I am so excited to be hosting today’s guest, especially since it is also publication day of her latest book.  I have read 2 of  her previous novels, Little Girl Gone and The Good Sister, and enjoyed both.  When Tanisha, from The Hachette Book Group emailed me, I jumped at the chance to have Ms. Drusilla Campbell visit with us again.  Welcome back!!!!

DRUSILLA CAMPBELL

Drusilla Campbell is the author of seven critically acclaimed novels including The Good Sister, Little Girl Gone, The Edge of Sky, and Blood Orange.  Before she started school she had crossed the Pacific Ocean three times.  She’s lived in Europe and Central America and has a MA in Broadcast Journalism from American University.  Drusilla happily lives in San Diego with her husband, the attorney and poet Art Campbell, two rescued dogs, and three horses.
Connect with Ms. Campbell at the following sites:

ABOUT THE BOOK

Bestselling author Drusilla Campbell masterfully weaves a story of a mother’s need to serve her country, win the respect of her father and learn to love her family in WHEN SHE CAME HOME.

Frankie Byrne has returned from the war in Iraq to a war in her San Diego home. Her daughter, Glory, is having problems with bullies at school, and Frankie and her husband, Rick, can’t agree on the best way to deal with it. In fact Glory is just one of many things Frankie and Rick can’t agree on any more. It seems like everything Frankie does–from buying groceries to socializing with friends–is wrong. Her father, Brigadier General Harlan Byrne, USMC retired, thinks that Frankie’s problems are her own fault. A woman, especially a mother, should not go off to war.

But Frankie’s problem is not that she wasn’t prepared to be a soldier. It’s that she can’t stop being one. Her time in Iraq, specifically a controversial moment the government doesn’t want to acknowledge, has left her with severe PTSD. She can’t forget the horrors she saw, and can’t forgive herself for not being able to do more. Frankie desperately wants to regain the closeness her family once shared, she knows the time has come to be honest about her PTSD and find a way to heal. It’s a battle that won’t be easy, but one she must face in order to save her daughter, her marriage, and herself.

Campbell’s story offers an intimate portrait and a strong narrative about a story that is becoming more and more a part of our social fabric—a mother’s return home from war.

BOOK DETAILS:

ISBN: 978-1-4555-1035-1
Price: $14.99/Trade Paperback Original
Release: April 9, 2013

PURCHASE LINKS:

THANKS TO TANISHA AT THE HACHETTE BOOK GROUP,
I HAVE FIVE (5) COPIES TO GIVE AWAY.
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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.

…… of A SPOONFUL OF SUGAR by Brenda Ashford

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

Did you have a nice weekend?  I hope you rested because it is going to be another busy week here.  Today, Boryana from Finn Partners is stopping by for a first visit, which I hope is one of many, to introduce us to the very busy and talented author, Mr. Bob Adamov!!  Let’s give them a warm welcome!!!

BOB ADAMOV

Bob Adamov is an Ohio mystery adventure writer whose stories are based in the Lake Erie island resort town of Put-in-Bay. He often can be seen in Put-in-Bay, Key West and the Cayman Islands where he writes and markets his novels between boating, sailing and jet skiing with his scuba diving and treasure hunting friends. He had worked for an Arlington, Virginia-based defense contractor in the intelligence sector. A KentStateUniversity graduate, Adamov resides in Wooster, Ohio – not far from the shore of Lake Erie.

Sandustee is the seventh novel in the popular Emerson Moore series and Adamov’s string of island best sellers which include Rainbow’s End, Pierce the Veil, When Rainbows Walk, Promised Land, The Other Side of Hell and Tan Lines. Adamov’s writing style has been compared to Clive Cussler and Tom Clancy.

Adamov was the featured author at the 2006 Ernest Hemingway Literary Festival in Key West. He was recently named Writer of the Year for 2010 in regional competition sponsored by the University of Akron’s WayneCollege. His first novel was a 2003 runner up as the top fiction novel in the Great Lakes (won by Pulitzer Prize winner – Middlesex.) All of his novels were rated 5 Stars by the Midwest Book Review and named as top novels in northeast Ohio by the Akron Beacon Journal. His novels have won awards at the Hollywood Book Festival, London Book Festival, New York Book Festival and the Indie Awards.

“Bob Adamov is a superb craftsman of hanging-on-the-edge-of-your-seat mystery adventures…” – Midwest Book Review

Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer’s staff compared Adamov’s writing style to Clive Cussler and Tom Clancy. Cussler has become a fan of Adamov’s, had him speak at his October 2008 and September 2010 conventions and endorsed his novel, The Other Side of Hell.

A screenplay has been prepared on the first novel, Rainbow’s End, at the request of Dominic Sena, director of Kalifornia, Gone in Sixty Seconds, Swordfish, Whiteout and Season of the Witch. The screenplay is currently being revised. A screenplay is under development on The Other Side of Hell while the completed Tan Lines screenplay is under review by a Hollywood producer.

GUEST POST

Sandustee was an interesting and exciting write. It started one summer Saturday on SouthBassIsland when I was signing books in front of one of the island shops. An island bar tender approached me and told me about research he had conducted on the Masons in Sandusky, Ohio, which is located nearby on the mainland. It captured my attention (and imagination) as he said I could use the idea in a novel.

I started additional research and the outline for the plot began to form. I had no idea that a dinner with a treasure hunting friend would add another dimension to the plot.

Over a sumptuous dinner at Kelley’s Caribbean Restaurant and Bar in Key West the next April, Kim Fisher, whose family discovered the wreck of the Atocha and her vast treasure, told me about the Legend of 13. I was hooked and started listing names and places to see which had 13 letters.

The Legend of 13 holds that people and places with thirteen letters have a significant impact on our history. Included is this category would be: Osama Bin Laden, Jesus and the twelve disciples, a judge and 12 jurors, Andrew Jackson, Bourbon Street, The White House, Jeffrey Dahmer, Saddam Hussein, Jack the Ripper, Charles Manson, and Marilyn Monroe.

Following are a few more notes about the Legend of 13:

• The Cuban Missile Crisis lasted 13 days.
• Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed died when their Mercedes struck the 13^th pillar in the Alma tunnel in Paris on August 31 1997.
• The Apollo 13 spacecraft exploded at 1:13 in the afternoon (1313 military time) on April 13, 1970.
• Companies file for Chapter 13 bankruptcy.
• Our barcode system is made up of 13 characters.
• There were typically 13 steps leading to the gallows.
• The hangman’s noose has 13 turns of the rope.
• The 13^th amendment passed during Abraham Lincoln’s term as U.S. President outlawed slavery.
• Sandustee was published in 2013 and listed on Amazon on 3/1/13.

It was amazing to me how the pieces of this puzzle began coming together as I wrote. I hope you have as much fun reading it as I did writing this mystery adventure. I’ll be thinking of you all as I sip a rum and coke while watching a Put-in-Bay sunset.

ABOUT THE BOOK

If you liked National Treasure and DaVinci Code, you’ll love Sandustee. It’s a worldwide chase for clues to finding a lost Biblical scroll, the Nazarene’s Code, which gives the holder the power to control nations. Running through the novel is a thread which links Osama Bin Laden to Jesus and the twelve disciples to Abraham Lincoln to Lincoln’s assassination to Booth’s escape to Dr. Samuel Mudd’s house to Mudd’s imprisonment in the Dry Tortugas. The thread is the Legend of 13; words with thirteen letters have stunning implications on the plotline.

This action-packed novel is filled with murder, cross and double-cross, scuba action, a touch of Knights Templar, Masonic symbolism, and political intrigue in D.C. and the world intelligence community. Washington Post investigative reporter, EMERSON MOORE, is accompanied by a beautiful blonde German antiquities researcher, KATRINA BIEBER, as they try to stay one step ahead of the shadowy Russian KARAPASHEV in finding and interpreting the clues. Moore is aided by former NSA cybercode breaker STEVE NICHOLAS and retired German BND spymaster ANDREAS KALKER.

From scuba diving in the Red Sea to the allure of Bodrum, Turkey, Moore and Bieber chase clues in Germany, the island of Rhodes, London, Key West, the Dry Tortugas, New Orleans, the Washington, D.C. area, and Ohio’s Huron, Sandusky and Put-in-Bay. Death is close on their heels.

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

April is being hosted by Mari @ MariReads

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

Hosted by Kathy @ I Am A Reader Not A Writer

…. of A LOST GUN by Wix Simon

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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.

Rebecca, from The Cadence Group is stopping by to introduce us to today’s guest author, Mr. Joe Keller.  Welcome to CMash Reads!!!

JOE KELLER

Joe Keller is a father of two, an entrepreneur at heart, and a lifelong learner. His personal quest is to live a fulfilling, awesomely happy life and to help others do the same.

Single Effort grew out of Joe’s learning curve following a painful divorce. Through trial and a healthy dose of error, Joe learned to approach single life – and life in general – with smarts and heart, leading to newfound confidence and exciting new adventures.

Equally at home cooking a meal for his kids, crooning karaoke on a night on the town, deciphering the world of dating for his readers, or traveling the globe, Joe believes that it’s what’s inside that counts – that happiness comes from following your passion, loving and being loved, and ultimately, finding peace within yourself.

Joe shares his passion for helping others through volunteer work in the U.S. and abroad, via his writing, and through public speaking. Joe makes his home in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
Connect with Joe here:   

GUEST POST

Learning to Cook as a Single Guy – Why It’s Important

When you’re thinking about dating, it’s important to develop “date-friendly” skills that will help you stand out as an attractive and worthy mate. All the better if those same skills will also serve you on your own as a single guy and father (if you have kids). Cooking fits the bill.

A nice way to impress a date is to tell her you know how to cook. A better way to impress a date is to show her that you can cook. Once you’ve learned the ropes, Single Effort your date night by offering to cook a meal at your home. You’ll be able to impress your date with your cooking skills while at the same time providing both of you with a relaxing evening she’ll truly appreciate. You’ll definitely stand out in her mind after the date is over!

If you don’t know how to cook, don’t worry. I didn’t cook well either when I was married – and if I can pick it up (a guy who didn’t know how to cook a decent grilled cheese sandwich before becoming single) then anyone can. Cooking is really quite simple. Read on for some “sage” cooking advice.

First and foremost, if you don’t know how to cook, start by getting familiar with the basics by visiting cooking websites and tuning in to cooking shows. Did you know they have an entire network on TV devoted to food and cooking? It’s called the Food Network and most cable and dish broadcasters carry it on their standard channel list. You can find a plethora of cooking tips and recipes on the Food Network. Pick a show that interests you and start watching to gain some insight into cooking lingo and to pick up tips and tricks.

Another great way to learn about cooking is to attend cooking classes. A quick search on the Internet should help you find many businesses offering cooking classes near you– sites like Local Cooking Classes and Local Cooking Class are wonderful references for classes local to you (and yes, they’re two distinct websites).

Community colleges and adult education courses are a great way to learn about the basics of cooking as well, and many speciality grocery stores, such as Whole Foods, offer affordable cooking classes to help you learn how to use the ingredients they offer in their stores.

Cooking classes are also a great Single Effort opportunity – they’re an excellent way to learn a new skill while meeting like-minded single women at the same time.

But the best way to learn to cook is simply by “doing” – find a recipe that sounds interesting and devote an evening to learning how to cook it well. If you can’t find a recipe that inspires you, try visiting Allrecipes.com for some great ideas!

I enjoy using Allrecipes because they allow me to save recipes found on their site into my own virtual recipe box. I can look up a recipe I previously saved with just a couple clicks of the mouse.

Allrecipes also allows you to print your recipes in a variety of sizes so you have the recipe in front of you, in an easy-to-read format, while in the kitchen preparing your meal. In addition, the recipes are well organized into food categories, easily searchable, and include pictures of the finished meal along with user ratings.

Allrecipes is truly unique – I rely on them for fantastic meal suggestions and cooking ideas on a regular basis. I consider Allrecipes.com to be to cooking what Amazon.com is to shopping.

For single guys trying to stand out from the sea of other guys their date has met, learning to cook is a skill that will give you that added boost. It’s the “secret sauce” that just might help you find and keep the girl of your dreams!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Single Effort is the best guide to be­ing single – but not necessarily staying single – that you’ll ever read! From food to fun, and finance to romance, Single Effort delivers clear, real-world advice to help you live a dynamic, successful life as a single guy.

You’ll discover how to:

• · Approach with confidence and attract not just any woman — but the right woman
• · Thrive in the online dating world and the competitive dating scene
• · Prepare tasty home-cooked meals and master the befuddling world of wine
• · Save time and money with proven product recommendations and advice on everything from daily living, to dating, to personal comfort (even cleaning!)

Single Effort isn’t just for men. Ladies, you’ll benefit too! From ideas to spice up your relationship to a revealing look at a guy’s perspective on dating – it’s all here! Destined to become a classic, this indispensable guide will change how you think about being single and help you find the life and love you seek.

For more information, please visit www.SingleEffort.com. There are five free downloads which include tips and helpful advice on dating, items to buy for your home when striking out on your own, cooking, divorce, and hiring a housekeeper.

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

FILL OUT RAFFLECOPTER ENTRY FORM BELOW

GIVEAWAY ENDS APRIL 20th AT 6PM EST

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

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

It’s been a busy week and it’s not over yet.  Stephanie, from Simon & Schuster, is stopping by today to introduce us to a very talented author.  Grab your coffee and give a warm welcome to Ms. Deliah Dawson!!

DELIAH DAWSON

Delilah S. Dawson is a native of Roswell, Georgia and the author of the paranormal romance Blud series for Pocket, including Wicked as They Come and an eNovella, The Mysterious Madam Morpho. The second book in the series, Wicked as She Wants and a second novella, The Peculiar Pets of Miss Pleasance, will be out in spring 2013, and her first YA, Servants of the Storm, will be available in spring 2014.
Connect with author:    

 GUEST POST

On Damaged Women

If you’ve read any of the books or e-novellas in my Blud series for Pocket, you might have noticed that all my heroines have one thing in

common: they are damaged women. Tish in Wicked as They Come is leaving an abusive relationship. Imogen from The Mysterious Madam Morpho was kicked out of the house by her father and assaulted by her employer.

And Frannie from The Peculiar Pets of Miss Pleasance was wrongly used by the first man she ever loved.

When I think back to the strong women I’ve known and the characters that have been memorable, very few of them have led easy, carefree lives. Game of Thrones is a tapestry of women forced into impossible situations who made mistakes, found their inner steel, and rose to greatness. Book favorites that come to mind are Ayla from Jean Auel’s Earth’s Children series, Sookie Stackhouse from Charlaine Harris’s Dead After Dark series, and Claire Frasier from Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series. Women are made strong for a reason, and many of us don’t truly find our strength until we’re pushed to our very limits and come out the other side.

And I speak from experience when I say that our tragedies make us more interesting and often more loveable. When I was younger, I thought romance was filled with swooning, naïve, virginal heroines who fell into the arms of handsome, tender dukes. Now that I’m older and looking beyond covers, I’m finding amazing stories about bluestockings, orphans, widows, queens, and uppity women who won’t back down no matter what their world’s mores dictate. Romance as a genre is just as varied as women as a gender, and I’m proud to contribute a series that’s filled for rollicking adventure and steamy romance but with powerful women at its heart.

My next book, WICKED AS SHE WANTS, is out April 30 and features my strongest heroine yet: a twist on the famous Princess Anastasia. But my Ahna is a blood drinker in a steampunk world who boards an airship brothel and faces bloodthirsty unicorns to find her way back home.

Part of the challenge of writing strong women is also writing men that compliment them, heroes who are confident enough to love strong women and give them the freedom to be themselves. Ahna’s paramour is Casper Sterling, a musician from our world with his own inner demons. When Ahna and Casper join forces, they become all but unstoppable.

When I was young, books were my escape and my salvation, and I was hungry for heroines who knew pain. Now, I like to think the underlying message of romance– my books included– is that there’s hope. Whoever you are, whatever you’ve been through, no matter how broken you might be, you deserve love.

Thanks so much for hosting me, and I hope y’all enjoy it! Please feel free to reach out to me on Twitter (@DelilahSDawson) or at my website, www.delilahsdawson.com anytime! And if you like artisan perfumes, be sure to check out the character-based scents at Villainess Soaps (http://www.villainess.net/wicked/). Seven new scents will debut this April to cover both books and e-novellas in the series.

ABOUT THE BOOK

From the author of highly praised steampunk-ian Wicked as They Come comes an urban fantasy romance about Frannie Pleasance, a woman who takes in stray animals to save them from the dangerous world of bludbunnies, bludbadgers, and Bludmen who populate Sang, an alternate-universe London. When her pet shop is set on fire by someone who doesn’t like her menagerie, Frannie meets a fireman who wants to help her track down the animals who ran away during the blaze, and find the person who tried to put her life in danger.

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