Stephanie from Simon & Schuster contacted me regarding today’s guest.  When I read the synopsis, I knew that I wanted to share this book with all of you.  So please help me welcome Mr. Mark Hosack!!

MARK HOSACK

Mark Hosack is a screenwriter whose credits include Pale Blue Moon and Give ‘em Hell, Malone.  He lives in Los Angeles where he also directs and edit movies. IDENITY is his debut novel.

GUEST POST

The E-Book Species

By Mark Hosack

Dinosaurs. Now there’s something we can definitely agree on—they’re all awesome and they’re all dead. The printed book isn’t a dinosaur, not yet (though indie bookstores, sadly, seem to be going extinct). But books have evolved as a new digital species, and the industry is following suit. E-books are becoming the new mass-market paperback. It’s the biggest evolution since the printing press–and we’re smack-dab in the middle of it.

The numbers say its good business: It’s been shown that people with e-books read and buy more books. E-book reader and tablet sales are skyrocketing. And now, following the rise of indie publishing, the big publishers are jumping into the game.

That’s where I come in.

My debut novel, IDENTITY, is something of an experiment. It’s one of the first books to be published by Pocket Star, Simon & Schuster’s brand new e-book imprint.

I’m friends with a lot of indie authors—writers who work very hard at publishing and marketing their own work. And in return, they get to keep a bigger piece of the back end. I’m going the other way, giving up more of my back end in return for a great editing and marketing team over at Simon & Schuster. I have no idea where I’ll end up financially, but I do know that this means there is room in the digital world for everyone, and that’s a great thing for writers.

Don’t want to wade through the tedious process of securing a traditional publisher? Great. Do it yourself. Want to get a big publisher in your corner? Good news—now that publishing is cheaper, they can take on more novels.

If there’s a truth to publishing, it’s that many deserving books never see the light of day. Hopefully, with more access, that will change. And therein lies the greatest benefit of the e-book evolution—diversity.

Of course, all of this also means more competition. As a writer, you’re going to have to elbow your way to front of the pack. As a reader, you’ll have to search hard for that undiscovered gem. It’s out there, but its drowning in a sea of 1s and 0s with little marketing to rescue it.

With such access, it’s a great time to be a writer—but it’s still hard. It will always be hard. That’s because writing a book is hard. And if it isn’t hard, you’re probably doing something wrong. Writing is a long process that comes with very little certainty and, often, very little reward. For a writer, you have to love the process. And that process is the same whether it is an e-book or a printed book. Traditional or Self Published. In the end, I feel as though a lot of this debate is just noise. The business is going to go where the readers go, and everyone will have to chase them there. It’s that simple. And maybe that’s the point. A book is a book, whether it’s digital, printed on paper, or scribbled on a tower of bar napkins. It doesn’t really matter.

The reader is what matters.

If you’re a writer, write for the reader—not the e-book.

The animal has evolved, but the guts are the same.

ABOUT THE BOOK

A novel of mistaken identity and corporate financial fraud, IDENTITY Is Wall Street with a Hitchcockian flavor.  IDENITY tells the story of Paul Majors, a respectable businessman who, in trying to unravel fraud within the Corporate offices of SunSoft’s parent company, gets not only pulled in deeper into the illegal doings there, but into those of another firm as well.  Soon he’s on the run across the United States, chased by dirty executives, international underworld figures, the FBI, and local  law enforcements, trying desperately to unravel the mysteries he’s caught in and save the 1,500 employees who depends on his leadership.  Relevant to our modern times, IDENTITY is an everyman tale about someone battling the frauds of “Corporate”, told as a suspenseful thriller.

IDENTITY, Mark’s first novel, will be released by Pocket Star, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, on August 7th. You can pre-order it now for a special sale price of $1.99 at: amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com and iTunes.com.

Also, you can win a free Kindle or Nook Touch by entering our IDENTITY giveaway. Please sign up and help spread the word!

Hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

     

What do you think you’ll read next?

……of A Girl Like You by Maria Geraci

70 Valerie Taylor Mabrey Easy entry for fans of this blog post

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

Our friend, Jodi, from WOW has a very special treat for us today.  As she always does, she will be introducing us to a very special author who is an expert in her field.  So even though it may be a little early, I am asking that you get comfortable and instead of grabbing a coffee, that you raise your wine glass and welcome today’s guest, Ms. Sara Fasolino!

SARA FASOLINO

Sara Fasolino is the Beverage Systems Manager at Morton’s The Steakhouse and is recognized in the industry as a Certified Sommelier by the Court of Master Sommeliers, as a Certified Specialist of Wine by the Society of Wine Educators and as an Advanced Mixologist. Fasolino’s role with Morton’s includes overseeing the restaurant’s beverage inventory for all its locations, serving as the restaurant’s liaison with the Court of Master Sommeliers and managing all educational and training materials related to the restaurant’s wines, liquors and beers. Fasolino’s experience in the restaurant industry dates back to her college years in Ohio, where she was a server in a restaurant. Upon graduation from Marietta College with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, she worked with a beverage marketer and distributor in Ohio before relocating to Chicago in 2005. Originally from Buffalo, N.Y., Fasolino has been with Morton’s The Steakhouse since 2007, working in its global headquarters.
Visit Sara on GoodReads.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Looking for the perfect complement to a juicy ribeye steak, grilled kabobs or even some desserts? Look no further than Cabernet Sauvignon, the “red of all reds” worldwide. Sommelier Sara Fasolino guides you with practical tips for buying and enjoying Cabernet Sauvignon, whether you’re spending $7 or $75.Cabernet Sauvignon for Beginners will shed light on the characteristics of this versatile wine, what contributes to its wide range of flavors, and the best foods to match with it.

Want to learn more about wines.  Visit here, register  and receive a free EBook from the Wine Series during the tour from August 13 to Sept. 7.   Twenty-one (21) books to choose from!How much fun is this?

Synopsis:
Looking for the perfect complement to a juicy ribeye steak, grilled kabobs or even some desserts? Look no further than Cabernet Sauvignon, the “red of all reds” worldwide. Sommelier Sara Fasolino guides you with practical tips for buying and enjoying Cabernet Sauvignon, whether you’re spending $7 or $75.Cabernet Sauvignon for Beginners will shed light on the characteristics of this versatile wine, what contributes to its wide range of flavors, and the best foods to match with it.

My Thoughts and Opinion: (one spoiler alert)
I admit I am far from being a wine connoisseur but do enjoy a glass of wine on occasion. My preference is usually a Chardonnay or Pinot Noir, so when I received the request to review this book, I was intrigued to learn about the fine art of wine tasting.

Even though it is a very short read, being only 22 pages, it was fully packed with information and answered a lot of the questions I have always wondered about. For example, when at a restaurant and the server hands one a cork of a newly opened bottle of wine, what is it that you are looking for? I was quite surprised by the answer. And because now I knew the reason, I asked others to see what they thought the reason was, and most answered incorrectly and was surprised when I informed them as to the why. This will be the only “spoiler” that I divulge, since there are many interesting facts in this guide. When handed the cork of a bottle of Cabernet, one is inspecting to see if the cork is moist. If it isn’t, it means that the bottled was not placed in the proper position and/or the seal had been broken.

Within these 22 pages is the history, the different type of grapes used, how to read the label which holds much information, the different types of barrels used to make the wine and the different ones that add to the flavor, what foods are best with this type of wine, how to store wine bottles and even choosing a certain type of glass to serve it in because this can also alter the taste. Quite interesting !!

There are more books by this author for other types of wine, such as, Merlot, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Malbec. With the holidays just around the corner, this would make for a nice gift for those who enjoy a glass of wine!

Hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading

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Hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading

Today’s question:
Have you ever reread a book and found that your opinion changed?

My answer:
This is a very easy question for me.  I have never reread a a book.  Never.  There are just too many books, on my 5 shelf, Kindle  and Sony, and even more on my “hopefully in my lifetime” tbr list that I want to read.  My thoughts are that instead of taking the time to reread a book, I would much rather put that time towards what I haven’t read.  However, and if you are a rereader, would like to hear/read why someone would read a book a second time, when you know how the book turns out?  Before joining this community, I can say honestly, that I had never heard of rereading.  But since that time, have seen that many book bloggers do, and have wondered why.

Are you a rereader?

August is being hosted by5 Minutes for 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:
Tuesday:  Angels Landing by Rochelle Alers from The Hachette Book Group
Friday:  Leaves by Michael Baron from The Story Plant–Spread The Word Initiative
Friday:  A Wanted Man by Lee Child (ARC) from Shelf Awareness