Our friend, Jodi, from WOW has a very special treat for us today.  As she always does, she will be introducing us to a very special author who is an expert in her field.  So even though it may be a little early, I am asking that you get comfortable and instead of grabbing a coffee, that you raise your wine glass and welcome today’s guest, Ms. Sara Fasolino!

SARA FASOLINO

Sara Fasolino is the Beverage Systems Manager at Morton’s The Steakhouse and is recognized in the industry as a Certified Sommelier by the Court of Master Sommeliers, as a Certified Specialist of Wine by the Society of Wine Educators and as an Advanced Mixologist. Fasolino’s role with Morton’s includes overseeing the restaurant’s beverage inventory for all its locations, serving as the restaurant’s liaison with the Court of Master Sommeliers and managing all educational and training materials related to the restaurant’s wines, liquors and beers. Fasolino’s experience in the restaurant industry dates back to her college years in Ohio, where she was a server in a restaurant. Upon graduation from Marietta College with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, she worked with a beverage marketer and distributor in Ohio before relocating to Chicago in 2005. Originally from Buffalo, N.Y., Fasolino has been with Morton’s The Steakhouse since 2007, working in its global headquarters.
Visit Sara on GoodReads.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Looking for the perfect complement to a juicy ribeye steak, grilled kabobs or even some desserts? Look no further than Cabernet Sauvignon, the “red of all reds” worldwide. Sommelier Sara Fasolino guides you with practical tips for buying and enjoying Cabernet Sauvignon, whether you’re spending $7 or $75.Cabernet Sauvignon for Beginners will shed light on the characteristics of this versatile wine, what contributes to its wide range of flavors, and the best foods to match with it.

Want to learn more about wines.  Visit here, register  and receive a free EBook from the Wine Series during the tour from August 13 to Sept. 7.   Twenty-one (21) books to choose from!How much fun is this?

As promised, Lisa from Sparkpoint Studio, is stopping by today with another author to introduce us to.  So without further ado, Thérèse !!

THÉRÈSE

My mother was Irish but for reasons best known to herself, gave me a French name; Marie-Thérèse, note the grave, acute and hyphen. Very posh. I’ve tried to be French all my life but it was hard in Liverpool, where I grew up and difficult in California where I now live. I have a son as well as a daughter and a lovely husband, who for future blogging purposes will be known as ‘husband.’
You can visit Thérèse at her website and on Twitter.

GUEST POST

Thank you for inviting me to CMash. After reading a few of your guest posts I’m seriously tempted to spend the rest of the summer reading rather than writing, there are so many great books out there.

Until we immigrated to Los Angeles, I lived Stratford on Avon, a small town in middle England, famous as the birthplace of William Shakespeare. If you’ve ever lived in a town that is themed you will understand that after a while the theme gets old and you have to either move or get over it. We moved.

We brought our teenage kids with us (they heard were leaving.) Our two cats were flown out in advance and stayed at The Best Little Cat House, a facility offering cat concierges, rooms with views, web cameras, complimentary manicures, pedicures, daily massages and a choice of menu. Okay I admit this sounds a little over the top, but they were emigrating too.

In the following months life became surreal; my new assistant thought she was a reincarnated angel. Our son was coming home from sleepovers with tales of meeting Jack Nicholson and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Our daughter was sporting an American accent and doing a round of Bat Mitzvahs that would make Lady Gaga’s stage set look bland.

And then our own social life kicked in with a vengeance. We were invited to garden parties, fundraisers, dinners and receptions. Hostesses frequently insisting their event would be  ‘very casual.’ I’ll admit it took me quite a while to get the hang of that. In rural England casual means flat shoes, Capri pants and a long (preferably navy) sweater. It is not a good feeling turning up to something looking like you’re through to the final episode of Survivor and finding yourself on what appears to be the set of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.  In these situations alcoholic beverages are important.

Exactly how casual are uniformed maids, waiters, hired bands and enough ice sculptures to deplete Alaska? I wondered. How casual a Cartier watch, eight -carat diamond and a Shih Tzus in a personalized Gucci tote? This was giving whole new meaning to the words ‘culture shock.’

After a year of furious scribbling, I was awash with material and wrote a book titled How to Stay Upwardly Mobile When You’re Spinning Out of Control.  Little Brown rejected it because I didn’t have a platform; I wasn’t a columnist and didn’t have a blog at the time. They suggested I might consider using the material for a novel. They loved the observations.

And so I took their advice and India was born. I lived vicariously through her. At one point she had her own Facebook page and more ‘friends’ than I did. I would post pictures of her in Malibu riding horses, or jet-skiing with Adam Brooks her drop dead gorgeous boyfriend. Her life became way more exciting than mine has ever been and yet I do believe that her story is not improbable. I think she is grounded and real and from what I hear, people fall in love with her. I hope you do too.

Thank you Thérèse for spending time with us.  I am sure many will enjoy reading your book, India’s Summer.  I know I am looking forward to reading it.

ABOUT THE BOOK

THANKS TO LISA AT SPARKPOINT, 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.
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.

Today our friend Nicole, from Tribute Books is stopping by to introduce us to a very distinguished author and gentleman.  So I ask you in helping give today’s visitors a warm welcome.    Greetings Mr. Haskell G. Edwards!!

HASKELL G. EDWARDS, D. Min.

Haskell G. Edwards, D. Min. has vast professional experience for more than forty years as pastor, administrator, family therapist, and director of a family therapy center. His extensive experience gained from working with immigrant families in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic setting, as well as his own personal journey and genuinely encouraging approach, positions him not only to help immigrant families adapt to new surroundings, but grow stronger together in their journey.

He has successfully held immigrant seminars, workshops, and lectures throughout North America. Now a retired pastor, he continues to help immigrant families of a wide cultural heritage transition into their new homeland.
You can connect with Mr. Edwards at the blog tour website here.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Adaptation is a must. But how does one go about doing this? It takes great planning, finances, and courage to leave one’s homeland; but then finding support and comfort or anything of familiarity in a new land presents a whole new set of challenges. The stress is overwhelming. How do you gain the happiness and success you dreamed of attaining in the new land?

Immigration and Adaptation is here to help you navigate through these challenges. With the information herein, immigrants coming to North America will be prepared to identify and resolve social, family, and personal challenges with confidence. Mr. Edwards’ vast professional experience with diverse immigrant families, as well as his own personal journey and genuinely encouraging approach, not only help immigrant families adapt to new surroundings, but grow stronger together in their journey.

This book includes:
– A family wellness test
– Step-by-step guidelines
– Real-life examples
– Inspirational stories
– Family, parenting, and spousal exercises
– Illustrations
– Single-parenting advice

Immigration and Adaptation also includes tips on: building self-confidence, resolving conflicts, tuning communication skills, networking and building social supports, budgeting, parenting, enhancing spousal relationships, helping teenagers adjust, communicating effectively, and more.

Book Details:
Paperback
Publisher: Langdon Street Press
Price: $16.95
ISBN: 9781936782239
Pages: 272
Release: September 15, 2011
Purchase Links:   Amazon    B&N      Books-A-Million     IndieBound

THANKS TO AUTHOR, HASKELL G. EDWARDS, D.MIN,
I HAVE ONE (1) PB COPY OF HIS 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.

*USE THE RAFFLECOPTER FORM BELOW
IN ORDER TO BE INCLUDED IN THE GIVEAWAY*
BE SURE TO INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL

ADDRESS IN THE RAFFLECOPTER FORM
SO THAT I CAN CONTACT YOU IF YOU WIN
*LEAVE COMMENT: DO YOU KNOW, FROM

YOUR FAMILY TREE, WHO WAS AN IMMIGRANT

TO  THE U.S. AND FROM WHERE?*

*U.S.  RESIDENTS ONLY*
*NO P.O. BOXES*

**HONOR SYSTEM**
ONE WINNING BOOK PER HOUSEHOLD
PLEASE NOTIFY ME IF YOU HAVE
WON THIS BOOK FROM ANOTHER
SITE, SO THAT SOMEONE ELSE MAY
HAVE THE CHANCE TO WIN
AND READ THIS BOOK.
THANK YOU.

YOUR JAVA SCRIPT MAY NEED TO BE UPDATED
IF YOU AR EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTY
USING THE RAFFLECOPTER ENTRY FORM

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Robyn, our friend from WOW, has come back to visit us today and as usual, has brought a very multi talented and impressive female author to introduce us to, Ms. Destiny Allison.  So without further ado, let’s welcome them to the CMash blog!

DESTINY ALLISON

Destiny Allison is an artist, a business woman and a writer.  Her work is collected by public institutions and private individuals internationally.  In addition to her numerous awards for excellence in art, she was also recently named Santa Fe Business Woman of the year for 2011.

In addition to being a full time artist, she is also a managing partner in La Tienda at Eldorado — a commercial complex, community center, and arts center inSanta Fe,NM.

She is represented in prominent galleries across the country and owns her own gallery, Destiny Allison Fine Art, located at La Tienda.

Allison’s first love was writing.  Her first poems were published while she was a child and she received numerous awards during adolescence.  The story of how she became a visual artist is told in her book, Shaping Destiny: A quest for meaning in art and life.  While her focus over the last 20 years has been primarily on sculpture, Allison also paints on steel using acids and natural oxidation, and in acrylics.

The eloquence of Allison’s language dates back to her childhood when art was constantly discussed and debated by her father, a writer, and her mother, a painter. Born and raised inSanta Fe,N.M., Allison moved toBostonafter college where she worked as a freelance journalist while raising her three children. It was there that she discovered her voice through sculpture. Predominantly self-taught, Allison apprenticed at a bronze foundry in Massachusetts, and later taught sculpture at the Attleboro Museum of Art and the Fuller Museum of Art, both in Massachusetts. In 1997, Allison returned toSanta Fewhere she currently resides.
Connect with Destiny Allison at her website here.

GUEST AUTHOR POST

Our lives are our greatest works of art:

This morning I woke to possibility.  Sun and birds, the sight of my husband opening his arms to me as I staggered one-eyed into the kitchen, the sound of my dogs rising to greet me, and the smell of breakfast gone cold overwhelmed my senses like the first strokes of  vivid color on the vast white of a blank canvas.  What picture will I paint today?

Will I push the dogs away as they nuzzle against me?  Will I ask my husband why he didn’t wait for me to join him for breakfast?  Will I rub the sleep out of my eyes and settle into my computer chair to greet the day electronically – placing emails and analytics over the realities of my life?  Will I let habit win, or will I do something different?  What would the day look like if I made time to kiss my husband deeply or dropped to the ground to play with my loving mutts?

It seems that every minute of every day, I am faced with these kinds of choices.  Most of the time, my decisions are out of habit or necessity.  My husband is ok with his quick hug and the dogs never seem to mind when I ignore them.  They all know my routines and understand that I will greet them, if there is time, once my eyes are fully open. But what if I surprised them?  What if I surprised myself?

Making art is wrought with similar questions.  Every day I am faced with the possibilities of a blank canvas, a blank screen, or the cold grey sheets of metal on the floor of my blackened studio.  What will I make today?  In art, every line and plane matter.  A sculpture that leans as little as an eighth of an inch must be cut apart and re-welded. In sculpture, balance is everything.  When I muddy a canvas because I was impatient, I kill the painting.

The challenge of being an artist is that I never really know where I’m going until I get there.  I have to listen to the voices inside me as they manifest on canvas, page, or metal.  I have to throw away all the junk that comes to the surface as I try to find that one shining thread I am called to follow.

I believe that living my life is just like making art.  When I listen, am not afraid to try new things, and clear my junk (habit, self-indulgence, and my need to control), my life becomes rich, clear, and filled with meaning.  When I don’t, days blend into a long, running stream of muddy memories and my life is without form.

The beauty of living life like making art is that everything matters and contributes to the whole.  The kiss we shared in the kitchen forms shape of my day.  That couple of minutes on the rug wrestling my dogs becomes an ongoing joy that balances mundane frustrations.  Over time, those moments shared deeply and authentically with my husband and dogs become some of the lines, planes, and colors of my life.  My junk will always be in the way, but if I want my art to speak and my life to be art, I have to clear it to the best of my ability.  Then, my life will have form, my smile will be contagious, and my days will be wrought with meaning.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Shaping Destiny is the inspiring story of Allison’s life from the creation of her first sculpture to her acceptance into a prominentSanta Feart gallery.  The book, which recounts her journey from traditional female roles to self-actualization and independence, is told with three voices: the emotional, the intellectual and the instructional.  Though she had no formal training, Allison moved quickly from small, Plasticine clay sculptures to an apprenticeship at a foundry to teaching in a small museum. Along the way, the author wrestled with shedding and then reclaiming family. To add to the extended metaphor binding her story to the theory and language of sculpture, Allison infuses an ample dose of popular philosophy in lessons culled from childhood days spent with her father. The 22 lessons at the beginning of each chapter intend to guide readers’ passage through the complexities of clay and life; each lesson works with the idea that art is a process, as is life.

Watch the trailer:

THANKS TO AUTHOR, DESTINY ALLISON, I HAVE
ONE (1) SIGNED COPY OF HER MEMOIR TO GIVE
AWAY. OPEN TO U.S. AND CANADA RESIDENTS

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.

If you visit often then you know that when Robyn, from WOW stops by, she has an amazing author to introduce us to.  And she is here today with a multi talented and esteemed author, Ms. Mohanalakshmi  Rajakumar.  Please join me in welcoming our guests to the CMash blog!!

MOHANALAKSHMI RAJAKUMAR

Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar is a writer who has lived in Qatarsince 2005. She has a PhD from the Universityof Floridawith a focus on gender and postcolonial theory. Her dissertation project was published as Haram in the Harem (Peter Lang, 2009) a literary analysis of the works of three Muslim women authors in India, Algeria, and Pakistan. She is the creator and co-editor of five books in the Qatar Narratives series, as well as the Qatari Voices anthology which features essays by Qataris on modern life inDoha (Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing, 2010). Her research has been published in numerous journals and anthologies.

She was the Associate Editor of Vox, a fashion and lifestyle magazine based in Doha and a winner of the She Writes We Love New Novelists competition.   She has been a regular contributor for Variety Arabia, AudioFile Magazine, Explore Qatar, Woman Today, The Woman, Writers and Artists Yearbook, QatarClick, Expat Arrivals, Speak Without Interruption and Qatar Explorer. She hosted two seasons of the Cover to Cover book show on Qatar Foundation Radio.

Currently Mohana is working on a collection of essays related to her experiences as a female South Asian American living in the Arabian Gulf and a novel based inQatar. She believes words can help us understand ourselves and others.
Catch up on her latest via her blog or follow her on Twitter @moha_doha.

GUEST POST

Is Love a Choice?
By Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar

A few years ago I was stuck while writing my latest book, Love Comes Later. All the characters were ready; like actors on a stage they were on set, dressed, waiting for the curtain to open.

The problem was, their playwright wasn’t sure what their lines were. I was writing a contemporary novel that had at its core a love story. But I couldn’t figure out how the characters fell in love.

It was all there in my outline: Abdulla is engaged to Hind. Neither of them want to get married. After a chance meeting, Sangita falls in love with her roommate’s fiancé. Made sense.

Except that spark, the chemistry, the magic they throw around in romantic comedies was missing. I knew by the end of Act II or around the middle of the book, they would need to have a big fight to leave the readers wondering what happens next.

But the first part, the falling scene wouldn’t surface.

I started asking people. At toddler birthday parties, I cornered the dads, all nursing beers, evidence of their marital love running riot around us: “How do people fall in love?”

At dinner, with friends who had arranged marriages, I pestered, “When do you think love starts?”

Everyone hemmed and hawed.

“You had a love marriage,” someone said. As in, I, not my parents or family chose my spouse after dating him. “Don’t you know?”

“Our story was so unique,” I said. “I don’t think other people can relate.” My sweetie and I met in the Arabian desert (he’s American, so no, fiction is not imitating life in case you were wondering) and we were ten months later. Not a typical story from which you can extract universal elements of the love machine.

I grew frustrated until I remembered: married people are the worst to talk to about love. We see the commitment and responsibility as a way of connecting, solidifying, stabilizing.

Finally at Thanksgiving a newlywed couple came over and after everyone else had left, they stayed. He sat on the couch, very close to her, and stroked her hair the entire time she talked. The entire time.

I found it creepy and said so to my husband. Who laughed.

“He’s in love,” he said.

I thought back to the way they were sitting on the sofa in our house and something began to stir. Memories of the embers of infatuation that no matter what age can make you do the most nonsensical things. When you can’t get enough of someone. When you feel the attraction, the chemistry, my single friends mentioned right away on their list of necessities in the recipe for love. The spark in the air that makes what you’re wearing, saying, or doing irrelevant.

And that mighty moment, either in a supervised meeting or over days, weeks, months, years, when that spark becomes the flame of attraction, fed by respect, admiration, and trust.

I had my answer. A magnetic connection, yes, in the beginning, to signal a burgeoning of so much more.

How have you fallen in love? Do you think it’s more choice or emotion? Check out the Sangita, Abudlla, Hind love triangle and tell me what you think.

ABOUT THE BOOK

THANKS TO AUTHOR, MOHANA RAJAKUMAR, AND WOW,
I HAVE ONE (1) DIGITAL EDITION (.MOBI OR PDF)
TO GIVE AWAY. OPEN TO ALL.

CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO
THE GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE.

AUTHOR, MOHANA RAJAKUMAR IS ALSO HOSTING A
GRAND PRIZE GIVE AWAY OF A KINDLE FIRE.
VISIT HER BLOG HERE OR USE RAFFLECOPTER WIDGET BELOW

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DISCLAIMER
No items that I receive
are ever sold…they are kept by me,
or given to family and/or friends.

Ohhhhh…so many books!!!  Are you like me, that at times you wish you could read 24 hours a day, seven days a week, because of all the novels you want to read?  Our friend Lisa, from Sparkpoint Studio, is stopping by today and next Wednesday to introduce us to 2 authors and 2 more books to add to our lists.  Today she is here with author Maria Geraci.  So I ask, that you help me welcome them to the CMash blog.

MARIA GERACI

Maria Geraci was born in Havana, Cuba, and raised on Florida’s Space Coast. Her love of books started with the classic, Little Women (a book she read so often growing up, she could probably quote). She writes contemporary romance and women’s fiction with a happy ending. The Portland Book Review called her novel, The Boyfriend of the Month Club, “immensely sexy, immensely satisfying and humorous.” Her fourth novel, A Girl Like You,  is released today, August 7th, 2012 by Berkley, Penguin USA.
You can visit Maria at her website, Facebook and Twitter.

GUEST POST

Inspiration from the Unexpected
Like most writers, I’m always asked where I find the inspiration for my novels. I’d be answering honestly if I said that my ideas come from just about everywhere. But I’d be a little more than chagrined to admit that the idea for my latest novel, A Girl Like You, came from the Real Housewives show.

Now, I don’t watch the Real Housewives of Anywhere. Not that there is anything wrong with the show. I’m a total reality show junkie. Survivor, The Bachelor, So You Think You Can Dance. Bring ‘em on! But the Real Housewives isn’t a show I’m addicted to. Lucky for me, however, that while switching channels one afternoon, I came across an episode. Two of the housewives were talking and one mentioned that she had just dropped her daughter off at college, then went on to commiserate that all the girls at her daughter’s sorority were beautiful and how was her daughter to “shine” if there wasn’t an ugly girlfriend around? Talk about an epiphany! I immediately began to “see” my novel and my central story question was born: What if you found out you were the ugly girlfriend?

In case you’ve never heard of the expression before, let me give you the definition I found in the Urban Dictionary. Ugly Friend: A friend a person brings with him/her to a gathering /event in order to make him/herself appear more attractive in comparison.

When my main character, Emma, overhears herself referred to as the ugly friend, she’s devastated. But it begins a chain of events in her life that lead her to discovering more about her friends and ultimately, about herself, changing her life forever. Sometimes the unexpected turns out so much better than we first imagined.

Thanks, CMash, for inviting me to guest blog today!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Emma Frazier is smart, hardworking, and loves her job as a journalist for a Florida lifestyle magazine. Emma knows she’s no great beauty, but she’s pretty certain she has a shot with her handsome new boss, Ben Gallagher—until Emma overhears a mutual acquaintance refer to her as the “ugly friend.” In an effort to reclaim her battered self-esteem, Emma decides to impress Ben at work by promising an exclusive interview with NASCAR legend, Trip Monroe.

Emma and Trip went to high school together and although it’s been fourteen years since they’ve spoken, Emma is certain she can score an interview with the elusive super star. But connecting with Trip turns out to be harder than Emma imagined. Her quest for the interview leads her back to her tiny hometown of Catfish Cove, where old secrets and a new romantic interest shake up Emma’s views on life and teach her that maybe the key to finding true love is as simple as accepting yourself for the person you were always meant to be.
Purchase links:    Amazon    IndieBound

THANKS TO LISA, FROM SPARKPOINT STUDIO, I HAVE ONE (1)
COPY OF THE 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.

*USE THE RAFFLECOPTER FORM BELOW
IN ORDER TO BE INCLUDED IN THE GIVEAWAY*
BE SURE TO INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL

ADDRESS IN THE RAFFLECOPTER FORM
SO THAT I CAN CONTACT YOU IF YOU WIN
*LEAVE COMMENT: FROM READING THE SYNOPSIS,
DO YOU THINK EMMA’S NEW LOVE INTEREST IS TRIP?*

*U.S.  RESIDENTS ONLY*
*NO P.O. BOXES*

**HONOR SYSTEM**
ONE WINNING BOOK PER HOUSEHOLD
PLEASE NOTIFY ME IF YOU HAVE
WON THIS BOOK FROM ANOTHER
SITE, SO THAT SOMEONE ELSE MAY
HAVE THE CHANCE TO WIN
AND READ THIS BOOK.
THANK YOU.

YOUR JAVA SCRIPT MAY NEED TO BE UPDATED
IF YOU AR EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTY
USING THE RAFFLECOPTER ENTRY FORM

a Rafflecopter giveaway