Rebel in Blue Jeans by Beverly Stowe McClure

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!"