And the winner is…..

……..of Chique Secrets of Dolce Amore Totebag by Barbara Conelli

120 Brenda Elsner 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!

Friday Memes

    

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!

MY QUESTIONS:
Will you be watching the opening ceremony of the Olympics?
What sport(s) of the Summer Olympics is/are your favorite(s)?

Guest Author Jo Linsdell

It’s been 2 1/2 years that I have been part of this incredible book blogging club and still enjoy every minute of it.  It never gets old or boring, there is always something exciting happening, just like today.  I have the honor and privilege to introduce you to another amazing author.  I am especially thrilled with today’s guest because not only is she an author but one of our tour hosts at Partners In Crime Tours.  Please help me give a very warm welcome to Jo Linsdell as she tells us about her new book.

JO LINSDELL

Jo Linsdell is a freelance writer, author and illustrator. Originally from the UK, she now lives in Rome, Italy with her husband and their two young sons.
Visit Jo at her website here.

GUEST POST

Checklist for hosting Tweetchats
By Jo Linsdell

Jo Linsdell is the author and illustrator of the rhyming children’s picture book OUT AND ABOUT AT THE ZOO. Find out more about her at www.JoLinsdell.com

A Tweetchat is a public conversation on Twitter using a unique hashtag and is a great way to interact with your Twitter followers and get new followers quickly. This hashtag allows people to follow the discussion and participate in it.

One of the easiest ways to do a Tweetchat is using www.tweetchat.com. Once you’ve logged in using your twitter account you just need to insert your hashtag in the designated area at the top of the screen and you’re set.

Here’s a few ideas for how to run your Tweetchat:

1.  Start with a welcome and introduction.
2.  Announce the topic of your Tweetchat.
3.  To encourage group discussion label your questions Q1, Q2, etc… to make it easy for participants to answer.
4.  Retweet and summarise the best answers
5.  Announce when the end of the chat is approaching and thank everyone for participating.
6.  Tweet any conclusions from the chat.
7.  Announce the date and time for future chats and their topics.

If others are helping promote when the chat is and what it’s about, send them a quick @ or DM thanking them. If someone does a recap of one of your chats, retweet it. Let your chat participants know that they are an important part of the success that your chat is having. This gives them the incentive to promote and grow the chat even more.

The networking and promotional potential of a Tweetchat is huge so whether you plan to host a one-off event or make it a regular gig it’s well worth looking into.

If you have any tips of your own for hosting a Tweetchat please share them in the comments section. I’d love to hear them.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Rhyming text and colourful pictures accompany this fun day out discovering different animals at the zoo.

Reviews:
5 Stars
“Out and About at the Zoo by Jo Linsdell is a delightful story set in rhyme about a boy and his mum. The two spend the day at the zoo and meet many animals along the way. Your child will enjoy reading this book time and time again. The colorful illustrations make this book a joy to read. Pick up a copy of this book and share a day at the zoo memory with your little one”.
By Kate Mueller, Author of Bella’s Birthday Surprise

5 Stars
“Out And About At The Zoo is a cute book that describes a child’s memory filled trip to the zoo. Are you heading to the zoo and you would like to tell your kids what animals they will see there and what they might be doing? Then Out And About At The Zoo would be a great choice. Easy to understand and easy for children to read along with. It is filled with simple yet colorful pictures that even held my one year old’s attention!
Would also make a good gift for young readers who are just beginning to read!”
By Virginia L. Jennings, Author

Book Details:
Release Date: 1st June 2012
ISBN/EAN13: 1477446591 / 9781477446591
Page Count: 32
Binding Type: US Trade Paper
Trim Size: 6″ x 9″
Language: English
Colour: Full Colour with Bleed
Related Categories: Juvenile Fiction / Stories in Verse

Purchase Links:
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.it
CreateSpace.com

DISCLAIMER
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,
Barnes & Noble and/or any other retail/wholesale
outlets either online and/or elsewhere.
I am providing this link solely for visitors
that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.
I do not receive any monetary compensation from any parties

BookPushalooza!

 

Welcome
to the FIRST EVER BookPushalooza!
July 26th ONLY

Books, only .99.
With
each purchase you get the chance to WIN while Helping Authors reach new heights
in Amazon’s ranks.

 

It’s
so easy a CAVEMAN could do it!

 

Follow
the Instructions on the Rafflecopter Widget and for each book you purchase (or
Borrow through Amazon Prime for Free) you get an entry in to WIN —

 

(1)Grand
Prize- $100 Amazon Gift Card

 

(2)Runners
up of $25 Amazon Gift Cards

 

That’s
not all! Purchase all NINE (9) books and get an additional 5 entries!

 

Don’t
delay, this offer is good for JULY 26th ONLY!

Overview of Dark Isle

When evil begets evil, a choice is forced on Quinn, the one person who can see
the danger. Does she save the ones she loves, or does she save the world from
Chaos?

As the realms of Fae and human collide, Quinn’s future has never
looked so grim, or so damn impossible.

Genre- Urban Fantasy

Overview of Enemy in Blue

The streets aren’t safe when your enemy wears a blue uniform and a gold
badge.

What if the good guys weren’t good?

What if a cop went
rogue and killed an innocent man?

What if it was all caught on video and the cop would do anything to
cover it up?
Chase this lawless cop through the streets and to a
scintillating series of showdowns with Cruz Marquez, a young attorney trying to
nail down his enemy in blue.

Will justice be served?

Genre- Thriller


Overview of Land of the Noonday Sun

When two strangers have nothing left but their dreams,
they must forge a relationship in Nantahala, North Carolina, a small town known
as Land of the Noonday Sun.A man with a
traumatic past is able to turn his life around and is happy with his chosen
career as a whitewater guide. Everything changes though when fate hurls a woman
into his path. His carefree life is in turmoil, and his former weaknesses
threaten to overtake him. Will he be strong enough when tragedy strikes and is
once again in danger of losing everything he loves?
Genre- Contemporary Romance
Overview of This Time Forever

Delaney Brannigan and Blake Morrisson
met at the Cedar Cove annual costume dance, known only to each other as the
leopard and the cowboy–but, as Delaney soon discovers, the cowboy she’d
thought had ridden off into the sunset never to tempt her again, is none other
than the man she came from New York to find and discredit. Against her will,
Delaney is drawn deeper and deeper into an overwhelming attraction to Blake–an
attraction she can’t give in to if she wants to keep the one thing she values
more than anything else.
Genre- Contemporary Romance

Overview of Cassidy Jones and the Secret Formula

Fourteen-year-old Cassidy Jones wakes up the morning after a minor
accident in the laboratory of a world-renowned geneticist to discover that her
body has undergone some bizarre physical changes. Her senses, strength, and speed
have been radically enhanced.

Lives are put at risk when they find themselves embroiled in a dangerous,
action-packed adventure. Soon they are forced to confront a maniacal villain
willing to do anything – including murder – to reach his own ambitious goals.

Genre- YA/MG Superhero

Overview of Gray Justice

Gray Justice is the fast-paced debut
thriller from Alan McDermott. When a killer walks free from court, the victim’s
father sees just two options: accept the judge’s decision; or take on the
entire British justice system. Tom Gray chooses the latter and his crusade
attracts instant worldwide media coverage. It was just what Tom was hoping for,
but it brought him a lot more than he bargained for.
Gray Justice is much more than a simple tale of revenge: it’s a rollercoaster
ride with an ending you’ll never forget!

Genre- Thriller
Overview of Gone at Zero Hundred 00:00

“Their lives are in the hands of two 18-year-olds…”

A Prominent P.I. is
gunned down – killed by a sniper – and it’s broadcasted on live TV.

Now,
her daughter, along with her childhood pal, are thrust into a complex and
riveting thriller forced to take on a secret club whose members call themselves
The Privileged Ones.

Murder. Teen abductions and illegal underground
parties.

They’re chased by men in ski-masks, nearly gunned down by
members of a cartel, and the only way to bring down this criminal enterprise; is
to crash a Mardi Gras bash and stop their private cruise ship from sailing off
into the sunset.

 

Overview of Allegiance

Who do YOU pledge allegiance to?

 

After exposing one of the most notorious rings of police corruption in history,
lawyer Cruz Marquez planned on starting a new life south of the border. That
plan unraveled when an extremist group of Minutemen captured and tortured him
and his wife.

Will Cruz pledge allegiance to do right, or will he do anything
to serve up revenge?

Genre- Thriller

Overview of Curbchek Reload

Curbchek-Reload is a dark account of the streets as they were worked by
Zach Fortier, a dangerously deranged cop. Welcome back to the inner city and
the twisted mentality of Zach Fortier. Patrolling the streets, broken and
mentally damaged from years of urban violence, Zach fights a losing battle to
maintain a hold on reality. Join him in the passenger seat of a police cruiser
for more of the darker and meaner side of life: The inner city. In
Curbchek-Reload you get a front row seat to an attempted murder of a cop,
suicide attempts, rapes, and DARK cop humor. Curbchek-Reload – Fasten your
bullet proof vest and buckle your seatbelt, it is gonna be a wild ride!

 

Genre- Police Procedural 

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/49be101/” rel=”nofollow”>a Rafflecopter giveaway

All winners will be notified via email July 28th 2012. For a list of winners contact onedaybookpush@yahoo.ca

 

Booking Through Thursday

    

http://btt2.wordpress.com

Today asks:
A while ago, I interviewed my readers for a change, and my final question was, “What question have I NOT asked at BTT that you’d love me to ask?” I got some great responses and will be picking out some of the questions from time to time to ask the rest of you. Like now.
Two questions about your reading habits that just seem to go together.
GigiAnn asks:
Do you have a favorite season of the year that you read more? (Example: during snow storms, rainy weather, or sunny and warm weather) Sorry, that was the best I could come up with.
Lisa asks:
Where is your favorite place to read? On the beach? Inside/outside?

My answer:
In response to GigiAnn’s question:
Great question!!  I never really thought about my reading habits compared to the 4 seasons.  But now that I think about it, I think I do read more during the colder months.  I  do enjoy, especially when the nights seem so long due to the changing of clocks, the cold weather and definitely when it is snowing, I love to sit in my recliner, which faces a window so that I have the view of it snowing, with my fleece throw and read.  And even when I was young, and to this day, I love to read during a T-storm.  However, when my boys were young, I would have answered that I read more in the summer.  Our house was like summer camp during the summer because every day by 10am, most of their friends would start showing up to spend the day in our pool.  Because it is an inground pool, 10 feet deep, we had strict rules regarding the use of our pool.  One of them being that they weren’t allowed in the pool unless I was outside supervising.  So everyday I would get my chores done early, grab my book and iced coffee and head out to be poolside and read.

In response to Lisa’s question:
I have 3 favorite places that I read.  Since becoming empty nesters, we turned one of the extra bedrooms into my office/reading/blogging room.  I have a very comfortable, sometimes too comfortable that  at times I doze off, recliner in this room.  It faces the window, so I have the view of the 4 seasons, where I can see our pool or watch the rain, T-storms or the snow falling.  Plus I am surrounded by my books in 3 bookcases.  The 2nd place would be on the beach in Aruba, which we visit every year.  And the 3rd place would be sitting on my “reading”  float  while in our pool.

What about you?  Do you read more  or less during the 4 seasons?  Where is (are) your favorite place to read?

And the winner is………

……..of A Violet Season by Kathy Leonard Czepiel

8 Maureen Carol Leave a Blog Post Comment

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

Announcement

    

I’m not participating in my usual Wednesday Meme, W.W.W. Wednesday, since I haven’t opened a book in a couple of weeks (hanging head in shame) but have been very busy sitting in front of the computer.

Over the past few weeks, there has been much work, changes and news in Partners In Crime Tours (a virtual PR tour company for authors of mystery, suspense and crime novels, which some of you may know that for the past year, I have been a partner in.

On Friday the 13th, which turned out to be a very lucky day for the “Mash” family, my son got engaged and my partner turned over the reins to me and I bought the company.  Molly will still be part of the group, assisting me and booking her authors.

A couple of weeks ago, I was in the right place and the right time.  I was approached by Harper Collins, having sent an email asking if I could be put on their list of reviewers.  Out of that came the inquiry about Partners In Crime Tours.  And a tour was booked!!  Not just any tour, a LAURA LIPPMAN tour of her newest novel And When She Was Good.  HUGE!!

And if that wasn’t enough, over the past couple of months, I’ve known about another group I would be teaming up with, but until it was official, I couldn’t say anything.  I can now as it will be published in their August newsletter.  Partners In Crime Tours is teaming up with ITW (International Thrill Writers), big names, both with authors and publishers.  Again, HUGE!!!

Because of the above, we are having a recruitment for new hosts/reviewers to join our group.  Would you like to join?  Read some fantastic titles?  If interested fill in the questionnaire below and email me at CMash@Partnersincrimetours.net.  You would go on our master mailing list and when a tour is booked, I would send out the details (tour dates, synopsis, etc).  You decide which tour you would like to participate in.  

NAME:
EMAIL:
BLOG NAME:
BLOG URL:
EBOOK ACCESSIBLE (Y/N):
MAILING ADDRESS (if applicable):

I hope you will consider becoming part of the Partners In Crime Tours group!!!

And the winner is……..

……of An Unsuitable Bride by Jane Feather

29 pamela james Be a Public Follower of ‘CMASH Loves to Read’

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.