What I’m reading: Fifty Shades of Grey by E L James

The last person I followed on Twitter: @SoGlover

1.  The Arrivals Arrives at CostCo  

Meg Mitchell Moore’s The Arrivals will be available in CostCo locations in the near future.  Stay posted for when to grab the perfect summer beach read.  Congratulations Meg, way to kick off your book tour!

Meg recently sat down with Barnes & Noble to offer more details about The Arrivals and insight into her life.  ”LS: How did you come up with the title of your book? MMM: Oh boy. This title went through so many meetings I have lost count. I started with the title Solace and the publisher first said, “No, too quiet.” We went around and around through a million other titles and came back to Solace only to find that another book had recently been published with that name. So So Far Away came into being. The funny thing is that in the Publisher’s Weekly review of the book, “solace” is the first word of the first sentence.”

MORE ABOUT THE ARRIVALS:

It’s early summer when Ginny and William’s peaceful life in Burlington, Vermont, comes to an abrupt halt. First, their daughter Lillian arrives, two children in tow, to escape her crumbling marriage. Next, their son Stephen and his pregnant wife Jane show up for a weekend visit, which extends indefinitely.  When their youngest daughter Rachel appears, fleeing her difficult life in New York, Ginny and William find themselves consumed again by the chaos of parenthood—only this time around, their children are facing adult problems.  By summer’s end, the family gains new ideas of loyalty and responsibility, exposing the challenges of surviving the modern family. And the old adage, once a parent, always a parent, has never rung so true.

MORE ABOUT MEG:

Meg Mitchell Moore is the author of The Arrivals and the forthcoming So Far Away. She worked for several years as a journalist. Her work has been published in Yankee, Continental, Women’s Health, Advertising Age and many other business and consumer magazines. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and their three children.

2.  Girl Unmoored Anchored With 7 Awards

Girl Unmoored continues to buzz not only in the blogger community, but in the book awards community too!  Congratulations to Jennifer Gooch Hummer for winning an impressive 7 awards for her debut YA novel to date.  Her latest awards include 2 from the International Book Awards.  Girl Unmoored received Finalist, Best New Fiction category as well as Finalist, Fiction: Young Adult category.

The Well Read Wife compares Girl Unmoored to Judy Blume’s 1970 novel, Are You There God?  It’s Me Margaret.  “(It) dealt with tough issues like religion, navigating the tween social landscape, and dealing with slowly developing into a woman.  Hummer’s novel deals with complicated and tough issues teens faced in the 1980′s and still face today.  Death, grief, infidelity, and alienation are just some of the issues Apron faces throughout the novel.”

Have you read this book yet?  What are you waiting for?

3.  Kathleen Shoop Graces Her Local Newspaper 

The Valley News Dispatch / Pittsburgh Tribune-Review caught up with Kathleen Shoop at her book signing event at the Oakmont Carnegie Library.  Kathleen was featured in their weekend edition on her success as a self-published author and her latest historical fiction novel, After the Fog.  

According to the feature written by Rex Rutkowski, “She (Kathleen) decided to self-publish, acquired a national publicist and hired a book-cover artist who designs for Simon & Schuster and other publishers. Last year, her debut novel, “The Last Letter,” sold more than 50,000 copies for the Kindle, and it won the Independent Publisher Awards Gold Medal. Described as “the novel for every daughter who thinks she knows her mother’s story,” it is set in the Dakota Territory of the late 1800s.”

“She believes that her strengths as a writer are in bringing a world to life, making readers feel like they are in the story.  ”I like redemption tales,” said Kathleen.  ”I love flawed, quirky people. I admire people who say what they mean, people who are strange, but don’t care, and people who have goals for a better life, but who can’t quite get things right.”"

4.  Star Studded Review of After the Fog

Kathleen Shoop’s After the Fog was recently featured on Hanging Off the Wire.  ”What a great read! I loved the authors first book, and this one is just as great! You are hooked from the beginning and cannot put the book down until you are finished! The author does a very good job of making you visualize the time and era. You become a part of Donora, and its people. A very good read!”

A friendly reminder to continue entering in Kathleen Shoop’s health and wellness basket giveaway that includes a $100 gift card to Whole Foods.  When you purchase After the Fog forward your e book or print receipt to contests@sparkpointstudio.com and you will automatically be entered.  You have until May 31st to enter.  Good luck!

MORE ABOUT AFTER THE FOG:

For every woman who thinks she left her past behind…  In the steel mill town of Donora, Pennsylvania, site of the infamous 1948 “killing smog,” headstrong nurse Rose Pavlesic tends to her family and neighbors. Controlling and demanding, she’s created a life that reflects everything she missed growing up as an orphan. She’s managed to keep her painful secrets hidden from her loving husband, dutiful children, and their extended, complicated family.

When astagnant weather pattern traps poisonous mill gasses in the valley, neighbors grow sicker and Rose’s nursing obligations thrust her into conflict she nevercould have fathomed. Consequences from her past collide with her present life,making her once clear decisions as gray as the suffocating smog. As the pressure mounts, Rose finds she’s not the only one harboring lies. When the deadly fog finally clears, the loss of trust and faith leaves the Pavlesic family—and the whole town—splintered and shocked. With her new perspective, can Rose finally forgive herself and let her family’s healing begin?

5.  Two Affairs, One Great Review

The San Francisco Book Review featured an amazing “double review” in their May issue for The Polski Affair  and the sequel, The Family Affair by Leon Gildin.  ”In two of the most powerful novels I’ve read in a while, Leon Gildin explores the emotional consequences of surviving the Holocaust through the story of Rosa Feurmann and her family.”

MORE ABOUT THE POLSKI AFFAIR:

Winner of the International Book Award for Historical Fiction, The Polski Affair is the story of Rosa Feurmann and others who found themselves as “guests” of the Hotel Polski during the Nazi occupation of Warsaw. Rumor had it the Nazis were attempting to lure Jews out of hiding by the sale of exit visas from Poland; the Hotel Polski drew in Jewish survivors who wished to buy their way to freedom. Rosa, a Jewish partisan, goes undercover as a maid and infiltrates the hotel. She is detected and comes under the personal control of the hotel’s Nazi Commandant.

MORE ABOUT THE FAMILY AFFAIR:

How can a woman’s struggle to reconcile her guilt of survival both unite and divide her family for years to come? It is some two years since Anna Adler returned from a reunion of the survivors who were “guests” of the Hotel Polski after the destruction of the Warsaw ghetto. At the reunion, she was applauded for her courage in testifying against the Commandant of the Polski at his War Crimes Trial. Despite the accolades, Anna’s obsession with what took place at the hotel during her period of imprisonment continues to haunt her.

MORE ABOUT LEON GILDIN:

Leon H. Gildin is an award-winning author, producer and retired entertainment attorney. While practicing law in New York for more than 40 years, Mr. Gildin served as general counsel to actors, writers and composers, produced on and off-Broadway, and collaborated with authors and musicians in the development of scripts and musical material for the stage. Leon is the 2010 International Book Awards winner in the Historical Fiction category for his novel, The Polski Affair. The award-winning story continues in The Family Affair, scheduled for release in November 2011. Leon is not quite retired, always in creative pursuit of his next compelling writing project. He resides in Paradise Valley, Arizona, with his wife, Gloria.

Co-Authors

Alisha B. Worthington
Alisha graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in Social Work. She is a licensed SSW and works part-time for The Healing Group – a therapeutic clinic. Since 2008 she has worked as a freelance writer providing articles for websites on topics ranging from parenting, dentistry, prisons, and dating. She contributes to her community by speaking to groups and holding educational forums. She has been married 15 years and is the mother off seven children.

Thomas G. Harrison
Thom has been practicing in Utah with a clinical license since 1977. He has taught at the University of Utah Medical School, Graduate School of Social Work and the Law School since 1977. He has taught and spoken to many groups on the topic of human sexuality and sexuality within relationships. He has counseled of three thousand survivors of sexual abuse. He has been trained in cognitive behavioral therapy, psychodynamic therapy, reality oriented therapy and relationship therapy. Harrison has a successful practice in Salt Lake City, Utah and sees individuals, couples, and families.

About Real Intimacy, A Couples Guide to Healthy Genuine Sexuality

Real Intimacy

Written by three colleagues from The Healing Group,  the book Real Intimacy is just that — real.  With unembarrassed candor, Kristin B. Hodson, Alisha B. Worthington and Thomas G. Harrison provide information, counsel and advice for married couples looking to find or re-kindle intimacy.  It is not your typical “Mormon intimacy book.”  The authors, who are LDS, felt the time had come for a straightforward and honest conversation about what most people are hoping for, but end up in therapy or divorcing or in intimacy-starved marriages because they don’t know how to achieve it — true marital intimacy and “oneness.”

You Can't Not Communicate by David Grossman

About You Can’t Not Communicate

David Grossman, author and award-winning leadership communication expert, poses this question to his clients: “If you know that you are constantly communicating, don’t you want to do it effectively?” David has spent is career helping leaders use communication to be more successful and to become leadercommunicators, and he shares his insights, lessons, and strategies to help any leader—whether a seasoned veteran or a first-time manager—enhance their current level of success.

What I’m reading: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

The last person I followed on Twitter: @theresetweets

1.  ‘Characters Welcome’ on Writer Unboxed

Kathleen Shoop shares her methods of character development on this popular site, an inspiration for any writer.  for writers.  ”When I break out the literary clay, I can’t help but think of USA Network’s tagline, “Characters Welcome.” To sculpt the people of my books I explore their pasts, career paths, and the historical context of the setting. For example, considering issues such as traditional gender roles of the time and studying the bold outliers who defy expectations for their era. Simple enough.”

MORE ABOUT KATHLEEN:

Bestselling Kindle author Kathleen Shoop is a Language Arts Coach with a PhD in Reading Education whose work has appeared in The Tribune Review, four Chicken Soup for the Soul books and Pittsburgh Parent Magazine. The Last Letter is her award-winning, debut novel.  After the Fog is her latest, released this month and already an award winner.  She lives in Oakmont, Pennsylvania with her husband and two children. The Last Letter is her debut novel.

2.  5 Stars for After the Fog

According to Lilac Wolf and Stuff, Kathleen Shoops’s Kindle bestselling book, “The Last Letter,” set the bar high and “After the Fog” does not disappoint.  ”The plot was full to bursting and the story read as though in a dream. I think its because we are observing a memory in the present tense. It was so engaging, I couldn’t put it down. Did you read The Last Letter? If not, you should get that and this. Both are wonderful stories.”

Continue entering to win Kathleen’s health and wellness basket giveaway!  The basket contains natural and organic body products, as well as a $100 Whole Foods gift card.   When you purchase Kathleen’s new book and forward your receipt to contests@sparkpointstudio.com, you are automatically entered to win the basket.  For more details about the contest be sure to visit Kathleen’s blog.

MORE ABOUT AFTER THE FOG:

For every woman who thinks she left her past behind…  In the steel mill town of Donora, Pennsylvania, site of the infamous 1948 “killing smog,” headstrong nurse Rose Pavlesic tends to her family and neighbors. Controlling and demanding, she’s created a life that reflects everything she missed growing up as an orphan. She’s managed to keep her painful secrets hidden from her loving husband, dutiful children, and their extended, complicated family.

When astagnant weather pattern traps poisonous mill gasses in the valley, neighbors grow sicker and Rose’s nursing obligations thrust her into conflict she nevercould have fathomed. Consequences from her past collide with her present life,making her once clear decisions as gray as the suffocating smog. As the pressure mounts, Rose finds she’s not the only one harboring lies. When the deadly fog finally clears, the loss of trust and faith leaves the Pavlesic family—and the whole town—splintered and shocked. With her new perspective, can Rose finally forgive herself and let her family’s healing begin?

3.  Why Do Writers Write?

Jennifer Gooch Hummer’s post on the Diving Wand is a must read!  Why does she write?  ”When I was seven years old, I was brushing my teeth one day, minding my own business, when the girl in the mirror smirked at me. “You’re going to be a writer you know.” “Nope,” I said. Writers were old and not pretty and not famous. Plus, I had big plans to be a professional Avon lady. There was no way I was going to be a writer. “You’ll see,” that little girl said. And by fourth grade I knew she was right.”

MORE ABOUT JENNIFER:

Jennifer Gooch Hummer has worked as a script analyst for various agencies and major film studios. Her short stories have been published in Miranda Magazine, Our Stories, Glimmertrain and Fish. She has continued graduate studies in the Writer’s Program at UCLA, where her work was nominated for the 2006 Kirkwood Prize in fiction.  Her debut novel, Girl Unmoored, was released in March 2012 and has earned several awards including Winner, YA category, Next Generation Indie Book Awards.  Currently, Jennifer lives in Southern California and Maine with her husband and three young daughters.

4.  Leaders are Raving!

Leaders from IBM to Time Warner are praising David Grossman’s latest book, the 2nd edition of “You Can’t NOT Communicate.”  It is an essential resource for anyone in the organizational communications and HR fields–anyone who wants to communicate better in the workplace.  The forward is written by Jeff Stratton, Executive VP and Worldwide Chief Restaurant Officer of McDonald’s Corp.  Truly the best in business writing!

MORE ABOUT DAVID:

David Grossman, ABC, APR, Fellow PRSA, is one of America’s foremost authorities on communication and leadership, and a sought-after speaker and advisor to Fortune 500 leaders. A two-time author, David is CEO of The Grossman Group (www.yourthoughtpartner.com), an award-winning Chicago-based strategic leadership development and internal communication consultancy; clients include: Accor, AOL, GlaxoSmithKline, HTC, and McDonald’s.

5.  The Song Remains the Same is Captivating 

Allison Winn Scotch’s novel, “The Song Remains the Same,” was reviewed by Melissa’s Eclectic Bookshelf.  ”I was captivated the moment I picked up this story. I was drawn in right alongside Nell, and felt for her as every new relationship was introduced, torn down and rebuilt…Just as she was rebuilding her own life and memories. One can’t help but root for her…because she could be any one of us.”

MORE ABOUT THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME:

From the New York Times-bestselling author comes a novel that asks the question, who are we without our memories?  And how much of our future is defined by our past?

One of only two survivors of a plane crash, Nell Slattery wakes in the hospital with no memory of the crash – or who she is, or was. Now she must piece together both body and mind — with the help of family and friends who have their own agendas.  She filters through photos, art, music and stories, hoping something will jog her memory, and soon – in tiny bits and pieces –Nell starts remembering…It isn’t long before she learns to question the stories presented by her mother, her sister and business partner, and her husband.  In the end she will learn that forgiving betrayals small and large will be the only true path to healing herself — and to finding happiness.

What I’m reading: The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

The last person I followed on Twitter: @WearMarcoPolo

1. Kathleen Shoop Launches ‘After The Fog’  

Congratulations to Kathleen Shoop, a bestselling Kindle author for the launch of her new book this week, “After The Fog.”  The main character in her book is Rose Pavlesic, a community nurse.  Since the launch is in conjunction with National Nurses Week, Kathleen is doing a tribute to nurses with a health and wellness basket giveaway.

The basket has numerous goodies including a $100 Whole Foods gift card.  When you purchase Kathleen’s new book and forward your receipt to contests@sparkpointstudio.com, you are automatically entered to win the basket!  For more details about the contest be sure to take a look at Kathleen’s blog.

Buzz about “After The Fog” has already begun!  Check out Bags, Books & Bon Jovi for a vintage, 1940s guest post from Kathleen!

MORE ABOUT AFTER THE FOG:

For every woman who thinks she left her past behind…  In the steel mill town of Donora, Pennsylvania, site of the infamous 1948 “killing smog,” headstrong nurse Rose Pavlesic tends to her family and neighbors. Controlling and demanding, she’s created a life that reflects everything she missed growing up as an orphan. She’s managed to keep her painful secrets hidden from her loving husband, dutiful children, and their extended, complicated family.

When astagnant weather pattern traps poisonous mill gasses in the valley, neighbors grow sicker and Rose’s nursing obligations thrust her into conflict she nevercould have fathomed. Consequences from her past collide with her present life,making her once clear decisions as gray as the suffocating smog. As the pressure mounts, Rose finds she’s not the only one harboring lies. When the deadly fog finally clears, the loss of trust and faith leaves the Pavlesic family—and the whole town—splintered and shocked. With her new perspective, can Rose finally forgive herself and let her family’s healing begin?

MORE ABOUT KATHLEEN:

Kathleen Shoop is a Language Arts Coach with a PhD in Reading Education whose work has appeared in The Tribune Review, four Chicken Soup for the Soul books and Pittsburgh Parent Magazine. She lives in Oakmont, Pennsylvania with her husband and two children. The Last Letter is her debut novel.

2.  Moms Praise ‘Girl Unmoored’

With Mother’s Day this weekend, we want to thank the moms who have reviewed “Girl Unmoored”-showing the cross-over appeal of this amazing YA novel.

Jennifer’s novel was reviewed by Booking Mama.  ”I know I’m a sucker for a good coming-of-age story, but GIRL UNMOORED knocked my socks off! I was drawn into Apron’s story from the get-go and I immediately fell in love with her. Life was so unfair to this child and my heart broke for her over and over again; but I sensed that she was a survivor and I just knew that she was a special girl. And what a special girl she was!”  Be sure to take a look at the rest of the spectacular review from Booking Mama.

“Girl Unmoored” was also reviewed by 5 Minutes for Mom.  ”Apron’s story is told with a heartfelt honest voice, a child on the verge of adolescence with an innocent and nonjudgmental perspective who simply wants to find goodness and love in the world.”  Check out the rest of 5 Minutes for Mom‘s review.

In other “Girl Unmoored” news, we want to congratulate Jennifer Gooch Hummer  for winning the Gold Medal in the Young Adult category from the 2012 Next Generation Indie Book Awards!  Also, the San Francisco Book Festival awarded “Girl Unmoored” Best Teenage Fiction!

3.  David Grossman is Featured On EmployersWeb.com

David’s article  “If You Can’t NOT Communicate, You Might As Well Get Good At It” appears on Employersweb.com’s homepage and is the first in a series of monthly articles he will post for their 70,000+ subscribers.  Employersweb.com is a leading business web portal dedicated to providing real health, benefits, compensation, work-life, recognition, and career development solutions.

MORE ABOUT DAVID:

David Grossman, ABC, APR, Fellow PRSA, is one of America’s foremost authorities on communication and leadership, and a sought-after speaker and advisor to Fortune 500 leaders. A two-time author, David is CEO of The Grossman Group (www.yourthoughtpartner.com), an award-winning Chicago-based strategic leadership development and internal communication consultancy; clients include: Accor, AOL, GlaxoSmithKline, HTC, and McDonald’s.

4.   Paperback Launch of ‘The Arrivals’

Congratulations to Meg Mitchell Moore for the paperback launch of “The Arrivals.”  The launch could not have come at a better time since it is the perfect summer beach read!

Meg’s latest book, “So Far Away,” just received an impressive review from Jenn’s Bookshelves.  ”Moore has so eloquently brought together the lives of three different women who, despite being at different points in their life, still feel a similar pain.  I became so invested in the stories of these three women that I couldn’t bear to tear myself away from this book. Their stories are captivating, I wanted so much more for each of them.”  Be sure to take a look at the rest of the review.

MORE ABOUT THE ARRIVALS:

It’s early summer when Ginny and William’s peaceful life in Burlington, Vermont, comes to an abrupt halt. First, their daughter Lillian arrives, two children in tow, to escape her crumbling marriage. Next, their son Stephen and his pregnant wife Jane show up for a weekend visit, which extends indefinitely.  When their youngest daughter Rachel appears, fleeing her difficult life in New York, Ginny and William find themselves consumed again by the chaos of parenthood—only this time around, their children are facing adult problems.  By summer’s end, the family gains new ideas of loyalty and responsibility, exposing the challenges of surviving the modern family. And the old adage, once a parent, always a parent, has never rung so true.

Meg Mitchell Moore is the author of The Arrivals and the forthcoming So Far Away. She worked for several years as a journalist. Her work has been published in Yankee, Continental, Women’s Health, Advertising Ageand many other business and consumer magazines. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and their three children.

5.  Auryn Inc. Wins Ippy Award

What I’m reading: Fifty Shades of Grey by E L James

The last person I followed on Twitter: @MaddMae

1.  Jennifer Gooch Hummer wins Paris Book Award 

The Paris Book Festival just announced this years winners and we are proud to say that our very own Jennifer Gooch Hummer is a recipient!

In other news, she received this great review from the well-read wife.

“Holy Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, Batman! There is a new coming of age novel on the scene and it’s awesome! Girl Unmoored by Jennifer Gooch Hummer tells the story of thirteen-year-old Apron Bramhall. Apron is going through a lot. Her mother died, and her father has started a relationship with someone who can only be described as “the stepmother from Hell.” In the midst of all of the family drama in Apron’s life, she is dropped by her best friend for a more popular girl. Apron needs support from friends and family more than ever, but she isn’t being supported emotionally by any of the people who should be there for her. Instead she finds support from the most unlikeliest of sources: Jesus. Or rather Mike, the actor that played Jesus in a local theater version of Jesus Christ Superstar. When Apron befriends Mike and his boyfriend Chad, they quickly realize she needs them. Mike and Chad help her through a really tough time in her life by letting her hang out with them and work at their flower shop. It soon becomes clear to Apron that Mike and Chad need Apron as much as she needs them.”

Are you there god? It’s me, Apron.

Here is some more information about Jennifer and her book GIRL UNMOORED:

MORE ABOUT GIRL UNMOORED

Apron Bramhall has come unmoored. It’s 1985 and her mom has passed away, her evil stepmother is pregnant, and her best friend has traded her in for a newer model. Fortunately, she’s about to be saved by Jesus. Not that Jesus—the actor who plays him in Jesus Christ, Superstar. Apron is desperate to avoid the look-alike Mike (no one should look that much like Jesus unless they can perform a miracle or two), but suddenly he’s everywhere. Until one day, she’s stuck in church with him—of all places. And then something happens; Apron’s broken teenage heart blinks on for the first time since she’s been adrift.

Mike and his grumpy boyfriend, Chad, offer her a summer job in their flower store, Apron’s world seems to calm. But when she uncovers Chad’s secret, coming of age becomes almost too much bear. She’s forced to see things the adults around her fail to—like what love really means and who is paying too much for it.

Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You, comments, “Love, loss, and the coming of age of one remarkable girl blaze through this haunting debut like a shooting star you’d wish upon. It’s tough and tender, funny and smart, and it frankly took my breath away. I loved it.”

Girl Unmoored is set to be published March 2012.

More about Jennifer:

Jennifer Gooch Hummer has worked as a script analyst for various agencies and major film studios. Her short stories have been published in Miranda Magazine, Our Stories, Glimmertrain and Fish. She has continued graduate studies in the Writer’s Program at UCLA, where her work was nominated for the 2006 Kirkwood Prize in fiction. Currently, Jennifer lives in Southern California and Maine with her husband and three young daughters.

2.  Kathleen Shoop wins Independent Publisher Book Award Silver Medal

We are proud to announce that our very own Kathleen Shoop won an Independent Publisher Book Award Silver medal in the midatlantic fiction category with her book AFTER THE FOG!

More about AFTER THE FOG:

The sins of the mother…

In the steel mill town of Donora, Pennsylvania, siteof the infamous 1948 “killing smog,” headstrong nurse Rose Pavlesic tends toher family and neighbors. Controlling and demanding, she’s created a life thatreflects everything she missed growing up as an orphan. She’s even managed tokeep her painful secrets hidden from her loving husband, dutiful children, andlarge extended family.

When astagnant weather pattern traps poisonous mill gasses in the valley, neighborsgrow sicker and Rose’s nursing obligations thrust her into conflict she nevercould have fathomed. Consequences from her past collide with her present life,making her once clear decisions as gray as the suffocating smog. As pressuremounts, Rose finds she’s not the only one harboring lies. When the deadly fogfinally clears, the loss of trust and faith leaves the Pavlesic family—and the wholetown—splintered and shocked. With her new perspective, can Rose finally forgiveherself and let her family’s healing begin?

More about Kathleen:

Kathleen Shoop is a Language Arts Coach with a PhD in Reading Education whose work has appeared in The Tribune Review, four Chicken Soup for the Soul books and Pittsburgh Parent Magazine. She lives in Oakmont, Pennsylvania with her husband and two children. The Last Letter is her debut novel.

3.  Our Non Fiction Author David Grossman Contributes to “The Changing Role of Internal Communications: The Experts’ View”

David was chosen as one of six experts globally to attribute in the new free internal communications e-book, “The Changing Role of Internal Communications: The Experts’ View,” published by U.K. intranet development company, SmallWorlders.  The e-book investigates the problems the internal communicators must answer as they aim to be powerful, pertinent and triumphant.  For more insight about what David has to say about the altering role of internal communications in today’s progressing business landscape, download the new free e-book.  “The Changing Role of Internal Communications: The Experts’ View.”

More about David:

David Grossman, ABC, APR, Fellow PRSA, is one of America’s foremost authorities on communication and leadership, and a sought-after speaker and advisor to Fortune 500 leaders. A two-time author, David is CEO of The Grossman Group (www.yourthoughtpartner.com), an award-winning Chicago-based strategic leadership development and internal communication consultancy; clients include: Accor, AOL, GlaxoSmithKline, HTC, and McDonald’s.

4.  Auryn Receives Two Mom’s Choice Awards 

Congratulations to Auryn for winning two Mom’s Choice Awards for their two apps: VanGogh and the Sunflowers and I, Trixie, Who is Dog.  Follow Mom’s Choice on Twitter: @MomsChoiceAward and check them out on Facebook.

More about Auryn:

Auryn is the most award winning children’s digital publisher-constructing books into alluring and amusing apps for kids of all ages.  Follow Auryn on Twitter: @AurynApps and their website is www.auryn.com.  Auryn’s complete Auracle line will accessible for $.99 each throughout Reading is Fun Week (May 13-19).  Auracle titles include Miko “Goes on Vacation”, Since Lulu Learned the Cancan, Sister Yessa’s Story, The Perilous Pit, Randy Kazandy, Where Are Your Glasses?, I, Trixie, Who is Dog, The Emperor’s Race and many more.

5.  Karen Chase Wins Three E-Book Awards for Bonjour 40

Félicitations to Karen Chase for receiving three eLit awards for her book Bonjour 40.  The e-book was awarded an eLit Silver Medal for Best Non-Fiction Travel/Essay e-book, an eLit Silver Medal for Best Book Trailer, and an eLit Gold Medal for Best Author Website.  In order to commemorate the awards, Bonjour 40 will be for sale on Amazon, iTunes and Barnes and Noble for $0.99 for the whole month of May, 2012.

More about BONJOUR 40:

If Karen A. Chase absolutely had to turn 40, she decided she could do it gracefully in Paris… for nearly 40 days. What began as a blog to communicate with friends and family, became a travel journal filled with over a months’ worth of daily humorous, insightful, and detailed glimpses into her Paris adventures, each of which could be read in about 40 seconds.Peppered with Chase’s own delightful photographs, she also weaves in longer stories that reflect upon her experiences with the French, food, travel,photography, writing and love in the City of Lights. A companion to the e-book,her Bonjour40 blog still contains images and some notes for readers who crave more from her Paris adventure.

More about Karen:

Karen A. Chase is a Canadian-born author, designer and photographer. Born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, she has resided in the United States since 1990. Bonjour 40: A Paris Travel Log (40years. 40 days. 40 seconds.) is her first book. She is also the owner/creative director of 224 Design, a branding studio.

1. THESE GIRLS in Entertainment Weekly 

Sarah Pekkanen’s new novel THESE GIRLS received a great review in Entertainment Weekly. Here is a highlight:

Stories about bright, ambitious young women learning to navigate the trickeries of New York City life aren’t exactly new territory — just ask Edith Wharton or Mary McCarthy. But Sarah Pekkanen (The Opposite of Me) deftly weaves together the lives of roommates and friends inThese Girls, the very different Cate, Renee, and Abby — each battling demons, professional and otherwise — and within a few pages you’ll find yourself emotionally invested in all of them. The surprisingly good news is that this author knows ”happily ever after” doesn’t necessarily involve a cute guy. B+

More on THESE GIRLS

Sarah’s third novel, THESE GIRLS, will be published on April 10. “Sarah Pekkanen’s latest celebrates the healing power of female friendship for three very different young women sharing a New York City apartment. By turns bittersweet, laugh-out-loud funny, and painfully real, you’ll want to move in with these girls” ~ NYT bestseller Jodi Picoult.

2. THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME on Book Chick Review! 

The reviews for Allison Winn Scotch’s new novel are pouring in. Here is a highlight from one of the latest on Book Chick Review:

I can’t imagine what it would be like to wake up in a hospital with my memory wiped clean, unable to recognize the people around me who claimed to be my loved ones. Allison Winn Scotch takes this frightening scenario and thoroughly examines it in The Song Remains the Same. What I especially enjoyed about how Winn Scotch chose to address the situation is that she took a unique take on it. Despite the fact that her family loves her, they don’t necessarily want her to recover her memories- at least not all of them. Each of her family members, he husband, her mom, and her sister, all have their own agendas and their own ways of spinning the truth in their favour, leaving Nell unable to separate the facts from fiction. The only person who doesn’t seem to have an agenda is the other person who survived the plane crash, Anderson Carroll, a famous movie star, but he remains haunted by the plane crash and the fact that he survived while so many others did not.

More on THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME

From the New York Times-bestselling author comes a novel that asks the question, who are we without our memories?  And how much of our future is defined by our past?

One of only two survivors of a plane crash, Nell Slattery wakes in the hospital with no memory of the crash – or who she is, or was. Now she must piece together both body and mind — with the help of family and friends who have their own agendas.  She filters through photos, art, music and stories, hoping something will jog her memory, and soon – in tiny bits and pieces –Nell starts remembering…It isn’t long before she learns to question the stories presented by her mother, her sister and business partner, and her husband.  In the end she will learn that forgiving betrayals small and large will be the only true path to healing herself — and to finding happiness.

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4. THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME on Shelf Awareness

We told you that the reviews keep pouring in for Allison Winn Scotch’s new novel THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME. Here is a highlight from Shelf Awareness:

“Specifics of the crash are barely discussed in favor of Nell’s disheartening discovery of her uptight previous self–nicknamed “The Ice Queen”–and her closet full of beige clothes. She becomes determined to reinvent herself as a vibrant, self-expressed woman who lives her passions; music is the only thing that jogs her foggy memory. (Hence the book’s title.)

Winn Scotch’s novel will cause any reader to daydream about the possibility of starting over and breaking free from the identity we present to the world. While there is surely frustration in forgetting one’s past, The Song Remains the Same is a reminder that there is also a strange liberation in the obliteration of all that we know. –Natalie Papailiou, author of blog MILF: Mother I’d Like to Friend”

More on THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME

From the New York Times-bestselling author comes a novel that asks the question, who are we without our memories?  And how much of our future is defined by our past?

One of only two survivors of a plane crash, Nell Slattery wakes in the hospital with no memory of the crash – or who she is, or was. Now she must piece together both body and mind — with the help of family and friends who have their own agendas.  She filters through photos, art, music and stories, hoping something will jog her memory, and soon – in tiny bits and pieces –Nell starts remembering…It isn’t long before she learns to question the stories presented by her mother, her sister and business partner, and her husband.  In the end she will learn that forgiving betrayals small and large will be the only true path to healing herself — and to finding happiness.

The reviews keep pouring in, here is a highlight from Write Meg.

5. THESE GIRLS on Write Meg! ” What really worked in These Girls was the scope of the interwoven plots. We’re not dealing with a trio of single girls taking on Manhattan; these women are smart, challenged and struggling to maintain their professional and personal roles. Cate, Renee and Abby’s individual family problems were detailed enough to invest me in the story, but not complicated enough to get frustrating. Though there were no easy solutions, this isn’t one over-the-top drama after another. Abby’s personal issues with her former job left me feeling a little cold towards her, especially as I felt she’d brought them on herself, but Pekkanen did a great job of creating sympathetic heroines I couldn’t actively dislike.”

Another fabulous review courtesy of Write Meg – this time for Sarah Pekkanen’s THESE GIRLS. Here is a highlight:

About Finding Emma

Finding Emma by Steena Holmes

A child torn from the arms of loving parents, a relationship torn apart from loss…

Megan sees her daughter Emma everywhere. She’s the little girl standing in the supermarket, the child waiting for the swings at the playground, the girl with ice cream dripping down her face. But it’s never Emma.

Because Emma’s been missing for two years.

Unable to handle the constant heartache of all the false sightings, Megan’s husband threatens to walk away unless Megan can agree to accept Emma is gone. Megan’s life and marriage is crumbling all around her and she realizes she may have to do the thing she dreads most: move on.

When Megan takes a photo of a little girl with an elderly couple at the town fair, she believes it to be her missing daughter. Unable to let go, she sets in motion a sequence of events that could destroy both families lives.

What I’m reading: Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The last person I followed on Twitter: @timmcguire

1.  Contest Winner!

Congratulations to Molly Culley for winning our Girl Unmoored Contest! She will soon be reading her favorite novels on a brand new Kindle Fire!

2. J Gooch Hummer’s review on WriteMeg

Jennifer Gooch Hummer’s new novel “Girl Unmoored” was featured by WriteMeg. “Sometimes a novel hops into your lap, looks into your weary eyes and wraps its little paper arms around you. The hug from this book feels so real, so good that you never want to part with it — and that’s exactly how I feel about Girl Unmoored.”

MORE ABOUT GIRL UNMOORED

Apron Bramhall has come unmoored. It’s 1985 and her mom has passed away, her evil stepmother is pregnant, and her best friend has traded her in for a newer model. Fortunately, she’s about to be saved by Jesus. Not that Jesus—the actor who plays him in Jesus Christ, Superstar. Apron is desperate to avoid the look-alike Mike (no one should look that much like Jesus unless they can perform a miracle or two), but suddenly he’s everywhere. Until one day, she’s stuck in church with him—of all places. And then something happens; Apron’s broken teenage heart blinks on for the first time since she’s been adrift.

Mike and his grumpy boyfriend, Chad, offer her a summer job in their flower store, Apron’s world seems to calm. But when she uncovers Chad’s secret, coming of age becomes almost too much bear. She’s forced to see things the adults around her fail to—like what love really means and who is paying too much for it.

Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You, comments, “Love, loss, and the coming of age of one remarkable girl blaze through this haunting debut like a shooting star you’d wish upon. It’s tough and tender, funny and smart, and it frankly took my breath away. I loved it.”

Interested? Look at her website!

3. Allison Winn Scotch featured on She Treads Softly

Allison Winn Scotch’s novel “The Song Remains the Same” was reviewed by She Treads Softly this week.

“..it is a character study as the character tries to pry loose the clues about her past…Winn-Scotch did a nice job pulling it all together in the end. ”

Here’s her website as well!

5.  Joy Castro Get s Shout Out by Booklist

Joy Castro’s suspense novel “Hell or High Water” is like,  “being handed a plate of appetizers and realizing you like them all, and that every single taste, even the bitter and hot ones, enhances the others.”

MORE ABOUT HELL OR HIGH WATER

Nola Céspedes, an ambitious young reporter at the Times-Picayune, catches a break:  an assignment to write her first full-length crime feature.  While researching her story, she becomes fixated on the search for a missing tourist in New Orleans.  As Nola’s work leads her back into dangerous corners of the city, she finds herself faced with an even more compelling question:  Who is Nola Céspedes?  Vividly rendered in razor-sharp prose, this psychological thriller is a riveting journey of trust betrayed—and the courageous struggle toward recovery.

“Hell or High Water is more than just a mystery; it’s a heartfelt examination of a second America—poor but undaunted—that was swept under the rug but refuses to stay there.”  –Dennis Lehane, New York Times bestselling author of Mystic River

“In the tradition of P.D. James, Ruth Rendell, and Lucha Corpi, Joy Castro shows how mystery can be much more than the unraveling of crimes concealed.  An irresistible and compelling novel.”  –Lorraine M. López, author of Homicide Survivors Picnic and Other Stories

Author’s website here

FOLLOW HER ON TWITTER! @_joycastro

We at BookSparksPR wish a very happy publication week to Allison Winn Scotch and her new novel THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME – the coverage is literally unstoppable and we can’t keep up.

More about THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME

From the New York Times-bestselling author comes a novel that asks the question, who are we without our memories?  And how much of our future is defined by our past?

One of only two survivors of a plane crash, Nell Slattery wakes in the hospital with no memory of the crash – or who she is, or was. Now she must piece together both body and mind — with the help of family and friends who have their own agendas.  She filters through photos, art, music and stories, hoping something will jog her memory, and soon – in tiny bits and pieces –Nell starts remembering…It isn’t long before she learns to question the stories presented by her mother, her sister and business partner, and her husband.  In the end she will learn that forgiving betrayals small and large will be the only true path to healing herself — and to finding happiness.

Here are some highlights from a very successful week – congratulations, Allison!

1. WRITERS CORNER

“I was excited for this opportunity to review Ms. Scotch’s work.  I   found the novel hard to maintain my focus.   Ms. Scotch conveyed Nell’s conflict within the novel very well.   I as the reader was able to understand Nell’s character, and gained sympathy for her with the reactions of the family to her amnesia.    The subject of amnesia is presented well in the novel.  The clash of characters with the family and their expectations of Nell  is interesting.  I would definitely read more from Ms. Scotch in the future.

Read the rest here

2. BLESS THEIR HEARTS MOM 

“This book held by attention from the very first page! tHE musical references were great- I hadn’t thought about some of the included sons in years! They truly helped to frame the story and move ti along. The story is intense and poignant, but very endearing. The author does a great job in keeping you guessing about what is next in the story. You feel compassion for the “Eleanor Rogby”, plus hoping her former world, and current world, will come together gently and not fall abpart into a million pieces. If they dont make this into a movie, something is wrong with the move industry! This story has too good of a plot to pass up! Put it on your must read list today!”

Read the rest here

3. READING WITH MARTINIS

“I am quite a fan of Allison Winn Scotch. When I cracked open her first book, The Department of Lost and Found, I was instantly hooked. Not just on the story, but of Winn Scotch as a writer. When I saw that her latest novel, The Song Remains the Same, was going to be touring through TLC Book Tours, I jumped at the chance to review the book.

When I read the Goodreads synopsis of this book, I was very intrigued by the plot. I personally find amnesia to be rather fascinating and heartbreaking. As I began to read this book, I really felt Nell’s confusion and distress for the situation she was in. If she had retained her memory after surviving the plane crash, perhaps survivor’s guilt would have plagued her. But Nell’s primary issue was not knowing something that is so intrinsic to who we are as people: our past. Who we are as individuals is rooted in our past experiences, our memories (both good and bad), and our ability to know who is worthy of our trust. Trust was a secondary issue that Nell had. Certainly, she could understand that these people were her family, but the trust that comes with those relationships wasn’t there for her, especially after she begins to discover she has been told half truths and full out lies. Nell’s struggle completely yanked at my sympathy strings and made me wonder how I would handle being in her situation.”

Read more here

4. 5 MINUTES FOR BOOKS

“Opening a novel with the protagonist just coming to after a terrible accident certainly puts the reader right in the middle of the action from the first paragraph. This is the case with Allison Winn Scotch’s new novelThe Song Remains the Same, and the stage is set for a story of unanswered questions as amnesia is the fate of the survivor, Nell Slattery.

Though she doesn’t remember who she is, or what her life was like before she became one of only two plane crash survivors, Nell soon has a feeling that things just aren’tright with the picture that is being painted for her. Her mother, her sister, and her husband are by her side, but the person they all describe isn’t necessarily who Nell wants to be anymore. She sees a life that could be described just like the wardrobe she finds in her closet at home: gray and more gray. She finds herself wanting more vibrant colors, and she becomes determined to add more zest in her second chance at life.

But the work that she must do to redefine herself also hinges on her ability to know the full picture of her life before, and it seems as if everyone around her is holding back. There are clearly secrets that need to be unearthed, and she’ll take some unconventional actions in an attempt to uncover them. What will be left for Nell when she finds out everything there is to know about her previous life?”

Read more here

5. And now a little more about our author! Allison Winn Scotch stops by CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD and tells 5 things to her teen self

“1. You’re On The Right Track: Keep being independent, keep sticking to your guns. Sure, this means that sometimes you have crazy arguments with your father over the state of the world and political affairs, but it also means that you’ll know when to stand up for yourself a decade later, when it comes to work, to love, to friendship. You’re growing more comfortable with personal responsibility, with emotional responsibility, and both of these will serve you well.

2. Say Thank You to Your Boyfriend: You guys won’t last. You probably already know that. That by the second day of college, you’ll have outgrown each other. But for now, he is wonderful – a loving, kind relationship that will lay the foundation for what you should expect from future relationships. You won’t, always. To be sure, you will date some really lousy guys who will ruin you for a few months every now and then when you break up. But your boyfriend…he’s a good guy, and he’ll teach you what you have a right to expect from a relationship. This will be your Point North as you navigate the sticky dating scene of your 20s.”

Read the rest here

More about ALLISON WINN SCOTCH