Mommy Adventures With Ravina Kurian

#PUYB #BookReview - Angels, Angels, Everywhere by Michelle Beber #KidLit #Inspiring

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 13 Aug 2015 09:00:00 +0000

About the Book

Angels have one job …
To love and care for all of us on Earth, especially children.
Angels are always here for us.
All we need to do is ask them for help.
Angels want us to be happy and to know we are loved.

Amazon Kindle

About the Author

Michelle Beber is certified as a spiritual teacher, archangel life coach, and angel intuitive, the latter certification from a renowned Hay House author and speaker. Michelle's mission is to teach, touch, and entertain readers with "stories from the angels."

Michelle's life changed when she attended a spiritual retreat in 2008. There, she learned about repetitive number sequences known as "angel numbers." Having always been fascinated by things "beyond this world," she started researching everything she could about "angel numbers," which, of course, led her to discoveries about angels themselves.

Michelle read almost every "angel book" out there. Her voracious appetite for "all things angels" led her on a spiritual path that included attending annual spiritual conferences where she was told she was close to finding her life purpose (which she didn't take seriously at the time), that she was a "lightworker" working with Archangel Michael to "get a message out," and that she would help children (she took the last two very seriously).

Ever since she was a child, Michelle always loved to write, and as she went through her life without that creative outlet, she always felt like "something was missing." That "something" turned out to be angels! She feels very blessed and elated to be able to follow her passion and bring comfort and joy to children.

This is the first of three "angel books" in a series for children. This first book contains beautiful illustrations by Susan Shorter that brilliantly capture every emotion and truly bring Michelle's visions to life.

Michelle has other books and a blog in the works as well. Please visit her author page at www.facebook.com/pages/michellebeberauthor and her book page at www.facebook.com/pages/Angels-Angels-Everywhere-by-Michelle-Beber. She also has a Twitter page at @BeberMichelle. A website is being developed at www.michellebeber.com.

With love, light, and angel blessings to all of you!

My Review
When things go wrong,
Just stop and pray,
And angels come,
To save the day.

How could I not fall in love with this book? It is marked as "Children's Literature" but I assure you any adult will also find comfort in this book. The author has comforting words and images for every time you feel down or up.

It is also the perfect book to read to your child at bedtime or when the family is going through a difficult situation especially when a friend or family member is facing illness. From personal experience, I used this book to explain to my two elder children about a close friend's illness. They were comforted but it also led to questions about her condition and as a mother I appreciated this long talk we had because I was able to respond to thoughts and feelings they had previously not brought up.

Would I recommend this read? Absolutely. I recommend it for both adults and children. If you were a fan of the Touched by Angel series, you will love this book.

Overall assessment:
Content: 5/5
Editing: 5/5
Formatting: 5/5
Pacing: 5/5

Offensive content?: Based on language and settings, I would recommend this book for all ages.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author. I did not receive any payment in exchange for this review nor was I obliged to write a positive one.

#PUYB #BookReview - Vows to the Fallen by Larry Laswell #HistFic #Military

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 03 Aug 2015 09:00:00 +0000

About the Book

An Officer’s Journey Through Guilt and Grief
Another techno-thriller from the author of The Marathon Watch

August 9, 1942, 01:42 hours
USS Green on patrol off Red Beach, Guadalcanal
Bridge Officer: Lieutenant Patrick O’Toole

Lieutenant O’Toole’s goal is simple: someday he wants to become an admiral. But in a few moments, his life will change . . . forever. Yesterday, the marines stormed the beaches of Guadalcanal. Today, the Japanese Navy will strike back. The sudden and horrific carnage scars O’Toole for life and throws him into the abyss of survivor’s guilt and posttraumatic stress.
The Pacific War does not wait for O’Toole to heal. Duty calls, each new assignment brings more responsibility, and the roll call of the fallen grows. At the Battle of Mujatto Gulf, O’Toole faces a superior battle-hardened Japanese fleet and discovers the strength within him to climb from the abyss and find his true life’s mission. To the fallen, he vows never to abandon that mission no matter how high the cost.
Amazon Kindle

About the Author

Larry served in the US Navy eight years. In navy parlance, he was a mustang, someone who rose from the enlisted ranks to receive an officer's commission. While in the navy, he served as Main Engines officer aboard the USS Intrepid CV-11, and as Submarine Warfare Officer aboard the USS William M Wood DD-715.

Now retired, he fills his spare time with woodworking and furniture design. He continues to work on The Marathon Watch series, an upcoming Science Fiction series, and an anthology of over eighty humorous sea stories.

My Review
This was an interesting read for many reasons. One, the historical aspects of Pearl Harbour are merged into the fictional life of Liutenant O'Toole. While O'Toole's character starts out with confidence, this confidence soon slowly disappears and we see him tumble emotionally.

His thoughts of being inadequate soon cloud his everyday life. But how much time does he have to process such feelings? The author instills a sense of urgency in the reader and this was the best part of the book.

Soon, O'Toole is only another element in the story as war takes over the pages and the reader grimaces at its effects. Plus points to the author for being able to hold the reader's attention right to the end.

Would I recommend this read? Definitely. If you like historical military fiction, this book is right up your alley.

Overall assessment:
Content: 5/5
Editing: 4.5/5
Formatting: 4/5
Pacing: 4.5/5

Offensive content?: Based on language and settings, I would recommend this book for anyone aged 18 and up.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author. I did not receive any payment in exchange for this review nor was I obliged to write a positive one.

#PUYB - Ten Things About "Shaytan" - A Journey into Evil by @davidsarthur1 #Suspense #Military

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 28 Jul 2015 07:30:00 +0000

About the Author

David S. Arthur is an American novelist. His new novel is Shaytan: A Journey into Evil. It is an historical action thriller set in the jungles of India in 1947. A man-eating leopard, Vedic gods and the history of the world. (Among other things.)

His previous book is The Kingdom of Keftiu: A Mystery of the Ancient World. It is an historical adventure set in the Greek Islands in 1935-36 about an expedition in search of lost Atlantis and the truth behind the myth.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shaytan-A-Journey-into-Evil/546937092117979?skip_nax_wizard=true

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Kingdom-of-Keftiu/372020742971818

Link: www.davidarthurnovelist.com

David was born in Dallas, Texas in 1949. He was a champion age group and All American high school and college swimmer, graduating Southern Methodist University with a business undergraduate degree ('71) and a Masters in Fine Arts ('73).

He began his professional career in 1973 as a documentary film maker for PBS. In 1977, David went to Hollywood to become a screenwriter. He published his first novel, The Oasis Project in 1980. In the late 80's David formed a multi-media production company in Dallas, which he operated profitably until 2006 when he retired and began writing books again.

During his challenging and rewarding career, he has produced and directed hundreds of film and digital video projects, created and staged theatrical performances, written plays, and produced concerts and large audience events. He also served as a communications consultant and media producer for well-known international consumer products companies whose American brands are global icons. (Frito-Lay, Pepsi, KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut.)

On several occasions David's film making has received recognition; a USA Film Festival Award for Cinematography, a Gold Award from the Houston International Film Festival for his indie feature, Scenes in the Dark, a number of Telly Awards for client projects and a Dallas Press Club Award for Best Television Documentary.

********************

Ten Things & More About Shaytan - A Journey into Evil

Brighton Publishing LLC

“Novelist David S. Arthur explores the wilds of India and the darkest realms of human behavior.”

Shaytan is a novel about the hunt for a man-eating leopard set in India – in 1947. British explorers Richard and Emily Quizzenbury unexpectedly find themselves on the hunt for this killer as the guest of Victor Bloodworth, an Anglo-Indian marksman. The hunt soon turns into a battle for survival as the hunters become the hunted.

Shaytan is an Arabic word that means demon. It is a reference to Iblis, the fallen angel in the Quran, who refused to bow before Adam at God’s command. Shaytan in essence is Satan.

Shaytan is the name given to man-eaters by the superstitious inhabitants of the remote Indian wilderness. When a predator is killing humans, the people believe it is actual someone living among them who by day wears the skin of as man but when craving human flesh becomes a beast they call Shaytan.

Shaytan is much more than a jungle adventure. Shaytan is a book about India – India’s history, its Hindu (Vedic) religion and superstitions, its fascinating array of Vedic gods and demons, the struggle for independence, the role that colonial commerce played in discovering the new world. And somehow what began as the hunt for a man-eater turned into a much bigger saga – a saga about the nature of man, our triumphs and tragedies – the full spectrum of our best and worst – and the timeless battle between good and evil. I would have to say, if I have one theme, it is the nature of mankind. Truth be told, humans are an appalling contradiction. On the one hand, we can be absolutely savage and unimaginably cruel, most often in the name of ideologies and tyrants. On the other hand, the story of humanity is a tale of remarkable invention and self-expression. From the Paleolithic cave paintings of France and Spain to the Hubble Telescope and beyond the fringe of our own solar system, man’s brilliance knows no boundaries. So why the dark side and the horror of those who would still do evil in this world – ISIS, Iran, Al Qaeda, Putin in Russia and who knows what or who comes next?

Shaytan is also a tale of a western man’s search for enlightenment and an eastern man’s quest for spiritual redemption. As a historical scholar, Quizzenbury absolutely must know the truth – the truth about India’s past, its religions, its conquerors and its struggle for independence – through which we discover that the Indian subcontinent was the epicenter of world events for the past 4000 years. Victor Bloodworth, as a half-Indian, is in search of his own spiritual salvation. Through his hunt for the leopard he discovers the truth about himself and achieves reconciliation with his Indian heritage and Hindu beliefs.

Presently, I'm writing a series of books featuring Quizzenbury. He is an English scholar of antiquities and our guide par excellence into the riddles of the past. Shaytan is the second in the Quizzenbury historical adventure series. The first book, The Kingdom of Keftiu – A Mystery of the Ancient World, is an archaeological adventure that begins in an Egyptian tomb in 1935 and culminates on the Aegean island of Santorini with the discovery of a miraculous Bronze Age civilization buried beneath the ash of an ancient volcano. It is an exploration of man’s history, our mythology and a revelation of the truth behind Plato’s legend of Atlantis.

Shaytan is the perfect example of what I try to accomplish in my novels. They are journeys into mysterious worlds and ancient times. Monuments in the desert. Palaces in the jungle. Lost cities and buried treasures. Myths and legends and eons of rare history. What I enjoy is peeling back the layers of time and memory, digging up the past, looking for clues, searching for answers about who we are. I'm curious about what shaped the destiny of empires. What unexpected events influenced human progress? What has been forgotten in the rubble of antiquity? My intent is to entertain by taking my readers to exotic places they may never go and revealing things they might never know. In short, I write for the thrill of discovery and I want my readers to share that experience.

Shaytan is a story that began long ago, not in India but in Los Angeles, where I was living in the 70’s, working as a screen writer. Then Shaytan was a screenplay about a man-eating tiger. Over the years I poked and prodded it, until in 2011 with the publication of Kingdom, I realized Shaytan would make an excellent Quizzenbury adventure. India’s ancient civilizations were the perfect backdrop, its Hindu mysticism and pantheon of gods the quintessence of a mystery begging for Quizzenbury to solve, and the harrowing hunt for a jungle killer…what more could I have asked for? Now four years later,

Shaytan is in publication worldwide.

Shaytan is not the last of Quizzenbury. There’s another Quizzenbury escapade in the wings, foreshadowed in the last pages of Shaytan. Another supernatural history-mystery with a surprising Shakespearean twist. But I’ve done more than write novels over the years. My professional training was in film production and screenwriting and I have enjoyed a rewarding career as a producer and director of a wide variety of media projects. These have run the gamut from documentaries to feature length drama, elaborate theatrical performances to the staging of concerts and large audience events. Now I write books, collect and play guitars and dabble in art.

Shaytan is currently available as an eBook on Amazon & Barnes &Noble and other eBook retail sites, for $5.99 US. The printed edition will be available soon for $13.95 US. You can learn more about Shaytan and me by visiting my website: http://www.davidarthurnovelist.com/

You can also visit with me on my Face Book pages: Shaytan – A Journey into Evil or The Kingdom of Keftiu. Or follow me on Twitter at: David S. Arthur @davidsarthur1.

Cheers! And good reading!

About the Book

INDIA 1947. In the heart of the jungle, death stalks the night. It strikes without warning-like a shadow in the shadows-stealing away with its victims and devouring them. The authorities claim it is a man-eating leopard. The natives believe it is something far more terrifying-a creature that by day wears the skin of a man, but when craving human flesh becomes the demon... SHAYTAN! While on expedition in India, British explorers Richard and Emily Quizzenbury embark on the hunt for a killer.

They are the guests of Victor Bloodworth, an expert marksman of Anglo-Indian descent. Suddenly, they are plunged into an alien world in which time marches to the pulse of the cosmos-where the spiritual and the supernatural merge and reality shares equal footing with illusion. Little do they imagine what awaits them in the ageless realm of the undying gods. In a land still ruled by primal superstitions, there is an ancient invocation. From all that flies, from all that crawls From all that prowls the mountain O Night protect us!

#PUYB #BookReview - Aeromancist (Seven Forbidden Arts - Book 3) by Charmaine Pauls #PNR

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 20 Jul 2015 07:00:00 +0000

About the Book

All he could offer was thirty days of passion.
He condemned her to death instead.
Now he’ll do everything in his power to save her.

He is known as the Weatherman. Lann Dréan is the last of his kind. A price on his head, chased for a power he should not possess, he can’t promise any woman forever. All he can offer Katherine White is thirty days of passion. But his uncontainable desire comes with an unforeseen price. Lann’s lust will cost Kat her life. Now he’ll do anything to save her from the fate he has brought upon her.

AEROMANCIST is Book 3 of the Seven Forbidden Arts series. All books in the series are stand-alone novels with no cliffhangers, but it is recommended that they are read in chronological order.

Amazon Kindle

About the Author

Charmaine Pauls was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa. She obtained a masters degree in Communication at the University of Potchestroom, and followed a diverse career path in journalism, public relations, advertising, communications, photography, graphic design, and brand marketing. Her writing has always been an integral part of her professions.

After relocating to France with her French husband, she fulfilled her passion to write creatively full-time. Charmaine has published six novels since 2011, as well as several short stories and articles.

When she is not writing, she likes to travel, read, and rescue cats. Charmaine currently lives in Chile with her husband and children. Their household is a linguistic mélange of Afrikaans, English, French and Spanish.

The Author Speaks

I always wanted to travel. The far-off borders of lands I only read about in books piqued my curiosity. I wanted to taste a tagine from Morocco and other dishes I couldn’t pronounce. I wanted to dance to the hypnotic music of Arabian cobra flutes and see what a Chinese silk kite looked like flying over Shanghai. I wanted to see the Persia that Aladdin journeyed to on his magical carpet and hear the wind howl through a turret window in Dracula’s castle in Transylvania. There were parts of the world that were mysteries to me, and I wanted to know these beckoning corners of the globe with all of my senses by submerging myself into their culture, culinary traditions, music, language, nature, architecture and history. After completing my studies, I backpacked through Europe, exploring most of its countries from east to west, and also parts of Denmark, Sweden and England. New civilizations opened up to me. The travel bug had bitten. Since then, I have never stopped.

There is a richness in discovering new cultures and learning new tongues, because with diversity comes appreciation. Not only do you open your heart and mind to new ideologies and philosophies, but also to the wealth of knowledge and wisdom that each culture brings. Today, thanks to global connectedness and communication, we can profit from cutting edge medical breakthroughs, like the heart transplant by Dr. Chris Barnard from Cape Town to green medicine from China. Whether your choice for enhancing your inner happiness is Tibetan meditation or Dr. Phil’s advice, everything is accessible to anyone with internet access. We can tap into the limitless well of information and apply the findings that vibrate with our unique soul and emotional makeup. To me, diversity is a privilege and a necessity for spiritual growth.

This is partly why I do not have a choice but to dole out the roles of the Seven Forbidden Arts books to an international cast. Another big influencing factor is my traveling, which greatly inspires the settings and plotlines of my stories. Using these real-life, existing locations in novels is my way of immortalizing them for myself. It is a way of recording experiences about place, ambience, food, music and language that move each and every one of the senses, as well as the feelings these encounters evoke. Coming from South Africa where we have no less than eleven official languages (and about twenty-six spoken, the last time I checked), employing a multicultural cast for my books comes as no surprise. I can’t imagine a society without the variety that has labeled South Africa the rainbow nation, simply because this is my reality and my norm. I have always been surrounded by the international influence of Portuguese, Greek, Chinese, Xhosa, Zulu, Sotho, Swazi, Ndebele, Dutch, British, Indian and French, to name just a few of the multinational faces that make up the South African crowd.

In the paranormal Seven Forbidden Arts series we meet a wide range of actors, including Japanese, French, Russian, South African, Senegalese, American, Australian, Scottish, Danish, British and Dutch. The assignments take the team on a journey from the magical forest of King Arthur in French Brittany, the oldest Franciscan monastery in Chile, the tropical beach of Costa Rica, rustic Pirate’s Island in Colombia, the Knysna elephant sanctuary in wild South Africa, the royal and the famous in the streets of London, England, and the red-light district of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, to the old-time Portuguese glory of Brazil. From a mystical firestarter to a bloodsucker, timid librarian, ambassador with a dark side, super-mixer bartender, French-Breton baron, Russian weatherman with more up his sleeve than a forecast and a surfer babe who makes her own waves, the characters will take the reader on a whirlwind world tour of action, passion, love and diverse magic.

Seven Forbidden Arts, 9 Books in a nutshell
American Cain Jones’ mission is not governed by rules or laws. Backed and funded by powerful politicians and businessmen, Cain has to protect mankind from the dawn of a new Dark Age of communication. In the Middle Ages, the church has forbidden the practice of seven specific arts. Individuals possessing one of these gifts have gone underground in fear of persecution. Cain recruits a paranormal crime taskforce of individuals possessing these arts to fight his elusive archenemy, a man only known as Godfrey, to prevent Godfrey from the world domination by global communication control he is after.

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My Review
While this book is easy to read and understand, it is best to read the books in sequence as it seems that some of the plot from the second book spills over to the second book and you will have a better understanding of the characters from reading the first two books.

That being said, Lann and Kat are in a difficult stage of their relationship. Think City of Angels with Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan. Lann's supernatural abilities lands Kat's in trouble because despite the love they share for each other, her life is in danger.

It is easy to read this book. The plot can be understood whether you have read other books in the series. There is more than one evil who is after Kat in the book. Lann strikes me as sensible. Then there is Kat. While her reactions are logical, her selfishness and lack of common sense seemed to overpower her which then makes it obvious to the reader that she is not necessarily working in the best interest of both of them.

Would I recommend this read? Yes. If you like a paranormal romance with a strong male character, you will definitely like this book.

Overall assessment:
Content: 4.5/5
Editing: 4/5
Formatting: 4/5
Pacing: 3.5/5

Offensive content?: Based on language and settings, I would recommend this book for anyone aged 18 and up.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author. I did not receive any payment in exchange for this review nor was I obliged to write a positive one.

#PUYB #BookReview - The Demons of Plainville by Daniel R. Mathews #Memoir

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 13 Jul 2015 07:30:00 +0000

About the Book

Some true stories read like fiction, but for those who have to personally live through the experiences, the nightmare is vividly real. Daniel R. Mathews digs into the darkness of his past with his haunting memoir, The Demons of Plainville.

As a child, Daniel struggles to find his footing in an upside-down world. His mother is mentally ill and addicted to drugs; she performs black masses to summon demons, is physically abusive, and plays brutal mind games that make him doubt his sanity and despair of ever making sense of life or himself. Even his father beats Daniel after "rescuing" him from his mother. Thanks to a few unexpected friends, Daniel survives his devastating youth and emerges stronger for it.

But Daniel's battles aren't over. Finally free of his abusive parents, he now must face himself and wrestle with his sexual identity in a community that sees nothing wrong with homophobia.

Candid and compelling, this is a triumphant tale of a young man who walked through the darkness, bravely faced his demons, and against all odds carried the faint light of hope with him every step of the way.
Amazon Kindle

About the Author

An avid reader of science fiction, horror, and fantasy, Daniel R. Mathews is a novelist and nonfiction writer whose books feature LGBT youth braving danger with honor and dignity, including his personal memoir, The Demons of Plainville, and debut horror novel, The Unseen Kingdom.

For the past two decades, Mathews has worked as a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified ground instructor, meteorologist, and a member of the web development and Internet technical support community. He currently lives in Flagstaff, Arizona.

I have spent the bulk of my life doing PHP & MySQL development, along with internet technical support. However, I'd always gravitated toward any excuse to write. It was only recently that dissatisfaction prompted me to make significant changes to my life and start a formal writing career.

Please check out my memoir: 'The Demons of Plainville: A Survivor's Story of Storms and Reconstruction' to get a better understanding of where I've been and why I am compelled to write.

My Review
Crazy people don't know their crazy. Unfortunately, the same applies for stupid people. And that best describes the author's mother who is at the centre of this memoir. Reading this memoir made my blood boil. Parents are given gifts when they are given children. To then abuse, destroy and have no concern for this gift shows there is something wrong with the parent, not the child.

I salute Daniel R. Mathews for having the strength to pen down his past and to share it with the world. As with many memoirs, I know some people who will find negative points about his life story. But I say, before you criticise the author for sharing his story, pay close attention to what he is actually saying. The abuse he suffered at the hands of his mother was not his doing.

This is a story of a boy who became a man despite having the adults in his life let him down. Sharing his story lends hope to others who are or have been in his situation. A well-written memoir that will make you appreciate every moment of your life.

Would I recommend this read? Definitely. While some parts of the memoir may contain details that could trigger other child abuse survivors, I do recommend reading this memoir to understand the long-term affects of child abuse.

Overall assessment:
Content: 5/5
Editing: 4.5/5
Formatting: 5/5
Pacing: 4/5

Offensive content?: Based on language and settings, I would recommend this book for anyone aged 18 and up.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author. I did not receive any payment in exchange for this review nor was I obliged to write a positive one.

#PUYB #BookReview - You Won't Remember This by Kate Blackwell #ShortStories

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 11:30:00 +0000

About the Book

The twelve stories in Kate Blackwell’s debut collection illuminate the lives of men and women who appear as unremarkable as your next-door-neighbor until their lives explode quietly on the page. Her wry, often darkly funny voice describes the repressed underside of a range of middle-class characters living in the South. Blackwell’s focus is elemental—on marriage, birth, death, and the entanglements of love at all ages—but her gift is to shine a light on these universal situations with such lucidity, it is as if one has never seen them before.

In “My First Wedding,” a twelve-year-old girl attends her cousin’s Deep South wedding, where she discovers both mystery and disillusionment and, in the end, finds she’s not immune to her family’s myth of romantic love. In “Heartbeatland,” when a young woman’s husband dies suddenly, she refuses to sell his Jeep to an importuning gay neighbor. The more she clings to the Jeep—and to the memory of her beloved David—the more he becomes someone she doesn’t recognize. In “Queen of the May,” a former belle looks for ways to assuage her loneliness in her large new house in the empty Carolina sandhills.

Amazon Kindle

About the Author

Kate Blackwell began writing fiction after a career in journalism. At first she wrote stories in order to learn how to write novels, but the strategies of the short form proved a pleasure all their own. She fell in love with the challenge of the story: compressing a life into twenty pages, finding the right ending. The twelve stories in her collection, You Won't Remember This, were written over twenty years. The short story "isn't just a short read versus a long one," she says. "I see it as the literary voice of the individual, the solitary, whose pain and longing often go unheard. My stories reveal the inner life of someone I wouldn't otherwise know. What I find is never what I expect."

My Review

"You Won't Remember This" is in the end a book about memories. As we move from childhood to adulthood, the memories we take with us are sometimes the most insignificant of things. A particular event, a smell or a person that everyone else seems to have forgotten. In a compilation of short stories, the author expertly shares these moments.

Personally, reading some of the stories made me think of my own memories so yes, I was definitely sucked in by the author's writing. The stories that appealed to me the most was "My First Wedding" and "Duckie's Okay." The former shares memories of the narrator's first wedding and her own marriage while the latter focuses on a single mother trying to make ends meet.

Aside from the theme of memories, the other common component in the stories were that they linked dysfunctional family relationships. The characters are all flawed in their own way which of course brings the reader back to theme of what you will remember about a person.

Would I recommend this read? Definitely. Whether you like Southern based American stories or not, this is a book for your heart and soul. Must, must read.

Overall assessment:
Content: 5/5
Editing: 5/5
Formatting: 5/5
Pacing: 4.5/5

Offensive content?: Based on language and settings, I would recommend this book for anyone aged 18 and up.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author. I did not receive any payment in exchange for this review nor was I obliged to write a positive one.

#PUYB #BookReview - '89 Walls by Katie Pierson @katiedoodles58 #YA #Romance

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 17 Jun 2015 15:30:00 +0000

About the Book

Seth spends his minimum wage on groceries and fakes happiness to distract his mom from the MS that’s killing her. It’s agony to carry around a frayed love note for a girl who’s both out of his league and beneath his dignity. College-bound Quinn is finishing high school on top. That cynical, liberal guy in her social studies class, though, makes her doubt herself and her old assumptions. When their passionate romance takes them both by surprise, they keep it a secret: it’s too early to make plans and too late not to care. But it’s 1989. As politics suddenly get personal, they find themselves fighting bare-fisted for their beliefs and each other—in the clear light of day.
Amazon Kindle

About the Author

Katie Pierson freelances for local non-profits, using her background in public policy and grassroots organizing to overthrow the patriarchy one introverted step at a time. When she's not writing fiction, she returns library books, makes soup, and tries to be cooler than she really is by hip-hopping at the YMCA. She lives with her husband and two daughters in a suburb of Minneapolis. You can reach her through her website, www.katiepierson.net, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/89walls/, and on Twitter @katiedoodles58.

My Review

The eighties is a memorable time for many and where significant events were concerned this book was spot. The author included politics and world events in the story with ease. The characters became part of this backdrop and most older readers were able to take a walk down memory lane. Be it through research or her own experience, the author was able to invoke the feeling of 'where was I when this happened?'

What took me back about this book was that at some points the story felt cramped. Too many things were happening at the same time to the same people. You had the politics, the romantic relationship between Seth & Quinn and his mum. All big topics and in some chapters, one topic was sometimes sacrificed to make way for the other.

This is not necessarily a bad thing but for me, it felt a bit cluttered. Otherwise this was a good read where the author's words flow freely and her characters are lifelike.

Would I recommend this read? If you like a good portion of politics from the past couple with a strong teen romance, this is the book for you.

Overall assessment:
Content: 4/5
Editing: 4/5
Formatting: 4/5
Pacing: 3.5/5

Offensive content?: Based on language and settings, I would recommend this book for anyone aged 18 and up.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author. I did not receive any payment in exchange for this review nor was I obliged to write a positive one.

#LifeIn7Words - Blueberry Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 14 Jun 2015 09:00:00 +0000


Picture by Grimarika

1. Dessert

2. Comfort

3. Sweet

4. Fruity

5. Crusty

6. Summer

7. Cream

#LifeIn7Words - Frozen

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 07 Jun 2015 09:00:00 +0000

Picture by Mark 22

1. Disney

2. Toys

3. Let It Go

4. Childhood

5. Parenting

6. Life Lessons

7. Good versus Evil

The Curious Case of the Professional 'Publicist'

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 22:40:00 +0000

In more than 20 years as a public relations practitioner, this is the least professional act on my part. But if it is not done, this matter will drag for longer with only one version publicly available. I for one have had enough of this nonsense.

Firstly, all views in the below post are solely my own and do not represent those who I have worked with or currently work with.

Secondly, if you are an Orangeberry author who is owed reviews or graphics, please email me - kurianandrea@gmail.com - so I can connect you with the book tour company who is in charge of your book. If you would like other updates about Orangeberry, please go to orangeberrybooktours.com

And now ...

I started helping Orangeberry Book Tours in December 2011. The blog's founder, Pandora, is an old friend and my help consisted mainly of seeking more reviewers and managing public events with her.

In June 2013, I played a more active role in assisting Orangeberry as Pandora was taken ill.

It was during this time, that I had interactions with Orangeberry's 'publicist' who will further be referred to as KB. While on the most part it was a delight to work with this person, there were some red flags that later appeared to be more than just bad vibes kicking in.

On the issue of Quality Reads UK
This is a book club I belong to and while members were reluctant to bring the book club online, it was agreed in December 2012 that we would give it a try with Pandora managing social media for the book club. KB played an active role in this. It was her responsibility to manage the blogs and their social media. This was an unfruitful process for all concerned as it later appeared to be more work than necessary within a short span of time. Up to June 2013, none of us had any interaction with KB. All communications were through Pandora. After June 2013, I would have daily conversations with KB in Pandora's off and on absence.

In July 2013, members of a writing forum questioned the validity of Orangeberry and the blogs belonging to book club members. In hindsight, members should have played a more active role in managing their own blogs instead of depending on someone else to do it for them something which is slowly coming to pass now.

During the exchange on the forum, KB made it a point to stand up for the book club. Her exact words were, 'By the way, I think you should get a life. If you have time to do detective work on 200 blogs and its owners, clearly you have nothing else happening in your life. I was NOT pulled in to anything. I honestly thing (sic) the people here need to get a life and STOP harassing others. But then with all bullies they only harass and bully to make themselves feel superior. *screenshot available upon request

After this incident and Pandora's continued ill health, Orangeberry did not receive enough sponsorship to cover admin costs. As with others who contributed to Orangeberry, KB was told she could leave anytime she wanted as her time could no longer be paid for. KB's response was that she was not doing it for the money and would continue to contribute to Orangeberry for as long as she physically could. It was then Pandora's intention to eventually handover Orangeberry to KB in the New Year of 2014.

KB's disappearance and black mail
KB disappeared on 4 January 2014 saying she had no electricity due to bad weather. I use the word disappeared because it would be at least a month before Pandora or I heard from her.

Several attempts were made to contact her directly, and when a suspicious sign in using her login details was discovered on the Orangeberry website, I contacted her mother who said she would call back within the hour, nothing happened.

It was then pointed out by an author that KB did have Internet connection because she was seen interacting on Twitter. As of this time, instalment payments were being made to her via PayPal to settle outstanding monies owed to her.

In April 2014, further email communication was received that from KB that said if the outstanding sum was not paid in full with interest, KB would continue to email Orangeberry clients to inform them that the book club was in fact sock puppets.

Her exact words were, 'Forget the lawyer, I am having to much fun sending emails to ALL authors about the sock puppet accounts! :) :-) Yep! until I receive FULL payment plus interest I will email past authors about the sock puppet accounts. But I have emailed all authors currently on tour! :-D :-D Believe me I have nothing and I mean nothing to lose.*screenshot available upon request

The content of her email to Orangeberry clients included the list of blogs she had managed, social media accounts and passwords. Ironically, she also included her own blog in the list with proxy IP addresses she had procured.

Had the book club been a matter of such importance to her integrity and if the matter she was highlighting was in fact true, why wait till a year later when she had specifically stood up for the book club in July 2013?

As KB had disappeared in January, Pandora in ill health and I did not have time to keep Orangeberry running, Orangeberry was set to be sold to a UK publishing house. This deal would have ensured enough funding for admin costs and for all authors to receive their pending book reviews far more quickly than it has currently happened. Unfortunately, this deal fell through when it was discovered that KB was still emailing former and current clients of Orangeberry creating widespread panic among Orangeberry clients.

This continued until June 2014 when Pandora hired a US-based attorney to contact KB. Since April, Pandora had attempted to call her and when emailing KB, both of us received the filtered response of, "not read, just deleted."

It was intended for the lawyer to contact her and inform her that the amount she was asking for was not the amount owed to her. KB had downloaded her Google Docs payment sheet in April 2014 but after the first black mail request, she was removed from the Google sheet and payments were still made after this.

Beyond this, I was not involved in correspondences between Pandora, her lawyer and KB. Being in different countries (Pandora was back in the UK after seeking treatment in South East Asia and I had moved to Sydney with my family) legalities were involved for me to be privy to such communications.

Pandora also then made the decision to acquire the assistance of two other book tour companies in helping her complete her commitments to the authors she had worked with.

What happened then was beyond bizarre because instead of communicating directly with an attorney who was in the same country as her, KB continued to send us emails such as these alongside more emails demanding money.

HE CAN NOT DIGUNIST BETWEEN HIS FUCKIGN ES-WIFEWIFE P***Y AND MINE

i RELLY THINK I NEDD TO FUCKIGN KILL HI.

DRIT AWAY AND GET LOSS IN THE ROK & ROLL.

ELL WHAT RCK & ROOL HE WOULD NOT KNOW THE FIDDRENCE BETERRN AN R AND A D KEY]]

i FUCKING HOE HE DIES. HE WIL NEVER LOST INHIM AGIAN NOT MATTER WHAT A MILLIO DOLLORS WOULD NOT HANGE MY MIND * screenshots available upon request

If you have gotten a glimpse into the mindset of this person, more is to come.

Through all my interactions with her, KB was very clear that she had a son. It was later found out that something was not right with this statement because the son was seen wishing someone else for Mother's Day.*screenshot available upon request.
An old news clipping of a wedding in KB's family also raised more questions than it answered as there was no mention of KB.*screenshot available upon request.

But why bring up such personal matters, you ask? KB has made it a point to reveal everything she could about Pandora in the past few months including offering to reveal a home address she thought belonged to Pandora on a public forum. While bringing up this information is not tit for tat, it highlights the thought process of the individual concerned.

Unknown to KB, her red flags were so prominent, no one in Orangeberry gave out actual home addresses even when sending KB birthday, get well and Christmas gifts. Given the issues KB has created in the past 15 months for Orangeberry clients and volunteers, this was a decision nobody regretted.

There is also the issue of her past job experience where she has numerously indicated that she worked in the auto industry until 2012. An eBay seller profile for KB with several negative feedback about items not received indicates that she was in the auto industry up to 2010. *screenshot available upon request.

It is evident from her interactions that something is amiss with this person and it is not the intention of this post to troll her as she has done with us the past 15 months.

It is my intention to clearly state that whatever arrangements she had is with Pandora and her lawyer. I may have helped Orangeberry but this situation is now beyond my control. Trying to blackmail me is not going to achieve anything.

KB sent an email to me this morning to state that if payment is not received, 'I will post all emails on a blog, post the payment sheet and each payment received. Paypal payments show I have not been paid in full!' *screenshot available upon request.

Maybe I am naive but blackmail is a serious offence in any country. To continue to demand money AFTER you've gone out of your way to cause distress to so many people is also beyond me.

The other thing that bothers me no end is KB refused any kind of dialogue even after I had spent hours and hours trying to locate her after her disappearance. Pandora or I did not receive a single text in return to acknowledge our efforts so why keep contacting me when you have full access to the attorney who is able to help you?

Then comes the ethics issue. As a so-called professional publicist, going against everything the profession stands for, that just makes this issue even more scary for the authors KB currently works with. Revealing personal client information, leaving anonymous comments using proxy IP addresses and of course, blackmail. If you think I'm playing, yes, there is a code of ethics for public relations practitioners. The US version of this can be found on the PRSA website.

Bear in mind that KB has also done similar acts to at least one other book tour company and three other individuals, that I know of.

KB has actively spent time promoting her grievances against Orangeberry on Twitter and several complaint forums. On some days, she has had a fantastic audience which has thrilled her to bits I think.

To this audience, I say this, you are each entitled to your own opinion. But you cannot form judgment based on one side of the story. Encouraging blackmail based on someone who lies then calls someone else a liar is not just funny, it is ludicrous.

If you need to consider the situation a little further, allow me to ask you this. If in fact, everything that KB has voiced out is true and Pandora is all smoke, how was Pandora a non-US citizen able to receive legal representation in the US but KB has not been able to hire a lawyer for 15 months?

Fact : If such a case is strong enough, the lawyer would work pro bono then take his / her fees out of the settlement received. This applies in any country including the US. Makes you wonder isn't it?

Violet Midnight #Excerpt (The Enchanters Series, Book 1) by Allie Burke @allieburkebooks #PNR

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 10:30:00 +0000

A warm welcome to Allie Burke as she shares an excerpt from Violet Midnight, Book 1 of The Enchanters Series

“Hey, Auntie.”

“Elias! Don’t call me Auntie, it makes me feel old. I’m so glad to hear from you! Did you get the spices and the tea I sent you?”

“Yeah,” he whispered, a quiet attempt to hide any skepticism or awkwardness that may be in his tone.

“What’s wrong?”

Elias closed his eyes. She was too good. There was no point in answering her. He had no idea how to explain how he was feeling at the moment.

“Has your mom called?”

“No.”

Jeanine let out a long sigh, which Elias could hear through the phone. She didn’t say anything further on the subject. There was nothing to say.

“Listen,” Elias said, “I’ve heard about this great place. Come out with me; I’ll buy you dinner.”

“Sounds great, honey. I’ll be ready in ten.”

Elias walked out the door, and got in Liam’s black Aston Martin. Liam had left everything he had to Elias, except the firm. He knew Elias didn’t want it.

He reversed from the driveway, and started making his way to Devonbrook, a small town right next to Hazel Grove. Gray County consisted of three towns: Devonbrook, Hazel Grove, and Jasmyn Lake. Hazel Grove was the party town, Devonbrook the family town, and Jasmyn Lake—Jasmyn was just really weird.

After a few minutes of driving, Elias reached a small residential area. He turned onto Church Street and pulled into the driveway. He smiled at his aunt’s house. Most of the small houses on this street were painted different shades of brown. Jeanine’s house was fuchsia with lilac trim and royal blue stairs leading to the porch. The yard was a mess. The grass couldn’t have been mowed in years. A small piece of white cloth distracted his view, and he looked up the tall oak tree in the yard. Hanging from the branches were shredded pieces of toilet paper, looking battered and weathered, like the tree had been teepee’d several weeks ago. Someone had used a screwdriver to draw a large X on the tree’s trunk.

Elias walked across the yard, the weeds attacking his knees, and went up the stairs. Two dead rats were next to the welcome mat, and several broken egg shells were scattered around the porch.

Avoiding the dried egg goo, Elias knocked on the green door.

The door opened, and Jeanine smiled at him. She was sixty-two, not a gray hair on her head. Her fine brown hair was long, but she never let it down. She wore a long dress, every color known to man coming together on it. A bright blue scarf circled her neck, and her brown eyes were lined with pink shimmery makeup. He let out a long breath, relieved at the sight of her.

“Look how handsome you are,” Jeanine said. “It’s been too long. Come here.”

Elias stepped forward, hugged her and kissed her cheek. They walked to the car. Elias opened the passenger door for her, and drove back to Hazel Grove.

“Why don’t you move to Hazel, Jeanine?” Elias asked her in a very strict tone. They were thoughtless pranks, the neighbors clearly upset that Jeanine lived in their town without a family and with her crazy antics. Elias worried that it could turn to something dangerous. If Jeanine was harmed—Elias shivered, unable to complete the thought in his head.

“You know, I was going to. I was looking for a new house, so I rented this place temporarily until I could find something I liked. But I decided to stay the first time I found dead rodents on my porch. So I painted it pink.” She was smiling.

Elias just laughed. She was completely serious, and would not be influenced. That was just her.

“So. Do you want me to mow your lawn, at least?”

Jeanine laughed. “No, I like it. It scares the neighbors.”

Elias shook his head at her. She did sound crazy sometimes, but she wasn’t. She was the only sane one in their family, as far as he was concerned. She was nothing like her younger sister, Elias’s mother. Jeanine was a free spirit. Her paintings were amazing; she sold them to Hollywood celebrities and wealthy people all over the world. She never married, had no children, and didn’t regret a minute of her life. Of course his mother didn’t approve, but Elias could care less. He admired her.

After a few minutes, they reached Ruby’s Diner. He parked in the back, ignoring onlookers’ stares. They were looking at the car, not at him. They went into the diner, and found a small table in the corner. A young girl in a red polo shirt walked up to their table. She was a little plump, like she enjoyed food, but not fat, just comfy. Her nametag introduced her as Audrey.

“Welcome to Ruby’s. What can I get you?”

Elias looked across the table to Jeanine. She shrugged. “Whatever you think.”

“Are the rumors true?” he asked Audrey. “Is The Ruby as good as everyone says?”

“Yes,” she laughed nervously, “absolutely.”

“We’ll both try that.”

“To drink? We have a special blend of iced tea. It’s fused with rosemary.”

Elias’s throat crackled, and his laugh was so loud it was almost obnoxious in the setting of the quiet diner. He cleared his throat and forced a calm look on his face.

“That sounds great,” he said carefully, short pauses bubbling composure between each of his words.

Audrey narrowed her eyes at him before she walked away, as if she was assessing if he was insane. Elias covered his eyes with his hand. He felt Jeanine’s eyes on him, but he didn’t look up until she spoke.

“Tell me what’s going on, Elias.”

He just stared at her.

“I’m waiting.”

“You’ll think I’m nuts.”

“I’m going to think your nuts? Really, Elias? Look at me. Look at me and tell me that anything you could say would make me love you any less.”

Elias breathed deep, and gave in. He told Jeanine about the strange encounters at the art gallery and in his studio.

“I want to see her,” he heard himself say.

Audrey arrived with the food, her presence preventing Elias from seeing Jeanine’s reaction. He didn’t want to worry Jeanine too much, so he ate. Even with his lack of appetite, the sandwich was surprisingly delicious; there were at least three different meats, and a variety of cheeses in between each layer. The grease dripped from the bottom of the bread onto his plate. The tea paired with it well; it was very unique.

Halfway through his meal, Jeanine finally spoke. “Elias, I want to tell you a story. No questions. Just listen.”

Buy the box set on Amazon

American novelist Allie Burke brings her readers the genre-defining Enchanters Collection which paints the beautiful complexity of true love through auras, darkness, and magic.

Violet Midnight Book 1: Look into the world of the Enchanters, where water has a sense of humor, trees scare people, and love... is destiny. Beautiful Jane is hovering at the edge of content in her life of solitude in the quiet town of Jasmyn Lake, but when her energy sends her on a journey to meet the man she has been dreaming about for months, she cannot resist. Meet sexy artist Elias, who moved to Hazel Grove, California to get away from the rain, his parents, and everything that was taken from him in Hayward, Washington. But he thinks he may be losing his mind when he starts seeing purple glitter in the air, the scent of rosemary is everywhere, and he is hearing a beautiful voice. But all is not flowers and ease for the newly joined couple. With a woman who prefers night to day and a man with heartache from his past, they must learn how to create their own world with grace and the occasional water feature. Written with humor and intensity, book one of the three part trilogy will leave you yearning for more and daydreaming shades of purple.

Emerald Destiny Book 2: What happens when the girl you've loved since you were six-years old runs away from you, effectively breaking your heart again? Evan is about to find out. Nineteen-year old Evan spends his time in the woods of Dare Forest where the trees have personality, as close to Abby as he can be. But love has a cruel master and everyone around him has forbidden he contact her. Abby's nights are stressed with her Enchanter life, her dreaded nightmares, and her enduring will to save her brother from his own inner darkness. But when Evan speaks to her for the first time in fourteen years, she finds his voice too painful to bear. Countless times before them, the union between their opposing families has failed and caused unfathomable destruction. The love in their hearts strives to be together forever, but will their destinies break them apart? Allie Burke's second novel in The Enchanters Series breaks through the Paranormal Romance genre to not just entertain her readers but empower and inspire them to embrace the momentous question: What would you do when faced with an impossible love?

Amber Passion Book 3: With a modern touch, Allie Burke’s third and final novel in the Enchanters series plays off the age old question: How far is too far to protect those you love? True love can be demonstrated in a multitude of actions or a multitude of sins. You choose. Daniel is lost without his other half, his twin sister Abby, who is pregnant, depressed, and oh so far away, struggling with her own demons. Seeking a ray of sunlight in his dark world, Daniel visits Hazel Grove and for the second time experiences the sun shining in the middle of the night. But this is a sun with a different name. A sun with blonde hair and an orange aura and with a bright light that scares the darkness right out of him. The blackness that had been his heart for the duration of his life, is…fading. Can the enchanting Claire bring passion and comfort to a man who yearns for her without even realizing it? As the next generation of Enchanters make their choices, the outcome will change the course of their people forever. Only time, and love, will tell if they made the right choice. With a culmination and a turn of events you never saw coming, Amber Passion answers the questions you wondered about and leaves the reader forever changed and daydreaming in every shade imaginable, starting with darkness, and ending, at the end of the tunnel, with light.

About the author

An American novelist, book critic, and magazine editor from Burbank, California, Allie Burke writes books she can't find in the bookstore. Having been recognized as writing a "kickass book that defies the genre it's in", Allie writes with a prose that has been labeled poetic and ethereal. Her life is a beautiful disaster, flowered with the harrowing existence of inherited eccentricity, a murderous family history, a faithful literature addiction, and the intricate darkness of true love. These are the enchanting experiences that inspire Allie's fairytales. From some coffee shop in Los Angeles, she is working on her next novel.

You can find Allie on
Facebook
Twitter
Website

#PUYB - Eve Picquette's Top Ten & "Open Your Heart for Happy #Relationships @AdvisorIsIn #Life

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 18 Feb 2015 10:30:00 +0000

About the Author

Eve has been looking for love, joy and fun all her life. Along the way she has had lots of experiences - some with more fun than others! A licensed attorney, she served as director of risk and quality management at hospital corporations in California and Arizona for thirty years. She is also a certified NLP life coach, matrix and EFT practitioner. Eve Picquette received her MSN in community mental health at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, and her Juris Doctor from the University of California, Davis.

Author of Open Your Heart for Happy Relationships - What Your Angels Have Been Trying to Tell You for Centuries...., and companion Mini Meditation MP3's, she lives in Arizona, and her present happy work is writing and advising clients regarding having more love and joy in personal and business relationships. .

For More Information
Visit Eve Picquette’s website.
Connect with Eve Picquette on Facebook and Twitter

********************

Top Ten Things You Might Not Know About

Eve Picquette & Open Your Heart for Happy Relationships

Book – Is a practical guide – gives easy shifts that improve relationships.
Book – Distills wisdom from ancient philosophers to modern scientists.
Book – Was written because we all need to leave “crumbs on the path” for those who follow.
Book – The angel paintings were so beautiful – the book had to be published for them alone.
Book – The Prayer of St. Francis inspired the author “…let me sow love… where there is darkness, light….”
Eve – is a licensed attorney and has a master’s degree in community mental health.
Eve – read all the Reader’s Digests from World War II as a teenager.
Eve - makes the best potato salad
Eve - likes apple pie best, made with maple syrup, cinnamon and a dash of allspice.
Eve – has older brothers who are physicians and encouraged intellectual inquiry.

About the Book
How many times have you read or seen something that made you want to change your life and relationships – but you didn’t know how?

Introduced by two angels, Hope and Impatience, Open Your Heart for Happy Relationships – What Your Angels Have Been Trying to Tell You for Centuries… answers the “how” question.

Eve Picquette shows readers how to:

Open their hearts to love

Shift their lives, using 10 keys—how-to-do-it ideas created with the help of angels of inspiration—to change in real and satisfying ways.

In this lighthearted, uplifting, and beautifully illustrated gift book, each chapter opens with images of the author’s angels and quotes she believes were angel-inspired sometime in history. Readers may also download companion MP3 Mini Meditation available on Amazon.com. Readers are “Dared to Shift” their thoughts and behaviors and these shifts transform lives and relationships and increase happiness.

If you are ready to try these simple shifts, the results will amaze you. Every encouraging and comforting word in this inspiring and beautifully illustrated self-help book will lead you to the path of peace, happiness, and fulfillment. This is a heart based and spiritually based self help guide at it's best. A treasure to own, it would also serve as a thoughtful, caring, and loving gift.

For More Information
Visit Eve Picquette’s website.
Connect with Eve Picquette on Facebook and Twitter

#PUYB - Madeline Wynn's Top Ten Favourite Movies #NowWatching #AmReading #YA @madwynn

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 15:53:00 +0000

About the Author

Madeline Wynn holds a master's degree in procrastination. When she's not writing, she can be found ghost hunting, gardening and parading around her home state of Connecticut with her husband, dog and two kids.
Her latest book is the YA paranormal, Daughter of the Fallen.

For More Information
Visit Madeline Wynn’s website.
Connect with Madeline on Facebook and Twitter.

***********************

Top 10 Movies

There are some movies that I remember loving as a kid, like THE NEVERENDING STORY and RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK that would hold my attention for hours and hours. No matter how many times I watched them, I couldn’t wait to see them again. But now, as a mom of two, I admit that some of my favorite movies I now view with a “mom lens” that can change everything.

I’ve recently watched a few old favorites with the kids and I thought that I’d share some of my interpretations so that other moms can go into re-watching these old favorites well aware of some things that might stand out once you have kids.

10. Star Wars

Somehow, as a kid, I missed the charred bodies of Aunt Behru and Uncle Owen. My kids, however, picked up on it right away. But this movie was just as good as it ever was, and the kids use it as one of their go-to movies for long car rides.

9. Back to the Future

Where is this kid’s mother? She just lets him hang on to the back of cars while riding a skateboard with no helmet? Mommy had to run and grab a TUMS over that bit. His dad fell out of a tree while spying on his mother as she got dressed? Isn’t that just a tad stalker-y? The need to point out that we in NO WAY approve of or DO things that we see in movies was overwhelming as we watched. And honestly, the scene where his mom tries to kiss him has always sort of freaked me out. But despite all the weirdness, the kids and I both enjoyed this flick.

8. The Dark Crystal

Hot damn, the Skecsis are just as scary and as hard to spell as they ever were! Make them go away! Those weird bird-like murderers gave me nightmares for years and now my own children enjoy the same fears. But this movie gets mad awesome points because even though the special effects were all puppets and miniatures, the kids still loved it. Great story, great film. A winner.

7. The Princess Bride

I take great personal joy that both my kids now throw down quotes from this movie in random conversations. Sure, no one else in first grade may know what my son is saying when he shouts, “Inconceivable!” But it makes me smile inside.

6. War Games

Explaining the concepts of pay phones and floppy drives was depressing, but the story is epic. My kids and I were captivated by the story. And wow, was Michael Broderick young. Like really, really young.

Though I did feel obliged to point out to the kids that if they ever thought to hack into a school’s computer systems and change their grades, if you change an F to an A, they will catch you.

5. Goonies

Hey, you, guys!! This movie rocks! Still, if my kids ever rode off on their little bicycles and disappeared all day, I would freak the heck out. But treasure maps? Corey Feldmen? Creepy pipe organs made of bones? Pirate ships? Creepy bad guys? This movie is the real treasure.

4. Gremlins

Being the sort of neurotic mom that I am, it took me a while to be able to allow my kids to watch this one. And still, it was just my oldest and I who watched it one day when he was home sick from school. And it was great!

That mom with her mad 80s hair kicks butt! She tossed that gremlin in the microwave and zap! Heck yeah, moms rock! See, son? We’re more than just your minivan-driving, dinner making, tantrum-calming worker bees, we can kill us some monsters! Heck yeah, Gremlins!

What? That sad Santa backstory? Hide your ears, boy, she meant that her father was pretending to be Santa when he got stuck in the chimney and died. Look! Is that Spike riding a motorcycle?

3. Legend

The romance in this movie really sweeps me away, but yes, those elf kids are creepy, and kind of mean to that little fairy. But damn, Tim Curry’s monster can steal mommy anytime.

Talk about a muscle-bound hunk of man-meat. I can totally get past the horns. Think about it, he gives her a chest full of treasure, a killer dress and then demands that she eat? Sign me up!

Tim Curry and Tom Cruise can work that unicorn thing out, mommy’s going to be in her room rolling around in pile jewelry and dancing with her new dress.

2. Well, I was going to pick The Little Mermaid, but the kids refused to watch it because it was a “princess movie”. So, we watched GHOSTBUSTERS.

Bill Murray, what are you doing to your students! Egads! Eww! And there is sex in this movie, I didn’t remember the sexy time. But the flick really is funny, and has it’s truly freaky moments, too. Good fun, the kids really enjoyed it, and demanded that we eat marshmallows after that last scene, so it was a win.

1. Labyrinth

All I have to say is, forget the baby, take ME, David Bowie!! I will dance baby dance all night with you in those hot little pants and funk-tastic wig! Please?

Great film. Great fun.

Also, those guys that toss their heads still creep me out.

About the Book

Most sixteen-year olds aren't worried about the fate of their immortal souls. May Krieg should be.

Typically, honor student May's biggest problems have revolved around her super-hot arch-rival, Jack. But when a school project takes them ghost-hunting in a local cemetery, she discovers that an ominous force roams in the darkness around her.

And it follows her home.

It claws its way into her life, burning messages into her wall and imprinting them onto her body. Even worse, she can't tell if it's trying to possess her... or protect her.

May's thoughts soon become actions, causing the target of her anger severe physical pain and giving her a rush the likes of which she has never experienced. She quickly realizes that she needs to find a way to reign in this power before she kills someone. May hates the pleasure it gives her, hates herself for hurting others, but she can't stop.

As her entire world shatters around her, she is forced to ask what her soul is worth-- and who would she risk losing her soul to save?

(For readers who enjoy: teen paranormal romance, teen horror, teen romance, nephilim, demons, YA, YA horror, YA paranormal, YA romance, ghost stories)

For More Information
Daughter of the Fallen is available at Amazon.
Pick up your copy at Barnes & Noble.
Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

#PUYB - 10 Things You Will Explore in The Temple of All Knowing by Lee Papa #Religion #Occult

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 10 Dec 2014 15:30:00 +0000

About the Author

Lee Papa’s start in the corporate world was in sales for the Hyatt Regency Hotel chain, which led to being head hunted by a NY based real estate developer. Lee spent the next 11 years as a key employee working in commercial real estate leasing and management in Baltimore, Maryland. Although, commercial real estate was now in her blood and she loved the art of the deal, a different road in the industry was presenting itself and that brought her to heading up the benchmarking division for a Los Angeles based real estate consulting firm. Her job had her traveling nationally and setting up programs to benchmark customer satisfaction. Understanding there was not a one shoe fits all approach to customer surveying, she embarked on her entrepreneurial journey and started with consulting to serve the customized needs of her clients.

Lee’s first book, The Temple of All Knowing, is a memoir of her several years journey prior to her near death experience, through the completion of the 6,000 square foot Ganesha Center in Las Vegas. The book details the roadmap from personal darkness through spiritual, emotional and physical transformation.

Since the completion of the manuscript the Las Vegas Sanctuary for the Spirit evolved by moving to a downtown Las Vegas location and now offers targeted classes and workshops while focusing on a Virtual Ganesha Center supporting individuals and corporations with programs and a Referral Network with expansive reach for optimal awareness.

For More Information
Visit Lee Papa’s website.
Connect with Lee on Facebook.
Visit Lee’s blog.
Contact Lee.

***********************

10 Things You Will Explore in The Temple of All Knowing

1 Death

2 Afterlife

3 Meditation

4 Channeling

5 Psychic ability

6 Energy healing

7 Meaning of life

8 Synchronicities

9 Signs and markers

10 Spiritual development

***********************

About the Book

The Temple of All Knowing is a memoir of one woman’s passage from personal and professional turmoil to spiritual awakening. A compelling straight forward and sometimes humorous account of the most personal of journeys as this 40-something woman finds herself in Sin City with promise of a new life, new husband and elderly mother living with her. She instead is uncovered as a central character in the deepest of possible challenges only to break through to discover her authentic spiritual self through a near death experience and a personal mission in Soul City – Las Vegas.

For More Information
The Temple of All Knowing is available at Amazon.
Pick up your copy at Barnes & Noble.
Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

7 Questions with #Author Kat de Falla @KatDeFalla #AmReading #Fantasy #Series

noreply@blogger.com (Quality Reads UK) — Sat, 22 Nov 2014 10:00:00 +0000

1. Did you learn anything from writing this book and what was it?
That writing can be likened to growing as a person. With every word, sentence, book, and review, I can get better.

2. Will you write others in this same genre?
There are six more coming in this series!

3. Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Be careful, you never know who you’re talking to!

4. How important do you think villains are in a story?
Integral.

5. What are your goals as a writer?
To grow to be a stronger writer with each book.

6. Are you reading any interesting books at the moment?
I just finished Inferno by Dan Brown.

7. Do you have any specific last thoughts that you want to say to your readers?
THANK YOU!!!

For years, Calise Rowe has been able to sense unusual energy from people, making her believe she is different. Pulled into an ancient war raging for centuries between demon hunters and seers, she's about to find out she's right.

Her search for the truth leads her to Lucas Rojas, a seer of angels and demons who walk the earth shrouded from normal human eyes. He's hidden his gift for years and refuses to endanger Calise by sharing it with her.

In the sultry Costa Rican Jungles, their worlds collide. As their passion and desire ignite, so does the ancient war between demons and seers. Will their combined efforts be enough to save themselves and the entire human world, or will their new found love be their downfall?

**Download free music for The Seer's Lover at http://www.bayafaya.com/

Buy Now @ Amazon & Smashwords

Genre - Dark Fantasy

Rating – R

More details about the author

Connect with Kat de Falla through Facebook & Twitter

#PUYB #YA #Giveaway - 10 Things You Don't Know About Erna Mueller @theerna7 @pumpupyourbook

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 17 Nov 2014 08:30:00 +0000

About the Author

I was born in Austria and my family immigrated to the U.S. I loved living here as a child and considered the U.S. my home. My family returned to Austria and of course I had to tag along. I missed the friendly faces and the cultivation of the free spirit which America symbolizes. In Austria I completed my education but always wanted to return, so here I am.

I traveled the world and lived in many exciting cities such as Paris, Munich and London. I currently work as an accountant for a large pizza company in Seattle by day and passionately pursue a career as a writer in my spare time.

My new book, K-9 Cop, is adapted from my multi-national award winning screenplay. The book has won several awards including first place in the 2009 National Good Read Competition sponsored by awomenswrite.com.

Please visit my web site at http://www.k9cop-woofwoof.com for more reviews

• Connect with Erna on Facebook and Twitter.

***********************

10 Things You Might Not Know About Erna Mueller

1 I was born in Austria and immigrated to the U.S., returned to Austria to finish my education and happily returned back to America.

2 I had a difficult time adjusting to my homeland Austria; yes the U.S. can spoil a girl.

3 I love good books, especially the classics.

4 I love screenwriting and have won many awards

5 I am a mild mannered accountant by day, but a passionate writer by night.

6 I live in Kirkland Washington, a burb of Seattle. Yes it rains but the beautiful scenery makes up for it.

7 I love the 60’s music and fashion. Yes, the 60’s are calling me and want their Gogo boots back.

8 My cat Snickers is very grouchy but I love him anyway. What can I say? I am his slave.

9 I dream of becoming a full time writer. Anyone rich want to adopt me?

10 I’m a Christian who will fight for the rights of gays, and although I personally would not have an abortion, I will fight for every woman’s right of free choice. If we only selectively disperse freedom, one day our religious freedom will be selectively taken away.

***********************

About the Book

No one thought as highly of Lieutenant Spencer Watley as he did himself. This selfish cop met 14 year-old Justin Andrews during an important stakeout. Determined to nab a group of cyber killers, he wasn’t going to let anything get in his way, especially a smart mouthed teenager like Justin.

After Spencer bids him good riddance, he is killed by the hackers and stands before the gates of heaven. But - what’s this? After a life of putting dangerous criminals behind bars, he’s locked out?

He yells at the angel blocking his entrance, only to find out he needs to go through the J.R.P. program before he can enter. That’s the Jerk Redemption program, otherwise known as sensitivity training boot camp, which to his horror consists of non-stop Oprah and Dr. Phil reruns. Or he can go back to earth and help Justin’s dysfunctional family. Spencer opts for the lesser of two evils, to help Justin.

But the Angel pulls a fast one on Spencer. He can only go back to earth in the body of his K9-Partner. Spencer refuses, but like it or not, Spencer becomes a dog. He falls back to earth and is slowly morphed into a dog that closely resembles a mop.

And if being a dog wasn’t bad enough, Spencer also swallowed an important microchip his killers need to hack into PC’s and steal millions. Now the criminals are hot on his trail for the only existing microchip that’s logged in his belly.

Justin and Spencer butt heads constantly; both are stubborn and willful, neither one wanting to give an inch. Spencer needs to find out what the killers are up to, so he swallows his pride and forms a bond with the boy. Spencer relays to Justin his past and together with the help of Justin’s girlfriend, Shahla; they discover the hacker’s plans. Spencer has broken down Justin’s reserve and he finally learns the meaning of unselfish love.

But it’s too late, the hackers have captured them.

Can Spencer maul the shins (and other choice areas) of his kidnappers and stop them from their evil plan?

Can a selfish man find a heart?

You bet. He just has to become a dog first.

For More Information

• K-9 Cop is available at Amazon.

• Pick up your copy at Barnes & Noble.

• Watch the book trailer at Youtube!

• Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS

Erna is giving away one audiobook of K-9 COP!

Terms & Conditions:

• By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.

• One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter.

• This giveaway begins October 6 and ends Dec 19.

• Winner will be contacted via email on Monday, Dec 22.

• Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

7 Questions with #Author Christopher Mannino (School of Deaths) @Ctmannino #AmReading #YA

noreply@blogger.com (Quality Reads UK) — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 08:30:00 +0000

Can you tell us about your main character?

Susan Sarnio is a 13-year-old girl who’s losing weight inexplicably. Though her doctors fear anorexia, a much darker cause reveals itself, when a Death brings her to the World of Deaths, and tells Suzie that she’s a Reaper.

Suzie starts as the object of derision and bullying. The men, even her teachers, don’t accept her, since she’s the only female Death. Suzie’s character is resilient. The bullying only serves to make her stronger, and by the end of the first novel, she has turned into a leader. Suzie is also very curious. Her curiosity both propels the plot and sometimes gets her into trouble.

How did you develop your plot and characters?

In the earliest draft, the main character was actually a boy. However, I didn’t feel that he was isolated enough. I rewrote the story about a girl, focusing on a single female alone in a world of men. The mystery elements of the novel then started to develop. I envisioned the entire trilogy at about the same time, though I wrote the first novel as a standalone.

Who designed the cover?

The cover was designed by Anna Spies of Celairen Art, in Bamberg, Germany. She was contracted by my publisher, and did a fantastic job creating a stunning cover.

Who is your publisher?

My publisher is Muse It Up, an independent “small press” in Canada. Muse It Up houses about 300 authors, making it one of the larger small presses. They release books in ebook format first, and then release them in print, pending sales. I’ve found MIU to be a very supportive group of authors who constantly communicate and support each other.

Will you write others in this same genre?

Absolutely, though I hope to branch into other genres as well. I have at least twenty novel ideas in me, which I plan to develop.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Taking a stand for yourself, in even a difficult situation, is admirable. Most people suffer from bullying at some point in their lives, and how we cope with those challenges helps define us.

How much of the book is realistic?
I’ve been bullied, and also know what it’s like to feel completely alone. Those traits are taken from my experience. My experiences as a teacher have helped me bring realistic teens to life. The first chapter, where Suzie deals with weight loss, is loosely based on a girl I knew who suffered from diagnosed anorexia.

Thirteen-year-old Suzie Sarnio always believed the Grim Reaper was a fairy tale image of a skeleton with a scythe. Now, forced to enter the College of Deaths, she finds herself training to bring souls from the Living World to the Hereafter. The task is demanding enough, but as the only female in the all-male College, she quickly becomes a target. Attacked by both classmates and strangers, Suzie is alone in a world where even her teachers want her to fail.

Caught in the middle of a plot to overthrow the World of Deaths, Suzie must uncover the reason she’s been brought there: the first female Death in a million years.

Buy Now @ Amazon & Smashwords

Genre - YA Fantasy

Rating – PG

More details about the author

Connect with Christopher Mannino through Facebook & Twitter

The Girl Who Came Back to Life by Craig Staufenberg @YouMakeArtDumb #Excerpt #MGLit #AmReading

noreply@blogger.com (Quality Reads UK) — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 07:30:00 +0000

THE YOUNG ORPHAN

Sophie was twelve years old when her parents died. Three days later, she sat on a hill overlooking her town’s cemetery and watched the gravediggers chip away at the hard winter ground for the better part of the day.

Sophie watched as the sun began to set and two holes appeared in the ground, large enough to fit her parents’ bodies. When she saw the small procession of mourners carry two cheap wooden caskets out of the funeral hall and down the crooked path to the cemetery, she stood up on that hill and walked the other way.

Though they had taught Sophie about the pilgrimage north to the City of the Dead, and though they told their daughter she would have to Send them one day, her parents had died suddenly and never fully prepared her for the realities of life, death, and the journey that lay ahead of her.

In her innocence, she didn’t understand the full weight of her parents’ death. It was just another problem to solve, and as she walked away from the cemetery, back into town and towards her grandmother’s house, she settled on the single obvious solution to her parents’ passing. She would take the pilgrimage north, yet, while the other mourners would travel to say “Goodbye” to their loved ones, Sophie would implement a different plan. She would find her parents’ spirits in the City of the Dead, remind them where they belonged, and return them back home to be with her once more.

Sophie had never heard of the dead coming back from the north, but that didn’t stop her from dreaming of returning to life what death had claimed from her.

When you die, your spirit wakes in the north, in the City of the Dead. There, you wander the cold until one of your living loved ones finds you, says “Goodbye,” and Sends you to the next world.

After her parents die, 12-year-old Sophie refuses to release their spirits. Instead, she resolves to travel to the City of the Dead to bring her mother and father’s spirits back home with her.

Taking the long pilgrimage north with her gruff & distant grandmother—by train, by foot, by boat; over ruined mountains and plains and oceans—Sophie struggles to return what death stole from her. Yet the journey offers her many hard, unexpected lessons—what to hold on to, when to let go, and who she must truly bring back to life.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Middle Grade

Rating – PG-13

More details about the author

Connect with Craig Staufenberg through Facebook and Twitter

Website http://craigstaufenberg.com/

7 Questions with #Author Kate Bracy (That Crazy Little Thing) #AmReading #WomensFic

noreply@blogger.com (Quality Reads UK) — Wed, 05 Nov 2014 07:30:00 +0000

Location and life experiences can really influence writing, tell us where you grew up and where you now live?

I grew up in Northern New York, on the border with Ontario – not “upstate” as people say, but “Northern” – and it influenced me tremendously. The winters are harsh, the people are real, and there is a Canadian influence that I see in my worldview. We had to travel to many services (good healthcare, education, concerts, etc.) and it helped me understand the value of urban resources. I live in Washington State now, near Seattle. I appreciate the nearness of cultural riches, growing up so far from cities, but I also seek a place where there is a “small town” friendliness and a general willingness to know and help neighbors.

How did you develop your writing?

I developed my writing by writing at every opportunity by taking many, many classes; by reading many, many books on writing; and by being willing to hear painful critique. I think that combination has served me well, but none of it is easy. I also think it’s important to say that learning about writing can be a comfortable substitute for doing the actual work, so at some point you have to put on your big-girl panties and glue them to your chair. The only way to become a writer is to sit there and write.

Do you plan to publish more books?

I hope to publish more novels and probably some essay collections. In my ideal world I would publish one book a year. (And knit one sweater a year. And make one quilt a year. And take one course a year.) But I don’t live in an ideal world, so I hope no one is keeping track.

What else do you do to make money, other than write? It is rare today for writers to be full time…

I am a nurse. I’ve worked as a staff development coordinator, as I do now, and have also worked as a nurse-practitioner, a clinic supervisor, a psychiatric nurse and a medical writer.

What other jobs have you had in your life?

I’ve done lots of things that have nothing to do with writing except that, as Nora Ephron’s mom said, “It’s all copy.” I’ve been a babysitter, a line worker in a paper plate factory, a nurse’s aide at a large psychiatric hospital, a waitress in a pizza place, a secretary, a seamstress, and a high school English teacher. Whatever it took to stay employed, I did. Growing up in a small town, the choices were limited. Once I finished college, I had more options.

If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?

Right now I live on an island near Seattle. I have to say, I’m pretty happy here. I love the peace it offers, there is a strong writing community, the weather is moderate and it is close enough to the city to take in cultural events. While there are many places I’d like to visit, I’ll probably live here happily for a long time.

How do you write – lap top, pen, paper, in bed, at a desk?

Short answer: yes. Longer answer: it depends. Expanded answer: I write on the desktop computer whenever I can. I have a nice office with a view, and I’m comfortable at the desk and can save the files any way I like, and go back to them later. I use a laptop when I travel or go to classes – I like the portability of it, and the flexibility of what I can do with the material for sharing with others. I have notebooks that I keep near my bed and near my TV chair, so that I can jot down ideas and brief thoughts when they occur to me. Sometimes I take the laptop to a coffee house and write for hours.

I did the final edit on my novel in various coffee places on the island where I live. I also like to take a journal and hike to a quiet place and write. Especially when I’m puzzling through something emotional, this seems to help. So it really depends on where the urge strikes and what I am trying to get down and whether I will wake anyone up if I sit at my computer. I like all these ways of getting things down, but I prefer to do it directly to a computer so that I don’t have to transcribe. I’m not very reliable when it comes to transferring hand written material to electronic files, so much of that writing will be forever stuck in notebooks.

Winner of four independent publishing awards, including the IndieReader Discovery Award in Women's Fiction, this debut novel hits the mark for smart, discerning readers.

There's nothing about her life that doesn't need a little work, so Melanie Davis thinks of herself as a "fixer-upper." Her history with men leaves her gun shy; her teenaged daughter can't string two civil words together; her best friend Donna just found out she has a life-threatening illness. When Donna also reveals a decades-old secret that still haunts her, Melanie makes it her mission to solve the mystery and reunite Donna with a precious link to her past - before it's too late.

Along the way Melanie discovers with startling clarity the pricelessness of love and friendship. With a finely-tuned emotional compass, Kate Bracy carries us through a trial-by-illness as funny as it is touching. Her narrator, Melanie, comes to realize the enduring power of love - between men and women, between mothers and daughters, between friends. Through her vivid, endearing characters Bracy creates a small-town world in northern New York where old loves rekindle, friendships prevail, and secret wounds are finally healed. This debut novel will leave you with an awakened heart and a strong urge to send postcards to all the people you love.

Buy Now @ Amazon & Smashwords

Genre - Women's Fiction

Rating – PG-13

More details about the author

Connect with Kate Bracy through Facebook

Website http://www.katebracy.com/

@KimberlyShursen on Author Branding - Find It, Implement It and Hang Onto It #WriteTip #Thriller

noreply@blogger.com (Quality Reads UK) — Sat, 01 Nov 2014 09:30:00 +0000

Branding? What’s that have to do with me?

By Kimberly Shursen - Author of Itsy Bitsy Spider, Hush

If you’re familiar with branding, most of us relate this to logos or a clichés such as “Have it your way,” or Coke’s “It’s the real thing,” or State Farm’s “Like a good neighbor.” So, what does that have to do with writing? In my opinion it has a lot to do with retaining and capturing the right reader base.

Now I’ve heard from time to time that authors should write several genres. I’m not a believer. I’m sure it has been done and done successfully, but most of us focus on one genre. Why? Because we know it’s where we will achieve our best writing.

If you take a look at my covers, you will notice that this is where I begin the branding process. I hope that one day readers will look at my covers, and without noticing my name, will say “That’s a Shursen book.” Now this may never happen, or may happen after I’m six feet under, but this is my hope. I use the same somewhat dark colors, and eerie fonts that are always in a blood red.. So, this is the beginning of branding my products. Okay, I don’t like to use the name “product” to describe my writing, but we’re working with the “other” side of the brain when we talk business here.

Now we move to the content of the book. Ya gotta have a style. Find it; implement it; and hang onto it. Don’t let editors tell that you have to use a complete sentence. How often do we greet someone with “Hello. How are you? I haven’t seen you in a very long time.” Really? Real, live people say, “Hey. How’s it goin’?” Characters need to be real. After a character murders someone would we say; “He ran down the street and through an alley. His heart was beating so fast, he thought he was going to pass out.” My words would be; “Racing between houses … through back yards … into a dark alley … his heart beating out of control, Caleb could taste the bile that rushed into his throat.”

There are three things readers will get to know about me; 1) no flowery, continual, ongoing verbiage about centerpieces, hairdos, or designer clothing, and 2) each chapter will be a cliff hanger, and lastly 3) there will be an unpredictable ending. There will always be those who claim they already knew the ending, but it would be highly unusual. Most readers say they read my novels in either one or two sittings, in spite of the fact they range anywhere from an 80,000 to a 92,000 word count. It makes me tingle all over when I know someone couldn’t put my novels down.

Many of the “greats” write in different genres, with book covers that don’t use the same font or types of images. For me, I don’t feel I would do well writing other genres as I need the constant tension that writing thrillers offers. I leave that up to my peers, and enjoy reading their romance, cozy mysteries, historical, literary fiction, or biographies.

We all have a unique niche, and it’s up each of us to find it. With branding, you won’t lose readers; you’ll find readers who are interested in your style and genre who will become fans.

Soon after Ann Ferguson and Ben Grable marry, and Ben unseals his adoption papers, their perfect life together is torn apart, sending the couple to opposite sides of the courtroom.

Representing Ann, lawyer Michael J. McConaughey (Mac) feels this is the case that could have far-reaching, judicial effects -- the one he's been waiting for.

Opposing counsel knows this high profile case happens just once in a lifetime.

And when the silent protest known as HUSH sweeps the nation, making international news, the CEO of one of the top ten pharmaceutical companies in the world plots to derail the trial that could cost his company billions.

Critically acclaimed literary thriller HUSH not only questions one of the most controversial laws that has divided the nation for over four decades, but captures a story of the far-reaching ties of family that surpasses time and distance.

*** Hush does not have political or religious content. The story is built around the emotions and thoughts of two people who differ in their beliefs.

EDITORIAL REVIEW: "Suspenseful and well-researched, this action-packed legal thriller will take readers on a journey through the trials and tribulations of one of the most controversial subjects in society today." - Katie French author of "The Breeders," "The Believer's," and "Eyes Ever To The Sky."

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Thriller

Rating – PG-13

More details about the author

Connect with Kimberly Shursen through Facebook and Twitter

Website http://www.kimberlyshursen.com/

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Caskets from Costco by Kelly Wilson @LiveCheap #Memoir #TBR

noreply@blogger.com (Quality Reads UK) — Tue, 28 Oct 2014 10:00:00 +0000

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Caskets From Costco

When it’s time for a trip to Costco, shopping for a casket probably isn’t the first item on your list. There are many questions that come with potentially buying a casket from Costco, such as whether or not you should store this purchase in your garage and if Costco would accept a return on such a purchase.

In Caskets From Costco, the author ponders these kinds of questions and more in this funny book about grief. Here are ten things the average person does not know about Caskets From Costco.

Costco really does sell caskets. And urns. And additional funeral…accessories.

Costco doesn’t sell any of these items in the warehouse. They are probably afraid of people like me, who would lay down in the caskets and then pop out, shouting “BOOOOOO!” to scare other shoppers.

When I asked the Costco corporate office for permission to use their name in the title of the book, they answered my request within 24 hours.

All characters in the book except for four of them have fake names; many of the people in the book chose their own fake names.

A few of the fake names are “bar names,” like Rod Johnson and Alexis Everlasting, also chosen by the people they represent.

It took me ten years to complete the book, at the cost of hundreds of trees in drafts.

The title comes from my writing friend Jone, who suggested it after we had gulped down a glass of wine (or two…or three).

I wanted to burn the manuscript in my backyard a couple of times. My writing friends stopped me.

When I didn’t know how else to revise and edit the book, I hired an editor – one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

I have no regrets writing or publishing Caskets From Costco (I thought I would) – although I was nervous-pooping for days before it was officially out.

Author's Bio:

Kelly Wilson is a Portland, Oregon author and comedian who loves a bargain and will probably end up buying her casket or urn from Costco. She is the author of Live Cheap & Free, Don’t Punch People in the Junk, and Caskets From Costco, along with numerous articles and short stories for children and adults. Kelly Wilson currently writes for a living and lives with her Magically Delicious husband, junk-punching children, dog, and cat, with a stereotypical minivan in the garage. Read more about her at www.wilsonwrites.com.

For twenty years, Kelly Wilson thought that she had been marching through the stages of grief in a straight line. She had been following the formula, crossing each processed grief experience off her list.

Except that Kelly was totally deluded. And she didn’t discover that until Jim, her beloved father-in-law, died. She found herself drying off from her shower the morning after his death, really hoping that he couldn’t see her naked. Or, if he could, that he was averting his eyes.

From that moment, Kelly's path through grief resembled a roller coaster, spiraling and twisting and turning, circling back around. Echoes of past trauma, including childhood abuse and cheating death, would no longer be ignored. She somehow needed to get from the beginning to the end of this grief adventure, and she doesn't have a good sense of direction.

But what is always present during a journey through grief, regardless of the path chosen?

Hope.

Caskets From Costco is a funny book about grief that demonstrates the certainty of hope and healing in an uncertain and painful world.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre - Memoir, Humor

Rating – PG-13

More details about the author

Connect with Kelly Wilson on Facebook & Twitter

#BookReview - Steps Into Darkness by Ben Woodard @benswoodard #Mystery #ReviewShare

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 28 Oct 2014 09:00:00 +0000

Steps Into Darkness by Ben Woodard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The plot and story flow is something that has been tested over the years. Nothing unique here. However, what appealed to me most was the author’s characterization and references to an old style Kentucky without making it sound cliche or dull. This really enticed me to keep reading.

In comparison to the first book, I did felt that the pacing Steps into Darkness was slightly different. It was more upbeat and the characters were more involved in each action / reaction.

Steps into Darkness gripped me right from the start with it’s tight plotline and how in the end, every single character made a difference to the story. The mystery was intriguing and sometimes disguised so the reader is kept in the dark of the next step.

Would I recommend this read? Absolutely. This is clearly a book for the teen reader but any adult who likes a good, clean mystery will also enjoy it. This is the second book I have read by Ben Woodard and I can tell you, I definitely wouldn’t spending time with him as he builds and plots his mysteries. Excellent, excellent work.

Overall assessment:
Content: 4.5/5
Editing: 4.5/5
Formatting: 4.5/5
Pacing: 4.5/5

Offensive content?: Based on language and settings, I would recommend this book for anyone aged 10 and up.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author. I did not receive any payment in exchange for this review nor was I obliged to write a positive one.(less)

View all my reviews

MOXIE'S PROBLEM #Excerpt by Hank Quense @hanque99 #Fantasy #AmReading

noreply@blogger.com (Quality Reads UK) — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 08:30:00 +0000

Scene background: Tristan is rehearsing his latest play and Merlin wants to check it out.
Merlin entered the room in the back of the keep where Tristan rehearsed his new play, Rolf and Hild. The play’s premier was planned for Camelot’s annual Yuletide Feast and Merlin was curious about what abomination Tristan had hatched this time.

A few knights milled about the room while an apprentice knight with a bandaged arm stood on a chair. The apprentice had a woman’s wig on his head and didn’t look happy. Tristan placed a second chair alongside the first. “Let us begin with an important scene. One that will leave not a dry eye in the audience.”

Tristan grabbed a second knight and dragged him over to the empty chair.

“You are Hild,” Tristan said to the apprentice on the chair, “a rich maiden. Let us pretend the chairs are a balcony in a garden behind Hild’s house.” Tristan smacked the second knight in the chest with the back of his hand. “Your name is Rolf. You are wandering knight who has fallen in love with Hild as she has with you. Her family refuses to allow you to marry her or even see her, so you have to meet in secret. Is this clear?”

Both characters looked puzzled.

“Why don’t I just kill her parents,” Rolf asked, “and run away with her?”

“Because I didn’t write the play that way,” Tristan replied. “You stand over there,” he told Rolf, “until Hild calls you. Then you approach the balcony and profess your love.”

“How the hell do I that? And what does profess mean?”

“Never mind. Just go stand over there.” Tristan said in a threatening voice.

Merlin loved to watch Tristan lose his temper. One never knew what to expect when that happened and Merlin suspected a temper tantrum was about to break out.

Once Rolf had been positioned, Tristan stood behind Hild and her chair.

“I’ll whisper the lines to you, and you repeat them, all right?”

Merlin realized Hild couldn’t read and Rolf probably couldn’t either, so the actors had to memorize the lines as Tristan read them.

Hild braced herself, cocked an ear towards Tristan and then said, “Rolf, oh Rolf. Wherefore art thou, Rolf.”

Tristan pointed and Rolf moved to the chairs where Tristan whispered lines to him. “I’m here, Hild, my beloved. Say you’ll be mine forever and a day.”

“I will. Oh, I will. I will be thy wife and change my name to yours. What is in a name? A nettle by other name would still prick thy hand.”

Tristan directed Rolf to climb on the chair, embrace Hild and kiss her.

“I ain’t kissin’ a guy,” Rolf snarled. “What kinda nasty mind do you have, Tristan.”

“It’s a play and she’s supposed to be a woman, so it’s all right to kiss her during the play. It’s part of your role as a character.”

Rolf climbed on the chair and loosely embraced Hild. Hild closed her eyes and puckered up.

“I ain’t kissing’ her,” Rolf said. “She’s got stubble all over her face and her breath stinks.”

Hild opened her eyes and glared at Rolf. “You should talk. Your breath smells like a midden.”

Rolf and Hild both made fists and assumed fighting stances while still on the chairs.

Merlin shook his head. He had seen enough to confirm his suspicion that Tristan’s play writing talent was equal to his poetry talent. Merlin left the room while, behind his back, Rolf and Hild threatened to settle the dispute with swords.

Do you enjoy untypical coming-of-age stories? Well, you won’t find one more untypical that Moxie’s Problem. Moxie is an obnoxious, teen-age princess who has never been outsider her father’s castle. Until now. The real world is quite different and she struggles to come to grips with reality. The story take space against a backdrop of Camelot. But it isn’t the Camelot of legends. It’s Camelot in a parallel universe. So, all bets are off!

Buy Now @ Amazon & Smashwords

Genre – Fantasy, Sci-fi

Rating – G

More details about the author

Connect with Hank Quense through Facebook & Twitter

Website http://hank-quense.com/wp/

7 Questions with #Author Kirsten Arcadio @KirstenArcadio #AmReading #GoodReads #Thriller

noreply@blogger.com (Quality Reads UK) — Sat, 11 Oct 2014 07:30:00 +0000

Q: Please tell us how you came to be a writer.

In 2012 I completed Faber Academy’s Writing a Novel (online) course. It was a fabulous experience bringing me into contact with some interesting and gifted writers, and it launched me into the world of writing. Before the course I had vague ambitions, but afterwards I was quite determined to write novels and to make it part of my life long term.

Q: You generally write in the genre of speculative thrillers. What can readers expect?

Readers of this genre would need to enjoy a wide range of genres, I suspect. They can expect page turners which, at the same time, have a layered feel to them. A touch of supernatural runs through all my stories, but readers can choose to interpret these threads as metaphysical too. So my novels straddle the intersection between supernatural and science fiction.

Q: The protagonist in your latest novel is Dr Elena Lewis. What can we expect from her?

Dr Elena Lewis is a layered character whose motivations are sometimes ambiguous. If you like complex characters thrown into challenging circumstances which often contain some element of illusion, she’s an ideal protagonist for you!

Q: Which is your favourite fictional character and why?

I quite like Lisbeth Salander from the Millennium Trilogy! I like her strangeness and her strength.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

I’m currently working on the third book in my series of speculative thrillers The Borderliners Trilogy, ‘WorldCult’.

Q: Some writers plot to the last detail and others let the novel develop organically. Which are you?

I’m a plotter but I don’t plot to the last detail. I do about twelve major plot points, divide those into four quarters, Act 1, 2 and 3 with Act 2 having two parts, and then put up the structure for my story using that structure to guide me. I won’t plot in any more detail than that as things come up as I go along, and I like that! After my initial draft I go back and layer up using the snowflake method. I see it as chiselling out a basic statue before going back to hew in the detail later.

Q: With the number of self-published books increasing exponentially, it is difficult for authors to make their books stand out? How do you go about this?

I’m still working this all out, but as a digital marketing professional by trade, I’d say it’s about content surfacing through collaboration with others. And it’s about building readership long term. I’ve always believed email is the killer app and this would appear to be as true of publishing as of any other industry, so collaboration and email are the two main avenues I’m working on in this respect.

Q: As a self-published author, how do you divide your time between writing and marketing?

With difficulty. I’m still trying to get the balance right. Ideally I’d want to set a stop watch to around 30 minutes a day on marketing and the rest of the time (the time it takes to write or edit 1,500 words) on writing. I’m quite disciplined about the marketing and I have a content plan of blogs, links and quotes which I publish to various different platforms on a regular basis. I would like to do more live events though. Maybe next year!

Q: You’re based in the UK, so what’s your readership? Do you have readers in countries outside of the UK?

Most of my readers are based in the UK with a smaller percentage of the majority based in the US. I have some readers in Pakistan due to a personal connection there promoting my books. I would like to promote my books in Italy as I have many friends and family there, but they need to be translated into Italian in order to do so. I would hope that my novels have international appeal!

Links:

Split Symmetry, available on Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Split-Symmetry-Borderliners-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B00L19T4QU/

Blog: http://www.kirstenarcadio.co.uk

Facebook group:https://www.facebook.com/KHArcadio

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kirstenarcadio

Google +: https://www.facebook.com/KHArcadio

Lost meets The Poseidon Adventure with a hint of Sliding Doors!

It's 2015 in the notorious Gran Sasso mountain range of central Italy.
Quantum physicists in a lab beneath the ground begin an illegal experiment.
A landslide hits and a hiking group is stranded.

Every decision, every step of the way...changes reality.

Book #2 of the best-selling Borderliners series, this other-worldly adventure will keep you turning the pages to the very end!

'A novel about what it is to survive and endure, what defines us, how it is to be ruled by fear, to be a slave to the terror of nature and what it feels like to love.' Five star customer review.

Buy Now @ Amazon & Smashwords

Genre - Speculative thriller

Rating – PG

More details about the author

Connect with Kirsten Arcadio through Facebook & Twitter

7 Questions with #Author Cheryl Carpinello @CCarpinello #AmReading #Tween

noreply@blogger.com (Quality Reads UK) — Fri, 10 Oct 2014 07:30:00 +0000

I love the Ancient and Medieval Worlds! As a retired English teacher, I hope to inspire young readers to read more through my Quest Books. Please follow me on this adventure. On Carpinello’s Writing Pages, I interview other children/MG/Tween/YA authors. At The Quest Books, I’ve teamed up with Fiona Ingram from South Africa and Wendy Leighton-Porter of England/France/Abu Dhabi to enable readers to find all of our Ancient and Medieval quest books in one place.

Tell us a bit about your family.
My husband and I met in college. We have been married many years! Our son and daughter are both married. Our son and his wife have a 5 1/2 year old boy and a daughter on the way. Our daughter and her husband have a 1 1/2 year old boy. We are thrilled to be grandparents to such beautiful children! Our oldest grandson is an expert on bugs! Colorado has always been our home, and we are both natives. Although we have traveled quite a bit, we have found nowhere else where the four seasons are so evident.

What book should everybody read at least once?
My choice would be the plays of Shakespeare. His histories, comedies, and tragedies contain such insights into the human character! Whether it was one man or several who wrote the plays, it is hard to deny the continued relevance to today’s world. I find that each time I read one, I discover something new I missed in a previous reading.

What is hardest - getting published, writing, or marketing?
Today, with the ability of writers to self-publish their work, I think that marketing has taken on a bigger portion of a writer’s time. Self-publishing opened up the somewhat hidden publishing arena. Writers are finding out that promotion is not simple; books do not sell themselves; and most writers are not publicists. I’ve found marketing to be a larger learning curve, in part, because I’ve had to learn so much in such a short time.

What other jobs have you had in your life?
I’m a retired high school English teacher. Teaching is a wonderful profession, and I probably wouldn’t have retired after 25 years, if I could have figured out how to teach writing and literature without having to read and grade between 900 and 1000 essays and research papers each year! I love working with young adults.

My love of traveling fueled my part time job with a major airline. After working nights and weekends for 12 years, I retired and now enjoy life-time flights benefits. I also volunteer at our airport and enjoy helping travelers find their way.

How do you write - laptop, pen & paper, in bed, at a desk?
I always handwrite all my first drafts. Throughout my 24 years of teaching writing, I have found that students who write on a computer rarely go back and edit. They regard the computer page as the finished product. I’m always amazed at the amount of editing I do when I transfer my written pages to my laptop. Along that same line, I’ve found that printing out the subsequent drafts facilitates my editing. Once again, the computer page is too often considered the final draft.

I try to follow a set writing schedule, but life interferes too much. When I’m unable to physically write, I write in my head. I can write just about anywhere: on the front porch, the back patio, or my living room couch. One constant element of my writing routine is that I either have music on, or one of my favorite movies.

What’s your favorite place in the entire world?
Without a doubt, that would be Las Vegas! Unlike so many people who go there to gamble and see the shows, I love Las Vegas because I like to stay up late and get up late! It’s the perfect place for me. That’s not to say that I don’t gamble a bit, I do. I also love to read by the pool and eat at the Flamingo buffet!

Do you have an organized process or tips for writing well? Do you have a writing schedule?
My writing does follow certain steps. First, I spend time just thinking about what I want to write. This encompasses who my characters will be, what challenges they will face, the background of the story, who my potential readers will be, and what the story may look like as a whole.

My next step is to do a rough outline of the story. This is usually a brief chapter by chapter synopsis. Then I spend some time reflecting on this.

As I sit down to write, I tend to write straight through to the end. This can take me several months depending on how quickly or slowly the story develops. I mark areas that are not working or that need further description and/or research to come back to later.

Once that first draft is written, I let it and me rest for a few days while I catch up on other things. Then I put my written draft in the computer.

From here on out, I print out copies, edit, enter my additions/deletions, and then start over again. I usually go through five or six rough drafts before coming close to my final draft. All of my drafts are read by my copy/content editor. What I consider my final draft goes through a professional edit which usually runs three rounds.

Action Adventure Kindle Book

Three Friends. Three Quests. Three Mysterious Predictions.

At Pembroke Castle in medieval Wales,11-year-old Prince Gavin, 13-year-old orphan Philip, and 15-year-old blacksmith's apprentice Bryan, brought together in friendship by the one they call The Wild Man, embark upon a quest to save The Wild Man's life when he is accused of murder and robbery. If they have any hope of succeeding, the three will have to confront their fears and insecurities, and one of them will have to disclose the biggest secret of all. But it is the arrival of King Arthur and what he reveals that surprises characters and readers.

Author Links:

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Purchase Links for Young Knights of the Round Table: The King’s Ransom

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