Monday, May 30, 2011
Book Him Danno!: Splash into Summer Blog Hop Giveaway - Win a $10 A...
Book Him Danno!: Splash into Summer Blog Hop Giveaway - Win a $10 A...: "Winner announced 6/1/11, contest closed at Midnight on the 5/31/11. This hop is going to be an easy one for me. Follow this blog and comm..."
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Awesomesauce Summer Releases Giveaway
Check out a great giveaway from Lost for Words and A Good Addiction. Go here for details, but hurry it ends on June 5.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Once Upon a Twilight!: Book Review: Die for Me (+ giveaway)
Once Upon a Twilight!: Book Review: Die for Me (+ giveaway): "Die for Me Revenants #1 Author: Amy Plum Pages: 341 pgs Reading Level: YA Published: May 10th 2011 Review Source: Pitch Dark Books Av..."
Trailer - Solstice
From GoodReads:
My world is dying. Global warming will kill every living thing on Earth. I endure the endless summer, and do what I can to help. Until one day...
I open a box, and everything changes.
I discover a world of mythology parallel to my own. A world where gods battle for control, and monsters feed in the rivers of the Underworld. This dark world pulls me in and tells me I belong.
I meet Shayne, who keeps secrets from me. And Reese, who makes me feel alive. But I almost lose my best friend and my life. I don't want to leave this new world. But can I choose the life I want, without sacrificing the people I love?
SOLSTICE is P.J. Hoover's debut YA novel and is the first front-list novel to be independently published by an Andrea Brown Literary Agency author.
Confessions of a Bookaholic: Blogoversary Giveaway #2 - HarperTeen Prize Pack #...
Confessions of a Bookaholic: Blogoversary Giveaway #2 - HarperTeen Prize Pack #...: "Prize: 1 winner will receive an ARC of Through Her Eyes by Jennifer Archer and an ARC of Teeth: Vampire Tales. Swag includes 2 D..."
Locket Stories: May Showers Giveaway
Locket Stories: May Showers Giveaway: "First of all, I would just like to say, Welcome spring! Welcome warmth and sun. Welcome tank tops and flip flops and reading books in hammoc..."
FANTASTIC BOOK REVIEW: Win Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton!
FANTASTIC BOOK REVIEW: Win Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton!: "This is your chance to Win... BLOOD MAGIC (ARC) by Tessa Gratton Rules 1 Winner! For your chances to win FILL OUT THIS FORM ! Additiona..."
BookHounds............. FOREVER YOUNG.(adult): GIVEAWAY & REVIEW: Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
BookHounds............. FOREVER YOUNG.(adult): GIVEAWAY & REVIEW: Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce: "Description Scarlett March lives to hunt the Fenris--the werewolves that took her eye when she was defending her sister Rosie from a brutal..."
Moonlight Gleam's Bookshelf: 500+ Followers & 6 Month Blogoversary GIVEAWAY! (I...
Moonlight Gleam's Bookshelf: 500+ Followers & 6 Month Blogoversary GIVEAWAY! (I...: "Hello everyone! I am so excited that not only have I reached my 6th month blogging, but I have also reached 500+ blog followers! *DOUBLE S..."
Friday, May 20, 2011
Review - Dying Memories
About Dying Memories
When you can’t trust your memories.
A woman shoots a man to death on a crowded street in Boston, claiming
that he raped and murdered her eleven-year old daughter. Except he
didn’t, because this woman never had a daughter. Another man stabs an
MIT professor to death in front of a crowd in Harvard Square, saying
that he witnessed the professor running down his wife in the street.
Except the MIT professor was three thousand miles away when the man’s
wife was killed.
Reporter Bill Conway discovers that these victims are connected to
ViGen Corporation, a shadowy pharmaceutical company. When he tries to
investigate ViGen Corporation and their role in these deaths, he soon
finds himself framed for murder. And that turns out to be the least of
his problems…
*-*-*-*-*
My review:
Anyone looking for a good suspense/thriller should definitely pick this up. This is the first book I have read by this author and I am already looking forward to more.
This is a well-written story that grabs you from the very beginning and doesnt let go until you reach the end. You cant stop reading, because you have to know what happens next.
The characters are well-developed and interesting. You want to know more about them. You want to know what happens to them. And you really do hope for some sort of happy ending. Bill is a great main character. With a complex past that makes him a much more interesting character. His girlfriend Emily has her own past to deal with in order to make a relationship work with Bill. And G, the mysterious email sender, who seems to know it all. Well he is just a complete mystery. They all come together and their lives intersect in the course of the story and figuring out why some people seem to go crazy and kill people on the streets and what exactly this mysterious corporation has to do with it.
Its a great and easy to follow story with many twists and turns that will satisfy any suspense lover out there. Definitely a book and author not to be missed.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Confessions of a Bookaholic: Blogoversary Giveaway #10 - The Nancy Holder Prize...
Confessions of a Bookaholic: Blogoversary Giveaway #10 - The Nancy Holder Prize...: "Prize: 1 winner will receive a copy of Possessions and The Screaming Season by Nancy Holder. Swag includes: A signed bookplate an..."
Confessions of a Bookaholic: Blogoversary Giveaway #9 - Spooky ARC Prize Pack
Confessions of a Bookaholic: Blogoversary Giveaway #9 - Spooky ARC Prize Pack: "Prize: 1 winner will receive an ARC of Future Imperfect by K. Ryer Breese and an ARC of So Shelly by Ty Roth. Swag includes: A R..."
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
The Qwillery: Interview with Virna DePaul and Giveaway - May 11,...
The Qwillery: Interview with Virna DePaul and Giveaway - May 11,...: "Please welcome Virna DePaul to The Qwillery as part of the 2011 Debut Author Challenge Interviews. TQ : What would you say is your most i..."
Review - A Soul Worth Taking
From GoodReads:
Hell wants him.
Heaven wants to save him.
What would you do when those you love most are ripped away?
After tragedy strikes Mike Moore, he is visited by two mysterious strangers. One sees an opportunity to take advantage of him while he's in his darkest moments and takes him to the lowest depths of his soul, tempting his desires to take revenge for what he has lost. The other tries to help him rise above the darkness, giving him the support he needs to fight against the evil that has come for him. What transpires is a personal struggle between good and evil.
*-*-*-*-*
My review:
Really quite the story of good versus evil. It really makes you think about what you might do in the same or similar situation.
Mike and his wife have a good life until tragedy strikes. And as you follow Mike though the rest of the story you really see him struggle with his loss and the challenges posed to him by one of the strangers he encounters. You go though hoping he chooses the right path. But you understand how he wants revenge.
Its a captivating story. You want to know what happens to Mike. The characters are well developed and interesting. There were a couple of awkward moments in the flow of the story, but nothing too obvious or permanently distracting. If you are looking for a classic tale of good vs evil and the choices involved in the free will man is born with. Than this is a book you should definitely pick up.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Review - Godchild
He wanted justice, truth, revenge…whichever came first.
Prison-warden-turned-P.I. Jack “Keeper” Marconi understands the criminal mind. And he knows what it takes to break a man. His own life came apart the day a black Buick broadsided his car–and his wife died horrifically in the seat beside him.
Years later, on the eve of his second marriage, Marconi catches a split-second glimpse of the driver who killed his wife. Suddenly hurtled back into the past, he is determined to take one last shot at hunting him down. That is, until he is offered a job he can’t refuse: to bust a beautiful woman out of a hellish Mexican prison. Now Keeper’s chase through Mexico follows a trail of bodies and lies back home: to the truth about a woman on the run, to a man sitting behind the wheel of a black Buick, and to a story that someone will kill to bury….
*-*-*-*-*
My review:
This is the first book of his I have read. And it was just as suspenseful as I had hoped it would be. It didnt take long to get hooked into the story and characters. And the story kept moving at a great pace though out the book.
The characters were complex but interesting and full of secrets that added to the story. Obviously you follow Keeper though the story. But why did seeing the man he thought killed his wife, keep him from getting married two years later. Why is this woman on the run in Mexico, and why is he hired to find her. What is the secret behind her book, Godchild. The book has almost constant twists and turns and new questions pop up almost as fast as old ones are answered. But though it all the reader never gets lost or left behind.
This is a classic suspense story. And any lover of suspense novels should not miss it.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Hale & Salvatore Supernatural Must Reads: Giveaway: Because We Love You
Hale & Salvatore Supernatural Must Reads: Giveaway: Because We Love You: "Win One of These Titles! We just love you guys, (our lil' supernaturals) , for the wonderful support, and welcoming us into the blogging wo..."
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Good Choice Reading: Giveaway: When You Dare by Lori Foster
Good Choice Reading: Giveaway: When You Dare by Lori Foster: "Hello, hello, hello! How is everyone? Thanks to Media Muscle, today I have a copy of When You Dare by Lori Foster to share with everyone..."
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
K-Books: Jackson From Amaretto Flame Takes Over K-Books
K-Books: Jackson From Amaretto Flame Takes Over K-Books: "Hi. You probably don't know me, but my name is Jackson Vance and I appear in Sammie Spencer's Amaretto Flame. Kayleigh, the host of this b..."
The Qwillery: Guest Blog by Barbara Ashford and Giveaway - May 6...
The Qwillery: Guest Blog by Barbara Ashford and Giveaway - May 6...: "Please welcome author Barbara Ashford to The Qwillery. A funny thing happened on the way to this blog. Sally (Qwill) and I discovered a t..."
Monday, May 9, 2011
The Qwillery: Interview with Lexi George and Giveaway - May 4, 2...
The Qwillery: Interview with Lexi George and Giveaway - May 4, 2...: "Please welcome Lexi George to The Qwillery as part of the 2011 Debut Author Challenge interviews. TQ : What would you say is your most in..."
Guest Post - Rye James - A Soul Worth Taking
Thank you for hosting me today and letting me talk about my latest book, called A Soul Worth Taking It's the first book in a four book series called The Evil Series. It’s a paranormal book with some horror tones in it. Without giving too much away, the main character is a man named Mike Moore, who goes through a terrible tragedy. Before he recovers from this tragedy, he is visited by two mysterious strangers. One is the devil, who sees his weakened state of mind as an opportunity to acquire another soul, before he pulls himself out of it. The other is an angel, who is sent to look over him, and guide him through these dark days. What transpires is a personal struggle to do what's right or to seek revenge over what he's been put through.
I've written four Westerns and a Thriller, so this is definitely the darkest book I've written. The idea for the series actually came when reading an article about shadow creatures. It was so interesting that I tried to figure out how to incorporate that into a book. Then as I started outlining I kept coming up with ideas about different situations that evil can exist and taunt, so one book gradually became four. The original idea of the shadow creatures has turned into book 3, which is called Shadow Man. Book 2 is tentatively being called The Woods. Book 4 is yet to have a working title. The Woods should be released sometime in July or August, with Shadow Man following a couple months behind that, hopefully October. I would like to get book 4 released in December, but I won't rush it just to beat a deadline.
The reason for writing the series is to hopefully expand my fan base. 80% of my work so far has been Westerns, which isn't exactly the most popular genre, though I've gotten a lot of good feedback and people who seem to really enjoy them. I don't want to be known as just a Western writer, and be able to release three or four different genres and have readers follow along with whatever book is released. I'm excited about the book and the series. I think it has a chance to be pretty successful. Hopefully readers think so too and they read and enjoy it.
Anyone interested in finding out more about me and my work can visit me at www.ryejames.blogspot.com
Thanks for having me!
I've written four Westerns and a Thriller, so this is definitely the darkest book I've written. The idea for the series actually came when reading an article about shadow creatures. It was so interesting that I tried to figure out how to incorporate that into a book. Then as I started outlining I kept coming up with ideas about different situations that evil can exist and taunt, so one book gradually became four. The original idea of the shadow creatures has turned into book 3, which is called Shadow Man. Book 2 is tentatively being called The Woods. Book 4 is yet to have a working title. The Woods should be released sometime in July or August, with Shadow Man following a couple months behind that, hopefully October. I would like to get book 4 released in December, but I won't rush it just to beat a deadline.
The reason for writing the series is to hopefully expand my fan base. 80% of my work so far has been Westerns, which isn't exactly the most popular genre, though I've gotten a lot of good feedback and people who seem to really enjoy them. I don't want to be known as just a Western writer, and be able to release three or four different genres and have readers follow along with whatever book is released. I'm excited about the book and the series. I think it has a chance to be pretty successful. Hopefully readers think so too and they read and enjoy it.
Anyone interested in finding out more about me and my work can visit me at www.ryejames.blogspot.com
Thanks for having me!
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Dark-Readers: Blog Tour: Eagleton Coven: Amaretto Flame
Dark-Readers: Blog Tour: Eagleton Coven: Amaretto Flame: "Olivia has spent her life learning about her enemies, the deadly Venator - including how to kill them. What she knows nothing about i..."
Read Now Sleep Later: Spring Blog Carnival - Giveaway and Blog Hop
Read Now Sleep Later: Spring Blog Carnival - Giveaway and Blog Hop: "Angela from Reading Angel , Candace from Candace's Book Blog , Mary from The Book Swarm , and Lori from Pure Imagination have decided to..."
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Confessions of a Bookaholic: Blogoversary Giveaway #4 - Paranormal Abilities Pr...
Confessions of a Bookaholic: Blogoversary Giveaway #4 - Paranormal Abilities Pr...: "Prize: 1 winner will receive an ARC of Kindred by Tammar Stein and a copy of Future Imperfect by K. Ryer Breese. Swag includes a..."
Confessions of a Bookaholic: Blogoversary Giveaway #5 - Signed Book Prize Pack
Confessions of a Bookaholic: Blogoversary Giveaway #5 - Signed Book Prize Pack: "Prize: 1 winner will receive a SIGNED copy of Ghost Town by Rachel Caine. Swag includes: 2 double sided (Need and The Drake Ch..."
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Bryan Cohen's Blog Tour and Giveaway
Good Use of My Time
By Bryan Cohen
I’ve spoken with many people who feel that they are too busy to write. It makes me a little sad, because most of these people are better writers than me. This speaks a lot to the power of finishing a book. Lots of people consider themselves authors but until they finish a book, get it published and sell a copy, it’s difficult to make the claim. Hell, the first person who bought a copy of my books was my girlfriend’s mom and yet that simple sale changed my entire mindset. I was really an author.
I used to think that between working temp jobs, auditioning for acting gigs and playing the part of a barista at a coffee shop, I had no time to create. Or at least, I had the fear that everybody else out there who was creating was better than I was. Regardless of the reason, I was completely full of crap.
I’m busier than ever, spending over 40 hours a week on my freelance writing assignments and the promotion of my website and books. And yet, I’m still setting aside time to write. I’m going to tell you three reasons why I’ve been able to do this, which I spell out more in depth in my book Writer on the Side.
1. Goals
If you don’t set goals for yourself, you will fall into crappy ones. The goals for many people include such classics as “I must zone out as much as possible when I get back from work,” “I must watch the show Two and a Half Men every week even if it’s a rerun,” or “I must gain two pounds a month using only food and alcohol that makes me groggy.” Nobody actually creates goals like this, but plenty of people are living them. Set a better goal for yourself by writing down something you actually want to do and studying it every day.
2. Increasing Energy
Last year, I read an amazing book called The Power of Full Engagement, which reinforced many of my beliefs about how important energy is in productivity. The book states that time management is bunk and that energy management is where focus, creativity and efficiency truly come from. Eating healthily, exercising regularly, setting aside time for relaxation with practices like yoga and meditation, spending time with loved ones, and working less often are key ingredients to a better life for an author; or for anyone really.
3. Schedule Writing Time
This seems like a silly third step, but it is the one that people tend to have the most trouble with. Personally, I love writing on weekend mornings before anybody in the house is up. Going to bed early on Friday and Saturday is the best way to open this time up for yourself. Stealing away to a coffee shop on weekday mornings or evenings has also been extremely beneficial to my writing, since it keeps me away from distractions and it locks me in at least until I finish my decaffeinated tea.
The silly thing about these three steps, is that you’ll probably have just as much time to do the important things like seeing your family and washing your dishes. You’ll just dispense with the television and the fatty-food induced cat naps. Those weren’t helping you to feel accomplished anyway. Try these steps out for a month and see how they go. If all works out, you’ll be well on your way to finishing that book of yours and becoming a published and sold author.
--
Bryan Cohen is a writer, actor and comedian from Dresher, Pennsylvania. Since graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill he has written four books (1,000 Creative Writing Prompts: Ideas for Blogs, Scripts, Stories and More, 500 Writing Prompts for Kids: First Grade through Fifth Grade, Sharpening the Pencil: Essays on Writing, Motivation, and Enjoying your Life, and Writer on the Side: How to Write Your Book Around Your 9 to 5 Job), several plays (Something from Nothing and Chekhov Kegstand: A Dorm Room Dramedy in Two Acts) and he was the head writer for an un-produced Web series (Covenant Coffee). His writing and motivation website Build Creative Writing Ideas has had over 100,000 visitors since it was founded in December 2008. He lives in Chicago, Illinois.
Follow Bryan on Twitter @buildcwideas.
Bryan Cohen is giving away 100 personalized writing prompts to one giveaway entrant chosen at random during the blog tour. Personalized prompts are story starters that cater specifically to a writer’s subject matter, strengths/weaknesses, etc. Cohen will create the prompts to cater exclusively to the winner. He is giving away free digital copies of his book The Writing Sampler to everybody who enters, which includes excerpts from each of his four books on writing. The book contains essays, writing prompts and tips and tricks to enhance your writing skills. In addition, for each of Cohen’s books that reach the Top 500 on Amazon during his blog tour, he will add a $50 Amazon gift card to the drawing (up to six $50 cards in total)!
To enter, simply post a comment to this blog post with your e-mail address.
By Bryan Cohen
I’ve spoken with many people who feel that they are too busy to write. It makes me a little sad, because most of these people are better writers than me. This speaks a lot to the power of finishing a book. Lots of people consider themselves authors but until they finish a book, get it published and sell a copy, it’s difficult to make the claim. Hell, the first person who bought a copy of my books was my girlfriend’s mom and yet that simple sale changed my entire mindset. I was really an author.
I used to think that between working temp jobs, auditioning for acting gigs and playing the part of a barista at a coffee shop, I had no time to create. Or at least, I had the fear that everybody else out there who was creating was better than I was. Regardless of the reason, I was completely full of crap.
I’m busier than ever, spending over 40 hours a week on my freelance writing assignments and the promotion of my website and books. And yet, I’m still setting aside time to write. I’m going to tell you three reasons why I’ve been able to do this, which I spell out more in depth in my book Writer on the Side.
1. Goals
If you don’t set goals for yourself, you will fall into crappy ones. The goals for many people include such classics as “I must zone out as much as possible when I get back from work,” “I must watch the show Two and a Half Men every week even if it’s a rerun,” or “I must gain two pounds a month using only food and alcohol that makes me groggy.” Nobody actually creates goals like this, but plenty of people are living them. Set a better goal for yourself by writing down something you actually want to do and studying it every day.
2. Increasing Energy
Last year, I read an amazing book called The Power of Full Engagement, which reinforced many of my beliefs about how important energy is in productivity. The book states that time management is bunk and that energy management is where focus, creativity and efficiency truly come from. Eating healthily, exercising regularly, setting aside time for relaxation with practices like yoga and meditation, spending time with loved ones, and working less often are key ingredients to a better life for an author; or for anyone really.
3. Schedule Writing Time
This seems like a silly third step, but it is the one that people tend to have the most trouble with. Personally, I love writing on weekend mornings before anybody in the house is up. Going to bed early on Friday and Saturday is the best way to open this time up for yourself. Stealing away to a coffee shop on weekday mornings or evenings has also been extremely beneficial to my writing, since it keeps me away from distractions and it locks me in at least until I finish my decaffeinated tea.
The silly thing about these three steps, is that you’ll probably have just as much time to do the important things like seeing your family and washing your dishes. You’ll just dispense with the television and the fatty-food induced cat naps. Those weren’t helping you to feel accomplished anyway. Try these steps out for a month and see how they go. If all works out, you’ll be well on your way to finishing that book of yours and becoming a published and sold author.
--
Bryan Cohen is a writer, actor and comedian from Dresher, Pennsylvania. Since graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill he has written four books (1,000 Creative Writing Prompts: Ideas for Blogs, Scripts, Stories and More, 500 Writing Prompts for Kids: First Grade through Fifth Grade, Sharpening the Pencil: Essays on Writing, Motivation, and Enjoying your Life, and Writer on the Side: How to Write Your Book Around Your 9 to 5 Job), several plays (Something from Nothing and Chekhov Kegstand: A Dorm Room Dramedy in Two Acts) and he was the head writer for an un-produced Web series (Covenant Coffee). His writing and motivation website Build Creative Writing Ideas has had over 100,000 visitors since it was founded in December 2008. He lives in Chicago, Illinois. Follow Bryan on Twitter @buildcwideas.
Bryan Cohen is giving away 100 personalized writing prompts to one giveaway entrant chosen at random during the blog tour. Personalized prompts are story starters that cater specifically to a writer’s subject matter, strengths/weaknesses, etc. Cohen will create the prompts to cater exclusively to the winner. He is giving away free digital copies of his book The Writing Sampler to everybody who enters, which includes excerpts from each of his four books on writing. The book contains essays, writing prompts and tips and tricks to enhance your writing skills. In addition, for each of Cohen’s books that reach the Top 500 on Amazon during his blog tour, he will add a $50 Amazon gift card to the drawing (up to six $50 cards in total)!
To enter, simply post a comment to this blog post with your e-mail address.
Monday, May 2, 2011
The Qwillery: Interview with Sable Grace and Giveaway - April 26...
The Qwillery: Interview with Sable Grace and Giveaway - April 26...: "zPlease welcome Sable Grace to The Qwillery as part of the 2011 Debut Author Challenge interviews. Sable Grace is Heather Waters & Laura Bar..."
Sunday, May 1, 2011
The Qwillery: Interview with Suzanne McLeod and Giveaway - April...
The Qwillery: Interview with Suzanne McLeod and Giveaway - April...: "Please welcome Suzanne McLeod to The Qwillery. TQ : What is your most interesting writing quirk? Suzanne : Thanks so much for having m..."
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