Sentiments of Blue VBT July 2011

About Sentiments of Blue


Set in a Michigan factory, the title story takes readers inside a workplace dominated by a ruthless bully and his cronies. While explaining the actions taking place around him, it becomes clear that the narrator yearns to escape the blue-collar life handed down to him from his father. “Perfect Game” unfolds during a minor league baseball game with Chi-Chi Gomez on the mound, a fearless pitcher who never fails to brush a few batters back from the plate–a space he considers his personal property. Along with other stories, the book also features original poems including “Uncle Nardo’s Store,” “My Father’s Foot,” and “The Malediction of Miss Holstein.”

Read an Excerpt!


The Careers of My Mother

When I was a boy
she was a secretary.
Her nights were filled
with filing groceries,
taking phone calls,
posting notes
around his office
to remind him of things
he always forgot.

Then, when I turned fourteen,
My mother earned her law degree.
As a defense counselor,
she became a dazzling chief litigator,
furious with her polished tongue,
bullying us with verbal assaults,
clearing his name with brilliant oration
while drilling her steely finger into my chest
with every point she made!

Today, she’s a nurse.
From the den I watch her
slowly lean over to turn him,
stroke his hair, cut the drool that sways,
from the corner of his mouth,
kiss his hand that trembles
between the tubes that feed him.

About Garasamo Maccagnone

Garasamo Maccagnone is a writer and entrepreneur. The founder of a successful airfreight business, Maccagnone now focuses on his literary career. He is the author of the novel St. John of the Midfield, the novella, For the Love of St. Nick, a collection of short stories entitled, My Dog Tim and Other Stories, and a children’s book titled, The Suburban Dragon. Sentiments of Blue is his latest short story collection. Maccagnone currently lives in Shelby Township where he is working on his second novel, The Sorrows of Pebble Creek.

Find the author online at http://garasamomaccagnone.com/.

If you missed last week's tour stops you can find them at:

Monday, July 11th

Guest blogging at Review from Here

Tuesday, July 12th
Book reviewed at J.W. Nicklaus’ Blog

Wednesday, July 13th

Guest blogging at Lori’s Reading Corner

Friday, July 15th
Interviewed at Examiner

Here is this week's schedule so you can follow along:

Monday, July 18th
Book trailer featured at If Books Could Talk

Tuesday, July 19th

Guest blogging at AllVoices

Wednesday, July 20th

Book spotlighted at American Chronicle

Thursday, July 21st

Radio interview at 6:30 PM Eastern at A Book and A Chat

Friday, July 22nd
Book spotlighted at Broowaha

For the author's complete schedule, please visit http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2011/05/17/sentiments-of-blue-virtual-book-tour-june-july-2011/

Pump Up Your Book's July 2011 Authors on Tour!

Pump Up Your Book! Announces July ‘11 Authors on Virtual Book Tours

Join a talented and diverse group of 36 authors promoting 35 books and a publisher celebrating “Five Years of Irresponsible Reading,” as they tour with Pump Up Your Book! Virtual Book Tours during the month of July 2011.

Follow them as they travel the blogosphere from July 5th through July 29th to discuss their books. This month is filled with a variety of genres: fantasy novels, memoirs, short story collections, historicals, and more!

The month of July finds us host to short story collections from Hugh Aaron, Garasamo Maccagnone, and Dangerous Lee. Are you an author considering using the blogosphere to promote your book? Then be sure you don’t miss “So You Want to Write a Guest Post,” by Pump Up Your Book’s! Jaime McDougall.

Thrillers come to you from Steve DeWinter, Julia Madeleine, Aaron Patterson, and L.L. Reaper. Young adult fantasy novels are being promoted by Kara Bartley, Lory Kaufman, and Christine Schulze, along with other fantasy novels from F.J. Dagg, Maria Lucia, and Rie Sheridan Rose. And don’t miss the YA Dystopian Mythology novel, “Solstice,” being promoted by P.J. Hoover.

Emily Sue Harvey continues her tour in July with the inspirational novel, “Homefires,” and Daren Krupa is touring with his coming of age novel, “Such a Nice Boy.” Also on tour in July are Lilian Duval, Larry Jukofsky, and Paul Levine.

Authors Carole Eglash-Kosoff, James Mace, and Greg Messel are all talking about their historical novels, while C. Elizabeth will be sharing her contemporary romance, “Absolute Obsession.” Other fiction titles come to you from B.A. Chepaitis, Susan Still, Frank Zaccari, and Wayne Zurl.

Nonfiction titles we are hosting in July come from Blanca Beyar, Chamed, Barbara Conelli, Tom McLaughlin, and Nzingha West. Ever wonder what it takes to make it in Hollywood? Follow the tour of Bryan Hidalgo & Gail O'Donnell, who are promoting their book, “Making it in Hollywood.” We’re also thrilled to have author Steven Verrier back in the Pump Up Your Book folds to promote his new book, “Class Struggle: Journal of a Teacher In Up to His Ears.”

Last, but definitely not least, we want you to join us as Zumaya Publications celebrates “Five Years of Irresponsible Reading.” We’ll be featuring a variety of Zumaya authors all month long!

Visit YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iorCkMNhmcI to view a video trailer introducing our authors on tour in July.

Pump Up Your Book! is a virtual book tour agency for authors who want quality service at an affordable price. More information can be found on their website at http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/.

Contact Information:

Dorothy Thompson
Founder of Pump Up Your Book! Virtual Book Tours
Email: thewriterslife@yahoo.com