Guest Author Harlow Coban

CMash January 25, 2012 2 Comments

It has been 2 years now that I have had my blog and been part of the cyber world of book blogging and reviewing. Two years!! And I am enjoying it and am as enthusiastic today as I was that first day. And it still amazes me that authors contact me and ask if I would review their book and/or visit my blog. Today is one of those days. So please help me welcome my guest, Ms. Harlow Coban!

ABOUT HARLOW COBAN

Author Harlow Coban was born in Kansas City, MO, but grew up in Denver, CO. She relocated to North Carolina five years ago with her husband, two dogs, and 16-year old twins.

She shares a birthday with the notorious Napoleon Bonaparte. In keeping with his legacy, she is currently working on taking over the world. Harlow’s positive attitude and fresh take on life are her tools and conquest is certain.

She spends her free time writing, dancing, traveling and defending mailboxes from her 16-year-old twins’ driving.

Her debut novel, LIFE IN DEATH (February 2012), is a murder mystery which pulls from real-life situations from her own family history. She felt compelled to share her story with the world while offering a thrilling, entertaining, and amusing escape for readers.

In keeping with her commitment to improving the lives of children, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of her book will be donated to the Boys and Girls Club in her home state of North Carolina.

She loves to connect with her readers and can be found on Twitter , Facebook , and her website

GUEST POST

HOW TO WRITE A NOVEL BASED ON A TRUE STORY

HARLOW COBAN, AUTHOR OF LIFE IN DEATH

My story isn’t a warm and fuzzy one.

My father was murdered when I was 12 years of age.

A few years ago, at my uncle’s urging, I looked into what happened to him. The police had suspects, but no one was ever arrested and the case remains unsolved.

I learned a lot about police procedure when I looked into my father’s murder. It was then that I decided to write a novel.

While my murder mystery novella, Life in Death, is not entirely based on what happened to my father, it draws from real life experiences I had with him.

Writing the novel was a cathartic experience for me. What I liked most, and found particularly cleansing, about the experience was my power to spin the story as I saw fit.

We all love, hate, laugh, cry, and everything in between, so we’re never at a loss for stories to tell.

Here’s how you get started writing a novel based on a true story:

Determine what kind of story you want to write. Talk to family and friends. Look at newspaper articles. I don’t want to be morose, but look at obituaries, too. Take notes. There are stories there.
Determine the story’s theme: Good/evil, love/hate, birth/death, peace/war, etc. Again, take notes. This may be where the title of your book comes from or maybe not. The title of my book came to me in a dream.
Construct a compelling plot. I suggest creating a plot outline to start with. I used the “what if” technique to determine what would happen in my chapters. Basically, you ask yourself “what if” this or that happened to your character and expand from there.
Create dynamic scenes. My advice is something has to happen in “every” chapter or scene.
Create multi-dimensional characters. Many writers, including yours truly, base their characters on real people and then add nuances to create more complexity and depth. This is one way to go.
Read, read, read. The more you read, the better writer you’ll become.
Lastly, start writing. “Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end; then stop.” ― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland.

Truth can be stranger than fiction, but maybe not as entertaining. The key to writing a novel based on a true story is in how you spin the story to make it enjoyable for readers. Cheers!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Synopsis:

When a girl that social worker Kari Marchant places in foster care is brutally murdered, she’s compelled to learn why. Her quest for the truth pits her against friends and coworkers. As Kari works to solve the horrific plot, more people die. She’s been targeted for death and she doesn’t even know it. How far should she go to learn the truth—even if it threatens her life?

When homicide detective Rance Nicolet meets Kari, his attraction to her is powerful—and the feeling is mutual. But things between them go terribly wrong when Kari’s old lover is found murdered with a letter from her in his pocket. The evidence against Kari is damning. Rance’s personal and professional lives collide. Does he blindly believe the woman he’s falling in love with or follow the evidence no matter where it leads?

THANKS TO AUTHOR, HARLOW COBAN,
I HAVE ONE (1) SIGNED COPY
OF THIS BOOK TO GIVE AWAY.

CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO
THE GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE.
ONE ENTRY GIVEAWAY WITH A TWIST!!!

DISCLAIMER

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.

2012 Challenges, Book Review, Guest Author

Guest Author Peter Leonard Review

CMash January 19, 2012 8 Comments

Today I am thrilled for a few reasons. Thanks to Mr. Lou Aronica of The Story Plant, who publishes many authors that I have grown fond of and enjoy reading, has given me the privilege and honor to host today’s guest as he begins his virtual tour with Partners In Crime Tours, and who now has been added to that list of esteemed writers that I look forward to escaping into the pages of their latest novels. After reading the book that he will be discussing today, I am looking forward to his future novels. So please help me welcome Mr. Peter Leonard.

ABOUT PETER LEONARD

Peter Leonard’s debut novel, QUIVER, was published to international acclaim in 2008 (“A spectacular debut…you will be holding your breath until the final page.”– The New York Sun). It was followed by TRUST ME in 2009 (“TRUST ME is fast, sly and full of twists.” – Carl Hiaasen, New York Times bestselling author). The Story Plant will publish Leonard’s newest novel, ALL HE SAW WAS THE GIRL, in the spring of 2012.

You can visit Peter Leonard at his website here.

ABOUT THE BOOK

The year is 1971. The place is Detroit. Harry Levin, a scrap metal dealer and Holocaust survivor, has just learned that his daughter was killed in a car accident. Traveling to Washington, DC to claim the body, he learns that the accident was caused by a German diplomat who was driving drunk. This is only the beginning of the horror for Harry, though, as he discovers that the diplomat will never face charges – he has already been released and granted immunity. Enraged and aggrieved, Harry discovers the identity of his daughter’s killer, follows him to Munich, and hunts him down. What Harry finds out about the diplomat and his plans will explode his life and the lives of everyone around him.

Brimming with action and dark humor, Voices of the Dead, firmly positions Peter Leonard as a writer ever suspense fan needs to read.

Read an excerpt:

Hess found out the woman lived on P Street in Georgetown, not far from the consulate. He told the ambassador he was having dinner with potential clients, and wanted to drive himself. It was unorthodox, but plausible. He had been issued one of the embassy’s Mercedes sedans. He stopped at a bookstore and bought a map of the area, and located P Street. He drove there and saw the Goldman residence, a federal-style brick townhouse.

Hess went to a restaurant and had dinner and a couple drinks. At ten o’clock he drove back, parked around the corner on 32nd Street between two other vehicles so the license plate was not visible to anyone driving by. He walked to the Goldmans’, stood next to a tree in front of the three-storey townhouse. There were lights on the first floor. He walked to the front door and rang the buzzer. He could hear footsteps and voices inside. A light over the door went on. Hess stood in the open so whoever it was would see he was well dressed. The door opened, a man standing there, assumed he was Dr. Mitchell Goldman, dark hair, big nose, mid-forties, top of the shirt unbuttoned, exposing a gold chain and a five-pointed star. Hess smiled. “My car is on the fritz. May I use your phone to call a tow truck?”

Dr. Goldman stared at him with concern.

“I am staying just down the street at the consulate,” Hess said, smiling. Now the door opened and he stepped into the elegant foyer, chandelier overhead, marble floor.

“Mitch, who is it?” a woman said from a big open room to his right.

Dr. Goldman looked in her direction. “Guy’s having car trouble, wants to use the phone.”

“It’s ten o’clock at night.”

“He’ll just be a minute,” the dentist said.

Hess could see the woman sitting on a couch, watching television.

“The phone’s in here.” The dentist started to move.

Hess drew the Luger from the pocket of his suit jacket,and aimed it at Goldman.

The dentist put his hands up. “Whoa. Easy.”

“Who is in the house?”

“Just the two of us.”

“Are you expecting anyone?”

He shook his head.

“Tell her to come in here,” Hess said.

“What do you want? You want money?” He took his wallet out and handed it to him. “There’s eight hundred dollars in there.”

“Call her,” Hess said.

“Hon, come here, will you?”

“I’m watching ‘All in the Family.’ Can you wait till the commercial?”

Hess could hear people laughing on the television.

“Just for a minute,” the dentist said.

Hess saw her stand up and step around a low table in front of the couch, moving across the room, still looking back at the television. She turned her head as she entered the foyer and saw him holding the gun. Her hair looked darker in the dim light but he had only seen her briefly that day.

“Oh-my-god,” she said, hands going up to her face.

“We’re reasonable people,” the dentist said. “Tell us what you want.”

“The pleasure of your company,” Hess said. “Where is the cellar?”

MY REVIEW

VOICES OF THE DEAD by Peter Leonard

Published by The Story Plant

ISBN-10: 1611880327

ISBN-13: 978-1611880328

At the request of The Story Plant, an EBook Edition was sent at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.

Synopsis (from publisher): The year is 1971. The place is Detroit. Harry Levin, a scrap metal dealer and Holocaust survivor, has just learned that his daughter was killed in a car accident. Traveling to Washington, DC to claim the body, he learns that the accident was caused by a German diplomat who was driving drunk. This is only the beginning of the horror for Harry, though, as he discovers that the diplomat will never face charges – he has already been released and granted immunity. Enraged and aggrieved, Harry discovers the identity of his daughter’s killer, follows him to Munich, and hunts him down. What Harry finds out about the diplomat and his plans will explode his life and the lives of everyone around him.Brimming with action and dark humor, Voices of the Dead, firmly positions Peter Leonard as a writer ever suspense fan needs to read.

My Thoughts and Opinion: I feel I need to start this review with a caveat because even I was surprised by my thoughts and opinion of this book. If I was to solely choose this book based on the synopsis for my personal library, without the request for review, I would most likely have not picked this one up as I tend not to enjoy espionage thrillers. However, with this book, I would have missed out on a great read.

The book pulled me in quickly with the car accident and death of Harry Levin’s daughter. From that moment on, the action begins, the suspense ramps up, and the books holds you to the very last page. It takes you from Detroit to Germany to Miami during the years of 1971 and shares the memories of Harry when he was a 14 year old boy, who watches his parents executed by the Nazi regime but was one that was able to escape the atrocities of that time. The characters come to life. The settings are conveyed so that detailed imagery can be formed in one’s mind, especially of the years of 1940s. Mr. Leonard’s writing style is flawless, and the type of read that I call, a “one more chapter” and before you know it, you have read 5 more chapters. What I found amazing, was that a book with a premise of a horrific time in our history, Mr. Leonard could interweave some humor without being disrespectful.

As the synopsis states, who is this diplomat Hess, that has been given immunity, for an accident that was his fault and that resulted in the death of a young and vibrant daughter of Harry Levin? Why does this man Hess look familiar to Harry? Harry is so distraught over his daughter’s passing, he travels to Germany, where Hess resides, and what he finds, is bigger than he imagined. More deaths? But why? The hunt begins.

Highly recommend!!!!!

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.

(2012 Challenges: Romantic/Suspense, EBooks, ARC, Mystery/Suspense, Off The Shelf, Serial Killers, Free Reads, Where Are You, A-Z, Merely Mystery, 52 in 52, Outdo Yourself, 100+)

Guest Author

Guest Author Joel Andre

CMash January 18, 2012 1 Comment

I am quite excited about today’s guest. Matter of fact, it is an honor for me that he is visiting, talking about his latest novel and has given me the opportunity to interview him because he is one BUSY guy!!. Besides writing novels and working, he is also a reviewer for Partners In Crime Tours. So without further ado, please help me welcome, Mr. Joel Andre.

ABOUT JOEL ANDRE

Joel M. Andre was born January 13, 1981. At a young age he was fascinated with the written word. It was at fourteen that Poe blew his mind, and Andre began to dabble with darker poetry.

Between the years of 1999 and 2007 Joel was featured in various poetry anthologies and publications. In 2008 he released his first collection,Pray the Rain Never Ends.

Knowing there was something deeper and darker inside of his soul, Joel decided to take a stab at commercialism. Releasing the dark tongue in cheek, A Death at the North Pole, created a dark world among the death of Kris Kringle. Ultimately providing a tale of redemption.

October of 2008 saw Joel release his second book, Kill 4 Me. A tale in which a woman is haunted by a vengeful spirit through text messages and instant messaging.

Taking some time off and doing a lot of soul searching, Joel took things in a new direction and dabbled in the Fantasy Genre with, The Pentacle of Light. The tale dealing with five major races battling for control of Earth, and the acceptance of their God.

Finally, after missing his detective Lauren Bruni, he released the book The Return in October 2009, this time moving the action from the North Pole and placing it in the small Arizona community he was raised in.
Andre’s latest book is The Black Chronicles: Cry of the Fallen about a dead man who seeks revenge on the woman that tormented him in peaceful Northern Arizona.

Currently, he resides in Chandler, AZ.
You can visit his website at www.joelmandre.info

INTERVIEW

*Where and what do you draw from for the premise of your books?
I let my imagination run wild with my books. Usually, a concept will come to me and I will build on it. In some cases, a title will come to me and I will build off the title.

*What kind of research do you actually do for your books?
I spent quite a bit of time researching locations, psychology and police procedures to ensure that my books have some validity to them.

*Do you draw from real life experiences?
I can answer this question with a no. Since I write horror with violent deaths, it would be a very bad thing if I was pulling the content from real life.

*Are your characters all purely fictional or do you use people that you know and build from there?
All my characters are purely fictional. I would hate to have something bad to happen to someone I know in a book as it puts it out there to the world.

*Who are your favorite authors?
Stephen King, Anne Rice and Poe. I will read a mixture of other authors as well, but those three really have never let me down over the years.

*What are you reading now?
J.A. Jance – Fatal Error

*Do you write every day? How many hours?
Since I work for www.needanarticle.com, I spend almost all day, every day writing. I do try to devote a few hours a day to my own personal stuff though. That way, I am able to continue putting out new content. I think my experience writing online content for others has helped to boost the quality of my writing and I have had the chance to learn about new topics that I can use in my books.

*Have you ever had the dreaded writer’s block? If so, what helped you to bypass it?
I think every writer has experienced this. I just write useless filler until I get past it and then revisit what I was working on. Sometimes, the filler draws out new ideas for future books.
Thank you Joel for visiting.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Synopsis (borrowed from B&N):
Detective Lauren Bruni has dealt with death for her entire life. She has watched it ruin lives, and brought people closer together. Her job taught her to separate fact from fiction. But on a cold December day, all Lauren had believed in would be shattered and tossed aside. Thrust in a world unlike any she has seen before, she investigates a prominent figure’s grisly murder, and searches for answers along a strange new set of people. With a killer watching her every move in the background ready to strike again at a moments notice. What is the secret of the death at the North Pole, and what is the larger horror at hand? Life lessons are learned and a realization that sometimes the most real things in this world, are the ones we believe in the least.

Guest Author

Guest Author Paul H. Magid

CMash January 17, 2012 2 Comments

Nicole from Tribute Books is starting 2012 by introducing us to an amazing and inspirational author. So without further ado, please help welcome, Mr. Paul H. Magid as our guest today.

ABOUT PAUL H. MAGID

Paul H. Magid started writing his debut novel, Lifting the Wheel of Karma, twenty-five years ago while still in high school. It took him so long to complete because he tried repeatedly to abandon it, but the work refused to be forsaken. Eventually he realized that sharing this story with the world was, in fact, his Dharma.

Along the way he has worked as a Wall Street financial analyst, a waiter (not a very good one), a Hollywood Agent Trainee, a real estate developer, a summer day camp director, an award winning screenwriter, and independent filmmaker—including his autobiographical film, A Life Unfinished, which screened in The Hamptons International Film Festival.

GUEST POST

Topic: researching and/or concept for premise of book.

Research takes much more legwork than premise, but it’s also hands down the easier of the two. In the case of my novel, LIFTING THE WHEEL OF KARMA, I knew I needed multiple forms of research, because I chose not only an unfamiliar locale of a horse ranch in Montana, but also predominantly in another country with over 5,000 years of history and culture.

For me, for research to be “authentic”, it must have hands on, first person experience to come alive. Just as a person who learns a foreign language only from books will always speak only an “academic” version of the language, lacking in its true texture, idioms, colloquialisms, and lively nature, I believe research is best experienced as well as studied.

For India, I read dozens and dozens and dozens of books –everything from history, to religious texts, to mythologies, to social constructs, but I knew this would only at best form an accurate foundation. No matter how many books I read, nothing compared to actually living for months in India with little more than a backpack and a Lonely Planet guidebook.

Feeling the heavy heat and intoxicating spices that filled the air only came alive by being there, and I think it’s urgently important for an author to know first hand how to convey a new environment to properly enable a reader to embark vicariously on a journey.

The same truths applied to Montana. I was lucky enough to find an amazing and authentic mentor who knew what my needs were and selflessly taught me what I needed to know.

Setting the premise of a book in infinitely harder, because once that has been established by the author, every fiber of the story must work tirelessly to achieve that goal. I think that’s one of the reasons my novel took me twenty-five years to write. It wasn’t just the amount of research required, but I knew that I had chosen a premise of such depth, that it would not be easy to properly convey.

For me, every moment of the twenty-five years it took to write LIFTING THE WHEEL OF KARMA was worth it, because readers and reviewers around the world have universally lauded how much the story touched them emotionally and how much they enjoyed reading it, sometimes more than once.
You can find Mr. Magid at the following sites:
website, Facebook, Lifting the Wheel of Karma FB, Tribute Books Blog Tours FB, Lifting the Wheel of Karma blog tour site

ABOUT THE BOOK

A Profound Spiritual Journey of Extraordinary Healing and Redemption

Joseph Connell is a gifted high school athlete from Montana, loved deeply by his family, yet tormented by nightmarish visions he can neither explain nor escape.

He believes the answer to what threatens to crush him can be found in the knowledge possessed by a mystical old wise man, who lives deep within the remote Himalayas of India.

If Joseph is ever to find the peace he so desperately seeks, he must get this wise old man to reveal what he truly knows, but that will not be easy…for this sage knows far more than he admits.

A modern tale that harkens back to the myths of antiquity. It takes you on a remarkable journey, while exploring the themes of healing, redemption, forgiveness, sacrifice, and ultimately…peace within.

Paperback
Price: $15.00
ISBN: 9780984016068
Pages: 192
Release: September 23, 2011

Amazon buy link
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0984016066?tag=tributebooks-20

Barnes&Noble.com buy link
http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=dcSBhG3Rj8w&offerid=229293.9780984016068&type=2&subid=0

eBook
Price: $9.99

Kindle buy link
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005TJ3I4C?tag=tributebooks-20

THANKS TO AUTHOR PAUL H. MAGID,
I HAVE THREE (3) COPIES OF
THIS BOOK TO GIVE AWAY.

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,

Barnes & Noble and/or any other retail/wholesale

outlets either online and/or elsewhere.

I am providing this link solely for visitors

that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.

I do not receive any monetary compensation from any parties

Guest Author

Guest Authors Sherrill Bodine and Rochelle Alers

CMash January 12, 2012 Leave a Comment

What a way to start 2012!!! These past 2 years, The Hachette Book Group have given me many opportunities to introduce exceptional authors and host fantastic giveaways. But today, Brianne from The Hachette Book Group, is starting the new year off with a bang. Two authors, two books, two giveaways!!! So lets get started!! Please welcome these wonderful ladies to the CMash blog, Ms. Sherrill Bodine and Rochelle Alers!!!!

ABOUT SHERRILL BODINE

I’m sure growing up in my grandmother’s house, taking care of my developmentally disabled mother, forged who I am, but I don’t believe any one thing defines me. My philosophy of life is that we are all in this together—and we need to embrace one another with as much grace, humor and compassion as we can muster. I see life as big, bigger, biggest, and I want to take everyone along with me on the journey. I not only attend black-tie affairs and work on charity board projects, but I am also just as likely to be taking a grandchild to lunch and a movie. I’m happily married to John, with whom I eloped when I was an 18-year-old freshman in college. It was quite the scandal. We have four beautiful children and 11 grandchildren.

I won my first writing award in the seventh grade in a statewide essay contest about a television broadcast of Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates. Instead of Silver Skates, they sent real skates, which I enjoyed immensely. I’m only sorry I don’t still have them so they could hang in my office.

While moving 22 times across the country and rearing our children, I sold stories to Fate Magazine, Home Life Magazine and True Confessions. In 1988, I sold my first novel and a week later received a two-book contract from Fawcett. Sixteen novels later, I’ve seen The Other Amanda win the Wisconsin Romance Writers of America Write Touch Readers’ Award and Talk of the Town chosen by Cosmopolitan magazine as its “Red Hot Read” for February 2009.

You can visit Ms. Bodine here.

ABOUT THE BOOK

SHE’S STEALING HIS HEART . . . Vintage boutique owner Venus Smith is stunned to realize her newest acquisition comes with a larcenous legend. Stolen years ago, the antique mermaid brooch belongs to the Clayworth family. The right thing to do would be to return it, but that means facing Connor Clayworth O’Flynn, the sexy department store heir Venus has had an unrequited crush on since childhood-and the man who helped ruin her father. ONE KISS AT A TIME Connor knows that Venus has never forgiven him for what happened between their families.

ABOUT ROCHELLE ALERS

Rochelle Alers has been hailed by readers and booksellers alike as one of today’s most prolific and popular African American authors of romance and women’s fiction.

With more than fifty titles and nearly two million copies of her novels in print, Ms. Alers is a regular on the Waldenbooks, Borders and Essence bestseller lists, regularly chosen by Black Expressions Book Club, and has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Gold Pen Award, the Emma Award, Vivian Stephens Award for Excellence in Romance Writing, the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award and the Zora Neale Hurston Literary Award.

She is a member of the Iota Theta Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., and her interests include gourmet cooking and traveling. She has traveled to Europe, and countries in North, South and Central America. Her future travel plans include visits to Hong Kong and New Zealand. Ms. Alers is also in accomplished in knitting, crocheting and needlepoint. She is currently taking instruction in the art of hand quilting.

Oliver, a toy Yorkshire terrier has become the newest addition to her family. When she’s not barking at passing school buses, the tiny dog can be found sleeping on her lap while she spends hours in front of the computer.

A full-time writer, Ms. Alers lives in a charming hamlet on Long Island.

You can visit Ms. Alers here.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Sometimes love is the simplest choice of all. Still reeling from her husband’s untimely death, Deborah Robinson needs a fresh start. So she decides to pack up her family, box up her bookstore, and return to her grandmother’s ancestral home on Cavanaugh Island. The charming town of Sanctuary Cove holds happy memories for Deborah. And, after she spies a gorgeous stranger in the local bakery, it promises the possibility for a bright, new future.

THANKS TO BRIANNE AND THE FOLKS AT
THE HACHETTE BOOK GROUP, I HAVE
BOTH THESE BOOKS TO GIVE AWAY.

CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO
THE GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE.

DISCLAIMER

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.

Guest Author

Guest Author Melissa Foster

CMash January 10, 2012 Leave a Comment

Today’s guest is more like family. She has visited many times, not only here but all over bloggy land. I think that’s one of the reasons, beside her writing and books, that I most admire about her. The fact that she is so accessible, loves and appreciates her readers, has an unending abundance of energy, is a genuine, caring person with a huge heart. So grab a seat, something to drink and eat, and let’s have a book get together with Melissa Foster!!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Melissa Foster is the bestselling, award-winning author of three novels, Megan’s Way, Chasing Amanda, and Come Back to Me. She has also been published in Indie Chicks, and anthology. She is the founder of the Women’s Nest, a social and support community for women, and the WoMen’s Literary Cafe, a cross-promotional site for authors, reviewers, bloggers, and readers. Melissa is currently collaborating in the film production of Megan’s Way, and hard at work on her next novel.

Melissa hosts an annual Aspiring Authors contest for children, she’s written for Calgary’s Child Magazine and Women Business Owners Magazine, and has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Melissa lives in Maryland with her family. Melissa’s interests include her family, reading, writing, painting, friends, helping women see the positive side of life, and visiting Cape Cod.

Melissa is available to chat with book clubs and welcomes comments and emails from her readers. Visit Melissa on The Women’s Nest or her personal website.

Melissa’s interests include her family, reading, writing, painting, friends, helping women see the positive side of life, and visiting Cape Cod. A portion of every book sold is donated to Provincetown Cares.

Melissa enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups, and welcomes an invitation to your event.
You can visit Melissa at the following sites: website, Facebook, Twitter, The Women’s Nest. WoMen’s Literary Cafe.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Tess Johnson has it all: her handsome photographer husband Beau, 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.

Tess struggles with the news of Beau’s death and tries to put her life back together. Alone and dealing with a pregnancy that only reminds her of what she has lost, Tess is adrift in a world of failed plans and fallen expectations. When a new client appears offering more than just a new project, Tess must confront the circumstances of her life head on.

Meanwhile, two Iraqi women who are fleeing honor killings find Beau barely alive in the middle of the desert, his body ravaged by the crash. 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.

See my review here.

Watch the trailer:

Read my review for Megans’ Way here.

Awards received for her previous books:
Awards:
Megan’s Way
2011 Beach Book Award Winner (Spirituality)
2011 Readers Favorite Awards, Winner (Fiction/Drama), Finalist (Women’s Fiction)
2010 Next Generation Indie Book Award Finalist (Spirituality)
Chasing Amanda
2011 Readers Favorite Awards, Winner (Paranormal), Finalist, (Women’s Fiction, Mystery)
2011 Dan Poynter’s Global eBook Awards, Winner, (Paranormal)

THANKS TO AUTHOR, MELISSA FOSTER,
I HAVE TWO (2) EBOOK EDITIONS TO GIFT AWAY.

CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO
THE GIFTAWAY ENTRY PAGE.

DISCLAIMER

I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me,

in exchange for my honest review.

No items that I receive

are ever sold…they are kept by me,

or given to family and/or friends.

Guest Author

Guest Author Vincent Zandri

CMash December 25, 2011 1 Comment

Happy Holidays!! If you follow my blog, you know that Vincent Zandri took 1st place on my list of authors when I read his book Moonlight Falls back in May 2010. I have since read every one of his books and have not been disappointed. What I also respect about him is this, he is accessible to his many readers and fans and genuinely appreciates the fact that we enjoy his work. He has been a visitor here at CMash many times, as a Guest Author and one day in 2010, a real time “Sunday With Vince Zandri” answering questions and responding to comments. Today he is back to tell us about his stand alone novel Scream Catcher. Merry Christmas Vin and Welcome Back !!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vincent Zandri is the No. 1 International Bestselling Amazon Kindle author of THE INNOCENT, GODCHILD, THE REMAINS, MOONLIGHT FALLS, CONCRETE PEARL and the forthcoming MOONLIGHT RISES. He is also the author of the bestselling digital shorts, PATHOLOGICAL and MOONLIGHT MAFIA. Harlan Coben has described his novels as “…gritty, fast-paced, lyrical and haunting,” while the New York Post called THE INNOCENT, “Sensational…Masterful…Brilliant!” In March, April and May of 2011, he sold more than 100,000 Kindle E-Books editions of his novels, and is rapidly closing in on the 200K mark all totaled. An MFA in Writing graduate of Vermont College, Zandri’s work is translated into many languages including the Dutch, Russian and Japanese. An adventurer, foreign correspondent, and freelance photo-journalist for RT, Globalspec, IBTimes and more, he divides his time between New York and Florence, Italy.

You can visit his website
Connect with Vincent on Twitter, on Facebook and Myspace

Read my reviews of his other books:

Concrete Pearl

Pathological
Godchild
The Remains
The Innocent

MY REVIEW:

SCREAM CATCHER by Vincent Zandri

Published by StoneGate Ink

ISBN:

At the request of the author, an EPub galley was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.

Synopsis (from author): Life is but a scream. Then you die.

Jude Parish was once a tough cop. But now he is afraid. For reasons even he can’t begin to fathom, the former violent crimes cop turned bestselling true crime author has acquired a fear-filled demon that’s lodged itself inside him. A demon so real, so visceral, he can only imagine a slimy reptilian beast with scaly gray skin, black eyes, and razor-sharp fangs having taken up residence inside the place where his once confident and fearless soul resided.

Now, in the wake of his literary success, the ever anxious Jude is hoping to lead a quiet, peaceful life in the idyllic Adirondack vacation town of Lake George, New York with his new pregnant wife, Rosie, and Jack, his young son from a previous marriage. But when Jude becomes the accidental witness to a bizarre “kill game” in which the killer, video game designer and master of disguise, Hector “the Black Dragon” Lennox, insists on recording the screams of his victims prior to shooting them dead, the ex-cop’s life is turned upside down.
When Lennox is arrested by the L.G.P.D. and Jude is asked to act as the state’s “star witness,” he has no choice but to fight his demon-fear and take on the role. But what he doesn’t realize at the time is that the killer’s arrest is actually the first chapter in what is a carefully designed and scripted kill game that will involve Jude’s entire family.
How will the kill game end?
It will end not with a whimper, but a scream.

My Thoughts and Opinion: Where do I begin? I’m thinking that I should apologize in advance as this is not going to be like my typical reviews where I attempt to make them short, concise, and to the point but this book has me reeling. It all started in May of 2010 when I read a debut novel, Moonlight Falls, by an unknown author to me, Vincent Zandri and I was hooked. Since that time I have read every one of his books and he doesn’t disappoint.
If you are a reader of mystery’s, thrillers, non stop action filled novels, this my friends is the book you NEED to read!!! Vinzent Zandri hasIT!!! Vincent Zandri is IT!!! Vincent Zandri is brillIanT!!! Just when you thought he reached the pinnacle in writing, he has found a higher mountain!!! He has raised the bar with Scream Catcher!! My heart was pounding at warp speed!!! This novel is a page turning, can’t put down novel.
Fantastic!!!! Zandri is a genius at story telling. Why does this book have me reeling? His inventiveness of writing style. I noticed a deviation immediately. It has the classic Zandri flair, short chapters, cliff hanging chapters, twists and turns, non stop action and page turning suspense. However, this had more drama, less quirky, quip dialogue and more of a psychological thriller plot. Masterful!!!!
As I mentioned that I have read every one of his books, and noticed a different writing style, I am thinking that Zandri will keep producing unique novels that will keep readers wanting more and and enjoying each and every one. Exceptional!!! His creative talent is phenomenal!!! Vincent Zandri and Scream Catcher are Champions!!!!

THANKS TO AUTHOR, VINCENT ZANDRI,

I HAVE ONE (1) EBOOK EDITION TO GIVE AWAY

CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO

THE GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE

Watch the trailer:

DISCLAIMER

I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me,

in exchange for my honest review.

No items that I receive

are ever sold…they are kept by me,

or given to family and/or friends.

Guest Author

Guest Author Debra Stang

CMash December 22, 2011 1 Comment

Jodi and Robyn, those amazing ladies from WOW, have done it again. They are stopping by with another incredible female author. I have the honor today to introduce you to Ms. Debra Stang!!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

In addition to her parents and two sister, Debra’s family includes four cats. The current crew includes a grouchy nine-year-old named Achilles; and orange tabby and alpha male named, appropriately enough, Alexander; and a black and white long-haired cat with attitude named Leroux. Then there’s the foster cat named Pumpkin. Of course, it all started with a three-month-old brown-and-gray tabby named Calypso who had strong feelings about most people. And not warm fuzzy feelings. Calypso even had the dubious honor of being banned by not one, but two vets.

When not caring for cats or writing, Debra spent many years as a social worker. She worked with AIDS patients, emergency room patients, and those with Alzheimer’s. Her final years as a social worker were spent with hospice patients. Although some would view that as a depressing job, Debra chose to view herself as a catalyst helping people make their final hopes and dreams come true. Sometimes it was making up with a family member after a decades long feud or leaving behind the stress of the office to reconnect with another aspect of their personality.

Debra took a clue from her patients and recently decided her writing–for years a part-time career–couldn’t wait any longer. Worried she would become one of those people who would one day say, “I wish I had…” she handed in her resignation and is now living her dream as a full time writer.
You can visit Debra at her website or blog

GUEST POST

Is ItAlzheimer’s or Is It Dementia? Probably, It’s Both

By Debra L.Stang (author of HOSPICE TAILS)

Ispent four years of my social work career working in a facility for people withAlzheimer’s disease and related dementias. During that time, I ran into a lotof confusion about the condition. Many family members would say things to melike, “Mom doesn’t have Alzheimer’s; she just has a touch of dementia,” or “Daddoes not have dementia—the doctor said it was Alzheimer’s.”

Iunderstand that words like Alzheimer’s disease and dementia are bone-chillingto many family members. If it’s easier for them to use one term or the other,that’s not a problem. But for people who are genuinely confused, this articleexplains why Alzheimer’s disease and dementia are often used interchangeably.

First,let’s start with a quick definition. Dementia is a cluster of cognitivesymptoms including short and/or long term memory loss, impaired judgment anddecision making, difficulty understanding and completing simple tasks, andconfusion in time and space. In its later stages, it may also affect a person’sability to speak and understand speech.

Agreat many conditions can cause dementia. Some, such as medication sideeffects, depression, poor diet, or acute infections are reversible. Others,like Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, and Pick’sdisease are not reversible or curable.

Alzheimer’sdisease is the most common cause of dementia symptoms, accounting for abouthalf of all diagnosed cases with dementia. It is a disorder which causesprotein deposits or neurofibrillary tangles and plaques to form in the brain,permanently and progressively destroying brain tissue. Alzheimer’s disease isnot curable, but there are certain medications that can slow its progression.

Oneof the reasons Alzheimer’s disease is such a hard diagnosis for patients andfamilies to swallow is that there is no definitive way to test for it. It canonly be confirmed through a brain biopsy which takes place after the patient hasdied. It is often called a “rule out” diagnosis, because once other testablecauses of dementia have been ruled out, Alzheimer’s disease is the most likelyculprit.

Alzheimer’sis a diagnosis no doctor likes to give, and it is certainly one that no patientor family member wants to hear. Early diagnosis is important, however, forseveral reasons. First, it gives the person with Alzheimer’s and his or herfamily time to put plans such as a medical and/or financial durable power ofattorney in place. Second, it gives the patient and family time to learn aboutAlzheimer’s and to try various treatments that might slow disease progression.Finally, understanding that the person with Alzheimer’s is truly ill, and notjust deliberately behaving in ways that are annoying, can help family membersrespond with caring and compassion.

Ifyou or a loved one has Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia, I am trulysorry. I know you are on a difficult path. Please know, however, that whileAlzheimer’s can steal memories, it cannot take away tiny pleasures like thesmell of a favorite meal cooking, the touch of a loved one’s hand, or the warmbelly of a sleepy puppy. True, these moments will be forgotten, but when theyoccur, they are precious and should be savored for the gifts that they are. Iwish you all the joy and peace in the world during this holiday season.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Hospice Tails shares the stories ofthose without voices. This books tells the stories of fourteen pets and the rolethey played when their loved one was ill or dying. The stories range from sadto touching to downright hysterical. There was King, who had the hospice nurses very nervous.Until they realized he was a lap dog in a pit bull’s body. Jasper and Jackie,Amazon parrots who put on a daily concert for their owner, even on the last dayof his life. As an Alzheimer’s patient’s world shrunk Washington, a goldenretriever, became the only “person” he recognized. This book is ideal for animal lovers as well asthose who are caretakers—either as a profession or for a loved one.
See my review below.