Author Archives

Melissahttp://www.missmeliss.comWriter, voice actor, dog-lover, and bathtub mermaid, Melissa is the Associate Editor-in-Chief at All Things Girl. To learn more about her, visit her website, or follow her on Twitter (@Melysse) or Facebook. You can also listen to her podcast, "Bathtub Mermaid: Tales from the Tub" at Bathtub Mermaid or on iTunes.

Introducing: Stillwell: A Haunting on Long Island, by Michael Phillip Cash

11 October 2013 by Melissa

Four years ago, I spent a weekend in a century-plus-old “cottage” (it had 17 bedrooms) in Amagansett, on Long Island, and while I didn’t witness any ghostly behavior (we were caught up in the wedding we were attending, and in reuniting with relatives we hadn’t seen in too long) it would not have shocked me to discover a few stray spirits.

It for that reason that I am excited to be part of the buzz for Michael Phillip Cash’s new novel Stillwell: a Haunting on Long Island.

About the Book:

Paul Russo’s wife just died. While trying to get his family’s life back in order, Paul is being tormented by a demon who is holding his wife’s spirit hostage on the other side. His fate is intertwined with an old haunted mansion on the north shore of Long Island called Stillwell Manor. Paul must find clues dating back hundreds of years to set his wife’s soul free.

Purchase your copy at AMAZON

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About the Author:

Born and raised on Long Island, Michael Phillip Cash has always had a fascination with horror writing and found footage films. He wanted to incorporate both with his debut novel, Brood X. Earning a degree in English and an MBA, he has worked various jobs before settling into being a full-time author. He currently resides on Long Island with his wife and children. Stillwell: A Haunting On Long Island is his second novel.
Visit his website at www.MichaelPhillipCash.com or his blog at http://www.michaelphillipcash-officialblog.com/.

Connect & Socialize with Michael!
TWITTER | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS

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Rafflecopter Code for $25 Amazon Gift Card plus Halloween Party Pack for 15

Terms & Conditions:
• By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
• Two winners will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $25 Amazon Gift Certificate or the Halloween Party Pack.
• This giveaway begins September 23 and ends October 25, 2013.
• Winners will be contacted via email on Monday, November 4, 2013.
• Winner has 48 hours to reply.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Stillwell: A Haunting on Long Island Book Blast Page

In their Words: Guest Post from Tami Goldstein

10 October 2013 by Melissa

Tami Goldstein’s book Coming Through the Fog may be about her daughter’s journey through autism, but it’s she who wrote the story. She was kind enough to write a guest post for me:

The Story Behind the Story

I have no training as a writer and the story Coming Through the Fog was an emotional, all consuming, financially training account that played out over a 13 year process from diagnosis to Functioning Recovery and independent living. I have 3 storage containers with information, medical, psychological, educational and the training that I took to understand the disability and how my daughter presented. Heather’s Occupational Therapist, Sue Kratz, continued for years to encourage me to write Heather’s story and I had many failed attempts.

In the spring of 2012 a good friend of mine, Cheryl “Smitty” Smith a 30 year retired school teacher familiar with Heather’s story and my inability to get it on paper, gave me a cassette tape recorder with a bunch of tapes and said, “Tell me Heather’s story. Nine months later, Coming Through the Fog was published.

Though it is Heather’s story, we walked this journey together. She understands how difficult the journey was and feels as strongly as I do about the need to reach out and help other families.

Reading Coming Through the Fog will make it easier for others to navigate the world of autism spectrum disorders and provide tools inspiration and hope for their journey.

About Coming Through the Fog

Coming Through the Fog
A mother tells the journey of her daughter’s recovery from Autism and Sensory Processing Disorder to Functioning Recovery and independent living, giving tips to parents on how to navigate the medical and educational domain. This story is an example of the unique obstacles facing a parent raising a child with Autism. The challenges they face getting supports. What is Sensory Processing Disorder, CranioSacral Therapy and Bio-Medical Therapy, and what roles they play on the road to Functioning Recovery and independent living? See actual projective trials pertaining to sensory supports. Is educational discrimination the reason there is difficulty getting help in school? As this story unfolds it provides useful tips to other parents to help them on their journey with their child. This story is notable because this mother’s daughter was successful overcoming numerous obstacles while providing useful tools, inspiration and hope to others.

Purchase:

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

About Tami Goldstein:

Tami Goldstein

This journey begins with a mother’s love for her daughter. After learning her daughter was on the Autism Spectrum Tami began to tirelessly educate herself in the sciences of: Behavioral Health, Child Psychology, Human Anatomy, Occupational Health, Pharmacology and Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork and has been a parent advocate for her daughter since 1997.

In 2002, as her knowledge and passion grew, Tami began reaching out to other families in need of help. In 2005, Tami founded the Rock County Autism Support Group and she is the community resource liaison for the SPD (Sensory Processing Disorders) Parent Connections Support Group of Rock County and the surrounding areas. Since 2005, Tami has been State and National Certified in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork and in 2013 she certified in CranioSacral Therapy with the Upledger Institute in Florida.

Tami currently has two offices where she facilitates CranioSacral Therapy. Approximately 38% of her clientele are children, teenagers and young adults on the Autism Spectrum or with other neuro-developmental delays. When asked to lecture, Tami uses her personal experience, extensive knowledge, and dedication to help others learn about and understand the medical and educational aspects of Autism, Autism Spectrum Disorders and SPD.

You can view her website at http://www.comingthroughthefog.com.

Tami’s latest book is the autism awareness book, Coming Through the Fog.

Connect with Tami:

FACEBOOK

Review: Almost True Confessons by Jane O’Connor

9 October 2013 by Melissa

About the book, Almost True Confessions:

This comic mystery set in the elite zip codes of Manhattan will leave you breathless . . . literally
Almost True Confessions
What could be more fun for a freelance copy editor than work- ing on a juicy tell-all about one of Manhattan’s most enigmatic society doyennes? But when Miranda “Rannie” Bookman arrives at Ret Sullivan’s tony Upper East Side apartment, she finds more than the final draft of the reclusive author’s manuscript waiting for her—there’s also the half-naked body of Ret herself, tied to her bed and strangled with an Hermès scarf.

Was this merely a case, as the police believe, of rough sex that got a little too rough? Or was Ret murdered because someone wanted to make absolutely sure she didn’t meet her deadline? Once again, Rannie must prove that her mind is just as sharp as her Col-Erase blue pencils—or risk getting rubbed out too.

Buy your copy from:
Amazon | Barnes and Noble

About the author, Jane O’Connor:

Jane O'Connor

Jane O’Connor, an editor at a major New York publishing house, has written more than thirty books for children, including the New York Times bestselling Fancy Nancy books. She is also the author of the adult mystery, Dangerous Admissions.

My Thoughts:

I don’t know what it is about fall – the earlier twilight, the (slightly) cooler temperatures, or the thinning of the sunlight – but I always find myself reaching for mysteries at this time of year. When I was offered Almost True Confessions to read and review, therefore, I jumped at it.

My jump was successful. This is a comic mystery, but that doesn’t mean plot points suffer in order to go for a cheap laugh. Instead the mystery comes first and the comedy mostly comes from the life of main character Rannie, which lends the story a truthfulness that might not be present otherwise.

While this is not the first book to feature Rannie Bookman, crime solving copy editor, it’s the first I’ve read, and I found myself completely engaged. I liked the main character, liked her lover and her children and all the other supporting characters, and was kept both amused and interested for all 314 pages.

The copy of Almost True Confessions that I read is an uncorrected proof, and there were a couple of funky grammatical errors and typo-like mistakes that are most likely corrected in the version the public will see, though they don’t really distract you from the story unless you’re a very careful reader.

Bottom line: Jane O’Connor’s writing voice, at least in this novel, is funny, smart, and energetic, and I’d love read more of her work.

Goes well with a chai latte and banana nut bread.

Spotlight on Coming Through the Fog by Tami Goldstein

8 October 2013 by Melissa

About Coming Through the Fog

Purchase:

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

About Tami Goldstein:

Tami Goldstein

You can view her website at http://www.comingthroughthefog.com.

Tami’s latest book is the autism awareness book, Coming Through the Fog.

Connect with Tami:

FACEBOOK

Review: A Christmas Carol 2 by Robert J. Elisberg

7 October 2013 by Melissa

About A Christmas Carol 2: The Return of Scrooge

It’s five years to the day after dear old Ebenezer Scrooge has passed away and left his thriving firm to his former clerk, Bob Cratchit. However, Bob’s overly-generous benevolence with lending and charity-giving has driven the company into the ground, on the verge of bankruptcy. And so the ghost of Scrooge returns one Christmas Eve to teach Cratchit the true meaning of money, with the help of visitations of three spirits – not all of whom are happy t be there. (It is Christmas Eve, after all, and they have other plans.) Making the swirling journey through Christmases past, present, and yet-to-be all the more of a chaotic ride for Cratchit are the dozens of characters from other Dickens novels woven throughout the story, together for the first time. God bless them, most everyone.

And it’s all augmented with footnotes of letters between Mr. Dickens and his publisher, along with notes from Dickens’s own hand and scholarly research. At least that’s what the editor tells us, though we’re a little skeptical of his honesty.

Buy your copy from:

About the author, Robjert J. Elisberg

Robert-J.-Elisberg

Robert J. Elisberg has been a commentator and contributor to such publications as the Huffington Post, Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Daily News, Los Angeles Magazine, C/NET and E! Online, and he served on the editorial board for the Writers Guild of America. He has contributed political writing to the anthology, Clued in on Politics, 3rd edition (CQ Press).

Among his other writing, Elisberg wrote the comic novella, A Christmas Carol 2: The Return of Scrooge, which reached #2 on Amazon’s Hot List for Humor/Parody. His most recent novel is the swashbuckling adventure, The Wild Roses. He co-wrote a book on world travel. Currently, he writes a tech column for the Writers Guild of America, west. He also co-wrote the song, “Just One of the Girls” for the Showtime movie Wharf Rat, and wrote the book for the stage musical Rapunzel!.

Born in Chicago, he attended Northwestern University and received his MFA from UCLA, where he was twice awarded the Lucille Ball Award for comedy screenwriting. Not long afterwards, Elisberg sold his screenplay, Harry Warren of the Mounties. He was on staff of the international animated series, Flute Master, and co-wrote three of the Skateboy films based on it. He also co-wrote the independent film, Yard Sale. Most recently, he wrote an adventure screenplay for Callahan Filmworks.

Connect with Robert J. Elisberg:
Web:Elisberg Industries
Twitter: @RobertElisberg
Facebook: Robert Elisberg

Add this book to Goodreads:

My Thoughts:

I’m a fan of Dickens, and I’m also open to pastiches, which means A Christmas Carol 2: The Return of Scrooge was very likely going to be something I enjoyed. Nevertheless, I approached it a little nervously. I don’t like to give reviews. Obviously not everyone likes everything they’re given to read, but…What would I do if it wasn’t FUNNY?

My fears were assuaged almost instantly, and forgotten by the time I reached the first footnote. What? Didn’t anyone warn you that this book is annotated? Well it is, with a lovely footnote for every new/old character, talking about their appearance in the main body of Dickens’ work, and why he included them in this ‘lost’ novella.

The voice of the book isn’t quite Dickens as we know him, but could easily be unedited Dickens after a few shots of tequila – er, um – Smoking Bishop. The self-referential humor works every time, and the other bits of humor (sending a Jewish character to be a ghost on Christmas Eve, and having him complain about it) are dead-on.

In A Christmas Carol 2 Elisberg has not only given us an entertaining read, he’s helped the story live in contemporary times, showing us that the best path is neither abject poverty nor total profit, but a balance of the two.

Those who are familiar with the original Dickens work, or any of his novels, will gain the most enjoyment from Elisberg’s so-called revision, but even readers new to his work will get a laugh or two.

Writing pastiche is hard. Writing effective parody is even harder. Elisberg has managed to do both, successfully, and I enjoyed reading it very much.

Goes well with a slice of mince pie, and coffee laced with brandy.

Review: The Displaced Detective Series by Stephanie Osborn

4 October 2013 by Melissa

About Book 1: The Case of the Displaced Detective: The Arrival, by Stephanie Osborn

The-Case-of-the-Displaced-Detective-Arrival

The Case of the Displaced Detective: The Arrival is a SF mystery in which hyperspatial physicist, Dr. Skye Chadwick, discovers there are alternate realities, often populated by those considered only literary characters. In one reality, a certain Victorian detective (who, in fact, exists in several continua) was to have died along with his arch-nemesis at the Reichenbach Falls. Knee-jerking, Skye intervenes, rescuing her hero, who flies through the wormhole connecting universes. Unable to go back, Holmes must stay in our world and learn to adapt to the 21st century.

Meanwhile, Schriever AFB Security discovers a spy ring digging out the details of – and possibly sabotaging – Project: Tesseract.

Can Chadwick help Holmes come up to speed in modern investigative techniques in time to stop the spies? Will Holmes be able to thrive in our modern world? Is Chadwick now Holmes’ new “Watson” – or more? And what happens next?

Buy your copy from Amazon:

The next three books in the series are also available at Amazon:

The Case of the Displaced Detective: At Speed

The Case of the Cosmological Killer: The Rendlesham Incident

The Case of the Cosmological Killer: Endings and Beginnings

My Thoughts

I’ve been a Sherlock Holmes fan practically since I could read, and grew up on the PBS/Granada TV Sherlock Holmes television shows that ran during the 1980s and ’90s. In fact, Jeremy Brett, who played Holmes in that series, remains the only actor to whom I’ve ever sent fan mail (his autographed photo made my 14-year-old self giddy with delight, and hangs on my office wall today), and as much as I love Benedict Cumberbatch’s modern take on the character, it’s Brett who will ALWAYS be Holmes to me.

In addition, I’ve been an avid reader of Holmes-ian pastiches for almost as long as I’ve loved the original works. Laurie R. King’s work is a favorite, but I’ve read everything from The Seven-Per-Cent Solution to a fanzine I bought at a Star Trek convention in 1989 that had Mr. Spock traveling back in time to meet his ‘ancestor,’ the Great Detective himself.

I’m not a member of the Baker Street Irregulars, though I have friends who are, but I have serious Sherlockian cred, so when I tell you that I absolutely LOVED Stephanie Osborn’s Displaced Detective series, you should know that it comes from a place of vast reading experience.

I was offered the first two books in the series, The Case of the Displaced Detective: the Arrival and The Case of the Displaced Detective: At Speed by the folks at Pump Up Your Book, but I was only half-way through the first book when I tweeted Ms. Osborn that I was smitten with her version of Holmes, who springs off the page as a fully-realized character in his own right, though I hear echoes of both Brett and Nimoy in his dialogue.

An hour later, I’d purchased the other two available books, and as of last night, I was half-way through with book four, The Case of the Cosmological Killer: Endings and Beginnings

While Stephanie Osborn’s version of Holmes is swoon-worthy, her main character, Dr. Skye Chadwick, is pretty impressive herself. Smart, funny, talented – she’s the kind of woman many of us who were geek girls before being a geek was cool wanted to become.

The array of supporting characters, both American and British are equally rich and well developed (I really love Braeden Ryker), but characters aren’t the only element of any story, there has to be a compelling plot as well, and these mysteries have that in spades.

The description above gives you an idea of the basic story, at least of the first book, and I’m not one to analyze story points because in a mystery you don’t want to give anything away, but I will say that Osborn’s writing makes a tesseract that connects real and fictional continua seem completely plausible, and as someone who spent part of her childhood in Colorado (albeit in a different part), I loved the way she described it.

There are also a good number of geek culture/pop culture in-jokes and references. None of them detract from the story, but when you catch them, it’s as if you’re sharing a grin with the author.

In many ways, I feel like these books were written expressly for me (except if they were, they’d have way more frou-frou coffee in them), and even though I’d never read any of Stephanie Osborn’s work before, I feel like I can’t be objective, because these books are like literary crack. I fell in love with her characters and her world so completely that I’ve been telling all my friends “YOU MUST READ THESE!” And yes, I’ve been doing so in all caps.

Bottom line: if you love a mystery and are also into science-fiction (and I mean classic science fiction, the really good stuff), the Displaced Detective series will make you deliriously happy, especially if you enjoy a good Holmesian pastiche.

Goes well with Shepherd’s pie and a really good beer.

Spotlight on: The Displaced Detective series by Stephanie Osborn

2 October 2013 by Melissa

About Book 1: The Case of the Displaced Detective: The Arrival, by Stephanie Osborn

The-Case-of-the-Displaced-Detective-Arrival

Meanwhile, Schriever AFB Security discovers a spy ring digging out the details of – and possibly sabotaging – Project: Tesseract.

Buy your copy from Amazon:

The next three books in the series are also available at Amazon:

The Case of the Displaced Detective: At Speed

The Case of the Cosmological Killer: The Rendlesham Incident

The Case of the Cosmological Killer: Endings and Beginnings

About the Author: Stephanie Osborn

Few can claim the varied background of Stephanie Osborn, the Interstellar Woman of Mystery.

Stephanie-Osborn-300x240

Veteran of more than 20 years in the civilian space program, as well as various military space defense programs, she worked on numerous space shuttle flights and the International Space Station, and counts the training of astronauts on her resumé. Her space experience also includes Spacelab and ISS operations, variable star astrophysics, Martian aeolian geophysics, radiation physics, and nuclear, biological, and
chemical weapons effects.

Stephanie holds graduate and undergraduate degrees in four sciences:
astronomy, physics, chemistry and mathematics, and she is “fluent” in several
more, including geology and anatomy.

In addition she possesses a license of ministry, has been a duly sworn, certified police officer, and is a National Weather Service certified storm spotter.

Her travels have taken her to the top of Pikes Peak, across the world’s highest suspension bridge, down gold mines, in the footsteps of dinosaurs, through groves of giant Sequoias, and even to the volcanoes of the Cascade Range in the Pacific Northwest, where she was present for several phreatic eruptions of Mount St. Helens.

Now retired from space work, Stephanie has trained her sights on writing. She has authored, co-authored, or contributed to more than 20 books, including the celebrated science-fiction mystery, Burnout: The mystery of Space Shuttle STS-281. She is the co-author of the “Cresperian Saga,” book series, and currently writes the critically acclaimed “Displaced Detective” series, described as “Sherlock Holmes meets The X-Files.” She recently released the paranormal/horror novella El Vengador, based on a true story, as an ebook.

In addition to her writing work, the Interstellar Woman of Mystery now happily “pays it forward,” teaching math and science through numerous media including radio, podcasting and public speaking, as well as working with SIGMA, the science-fiction think tank.

The Mystery continues.

Connect with Stephanie Osborn:
Website: http://www.sff.net/people/steph-osborn/
Twitter: @WriterStepth

Watch the trailer for the Displaced Detective series:

Review: Superior Vocal Health by David Katz (with Giveaway)

30 September 2013 by Melissa

ABOUT SUPERIOR VOCAL HEALTH

What you can expect from this book:

* Comprehensive A-Z list of healing herbs for the Voice Professional

* What herbs to use when and how to prepare each herb for use

* Specific Formulas for specific vocal issues such as tired and over used voice, mucus, sinus congestion, sore throat, and more…

* What drugs negatively affect the voice and natural alternatives to those drugs

* Foods to eat the affect the voice and vocal mechanism

* Sinus Care with cleansing guide and herbs

* What to do when natural solutions for the most pressing Performance and Presentation issues such as performance anxiety, clogged sinuses, chest congestion, mental clarity, and more

Whether you are a professional singer, speaker, teacher, lawyer, DJ, clergy, auctioneer, tour guide or sales person, caring for your voice is THE MOST IMPORTANT thing you can do in your life.

This book is your complete and one stop guide to take care of your voice naturally without drugs.

Purchase Here

Add to Goodreads:

My Thoughts:

As a voice actor, podcaster, and singer, I was really excited when the folks at Pump Up Your Book offered me a copy of Superior Vocal Health: Herbs for the Voice and Throat, to review. After all, cider vinegar hot toddies and Throat Coat tea will only take you so far.

At just over 100 pages, you might think this book was too slim to matter. You might even start leafing through it and think any old herbal would give you the same information. On both counts, you would be mistaken.

First, David Aaron Katz has collected a comprehensive list of herbs meant not only to keep the throat in optimum condition, but also to boost energy, fend off illness, and generally improve your well-being. Second, he has included a selection of “recipes” for different herbal infusions meant to target specific issues. Third, he offers a list of “quick fix” suggestions, for when you wake up essentially voiceless and filled with phlegm.

Any ONE of those things would make Superior Vocal Health worth buying and reading, but having them all in once place makes this book an invaluable resource for anyone who uses their voice for more than just talking.

Even better, however, is that Katz presents this information in the friendly tone of someone who knows first-hand the things that singers, professional speakers, and actors go through – because he is one – rather than a dry, dull textbook-y style.

While this is NOT the kind of book one would typically read from cover to cover, it IS a well-written, well-researched resource, and one I’m happy to have learned from.

Goes well with a plate of fruit, and a mug of mint tea with honey and lemon.

Pump Up Your Book and David Aaron Katz are teaming up to give you a chance to win a some great prizes!

Here’s how it works:

Each person will enter this giveaway by liking, following, subscribing and tweeting about this giveaway through the Rafflecopter form placed on blogs throughout the tour. If your blog isn’t set up to accept the form, we offer another way for you to participate by having people comment on your blog then directing them to where they can fill out the form to gain more entries.

This promotion will run from August 5 – October 31. The winner will be chosen randomly by Rafflecopter, contacted by email and announced on November 1, 2013.

Everyone who participates in the Superior Vocal Health virtual book tour is eligible to enter and win.

Visit each blog stop below to gain more entries as the Rafflecopter widget will be placed on each blog for the duration of the tour.

ENTER TO WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Superior Vocal Health Virtual Book Publicity Tour Schedule

————————————————————

Wednesday, August 7 – Guest blogging at Icefairy’s Treasure Chest

Friday, August 9 – Interviewed at Review From Here

Monday, August 12 – Book featured at Plug Your Book

Tuesday, August 13 – Interviewed at Broowaha

Wednesday, August 14 – Book featured at Book Marketing Buzz

Friday, August 16 – Guest blogging at The Writer’s Life

Tuesday, August 20 – Guest blogging at Between the Covers

Wednesday, August 21 – Guest blogging at As the Pages Turn

Friday, August 23 – Guest blogging at Literal Exposure

Monday, August 26 – Interviewed at Straight from the Author’s Mouth

Tuesday, August 27 – Guest blogging at Litearily Speaking

Wednesday, August 28 – Interviewed at Beyond the Books

Thursday, August 29 – Guest blogging at The Story Behind the Book

Friday, August 30 – Interviewed at Pump Up Your Book

Wednesday, September 4 – Book reviewed at Book Him Danno

Monday, September 9 – Interviewed at As the Pages Turn

Friday, September 13 – Interviewed at Examiner

Wednesday, September 18 – Interviewed at Book Marketing Buzz

Friday, September 20 – Interviewed at Review From Here

Tuesday, September 24 – Guest blogging at Redroom

Thursday, September 26 – Interviewed at The Writer’s Life

Friday, September 27 – Book featured at Bibliotica

Monday, September 30 – Book reviewed at Bibliotica

————————————————————–

Spotlight with Giveaway: Superior Vocal Health by David Aaron Katz

27 September 2013 by Melissa

ABOUT SUPERIOR VOCAL HEALTH

What you can expect from this book:

* Comprehensive A-Z list of healing herbs for the Voice Professional

* What herbs to use when and how to prepare each herb for use

* Specific Formulas for specific vocal issues such as tired and over used voice, mucus, sinus congestion, sore throat, and more…

* What drugs negatively affect the voice and natural alternatives to those drugs

* Foods to eat the affect the voice and vocal mechanism

* Sinus Care with cleansing guide and herbs

* What to do when natural solutions for the most pressing Performance and Presentation issues such as performance anxiety, clogged sinuses, chest congestion, mental clarity, and more

Whether you are a professional singer, speaker, teacher, lawyer, DJ, clergy, auctioneer, tour guide or sales person, caring for your voice is THE MOST IMPORTANT thing you can do in your life.

This book is your complete and one stop guide to take care of your voice naturally without drugs.

Purchase Here

Add to Goodreads:

ABOUT DAVID AARON KATZ

David Aaron Katz is a professional Opera singer, Cantor, Nutritional Consultant, Herbalist, Head of the Vocal Faculty for the Bronx Defenders Training Academy and CEO of Superior Vocal Health.com. His life mission is to help Voice Professionals from around the world to learn how to heal, maintain and strengthen their voices naturally without chemical or drugs.

To find out more visit him at http://www.superiorvocalhealth.com

Pump Up Your Book and David Aaron Katz are teaming up to give you a chance to win a some great prizes!

Here’s how it works:

This promotion will run from August 5 – October 31. The winner will be chosen randomly by Rafflecopter, contacted by email and announced on November 1, 2013.

Everyone who participates in the Superior Vocal Health virtual book tour is eligible to enter and win.

Visit each blog stop below to gain more entries as the Rafflecopter widget will be placed on each blog for the duration of the tour.

ENTER TO WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Superior Vocal Health Virtual Book Publicity Tour Schedule

————————————————————

Wednesday, August 7 – Guest blogging at Icefairy’s Treasure Chest

Friday, August 9 – Interviewed at Review From Here

Monday, August 12 – Book featured at Plug Your Book

Tuesday, August 13 – Interviewed at Broowaha

Wednesday, August 14 – Book featured at Book Marketing Buzz

Friday, August 16 – Guest blogging at The Writer’s Life

Tuesday, August 20 – Guest blogging at Between the Covers

Wednesday, August 21 – Guest blogging at As the Pages Turn

Friday, August 23 – Guest blogging at Literal Exposure

Monday, August 26 – Interviewed at Straight from the Author’s Mouth

Tuesday, August 27 – Guest blogging at Litearily Speaking

Wednesday, August 28 – Interviewed at Beyond the Books

Thursday, August 29 – Guest blogging at The Story Behind the Book

Friday, August 30 – Interviewed at Pump Up Your Book

Wednesday, September 4 – Book reviewed at Book Him Danno

Monday, September 9 – Interviewed at As the Pages Turn

Friday, September 13 – Interviewed at Examiner

Wednesday, September 18 – Interviewed at Book Marketing Buzz

Friday, September 20 – Interviewed at Review From Here

Tuesday, September 24 – Guest blogging at Redroom

Thursday, September 26 – Interviewed at The Writer’s Life

Friday, September 27 – Book featured at Bibliotica

Monday, September 30 – Book reviewed at Bibliotica

————————————————————–

Cover Reveal: Romancing the Million $$$ Ghost

25 September 2013 by Melissa

I’m all about women supporting other women. I’m also, as you know, a voracious reader. When I have the opportunity to combine both of those things, I’m over the moon with giddyness and delight, so you can imagine how thrilled I am to take part in the cover reveal of a soon-to-be-available novel from a trio of awesome women, one of whom is a colleague of sorts. You see, Dorothy Thompson keeps me in reading material, as her company is one of the two (both women-run) that I receive review copies from.

More than that, though, I’m a sucker for a good ghost story, especially at this time of year. As the evenings get cooler (not the days, because I DO live in Texas) and the light gets thinner, I revel in spooky stories. I’m not sure if the walls between the worlds are really thinning, or if my imagination is just becoming more active, but I can’t wait to read the book this cover belongs to!

About the Book:
Eccentric tobacco tycoon Rodger Hawthorne III can have anything his heart desires except his dead wife, Sarah. Feeling responsible for the car crash that killed her twenty years earlier, he offers one million dollars to anyone who can find her spirit and bring it to him within one week or the money is forfeited. Six spiritually-challenged—but highly intuitive—women find his ad over the Internet and accept his challenge only to embark on a journey they didn’t quite expect that covers astral traveling, past life regressions and spiritual encounters of the unworldly kind. While this book is lightly based on a true story of a real man who is offering one million dollars to anyone who can prove that spirits exist, this story is purely fictional. Or is it?
Coming October 2013!

About the Authors:

HEIDE AW KAMINSKI is the mom of three very successful children, and she lives in southeast Michigan with her partner, her son and her stepson. She teaches English in a high school for juvenile delinquent boys, as well as co-directs the Sunday school program for an Interfaith Center. She is also the editor-in-chief for the Interfaith Center’s monthly 16-page newsletter. She is currently the author of five books, ADHD and ME , Get Smart Through Art, The Ability Gang (a novel for upper elementary readers), Von Riesiggross bis Klitzeklein (a German children’s book), and South of Eden (a not so serious novel about life in Heaven). She has also published stories in 15 anthologies, including Chicken Soup for the Divorced Soul.

Kaminski was born and raised in Germany, and after spending a year as an exchange student in the USA, she ended up marrying an American and has been a permanent resident in the U.S. since 1984, as well as a citizen of the U.S. since 2007. After dedicating many years to being there for her children first, she obtained her bachelor’s degree in English communications at the ripe age of 50 and her English teaching certificate two years later.

PAM RYAN is a writer and professional psychic from Northwestern Ohio. She is the mother of two and has been a widow for the last five years. Her writing career began back in high school where she wrote a column for the Sylvania Sentinel Newspaper in Sylvania, Ohio. Pam was also the first page editor of the high school newspaper as well as doing the public relations for the high school musicals At the University of Toledo she helped to create the Public Relations Department for the Department of Theatre and Speech, worked as a reporter for the college paper, The Collegian, and was assistant to the Public Relation Director of a local Toledo, Ohio, theatre group, Lynro Productions. After college Pam went to work for the United States Government and part of her duties were to write, and publisher a newspaper for the Migrant Opportunity Program in Phoenix, Arizona. Back in Ohio she lent her talents to the local Muscular Dystrophy Association, Make A Wish of Northwestern Ohio, worked on newsletters for Grace Lutheran Church and Christ the King Church, both in Toledo, and did public relations for the Parent Organization of Lake Elementary School. Pamela Ryan, as she is known professionally, began her professional psychic career in 1990. She presently does private readings and parties, and is also available at Lite the Way,Lambertville, Michigan, and The Healing Oasis in Clay Center, Ohio. Pam has recently completed classes and become a Certified Hypnotherapist and has completed the Master’s level for hypnotherapists. Publication is tentatively set for 2013, for her book, “My Dearest Children”, channeled by Mary Magdalene, and is presently working on a biography of world renowned journalist, Ruth Montgomery and a series of books about a fictional psychic medium. The first one is called, “The Macrame Cross”.

DOROTHY THOMPSON is the owner/founder of Pump Up Your Book, an innovative public relations firm specializing in online book promotion and social media marketing for authors. Pump Up Your Book was voted #1 in the Preditor’s and Editor’s Readers Poll in 2012. She is also the co-author/compiler of Romancing the Soul, an anthology which proves soul mates exist and has appeared in USA Today, Chicago Times and other publications. Dorothy loves the paranormal and is spatial clairsentient. She lives on the beautiful island of Chincoteague, Virginia.

Together, they make the writing team of Romancing the Million $$$ Ghost. Visit the official book blog at www.RomancingMillionDollarGhost.com or like them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RomancingTheMillionDollarGhost.

Romancing the Million $$$ Ghost left

Heide, Pam & Dorothy are giving away these fabulous prizes!

One Halloween party kit (valued at $49) or Paypal Cash!
Two $25 Amazon Gift Cards or Paypal Cash!
One FREE psychic phone reading from one of the authors, Pam Ryan!
One Romancing the Million $$$ Ghost ebook gifted from Amazon Kindle Store!

Terms & Conditions:

By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old
One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive a Halloween Party Pack for 18, an eBook copy of Romancing the Million $$$ Ghost gifted via Amazon only, one psychic phone reading from Pam Ryan, and two winners will be chosen to receive $25 Amazon Gift Cards (or Paypal Cash)!
This giveaway begins September 2 and ends September 27.
Winner will be contacted via email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. EST September 27 2013.
Winner has 24 hours to reply.
Each blogger who participates in this promotion is eligible to win.
Visit each “stop” daily for more entries.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

FictionAdvent 12: Bells

She held still, afraid the smallest movement would break whatever spell she’d stumbled into. The sound drifted again—brief, bright, unmistakable. Like bells carried on a current of night air.

FictionAdvent 11: Echo

Christmas Eve aboard the Cousteau was usually a warm, bustling affair. The crew decorated bulkheads with replicated garlands, brewed small batches of spiced tea in the galley, and argued cheerfully about which Earth tradition counted as “real Christmas.”

FictionAdvent 10: Ribbon

Her mother’s voice rose up in her mind, soft and warm and carrying the cinnamon scent of the kitchen from decades ago: Put your finger right there, sweetie. She could still feel her own small hand, steadying the ribbon the same way her daughter was doing now. She hadn’t thought about that moment in years—not really—but suddenly it was as clear as the afternoon it happened.