Author Spotlight: L.G. Bradshaw and Dot to Dot

Dot to Dot is a literary relay race revolving around one central theme: we are all connected. These connections may be seemingly insignificant – bumping into an old friend on the street or passing a stranger in a hospital corridor – but they have the potential to alter the course of our lives, some slightly, others in more profound and lasting ways.

The race begins with an embattled United States senator and moves from character to character like wildfire: the senator’s disgraced wife who decides to leave the public eye following the outing of her husband; the motley crew of movers tasked with transporting the senator’s wife and kids back home to New Mexico; a boy who takes matters into his own hands to save himself and his mother from her murderous boyfriend; a private detective who discovers that his past has come back to haunt him; a police chief who spends his own money to help a Mexican family; the Mexican family themselves who are desperate to get their kidnapped daughter back; a country music singer who stumbles on fame after heartbreak; and, finally, a serial killer who has the tables turned on him by a very unlikely avenging angel.

Simply put, Dot to Dot is a story about people, some extraordinary, some not, but all memorable and flawed in their own unique ways.

Read an Excerpt!

“Silly boy,” Chester Dahl chided himself as he thrust deeper inside the dead girl he’d picked up in the ghetto after leaving work. He called her Ethyl and she had been pretty. She’d told him she was eighteen and had just arrived in town from Madison. No family or any ties to Milwaukee. Just the clothes on her back and a few meager crumbs of meth in her pocket. She’d asked him if he wanted to party. Sure, why not, he’d said. The party hadn’t lasted long. For her at least. For him it was still a major rager.

Read the Reviews!

"It's hard to describe why you like it, but it's definitely a page turner! I'd definitely recommend this one!" --Marta's Meanderings

"Certainly a book I would recommend!" --Ellie, Amazon.com Reviewer

"The stories weave together in a way that leaves one wanting more! I can't wait for the next one!!!" --Angela, Amazon.com Reviewer


L.G. Bradshaw lives in Minnesota. He served in the United States Army and worked as a Minneapolis police officer for 14 years, witnessing a seemingly endless stream of human depravity, some of which has found a home in his writing. Dot to Dot is his first of many novels, and defies convention. Dot to Dot can’t be pigeonholed into any one genre. It’s got a little bit of everything: drama, comedy, horror. Even a necropheliac serial killer thrown in for good measure.”

Bradshaw has finished two other novels and is currently working on a fourth. For more information on the author, visit his website: www.lgbradshaw.com.

Author Spotlight: Lisa Gardner and Live to Tell

He knows everything about you—including the first place you’ll hide.

On a warm summer night in one of Boston’s working-class neighborhoods, an unthinkable crime has been committed: Four members of a family have been brutally murdered. The father—and possible suspect—now lies clinging to life in the ICU. Murder-suicide? Or something worse? Veteran police detective D. D. Warren is certain of only one thing: There’s more to this case than meets the eye.

Danielle Burton is a survivor, a dedicated nurse whose passion is to help children at a locked-down pediatric psych ward. But she remains haunted by a family tragedy that shattered her life nearly twenty-five years ago. The dark anniversary is approaching, and when D. D. Warren and her partner show up at the facility, Danielle immediately realizes: It has started again.

A devoted mother, Victoria Oliver has a hard time remembering what normalcy is like. But she will do anything to ensure that her troubled son has some semblance of a childhood. She will love him no matter what. Nurture him. Keep him safe. Protect him. Even when the threat comes from within her own house.

In New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner’s most compelling work of suspense to date, the lives of these three women unfold and connect in unexpected ways, as sins from the past emerge—and stunning secrets reveal just how tightly blood ties can bind. Sometimes the most devastating crimes are the ones closest to home.

Read an Excerpt from Live to Tell!

Thursday night, Sergeant Detective D. D. Warren was out on a date. It wasn’t the worst date she’d ever been on. It wasn’t the best date she’d ever been on. It was, however, the only date she’d been on in quite some time, so unless Chip the accountant turned out to be a total loser, she planned on taking him home for a rigorous session of balance-the-ledger.

So far, they’d made it through half a loaf of bread soaked in olive oil, and half a cow seared medium rare. Chip had managed not to talk about the prime rib bleeding all over her plate or her need to sop up juices with yet another slice of bread. Most men were taken aback by her appetite. They needed to joke uncomfortably about her ability to tuck away plate after plate of food. Then they felt the need to joke even more uncomfortably that, of course, none of it showed on her girlish figure.

Yeah, yeah, she had the appetite of a sumo wrestler but the build of a cover girl. She was nearly forty, for God’s sake, and well aware by now of her freakish metabolism. She certainly didn’t need any soft- middled desk jockey pointing it out. Food was her passion. Mostly because her job with Boston PD’s homicide unit didn’t leave much time for sex.

She polished off the prime rib, went to work on the twice- baked potato. Chip was a forensic accountant. They’d been set up by the wife of a friend of a guy in the unit. Yep, it made that much sense to D.D. as well. But here she was, sitting in a coveted booth at the Hilltop Steakhouse, and really, Chip was all right. Little doughy in the mid¬dle, little bald on top, but funny. D.D. liked funny. When he smiled, the corners of his deep brown eyes crinkled and that was good enough for her.

She was having meat and potatoes for dinner and, if all went as planned, Chip for dessert.

So, of course, her pager went off.

She scowled, shoved it to the back of her waistband, as if that would make a difference.

“What’s that?” Chip asked, catching the chime.

“Birth control,” she muttered.

Chip blushed to the roots of his receding brown hair, then in the next minute grinned with such self-deprecating power she nearly went weak in the knees.

Better be good, D.D. thought. Better be a fucking massacre, or I’ll be damned if I’m giving up my night.

But then she read the call and was sorry she’d ever thought such a thing.

Chip the funny accountant got a kiss on the cheek.

Then Sergeant Detective D. D. Warren hit the road.
■■■
D.D. had been a Boston PD detective for nearly twelve years now. She’d started out investigating traffic fatalities and drug-related homi¬cides before graduating to such major media events as the discovery of six mummified corpses in an underground chamber; then, more recently, the disappearance of a beautiful young schoolteacher from South Boston. Her bosses liked to put her in front of the camera. Nothing like a pretty blonde detective to mix things up.

She didn’t mind. D.D. thrived on stress. Enjoyed a good pressure-cooker case even more than an all-you-can-eat buffet. Only drawback was the toll on her personal life. As a sergeant in the homicide unit, was the leader of a three-person squad. It wasn’t uncommon for them to spend all day tracking down leads, interviewing informants, or revisiting crime scenes. Then they spent most of the night writing up the resulting interviews, affidavits, and/or warrant requests. Each squad also had to take turns being “on deck,” meaning they caught the next case called in, keeping them stuck in a permanent vortex of top- priority active cases, still- unsolved old cases, and at least one or two fresh call- outs per week.

Didn’t sleep much. Or date much. Or really do anything much. Which had been fine until last year, when she’d turned thirty-eight and watched her ex- lover get married and start a family. Sud¬denly, the tough, brash sergeant who considered herself wed to her job found herself studying Good Housekeeping magazine and, even worse, Modern Bride. One day, she picked up Parenting. There was noth¬ing more depressing than a nearly forty-year-old single, childless homicide detective reading Parenting magazine alone in her North End condo.

Especially when she realized some of the articles on dealing with toddlers applied to managing her squad as well.

She recycled the magazines, then vowed to go on a date. Which had led to Chip—poor, almost- got-his-brains-screwed-out Chip—and now had her on her way to Dorchester. Wasn’t even her squad’s turn on deck, but the notification had been “red ball,” meaning something big and bad enough had happened to warrant all hands on deck.

D.D. turned off I-93, then made her way through the maze of streets to the largely working-class neighborhood. Among local offi¬cers, Dorchester was known for its drugs, shootings, and raucous neighborhood parties that led to more drugs and shootings. BPD’s local field district, C-11, had set up a noise reduction hotline as well as a designated “Party Car” to patrol on weekends. Five hundred phone tips and numerous preventive arrests later, Dorchester was finally seeing a decline in homicides, rapes, and aggravated assaults. On the other hand, burglaries were way up. Go figure.

Under the guidance of her vehicle’s navigational system, D.D. ended up on a fairly nice street, double lanes dotted with modest stamps of green lawn and flanked with a long row of tightly nestled three-story homes, many sporting large front porches and an occa¬sional turret.

Most of these dwellings had been carved into multiple-living units over the years, with as many as six to eight in a single house. It was still a nice-looking area, the lawns neatly mowed, the front-porch banis¬ters freshly painted. The softer side of Dorchester, she decided, more and more curious.

D.D. spotted a pileup of Crown Vics, and slowed to park. It was eight- thirty on a Thursday night, August sun just starting to fade on the horizon. She could make out the white ME’s vehicle straight ahead, as well as the traveling crime lab. The vans were bookended by the usual cluster of media trucks and neighborhood gawkers.

When D.D. had first read the location of the call, she’d assumed drugs. Probably a gangland shooting. A bad one, given that the deputy superintendent wanted all eighteen detectives in attendance, so most likely involving collateral damage. Maybe a grandmother caught sit¬ting on her front porch, maybe kids playing on the sidewalk. These things happened, and no, they didn’t get any easier to take. But you handled it, because this was Boston, and that’s what a Boston detec¬tive did.

Now, however, as D.D. climbed out of her car, clipped her creden¬tials to the waistband of her skinny black jeans, and retrieved a plain white shirt to button up over her date cleavage, she was thinking, Not drugs. She was thinking this was something worse. She slung a light jacket over her sidearm, and headed up the sidewalk toward the lion’s den.

D.D. pushed her way through the first wave of jostling adults and curious children. She did her best to keep focused, but still caught phrases such as “shots fired...” “heard squealing like a stuck pig . . .” “Why, I just saw her unloading groceries not four hours before . . .”

“Excuse me, excuse me, pardon me. Police sergeant. Buddy, out of the way.” She broke through, ducking under the yellow tape rop¬ing off portions of the sidewalk, and finally arrived at the epicenter of crime- scene chaos.

The house before her was a gray-painted triple-decker boasting a broad- columned front porch and large American flag. Both front doors were wide open, enabling better traffic flow of investigative person¬nel, as well as the ME’s metal gurney.

D.D. noted delicate lace curtains framed in bay windows on either side of the front door. In addition to the American flag, the porch con¬tained four cheerful pots of red geraniums, half a dozen blue folding chairs, and a hanging piece of slate that had been painted with more red geraniums and the bright yellow declaration: Welcome. Yep, definitely something worse than gun-toting, tennis-shoe-tossing drug dealers.

D.D. sighed, put on her game face, and approached the uniformed officer stationed at the base of the front steps. She rattled off her name and badge number. In turn, the officer dutifully recorded the info in the murder book, then jerked his head down to the bin at his feet.

D.D. obediently fished out booties and a hair covering. So it was that kind of crime scene.

She climbed the steps slowly, keeping to one side. They appeared recently stained, a light Cape Cod gray that suited the rest of the house. The porch was homey, well kept. Clean enough that she sus¬pected it had been recently broom swept. Perhaps after unloading groceries, a household member had tidied up?

It would’ve been better if the porch had been dirty, covered in dust. That might have yielded shoe treads. That might have helped catch whoever did the bad thing D.D. was about to find inside.

She took another breath right outside the door, inhaled the scent of sawdust and drying blood. She heard a reporter calling for a state¬ment. She heard the snap of a camera, the roar of a media chopper, and white noise all around. Gawkers behind, detectives ahead, re¬porters above.

Chaos: loud, smelly, overwhelming. Her job now was to make it right. She got to it.

Read the Reviews!


“Boston police detective D. D. Warren returns in another gripping thriller… In addition to telling a compelling story, Gardner also explores an issue that is rarely discussed in fiction: children who are psychotic. Gardner never sensationalizes her story, and the book ends with a resolution that is creatively and emotionally appropriate. An excellent novel.” — Booklist, starred review

“Gardner has another hit on her hands.” – Kirkus Reviews

“The lives of three women collide in Gardner’s amazingly chilling new thriller… The devastating, sometimes tragic consequences of childhood mental illness are the backdrop for this electrifying tale of murder and family secrets.”
– Jill M. Smith, RT Book Reviews – 4-1/2 Stars – Top Pick



Lisa Gardner is the New York Times bestselling author of twelve novels. Her Detective D. D. Warren novels include The Neighbor, Hide, and Alone. Her FBI Profiler novels include Say Goodbye, Gone, The Killing Hour, The Next Accident, and The Third Victim. She lives with her family in New England, where she is at work on her next D. D. Warren novel, Save Me, which Bantam will publish in 2011.

You can find Lisa online at http://www.lisagardner.com/.

Author Spotlight: Jonathan Williams and Jungle Sunrise

A unique and captivating novel by a member of the Xtreme Team, who risk their lives and endure unthinkable physical deprivation while assisting native people in the most remote areas of the world. Living with a previously unreached indigenous tribe, the Amarakaeri, Williams experienced first-hand the beauty and danger of native life as he had the opportunity to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, hunt with bows and arrows, fish with spears, navigate the rivers, and encounter every aspect of the tribe’s culture. This breathtaking scene of the Amazon serves as the backdrop for Jungle Sunrise.

Read an Excerpt!

Deep in the breathtaking but perilous Peruvian jungles, young missionaries Memphis and Abigail Jones constantly face death and disease as they hunt, fish, and provide medical care for a primitive tribe while living their witness to the love of Christ. But the couple’s success with the tribe has earned them a dangerous enemy, Dr. Basil Cosgrove, a radical but naïve anthropologist possessed with a boundless drive to thwart their efforts, even at the expense of all of their lives.

Their paths will soon cross that of professor and would-be author Jonah Frost who is frustrated by a nemesis of his own—himself. In the aftermath of a failed suicide attempt, Jonah accompanies his linguist brother to Peru to chart the language of a newly discovered indigenous tribe. As the Frost brothers’ plans coincide with goals of Memphis and Abigail, they embark on a jungle river trek only to run afoul of Dr. Cosgrove with results requiring supernatural bravery and selfless love.

Read the Reviews!

“Jungle Sunrise is a unique and captivating novel, written by a member of the Xtreme Team, an inimitable group of men and women who risk their lives and endure unthinkable physical deprivation while attempting to find and assist native people in the most remote areas of the world. Author Jonathan Williams has written this novel out of the rich background of that experience. He unlocks the secret of how to begin life anew, as the book’s central character moves from a depressing, direc- tionless life to a rewarding and incomparable adventure. One warning: do not start reading until you have some time because you won’t put it down.”

— Paige Patterson President, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

“Jonathan Williams skillfully transports the reader between two worlds in a captivating and suspenseful book. Having traveled in this setting with young missionaries seeking to reach isolated jungle tribes, I can attest to the authenticity of experi- ences encountered in this rich yet challenging environment. It is evident the author has been there! A subtle Christian testimony is effectively woven into the novel through intriguing personali- ties as they discover the ultimate meaning in life through trials and tragedy.”

— Jerry Rankin President, International Mission Board, SBC

“This is a well-written, thought-provoking, and moving novel that you will speed through until you finish! The story centers around the lives of the six main characters, a missionary couple, writer, linguist, anthropologist and photographer, each with their own purpose for entering the jungles of Peru. The author follows their lives, with plenty of twist and turns along the way. It was a very entertaining, yet touching read.”

—Review by Book Bargains and Reviews



Jonathan Williams served as a missionary with the International Mission Board’s Xtreme Team in the jungles of Peru for two years. It was there, lying under a mosquito net in a hut in the middle of the Amazon Jungle, that Williams began to write his first novel, Jungle Sunrise.

Williams, 30, writes and lives in North Texas with his beautiful wife, Jessica, where he pastors Body Life church and serves as the Campus Pastor for Trinity Christian Academy as he pursues a Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. His passion and desire is to inspire readers with creativity and truth.

Find out more by visiting www.JungleSunrise.com.

Author Spotlight: Nancy Thayer and Beachcombers

Abbie Fox hasn’t seen her father or two younger sisters in almost two years, during which she’s jetted around the world and experienced life, if not love. But now Lily, the baby of the family, is sending Abbie urgent emails begging her to return home to Nantucket. Their middle sister, Emma, has taken to her bed, emotionally devastated after the loss of her high-powered stockbroker’s job and a shockingly unexpected break-up with her fiancé. Also, Lily is deeply worried that Marina, the beautiful, enigmatic woman renting their guesthouse, has set her sights on the sisters’ widowed father, Jim. The Fox girls closed ranks years ago after the haunting, untimely death of their mother, but seeing their dad move on with his life forces each of them to take stock.

Over the course of the summer, the sisters’ lives grow as turbulent as the unpredictable currents encircling Nantucket. When Abbie encounters an incredibly appealing married man, she breaks her own rules in the name of love, fearing all the while that she’ll regret it. Meanwhile, type-A Emma learns a new definition of success, and strong-minded Lily must reconcile her dreams with reality. Even Marina, who has come to Nantucket to forget heartbreak and betrayal, faces an astonishing turn of events that will find her torn between fate and freedom. At summer’s end, these unforgettable women will face profound choices—and undergo personal transformations that will surprise even themselves.

Read an Excerpt from Beachcombers

Chapter Two


Marina

So here she was, on Nantucket. In a small rented cottage in the middle of an enchanted island. At least she hoped it was enchanted. She was waking to another day without family or love or plans for the future.

Still, she felt just a bit better.

Lying curled in her bed, she forced herself to name just five things for which she was grateful. It was an exercise Christie had advised her to perform first thing in the morning and last thing at night. If nothing else, Christie had told her, it will give you a little bit of structure, one tidy line to start the morning and end the day to make you feel enclosed and on task.

All right then.

Marina was grateful that she’d slept through the night without needing a sleeping pill. She’d been afraid she was becoming addicted to them. Over the past few months, the divorce had plunged her into a state of grief and despair that at night turned into a raging anger and a kind of burning terror—what was her life about? Did she mean nothing? But here on the island, for the past three weeks, she’d discovered that something in the sea air worked like a charm to make her fall into a deep, relaxing sleep. Christie had been right to tell her to come here to heal.

Two—well, she was grateful she’d found the cottage. It resembled a dollhouse, with wild roses rambling all over the roof and clematis and wisteria blossoming on the trellis on the outside walls. The windows were mullioned like a fairy-tale cottage. The door was bright blue. Inside, one large room served for living, dining, and kitchen areas. A ladder led up to the loft with the bed. Windows on three sides provided views of the birds nesting in an apple tree on her right, a pine tree on her left, and a hawthorn tree straight ahead.

Inside, the décor was—well, there was no décor, actually. The few furnishings had a cast-off and shabby air, but were basically sound and comfortable. No curtains hung from the windows. No paintings graced the walls. No rugs brightened the floors, but she could understand that. It was so easy to track sand into the house, and the floors were wood and felt cool and smooth to the soles of her feet.

She was grateful to be in the heart of the town. That was the third thing, and it had been on her list every morning and every night. The cottage was off an idyllic lane in the illustrious historic district. She could walk to the grocery store, the pharmacy, the post office, the library. Tucked away at the far end of a long garden, it had once been the Playhouse for the family that had grown up in the huge old house at the front. The owner and one of his daughters lived in the house. Their presence made Marina feel not so alone. She liked seeing the lights come on in different rooms of the house. The daughter, Lily, was pretty, but not very friendly. Well, she was only twenty-two. Marina must seem ancient to her.

Jim Fox, on the other hand, was really nice. He’d brought her fresh fish several times already, and often in the evenings when he came home from work, he jumped out of his red pickup truck and sauntered down the lawn to chat with her. Did she need anything? If she did, she had only to ask, he’d be glad to help. Had she enjoyed the bluefish? Would she like some more when he went out fishing again? He was so attentive that Marina sometimes wondered if he were hitting on her. She doubted it. She was sure she wasn’t giving off any sexual vibes, since her sexuality was hiding under its shell like a wounded turtle. Although she could still recognize that Jim was an awfully attractive man, tall, muscular, and comfortable enough in his powerful body to be easygoing and kind.

Fourth, she was grateful for Christie’s enduring, sustaining friendship and especially for her wisdom this summer.

Odd, how things turned out.

Long ago, when she started seventh grade, Marina had teamed up with two very different best friends. Christie was her good friend, pretty, cheerful, popular, and smart. Dara was her exciting friend, always ready to try something new and outrageous, more sexy than good-looking. They remained best friends when they all started at the same gigantic university in Columbia, Missouri, but by their sophomore summer, things changed. Christie and Marina decided to go off to Nantucket to work as waitresses. They’d heard that the pay was good, the island was gorgeous, and they could party like crazy on their time off. Dara couldn’t believe they were going to be waitstaff—she considered such a job way too far beneath her. She didn’t need the money the way Christie and Marina did, and she went off with other college friends to backpack in Europe.

Marina and Christie had so much fun, they returned to the island for the next two summers. During the academic year, they still spent time with each other, but Dara ran with a new, fast crowd, and the trio was never the same after that. After graduation, they went their separate ways. Dara wanted money. Marina wanted to turn her love of color and design into a career. Christie just wanted her high school sweetheart, Bob.

Christie married Bob right after college—Marina was her maid of honor. A few years later, when Marina married Gerry Warren, Christie was Marina’s matron of honor, lumbering down the aisle, eight months pregnant. After that, Marina had seen little of Chris?tie. Their lives were so different, and they were so busy. Christie and Bob lived in happy chaos with their hundreds of children—really, only an eventual five—on a lake outside Kansas City.

Marina and Gerry met in college. He was handsome, with thick, straight blond hair and sapphire eyes. He was smart, too, and witty. At first she thought he was just a bit too smug and shallow, but he wanted Marina, he pursued Marina, and his varied and creative attempts to charm her were irresistible. Perhaps she didn’t love Gerry, but she was helplessly seduced by his desire.

Their ambitions were similar, too, and that drew them together as a natural pair. He was a dynamite salesman; she was artistic and creative. Marina and Gerry started a graphic design/ad agency in the Kansas City area. They invested their own time and some start-up money borrowed from their parents, and they worked day and night. For a few years, work was the very air they breathed. They established themselves, grew a name, became successful, and paid back their parents. They bought a condo and the posh cars they displayed as ads for their success—a Jag for Gerry, a Saab convertible for Marina. But somehow, as the months and years went by, they never found time to relax. They were like a clock, their lives the two hands ticking around the face of the day and night, with never a second to stop.

Read the Reviews!

“Nancy Thayer has a deep and masterly understanding of love and friendship, of where the two complement and where they collide.” –Elin Hilderbrand

"Beachcombers is the perfect summer read." -CMash Loves to Read



Nancy Thayer is the New York Times bestselling author of Summer House, Moon Shell Beach, The Hot Flash Club, The Hot Flash Club Strikes Again, Hot Flash Holidays, The Hot Flash Club Chills Out, and Between Husbands and Friends. She lives on Nantucket. You can visit Nancy Thayer’s website at www.NancyThayer.com.

Book Review: Lingering Spirit by Marilyn Meredith (Contest)

If you want a romance novel that will fascinate you while it tugs at your heart strings, pick up a copy of Lingering Spirit by Marilyn Meredith.

Nicole Ainsworth is angry with her husband Steve when he tells her he applied at several Northern California sheriff and police departments. He never even discussed it with her first. Nicole adores Channel Harbor where she has lived her entire life and with her family close by. Then Steve tells Nicole about his premonition--the one where he sees his own death, and he is certain if he stays in Channel Harbor, he'll die.

Nicole and Steve pack up their family and move to Quail Meadow, where Steve now works at the Goldfield Country Sheriff's Department. The night the doorbell rings and Nicole opens the door to find Sheriff Zahn and Chaplain Kober on the other side, her life changes forever. Now a widow, Nicole's once perfect world crumbles into pieces.

Distraught, miles from her family, and a single parent to her young girls, Nicole struggles to get beyond the pain of losing Steve. When strange things begin happening, Nicole is certain Steve is trying to communicate something to her. But what? Even moving back home to Channel Harbor only stops the images and feelings of Steve's presence for a short time. And when Nicole finds someone else is watching over her too, she wonders if this could mean a second chance at happiness.

I have to get the disclaimers out of the way first with this one. Marilyn is one of my clients through Pump Up Your Book Promotion. I've read all of the books in her Rocky Bluff P.D. series, and own all the books in her Deputy Tempe Crabtree series, which I began reading starting with Judgment Fire. That said, I was a bit nervous about reading Lingering Spirit. I'm a fan of Marilyn's writing, but all the books I read were of similar genres. Could she write a romance novel I would enjoy?

The answer is, oh yes!

Lingering Spirit's prologue sets the stage for this heartrending romance novel. The reader enters into the argument between Nicole and Steve over his not telling her about applying for a new job miles away from where Nicole has always lived. As with all the books of Meredith's that I've read, she drops you right into the middle of things. I'm immediately hooked. As a wife, I can feel Nicole's dread when she learns of Steve's premonition. That feeling is heightened when the doorbell rings at three a.m. and Nicole briefly considers not opening the door. What you don't know, can't hurt you.

Meredith truly makes the reader care for Nicole and her children throughout this novel, especially young, Sarah, who is having a great deal of trouble with the loss of her father. While the book focuses on Nicole's grief, I'm glad to see that the author didn't ignore what the children were going through.

What I truly enjoyed watching unfold, however, was the slow evolution of Nicole's relationship with the mysterious stranger from her husband's funeral. He's one of the pallbearers, so Nicole figures he must have been a good friend to Steve, but she's never met him. There's tension between them as he is invading territory Nicole hasn't invited him into. The mystery surrounding this man leads to a satisfying and touching conclusion to a superb novel.

I polished this book off in two days and you won't want to stop reading it once you pick it up.

Lingering Spirit is the type of book that romance lovers dream of finding.




Title: Lingering Spirit
Author: Marilyn Meredith
ISBN-10: 189234369X
ISBN-13: 978-1892343697
SRP: $12.95

Also available in a Kindle edition for only $1.95.


CONTEST: Have you ever dreamed of being immortalized in print? Well, here’s your chance! Award-winning author Marilyn Meredith is running a contest during her Lingering Spirit Virtual Book Tour, which runs from July 6th through July 30th. Marilyn will name a character in her next Rocky Bluff P.D. book after the reader who comments at the most blog stops during her virtual book tour. This book is currently scheduled to be released in 2012.

Author Spotlight: Terry Drake and Live Happily Ever After...Now!

Live Happily, Ever After… Now! uses age old, time tested secrets (found in NLP, Law of Attraction, Positive Psychology, and Hypnosis) to teach you how to create the life you want! Ask yourself: Are you in control of what you think, act and feel? Are you living the life you want? Would you like to be happy and successful in everything you do? The key is learning how much control you have over your life, your beliefs and attitudes about yourself, others and the world you live in. Once you understand that you are in control (and you will), then you can use the 9 simple steps to begin living the life you want.

Read an Excerpt!

The formula for Happiness

What is the formula for happiness? As if there is a secret formula, which you could mix up a batch of in the lab. Well, actually it isn’t even that complicated. You don’t need the lab, you don’t need to mix any solutions, and that wouldn’t result in real happiness. As funny as this notion seems, our society has jumped on board with this idea. You are told a medication will help with all your problems. You are bombarded with advertisements about how much better life would be with a cold beer or how you will be happy once you buy that new car.

I can confidently tell you that without a change in your beliefs you will not find true happiness. Medications, relaxing moments, alcohol, and material things can help you enjoy your life, but alone they will never bring you true happiness. Permanent success and happiness will only come from within and only by making changes to the way you think about yourself and others.

Now, there is a simple formula for happiness and the best part about it is that it is already within you. Not only is it within you, it is under your control. It is also much easier than you think to lead a happy and successful lifestyle. Most of you don’t realize or fully understand this and that is okay. The most interesting fact is that you already use the formula, you just don’t understand it yet and that results in your continued unhappiness.

"Live Happily Ever After…Now! is an excellent resource to help anyone achieve a happier life.”

–Rundpinne



Terry M. Drake is a Licensed Social Worker, National Board Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, Certified Trainer of Ericksonian Hypnosis and NLP. He has spent the last 15 years learning about himself and others, through his academic studies resulting in his MSW and his professional studies, as a family therapist, clinical supervisor and vast training and research into hypnosis, neuro-linguistic programming, the law of attraction and positive psychology. Terry is currently a Director of mental and behavioral health programs and a Life Coach, Hypnotherapist in private practice. He is also ready to put his skills to use as an author, speaker, consultant and coach. Terry lives in Wellsboro, Pa with his wife and children. You can learn more about the power of your mind and how to be happy and successful in everything you do, by visiting www.livehappilyeverafter-now.com and buying his new book, Live Happily, Ever After… Now! 9 Simple Steps to create the life YOU want!

Author Spotlight: Marilyn Meredith and Lingering Spirit

Nicole Ainsworth’s husband, Steve, has a premonition of his death and moves his family to a mountain community where he serves as a deputy sheriff. He is killed in the line of duty and his wife, Nicole, is left behind to struggle with the changes forced upon her life. While trying to cope with her grief, raise her two little girls, her husband’s spirit visits her on numerous occasions. She soon learns that someone else is watching over her too.

Read an Excerpt from Lingering Spirit!

Chapter 1

"You're going to have to talk to her, Steve," Nicole said as soon as Steve entered the house. He looked handsome in his crisp khaki Goldfield County deputy's uniform, but she still liked the navy blue uniform he'd worn as a police officer better. Though she was truly trying, she still considered everything in Southern California far superior, but she tried not to complain too much.

"Who do you want me to talk to?" Steve asked, as he settled his large frame into his place at the dining room table.

Nicole brushed his tan cheek with her lips and patted the top of his golden head. "Sarah, who else? She won't do anything I tell her. Her room's a mess. I told her to pick it up, but she won't do it."

"She's only four, after all."

Nicole put a steaming bowl of stew in front of him. Butter and a partial loaf of sour dough were already on the table.

"Smells wonderful. It's cold outside. Might get some snow tonight." He began eating.

With one hand on her hip, Nicole said, "Steve, listen to me. What are you going to do about Sarah?"

"I'll have a talk with her before I leave. Why don't you sit down and visit with me while I'm eating?"

Nicole smiled. Moving had made a difference in Steve, he wasn't so agitated. "What's going on out there?"

His grin was huge. "Not much. It's downright boring. Only had one call. Had to get a cow out of the road. Cited a speeder. Talked to Marsh Wilder, he and his wife want us to come to dinner on my day off."

Wilder was a senior deputy. His wife had been very helpful to Nicole. In the four months since they'd lived in Quail Meadow, one of many small towns in the county, Page had taken her to the best stores, introduced her to the other wives, and organized picnics and various outings for both the families. Their son, though older, attended the same grammar school where Kimberly was enrolled.

"I know. Page called me today. I pointed out it was really their turn to come to dinner here, but she's having some other people over she wants us to meet."

Steve buttered another slice of bread. "You've told me about Sarah, what's Kimberly up to? She usually greets me at the door with a hug."

"Don't you remember? She's spending the night with the little girl down the street. That's part of Sarah's prob¬lem. She thought she ought to go too, threw a fit when I told her she couldn't because she wasn't invited. Haven't been able to get her to do anything since."

"Got to admit it, we spoiled the kid."

"What do you mean 'we'? You're the one that always lets her get away with everything."

Steve lifted his blond eyebrows and shrugged his broad shoulders. "That's because she looks so much like you, she's got me wrapped around her little finger, just like you do."

Nicole couldn't think of a response. Her husband's flirtatious teasing had been one of many benefits from the move. Even though they'd taken a drastic cut in pay, the pluses far outweighed the minuses. She smiled and asked, "Do you want some more stew?"

"Love some, but I really don't have time. I'll eat what's left for lunch tomorrow. Bring that little darling on out here while I'm finishing."

It didn't look like Sarah had moved since the last time Nicole peeked in her room. Clothes and toys were still scattered everywhere. The tiny girl sat in the middle of one of the twin beds, arms and legs crossed, her lower lip protrud¬ing. Head down, dark curls fell across her eyes.

"Daddy's home. He wants to talk to you."

"Don't wanna talk."

"Come on, Sarah. Let's go."

"No."

Stepping carefully to avoid the litter on the multi-colored rug, Nicole snatched her daughter into her arms.

"Put me down!" Legs kicked in the air.

Nicole ignored the kicking and screaming as she carried her daughter into the kitchen. She plopped her into the chair.

"Hey. What's all the noise about?" Steve asked, lean¬ing toward Sarah.

"I'm mad."

"What're you mad about?"

"Kimberly's spending the night and Mommy won't let me go."

"You weren't invited."

"I coulda just gone. They wouldn't care."

"No, sweetie. That's not how we do things. Mommy tells me you won't pick up your toys."

"Don't wanna."

"Your room is going to be nice and neat when I get home, isn't it?"

Sarah brushed the curls out of her eyes and stared directly at her father. "No."

Steve's cheeks brightened. "If you don't pick up your toys, Sarah, you'll have to stay in your room until you do."

"Don't care."

Steve stood. "Yes, you will care. I mean what I say. You'll be staying in your room tomorrow until you've made it nice and neat. I've got to go back to work now, how about giving me a hug and kiss."

"No." Sarah slid down from the chair. "Go away and never come back."

As she ran from the room, Steve called after her, "I love you no matter what. I just don't like it when you won't mind your mother and me."

"Sarah." Nicole started after her.

Grabbing her arm, Steve stopped her. "Let her go. She'll get over it. Since I didn't get a hug and kiss from her, how about you?"

Standing on tiptoe, Nicole reached up to kiss him. His arms pulled her close, and he squeezed her so tightly it almost took her breath away.

He parted her lips with his tongue and kissed her passionately. They clung together for several moments making Nicole wish he didn't have to go back to work.

"I love you," he said. "Can hardly wait until I get back home tonight. Hope you won't mind if I wake you."

"I'll be looking forward to it." She winked at him saucily, "Have I ever minded?" Some of their best love making had been when he'd crawled into bed at the end of his shift, waking her with tender caresses.

"That's my sexy Nicky." Steve opened the front door, tucking in his rear to avoid the whack Nicole aimed at him.

"You know I don't like anyone to call me that!"

"You never seem to mind me calling you Nicky when we're making love," he teased as he quickly slipped through the door and closed it.

Grinning, Nicole peeked through the front drapes and waved as her husband climbed into the white official sedan he'd parked beside the curb. It was too dark to see much, just the shadowy shapes of the fir and cedar trees around the house. From across the street, came the yellow glow from the neighbor's windows and smoke curling from their chimney.

That reminded her, it was time to put another log in the wood stove, something she'd certainly never had to do when she lived in Channel Harbor. She waved one last time as Steve drove away.

Letting the drapes fall together, Nicole turned toward the brick hearth that ran the length of the wall. Steve had brought in the evening's supply of wood before leaving for work. Nicole tended to the fire, still amazed how the small stove heated the entire three bedroom, A-frame house.

Smaller than their home in southern California, their furniture comfortably filled the space. Every window looked out onto a tree filled vista. From their redwood deck outside their kitchen they'd seen raccoons, possums, a skunk, and deer. Even Nicole enjoyed the scenery. It had snowed a few times since they'd lived there, entrancing the children.

Deciding to leave Sarah alone for awhile, Nicole began picking up after her husband's meal. When the kitchen was spotless, she sat down in her favorite chair near the wood stove.

Thoroughly enjoying her contentment, she realized how much had changed since they'd moved to Quail Meadow. Of course she missed her family and friends. But everyone had traveled the nearly four-hundred miles to visit at least once, and they called regularly. And she'd been warmly welcomed by the other deputies' wives and the few neighbors.

The cost of living was cheaper, and everything moved at a slower pace in the mountain community. It was almost like they'd stepped a few years back in time. Crime was almost nonexistent. Steve complained good-naturedly about being bored while on duty, but she knew by his drastic change in attitude that the overwhelming dread that had driven him from Channel Harbor had completely disappeared.

The big difference for Nicole was that she was no longer afraid when he worked late hours. The beach communi¬ty they'd come from had all the problems of a big city. Drugs and gang activities had infected the entire area.

The biggest problem she had right now was her youngest daughter. Sighing, she left her comfortable place. "Sarah," she called, as she headed toward her child's room.

Nicole was pleasantly surprised when she entered. Nearly all the toys had been put away. Sarah busily shoved books into the bookcase. She smiled brightly at her mother when she entered.

"I did it. Won't Daddy be happy?"

"Oh, yes. You've done a wonderful job." Nicole held her arms out to. "Come give me a hug."

Sarah scampered across the floor and threw herself into her mother's arms. She squeezed tightly, reminding Nicole of Steve's breathtaking hugs. Though she didn't like to admit it, Sarah resembled Nicole in more than just looks. She remembered spankings she could have avoided as a child, if she hadn't been so stubborn and always done what her mother or father asked of her.

"Oh, sweetie, why didn't you just do this in the first place instead of making all of us angry?"

Sarah pulled away from her mother. "'Cause I didn't wanna."

"I know sweetie, but life would be so much easier if you'd do what you're told."

The lower lip came out. "I cleaned my room. Don't you like it?"

"Yes, I do." She knew it wasn't worth the effort to try and explain any further. "Why don't we make some pop¬corn and see if there's anything good on TV?"

* * *
Was that the doorbell? Nicole raised herself on her elbow and squinted at the illuminated numerals on the clock. It was after three. She must have been dreaming.

She was about to snuggle under the covers, when she heard it again. It was the doorbell, followed by the sound of knocking.

Leaping from the bed, Nicole yanked a housecoat from the closet and ran down the stairs, her heart beating wildly.

PURCHASE YOUR COPY FROM AMAZON TODAY!



Marilyn Meredith is the author of nearly thirty published novels, including the award winning Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series, the latest Dispel the Mist from Mundania Press. Under the name of F. M. Meredith she writes the Rocky Bluff P.D. crime series, An Axe to Grind is the latest from Oak Tree Press.

She is a member of EPIC, Four chapters of Sisters in Crime, including the Internet chapter, Mystery Writers of America, and on the board of the Public Safety Writers of America. Visit her at http://fictionforyou.com and her blog at http://marilymeredith.blogspot.com/.

CONTEST: LEAVE A COMMENT AND BE IMMORTALIZED IN PRINT WHEN YOUR NAME IS USED IN MARILYN'S NEXT ROCKY BLUFF P.D. BOOK DUE OUT IN 2012.

Author Spotlight: Sue Provost and Where is God in Your Life?

As Christians, our spiritual journey constantly brings us back to Jerusalem, to the death and resurrection of Jesus, which gives meaning to all that we do. Strengthened by God’s Spirit we join on the walk to wherever, we share meals, and we tell our stories. We remember. God, as we go along our life’s way, will help us to be aware of His presence with us. He will open our eyes, makes us expectant, eager to be met by Him. We will never complete our spiritual journey.

Quite often people do not know how to develop a relationship with God, in order to be able to feel God’s love for them and to be able to share that love with others. They need to be given the tools necessary to develop a relationship with God and to understand how that relationship is celebrated in community.

Through the development of three two-day workshops, I have presented a program that will show readers and participants how to recognize God in their lives and to feel His love. I have designed these workshops to help people to continue their spiritual journey to greater connection with God. Finally, I have created these workshops to help others to see the importance of the Christian faith as a spiritual roadmap to be used on the path to God.

Read the Reviews of Where is God in Your Life?:

“Where is God in Your Life? Do you feel stuck in your quest to know God? Have you been around a person whose pores breathe perfect and radiant peace? Fear does not define any part of their life; they are not driven toward recognition yet they clearly and brightly reflect God so that you can’t help but notice them. You may pray, go to a church, and have a great family, but you know you don’t feel satisfied on the same level as your glowing friend. Where is God in your Life: Three Retreats in Christian Spirituality by Susan M Provost, a new book available on Amazon, offers readers a pathway to reach a new depth in their relationship with God.”

--K. Tomsic, Amazon Reviewer



Sue Provost is an active spiritual director, religious education teacher for both children and adults, and author of Where is God in Your Life? Three Retreats in Christian Spirituality. Her vocation in the practice of spiritual direction supports lay men and women, as well as clergy and those in ministry formation, in discernment of God’s gifting and God’s calling.

Sue has a master’s degree in Spiritual Formation from Regis University, in Denver Colorado. She is on the board of directors for the national headquarters of Small Christian Communities Connect (SCCC), as well as being the chairperson for SCC in her local parish. She is a teacher of religious education to both children and adults. She writes a daily blog about the message of Jesus on her site “Let Your Life Sing” . Sue goal in writing this daily blog is to bring awareness of God walking with us on this earthly journey.

Her desire is to share her understanding of God’s love with others, so they can experience what she found in her own relationship with God. She feels that communication with God through prayer is the essential element needed to be able to see God’s movement in their lives.

You can visit Sue’s website at www.sueprovost.com.

Book Promotion Events for Nancy Thayer and Beachcombers

Nancy Thayer will be touring with Pump Up Your Book Promotion in July with her latest release, Beachcombers: A Novel.

Here are some in-person events where you might catch her:


Saturday, June 26, 10-noon, Booksigning, Mitchell’s Bookstore, Nantucket, Massachusetts.

Wednesday, June 30, 7:30 pm, Booksigning, Bunch of Grapes, Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts

Thursday, July 1, Lunch Event, Bank Street Books, Mystic Connecticut

Thursday, July 1, 7 pm, Talk, Stonington Library, Stonington, Connecticut

Friday, July 2, Booksigning, Titcombs Books, East Sandwich, MA

August 18, 7 pm., Talk, Nantucket Atheneum




Nancy Thayer is the New York Times bestselling author of Summer House, Moon Shell Beach, The Hot Flash Club, The Hot Flash Club Strikes Again, Hot Flash Holidays, The Hot Flash Club Chills Out, and Between Husbands and Friends. She lives on Nantucket. You can visit Nancy Thayer’s website at www.NancyThayer.com.

Author Spotlight: Becky Due and Returning Injury

“This book held me on the edge of my seat…I would recommend this book to women who need to know they can overcome danger in frightening situations…”
--The Knowlton Nest


Rebecca’s life just keeps getting better. With Jack away on business, she’s looking forward to four days alone to work on her new client’s PR campaign to help women take back their lives. But her past intrudes. Roy, the man who stalked and assaulted her years before, has been released from prison. Home alone in her big, beautiful house out in the country, Rebecca has to learn to take back her own life while facing her fears and regaining her strength. But will she be strong enough when she faces the ultimate test?




“If you want a great suspense book that will keep you on the edge of your seat right up until the end of the book, then Returning Injury is the book for you! It is full of suspense, emotion, highs and lows!..”
--A Mom After Go's Own Heart


BUY RETURNING INJURY BY BECKY DUE AT AMAZON.COM!

Becky Due, like the main characters of her novels, spent many years running from herself, looking for love, crying a little and laughing a lot along the journey of finding herself. Through writing, Due found her passion. She is the author of several books and is currently working on her next novel.

Happily married she and Scott live in Colorado, Florida and Alberta, Canada with their two “kids” Buddy the Cat and Shorty the Pug.

Becky has been a guest on national radio programs and has been the subject of numerous newspaper and national magazine articles for empowering women through her novels. She has served as a guest speaker at Women’s Resource Centers, Shelters, Colleges and High Schools within the United States. Becky has had extensive training at Victim Services, worked the 24-Hour Sexual Assault Crisis-Line and was a Victim’s Advocate where she offered one-on-one assistance and support to rape victims. In 2007, Becky started, Women Going Forward, the first national women’s telephone support group, which ran for almost two years. After receiving much recognition for her novels, Becky’s focus turned back to her writing and empowering women through her novels.

Becky’s latest book is a supsense novel titled Returning Injury: A Suspense Chelebrating Women’s Strength. You can visit her website at www.beckydue.com

Author Spotlight: Sherry Shumard and Heartbroken Promises 2

"This is a short novel of only 78 pages and is crammed full of action and romance." --Just One More Paragraph

In Heartbroken Promises 2, Vicky Wainright decides to visit Jake’s Island so she can be close to her sister Miranda. She is offered a nanny job by the handsome Jordan, an eligible bachelor who is raising his son by himself. Her heart is soon torn, however, between Jordan and her sister's waiter, Noah. When Vicky is kidnapped while babysitting Jordan's son, Derrick, Miranda is sure Noah is one of the kidnappers. Will that change how Vicky feels about Noah? Will Derrick and Vicky be rescued in time?

Sherry Shumard is the published author of Heartbroken Promises and Heartbroken Promises 2. She plans on writing more books based upon the many ideas she has floating around in her head. Sherry is married and has three children and two pets.

You can find out more about the author and her work by visiting her website.

Follow Sherry's virtual book tour during the month of June by visiting http://virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/

5 Things You Don't Know about My Dog Tim: and Other Stories by Garasamo Maccagnone

Today's guest blogger is Garasamo Maccagnone, author of the literary fiction story collection, My Dog Tim: and Other Stories.

"5 Things You Don't Know about My Dog Tim: and Other Stories" by Garasamo Maccagnone

• Being an anthology, there is a twenty year separation between when the first story was published and the last one written.
• That the novel, St. John of the Midfield was heavily influenced by, The Great Gatsby.
• The short story "Goalie Boy" was originally published in a sports literature magazine called Aethelon.
• The shortest stories, which are two-page vignettes, took the longest to write.
• That someone has listed St. John of the Midfield on Amazon as one of the greatest sports novels ever.



Garasamo Maccagnone studied creative writing and literature under noted American writers Sam Astrachan and Stuart Dybek at Wayne State University and Western Michigan University. A college baseball player as well, Maccagnone met his wife Vicki as a junior at WMU. The following year, after injuring his throwing arm, Maccagnone left school and his baseball ambitions to marry Vicki. After a two year stint at both W.B. Doner and BBDO advertising agencies, Maccagnone left the industry to apply his knowledge of marketing in a new venture in an up-and-coming industry. Maccagnone created a company called, “Crate and Fly,” and turned it from a store front in 1984 to a world-wide multi-million dollar shipping corporation by 1994.

In the mid 90’s Maccagnone decided to fulfill the promise of his writing career, by first penning the children’s book, The Suburban Dragon and then following up with a collection of short stories and poetry entitled, The Affliction of Dreams. His literary novel, St. John of the Midfield was published in 2007, followed by his For the Love of St. Nick, which was released in 2008. Maccagnone expanded the original version of For the Love of St. Nick and had the book illustrated for a new release in June 2009. My Dog Tim: and Other Stories is a literary anthology of the author’s best work.

Garasamo “Gary” Maccagnone lives today in Shelby Township, Michigan, with his wife Vicki and three children. At this time, he is researching the location for his second novel, tentatively titled, He Lay Low.

You can visit Gary online at www.garasamomaccagnone.com

Visit Gary's tour stops all month long by visiting http://virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/

Author Spotlight: Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein and Secrets

Following on the heels of the best-selling book The Truth (I’m a girl, I’m smart and I know everything), SECRETS: You Tell Me Yours and I’ll Tell You Mine…maybe! is the continuing diary of a girl moving into her teen-age years. The Girl has plenty to fill her journal. The pages reveal a new school, a new baby in the family, new friends, a new guy and a new set of issues to face. Enter the secret world of an almost-teen as she learns which secrets to share and which to keep to herself.

Read an Excerpt!

I can’t believe it. Today we moved and I feel like I am in a dream. I just keep walking around our new house and wondering when we will go home. It feels so different and strange. The floors are all bare wood. Everything is on one floor. It is called a ranch house, I don’t know why. My mother said our rugs would look terrible here so she let the people who bought our house keep them. I think she was right. They are a dark maroon and the walls are a light cream in this house. I don’t think that would look good.

I went to the bathroom three times since we got here and every time I used a different bathroom. I can’t believe it. Three different toilets in the same house! Only my friend Susan, my rich friend, has more than two bathrooms. And now we do. I keep measuring the living room. Would you believe it is 27 feet by 15 feet? I used my own feet and added a few inches each time I took a step.

When I look out of the windows I expect to see the shrubs to my left and the Hudson house and I don’t. Instead I see a big open field that will probably have houses on it by next year. That’s what my father said. And when I look out to the right I expect to see our clothesline and the Dixson’s driveway. Instead I see rose bushes and a wooden bench under a tree that the last owners said we could have.

We had to eat supper off of paper plates and use wooden throw-away forks, knives and spoons because our boxes are still packed. My aunt made us a big picnic hamper of food and that’s what we ate for supper.

My brother already started to play with a kid next door who is about a year older than he is. He is so lucky. I have no one yet and that’s the truth!

Read the Reviews!

“In ‘The Truth (I’m a girl, I’m smart and I know everything)’ we met a young girl who is confident and ready to move forward. Now in ‘Secrets – You Tell Me Yours and I’ll Tell You Mine…maybe!’, the uncertainty of adolescence threatens to steal her Truth. Follow this charming young girl on the cusp of womanhood as she shares her secrets and explores her ever-changing world.”
– Cheryl C. Malandrinos, The Children’s and Teens’ Book Connection




Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein, nationally know Positive Psychologist, is the creator of The Enchanted Self,® a systematic way of helping to bring more joy, meaning, and purpose into our lives.

Dr. Holstein has been a school psychologist for more than 25 years. She has taught elementary school children and was an assistant professor in education in at Boston University. She has been in private practice as a psychologist with her husband, Dr. Russell M. Holstein, in Long Branch, New Jersey, for over 25 years.

Contact Dr. Holstein on the web at www.enchantedself.com and www.thetruthforgirls.com.

You can follow Dr. Barbara's virtual book tour during the month of June by stopping in each weekday at http://virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/

How to Be A Publicist Bloggers Want to Work With

As a virtual book tour (VBT) coordinator, I try my hardest to give bloggers everything they might need to host our authors. I sure appreciate not having to search out information to host an author at The Book Connection or The Children's and Teens' Book Connection. I also figure that bloggers are more apt to host additional clients for Pump Up Your Book Promotion if I make it as easy as possible.

While I have titled this article, "How to Be a Publicist Bloggers Want to Work With," the tips found here can also apply to authors who are contacting bloggers requesting a review, an interview, or a guest post.

1) Address your request to the blogger's name or Editor of (blog name).

Many blogs have profiles listed that provide the blogger's name or username. Considering you are asking the blogger to spend some of her precious time promoting your author's book, the least you can do is address your query to her directly. I rarely respond to an email that begins, "Dear Blogger."

2) Provide all the information a blogger needs to make a decision.

This seems like a no brainer, but I've had to go looking for information before making a decision on whether to review a book--thankfully, not often. Your email should include: the author's name, book title, a short synopsis, genre, the author's bio, a link to the author's website, and whether you are asking for a review to be posted in a certain time frame (as is often the case with virtual book tours). You can also include a short excerpt of the book if there isn't one on the author's website.

3) Make the blogger aware of controversial content.

This could also be included above, but I wanted to speak of it separately to include examples. It is important to let the blogger know--assuming you are aware of it--if the book you are asking them to promote/review contains specific religious beliefs, vulgarities, or obscenities. Sometimes this will be obvious by the genre, but in cases where it isn't, you'll save everyone time if you're up front about the book's contents.

My first example comes from my work as a VBT coordinator. I specialize in Christian fiction and nonfiction because they are genres I enjoy. One of my client's books however, wasn't listed as Christian fiction, but as an international thriller. A blogger agreed to review the book not knowing Christian beliefs played a significant role. My client sent out the book, but ended up with no review when the blogger emailed me to say she doesn't review Christian fiction.

The other example is from my role as a blogger/book reviewer. Last year a publisher sent me a review request for an author I wasn't familiar with. I was very disappointed when I found the book to be so vulgar and obscene that it turned me off. While I was able to provide a decent review, because the book was hilarious in many spots, I had to be honest and explain why it wasn't for me. There wasn't a link to the author's website included, so I made my judgment based upon what was written by the publisher. Big mistake.

4) Don't ship a book to a blogger without asking.

This, again, seems like common sense, but it has happened to me on more than one occasion. I'm a very flexible blogger. I rarely decline a review request. What irks me, however, is when a publicist who I have worked with in the past automatically ships a book to me without asking if I am interested. It's presumptuous to assume I am willing or have the time to review a book just because I have reviewed a book you represented in the past.

Along a similar vein, don't automatically ship a book just because you haven't received a response to your query. While I was on vacation last year, a publicist emailed me about reviewing a book. When I returned home, the book was in a pile of mail I picked up from the post office. I could have saved the publicist some postage, because I knew I wouldn't like the book. When I did review the book, I couldn't give it a decent review because I was so opposed to the content.

5) Send requested material in plenty of time.

Especially in the case of virtual book tours where a schedule is involved, you must provide the blogger with what she needs in a timely fashion to ensure the post will go up on the scheduled date. If I end up having to track down things last minute for an author's tour, I'm not interested in hosting him again.

With the popularity of virtual book tours and the increasing demands on bloggers, it behooves a publicist to make hosting authors as easy as possible. These tips will go a long way in helping to ensure bloggers will say yes when you ask them to feature your authors at their blogs.

6 Tips on How to Be a Great Virtual Book Tour Host

As a virtual book tour (VBT) coordinator and blogger/book reviewer, I come to the online book promotion world from two different angles. Before I began working for Pump Up Your Book Promotion (PUYBP), I was just like any other blogger looking for ways to attract authors, publishers, and publicists to my blog in the hopes of sharing my love of books. In the early days that meant reaching out to writing friends and asking to interview them or review their books. There had to be a benefit for others to be willing to spend some of their precious time browsing around. Then I had to find a way to promote my blog so people would know about it.

In the three years I've worked for PUYBP, I've had the opportunity to foster relationships with many great bloggers. I always breathe a sigh of relief when I check my calendar and all my clients are right where they are supposed to be. While we have a regular group of bloggers who host a majority of our clients, we also add new bloggers all the time.

What separates the great bloggers from the rest? How do you make a good first impression so VBT companies will consider you to host their clients? And probably most important from your perspective, how do you drive traffic to your blog by being a VBT host?

Here is a quick list to help you in these areas:

1) Provide all the information a VBT company needs when you contact them.

Your initial email is the first impression you give a virtual book tour company. It should be professionally written, free of errors, and provide the company with the information it needs to determine if your blog is the right place for their client: title of the book you're interested in, author's name, your name, and the URL of your blog. If you aren't inquiring about a specific author's book, then be sure to include a list of preferred genres. Other items you might include is how you promote your blog, how long you have been blogging, and if you accept eBooks.

2) Respond promptly to emails.

If you've captured a VBT company's eye and they wish to work with you, then don't let their interest wane by taking a week to answer their return email. I typically respond to inquiries within 48 hours. Virtual book tour companies are working on deadline, planning one month's tours while the current month's tours are running. They will appreciate your fast response time.

3) Apprise the coordinator of any issues.

Things happen in the virtual world and in real life that impact our schedules. Sometimes books don't get shipped right away or you receive the book but don't have time to read and review it before the scheduled date. A quick email to the VBT coordinator at least two weeks in advance will eliminate surprises and allow them time to work with you on a solution. There is no worse feeling than reading an email from a blogger on the day a client is supposed to appear at a blog that says the book was never received.

I maintain a spreadsheet for the books I review at The Book Connection and The Children's and Teens' Book Connection. I also have a paper calendar that lists the scheduled date when I am hosting each author. I check my calendar first thing every morning. When I notice I don't have a book I am supposed to review, I zip a quick email off to the VBT coordinator to let her know.

4) Provide enough information in your review to help readers make an informed buying decision.

While I am going to write up a separate article on "How to Be A Good Book Reviewer," I feel it is important to talk about here. A book review should include a short synopsis of the book and your opinions on it: what you enjoyed about the book and where, if applicable, it fell short of your expectations. For the average size book, that can be done in 150 words or more. Any less, and you risk not providing enough information for a potential reader.

5) Be familiar with social media so you can draw attention to your blog and an author's review.

While Facebook and Twitter have been around for a while, it seems they didn't really start creating a buzz until a couple of years ago. Who's tweeting, what are they tweeting about, who's on Facebook, and what they are posting, have become part of the daily life of bloggers and virtual book tour companies.

The traffic at The Book Connection doubled within weeks of me beginning to use Facebook and Twitter. PUYBP uses Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks to promote clients, attract bloggers, and for pre-promotion buzz.

What I found however, is that social media can be a huge drain on productivity. You could spend hours just on promoting to different social networks each day. Then I found ping.fm, which allows me to promote to numerous social networks all at once. I post a message on my ping.fm dashboard, and it is sent out to every social network I have listed with them.

Considering the sheer number of blogs out there, if you want people to know about your blog and what it has to offer, you have to become familiar with social media. In addition, you can pre-promote by using your sidebar to tell your readers who will be featured on your blog on which dates.

6) Go the extra mile.

The bloggers I find myself going back to time and again are the ones who work hard to make posts eye-catching. We ask all our hosts to include the cover art and a link to purchase the book from Amazon--or other online retailer--but many times I find author photos, author bios, book trailers, blurbs from reviews at other sites, a link to PUYBP's publicity blog, and links to the next stop on an author's tour posted as well. These extras make a big difference. While they aren't required, they are always nice to see.

Being a virtual book tour host is fun. You can get some great books for free, learn about authors you might never have heard of otherwise, and VBTs provide you with regular fresh content for your blogs.

Look for my next article in this series, "How to Be a Publicist Bloggers Want to Work With," coming soon.