Jack Thigpen works in Detroit, nicknamed The Motor City, the perfect place for a fraud investigator who specializes in car insurance scams. He is on a case he believes is a typical, low-level crime, but it quickly turns into a situation with ominous international consequences. Ironically, as he is targeted for death because of his investigation, Jack is diagnosed with a fatal disease that is untreatable, a disease that will end his life within months. And instead of killing Jack, the hit man shoots Jack's best friend. Struggling to come to terms with his impending death, Jack vows to track down his friend's killer.
Jack plunges into the world of corrupt car dealerships, chop shops, and fraudulent auto repair shops. He is soon swept into the darkness of Detroit's criminal underbelly to uncover the truth about power struggles within organized crime rings. Death is staring him in the face, but Jack doesn't back down. He pushes ahead, plowing through perilous roadblocks planted by his enemies, propelling himself toward the finish line and a teeth-gritting, heart-pounding conclusion.
AUTHOR'S BIO:
Doug Hewitt was born and raised near Detroit, Michigan and now lives in North Carolina. Along the way, he did a four-year stint in the Marine Corps and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics. He has been writing short stories for over 20 years and has been getting them published for most of that time, with over 80stories in print. His stories have appeared in anthologies such as The Dead Inn and 100 Wicked Little Witch Stories. He has appeared in the premier issue of Apex Digest and has seen his chapbook, Slipstream, published by Scrybe Press.
He turned his attention to longer works and had his first novel Spear published in 2002. The Midwest Book Review calls Spear “a thrilling and deftly crafted novel.” After remarrying in 2004, he and his wife, Robin, founded HewittsBooks.com. In addition to authoring a non-fiction parenting book, The Practical Guide To Weekend Parenting, Doug and Robin teamed up to write The Joyous Gift of Grandparenting.
Doug returned to his original passion, writing fiction, and wrote The Dead Guy, which St. Martins author Lynn Chandler-Willis calls a “high-octane, pedal-to-the-metal ride through the criminal underbelly of the automotive world.”
You can visit Doug Hewitt and read a free PDF chapter of The Dead Guy at www.HewittsBooks.com.
Finding himself packed off to friends in the USA, fifteen-year-old English born Fred Squire is not happy. Then he meets Brittany.
Struggling with his feelings for Brit and the language, Fred is further confused when he meets Brit's flirtatious friend, Angel.
Escaping from a confrontation with Steve Harris, the neighborhood bully, Brit tells Fred her dark secret about Harris, and Fred's world is turned upside down.
Life continues to throw Fred a curveball when he catches a baseball worth a small fortune. Further run-ins with Harris, a crazy family BBQ, and a chase through a mall all add to Fred's American adventure.
"Brit and her Brit", know that their young love will be followed by heartache when Fred has to return to England. But not before some final twists in the tale.
With believable characters, exciting events, humor, first love, education and a little sport thrown in for good measure. Across the Pond is read and enjoyed by people of all ages from the young to the young at heart.
AUTHOR'S BIO:
Born in Barnet, Hertfordshire, Barry Eva, also known as “Storyheart”, left his beloved England in 2000, moving to the USA to be with the woman he'd met and fallen in love with on the Internet.
Better known for his short romance stories on the net and in his book Stories from the Heart, Barry is popular for narrating his stories on local TV or as a guest on other media stations,where his wit, oratory, and old-fashioned English charm make him a popular interviewee.
At present, Barry is living in Connecticut, with his wife and two children. You can visit Storyheart’s website at http://www.across-t-pond.com.
February 2, 2009--Join author and television show co-host Ray Comfort on his first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion Public Relations as he travels the blogosphere in February to talk about his latest release, You Can Lead an Atheist to Evidence, But You Can’t Make Him Think.
In this entertaining and enlightening new book, Pastor Ray Comfort, author of the million-selling The Atheist Test, “talks to the atheists” and reveals not just the weakness of their arguments but the solid foundation upon which the Christian stands.
Few books take the time to address the atheist’s conscience. This book not only gives empirical evidence for the existence of God, it shows atheists that they desperately need His forgiveness. Using a lively Q&A format, featuring actual questions from atheists sent to Pastor Comfort’s blog at Atheist Central, You Can Lead An Atheist to Evidence, But You Can’t Make Him Think shows that God’s existence can be proven, and that anyone can do it!
PRAISE FOR God Doesn’t Believe in Atheists: Proof That the Atheist Doesn’t Exist also by Ray Comfort
With sharp reasoning, infallible logic, and quick wit, Ray Comfort slices up the thin veil of atheistic "reasoning". No more excuses for those who would deny the existence of God. And nowhere to run. But to the cross.–Jeffrey Ellis, Naperville, IL
Ray Comfort is the author of more than 60 books, including, God Doesn’t Believe in Atheists, How to Know God Exists, Evolution: The Fairy Tale for Grownups, You Can Lead an Atheist to Evidence, But You Can’t Make Him Think, and The Evidence Bible. He was a platform speaker at the 2001 27th convention of “American Atheists,” and in 2007, he appeared on ABC’s Nightline (with actor Kirk Cameron) debating “The Existence of God.” He also co-hosts an award-winning television program, and has a daily blog called “Atheist Central.”
“Ray’s tour has been so much fun to put together,” says Cheryl Malandrinos, Tour Coordinator for Pump Up Your Book Promotion Public Relations. “It’s great when you get a chance to promote a book that is both enjoyable and informative.”
Ray Comfort’s virtual book tour is brought to you by Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours, a virtual book tour agency for authors who want quality service for an affordable price. More information can be found on their website at www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.com.
Contact Information:
Dorothy Thompson CEO Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours “Just leave your book tour in our hands!” P.O. Box 643 Chincoteague, Virginia 23336 Phone: 757-336-0633 Email: thewriterslife@yahoo.com
Jerry Pollock is born into a less than ideal family where his neglectful mother and neurotic father do not and cannot provide him with the love and nuturing all children deserve. It will not be until many years later, when Jerry begins Primal Therapy, that he will discover the repressed memories of his childhood.
Divorced from his first wife, now a full professor at Stony Brook University, and planning to marry Marcia, Jerry hears the words that will eventually change his life.
After being diagnosed with Bipolar disorder at age 50, enduring the collapse of his career, attempting suicide, and encountering a cult, Jerry returns to those words he heard a decade ago. His spiritual journey brings him past the memories, the hurts, and the disappointments of his earlier years, and moves him forward to a life of enduring richness and meaning.
If you read and enjoyed Pollock's not-so-fictional novel, Messiah Interviews: Belonging to God--which we reviewed here--you'll want to pick up a copy of Divinely Inspired.
In true memoir form, Pollock shares his life in a candid way, holding nothing back, and the reader will be left amazed by some of the things that the author has endured. The dedication of his wife, Marica, that is also so lovingly portrayed in Messiah Interviews, also shines through in Divinely Inspired, as she supports and loves her husband through many difficult experiences.
The addition of an Epilogue that shares the author's spiritual insights is a brave move. Having spent his life as a scientist, Pollock shares his belief that Evolution and Creation are not mutually exclusive because God is the Master Scientist. Divinely Inspired will also shed further light on the happenings in Messiah Interviews.
A true companion to Messiah Interviews, but also a book that will be enjoyed by those interested in reading how one man's spiritual journey leads him to inner peace, Divinely Inspired by Jerry Pollock, is a unique way to discover the wisdom of God.
Title: Divinely Inspired: Spiritual Awakening of a Soul Author: Jerry Pollock Publisher: Shechinah Third Temple ISBN: 978-0-9817212-5-5 SRP: $15.00 (U.S.)
Katie Russell, her two-year-old brother, Toby, and her parents move into a big, empty house in the country. Well, at least they think it is empty. But after moving in, Katie begins to find objects laying around that don't belong to anyone in the family. Oh, and there's that girlish laughter Katie hears too.
Kimble, the ghost of a ten-year-old girl, appears to Katie and asks her to help find out what happened to Kimble's mother. So Katie and Kimble set out on an adventure that leads them to a graveyard, the granddaughter of the man who started the town's newspaper, and a forest, to uncover the truth.
An excellent start to a new series of chapter books for young readers. Katie & Kimble: A Ghost Story explores friendship and the loss of a loved one in such a way that the reader is immediately drawn into the story. In our interview with Linda Thieman, she mentioned the importance of dealing with grief in a realistic way. Katie & Kimble does this, as the girls discover together what happened to Kimble's mother.
There is nothing that will scare a young reader within this book's pages. The mystery is there. The suspense builds as Katie and Kimble investigate what might have happened to Kimble's mother. But at no point is the material presented in such a way that a young reader will experience fear.
Thieman did a wonderful job of portraying both Katie's youth and her growth. Katie is forced to make a decision between helping Kimble and obeying her parents. In the end, this delicate issue is handled well and addressed in an appropriate fashion.
The black and white illustrations by Kim Tharp truly bring Katie and Kimble's world to life in a special way, and one of these illustrations adorns the front cover.
A bit of mystery, a budding friendship, and some wonderful adventures await young readers in Katie & Kimble: A Ghost Story.
Title: Katie & Kimble: A Ghost Story Author: Linda Thieman Publisher: Pale Silver Rainplop Press ISBN-10: 0-9794396-1-2 ISBN-13: 978-0-9794396-1-2 SRP: $5.95 (U.S.)
Social media consultant Angela Wilson interviewed me recently on the topic of virtual book tours. The virtual book tour is a relatively new online promotional tool for authors. You can read The Dos and Don'ts of Virtual Book Tours at Angela's Market My Novelblog.
One thing that I didn't address in this article is the advantage of being a tour host. If you are a blogger who would like to draw more traffic to your blog, hosting virtual book tours might be the way to go. You can email me if you're interested in talking about it.
Recovering Me, Discovering Joy reveals how to recover (from any ailment or condition) not to normal but to a better normal. After numerous attempts at sobriety, stints in more than three rehabs, followed by repeated relapses, Vivian shares the “secret” that finally brought her lasting recovery and profoundly changed her life. In an effort to improve the success rate of recovery and quite possibly save lives, one of the book’s main goals is to raise awareness about the profound correlation between depression, social anxiety, and alcoholism. Vivian has struggled with these disorders and is in recovery from all three.
In addition, Recovering Me, Discovering Joy is a remarkably honest book of creative non-fiction about the positive nature of life’s problems. It is about the journey to know oneself. With a sense of humor and an uplifting spirit of gratitude, Vivian suggests ways to live a more meaningful life. She offers a fresh look at enduring truths which we all tend to forget in our day-to-day fast-paced lives. By using stories from people in recovery, famous quotes and personal reflections, she re-establishes the importance of faith in the healing process. Her experience, strength and hope provide the reader with keys to living a richer, easier and happier life.
How I Found the Road to Recovery by Vivian Eisenecher
People ask all the time, “If the drink or drug is ruining somebody’s life, why doesn’t the addict or alcoholic simply put the drink (or drug) down?” For years and years, families, loved ones, medical professionals and society in general have repeatedly asked this question. In Recovering Me, Discovering Joy, I have an answer for the “why” of addiction. I can only speak for myself but in so doing I know that I speak for others unwilling (understandably) or unable (completely understandable) to come forward with their story.
Crazy as it seems, I didn’t like the way I felt when I was sober. That’s why I drank. Imagine that! I could not recover from alcoholism until my social anxiety and dysthymia (a chronic low-grade depression) were successfully treated. These two disorders drove my alcoholism. They were “why” I drank. The biggest problem for me was that they were never diagnosed. The miraculous thing is that they were finally and simultaneously treated only after I could (or would not) stay sober and the treatment center was throwing every available tool into the mix to treat my alcoholism. It was serendipitous because what was thrown at my alcoholism worked wonders for my anxiety and depression. The tool that has kept me sober to this day is the successful treatment of my social phobia and dysthymia. After numerous tries at sobriety and numerous relapses, my shrink threw his hands in the air and said, “Let’s try an antidepressant.” I knew sitting in his office right then that this would be a life-changing event for me. And it was.
It took awhile after anti-depressants were introduced for medical professionals and the public to understand their wide spread implications (and effectiveness) to relieve a number of different ailments. I know, I know there is so much negativity and so much derogatory information being disseminated in the media about anti-depressants. But rarely has the incredible stories of transformed lives ever been talked about! To share my profound story of hope is one of the main reasons I wrote Recovering Me, Discovering Joy. I am passionate about spreading how I found successful recovery.
My life has been transformed by the miracle of modern day medicine. The serotonin levels needed to be corrected in my brain. That’s it! Just like those people prone to high blood pressure take medications to keep from having a heart attack or stroke, I take medication to keep from losing my life to alcohol. Drinking again would be a death sentence for me for sure.
To reduce the incidence of substance abuse, we must continue to look at the underlying factors that fuel it. And by so doing, we will not only help prevent drug and alcohol addiction but we will improve the quality of life for so many. Please read Recovering Me, Discovering Joy for fresh insights into the ongoing societal battle against substance abuse and for an inspiring tale of redemption. You, too, can recover. In Recovering Me, Discovering Joy I show you how. God bless you and yours…
Author of Recovering Me, Discovering Joy / Uplifting Wisdom for Everyday Greatness, Vivian Eisenecher has been an inspirational speaker, mentor and writer since 1996. Using her experience, strength and hope, she is committed to helping educate and enlighten the general public about the puzzling aspects of the addiction/recovery process and the strong correlation between anxiety, depression and alcoholism. Vivian holds a marketing degree in Business Administration (magna cum laude). Her other published works include articles for The Chicken Soup for the Soul series, Woman’s World, Viewpoint, and JUST FINE: Unmasking Depression and Anxiety Disorders (due out in 2009). She is featured on the 2009 Faces of Recovery Calendar and is a Board of Director for A New Path (Parents for Addiction Treatment and Healing). You can visit Vivian Eisenecher's website at: http://recoveringme.com/in/.
