familiar web of seduction and betrayal. In THE GATE HOUSE, acclaimed author Nelson Demille brings us back to that fabled spot on the North Shore -- a place where past, present, and future collides with often unexpected results.

Two phrases sum up my feelings about this book. The first would be the well know sports analogy "too little, too late". The second would be courtesy of Elvis Presley who asked for "a little less conversation, a little more action". Either one will do.

Now, to be fair, I didn't dislike this book. It's jus that a book that is nearly 700 pages long and has a Mafia Don looking to avenge his father's murder at the hands of his lover, who just happens to be the ex-wife of the main character, missed many chances to pump some life into the story.

The entire story comes to a climax in the last 30 pages or so, and that would be fine except that there is so much over written dialogue it takes 630 pages to get to that point.

Also, why take the time to develop a character like Mr. Nusim and imply that there may be terrorist danger, and then have nothing come of it.

And finally, while most things took quite awhie to develop, John and Susan got back together and decided to remarry after one meeting. I didn't get that at all.

"The Gate House" wasn't a bad book. Mr. DeMille would appear to be a talented writer whose style I quite enjoyed. In the end, the book was boring and even the big finish couldn't save it for me. It really was a case of too little, too late.

Thanks again to Miriam Parker of The Hatchette Book Group for sending me this book for review!

The Gifted Gabaldon Sisters

2008-11-22T12:40:00.000-06:00

Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (October 1, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0446699217
ISBN-13: 978-0446699211

About the book:

When the four young Gabaldon sisters lost their mother, it was Fermina, the old Pueblo caretaker living in their house, who held them together with her love and protection. Upon her death, she promised the girls they would each receive a special gift, selected just for them. And as time passed, what she bestowed - hands that can heal, a skill for spinning stories, the ability to incite laughter, and the power to curse others - emerged, bringing both blessings and tragedy. now, twenty years later, unsure of whether the woman who had loved them so was a fairy godmother or a witch, the sisters delve into the patched and woven history of their family. Here shadowed secrets wait patiently to be released into the light...to show the gifted Gabaldon sisters not only who their guardian really was, but the truth about themselves.

I was thrilled to receive a copy of this book from Miriam Parker, as I had heard such good things about it. I was initially intrigued because I heard that there was magic involved and to me there is something about books that have magic in them that just make me want to read them. And, although there was magic it was more in the storytellying than anything else.

"The Gifted Gabaldon Sisters" is the story of four sisters: Betty, Loretta, Rita, and Sophia. These girls all suffer the loss of their mother at a young age and the family housekeeper, Fermina, becomes the closest thing to a mother they have. She tells the girls that when she passes, they will each receive a special gift from her. And, they do. But, whether each gift is positive or negative remains to be seen. And what about Fermina - who was she to be able to bestow these gifts on her wards?

This story is told from the perspective of all four sisters, and although a less gifted author might have struggled to make this easy to read I found that Lorraine Lopez truly has a remarkable gift in being able to engage her readers and keep the stories from becoming muddled and hard to decipher.

This is the first book that I have read by Lorraine Lopez and I really enjoyed it. Books that focus around family are always my favorites, and this is one that I would highly recommend!

Grit for the Oyster

2008-11-21T03:00:00.000-06:00

About the authors:

Joanna Bloss is the author of God's Gifts for the Grad (Barbour, 2009) and has written for a variety of publications including Today's Christian Woman and Discipleship Journal. She is a certified personal trainer, graphic artist, and currently working towards her master's degree in clinical psychology. She lives in the Midwest with her four children. Keep up with her busy life at http://joannabloss.blogspot.com/.

Debora M. Coty is a seasoned raconteur (storyteller), a raqueteer (tennis player) and a racketician (loud laughter). Also a freelance writer and newspaper columnist, she’s had over eighty works published in international magazines, newspapers, trade journals and anthologies. You can visit her webwsite at http://www.deboracoty.com/.

Suzanne Woods Fisher is a wife, mother, writer, lifelong student of the Bible, raiser of puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind, a gardener and a cook...the latter two with sporadic results. A former contributing editor to Christian Parenting Today magazine, Suzanne's work has appeared in many magazines. Her first novel, Copper Star, a World War II love story, received three literary awards. Since then, she has published two more books and has five books under contract. Suzanne is a popular retreat speaker and teaches Precepts at her church. Find Suzanne on-line at: http://www.suzannewoodsfisher.com/.

Faith Tibbetts McDonald, a former contributing editor to Christian Parenting Today magazine, a newspaper columnist, freelance writer, professional speaker, and lecturer at Pennsylvania State University, received the Reader’s Pick award for an article published in Today’s Christian Woman magazine. Faith has contributed to numerous books including Women Ask, Women Answer: Questions Women Long to Ask, Answers They Need to Know (Thomas Nelson, 2008). Faith lives with her husband and three children in Pennsylvania. Visit Faith on Facebook.

About the book:

A powerful motivator for aspiring writers, Grit for the Oyster offers wit, wisdom, and inspiration to take that first step and persevere through the writing journey. More than a how-to, this confidence-building book is designed to draw readers to a closer relationship with God, to affirm their calling to write, and to offer pithy practical guidance from successful writers like Terri Blackstock, Martha Bolton, James Scott Bell, Liz Curtis Higgs, Dr. Gary Chapman, and Kavid Kopp.

WIN PRIZES!

GRIT FOR THE OYSTER VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR '08 will officially begin on November 3 and end on November 26. You can visit the authors' blog stops at http://www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/ in November to find out more about their latest book!As a special promotion for all our authors, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour to a published author or a $50 Amazon gift certificate to those not published who comments on our authors' blog stops. More prizes will be announced as they become available. The winner(s) will be announced on November 30!

Scattered Leaves by Richard E. Roach

2008-11-19T06:04:00.000-06:00

About the author:

Suspense/Mystery author Richard Roach was born in 1931 in Galveston, Texas. Short stories of his have been published in Man’s Story 2, Happy 2007, Vol. 20 and Bibliophilos 2006, Vol. 42. His first novel, Scattered Leaves, hit the book stores on September 1, ’08, and his second novel, Scattered Money, will be published in 2009.

You can visit his website at www.richarderoach.com.

About the book:

When Ben McCord comes home from a business trip to find his young wife raped and murdered, he starts out on a journey of death and destruction.Clues lead him to a dark world of drugs and violence in action that spans Texas, Colorado, and the Mexican border. McCord hooks up with a beautiful doctor, who was also victimized by members of the same drug cartel, and together they track down the killers, surviving bloody confrontations, and ending with a suspenseful climax in the Big Thicket of Texas.

WIN PRIZES:

SCATTERED LEAVES VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR '08 will officially begin on November 3 and end on November 26. You can visit Richard's blog stops at www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com in November to find out more about his latest book!As a special promotion for all our authors, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour to a published author or a $50 Amazon gift certificate to those not published who comments on our authors' blog stops. More prizes will be announced as they become available. The winner(s) will be announced on November 30!

Lighting the Dark Side by William R. Potter

2008-11-18T07:07:00.000-06:00

About the author:

"I was born in the late 60's in a suburb of Vancouver, Canada called Burnaby, and haven't moved far from home over the years.

My very active childhood imagination and knack for making up stories often got me into trouble. Perhaps this is where all writers get started? Shortly after watching the first remake of King Kong, around the age of ten or eleven, I decided to write a "book." I remember something about a monster crab attacking Vancouver.

Throughout my teens my mind was in a state of unrest and I used poetry to journal the ups and downs of those difficult times. Later, my work was published in a poetry anthology.

I returned to my love of storytelling in my twenties, writing numerous short stories; and now at forty, I am re-working two full-length novel manuscripts for publishing. Many more book ideas are at the researching and outline stage, keeping me busy at the PC.

When I'm not writing or working I am playing with my two children, aged three and five."

You can visit his website here.

I have to admit I wasn't sure what to think of this book. I am not always the biggest fan of short stories but I don't want to be considered a book snob so I do read them every now and then. It's books like this that make me wonder why I don't read them more often.

First of all, let me start by saying that I absolutely love the cover. Although a simple picture, it is a classic look and depicts the essence of the book. "Lighting the Dark Side: Six Modern Tales" is not an easy light hearted read. It delves deep into the human psyche and shows the dark side - a side we don't always want to admit is there.

I honestly don't think I can pick a favorite as they all contain such well developed (although not always likeable) characters and storylines. The thing that I enjoyed the most is that the writing has such feeling and you can relate to each and every story...even the dark sides of them.

About the book:

Lighting The Dark Side is an anthology of short fiction including three novellas and three shorter works.

The Stories

Bent, Not Broken.

An obsessive compulsive man falls in love; however, his disorder puts a severe strain on the relationship. Jealousy, low self-esteem, anxiety, and an increasing sense of violence engulf him until he pushes his new love away and falls into old habits of avoidance.

In the Gray.

A seemingly mundane phone call between a grown son and his mother uncovers the reality of one man's life. Tragedy interrupts the call seconds before the man can speak his truth and free his mind of decades of bitter animosity.

Prominent Couple Slain.

A former big city police detective is weary of the horrors of homicide investigation. A few weeks after transferring to a small town police service he faces the brutality of murder once again when a prominent couple is found dead.

May 18, 2010.

Growing pandemonium over the approach of an earth-grazing comet called Ivan is the backdrop for a man who is given numerous chances to make amends with his loved ones.

Blessing or Curse?

Who wouldn't enjoy winning the lottery? One man's million dollar windfall becomes a curse when his son is abducted and held for ransom. Along with three friends, he takes up arms in a frantic effort to rescue his kidnapped child.

Surviving the Fall.

A man with compassion for desperate souls meets a young street girl. Sickened by her life story, he impulsively offers her his couch for the night and then feels unable to send her away. The comfort the two find in their unorthodox relationship is short-lived; shattered by violence as the girl's past catches up to her.

THE LIGHTING THE DARK SIDE VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR '08 will officially begin on November 3 and end on November 26. You can visit William's blog stops at http://www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/ in November to find out more about his latest book!As a special promotion for all our authors, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour to a published author or a $50 Amazon gift certificate to those not published who comments on our authors' blog stops. More prizes will be announced as they become available. The winner(s) will be announced on November 30!

We Interrupt This Broadcast

2008-11-16T17:31:00.001-06:00

About the Book:

Where Were You When…?

Few phrases garner as much attention as “We Interrupt This Broadcast…” Wherever we may happen to be, our lives stop for a moment, and we experience those few seconds of anxiety between the interruption and the actual announcement of what has happened.

In words and images-and on two audio CDs-We Interrupt This Broadcast brings to life the famous and infamous moments that were announced to us with those four chilling words. From the dawn of electronic media to today, from the catastrophe of the Hindenburg to the tragic events of September 11, 2001, these are the forty-three events that stopped us in our tracks and changed our world.

We Interrupt This Broadcast recounts the details of the events and spotlights the photographs that tell the stories. Accompanying the book are two digitally mastered compact discs containing over two hours of audio from the events, narrated by award-winning journalist Bill Kurtis.

These heart-stopping moments include both the famous words you remember and rare audio footage that will take you back into the magnitude of the event. Share with your friends, family, children and grandchildren your memories of where you were when the world stopped and held its breath in anticipation.

Review:

I wasn't really sure what to expect when I received this book, but was anxious to read it and listen to the audio that accompanied it. I don't follow the news often but this book made me feel as if I was right there - it's so much different when you have the audio to go along with the story. You truly get a sense of the event that just reading about it does not do.

I wasn't alive during many of these events, and was too young to remember some of them. I was never a fan of history in high school or college, but using a tool such as this may have made all the difference. I enjoyed speaking to family members after reading about some of these events, to gauge their reactions. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning a little more about a lot of the most historic events to date.

The Bible Illuminated

2008-11-16T10:59:00.000-06:00

Let me first start off by saying that I have never read the Bible. I have browsed through it, and read passages but truly it seems like a stuffy piece of work (sorry if this offends, it is just my humble opinion). That is part of the reason why I signed up to see this version, all I had to do was see the cover to know that this was something totally new and innovative...and it did not disappoint.

The glossy pages and descriptive pictures are inviting, and are sure to draw in a new crowd of people who may not have been willing to read the Bible previously. I know there will be many critics but that's ok too - to each their own. The pictures add such depth to something that, less face it, is not an easy read. I only had an issue with one of the pictures, the one of a child holding a handgun. I wasn't sure exactly how this was supposed to fit in - I didn't think it was appropriate for this book, or any really.

Overall, I think this is an excellent tool to draw a "new" crowd to a very old book, and might make it easier for the churches to bring in the youth. Definetely worth checking out.

Thanks again to Lisa Roe for inviting me to be part of this endeavor!

Dead Ringer by Mary Burton

2008-11-12T07:32:00.000-06:00

Paperback: 384 pages

Publisher: Zebra October 28, 2008

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1420100270

ISBN-13: 978-1420100273

To purchase, click here.

Book Synopsis:

Beside each body, he leaves a simple charm bearing a woman's name. Ruth. Martha. Judith. The victims were strangers to each other, but they have been chosen with the utmost care. Each bears a striking resemblance to Kendall Shaw, a local anchorwoman...each brutally strangled by a madman whose obsession will never end...

In front of the cameras, Kendall is the picture of stylish confidence. But at night she's haunted by nightmares in which she is young, alone, and filled with fear. Are these memories-or omens? Despite warnings from Richmond Detective Jacob Warwick, Kendall can't stop investigating the recent string of murders. She knows she holds the key to catching an obsessed psychopath-if he doesn't get to her first...

The deeper Kendall and Jacob dig into the victims' backgrounds, the more terrifying the discoveries. For from the shadows of the past, a legacy of evil has resurfaced. Every murder, every moment has been leading to Kendall. And this time, nothing will stop the killer making her his final victim...

Jacob Warwick and Kendall Shaw have a past - a past both of them are trying desparetly to put behind them. Connected through a serial killer dubbed The Guardian, both of them are emotionally scarred and not willing to open up to anyone. When Jacob gets called to the scene of a murder, the resemblance of the victim to Kendall is obvious. He doesn't put too much thought into it, he has a lot on his plate and thoughts of Kendall are something he has tried to bury for awhile now, no matter how hard it is. It just so happens that Kendall is ready for some action and is sick of being an anchorwoman sitting behind a desk dishing out the news. She is popular with the public, and her boss decides to take a chance and send her out to try and get a lead on the murder. Sparks fly between Jacob and Kendall, but due to the situation and their respective jobs emotions are mixed and they do their best to avoid each other.

Another murder is reported, and at this point it is painfully obvious that both of these victims look like Kendall...and that she is in danger. Jacob does his best to keep her safe, but is his best going to be good enough? With many plot twists, and an ending that would make Hitchkock proud, Ms. Burton has a way of making even the most minor character come to life. I will make sure to read her first book as well - I'M WATCHING YOU. This is one author that is now on the top of my list for must reads. Wonderful!

About the Author:

MARY BURTON’s southern family has always enjoyed tall tales and a good yarns. Early on, MB realized that Story had tremendous power to inspire strong responses such fear, laughter, love and even sorrow. It didn’t matter if the tale was found in the pages of a book, spoken in hushed tones around a Girl Scout campfire, or spouted at an old fashioned southern family reunion. This appreciation of story motivated MB to earn an English degree from Virginia’s Hollins University.

After decade of working in marketing and sales, MB became convinced she could write and sell one of the many stories buzzing around her brain. Fingers crossed, MB left the marketing profession and devoted all her spare time to writing a novel. Soon after, she sold her first manuscript to Harlequin Historicals. Since that initial sale, MB had written twelve historical romances for Harlequin Historicals, four short romantic suspenses for Silhouette Romantic Suspense and a non-fiction book The Insider’s Guide to Direct Marketing. Her first single title romantic suspense for Zebra I’m Watching You is a December 2007 release.

In 2005, The Unexpected Wife was a finalist Romance Writers of America’s RITA contest and Wise Moves was 2006 nominee for the Romantic Times’ Critics Choice Award. I’m Watching You received critical acclaim from New York Times Best Selling author Carla Neggers who said, “Taut, compelling and emotional, I’m Watching You is romantic suspense at its most riveting. Mary Burton delivers a page-turner.”

MB resides in Virginia where she enjoys yoga, cooking, hiking and the occasional triathlon.

For more info, please visit www.maryburton.com

The House On Tradd Street by Karen White

2008-11-11T03:00:00.000-06:00

About the book:

Practical-minded Charleston realtor Melanie Middleton hates to admit that she can see ghosts—even to herself. But now she’s going to have to accept it. Because an old man she met only days ago has died, leaving Melanie his historic Tradd Street home, complete with housekeeper, dog—and a family of ghosts anxious to tell her something…

Enter Jack Trenholm, a gorgeous writer obsessed with unsolved mysteries. He has reason to believe that some diamonds that went missing from the Confederate Treasury a century ago are hidden in Melanie’s new home. So he decides to turn the charm on with the new tenant, only to discover that he’s suddenly the smitten one...

But it turns out that Jack’s search has caught the attention of a possibly malevolent ghostly presence. Now, Jack and Melanie must unravel a mystery of passion, heartbreak, and even murder. And they must hurry, for an evil force—either dead or alive—lies in wait…

This is the first book of Karen White's that I have read, but I can tell you I am going to try and get my hand on her others - this was a fantastic story. This book is part romance, part ghost story, and part mystery, but is woven in a way as there is no way to distinguish between them.

I have never been to South Carolina - this is a part of the country that I have always wanted to visit, and after this read she has ignited that passion even more. The description of the architecture, and the home that Melanie inherits from Mr. Vanderhorst were superb, I felt as if I was standing inside and could view every minute detail. Unfortunately, Melanie is not so thrilled. It comes as a shock to her that this house has been left to her, after all she has just met the owner 2 days prior while trying to talk to him about selling - even though she is not particularly fond of old houses (she doesn't really like them at all), it is the type of real estate sale she specializes in.

Melanie is not only left the house, but the funds to start the renovations...and there are quite a few of them that need to take place. She can refuse to accept the home, but if she does accept it she has to live in it for at least a year before she decides to sell (if she does). Even though it is not her cup of tea, she decides to accept the house and see what happens.

In walks Jack Trenholm. Jack is a writer that suspects there is a treasure hidden in the house. He volunteers to help Melanie with the remodeling but his intentions are completely noble - he is hoping to uncover something in the process. Before he knows what has happened, his feelings for Melanie have become quite strong and the house falls to the background.

But, there is something in the house that isn't happy to have them there. A spirit...but of who? Mrs. Vanderhorst, whose disappeared many years before with no information as to what happened?

This is a great read and is sure to please!

About the author:

Karen White marries her passion for Charleston, the architecture of the area, and its history and legends in her new novel THE HOUSE ON TRADD STREET, the story of a real estate agent who, though she specializes in homes in the city’s historic area, detests them. To do so, Karen had to conjure up and face a universal horror—renovation. Unlike her recent book, The Memory Of Water, for which she physically confronted her lifelong fear of deep water for the sake of research, this time out she enjoyed a metaphorical wallow in the joys associated with restoring a one hundred and fifty year old house and garden and let her characters deal with the pain.

White’s protagonists face everything from a leaky roof, old fountains, and cracked cornices to overgrown flowerbeds, paint chipped ceilings, disintegrating plaster and warped floorboards. For herself she saved the best. Her research included luxurious strolls on the streets of Charleston, sampling and choosing restaurants such as Magnolias, Gaulart & Malicelet, Cru Café, Blossom and Anson for her characters to enjoy. Rumor has it she also did a bit of shopping at RTW on King Street and spent an afternoon on the Battery visiting White Point Gardens. Relishing the architecture and choosing among Victorians, Federals, Colonial Revivals, Queen Anne, Dutch Colonials and others, along with the amazing range of colors and appointments, Karen eventually placed the house at the center of her story at “55 Tradd Street” in the downtown historic district and, inspired by an actual house on that street, imagined it as a Federal style single family home.

Italian and French by ancestry, a southerner and a story teller by birth, White has moved around quite a bit in her life. Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, she has also lived in Texas, New Jersey, Louisiana, Georgia, Venezuela and England, where she attended the American School in London. She returned to the states for college and graduated from New Orleans’ Tulane University. Hailing from a family with roots firmly set in Mississippi (the Delta and Biloxi), White notes that “searching for home brings me to the south again and again.” She and her family now live near Atlanta.

It was love at first sight when White first visited Charleston and South Carolina’s lowcountry in 1995. She says it was “inevitable” that she would set several novels in the area, as she did with 2005’s The Color of Light, which Booklist praises as “an accomplished novel about loss and renewal.” Three years later, she returned to the there with The Memory Of Water and, now, to Charleston with THE HOUSE ON TRADD STREET. Her love of the southern coast shows no sign of abating. Her next novel, The Lost Hours (May 09) is set in and around Savannah.

Karen White’s work has appeared on the South East Independent Booksellers best sellers list. Her recent novel The Memory of Water, was the Borders Books and Atlanta & Company’s Book Club Selection for May, topped off at the end of the month with their live, television interview with Karen. The Memory of Water, which is well reviewed in Atlanta Magazine and an array of other print and online book media, and was adopted by numerous independent booksellers as a book club recommendation and as a featured title in their store. It’s been back to press five times since its March 2008 publication, the first time within its first four weeks on sale. It is one of NAL/Accent’s fastest selling titles.

Adding to the excitement of The Memory of Water’s March 2008 debut, was the resounding, continued recognition achieved by White’s 2007 novel Learning to Breathe. This spring Learning to Breathe was honored with a National Readers’ Choice Award, the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, and the Virginia Romance Writers HOLT Medallion. It was also named a finalist for the Romance Writers of America’s Award for Best Novel, the Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence and the Georgia Author of the Year Award.

White credits years spent listening to adults visiting in her grandmother’s Mississippi kitchen, sharing stories and gossiping while she played under the table, with starting her on the road to telling her own tales. The deal was sealed in the seventh grade when she skipped school and read Gone With The Wind. She knew—just knew—she was destined to grow up to be either Scarlet O’Hara or a writer.

In addition to THE HOUSE ON TRADD STREET, White’s previous novels include Learning to Breathe, Pieces of the Heart, and The Color of Light.

THE HOUSE ON TRADD STREET VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR '08 will officially begin on November 3 and end on November 26. You can visit Karen's blog stops at www.virtualbooktoursforauthors.wordpress.com in November to find out more about her latest book!As a special promotion for all our authors, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour to a published author or a $50 Amazon gift certificate to those not published who comments on our authors' blog stops. More prizes will be announced as they become available. The winner(s) will be announced on our main blog at www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.wordpress.com on November 30!

Lost and Found winners are...

2008-11-09T16:01:00.000-06:00

Sorry that this post is late - it has been one of those weekends. But here you go, the winners are:

Paige
Huguette E.
Blue Tourmaline
Pams Pride
Estelle

Could you all please contact me at novelnoise(at)live(dot)com with your full mailing address so I can get these out to you? To the rest of you, please stay tuned for more giveaways!

Blackbird, Farewell by Robert Greer Book Spotlight

2008-11-07T07:55:00.000-06:00

About the author:

Robert is a native of Columbus, Ohio, who spent his formative years in the steel mill town of Gary, Indiana. He graduated from Miami University at Oxford, Ohio, in 1965 with a Bachelor of Arts degree and subsequently earned degrees in dentistry, medicine and pathology from Howard University and Boston University. He is a professor of pathology, medicine, surgery, and dentistry at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center where he specializes in head and neck pathology and cancer research. He also holds a masters degree in Creative Writing from Boston University and an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Miami University, his alma mater. Greer has lived in Denver for thirty years. In 1986 he founded The High Plains Literary Review and continues to serve as its editor-in-chief. He is the author or co-author of three medical textbooks and over 125 scientific articles. His short stories have appeared in dozens of national literary magazines and his short story collection, ISOLATION AND OTHER STORIES, published in 2000 by The Davies Group Publishers, sold out its hardback printings and is now in trade paperback.

Greer has been involved in cancer research at the University of Colorado Health Science Center for more than thirty years. In 1983 his research group was the first in the world to report a synergistic link between smokeless tobacco use and human papillomaviruses in certain cancers of the mouth. That research foundation is the basis for the plot of THE DEVIL'S HATBAND.

In addition to writing, medicine, and research, Greer reviews books for a Denver National Public Radio affiliate, KUVO, and raises cattle on his ranch near Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

You can visit Robert on the web at www.robertgreerbooks.com

About the book:
Shandell “Blackbird” Bird has everything going for him, or so he thinks. Recently selected number two overall in the NBA draft, the six foot eight, 250-pound superstar has a gleaming new ride and a salary and athletic shoe contract that make him an instant millionaire. What he doesn’t have, is the ability to bury secrets from his past.

When Shandell is found shot to death midcourt, his best friend and college teammate Damion Madrid sets out to find the killer. Damion is well-meaning but naïve; luckily his godfather is gumshoe CJ Floyd. Floyd and his partner, Flora Jean Benson, are there to watch his back as Damion stumbles down a shadowy trail that leads to Shandell’s purported peddling of steroids and big-game point shaving. When he discovers a “Blackbird” he never knew and is able to put a face on Shandell’s killer, Damion finds himself in over his head. Will CJ be there in time to preven this godson from joining Shandell? Featuring the vivid characters and streetwise dialogue that have made the CJ Floyd series a critical and commercial success, Blackbird, Farewell is a punch-packing whodunit that exposes the dark side of the pro-athlete good life.

FAREWELL, BLACKBIRD VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR '08 will officially begin on November 3 and end on November 26. You can visit Robert's blog stops at www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com in November to find out more about her latest book!

As a special promotion for all our authors, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour to a published author or a $50 Amazon gift certificate to those not published who comments on our authors' blog stops. More prizes will be announced as they become available. The winner(s) will be announced on November 30!

USA Today Top Selling Books Meme

2008-11-06T13:14:00.000-06:00

S. Krishna Books decided to turn USA TODAY's Best-Selling Books of Last 15 Years into a meme. Let's see how I do.

So here's the deal: bold what you've read, italicize what you own, star books on your TBR list!

1 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J.K. Rowling, art by Mary GrandPre
2 Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution - Robert C. Atkins
3 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
4 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling, art by Mary GrandPre
5 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J.K. Rowling, art by Mary GrandPre
6 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J.K. Rowling, art by Mary GrandPre
7 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling, art by Mary GrandPre
8 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K. Rowling, art by Mary GrandPre
9 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J.K. Rowling, art by Mary GrandPre
10 Who Moved My Cheese? - Spencer Johnson
11 The South Beach Diet - Arthur Agatston
12 Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom
13 Angels & Demons - Dan Brown*
14 What to Expect When You're Expecting - Heidi Murkoff, Arlene Eisenberg, Sandee Hathaway
15 The Purpose-Driven Life - Rick Warren
16 The Five People You Meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom*
17 The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen R. Covey
18 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
19 Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus - John Gray
20 The Secret - Rhonda Byrne*
21 Rich Dad, Poor Dad - Robert T. Kiyosaki with Sharon L. Lechter
22 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
23 Don't Sweat the Small Stuff ... And It's All Small Stuff - Richard Carlson
24 The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd
25 Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert*
26 Twilight - Stephenie Meyer
27 The Notebook - Nicholas Sparks
28 The Memory Keeper's Daughter - Kim Edwards
29 The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
30 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
31 A New Earth - Eckhart Tolle
32 Oh, the Places You'll Go! - Dr. Seuss
33 The Four Agreements - Don Miguel Ruiz
34 Angela's Ashes - Frank McCourt
35 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
36 Body-for-Life - Bill Phillips, Michael D’Orso
37 New Moon - Stephenie Meyer
38 Night - Elie Wiesel, translations by Marion Wiesel and Stella Rodway
39 Chicken Soup for the Soul - Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen
40 The Greatest Generation - Tom Brokaw
41 Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer
42 The Celestine Prophecy - James Redfield
43 Wicked - Gregory Maguire*
44 Good to Great - Jim Collins
45 Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer
46 Eragon - Christopher Paolini*
47 Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood - Rebecca Wells
48 Your Best Life Now - Joel Osteen
49 In the Kitchen With Rosie - Rosie Daley
50 Simple Abundance - Sarah Ban Breathnach
51 A Child Called It - Dave Pelzer
52 A Million Little Pieces - James Frey*
53 The Testament - John Grisham*
54 Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul - Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Kimberly Kirberger
55 Deception Point - Dan Brown
56 The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho*
57 Marley & Me - John Grogan*
58 Dr. Atkins' New Carbohydrate Gram Counter - Robert C. Atkins
59 Life of Pi - Yann Martel*
60 The Brethren - John Grisham
61 The South Beach Diet Good Fats Good Carbs Guide - Arthur Agatston
62 The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town - John Grisham
63 For One More Day - Mitch Albom
64 The Polar Express - Chris Van Allsburg
65 The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
66 The Last Lecture - Randy Pausch, Jeffrey Zaslow
67 What to Expect the First Year - Arlene Eisenberg, Heidi Murkoff, Sandee Hathaway
68 Love You Forever - Robert Munsch, art by Sheila McGraw
69 Green Eggs and Ham - Dr. Seuss
70 A Painted House - John Grisham
71 The Rainmaiker - John Grisham
72 Skipping Christmas - John Grisham
73 Cold Mountain - Charles Frazier*
74 The Curious Incident of the Dog In the Night-Time - Mark Haddon*
75 Life Strategies - Phillip C. McGraw
76 Seabiscuit: An American Legend - Laura Hillenbrand
77 The Summons - John Grisham
78 Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil - John Berendtt
79 The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien
80 The Runaway Jury - John Grisham
81 Goodnight Moon Board Book - Margaret Wise Brown, art by Clement Hurd
82 The Perfect Storm - Sebastian Junger*
83 Snow Falling on Cedars - David Guterson*
84 The Giver - Lois Lowry*
85 Embraced by the Light - Betty J. Eadie
86 The Chamber - John Grisham
87 You: On A Diet - Michael F. Roizen, Mehmet C. Oz
88 The Prayer of Jabez - Bruce Wilkinson*
89 Holes - Louis Sachar*
90 Digital Fortress - Dan Brown
91 The Shack - William P. Young*
92The Devil Wears Prada - Lauren Weisberger*
93 Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen*
94 A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini*
95 The Seat of the Soul - Gary Zukav
96 Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul - Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Jennifer Read Hawthorne, Marci Shimoff
97 The Partner - John Grisham
98 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
99 Eldest: Inheritance, Book II - Christopher Paolini
100 The Broker - John Grisham
101 The Street Lawyer - John Grisham
102 A Series of Unfortunate Events No. 1: The Bad Beginning - Lemony Snicket*
103 The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver
104 Into the Wild - Jon Krakauer
105 The King of Torts - John Grisham
106 The Tipping Point - Malcolm Gladwell
107 The Horse Whisperer - Nicholas Evans*
108 Hannibal - Thomas Harris
109 The Audacity of Hope - Barack Obama
110 Running With Scissors - Augusten Burroughs
111 The Glass Castle: A Memoir - Jeannette Walls
112 My Sister's Keeper - Jodi Picoult
113 The Last Juror - John Grisham
114 The Devil in the White City - Erik Larson*
115 Left Behind - Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins
116 America (The Book) - Jon Stewart and The Writers of The Daily Show
117 The Red Tent - Anita Diamant*
118 John Adams - David McCullough
119 The Christmas Box - Richard Paul Evans
120 The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants - Ann Brashares*
121 Sugar Busters! - H. Leighton Steward, Sam S. Andrews, Morrison C. Bethea, Luis A. Balart
122 Blink - Malcolm Gladwell*
123 The Power of Now - Eckhart Tolle
124 90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death and Life - Don Piper, Cecil Murphey
125 The Fellowship of the Ring - J.R.R. Tolkien
126 1776 - David McCullough
127 The Bridges of Madison County - Robert James Waller*
128 Where the Heart Is - Billie Letts
129 The Ultimate Weight Solution - Phillip C. McGraw
130 Protein Power - Michael R. Eades, Mary Dan Eades
131 Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul - Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Jennifer Read Hawthorne, Marci Shimoff
132 Into Thin Air - Jon Krakauer*
133 Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides
134 Three Cups of Tea - Greg Mortenson, David Oliver Relin
135 You: The Owner's Manual - Michael F. Roizen, Mehmet C. Oz
136 1,000 Places to See Before You Die: A Traveler’s Life List - Patricia Schultz*
137 Self Matters - Phillip C. McGraw
138 She's Come Undone - Wally Lamb
139 1984 - George Orwell
140 The Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. Lewis*
141 The Millionaire Next Door - Thomas J. Stanley, William D. Danko
142 The Other Boleyn Girl - Philippa Gregory*
143 The Zone - Barry Sears, Bill Lawren
144 The Pilot's Wife - Anita Shreve*
145 The Lost World Michael Crichton
146 Atonement - Ian McEwan*
147 He's Just Not That Into You - Greg Behrendt, Liz Tuccillo
148 Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
149 The World Is Flat - Thomas L. Friedman
150 Cross - James Patterson

Against Medical Advice by James Patterson and Hal Friedman

2008-11-06T09:52:00.000-06:00

Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; 1 edition (October 1, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316024759
ISBN-13: 978-0316024754

About the book:

Cory Friedman woke up one morning when he was five years old with the uncontrollable urge to twitch his neck. From that day forward his life became a hell of irrepressible tics and involuntary utterances, and Cory embarked on an excruciating journey from specialist to specialist to discover the cause of his disease. Soon it became unclear what tics were symptoms of his disease and what were side effects of the countless combinations of drugs. The only certainty is that it kept getting worse. Simply put: Cory Friedman's life was a living hell.

AGAINST MEDICAL ADVICE is the true story of Cory and his family's decades-long battle for survival in the face of extraordinary difficulties and a maddening medical establishment. It is a heart-rending story of struggle and triumph with a climax as dramatic as any James Patterson thriller.

I must admit, the story itself is heart wrenching. I'm sure anyone who reads this book will feel a small sense of the desperation and despair that the Friedman's felt for the best part of 13 years.

And the courage shown by the entire family in general, and by Cory specifically, shows what special people they are. To even share the story at all took an enormous amount of courage, and for that they are to be commended.

With all that said though, I personally had a hard time reading this book. While I understand the need to explain the behaviors, "tics" as they are called, since they are central to the story itself, I felt it was over explained and made the book drag and become difficult to read.

Also, I didn't feel it was necessary to spend as much time as was devoted to medications. Again, while some of that information was certainly necessary, I felt it was discussed too much.

"Against Medical Advice" isn't a bad book. It surely is a triumph of the spirit and I applaud the Friedmans for having the courage to share this very intimate journey with us all. The writing, as always, is fantastic, and although the details bored me at times it is no fault of the authors. This book just wasn't for me.

Immortal Warrior by Lisa Hendrix

2008-11-05T07:26:00.000-06:00

Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Berkley (November 4, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0425224546
ISBN-13: 978-0425224540
Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 1 inches

About the book:

He came to England in search of treasure. Two hundred years later, he's found her...

Ivar Graycloak is a brave warrior, a man known for his strength and integrity. He is also a man with a terrible secret. Long ago he was part of a Viking crew cursed by an evil sorceress to live for eternity as a were-creatures. An eagle by day and a man by night, Ivar has lived a solitary existence for over two centuries. Then the king orders him to marry.

Lady Alaida is everything a man could want in a bride - intelligent, spirited, and beautiful - and their wedding night is a balm to Ivar's lonely spirit. Then a seer brings him word of a dark vision, one that makes Ivar vow to stay away from his lovely wife forever. But now that Ivar has sampled Alaida's passion, her humor and warmth, he is enthralled. His traitorous body - his very heart - longs for that which he can never possess.

Lady Alaida may surprise him yet, though, for she has a power of her own - a power that will either destroy everything they hold dear or ultimately set them free...

This is my favorite type of book, so I was thrilled at the opportunity to be able to review it for Lisa's virtual book tour. Two hundred years ago, a crew of Vikings were cursed by an evil sorceress. Their curse? To spend their days in animal form and their nights in human form. Each viking handles this curse differently, but for Ivo, he feels he may have been given the chance at a somewhat normal life.

After years of fighting, he goes to the king once again for payment. But this time, instead of asking for money he asks for land, and with it comes Lady Alaida. The king orders him to take Lady Alaida as his bride, and even though Ivo knows that there is no way this will last he is willing to give it a shot.

During the day he is an eagle, but at night he is the type of man many women dream of...women including Lady Alaida. But their happiness is not meant to last, treachery abounds, and there is not much for Ivo to do as his days are spent in his eagle form.

Lisa Hendrix has written a book that will enthrall it's readers from the first page. Each character, no matter how small, is dripping with such realism, it is hard not to relate. I can't wait for the second installment in this series...it is going to be to good to pass up!

About the author:

After years of daydreaming complex stories for familiar characters from film, TV, and books — nearly always involving a romance that hadn’t been included by the original writer — Lisa Hendrix borrowed a page from motivational speaker and author Marsha Sinetar and decided that it was time to start doing what she loved and hope that the money really would follow. She began writing the medieval romance from hell, a manuscript that taught her a lot, but which is now safely locked away where it can do no harm.

In April 1992, she carried a dot-matrix printed synopsis into an appointment with a Genuine New York City Editor at a local conference and pitched an idea for a historical romance set in the American West. The editor was interested and requested a partial manuscript, along with assurances that Lisa would buy a better printer. Credit card in hand, Lisa set out to comply. She mailed the proposal a month later, and five months after that, received The Call. HOSTAGE HEART and DRIFTER’S MOON were soon on the shelves, followed by contemporary romantic comedies RAZZLE DAZZLE, TO MARRY AN IRISH ROGUE, and her first single-title lead, RUNAWAY BAY.

Now she’s gone back to her medieval roots with IMMORTAL WARRIOR, Book I of The Immortal Brotherhood, a new series featuring a crew of Viking warrors cursed to be immortal were-creatures. Book II, IMMORTAL OUTLAW, will follow in 2009.

For more information on the author visit www.lisahendrix.com

Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris

2008-11-04T08:18:00.001-06:00

Hardcover: 176 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (October 8, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316035904
ISBN-13: 978-0316035903

About the book:

David Sedaris's beloved holiday collection is new again with six more pieces, including a never before published story. Along with such favoritesas the diaries of a Macy's elf and the annals of two very competitive families, are Sedaris's tales of tardy trick-or-treaters ("Us and Them"); the difficulties of explaining the Easter Bunny to the French ("Jesus Shaves"); what to do when you've been locked out in a snowstorm ("Let It Snow"); the puzzling Christmas traditions of other nations ("Six to Eight Black Men"); what Halloween at the medical examiner's looks like ("The Monster Mash"); and a barnyard secret Santa scheme gone awry ("Cow and Turkey").

I am a big fan of David Sedaris. I find his writing to be consistantly funny. His humor is both droll and sarcastic in equal measure. This holds true with "Holidays on Ice". While I found some of the stories personally funnier than others, they were all very witty and delightully readable.

My favorites were "Seasons Greetings" about an annual holiday newsletter, and "Six to Eight Black Men" which points out a number of different ways a seemingly familiar story can be told.

Sedaris is a satirical giant who never fails to please. Whether you are looking for a good read, or just a good laugh, "Holidays on Ice" should have you covered.

Win a copy of Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips

2008-11-04T08:03:00.000-06:00

About the book:

Being a Greek god is not all it once was. Yes, the twelve gods of Olympus are alive and well in the twenty-first century, but they are crammed together in a London townhouse-and none too happy about it. And they've had to get day jobs: Artemis as a dog-walker, Apollo as a TV psychic, Aphrodite as a phone sex operator, Dionysus as a DJ. Even more disturbingly, their powers are waning, and even turning mortals into trees-a favorite pastime of Apollo's-is sapping their vital reserves of strength.

Soon, what begins as a minor squabble between Aphrodite and Apollo escalates into an epic battle of wills. Two perplexed humans, Alice and Neil, who are caught in the crossfire, must fear not only for their own lives, but for the survival of humankind. Nothing less than a true act of heroism is needed-but can these two decidedly ordinary people replicate the feats of the mythical heroes and save the world?

I have 5, yes 5 copies to give away, thanks to Valerie Russo and the wonderful people at Hatchette Book Group.

For 1 entry, leave me a comment.

For an additional 5 entries blog about this and leave me a link so I can check it out.

* Winners are restricted to the US and Canada. No PO Box mailing addresses, please.*

I must have a way of contacting you, so be sure to leave your email address in code: you[at]yourmail[dot]com*

I'll close the comments on Friday November 14th at 6PM CST and pick the winners. I will contact the winners via email to get their snail mail address. The winners will have three days to respond. If I do not hear from them within three days, I will select another winner(s).

* If you're interested, leave a comment with that all-important email in code.This sounds like a great book, and what a great way to get the word out. Hope to hear from you soon!

Sam's Quest: The Royal Trident Book 2 by Ben Furman

2008-11-02T20:19:00.000-06:00

Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Black Hawk Press; (Book 2) edition (October 1, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0977873145
ISBN-13: 978-0977873142

About the Book:

Samantha Costas, called Sam, a descendent of the Originators, the keeper of the Crimson Crystal, and the savior of the Awokian people, is the bridge to the World of Bergeron and its lands of good and evil.

Prince Buznor, an Awokian from Innerworld on a diplomatic mission, is seriously wounded during a surprise attack. He calls out to Sam as he falls into a raging river and is swept away. The Crimson Crystal glows, alerting Sam that her friend is in danger. She descends to the World of Bergeron where she comes face-to-face with the most powerful evil she has ever encountered. This evil must be defeated or all is lost.

Sam is dealt a blow when she loses her parents and is set to stay at her Grandfather's farm. When the Awokian Prince Buznor is ambushed, he calls to Sam for help. She is, after all, the keep of the Crimson Crystal. Sam would do anything to save her friend, so she immediately answers his call for help.

The rescue may be harder than she originally thought. She must return to Innerworld and travel to the land of Bergeron. This, in and of itself, could be perilous. After finding Buznor, she encounters dangers she never imagined, dangers that threaten to destroy one thousand years of peace.

"The Royal Trident" sees Ben's creative energy continue, the world he weaves involving Sam and the world of Bergeron are enough to keep any lover of fantasy entertained. While I enjoyed the first installment, I enjoyed this one much more. I look forward to the opportunity to read more books by this talented author!

About the author:

Ben R. Furman, former FBI counterterrorism chief, has drawn on this experience to write about high-tech terrorism, chemical, biological, and nuclear threats, and transnational criminal cartels. During his career he investigated kidnappings, extortions, bank robberies, led SWAT teams and was the FBI counterterrorism chief assigned to address threats against the United States by terrorists of all stripes. He also writes fantasy adventure novels with positive messages for the young adult, juvenile market and is the Rexus CEO, a corporation that conducts international corporate investigations involving industrial espionage, internal theft, business due diligence and background screening. You can visit his website at http://www.blackhawkpress.com/.

Win a copy of Lost and Found by Carolyn Parkhurst

2008-10-29T16:09:00.000-05:00

About the book:

A suburban mom, her troubled daughter, divorced brothers, former child stars, born-again Christians, and some young millionaires have all been selected to compete on LOST AND FOUND, a daring new reality show. In pairs of two, they will race across the world to compete for a million-dollar prize.The only question is not only who will capture the big jackpot, but at what price.

Carolyn Parkhurst is also the author of the bestseller The Dogs of Babel.

I have 5, yes 5 copies to give away, thanks to Valerie Russo and the wonderful people at Hatchette Book Group. For 1 entry, leave me a comment. For an additional 5 entries blog about this and leave me a link so I can check it out.

* Winners are restricted to the US and Canada. No PO Box mailing addresses, please.

* I must have a way of contacting you, so be sure to leave your email address in code: you[at]yourmail[dot]com

* I'll close the comments on Friday November 7th at 6PM CST 3rd and pick the winners. I will contact the winners via email to get their snail mail address. The winners will have three days to respond. If I do not hear from them within three days, I will select another winner(s).

* If you're interested, leave a comment with that all-important email in code.

This sounds like a great book, and what a great way to get the word out. Hope to hear from you soon!

The Darker Side by Cody McFadyen

2008-10-28T09:15:00.000-05:00

Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: Bantam; 1 edition (September 30, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0553806947
ISBN-13: 978-0553806946

Join Cody McFadyen, author of the suspense thriller, The Darket Side (Bantam, Sept. '08), as he virtually tours the blogosphere in October on his second virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion!

About the author:

Cody McFadyen openly declares his passion for words and credits his parents not just for opening that world to him but for teaching him how to dream. “I was raised by two idealists, children of the sixties who urged me to read Walden Pond and Lord of the Rings, and who explained Dylan songs to me when I was seven or eight years old.” One of the first gifts his mother gave him was a library card. He was six and he hasn’t stopped devouring books since.

Another gift was travel. The family spent most of their vacations in their car, exploring places as diverse as Louisville, Kentucky, where his mother grew up, Las Vegas, Kansas City, Wyoming, San Francisco and the Pacific Northwest. Along the way McFadyen shared the back seat with friends James Michener, Steven King, James Clavell, Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury and many, many others.

A childhood spent creating his own world through reading, listening to music and fantasizing with other kids likely sowed the seeds of his writing career. However, it was his parent’s idealism that gave him the lessons in living that stand him in good stead. Among them, the importance of doing something that matters and that helps other people. Also, quite simply, that people should reach for their dreams. “They never told me what the dream should be,” says McFadyen, “just that I was allowed to pursue it.”

It was awhile before McFadyen went after his own dream. After leaving school he went to work with a volunteer self-help group. He helped people get off of drugs and learn to study, did construction work and accounting and, continuing the McFadyen tradition, travelled extensively.

Ten years later, he changed direction, beginning his own “me decade,” adopting materialism and self-indulgence as his new mantra. Despite the chaos in his life at the time, he married and received the gift of a seven-year-old stepdaughter along with the responsibility of raising her. The experience changed him and, he says, “I came back to myself in the end.” He began to write.

He sold his first novel, Shadow Man, in 2005. It was followed by The Face of Death, published in 2007, and now The Darker Side.

Each of his three novels has been well reviewed, and his protagonist Smoky Barrett has been applauded by reviewers and readers alike. An FBI Special Agent, she is one of the agency’s best profilers and heads a handpicked team of law enforcement specialists. They’re relentless and they hunt killers.

Born in Fort Worth, Cody McFadyen has lived in Austin and Irving, Texas, and Kingston, New York. He now lives in southern California with his family and two remarkable black labs, often referred to as “The Black Forces of Destruction.”

You can visit his website at http://www.codymcfadyen.com/.

About the book:

A lie, a long-ago affair, a dark desire- everyone has secrets they take to the grave. No one knew that better than FBI Special Agent Smoky Barrett. But what secret was a very private young woman keeping that led her to her very public murder? And what kind of killer was so driven and so brazenly daring that he'd take her life on a commercial airliner thirty thousand feed in middair, a killer so accomplished that he'd leave only a small souvenir behind?

These are the questions that bring Smoky and her handpicked team of experienced manhunters from L.A. to the autumn chill of Washington, D.C., by order of the FBI director himself - and at the special request of a high-powered grieving D.C. mother.

As a mother, Smoky knows the pain of losing a child - it nearly killed her once before. As a cop with her own twisted past, she takes every murder personally, which is both her greatest strength and her only weakness. Brilliant, merciless, righteous, the killer Smoky is hunting this time is on his own personal mission, whose cost in innocent human lives he's only begun to collect. For in his eyes no one is innocent; everyone harbors a secret sin, including Smoky Barrett.

Soon Smoky will have to confront a flawless killer who knows her flaws with murderous intimacy.

THE DARKER SIDE VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR '08 will officially begin on October 1 and end on October 30. You can visit Cody's blog stops on a daily basis at www.virtualbooktoursforauthors.wordpress.com in October.As a special promotion for all our authors, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour to a published author or a $50 Amazon gift certificate to those not published who comments on our authors' blog stops. More prizes will be announced as they become available. The winner(s) will be announced on our main blog at www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.wordpress.com on October 30!

Coming Soon: Bible Illuminated

2008-10-27T13:42:00.000-05:00

Bible Illuminated: The Book: New Testament, is scheduled for release on October 28.

I was really intrigued to get a chance to review this book before it's official release. I haven't looked at the bible in many years and to be perfectly honest I find it quite boring. This book is described (in the promotional material) as not just a Bible but "art". I think this is a great idea, try to show The Bible in a new light to appeal to a larger audience.

I am no expert when it comes to the Bible so I will be giving a totally unbiased view of this book. I won't compare it the the "original" Bible, but will make sure to express my thoughts about this book, and how I feel it can help people. I am excited to receive my copy and get started, the photos I have seen are marvelous!

Thanks so much to Lisa Roe for this opportunity!

Igniting the Moral Courage of America by Dean Kilmer

2008-10-23T07:19:00.000-05:00

Paperback: 181 pages
Publisher: Moral Courage Publications (December 23, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0976032783
ISBN-13: 978-0976032786

About the book:

The moral landscape of America is eroding. The values of "The Greatest Generation" have been replaced by greed, selfishness, and a widespread disdain for the traditional moral values on which this great nation was founded.
Dean Kilmer, author of Igniting the Moral Courage of America, challenges individual Americans to take action to reverse the tidal wave of negative values that is destroying the greatness of America. It must begin with a personal commitment to integrity. "Integrity, however, cannot become the norm in our nation’s people until good people become courageous people."

When individual Americans commit to becoming courageous people of integrity, they will intentionally spread that commitment to their families, schools, communities, and ultimately to our nation as a whole.

It is not too late to reverse the tidal wave of negative values that has been robbing America of its moral strength for half a century. It is not too late to restore this great country's commitment to traditional moral values. That restoration will happen when America, one person at a time, steps forward with renewed moral courage to make it happen.
Will you accept the challenge?

About the author:

Dean Kilmer is the preaching minister for the College Street Church of Christ in Waxahachie, Texas. He has served in churches throughout Texas and Oklahoma.

He has conducted seminars on Church Growth, Leadership, and Teacher Training in 17 states. Dean has also been a guest speaker at Christian Universities across the nation.

Dean earned his undergraduate degree in Bible at Harding University and a master’s in Biblical Studies from Abilene Christian University.

He has authored the “Mastering the Word” Bible study, and has just recently written a book entitled Igniting the Moral Courage of America.

Dean has been married to his wife Karen for 37 years and they have two children and three grandchildren.

IGNITING THE MORAL COURAGE OF AMERICA VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR '08 will officially begin on October 1 and end on October 30. You can visit Dean's blog stops at www.virtualbooktoursforauthors.wordpress.com in October to find out more about his latest book!

As a special promotion for all our authors, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour to a published author or a $50 Amazon gift certificate to those not published who comments on our authors' blog stops. More prizes will be announced as they become available. The winner(s) will be announced on our main blog at www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.wordpress.com on October 30!
You can visit his website at www.moralcourage.net.

Kill 4 Me by Joel Andre

2008-10-22T03:00:00.000-05:00

Paperback: 214 pages
Publisher: Lulu.com (August 11, 2008)
ISBN-10: 1435753089
ISBN-13: 978-1435753082

About the book:

Kill 4 Me, a technological thriller set in rural America. The story follows Casey Dwyer, a small town girl who becomes caught in a spirit’s unrelenting quest for vengance after she receives a cryptic and seemingly harmless text message. A supernatural thriller that explores how technology can be used to torture others through the lens of a horror novel.

What could be more perfect with Halloween right around the corner, than a quick scary book? Casey Dwyer has always felt responsible for her sister. Like she always has to look out for her. So when she gets the call that she has gotten herself in trouble, once again she goes off to save her. But this time, it turns out that it isn't possible.

She tries to move on with her life and make things as easy as possible for her mom. At least she has her best friend Theresa to try and help her through the rough patches. So when she starts receiving text messages from an unknown caller asking her to kill for them she at first thinks it some sicko. She realizes all too quickly that it is real, and the stakes are high.

This book grabs your attention from the first page with the vivid descriptions and suspense throughout. Looking for a scary read for Halloween, or anytime? Look no further.

About the author:

Joel M. Andre was born January 13, 1981 in Cottonwood, AZ. He began writing back in 1994 on a personal level, discovering the passion and feeling the words brought him. Although more of a hobby at the time, he collected his works and in 1999 released the poem The Midnight Express. It received positive feedback, and was quickly followed by For the Salem Witch. To date Joel has released over 60 poems, and 3 books.

Pray the Rain Never Ends was the first book, which includes the poem he wrote for his nephew Christopher Andre. A gripping work that shows a different side to the creator of work that usually holds a darker flair.

The follow up book A Death at the North Pole brought a new side of Joel out. This was a dark journey through a winter wonderland, and provided a more in depth look at Joel and his long form writing.

Most recently Joel released the book Kill 4 Me, a technological ghost story, of a woman haunted by a vengeful spirit through the use of a cell phone and computer.

With a passion for writing, you can tell Joel loves what he does. Although some would say his imagination runs more left field, there is no denying his original thoughts and ideas will provide enjoyment for years to come.

You can visit his website at www.joelmandre.com.

KILL 4 ME VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR ’08 will officially begin on October 1 and end on October 30. You can visit Joel’s blog stops at www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com in October to find out more about his book!
As a special promotion for all our authors, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour to a published author or a $50 Amazon gift certificate to those not published who comments on our authors’ blog stops. More prizes will be announced as they become available. The winner(s) will be announced on our main blog at www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.com on October 30.

Kindred Spirits by Marilyn Meredith

2008-10-21T03:00:00.000-05:00

Paperback: 212 pages
Publisher: Mundania Press LLC (August 22, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1594267359
ISBN-13: 978-1594267352

About the book:

Trouble in Deputy Crabtree’s marriage is soon forgotten when the body of a murder victim is found in the wake of a forest fire. Sent to Crescent City in search of information introduces Tempe to the victim’s Tolowa relatives and friends–along with two stalkers and Big Foot.Upon her return home, a pig’s heart on Tempe’s front porch serves as a warning. Detective Morrison becomes an unusual ally, and the victim’s spirit visits Tempe in the night. She and husband Hutch set off for Santa Barbara in an effort to flush out the murderer and once again she finds her own life threatened.

Kindred Spirits is part of the Tempe Crabtree Series. Tempe is a female deputy for Bear Creek, and not only does she face discrimination because she is a female, but also because she is part Native American. The story begins with a huge forest fire. Tempe is doing her job and making sure that the people are being evacuated from their homes. By the time she reaches the home of Vanessa Ainsworth it is too dangerous and the fire department stops her. If only she had made it there sooner, the tragedy that unfolds may not have happened.

Tempe heads back to town to check on her husband, Hutch Hutchinson, who is the minister of the local church. He is operating a temporary shelter for the people who have lost their homes, and Tempe is searching for Vanessa. She is called back to Vanessa's house, which has been consumed by the fire. They find a body and the body of a dog. They are both identified - it is Vanessa, and while it seems as though she has died in the fire, the medical examiner confirms that she and her dog were both shot before the fire reached the house.

The rest of the story focuses on Tempe, and her search for the truth...what really happened to Vanessa, and who was responsible for her death? Was it her ex-boyfriend, he did have a restraining order against him? Or was it her ex-husband? He does have an airtight alibi, but maybe something was missed. Or was it Lanny Hargrove, a boy turned man who stalked Vanessa for years and maybe hasn't given up. There are twists and turns right up until the end.

Tempe is a loveable character, and this book can easily be read on it's own even though it is part of a series. I have a friend who is an Oneida Indian and am always fascinated by their beliefs, and the history of their people. This was one of the things I found very enjoyable about this book. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a good mystery that is easy to read.

About the author:

Marilyn Meredith is the author of award winning Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series as well as over twenty published novels. The latest is, Kindred Spirits, from Mundania Press. Under the name of F. M. Meredith she writes the Rocky Bluff P.D. series, the latest, Smell of Death, from Tigress Press.She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, EPIC and on the board of the Public Safety Writers of America. She was an instructor for Writer’s Digest School for ten years, served as an instructor at the Maui Writer’s Retreat and many other writer’s conferences. She makes her home in Springville, much like Bear Creek where Deputy Tempe Crabtree lives. Visit her at http://www.fictionforyou.com/.

KINDRED SPIRITS VIRTUAL BLOG TOUR '08 will officially begin on October 1 and end on October 30. You can visit Marilyn's blog stops at www.virtualbooktoursforauthors.wordpress.com in October to find out more about her new book!As a special promotion for all our authors, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour to a published author or a $50 Amazon gift certificate to those not published who comments on our authors' blog stops. More prizes will be announced as they become available. The winner(s) will be announced on our main blog at www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.wordpress.com on October 30!

Hatchette Book Giveaway by Dewey

2008-10-17T08:52:00.000-05:00

Ok, seriously, this is one of my favorite blogs. For those of you who don't know, this is the blogs that is responsible for bring us Weekly Geeks. This is my favorite giveaway of the year, a collection of spooky books by Hatchette. For your chance to win, head over to The Hidden Side of the Leaf but hurry, this one ends soon!

Rue de la Pompe by James Earle McCracken

2008-10-16T06:20:00.001-05:00

James Earle McCracken was born in 1960 in Takoma Park, Maryland. He received a B.A. in English from the University of Pennsylvania in 1982. After a brief but nonetheless tedious stint as a technical writer, McCracken moved to London in 1984 with the intention of becoming a writer of short stories and novels. He failed. Returning to the U.S. at the end of 1986, McCracken resumed real life. Twenty-two years later, he published his first novel - Rue de la Pompe: A Satiric Urban Fantasy. He is married to the former Mirella Abdel Sater, a prominent attorney and human rights activist from Beirut, Lebanon, and has a daughter, Jamie, who is a junior at Foxcroft School in Middleburg, Virginia.
You an visit his website at http://www.jamesearlemccracken.com/.

About the book:

Celebrating his thirtieth birthday alone in Paris, American businessman Michael Whyte realizes that it’s entirely possible to live an unglamorous life in the most glamorous city in the world. But an unexpected gift of formal wear followed by a party invitation from his eccentric neighbors lands him in a curious search for the first French franc—a coin said to be incredibly valuable and wickedly dangerous.

Guided by a deaf-mute and mentored by an epistemologist, Michael careens across the city in his quest for the coin. From the Chateau de Vincennes and the Musée d’Orsay to the sewers of Paris and the base of the Eiffel Tower, he braves the city for an answer to the perplexing question of the franc’s true nature.

Assisting, thwarting, or simply confusing him along the way is a bizarre collection of lunatic personalities, including a Castilian hit man, a Zen Buddhist Swiss jeweler, a flatulent statue of Benjamin Franklin, a foul-mouthed rhinoceros, the Concierge from Hell, and an enigmatic beauty named Chione.

Unforgettable characters and vivacious details make James Earle McCracken’s debut novel sizzle with expectation. Both hilarious and introspective, Rue de la Pompe is a fast-paced ride through the City of Lights with a hapless American who is caught in an exhilarating journey of discovery.

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RUE DE LA POMPE VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR '08 will officially begin on October 1 and ends on October 30. You can visit James' tour stops at http://www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/ in October to find out more about her latest book!As a special promotion for all our authors, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour to a published author with a recent release or a $50 Amazon gift certificate to those not published who comments on our authors' blog stops. More prizes will be announced as they become available. The winner will be announced on our main blog at http://www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.wordpress.com/ on October 30!

Unholy Domain by Dan Ronco

2008-10-14T07:30:00.000-05:00

Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Kunati Inc. (April 1, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1601640218
ISBN-13: 978-1601640215

About the book:

A decade after a lethal computer virus called PeaceMaker roared across the internet leaving hundreds of thousands of people dead, a war is raging between science and religion, the world wallows in a global depression, and the United States government is paralyzed, unable to intervene. The secretive and powerful Domain is poised to take humankind to the next level of evolution through artificial intelligence, and the fanatical Church of Natural Humans has marshaled their forces to stop them. David Brown, the son of PeaceMaker's creator, believes that his father was set up to take the fall for the catastrophe, and was murdered to keep him quiet. Determined to clear his father's name and avenge his killers, David stumbles into the war between the rival factions. Hunted by both sides, he unravels his father's secrets and discovers a genetic capability within himself that may change the path of human evolution. This fast-paced, techno thriller depicts a world of violent extremes, where religious terrorists and visionaries of technology fight for supreme power.

"Unholy Domain" is the second book of a science fiction series that starts with "PeaceMaker." I felt it was easy to follow even though I hadn't read the first book - but I also believe that all series books should be read from start to finish.

That said, I really enjoyed this book. It is set in the near future after a computer virus was unleashed on the world. As you can imagine, because the world so heavily relies on technology, this causes complete and utter chaos. Over one million people die as a result, and 10 years later the United States has not come close to recovering - as a matter of fact they are in a depression. The government has had to enforce strict regulations on all technology to try and prevent another such tragedy.

There are two groups that are ready to go to war over this, and what a war it will be. The first group is The Church of Natural Humans. As you can see by their name they believe that technology has no place integrating with humans, and they are ready to fight to the death for that belief. Then there are The Technos. They believe that integration of humans and artificial intelligence would be completely beneficial to the world. They are also ready to fight for what they believe. There are many other complex characters and they are well developed and really keep you intrigued.

I thought the writing was fast paced and very interesting, even to a non-techy like myself. What I think I found most intriguing is the fact that a lot of this is very believable. I think under the right circumstances events in this book aren't too far off.

I am going to make sure to read the first book in the series, and am really looking forward to the third one. Thanks Dan, for the opportunity!

For more information on this book or author, please visit http://www.danronco.com/

Perfect on Paper by Maria Murnane

2008-10-10T13:09:00.000-05:00

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: WINK'S INK (February 29, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 098004250X
ISBN-13: 978-0980042504

About the book:

Anything can look perfect…on paper. When her fiancé calls off their wedding at the last minute, Waverly Bryson wonders if her life will ever turn out the way she thought it would…or should. Her high-powered job in sports PR? Not so perfect. Her relationship with her dad? Far from it. Her perfect marriage? Enough said. Perfect...on Paper is a humorous tale of Waverly’s efforts to cobble the pieces of a broken yesterday into a brand new tomorrow. What does the future have in store for her? Will she finally find what she’s looking for? *Her dates? Cringe-inducing at times, definitely entertaining *Her friends? Often amused, definitely supportive *Her new crush? Possibly intrigued, definitely a catch *The results? Hardly perfect, definitely just right.

Waverly Bryson seems to have the perfect life. She is about to marry the man of her dreams, and when he walks in on her dress fitting she warns him that it is bad luck to see the bride before the wedding. Little does she know that bad luck is already here, as he is there to call off the wedding, and their relationship.

Like anyone who has gone through a bad relationship she gets a serious case of the blues. But, with the help of her fantastic friends she learns that life is too short to sit there and mope - time to pick up the pieces and start living again.

She knows in order to start moving on she must get back to work...and back to dating. She begins to write down quirkly sayings from all the daily mishaps she has in hopes of using them in a greeting card line.

Waverly is the type of character I love to enjoy! She is so real - not some perfect Barbie but a real woman with real problems. I actually laughed out loud a few times because of the situations she gets herself in. And the dates she goes on...wow! I think we can all identify with at least one of the situations she finds herself in. And, even if you can't you will enjoy reading about it:)

A truly unforgettable read and one of the best books of the year. It is truly hard to believe that this is her first novel, but I for one am looking forward to many more!

About the author:

Maria is currently an independent business writer and works mostly with technology and financial services companies, but she did spend a few years in sports PR. One day she quit her job and ended up in Argentina for a year, where she played semi-pro soccer and also wrote the first draft of what would eventually become Perfect on Paper. She has dedicated the book to any woman who has ever been on a really bad date or realized halfway through the workday that her skirt is on backwards.

Maria graduated with high honors in English and Spanish from UC Berkeley and received a master’s degree in integrated marketing communications from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. She lives in San Francisco and can be reached at maria@mariamurnane.com. To learn more about her business writing services, click here.

Cold Rock River by Jackie Lee Miles

2008-10-09T03:00:00.000-05:00

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Cumberland House Publishing (October 1, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1581826680
ISBN-13: 978-1581826685

About the book:

In 1963 rural Georgia, with the Vietnam War cranking up, pregnant, seventeen-year-old Adie Jenkins discovers the diary of pregnant, seventeen-year-old Tempe Jordan, a slave girl, circa 1963, with the Civil War well under way.

This is one of the most beautifully written stories I have read in a long time. This is actually two stories in one - that of Adie Jenkes and Tempe Jordan. Adie Jenkins hasn't had an easy life. After losing her sister at a young age to an accident her whole world seems to have fallen apart. Her relationship with her father will never be the same, and even though she takes the brunt of the blame for her sister's death, she knows deep down that her father was even more at fault than she was - in more ways than one. So, when Buck Jenkins starts to treat her nice, she jumps at the chance. Before you know it she is pregnant and living in Hog Gap with his mother and disabled brother.

Thanks to Murphy Spencer they get a "shack" to live in before the baby is born. Buck can't be bothered with it - he's too busy chasing after Imelda Jane, the daughter of the store owner where he works. Thankfully Adie meets Willa Mae - the black woman who lives in the nearby cabin. She is a wonderful friend and she eventually shows Adie the diary of Tempe Jordan - a young black woman living during the times of slavery and The Civil War. Adie becomes engrossed in the journal, even after the birth of Grace Annie and the departure of Buck to the military. There is just something that doesn't seem to add up - who is Heart in relation to Willa Mae? And what happened to her children - why were they drowned? And why are the pages at the end of the journal missing?

This story was so wonderfully woven, even if it was somewhat predictable that was ok. The characters were so warm and charming and you really can relate to all of them - even the ones you would love to hate. This is a book that I would highly recommend!

About the author:

J.L. (Jackie Lee) Miles, a resident of Georgia since 1975, hails from Wisconsin via South Dakota. She considers herself "a northern girl with a southern heart." Her paternal grandfather was christened Grant Lee by her great-grandmother in honor of the many fallen soldiers on both sides of the Mason-Dixon line. Ms. Miles is a former D.I.A.L. Systems Engineer for Baker/Audio Telecom, one of the premier forerunners of voice mail. In addition to systems application, she provided voice tracks for several major companies, including Delta Airlines and Frito-Lay Corporation.

COLD ROCK RIVER VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR '08 will officially begin on October 1 and end on October 30. You can visit J.L.'s blog stops at www.virtualbooktoursforauthors.wordpress.com in October to find out more about her latest book!
As a special promotion for all our authors, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour to a published author or a $50 Amazon gift certificate to those not published who comments on our authors' blog stops. More prizes will be announced as they become available. The winner(s) will be announced on our main blog at www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.wordpress.com on October 30!

Easy Entertaining for Beginners by Patricia Mendez

2008-10-07T03:00:00.000-05:00

Paperback: 176 pages
Publisher: Maple Heights Press (August 1, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0979956404
ISBN-13: 978-0979956409

About the book:

Readers don’t have to be gourmet chefs or nervous wrecks to host casual at-home entertaining. Beginners will have all of their questions answered, from what to serve to what to do. Included are 13 delicious complete menus with easy-to-follow recipes, full color photographs, ideas for music, activities and drinks. Checklists ease readers step-by-step through every phase of planning, preparation, and presentation. Readers will gain confidence and have a terrific time putting together successful celebrations.

There are not too many things in this world that I enjoy doing more than reading. But, cooking just might be one of them. There is something so satisfying about creating a menu, buying the ingredients, doing the prep work, cooking the meal and then serving it to the people you have made it for. Patricia Mendez has created a fantastic book for the beginner cook, to someone more "seasoned" (no pun intended). With her fantastic menus, easy preparation instructions, detailed instructions on what to do and when, she makes it almost impossible to fail!

I know that I am more than anxious to have the opportunity to try out one of the menus she has created in her book. I may end up with A LOT of leftovers due to the fact that we have recently moved and don't really know anyone, but that won't stop me. Why do you need a large group of people to decorate your house - I know my family is certainly worth entertaining.

This book would make a great gift for someone, or for yourself. One of my favorites of the year!

About the author:

Join Patricia Mendez, author of the entertainment and cooking book, Easy Entertaining for Beginners (Maple Heights Press, Aug. '08), as she virtually tours the blogosphere in October on her first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion!Patricia Mendez has catered and coordinated special events in the Los Angeles area since the early 1990’s. Her experience also includes coordinating a Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) community group for three years and working with women of all ages as a Director of Women’s Ministries for eight years. She met many “new nesters” who had the desire to entertain family and friends, but lacked know-how and experience. It was for this audience that she wrote her first book, EASY ENTERTAINING FOR BEGINNERS.

She has taught many cooking classes and currently teaches “Easy Entertaining for Beginners” cooking classes for novice hosts/hostesses in Torrance, CA. She speaks/teaches at women’s groups and has written articles/menus for website newsletters. She was recently a guest chef at Torrance Citicable Channel Community Cooking Show, airing in October 2008.

When Patricia is not writing or teaching, she is a home chef who loves to throw fun parties!

You can visit her website at www.ezentertaining.net or her blog at www.ezentertaining.blogspot.com.

If you would like to see your blog here and have it specially promoted during Patricia's virtual book tour in October, email us! Deadline is Sept. 30.EASY ENTERTAINING FOR BEGINNERS VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR '08 will officially begin on October 1 and end on October 30. You can visit Patricia's blog stops at www.virtualbooktoursforauthors.wordpress.com in October to find out more about her latest book!As a special promotion for all our authors, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour to a published author or a $50 Amazon gift certificate to those not published who comments on our authors' blog stops. More prizes will be announced as they become available. The winner(s) will be announced on our main blog at www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.wordpress.com on October 30!

A Jolly Good Fellow by Stephen Masse

2008-10-02T03:00:00.000-05:00

Paperback: 220 pages
Publisher: Good Harbor Press; 1st edition (November 26, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 097996380X
ISBN-13: 978-0979963803

About the book:

Two weeks before Christmas, Duncan Wagner gets into his car for another attempt at kidnapping the son of his most despised enemy, State Representative Win Booker. When he drives into the wealthy Boston suburb, he is surprised to find the boy hitchhiking.So begins Wagner’s quest for revenge as he finds himself face to face with a real boy, and without a clue about how to run a kidnapping. Wagner, a self-styled charity Santa Claus, comes to realize that eleven year old Gabriel Booker is truly a runaway, much more curious than scared. Gabriel has no idea who Duncan Wagner is—or could be.

This was an entertaining book to read for me on a few levels. First, the main characters, Duncan and Gabriel, are written in such a way that I found it very easy to develop a mental picture of what these two looked like.

Second, the relationship that develops between them is written brilliantly. The caring and trust that they have for each other isn't rushed into, rather developsed throughout the book, making it quite believable.

Last, the story itself is a very interesting premise. Street corner Santa, petty thief turned kidnampper, kidnapper turned friend/confidant. All this set in New England during the holidays. Very interesting indeed. I did feel that the ending was a bit sensational and somewhat unbelievable, but all in all I enjoyed reading this book.

About the author:

Stephen V. Masse was born in Boston, Massachusetts. Educated at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, he studied creative writing and historical biography, and was the author of a weekly column, "Out of Control." His first novel, Shadow Stealer, was published by Dillon Press in 1988. When not writing, he restores and renovates homes in the Boston area, and serves as an ambassador each year in the Santa Claus Anonymous fundraising benefit. You can visit his website at www.ajollygoodfellowthebook.com. You can also learn more about him at www.stephenvmasse.com.

WIN!

A JOLLY GOOD FELLOW VIRTUAL BLOG TOUR '08 will officially begin on October 1 and end on October 30. You can visit Stephen's blog stops at www.virtualbooktoursforauthors.wordpress.com in October to find out more about his new book!

As a special promotion for all our authors, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour to a published author or a $50 Amazon gift certificate to those not published who comments on our authors' blog stops. More prizes will be announced as they become available.

The winner(s) will be announced on our main blog at www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.wordpress.com on October 30!

Belly of the Whale by Linda Merlino

2008-10-01T06:00:00.000-05:00

Hardcover: 208 pages
Publisher: Kunati Inc. (April 1, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1601640188
ISBN-13: 978-1601640185

Excerpt from the back of the book:
Hudson Catalina has given up—having lost both breasts to cancer, she is emotionally and physically exhausted, no longer willing to endure the nausea and crushing weakness of her grueling treatment. Nothing in her life—not even her beloved husband and children, her best friend, or her passion for teaching high school—will sway her decision to terminate her treatment. On the eve of her daughter's fifth birthday celebration, a troubled former student confronts her, hell-bent on violent revenge and then suicide. Facing certain peril, Hudson vows to do whatever she must in order to survive and see her husband and children once again.

Hudson Catalina is up against "the beast" - that is what she calls the cancer that has taken both of her breasts and is threatening to take her life. She has already lost her grandmother and mother to this awful disease, and even though she has fought hard, she is ready to give up and give in. In the midst of a raging New England blizzard, she decides she is going to go and visit Ruby Desmond, the owner of Whales Market, to pick up some supplies she needs to celebrate her daughters fifth birthday, quite likely the last she will celebrate with her. While there she encounters trouble in the likes of Buddy Baker, the town hoodlum. Buddy is truly armed and dangerous, and it is unsure whether any of them will get out alive.

I don't believe in spoiling the fun for everyone, but this one got a grip and wouldn't let go. Whether the breast cancer was front and center, or the drama among the family, or the terror that encounters the participants at the market, the author has a wonderful ability to keep you on the edge of your seat waiting for what is to come. Excellent job!

About the author:

Life is our daily teacher. One lesson begets another and then another.

Once-upon-a-time life kicked me off my writer's path and led me to pursue a more practical profession. My childhood dream of becoming a journalist was silenced.

Years later, I became a single parent, not by choice but by necessity, and my most trustworthy partner became a ballpoint. The fiction in my head turned into words on yellow legal pad. I wrote anywhere, any time, on my dining room table, and on my lunch hour. No place was my sacred space. I wrote in my car during soccer practices, under an umbrella on rain drenched sidelines, in fast food restaurants and in chain hotels. I wrote during championship after championship in cities and states, from Jersey to Phoenix.

The quieted yearning to be a writer reawakened onto the pages of a novel. My first was self-published after five years of juggling work, kids and day-to-day. A flawed but beautiful story emerged onto paper and "Swan Boat Souvenir" enjoyed local acclaim and success.

I knew there was more to do, more to write and that the next book would be published traditionally, that the next manuscript would have the benefit of an editor and the advice of professionals. After months of writing, Belly of the Whale went from paper, to computer, to draft after draft and finally into the arms of Kunati Publishers.

My children are grown. My passion to write remains a constant. Each book I complete is dedicated to the magic of believing in my dream, to my son and to my daughters.

You can also find out more at www.lindamerlino.com

One Small Victory by Maryann Miller

2008-09-25T13:51:00.000-05:00

Hardcover: 293 pages
Publisher: Five Star (ME) (June 18, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1594146993
ISBN-13: 978-1594146992

About the book:

Life can change in just an instant. That's the harsh realitythat Jenny Jasik faces when her son, Michael, is killed in an automobileaccident. She is a single mother with two other children, Scott andAlicia. Ralph, her ex-husband, left her six years ago for a youngerwoman. He moved to Californiaand has all but abandoned them. He doessend child support, which, coupled with the profits from the floristshop Jenny owns, keeps them fed and sheltered in an old frame house.When Jenny sees an item in the newspaper about a special task forceforming at the local police department, she goes to the station anddemands to be part of that team. She stands firm in the face ofobjections from Chief Gonzales. He finally agrees to let her work withthem as a Confidential Informant if she passes a physical fitness testand a psychological screening. He also tells her that if she works withthem it will be in the strictest confidence. She is to tell no one. Nother kids. Not her mother. Not her best friend. No even her dog.As the weeks pass and Jenny gets deeper into the drug scene, hiding whatshe’s doing from everyone becomes harder and harder. How many more liescan she tell to explain why she stays out half the night? Then there’sthe problem of Ralph. Scott has been dumping his frustration on hisfather, and Ralph threatens to start action to get the kids if Jennydoesn't stop whatever it is she’s doing.

Further complications arise when Chico, the dealer Jenny has been buyingfrom, disappears. The DEA agents report that unusual things arehappening at the ranch where the Main Man does his business. There isconcern for the safety of all involved in this sting. Jenny is offered achance to get out, but she stays.

A plan develops to take down the Main Man, and for Jenny, that momentcan't come soon enough. All she has to do is get the details of the bigbuy recorded and the police can arrest the Man. That scene unravelsquickly, and Jenny is forced to shoot a man who is turning a gun on her.This was not part of the plan and definitely not something that Jennywants to tell her children or her ex-husband.Maybe Michael will understand.

How far will a mother go to avenge the death of her son? Jenny Jasik's world ends when her son dies in a car accident. It was bad enough to lose him, but when she finds out that the driver of the car was a drug dealer and was hight at the time of the accident it brings forth emotions no parent should ever have to endure.

Jenny knows that she needs to do something to help make sure her son's death wasn't for nothing, so after witnessing a drug deal occur with a group of high school students, she decides to become a specialist on a drug unit. Unfortunately this begins to affect the rest of her life, including the family that is still here. Flower shop owner to drug unit specialist, Jenny witnesses street life at it rawest. The changes she goes through are necessary for the job, but do they really make her a better person and mother?

There were many aspects that I loved about this book, but I think my favorite part was how the author depicted the emotions of all the people involved. I have been very fortunate not to have lost a close family member (yet) but I can only imagine what it must feel like, especially if it is your child. Maryann does an excellent job of portraying the range of emotions this family has to go through.

About the author:

A diverse writer of columns, feature stores, short fiction, novels,screenplays and stage plays, Maryann Miller has won numerous awards including being a semi-finalist at the Sundance Institute for her screenplay, "A Question of Honor". More recently she placed in the top 15 percent of entries in the Chesterfield Screenwriting Fellowship with the adaptation of her mystery, "Open Season"

Publishing credits include work for regional and national newspapers and magazines: Lady's Circle, Woman's World, Marriage and Family Living, Plano Magazine, The Children's World, Byline, The Texas Catholic Newspaper. She has published nine non-fiction books for teens, including the award-winning Coping With Weapons and Violence : In Your School and on Your Streets released by The Rosen Publishing Group in New York. Shehas a short story in the All About Muse anthology, The Holiday Mixer. Her novel, One Small Victory, was a hardback release from Five Star Publishing in June 2008, and Play it Again, Sam, is a July 2008 release from Uncial Press in e-book formats.

She is currently the Managing Editor and writer for an online community magazine, WinnsboroToday.com, and does book reviews for ForeWord Magazine and two online review sites, BloggerNews.net and Curled Up With a Good Book. She also does freelance editing. Other experience includes extensive work as a PR consultant, a script doctor, and a freelanceeditor. She has been writing all her life and plans to die at her computer.

Until then, Miller stays active in a number of organizations including Sisters In Crime, The Trails Country Centre For The Arts in Winnsboro, Texas, and was a founder of The Greater Dallas Writers' Association.

She makes her home in the beautiful Piney Woods of East Texas where she happily plays farmer. She has a horse, two goats, three cats, and two dogs. She shares these critters and five acres with her husband and an armadillo that visits frequently. You can visit her website at www.maryannwrites.com

ONE SMALL VICTORY VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR '08 will officially begin on September 2, '08 and end on September 26, '08. You can visit Maryann's tour stops at www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com in September to find out more about her and her new book!
As a special promotion for all our authors, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour to a published author with a recent release or a $50 Amazon gift certificate to those not published who comments on our authors' blog stops. More prizes will be announced as they become available. The winner will be announced on our main blog at www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.wordpress.com on September 26!This virtual book tour is being brought to you by Pump Up Your Book Promotion and choreographed by Jaime McDougall

Willow in A Storm: A Memoir by James Peter Taylor

2008-09-20T15:30:00.000-05:00

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Scarletta Press; 1 edition (September 28, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 097652015X
ISBN-13: 978-0976520153

Book Synopsis:

In this raw, unflinching memoir, James Peter Taylor, with the help of his wife Kathleen Murphy-Taylor, recounts the events of his unusual life, over forty years of which were spent incarcerated. Mentally and sexually abused by his adoptive father, Jim Taylor receives a life sentence at age 30 when he accidentally kills Kenneth Lindberg, a Minnesota banker and married father of four, during a robbery.

Taylor manages to survive in prison, despite the rampant violence, in part by playing a woman’s role, a gender switch that becomes second nature to him. After decides behind bars, a wiser and more spiritual Taylor is released in the 1990s back to civilian life, bolstered by his marriage to the book’s coauthor and former social worker, Kathy Murphy.

Willow in a Storm demonstrates hope even in the most dismal of circumstances.

James Peter Taylor's memoir, Willow in a Storm, is a testament to courage and what the human mind can endure and overcome. His crimes start out between the ages of 25-30 and his first arrest is due to his inpersonation of an FBI agent, all just to keep a girl out later than her given curfew.

These minor crimes continue, from bigamy to bad checks until he thinks he has come up with the perfect crime : robbing a bank and framing the bank manager. Things go terribly wrong and something that should have been simple turns into murder, leading James to prison for a 40 year sentence at the hands of a politician looking for something to boost his career.

Willow in a Storm gives detailed accounts of James' life, from his formative years which included abuse, to his attempts at getting paroled and finally to his release. The only criticism I have is that the book jumps around and can be confusing in the timeline of events. Overall this is a book that is an eyeopener for those who are unsure what the justice system is truly all about, and what prisoners go through on a daily basis.

About the author:

James Peter Taylor and Kathleen Murphy-Taylor have been married for 11 years. Jim managed to survive over 40 years in prison and was released at age 70, partially blind. Today, over a decade later, he faces further health battles, including dementia. Kathy received her MSW from the University of Michigan. She practiced social work for 32 years for private and public agencies. In her retirement, she devotes herself to caring for Jim. They live in Minneapolis.

Booking Through Thursday

2008-09-18T09:00:00.000-05:00

The question:
“Autumn is starting (here in the US, anyway), and kids are heading back to school–does the changing season change your reading habits? Less time? More? Are you just in the mood for different kinds of books than you were over the summer?”

Honestly, my reading habits don't change too much. I ALWAYS try to grab a book whenever I have time, which seems more limited now than ever. With the move and starting work for an awesome company (Pump Up Your Book Promotion) I am dealing with books all day, just not always getting to read them, lol!

As far as types of books, I usually just grab whatever book is nearest to me. I really am not one to pick books by seasons.

Teaser Tuesdays

2008-09-16T09:24:00.000-05:00

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

Grab your current read.
Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
Please avoid spoilers!

My teaser sentences for today:

A smirk formed on my lips at his use of the F word. Not the sort of conversation I'd imagine would take place in a therapist's office, but then, he had already told me that he didn't have very many patients like me, who had lived through what I had.

Courage in Patience by Beth Fehlbaum

A Full House-But Empty by Angus Munro

2008-09-16T06:00:00.000-05:00

Paperback: 268 pages
Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. (September 25, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0595437192
ISBN-13: 978-0595437191

Book Synopsis:

Filled with anecdotes, lessons learned, and an inspirational message for everyone, who believes that hard work breeds success, this moving autobiography shares the remarkable story of Angus Munro.

Munro is just three when he suffers from appendicitis and spends several weeks in a Vancouver hospital as his family struggles to survive the Great Depression. After finally arriving home, Munro asks his sister, "Where is Mummy?" and is promptly told his mother doesn't live there anymore. It is this traumatic event that changes the course of Munro's life forever. His father is suddenly a single parent while simulataneously turning into Munro's mentor and hero. He teaches Munro the motto, "Always do the right thing," while raising his children in an environment that is at the very least hectic, and more often completely chaotic.

Through a potpourri of chronological and heartfelt tales, Munro reveals how he learned to view incidents in life in terms of responsibility, recognition, personal conduct, and consideration for others. Despite dropping out of school at a young age, Munro perseveres, eventually attaining professional success.

Munro's memoir is a wonderful tribute to his father's legacy and the greatest lesson of all - Whatever you do, follow through.

This book hit home very early on for me. At the age of 3, Angus suffers from appendicitis which causes him a lengthy hospital stay. Once released from the hospital, he returns to a home that his mother has left, without so much as a goodbye. Even though Angus's father is not perfect (by a long shot), I applaud the fact that he raised his children during the Great Depression and they never wanted for anything. I too was raised by a single parent who worked hard her entire life to provide for me, and like Angus's father, she isn't perfect but I admire her more than she knows. There is nothing harder, I imagine, than trying to raise a child by yourself when food and money are scarce.

In this autobiography, Angus takes you down the path of his life - a path strewn with obstacles many of us can only imagine. Yet, in the end his conviction and strength carries him through it all. To say he had a hard life would truly be an understatement. After he drops out of school at 14, he isn't sure what his life will become. He holds various jobs, and has some time to visit relatives on both sides of his family that he had never met. The descriptive tone used is so nice to read, it makes you feel like you are sitting there with Angus, experiencing the things he is describing. I also love the way he draws on the positives of each experience and tells us the lesson he learned, whether good or bad. It is something I think the world needs more of today - we all have bad things happen, try to learn from them and move on, there's always tomorrow.

One of the other amazing things is the detail this story is told in. Many of these events happened MANY years ago, yet you never feel as if you are lacking for information. The only thing I would have liked to heard more of was some of his personal life experiences as he got older. Otherwise, this is truly and excellent read, and something that has a lesson in it for all of us.

A FULL HOUSE BUT EMPTY VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR '08 will officially begin on September 2, '08 and end on September 26, '08. You can visit Angus' tour stops at www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com in September to find out more about him and his new book!

As a special promotion for all our authors, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour to a published author with a recent release or a $50 Amazon gift certificate to those not published who comments on our authors' blog stops. More prizes will be announced as they become available. The winner will be announced on our main blog at www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.wordpress.com on September 26!

Angus Munro's virtual book tour is being brought to you by Pump Up Your Book Promotion and choreographed by Dorothy Thompson.

Down to a Sunless Sea by Matthias Freese

2008-09-15T18:40:00.000-05:00

About the Book:

Down to a Sunless Sea plunges the reader into uncomfortable situations and into the minds of troubled characters. Each selection is a different reading experience-poetic, journalistic, nostalgic, wryly humorous, and even macabre. An award-winning essayist and historical novelist, Mathias B. Freese brings the weight of his twenty-five years as a clinical social worker and psychotherapist into play as he demonstrates a vivid understanding of-and compassion toward-the deviant and damaged.

Review:

I have really come to appreciate the short story the more I read. It takes a lot to say enough in a short period of time and really get your point across but Matthias Freese has done just that.

Down to a Sunless Sea is a collection of fifteen short stories. Most stories are fairly short in length, but certainly not in emotion. Each of these stories exposes a certain dilemma or paranoia faced by the occupants. And, the results are not necessarily pleasant. I really enjoyed this book, but agree that it may not be for everyone. If you are looking for some joy or a light and easy read, steer clear of this one. If you are looking for something quick and easy to read but something you can sink your teeth into, then pick this up.

Musing Mondays

2008-09-15T10:48:00.000-05:00

This is my first time participating in Musing Mondays...although it isn't because I haven't wanted to. This is one of my favorite things to do - read and answer questions about books!

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about the treatment of books! Here was the questions posed:

HOW ABOUT YOU? Do you treat books carefully, or do you just treat them as any other object? Do you have certain things you refuse to do with books (write in them, etc)? If so, what are they?

I certainly don't treat books like any other object. I NEVER write in books, although I know a lot of people do this, or highlight certain passages. I do admit I don't treat paperbacks as good as I treat hardcovers, but I still don't abuse them. The worst thing I probably do is fold a page every once in awhile. I have to admit that I have dropped at least one book into the bathtub with me - as weird as it sounds I kind of like the way they look after and am fascinated that the print NEVER runs.

So, to answer the question, I treat my books usually with the utmost care - even if they are strewn all around the house.

My favorite author is Stephen King, and I will never forget what he said when it comes to the condition of a book. There is nothing better for him than to walk into someones house and see one of his books beaten - pages folded, spine broke, maybe even some tears or writing in it. This is the greatest compliment to an author (in his opinion) because it means that the book was well read and loved. I always think this is such an interesting take, and wanted to share it.

Happy Monday!

Win Tiger Eye by M. Liu

2008-09-15T08:17:00.000-05:00

Yet another great giveaway for BBAW! Head over to Literary Escapism for ways to win this book - it sounds like it is right up my alley!

Good Luck!

Cafe of Dreams Book Giveaway

2008-09-15T07:13:00.000-05:00

Want yet another chance to win a book during BBAW? Head over to Cafe of Dreams for your chance to win a signed copy of "Dead Witness" by Joylene Nowell Butler!

This truly sounds like an excellent book!