I am honored, not only to have today’s guest stop by and talk about his lastest novel, but also to kick off his virtual tour with Providence Book Promotions.  I read his debut novel, Twelve Months, through The Story Plant’s Spread The Word Initiative, which I am a member of and the novel blew me away.  And today I have the distinct pleasure to introduce you to Mr. Steven Manchester!!

STEVEN MANCHESTER

Steven Manchester is the author of the #1 bestseller TWELVE MONTHS and PRESSED PENNIES, THE UNEXPECTED STORM: The Gulf War Legacy, and JACOB EVANS, as well as several books under the pseudonym, Steven Herberts. His work has appeared on NBC’s Today Show, CBS’s The Early Show, CNN’s American Morning and BET’s Nightly N ews. Recently, three of Steven’s short stories were selected “101 Best” for the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. When not spending time with his beautiful wife, Paula, or his four children, this Massachusetts author is promoting his works or writing.
Visit Steven at his website or these other sites:
  

ABOUT THE BOOK

Fate was working against little Brian Mauretti. The food that was meant to nourish him was poisoning him instead, and the doctors said the damage was devastating and absolute. Fate had written off Brian. But fate didn’t count on a woman as determined as Brian’s grandmother, Angela DiMartino – who everyone knew as Mama. Loving her grandson with everything she had, Mama endeavored to battle fate. Fate had no idea what it was in for.

An emotional tale about the strength of family bonds, unconditional love, and the perseverance to do our best with the challenging gifts we receive, GOODNIGHT, BRIAN is an uplifting tribute to what happens when giving up is not an option.
Read my review here.

Book Details
PUBLISHED BY: The Story Plant
PUBLICATION DATE: January 8, 2013
ISBN: 978-1611880618
GENRE: Fiction
# OF PAGES: 308

Purchase links:    

Read an excerpt:

Follow Steven’s tour here, where you can enter to win a copy of Twelve Months.

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 affliate.
I am providing link(s) solely for visitors
that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.

Goodnight, Brian by Steven Manchester
Published by The Story Plant
Publication Date: January 8, 2013
ISBN-10: 1611880610
ISBN-13: 978-1611880618
Pages: 308
Review Copy from: The Story Plant
Edition: ARC Kindle
My Rating: 5

As always, I am skeptical reading a second novel by an author that blew me away with his debut novel.  Will this latest book do the same?  Will the writing take me places within my mind?  Will I relate to the characters?  Will I be transported, by the authors words, into the story?  Will I enjoy it as much as I did with his book, Twelve Months?  Five (5) questions asked about Goodnight, Brian.  And five (5) very enthusiastic Yeses!!  I was bowled-over for a few reasons, one of them being that of, the parallels to my own life, were to a point, eerie. 

It has always been my policy not to include spoilers but I will provide a warning….a box or 2 of tissues, should be a prerequisite, before reading the first page.  This is a story that will tug at your heart strings, have you rooting for the “underdog”, celebrating the victories, crying both sad and happy tears and wishing you had a “Mama” in your family.

What should have been a joyous time in Joan and Frank’s life, with the arrival of a brand new baby boy, Brian, turns into a nightmare.  After being prescribed a certain formula from the pediatrician, Brian was not thriving.  After months of tests and multiple medical consults, the devastating results are delivered to the parents, Brian will never walk or talk.  However, those doctors have never dealt with the likes of Mama and her power of strength, tenacity, conviction, stubbornness, unconditional love and faith.  The author, with his fluid and descriptive writing style, allows the reader to become part of this family’s disappointments and triumphs.  An emotional read!!

I could not put this book down and felt that the author was retelling a bit of my own personal life.  Every one of my senses were triggered with this book.  The setting, even to the family’s favorite “pizza place” was easy for me to envision since the story takes place in the state that I reside.  I could smell the “gravy” that would be simmering on the stove every Sunday at Mama’s house, just like at my own Nana’s house.  I could hear the wisdom my Nana would share with the family as Mama did with her’s.  I could see the pain in Joan and Frank’s eyes as I had seen in my own parents’ faces since my only sibling is afflicted with cerebral palsy.  I remember the touch of leather seats in Uncle Sal’s red Cadillac, which was the last car my father purchased and I drove before his passing.  The parallels uncanny!

Goodnight, Brian is a tender, moving, sensitive, poignant and emotion packed story that will stay with you long after the final page.  Highly recommend to all readers!!  A 5+ read.  Kudos Mr. Manchester, you blew me away again!!!

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 affliate.

I am providing link(s) solely for visitors

that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.

Now that the holidays are over and we settle into the long, cold days of winter, what better way to spend them, than to read a great book!  That’s why when Anne, from Kaye Publicity, emailed me, I wanted to meet today’s guest.  So, with your help, please help me give a warm winter welcome to Ms. Robin Burcell!

ROBIN BURCELL

Robin Burcell, an FBI-trained forensic artist, has worked in law enforcement for over two decades as a police officer, detective and hostage negotiator. She is the author of the Anthony Award winning author of the Kate Gillespie novels.
Visit Robin at her website here.

Q&A with ROBIN BURCELL

-Do you draw from personal experiences and/or current events?
Both.  I was a police officer and investigator for nearly three decades, so I tend to use a lot of my experience on the job to bring some of that authenticity to my books.  My main character, Sydney Fitzpatrick, is an FBI agent and a forensic artist. She becomes involved in cases that have worldwide implications. Granted, I have never had to save the world, much less the country or thousands of people from being killed due to a terrorist plot, but I figure the day-to-day stuff of being a police officer can add some exciting details and give the reader an experience of what it might really be like to actually investigate a crime or experience the rush of adrenalin when one’s life is flashing before one’s eyes!

-Do you start with the conclusion and plot in reverse or start from the beginning and see where the story line brings you?
I definitely start from the beginning and see where it takes me.  Quite often I find that my beginning is actually more midway through the book, and I have to keep changing things around, as the scenes get shifted.  I think that officially makes me a “panster,” as I’m writing from the seat of my pants.  In other words, the frame of my story is constantly shifting.  It’s a lot of fun to write this way (and frustrating at times, come to think of it), as I am constantly surprised by the turns the story takes.

-Your routine when writing?  Any idiosyncrasies?
My routine is very unroutine-ish.  I sit down to coffee and email in the morning, then write, then get distracted and check Facebook, then check the fluff news pieces on Yahoo!, then look at my manuscript some more.  Even though I sit down early in the morning to work, I usually get most of my writing done in the evening.  I should probably have my biorhythms analyzed to find out when is the best time to write. I have a feeling that I would be classified as a night owl.  Must have been all those graveyard shifts I used to work!

-Is writing your full time job?  If not, may I ask what you do by day?
I now write full time.  Or rather, that’s what I tell my husband.  Hoping he won’t see the above paragraph!  I used to be a police officer and spent 27 years on the force.  My experiences runs the gamut from patrol to detectives. I was a hostage negotiator, fingerprint examiner, and an FBI-trained forensic artist.  Mostly the sketches I did were of suspects in crimes (robbery, homicide, etc.), but every now and then the surrounding agencies would come up with a corpse and not know who it was, and that was the forensic aspect. I’d have to do a sketch of the dead person, so that the body could hopefully be identified.

-Who are some of your favorite authors?
It depends on my mood. Just looking at one shelf in my office, random order: Michael Connelly, Lee Child, Laurie King, James Rollins, SJ Rozan, Dennis Lehane, Jan Burke. And then I have lighter mysteries on the shelf above, and a lot of wonderful science fiction and fantasy on the shelf beneath it. And that’s just my keeper shelves!

-What are you reading now?
No time to read, since I’m on deadline, and down to the wire. But as soon as I finish up my first draft (soon!), I’ll be reading: LEARNING TO SWIM by Sara J. Henry.

-Are you working on your next novel?  Can you tell us a little about it?
As a matter of fact, yes!  Even though I write a series, each book is standalone. However, I always like to weave in something that remains unsolved, a thread of a case that binds everything together. I’m writing those threads into my current book.  If one were to start this series at the beginning, they would know that FBI Special Agent Sydney Fitzpatrick finds a bank pouch filled with numbers toward the end of FACE OF A KILLER. (Don’t worry! Not a spoiler!) She solves the crime in that book, but she doesn’t know what those numbers belong to.  They’re lightly touched on in each successive book, and in the novel I’m currently writing, #5 in the series, we get to find out what they are for!

Fun questions:
-Your novel will be a movie.  Who would you cast?
I rather like Stana Katic on Castle. She’d make a pretty good Sydney Fitzpatrick. But so would Mariska Hargitay of Law and Order SVU, and then there’s Gillian Anderson, who played FBI Agent Dana Scully on The X Files. As for the male lead… I need someone quiet, who doesn’t seem too threatening on first glance, but dang, watch out if anyone gets in his way!  (My husband suggested Jim Caviezal of Person of Interest, but he might be a bit older than Griffin, the covert agent that Sydney works with…  I really like Timothy Oliphant on Justified, but I think he’d make a better Tex Dalton, than Zachary Griffin…  I don’t know!  We’re obviously going to have to hold a casting call!

-Would you rather read or watch TV/movie?
Read! But there are times when a movie on the big screen is just so awesome!!!

-Favorite food?
For a meal: Thai—green curry with chicken and vegetables.
For dessert: Chocolate, preferably dark!

-Favorite beverage?
Cappuccino – if it’s made right. Half the time you order one and they give you a latte!  But once a year during the holidays, I love, love, love Cranberry whiskey freeze punch. Here’s the recipe:
32 oz. Cranberry juice
1 lg can pink lemonade concentrate frozen
1 liter ginger ale
1-2 cups whiskey
{put all in large container to freeze. Leave room at top as it will expand. Scoop out like a snow cone, into glass.}
Thank you for stopping by CMash Reads and spending time with us.

ABOUT THE BOOK

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Today’s question:
Any reading resolutions for the new year? Reading more? (Reading less?) Reading better books? Bigger books? More series? More relaxing books?
And hey, feel free to talk about any other resolutions you might have, too … or why you choose NOT to have any.

My response:
Resolutions…wondering does anyone really keep their’s throughout the year.  I know I never have so I don’t really make any.  Hower, I do have “hopes” for the New Year.  Some include reading and other’s personal.

When it comes to reading, I hope to make time for more reading.  This past year due to health issues and being very busy with the VT companies, which is a great thing, I just couldn’t find the time to read.  And if I did, I found myself dozing off, which could be age lol.

On a personal level, 2013 is going to be an exciting year for the “Mash” family with our youngest son getting married on Nov. 16th.  And with that comes mother of the groom dress shopping, planning a shower, rehearsal dinner and all the other things that the groom’s parents need to do.  However, I refuse to shop for a dress before I take off the weight I put on since my surgery.  So diet is my #1 goal.

What about you?  Any resolutions either for reading and/or personal?  Would love to hear!!

……. of The Erlking by Rebecca Yount

9 Andrea Henry Follow @CherylMash on Twitter

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.

What a fantastic way to start off the New Year…I am thrilled to be hosting today’s guest.  I was so excited when Deb from Joan Schulhafer Publishing contacted me to read and review this book.  Today’s author has been on my “authors to read” list for quite a while and can’t wait to read her latest novel.  So without futher ado, please help me give a very warm welcome to NYTimes Best Selling author, Ms. Mary Burton!!

MARY BURTON

A Central Virginia native whose family’s Richmond roots run as deep as the nation’s, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Mary Burton also resided in Alexandria, Virginia, where she is now setting her novels SENSELESS (Janaury 2011) and MERCILESS (February 2011). She graduated from Virginia’s Hollins University and began a career in marketing. After a decade she left her job and began writing. Her first novel, a romance, was published in 2000.

Following that book, Burton wrote sixteen novels and novellas for Harlequin and Silhouette before entering the dark world of multiple murderers and their motives with Senseless, Merciless, Dying Scream, Dead Ringer and I’m Watching You, as well as her novella Christmas Past, which appears in the 2008 New York Times bestselling holiday anthology Silver Bells.

Her commitment to realism has led to eye-opening interviews with law enforcement, to forensic seminars and to the firing range. She is a graduate of the Henrico County Citizens Police Academy and the Richmond FBI Citizen’s Academy, and has participated in Sisters in Crime’s Forensic University program. Recently, she attended the Writers Police Academy in Jamestown, North Carolina. There she attended seminars on autopsies, undercover work and the motives behind murder.

Mary Burton is an avid baker and an accomplished cook. When not writing, researching or baking, Mary practices yoga, enjoys her miniature dachshunds Buddy and Bella, volunteers at the University of Richmond’s Culinary Arts Program, attends professional conferences, and visits with readers and booksellers.

Mary Burton is now at work on her next novel set in Alexandria.
Visit Ms. Burton at her website here.

A Tasty Guest Post

Happy New Year!

This is my favorite time of year.  I love the new beginnings and the excitement of the year ahead.   This year I’m thrilled to see the release of THE SEVENTH VICTIM my seventh romantic suspense for Kensington.

THE SEVENTH VICTIM is set in Austin, Texas and tells the tale of a photographer Lara Church who is the lone survivor of a serial killer called the Seattle Strangler.  She’s been moving around the country for seven years using her 150-year-old bellows camera to take images.  But as the book opens, she’s decided to stop running from her tragic past and to rebuild her life.  What she doesn’t realize is that the killer never forgot her and he’s now arrived in Austin to finish the job he started all those years ago.  When the killer strikes again in Austin, Texas Ranger James Beck takes the case and soon a killer, who shows his victims no mercy, ties the two together.

I really enjoyed researching the Austin area.  It’s a fun eclectic place that’s not only the center of government for Texas, but also home of the Texas Rangers.  Recently I returned to Austin and had the chance to visit many of the places that are featured in THE SEVENTH VICTIM.   I strolled down Congress Avenue just as Lara might have done, I drove down I-35 following the route my killer took and made my way into Hill Country so I could see where Lara lived.

There’s no substituting a walk in my character’s shoes down Congress Avenue, or through the halls of the state capitol, over the rugged terrain at Enchanted Rock.  I pick up the sights, smells and sounds that I hope add a richness to the story.

The tradition continues!  Baker extraordinaire and bestselling author Mary Burton is once again sharing her favorite holiday recipes. This treat honors the protagonist of her next novel, THE SEVENTH VICTIM, with a recipe both delicious and memorable.

Lara’s Church Lady Maple Cookies:
1/2 pound (two sticks) butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup toasted walnuts (optional)

Cream together butter and brown sugar.
Add the egg and mix well.
Add the maple syrup and vanilla.
In a separate bowl mix together flour, salt and baking soda.
Slowly blend dry ingredients into butter- sugar mixture.
Spoon cookies onto a greased baking sheet, leaving room between them because they will spread.
Bake at 325 degrees for 12-15 minutes.
Sit back and enjoy!

It’s true.  I’ve forgotten how many people I’ve killed already but the number keeps rising—least in my novels.  I’m delighted to say that no one has yet expired as a result of my passion for baking.

This one’s a family favorite that the kids expect to see multiple times during the holiday season.

I hope your family and friends enjoy Lara’s Church Lady Maple Cookies as much as mine do.

Happy Holidays!
Mary

ABOUT THE BOOK

If At First You Don’t Succeed
It’s been seven years since the Seattle Strangler terrorized the city. His victims were all young, pretty, their lifeless bodies found wrapped in a home-sewn white dress. But there was one who miraculously escaped death, just before the Strangler disappeared. . .

Kill
Lara Church has only hazy memories of her long-ago attack. What she does have is a home in Austin, a job, and a chance at a normal life at last. Then Texas Ranger James Beck arrives on her doorstep with shattering news: The Strangler is back. And this time, he’s in Austin. . .

And Kill Again. . .
He’s always craved her, even as he killed the others. For so long he’s been waiting to unleash the beast within. And this time, he’ll prove he holds her life in his hands—right before he ends it forever. . .
Be on the look out for my review in the near future.

THANKS TO JOAN SCHULHAFER PUBLISHING,
I HAVE ONE (1) COPY OF THIS BOOK TO GIVE AWAY.
OPEN TO U.S. AND CANADA RESIDENTS

CLICK HERE FOR THE ENTRY PAGE

DISCLAIMER
I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me,
in exchange for my honest review.
No items that I receive
are ever sold…they are kept by me,
or given to family and/or friends.