So many books, so little time!!!  Don’t you wish you could speed read?  I know, at times, I do.  There are just too many great books that have been and are being written and I want to read all of them.  Today, we have author, Erik Hanberg, visiting to tell us about his book.  Welcome Erik to the CMash Blog!!

My novel, The Saints Go Dying, features a computer-hacking detective on the trail of serial killer. No one on the force knows he’s a hacker, though, so he has to stay one step ahead of them.

Hacking is routinely sensationalized in books and movies. It’s as if hackers type in a few special keystrokes no one else knows about and suddenly, bam! They are into the Department of Defense mainframe.

The truth is, hacking is actually quite slow and hard, especially when you’re talking anything worth hacking into.

The easiest way to hack something is to figure out someone’s username and password. Too many people choose unsafe passwords and too often they can be hacked just by trying some common passwords or words from the dictionary.

Besides that option, hacking is often a slow process. Hackers can set ‘snares’ online and wait for prey to be caught by them. They can seek clues in the real world—like passwords written on Post-It notes and put on the edge of the monitor. They can even go to online forums and ask their friends for help—after all, why reinvent the wheel if someone else has already hacked into a server first?

All of those options can be effective, but they give you a sense of what hacking might be like. In The Saints Go Dying I try to give realistic and yet also interesting ways for the detective to hack into something.

This is probably a good time to mention that I am not a hacker. Nor do I think it’s something worth celebrating. But it is interesting and I’ve enjoyed learning more about it via my novels.

I hope you will check out the ebook of The Saints Go Dying! And watch for The Marinara Murders, the sequel, which is due out in November.

Erik Hanberg lives in Tacoma Washington with his wife Mary. He blogs regularly at erikhanberg.com.

So many books, so little time!!!  Don’t you wish you could speed read?  I know, at times, I do.  There are just too many great books that have been and are being written and I want to read all of them.  Today, we have author, Erik Hanberg, visiting to tell us about his book.  Welcome Erik to the CMash Blog!!

My novel, The Saints Go Dying, features a computer-hacking detective on the trail of serial killer. No one on the force knows he’s a hacker, though, so he has to stay one step ahead of them.

Hacking is routinely sensationalized in books and movies. It’s as if hackers type in a few special keystrokes no one else knows about and suddenly, bam! They are into the Department of Defense mainframe.

The truth is, hacking is actually quite slow and hard, especially when you’re talking anything worth hacking into.

The easiest way to hack something is to figure out someone’s username and password. Too many people choose unsafe passwords and too often they can be hacked just by trying some common passwords or words from the dictionary.

Besides that option, hacking is often a slow process. Hackers can set ‘snares’ online and wait for prey to be caught by them. They can seek clues in the real world—like passwords written on Post-It notes and put on the edge of the monitor. They can even go to online forums and ask their friends for help—after all, why reinvent the wheel if someone else has already hacked into a server first?

All of those options can be effective, but they give you a sense of what hacking might be like. In The Saints Go Dying I try to give realistic and yet also interesting ways for the detective to hack into something.

This is probably a good time to mention that I am not a hacker. Nor do I think it’s something worth celebrating. But it is interesting and I’ve enjoyed learning more about it via my novels.

I hope you will check out the ebook of The Saints Go Dying! And watch for The Marinara Murders, the sequel, which is due out in November.

Erik Hanberg lives in Tacoma Washington with his wife Mary. He blogs regularly at erikhanberg.com.

I received an email not to long ago from today’s guest,  which included a sentence that piqued my curiosity about the premise of his book, “My book is a work of fiction though it blends in some historical figures and cool conspiracies.”  I was intrigued, and invited him to be a guest and tell us more.  He is here today to do just that, so please help me welcome, Mr. Steve Richer!

You can visit Steve at SteveRicherBooks.com on Facebook, on Twitter, and at Smashwords.

The Importance of a Good Title

That’s because it’s important. Before your reviews, before your blurbs and synopsis, even before your cover, your title is the first thing a potential buyer will notice. It is your primary marketing tool.

Do you remember the movie Snakes on a Plane? Of course you do and it isn’t because it was memorable or that it was a box office behemoth, making gazillions of dollars; it was neither. You remember it because of the title. Those four little words managed to sum up the entire film. You knew what you were getting into from the get-go.

That’s what I strived for with my thriller The Kennedy Secret. Just reading it you get a sense of what the story will be about. Hint: it involves the Kennedy family and they have a secret. Smart, no? I did struggle a bit on the subject. I’m a writer who usually likes to skirt the obvious, I enjoy including vague references to history and fancy words.

This can be the publishing equivalent of committing suicide.

When I was in film school we had to study The Unbearable Lightness of Being. I fell in love with that title, it sounded so poetic, so distinguished. Not long after I wrote a screenplay which I called The Banefu Quiescence of Wrath. I was so in love with that title!

Some months later, a Hollywood producer called me to discuss the script which I had submitted to him. He gave me a bunch of reasons why he didn’t want to buy it from me.  Fine, I understand. But his last comment stung the most. He said, “Change the title. I didn’t understand it and had to look every word in the dictionary.”

So spend some time finding the title which represents your story perfectly without giving too much away. It is the most important piece of advertising you’ll ever write.

ABOUT THE BOOK

An assassin who betrays his master

A con man running for his life
The most fascinating family in American history…

Government hitman Donovan Flood is set to retire from this life after a last assignment.  What he doesn’t know is that he may be involved in tying up loose ends following the assassination of Robert Kennedy. Forming an unlikely partnership with the slick Mike Beecher, they need to unravel the mystery of who wants them dead. And why.  They must race against the clock to uncover the mysterious secret lurking behind the

Kennedy family. Their quest leads them to Jimmy Hoffa and Vegas mobsters, to powerful politicians and KGB agents. More troubling than anything else is what might be buried in the jungles of Bolivia…

This meticulously-researched thriller clocks in at 102,000 words. Get it now at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0051HHZGO

THANKS TO THE GENEROSITY OF THE AUTHOR,

STEVE RICHER, I HAVE THREE (3) EBOOK

EDITIONS OF THIS BOOK TO GIVE AWAY.

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.

ADDENDUM

I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com.

I am providing this link solely for visitors

that may be interested in purchasing this EBook.

I do not receive any monetary compensation from any parties

I received an email not to long ago from today’s guest,  which included a sentence that piqued my curiosity about the premise of his book, “My book is a work of fiction though it blends in some historical figures and cool conspiracies.”  I was intrigued, and invited him to be a guest and tell us more.  He is here today to do just that, so please help me welcome, Mr. Steve Richer!

You can visit Steve at SteveRicherBooks.com on Facebook, on Twitter, and at Smashwords.

The Importance of a Good Title

That’s because it’s important. Before your reviews, before your blurbs and synopsis, even before your cover, your title is the first thing a potential buyer will notice. It is your primary marketing tool.

Do you remember the movie Snakes on a Plane? Of course you do and it isn’t because it was memorable or that it was a box office behemoth, making gazillions of dollars; it was neither. You remember it because of the title. Those four little words managed to sum up the entire film. You knew what you were getting into from the get-go.

That’s what I strived for with my thriller The Kennedy Secret. Just reading it you get a sense of what the story will be about. Hint: it involves the Kennedy family and they have a secret. Smart, no? I did struggle a bit on the subject. I’m a writer who usually likes to skirt the obvious, I enjoy including vague references to history and fancy words.

This can be the publishing equivalent of committing suicide.

When I was in film school we had to study The Unbearable Lightness of Being. I fell in love with that title, it sounded so poetic, so distinguished. Not long after I wrote a screenplay which I called The Banefu Quiescence of Wrath. I was so in love with that title!

Some months later, a Hollywood producer called me to discuss the script which I had submitted to him. He gave me a bunch of reasons why he didn’t want to buy it from me.  Fine, I understand. But his last comment stung the most. He said, “Change the title. I didn’t understand it and had to look every word in the dictionary.”

So spend some time finding the title which represents your story perfectly without giving too much away. It is the most important piece of advertising you’ll ever write.

ABOUT THE BOOK

An assassin who betrays his master

A con man running for his life
The most fascinating family in American history…

Government hitman Donovan Flood is set to retire from this life after a last assignment.  What he doesn’t know is that he may be involved in tying up loose ends following the assassination of Robert Kennedy. Forming an unlikely partnership with the slick Mike Beecher, they need to unravel the mystery of who wants them dead. And why.  They must race against the clock to uncover the mysterious secret lurking behind the

Kennedy family. Their quest leads them to Jimmy Hoffa and Vegas mobsters, to powerful politicians and KGB agents. More troubling than anything else is what might be buried in the jungles of Bolivia…

This meticulously-researched thriller clocks in at 102,000 words. Get it now at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0051HHZGO

THANKS TO THE GENEROSITY OF THE AUTHOR,

STEVE RICHER, I HAVE THREE (3) EBOOK

EDITIONS OF THIS BOOK TO GIVE AWAY.

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.

ADDENDUM

I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com.

I am providing this link solely for visitors

that may be interested in purchasing this EBook.

I do not receive any monetary compensation from any parties

Tracy from Meryl L. Moss Media has visited many times and has introduced us to some extremely talented debut authors.  Today is no exception.  She contacted me and asked if she could stop by, give us the opportunity to meet this new author and have him talk about his debut novel.  So once again, I ask that you help me welcome Peter Murphy.

 

After moving to Canada where the winters discouraged such Bohemianism, he settled down with his Portuguese wife, and loving life partner, and raised two boys. When his sons reached college age, Murphy gave up trying to be ‘normal’ and finally sat down to write Lagan Love, a story he had been lugging around inside of himself for decades.

While not nostalgic, he is a great believer in the value of the past and all that was learned along the way. Accepting progress, and all it demands, Murphy also believes that we should not be so quick to abandon the centuries of human experience that history holds. Lagan Love cautions on this and urges reflection – things Murphy holds dear.

Lagan Love is a sensuous story of Love, Lust and Loss that brings into question the cost we pay for our dreams.
You can visit Mr. Murphy at his website.

Stepping into the swirling blend of the old and the new is Janice, a young painter from Toronto, who has crossed the ocean to seek passion in her life and her art. Her affair with Aidan, Ireland’s rising poet, leads her through the veil of the Celtic Twilight to a place of reward and danger in Peter Murphy’s stunning debut novel LAGAN LOVE (The Fiction Studio, June 7, 2011).

Drawing on Ireland’s rich history and mellifluous ability to speak legend into art through such Irish geniuses as William Butler Yeats and James Joyce, Murphy weaves a tale that draws on Celtic lore as much as the hard facts of economic recovery. Into the lives of Janice and Aidan and their more practical friends walks the mysterious Gwen, who may be far more than the beautiful seductress she seems on the surface.

Trailing Gwen like cigarette smoke in a tavern is the myth of the leanan sídhe, or lenanshee, a fairy spirit who inspires lovers to ever-greater creative heights – at a price. Can the levelheaded Sinead, who has dedicated herself to seizing new career opportunities, or the kind and romantic Ronan, keep their friends from being swept away by the Ireland that dwells just beneath the surface?

Evoking the days when the love for Ireland was hidden in the lyrics about a beautiful woman in the classic 15th-century song, My Lagan Love, Murphy’s freshman novel reveals the complex layers of his homeland – as bracing as a pint on a chilly Dublin evening.

Giveaway copies are supplied and shipped to winners
via publisher, agent and/or author. This blog hosts
the giveaway on behalf of the above.
No items that I receive
are ever sold…they are kept by me,
or given to family and/or friends.

Tracy from Meryl L. Moss Media has visited many times and has introduced us to some extremely talented debut authors.  Today is no exception.  She contacted me and asked if she could stop by, give us the opportunity to meet this new author and have him talk about his debut novel.  So once again, I ask that you help me welcome Peter Murphy.

 

After moving to Canada where the winters discouraged such Bohemianism, he settled down with his Portuguese wife, and loving life partner, and raised two boys. When his sons reached college age, Murphy gave up trying to be ‘normal’ and finally sat down to write Lagan Love, a story he had been lugging around inside of himself for decades.

While not nostalgic, he is a great believer in the value of the past and all that was learned along the way. Accepting progress, and all it demands, Murphy also believes that we should not be so quick to abandon the centuries of human experience that history holds. Lagan Love cautions on this and urges reflection – things Murphy holds dear.

Lagan Love is a sensuous story of Love, Lust and Loss that brings into question the cost we pay for our dreams.
You can visit Mr. Murphy at his website.

Stepping into the swirling blend of the old and the new is Janice, a young painter from Toronto, who has crossed the ocean to seek passion in her life and her art. Her affair with Aidan, Ireland’s rising poet, leads her through the veil of the Celtic Twilight to a place of reward and danger in Peter Murphy’s stunning debut novel LAGAN LOVE (The Fiction Studio, June 7, 2011).

Drawing on Ireland’s rich history and mellifluous ability to speak legend into art through such Irish geniuses as William Butler Yeats and James Joyce, Murphy weaves a tale that draws on Celtic lore as much as the hard facts of economic recovery. Into the lives of Janice and Aidan and their more practical friends walks the mysterious Gwen, who may be far more than the beautiful seductress she seems on the surface.

Trailing Gwen like cigarette smoke in a tavern is the myth of the leanan sídhe, or lenanshee, a fairy spirit who inspires lovers to ever-greater creative heights – at a price. Can the levelheaded Sinead, who has dedicated herself to seizing new career opportunities, or the kind and romantic Ronan, keep their friends from being swept away by the Ireland that dwells just beneath the surface?

Evoking the days when the love for Ireland was hidden in the lyrics about a beautiful woman in the classic 15th-century song, My Lagan Love, Murphy’s freshman novel reveals the complex layers of his homeland – as bracing as a pint on a chilly Dublin evening.

Giveaway copies are supplied and shipped to winners
via publisher, agent and/or author. This blog hosts
the giveaway on behalf of the above.
No items that I receive
are ever sold…they are kept by me,
or given to family and/or friends.

What a great way to start July off!!   Special thanks to Jodi and Robyn from WOW-Women On Writing, for giving me the opportunity to be be one of the hosts for this awesome writer, while she is on her virtual book tour.  Please help me give a very big and warm welcome to today’s guest.  I have the honor and pleasure to introduce you to the very busy, amazing and talented author, Melissa Foster!! 

Megan’s Way have both been nominated for Dan Poynter’s Global eBook Awards

You can visit Melissa at her website, follow her on Facebook, twitter, FB Fanpage.  Chat with her on  The Women’s Nest.

1. Do you have a favorite type of book? What are you reading right now?
I gravitate toward books that are very close to real life—or at least that I can fathom happening in real life. I like strong, complex, female heroines who have something big to lose. I prefer fiction, and to read books that have bigger purposes than just to entertain, although I do like those, too.

Right now I’m reading Raven Stole The Moon, by Garth Stein.

2. Where did you get the idea for Megan’s Way?
Years ago, my mother had surgery and decided not to tell me that they thought she had cancer. Luckily, she didn’t, but she told me a year later that if she had, she had decided not to have treatments. Even though I was a mother, I instantly reverted back to being her daughter, and I was devastated. It took me years to wade through my emotions of feeling like she would have abandoned me, to understanding that there were larger issues at hand than just the selfishness of a daughter. In time, I came to understand, from a mother’s perspective, why she would have made that decision.

For this reason, it was easy for me to slip into both Megan and Olivia’s shoes when I was writing the book.

3. How long did it take you to write Megan’s Way?
I think it was about a year.

4. You’ve written two novels and are working on your third. Do all your novels have a common theme?
I really had to think about this question, because all three books are markedly different, although I believe the themes that are woven through them are similar—love, family, friendship, selflessness.

5. Have you ever considered writing any other type of book? Children’s? Non-fiction? Romance? YA?
Yes, many readers have really enjoyed the strength of teenage voice and I really enjoyed writing from that perspective. My fourth manuscript, Shades of Gray, is a YA / Women’s Fiction crossover.

6. Do you have a special writing room? Can you describe it for us?
Right now we are building a house and living in a temporary apartment. I don’t have a separate room, but my writing “area” is all windows and overlooks a gorgeous horse farm. In my new home, my office will overlook fields and will be bright and sunny, too. As long as I’m alone and have windows (or if I’m outdoors), I can write anywhere. I wouldn’t do well in a room without windows.

7. Have you ever had writer’s block? How do you escape it?
Luckily, I haven’t encountered that yet. I figure I have another ten years of stories in my head—then perhaps I’ll fall into the dreaded writer’s block black hole, but I sure hope not.

8. Are you a full-time author? If not, what is your other job(s)? If you weren’t a writer what would be your dream job?
I am a full-time author and I founded and run The Women’s Nest, a social and support community for women. Although it’s not an occupation, I like to spend my time helping women see the positive side of life. I owned and operated an HR consulting firm for many years.

My dream job is being a writer. I adore what I do and crave it on the weekends. If I weren’t a writer I would want to be a preacher of positivity. It’s a fake job that only lives in my head I’d like to spend my days helping others feel good about themselves and find the things in life that make them happy—like motivational speaking on steroids.

9. What do you do in your free time when you aren’t writing?
Free time? What’s that?

I spend my time with my family. I’m pretty boring. My days are filled with exercise, my children and husband, reading, writing, and the dreaded running of errands.

10. Tell us what you’re working on now.
Coming Soon: Come Back to Me (working title)

Tess Johnson has it all, Beau, her handsome photographer husband, a thriving business, and a newly discovered pregnancy. When Beau accepts an overseas photography assignment, Tess decides to wait to reveal her secret—only she’s never given the chance. Beau’s helicopter crashes in the desert.

As Tess struggles to put her life back together and deal with the pregnancy she can no longer hide, a new client appears, offering more than just a new project.

Meanwhile, two Iraqi women who are fleeing Honor Killings find Beau alive in the middle of the desert, his body ravaged. Suha, a doctor, and Samira, a widow and mother of three young children, nurse him back to health in a makeshift tent. Beau bonds with the women and children, and together, with the help of an underground organization, they continue their dangerous escape.

What happens next is a test of loyalties, strength, and love.

Thank you, Cheryl, for having me on your blog today. I enjoyed answering your questions and I look forward to continuing our friendship.

I love to chat with readers and book clubs, and I’m currently running a Kindle Giveaway promotion for anyone who purchases my books. You can find details on my site: www.MelissaFoster.com. If you’d like to talk about my books or writing, please email me: Thinkhappygirl (at) yahoo (dot) com

But Megan isn’t the only one struggling. Fourteen-year-old Olivia’s world is falling apart right before her eyes, and there’s nothing she can do about it. She finds herself acting in ways she cannot even begin to understand. When her internal struggles turn to dangerous behavior, even the paranormal connection she shares with her mother might not be enough to save her – her life will hang in the balance. Megan’s Way is a journey of self discovery and heartfelt emotions, exploring the depth of the mother-daughter bond, and the intricacies of friendship.

 Watch the trailer!!!

 
Melissa’s blog tour for Chasing Amanda, will be launched at the Muffin
Megan’s Way and Chasing Amanda were just nominated for Global eBook Awards

You can purchase Megan’s Way on Amazon or Smashwords.

 

What a great way to start July off!!   Special thanks to Jodi and Robyn from WOW-Women On Writing, for giving me the opportunity to be be one of the hosts for this awesome writer, while she is on her virtual book tour.  Please help me give a very big and warm welcome to today’s guest.  I have the honor and pleasure to introduce you to the very busy, amazing and talented author, Melissa Foster!! 

Megan’s Way have both been nominated for Dan Poynter’s Global eBook Awards

You can visit Melissa at her website, follow her on Facebook, twitter, FB Fanpage.  Chat with her on  The Women’s Nest.

1. Do you have a favorite type of book? What are you reading right now?
I gravitate toward books that are very close to real life—or at least that I can fathom happening in real life. I like strong, complex, female heroines who have something big to lose. I prefer fiction, and to read books that have bigger purposes than just to entertain, although I do like those, too.

Right now I’m reading Raven Stole The Moon, by Garth Stein.

2. Where did you get the idea for Megan’s Way?
Years ago, my mother had surgery and decided not to tell me that they thought she had cancer. Luckily, she didn’t, but she told me a year later that if she had, she had decided not to have treatments. Even though I was a mother, I instantly reverted back to being her daughter, and I was devastated. It took me years to wade through my emotions of feeling like she would have abandoned me, to understanding that there were larger issues at hand than just the selfishness of a daughter. In time, I came to understand, from a mother’s perspective, why she would have made that decision.

For this reason, it was easy for me to slip into both Megan and Olivia’s shoes when I was writing the book.

3. How long did it take you to write Megan’s Way?
I think it was about a year.

4. You’ve written two novels and are working on your third. Do all your novels have a common theme?
I really had to think about this question, because all three books are markedly different, although I believe the themes that are woven through them are similar—love, family, friendship, selflessness.

5. Have you ever considered writing any other type of book? Children’s? Non-fiction? Romance? YA?
Yes, many readers have really enjoyed the strength of teenage voice and I really enjoyed writing from that perspective. My fourth manuscript, Shades of Gray, is a YA / Women’s Fiction crossover.

6. Do you have a special writing room? Can you describe it for us?
Right now we are building a house and living in a temporary apartment. I don’t have a separate room, but my writing “area” is all windows and overlooks a gorgeous horse farm. In my new home, my office will overlook fields and will be bright and sunny, too. As long as I’m alone and have windows (or if I’m outdoors), I can write anywhere. I wouldn’t do well in a room without windows.

7. Have you ever had writer’s block? How do you escape it?
Luckily, I haven’t encountered that yet. I figure I have another ten years of stories in my head—then perhaps I’ll fall into the dreaded writer’s block black hole, but I sure hope not.

8. Are you a full-time author? If not, what is your other job(s)? If you weren’t a writer what would be your dream job?
I am a full-time author and I founded and run The Women’s Nest, a social and support community for women. Although it’s not an occupation, I like to spend my time helping women see the positive side of life. I owned and operated an HR consulting firm for many years.

My dream job is being a writer. I adore what I do and crave it on the weekends. If I weren’t a writer I would want to be a preacher of positivity. It’s a fake job that only lives in my head I’d like to spend my days helping others feel good about themselves and find the things in life that make them happy—like motivational speaking on steroids.

9. What do you do in your free time when you aren’t writing?
Free time? What’s that?

I spend my time with my family. I’m pretty boring. My days are filled with exercise, my children and husband, reading, writing, and the dreaded running of errands.

10. Tell us what you’re working on now.
Coming Soon: Come Back to Me (working title)

Tess Johnson has it all, Beau, her handsome photographer husband, a thriving business, and a newly discovered pregnancy. When Beau accepts an overseas photography assignment, Tess decides to wait to reveal her secret—only she’s never given the chance. Beau’s helicopter crashes in the desert.

As Tess struggles to put her life back together and deal with the pregnancy she can no longer hide, a new client appears, offering more than just a new project.

Meanwhile, two Iraqi women who are fleeing Honor Killings find Beau alive in the middle of the desert, his body ravaged. Suha, a doctor, and Samira, a widow and mother of three young children, nurse him back to health in a makeshift tent. Beau bonds with the women and children, and together, with the help of an underground organization, they continue their dangerous escape.

What happens next is a test of loyalties, strength, and love.

Thank you, Cheryl, for having me on your blog today. I enjoyed answering your questions and I look forward to continuing our friendship.

I love to chat with readers and book clubs, and I’m currently running a Kindle Giveaway promotion for anyone who purchases my books. You can find details on my site: www.MelissaFoster.com. If you’d like to talk about my books or writing, please email me: Thinkhappygirl (at) yahoo (dot) com

But Megan isn’t the only one struggling. Fourteen-year-old Olivia’s world is falling apart right before her eyes, and there’s nothing she can do about it. She finds herself acting in ways she cannot even begin to understand. When her internal struggles turn to dangerous behavior, even the paranormal connection she shares with her mother might not be enough to save her – her life will hang in the balance. Megan’s Way is a journey of self discovery and heartfelt emotions, exploring the depth of the mother-daughter bond, and the intricacies of friendship.

 Watch the trailer!!!

 
Melissa’s blog tour for Chasing Amanda, will be launched at the Muffin
Megan’s Way and Chasing Amanda were just nominated for Global eBook Awards

You can purchase Megan’s Way on Amazon or Smashwords.