Guest Author, Showcase, The Book Trib/Media Muscle

Guest Author Allan Topol

CMash December 1, 2012 Leave a Comment

I was so excited when Tracy from Media Muscle/The Book Trib contacted me about today’s guest. It has been a while since he was last here, but today, he is back to tell us about his latest novel. So I ask, as only you can do, to give a warm welcome to an old friend, Allan Topol!!

ALLAN TOPOL

Allan Topol is the national bestselling author of seven novels of international intrigue. He is a graduate of Carnegie Institute of Technology who majored in chemistry, abandoned science, and obtained a law degree from Yale University. A partner in a major Washington law firm, and an avid wine collector, Topol has traveled extensively, researching dramatic locations for his novels. He is a contributor to the Yale Law Report, Glenn Beck’s online magazine, and Military.com. You can visit him at www.AllanTopol.com for more information.

ABOUT THE BOOK

National bestselling author, Allan Topol, returns to the scene of the crime with his second Craig Page Thriller and sequel to The China Gambit, THE SPANISH REVENGE (Vantage Point; $14.95; September 2012). This time around, Craig Page, the bold and daring EU Director of Counterterrorism, must once again team up with the resourceful Elizabeth Crowder, a newspaper reporter, to stop a feared terrorist, Ahmed Sadi, whose goal is to provoke a Muslim uprising in Western Europe.

With help from The China Gambit villain, Chinese General Zhou, Ahmed plans to launch an attack against Christianity and retake militarily, a portion of Southern Spain, for Islam. Relying on a medieval parchment claiming that Queen Isabella ceded a portion of Southern Spain to the Muslims, Ahmed has one major problem: Craig Page is hot on his trail and determined as ever to save the world.

THANKS TO TRACY FROM MEDIA MUSCLE, I HAVE ONE (1)
COPY OF THIS BOOK TO GIVE AWAY. U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY.

CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO
THE GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE

DISCLAIMER
I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me,
in exchange for my honest review.
No items that I receive
are ever sold…they are kept by me,
or given to family and/or friends.

Guest Author, Page Turner Book Tours, Showcase

Guest Author Sonya Watson

CMash November 30, 2012 Leave a Comment

Many, many years ago, while in training to become an RN, I remember all of the brave patients that allowed me to take care of them as a student nurse. They gave me the opportunity to reach my dreams and goals. And now, eons later, I feel that I am paying it forward, to give indie authors a platform to reach their dreams. So when Kate from Page Turner Book Tours contacted me, it was a yes. So without further ado,

SONYA WATSON

Sonya was born in Mandeville, Manchester, Jamaica but moved to Canada eleven years ago. She discovered writing when she was eleven. However, was unable to pursue it since she lived in a country where writing was impractical. She rediscovered the art during third year at York University. Kinesiology, the program she was enrolled in, was no longer simulating and found herself questioning her purpose in life. This led her to poetry and poetry led her to writing novels.
Connect with Sonya on Goodreads.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Once upon a time, there was a sixteen year-old girl that lost both her parents under unusual circumstances. Abrianna was lonely and found some comfort in the arms of her boyfriend, Michael. Life turned grim when she realizes that a man, who was once the enforcer of fate, wanted her to die. The disgraced enforcer had taken great steps to ensure Abrianna’s death and planned to do this by enlisting the help of humans and creatures without their knowledge. Evil had washed over the land the humans named Dainesville. Abrianna had the power to heal the land and when she did she would return prosperity to the lives of the townspeople. When the time came for Abrianna to stand alongside her half-brother, Stephen, to fight the coming evil she did so without hesitation. Life ended. Darkness fell. Love faded. The End?

Purchase Links: Amazon UK, Amazon USA, Smashwords, Barnes And Noble

Visit Page Turners Book Tours to for a chance to win a copy of this book.

DISCLAIMER
No items that I receive
are ever sold…they are kept by me,
or given to family and/or friends.
ADDENDUM
I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or
Barnes & Noble. I am an IndieBound affliate.
I am providing link(s) solely for visitors
that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.

Guest Author, Showcase, The Cadence Group

Guest Author Richard Meibers

CMash November 29, 2012 Leave a Comment

I don’t know about you, but I am already tired of the cold here in New England. So when Rebecca from The Cadence Group contacted me about this book, it was a yes. Just imagine being transported to the Caribbean. That’s what today’s guest will do. So please help me welcome Richard Meibers!!

RICHARD MEIBERS

Richard Meibers is a professional writer living in central Massachusetts. He is the author of two previous novels, STEAL AWAY HOME and TREE RINGS. He has also written two non-fiction books, one on dealing with anger and aggression in psychotherapy, and another on the history of watch-making in the 19^th century.

GUEST POST

Guest Post for FALLING OFF THE WIND.

BOAT BUMS

Twenty years ago, the eye of Hurricane Hugo smashed into the tiny Puerto Rican island of Culebra. It ruined a lot of boats that had sailed in there purposefully to avoid the big wind. The deep bay in the center of the island surrounded by low hills had the reputation of being a “hurricane hole,” a place of relative safety. A number of the boats that either sank in the bay or were blown onto shore were not insured and became a total loss.

Why not have insurance on an expensive and vulnerable piece of property? I wondered about this until I talked with several of these owners. My first introduction to a widespread, loose kind of community known as boat bums, people, unplugged from what we think of as normal society, who spend their lives roaming the seas in sail boats.

Some very few of these boat bums have money of their own, but most scratch out a living wherever and however they can, performing menial jobs, crewing on other boats, or doing what in our normal society would not be considered exactly legal. They are not pirates but they might, for example, smuggle computer parts into Cuba. Their preferred choice of boat style is the sailboat because they usually cannot afford the fuel for a motorized vessel.

Boat bums can still be found all over the Caribbean, as well as the islands of the South Pacific, the Mediterranean. Though they range far and wide, they never leave home. The boat is their home. And their community is mainly one of sharing information on subjects like where to find work, where to find an inexpensive shipwright to fix something, where to find a cheap mooring, where to hide from a hurricane, or who might be having a party on some other island.

Getting to know so many boat bums has been fun. They all have their reasons for “dropping out” as they used to say in the Sixties. One woman told me that after her first trip on a sailboat she stopped biting her nails. Another, from Minnesota, said she had gotten sick of snow. A army veteran who acquired a boat after his tour of duty inViet Namsaid the life on a sailboat helped him forget; and it must be working, he said, because after twenty years at sea he did feel a little better. An older man came to theCaribbeanafter selling his small Midwestern electronics firm when his wife died.

The boat bum has a lot in common with the ski bum. Their lifestyles both revolve around an intense and addictive pleasure. But the boat bum, living in a warm climate is not slave to the weather, but merely to his or her own whims, which breeds an independence as intense as the pleasure.

My novel FALLING OFF THE WIND is about a boat bum in the Caribbean..

ABOUT THE BOOK

Falling off the Wind by Richard Meibers. This enjoyable adventure novel delves into the lifestyle of a Caribbean sailor and explores the realities of life lived on a boat. Filled with hurricanes, smugglers, hardship and love, this story will reel you in and keep you hooked to the very end.
Purchase link: Amazon

THANKS TO REBECCA FROM THE CADENCE GROUP, I HAVE ONE (1)
COPY OF THIS BOOK TO GIVE AWAY. U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY.

CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO
THE GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE.

DISCLAIMER
No items that I receive
are ever sold…they are kept by me,
or given to family and/or friends.
ADDENDUM
I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or
Barnes & Noble. I am an IndieBound affliate.
I am providing link(s) solely for visitors
that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.

Guest Author, Partners In Crime Tours, Showcase, The Story Plant

Guest Author Dr. Brian O’Grady

CMash November 23, 2012 Leave a Comment

Back in April of 2011, Dr. O’Grady visited with his debut novel, Hybrid. Unfortunately, at the time, I was very behind in my reading and didn’t get a chance to review it. Today, he is back to tell us about his latest novel, Amanda’s Story, published by The Story Plant And this time I did read his novel, and let me tell you, I have put him on my “authors to read” list. So please, help me in giving Dr. O’Grady a warm welcome back, to CMash Reads as he tours with Partners In Crime Tours!

DR. BRIAN O’GRADYAMANDA’S STORY is Brian O’Grady’s second novel after his best-selling debut with Hybrid. He is a practicing neurologic surgeon and, when he is not writing or performing brain surgery, he struggles with Ironman triath- lons. He lives with his wife in Washington state.
Connect with Dr. O’Grady at The Story Plant.

ABOUT THE BOOKIn his national bestseller HYBRID, Brian O’Grady created a bracing and vividly realized tale of a virus gone out of control. At the center of that story was Amanda Flynn, a woman not killed by the EDH1 virus, but changed in frightening ways. HYBRID only hinted at the story of Amanda’s work in Honduras that led to her exposure and the ramifications when the American government sought to contain the damage. Now, that story can be told.

AMANDA’S STORY is the heart-stopping tale of a woman caught up in a storm she wanted no part of, and what happens when she refuses to be collateral damage. It is the story that readers of HYBRID have been waiting for and that new readers will find impossible to put down.
Read my review here.

Read an excerpt:

“Does it make any of you angry that a little less than a year has gone by and very few Americans remember what happened?” Mindy McCoy, super-model turned talk show host asked the four women that surrounded her. She shifted her long legs and casually inclined toward the pale, blonde woman to her left, just as the voice in her ear had instructed.For a moment Amanda met the gaze of her host, but became distracted by the movement of the cameras that prowled the perimeter of the group just beyond the glare of the stage lights. She had said very little during the fifteen minute interview and it was becoming uncomfortably obvious. Heather Waylens shifted her legs as well, just not as casually as Mindy, and the older woman’s stony glare communicated one message to Amanda: do your part. A weak, joyless smile crossed Amanda’s face as she stared into the cameras; she took a long breath as the panel, the audience, and the TV world waited.

“At this point in my life it takes almost everything I have to get out of bed in the morning. I simply don’t have the luxury of being mad at anyone.”

Mindy McCoy and the rest of the world waited for more, but Amanda’s gaze had returned to the floor. The moment began to stretch and, just as everyone began to shift rather uncomfortably, Heather and one of the other panelists jumped into the void. At first, their comments stepped over the others, but it was Heather’s voice that prevailed. “The American mindset is always looking forward. It is a requisite for progress and one of the reasons that America leads the world in so many ways. Of course, the cost of that is a short memory; we have to guard against the mistakes of the past being forgotten so that we as a people can incorporate those lessons as we work to fulfill our great destiny…” Heather continued for a full two minutes before yielding the floor back to their host who immediately took them to a commercial break.

The stage quickly filled with show personnel. Despite the attention of her make-up artist, Mindy whispered to Amanda, “Honey, we need a bit more from you.” Her careful and practiced elocution had been replaced by a more natural drawl.

“Hold still or you won’t be beautiful,” the make-up artist scolded Mindy with a lilt.

“Amanda,” Heather called from across the stage, but the frenetic activity gave Amanda a convenient excuse to ignore her summons. “You need to tell your story, for everyone’s sake,” she pleaded with a tone that was much too close to a demand.

“Especially yours,” Amanda whispered to herself. Everyone was trying to turn her grief to their advantage, particularly Congresswoman Heather Waylens. Her husband, the previous Representative of Kansas’ third district, had died along with 202 others, including Amanda’s husband and their two-year-old son, when Delta flight 894 crashed into an Iowa cornfield. The governor of Kansas appointed Heather to serve out her late husband’s term, but she had every intention of holding onto that seat well beyond the remaining sixteen months, and perhaps other seats as well. She used her loss and the pain of others to further her ambition, and right now Amanda hated her. She had never hated anything or anyone in her entire 24 years, but she was certain that at this instant she hated the Congresswoman from Kansas. It was a good hate, a righteous hate that for a moment burned brightly in the confines of her hollow soul, and then, just as quickly as it had flared, it began to fade, depriving Amanda of its heat and energy, leaving her drained from the emotional effort.

A figure suddenly blocked the bright lights and Amanda found a young, slight man scanning her face. “Just checking for shiny spots,” he said while leaning in close and inspecting her forehead. “Sweetheart, you were made for TV,” he sang while straightening, and playfully patted her nose with his powder-puff.

“Coming out in thirty seconds,“ a voice screamed, and the flurry of activity that surrounded the group spun even faster. Something touched Amanda’s hand and she turned to find Mindy’s face inches from hers.

“I know that this makes you uncomfortable, and it’s more than a little intimidating, but try and forget all this,” her arm swept across the stage. “Ignore the lights, the cameras, even the Congresswoman, and just talk to me as if we were in your kitchen. Lust us two girls, no one else.” Mindy’s eyes sparkled, her smile was natural and infectious, and Amanda realized that Mindy had more going for her than just a singular beauty, a perfect figure, millions of dollars, her own TV show, and uncounted adoring fans.

“I’ll try,” Amanda answered.

“People what to hear what you have to say; they should hear it, and between you and me, I would prefer that it come from you rather than a politician.” Her head gave a quick jerk toward Heather.

“It’s difficult for me to care about what other people need.” Amanda paused as the stage lights came up. “That didn’t come out right.” She smiled. “I probably should be angry; maybe at the mechanic who didn’t fix the door correctly or Delta Airlines for not insuring that he was properly trained, or, as Heather would like people to believe, the Transportation Board and the government for allowing Delta to perform their own inspections. Maybe I should take it all the way up to God, who gave me something wonderful and then snatched it back. But what does it matter? In the end they’re still gone, and their absence is all I can feel.”

“You’re trapped,” Mindy said.

“I’m stuck; that’s what everyone tells me. It’s why I’m here; to get ‘unstuck.'” Amanda briefly smiled but then her head sagged as she began to examine a spot on the stage a few feet in front of her shoes.

“But you don’t want to get unstuck, because as long as you still feel their absence in some way they’re still with you,” Mindy said softly with a tone that revealed more than understanding. “Getting unstuck means taking a step away from their memory and is an acknowledgement that they are never coming back; that things will never be as they were.”

Amanda looked up from the studio floor and found Mindy’s eyes glistening with unshed tears.

“My parents when I was thirteen.” Mindy said, answering Amanda’s look. “The details aren’t important. What is important is that I know what it means to be stuck. I know what it’s like to have others tell you that you need to do this or that, feel this way for this amount of time, and then move on to this next stage. But they really don’t understand what being stuck means. In some ways, it’s an acknowledgement of the people that we’ve lost, how their passing has torn out a large part of you, and that “moving on” means filling that void with something other than them. In some ways it’s a violation of their memory.”

Amanda stared into Mindy’s flawless face and realized that someone else in the world understood; that she really wasn’t alone. Since the accident, she had met with more than a dozen other “survivors” of Flight 894, and each of them had managed to either move past their grief or controlled it well enough to put on a brave face, which only increased Amanda’s isolation.

“But you survived,” Amanda managed to say with only a slight waver.

“For a long time, that’s all I could manage.” Mindy’s perpetual smile had a painful edge as her hand slipped into Amanda’s and they shared a private moment on national television. “My director is having a fit upstairs because we are so far off topic and I’m starting to sound more like Dr. Phil than an empty-headed talk show host. I think he’s afraid that if I show more than one-dimension I’ll demand more money.” The studio audience erupted in a mixture of laughter and applause. “Well, I think we are right on topic.” Mindy let go of Amanda’s hand and half-rose from her seat. She faced the camera and had to shout over the audience who began to cheer. “A year ago two hundred and two people died in what some say was a plane crash that should never have happened, but the human toll was far greater than that, and these four ladies, along with hundreds of others, will have to deal with their loss every day for the rest of their lives. My next two guests will hopefully try and explain why. Coming up after this short video salute to the victims of flight 894 is Kevin Tilits of the National Transportation Authority, and Dennis Hastings, President of Delta Airlines.” The audience cheered louder and the stage lights dimmed.

A stagehand appeared at Amanda’s side and began to unclip the microphone attached to the collar of her blouse. “Please follow me,” he told Amanda rather curtly the moment she was free.

“Can you give me just a moment?” She asked the young man. “Thanks, Mindy,” she said reaching for her host’s arm.

“Can you stay until I’m done here?” she asked Amanda, who nodded. “Good. Will you please escort Mrs. Flynn to my dressing room?” She ordered the stagehand as much as asked him, and then returned to the argument she was having with her director.

Amanda followed the irritated and hurried man offstage; apparently Mindy’s dismissive attitude toward the crew was not entirely unusual and Amanda felt obliged to apologize for his help.

“Don’t worry about it; she always gets this way when the boss man is riding her.”

“I think she’s in trouble because of me,” Amanda said as they navigated through a maze of cables, wires, and video equipment.

“Are you kidding me? That was great TV. It’ll be all over the entertainment channels in an hour, and tomorrow our share will be up by at least ten points. If she keeps this up she won’t have to ask for more money; they’ll be throwing it at her.” He opened a door for Amanda, and as she walked through, she felt his eyes follow her into the room. “Do you have anyone here with you/ I could bring them up while you wait.”

“That would be nice, but I don’t want to impose.”

“You’re not imposing, it’s my job.”

“My mother-in-law, Lisa Flynn, is in the yellow room. She’s about five-five, short brown hair…”

“It’s OK; I think I can find her. I’ll be back in a moment.” He closed the door and the latch closed with a muted click.

Mindy’s dressing room was in a word sparse. She had a table covered with a variety of cosmetics. Above it was the obligatory mirror rimmed with bright lights, and aside from a small sofa and a recliner, the only other thing in Mindy’s room was a television, which was tuned to her show. Amanda quickly turned the TV off as the video showing the remains of Flight 894 focused on an undamaged teddy bear lying on its side. Behind it was a shattered airplane seat. This particular frame had become the symbol of the tragedy and it pierced Amanda to the core. It was the main reason that she had been invited here. The bear’s name was Fred T. Bear, and Amanda had bought it for her son’s second birthday, a month before he died. She had no idea whether the seat behind Fred belonged to her son, her husband, or someone else. It didn’t really matter; they were gone. Only Fred had survived, and he was safely wrapped in plastic somewhere in her in-laws’s home.

Book Details:
PUBLISHED BY: The Story Plant
PUBLICATION DATE: November 13th, 2012
ISBN:
Print ISBN-13: 978-1-61188-047-2
E-book ISBN-13: 978-1-61188-048-9
GENRE: Suspense
# OF PAGES: 304

Purchase links: AMAZON link B&N link

DISCLAIMER
I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me,
in exchange for my honest review.
No items that I receive
are ever sold…they are kept by me,
or given to family and/or friends.
ADDENDUM
I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or
Barnes & Noble. I am an IndieBound affliate.
I am providing link(s) solely for visitors
that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.

GCP/Forever, Guest Author, Showcase

Guest Author Kate Brady

CMash November 21, 2012 Leave a Comment

Do I have a treat for you!!! Grab your coffee and get comfy because you will want to stick around for today’s guest. Jessica from Grand Central Publishing is stopping by with author, Kate Brady to tell us about her latest novel, as she tours the blogosphere. So without further ado, Ms. Kate Brady!!!!

KATE BRADY

Kate Brady is a RITA Award winning author, choral director, university professor, wife, mother, and caretaker of a variety of furry, feathered, and scaly pets. She lives with her family in Georgia, where she is currently at work on her next novel.
Visit Ms. Brady at her website and Facebook.

GUEST POST

It took me a long time to decide on a topic for this post. Why? Because I’d already done several others, and felt I’d written or spoken about everything that could possibly be of any interest to readers. Ad nauseum, even. I was plumb out of ideas.

I lamented that fact to my daughter while waiting for her orthodontist. And without missing a beat, she said, “Tell them about the dedication.”

Whoa—that stopped me. Dedications can be pretty personal and the dedication for WHERE ANGELS REST is extremely so. It reads: This one’s for Alta. She and the angels know why.

So I tried to explain to my daughter why that wouldn’t make a good blog topic. Too intimate. Too abstruse. Too…well, sad. And, laughing at me, she pleaded: “Mom, come on. It would show the readers a spark of humanity in your sick, twisted soul!”

Huh. Out of the mouths of babes. Or, rather, teenagers. Sick, twisted soul? In need of proving the existence of a spark of humanity? I mean, I’ve sort of gotten used to the fact that my children won’t bother bragging that their mom has a doctorate and successful career as a music professor, but will crow to complete strangers, “My mom’s a psycho who kills people for a living.” But no one really believes it, right? Then again—come to think of it—the most common questions I get about writing suspense run along the lines of, “How can such a nice person come up with such creepy killers?” and “Are you always plotting murders?” and “Just what kind of research did you do to learn how long it takes to burn a body at 1850 degrees Fahrenheit?”

Hmm.

Well, then. Let me tell you about Alta.

Alta was my mother-in-law. She was one of a precious few people who knew I spent my spare time writing novels and who always wanted to read them. She loved hearing about ideas. She sent me ideas—a box now and then of newspaper articles or thrift shop books—anything that struck her as potential inspiration for a villain or hero or heroine. She was delighted—I mean, tickled pink—when I got published.

Alta passed away while I was finishing WHERE ANGELS REST, only seven weeks after my father-in-law had passed away. Needless to say, it was a very bad time for our family. I was struggling with the villain in WHERE ANGELS REST—a villain called The Angelmaker—but while cleaning out my in-laws’ house, I came across a notebook of Al’s. It was full of inspiration for The Angelmaker. And it seemed perfectly natural that even in death, she would be providing ideas, offering support, and encouraging me to write.

So that’s what the dedication is about. Proof that there really is a bit of humanity in my sick, twisted soul. And a lot of it came from my mother-in-law.

Happy reading.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Tight plotting and larger-than-life villains will keep readers on the edge of their seats in Kate Brady’s third pulse-pounding romantic suspense novel WHERE ANGELS REST.

For the past decade, psychologist Erin Sims has been helping victims of violent crimes move on with life…but the one person she can’t save is the one who matters most. In only seven days, her brother will be executed for a murder he didn’t commit. Convinced she knows the identity of the real killer, Erin is determined to find the man and bring him to justice.

Sheriff Nick Mann moved to rural Ohio hoping to forget the tragedies of his past. When Erin shows up in town, bringing scandal and unwanted media attention with her, Nick knows she’s trouble. No one believes sleepy Hopewell could harbor a serial killer…until residents begin to disappear. Now as Nick untangles the dark secrets plaguing his town, he can’t help falling for the beautiful woman with the warm heart and iron will. And, as the days tick by, the truth becomes clear: Erin is hunting a vicious murderer—one whose only escape is to silence her forever.

THANKS TO JESSICA, FROM GCP/FOREVER, I HAVE
ONE (1) BOOK TO GIVE AWAY. U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY.

CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO
THE GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE.

DISCLAIMER
I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me,
in exchange for my honest review.
No items that I receive
are ever sold…they are kept by me,
or given to family and/or friends.

Guest Author, Showcase, Sparkpoint Studio, LLC

Guest Author Fleur Philips

CMash November 20, 2012 1 Comment

If you follow my blog, then you know, I enjoy a good mystery and/or suspense. So when Kim of Sparkpoint Studio contacted me, I wanted to know more about today’s guest and her book. Please help me give a warm welcome to Fleur Philips!

FLEUR PHILIPS

Fleur Philips is a graduate student at Antioch University in Los Angeles, pursuing her MFA in Creative Writing. She attended the University of Oregon in Eugene where she was awarded placement in the Kidd Tutorial Creative Writing Program. After a short-lived acting career (she was a “featured extra” on Steven Spielberg’s Catch Me If You Can), she completed three manuscripts. I Am Lucky Bird is her first novel and was selected as a general fiction finalist for the 2011 Book of the Year Award from ForeWord Reviews. She’s currently working on her second novel which will be released in the summer 2013. She lives in Upland, California, and when she’s not writing, she’s cheering for her son in his athletic endeavors.
Visit Fleur Phillips at her website, Facebook, Twitter and GoodReads.

ABOUT THE BOOK

When her mother mysteriously vanishes from the small town of Plains, Montana, 12-year-old Lucky Bird’s childhood comes to an abrupt end. Left to defend herself against her suddenly abusive grandmother, Marian, and forced to endure the twisted predatory games played out by Marian’s lover, Lucky soon finds herself trapped in a nightmare.

Even when she manages to escape, the outside world can’t take away the brutal images of her past. Still haunted by her mother’s disappearance and the trauma that followed, Lucky is easily led down a path of self-destruction—a path that only the intervention of a young stranger and his family can guide her away from. But first, Lucky will have to confront her demons, and the dark truths kept hidden.
Purchase links:

THANKS TO KIM AT SPARKPOINT STUDIO, I HAVE ONE (1)
COPY TO GIVE AWAY. U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY.

CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO
THE GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE

DISCLAIMER
No items that I receive
are ever sold…they are kept by me,
or given to family and/or friends.
ADDENDUM
I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or
Barnes & Noble. I am an IndieBound affliate.
I am providing link(s) solely for visitors
that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.

Guest Author, Showcase

Guest Author Abigail Keam

CMash November 16, 2012 1 Comment

It’s getting cold here in New England! Time to get cozy! Cozy mystery that is!! Stephen from First Rule Publicity has given me the opportunity to introduce today’s author, Ms. Abigail Keam!!!

ABIGAIL KEAM

Abigail Keam is an award-winning author who writes the Josiah Reynolds mystery series about a beekeeper turned sleuth.

Death By A HoneyBee won the 2010 Gold Medal Award for Women’s Lit from Reader’s Favorite and was a Finalist of the USA BOOK NEWS-Best Books of 2011. Death By Drowning won the 2011 Gold Medal Award for Best Mystery Sleuth and also was placed on the USA BOOK NEWS-Best Books of 2011.

Ms. Keam is also an award-winning beekeeper who lives on theKentucky Riverin a metal house with her husband and various critters.
Connect with the author at her website, Facebook and Twitter.

GUEST POST

HOW SHOULD MYSTERY AUTHORS WRITE?

To tell an individual the proper procedure to write a novel is like telling a human the correct way to make love. There is no correct way. It is just what feels natural and good.

Some authors write twenty pages a day while others plod out one.

Some authors write every day. Others write when the mood hits them. Just go with your gut feeling. Do what’s right for you.

Break The Rules

Introduce New Characters

I do things like introduce new characters in the last chapter of the book. A big no-no. The reason I can justify this is that I don’t look at each book in my Josiah Reynolds mystery series as stand-alones, but rather a continuation of the story line. Only the mystery in each book is complete, but Josiah Reynolds’ life continues from book to book.

Keep The Fat Out

Another thing I do is keep my stories short. It is best to leave the stage with the audience wanting more. Don’t overwrite or your readers will tire of your work.

Add A Little Hot Sauce

If you are writing a series, turn things upside down in your novels. Do the unexpected with your characters. Be careful though. Changing too much like killing off a favorite character can cause a backlash among your readers. Just sprinkle hot sauce rather than pour it on.

Don’t Always Solve The Mystery

When writing a series, you must keep the reader interested. In other words, keep them on their toes. I don’t always solve the murders in my stories or I turn the murder upside down in another book – whom the reader thought to be the murderer in one book turns out to be the wrong person in another book as I double-back on the plot.

Why?

Because even a beloved mystery series can become stale if the same formula is used in every novel. I have seen this with Sue Grafton’s books. I love Sue Grafton and her shamus, Kinsey Milhone and think the Alphabet series is fabulous, but I have started noticing that fan are tiring by reading unflattering reviews on Amazon. That never used to happen.

I think Agatha Christie, the Queen of Crime, was able to avoid such unkind criticism because each of her books and series was so different. Ten Little Indians is so different from a book like The Mirror Crack’d.

So keep your stories fresh.

Flaws And Your Sleuth

Your sleuth, regardless if he/she is a professional or amateur, should have a flaw or a conflict his/her nature in order to have depth. The only sleuth that is sweet/good and gets away with it book after book is Nancy Drew.

Sleuths that enjoy a long publishing life are those who keep the reader intrigued such as Sherlock Homes. Why is he still so fascinating to us? Because we love his intellect and his rudeness. Also we are curious about his mysterious sexuality. Is Sherlock heterosexual, homosexual or just bored with sex? Does he want to “canoodle” with Watson?

Miss Marple? Well, she is a busy-body – sort of the Mary Worth of death. Oh dear. You don’t know who Mary Worth is? Look her up. Miss Marple is always watching or listening to private conversations. That would put any neighbor on edge.

Kinsey Milhone is a loner, unable to commit. She reminds me of a skittish cat. Kinsey also prides herself on lying. Still Kinsey is a fascinating shamus and a person who I would like to know personally.

My sleuth, Josiah Reynolds, has serious health problems and is prone to complaining. She sometimes uses bad judgment. She is fat and middle-aged, but that is what my readers love about her. She comes off the pages as a real person.

I have given you just a few tips. Some may even be useful. Good luck with your writing and I hope to read your books in the future.
Abigail Keam is the author of “Death By A HoneyBee” and “Death By Drowning”. Both books were listed as Finalists on the USA BOOK NEWS “Best Book List 2011”. “Death By Bourbon” is her new book. www.abigailkeam.com

ABOUT THE BOOK

Life takes a dramatic turn for Josiah when she witnesses a death at an engagement party for guess who . . . Matt. Matt? Yes Matt.

Charming socialite Addison DeWitt falls into a fit after taking a sip of bourbon. That would be upsetting enough but Josiah is sure it is murder. However, no one will believe her except for Lady Elsmere and Meriah Caldwell, the famous mystery writer. The three of them conspire to bring the murderer to justice. It turns out that the suspect is always three steps ahead of them.

To make matters worse, Josiah’s daughter, Asa, decides to move to London, Franklin leaves town and Jake starts singing a different turn. Josiah doubts her ability to meet the future alone. Maybe it’s time to sell the Butterfly and move to Florida with the rest of the old folks.

REVIEWS:
“Abigail Keam writes with vision and understanding. Her tale is fresh and original…after all…what could beekeeping and murder have in common? Readers will have no trouble being drawn into this charming mystery. Keam leaves the reader yearning for more. DEATH BY DROWNING is an excellent second effort by Ms. Keam. Characters and action are well wrought, and the plot sizzles.”
Midwest Book Review, Shelley Glodowski, Senior Reviewer, July 8th 2011

“Ms. Keam’s writing is more like lyrical prose, leaving the readers wanting to know more of Josiah’s life and clamoring for the next book. This can be read as a stand-alone book, but I highly recommend reading the first book – DEATH BY A HONEYBEE.” BOBBI’S BOOK NOOK, JULY 30TH, 2011
Amazon Purchase links: PB EBook

THANKS TO AUTHOR ABIGAIL KEAM, I HAVE ONE (1) SIGNED
COPY OF THIS BOOK. U.S. AND CANADA RESIDENTS ONLY.
AND TWO (2) EBOOK EDITIONS (.mobi or ePub). OPEN TO ALL.

CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO THE
CMASH READS GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE.

Tour Wide Giveaway!
A tour wide giveaway is being offered, which features a grand prize of a set of all four of Abigail’s books, signed, plus 3 8oz honeys from Abigail’s very own been hives! 2 signed copies of Death By Bourbon have been made available for a pair of runner-up prizes.
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Guest Author, Showcase

Guest Author Tony Hubbard

CMash November 14, 2012 Leave a Comment

When Samantha, from JKS Communications, contacted me about the novel written by today’s guest and reading the synopsis, I knew I wanted to share the details with you. So I ask, please help in giving a warm welcome to Mr. Tony Hubbard!

TONY HUBBARD

Tony Hubbard grew up like most boys in Massachusetts during the 1980’s, wanting to emulate basketball star Larry Bird and one day play for the Boston Celtics. Quickly realizing that a future as a professional athlete was something he would not achieve, he did the next best thing – became a sportswriter. As a long-time sportswriter, Tony covered high school, collegiate and professional sports, most notably covering the death of Boston Celtics’ star Reggie Lewis for The Patriot Ledger.

Growing up and reading the works of Edgar Allan Poe and Stephen King, he one day aspired to publish a novel in the horror genre as his ‘writing heroes’ were famous for. After many years away from writing, leaving his professional writing career behind to make a move into the production and advertising side of the publishing business, Tony makes a return with his debut novel. Eighteen years in the making, A Demon Lies Within, releases November 2012 from Two Harbors Press.

A follower of Greek Mythology, he sees himself in the same vein as the Greek God Dionysus, the Greek God of wine, parties/festivals, madness and merriment. Dionysus not only represents the intoxicating power of wine, but also its social and beneficial influences. According to Tony, we should strive to be like Dionysus.

Massachusetts born and bred, Tony has lived all across the state throughout his life. Today he is settled in Dracut with his wife and son.

Follow Tony:

@TonyHub A Demon Lies Within Tony Hubbard

GUEST POST

Now that my debut novel A Demon Lies Within is completed, published and reaching the masses, having achieved the goal of publishing a novel I feel is akin to a professional sports team reaching the playoffs. Having your novel published and making the playoffs are HUGE accomplishments in their respective ways and not to be viewed lightly. Though, once that goal has been achieved your focus needs to be towards the next set of goals.

Once a professional sports team reaches their sports’ respective postseason the ultimate goal for them becomes crystal clear – win the championship.

While there isn’t a championship trophy for me to strive for with this book, what then becomes my goal(s) for A Demon Lies Within?

I’ve come up with three goals I am striving for. Reaching any one of them would be like winning a playoff game. Reaching all three would be getting the championship trophy.

The goals are:

To sell 5,000 (print and eBooks combined) copies of A Demon Lies Within.
To appear in a segment on the FOX25 morning news in Boston for a 1-on-1 interview to promote my book and discuss the advancement of self publishing as part of the accepted ‘norm’ for the publishing community.
In writing the lead female character of Katelyn McMurray, I used actress Amy Adams as inspiration and had her in mind the entire time I was writing the novel. This goal would be to have Ms. Adams read a copy of A Demon Lies Within.

While I admit these are lofty goals, are long-shot goals really any different than a team having 20-1 odds of winning a championship? Though a long shot, there’s always a CHANCE it could happen.

There’s an old adage in sports that essentially says, ‘You just have to reach the playoffs because once there anything can happen’. Now that my book is published I’ve gotten to the playoffs and it has afforded me the chance to sell a high number of books, appear on a TV news show, or have a famous Hollywood actress read my novel.

I would be ecstatic if I reached any one of three goals, though I have to admit the one I’m favoring slightly above all others is having Amy Adams read my book

As I sat down to start the letter I would include with the ‘Demon merchandise care package’ I was going to send Ms. Adams (which included an autographed copy of my book, an autographed 12X18 poster of the cover along with bookmarks and business cards) the following thoughts came to mind:

I felt like Linus, the Peanuts character as he was writing his letter to The Great Pumpkin, wanting to have the most sincere pumpkin patch possible so The Great Pumpkin would appear. I wanted to write the most sincere letter possible to Ms. Adams so she would not only read just the letter but read my book as well.

The other thought I had was to include one of Will Ferrell’s lines from the movie Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. Ms. Adams was in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby with Ferrell and played the role of his assistant so there is a connection there.

Upon meeting Veronica Corningstone for the first time, Burgundy tells her, “I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany.” I thought that would be a great line to include in the letter as part of introducing myself, provide a laugh within the context of essentially begging her to read my book and have it fit within the criteria of writing the ‘most sincerest’ letter possible.

Whether or not Ms. Adams reads my book or I am able to reach either one or both of my other goals is unclear at this point. If none of them were to happen, it’s not such a big loss. I’ve already secured a great achievement in my life; I finished writing and published the novel I never thought or imagined would ever be finished. But why couldn’t one, two or all of them happen?

As I hold a printed copy of A Demon Lies Within in my hand it serves as the perfect example for anything’s possible.

I look forward to the day I receive Ms. Adams’ thoughts on A Demon Lies Within. I bet she’ll love it.

ABOUT THE BOOK

The powers of hell that lie within are very real…

Following his murder, Andrew McMurray finds himself transported to the depths of hell. There he is indoctrinated as an apprentice to a demon master, Sonneillon. Exposing Andrew to the dark reaches of his evil powers, Sonneillon demonstrates a demons’ ability to posses, torment and control the thoughts and actions of the living. Andrew’s ultimate goal following his apprenticeship? Revenge on his wife, Katelyn and young son, Joshua, both of whom he holds responsible for his murder.

As Katelyn rebuilds her life, following her husbands’ death, she meets Michael Gordon, a recent escapee from Corporate America, who has his own troubled, tragic past. As their relationship grows, they realize they share something more than their burgeoning love for one another — the powers of hell have deeply impacted their pasts. Evil continues to insinuate itself into the pair’s lives, bringing with it haunting and unspeakable horrors.

Andrew’s plan of revenge begins to materialize once he inhabits Joshua, having him act out in often violent and disturbing ways. With possession of Joshua’s mind and body complete, will hell’s ultimate evil goals come to pass, or can the local priest of a small Maine town exorcize Father from Son? At stake, doom-laden repercussions for all involved…and perhaps the world as a whole.

Book Details:
Paperback, $15.95
ISBN: 978-1-938690-35-8
Horror Fiction, 403 pages
Two Harbors Press, Nov. 13, 2012

THANKS TO JKS COMMUNICATIONS, I HAVE ONE (1)
COPY TO GIVE AWAY. U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY.

CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO
THE GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE.