Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.” —Groucho Marx

Thursday, January 31, 2013

Feature &Follow Friday #20


Hey Peeps.....it's that time again!!   This is a   BLOG HOP!!  It is designed to help you meet and follow your fellow bloggers and they will follow you back!  Woo Hoo!   Circle the Wagons!


RULES

To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:
  • (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read}
  • (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers
  • Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
  • Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say “hi” in your comments and that they are now following you.
  • If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn’t have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed
  • Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI”
  • If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love…and the followers
  • If you’re new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!
  • If you have CAPTCHA word verification enabled on your blog, please take it off. It makes it much more difficult for readers to comment. Please look at Allison's CAPTCHA Eradication Post to learn how to get rid of it.
  •  This week's question: 

    What is the first thing you would do if you woke up to find yourself in your favorite book?  via @GizmosReviews

    A:   I would probably pee myself to find I was part of the Harry Potter fantasies and ill prepared to be there!!!

     

     

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Into the Dark by /a PICT VBTour (Review, Guest Post & Give Away)

Today, please help me welcome Stacy Green who is guest posting for us.   Welcome Stacy.   Please tell us "What are your writing quirks and must haves, when you get down to business?"


Thanks so much to Beth for having me today! I’m excited to get to know your readers.

Writers. We’re a quirky bunch, aren’t we? Most of us spend a lot of times in our heads and fielding off our character’s voices, and we are all people watchers. I can’t tell you the amount of character detail I’ve gleaned just from observing shoppers at the mall.

And when I sit down to write, I’m just as eccentric. I love natural light, and part of the reason I don’t have a real office is because the only room is in the basement. It’s finished and nice, but not a walk out. No matter how many lamps I put down there, the effect isn’t the same. I like the big open window and the sunshine.

I’ve also got to have my various notebooks–all of which need organizational assistance. Of course I’ve got my favorite pencils and pens, and I also have a special notepad for whatever I’m working on. If something trips me up or needs more research, I can jot that down and move on with writing the bones of the story.

Coffee. A must have, unless it’s after lunch, and then it’s all about water. Cell phone in case I need to contact my critique partner. I’ve got my reference books nearby–The Emotion Thesaurus is a constant, and as I’m working on my second book set in the deep South, I’ve got an amazing hardcover called Lost Plantations. If you like Civil War or Southern history, I highly recommend this book–it’s full of personal stories and anecdotes about life on the plantations.

Most important is comfy clothes–I tend to spend my days in sweats or yoga pants and t-shirts.  As for music, I can take it or leave it, but the television is a killer. I can’t have it on or I will get totally distracted.

What about you? If you’re a writer, what are your must haves? And readers, do you have a favorite reading quirk? 

Thank you for joining us today Stacy!   This has been most enjoyable!

Synopsis:

A two-hundred-mile labyrinth of dark storm drains serves as a refuge for the delusional stalker who will go to any lengths to possess fragile, emotionally isolated Emilie Davis. To survive, Emilie will have to confront the secrets of her past she has kept locked away from everyone, including herself.
Emilie is a master escape artist—she’s fled a manipulative mother and a controlling ex-husband. But it’s impossible to evade a stalker who uses a bank robbery as a ruse to kidnap her. He’s still out there, hiding in the Las Vegas tunnels and dodging police. Emilie’s life careens out of control as her assailant continues his pursuit. She has nowhere to turn but to Nathan Madigan, the hostage negotiator who worked the robbery.
Nathan is haunted by his failure to protect a loved one fourteen years ago and dedicates his life to saving others. Determined to catch the lunatic hunting Emilie, he finds himself losing his professional detachment. He fears history is about to repeat itself if he cannot protect Emilie from the Taker’s obsession.


The police close in on the Taker’s identity as Nathan and Emilie grow closer to each other and to resolving the misery of their own pasts. At the height of The Taker’s madness, his attempt to replace someone he’s lost will either kill them all or set them free.

My Review:

I can not stress enough how I enjoy a good mystery!    Into the Dark was just that!   Excellent, superb and it grabbed me by the heart!  I found myself often breathless with the suspense!   The synopsis will give you the key elements of the story.   Character development was strong and realistic.   The plot and storyline suspenseful and mysterious.  And I reveled in the fact that Stacy Green was raised in Iowa!  There is hope for me yet to be a writer!

I absolutely loved Into the Dark , it had all the elements I love, mystery, suspense, action, compassion and romance and a detective you just loved to hate!   It also had one you wanted to love too!   It was a compelling read and the sections involving the tunnels and the folks that lived there, well it certainly spoke to your heart.     Thanks Stacy for providing such a thoughtful and rewarding mystery to us!
 

Author info:


Raised in southeastern Iowa, Stacy Green grew up watching crime shows with her parents, so her love of suspense and psychological thrillers is no surprise. She’s fascinated by the workings of the criminal mind and explores true crime on her popular Thriller Thursday posts at her blog, Turning the Page.
After earning her degree in journalism, Stacy worked in advertising before becoming a
stay-at-home mom to her miracle child. She rediscovered her love of writing and wrote several articles for a city magazine before penning her first novel. She shelved the long drama and began working on a suspense book set in Las Vegas, featuring a heroine on the edge of disaster, a tormented villain, and the city’s infamous storm drains that house hundreds of homeless.
Into The Dark is suspense with a dash of romance, and Stacy is hard at work on her next book, a darker, grittier thriller set in the Deep South.
When she’s not writing, she spends all her time with her precocious daughter, supportive husband, and their three obnoxious but lovable canine children.
Follow Stacy online at her BlogTwitterFacebook, and  Web site.


The author is donating proceeds from the sale of her book to the homeless.  Not only is she sponsoring a big giveaway on her site, but has also generously offered, to have those hosts who post a review, to host a give away of one (1) EBook of Into The Dark on your blog.

Regarding the charity, here is how she described it:

The charity is for the homeless. I'm going to run a rafflecopter contest, and one of the options will be to donate to HELP of Southern Nevada, which is the organization that assists the homeless living in the Las Vegas storm drains. The grand prize of my charity contest is a $100 donation from me to the winner's homeless charity of choice, in the winner's name.


Give Away:   Sign up for a free e-copy of Into the Dark through the rafflecopter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 




Every eBook received for review on the tours for Partners In Crime are given in exchange for an honest review. The eBooks are sole property (copyrighted) of the author and should not be sold, distributed to, or exchanged among other people not part of the tours, nor should they be listed on file sharing sites. Failure to comply with this disclaimer, will result in removal from all future tours.
 

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Glistening Haven by /a SG VBTour (review)


 SYNOPSIS:


Racism, segragation, obsession with beauty, it's all fair game in this fun high octane novel about love, betrayal, politics, and big brother.
Susan Monroe doesn't ask for much: good grades from her children, a house with room for a pool, to be the best Tupperware party host in New Haven 56.
But inside her tranquil 1950s styled community, a monster lurks. A monster that lives inside Susan, and every one of her superficially perfect neighbors, held in check by the oppressive police state that rules over them.

Susan's happy life is torn apart when her teenage son goes missing the same night an  explosion rips apart the community. Susan knows it’s only a matter of time before the police start breaking down their doors.
Before the reconditioning begins and Susan's identity is lost, she must do one final thing.
Find her son.

  Author Biography:

Jill Cooper loves tea more than coffee and is obsessed over finding that perfect recipe. She lives in Danvers, MA with two cats, a toddler, a husband, and a 1964 yellow taxi. Her life is chaotic, but fun. She is currently working on a new Sci-fi thriller and the sequel to the Dream Slayer. She can be contacted at http://www.jillacooper.com

 

  My Review:

What a different world Glistening Haven was!  There were humans and glistenings living together in a controlled world of domes referred to as Havens.   Our story begins in Haven 56.   After the world survived the great beauty years, (our time), things went amok and the glistenings ate the celebrities of Hollywood.   Once they were rounded up, had their wings clipped and their minds reconditioned, they were placed in the domed havens to live out productive lives if not predictable lives.   Life for the Glistenings was very controlled and everyone was docile if not happy.

Quite a story.....running along the same old sins humanity has always faced....distinction between races, cultures, obsession with perfection and beauty and government in control.   I'm uncertain whether this is a stand alone book or if there will be more to follow, but there is certainly room for the story to be further developed.   I read the story and was engrossed in it, you feel the relationships between family members, and I grew to love the the humans and the glistenings.   The book is jam packed with evil doers, innocents, heroes and action-adventure.

It was a read that encouraged the reader to think about the world created within the covers and how close real life has mirrored these conditions; how people throughout the ages have lived with these circumstances and how they have fared.  I found this book quite interesting and unsettling to say the least--but in a good way.   I felt challenged.   Read it for yourself and let me know what you think of it!

 

 


Disclaimer:  I read for my pleasure.   I may receive ARC copies for review purposes, but I am not compensated for my reviews .  I like to read and I like to share my reviews.   I post my thoughts without prejudice or bias.  The words are mine and I write reviews based on my humble opinion.  I will admit, I seldom meet a book I don't like.

Saturday, January 26, 2013

An Interview with Liesel K Hill

 Good afternoon Peeps!   Sorry about posting so late in the day.    Please help me welcome Ms Liesel K Hill for an in depth interview today.  Liesel is the author of (012913 release date) Persistence of Vision. 
(Soft applause welcomes Liesel)

Let us begin.   Thank you for joining us today Liesel.    Inquiring minds have a lot they'd like to know.

First, when did you know you were born to write?


I don’t know that there was an exact moment. A grade-school teacher told my mom that I was capable of writing, and after that I always thought about it. If I had to pick a moment, it was probably in college when I turned wholly toward writing. It wasn’t that I had a sudden realization, but rather that when I decided to go for it whole-heartedly, my entire life changed. I was happier, more hopeful, more fulfilled. That made me realize it was the right thing for me to be doing. :D

Who influenced you in becoming the author you are today?

Tons of people! My dad was always an avid reader, my mom read to me from the time I was a child, so they definitely both influenced me. In terms of other authors, I’d name Robert Jordan and Joseph Conrad, among myriad others.

What was your favorite book and author as a child?

I don’t know that I had one favorite, but I grew up on the genres I now write. My mom used to read us The Chronicles of Narnia, and one of my earliest memories is of my dad sitting against the doorframe of our room at night and telling us tales of Frodo and the Ring. He had them memorized. I also read a lot of Boxcar Children and Nancy Drew, so I’ve always been drawn to mystery.


Who do you read now?

Everyone! I’m very eclectic in my reading, now.


Do you read as much as you write?

Probably more. My resolution this year was to read at least fifty books. I think it’s safe to say I won’t write that many. :D Time-wise, I probably spend more time reading than writing, though not by much.


If you could meet any author of past or present, who would it be?

Probably Robert Jordan.

What would you ask them?

I would want to pick his brain about how he came up with particular characters and plot lines; what his thought processes were and what directions he considered for various arcs and then abandoned.

What made you select your genre (which is?)

Persistence of Vision is a dystopia with elements of scifi in it. Picking my genre wasn’t a conscious choice. I had a story in mind, wrote it, then had to categorize it. The story is comprised of things I was thinking about, but I crafted the story to be what it was. I didn’t try to pigeon-hole it into any one genre.


How did you conceive the idea for Persistence of Vision?

The first part of it, where Maggie loses time in Vegas, is actually based on a true story. I just let my imagination run wild with possibilities. I then combined it with things I’d been thinking about while taking a literary science fiction class in college, so POV is a combination of a lot of different ideas that I sculpted together.

What advice would you share with a would-be writer?

Read a lot, learn everything you can about the industry, and NEVER give up. The only difference between a published writer and an unpublished writer is persistence.


Do you write with background noise or silence?

Usually silence. I sometimes put on classical music, just to give me clarity as I write, but I’ve gotten out of the habit of doing that lately. I live with my 2-year-old niece and often I need to be able to listen for any crash-and-burn tactics she might try out.

Describe your writing area, please.

I write in my bedroom. I don’t really have a desk or writing space. I just sit on my bed with my laptop and have at it. :D

Who is the first person you share the written word with?

I have a writer’s group (critique group) that gets the rawest material. They get it a chapter at a time. When I have an entire novel, I give it to them if they want to read it start to finish, and to my dad who is my most ardent supporter.

Can you tell us a little about your current WIP?

I’m currently working on Book 2 of Interchron, which I’m calling Quantum Entanglement. It’s almost finished. I’m also doing editing for a historical fiction trilogy, the first book of which, Citadels of Fire, will be out in September. And I’m doing some planning for a high fantasy series I’m just starting to work on. As you can see, I’m a busy girl. :D

Now for fun:

Salty or sweet? Sweet! Definitely!

Favorite drink? Either fruit juice or chocolate milk.

Cookies, pie or cake? Ooh too hard! Probably cookies, though pie is a close second.

Coffee or pop? If I had to choose, pop, but I’m not big on either.

Happy endings, surprise endings, or cliffhangers? Depends. Mid-series, I gotta go with the cliff-hangers. At the very end, though, it’s always got to be happy! ;D

What is your ultimate goal with your writing(s)? To support myself with it. I want to be a full-time novelist who doesn’t need to do any other sort of work. And to get every story rumbling around in my brain out onto the page.

Thanks so much for having me, Beth! I’ve enjoyed being here! :D

Thanks so much for being with us today Liesel!!   We look forward to your upcoming works!

Feel free to read Persistence of Vision and contact Liesel at any of the following venues! 





Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Outsystem by /a SG PROMO


Blurb: Someone is out to stop the GSS Intrepid, an interstellar colony ship, from being completed on schedule and beginning its journey to 82 Eridani. When anti-colonial activist groups are suspected, Major Tanis Richards, an officer in the field of military intelligence and counterinsurgency, is brought onboard to hunt them down.

A public disgrace Tanis suffered at the hands of the military has motivated her to leave Sol and start a new life elsewhere. She soon discerns that more than simple activist groups are arrayed against the ship and its crew. There are corporations and governments that have a vested interest in ensuring that the Intrepid never leaves the Sol system.

Tanis tightens security and fights political red tape while running up against assassins and mercenaries sent to the stop her and the Intrepid at every turn. The new friends and relationships she forges strengthen her resolve to protect the ship and keep its crew and colonists safe as they endeavor to head outsystem.

Author Info:  Michael Cooper has been writing since the day he closed Return of the King and wanted more. He's written a lot of fantasy that he never tried to get published, but one day decided to try his hand at science fiction, of which he has published one book (Outsystem) and is working on the sequel, A Path in the Darkness.

Michael is a software engineer at a company which builds sites and services around the open-source CMS named Drupal and enjoys the creativity involved in building web applications.
When not writing stories or code Michael is spending time with his wife and daughter, or doing carpentry--a hobby which he has been growing over the years.
His other interests include astronomy, cars and racing, blacksmithing, movies, and just about any creative work one can do.

My Review: 

I have not been able to complete the reading of this book as yet.    I will post a review at a later date when my health accommodates.    Thanks for bearing with me all!
   

Disclaimer:  I read for my pleasure.   I may receive ARC copies for review purposes, but I am not compensated for my reviews .  I like to read and I like to share my reviews.   I post my thoughts without prejudice or bias.  The words are mine and I write reviews based on my humble opinion.  I will admit, I seldom meet a book I don't like.


Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Persistance of Vision by Liesel K Hill a review

Persistence of Vision 

                        --by Liesel K Hill

            Synopsis on Goodreads:

In a world where collective hives are enslaving the population and individuals have been hunted to the verge of extinction, Maggie Harper, and independent 21st Century woman, must find the strength to preserve the freedom of the future, but without the aid of her memories.

After experiencing a traumatic time loss, Maggie is plagued by a barrage of images she can't explain. When she's attacked by a creep with a spider's web tattoo, she is saved by Marcus, a man she's never met, but somehow remembers. He tells her that both he and her creepy attacker are from a future in which individuals are being murdered by collectives, and Marcus is part of the rebellion. The collectives have acquired time travel and they plan to enslave the human race throughout all of history. The flashes Maggie has been seeing are echoes of lost memories, and the information buried deep within them is instrumental in defeating the collective hives.

In order to preserve the individuality of mankind, Maggie must try to re-discover stolen memories, re-kindle friendships she has no recollection of, and wade through her feelings for the mysterious Marcus, all while dodging the tattooed assassins the collectives keep sending her way.

If Maggie can't fill the holes in her memory and find the answers to stop the collectives, the world both in her time and in all ages past and future will be doomed to enslavement in the grey, mediocre collectives. As the danger swirls around her and the collectives close in, Maggie realizes she must make a choice: stand out or fade away...

*New Adult futuristic dystopian fantasy(less)


My Review:

I was captivated with this novel beginning with page one and I had no clue where it was heading.   It was one of the most intriguing books I have ever read.   Sci-Fi and dystopian are not my forte', but Liesel's book was very much the exception to the rule!

The characters were very well developed,endearing and lovable.   Maggie Harper, the main character was strong, brave and comfortable in her own skin.   She needed to be all that and more for the journey she was about to take with Marcus.    Marcus was strong, protective and possessed great mind capabilities!   I was very drawn to him.    Karl was a traveler and also quite the comedic relief.    And Doc reminded me of Ducky on NCIS, although he wasn't really described as Ducky.    But I loved him!   I LOVED THEM ALL!

As far as storybuilding,I think book one was an educational background for both Maggie and the reader and as I say it was intriguing.   It was thorough and interesting and amazing.   Yes,  Interchron was the future, but it was believable and home!   I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish!    If you like Sci-Fi, this is an excellent book to read.    If you like Dystopian, you won't be disappointed.   And if you like adventure, this book certainly has it.

The only disappointing thing about this book is there is a book two and we have to wait for it....dang nab it!
I am amazed with how much I enjoyed Liesel's writing.   Well done my friend, well done!

Author Biography from Amazon:


Liesel Kay Hill was born in Utah on February 6, 1984 to working class parents. She loved to read and write at a young age, and her earliest memories consist of her father sitting in the doorway of her room at night, relating stories of Frodo, Gandalf, and the One Ring of Power. Her mother also read to her every afternoon as a child, sometimes for several hours a day.
Today she is an award-winning author and writes across three genres: fantasy, historical fiction, and crime drama. Her awards include several from The League of Utah Writer's annual Roundup competition, and several other contests she's entered over the years.
She has a short Thanksgiving story published in Brian Jaffe's Thanksgiving Tales anthology. Her first full length novel, a dystopian fantasy, will be available courtesy of Tate Publishing January, 2013.

I will hosting an interview with Liesel on the 26th of January.   Stop back by and learn about this awesome author!!

For additional perspectives, please follow Liesel's tour below:

January

1/13--Guest post at Never Ending Stories
1/14--Guest post as Maggie (MC) at Itching For Books
1/15--Character Interview with Karl at Bound by Words
1/16--Email from Maggie (MC) at A Thought Grows  1/17--Book Spotlight at Far From Reality
1/18--Character Interview with Marcus at Bookworm Brandee
1/19--Character Interview with Clay at In This World of Books.
1/20--Guest Post at Unedited
       --Guest post at New, Borrowed, Used
1/21--Review at Heather's Book Chatter
       --Guest post on Here's the Story
1/22--Review at A Bookish Whimsy 
       --Author Interview at Downright Dystopian
1/23--Character Interview with David at All in One Place
1/24--Review at Deviantly Defiant
1/25--Author Interview at Lite-Rate-Ture
1/26--Author Interview at Beth Art From the Heart
       --Interview at Auntie Spinelli Reads
1/27--Review and Guest post at The Book Twins
       --Review and Spotlight at Reese's Reviews
1/28--Guest Post at Alex J. Cavanaugh
1/29--OFFICIAL RELEASE DATE OF BOOK!!!
       --Character Interview with Joan at Strands of the Pattern
       --Guest Post on The Howling Turtle
       --Author Interview on Second Book to the Right
1/30--Review and Author interview on Megz Madd Reads
       --Promo Spotlight & Interview at Jeanz Book Read n Review
1/31--Guest Post at Ginger-Read Reviews

February

2/1--Author Interview at Read It. Reviewed It.
2/2--Guest Post at The Readdicts
     --Guest Post at Nicki J Markus
     --Guest Post and Spotlight at Enticed by Books
2/3--Guest Post at Pink Fluffy Hearts
2/4--Excerpt on Doodle's Book Blog    
     --Spotlight on Jean Book Nerd
2/5--Guest Post at Sinnful Books
     --Guest Post at Lost in Fictional Worlds
2/6--Review and Guest Post at Reading Until Dawn
     --Review at Pink Polka Dot Book Blog
2/7--Character Interview with Maggie at Love, Literature, Art & Reason
     --Review at Ladybug Storytime
2/8--Guest Post at Young Adult SciFi and Fantasy Blog
2/9--Review at Realms of an Open Mind
     --Review and Guest Post (??) at Kate's Book Life
2/10--Review at Young Adult SciFi and Fantasy Blog
2/11--Guest Post at Doodle's Book Blog      
       --Guest Post at Y.A. Storyteller
2/12--Guest Post at Racing to Read
       --Interview at My Book Musings
2/13--Review and Guest Post at Wonderland's Reader
       --Review and Interview at My Book Musings
2/14--Valentine's Day Guest Post at The YA Bookworm Blogger
2/15--Guest Post on Reading and Writing Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance
       --Review and Author Interview on Reading...Dreaming
2/16--Review and Interview on Book Club Sisters
2/17--Review(s) and Character Interview with Doc at Rally the Readers
2/18--Review and ?? at Words Fueled by Love
2/19--Review and ?? at Page Girl's Page
2/20--Review at The Cuckoo's Nest
       --Spotlight and Giveaway at For the Love of Film and Novels
       --Guest Post at Reading Between the Wines
2/21--Guest Post at Take Me Away
2/22--Review at The Cosy Dragon
       --Guest Post and Review at Shhh...Not While I'm Reading
       --Review at Beth Art From the Heart
2/23--Author Interview at Mad Hatter Reads
       --Review and Author Interview at Project Read and Review
2/24--Guest Post at The Book Babe
       --Guest Post at Viviana Enchantress of Books
2/25--Review at Dab of Darkness
       --Guest Post at Tumbling in Books
2/26--Review at The Secret Life of a Bookworm
       --Character Interview with Maggie at Manhattan Reader
2/27--Review at Think's Books
2/28--Review and Excerpt at My Library in the Making


March

3/1--Review at Oops I Read a Book Again
3/2--Review and Interview at Vicariously!
3/3--Spotlight and Guest Post at Lost in Literature...
3/4--Interview at Dab of Darkness
3/5--Review and Author Interview at Picture Me Reading
3/6--Guest Post (?) at Late Nights With Good Books
     --Guest post at Literary Rambles
3/7--Review at On Starships and Dragonwings
     --Post at Pause Time
3/8--Review and Interview at The Soul Sisters
3/9--Review at The Book Asylum
3/10--Review at The Sisters' Tale
3/11--Interview at These Flying Pages
3/12--
3/13--Interview at Lehua Parker
3/14--
3/15--Guest Post at A Universe in Words


Disclaimer:  I read for my pleasure.   I may receive ARC copies for review purposes, but I am not compensated for my reviews .  I like to read and I like to share my reviews.   I post my thoughts without prejudice or bias.  The words are mine and I write reviews based on my humble opinion.  I will admit, I seldom meet a book I don't like.

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Knowing by Laurel Dewey/PICT Review and Guest Post

 

Today Ms Laurel Dewey Joins us with a guest post.   Please welcome her, (soft applause).   Take it away, Laurel!

Guest Post:  A Day In My Life—Then & Now


By Laurel Dewey


            There’s a rugged romanticism about writers and how we live our lives. If the movies were true, we’d all be holed up in stone cottages by the seashore or nestled in rustic cabins in a rural mountain setting, wearing sweaters with holes in it and carrying around a ridiculously large mug of coffee. I assure it, none of that is true. Well, at least not for me.
            When I’m writing a book, it probably would be good choice to isolate myself in that cottage or cabin because the distractions of writing from home are nothing short of…well…distracting. Life goes on around you while you are supposed to be focused one hundred and fifty percent on your characters, the story arc, and much more. Thus, a long time ago I figured out that unless I wanted my life to unravel at the seams, it was best to figure out how to create balance in my day.
            But “balance” takes on a different meaning when you’re single then it does when you’re married.
When I was single and writing, a day in my life was very easy to describe. Wake up at 10:00am on the nose, exercise for thirty minutes, drink a morning smoothie, shower, spend one to two hours returning phone calls and emails, eat lunch, run short errands, be back at the house by no later than 2:30 and start writing. Take a break at 11:00pm to eat dinner (yep, that’s what I used to do), watch the news and go back to writing. Wrap it up at 3:00am, turn off the lights, go to bed….Wake up at 10:00am on the nose the next morning and repeat. Calling me a “night person” back then was akin to calling Hugh Hefner “good with the ladies”—it’s an understatement. There was something about the dead silence of the night that wrapped me in its arms and allowed me to listen to the creative muse.
            But that was then and this is now. When I got married, I knew my daily writing life would change or I’d never have another conversation with my husband that didn’t begin and end with “goodnight.” As willing as I was, it wasn’t easy at first to adjust the dial on my creative muse. When a muse is used to working the nightshift, it takes her a while to get used to the daylight and generate ideas. But adjust she did and my writing days now have morphed into a much more sensible pattern.
            My day usually starts between 7:30am and 8:00am. I still get in thirty minutes of exercise. If it’s winter, I jump on my mini-trampoline for fifteen minutes, go ten minutes on the elliptical and then lift some weights. After showering, and drinking my smoothie (yep, I still drink a smoothie in the morning), I walk into my home office and answer emails (which can take anywhere from thirty to ninety minutes). I then “allow” myself thirty minutes to surf the Internet. If I didn’t allow myself that time, I’d truly not know what was going on in the world since I don’t watch a lot of TV. After that, I write.
In a good day, I can easily write about five pages; on a great day, I can write as many as ten. (We writers live and breathe on our daily page counts when we are writing a book.) And when I’m on a roll, five solid pages takes about six to seven hours to write. And when I’m done with that, I call it a day. No more writing into the early morning hours. Interestingly, since I got married and did a 180 degree turnaround as to how I write, I don’t feel embraced by nighttime anymore. I’ve grown accustomed now to my revised routine and learned that the daylight—along with its buzzing, noise and energy—charges my creative juices. And I’m happy I made the change because, best of all, at the end of the day, I get to spend time with my best friend.
 Thank you for joining us Laurel.   We very much appreciate your visit!

Synopsis:
After the life-altering ending in the third Jane Perry thriller, REVELATIONS, Jane Perry takes time off from the job to find the missing part of herself she never knew existed. But her journey is quickly hijacked when a wanted criminal, Harlan Kipple, steals her car. Kipple—accused of the heinous murder of a prostitute in a seedy motel—is on the run and desperate to stay that way. Jane’s personal plans take a back seat as she tracks down her stolen ride and discovers through an unusual source that Kipple may be innocent and is being framed by a nefarious group. When she trails Kipple and confronts him, every belief she ever had about this world and the next is put to the test. 

Kipple, who by his own admission is not the “brightest bulb in the box,” received a heart transplant seventeen months ago. His life changed from the moment he woke up in the recovery room. In fact, he’s not so sure where he ends and his heart takes over. As strange as that sounds to her, Jane cannot deny what she witnesses after spending just two days with Kipple. It becomes clear that nothing is what it appears as Jane is drawn into a deep rabbit hole with dark webs and darker crevices that force her to operate on the other side of the law. With the police hot on Kipple’s tail and a devious faction intent on finding him first, Jane is caught in the middle and realizes that solving this crime could have fatal consequences. 

With themes as diverse as immortality, regeneration, resurrection, transformation and death, author Laurel Dewey tackles this latest Jane Perry novel with originality and plenty of suspense. “Finding yourself” takes on a whole new meaning in KNOWING.






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Please note:

  • Excessive language 
  • Graphic violence

More Info:

# of Pages: 450
Genre: Suspense
Publisher: The Story Plant
Publication Date: December 4,  2012
ISBN-10:  1611880491
ISBN-13:  978-1611880496

My Review:

This my friends, is an awesome read from Ms Dewey.   I had not read Ms Dewey's previous Jane Perry series, (Books 1-3), but I will be seeking them out.  Jane is a well written and strong female protagonist.   She has history that shaped her strength of character and is very much a loner in this read.   Life is leading her on a wild ride with an accused killer;  a gentle giant who is harmless and his transplanted heart which has  a life all its own.  She is the only one who is trying to save him from the police and the evil group that set him up for the murder of a young black prostitute.

Give this book a read!   Ms Dewey has plenty to say and says it with fluency, suspense and holds your attention right to the end!   An enjoyable read from start to finish with tons of action!




Author:

Laurel Dewey was born and raised in Los Angeles. She is the author of two nonfiction books on plant medicine, a Silver Spur nominated Western novella, hundreds of articles, and three other novels in her Jane Perry suspense series, Protector, Redemption, and Revelations along with the Jane Perry novelettes An Unfinished Death and Promissory Payback and the story collection Unrevealed. She is also the author of the novel Betty’s Little Basement Garden.
Visit her website:
www.laureldewey.com


 
Every eBook received for review on the tours for Partners In Crime are given in exchange for an honest review. The eBooks are sole property (copyrighted) of the author and should not be sold, distributed to, or exchanged among other people not part of the tours, nor should they be listed on file sharing sites. Failure to comply with this disclaimer, will result in removal from all future tours.







Wednesday, January 16, 2013

The Big Exit by /a PICT Promo

Synopsis:
By the acclaimed author of the remarkable debut novel, Knife Music, The Big Exit is a suspenseful crime novel that keeps the surprises coming right up to the end. Richie Forman is freshly out of prison. By night, he makes a living impersonating Frank Sinatra in San Francisco’s lounges and corporate parties. But then his ex-best friend—the man who stole his fiancée while he was in prison—is found hacked to death in his garage, and Richie is the prime suspect. In a murder mystery with the twists and turns of a microchip, Carnoy weaves his characters like a master. He has written an authentic, unputdownable thriller that is sure to chill and delight.

My Review: 

Unfortunately I was not able to complete this book as scheduled.   I very much apologize to all concerned and will post my review at a later date.  Thanks for bearing with me.

Author:

While David Carnoy lives in New York City with his wife and children, his novels take place in Silicon Valley, where he grew up and went to high school (Palo Alto). His debut novel, Knife Music (2010), was a Top-10 bestseller on the Kindle and also a bestseller on the Nook. More medical thriller than high-tech thriller, to research the novel Carnoy spent a lot of time talking with doctors, visiting trauma centers, and trailed a surgeon at a hospital in Northern California to help create the book's protagonist, Dr. Ted Cogan.
The Big Exit (2012) isn't a sequel to Knife Music per se. However, a few of the characters from Knife Music figure prominently in the story. His second novel has more of a high-tech slant and reflects Carnoy's experiences as an executive editor at CNET.com, where he currently works and is trying resolve his obsession with consumer electronics products. He went to college at Wesleyan University and has an MFA in creative writing from Columbia University.


Reviews:

"A first-rate crime caper."
- Kirkus Reviews

"An exceptionally satisfying murder puzzle..."
- Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

More Info:

# of Pages: 320
Genre: Legal Thriller
Publisher: Overlook
Publication Date: October 11, 2012
ISBN: 1590205154
 
Every eBook received for review on the tours for Partners In Crime are given in exchange for an honest review. The eBooks are sole property (copyrighted) of the author and should not be sold, distributed to, or exchanged among other people not part of the tours, nor should they be listed on file sharing sites. Failure to comply with this disclaimer, will result in removal from all future tours.