Category: Showcase

Guest Author ROBERT LANCE showcase & giveaway ENDED

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

PURCHASE LINKS:

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ADDENDUM
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Guest Author EVA A. BLASKOVIC

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.
Connect with Eva at these sites:

WEBSITE        TWITTER   

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

PURCHASE LINKS:

            

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.

 

Guest Author BURT WEISSBOURD

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.
Connect with Mr. Weissbourd at these sites:

WEBSITE       

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

PURCHASE LINKS:

           

 
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.

 

Guest Author HABIB SADEGHI, D. O. showcase & giveaway ENDED

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:

WEBSITE       

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)

PURCHASE LINKS:

           

THANKS TO JENNIFER AT MUSICO MEDIA,
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HAVE TWO (2) COPIES TO GIVE AWAY.
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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.

 

Guest Authors DR. NICK NICHOLSON and B.A. BLACKWOOD showcase & giveaway ENDED

WELCOME


Dr. Nick Nicholson, a renowned bariatric surgeon, and B. A. Blackwood, an author, retired trial lawyer, and marathon runner, teamed up to write Weight Loss Surgery: The Real Skinny, a guide for people who are considering or have already undergone bariatric surgery. Nicholson was voted one of D Magazine’s top bariatric doctors six years in a row, and Blackwood has completed more than 20 marathons. Together they share a passion for encouraging people to achieve and maintain healthy lifestyles. They know that anyone who chooses to undergo bariatric surgery will experience bumps in the road to maintaining their weight loss. One size does not fit all—everyone’s body is unique and everyone faces a unique set of challenges.
Connect with Dr. Nicholson at these sites:

WEBSITE        TWITTER   

 

B. A. Blackwood is a trial lawyer, a marathon runner, and the author of the young adult fantasy fiction Siren Song trilogy. She splits her time between Dallas, Texas, and Bozeman, Montana, where she lives with her husband and their three pugs, Waldo, Jonesy, and Lottie.
Connect with Ms. Blackwood at these sites:

WEBSITE        TWITTER   

GUEST POST

Five Facts About Bariatric Surgery You Need to Know

By B.A. Blackwood

I’m a trial lawyer turned young adult fantasy fiction writer. When my friend, surgeon Nick Nicholson, approached me about co-authoring a book on the emotional consequences of weight loss surgery, I was intrigued, but skeptical. How could I – someone who’d never had the surgery – write a compelling book about it?

I have some overweight friends, but their weight is a sensitive issue we skirt around. I knew of one person who’d had the surgery twice and still has to buy two airplane seats, but he’s very tight-lipped about the whole experience. I’d never understood the reasons for why the surgery didn’t “cure” him, and, based on little snippets of conversations with his parents, they didn’t either.

In other words, I was pretty ignorant.

But the more Dr. Nick filled me in on all of the issues that can arise after weight loss surgery, the more I wanted to know. So, I agreed, and began interviewing patients.

Boy, did I learn a lot.

First, most bariatric patients are champion dieters, but, with the amount of weight they’re trying to lose, their own physiology makes it virtually impossible to lose enough weight and keep it off permanently. That is why the success rate of diets for morbidly obese people is only two percent.

Yes, you read that right. Two percent.

Second, eating isn’t really the issue. It’s just the coping mechanism of choice. Everyone has a coping mechanism or two, and, if we’re honest, almost everyone uses food to some extent as a coping mechanism. In the case of the morbidly obese person, it’s the primary coping mechanism.

Third, most people don’t get to the point of health-threatening obesity by binging. They did it by eating just 10 to 100 calories a day beyond their daily needs over a period of years.

Fourth, weight loss surgery isn’t a magic cure. It’s a highly effective tool, but it requires every bit as much effort, and maybe more, than a traditional diet. It works because most types of the surgery trick the body’s physiology long enough to lose the necessary weight.

Fifth, whether the surgery is successful depends on how the person deals with the emotional issues surrounding their obesity and the subsequent loss of their excess weight.

That’s where the book comes in. It’s about emotions the weight loss will provoke not only in the patient, but in their family, friends and co-workers.

Good marriages tend to get better; bad marriages tend to get worse. The spouse who’d never had to worry about other men being attracted to his wife may have a hard time handling the attention she now receives. The overweight sister who’d initially been supportive may turn hyper-critical of her now slimmer sibling. The bariatric patient who gets a promotion after losing fifty pounds may feel furious rather than ecstatic.

Preparing for what may happen, understanding the emotions underlying the reactions and facing them, and learning healthier ways to deal with those emotions are critical to maintaining the weight loss.

Even though I didn’t know  much about bariatric surgery when I began writing, it turns out that the surgery is really about striving to get better, dealing with life’s problems head on, and having the will, optimism and strength to craft a better life for yourself  – something all of us can relate to. I finished the book inspired by the stories patients had shared with me and glad I’d taken the plunge with Dr. Nick to co-author the book.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Is it possible to lose weight fast and keep it off long-term? Whether it’s a new diet, an exercise regimen, or surgery, people are always looking for the shortest path to their ideal weight. Bariatric surgery can help you get ahead of your weight issues, but it’s not a one-and-done remedy; it gives you a head start, but lasting weight loss requires maintenance.

Weight Loss Surgery: The Real Skinny tells you the truth. Bariatric surgery can be an excellent way to quickly lose weight, but it’s not a permanent fix. It can change your body, but it doesn’t change your mind or your relationship with food. As Dr. Nick Nicholson and B. A. Blackwood explain, “overeating has little to do with physical need and everything to do with emotional need.” Surgery will get you started, but patients must also be willing to adopt a healthier way of living.

While the authors do describe the benefits of bariatric surgery and discuss how to select your surgeon, much of this book addresses the issues connected to weight management that precede and follow surgery, with chapters that tackle questions like “How Did I End up in this Mess and Why Can’t I Get Out of It?” and “I’m Doing Everything Right, So Why Doesn’t My Weight Show It?”

Other chapters address some of the unexpected consequences of dramatic weight loss. You may have already known that weight gain could adversely affect your relationships…but weight loss? Like any major life change, losing weight can upset the balance in your relationships. Weight Loss Surgery: The Real Skinny honestly acknowledges the effect that bariatric surgery can have on a patient and that patient’s family and friends. The authors offer insight into how to prepare yourself and your loved ones for the shift, highlighting the importance of open communication throughout the process.

BOOK DETAILS:

Paperback: 116 pages
Publisher: Obesity Resources Publishing
Publication Date: November 13, 2013
ISBN-10: 0615887392
ISBN-13: 978-0615887395

PURCHASE LINKS:

THANKS TO REBECCA AT THE CADENCE GROUP,
I
HAVE ONE (1) COPY TO GIVE AWAY.
OPEN TO U.S. RESIDENTS
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TCG 300

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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.

 

Guest Author JON FOYT showcase & giveaway ENDED

WELCOME JON FOYT


JON FOYT

Striving for new heights on the literary landscape, following careers in radio, commercial banking, and real estate, Jon Foyt began writing novels with his late wife, Lois. He holds a degree in journalism and an MBA from Stanford and a second masters in historic preservation from the University of Georgia. A marathon runner (60 completed) and prostate cancer survivor, Jon, 81, is active in an adult retirement community near San Francisco.
Connect with Mr. Foyt at these sites:

WEBSITE    TWITTER   

 

ABOUT THE BOOK

Marcel Proust in Taos, by Jon Foyt, tells the story of Christopher and Marlene, two recent immigrants to Taos, New Mexico, who fall in love with their adopted city and eventually each other. Christopher, a retired nuclear physicist, works on his first novel, while Marlene, newly arrived from Germany, spends her days painting the landscape and people around her. The two team up to open a microbrewery, and their relationship is tested by the hurdles they deal with along the way: Christopher hits a rough patch in his book, and a powerful enemy of Marlene’s threatens to destroy everything.

Christopher and Marlene find themselves confronting terrorism of a new sort with the matriarch of the Taos community, Agnes Havelock Powers, who strongly opposes having a brewery in town. Agnes is rich, powerful, and influential. She has the city authorities tucked in her purse next to her checkbook. Follow the exciting and charming love story of Marlene and Christopher in historical Taos, as they experience the challenges of confronting abusive power.

Read an excerpt

        While standing in the checkout line at the art supply store, Marlene reproached herself for her curt and inelegant response to Christopher’s invitation. For sure, she felt, he hadn’t been particularly suave in his outreach to her, either. In the two weeks of waiting for his call, she had gone over every nuance of their conversation in the Taos Inn, regretting that she hadn’t teased him into a more serious, or at least a fun relationship. She’d been too focused on her art, and she knew men were attracted to women who flirt, even if the man was married—Christopher wore no ring, but so what did that mean?

That afternoon in the tavern she should have invited him to her studio, changed into alluring attire and produced a romantic air for scintillating conversation by uncorking a bottle of Moselle wine, preparing a tasty tray of vorspeisen, turning on enchanting Bavarian music and lighting her scented candles—all against a backdrop of her prized art. As she paid the cashier, she brought herself back to the moment. Enough of this playful fantasizing! She was nervous about showing her art to this wealthy patron. Christopher would have to wait.

She reminded herself to concentrate on how she would present herself and her art to this woman with the name of “Mrs. Powers.” She vowed she would never abdicate her own ideals to a person who might be a domineering fuhrer in a skirt. Blumy and the other Taos artists had benefited from sponsorship those years ago and still did. Because of the railroad’s beneficence, their Taos School was indelibly imprinted upon the annals of world art, mentioned in every art history book and probably taught in every MFA program. Other individual artists, not so fortunate, had been readily co-opted. Marlene didn’t want such a destructive fate to befall her. She could think for herself, and she vowed to continue to paint, but solely for her own satisfaction.

Hurrying back to her studio, Marlene climbed the stairs only to see a note pinned to her door—Joe’s delinquent rent notice—and she panicked. She needed money and she desperately hoped this prospective patron would be generous, yet allow her to express her talent in the hallowed tradition of the Taos School, where her Blumy and his diverse group had pledged themselves to always remain faithful to their own individual artistic styles.

Marlene remembered that the gallery owner told her that the patron woman was heiress to a molybdenum fortune, and that her philanthropic nature was well known throughout the Southwest. “But, whatever you do, don’t say anything about the mountain top up by Questa that her mining company is scarring in the worst way—she’s very sensitive about the environmental issues about her company having stripped the mountain of its natural beauty.”

Having been both briefed and warned about her potential benefactor, Marlene waited for the knock on her door. Fresh flowers graced her rustic pine table. In her oven baked an apple strudel, its flavors wafting through her studio. Twice she repositioned her canvases, which she had purposely enriched with gilded frames, each time twisting her track lighting to best capture the aura and ambiance of each painting.

“What smells so yummy?” the amply proportioned Mrs. Powers inquired immediately upon entering Marlene’s aromatic stage.

“It’s my mother’s recipe for apple strudel from the old country. You will have a taste in just a minute or two—that is, when it cools.” Marlene rushed on, “There’s no sugar. I use pure honey from a little town outside Nuremberg—my father sends me a jar a month. He says the honey will counteract the pollen from our juniper trees, and I will never have an allergy.

“Oh, please sit down. May I pour you a cup of coffee?” Marlene knew she must put an end to her unrehearsed rapid speech, but she couldn’t stop. “Hasn’t our weather been glorious for this time of year? Makes me want to hike to the top of the unspoiled mountains around here instead of painting them. I’m a very disciplined artist and I know I could complete your assignment quickly and faithfully.”

“Could I have that strudel now?”

“Yes, of course. Do you take cream in your coffee?”

“I prefer tea with two sugars.”

“Would honey do?”

“Oh, forget it, dear. I’m here because Mr. Peters at the gallery recommended your work. My decorator is redoing my living room for this season’s Opera Guild socials. Mr. Peters insisted I select the art because he so values my opinion. Money’s no object, for me color is what’s important.” She looked at the painting on Marlene’s easel. “Not this one, but I do like the shading in that one over there. Don’t you have any landscapes without all these mountains?”

“I can paint a fresh subject for you,” Marlene assured her visitor.
        “Yes, I think we shall have to do that.”

“Do you have a particular setting in mind? Perhaps I could do an interpretive rendering of your house?”

“Maybe—no, I don’t want to appear overly pretentious, you know. Some people react….” Mrs. Powers produced small decorator color swatches. “Here, these will guide you. Your painting must not clash with my new draperies. I plan to give your painting the prominent space above my grand kiva fireplace, so make sure it blends in with everything in the room. Mine is, of course, quite a large room.”

Hesitatingly Marlene showed Ms. Powers another canvas. “This is my current work in progress. I’m painting my impressions of the Tu-o-ta Pueblo.”

Mrs. Powers pointed to the reddish-brown branches of the red willow trees lining the small stream. “Yes, this color here…a teeny bit softer, I should think. Put in a sweet little deer or two—you artists know what to do—but none of those rickety ladders. I want my friends to feel at home…you know, comfortable…so they’ll come back and donate more money to the Guild. That’s why I hold these socials, you know, to raise money for a good cause. One must support the community, as well as art and artists, don’t you think?”

Marlene nodded.

“How much do you require to get started?”

Marlene didn’t know how to respond.

“Five hundred, then, is that all right?” Mrs. Powers asked, then inquired, “How will you sign my painting? Can you make Marlene look a little like Remington? I don’t want you to actually forge his signature, of course, but I want my guests to be impressed—I mean, they all know that name. Now, could I have that strudel now?”

Marlene cut a slice of her pastry, covered it with gobs of whipped cream and deliberately shoved the culinary concoction into the face of Mrs. Powers.

“Ernest Leonard Blumenschein made me do this, and he hopes you get the message.”

BOOK DETAILS:

Paperback: 214 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Publication Date: June 19, 2013
ISBN-10: 1481879162
ISBN-13: 978-1481879163

PURCHASE LINKS:

           

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HAVE ONE (1) DIGITAL COPY TO GIVE AWAY.
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Guest Author SARA J. HENRY showcase & giveaway ENDED

 

WELCOME SARA J. HENRY


 

SARA J. HENRY

SARA J. HENRY’s first novel, Learning to Swim, won the Anthony, Agatha, and Mary Higgins Clark Awards, was a Target Emerging Author pick, and was named one of Best Books of 2011 by the Boston Globe. Her second novel, A Cold and Lonely Place, was a Reader’s Digest Select Books choice and will be out in paperback from Broadway Books in November 2013. She’s written for Prevention, Adirondack Life, Bicycling, Triathlete, and other magazines, was an editor at Rodale Books and Women’s Sports & Fitness magazine, and was a newspaper and magazine editor. A native of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Sara now lives on a dirt road in southern Vermont with at least one too many dog.
Connect with Sara at these sites:

WEBSITE        TWITTER   

Q&A with Sara J. Henry

Do you draw from personal experiences and/or current events?
Not really either. An opening scene comes to me – which most often happens while I’m in a car on a long drive – and I spin the story out in my head. I can dream up most of a novel on a full-day drive, as long as traffic is light.

Do you start with the conclusion and plot in reverse or start from the beginning and see where the story line brings you?
I have the story roughed out in my head before I start writing – and I always know how the book is going to end. In fact, I tend to write the ending scene long before I get to it. Things may change slightly by the time I get there – in A Cold and Lonely Place the back-story and motivations of some of the characters changed as the story progressed, so I did alter the ending a bit. But the essence remained the same.

Which brings me to the next point: I like to let the characters develop and plot line change slightly as I go. A good example is in Cold and Lonely when someone knocks on the door of a cabin in the woods – and the person knocking at the door was not the person I’d planned it to be.

Your routine when writing?  Any idiosyncrasies?
I have no set routine. If I’m writing new material, i.e, not revising or rewriting, I like to write early in the day or late at night, when the minutia of day-to-day life isn’t filling my head. When something’s going well, I don’t stop. If I’m having trouble with a section or passage, I’ll pull it out of the manuscript and put in a separate file to work on. I’ll print it out in a different font or use the Reading Layout view in Word to see the material differently.

Is writing your full-time job?
Like many other authors, I spend what seems like an enormous amount of time working to promote my books! (I particularly love library visits.) But writing, other than an occasional editing job, is my sole source of income.

Who are some of your favorite authors?
Carol O’Connell, Kate Atkinson, Frances Fyfield, Daniel Woodrell, Tana French, A.S. King, Matthew Dicks

What are you reading now?
An enormous number of books for a contest I’m helping judge. The only non-contest book I’ve read recently is Reality Boy by A.S. King.

Are you working on your next novel?  Can you tell us a little about it?
Yes, it’s the third in the series, and many of the familiar characters are back, including Troy’s brother, Simon, and her friend Alyssa from Burlington.

Your novel will be a movie. Who would you cast?
For much the same reason that I don’t give explicit descriptions of most of my characters – I like readers to be able to envision them as they would like – I don’t mentally cast my novels. With that said, when I was struggling with the first novel in this series, Learning to Swim, the character Philippe came alive to me only when I envisioned him as Christian Bale, as the father he played in the 2002 sci-fi movie Equilibrium. Mark Ruffalo (or many other actors) could play Jameson, although it would be lovely to have a Canadian or UK actor. And any versatile actor such as Kristen Stewart or Jennifer Lawrence could portray Troy perfectly.

Manuscript/Notes: hand written or keyboard?
I compose on a computer and do copious revisions by hand, and repeat the process over and over until I’m relatively happy with the manuscript.

Favorite meal?
Anything someone else prepares!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Freelance writer Troy Chance is snapping photos of the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival ice palace when the ice-cutting machine falls silent. Encased in the ice is the shadowy outline of a body–a man she knows.

One of her roommates falls under suspicion, and the media descends. Troy’s assigned to write an in-depth feature on the dead man, who, it turns out, was the privileged son of a wealthy Connecticut family who had been playing at a blue collar life in this Adirondack village. And the deeper Troy digs into his life and mysterious death, the murkier things become. After the victim’s sister comes to town and a string of disturbing incidents unfold, it’s clear someone doesn’t want the investigation to continue, and Troy doesn’t know who to trust.

A Cold and Lonely Place, the sequel to Learning to Swim, follows Troy on a powerful emotional journey as she discovers the damage left by long-hidden secrets and catches a glimpse of what might have been.

BOOK DETAILS:

Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Broadway Books
Publication Date: November 5, 2013
ISBN-10: 0307718425
ISBN-13: 978-0307718426

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Guest Author JACK HYLAND showcase & giveaway ENDED

WELCOME JACK HYLAND

JACK HYLAND
John W. Hyland, Jr. (Jack) born in Detroit in 1938 and raised in Philadelphia. Graduated high school in 1955 (The Haverford School, outside Philadelphia), Williams College (1959, majoring in theoretical physics) and received a M.B.A. from Harvard University in 1961.  Moved to New York City (1961) where he has been ever since, with the exception of four years living in Paris and London.
His career has been in investment banking with Morgan Stanley & Co for 18 years (partner after eight years) followed by Warburg Paribas Becker (vice chairman), and PaineWebber (vice chairman) for eight years and the balance spent in a boutique investment banking firm (McFarland Dewey & Co.) until the last four years with Media Advisory Partners (founding partner) (www.mediaadvisorypartners.com <http://www.mediaadvisorypartners.com> )Besides The Moses Virus, he wrote a biography Evangelism’s First Modern Media Star, The Life of Reverend Bill Stidger (www.stidger.com <http://www.stidger.com> ) as well as articles syndicated by Hearst and The New York Times on his travels in India, Libya and Bhutan.  He also has written articles in “Fine Gardening” magazine on his garden at his weekend house in Millerton, NY.Not-for-profit activities have included being Chairman, and Chairman Emeritus of the American Academy in Rome; Co-Chairman of Teachers College, Columbia University; Director of the College Art Association; and Trustee of the Clark Art institute.He has three children, Liza, married, with three children living in Rye, New York; Jonathan, PhD in Psychology, living and teaching in Salt Lake City; and Susannah, married, running a counseling clinic in Brooklyn. Jack’s partner is Larry Wente, who has an architectural firm in New York City.
Connect with Jack at these sites:

WEBSITE    

Q&A with Jack Hyland
Do you draw from personal experiences and/or current events?
I’ve personally known all the characters in The Moses Virus, with their good points and their weaknesses and ambiguities.  For a while I wrote myself in as the hero, and even called him by my name.  Quickly, however, he rebelled, and I gave him a new name, Tom Stewart, since he didn’t really want to be me.  He was considerably happier and eventually so was I.
The ghastly virus in the book comes right off the front pages of the major newspapers (The New York Times: Debate Persists on Deadly Flu Made Airborne, cover page, December 27, 2011) with the running controversy about the motives of the scientists in resurrecting the world’s most devastating killer—somewhere between 50 and 100 million people killed by the Spanish flu of 1918-19. Is there any government that wouldn’t want to have its own supply?  Also, we—the world of seven billion people—are headed for potential disaster in that the food supply is drastically falling behind the growth in population. Why? Many reasons: corruption, inefficiency, among others. The solution? Some would propose bio-engineered seeds boosting the output of crops, and others would curb population growth. Still others would cure corruption. Which would you pick and at what risk? Certain major companies see the profit opportunities.

Do you start with the conclusion and plot in reverse or start from the beginning and see where the story line brings you?
Some years ago, I was invited to meet at six in the morning on a hot summer day in Rome to watch while an archaeological team from the American Academy in Rome re-opened an excavation in the Roman Forum on the Palatine Hill. The first chapter came to me in this way, watching the team at work moving rocks, sifting the findings, while at the same moment imagining a catastrophic release of a deadly virus killing two of the archaeologists. In this “imagining” I polished off the head of the American Academy team whom I had known for years.  I told him about his fate later, which he laughed about good-naturedly.  With this, the story was off and running.  I had no idea exactly where the story was going but I knew the characters would help me find the way.  And they did.

Your routine when writing?  Any idiosyncrasies?
About three in the morning, I wake up with a fabulous idea connected to my book.  I toss and turn, and the idea keeps returning, changing sometimes, but persistently wanting some attention. I get up. I jot down the main points and go back to sleep.  Later, when I get up, I take the notes from my dreaming state and work them into the story. Some of the ideas are too wild to use; others, however, join the story and enrich it. I never know in advance.

Is writing your full time job?  If not, may I ask what you do by day?
Investment banking is my main job, mergers and acquisitions in media and education. Both areas are in major transition and face major needs to change if they are to remain viable. Challenging.  I’ve also been Chairman of the American Academy in Rome, which gives the Rome Prize to Americans in many arts and scholarly fields, and it is where some of the action in The Moses Virus takes place; I’m Co-Chair of Teachers College, Columbia University, the oldest and largest of the nation’s schools of education (perhaps the setting of the next book—which depends on Tom Stewart and some other events); and a couple of other not for profit organizations.  Travelling is a passion: Egypt, for example, fascinates me. Luxor and the supreme achievements of ancient Egypt, or Rome, or Paris, of Istanbul, and so on. I’ve been to 57 countries—as many as Heinz has varieties.

Who are some of your favorite authors?
I worked on an oil tanker for Sunoco one summer in college and after the modest work assignment was done each day, legitimately hid from more work duties. On the deck near the bow, another college student and I read all the rest of the day. I loved many of the classics: Dickens, Fielding, Jane Austen, and the Brontes. I moved to more current authors, Michael Crichten, discovered science fiction via Isaac Azimov, Philip Dick, Heinlein and on to the surrealist writing of Heller (Yossarrian—“He had decided to live forever, or die in the attempt”) and Vonnegut.

What are you reading now?
I enjoy the story telling and page turning skills of Stephen King, Tom Clancy and John Grisham. And I need to add that I’m a movie fiend, ranging from James Bond (both Sean Connery and Daniel Craig), action and adventure (Jason Bourne), certain comedies, science fiction (“Gravity”—wow, what an experience), twisted mysteries (Alfred Hitchcock). And certain television—Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, as well as a few series, such as The Newsroom, the amazingly cynical House of Cards with Kevin Spacey.

Are you working on your next novel?  Can you tell us a little about it?
May I quote from the last page of The Moses Virus? Alex is talking to Tom.
“Mr. Forensic Archaeologist, tell me exactly what was in Crystal’s small leather case when she drove away from Kronberg Castle.”
Tom said, “I have no bloody idea.  And, perhaps it’s better that neither of us know. Furthermore, it will be some time before I join in an excavation in the Roman Forum again.”
“Fine by me,” Alex said.
And that is the way things stood for quite a while. But in exactly one year and three months, Tom would have the exact answer to Alex’s question.”
That’s all I can say, except that we are not done with Crystal, Alex and Tom.
h. Fun questions:-Your novel will be a movie.  Who would you cast?
Clive Owen as Tom Stewart. Owen (Children of Man, The International) if he can handle an America accent is the closest I can get to Cary Grant both of whom have the good lucks, intelligence and sense of humor to be the main character; and Eva Green, (Bond’s love in Casino Royale), who is strikingly good looking, and totally self possessed would be a perfect Alex Cellini.

Manuscript/Notes: hand written or keyboard?
Scraps of paper from waking up and transcribing three AM ideas, but otherwise everything is written on the computer. There are drawbacks—I find it harder to locate certain passages whereas it would be easier if all were on pages of paper, or occasionally I mistakenly type for too long before saving, and you all know what happens then.

Favorite leisure activity/hobby?
I have an apartment in New York City, and a house in the Berkshires overlooking a lake and a hump-backed mountain. Why travel? I wonder, since where I live is better than any place else I’ve ever found. But I love to travel—sadly much of the Middle East which is the heart of our western civilization is in turmoil, so trips there are difficult at the present time. But the Far East, Europe, South America—there is so much to see and people to meet.  I’m not enthusiastic about the Arctic or Antarctic, but maybe I’m not being fair.

Favorite meal?
Begin with a sublime salad of tomato and mozzarella, like I had this summer in Verona at a restaurant called the Twelve Apostles, followed by a main pasta course at a restaurant called Rosa Rossa in Venice, which is cited by Johnny Depp as his favorite restaurant in the world, a cool, crisp Italian pinot grigio, and then some gelato and coffee. Can’t beat this.

Thank you for stopping by CMash Reads and spending time with us.

ABOUT THE BOOK
The Moses Virus is a thriller primarily set in modern day Rome.  Two American archaeologists die suddenly in an underground passageway in the Roman Forum leading to the buried rooms of Emperor Nero’s Golden Palace.  The Italian authorities conclude that the deaths were caused by a devastating and highly contagious virus.  Tom Stewart, an NYU forensic archaeologist who was present when the deaths occurred, becomes entangled in the race to find the supply of the virus—a race involving many powerful players desperately seeking the deadly contagion.  Stewart must find and destroy the virus before others harness its sinister power.
The Vatican, foreign groups, the world’s largest genetically-modified seed manufacturer—all have their reasons, and none will stop until they succeed, no matter what the cost or risk to millions of people if the virus escapes and causes a pandemic.
BOOK DETAILS:

Genre: Archaeologists—Fiction
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Taylor Trade
Publication Date: January 7, 2014
ISBN-10: 1589799089
ISBN-13: 978-1589799080

PURCHASE LINKS:

           

THANKS TO MARIA AT MARIAN BROWN PR,
I
HAVE THREE (3) SIGNED COPIES TO GIVE AWAY.
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GIVEAWAY ENDS JANUARY 10th AT 6PM EST
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VIA EMAIL AND WILL HAVE 48 HOURS TO RESPOND
OR ANOTHER NAME WILL BE CHOSEN

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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.