Friday, August 30, 2013

Blog Tour: Speakeasy by A.M. Dunnewin


Historical Fiction / Thriller
Date Published: December 26, 2011

The novella is centered on Eddie Durante, owner of a speakeasy that's supported by Eddie's mobster uncle, the boss of the Durante family. The back story is that Eddie is a young widower after his family's rival, the Caprice family, murdered his wife over a territory dispute. After devising a plan that retaliated against four of the rivaling capos, Eddie is left with the daunting task to try and move on, until a family member notifies him that the Caprices have put a hit man in the speakeasy - and Eddie's name is on the list. But things take an unexpected turn when Eddie and his close friends start to find the dead bodies of Eddie’s relatives, the ones who had helped in the retaliation.
     Behind the backdrop of the jazz music and glistening flappers, murder after murder begins to unravel as revenge takes center stage, and Eddie soon learns that some secrets can’t be taken to the grave.

My Review:

So while the cover is simple, I actually really liked it for how it captures the novella. 

This is a quick read and one that will capture you and have flipping pages as quickly as possible. 

Now, just because it is a quick read and fast paced does not move it doesn't have a lot of moving parts, because it really does. I was amazed at what all A.M. Dunnewin was able to put into this Novella.

I loved the Jazz Theme and the Prohibition Era. I felt like she took me back in time to that period. 


BUY LINKS

A. M. Dunnewin inherited her love for mysteries and thrillers from her family, which helped her pursue a BA in Psychology with a minor in Criminal Justice. Although her stories cover a wide range of genres, she primarily writes historical fiction and thrillers. An avid reader at heart, she's also a passionate collector of both antique books and graphic novels. She lives in Sacramento, California.

PROMO: John Smith by Roland Hughes


Dystopian / Sy Fy
Date Published: 5/3/2013


What if the Mayans got the start of the end correct because they had survived it once before? What if our written history was just as accurate as the old tale about three blind men describing an elephant? What if classic science fiction writing and television shows each got a piece of it correct, would you know which ones? If your eyes can only see a tiny portion of a collage do you know it is a collage?


Fans of Babylon 5, Star Trek TNG, Battle Star Galactica (the new one) and classic science fiction writing will enjoy the bountiful Easter Egg hunt contained within. When you were a child you learned to connect paper clips or thread beads together to make a necklace. Sit back and watch the beads you’ve had all your life form the picture you could not see. Consider for one second the possibility of the story, then hang onto your mind with both hands while you take the ride.
Buy Links



Retail version available in the following formats from the following vendors:
Audio




EPUB


Paperback




Roland Hughes is the president of Logikal Solutions, a business applications consulting firm
specializing in VMS platforms. Hughes serves as a lead consultant with over two decades of

experience using computers and operating systems originally created by Digital Equipment
Corporation (now owned by Hewlett-Packard).

With a degree in Computer Information Systems, the author's experience is focused on OpenVMS
systems across a variety of diverse industries including heavy equipment manufacturing, pharma-
ceuticals, stock exchanges, tax accounting, and hardware value-added resellers, to name a few. Working throughout these industries 

has strengthened the author's unique skill set and given him a broad perspective on the role and value of OpenVMS in industry.


Mr. Hughes' technical skill sets include the following tools that enable him to master and improve OpenVMS applications: DEC/VAX
C, DEC/VAX C++, DEC BASIC, DCL, ACMS, MQ Series, DEC COBOL, RDB, POWERHOUSE, SQL, CMS/MMS, Oracle 8i, FORTRAN, FMS, and
Java, among others. Being fluent in so many technical languages enables Hughes to share his knowledge more easily with other
programmers. 




To read Roland's non-fiction books, please visit www.TheMinimumYouNeedtoKnow.com
To read Roland's blog, please visit logikalblog.com

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Blog Tour: From Wall Street With Love by Leigh Boyer


Contemporary Fiction/Suspense
Date Published: 1/17/13

This novel is a scandalous tale of the bad behavior that goes on in the world of high finance. In the background, the nation's economic crisis is unveiling as the banks play a central role. It is told through the eyes of 30-something Leigh Boyer, who is thrilled when she is hired as Director of Corporate Citizenship at a major Wall Street firm, Metropolis (Metro) Financial. Leigh feels that she has finally "made it," successfully hiding a provincial inferiority complex by reinventing herself as a "real" New Yorker, replete with Jimmy Choo shoes, full-body aggression on the subway, and a Wall Street job where the everyday madness would shock her polite Midwestern family. Unfortunately, her dream job turns out to be a nightmare, as the Wall Street of Leigh's imaginings is eroded by one eye-opener after another. Leigh quickly learns that she is not alone in harboring secrets—the company is riddled with them. While she is responsible for portraying her employer as a good corporate citizen, in reality, Metro is anything but. Instead she finds herself dealing with infidelity scandals, embezzlement crimes, cad-like behavior, unethical financial schemes, and "accidental" customer deaths. Further complicating matters is her love affair with a hated New York Times business reporter, who publishes the exact secrets Metro is trying so hard to keep hidden. Leigh's escapist James Bond fantasies and a few hard-won allies help her bear the insanity that is business as usual at Metro.


My Review:

Talk about a subject that I am not at all familiar with. Wall Street. I mention this because that being said, Leigh Boyer has managed to write this story in a way that I learned a ton while being entertained. Lets be honest, Wall Street does not exactly scream love and humor. Leigh Boyer has managed to create a main character who is witty and funny and will entertain you til the very end. Reading about Leigh was just plain fun! 



BUY IT FROM AMAZON





GUEST POST


Entering a male dominated workplace, it’s easy to assume that learning how to fit in and communicate effectively with the “guys” is the biggest challenge.  Surprisingly, it’s equally tricky navigating the political waters with the other women in the office.  Dynamics in almost any office, regardless of level, can sometimes seem more like recess in Middle School or a high school lunchroom.  While it’s always tempting to be “one of the girls” and join that clique you may or may not have been a part of in high school, professionals need to choose their friends carefully in the office.  How can you navigate these waters successfully?  These are the five things that have helped me the most in navigating sticky office politics with women:
1.  Dealing with the other executive women: Women are much harder on each other than anyone else in office politics.  The women executives have all worked very hard and often made many sacrifices, personal and professional, to get where they are today.  They aren’t eager for any more competition, and while some can be great mentors, you have to be careful, because many are extremely cautious and will assume you may have ulterior motives.  Make sure as you look to build relationships with senior women executives, you are honest, forefront, and straightforward.  Be helpful, and don’t be the one who always wants something from them in return.  Don’t keep score with your superiors.
2. Dealing with the Administrative Assistants: As for the administrative assistants and junior women in the office, you have to learn how to be friendly, but be cautious with your personal friendships with these folks.  The Admins are the power behind the throne and have the keys to the Kingdom, so they have to be respected at all times.  If they like you, it will be easier to get that meeting with Mr. X, or make sure your work gets prioritized in the queue.  If they don’t like you, watch out!   I’ve seen more women frozen out of important meetings, or had Admins “forget” to forward information,or simply leave your important work at the bottom of their list, for folks they don’t like. Make sure you are friendly but genuine with the power behind the throne.
3. Threading the Needle with Office Gossip:  In any office, information gets passed along the grapevine, long before it comes out in any formal way.   While you need to know what’s going on, never be the one known for being snarky or throwing other people under the bus.  If you are the one known for spreading malicious information, it’s only a matter of time before you are subject to the same treatment.  However, if you are always being positive about folks, you are less likely to be a target of negative feelings in general.
4. Be sincerely positive and complimentary.  Take the time to be polite, accommodating and complementary, in a sincere way, to those around you.  While dropping off work to a colleague’s assistant, find something nice to say.  Compliment her earrings, or hairstyle, if it suits her. Ask about her family, or how her weekend went.  These small efforts to be engaging and sincerely nice to others goes a long way in making sure you aren’t seen as the office problem child.
5. Don’t lie or make false emergencies. Women in the office are often balancing home and work duties, and everyone has a moment where they need an afternoon off, whether it’s to see their child’s recital, go to the doctor, or simply get their hair done.  However, if you lie about your need to take the afternoon off, citing an emergency and someone spots you at the nail salon, it’s unlikely they will cover for you in the future.  Likewise, waiting until the last minute to get a project in before a deadline creates stress and pressure on everyone, and if you are known as the person who never plans ahead or always makes things seem like an emergency when they’re not, the women in the office are the first ones who will make sure when it’s a true emergency, somehow, they aren’t available to help.
In the end, office politics is a lot like poker.  You need to rack up favors, real and social, so that people are willing to help you out when needed.  Likewise, too much bluffing, and you won’t have any trust left in the bank, leading to folks just lying in wait, waiting to see you fail.
Don’t forget to check out one of the best books on this subject- Nice Girls Don’t Get The Corner Office- 101 Unconscious Mistakes Women Make That Sabotage Their Careers by Lois Frankel, PhD.


Leigh Boyer is an accomplished professional with experience in the financial services domain.
She currently is Asia Pacific editor for Entrepreneur Today — a magazine dedicated to helping new entrepreneurs make their dreams become reality. She is the former Director of Metropolis Financial’s Office of Corporate Citizenship and oversaw a global commitment to fund financial education projects. Prior to that, she was accepted into the highly competitive internship program with McLean Investments in New York City.
She is the author of a critically acclaimed personal finance book, The Metropolis Money Guide.
Ms. Boyer received her Bachelor’s degree in Public Affairs from Stanford University and her Master’s in International Finance from the Sorbonne University in Paris, France. She currently resides in Hong Kong.
Her first novel, To Wall Street With Love, is available through Amazon.com and is based very loosely on her experiences working in finance.

Cover Reveal: Forever In Bloom by Jennifer Domenico


Forever In Bloom - Cover Reveal
Jennifer Domenico  
Contemporary Romance
Date to be Published: 9/16/2013
Synopsis: 

A love strong enough to survive even the toughest challenge…or is it?

From the moment he told her, Ava never doubted Enzo’s love for her. How could she? He spent every day of his life making sure she felt it. Through every trial, the couple has only come out stronger for it. She was confident that no matter what challenge life had in store, she and Enzo’s love would endure.

Just as Ava’s dreams for the future fall into place something happens that she never imagined. Still, she knows with Enzo by her side, happiness is always just around the corner. What Ava doesn’t know is a threat she thought was long gone is back and will stop at nothing to take everything that is precious  away from her.

A love, even as strong as theirs, can only be tested so much before it breaks. Can Enzo and Ava’s love survive their toughest challenge yet? Will Enzo’s love be enough to keep Ava safe or is she better off away from the only man she’s ever loved? Will they ever get the happily ever after they deserve?


Book three is the final installment of the Sunflower Trilogy.


EXCERPT

I close my eyes and try to calm my rattled nerves. I can’t believe the fucking nerve of this woman. I know I have to talk to Enzo and find out what he knows about this. I can’t imagine that he saw her and would keep that from me.

I dial his cell phone but my hands are shaky. I wait patiently for him to answer, knowing he had meetings at Girasole that morning, and wondering just what I’m going to say if he tells me he saw her.

“Ciao, amore,” Enzo answers, cheerfully.

“Enzo, Anna called me.” I don’t waste any time on pleasantries.

“What?!”

“Anna fucking called me and said she’s already been in contact with you. Tell me she’s lying.” 

His sudden silence makes my heart sink. “Are you keeping secrets from me, Enzo?” I ask in utter disbelief.

“We need to talk about this when we both get home.”

“You saw her? You fucking saw her and didn’t tell me?!” I yell into the phone.

“Calm down, Ava.”

“Calm down?! Why the fuck haven’t I heard about it until now. Do you know how fucking humiliating this is to me to hear it from her?”

“Ava, stop swearing at me.”

“Don’t fucking tell me what to do!”

Enzo takes a deep breath. “Ava, this is something I wanted to discuss with you but I was waiting for the right time. I refuse to do this over the phone.”

“I can’t even begin to imagine how you’re going to explain this to me. She’s not even supposed to be anywhere near us. Why haven’t you had her arrested yet?”

“I said we’ll discuss it in person.”

“Well then you better stop whatever you are doing right now and meet me at the house.”

I slam down the phone, the only time I’ve ever hung up on my husband. My blood is fucking boiling right now. I know in my heart that I am not going to like what I hear. Suddenly his secretive behavior is starting to make a lot more sense.


 Jennifer Domenico

Author Bio

Jennifer Domenico is the author of The Sunflower Trilogy: Turn Towards the Sun, Turn Towards the Sun: After the Rain, and Turn Towards the Sun: Forever in Bloom. She is also the author of Have my Heart- A Novella, and Beautifully Twisted.
When not writing her next novel, she spends her time devouring the words of other great authors, watching home improvement shows or talent competitions, and sleeping whenever possible. 
She lives in Scottsdale, Arizona with her very Italian husband who provides her with endless material for her next Italian stallion character. She loves connecting with readers so stop by and say hello to her.

Website | Facebook | Twitter

|This Cover reveal is brought to you by Reading Addiction Book Tours

Reading Addiction Blog Tours

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Blog Tour: Over the Rainbow by Brian Rowe


YA Fantasy
Date Published:  8/6/2013

16-year-old Zippy Green never meant to fall in love with a girl, but when she does, her ultra-conservative father tries to send her to anti-gay camp. At the Kansas City airport, however, she hides inside a giant suitcase and sneaks onto an airplane headed not to the camp, but to Seattle, where her online love Mira lives. Halfway through the flight, the plane barrels out of control and crashes into the ground, knocking her unconscious. 

When Zippy awakens, she finds that most of the passengers have vanished. She doesn’t know what’s happened, but she’s determined to find out. She begins a quest on foot toward Seattle, and along the way, she meets a teenager with a concussion , a homeless man with a heart condition, a child without a shred of bravery, and a terrier named Judy. Together the group discovers that more than two-thirds of the world's population has mysteriously disappeared. But that's only the beginning...

All Zippy wants is to find her Mira, but before she can she has to contend with two outside forces. The first is her homophobic father, who does everything in his power to keep her from the girl she loves. And the second is extinct creatures of all shapes and sizes, including living, breathing dinosaurs, which have replaced the missing population.


My Review:
This story is imaginative and unique. Yes, it may follow the main idea of a classic  The Wizard of Oz, but Brian Rowe definitely manages to put his own spin on it. 

I loved the descriptive way that Brian Rowe has written this novel. It really submerges the reader into the world. 

There are definitely some parts that made me laugh out loud, which I loved. 

While the entire book is very well done, the last 25% really blew me away.

LINKS TO BUY 



Brian Rowe is a writing fiend, book devotee, film fanatic, and constant dreamer. He's written nine novels, dozens of short stories, five feature-length screenplays, and hundreds of film articles and essays. His fiction has appeared in Dreamspinner Press, Mobius Magazine, and Wilde Oats Literary Journal. He is one half of the YA book blog Story Carnivores, where he reviews the latest in books and film. He is currently pursuing his MA in English at the University of Nevada, Reno, and is hard at work on his first New Adult novel, which will be released in November 2013.
 Website: brianrowebooks.com
Goodreads

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Blog Tour: Blind Allegiance by Violetta Rand


Historical Romance
Date Published: 6/25/2013

It’s a risk of a lifetime loving a man you’re supposed to hate…
Betrayed by a brother she hardly trusted before the bloodthirsty Viking, Jarl Randvior Sigurdsson, attacks her home, Noelle Sinclair is conveniently bartered as a means to save her cowardly sibling’s skin. Forced to leave her homeland and accompany the petulant Viking to the untamed wilderness of central Norway, Noelle is ever-aware of the burgeoning dangers around her—including her weakening resolve to resist Randvior.
Should Noelle surrender to his resplendent charms and seduction, or fight with every ounce of strength she possesses to get home?


YouTube Video


My Review:

I wish this Cover showcased the book a little better. At first glance, I couldn't even tell what it was. I think its the kind of cover that gets passed up. But the Trailer is great and really does highlight the story.

Vikings are such a minority in the Historical department and I really enjoyed reading Violetta Rands version of them. This was a very thrilling story that kept me engaged the entire time. The pacing was well done, the plot was well executed, and the characters were deep enough to not seem flat. 

Descriptions when dealing with another time or a fantasy world are very important to allow the reader to feel like they have been transported there. Violetta Rand did a great job of this! 




Violetta Rand
Violetta Rand holds a bachelor's degree in Environmental Policy and a master's degree in Environmental Management. Serving as an environmental scientist in the state of Alaska for over seven years, she enjoys the privilege of traveling to remote places few people have the opportunity to see.
Violetta has been "in love" with writing since childhood. Struck with an entrepreneurial spirit at a young age, at five, she wrote short stories illustrated by her best friend and sold them in her neighborhood. The only thing she loves more than writing is her wonderful relationship with her husband, Jeff. She enjoys outdoor activities, reading whatever she can get her hands on, music, and losing herself in the ancient worlds she enjoys bringing to life in the pages of her stories.

Author website:
Blog:
Twitter:
Facebook:
Goodreads:

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Blog Tour: Rhidauna by Paul E. Horsman


Epic Fantasy Adventure
Date Published: 7/6/2013

The night before his Coming-of-Age, Ghyll and his two friends escaped their castle on a clandestine hunt that would forever change their lives.

They returned just in time to see their island castle destroyed by strange warriors from a dragonboat and flocks of burning birds. 

Ghyll’s birthday turned into a nightmare as they fled into the night.

This begins an epic journey to find out who is trying to kill them... and most importantly, why?

Fortunately, they can count on colorful new friends to assist, including a sometimes overly enthusiastic fire mage, an inexperienced paladin and a female beastmaster who is a ferocious mountain lion.

In a world filled with jealous priests, corrupt magistrates, bored aristocrats and power-hungry magicians, they try to survive dark wizards, murderous golems, and fire bird attacks.It soon becomes apparent that not one but several assassins are after them. Who are these members of an obscure, long-forgotten organization?And whose cold hand reaches across the boundaries of space and time to threaten weakened Rhidauna?

While the time is running the friends undertake a quest that leads them through a large part of Rhidauna. Following them, the reader is carried along on an exciting journey through a colorful world, whose people, culture and atmosphere are described with great attention to detail without the story losing momentum.

My Review

So, I'll say this first. This Book Cover really needs a face lift. It does not draw a reader in in the least. That being said, the book itself will have you immersed in the world of Rhidauna.

I felt that the plot was a good one, but the flow of it seemed a bit rushed at times. I found myself trying to keep up.

The characters are those you will feel invested in and enjoy reading about. The descriptions will definitely make you feel like you are a part of the world. 

Overall a great read. 





Lives in Roosendaal, The Netherlands.

I was born in Bussum, The Netherlands, in the year 1952. 

After many years in business, I ended up in 1995 in education. My school was specialized in Dutch language and integration courses for foreigners. Unhappily, due to changed legislation this beautiful work stopped in mid-2012. My age, five years from retirement, makes it nigh on impossible to find something else, so now I am building up a career as an independent author.

SF and Fantasy have fascinated me since my high school days, but apart from some juvenile trash, I never seriously tried to write anything. 

It was in 2007, I took the first steps in what is now the fantasy kingdom of Rhidauna. After several false starts and associated discouraged intervals, a spark began to grow and mid-2010, the first two parts of Shadow of the Revenaunt were more or less written. 

With the Revenaunt-series, I had in mind something in the way of days gone by. A heroic tale with sympathetic protagonists and black villains, in which good always triumphs in the end. Something to counterbalance the modern gritty style. 

In 2012 the first book, Rhidauna, was traditionally published in The Netherlands. The second book, Zihaen, followed in March 2013 and book three, Ordelanden, is scheduled for September in NL. Now I’m selfpublishing the international edition, well-translated and edited. The English version of Rhidauna appeared in July. Zihaen is being edited for later this year.

Next to the Revenaunt-series, I’m writing The Shardheld Saga, a trilogy, of which the first, Shardfall, appeared on Amazon, Smashwords, B&N, etc, in May 2013. The second book, Runemaster, is being edited and scheduled for September.


Twitter: @Graylorne
Websitehttp://www.paulhorsman-author.com


BUY LINKS

Friday, August 23, 2013

Blog Tour: Stepping Up To Love by Katie O'Boyle


Contemporary Romance
Date Published: 8/7/2013
Soul Mate Publishing, Inc., NY

A lakeside porch in the Finger Lakes is the perfect spot for a quiet moment or a heart-to-heart with your special someone. Joel and Manda’s first heart-to-heart on the breakfast porch at the Manse Inn and Spa is anything but romantic. Joel the owner of the Manse is furious with his junior accountant for using one of the spa showers. If Manda didn’t have a desperate story and a spectacular body, Joel might not be feeding her breakfast and falling in love. Can Manda get sober, clean up her act, and open her heart to her rich, hunky boss?



My Review:
Age wise, this fits in the realm of the New Adult Genre, which I LOVE! 

There was a deep subject matter in this book and the way O'Boyle handled it was very well done. 

The lead female character was equal parts wounded and strong. Now Joel, Joel is completely Swoon-worthy. I loved the way he handled the situation and how he was her saving grace and protector. Their connection was believable and unfolded naturally.

Great Contemporary Romance. 

BUY LINKS 


Once upon a time, Katie O’Boyle was a stellar student and closet substance abuser at a picture-perfect small college. She credits loving friends, 12-step spirituality, and plenty of hard work for her transformation into tech-savvy college professor and passionate author of warm-hearted romance. Fall in love with her characters on the lakeside porches of the beautiful Finger Lakes in upstate New York. Lakeside Porches, Book One: Stepping Up To Love (Joel and Manda’s story); Book Two: Coming Home to Love (Justin and Gianessa’s story).

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Blog Tour: The Serpent's Tooth Trilogy by Kathy Fischer Brown



Historical Fiction
Date Published: 6/13/2012 - 8/31/2012 - 2/6/2013

BOOK #1
As a child, Anne Fairfield dreams of the father she never knew, the hero who died fighting the French and their Indian allies in a land across the sea. Her mother’s stories, and fantasies of her own devising, sustain and nurture her through a poor and lonely existence. Until one winter night, a strange man comes to call, and the life she has known comes crashing down like shattered glass.
Forced to confront sordid truths, secrets and lies, the headstrong young woman begins to learn that, like generations of women ruled by their hearts, she is destined to follow in their footsteps.
Set against the backdrop of 18th century England, Lord Esterleigh’s Daughter is the first book in “The Serpent’s Tooth” trilogy, which follows Anne from the rural countryside, to London society and into the center of the American Revolution.


 BOOK #2 (May contain spoilers)
Four years after a near fatal blunder uproots her from her home and inheritance, Anne Darvey, daughter of the Marquess of Esterleigh, finds herself an indentured servant on a farm near Fort Edward in New York, as the British army advances toward Albany. Driven by guilt over the pain she has caused her father and grief over her lover’s death, she sets out to deliver a message. The consequences lead to the discovery that all is not as it seems, and sets in motion events that lead to love and danger.

Set against the backdrop of the American Revolution, Courting the Devil is the second book in “The Serpent’s Tooth” trilogy, which follows Anne from her childhood in the rural English countryside, to London society, and into the center of the American Revolution.


My Review:
Taking a person back in time through reading is not a simple thing to do. With it not being a false world or made up time, the author really has to put a lot of effort into making it seem believable and intriguing to the reader. I think that Kathy Fischer-Brown has really succeeded with this series. Great attention to mannerisms and language as well as setting. 

As for the plot, it was one that kept climbing. I never felt like it plateaued or became predictable, which was a good thing. 

The characters are very likable and I felt a connection to Anne. She went through quite a bit and had to cope in ways that I could honestly see myself doing in her position.

Links to Buy 


As a child Kathy wanted to be a writer when she grew up. She also wanted to act. After receiving an MFA in Acting and playing the part of starving young artist in New York, she taught theater classes at a small college in the Mid-West before returning home to the East Coast, where over the years, she and her husband raised two kids and an assortment of dogs. During stints in advertising, children’s media publishing, and education reform in the former Soviet Unions, she wrote whenever she could. Her love of early American history has its roots in family vacations up and down the East Coast visiting old forts and battlefields and places such as Williamsburg, Mystic Sea Port, and Sturbridge Village. At the same time, she daydreamed in history classes, imagining the everyday people behind all the dates and conflicts and how they lived.
Claiming her best ideas are born of dreams, Kathy has written a number of stories over the years. Her first published novel, Winter Fire, a 1998 Golden Heart finalist in historical romance, was reissued in 2010 by Books We Love, Ltd.
When not writing, she enjoys reading, cooking, photography, playing “ball” with the dogs, and rooting on her favorite sports teams.

LINKS: