WELCOME KIMBERLY PALMER

KIMBERLY PALMER

Kimberly Palmer is the author of the new book, “The Economy of You: Discover Your Inner Entrepreneur and Recession-Proof Your Life,” and senior money editor for U.S. News & World Report, where she writes the popular Alpha Consumer blog. In addition, she is the creator of Palmer’s Planners, her own line of digital financial guides and money organizers for major life events and goals. You can connect with her at bykimberlypalmer.com.
Connect with Kimberly at these sites:

ABOUT THE BOOK

Don’t wait around for your job to disappear….Take back your financial future!

The biggest trend in business is the microbusiness! Handcrafted jewelry, artisanal eats, life coaching, app development, you name it—entrepreneurial side ventures are everywhere. Weary of pink-slip anxiety and the endless money squeeze, millions of people are taking the leap. They’re adding to their incomes and creating safety nets in case the ax falls at work. In the process, they’re unlocking their creativity and finding a sense of fulfillment they never dreamed possible.

Financial columnist Kimberly Palmer illuminates the everyday faces behind this growing movement, starting with her own journey. Recognizing that journalism offers little job security these days—and with a baby to provide for—she decided to develop a series of financial planners. This supplemental business was soon providing a reliable income stream.

The Economy of You recounts story after story of people who—like Kimberly—are liberating themselves from financial strain. A deli employee who makes custom cakes at night. An instrument repairman who sells voice-overs on his website. A videographer who started a profitable publishing house on the side. Interwoven in the profiles are concrete guidelines for readers looking to launch rewarding businesses of their own, including:

• Tips for figuring out the ideal side gig

• Ideas for keeping start up costs low

• Advice on juggling a fledgling enterprise and a full-time job

• Strategies for finding your “tribe” and building a social network

• Branding and marketing basics that bring results

• When and what to offer for free

• And much more

Companies guarantee nothing but today’s wages. It’s up to YOU to build stability by becoming a money-making engine. It’s empowering, gratifying, and easy to do with The Economy of You.

BOOK DETAILS:

Publisher: AMACOM
Publication date: January 16, 2014
Page Count: 256
ISBN: 978014432730 (hardcover)

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WELCOME ROBERT LANCE

ROBERT LANCE

I currently live near St Louis Missouri. I was born in 1948 and grew up in St. Joseph, Missouri. I drifted into adulthood rather dull and anonymous.
I started flying airplanes when I was sixteen and began flying commercially when I was eighteen. At the age of twenty-one I was hired by a major airline, a career that was frequently interrupted by lay-offs and I’d drift around finding some interesting jobs connected with flying.
I spent twelve years as a pilot on active duty and the remainder of my career in the Air Force Reserve. I retired from the Air Force and the Airlines having had a full and exciting career.
I’ve always had an adventurous streak and couldn’t resist the temptation to dabble in anything that caught my interest, mostly in the construction and engineering sectors. I can modestly say that I’ve had a well rounded education in how the global economy works. I’ve owned and operated several companies, some successful and some not so much. I’ve done everything from importing tomatoes from Turkey to brokering the construction of power plants in South America.
I’m not sure why I have had a life long interest in Russian studies. During college, I gravitated towards history and teaching. I suppose I was unduly influenced by a very hot and frisky professor who was a Bolshevik agitator. I was exposed to the extremes of global politics at a young age and formed a rather independent view of the world evolving around me.
I began writing in my teens and completed my first novel at the age of twenty-one. I was encouraged to pursue a writing career, but I was preoccupied with flying fast and upside down. I toyed with the idea off and on, but I had rubbed elbows with exploitive journalists overseas and that killed any desire to become a part of that wolf pack.
My life experience and writing didn’t converge until I retired. Since I am listless and out from under the oppression of having to earn a living, I devote all my energy to a passion that I love without any distractions.
Most of my writing, while tackling controversial and contentious subjects, is always upbeat and filled with bits of humor, romance, mystery, and adventure. Life is not a genre and my writing is always inclusive of reality that rubs against most genres, giving my characters fuller dimensions.
I have one self-published one novel, “Caesar’s Cat” and recently “The Shadow Spy” released by WeBook. “Lottery Rage” is coming soon. I have four manuscripts waiting in the publishing queue. My website will be up (hopefully) by the time of the first print edition of “The Shadow Spy.”

Q&A with Robert Lance

Do you draw from personal experience and/or current events?
Usually my stories are grounded in an event to lend authenticity to the plot. What sizzling conspiracy is any good without a cast of bad actors set in the drama of the suspicious events of our own times? My objective is to write a credible tale for my audience to ponder and perhaps think to themselves; “So that’s how that happened.”
As to injecting my personal experiences, I’ll admit that I do draw on my own personal flaws, and if not mine, then someone I know very well.

Do you start with the conclusion and plot in reverse or start from the beginning and see where the story line brings you?
Of the five novels I’ve completed not one has ended the way I intended, nor starts with the assertiveness of my original inspiration. For example, the first twelve chapters of Shadow Spy were edited out and I added a main character that I had no intention of using. Once you’ve finished your manuscript exactly to your satisfaction your critique partners are always on hand to tell you what the rewrite should look like. I’m flexible like that.

Your routine when writing? Any idiosyncrasies?
Idiosyncrasies? That’s a perfect description of me. Life is not a Genre and I tend to be all over the place. I like for my main character’s to be whole, experiencing life as you or I might. 007 doesn’t wear a dirty apron while trying to salvage a dead rabbit intended to be a gourmet surprise for his wife. You’ll find a bit of humor, romance, quirky misunderstandings and touching scenes in all my books. Idiosyncrasies are a box of crayons we all own and I tend to pick the bright colors to use.
My writing routine? Perpetual.

Is writing your full time job? If not may I ask what you do by day?
If writing were a job then I’ve picked the wrong profession. Writing is an obsession. To be perfectly honest I write to entertain myself, and if it turns out I’ve entertained someone else in the process then good for me. My abundant curiosity is insatiable and perhaps annoying, which brings me to answer the second part of the question. When not writing, I’m a spy. The question begs a flippant answer and I just can’t help myself.

Who are some of your favorite authors?
Nelson Demille, Joseph Finder, Kimberley Reeves, D. S. Loren, Wilbur Smith and Bernard Cornwell. It’s a mixed bag to be sure, but recently I’ve become enthralled with the aspiring authors on the WeBook site. I spend most of my time there following some very good authors with dazzling talents waiting to be discovered.

What are you reading now?
“Dasvidaniya, Rodina” by D. S. Loren. It’s a common story told with an exceptionally brilliant voice. It is probably the best period book ever written about the Stalin years and with such poetic potency that makes me feel the heartbeat of the woman recalling the saga.

Are you working on your next novel? Can you tell us a little about it?
Yes. “Lottery Rage” should be in print sometime in early 2014. It’s a Nashville kind of story about a gifted musician who missed stardom by an inch and for the last ten years has been living in an RV; waking up every morning thinking he’ll find a new destination at the end of the day. When Owen Fletcher wins the lottery his simple life becomes a complication of good intentions gone horribly wrong. He starts a journey towards redemption and resurrection, but fate is often a cruel mistress with many lovers, as Owen will discover.

Your novel will be a movie. Who would you cast?
Kiefer Sutherland without a doubt is Doug Findley. He’s a polished actor with charm and poise, yet very approachable in a down to earth screen character. I would offer the part of Helen, Doug’s gorgeous wife, to Kate Middleton, a regal princess who unfortunately isn’t taking casting calls, so I’ll settle for Leona Lewis. Wait…she doesn’t act does she?

Favorite leisure activity/hobby
I like to point the nose of my Russian Yak 52 aerobatic airplane towards little houses on the ground, especially when I have a VIP sitting in the back seat who has yet to offer to buy the gas. Did I mention I have unique negotiating skills?

Favorite meal?
Anything but crow.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Doug Findley is a CIA sleeper agent activated to expedite the demise of the Soviet Union. His task is simple. All he has to do set up the bridge work to funnel money to the spreading reform movement and undermine the election cycle in Russia. What starts out as a ‘drop box’ assignment escalates before Doug can finish the job He accidentally learns he’s a ‘throw-away’ agent and the convenient fall-guy.
His end game takes him to banks all over Europe where he builds a conduit to secretly transfer black funds to finance pro-western factions in Russia. His secret weapon is an extraordinary photographic memory. It’s also what gets him into trouble. His enemies need the database of the accounts he has accumulated in his head before they can cancel his birth certificate.
Imagine his shock when he discovers he doesn’t work for the CIA and never did. He is a surrogate of a global conspiracy and beyond the reach of the CIA. The pendulum of the balance of power is Findley’s clock and he’s running out of time. He becomes the target of the KGB, the Russian mob, his own CIA, and a secret power cartel that have their own sinister plans for Russia.

Doug Findley will entertain you as he takes you through the meltdown of the Soviet Union. His exploits parallel true events that will leave you to wonder if the Soviet Super Power’s fall was a devious plan that was meant to fail. Fact is sometimes stranger than fiction…or is it?

BOOK DETAILS:

Print Length: 297 pages
Publisher: WEbook
Publication Date: November 1, 2013
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
ASIN: B00GIYL218

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WELCOME EVA A. BLASKOVIC

EVA A. BLASKOVIC

Eva Blaskovic was born in the Czech Republic, grew up in Ontario, Canada, and moved to Alberta in 1988, where she raised four children. Eva has worked in science labs and has taught literacy, writing, math, and science. She is both an accomplished writer and editor of non-fiction articles on business, education, how-to, parenting, and travel. She is also an author of short fiction. Beyond the Precipice is Eva Blaskovic’s first full length novel, but it has already received rave reviews from literary professionals and aficionados the world over. When Eva hasn’t buried herself in writing or editing, she may be found taking her teenagers to Taekwondo, exploring the Farmers’ Market, listening to Celtic music, or sipping a latte.
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ABOUT THE BOOK

A YOUNG MAN WITH A DARK SECRET MUST CHOOSE BETWEEN HIS FAMILY AND THE GIRL HE LOVES.
For six years Bret Killeen is trapped by the wishes of his dead father, blackmailed by his brother, and rejected by his uncle. Meanwhile, he watches his mother descend into the depths of poverty.
As Bret wrestles with guilt over the death of his father, he is helped by Nicole, a young cello player with big dreams. She stirs the embers of his longing both for music and for her – and ignites a fire he can’t extinguish.
But can he brave his past in order to seize his future?
The award-worthy debut novel by Eva A. Blaskovic is a riveting blend of suspense, dark humor, and compelling inter-personal drama. Once you engage this roller coaster read you won’t be able to stop.

BOOK DETAILS:

Print Length: 406 pages
Publisher: Ashby-BP Publishing
Publication Date: April 25, 2013
ISBN: 0988163810

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WELCOME KATHLEEN GEORGE

KATHLEEN GEORGE

Known for her gritty, crime-ridden mysteries, novelist Kathleen George returns to bookstores with two new novels in 2014, “A Measure of Blood” and “The Johnstown Girls.”

George grew up in Johnstown, Penn., a small city that found its way into the history books with the Great Flood of 1889. In addition to a bachelor’s degree and a master of fine arts in creative writing, she holds a master’s degree and a doctorate in theater from the University of Pittsburgh. She now teaches theater arts and writing at her alma mater.

George published her first short story collection, “The Man in the Buick,” in 1999. The book was a finalist for the Helicon Nine prize in fiction. She is the author of the acclaimed Richard Christie mysteries, which started in 2001 with “Taken.” The book has been translated into six languages and was recommended by critic David Kipen on “The Today Show.” She continued the series with “Fallen,” “Afterimage,” “The Odds,” “Hideout,” “Simple” and her latest “A Measure of Blood.” “The Odds” was nominated for an Edgar award for best novel by the Mystery Writers of America.

Stepping just outside of the mystery genre, George introduces “The Johnstown Girls” in April 2014
(University of Pittsburgh Press).

George is the editor of “Pittsburgh Noir,” a collection of stories featuring Stewart O’Nan, Hilary
Masters, Reginald McKnight, K.C. Constantine, Lila Shaara, Nancy Martin, Kathleen George, and
many others. She has also written three books on theater.

She has appeared as a guest on mystery and literary blogs including Criminal Minds, Jungle Red
Writers, The Stiletto Gang, Writers Read, The Page 69 Test and Janice Gable Bashman, among others.

George lives in Pittsburgh where she enjoys cooking Lebanese food for her husband and fellow writer,
Hilary Masters.
Connect with Kathleen at these sites:

Q&A with Kathleen George

For those new to your series, can you describe the Pittsburgh Richard Christie mysteries?
My series has been called suspense, mystery, thriller, and procedural. I think all of those labels
apply in different mixes in different books. The series is very character oriented. Both the victims and
the criminals have personal lives in each book and sometimes those lives mirror those of the police.
The police have an ongoing story of their personal relationships over the course of the novels. They fall in love and out. I feel I know them.  One reader told me my books reminded her of the Inspector Morse series. I love that compliment because I like to make my police, and especially Christie, human, flawed, contradictory, thoughtful. Lots of people have told me they’ve fallen in love with Christie. I have too. As I write him, I love him. There are other important police characters—and one of them is Colleen Greer who is a rookie in book three but well on her way in the profession by book six. She and Christie pretty much share the stage.

What makes Pittsburgh the perfect setting for a crime series?
Pittsburgh has a lot of “parts.” There are gorgeous views, more bridges than in Venice, many
trees and parks and also very poor areas, boarded up buildings, dark, rough streets. Needless to say
there are dramas of class and race in the very makeup of the city. And in between the extremes there
are ethnic neighborhoods that started out as immigrant strongholds and somehow held onto that identity even when mostly taken over by students looking for affordable housing. The people are extremely colorful. The braying Steelers fans that Tom Hanks made sport of on David Letterman. World famous doctors. The grandchildren of immigrants who have come up in the world and who are almost invariably friendly and unpretentious. Pittsburgh is friendly except when a ‘burgher is in a car. All bets are off for sweetness. The driver simply wants to get home.

How do you know so much about police work?
I called the police a lot. Then I realized just how much I had absorbed and how much was
common sense. I started to get freer about calling my own shots and when I checked with the police on
what I had done, I got the nod of approval. I’ve been extremely lucky. The police have been supportive and open with me. Actually the FBI, too, in the early days when I needed to consult were also helpful.  My husband loves to tell people that when I tried certain plots on the FBI consultant, he said I had a fine criminal mind.

“The Johnstown Girls” is based on a real event that happened in your hometown. What inspired you to write about this piece of history?
The Great Flood of 1889 is an amazing story of greed and survival in America, a story everyone
should know. And I come from Johnstown. And there were subsequent floods. My mother was in two
of them. None was as big or devastating as the Great Flood though the lesser floods were plenty
serious with numerous deaths and significant loss of property. I wanted to include all three floods to
some extent in my novel because I experienced the fear in 1977 that I would lose my mother and I
realized that disaster stories are really about those moments of longing for those you love, fear of losing them. When I couldn’t get news, when the town was cordoned off, the drama that I knew first hand was that classic one of fear followed by joy at reunion.

How long have you worked on these books?
“A Measure of Blood” took about four years with some off and on time. Actually I began
working on “The Johnstown Girls” twenty-five years ago. It haunted me. I worked intensely but
sporadically over the years.

What was it like to grow up in Johnstown, Penn.?
Sweet! Little ethnic neighborhood. Smells of pierogies and kielbassa, small grocery stores
where the owners knew your family and what brands you wanted. And in the old days kids could play
dodgeball in the street if it was flat and well-paved or sled-ride down a steep street. We felt connected
to Pittsburgh. It was the big bit brother down the road. We were Pirates fans for sure. The whole town
listened to the 1960 world series.

How do you juggle your career as a theater arts professor at the University of Pittsburgh with your life as a mystery writer?
Eeeek. Sometimes juggle is the operative word. It’s tough to do it all, but I love all of it. I tend
to get up very early. In those morning hours when lots of people are sleeping and some are rocking
babies or walking dogs, I put words on a page.

How does your background in theatre help with writing?
Well it helps immensely. Theatre teaches you early on what a scene is, how a scene is an
interaction with tensions. Theatre teaches about motivation and what is going on underneath what is
said. Almost all plays are about lying. To oneself. To others. And that makes for the center of a lot of
plots.
When I was directing, I would coach actors for hours on four lines of dialogue. We would
totally explore inner life. What is thought, felt, seen, attempted. That is definitely good training for
writers.

Your husband, Hilary Masters, is a well-known writer who has been honored by the American Academy of Arts and Letters. What’s it like to have two writers in one household? Do you critique each other’s work?
Only very carefully. We know how tender the other is. So generally we wait for a whole draft
before showing anything. That’s the best way not to interrupt or get in the way of the initial impulses.
But then, after that, we read and tell the truth. Even if it hurts.

Would you ever collaborate with your husband for a book?
I suppose if we ever were interested in the same subject. Our work is pretty different and so is
our prose. But it is not out of the question. He has so much soul. And I am so dogged. I wonder how
that would work?

Has there been film interest in your work?
Yes, particular for Taken, my first novel. Even a screenwriter in France wanted to pitch it as a
French story (which I would totally love!). Someday, I have been assured, somebody is going to want
the whole series because of the ways the relationships change over time among the repeating characters while time passes and challenging new cases come along.

ABOUT THE BOOK

A murder sends a child into foster care and drags a detective into a feverish hunt for justice

Nadal watches for weeks before he first approaches the boy. No matter what Maggie Brown says, he’s sure Matt is his son, and a boy should know his father. After their first confrontation, Maggie should have run.  She should have hidden her child. But she underestimated the man who was once her lover. With self-righteous determination, Nadal goes to her apartment. He demands to spend time with the boy. When she refuses, he reaches for a knife.

By the time homicide detective Richard Christie arrives on the scene, the killer has vanished, and Matt
is too scared to remember much more than his mother’s fear. As Christie looks for the killer and
Maggie’s friends fight to keep Matt out of the hands of Child Services, Nadal watches the news and
waits. A boy should be with his father. He’s going to get his son.

BOOK DETAILS:

Genre: Mystery
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: MysteriousPress.com/Open Road
Publication Date: January 14, 2014
ISBN-10: 1480445606
ISBN-13: 978-1480445604

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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 affiliate. I am providing link(s) solely for visitors that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.

WELCOME BURT WEISSBOURD

BURT WEISSBOURD

Burt Weissbourd is a novelist, screenwriter and producer of feature films. He was born in 1949 and graduated cum laude from Yale University, with honors in psychology. During his student years, he volunteered at the Museum of Modern Art in Paris and taught English to college students in Thailand. After he graduated, he wrote, directed, and produced educational films for Gilbert Altschul Productions. He began a finance program at the Northwestern University Graduate School of Business, but left to start his own film production company in Los Angeles. He managed that company from 1977 until 1986, producing films including “Ghost Story” starring Fred Astaire, Melvyn Douglas, John Houseman, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., and Patricia Neal, and “Raggedy Man” starring Sissy Spacek and Sam Shepard, which The New York Times called “a movie of sweet, low-keyed charm.” In 1987, he founded an investment business, which he still runs.
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ABOUT THE BOOK

Corey Logan was set up. She knows Nick Season’s terrible secret. Coming home from prison, all Corey wants is to be with her son. To get him back, she needs to make a good impression on the psychiatrist evaluating her. But Dr. Abe Stein doesn’t believe she was framed–until his well-heeled mother falls for the charming state attorney general candidate, Nick Season.
As the dogs of war are unleashed, Corey and her son run for their lives–taking her boat up the Pacific Northwest’s remote Inside Passage. Inside Passage is the first in Weissbourd’s haunting, heart-stirring Corey Logan trilogy.

BOOK DETAILS:

Series: Corey Logan
Hardcover: 268 pages
Publisher: Vireo Book, A
Publication Date: February 19, 2013
ISBN-10: 0985490233
ISBN-13: 978-0985490232

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WELCOME Dr. HABIB SADEGHI

Dr. Habib Sadeghi, D.O.

Dr. Habib Sadeghi D.O. is the co-founder of Be Hive of Healing, an integrative health center based in Los Angeles. He is a highly-respected physician and researcher in the fields of integrative, osteopathic, anthroposophical, environmental, family medicine, German new medicine, homeopathy and clinical pharmacology. He has served as an attending Physician and Clinical Facilitator at UCLA-Santa Monica Medical Center, as well as a Clinical Instructor of Family Medicine at Western University of Health Sciences. He is a member of the Physician’s Association for Anthroposophic Medicine and International Post-Graduate Medical Training for Anthroposophic Medicine. An active member of the Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation and American Holistic Medical Association, he is regularly sought after as an expert in the fields of nutritional therapy, dietary supplementation and detoxification for chronic conditions such as heart disease, cancer and auto immune diseases at venues around the world.

Having recovered from cancer decades ago through his unique combination of integrative medical protocols, his services are in great demand. His patients come from as far as Columbia, Mexico, Germany, Thailand, France, Canada, Israel and the United Kingdom, seeking his specialized combination of integrative therapies.

Dr. Sadeghi serves as an on-air health expert for FOX News and Geraldo at Large. He is co-author of the book, The Light, along with renowned spiritual teachers, Don Miguel Ruiz (The Four Agreements), Terry Tillman (Writings on the Wall), Barbara Marx Hubbard (Emergence: Shift From Ego to Essence), John-Roger (Living the Spiritual Principles of Health and Wellbeing) and Marci Shimoff (Co-author,Chicken Soup For the Soul series & Love For No Reason). He was also one of the first two osteopathic physicians ever to be included as a medical expert in the nationally televised cancer research fundraising telethon, Stand Up to Cancer (SU2C), executive produced by Gwyneth Paltrow. He is also the publisher of Be Hive of Healing Medical Corporation’s monthly newsletter and the spiritual health magazine, MegaZEN.
Connect with Dr. Sadeghi at these sites:

Endorsements

“Dr. Sadeghi is the doctor who has changed my life. This book will change yours.”
– Gwyneth Paltrow, actress and author of It’s All Good: Delicious Easy Recipes That Will Make You Look Good and Feel Great and My Father’s Daughter: Delicious, Easy Recipes Celebrating Family and Togetherness

“Habib Sadeghi is an insightful, kind man who approaches healing in a fresh and uncomplicated way. If one is able to acknowledge that illness is created by an imbalance in the body, and that one’s state of mind and emotional wellbeing are integral to the overall health of the body, then Habib has practical suggestions on how to achieve a new realm of health and healing.”
– Tim Robbins, actor, director, producer

“Dr. Sadeghi has shown me how my outside often reflects my inside; how our minds and bodies mirror each other. He has helped me a great deal, and I hope that through this book more people can enjoy the benefit of his compassion.”
– Chris Martin, singer/songwriter, Coldplay

ABOUT THE BOOK

In his latest book, Dr. Habib Sadeghi provides a compassionately based, scientifically sound approach to the missing ingredient in the weight loss recipe: self-love. You’ll learn that real self-love is far more than an ethereal concept. It’s a tangible, evolutionary force that will create changes in your life that can only be described as miraculous.

You’ll discover the exciting, emerging science of epigenetics and that fat is not all in the family. You’ve never been doomed by your genes and have far more control over your weight than you ever realized. Most importantly, this program was created from compassion and experience by someone who has “been there”. So prepare yourself for a revelation that combines the latest science with spiritual nutrition for a quantum weight loss program that serves up a satisfying portion of real soul food. Take the journey to discover where the answers have been all along…within.

BOOK DETAILS:

Publisher: Premiere Digital Publishing
Publication date: January 1, 2014
Page Count: 300
ISBN: 9781624671807 (paperback)

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WELCOME PIERS ANTHONY

PIERS ANTHONY

Piers Anthony is one of the world’s most popular fantasy authors and a New York Times bestseller twenty-one times over. His Xanth novels have been read and loved by millions of readers around the world, and he daily receives hundreds of letters from his devoted fans. In addition to the Xanth series, Anthony is the author of many other best-selling works.
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ABOUT THE BOOK

In this latest in the popular Xanth fantasy series, Board Stiff demonstrates why we’re always warned to be careful what you wish for. What happens to the smart, beautiful woman who would make any man an excellent wife can’t find the man interested in just that? She gets bored stiff. And unfortunately, that’s just what she wished for. When Irrelevant Kandy looks at her reflection in the water of a shallow well, sees her lush midnight black hair, breathtakingly slender waist, and piercing dark eyes in a lovely face – so close to absolute perfection. She was every man’s desire, and that was part of the problem. As she contemplates her life at the well, the beauty says out loud “So here is my wish: I’m board stiff. I want Adventure, Excitement, and Romance.” Her wish came true. She is literally transformed into a flat, stiff board with two knotholes for eyes.

BOOK DETAILS:

Genre: Fantasy
Published by: Premier Digital Publishing
Publication date: Jan 6th, 2014
Number of pages: 250
ISBN:978-1624672248

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WELCOME GAIL MENCINI

Gail Mencini

Gail Mencini co-owned an accounting firm and practiced for 15 years in public accounting, specializing in tax law related to mergers and acquisitions and real estate. She also spent time in the higher education field, working as an adjunct professor at the University of Colorado and Metro State College, as well as the University of Denver College of Law. She was a repeat speaker at national continuing education seminars and a featured presenter in a real estate conference in the Caribbean.

In 1990 when she married her husband, Mencini became an “instant mother” of three boys plus another son two years later, which opened the doors to becoming a full-time mother and igniting her long-time passion for creative arts, gourmet cooking and traveling.

She went on to become a contributing editor and photojournalist for Buzz in the ‘Burbs, writing monthly cooking columns featuring dinner themes, recipes and complementary wine suggestions. She also served as interim director of marketing for Wine Master Cellars as the company transitioned to new leadership. She has been a member of the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers for nearly 20 years as well as the Pikes Peak Writers for over 10. She most recently joined Author U based in Aurora, Colo.

She writes and cooks in Denver, Colorado, with her husband and family who are always ready to critique her abundance of story ideas and recipes.
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Q&A with Gail Mencini

Is any part of “To Tuscany with Love” autobiographical?
The events and characters in “To Tuscany with Love” are products of my imagination and the places and people that are real are used fictitiously. I will, however, quote Garrison Keillor on this subject, “Bad things don’t happen to authors; it’s all material.” When a person travels, things happen that are not humorous at the time but later, in the recounting, are often hilarious. The novel is not autobiographical, but have I drawn from my experiences? Absolutely!

You use multiple points of view in the book. Was it difficult to keep the characters, and their voices, separate and distinct?
The characters have strong, unique personalities and I found they liked to grab the reins from their friends and tell their own story. To me, they are so different from each other that alternating voices was not a problem. Keeping track of the passage of time and age of the characters during each period seemed a more tedious, although essential, task. I enjoyed being able to view events from their different perspectives and plot how their friendship was the foundation for their growth as individual characters.

The characters in “To Tuscany with Love” are all interesting in their own way. How did you come up with their personalities?
For all my characters, their personalities are integrally related to their backgrounds and their families. Once I started fleshing out the characters’ names, careers, and what their homes were like growing up, their individual personalities flowed. I purposely plucked them from different regions in the country, with a variety of family dynamics.

I started with an Italian-American, Bella Rossini, which seemed a natural for a story set in Italy, and then my mind flew to two possible suitors with radically different backgrounds – a California athlete, Phillip, and a Southerner with a preacher for a father, Stillman. Rune, a man who grew up in Nebraska and escaped for a fast and loose life in Hollywood, presents an intriguing dichotomy and an element of humor. Having two sisters and a brother myself, I am interested in the dynamics and bonds between siblings, so including a set of twins fed that attraction. My husband is a physician and to show my respect for him, I wanted to include a physician character, although that is where the resemblance stops. Finally, I added Hope, a strong woman from Colorado who lives up to her name, as a tribute to my home state.

Breast cancer plays a part in the novel. Did you have a special reason for including this?
Breast cancer affects one in eight women in the United States. In Colorado, where I live, it is one in seven. Among the women in my neighborhood book club, the ratio is an alarming one in five. I am a breast cancer survivor myself, having undergone a bi-lateral mastectomy with reconstruction in 2009. Early detection is the key to survival. If in any way by writing about people with this disease I can spur someone to do a self-breast exam or get an annual screening mammogram, I will have achieved my goal of helping others fight breast cancer.

“To Tuscany with Love” touches on many themes including lost love, friendship, regret and entering adulthood. Can you tell us more about the message behind your book?
It’s never too late to take stock of one’s work, relationships, and life. What dreams of yours are unfulfilled, and why have they been pushed aside? Sometimes circumstances or economics are the unavoidable roadblock to achieving your dreams.

When things are outside of a person’s control, all one can do is to evaluate how best to deal with these obstacles, and then take action. That was my personal approach when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. The best thing about my cancer was that I realized how many people cared about me and wanted to help. I am not very good at asking for help and, unfortunately, many people are the same. Family and friends are a grossly underrated asset, which is why I centered “To Tuscany with Love” on a group of friends who help each other save, and forgive, themselves.

A surprising occurrence is that sometimes we ourselves, like my characters, have become the obstruction to achieving our goals. Passionately investing in your relationships and dreams is the first step to molding yourself into the person you dream of being and in the process, achieving happiness and fulfillment.

Have you visited the Tuscan cities and hill towns you describe in the book? Do you have a favorite place?
I have been fortunate to visit these lovely locales. A large city such as Florence has advantages as a base for your travels: proximity to an airport, ease of public transportation, and an abundance of historical and cultural sites. I have to admit, though, the charming, friendly hill towns of Tuscany stole my heart. When you read “To Tuscany with Love,” I suspect you will figure out which one of these hill towns is my favorite.

Do you have any advice for people traveling to Tuscany for the first time?
A person should define their goals for any trip up front. What are your priorities? Some examples are: seeing as many (historical, religious, or cultural) attractions as possible, sampling the cuisine, relaxation, touring with an athletic focus (biking or hiking), successful traveling with children, or what I term “piazza sitting and watching the world go by.” Determining one’s goals and likes, dislikes, budget, and special needs makes planning a rewarding and enjoyable trip much easier. I like using public transit, especially for a first-time visitor, because you travel shoulder-to-shoulder with the native Italians and are immediately immersed into their everyday life.

Your professional background is mainly in accounting and tax planning. Did you always secretly want to be a writer?
The creative arts were always a passion for me, but once I started reading Mary Stewart novels set in Greece, I was hooked: I longed to write and travel. With my husband’s encouragement and belief in me, I was able to take the overwhelming, terrifying, and thrilling first step of tackling book-length fiction.

How did you learn how to cook gourmet Italian food?
Learning to cook was easy, as I apprenticed under two accomplished and adventurous cooks, my mother and grandmother. I developed my expertise in gourmet Italian cuisine in several ways: gathering tips from my many Italian relatives, wanting to recreate the foods I savored in Italy, and having a shameless love of cookbooks, especially those featuring Italian cuisine—my collection overflows the bookshelf!

Describe the most memorable meal you ate while in Italy.
Picking only one of the many memorable meals is a challenge! My husband and I were in Piedmont and Tuscany during the floods that devastated northern Italy in 2000. Following a turbulent flight from the U.S., we drove through the rain with double shots of espresso and the thought of a hot meal sustaining us. When we finally arrived at our destination, we happily parked our car, requested a recommendation for a ristorante that catered to locals, and walked through the rain to dinner. We greeted our waitress with our rustic Italian and the gracious woman took one look at our weary, jet-lagged faces and suggested she select our food for us. We trusted her, and it was comforting, simple, delicious, and perfect: tomato bruschetta, feather-light tortellini in chicken broth, melt-in-your-mouth papparadelle with a sauce of wild boar and porcini, a house salad of field greens dressed with a light vinaigrette and freshly shaved parmesan cheese, and finally, lemon sorbetto and amaretti cookies. Magnifico!

Are you working on another book? Will it take readers on another trip to Italy?
I have another book underway already and am having fun scheming up new dilemmas for my characters. My next book, the second in the Tuscany series, takes place primarily in and around a charming Tuscan hill town not visited in To Tuscany with Love, so my readers will have the pleasure of new Italian experiences in another small area of Tuscany. One thing I will reveal, though, is that the delightful Tuscan cuisine and wine are certain to play a memorable role in this book!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Can one college semester abroad change the course of your life?

Bella Rossini, a vivacious college junior, lands in jail overnight with acquaintances whom she mistakes for friends. Shipped off to Tuscany by her mother, Bella is suddenly thrust into living with seven strangers during one life-altering summer.

Meet Hope, the sturdy and practical girl, steadfast in her loyalty to her boyfriend; Meghan and Karen, identical twins with an eye for fashion and beauty to match; Stillman, haunted by his hard past, and Phillip, an athlete, both fueled by competition; Lee, by family mandate in pre-med; and Rune, the Hollywood-bound wild child. All add sizzling chemistry and rebellious humor to the mix.

In one whirlwind summer, while uncovering the charms of Italy, they discover both friendship and love.

After their summer together, life – and loss – happens.

Returning to Tuscany 30 years later, their dreams, anger, secrets and disappointments create an emotional kaleidoscope. Their reunion sends them on a startling collision course that none of them could have predicted.

Set against the allure of Tuscany, with an irresistible fusion of heartbreak and humor, this debut novel, “To Tuscany with Love,” explores the fear of letting the past determine the future and the power of friendship.

BOOK DETAILS:

Series: Tuscany (Book 1)
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Capriole Group
Publication Date: November 5, 2013
ISBN-10: 193859200X
ISBN-13: 978-1938592003

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