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First I would like to apologize to Sarah from St. Martin’s Press, author Tyler McMahon and you, the visitors of this blog. In the midst of my personal tornado, I received a very enthusiastic email from Sarah asking if I would like to review this book, but at the time, I couldn’t but did offer to share this author with all of you. And even with that, I am a bit late.
This is what Sarah had to say, “Hi again – I feel like you must be getting sick of me by now because I keep writing you about books to review. But seriously, PLEASE, please don’t delete this email! Give me one chance to share this book with you…
I work for a publishing company and recently FELL IN LOVE with HOW THE MISTAKES WERE MADE – a debut novel by Tyler McMahon – hitting bookstores October 11th.”
And now we get the chance to hear what has Sarah so excited. Please help me welcome Tyler McMahon!!!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
TYLER MCMAHON is the author of the debut novel How the Mistakes Were Made. He received his MFA in fiction from Boise State University. His stories have appeared in Threepenny Review, Sycamore Review, and Surfer’s Journal, among others, and he has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. He is a professor of fiction at Hawaii Pacific University.
You can visit Tyler McMahon at:
ABOUT THE BOOK
Laura Loss came of age in the hardcore punk scene of the early 1980s. The jailbait bass player in her brother Anthony’s band, she grew up traveling the country, playing her heart out in a tight network of show venues to crowds soaked in blood and sweat. The band became notorious, the stars of a shadow music industry. But when Laura was 18, it all fell apart. Anthony’s own fans destroyed him, something which Laura never forgot.
Ten years later, Laura finds her true fame with the formation of The Mistakes, a gifted rock band that bursts out of ‘90s Seattle to god-like celebrity. When she discovered Nathan and Sean, the two flannel-clad misfits who, along with her, composed the band, she instantly understood that Sean’s synesthesia—a blending of the senses that allows him to “see” the music— infused his playing with an edge that would take them to the top. And it did. But it, along with his love for Laura, would also be their downfall.
At the moment of their greatest fame, the volatile bonds between the three explode in a mushroom cloud of betrayal, deceit, and untimely endings. The world blames Laura for destroying its rock heroes. Hated by the fans she’s spent her life serving, she finally tells her side of the story, the “true” story, of the rise and fall of The Mistakes.
THANKS TO THE GENEROSITY OF SARAH
FROM ST. MARTIN’S PRESS, I HAVE
FIVE (5) PB BOOKS TO GIVE AWAY.
CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO
THE GIVEAWAY 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.
NOVEMBER 22nd to DECEMBER 6th, 2011
HOW THE MISTAKES WERE MADE
by TYLER McMAHON
SYNOPSIS:
Laura Loss came of age in the hardcore punk scene of the early 1980s. The jailbait bass player in her brother Anthony’s band, she grew up traveling the country, playing her heart out in a tight network of show venues to crowds soaked in blood and sweat. The band became notorious, the stars of a shadow music industry. But when Laura was 18, it all fell apart. Anthony’s own fans destroyed him, something which Laura never forgot.
Ten years later, Laura finds her true fame with the formation of The Mistakes, a gifted rock band that bursts out of ‘90s Seattle to god-like celebrity. When she discovered Nathan and Sean, the two flannel-clad misfits who, along with her, composed the band, she instantly understood that Sean’s synesthesia—a blending of the senses that allows him to “see” the music— infused his playing with an edge that would take them to the top. And it did. But it, along with his love for Laura, would also be their downfall.
At the moment of their greatest fame, the volatile bonds between the three explode in a mushroom cloud of betrayal, deceit, and untimely endings. The world blames Laura for destroying its rock heroes. Hated by the fans she’s spent her life serving, she finally tells her side of the story, the “true” story, of the rise and fall of The Mistakes.
THANKS TO SARAH AND THE AMAZING
PEOPLE AT ST. MARTIN’S PRESS
PEOPLE AT ST. MARTIN’S PRESS
I HAVE FIVE ( 5 ) COPIES OF THIS
BOOK TO GIVE AWAY.
HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO WIN.
BOOK TO GIVE AWAY.
HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO WIN.
*ALL COMMENTS TO BE SEPARATE*
AND INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
SO THAT I CAN CONTACT YOU IF YOU WIN
*LEAVE COMMENT: NAME A BAND
FROM THE 80s-90s THAT YOU ENJOYED?*
AND INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
SO THAT I CAN CONTACT YOU IF YOU WIN
*LEAVE COMMENT: NAME A BAND
FROM THE 80s-90s THAT YOU ENJOYED?*
*EXTRA ENTRIES*
*LEAVE SEPARATE COMMENT IF YOU PUBLICLY FOLLOW THIS
BLOG (IF NOT, GOOGLE FRIEND CONNECT ON RIGHT SIDE).
*LEAVE SEPARATE COMMENT IF YOU FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK.
*LEAVE SEPARATE COMMENT IF YOU FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER.
*REMEMBER TO INCLUDE EMAIL ADDRESS FOR ALL ENTRIES.
*U.S. AND CANADA RESIDENTS ONLY*
*NO P.O. BOXES*
**HONOR SYSTEM**
ONE WINNING BOOK PER HOUSEHOLD
PLEASE NOTIFY ME IF YOU HAVE
WON THIS BOOK FROM ANOTHER
SITE, SO THAT SOMEONE ELSE MAY
HAVE THE CHANCE TO WIN
AND READ THIS BOOK.
THANK YOU.
*NO P.O. BOXES*
**HONOR SYSTEM**
ONE WINNING BOOK PER HOUSEHOLD
PLEASE NOTIFY ME IF YOU HAVE
WON THIS BOOK FROM ANOTHER
SITE, SO THAT SOMEONE ELSE MAY
HAVE THE CHANCE TO WIN
AND READ THIS BOOK.
THANK YOU.
*GIVEAWAY ENDS DECEMBER 6th AT 6PM EST*
WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN BY RANDOM.ORG AND NOTIFIED
VIA EMAIL AND WILL HAVE 48 HOURS TO RESPOND
OR ANOTHER NAME WILL BE CHOSEN
VIA EMAIL AND WILL HAVE 48 HOURS TO RESPOND
OR ANOTHER NAME WILL BE CHOSEN
DISCLAIMER / RULES
Giveaway copies are supplied and shipped to winners via publisher,
the giveaway on behalf of the
above. 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.
the giveaway on behalf of the
above. 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.
I am not responsible for lost or damaged books that are shipped
from agents. I reserve the right to disqualify/delete any entries
if rules of giveaway are not followed
from agents. I reserve the right to disqualify/delete any entries
if rules of giveaway are not followed
First I would like to apologize to Sarah from St. Martin’s Press, author Tyler McMahon and you, the visitors of this blog. In the midst of my personal tornado, I received a very enthusiastic email from Sarah asking if I would like to review this book, but at the time, I couldn’t but did offer to share this author with all of you. And even with that, I am a bit late.
This is what Sarah had to say, “Hi again – I feel like you must be getting sick of me by now because I keep writing you about books to review. But seriously, PLEASE, please don’t delete this email! Give me one chance to share this book with you…
I work for a publishing company and recently FELL IN LOVE with HOW THE MISTAKES WERE MADE – a debut novel by Tyler McMahon – hitting bookstores October 11th.”
And now we get the chance to hear what has Sarah so excited. Please help me welcome Tyler McMahon!!!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
TYLER MCMAHON is the author of the debut novel How the Mistakes Were Made. He received his MFA in fiction from Boise State University. His stories have appeared in Threepenny Review, Sycamore Review, and Surfer’s Journal, among others, and he has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. He is a professor of fiction at Hawaii Pacific University.
You can visit Tyler McMahon at:
ABOUT THE BOOK
Laura Loss came of age in the hardcore punk scene of the early 1980s. The jailbait bass player in her brother Anthony’s band, she grew up traveling the country, playing her heart out in a tight network of show venues to crowds soaked in blood and sweat. The band became notorious, the stars of a shadow music industry. But when Laura was 18, it all fell apart. Anthony’s own fans destroyed him, something which Laura never forgot.
Ten years later, Laura finds her true fame with the formation of The Mistakes, a gifted rock band that bursts out of ‘90s Seattle to god-like celebrity. When she discovered Nathan and Sean, the two flannel-clad misfits who, along with her, composed the band, she instantly understood that Sean’s synesthesia—a blending of the senses that allows him to “see” the music— infused his playing with an edge that would take them to the top. And it did. But it, along with his love for Laura, would also be their downfall.
At the moment of their greatest fame, the volatile bonds between the three explode in a mushroom cloud of betrayal, deceit, and untimely endings. The world blames Laura for destroying its rock heroes. Hated by the fans she’s spent her life serving, she finally tells her side of the story, the “true” story, of the rise and fall of The Mistakes.
THANKS TO THE GENEROSITY OF SARAH
FROM ST. MARTIN’S PRESS, I HAVE
FIVE (5) PB BOOKS TO GIVE AWAY.
CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO
THE GIVEAWAY 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.
NOVEMBER 22nd to DECEMBER 6th, 2011
HOW THE MISTAKES WERE MADE
by TYLER McMAHON
SYNOPSIS:
Laura Loss came of age in the hardcore punk scene of the early 1980s. The jailbait bass player in her brother Anthony’s band, she grew up traveling the country, playing her heart out in a tight network of show venues to crowds soaked in blood and sweat. The band became notorious, the stars of a shadow music industry. But when Laura was 18, it all fell apart. Anthony’s own fans destroyed him, something which Laura never forgot.
Ten years later, Laura finds her true fame with the formation of The Mistakes, a gifted rock band that bursts out of ‘90s Seattle to god-like celebrity. When she discovered Nathan and Sean, the two flannel-clad misfits who, along with her, composed the band, she instantly understood that Sean’s synesthesia—a blending of the senses that allows him to “see” the music— infused his playing with an edge that would take them to the top. And it did. But it, along with his love for Laura, would also be their downfall.
At the moment of their greatest fame, the volatile bonds between the three explode in a mushroom cloud of betrayal, deceit, and untimely endings. The world blames Laura for destroying its rock heroes. Hated by the fans she’s spent her life serving, she finally tells her side of the story, the “true” story, of the rise and fall of The Mistakes.
THANKS TO SARAH AND THE AMAZING
PEOPLE AT ST. MARTIN’S PRESS
PEOPLE AT ST. MARTIN’S PRESS
I HAVE FIVE ( 5 ) COPIES OF THIS
BOOK TO GIVE AWAY.
HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO WIN.
BOOK TO GIVE AWAY.
HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO WIN.
*ALL COMMENTS TO BE SEPARATE*
AND INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
SO THAT I CAN CONTACT YOU IF YOU WIN
*LEAVE COMMENT: NAME A BAND
FROM THE 80s-90s THAT YOU ENJOYED?*
AND INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
SO THAT I CAN CONTACT YOU IF YOU WIN
*LEAVE COMMENT: NAME A BAND
FROM THE 80s-90s THAT YOU ENJOYED?*
*EXTRA ENTRIES*
*LEAVE SEPARATE COMMENT IF YOU PUBLICLY FOLLOW THIS
BLOG (IF NOT, GOOGLE FRIEND CONNECT ON RIGHT SIDE).
*LEAVE SEPARATE COMMENT IF YOU FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK.
*LEAVE SEPARATE COMMENT IF YOU FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER.
*REMEMBER TO INCLUDE EMAIL ADDRESS FOR ALL ENTRIES.
*U.S. AND CANADA RESIDENTS ONLY*
*NO P.O. BOXES*
**HONOR SYSTEM**
ONE WINNING BOOK PER HOUSEHOLD
PLEASE NOTIFY ME IF YOU HAVE
WON THIS BOOK FROM ANOTHER
SITE, SO THAT SOMEONE ELSE MAY
HAVE THE CHANCE TO WIN
AND READ THIS BOOK.
THANK YOU.
*NO P.O. BOXES*
**HONOR SYSTEM**
ONE WINNING BOOK PER HOUSEHOLD
PLEASE NOTIFY ME IF YOU HAVE
WON THIS BOOK FROM ANOTHER
SITE, SO THAT SOMEONE ELSE MAY
HAVE THE CHANCE TO WIN
AND READ THIS BOOK.
THANK YOU.
*GIVEAWAY ENDS DECEMBER 6th AT 6PM EST*
WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN BY RANDOM.ORG AND NOTIFIED
VIA EMAIL AND WILL HAVE 48 HOURS TO RESPOND
OR ANOTHER NAME WILL BE CHOSEN
VIA EMAIL AND WILL HAVE 48 HOURS TO RESPOND
OR ANOTHER NAME WILL BE CHOSEN
DISCLAIMER / RULES
Giveaway copies are supplied and shipped to winners via publisher,
the giveaway on behalf of the
above. 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.
the giveaway on behalf of the
above. 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.
I am not responsible for lost or damaged books that are shipped
from agents. I reserve the right to disqualify/delete any entries
if rules of giveaway are not followed
from agents. I reserve the right to disqualify/delete any entries
if rules of giveaway are not followed
Hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading
Today’s question:
How do you decide to read a book by an author you haven’t read before? What sort of recommendations count most highly in making that decision?
My answer:
BB or before blogging, I would make my decisions solely based on the synopsis on the back of the book. Since I wasn’t surrounded by those who enjoyed reading, recommendations by mouth were far and few between. But since I have found this community, I still rely on the synopsis, but now, also rely on other bloggers’ reviews.
Some bloggers may give stellar reviews on books, however, if the genre is not one that I enjoy, I am not going to purchase the book simply because of that review. I have to enjoy premise of the book overall.
What about you? How do you decide to read a book by a new author?
Hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading
Today’s question:
How do you decide to read a book by an author you haven’t read before? What sort of recommendations count most highly in making that decision?
My answer:
BB or before blogging, I would make my decisions solely based on the synopsis on the back of the book. Since I wasn’t surrounded by those who enjoyed reading, recommendations by mouth were far and few between. But since I have found this community, I still rely on the synopsis, but now, also rely on other bloggers’ reviews.
Some bloggers may give stellar reviews on books, however, if the genre is not one that I enjoy, I am not going to purchase the book simply because of that review. I have to enjoy premise of the book overall.
What about you? How do you decide to read a book by a new author?
ANY COLOR BUT BEIGE by Catherine Larose
Published by Friesen Press
ISBN 978-1-77067-490-5
At the request of WOW Tours, a TPB was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.
Synopsis (from back of book): After years of living a beige existence, Cat Larose, international color marketing expert, finally added a little color to her own life. All it took was a Paris sunset and a little red suitcase.
Everyone wanted Cat’s life. She had a handsome husband, a stylish home and a fascinating career as an international color marketing consultant. Work took Cat to some of the world’s most beautiful cities but something was missing: ironically, it was color. One day she found herself in Paris watching a sunset and, in a moment of clarity, she caught a glimpse of her sepia-toned future.
When Cat got home, she did what she’d longed to do for years. She decided to paint her bedroom a magnificent Bordeaux red and put an end to her beige existence and her marriage. That was the beginning of a new life.
Any Color but Beige is a bright, funny, genuine account of one woman’s search for love in the deep end of the dating pool. None of the self-help books prepared Cat for the often funny, occasionally puzzling, sometimes sad but always colorful dating adventures with an international cast of frogs, princes and players. Cat makes the classic female mistake of thinking that love is a life preserver. Until one day she learns to swim.
My Thoughts and Opinion: This was a debut novel by this author so I had no preconceived thoughts as to what type of writing style, talent, interest, character relatability I was in store for. I accepted the request for a book review solely on the synopsis and premise of the book, written as a memoir, and as the synopsis states, also a “bright and funny” account of the author’s life. I was pleasantly surprised once I started reading the book and as I continued. The writing was fluid and flowed as she travels from country to country, and passes through phases of her life. There were some personal issues that I could relate to, even though, there was approximately a decade of an age difference between the author and myself.
However, and not wanting to disclose spoilers and/or nor do I consider myself a prude, the years after her divorce and once again in the “dating arena” her experiences during that time seemed to be a bit much. The underlying moral of the story, though, is true of any woman of any age and whatever stage of one’s life.
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.
