In Their Character’s Words: Jess Money’s Public Enemies

17 October 2013 by Melissa

I’m participating in a virtual blog tour for Jess Money’s new novel Public Enemies, and he was kind enough to write a guest post from the point of view of one of his characters. Enjoy! (And don’t forget to buy the book!)

Going Out With A Bang

by Kenneth Johnson, FBI Sr. Special Agent (Ret.)

Everyone who becomes an FBI agent harbors the dream of helping break a big case, the kind that gets taught to future recruits at the FBI Academy. Fortunately, working under Supervisory Sr. Special Agent Darren “Doc” Medlin in Special Assignments Section Bravo, my very last case turned out to be the biggest in FBI history. Given how it ended, whether or not it gets taught at the Academy is still in question.

To a casual observer, Doc and I probably seemed like an unusual team; he was in his mid-30’s and I was approaching the mandatory retirement age of 65, yet he was my superior. This happened largely because Doc was willing to deal with the bureaucracy and political nature of leading an SAS team while I wasn’t. (Okay, the fact that he was a born leader and maybe the best FBI agent ever had a little something to do with it.)

The age difference never mattered to us. We were completely simpatico, Butch and Sundance, Batman and Robin. And like those fictional characters we had our own special woman, our Etta Place, our Bat Woman. Her name was Kelli Randleman and aside from Doc, she was the best agent I ever worked with.

To the public, it was known as the Manifesto case; inside the bureau it was the Crusader file. At its core, the case was simple: a guy using the alias Tom Paine, after the famous Founding Father, set out to force the country to reform through the adoption of a set of Constitutional amendments. As laudable as his goals were, unfortunately he set out to accomplish them using vigilante violence.

Doc’s team was assigned to spearhead the manhunt for Mr. Paine, which proved to be no simple chore. Paine was exceedingly smart, some might even say he was a genius, and during the course of living a normal productive life he had accidentally gained a skill set that later served his terrorist goals quite well. His understanding and command of technology let him evade some of our best investigative tools and even turn some of those tools against us. The more he eluded us and the more his movement grew, the higher the tension among the public rose. Our concern wasn’t just fact that we just couldn’t allow self-appointed vigilantes to whack politicians and business leaders they disagreed with. Doc and I both knew that domestic political terrorism and civil unrest are milestones on the road to civil war.

Our efforts were further complicated by the fact that Paine chose to communicate his messages and demands by calling a young, previously obscure female talk show host named Crystal Dickerson. Doc carried around this vision of his mythical ideal perfect woman and she was it. In all my life I never saw any man fight so hard against inevitable natural attraction, but he refused to let it compromise the case. Of course, for professional reasons she did a pretty good job of holding her ground, too. In the end you could say that we all won, but only because the country also won.

And I got to end my thirty-seven year FBI career with a bang.

* * * * *

About the Book, Public Enemies:

Public Enemies

The only thing the elite fear, an uprising of the people, is about to be realized.
After bankruptcy took away his dying wife’s medical care, Thomas Paine is on a crusade for a Second Bill of Rights using violence against politicians, banksters, and CEO’s.

How far will FBI Agent Darren Medlin go to stop the public from joining Paine’s insurgency? Forced to publicize Paine’s demands, what decisions will talk show host Crystal Dickerson have to make? And which way will the country turn?

Buy a copy at AMAZON

Spotlight on Public Enemies by

15 October 2013 by Melissa

I’m a big fan of political thrillers and crime novels, so when I was given the opportunity to help introduce the world to Jess Money’s new book Public Enemies, you better believe I was happy to be involved. Be sure to check back here on Thursday for a guest post from one of the characters in the novel.

* * * * *

About the Book, Public Enemies:

Public Enemies

Buy a copy at AMAZON

* * * * *

About the Author, Jess Money:

Raised in a politically active family, Jess Money majored in Political Science with a minor in Economics. He sold his first magazine article at the age of 16 and has since written everything from ad copy and political mailers to a screenplay for DreamWorks, which earned him membership in the Writers Guild of America.

Along the way he had a career in professional motorsports, worked with the U.S. Women’s Olympic Volleyball program, managed two of the entertainment industry’s most acclaimed screenwriting programs, and worked as a bar bouncer when that’s what it took to keep the wolf from the door.

His latest book is the political thriller, Public Enemies.
You can visit Jess at www.publicenemiesbook.com.

Connect with Jess:
GOODREADS

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.

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

Review: The Curse Giver by Dora Machado

9 September 2013 by Melissa

Join Dora Machado, author of the fantasy novel, The Curse Giver, as she tours the blogosphere August 5 through October 25, 2013 on her first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book!

ABOUT THE CURSE GIVER

Lusielle’s bleak but orderly life as a remedy mixer is shattered when her husband betrays her and she is sentenced to die for a crime she didn’t commit. She’s on the pyre, about to be burned, when a stranger breaks through the crowd and rescues her from the flames.

Brennus, Lord of Laonia is the last of his line. He is caught in the grip of a mysterious curse that has murdered his kin, doomed his people and embittered his life. To defeat the curse, he must hunt a birthmark and kill the woman who bears it in the foulest of ways. Lusielle bears such a mark.

Stalked by intrigue and confounded by the forbidden passion flaring between them, predator and prey must come together to defeat not only the vile curse, but also the curse giver who has already conjured their ends.

PURCHASE AT:

ADD BOOK ON GOODREADS:

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My Thoughts:

It’s been a while since I’ve read any real fantasy. I mean, yes, I’m slowly working my way through George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series, but that world is reasonably similar to our own medieval history, with only a few ‘fantastic’ elements. I was in the mood for escapist reading this summer, however, so when the nice folks and Pump Up Your Book offered me the chance to read an epic fantasy novel, I jumped at the chance.

The problem with epic fantasy is that very often the fictional world feels as flat as a movie set, with no real depth or history. Dora Machado’s The Curse Giver, on the other hand, plunges us into a world so rich, and so well constructed, it feels almost as if we could step sideways into it. One of the early sections, particularly, when Lousielle and Bren are crossing the bog, had me squirming as much as if I was actually there with them avoiding creepy crawlies.

Her main characters are three dimensional, and Lousielle especially, was so smart and spunky that I wanted to be her best friend. Herb lore is something I’ve always been quietly interested in (witness the collection of herbals in my Word Lounge), so her affinity for plants and potions really drew me in.

Likewise, while Bren could have been Generic Quasi-medieval Noble #17, Machado made him complex and interesting (and gave him a great body, which we appreciate vicariously through Lousielle).

The other characters, good and evil alike, were, similarly, sketched with fine lines, not the broad strokes of generic fantasy.

I’ve read that Ms. Machado is bilingual, having grown up in the Dominican Republic, and I think some of the charm of The Curse Giver comes from her – probably unconscious – Spanish-influenced rhythms. It’s nothing you could point your finger to and say, “Look, that’s not typical English phrasing,” but a quiet undercurrent that makes the writing really SING.

(I am not bilingual, but I grew up in a New Jersey Neapolitan family where an Italian-English hybrid was the norm. As well, I’m a natural mimic, and my parents retired to Baja Sur, Mexico, about a decade ago, so those Latin-tinged rhythms are familiar to me.)

Overall, I thought The Curse Giver was a delicious read, and it’s compelled me to seek out more of Machado’s work. I think it’s an especially good choice for women who like epic fantasy, but have gotten out of the habit of reading it.

Goes well with… a mug of steaming chai and sharp cheddar melted on toasted rustic wheat bread.

The Curse Giver Virtual Book Publicity Tour Schedule

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Monday, August 5 – Book featured at Margay Leah Justice

Wednesday, August 7 – Interviewed at Review From Here

Friday, August 9 – Interviewed at Examiner

Monday, August 12 – Guest blogging at Literarily Speaking

Tuesday, August 13 – Interviewed at Straight from the Authors Mouth

Thursday, August 15 – Guest blogging at She Writes

Friday, August 16 – Interviewed at Beyond the Book

Monday, August 19 – Book reviewed and Trailer reveal at Miki’s Hope

Wednesday, August 21 – Guest blogging at Literal Exposure

Thursday, August 22 – Book featured at As the Pages Turn

Friday, August 23 – Interviewed at I’m Shelf-ish

Tuesday, August 27 – 1st chapter reveal at Examiner

Wednesday, August 28 – Interviewed at Pump Up Your Book

Thursday, August 29 – Book reviewed at moonlightreader

Friday, August 30 – Guest blogging at The Writer’s Life

Wednesday, September 4 – Guest blogging at Allvoices

Thursday, September 5 – Interviewed at Book Marketing Buzz

Friday, September 6 – Book spotlight at Bibliotica

Monday, September 9 – Book reviewed at Bibliotica

Wednesday, September 11 – Book featured at Between the Covers

Friday, September 13 – Book reviewed at Must Read Faster

Monday, September 16 – Guest blogging at Review From Here

Tuesday, September 17 – Interviewed at Broowaha

Wednesday, September 18 – Guest blogging at Newsvine

Friday, September 20 – Book reviewed at Mom in Love with Fiction

Monday, September 23 – Guest bloggging at The Dark Phantom

Wednesday, September 25 – Book trailer reveal at Pump Up Your Book

Thursday, September 26 – Interviewed at As the Pages Turn

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Spotlight on: The CurseGiver by Dora Machado

6 September 2013 by Melissa

Join Dora Machado, author of the fantasy novel, The Curse Giver, as she tours the blogosphere August 5 through October 25, 2013 on her first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book!

ABOUT THE CURSE GIVER

PURCHASE AT:

ADD BOOK ON GOODREADS:

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ABOUT DORA MACHADO

Dora Machado is the award winning author of the Stonewiser series and her newest novel, The Curse Giver, coming this summer from Twilight Times Books. She is one of the few Latinas exploring her heritage and her world through the epic fantasy genre today. She holds a master’s degree in business administration and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Georgetown University. She was born in Michigan and grew up in the Dominican Republic, where she developed a bilingual fascination for writing, a love for history, and a taste for Merengue. After a lifetime of straddling such compelling but different worlds, fantasy is a natural fit to her stories. She enjoys long walks, traveling, and connecting with the amazing readers who share in her mind’s adventures. She lives in Florida with her indulging husband and three very opinionated cats.

You can visit her at www.doramachado.com

WATCH THE TRAILER!

The Curse Giver Virtual Book Publicity Tour Schedule

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Monday, August 5 – Book featured at Margay Leah Justice

Wednesday, August 7 – Interviewed at Review From Here

Friday, August 9 – Interviewed at Examiner

Monday, August 12 – Guest blogging at Literarily Speaking

Tuesday, August 13 – Interviewed at Straight from the Authors Mouth

Thursday, August 15 – Guest blogging at She Writes

Friday, August 16 – Interviewed at Beyond the Book

Monday, August 19 – Book reviewed and Trailer reveal at Miki’s Hope

Wednesday, August 21 – Guest blogging at Literal Exposure

Thursday, August 22 – Book featured at As the Pages Turn

Friday, August 23 – Interviewed at I’m Shelf-ish

Tuesday, August 27 – 1st chapter reveal at Examiner

Wednesday, August 28 – Interviewed at Pump Up Your Book

Thursday, August 29 – Book reviewed at moonlightreader

Friday, August 30 – Guest blogging at The Writer’s Life

Wednesday, September 4 – Guest blogging at Allvoices

Thursday, September 5 – Interviewed at Book Marketing Buzz

Friday, September 6 – Book spotlight at Bibliotica

Monday, September 9 – Book reviewed at Bibliotica

Wednesday, September 11 – Book featured at Between the Covers

Friday, September 13 – Book reviewed at Must Read Faster

Monday, September 16 – Guest blogging at Review From Here

Tuesday, September 17 – Interviewed at Broowaha

Wednesday, September 18 – Guest blogging at Newsvine

Friday, September 20 – Book reviewed at Mom in Love with Fiction

Monday, September 23 – Guest bloggging at The Dark Phantom

Wednesday, September 25 – Book trailer reveal at Pump Up Your Book

Thursday, September 26 – Interviewed at As the Pages Turn

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