Freda's Voice

TAG! I'm It!

noreply@blogger.com (fredamans) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 17:26:00 +0000

I was Tagged from Shirley at My Bookshelf. You have got to check out her blog, it's got great reviews and giveaways! So now onto the Tag part.

THE RULES

- You must post the rules.
- Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post and then create eleven new questions to ask the people you’ve tagged.
- Tag eleven people and link to them on your post.
- Let them know you’ve tagged them!

QUESTIONS

1. What was the last book that made you tear up/cry? Laugh out loud?

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I would have to go with The Help by Kathryn Stockett. It brought out so many emotions in me; anger, happiness, sadness, empathy, sympathy, frustration, laughter and tears. It was one of the best books I have ever read. Period.

2. What new book are you most excited to read this year?

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Definitely Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver. I also recently won a copy at Ellz Reads, so am totally stoked and waiting for it to arrive so I can gobble it up. Check out Ellz blog too, she has awesome content and giveaways as well.

3. If you could spend the evening with one author, living or dead, who would it be?

Definitely Maya Angelou. She is my all-time favorite poet, and I think anyone who sat in a room for five minutes with her, would take away a sense of empowerment or general love for life. She is a person I think I could learn much from, and I admire her greatly.

4. If you could be reincarnated as one of your favorite characters, who would it be and why?

I don't know that I would want to be reincarnated into a character. They usually die off, or the author/illustrator adds new elements and they become less interesting. I think my life is a character of its own and its pretty fun at times.

5. If you could pick an author to write the story of your life, who would you choose?

I would choose John Steinbeck, author of East of Eden, The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men. He is known for his tales of epic family drama and pioneering families. I think if I needed a detailed account, with some mystery or a great plot thrown in, he would be the man do get it done. Yes, my story can be THAT epic too.

6. What’s your favorite cook book?

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This is the updated Breast Cancer version, which I also have, but I use the original, Better Homes Cookbook more often. It dates back pretty far, since my mother had a copy when I was small and it was what I learned to cook from. So dating back to the early '80's is when I started using this cookbook. It has great meals and always seems to be the one I grab first. Strange since I have a 5 tier shelf full of cookbooks? I think not. It gives me a sense of comfort to cook the same recipes since I was a child.

7. Edward vs. Jace. Who wins that fight?

I don't even know off hand who these characters are, so it really wouldn't matter to me much. If we're discussing Edward from Twilight, I would always choose whomever he is up against. GO TEAM JACOB!

8. Dumbledore vs. Gandalf. Who wins that fight?

Well, since they're the same guy playing a different part it'd be like watching Jim Carey kick the crap out of himself in Liar, Liar. A little redundant.

9. What is your favorite book to movie adaptation?

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I loved The Dark Half by Stephen King. I read it back in the early 90's and it scared the pants right off me. Then I saw Timothy Hutton in the movie and it brought it all to life. Scary as ever and I LOVED it! To this day it is still one of the best book-to-film adaptions I have ever seen.

10. What book would you want to buy a special edition for?

Not sure that there is any I would feel a need to get a special edition, especially if I already have a copy of the book at all. I just don't get those types of urges when it comes to books.

11. What, if anything, do you snack on while you’re reading?

Depends on what I'm in the mood for, but usually just fruit or nuts. Occasionally I will "bust a nut" and eat M&M's Peanuts. But for the most part, it's about the book not food.

Now to do some Tagging:

A Simple Love of Reading

Along The Way

Ellz Readz

Just Another New Blog

My Reader's Block

My Bits and Bleeps

The Road to Here

I didn't tag 11. I also answered the same questions as Shirley before I realized I had a brain fart but wasn't going back when I did all the work in this post. I ask you to answer the same questions as I did. Enjoy!

TAG YOU'RE IT!

Theme Thursdays: Smell

noreply@blogger.com (fredamans) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 15:50:00 +0000

READING BETWEEN THE PAGES

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I noticed how she kept glancing over at Faustine, unashamedly enticed by her. I knew it wasn't only because of the smell of Faustine's human blood. She had a strong fascination with anyone even remotely human, but not in the I-want-to-suck-your-blood sense.

Giveaway: EBook: 12.21.12 - Killian McRae

noreply@blogger.com (fredamans) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:03:00 +0000

Archaeologist Sheppard Smyth has staked his career and the honorable memory of his deceased wife and partner on proving his widely-panned theory: Cleopatra VII, last ruler of Ancient Egypt, was murdered. When a statue of the doomed Queen is discovered in an Olmec excavation site in Mexico, Shep rushes to investigate and, hopefully, find the proof that has evaded him for so long. Soon, he finds himself in the middle of the rivalry between the sexy, enigmatic international thief, Victoria Kent, and infamous rumored Russian mobster, Dmitri Kronastia. Both hold pieces to the puzzle that will finally shed light on Cleopatras death, as they vie for Shep's trust and assistance. As he is drawn further into their world of ancient gods, supernatural powers, and alternative history, little does Shep know that the fate of all humanity may hinge on his ability to discover the truth in between Victoria and Dmitris' fragmented claims and hidden identities. Working to decode the ancient past while attempting to save the future, Shep becomes a common pawn played by forces working to see out a quest older than the pyramids themselves and cloaked by the Mayan prophecy of 12.21.12.

Thanks to the author, Killian McRae, I have one Nook or Kindle copy up for grabs to a lucky winner.
Fill in the Rafflecopter form to enter, but be sure to complete the mandatory entry, I do check.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Teaser Tuesday

noreply@blogger.com (fredamans) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:57:00 +0000

SHOULD BE READING

The stupid bird tried to do even more damage to my nose by pecking at it. Even though it was against the rules, I grabbed her wing and tore it off of her.

#25: 12.21.12 - Killian McRae

noreply@blogger.com (fredamans) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0000

Archaeologist Sheppard Smyth has staked his career and the honorable memory of his deceased wife and partner on proving his widely-panned theory: Cleopatra VII, last ruler of Ancient Egypt, was murdered. When a statue of the doomed Queen is discovered in an Olmec excavation site in Mexico, Shep rushes to investigate and, hopefully, find the proof that has evaded him for so long. Soon, he finds himself in the middle of the rivalry between the sexy, enigmatic international thief, Victoria Kent, and infamous rumored Russian mobster, Dmitri Kronastia. Both hold pieces to the puzzle that will finally shed light on Cleopatras death, as they vie for Shep's trust and assistance. As he is drawn further into their world of ancient gods, supernatural powers, and alternative history, little does Shep know that the fate of all humanity may hinge on his ability to discover the truth in between Victoria and Dmitris' fragmented claims and hidden identities. Working to decode the ancient past while attempting to save the future, Shep becomes a common pawn played by forces working to see out a quest older than the pyramids themselves and cloaked by the Mayan prophecy of 12.21.12.

Paperback: 266 pages
Publisher: Tulipe Noire Press (November 1, 2011)
ISBN: 9780983979722

Author Bio:

Killian McRae considers herself a fan of history, and tries to reflect this love in her fiction writing. In her debut novel, 12.21.12, she combined Ancient Mesoamerican and Egyptian history with hints of romance, suspense, and science fiction. Her current release, "A Love by Any Measure," is a historical romance set in the 1860's against the backdrop of English-Irish tensions and the uprising of the Fenian Brotherhood.
Killian holds a BA in Near Eastern History from the University of Michigan. She makes her home in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and two children.

My Opinion:
I know people are going to see the title of the book and immediately think of the buzz surrounding the event of the Mayan calendar. However, look past the title and delve into a sci-fi mystery with a twist.
It was a great story! It pulled me right into this world, our world, but felt unlike our world. The characters were fun to read while interacting with each other, you really get a sense of the chemistry.
Great writing and story telling! Fans of all types will like this one.

3.5/5

Recommend? Yes.

~I received a copy from the author. I was not compensated for my opinion.~

#24: Forgive Yourself - Allie Sager

noreply@blogger.com (fredamans) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 01:53:00 +0000

Evocative and filled with a rare compassion, Forgive Yourself by new author Allie Sager blends supernatural dreamscapes with affairs of the heart and unforgivable betrayal. Smart and telling, the author enlists a stunning and heartfelt prose to weave one woman’s reluctant love story. On the surface to the outside world, Sammy Logan might appear to be a woman who has it all, but the fact is she is married to a man who has never truly forgiven her for a past she had no control over. Haunted each day by the vivid secret, she turns to Conner Simpson, a man she has always loved—the man without question who makes her feel complete. Caught on the brink, confused, but certainly not alone, Sammy must first forgive herself, make peace with the dark demons of her past and her mystic ancestral visions before she can truly be free.

Paperback: 196 pages
Publisher: BookSurge Publishing (June 14, 2008)
ISBN: 9781419695162

Author Bio:
Allie Sager is an avid poet, essayist, and journalist with keen insight and passion for veterans’ issues. A proud mother and grandmother, she lives with her husband on their Nebraskan farm.

My Opinion:
This wasn't my cup of tea and for several reasons. I appreciate a good story, even if it has immoral things that I don't agree with. Which this did, with infidelity. I know, not the end of the world, but the story was so focused on this "other" relationship, that at times I thought it lacked anything else.
Yeah, not one I'll be writing home about. Sorry.

1/5

Recommend? Um.... no.

~I received a copy from the author. I was not compensated for my opinion.~

#23: God Never Blinks - Regina Brett

noreply@blogger.com (fredamans) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 23:02:00 +0000

Already an internet phenomenon, these wise and insightful lessons by popular newspaper columnist and Pulitzer Prize finalist Regina Brett will make you see the possibilities in your life in a whole new way.
When Regina Brett turned 50, she wrote a column on the 50 lessons life had taught her. She reflected on all she had learned through becoming a single parent, looking for love in all the wrong places, working on her relationship with God, battling cancer and making peace with a difficult childhood. It became one of the most popular columns ever published in the newspaper, and since then the 50 lessons have been emailed to hundreds of thousands of people.
Brett now takes the 50 lessons and expounds on them in essays that are deeply personal. From "Don't take yourself too seriously-Nobody else does" to "Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift," these lessons will strike a chord with anyone who has ever gone through tough times--and haven't we all?

Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; Reprint edition (April 20, 2011)
ISBN: 9780446556514

My Opinion:
There are a lot of valuable lessons in this book, ones that most of us live our daily lives by, or at least try to.
It shows what the lessons are and how to connect them in your everyday life.
Each little vignette in this book I could relate to and found myself really thinking about how close to my own ideals it really was.
I liked challenging my moral compass, and this book was the reason for it.

4/5

Recommend? Yes, it's a great book to keep around to keep you grounded.

~I received a copy from Hachette Book Group. I was not compensated for my opinion.~

Cover Reveal: Inbetween by Tara Fuller (With Excerpt)

noreply@blogger.com (fredamans) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0000

INBETWEEN (Kissed by Death, #1) by Tara Fuller (August 7, 2012)

Since the car crash that took her father’s life three years ago, Emma’s
life has been a freaky—and unending—lesson in caution. Surviving
“accidents” has taken priority over being a normal seventeen-year-old, so
Emma spends her days taking pictures of life instead of living it. Falling
in love with a boy was never part of the plan. Falling for a reaper who
makes her chest ache and her head spin? Not an option.

It’s not easy being dead, especially for a reaper in love with a girl fate
has put on his list not once, but twice. Finn’s fellow reapers give him
hell about spending time with Emma, but Finn couldn't let her die before,
and he’s not about to let her die now. He will protect the girl he loves
from the evil he accidentally unleashed, even if it means sacrificing the
only thing he has left…his soul.

Paperback Available for Pre-Order from Amazon

Add to your Goodreads TBR

Chapter 1

Finn

Sometimes Emma made me feel so alive, I almost forgot I was dead.
Almost.
I sank down onto the side of her bed, amazed by the blazing wildfire that swept through me whenever Emma was near enough to touch. I took a deep, unneeded breath, and settled down on my side next to her. The mattress didn’t sink. The springs didn’t groan with the weight of an extra body. The distance between us was an impossible void. Inches that might as well have been miles. Miles that left me wanting in so many ways that I ached.
Even the sun couldn’t resist her. Its glowing rays caressed her skin, and stained her hair the satiny color of summer wheat. Before I knew what was happening, my hand followed their lead. Cells ignited. My skin burned, screaming with the agonizing need to touch—
“What do you think you’re doing?”
I jerked my hand away just as Easton melted up from the polished hardwood floor beneath the window. Like an oil slick coming to life, he unfolded his long, shadowy legs until he was just an ink blot against the square of tangerine sunrise behind him. His violet eyes pinned me like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
Which, I kind of was.
“Nothing,” I lied.
“Yeah, looked like nothing.” He strolled across the room accompanied by a wave of sulfur and smoke, the black serpent tattoo on his neck glinting. “What were you planning to do, recite her poem? I swear to God, if you were still alive I’d confiscate your man card.”
I ignored the barb and scrunched up my nose. “Jesus, Easton. Don’t they have a shower somewhere between here and the afterlife?”
“Screw you. You didn’t just have to tow somebody’s grandpa to Hell.” He brushed something chalky and grey off of his cloak and a shudder worked its way down my spine. God only knows who or what it belonged to. “Besides I wasn’t the one about to feel up a sleeping human.”
“I wasn’t—”
“Save it.” He waved his hand. “We have work to do. I don’t have time for your useless obsession with the human today.”
“Will you please stop calling her that?”
“What?” Easton glanced up from Emma’s vanity, where he’d been inspecting the various lotions and bottles like he was on some alien planet. Then again, Easton had been dead for something like four hundred years, so all of her stuff probably was sort of alien to him.
“The human. You make me sound like a freak. It’s not like we’re a different species for God’s sake. We were humans, too, or don’t you remember that far back?”
“Were. Past tense.”
We could have gone back and forth like that for hours, but the call came. It always did. It started in my bones—a cold so cutting that it sliced through me like a machete. When I looked up, Easton’s jaw was clenched, his muscles taut and ready. He slowly closed his hand around the handle of his scythe that burned black and softly smoked at his side. I flexed my fingers as the icy ribbons of death worked their way through each one of my limbs.
“Can you take this one for me?” I asked. “You’re already going to be there, and I just got back—”
“No,” Easton said. “Hell no. I have my own job to do. I can’t keep covering for your sorry ass. Besides, you’re already on thin ice with Balthazar. Don’t push your luck, Finn. Just keep your nose down, collect your souls, and thank the Almighty that you don’t have my job. Now let’s go.”
“Yeah, but…” My eyes returned to Emma. Sleeping. Perfect. Safe.
“For the love of God. She’ll be fine, you pansy.” Easton clamped a hand over my shoulder and dragged me from the bed.
“How do you know?”
He shrugged. “I don’t.”
With that he vanished, consumed in a flash by the keening wails of the damned. The screams beckoned. Clawed at me from the inside out.
Rule one as a seeker: Death doesn’t wait for anyone.
And it sure as hell wasn’t waiting for me now.

Get to Know Author Rita J. Webb

noreply@blogger.com (fredamans) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 18:21:00 +0000

Happy Sunday readers!
Today we have author, Rita J. Webb, joining us to talk about her book, Transcendent: Tales of the Paranormal, and answer a few questions for us.
So Rita, tell us about Transcendent: Tales of the Paranormal;

Transcendent: Tales of the Paranormal is a YA paranormal romance anthology, consisting of 8 stories by some wonderful authors. But why reinvent the wheel? The blurb expresses it best:

Discover the secrets of a siren, fly with a hawk girl over the mountains of Montana, and flee supernatural party-crashers as the décor comes to life in this magical journey through paranormal stories.

Along the way, watch for ghosts in a haunted house, or ride through the moonlight with a stranger. Save a comatose boy who has lost his soul, and don’t forget to bring your garlic and wolfsbane—you never know when the shadows will snag you.

Transcendent includes eight stories of magic, love, death, and choice by some of the newest names in young adult fiction.

Who or what inspires your writing?
I find inspiration in life—and for me books are just as much a part of reality. Every character contains a little of myself in them—my insecurities, my strengths, my perceptions. I pour my soul into my writing.
But it is my children who keep me going. They love to write stories because I write stories, and they have big dreams for themselves because they watch me dream.

When did you know you would be a writer?
While washing dishes as a kid, I’d invent characters and plan adventures, but it wasn’t until my mom read one of my stories in seventh grade that I was hooked. She read it out loud, and her voice savored every word as if I had created a treasure. High school and college, I thrived on writing and reading but, silly me, gave it all up for a career in Information Technology. Facing layoffs after 10 years of dedicated service, I had to decide what I really wanted to do when I grow up.

How long did it take you to write your first novel?
Working on and off for three years, I finally released Tears last summer.

I always have multiple projects in the fire, short stories and novellas and novels, and so it takes a little longer to produce a polished copy.

What is the hardest part of writing for you?
First drafts are excruciatingly painful because I want perfection from the beginning—I have all the techniques and rules and story elements racing through my head. Implementing them all at once is dang near impossible. I grit my teeth and start slamming words down, promising myself there’s plenty of time to fix it when I revise.

Do you have any writing rituals?
Music. Must have music. The music wraps around me and soothes me. Without it, every little noise—or no noise at all—steals me out of the story.

Have you written any thing else?
I have one novel (Tears) and short stories in three anthologies, but I’m also currently finishing up a few projects. This summer, Daughter of the Goddess, a fairy tale novella with echoes of the Greek myth Eros and Psyche, will be released. I am also co-authoring a short story and a novel with my husband. He shores up all my weak points as a writer, and working with him has been a dream come true.

Any advice to aspiring writers?
I recently read a list of things not to give as advice for aspiring writers, and the first in that list was to “Never give up.” The creator of this list said that some people just aren’t any good at writing and will never/should never make it to publication. I sooooooooo do not agree with this.
I am 37 years old and I do lots of things I’m not good at. Example: for the first time in my life, I’m learning ballet. Most people who know ballet learned as kids; some of those continued to follow the discipline of dance into adulthood.
With no training, no flexibility, no talent, little coordination, and only a smidge of strength for keeping my balance, I have attended my class faithfully. Determined to beat this challenge and to even excel, I have added three other dance classes to my weekly schedule on top of my ballet class. My progress is slow and I’ll never be a professional performer or instructor.
But giving up due to some vague concept of “success” is ridiculous. The benefits that dance gives me far outweighs perfection. In the same way, the art of writing benefits any writer, regardless of whether they can make it to the status of “professional author.” You learn self expression and creativity and discover adventures and depths and meaning inside you that you never knew you had.
And nobody can bring to dance the emotions and passion that I have. Nobody can express my heart and soul in dance form.
So my advice: Never give up. Nobody can pour your heart and soul into a story other than you.

Who are your favorite Authors?
The favorite above all favorites is Patricia Briggs.

What are your favorite books, or which book has impacted you the most?
I have favorites within every genre, and favorites for each year. But the ultimate favorite would be impossible to decide. So I will say instead which book impacted me the most: Reading Golden Fool by Robin Hobb is what spurred me to write. Her story crawled into me, and I knew I needed to put my own story to paper.

What are you currently reading?
Dangerous question!
Current audiobook for my car rides to work: City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
Current paperback for my own guilty pleasures: Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton
Current read with my oldest daughter: Princess Curse by Merrie Haskill
Current read with my middle daughter: Kaya, an American Girl book
Current read with my youngest: whatever picture book she brings me.
Current read with my husband: Hexed by Ilona Andrews and other various writers

How do readers find out more about you?
I always love chatting about books. You can find me just about anywhere on the internet:
rita@ritajwebb.com
afantasyfiction.blogspot.com
goodreads.com/RitaWebb
Facebook.com/RitaWebb
Twitter @RitaJWebb

#22: The Pocket Therapist - Therese J. Borchard

noreply@blogger.com (fredamans) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 22:00:00 +0000

Whenever Therese Borchard was weathering a personal storm, and help was nowhere to be found, her one guiding light was the question, "What would a therapist say?" The result was a sort of therapy scrapbook for rough days--a quick reference for anyone who needs a dose of encouragement, support and tried and true ways to cope.
THE POCKET THERAPIST is a compact and accessible guide filled with techniques and advice to help combat everything from addictive behavior to negative thinking.

Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: Center Street; 1 edition (April 15, 2010)
ISBN13: 9781599952994

My Opinion:
My first thought a little way into this book was I was glad the author is not really a therapist. What she is, is an in-your-face author who shoots straight talk always. You are either going to love her or hate her.
I didn't care for it, even though I laughed a couple times. I just felt like the old adage "misery loves company" played in here all too well. Not my thing.

2/5

Recommend? No.

~I received a copy from Hachette Book Group. I was not compensated for my opinion.~

Giveaway: The Obamas - Jodi Kantor

noreply@blogger.com (fredamans) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 17:37:00 +0000

When Barack Obama won the 2008 presidential election, he also won a long-running debate with his wife Michelle. Contrary to her fears, politics now seemed like a worthwhile, even noble pursuit. Together they planned a White House life that would be as normal and sane as possible.

Then they moved in.

In the Obamas, Jodi Kantor takes us deep inside the White House as they try to grapple with their new roles, change the country, raise children, maintain friendships, and figure out what it means to be the first black President and First Lady. Filled with riveting detail and insight into their partnership, emotions and personalities, and written with a keen eye for the ironies of public life, THE OBAMAS is an intimate portrait that will surprise even readers who thought they knew the President and First Lady.

Thanks to Anna and Hachette Book Group, I have one copy up for grabs to one lucky person!
Fill in the Rafflecopter form to enter. There is a mandatory question to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Quote It Saturday

noreply@blogger.com (fredamans) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 04:23:00 +0000

Welcome to Quote It!
Please feel free to grab the button and create your own post.
Add as many quotes as you wish, from whom ever you wish. It can even be lyrics to a song.
Just tell us who it is. Anonymous welcome too.
And please leave your link.

* Tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all.
~ Lord Alfred Tennyson

* Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love.
~ Albert Einstein

The Friday 56

noreply@blogger.com (fredamans) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 02:53:00 +0000

Welcome to Week 63 with me!

Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56.
*Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url.

It's that simple.

(If graphic doesn't load, refresh page.)

It's easier to collect than dig.

#21: Queen Pin - Jemeker Thompson-Hairston

noreply@blogger.com (fredamans) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 18:44:00 +0000

Jemeker Thompson-Hairston paid a heavy price for her involvement in the drug game. Learning from her sources of a federal investigation, Jemeker went on the run. It was love for her young son that brought her back to Los Angeles, even though she knew she would be arrested. A subsequent 15-year sentence would cost her not only her legitimate business and the fortune she'd amassed through the drug trade, but the most precious thing of all: time with her child. But not all was lost. Fortunately, while Thompson-Hairston was serving out the fifteen-year sentence, one pivotal moment helped her turn her life around, setting her on a path to help and inspire others like her. Now, in QUEEN PIN, written with New York Times bestselling author David Ritz, she reveals in gripping detail her journey of redemption that readers won't soon forget.

Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; 1 edition (June 22, 2010)
ISBN-10: 9780446542883

Author Bio:
Jemeker Thompson-Hairston started the Second Chance Evangelist Ministries (SCEM) in South Central, Los Angeles, to inspire others like her. Her mission is to show children of God that there is always a second chance in life and He will forgive.
Jemeker currently lives in Los Angeles, California.

My Opinion:
A great memoir, though not everyone will be able to handle the content. It's a very graphic and violent look into the world of drug dealing.
Though Jemeker finds God, it seems to be after she got caught. I have to wonder how long it will last now she is back in society. Praise the Lord if she stays with her faith, and heaven help her if she falls back into the game.

3/5

Recommend? To memoir fans who can appreciate the graphic nature.

~I received a copy from Hachette Book Group. I was not compensated for my opinion.~

Gravity Cover Reveal

noreply@blogger.com (fredamans) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0000

GRAVITY by Melissa West (October 2012)

BLURB:

In the future, only one rule will matter:

Don't. Ever. Peek.

Seventeen-year-old Ari Alexander just broke that rule and saw the last
person she expected hovering above her bed - arrogant Jackson Locke, the
most popular boy in her school. She expects instant execution or some kind
of freak alien punishment, but instead, Jackson issues a challenge: help
him, or everyone on Earth will die.

Ari knows she should report him, but everything about Jackson makes her
question what she's been taught about his kind. And against her instincts,
she's falling for him. But Ari isn't just any girl, and Jackson wants more
than her attention. Sheąs a military legacy whoąs been trained by her
father and exposed to war strategies and societal information no one can
know - especially an alien spy, like Jackson. Giving Jackson the
information he needs will betray her father and her country, but keeping
silent will start a war.

Pre-order from Amazon

Add to Goodreads

Pretty on Pinterest

noreply@blogger.com (fredamans) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 01:52:00 +0000

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Get to Know Author Hilary Thomson

noreply@blogger.com (fredamans) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 23:42:00 +0000

Good evening readers!
Tonight we have author, Hilary Thomson, joining us to talk about her book, A Will to Murder, and answer a few questions for us. Check it out.

A Will to Murder is a humorous mystery novel. When wealthy and
eccentric patriarch James Boyle dies a bizarre death, the DA declines
to investigate, convinced the victim died of natural causes. Yet even
the police are stunned when members of the Boyle family gather for the
reading of James' will--and begin to die, one at a time. Only when
long-lost Boyle relative Bradley Smith appears, along with reporter
Eric Maxwell, do the mysterious deaths finally receive a proper
investigation. Even so, no one is prepared for the lunacy that hides
beneath the family's facade.

Who or what inspires your writing?
That's an impossible question to answer. I've read mountains of
books, and the ones I like the most aren't necessarily the same ones
I'm inspired by. Many authors do bits and pieces of the whole
'formula for creating great novels' quite well. Some authors are
witty, some are excellent at plotting, some create memorable
characters, some have a wonderful style, and others are good at
physical descriptions, etc. If I had to pinpoint what I consider to
be the most important part of a story, it would have to be the
characters. Great characters are the foundation of any novel, and I
love to explore their personalities.

When did you know you would be a writer?
The first time I ever wrote a short story, I heard this confident
narrative voice coming out of my pen and said, "Hey, there's a writer
lurking in here."

How long did it take you to write your first novel?
On and off, it took about five years. A Will to Murder isn't my first
novel, but it took nearly as long. I don't believe you do your
writing any favors by trying to force it. You'll produce better work
if you give yourself time to gather plenty of ideas. You won't need
all of them, but you'll
produce a richer work. Under-conceptualization is one of the most
common faults of first novels, and will always kill your book.

What is the hardest part of writing for you?
Believe it or not, it's coming up with the title. Everything else is
easier, including writing the entire book. My brain balks at trying
to fit hundreds of pages into one short phrase. Doing a blurb is also
hard, because once I've finished a novel, it feels very strange to
tell a micro-version of the story with thousands of details all
shouting inside my head that hey, they're important, too.

Do you have any writing rituals?
Only nagging myself to sit down and do some work. If I'm reluctant to
start, thinking about some aspect of my story usually cajoles my brain
into writing mode.

Have you written any thing else?
Quite a lot, some of which is sitting in my files, and some of which
is (ahem) floating around on the internet under various pseudonyms.
The latter is the more fun and outrageous stuff.

Any advice to aspiring writers?
You need to learn how to be meticulous and detail-oriented, and this
will be tough if it's not a natural part of your personality. Target
each one of your writing weaknesses, and rewrite your book focusing on
improving those particular areas. Be willing to rethink your writing.
If a book/chapter/passage/sentence doesn't work, rethink it until it
does. Can you blend, reposition, cut, summarize, or change narrators
to make your writing work? Being flexible and thinking outside your
mental box are absolute gold in writing. Many authors are wedded to
their rough
drafts. Edit the heck out of your work. Have your computer read your
story aloud to you, because it makes your mistakes much more obvious.

Who are your favorite Authors?
There are way too many to list, but the one I admire most is Tolkien
for his world-building, the quality of his plotting, his characters,
and his high seriousness of purpose.

What are your favorite books, or which book has impacted you the most?
The books I enjoyed most during my teens were fantasy and science
fiction. I like being taken to strange times and places. As I've
grown older, I've fallen in love with history, and I'm a sucker for a
good memoir.

What are you currently reading?
Mainly obscure nonfiction from the 1800s via Project Gutenberg and
Google books. Unfortunately, my recreational reading's come to a halt
because I've been writing and editing so much. My spare time has been
spent on internet blogs, because I can squeeze them in while I'm
eating. Blogs have become my magazine reading, as they appear to have
become for many other people.

How do readers find out more about you?
Author Blog The Pongid Press

Teaser Tuesday

noreply@blogger.com (fredamans) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:49:00 +0000

SHOULD BE READING

All the time I'd been holding out on Daff didn't mean I wasn't having sex. In fact, the sex I was having put me up even higher in my little mind.

#20: Fairy Tale Flirts - Lisa Scott

noreply@blogger.com (fredamans) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0000

Five modern takes on classic fairy tales, and the only magic is the real-life kind. Each sweet, funny, romantic short story is 10,000-13,000 words in length. The stories can be read separately, but are linked together in the collection, and wrap up in the perfect happily ever after. Stories include: Cindi, Red, Belle, Snow and Goldie.

Kindle Edition: 654 KB
ASIN: B006Z0LUWG

Read my reviews for the other 3 Flirts books HERE.

My Opinion:
Cindi is a modern-day Cinderella story that had me picturing Sarah Jessica Parker in the starring role. It was a wonderful shoe-affair! (5/5) Red, is a modern-day Red Riding Hood that I enjoyed better than the film that came out last year. This story was "naughty but nice". It made me laugh too, just so you know. (4/5) Belle, is a modern-day Beauty and the Beast, and just as romantic as you might think. It made me smile from ear-to-ear. (4/5) Snow, is a modern-day Snow White that made me think Michelle Pheifer would be great as the wicked step-mother. (Sorry, I can't help but picture everything in film....) Any way, I enjoyed it! (4/5) and lastly, Goldie, is a modern-day Goldilocks and the Three Bears. I have to say, always one of my favorite fairytales, but even more so with a new-age twist. Also my favorite of them all. (5/5) So all-in-all I loved this set. It had all the elements of romance you need on a day like today, Valentines Day. I also loved how each story was a fairy tale, but also connected itself to something in the last. Very clever writing!

4/5

Recommend? YES!!!

~I received a copy from Goddess Fish Promotions. I was not compensated for my opinion.~

#19: Put on Your Crown - Queen Latifah

noreply@blogger.com (fredamans) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 01:01:00 +0000

February is Black History Month.

I read this book in lieu of that, as it was part of the A-Z Blogging Mini-Challenge.

Modeled after Maria Shriver's Just Who Will You Be, Queen Latifah's goal with Put On Your Crown is to help young women build a strong sense of self-esteem. A US Dept. of Justice survey found that females ages 16-24 are more vulnerable to partner violence than any other group, almost triple the national average. Cases like Chris Brown's assault on pop star Rihanna showed an ugly side of adolescent life. However, Queen Latifah has always been a shining example of a woman happy with herself and unwilling to compromise to fit into the "hollywood ideal" of what a confident beautiful woman should look like. The result: She's one of the biggest A-list celebrities in Hollywood.

Hardcover: 208 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; 1 edition (May 6, 2010)
ISBN: 9780446555890

Author Bio:

Queen Latifah was born and raised in Newark, New Jersey. The Queen got her first break in music when a demo tape featuring one of her raps made its way to Tommy Boy Records. She was signed and immediately became a hit. She won the Best New Artist Award in 1990 for her album "All Hail the Queen" which also went platinum. The second single from the album, "Ladies First," was eventually named by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of the 500 Songs That Shaped Rock 'n' Roll.
By the time her second album "Nature of a Sista'" came out in 1991, Queen Latifah had begun investing in small businesses in her neighborhood, and acting both in television and movies. After the death of her brother and a soured deal with Tommy Boy, The Queen released her third album, "Black Reign", and founded Flavor Unit Records and Management. She also landed a regular spot on Living Single and went on to star in a plethora of feature films including: Set It Off, The Perfect Holiday, Taxi, and Bringing Down the House.

My Opinion:
In the very beginning of the book, Queen Latifah talks about how she wanted to write a book that empowered all women, no matter their creed. A book that would show them they are strong and can do anything.
And she did that.
She delivers an in-your-face, but in a good way, approach to all the important subjects that make up our core as beings.
I have to add, although this is not a memoir, I learned a lot about her and what she stands for. I had known enough already, from media, but she fills the gaps about things I always wondered like where'd she get that scar on her forehead?
Women will enjoy this read, fan or not, you soon will be.

4/5

Recommend? Women only.

~I received a copy from Hachette Book Group. I was not compensated for my opinion.~

Get to Know Author Ernst Dabel

noreply@blogger.com (fredamans) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:25:00 +0000

Good morning readers!
Today we have author, Ernst Dabel joining us to talk about his book, Pantheons.

On the streets, they call fifteen year old orphan Isaiah Marshall the Indestructible Diamond. Isaiah is the leader of the Redrovers, a group of teenage misfits consisting of his friends Jeremy, Monty, and Pipsqueak, but when they trespass into Kaliber Academy to get even with the arrogant Jason Ollopa, they are in way over their heads.
Principal Webb enrolls them into the High School and Isaiah soon learns about the existence of the gods of the Ancient World. Because the gods have refused to fight the last War for fear of the Mysterious Dark, the Powers-that-Be have stripped them of their spiritual bodies and given them mortal, teenage forms.
Isaiah discovers he's not only a god, but that he's the child of the Greek goddess Metis, the son destined to overthrow his cruel and sadistic father Zeus, the Darkener of the Sky, and become the greatest god in all the Pantheons.
Isaiah is thrown into a world where the democratic Olympians, war-mongering Norse, Gothic Celts, firstborn Egyptians, the enlightened Hindu, the animal-like Aztecs, the martial artist Asians, the intelligent Babylonians, the great spirits of the Native American Indians, and the fierce Finnish will war against one another for the greatest of all prizes: the Dominion.

Who or what inspires your writing?
My brother Les who’s also my agent inspired my writing. He is the one who came up with the idea of having a story where all the gods of the ancient world went to school together as teenagers. He asked me if I could imagine how cool it would be if Zeus were to fight Odin. I didn’t need to hear anything else. I was sold with his idea and so I went to work until Pantheons was completed.

When did you know you would be a writer?
I was twelve years old and I had just finished reading J.R.R. Tolkien’s, The Silmarillion. That book had evoked within me the flames of my creativity for the first time in my life. It was then that I knew I would be a writer someday.

How long did it take you to write your first novel?

My first novel, ALBINO, I wrote it in three weeks. ALBINO will be released in March 2012.

What is the hardest part of writing for you?
I would have to say that pulling away from the story is the hardest part of writing for me. As my wife, Aba, can already tell you, once I get into a story, I tend to forget about food, drink, sleep, and yep even breathing, LOL (grins), but thank God, she yanks me away when she feels I’ve been glued to writing for too long, LOL :)

Do you have any writing rituals?
I don’t have any writing rituals, but I am always ready with pen and paper wherever I go. So whenever the story takes me, I can start writing wherever I am.

Have you written any thing else?
Aside from the PANTHEONS and ALBINO series, I’m also writing a third, but for that one, I’m not ready to talk about it yet.

Any advice to aspiring writers?
Never give up your dream of writing! Every morning when you wake up say it out loud to yourself, “I will become a writer! I know I am a bestselling author!” You know it’s true, so say it, believe it, and make your dream come true!

Who are your favorite Authors?
J.R.R. Tolkien, Robert Jordan, Patrick Rothfuss, Anne Rice, Dean Koontz, Paulo Coelho, Richard A. Knaak, Charlaine Harris, Jim Butcher, Orson Scott Card, Laurell K. Hamilton, C.S. Marks, George R.R. Martin, and many others. I’ve had the honor of publishing them all. The only person I missed was J.R.R. Tolkien, because he died in 1973, and I was born in 1975. It’s my greatest regret in life that I did not get a chance to see him when he was alive and therefore missed the opportunity to personally ask him if I could adapt his work.

What are your favorite books, or which book has impacted you the most?
My favorite books are The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, and the Silmarillion. I can’t believe that once upon a time as a little boy that I hated books. I really don’t know what I was thinking. But one Christmas when I was 12 years old, my brother Les (who’s now my agent) bought me The Hobbit for Christmas! Well, you can very well imagine my frustration. My brother hounded me from one room to another, and would not give me a moment’s peace until I read the book. Eventually, I gave up and ‘pretended’ to read the book. It began with ‘In a hole in the ground there lived a Hobbit.’ I was confused, but very curious about a lot of things. Little did I realize at that moment that Tolkien had hooked me, reeled me in, and baptized me into a voracious reader, I didn’t know this at the time, but my life would never be the same ever again.

What are you currently reading?
Right now I am reading Ravenshade by C.S. Marks.

How do readers find out more about you?
Readers can email me at edabel@dabelbrothers.com if they have any questions. They can also go to my Facebook
and my Fanpage

From Ernst to readers;
“Albino does to woodland creatures what Lord of the Rings did for fantasy back in Tolkien’s time. In other words Albino takes woodland creatures into a story that even adults would care to read. ;)”

Giveaway: Snow Child - Eowyn Ivey

noreply@blogger.com (fredamans) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 04:18:00 +0000

Alaska, 1920: a brutal place to homestead, and especially tough for recent arrivals Jack and Mabel. Childless, they are drifting apart--he breaking under the weight of the work of the farm; she crumbling from loneliness and despair. In a moment of levity during the season's first snowfall, they build a child out of snow. The next morning the snow child is gone--but they glimpse a young, blonde-haired girl running through the trees.

This little girl, who calls herself Faina, seems to be a child of the woods. She hunts with a red fox at her side, skims lightly across the snow, and somehow survives alone in the Alaskan wilderness. As Jack and Mabel struggle to understand this child who could have stepped from the pages of a fairy tale, they come to love her as their own daughter. But in this beautiful, violent place things are rarely as they appear, and what they eventually learn about Faina will transform all of them.

Thanks to Anna and Hachette Book Group, I have 3 copies up for grabs.
Fill in the Rafflecopter form to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Quote It Saturday

noreply@blogger.com (fredamans) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 16:45:00 +0000

Welcome to Quote It!
Please feel free to grab the button and create your own post.
Add as many quotes as you wish, from whom ever you wish. It can even be lyrics to a song.
Just tell us who it is. Anonymous welcome too.
And please leave your link.

* Women marry men hoping they will change. Men marry women hoping they will not. So each is inevitably disappointed.
~ Albert Einstein, (1879–1955, a German-born theoretical physicist.)

* True love is like ghosts, which everybody talks about and few have seen.
~ La Rochefoucauld, (1613–1680, a noted French author.)

* Familiarity breeds contempt—and children.
~ Mark Twain, (Samuel Langhorne Clemens, 1835–1910, an American author and humorist.)

Giveaway: E. Van Lowe Book Set (With Author Guest Post)

noreply@blogger.com (fredamans) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0000

E Van Lowe is giving away a signed set of his books: Never Slow Dance With A Zombie, Boyfriend From Hell and Earth Angel.

Along with a fun Valentine theme YA Gift Basket containing a plush puppy, a heart mug, an ARC of Wintertow by Stephen Emond, devil socks, devil and angel duckies, RockStar Sweethearts, Red Hots Lip Balm, Bath and Body Works pocket bac, and travel size Pink Chiffon lotion, pencils and a Bewitching Book Tours bookmark

After the author guest post, is the form for the giveaway.

A Storyteller’s Dream - E. Van Lowe
Early in the spring of 2006 I hit a wall with my career. I had reached what felt very much like a crossroads in my life. After several months of talks with a studio, I had failed to land a job writing and producing a popular TV drama. I had the feeling I wasn’t hired because of my age. I had had a stellar career writing and producing many great TV shows and some not so great shows. But in show biz, people over fifty have been known to hit a wall. I was over fifty.
I wasn’t certain I’d hit the wall, but I didn’t want to knock on doors for several more years only to discover I was unhireable--not because of my lack of talent, but because I had allowed myself to grow old. I decided I wasn’t going to wait to find out if I had been, what we in the biz call, “aged-out.” It was time to begin my next career.
I grew up loving to read. I had started my writing career as a novelist and playwright. In grad school, I wrote two very popular horror novels of the 80s under the pseudonym Sal Conte. I decided it was time to return to my great love—books. Only this time I would write under my own name.
I also decided to write Young Adult. I chose Young Adult because when I was at Disney I developed a show for the Disney Channel called Even Stevens. I had a great time developing that show and felt writing for a younger audience was my thing. I went into writing YA for girls as a neophyte. I had done no research. I didn’t know anything about the genre—other than I’d read quite a few books, including those of Meg Cabot, and the Fearless series by Francine Pascal.
I then told my Hollywood agent and manager not to send me out on any job meetings for a while. I was writing a book. Never Slow Dance With A Zombie. While neither of them liked that I was not earning them a commission, they both embraced my new career. Midway through writing the book I asked my manager host a reading for me at Sony Studios. I wanted to get some feedback, but mostly I wanted to hear the book for myself, and decide if I was wasting my time. I figured if it was at a studio a lot of people would show up—they did.
As soon as the reading ended my agent, Jim Kellem, came up to me and said “I can sell that.”
“You don’t know anything about selling books,” I told him. “I’m talking to a New York agent to sell the book for me.”
The reading went very well. The book was fairly well received, so I continued writing. A few weeks after the reading, my agent called and told me he’d scheduled a few meetings for me. “What did you schedule meetings for? I told you I was writing a book.”
“These are movie meetings,” he said. “People want to hear about the book.”
“I haven’t even finished it.”
“People still want to hear about it,” he said. Both he and my manager, Sheree Guitar, started setting meetings at studios and production companies to talk about the book. Suddenly Hollywood seemed interested in me again. That’s when that old saw came to mind: “There’s more than one way to skin a cat.” Or as far as I was concerned: There’s more than one way to skin a cat and have a career in Hollywood.
I love writing novels. It’s much more fun and rewarding than writing for TV. But I also enjoy working in Hollywood. I realized as an artist that our art can take many forms. Sometimes it can begin in one form—a book—like Harry Potter, and wind up in another, reaching an even wider audience. That’s what I wanted to do. I wanted to write books and help my books exist in broader mediums that can increase my audience. My art is not just writing. As a storytelling artist I include film and TV and theater and video games—even the internet as my medium. As a storytelling artist I want to be somewhat experimental.
As of this writing that first novel, Never Slow Dance With A Zombie, is slowly winding its way to the big screen. The screenplay for my Sal Conte horror short story, The Toothache Man is currently being written by a screenwriter. I have two more novels, Boyfriend From Hell and Earth Angel. They are the first two books in the Falling Angels Saga. Earth Angel just came out and is on blog tour as of this writing. I’ve also been in discussions about doing something fresh and different for the internet. I am busier than ever.
It’s exciting to be able to use everything I’ve learned in my twenty plus years in Hollywood in my new career as storytelling artist. My dream is to have my stories exist in more than one medium, reaching people wherever they may be.
Looking back, I am actually happy I didn’t land the job on that TV drama. I may not be making as much money (sometimes I don’t make any money) but I am much happier. I am no longer wondering about the end of my career. I am at the threshold of something new and exciting. You’re never too old to chase a new dream. Trust me; I know—I’m having the time of my life.
By the way, even though I signed with a New York agent, it was my Hollywood agent, Jim Kellem, who sold Never Slow Dance With A Zombie to Tor (McMillan/St. Martin’s Press) in the spring of 2007. Go figure.

Giveaway is open to US Only.

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The Friday 56

noreply@blogger.com (fredamans) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:52:00 +0000

Welcome to Week 62 with me!

Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56.
*Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url.

It's that simple.

(If graphic doesn't load, refresh page.)

This one seventeen year old girl was so tired and angry because she had to get up every morning to feed her younger siblings breakfast and get them ready for school while her mom was still in bed, too strung out on crack to move.