Mailbox Monday

CMash July 15, 2013 4 Comments

July is being hosted byTasha @ Book Obsessed

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia of A girl and her books and is now on tour.

According to Marcia, “Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

Click on title for synopsis via IndieBound (I am an IndieBound affiliate)

Tuesday: Carniepunk by Best Selling Authors from Simon & Schuster

Saturday: Love Gone Mad by Mark Rubinstein from Media Muscle/The Book Trib

Guest Author, Partners In Crime Tours, Showcase

Partners In Crime Tours Presents: DATELINE: ATLANTIS by LYNN VOEDISCH

CMash July 14, 2013 1 Comment

WELCOME LYNN VOEDISCH

LYNN VOEDISCH

Lynn Voedisch is a Chicago writer who had a long career as a newspaper reporter and worked for 17 years at the Chicago Sun-Times. She also freelanced for many other publications, both in print and online. She lives with her husband and pet cat three blocks from the Chicago border. Her son, a new attorney, lives in the city. Her hobbies are tennis, tai ch, an promoting the appreciation of literature.
Connect with Lynn at these sites:

ABOUT THE BOOK

DATELINE: ATLANTIS is a contemporary fantasy featuring a female Indiana Jones who dives underwater and accidentally discovers what just might be the lost world of Atlantis. After she and her photographer document fabulous pyramids and other structures under the Caribbean sea, they return to their newspaper in the Los Angeles area, only to have all their evidence stolen. The sea rolls back and reclaims the buildings, and the photographer is kidnapped by unknown criminals

The simple news assignment becomes more complicated with each turn and takes the Amaryllis Lang (pen name: Amy Quigley) to Chicago, Florida, Mexico and the Bahamas.

An ever-skeptical reporter, the Amaryllis Lang finds that her search for humanity’s first family (in the possible Atlantis) dovetails with her own search for her own lost roots. Long ago someone murdered her archeologist parents—and they may be the same villains who are working against her own efforts to bring the Caribbean discovery to light.

In the midst of the tension, a testy romantic triangle develops. Plus, the pressure never stops as editor Noel Wright III keeps badgering her for a Pulitzer Prize-winning story. After escaping the villains’ traps with her life intact, Amaryllis emerges a more open-minded adventurer, a better journalist, and an adventurer who is never afraid to let a historical find change written history.

READ AN EXCERPT

She dives underneath the waves. Next to her is the tip of a giant stone structure. It widens as it plunges down to the ocean floor, filling her line of sight. She surfaces and swims toward the top of the rock. Amaryllis fights for breath as the waves roll up toward her chin and away. She dives again. The structure is a pyramid, without a doubt. It can’t be a natural formation. Its lines are too regular. The stones used to fit the pyramid together are huge—twenty-ton boulders at least—yet they are meshed with knife-edge precision. She can’t get her fingernail between them. Another thing occurs to her: this pyramid is not built in steps, but is smooth-sided like the monuments of Egypt.

She bobs up and down, diving and surfacing for a quarter of an hour, finding more impossible things. These walls, unlike those of the Maya structures they found on land, are still smooth. They are weathered and pitted, but not covered over with barna- cles and seaweed. She sees the remnants of writing carved into the rock near the top, but can’t tell what language it is. It has neither the pictorial intricacy of Maya glyphs nor the simplicity of Roman characters. It has a modern aspect, clean and stylized, proportionally balanced, as if it were a font designed by an adver- tising agency. Yet, some of the figures recall the ancient themes of the American Indians: swirling vortices, men with large heads, hunting dogs. The most prominent of all symbols is a cross in- scribed with concentric circles.

Amaryllis’ strength is nearly gone, but she dives once more if only to give the fullest of reports to her cohorts sleeping back onshore. She slips below the surface and feels along the eastern wall, pulling herself down. She is looking for a dark square she glimpsed before, gaping and black. It yawns at once before her, its edges wavy in the ocean swells. A sea turtle darts in front of her, and she constricts her lungs. She streaks to the surface, gulps a huge lungful of air and immediately she’s at the opening again. Seconds disappear as she measures the portal. It’s just big enough to slip through, but will she be able to get back out? A shining gem illuminated by a sun ray catches her eye. She swishes inside.

With lungs screaming, she scans a tiny chamber, carved from top to bottom with ancient writing. Gold glints from porticos on the sides. A painting is still visible on the ceiling. A carved hand, claw-like and strong, rests on a pedestal in the center of the space. The red hand holds a stone so beautiful, she can’t bear to leave it. In the filtered sunlight that passes through the door- way, the gem dazzles like Venus in the night sky. The morning star—the guide that Amaryllis can rely on. She grabs the jewel.
Through the door, up to the surface, sucking in the air—she’s free.

BOOK DETAILS:

Genre: Contemporary Fantasy
Published by: Fiction Studio Books
Publication Date: April 2, 2013
Number of Pages: 277
ISBN: 978-1-936558-57-5

PURCHASE LINKS:

If you’d like to join in on an upcoming tour just stop by our sites and sign up today!

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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.

Giveaway, Winners

And the winner is…….

CMash July 13, 2013 2 Comments

**…..of Being Me and If I Were You by Lisa Renee Jones**

CONGRATULATIONS!!

19 Wayne Lecoy Follow @CherylMash on Twitter

An email has been sent and the winner has 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. Thank you to all that entered.

Giveaway, Guest Author, Showcase, WOW, WOW Tours

Guest Author DONALD DEMPSEY showcase & giveaway ENDED

CMash July 12, 2013 Leave a Comment

WELCOME DONALD DEMPSEY

DONALD DEMPSEY with son, GAVIN

Don Dempsey experienced childhood abuse and neglect first hand, but went on to have a fulfilling family life as an adult and to own his own business. “If you’re lucky, you make it to adulthood in one piece,” says Don. “But there’s no guarantee the rest of your life is going to be any better. Abused kids are often plagued by fear and insecurity. They battle depression and have trouble with relationships. In the worst cases, abused children perpetuate the cycle.” But Don is living proof that you can overcome a childhood of abuse and neglect. “You start by letting go of as much of the guilt (yes, abused kids feel guilty) and as many of the bad memories as possible. At the same time, you hold on to the things that helped you survive. For me, it was the belief that you can make life better by working at it and earning it. It helps to have a sense of humor, too.”
Connect with Don at these sites:

GUEST POST

Overcoming a Difficult Childhood

I can only speak from personal experience when it comes to overcoming a troubled childhood, and I do so cautiously. I’ve heard every cliché over the years, but the fact is no two people really wear the same scar. Siblings who suffer the exact trauma often emerge very differently from the turmoil. One might be able to go on and build a normal life. Another might become mired in the pain, making one mistake after another, until it feels like there is no escape.

For me, it was suppressed rage, a determination to outwork my perceived destiny, a sarcastic wit, and fear. I was terrified I would wind up like my mother. Even worse, that I would be a man like one of the disgusting string of bums and predators she allowed in and out of our lives. For most of my early years, I lived in one of two perpetual states: I was either afraid, or I was angry. I believe I was around forty years old before I actually began to find peace, to come to some sort of agreement with the tortured child within me.

I’ve learned something from watching the struggles of my brothers. I’ve learned even more from some of the haunting messages I’ve received from readers. How does a girl who was brutally raped again and again by her own father survive and mature into a loving mother and devoted wife? She never speaks of her pain, choosing to choke down her shame and guilt and hide behind a picturesque smile. While her abused brother chooses to drown himself in alcohol and drugs, never getting free, tormented and abused forever.

I’m sad to say I don’t have an answer. I believe I did things the hard way. I’m good with who I am today – stubborn, flawed, but as open minded and considerate of others as I can constantly remind myself to be. Religion remains an abstract concept. I don’t particularly like to be referred to as “lucky,” but I do consider myself blessed. I still often wake up in the dead of night and roam my den, looking at the pictures of my children covering the walls, amazed at my good fortune and wondering how I managed to deserve the life I have.

Hesitantly and humbly, I offer a few suggestions to overcoming the demons of a difficult childhood. Accepting the problem is a great place to start, understanding that the guilt and pain are the byproduct of trauma you didn’t deserve. Unaddressed, the problem will often lead to substance abuse and anger issues. Many find ways to cope with or squash their pain, concentrating on their work, or raising their own children. I’m one of those people. Most of us who manage this type of self-therapy still have our issues, but we find ways to dull the pain. We do whatever we have to.

But if you’re one of those who can’t find the balance required to move forward, please understand that life is too precious a gift to waste. Seek help. Accept help. No matter how overwhelming and hopeless it appears, please try. Take small steps. Start with talking to a professional or maybe a loved one you can trust. Break down and tackle issues separately instead of trying to take them on all at once. Try to shed the guilt and push forward. Try to understand you deserve peace and healing. Do anything it takes to end the cycle of abuse and not pass it on to those you care about and love.

ABOUT THE BOOK

In the tradition of Frank McCourt and Angela’s Ashes, Don Dempsey uses Betty’s Child to tell the story of life with a cruel and neglectful mother, his mother’s abusive boyfriends, a dangerous local thug who wants twelve-year-old Donny to burglarize homes and deal drugs, and hypocritical church leaders who want to save young Donny’s soul but ignore threats to his physical well-being. In a world where it’s “fight or flight” at every turn, Donny uses his street smarts and sense of humor to guide him. He usually makes the right choice, but whenever he makes a wrong move, he pays the price. Some of his experiences will make you recoil in horror, but you’ll want to keep reading because Dempsey manages to maintain a sense of humor while sharing the gritty details of his story. In the end, Donny does everything he can to take care of himself and his younger brothers, but with each new development, the present becomes more fraught with peril—and the future more uncertain.

“Heartrending and humorous. In scene after vivid scene, Dempsey presents his inspiring true story with accomplished style. Dempsey’s discipline as a writer lends the real-life tale the feel of a fictional page-turner.” Kirkus Reviews

BOOK DETAILS:

Publisher: Dream of Things (March 26, 2013)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00BOL69ZO
Print Length: 438 pages

PURCHASE LINKS:

THANKS TO CRYSTAL AT WOW!,
I HAVE ONE (1) COPY TO GIVE AWAY.
PRINT-OPEN TO U.S. and CANADA RESIDENTS or EBOOK-OPEN TO ALL

FILL OUT RAFFLECOPTER ENTRY FORM BELOW

GIVEAWAY ENDS JULY 26th AT 6PM EST

WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN BY RAFFLECOPTER AND NOTIFIED
VIA EMAIL AND WILL HAVE 48 HOURS TO RESPOND
OR ANOTHER NAME WILL BE CHOSEN

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

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.

Giveaway, Winners

And the winner is…

CMash July 11, 2013 1 Comment

**….of Sins & Needles and On Every Street by Karina Halle**

CONGRATULATIONS!!

6 Maria Smith Tweet about the Giveaway
An email has been sent and the winner has 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. Thank you to all that entered.

ADDENDUM 07/3/13
Due to an obtaining issue, another winner will be chosen. It is:

8 James Coyne Follow @CherylMash on Twitter
An email has been sent to the winner and he has 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.

Announcement, Events

The Story Plant Presents: AUTHOR OF THE MONTH

CMash July 10, 2013 1 Comment

I had to share this since Michael Baron is one of my favorite authors, having read every book and anxiously awaiting the sequel to LEAVES. If you haven’t read his books, I guarantee you won’t be disappointed!! Check out my reviews for his books (click on titles below):

From THE STORY PLANT: A new month means a new Author of the Month! This month, we are featuring Michael Baron, author of multiple nationally bestselling books. For the duration of the month, The Journey Home will be on sale for $0.99 and everything else will be on sale for $2.99! We are also featuring excerpts and guest posts on our blog every day from Michael. To learn more about this program and his books, please visit our website.

***Crossing The Bridge, The Journey Home, Spinning, Anything, When You Went Away, A Winter DIscovery* and *Leaves***

Giveaway, Guest Author, Showcase, WOW, WOW Tours

Guest Author TRISHA SLAY showcase & giveaway ENDED

CMash July 9, 2013 1 Comment

WELCOME TRISHA SLAY

TRISHA SLAY

Trisha Slay is a writer with a passion for storytelling. She has studied at the Institute of Children’s Literature as well as furthering her skills through online workshops. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators and the Atlanta Writer’s Club. She enjoys participating in writing groups and spends a great deal of time improving her craft. Not So Long Ago, Not So Far Away is her first novel.

Tricia hopes Not So Long Ago, Not So Far Away would be compared to Looking for Alaska by John Green and The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. She has said that “If those two books had a Star Wars-obsessed little sister, I’d like to think she would be my novel.”

Tricia lives between the Atlanta metro area and the North Georgia Mountains, but hails originally from Ohio…by the way of the San Francisco Bay area. When she is not working on her next book (tentatively titled Sometimes We Strike Back), her interests include: 70s pop culture; unsolved mysteries; Star Wars (original trilogy); historic movie theaters; haunted history; reading (especially YA novels); nutrition/weight watchers/healthy vegetarian cuisine; hiking (exploring the National Forest trails with her guy); yoga/meditation; miscellaneous crafting projects (that rarely turn out as envisioned); and writing letters she never intends to mail.
Connect with Trisha at these sites:

GUEST POST

I am one of those annoying writers for whom ideas flow freely. Characters and half-formed plot lines seem to spring out at me from every direction. I never, ever struggle for a new story idea to develop.

Does that sound like bragging? Many talented authors have trouble finding the seeds of inspiration that will easily bloom into narrative, so my declaration may ruffle a few feathers. That said, my intention is not to boast. Oh, no. The truth is, a surplus of ideas is not always a good thing.

At any given time, there are four or more unborn stories pinballing around in my head, competing for my attention. The constant cacophony makes it rather difficult to focus on any one idea and nearly impossible to maintain the level of attention required to finish the first draft of a novel. I am constantly being tempted to abandon a writing project to pursue the Next Big Idea. And yet, resolutely ignoring new inspirations for weeks and months at a time doesn’t feel like a good solution. After all, story ideas are a lot like snowflakes…each one is beautiful and unique, but they can quickly melt away.

That is why the care and feeding of ideas is such an important topic for me.

The most oft-repeated piece of advice in every creative writing class – Always carry a notebook – is not bad advice, but it’s incomplete. While it seems absurdly obvious, the notebook will not do you any good unless you also have a writing implement and a free hand to scribble out those wild, fleeting bits of fantasy. I commute an hour to work (each way) and I cannot tell you how many plot twists have popped into my head while navigating through heavy traffic. This is where the voice memo feature on my iPhonecomes in handy. Once I’m safely parked, I’ll play back my own excited babble to see if I’ve captured something worth being transcribed into my trusty notebook…or something that should be deleted and quickly forgotten.

Which brings me to another, fairly obvious point. The practice of faithfully jotting down ideas day in and day out quickly results in page after page of vague, half-formed bits and pieces that may or may not support a full story. So, the next logical step, is to regularly go back through those pages to determine if anything tempts the writerly brain to explore and expand.

If I find any treasure among the flotsam and jetsam in my notebook, I’ll sit down with pen and paper, set a timer for 30 minutes, and free write. There’s only one rule for this exercise – keep the pen moving for the full 30 minutes. Write, write, write. Do not stop. Do not read. Do not edit or censor anything. If I find myself losing interest or feeling blocked, that’s a good indication that this little spark of inspiration that seemed so promising will burn out quickly without producing a finished story. However, if I’m still excited by the possibilities after 30 minutes, I move on to the fun part.

This is the artsy crafty phase where I allow myself to get a little weird. Some of the things I do to feed and grow my inspiration may not appeal to everyone, but here’s some of the projects I’ve used to build the creative fires:

Create a collage or vision board for the story
Design a front cover for the finished novel.
Search Pinterest, Google Images, Flickr, Photo Pin &/or DeviantART (my favorite) for characters and/or settings in my story
Write the back cover copy (yes, before writing the story)
Write letters from the main character(s)
Using only doodle drawings (arrows, circles, stars, hearts, flowers, etc) map the main plot
Draw a map of the setting

Now, I love these types of projects a little too much so I have to be careful not to get stuck in my arty phase for too long. But it can be equally dangerous to rush into the first draft too soon. Usually, I’ll reach a point when I feel near to bursting with the need to start writing the story. Then and only then, will I launch into the first draft.

One warning…in the earliest stages of nurturing a new inspiration, I strongly recommend keeping your project a secret. Don’t discuss it with anyone. The earliest stages are so very fragile. Discussing what you want to create prematurely is the surest way to destroy it. Trust me. Nothing kills a promising concept faster than premature feedback.

Now tell me, what are your secrets for nurturing a new writing project?

ABOUT THE BOOK

It’s a terrible thing to live under a question mark….

When Erika’s best friend, teen beauty queen Cassandra Abbott, disappears during the early hours of Memorial Day 1977, Erika isn’t exactly surprised. After all, they’ve been plotting and planning Cassie’s escape for months. But then Cassie’s departure unleashes a whirlwind of questions, suspicions and accusations that Erika never expected.

She’s lying to the police. She’s being bullied by older students. Worst of all, she’s starting to doubt she ever REALLY knew Cassie Abbott at all.

Under the weight of scrutiny and confusion, Erika struggles just to breathe…until a strange new movie transforms her summer with A New Hope.

For Erika, Star Wars changes EVERYTHING. So she volunteers to do chores for a local theater owner to gain unlimited access to a galaxy far, far away from her current reality.

At the Bixby Theater-a beautiful but crumbling movie palace from a more civilized era-Erika discovers new friendships, feels the crush of first love and starts an exciting new romance with Super 8 film making…but she can’t hide in a darkened movie theater forever.

As the summer wears on, tensions escalate over the unsolved mystery surrounding Cassie’s disappearance. Someone seems to think Erika knows too many of Cassie’s secrets. Eventually, Erika must step out of the shadows and, armed only with her Super 8 camera and the lessons she’s learned from Star Wars, fight to save herself and the theater that has become her second home.

Not So Long Ago, Not So Far Away is a quirky, contemporary, coming-of-age novel set during the earliest days of the Star Wars fan phenomenon.

BOOK DETAILS:

Print Length: 316 pages
Publisher: Deeds Publishing (May 1, 2013)
Language: English
ASIN: B00CXAE60K

PURCHASE LINKS:

THANKS TO CRYSTAL AT WOW!,
I HAVE ONE (1) COPY TO GIVE AWAY.
PRINT-OPEN TO US/CANADA RESIDENTS or EBOOK-OPEN TO ALL

FILL OUT RAFFLECOPTER ENTRY FORM BELOW

GIVEAWAY ENDS JULY 23rd AT 6PM EST

WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN BY RAFFLECOPTER AND NOTIFIED
VIA EMAIL AND WILL HAVE 48 HOURS TO RESPOND
OR ANOTHER NAME WILL BE CHOSEN

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

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.

Author, Book Review, Partners In Crime Tours

Review DEAD PEASANTS by Larry Thompson

CMash July 8, 2013 2 Comments

Dead Peasants by Larry Thompson
Published by St. Martin’s Press
Publication Date: October 12, 2012
ISBN-10: 1250009499
ISBN-13: 978-1250009494
Pages: 292
Review Copy from: Author
Edition: Kindle
My Rating: 5

Synopsis:
Lawyer Jack Bryant retires early to Fort Worth to kick back, relax and watch his son play football at TCU. Bored with retirement he opens a pro bono office in his RV. When Jack finds an elderly widow at his doorstep, clutching a check for life insurance proceeds on her husband but payable to his former employer, Jack files a civil suit to collect the benefits rightfully due the widow. A seemingly accidental death of his client’s husband thrusts Jack into a vortex of serial killings. He and his new love interest find themselves targets in the same murder for hire scheme. To stop the killings Jack must unravel what in their past makes certain people worth more dead than alive.

My Thoughts and Opinion:
When I first saw the title of this book, and knowing it was a legal thriller, I have to be honest, I couldn’t figure out what peasants had to do with the plot. And then it is explained. A “dead peasant” is a type of insurance policy (being vague as to details so not to include spoiler), but let me tell you, this is a bit scary as to it’s existence in real life.

The writing style was fluid, the characters 3 dimensional, so it was easy to visualize both the cast and settings.

The protagonist, Jackson Douglas Bryant, attorney, has become one of my favorite characters, and hope that this is the beginning of many future books written around him. Jack Bryant is a successful lawyer, who decides to become a pro bono plaintiff’s lawyer for those who do not have the means to hire an attorney. And his first case, turns out to be more than just routine. People are being killed but by who and why? And the “who done it” ending was one I didn’t see coming.

One thing I really enjoyed was that, even though it was a legal thriller, it did not contain the heavy legalese often found in this genre.

This is the first time I have read a book by this author, but let me tell you, it won’t be the last!! Loved it! A definite page turner that will keep you guessing.

REVIEW DISCLAIMER

This blog was founded on the premise to write honest reviews, to the best of my ability, no matter who from, where from and/or how the book was obtained, and will continue to do so, even if it is through PICT or PBP.

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.

(2013 Challenges: JFF, EBook, Count the Ways, First Reads, A-Z, Where Ate You, Mystery/Suspense, FreeReads, 52 in 52, Outdo, Read-A-Latte)