Friday, February 28, 2014

Free Mysteries for Kindle


Jeff Resnick hardly knew his well-heeled half-brother. But after suffering a fractured skull in a vicious mugging, he reluctantly accepts the fact that he has a long and brutal recovery to face—and his closest of kin can provide him with the time and place to do it.

Now, Jeff is haunted by unexplained visions of a heinous crime—a banker, stalked, killed, and eviscerated like a ten-point buck. When Matt Sumner’s murder is discovered, a still-recovering Jeff realizes this was what he had seen. Jeff must not only convince himself of his new-found psychic ability, but also his skeptical brother Richard Alpert. Since Sumner was Richard’s banker, both brothers have a stake in finding out what happened. With Richard’s reluctant help, Jeff’s investigation leads him to Sumner’s belligerent family and hard-nosed business associates, none of whom want him snooping around.

When Jeff discovers a second victim, he knows he must relentlessly chase his quarry even if it means risking his brother’s life.

PURCHASE HERE!


Bill Travis, an unmarried, unattached investment counselor rapidly approaching his fortieth birthday, conceives that he may not live the most exciting of lives, yet Julie Simmons, his first appointment that Monday, is deeply in trouble. She has taken a North Texas quarter horse racer and liquor baron named Archie Carpin--the last of a dynasty of criminals from the 1920's--for a ride and cleaned him out of a neat two million bucks. And thus begins the adventure of Bill’s life.

Ensues a chase north across Texas to recover the money and shake the pursuit of a couple of rednecks with a penchant for rifles and rigged explosives. Yet, through all this action the compelling tale of yet another mystery—an 80-year old missing person’s case—begins to unravel.

PURCHASE HERE!


TOTALLY REVISED, UPDATED EDITION! Maggie Newberry is sheltered, privileged but also a whip-smart advertising copywriter who's fast on her feet and a little stunned to realize that she's 32 years old and still hasn't found "the one." When her long-missing sister ends up dead, Maggie flies to the south of France to find the little niece that no one in the family even knew existed. Along the way, she finds handsome Laurent Dernier, a sexy if nefarious Frenchman who it's not clear is there to help or hinder Maggie's search for the girl. Meanwhile, her sister's murderer sets his sights on the little girl--and Maggie.

PURCHASE HERE!



A ruthless hitman confronts his destiny in a startling tale of redemption. (A Digital Short)

PURCHASE HERE!

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

W...W...W...Wednesdays - February 26


This meme was created by MizB at Should Be Reading. To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…


• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?




Nothing like a contemporary book with a Laura Ingalls Wilder tie-in to satisfy my love of all things Laura. I also don't read enough books where the characters are from a culture I know little about. I'm loving this book so far.

Jobless with a PhD, Lee Lien returns home to her Chicago suburb from grad school, only to find herself contending with issues she’s evaded since college. But when her brother disappears, he leaves behind an object from their mother’s Vietnam past that stirs up a forgotten childhood dream: a gold-leaf brooch, abandoned by an American reporter in Saigon back in 1965, that might be an heirloom belonging to Laura Ingalls Wilder. As Lee explores the tenuous facts of this connection, she unearths more than expected—a trail of clues and enticements that lead her from the dusty stacks of library archives to hilarious prairie life reenactments and ultimately to San Francisco, where her findings will transform strangers’ lives as well as her own.

A dazzling literary mystery about the true origins of a time-tested classic, Pioneer Girl is also the deeply moving tale of a second-generation Vietnamese daughter, the parents she struggles to honor, the missing brother she is expected to bring home—even as her discoveries yield dramatic insights that will free her to live her own life to its full potential.

What did you recently finish reading?



My review of this one is coming on March 4th.

Planning on self-publishing a book? Here’s how to do it.

The book describes the complete process necessary to self-published a book. Unlike those who maintain that self-publishing a book consists of simply uploading the cover and manuscript files, this book details all of the necessary preliminary tasks that have to be finished before uploading the files.
It’s a complete roadmap to get a book self-published. It’s organized by timeframes to break up the workload into manageable chunks.

Uploading files to a packager isn't the entire scope of work. That's actually the easiest task, but there are many more necessary tasks to be done.. This book explains the entire self-publishing process. It breaks up the publishing process into four timeframes starting four months before the availability date. This spreads the workload into easy-to-manage chunks.

What do you think you’ll read next?



I'm scheduled to review this book on March 25 over at The Children's and Teens' Book Connection. The book is on its way to me now, so I should have plenty of time to get to it.

As a straight-A student with a budding romance and loyal best friend, M.T.’s life seems as apple-pie American as her blondish hair and pale skin. But M.T. hides two facts to the contrary: her full name of Monserrat Thalia and her status as an undocumented immigrant.

But it’s harder to hide now that M.T.’s a senior. Her school’s National Honor Society wants her to plan their trip abroad, her best friend won’t stop bugging her to get her driver’s license, and all everyone talks about is where they want to go to college. M.T. is pretty sure she can’t go to college, and with high school ending and her family life unraveling, she’s staring down a future that just seems empty. In the end, M.T. will need to trust herself and others to stake a claim in the life that she wants.

Author Maria E. Andreu draws from her personal experience as a (formerly) undocumented immigrant to explore an issue that affects over one million children in the U.S. But while the subject matter is timely, it is M.T.’s sharp, darkly funny voice and longing for a future that makes this story universally poignant.

What are you reading right now?

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday Rewind: Top Ten Books I Can't Believe I've Never Read


Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they will post a new Top Ten list that one of the bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All they ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

This week's Top Ten Tuesday is a Rewind, so we get to choose from any previous topic that we want to do again or might have missed. I chose Top Ten Books I Can't Believe I've Never Read.




I honestly can't believe I've never even cracked the cover of a Sherlock Holmes novel. I'm such a huge mystery fan, this seems so wrong. The closest I've been to Holmes is saying, "No shit, Sherlock," to someone stating the obvious.



I've never read Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer or The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, not even in high school. I'm fairly certain this is some crime among book lovers.



Believe it or not, I've never read an Agatha Christie novel featuring Hercule Poirot. I've read some of her Miss Marple books, but not a single Poirot novel.



Much to even my astonishment, I've never read Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. Gasp! I know. When I promoted this novel for the 20th anniversary of its release, so many reviewers told me I had to read it before the end of the year. I had plans to, but then my life got crazy and tackling an 800+ page book wasn't going to happen. It's still in the back of my mind for when I have some free time.


Though required reading in some of our high school English classes, I never had a chance to read The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Instead, I endured The Great Gatsby and Lord of the Flies.




Here's another shock: I've never read a Harry Potter book. Not a one. Never even picked one up unless I was moving it from one room to another while my son was reading them. I'm sure I'll read them eventually, but I rarely read a hugely popular series just because everyone else is, and this genre isn't my regular read.



That also partially explains why I've never read a single book in the Twilight Series either. I went through a vampire stage in my late 20s and early 30s, but I'm not so much into them now, and I prefer TV vamps like Angel from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I saw Breaking Dawn Part 2 in the theater, and while it piqued my interest, it wasn't enough for me to read these books yet. That said, I'm still amazed I haven't read even part of one of the books.



I bought a hardcover copy of The Blythes Are Quoted by Lucy Maud Montgomery because I love anything to do with Montgomery's characters. It sits in my office untouched because I haven't had time to get to it. Though I've slowed down on reviewing for book tours, I'm still taking on a few too many and that hasn't allowed me to catch up much with my TBR pile. Note to self: Learn to say no.


I bought Lucky Man by Michael J. Fox because I truly missed him in front of the camera and wanted to read his story. I still haven't gotten to it, but it's another one that is staring at me from my bookshelf.



I've loved Karen White's Tradd Street Series from the very first book. Actually, I've enjoyed everything that White has written that I've had the pleasure to read. I was offered a copy of The Strangers on Montagu Street for review from her publicist, but I knew it would take me forever to get to it, so I declined. I ended up buying it with an Amazon gift card I won. The next book in this series, Return to Tradd Street is out, so I must make time to read this one first.

What are some books you can't believe you've never read?

Monday, February 24, 2014

Musing Mondays - 3 Books (February 24)


Musing Mondays , today, asks you to play along with the 3 BOOKS fun!
The questions… and my answers!



3 BOOKS THAT HAVE IMPACTED YOU

1. Beyond Me: Living A You-First Life in a Me-First World by Kathi Macias
2. Birthing the Elephant: The Woman's Go-For-It! Guide to Overcoming the Big Challenges of Launching a Business by Karin Abarbanel and Bruce Freeman
3. You Are More Than Enough: Every Woman's Guide to Purpose, Passion and Power by Judi Moreo

3 BOOKS CURRENTLY ON YOUR WISHLIST

1. The Medea Complex by Rachel Florence Roberts
2. Revolutionary by Alex Myers
3. Blood on the Moon: The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln by Edward Steers Jr.

3 BOOKS YOU’VE PURCHASED IN THE LAST 6 MONTHS

1. Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution 1863 - 1877 by Eric Foner
2. Pearls and Poison (A Consignment Shop Mystery) by Duffy Brown (pre-ordered)
3. Manor of Secrets by Katherine Longshore

3 BOOKS YOU CAN’T HELP BUT RECOMMEND TO OTHERS

1. The Stand by Stephen King
2. Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War by Michael Shaara
3. Murder by Syllabub by Kathleen Delaney

3 BOOKS WITH AMAZING COVERS

1. Return to Tradd Street by Karen White
2. The Tudor Secret by C.W. Gortner
3. Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker: A Novel by Jennifer Chiaverini

Thursday, February 20, 2014

First Chapter Review: Bella's Betrothal by Anne Stenhouse



I won a free digital copy of this historical romance during the Christmas in October event at Penny's Tales.

BLURB:  While she is travelling north to find sanctuary from the malicious gossip of the Ton, Lady Isabella Wormsley’s room in a Dalkeith inn is invaded by handsome Scottish Laird, Charles Lindsay. Charles has uncovered a plot to kidnap her, but Bella wonders if he isn’t a more dangerous threat, at least to her heart, than the villainous Graham Direlton he wrests her from.

Bella settles into the household of her Aunt Hatty Menzies in Edinburgh’s nineteenth century George Square where Charles is a regular visitor. She has been exiled to the north by her unfeeling mama, but feels more betrayed by her papa to whom she has been close. Bella hopes the delivery of her young cousin’s baby will eventually demonstrate her own innocence in the scandal that drove her from home.

Bella’s presence disrupts the lives of everyone connected to her. Direlton makes another attempt to kidnap her and in rescuing her a second time, Charles is compromised. Only a betrothal will save his business and Bella’s reputation.

Mayhem, murder and long suppressed family secrets raise confusion and seemingly endless difficulties. Will the growing but unacknowledged love between Bella and her Scottish architect survive the evil Direlton engineers?

COVER: MuseItUp Publishing has many lovely covers. This is just one of them. Bella with what one can assume is Charles in the background, an estate far behind them, makes for a stunning historical cover.

FIRST CHAPTER: Bella is startled late at night while in her room at the inn by the handsome Charles. He warns her of a plot by Graham Direlton to kidnap her while she is on the way to her aunt and uncle's home. Bella isn't certain she should believe a man who would enter a woman's room without permission, but she can't disregard his handsome features.

KEEP READING: While I'm not always into damsel in distress kinds of stories, this one captured my attention right away. There is an air of mystery surrounding what happened to put Bella on the road to her relatives' home, some gossip that may or may not be true. One has to wonder, also, why Charles is willing to go to such lengths to protect Bella. Stenhouse creates a strong first chapter that entices the reader to continue. I know I want to see how this turns out.

File Size: 2663 KB
Print Length: 300 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: MuseItUp Publishing (September 25, 2013)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00FGEC5N0




This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.


Wednesday, February 19, 2014

W...W...W...Wednesdays - February 19


This meme was created by MizB at Should Be Reading. To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…


• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?


What are you currently reading?



I decided to go with this one since it needs to be reviewed during early March. It's not a very long book, so I'm guessing I'll be done with it quickly.





Planning on self-publishing a book? Uploading files to a packager isn't the entire scope of work. That's actually the easiest task, but there are many more necessary tasks to be done.. This book explains the entire self-publishing process. It breaks up the publishing process into four timeframes starting four months before the availability date. This spreads the workload into easy-to-manage chunks.

The book describes the complete process necessary to self-published a book. Unlike those who maintain that self-publishing a book consists of simply uploading the cover and manuscript files, this book details all of the necessary preliminary tasks that have to be finished before uploading the files.

It’s a complete roadmap to get a book self-published. It’s organized by timeframes to break up the workload into manageable chunks.

What did you recently finish reading?



You can read my review of I Am Abraham by clicking here. There's also a $25 Amazon gift card giveaway that is part of this tour.

What do you think you’ll read next?


I'm going to sneak this one in before I tackle another adult book.





The anticipation of summer vacation can put anyone in a great mood with the excitement of adventures to be had--especially at the beach. But what is a group of friends to do when they discover mysterious men poaching whale teeth at the beach?

This is probably the next book for adults I'll read.


Welcome to the Steampunk World of Regency…

…where the power of steam has already passed from the age of unsatisfactory experiments to the first country-spanning railways and ships that no longer sail at the whims of weather. Roberta Stephenson is the daughter of the ‘Father of Railways’…a girl almost raised in the engine works and through her experience, and education in the most advanced halls of Miss Mather’s Academy for Girls, is fit to become manager and designer at her father’s steamship yard on the Clyde.

And Britain needs Roberta’s expertise, for fate in this world has dealt more kindly with Napoleon, allowing him to extricate most of his army from Moscow in 1812, and granting him at least a draw at Leipzig in 1813. With developments of the steamships begun in France in 1783 he is ready to take one more gamble to rid himself of the interference of Perfidious Albion, and the island’s safety may depend on the steam powered rams Roberta is offering to their lordships of the Admiralty.

Complicating Roberta’s professional life are her romantic suitors: Lord Julian Bond, man about town and Admiralty spy; the enigmatic Symington Holmes; and Engineer Lieutenant Alfred Worthington RN. It seems that Roberta is destined to choose one of these gentlemen, but will she choose wisely?

I'm scheduled to review The Secret Side of Empty by Maria E. Andreu at the end of March, but I haven't received my copy yet.

What are you reading this week?

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Book Review and Giveaway: I Am Abraham by Jerome Charyn

A fascinating, deeply personal portrait of our Nation's 16th president unfolds in I Am Abraham: A Novel of Lincoln and The Civil War by award-winning author Jerome Charyn.

This novel's prologue opens with a meeting between President Lincoln and his oldest son, Robert, after Lee's surrender at Appomattox, and swiftly moves to Lincoln's assassination. The book then travels back to 1831 and the years Lincoln spent in New Salem, taking on a slow, steady pace through the years as Lincoln becomes a lawyer, weds Mary Todd, and is elected President of the United States. More than half the book is dedicated to those years the country was at war.

I Am Abraham is not, however, a typical story about Lincoln. Using Lincoln's own letters and speeches, Charyn portrays a complex man who is besieged on all sides. Whether being hired out by his father, manipulated for political reasons, or trying to manage his child-wife, pressures often bring about the "blue unholies," like he first suffered after the death of Ann Rutledge. This is Lincoln brought to life like never before.

Though some of the language in the earlier chapters caused reservations (see here), in the end, I must admit this is the most riveting, intimate, and compassionate portrayal of Lincoln I've ever had the pleasure to read. The extensive research Charyn must have performed is evident in the rich descriptions and plentiful details that add so much to this story. Lincoln's visit with his son, Tad, to war-shattered Richmond only days before his assassination is so vividly portrayed, I could see it in my mind, almost smell the charred ruins of the city and the death that surrounded them.

Charyn is a masterful storyteller, bringing Lincoln's voice to a deeply personal story of the man who led this country during some of its darkest days. I highly recommend I Am Abraham. 

Prices/Formats: $12.99-$14.99 ebook, $26.95 hardcover
Pages: 464
Publisher: Liveright
Release: February 3, 2014

Kindle buy link ($12.99):
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DX5X80S?tag=tributebooks-20

Nook buy link ($14.99):
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/i-am-abraham-jerome-charyn/1115449611?ean=9780871404275

Amazon hardcover buy link ($26.95):
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0871404273?tag=tributebooks-20

Barnes and Noble hardcover buy link ($26.95):
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/i-am-abraham-jerome-charyn/1115449611?ean=9780871404275




Jerome Charyn is an award-winning American author. With nearly 50 published works, Charyn has earned a long-standing reputation as an inventive and prolific chronicler of real and imagined American life. Michael Chabon calls him "one of the most important writers in American literature." New York Newsday hailed Charyn as "a contemporary American Balzac,"and the Los Angeles Times described him as "absolutely unique among American writers." Since the 1964 release of Charyn's first novel, Once Upon a Droshky, he has published 30 novels, three memoirs, eight graphic novels, two books about film, short stories, plays and works of non-fiction. Two of his memoirs were named New York Times Book of the Year. Charyn has been a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. He received the Rosenthal Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and has been named Commander of Arts and Letters by the French Minister of Culture. Charyn was Distinguished Professor of Film Studies at the American University of Paris until he left teaching in 2009. In addition to his writing and teaching, Charyn is a tournament table tennis player, once ranked in the top 10 percent of players in France. Noted novelist Don DeLillo called Charyn's book on table tennis, Sizzling Chops & Devilish Spins, "The Sun Also Rises of ping-pong." Charyn lives in Paris and New York City.

Jerome Charyn's Web Site:
http://www.jeromecharyn.com/

Jerome Charyn's Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/jerome.charyn?fref=ts

I Am Abraham Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/IAmAbrahamNovel

Jerome Charyn's Twitter:

http://twitter.com/jeromecharyn

I Am Abraham Twitter:
http://twitter.com/NewLincolnNovel

Jerome Charyn's Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/53408.Jerome_Charyn

I Am Abraham Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17987663-i-am-abraham

Tribute Books Blog Tours Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tribute-Books-Blog-Tours/242431245775186

I Am Abraham
blog tour site:
http://iamabrahamblogtour.blogspot.com/





ENTER FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN!

($25 Amazon gift card or PayPal cash):

a Rafflecopter giveaway


I received a copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.


Monday, February 17, 2014

Musing Mondays - February 17


Musing Mondays asks you to muse about one of the following each week…

• Describe one of your reading habits.
• Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s).
• What book are you currently desperate to get your hands on? Tell us about it!
• Tell us what you’re reading right now — what you think of it, so far; why you chose it; what you are (or, aren’t) enjoying it.
• Do you have a bookish rant? Something about books or reading (or the industry) that gets your ire up? Share it with us!
• Instead of the above questions, maybe you just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!

My Musing:

For a while I was downloading a ton of free Kindle books to my device. I still do upon occasion, but I am much more selective now. Here is a short list of books I probably wouldn't have on my device if they weren't free, not because they don't sound interesting, but because I wouldn't have paid for them if I already had plenty of reading material here:


I'm not much of a fantasy fan, so this isn't a genre I would generally download anyway. I realize, however, that the young adult market is filled with fantasy titles and I like to try out books in genres I don't usually read.

This book is about our need for ultimate love and understanding. Set in today's society where self-doubt, bullying, broken homes and brokenness is rampant, this book is a must read.

"Seventh Dimension - The Door" is a first-hand account of a young girl, Shale Snyder, who is treated unfairly by her family, school, and classmates. Fear distorts her sense of self-worth and she is enveloped with guilt because of a secret from her past.

While on a sojourn similar to Christian in "Pilgrim's Progress," Shale discovers talking animals and a handsome young man with whom she falls in love. Her journey is one of self-discovery as she battles personal demons, family conflict, wicked underlings, and comes face-to-face with a personal decision she must make - bound up in the king she meets in first century Israel.



Contemporary romance is another genre I don't read a ton of. I enjoy it when I dabble in this genre, but I prefer historical romance.

Book One: Almost Perfect

Maddy
was always the artistic one of the group, full of life from her saucy
red curls to her vintage hippie skirts. Her challenge, the friends
decide, is to get her artwork accepted at a gallery. A job as arts
director at a summer camp near Santa Fe--with its thriving art
scene--seems like just the thing.

There's just one catch: The
camp is run by Maddy's high school flame, Joe, whose heart she smashed
when she chose her art over marriage to him. His anger over the breakup
hasn't cooled one bit. But neither has their attraction.

Old
desires burn hotter than ever as Joe makes it clear there's only one way
back into his heart: She has to get serious about the art career she
once valued above all else. But will falling in love help or hinder
Maddy as she struggles to meet her challenge?



This one sounds like a fabulous book. The cover is a bit creepy.

Samuel Carsten is a mild mannered academic who is summoned to the reading of his grandfather's will. The reading slowly spirals out of control as he learns he must take part in a complicated game to keep a horrible family secret buried. He must survive for twenty four hours trying to right the wrongs of the past while being chased by a relentless assassin. If he succeeds the past stays hidden and he becomes rich beyond his imagination. If he fails it could cost him his life!

Do you own any digital books you might not have downloaded if they weren't free?

Friday, February 14, 2014

Interview with Andre Phillip-Hautecoeur, author of One Exquisite Night in Paris


Andre Phillip-Hautecoeur defines himself as, “…not a writer really.” He simply had an urge to write something about Paris.

It’s the city exactly at the intersection of romance, history, fantasy and enchantment; everyone faces Paris in some form of a dream. He came to know and love Paris hanging onto the hem of his wife’s skirt. She’s Parisian, she’s everything French without constraint; she makes understanding all of Parisness a pleasure. An understanding which made him want to write.

Together they make home between New York and Paris. Shuttling back and forth continues to be the ultimate dream.

His latest book is the contemporary romance, One Exquisite Paris Night.

Visit his blog at www.ExquisiteNightinParis.blogspot.com.


Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I’m from St. Lucia in the Caribbean, moved to New York and now happily, because of my wife Eff I get to live between Brooklyn and Paris. I’m not a writer’s writer, I’m not there yet; I’m not a big fiction writer because I can’t make stuff up. I write to find appropriate ways to position words so that they’re visible and form happy thoughts as opposed to creating aliens or horror.

When did you begin writing?

I began writing for myself maybe five years ago but truly didn’t feel I had anything to say which people needed to hear. This book is a Paris book and you would think that everything to be written about Paris was already done; all the cookbooks, history books and expats in love. There wasn’t a modern fantasy fairytale though and I honestly believe we deserve to see Paris from that perspective.

Do you write during the day, at night or whenever you can sneak a few moments?

I write all the time and I think all writers do this; keep a notebook. Ideas come along all the time and disappear if not captured. The better writing for me is done at night when nothing moves. The writing flows better. In the morning there is always an idea to catch or something to edit from last night's work!!

What is this book about?

This book is about being in love and having a fantasy built around it such that you want to create the perfect day/night for the person of your dreams in the only place where it’s possible, Paris.

We all want to one day say, “I had the most amazing day of my entire life.” The book offers a realistic suggestion on how to do that.

What inspired you to write it?


I’ve always been desperately in love with Paris. Then I fell accidentally in love with my wife who happened to be from Paris. Seriously, I wasn’t looking.

Also we had all just come through a pretty rotten recession, America and the rest of the world, so I thought it was time to create a fantasy, something we all could look forward to; a doable fairytale to make people in love a little happier. A fantasy we would remember for the rest of our lives.

It also felt like Disney and the movies hijacked our dreams so we lived them from the warm worn seat of our couches. We need to get up and do something fantastic.

Paris is a fantasy place deliberately created for dreaming.

Who is your biggest supporter?

Eff is my biggest supporter, friend and family in a matter-of-fact way.

Who is your favorite author?

As old as this sounds, I like Fitzgerald. You can tell that he was very careful with his writing and not very egotistic.

Where can readers purchase a copy of your book?

On Amazon.

Where can readers can find out more?

https://www.facebook.com/OneExquisiteNightinParis

http://exquisitenightinparis.blogspot.com/

What is the best investment you have made in promoting your book?

I believe the best investment regarding promotion will prove to be the book blog tour arranged by Dorothy at pumpupyourbook.com. She’s been extremely responsive and the arrangements have so far been seamless! It would have been agony to pull it together on my own!!

What is up next for you?

I hope to spend the next months marketing this book. Additionally I dabble with titles or opening lines till I find something I can work with, build on, to create a story interesting enough to spend eight months on.


Thursday, February 13, 2014

Guest Blogger: Gordon Tredgold, Author of Leadership: It’s a Marathon Not a Sprint


Leadership: It’s a Marathon not Sprint, is a pragmatic Leadership guide, explaining leadership principles in an easy to use, easy to understand and more importantly easy implement style.

The book is split into 26 chapters, one for each mile of the marathon. In each chapter i explain a leadership principle in detail, provide examples of that principle being used in a business context, then each chapter concludes with how that principle was applied to my running goal of running my first Marathon at the age of 52.

This book will be of interest to existing leaders and people looking to move into leadership.

Clear, straightforward advice bases on the principles of Simplicity, Transparency and Focus.

Passion and Structure
by Gordon Tredgold

It had always been a dream of mine to write a book, but to be honest I had always thought of this as a daunting task and I wasn’t exactly sure where to start.

So after a few days and weeks of staring at a blank sheet of paper I decided to change my approach.

I decided to begin by starting a blog. I’d write a few things, each and every day, and try to get a feel for it. Would I enjoy writing? Did I have something to say? And, perhaps most importantly, would anyone else actually be interested?

I named my blog Leadership Principles and dedicated myself to short articles on leadership, writing 300-400 words each day. Each article I tried to write as a chapter summary on a particular leadership topic, such as Reward and Recognition, or on Setting Goals. I thought that when I had around 20 or so of these posts they would form the basis of the book and I would look to flesh them out a little more to create my book.

A month or so after I started the blog, a good friend of mine began chemotherapy. Something ignited within me. This was the seventh person I knew who had recently undergone cancer treatment. One of my friends, Tanya, contacted me to let me know that her treatment was unsuccessful and that she was dismissing any further medical procedures.

I was so devastated and saddened by all of this news. I wanted to do something. But I didn’t know what? I just knew I wanted to support it?

So I decided I’d try and raise money for cancer charity by running a marathon.

I’d never wanted to run a marathon. In fact, one of the things I was most staunchly opposed to in my lifetime was competing in a marathon!

Perhaps for that very reason, then, it occurred to me that it was probably the best thing that I could do. My friends had been plunged into circumstances they’d never wished for, and they were fighting and prevailing. The least I could do was show some solidarity.

As I began my marathon training, I noticed how much my two recent new endeavors—running and writing—correlated.

Many of the leadership principles I shared on my blog were things that I was applying to myself during my marathon training.

This is where I got the idea for the structure of the book, I would look to write about leadership and how I had used it to help lead myself to run a marathon.
I would be my own guinea pig, my own case study, for my leadership beliefs.

So I decided to structure the book into 26 chapters, each chapter representing one mile of the marathon.

Each chapter covers a leadership principle and how I applied it in my professional career, and at the end I included a Marathon Diary. The diary explained how I applied that principle to my Marathon goal and my progress, tracking how I constantly pushed myself to meet my expectations and the goals of my leadership strategies.

I really found that once I had the structure, it gave me a great focus, which helped me complete the book. The structure gave me a logical beginning i.e. the defining of the goal and beginning the training, and a clear end - the completion of my marathon journey.

It also turned what could be quite a dry book on leadership into a story, my journey from non-runner to marathon runner with the completion of the Dusseldorf marathon.

If I were to give any advice to a budding author, then I would tell them to find a subject that they are passionate about, and then find a structure.

With passion and structure the words will just flow out, like they did for me.

Gordon has worked in IT for over 20 years and is a specialist in Transformational Leadership, Operational Performance Improvement, Organisational Development, Creating Business Value via IT, and Program and Change Management.

Gordon has an excellent Global and International experience having lived and worked in UK, Belgium, Holland, Czech Republic, USA and Germany. He also has multi sector knowledge including FMCG, Logistics, Utilities, Telecoms, Aviation, Banking and Finance.

Gordon Tredgold is the author of Leadership: It’s a Marathon Not a Sprint. Learn more about him at http://www.leadership-principles.com/en/ and about his book at http://amzn.to/1fW2lmX  


Wednesday, February 12, 2014

W...W...W...Wednesdays - February 12


This meme was created by MizB at Should Be Reading. To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…


• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?




Still making my way through this one. I simply haven't had as much reading time as usual because I'm performing research for a book I'm working on.

Tracing the historic arc of Lincoln's life from his picaresque days as a gangly young lawyer in Sangamon County, Illinois, through his improbable marriage to Kentucky belle Mary Todd, to his 1865 visit to war-shattered Richmond only days before his assassination, I Am Abraham hews closely to the familiar Lincoln saga. Charyn seamlessly braids historical figures such as Mrs. Keckley—the former slave, who became the First Lady's dressmaker and confidante—and the swaggering and almost treasonous General McClellan with a parade of fictional extras: wise-cracking knaves, conniving hangers-on, speculators, scheming Senators, and even patriotic whores.

We encounter the renegade Rebel soldiers who flanked the District in tattered uniforms and cardboard shoes, living in a no-man's-land between North and South; as well as the Northern deserters, young men all, with sunken, hollowed faces, sitting in the punishing sun, waiting for their rendezvous with the firing squad; and the black recruits, whom Lincoln’s own generals wanted to discard, but who play a pivotal role in winning the Civil War. At the center of this grand pageant is always Lincoln himself, clad in a green shawl, pacing the White House halls in the darkest hours of America’s bloodiest war.

Using biblically cadenced prose, cornpone nineteenth-century humor, and Lincoln’s own letters and speeches, Charyn concocts a profoundly moral but troubled commander in chief, whose relationship with his Ophelia-like wife and sons—Robert, Willie, and Tad—is explored with penetrating psychological insight and the utmost compassion. Seized by melancholy and imbued with an unfaltering sense of human worth, Charyn’s President Lincoln comes to vibrant, three-dimensional life in a haunting portrait we have rarely seen in historical fiction.

What did you recently finish reading?



Read this children's picture book for my Christian book blog.

Every child wonders where belly buttons come from and why they exist. Discover the nonhistorical truth in a delightful, fun, and affirming way. Children will discover that belly buttons mean you are special and you are loved. After reading Where Do Belly Buttons Come From? you may never look at your belly button the same!

What do you think you’ll read next?

Thinking it will be this one, but it could be something else.


Welcome to the Steampunk World of Regency…

…where the power of steam has already passed from the age of unsatisfactory experiments to the first country-spanning railways and ships that no longer sail at the whims of weather. Roberta Stephenson is the daughter of the ‘Father of Railways’…a girl almost raised in the engine works and through her experience, and education in the most advanced halls of Miss Mather’s Academy for Girls, is fit to become manager and designer at her father’s steamship yard on the Clyde.

And Britain needs Roberta’s expertise, for fate in this world has dealt more kindly with Napoleon, allowing him to extricate most of his army from Moscow in 1812, and granting him at least a draw at Leipzig in 1813. With developments of the steamships begun in France in 1783 he is ready to take one more gamble to rid himself of the interference of Perfidious Albion, and the island’s safety may depend on the steam powered rams Roberta is offering to their lordships of the Admiralty.

Complicating Roberta’s professional life are her romantic suitors: Lord Julian Bond, man about town and Admiralty spy; the enigmatic Symington Holmes; and Engineer Lieutenant Alfred Worthington RN. It seems that Roberta is destined to choose one of these gentlemen, but will she choose wisely?

I'm also due to review this one soon, so it could be either.


Planning on self-publishing a book? Uploading files to a packager isn't the entire scope of work. That's actually the easiest task, but there are many more necessary tasks to be done.. This book explains the entire self-publishing process. It breaks up the publishing process into four timeframes starting four months before the availability date. This spreads the workload into easy-to-manage chunks.

The book describes the complete process necessary to self-published a book. Unlike those who maintain that self-publishing a book consists of simply uploading the cover and manuscript files, this book details all of the necessary preliminary tasks that have to be finished before uploading the files.

It’s a complete roadmap to get a book self-published. It’s organized by timeframes to break up the workload into manageable chunks.

What are you reading this week?

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Interview with Wendy Tyson, Author of Killer Image


Wendy Tyson's background in law and psychology has provided inspiration for her mysteries and thrillers. Killer Image, published by Henery Press in October 2013, is the first novel in the Allison Campbell mystery series. She has also authored The Seduction of Miriam Cross, published by E-Lit Books, the first in the Delilah Percy Powers mystery series.

Find Wendy at www.WATyson.com.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Oh wow, such a straightforward but open-ended question! I’m a mother (3 boys), writer, wife and lawyer. I’m also a passionate organic gardener, an avid reader, a vegetarian, a messy housekeeper, a fierce animal lover and an advocate for fighting for the things you believe in. Oh, and I love chocolate, Indian food and traveling. I really love to travel!

When did you begin writing?

I started writing in earnest at age eight. My first book was about a ghost dog and I tapped it out on an old children’s typewriter. My parents, of course, thought it was brilliant, despite the muddled plot and numerous typos. I never really stopped writing, although it took me another twenty years to start publishing short stories. I wrote my first full-length novel about a decade ago. My agent at the time called it my training bra novel. She was right! It’s sitting on my shelf as a reminder that writing is a craft. It takes time to develop.

Do you write during the day, at night or whenever you can sneak a few moments?

I try to write every morning, before work. When I wrote my first novel, I’d get up at 4:30 am to do it, but now it’s closer to 5:30 (sleeping in!). I think the discipline of having a set time helps me to make sure writing occurs, because once my day starts (I work full-time), it’s crazy. Plus, by evening my brain is worthless when it comes to anything creative. Sometimes I’ll write at lunchtime, too – if I get a break during the day. But I can’t count on that.

What is this book about?

KILLER IMAGE is the first in a mystery series featuring Allison Campbell.

As Philadelphia’s premier image consultant, Allison Campbell helps others reinvent themselves, but her most successful transformation was her own. Ten years ago, Allison’s budding career as a psychologist crumbled when she let maternal feelings for an abused teenager cloud her judgment. Allison left her practice and the ensuing scandal behind and vowed never to let her feelings interfere again. Today, a well-heeled and polished Allison moves in a world of powerful executives, wealthy, eccentric ex-wives and twisted ethics.

When Allison’s latest Main Line client, the fifteen-year-old Goth daughter of a White House hopeful, is accused of the ritualistic murder of a local divorce attorney, Allison fights to prove her client’s innocence when no one else will. But unraveling the truth brings specters from the past. And in a place where image is everything, the ability to distinguish what’s real from the facade may be the only thing that keeps Allison alive.

What inspired you to write it?


KILLER IMAGE was inspired by my background in psychology and law, and the transition from one career to the other.

While in graduate school for counseling, I worked in the social services field as a caseworker, a group home counselor and, later, as a therapist in a residential setting. I was in my twenties at the time, and the populations I worked with – mostly at-risk teens – made a strong impression on me. I left with two primary emotions: anger at the injustices of the world and awe at the resiliency of the human spirit.

I traded the psych world for law school in Villanova, PA (part of the Philadelphia Main Line) in the late 90s. My experience in the counseling field juxtaposed against law school on the Main Line–and my work at a big Philly law firm–triggered the idea behind Allison. I wanted to capture that feeling of being an outsider in a place of insiders. Allison is a successful image consultant because she never really fits in, and that, coupled with a tragedy in her own past and her background in psychology, helps her see beneath the veneer to the true beauty in people. Plus, the Philadelphia Main Line – with its wealthy, beautiful estates, private schools and upscale shopping – was a perfect setting for exploring the theme of image versus reality. It seemed a great place to stage a murder!

Where can readers purchase a copy of your book?

Anywhere books are sold. KILLER IMAGE is available on Amazon, B&N, Kobo, etc. Many bookstores have it as well – and, if not, they can order it.

What is one piece of advice you would like to share with aspiring authors everywhere?

Keep going! Truly, if I’ve learned anything it’s that writing is a journey. Sure, there are instant success stories, but for many of us it’s one step forward and five steps backwards. I think if you really, really want to write – if you have something you want to share with the world – then you owe it to yourself to keep plodding along despite the inevitable lulls, frustrations and rejection. We all experience these things. They’re part of the journey. Just keep moving.

What is up next for you?

The second book in the Allison Campbell series will be out on July 22, 2014. The book is called MURDEROUS LOOKS. In MURDEROUS LOOKS, two of Allison’s clients – a reclusive Italian heiress and a young pop star – disappear on the same day, and Allison’s colleague Vaughn is the last to have seen both. It’s up to Allison to figure out the connection between the disappearances and find her clients before it’s too late.

I’ve also written THE SEDUCTION OF MIRIAM CROSS (E-Lit Books, November 2013), the first in the Delilah Percy Powers mystery series. I’m working on the second book in that series, THE INITIATION OF CAROLYN WU, which should be out in late 2014 or early 2015.

Is there anything you would like to add?

Thank you for hosting me on your blog today!

Discuss this book in our PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads by clicking HERE.





Monday, February 10, 2014

Musing Mondays - February 10


Musing Mondays asks you to muse about one of the following each week…

• Describe one of your reading habits.
• Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s).
• What book are you currently desperate to get your hands on? Tell us about it!
• Tell us what you’re reading right now — what you think of it, so far; why you chose it; what you are (or, aren’t) enjoying it.
• Do you have a bookish rant? Something about books or reading (or the industry) that gets your ire up? Share it with us!
• Instead of the above questions, maybe you just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!

My Musing:

I can honestly say I haven't felt much like reading lately. This happens from time to time, usually when I'm overwhelmed by life. I've been falling asleep with the kids at night. So instead of reading in the tub, I'm simply showering in the morning; the shower is not a good place for a book. On the upside, I've been performing research to continue with my middle grade historical. I have eleven chapters so far, but this research will help me reach completion.

Do you ever have times when you don't feel like reading anything?


Friday, February 7, 2014

Child Helpline International Charity Raffle Results by Graham Parke


I'm very polite by nature, even the voices in my head let each other finish their sentences. from Completely Flappable
 


Each year I organize an event during which I give away free books and raffle off some prizes. This year I thought it would be fun to donate the proceeds as well. I'd chosen Child Helpline International as they support toll-free child helplines worldwide, and help highlight gaps in child protection systems.

I'd like to thank everyone who picked up a copy of "No Hope for Gomez!" or "Unspent Time", and I'm happy to be report that we raised over a thousand dollars for the CHI.

The Kindle HD Fire goes to: Daniel Wakefield

Regs,
Graham Parke
PS -lets see how far we can get next year ;)