Mailbox Monday, Meme, Monday Memes, Musing Mondays

Monday Memes

CMash May 6, 2013 1 Comment

May is being hosted by Abi @ 4 the LOVE of BOOKS

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)

Wednesday: A Spoonful of Sugar by Brenda Ashford from Doubleday. A win from The Top Shelf

Thursday: The Look of Love by Bella Andre from Meryl L. Moss Media

Giveaway, Guest Author, Showcase, WOW, WOW Tours

Guest Author JADIE JONES showcase and giveaway ENDED

CMash May 4, 2013 5 Comments

Ever since meeting Jodi, from WOW!, I have had the opportunity of hosting many talented authors. Today is no exception. Jodi is stopping by to introduce us to Ms. Jadie Jones. Welcome ladies!

JADIE JONES

Young-adult author. Equine professional. Southern gal. Especially fond of family, sunlight, and cookie dough.

I wrote my first book in seventh grade, filling one hundred and four pages of a black and white Mead notebook. Back then I lived for two things: horses and R.L. Stine books. Fast forward nearly twenty years, and I work with horses as a coach for the Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA) and hoard books like most women my age collect shoes. Its amazing how much changes… and how much stays the same.

The dream of publishing a novel has hitch-hiked with me down every other path I’ve taken (and there have been many.) Waitress, farm manager, road manager, bank teller, speech writer, retail, and more. But that need – the call from within to bring pen to paper – refused to quiet. Finally, in 2009, I sat down, pulled out a brand new notebook, and once again let the pictures in my head become words on paper.

Then I got married. Moved. Life sped up the way that it does, claiming each day faster than the last. I became a mother, and my manuscript reverted to something I would do one day. Thankfully, babies take naps, and there’s only so much daytime television a person can stomach. And Tanzy, that main character of mine, was shouting at me from my office: “Hellooo? We aren’t done yet, Jadie.” So I pulled her out. I read our story. I tore it to pieces. And then I put it back together again.

As a child, my grandfather would sit me in his lap and weave tales about the Cherokee nation, and a girl who belonged with horses. His words painted a whole new world, and my mind would take flight. My hope – my dream – is that Tanzy’s journey does the same for you.

Confession time: Jadie Jones is not my name. It’s a pen name I created to honor two fantastic women who didn’t get the chance to live out their professional dreams. First, my grandmother – a mother of four during post World War II America, who wanted to be a journalist so bad that even now when she talks about it, her blue eyes mist and she lifts her chin in silent speculation. And second, a dear friend’s mother who left this world entirely too soon. To Judy Dawn and Shirley Jones, Jadie Jones is for you.
Connect with Jadie at these sites:

GUEST POST

I recently returned from a weekend event in New York, where I got to spend a lot of time speaking with Moonlit enthusiasts. Seeing someone’s eyes light up when they ask me about my book is one of my favorite things in the world. Several times, I was asked if any of the characters are based off of anyone I know. My answer always comes as a surprise: Tanzy’s horse Moonlit and the relationship they share was inspired by a horse I had in college named Luna.

Tanzy loses Moonlit to her mother’s grief: in a drunken rage, her mother sells Moonlit to a stranger for one dollar (fun fact: the sale of a horse is only official and legal if there is proof that at least $1 changed hands.) I didn’t lose Luna that way, but I did give her up when I really, really didn’t want to. She had a cancer virus that affects horses, and developed a large tumor (about the size of a grapefruit) above her knee. I spent every dime I had on surgeries, chemotherapy, and a treatment called cryonic freezing. But nothing worked. I was out of money and the vet was out of options. He said she had months to live. So I posted an ad online, seeking help. A couple of weeks later, I gave her away to a woman in Florida who promised she’d do everything she could to save her.

She did. An experimental treatment removed the tumor on Luna’s leg, which was the biggest threat because it had started warping the bone underneath, and a horse can’t live on three legs. She will always carry the virus, but many measures are in place to lessen the chance that new tumors will erupt. Since then, she’s given birth to many babies, most of which quickly earned national titles. Luna herself earned the title “Horse of the Year” several times over.

In retrospect, my journey with Luna, losing her, and the wonderful things that happened because of it had a hand in inspiring the plot of Moonlit in two ways. One, the ripple effect of a single action, and how often times our paths are circular. And two, for better and for worse, nothing comes without a cost.

ABOUT THE BOOK

From Amazon: Eighteen-year-old Tanzy Hightower knows horses, has grown up with them on Wildwood Farm. She also knows not to venture beyond the trees that line the pasture. Things happen out there that can’t be explained. Or undone. Worse, no one but she and the horses can see what lurks in the shadows of the woods.

When a moonlit ride turns into a terrifying chase, Tanzy is left to question everything, from the freak accident that killed her father to the very blood in her veins. Broken and confused, she turns to Lucas, a scarred, beautiful stranger, and to Vanessa, a charming new friend who has everything Tanzy doesn’t.

But why do they seem to know more about her than she knows herself?

BOOK DETAILS:

Paperback: 310 pages
Publisher: WiDo Publishing (April 16, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1937178331
ISBN-13: 978-1937178338

PURCHASE LINKS:

THANKS TO JODI FROM 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 MAY 18th 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.

Aloha Friday, Friday Memes, Meme

Aloha Friday

CMash May 3, 2013 3 Comments

Hosted by An Island Life

From An Island Life:
In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.
If you’d like to participate, visit An Island Life answer the question and then post your own question on your blog and leave your link below. Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!

This weekend is the Kentucky Derby. So my question is:
Are you planning to watch it?

Giveaway, Winners

And the winner is……

CMash April 30, 2013 1 Comment

…of The Spirit Of The Heart by Dr. Ismael Nuño

16 Robert Pyszk Leave a Blog Post Comment

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

Author, Giveaway, Guest Author, Showcase

Guest Author TJ COOKE showcase and giveaway ENDED

CMash April 30, 2013 3 Comments

Today is old friends day, which means a new book to put on our TBR list. TJ was here this past November, which you can see here, and is back to tell us about his newest book. So without further ado, Mr. TJ Cooke!!! Welcome back!

TJ COOKE

TJCooke, otherwise known as Tim, was formerly a legal executive and adviser to the BBC’s Eastenders. Since then he has dovetailed his career between advertising copywriting, freelance journalism, screenwriting and novels.

Tim has written numerous television and radio commercials for a variety of well known companies. He has written many hours of broadcast drama, notching up writing credits for some of UK’s most popular series, including London’s Burning, The Bill and Bad Girls.

His debut novel ‘Kiss and Tell’ is available via Amazon Kindle. Tim currently lives in Devon.

Connect with TJ at these sites:

Q&A with TJ Cooke

CM: Do you draw from personal experiences and/or current events?
TJ: I would imagine that most writers draw on their own experiences to a greater or lesser degree. Having been through many ups and downs, been fortunate enough to travel to interesting places and taken on a variety of roles in differing professions it would be foolish not to use these experiences. It gives you the confidence to write with authenticity.

CM: Do you start with the conclusion and plot in reverse or start from the beginning and see where the story line brings you?
TJ: That’s an interesting one. With ‘Kiss and Tell’ I had two definite story arcs, one concerning Jill Shadow’s journey, from a poor background to a successful lawyer, and the other regarding the drugs story, or stories, which feature in the book. Both started from the beginning and I wasn’t sure at first how they would merge or even end. With ‘Defending Elton’ my latest release, I started with a ‘what if’ concept and allowed the story to develop organically. Neither had a ‘set-in-stone’ conclusion from the outset, but fortunately they came along quite naturally as the characters drove the plots forward.

CM: Your routine when writing? Any idiosyncrasies?
TJ: I’m definitely a morning person. I find I’m more alert then. In an ideal world I’d start writing around 7 or 8 am and see how long I can go for. Of course life tends to get in the way sometimes! More often than not I break in the middle of the day and if possible have a later afternoon or early evening session. There are also times when I just can’t sleep and every now and again have no choice but to write down the things that are whirling around in my mind… often if I’m in the middle of a first draft and have an idea that can’t wait!

CM: Is writing your full time job? If not, may I ask what you do by day?
TJ: It seems like it’s a full time job at the moment. I would like it to be one anyway, but a lot depends on how things go with these first two novels. I also enjoy my advertising work. I write and create radio commercials and would like to keep doing so. It’s a great release for a mad creative mind!

CM: Who are some of your favorite authors?
TJ: Many and varied. I admire John Grisham, Val Macdermid, Sophie Hannah, Mark Billingham and a host of others. Grisham perhaps not so much for his actual writing but his skill at finding a winning formula. Val and Sophie I like because I find they can paint intriguing pictures and conjure up atmospheres. I also like Mark Haddon, I’m a big fan of his ‘Curious Incident’ novel.

CM: What are you reading now?
TJ: Right now I’m so caught up in my books that I don’t have much time to read. However, I look forward to a little space sometime and am on the lookout for something. I saw something the other day about a new book called ‘Poppet’ by Mo Hayder and might give that a go.

CM: Are you working on your next novel? Can you tell us a little about it?
TJ: I am in the planning stage for my next novel. It’s a further adventure for Jill Shadow. In fact I’ve got three further stories for her mapped out. I will be doing a story breakdown first, then will get busy writing.

CM: Your novel will be a movie. Who would you cast?

TJ: Well that’s funny because when I was actually writing ‘Defending Elton’ I always imagined it a as movie. In the book narrator Jim Harwood describes Elton as looking like the actor Forest Whitaker, so there’s a clue there! In ‘Kiss and Tell’ Jill would be the key to casting success. A few years back it would have been a Jodie Foster type, but right now I’m not too sure… someone sharp and intriguing, with sexual chemistry she ‘s probably not that aware of…

CM: Would you rather read or watch TV/movie?

TJ: Both. I enjoy both so much. It’s only the pressure of time which stops me reading more, and the fact that as I have a problem with one eye I tend to get very ‘reading tired’. I guess you can’t beat a good read because it allows you to cast and direct your own film, whereas a movie does that for you. But I love the atmosphere of a strikingly original piece of cinema. A fair chunk of David Lynch’s work and some of the Coen brothers films were fine examples. As for TV, well I used to write tv dramas but seldom watch them now. I’m not a fan of formulaic tv drama, even though I felt it wise to learn the art of writing them!

CM: Favorite food?
TJ: Too many choices! Beautifully cooked French food, Italian, a spicy Thai or India curry… or if I’m snacking at home its cheese on toast with Worcestershire sauce.

CM: Favorite beverage?
TJ: If alcoholic it would be a nice red wine or a crisp medium cider. Non alcoholic then blueberry and pomegranate juice.

ABOUT THE BOOK

When London lawyer Jim Harwood is introduced to the beautiful and enigmatic Sarena he is instantly smitten. However, with his jealous work colleague Loren on their tail, their dalliance comes to a sudden and catastrophic end.

Though Sarena’s demise was accidental, Jim knows that to a jury it will look like a classic ‘love triangle’ murder. He reckons he has no option but to distance both Loren and himself from the crime scene, and does so by providing the police with both an alternative scenario and a far more likely suspect…

…Enter the hapless Elton Spears, an unhinged and gullible ‘care in the community’ patient. Jim knows that Elton is potentially dangerous, and that he has committed previous crimes which might suggest he’s the likely assailant. He seems the perfect patsy. Indeed, Jim seems to have all bases covered… not only does he use all his criminal law experience to frame Elton, but he represents him too, thereby having control and conduct of his case…

Jim’s strategy to escape from culpability seems as risky as it is reprehensible, and when things start to go wrong at Elton’s murder trial he not only regrets his actions but seeks a path to redemption. He may have cleverly outwitted the authorities, and skilfully manipulated the system, but as Sarena’s death comes back to haunt him he discovers that playing with truth is a very dangerous game…

Described as a ‘devilishly clever and inventive tale’ and a ‘tense and edgy thriller’Defending Elton is full of neat twists and turns, which keep you guessing how things will turn out, right to the unexpected end.

BOOK DETAILS:

Paperback: 276 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (March 15, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1482751801
ISBN-13: 978-1482751802

PURCHASE LINKS:

THANKS TO AUTHOR, TJ COOKE,
I HAVE ONE (1) EBOOK TO GIVE AWAY.
OPEN TO ALL–EBOOK

FILL OUT RAFFLECOPTER ENTRY FORM BELOW

GIVEAWAY ENDS MAY 17th 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 winners are……

CMash April 29, 2013 3 Comments

**….of If You Stay by Courtney Cole**

12 Deana Matera Calvanese Leave a Blog Post Comment

1 Sharon Clark Leave a Blog Post Comment

14 Lynne Torgersen Leave a Blog Post Comment

18 Melissa T. Be a Public Follower of ‘CMASH Loves to Read’

6 Maureen Carol Leave a Blog Post Comment

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

Events, Read-A-Thon

Bout of Books Read-A-Thon

CMash April 29, 2013 Leave a Comment

I have been in an awful slump since the beginning of the year, having read, if I’m lucky, one book a month. I can only remember once that this has happened to me whereas I was in a slump this long. I know part of the problem is that I have been very busy with VBTs. I have tried different things to get me in the reading mood again, even signing up for a couple of Read-A-Thons in hopes that it would jump start my lack of desire to read, but it didn’t work. But I’m not giving up.

Bout of Books is hosting a read-a-thon, May 13th thru May 19th, with sign ups today and I plan to participate. Will this help? I think so especially since this will be taking place while I am on vacation and have already packed what books will be coming along.

Want to join this read-a-thon? Click on the link above and sign up. From the Bout of Books site:

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 13th and runs through Sunday, May 19th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 7.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. – From the Bout of Books team.

Mailbox Monday, Meme, Monday Memes, Musing Mondays

Monday Memes

CMash April 29, 2013 1 Comment

MAILBOX MONDAY

April is being hosted by Mari @ MariReads

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)