Join a talented and diverse group of 26 authors who are touring with Pump Up Your Book! Virtual Book Tours during the month of March 2011.
Follow these authors as they travel the blogosphere from March 1st through March 25th to discuss their books. You’ll find everything from memoirs to business books, historical novels to thrillers, children’s books to young adult novels and more!
The month of March is filled with returning authors. Lisa Gardner is back to promote her latest Detective D.D. Warren novel, “Love You More.” Also returning is Lou Aronica and his fantasy novel, “Blue,” Dr. Jennifer Freed with “Lessons from Stanley the Cat,” Diana Gabaldon with her historical romance sci-fi adventure novel, “Outlander,” Cynthia Kocialski’s business book, “Start Up from the Ground Up,” James LePore’s thriller, “Anyone Can Die,” and Allan Leverone and his thriller, “Final Vector.”
Pamela Samuels Young continues her virtual book tour for the legal thriller, “Murder on the Down Low,” and coming back for her eighth virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book! is F.M. Meredith. She’ll be promoting the latest book in her Rocky Bluff P.D. series, “Angel Lost.” Kath Russell is back to promote her coming of age historical, “Deed So.” Elle Newmark is back with a new book, “The Sandalwood Tree.” Sheila Hendrix also returns with her YA paranormal, “The Betrayal.” Memoirs come to you from Barry Fixler and Megan van Eyck, while historical novels are being promoted by John Milton Langdon and Paula McLain. Other fiction titles come to you from Laurel Dewey, Emily Sue Harvey, and Laina Turner-Molaski. Also on tour is Kristina McMorris and her women’s fiction novel, “Letters from Home.”
Barbara Barnett tours with “Chasing Zebras: The Unofficial Guide to House, M.D.,” while Caitlin Rother promotes her true crime book, “Dead Reckoning.” Also on tour in March are Borneo Tom McLaughlin, Emma K. Piers, and Hayley Rose. Turner-Molaski will also tour during the second half of the month with, “The MS Project: Orange is the New Pink”, her MS awareness anthology. A portion of the proceeds from book sales will go to support the MS Society.
Pump Up Your Book! is a virtual book tour agency for authors who want quality service at an affordable price. More information can be found on their website at http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/.
Contact Information:
Dorothy Thompson Founder of Pump Up Your Book Virtual Book Tours P.O. Box 643 Chincoteague, Virginia 23336 Email: thewriterslife@yahoo.com
When demon Derek Blain and his partner, Max, are sent to hunt down a vampire notorious for killing for fun, the last thing Derek expects to find is a vampire set on killing herself. Even worse, he feels a duty to save her. But there’s something about the beautiful woman who looks so tormented that pulls at his very soul. Turned against her will and forced to kill, Caroline Montgomery has decided the only way to end her torment, and save the lives of innocent people, is to take her own. Only the pleading of a handsome stranger changes her mind. Now, Caroline is learning how to live without killing and, thanks to sexy Derek Blaine, is loving every minute of it! When Caroline discovers the rogue Derek is hunting is her maker, she decides to help bring the monster down, whether Derek likes it or not.
But what neither of them knows is that the rogue vampire has set his sights on her for his mate…and he’s coming after her.
Can Derek take down the murderous rogue, and claim Caroline as his own before it is too late?
Pages: 57
ISBN: 978-1-926931-41-8 Price: $2.50
Warning: This story may contain material not suited for readers under the age of 18, including graphic sex, language and violence.
When you wake up in a strange room, that's bad, but when you wake up in a strange body, time, and everyone hates you, that's REALLY bad...and terrifying. What do you do when your last memory is being skewered to death and your next is waking up in the body of another, thousands of years in the future?
You set out to be yourself and win over these future beings of course, because for some reason, the gods of your time have decided this is where you are supposed to live out the rest of your life.
Follow Siri as she belly dances, laughs, and teases her way through the distrust of the woman whose body she now inhabits, turning an entire household of haters into her staunchest fans...except for him. Can she win him over, or is he determined to only see the shell of who she used to be?
Captain Temple leads a mission to K22 and finds a beautiful planet with magnificent shining cities. It appears to be a lucrative new market for the Merchants Guild.
There’s just one problem: the cities are mysteriously empty. He can’t find even one survivor, which means the planet is off-limits to commercial exploitation and cannot be used to achieve financial profits in any way.
Soon Temple discovers an even greater problem, one that is strange and ominous and threatens his crew’s very survival.
Not only that, it is an incredible cosmic mind-stretcher that strains sanity to the breaking point, not just the characters' sanity but the readers' as well.
Genre: Sci-fi
Pages: 28
ISBN: 978-1-926931-35-7
E-book price: $2.50
Warning: Limited violence, sexual content, or language
For princess-turned-mercenary Mina, wearing a crown had never been easy. But who knew rescuing an obstinate prince would be even more difficult?
After winning his kingdom in a legendary poker game twenty years ago, Princess Mina’s father loses the kingdom just as easily. Now alone and penniless, Mina must rely on her sword to support them both.
When the princess-turned-mercenary is offered a contract to save a prince that will pay enough to keep her father laid up in luxury for yet another year, she and her business partner snap up the deal. Dragons and all.
But when she’s faced with a seedy mage and a prince who doesn’t want any woman to rescue him, Mina quickly learns the so-far-unseen dragon is the least of her worries.
Genre: Fantasy
Our shortcomings don't define who we are, unless we let them. Cindy Johnson needs to learn that. Born with one leg shorter than the other, she has no self-esteem because of the cruel comments and cold stares she receives from her classmates. When Cory Neil, the football quarterback asks her to Homecoming, she's quite sure he's asked her on a dare and refuses. It takes more than just her mother's assurances that Cindy's beautiful before she realizes she may have made a mistake in turning him down.
Genre: Young Adult
Pages: 133
ISBN: 978-1-926931-38-8
E-book price: $5.50
Imagine the worst possible time, the interregnum while rebelling magic forces slowly kill the reigning Drogar. Prince Egon has to take up the succession as the new sorcerer-king of Rast, and admit the deadly magic into himself in a manner he can control.
Yet Offrangs arrive on the coast, imperialists whose power comes from steam and iron, and who disbelieve in magic. Commander Antar seeks to conquer Rast. Egon has no time for caution, he must act at once.
He also has to help Jady, Guardian of the Silent Forest, escape from the evil Deepning Pools whose resurgence she has thwarted. Even more troubling, he must send his sweetheart away, for she is not from the magic lineage who can bear him an heir. She goes to meet the Princess destined to supplant her, with anger in her heart.
The oracle given by the Pythian, living beneath the Palace of Rast, predicts the crisis can only be resolved by everyone’s efforts – even the actions of enemies – until the Prince is established securely and able to turn the magic’s fury upon itself.
Conflict between materialists and a magic based society; between love and ambition; between magic forces residing within the world itself and the one man destined to control them. Rast leads fantasy into new dimensions.
Genre: High Fantasy
Pages: 269
ISBN: 978-1-926931-43-2
E-book price: $5.95
With each download purchase you recieve the Rast Guidebook for FREE
Warning: Limited violence, sexual content, or language
Always ready for adventure, Amy and Susan, friends and neighbors in an idyllic university town, find more mayhem than they bargained for.
While scouring the sky for flying saucers, Amy and Susan find a naked man, unresponsive, on the grounds of the museum/asylum. So begins the trouble. As the women delve into the bohemian art scene at Foothills, they end up haplessly trying to solve the mystery of the bodies that seem to appear wherever they are. Soon, not only their friendship, but also their reputations and lives are at stake. Still, their zany spirit prevails despite pratfalls and miscalculations.
This quirky mystery is as humorous as it is intriguing. The tortured corridors of the museum are nothing compared to the strange art and artists who inhabit this world.
Genre: Cozy Murder Mystery
E-book price: $5.95 Warning: limited violence, sexual content or language
Who or what is killing the seniors on Sunshine Boulevard? Jim and Gloria Hart are snowbirds who annually migrate to Florida for warm sunshine, fun, and golf with friends in snow-free winters. However this season, Jim Hart, a volunteer First Responder in his retirement community of Citrus Ridge, is drawn into the investigation of the mysterious deaths. Even in the midst of the unfortunate demise of the residents on Sunshine Boulevard, the Harts try to get together with friends. They don't realize that their friends are getting together for their own kinds of affairs with each other. The neighbors are in a dither over the deaths, but perhaps more intrigued by the gossip about the affairs and why the naked lady was found lying in the geranium bed.
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Horror
Pages: 63
ISBN: 978-1-926931-32-6
E-book price: $3.50
Warning: limited violence, sexual content or language
Author, Jordan Blake lives in a house along Lake Erie. She’s a recluse and likes it that way. No interruptions while she’s writing. At least not until that day in October when an early lake storm brews up. Not that she minds snowstorms. Far from it. She loves them. While she’s on her deck securing chair cushions and chairs, something along the rocky shoreline catches her eye. A body? Hard to tell from where she stood. Not being one to ignore someone in need, she rushes across the yard. It’s a body all right–a male’s body. Thank God he was alive, but unfortunately unconscious. After much pulling, rolling and pushing, Jordan manages to get him to her house and finally inside.
Both of them are soaked down to their skin. Jordan can’t leave him in his wet clothes, so sets about removing them. The stranger sparks something in her she thought was long dead. Trying to ignore her feelings, she dresses him in an old bathrobe from her ex-husband. Unfortunately when he comes to, the attraction grows. Jordan tries to ignore what she feels toward the stranger, but his kisses awaken something in her. Something she’d rather wasn’t aroused. To make matters worse, the stranger doesn’t have any idea who he is. For all she knows he might be a mass murderer.
Genre: Sweet Romance
Pages: 27
ISBN: 978-1-926931-39-5
Price: $2.50
When you are Zeus’ immortal son, you know you can get away with mostly anything. Bringing back the dead is not one of those things. Yet this is what Polydeukes does when his mortal twin, Kastor, dies. According to the dark deal he strikes with one of the gods, the brothers must alternate days in the land of the living, and Kastor cannot be told, or the deal is off. On top of that, If Hades were to find out, all hell would break loose. Literally.
But Kastor begins to put two and two together, and keeping the secret becomes difficult for Polydeukes. Will Kastor break his brother’s deal and save Polydeukes from an eternity of punishment in Tartarus, or will Polydeukes find a way to save them both?
Genre: Young Adult Urban Fantasy
Pages: 59
ISBN: 978-1-926931-31-9
E-book price: $3.50 Warning: Limited violence, sexual content, or language
VISIT MUSEITUPPUBLISHING.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THESE AND OTHER MUSEITUP TITLES!
Pump Up Your Book will be hosting the February 2011 Authors on Tour on Friday February 25, 2011 at 9 – 11 p.m. (eastern time – adjust to your time zone). Tell your book friends that not only will this give them an opportunity to chat with their favorite authors BUT…
WE’RE GIVING AWAY PRIZES!!!!
The participating authors and their giveaways include:
Rose Valenta is giving away a paperback copy of her humor book, Sitting on Cold Porcelain.
Allan Leverone is giving away an e-copy of his thriller, Final Vector, and 6 e-copies of Postcards from the Apocalypse.
Frank Edwards is giving away a paperback copy of his medical thriller, Final Mercy and a paperback copy of his poetry and short story book, It’ll Ease the Pain.
Pamela Samuels Young will be giving away a paperback copy of her legal thriller, Murder on the Down Low, and a copy of her audio CD, How to Write a Novel Despite Your Day Job.
Sheila Hendrix will be giving away both a paperback copy and e-book copy of her YA paranormal, The Betrayal.
Cynthia Kocialski will be giving away a paperback copy of her startup business book, Startup from the Ground Up.
C.W. Gortner will be giving away a paperback copy of his historical mystery, The Tudor Secret.
Vincent Zandri will be giving away 2 autographed copies of his thriller, Moonlight Falls & 2 autographed copies of his thriller, The Remains!
Jeanne C. Davis will be giving away a paperback copy of her psychological mystery, Sheetrock Angel!
Frank Scully will be giving away an e-copy of his mystery novel, Resurrection Garden!
Pump Up Your Book will be giving away a $25 Amazon gift certificate!!!!
To find out the details, visit our Facebook Party page here! Be sure to join the link a few days ahead of time so that you can be approved before the party starts.
Author, Jordan Blake lives in a house along Lake Erie. She’s a recluse and likes it that way. No interruptions while she’s writing. At least not until that day in October when an early Lake Effect Snow storm brews up. Not that she minds snowstorms. Far from it. She loves them. While she’s on her deck securing chair cushions and chairs, something along the rocky shoreline catches her eye. A body? Hard to tell from where she stood. Not being one to ignore someone in need, she rushes across the yard. It’s a body all right–a male’s body. Thank God he was alive, but unfortunately unconscious. After much pulling, rolling and pushing, Jordan manages to get him to her house and finally inside, undressed and into something dry. Jordan finds herself strangely attracted to the man.
More than a storm rages inside and out.
Read an excerpt!
“Darn, it’s getting cold.” Jordan shivered and zipped her sweat shirt. She hated storms, hated thunder and lightning most of all. Grabbing at some papers that flew across the deck as the wind picked up, a movement caught the corner of her eye. Something washed up on the shore. Something big. A body?
Jordan jumped off the deck and raced toward the craggy shoreline. Dark clouds hovered across the lake. Cold water splashed against her as waves crashed against the rocks like angry arms hurling water at an invisible enemy. The crash of thunder echoed across the lake. Ducking her head as lightening streaked across the sky and the air crackled with electricity, she thought she must be nuts. Probably just a bunch of old clothes washed up. Still, she had to see for herself.
Surely, no one in their right mind would be in the water this time of year? There had been storm warnings on the radio all morning. No one would be stupid enough to ignore the forecast. Would they? Heavy rain and strong winds then turning to snow, with a drastic drop in temperature, and blizzard-like conditions weren’t anything to ignore. Jordan winced as lightning flashed again, back-lighting the dark clouds. Darn it, she wanted to be inside cuddling by the fire not out here in a storm. For two cents, she’d turn around and go back. But something drew her forward.
A man’s body against the rocks.
Oh, Lord, please don’t let him be dead. She had planned for a quiet weekend, writing. A weekend with a corpse wasn’t on her list of quiet. But she couldn’t leave him out here either.
Jordan came closer and stooped down next to him. Lifting his head out of the water, above the crashing waves, she felt for a pulse. Thank God, he’s alive. Now how to get him out of here? She grabbed his arm, rolled him over and tried to pull him from the fury of the lake. Wave after wave pounced on him, their foamy peaks trying to reclaim him. Lord, if she ever needed help, now was the time. Struggling to roll him to higher ground, she lost her breath. His long, muscular frame outweighed her slender five foot two body and felt like dead weight.
“You’re going to have to help me.” Jordan grunted and gasped for breath when the full force of icy waves pulled her down and washed over both of them.
No response.
“Damn it. I can’t do this alone.”
Still no response.
Great, how was she going to pull him to safety? “I hate to do this, but I see no alternative.” Jordan took a deep breath and pushed him over, rolling him like a barrel and trying to avoid cutting him on the sharp rocks. It wasn’t easy, but at least he moved.
“Come on!” Jordan tried to encourage some life from his limp body. Once he was far enough away from the waves, she stared at him for a moment, before leaning down to give him mouth to mouth. His long straight nose, eyes set wide with bushy eyebrows and the grin on his lips, even in his unconscious state, sent a ripple of excitement through her body.
Not a handsome man, but something about him caused heat deep inside her. Shrugging off the urge to run her fingers through his curly black hair, she began mouth to mouth. When her mouth touched his lips, opened them slightly, something familiar tugged on her heart. She hadn’t touched a man's lips in, what, three years. This wasn’t exactly the way she imagined touching them again. Not that she ever imagined it. Never even thought about it. She’d had enough of men to last her a lifetime.
Roseanne Dowell is married with six grown children, fourteen grandchildren and a great-grandchild. She has had over 10 stories and more than 30 articles published, several at the LongRidge Writers Group website along with The Cleveland Plain Dealer, Good Old Days, Nostalgia, and Ohio Writer Magazines. She also wrote a monthly column for a website and was senior editor of an e-zine. Satin Sheets, her first novel, sold over 35,000 copies.
Roseanne taught two classes on writing at Cuyahoga Community College and now teaches several courses at Long Story Short School of Writing. You can check them out at www.LssWritingSchool.com.
Creative artist Moselle Carson gives new life to old items, but she can't seem to renew her shattered ideal of love. When she returns to her hometown to help with a new family business, memories of a broken heart and small-town gossip chip away the tough exterior she's erected over the years. Now she's forced to decide whether she'll rebuild the wall or trust that true love never dies when it is ordained by God.
Generous insurance agent and vulnerable firefighter, Eric Todd, remembers too well how he mistreated Moselle and then set her aside.
Now he longs for true love and the second chance to become a husband and father. Can he learn to forgive himself and still keep the secret that may redeem him in her eyes?
Read an excerpt! “You haven’t grown an inch.” He lightly touched the top of her head, then simultaneously tapped her crown and squeezed her shoulder. “But I have.”
Eric gently moved her out of the way. “Check it out.”
Without thinking, Moselle grabbed his arm for balance while she inserted her feet back into her shoes. Even with heels, she had to stand on tiptoe to reach the woodwork behind his head.
Moselle swallowed.
Eric surrounded her.
Heat rose in her cheeks. Somehow, she managed to croak, “Two inches sound about right?”
He didn’t answer. She sensed his gaze searching her face. His breath moved the wispy hairs at her temple.
Would they be in their own laundry room if the past had been rewritten? She’d never let herself pursue that dream of marriage to Eric after their break-up.
“You’re lovely today, Moselle, as always. The colors you wear make you look Irish somehow.” He flicked the circles at her left ear and let his hand rest on her shoulder. “But this wolf suspended in silver is definitely not Irish.”
They grinned at one another.
“Having a hard time staying mad at me, Moze?”
“To be angry, a person has to care.”
“Oh, I think you care, sweets. You just don’t want to admit it to yourself.”
He moved a thumb. The rough touch felt feather-light over the pulse pounding at her throat. The sensation traveled all the way down to her knees. He lifted a finger and traced her bottom lip. She moaned a silent melt at the airy feeling in her head.
His voice came as a raspy whisper, “It’s easier not to care, isn’t it?”
Read the reviews!
"This story ... reminds us that everything is in God's timing, not ours. Even though our path may lead us astray from God, once you have accepted him in your heart and soul he is never away from us. He waits patiently for us to accept the love he gives freely. This story show us that God loves us and wants only the best for us even if we don't know what the best is. This story is a true love story of God. I loved the characters and the setting of the town."
--Happily Ever After Reviews
"I highly recommend this book by Ms. Peery. It will certainly be a hit and is written so that anyone can read it. Look for this author to obtain high recognition."
--The Romance Studio
"Mozelle’s Insurance is a wonderful story that will warm the heart of any reader."
LoRee Peery has written for many years. She is drawn to reunion stories because the past often needs to be dealt with before we can move on in life. MOSELLE’S INSURANCE is the first in a series centered around Frivolities, a crafty, kooky shop in a small fictitious Nebraska town. The creative owners have fun as they deal with life issues and they take spiritual issues seriously. The timing of God bringing love into their lives takes each one by surprise, since their initial focus is on their main street business.
LoRee attempts to see God’s presence every day. Often that gift comes from nature, and she is most relaxed in the outdoors. The call of a cardinal draws her to look for the distinctive flash of crimson. A meadowlark’s melody always transports her to the farm where she grew up. A rainbow holds special significance, since one appeared the day of her father’s funeral and means the promise of the Lord’s presence in her life.
Nature is great, but the people God creates are the miracles. What could be better than a grandchild’s smile and a young voice greeting, “Grandma!” Well, maybe the hug that follows.
For a masterfully told thriller, look no further than The Innocent by Vincent Zandri.
The last year has been tough for Jack "Keeper" Marconi. His wife was killed, and since then, he's been slipping up at his job as warden of Green Haven Prison. He's so distracted, he didn't even see the lies and deceit that are about to tear his life apart.
When a convicted cop-killer escapes with help from the inside, Marconi discovers he's been set up to take the fall. He sets out on a journey to uncover the truth, and his world is turned upside down as friends become enemies, and the truth is even worse than the nightmares of Attica that fill his mind.
Life behind bars may never before have been depicted with such realism as in Zandri's The Innocent. Readers are quickly transported to Green Haven Prison in 1997, the year marked by crazy weather and behavior. Beatings, ODs, a hanging, drugs and VD marked that insane year when Keeper Marconi found himself knee deep in a problem he never could have anticipated. From the moment the reader enters Marconi's world, she is gripped by an intriguing story, superbly written, and exciting until the very end. With twists and turns at every corner, Marconi uncovers the clues that lead him to the ugly truth; a truth you'll eagerly wish to discover right along with him.
If you enjoy thrillers that include an excellent plot, well-developed characters, and a storyline that never lets you go, then pick up a copy of The Innocent by Vincent Zandri. This book is currently available for only 99 cents for Kindle.
Pairs is the story of Kayley and Adam, a single mom who makes her living writing greeting cards and a young carpenter; and Alexandra and Henry, a former stripper with dual identities and a math teacher with some unusual gender issues. The couples are connected through Henry and Adam, who are cousins, and through Kayley’s friend Helen, who is also Henry’s step-sister. As each couple builds a connection, the joint friendship turns into family. Kayley’s daughter, Terra, becomes a central focus of both relationships; she is loved and nurtured by the village that the couples create.
With the tightening of the bond between the couples, the mission for the pairs—which begins and ends with Kayley—turns to parenthood for Henry and Alexandra. The story weaves the elements of past sexual abuse, sexual dysfunction, problem pregnancies, and absolute devotion to family into a plot that draws the reader into the lives of these very unconventional characters.
Read an excerpt!
After hanging up the phone, Kayley lay in bed reflecting on her grandmother’s news. Fondness and guilt, both half-forgotten, lined the passage back to her university days with Gavin. She couldn’t recall if she had ever known his name, she only remembered him as Spaz.
Through the close-knit channels found only in small towns, her grandmother had been informed that there was something for Kayley in Gavin’s will. However, there would be a delay as his estate had been frozen. Her anticipation about the possibilities churned feelings more associated with an impending exam than with curiosity over an expected gift. Perhaps because that was usually the form in which his gifts had tended to be delivered.
Gavin had encouraged her writing and had introduced her to the great women of literature. He had his favourites. There was Sappho the romantic poet, whom he would quote from time to time. And, of course, there was Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette. He saw her recurring theme, of women turning to other women as a result of the pain in loving men, as gender neutral. In the larger picture, she wrote of a universal abyss of conflicting desires.
Kayley wondered if Gavin would be disappointed in her, given that her literary career was stalled at writing greeting cards, and hoped he would understand that life had simply gotten in the way.
***
Summoned by a firm knock, Kayley stood in the foyer of her townhouse chastising herself while unlocking the deadbolt. She had forgotten that the carpenter was coming that morning. Her four-year-old daughter, Terra, upset by the fog, remained very close.
It had been a morning of mayhem. Starting with the call from her grandmother, their normal routine had entirely unravelled. She hadn’t had time to get dressed or pull up her hair or even check her appearance in a mirror. Before opening the door, she reviewed the first impression she was about to present. Dirty housecoat, serpentine springs of blond hair, morning breath, and likely, she suspected, a new big and sore- looking zit, one befitting her morning, somewhere very obvious.
When she finally opened the door, the surprise of the moment left her temporarily speechless. Adam had come at the recommendation of her friend Helen. Kayley couldn’t recall his exact relation to Helen, a family friend or cousin of some sort. She had agreed to meet him as a favour, or so she had thought. Upon beholding him, Kayley reconsidered her original take on the arrangement. It was definitely Helen that had done the favour for her.
Kayley had on more than one occasion, but only after splitting a bottle of wine, shared with Helen her penchant for red-headed men and nicely cropped beards. And there he was, delivered to her doorstep: her own fit and trim Highlander.
She speculated that Adam was likely in his mid-twenties and therefore thought him a little too young for her to seriously consider as dating material, but she allowed herself the acknowledgement that he would definitely be a nice distraction while he was around. She had to laugh at herself for wondering if he worked with his shirt off. But as Kayley soaked in her first impression of him, the guilty pleasure of her tiny infatuation suddenly, agonizingly, crashed into the recalled calamity of her own appearance. She could hear the bagpipes wheeze to silence.
“Kayley?” he asked.
“You must be Adam,” she replied, unsure of whether she had been gawking.
“That I must.” “Come in.”
Kayley stepped back to the foot of the stairs leading to the second floor, making room for Adam in the tight foyer. After entering, he extended his hand in greeting and breathed in the aroma of coffee coming from the kitchen.
“I’m a little sticky,” she responded, while assessing the tackiness of her fingers and glancing down to Terra. “We had a bit of a juice incident.”
Adam smiled and looked down toward Terra, who partially hid behind her mother, but pushed aside her ringlets of red hair for a clearer view. He crouched to her eye level, and Terra moved a little further back. Adam stroked his hand apologetically along his beard as a speculated explanation.
“No. No,” Kayley said. “It’s not you. Waking up to fog has thrown her off. Normally, Terra would be doing laps and offering to give a tour of her playroom.”
“The fog?” he asked Kayley, before repeating his question to Terra. “The fog?”
Terra didn’t initially respond, but with gentle encouragement from her mother, stepped into view, nodded, then retreated.
“The fog makes her anxious,” Kayley explained. “Our doctor figures that it is along the same lines as being afraid of the dark. She believes that Terra will probably grow out of it.”
“Fog,” Adam said to Terra, “that’s just a grownup way of saying the clouds have come to visit.” With the encouragement of Terra’s sudden interest, he continued. “They see us all the time, but from far away. They’re curious and sometimes come down for a closer look, and to play.”
Holding her mother’s hand, Terra stepped out in full view and thought about this surprisingly reasonable explanation. Her confirming glance alternated between Adam and her mother. Terra liked clouds. Assured by their expressions, Terra concluded that it made perfect sense and repeated Adam’s insights to her mother, as if Kayley had just arrived and missed this important piece of information. When Terra was done, a light went on for her and she gave Kayley a befuddled look, which Kayley interpreted as either Why didn’t you tell me? or Shouldn’t you already know this stuff by now? A laugh bounced from Kayley as she nodded at her daughter. Although triggered by her daughter’s behaviour, her joy in the moment lay not only in the humour she had found in the childlike easiness of Adam’s solution, but also in the release of a long- standing concern.
“Adam is right,” Kayley said.
He was right, Kayley thought when she looked at him. Fog was just a grownup way of saying that the clouds have landed. It was that simple. He seemed a little older to her than her initial mid-twenties guess. Kayley caught herself in content admiration, then soberly wondered how long she’d been smiling.
“Sorry to have to ask this,” she managed, “but do you mind if we just finish off with breakfast? We’re running a little behind.”
“Sure. No rush.”
Adam enjoyed the idea of extending their time together. After removing his boots, he followed Kayley’s waved invitation to join them. Within the small confines of the available floor space, he could have almost reached out from the foyer and grabbed the chair at the head of the table without ever moving.
“Coffee?” Kayley asked, while assisting Terra into her chair. “Sure,” Adam replied as he sat down.
“I’ll just get Terra settled.”
The glass table and four chairs were all that could fit between the window wall at the front of the townhouse and the short jut of lower cabinets that denoted the threshold of the kitchen. Although Adam sensed a definite vibe of spent anarchy, he felt a personal serenity as he observed the interaction between mother and daughter.
He watched Kayley while she went to the kitchen and rinsed her hands before mixing water from the kettle into a bowl of dry oatmeal. After adding a touch of milk, she poured a glass of juice and returned to the table with her daughter’s breakfast. A faint aroma of cinnamon trailed behind her, settling around the bowl when it was placed on the table. Extrapolating, Adam wondered about the kind of person she was. It was a question that caused a rewind to his initial surprise when he had opened the high wooden gate leading into her front yard.
Cement patio stones leading up to the entry were grey-black with age and speckled by mould. With the passage of time they had shifted slightly out of level alignment. Midway up the path was a concrete bench, which had settled into a fixture. The fog added a weight of antiquity, an illusion of ruins. In that setting, the sorry condition of the stunted vines and drooping stocks had created a vision of a bygone glory, a secret garden left unattended due to a change in fortune.
“If you don’t mind me asking? What happened to your garden?”
“I am what happened to my garden,” Kayley replied, with a tone of defeated acceptance. She spoke to Adam from the opposite end of the kitchen, with her back to him, as she poured his coffee.
“Cream and sugar?” she asked. “Black is good.”
Adam stood up and remained by the short run of cabinets beside the table, waiting for the hand-off from Kayley. During the exchange, they both became very conscious of their close proximity. A moment made awkward because Adam had assumed that Kayley would be returning to the kitchen, but in fact she was on her way to join them. She peered up to him, relaying her intent immediately.
“Sorry. Yes. Of course,” he said, feeling like a hapless barricade. Adam went back to his chair and Kayley sat across from her
daughter, happy to see her settled down.
“You’re what happened to your garden?” he asked.
“Take a look around,” she replied. “Not a houseplant in sight. I gave up a long time ago. Yet every year, Helen goads me into trying my hand at growing vegetables, and every year, I wipe out a wheelbarrow load of plantings. The tomatoes never had a chance.”
“She can be very convincing,” Adam said. “Hence the career in pharmaceutical sales.”
“You’re going to grow lots and lots of tomatoes,” Terra said between spoonfuls of oatmeal.
“Thank you for your encouragement, Mouse,” Kayley replied.
Helen had provided Adam with mere snippets of Kayley’s story but they had been enough for him to agree to her request to donate his labour, to do the work at cost, and to never let Kayley know. What Helen had not prepared him for was Kayley’s attractiveness. Blue-grey eyes, wavy blond hair currently in the cutest case of bed-head he had ever seen, and evidently, even through her bathrobe, she was pleasantly zaftig.
Adam assumed Kayley to be a contemporary of Helen’s, given that they knew each other from university, and therefore would place her in her mid-thirties, but to him she appeared younger. However, he had long ago given up on guessing the age of a woman based her appearance, preferring to reserve judgement until he heard the woman talk, listening for what she had to say and how she said it.
“Thanks for your patience,” Kayley noted, appreciatively. “Actually, this is nice,” he replied. “A slow ease into the day.” Kayley reached to her daughter and softly stroked her cheek. “Yes,”
she agreed, “it is nice to ease into the day slowly.”
“How do you know Helen?” she asked.
“Three degrees of separation, sort of. Well, two degrees anyway. Helen is the stepsister of my cousin Henry. Her mother married his father. They were both in their early twenties when it happened, so they’re not really that close. No animosity or anything, they’re just not tight. Anyway, he was a math major and during his studies he met a woman named Daleesha who was doubling in physics and biochemistry. Uber-brain.”
“I know,” Kayley said. “I’ve met her.” “Really?”
“Kind of a three amigas thing with Helen, Daleesha, and myself.” “No shit,” Adam said, then glanced at Terra and winced in apology.
“Sorry.”
“That’s a bad word,” Terra noted.
“Terra, he apologized,” Kayley pointed out, and she smiled at Adam. “So, you were saying.”
“Henry and Daleesha lost touch after graduation,” he continued. “Totally unrelated, Helen got to know Daleesha later on through her job in the pharmaceutical industry. At one point Helen was a kind of liaison with the universities.”
“I know,” Kayley reminded him, through a subtle grin. “Right. Three amigas.”
“Sorry,” she said buoyantly, then briefly glanced at her daughter. “We won’t interrupt anymore.”
“In a nutshell,” Adam summarized, “when Daleesha decided to give it all up to open a daycare, she was in the market for a contractor to do some renovation work. In passing, Helen mentioned it to Henry who immediately thought of me. I told my boss and, well, you know the rest.”
“You do big jobs like that and you took on my basement?”
“That wasn’t a big job. And that was my boss. I’m kind of her site-manager slash foreman. This is a little side-project for me. I take them on if things are slow.”
Adam never liked to lie, even halfway. He tended to blush. Yet this time was different. Although he had told a bit of a fib, he didn’t feel the least bit dishonest.
Read the reviews!
“Pairs is a great read, transporting me from daily life into this witty, sexy, and romantic tale that had me rooting for the happiness of the characters I was falling in love with. This is a romance for grown-ups. It shows how love and friendship can bring out the very best and the very worst in us. And it does it so charmingly that I had a hard time putting down the book.”
– Karen Opas, Saturday Night Magazine, the Globe & Mail, and “C” Magazine.
"Pairs is a story that not only shakes up ideas about gender, love, and sex, it also challenges the traditional concept of family. I highly recommend it."
--Melissa Brown Levine, Independent Professional Book Reviewers
D.W. Richards is a member of the Canadian Authors Association and beyond being a novelist he is also a script-doctor and freelance writer. An excerpt from Pairs will appear in the October 2010 issue of the international literary PDF quarterly Cantarville as a standalone fiction piece. In addition to creative writing, D.W. Richards has a Bachelor Degree in Psychology from Carleton University and is a Certified General Accountant. He divides his time between Venice, Italy and Ottawa, Canada.
Pump Up Your Book will be hosting the February 2011 Authors on Tour on Friday February 25, 2011 at 9 – 11 p.m. (eastern time – adjust to your time zone). Tell your book friends that not only will this give them an opportunity to chat with their favorite authors BUT…
WE’RE GIVING AWAY PRIZES!!!!
The participating authors and their giveaways include:
Rose Valenta is giving away a paperback copy of her humor book, Sitting on Cold Porcelain.
Allan Leverone is giving away an e-copy of his thriller, Final Vector, and 6 e-copies of Postcards from the Apocalypse.
Frank Edwards is giving away a paperback copy of his medical thriller, Final Mercy and a paperback copy of his poetry and short story book, It’ll Ease the Pain.
Pamela Samuels Young will be giving away a paperback copy of her legal thriller, Murder on the Down Low, and a copy of her audio CD, How to Write a Novel Despite Your Day Job.
Sheila Hendrix will be giving away both a paperback copy and e-book copy of her YA paranormal, The Betrayal.
Cynthia Kocialski will be giving away a paperback copy of her startup business book, Startup from the Ground Up.
C.W. Gortner will be giving away a paperback copy of his historical mystery, The Tudor Secret.
Vincent Zandri will be giving away 2 autographed copies of his thriller, Moonlight Falls & 2 autographed copies of his thriller, The Remains!
Jeanne C. Davis will be giving away a paperback copy of her psychological mystery, Sheetrock Angel!
Frank Scully will be giving away an e-copy of his mystery novel, Resurrection Garden!
Pump Up Your Book will be giving away a $25 Amazon gift certificate!!!!
To find out the details, visit our Facebook Party page here! Be sure to join the link a few days ahead of time so that you can be approved before the party starts.
…And Holly Carmichael is the only woman to survive his attack. Now she lives in fear, searching for normalcy and trying to put her life back together. When she meets Kyle Stevens, he turns her world upside-down. He’s as exasperating as he is appealing. How can Holly make sense of her awakening feelings when she’s so unsure of Kyle? His voice is familiar, he’s left-handed, and he wears the serial killer’s cologne. Who is he…really? As Holly struggles to restore her damaged faith, she must find the strength to trust once again—in Kyle and in God.
Kyle Stevens isn’t ready to live again. Racked by guilt, he’s afraid to feel. His sole focus is finding the Headley Cross serial killer—his girlfriend's murderer. That is, until he meets Holly Carmichael. He’s drawn to Holly, vows to protect her where he failed to protect his former love. But Holly makes him feel again, emotions quickly morphing into something much more dangerous to his hardened heart.
When the serial killer returns to finish what he started, only a miracle can save them…but then, it's the Season for Miracles.
Read an excerpt!
Kyle’s voice came from a long way off, and Holly had to concentrate to hear it. “I’m sorry, Holly. He’s normally pretty well behaved, but he’s never seen snow before and is a little over-excited. Plus he was on his own all day yesterday. Are you all right?”
Holly nodded. The headache upped a notch. That was a stupid thing to do.
“Can you stand?”
She moved her head a little as Kyle helped her to her feet. She brushed the snow from her coat and tried to focus on the man. His hat, pulled down over his ears, hid his hair. Her head pounded, stars danced in front of her eyes, and it was all she could do to stand upright.
I want to sit down. Please, let me sit down. The words echoed in her mind, but she wasn’t sure she’d said them aloud. He didn’t respond.
His deep voice reverberated as he pulled off his glove. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
Holly nodded for a third time. She had a huge lump in her throat and she struggled to breathe. Her legs didn’t want to hold up, but she didn’t want a fuss. Fingers tingled inside her glove where he held her hand. His grip kept her upright.
Kyle’s other hand cradled the back of her head. Holly winced as he found and examined the lump. His touch increased the pain by a magnitude of five. Kyle checked his fingers and relief crossed his face at the lack of blood. “Holly? Please, say something. Otherwise I’ll have to assume Orion ate your tongue.”
Read the reviews!
"This is definitely a book worth reading for it has everything just right for the season: God and hope. Great job and I definitely would read more of her books to come."
--Happily Ever After Reviews
" A nice combination of romance and suspense (not to mention holiday), it has something for everyone."
--Laura Briggs, author of Only in Novels
"If you're looking for a sweet romance, with true to life struggles, mixed with a gentle faith, you won't want to miss Ms. Revell's book, SEASON FOR MIRACLES."
Clare Revell is a wife and mother of three grown children. She is the author of Saving Christmas and Season for Miracles. She likes to read, write, and cross-stitch.
This 2003 TV movie is based upon the Eloise books by Kay Thompson and includes some of the drawings by Hilary Knight.
Eloise, played by Sofia Vassilieva (now seen on Medium), is an imp of a girl, living in New York's Plaza Hotel, along with Nanny, played by the talented and lovely Julie Andrews. Her mother is currently in Paris, so she pretty much has the run of the hotel, which creates many headaches for Mr. Salomone (Jeffery Tambor). While driving her tutor to distraction and running up ridiculously high tabs at the hotel, Eloise is determined to find the Prince of Kushin, so she can ask him to take her to the debutante ball.
I have to admit, despite Eloise's often annoying behavior, I enjoyed this movie. She lives her life the way she sees fit; she doesn't let rules get in her way; and through her innocent look at the world, manages to help the lonely prince, a boy she knows only as Leon (Kintaro Akiyama), cope with the loss of his mother and bring him closer to his estranged father. And if that's not enough for one little girl, she also plays matchmaker for Molly Daniels and Nanny.
I would hope that children wouldn't try half of Eloise's antics, as they wouldn't be appreciated by the adults in their lives, but Eloise says some very profound things, like when she tells Leon he must tell his father how he feels about being sent away to boarding school.
After watching Eloise at the Plaza, I am eager to see Eloise at Christmastime, which brings back much of the cast from this movie and adds in some new characters.
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only.) Number of discs: 1 Rated: G Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment DVD Release Date: November 11, 2003 Run Time: 89 minutes
This DVD is from our family collection. I received no monetary compensation for this review.
For many years now, I have preferred counted cross-stitch, which is where you purchase a kit or just the supplies--hoop, floss, Aida cloth, and needle--and create an image using a pattern. Craft stores, such as JoAnn Fabric and Craft Stores, sell these supplies, in addition to many pattern books. We have a JoAnn's close by, and the problem is that when I visit, I usually end up buying more than I went in for.
The nice thing about crafting is that it allows me to spend time with my girls. They enjoy cross-stitch, plastic canvas, painting, and drawing.
What are some of your spare time hobbies? Do you work together on projects with other family members?
Rather than do the expected thing, Christmas Daniels, pursued a high powered career in London, flying across the world, never being home long enough for anything. When her father is taken ill, she returns to Hollies Christmas Emporium, an all year round Christmas shop to run it in his absence.
Matt Pringle, store artist and accountant, doesn't make a good impression on his new boss when he accuses her of stealing his parking space. Wanting to make up for it, he tries to impress her, but ends up falling for her instead.
When the store is threatened with closure, Christmas, who insists on being called Chrissie sacrifices everything to try to save it. A committed Christian, Matt knows that Chrissie needs saving just as much. Will their growing attraction help Matt save Christmas before it’s too late?
Read an excerpt!
Taking a deep breath, he stuck out a hand. “Can we start over? My name’s Matt Pringle. It’s a pleasure to meet you Miss Daniels. How’s your father doing?”
Her hand was cool, yet her touch burned him. “It’s Chrissie, please. I called earlier and they said he had a good night. I can go in at two. Now this parking space of yours...”
“It’s yours. I can walk. It’s not that far and I have an umbrella. I’m sorry I was late.” He looked at her. “I’ll go and get started.”
“Sure.” Chrissie flopped down at the desk. Matt looked at her. Her skirt was wet, her shoes ruined and she looked exhausted. Her blue eyes and black hair looking almost bedraggled, if eyes as lovely as hers could look bedraggled. She was the most amazing woman he’d ever seen.
Matt turned and left the office, almost colliding with Grace and a tray of tea and biscuits as he went down the corridor. “Sorry, Grace. Say, what do you know about her?”
“Chrissie? Known her for years. She hates her name with a passion. Her parents expected her to run this place when she graduated, but she chose a partnership in a large firm in London instead. Shame really, the job changed her, she doesn’t have time for anything anymore.” Grace smiled at him. “Trust me, not even you can work your magic on our Christmas Ivy Daniels.” She headed into the office, pushing the door shut behind her.
Matt pursed his lips. He couldn’t let that happen. There was something about her; something lost that drew him to her. She was lost and needed help, whether she knew it or not—and he was determined to give it to her.
Read the reviews!
"What a wonderful, heartwarming little book! I loved it from page one."
--Delia Latham, author of Destiny's Dream "Clare Revell does it again with this beautiful story of hope and redemption."
--Mary Manners, author of Tender Mercies
SAVING CHRISTMAS IS AVAILABLE AS A $1.00 DOWNLOAD FROM WHITEROSEPUBLISHING.COM! IT IS ALSO AVAILBLE IN A KINDLE EDITION FROM AMAZON.
Clare Revell is a wife and mother of three grown children. She is the author of Saving Christmas and Season for Miracles. She likes to read, write, and cross-stitch.
Perky 24 year old police dispatcher, Sarah Murphy, is held captive by images of her past. She doesn't trust men and is determined to hold onto her heart at all costs. Lieutenant Dylan Eldredge of the Hampton Police Department believes she’s the woman God has intended for him and is equally determined to have her for his wife. But can he prove he’s the man for her?
Read the excerpt! Dylan gestured toward Sarah. "Do you see that woman in line?"
Matt looked over his shoulder. "Yup."
"If she’s a Christian, that’s the woman I’m going to marry."
Matt’s elbow slipped off the table. "What? Love at first sight? Aw, come on!" Dylan laughed. "You heard me."
"Yeah, right, Dylan. Even you’re not that crazy. After all, you don’t even know her."
Dylan wiped his mouth with the napkin, not bothering to answer Matt’s statement.
"Oh, come on, you can’t be serious." Dylan merely raised an eyebrow. Matt thumped the table in astonishment. "You are!"
Dylan smiled his confirmation.
"But this is crazy. You don’t even date all that much."
Dylan sipped his Pepsi and glanced back at Sarah. "Somehow, she’s different. I just know." After daydreaming for a moment, he hit his friend on the shoulder and teased, "So, what do you say? Are you up for a bet?"
Matt choked on his soda. "Bet? You never bet. Are you sick or something?"
Dylan shook his head. "How can I resist, then? This is too good of an opportunity to see you eat crow."
Dylan said in a dry tone, "Ah, what are friends for?" He sat back, folded his arms across his chest, and looked back to Sarah at the checkout counter.
Read the reviews!
"This fast-paced read is wonderfully written and presents a dreamy love story! The actions and characters truly project a love of God; it also quotes enough scripture for the book to be life-changing! I loved, and recommend highly, this amazing book!"
--The Romance Studio (5-heart review)
"This is a must read book that will lift the readers' heart."
--Long and Short Romance Reviews
"Ms. Carter penned a truly moving story with this gem of a read. I liked Sarah immediately and understood her pain of trusting any man to be in her life. I felt bad for her that she wouldn’t let a man get close to her and because of this, was missing out on so much she could have shared with that someone special. I fell in love with Dylan and I applauded his strength and determination that he didn’t give up on Sarah. I thought they were perfectly matched for each other, but I was hoping that Sarah would finally see it that way also. This was an enjoyable inspirational read for me and I would recommend it to other readers in a heartbeat."
--Night Owl Romance
This short inspirational romance is available at WhiteRosePublishing.com for only $2.00! It is also available in a Kindle edition.
JoAnn Carter lives in Vermont with her wonderful husband of 18 years, four children and Ginger, the best dog in the world. She enjoys being with her family & friends, writing, reading, and cooking.
In the past JoAnn has worked as a Licensed Practical Nurse, an apple orchard guide and as a substitute teacher. She is available for speaking engagements to book clubs, reader groups, library groups, women's ministry events, school events and church retreats.
Her next book, The Floating Palace, will be released July 15th through Desert Breeze Publishing. You can access the book trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDcuTF8v9bg
Just to be clear, it wasn't that the Avatar 3D director and I just missed each other, it was just that it was almost him, but slightly, just slightly mind you, someone else. I hate when that happens. You get so close, then, nothing…
But this incident started me thinking. This kind of thing has been happening to me a lot lately. And not only with celebrities. Just the other day, I almost ran into Garry, a friend of mine. From a distance, at an angle, it looked exactly like him. A dead-ringer. Could have fooled his own mother. It wasn't until I came closer, and he turned his head a few degrees to the left, that he revealed himself to be just a little bit someone else. The thing was, when I walked passed him, he gave me a long, thoughtful look. He looked me over, then shook his head and turned away. But I knew what it meant. I knew exactly what he was thinking. He had almost recognized me back!
Now, almost-Garry almost recognizing me back made the whole situation much more complicated. My mind went haywire, trying to understand this, trying to figure out the underlying meaning. Was it possible for someone who was almost Garry but not quite, to recognize me but only slightly? Was it? And, if so, what was I to him exactly? Was I someone who looked like someone he knew? It was hard to say, but it was unlikely. All I knew for a fact was that I was someone who was known by someone he looked like, but who wasn't him. And, in fact, to be fair, he probably didn't even realize that he was almost Garry but not quite.
Are you still following me?
Probably not. Probably your brain isn't defective to the point of reasoning this way. Good for you. You're better off for it. So, let's back-track a little. Let's just assume that the easiest explanation is the correct one. It usually is. And if it isn't, it should be. Really. Life is hard enough already.
So, I almost recognized Garry, and almost-Garry almost recognized me (that look was unmistakable). This must mean that there is another Graham-and-Gary combo out there. This almost-Gary actually knows an almost-Graham. And this idea has big implications. As you know, and understand inherently in the core of your being, the universe is nothing if not a little fractally-inclined. Recursion-mad. If there are two sets, there must be more. There are probably thousands. Thousands of Graham-and-Gary combos. And this, of course, is upsetting. Because the first question that comes to my mind is, what if some of them are better at being a Graham and Gary combo? In fact; what if most of them are better? What if my friend Gary and I are in fact the worst of the bunch?
So, to summarize, I did ask almost-James Cameron for his autograph. Of course I did. I'm no fool. So, if you're interested in almost-autographs, check out my store on eBay. You won't be disappointed!
Bio:
Graham Parke is responsible for a number of technical publications and has recently patented a self-folding map. He has been described as both a humanitarian and a pathological liar. Convincing evidence to support either allegation has yet to be produced.
EDITION!
EDITION!
edition. 
