Win a copy of Lost and Found by Carolyn Parkhurst

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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