Book Tour and Review: The Perfect Family by Kathryn Shay

Join Kathryn Shay, author of the women’s mainstream fiction novel, The Perfect Family (Boldstrokes Books), as she virtually tours the blogosphere in August & September ‘10 on her first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book!



*****My review will be coming later today.*****

About Kathryn Shay

Kathryn Shay is a lifelong writer. At fifteen, she penned her first ‘romance,’ a short story about a female newspaper reporter in New York City and her fight to make a name for herself in a world of male journalists – and with one hardheaded editor in particular. Looking back, Kathryn says she should have known then that writing was in her future. But as so often happens, fate sent her detouring down another path.
Fully intending to pursue her dream of big city lights and success in the literary world, Kathryn took every creative writing class available at the small private women’s college she attended in upstate New York. Instead, other dreams took precedence. She met and subsequently married a wonderful guy who’d attended a neighboring school, then completed her practice teaching, a requirement for the education degree she never intended to use. But says Kathryn, “I fell in love with teaching the first day I was up in front of a class, and knew I was meant to do that.”
Kathryn went on to build a successful career in the New York state school system, thoroughly enjoying her work with adolescents. But by the early 1990s, she’d again made room in her life for writing. It was then that she submitted her first manuscript to publishers and agents. Despite enduring two years of rejections, she persevered. And on a snowy December afternoon in 1994, Kathryn Shay sold her first book to Harlequin Superromance.
Since that first sale, Kathryn has written twenty-five books for Harlequin, nine mainstream contemporary romances for the Berkley Publishing Group, and two online novellas, which Berkley then published in traditional print format. Her first mainstream fiction book will be out from Bold Strokes Books in September, 2010
Kathryn has become known for her powerful characterizations – readers say they feel they know the people in her books – and her heart-wrenching, emotional writing (her favorite comments are that fans cried while reading her books or stayed up late to finish them). In testament to her skill, the author has won five RT BookClub Magazine Reviewers Choice Awards, three Holt Medallions, two Desert Quill Awards, the Golden Leaf Award, and several online accolades.
Even in light of her writing success, that initial love of teaching never wavered for Kathryn. She finished out her teaching career in 2004, retiring from the same school where her career began. These days, she lives in upstate New York with her husband and two children. “My life is very full,” she reports, “but very happy. I consider myself fortunate to have been able to pursue and achieve my dreams.”
You can visit Kathryn’s website at www.kathrynshay.com.

About The Perfect Family

In THE PERFECT FAMILY, seventeen-year old Jamie Davidson doesn’t think being gay should be such a big deal…until he comes out to his parents and friends. Even as Jamie celebrates no longer needing to hide his true self and looks forward to the excitement of openly dating another boy, the entire Davidson family is thrown into turmoil.
Jamie’s father Mike can’t reconcile his religious beliefs with his son’s sexuality. His brother Brian is harassed by his jock buddies and angry at Jamie for complicating all their lives. Maggie, his mother, fears being able to protect her son while struggling to save her crumbling marriage.  And Jamie feels guilty for the unhappiness his disclosure has caused.
What happens in their small town community, in the high school, in two churches–one supportive and one not—as well as among friends and relatives is vividly portrayed. Finally, every member of their “perfect family” must search their hearts and souls to reconnect with each other in this honest, heartwarming, and hopeful look at the redemptive power of love and family.

Read the Excerpt!

Maggie heard Jamie come into the laundry room, where she was trying to make headway with the family’s clothes. Turning, she saw him drop to sit on the step and got a look at his face. “You all right, honey?”
“Yeah.” Jamie gave her a fake smile. “I gotta talk to you.”
Her pulse rate sped up. Good news never followed that statement. She set the shirt on the washing machine and leaned against it. “Shoot.”
“I have a date Friday night.”
“That’s good, isn’t it?”
“I think so.” His gaze locked with hers. “I hope you do, too.”
“Of course I do. Can we meet her?”
“It’s not a her, Mom. It’s a him.”
“A him?” She stared at her son blankly. The sound of the refrigerator across the room, the ticking of the clock on the wall seemed unnaturally loud. When realization hit, her mother’s heart tightened in her chest. “You have a date with a boy.”
A long pause. “It’s okay, isn’t it?”
Please God let me handle this right. After a moment of speechlessness, she said, “O-of course it is.”
Jamie’s fingers tightened on their dog Buck’s collar. Suddenly, her son seemed smaller, more fragile in his jeans and sweatshirt.
Maggie crossed to him, knelt down and took both of his hands in hers. His were freezing cold. “Honey, you know there’s nothing you could ever tell me, ever do or feel that would make me love you less.”
A frown. “Yeah, I know that.”
Well, she’d done this right. At least he knew her love was unconditional. But oh my God…the ramifications of his admission were far reaching.
“I just…I don’t want this to make you sad. Especially now that you’re so happy about Aunt Caroline.” He glanced down at the linoleum, then back to her again. “Are you upset?”
“That you’re gay?”
“Yeah.”
You have no idea. “No, honey. I love you for who you are.”
“Do you feel bad?”
How honest could she be? With Jamie and herself?
“Only that you didn’t tell me sooner.” Not quite the whole truth, but part of it. The easier part. Again, she thought of all they’d shared. Yet, dear Lord, he hadn’t told her something so vital to who he was. The notion made her stomach cramp.
“There wasn’t any need to tell you. I never wanted to date before. Now I do, which is why I said something today.”
“I guess I can accept that.” Later, she knew, his withholding would haunt her. Pushing away the selfish thought, she cleared her throat. “Does anybody else know?”
His expression was wry. “The guy I’m going on a date with.”
“Who is it?”
“Luke Crane.”
Her jaw dropped open. “Luke Crane? Your brother’s teammate?”
“Ma,” he said, sounding like the adult in the situation. “One out of every ten people is gay.”
She’d knew the stats, had brushed up on them for a section of Psyche 102 she taught.
“Even jocks.”
“I know. I never suspected it about him, though.”
“Did you, about me?”
Maggie had had some concerns. Once or twice she’d brought them up to Mike. The discussion always upset him, so she kept her worry to herself. One night, though, over a bottle of Merlot, she’d confessed her fears about her son to her best friend Gretta. She’d sensed all along Jamie was different, but in the end she decided the best course of action was to let Jamie tell her when he was ready. “I had some suspicions, Jame.”
“Why? Because there were no girls in the picture?”
“Uh-huh.”
And because he’d been interested in theater, and then started hanging out with a group from the plays. Paul and Nick were gay, she knew from Jamie himself. Also, Jamie had no desire to participate in sports beyond a brief stint at diving. Stereotypical thinking, which embarrassed her, but it had been there nonetheless.
Maggie moved to sit next to her son on the step. Buck compensated by lying at their feet. “Does Brian know? About you or Luke?”
“No.”
“Did you tell any of your friends? Julianne?”
“No, definitely not her. She’s so right wing Christian, Mom, I can’t talk to her anymore. Especially about something like this.”
“I’m sorry.” Maggie knew she shouldn’t ask, but like prodding a toothache with your tongue, or taking off a Band-Aid to check a wound, she couldn’t leave this alone. “Did you talk to an adult, honey?”
“Um, yeah. Ms. Carson.”
A sudden prick of tears, which she mercilessly battled back. He’d told another grown woman and not his mother. “H-has she helped you?”
“Yeah. A lot.”
“That’s good.”
“Luke and I aren’t gonna hide being together, Mom. We’re not gonna broadcast our dating either, but kids will find out.”
She groped around her mind for the mother role, one she usually fell into so easily. “How close are you two, Jamie?”
“We’ve been hanging out since the Valentine’s Dance. We got to be friends, then it turned into more.”
“Are you happy?”
He nodded. “My first boyfriend.” His expression turned sappy and Maggie’s heart ached and rejoiced at the same time. Then anger took over–that he’d been deprived of this normal adolescent feeling for so long. “It’s fun, Mom.”
“Good for you, honey.”
They talked about the times Jamie had seen Luke and his giddy feeling was even more evident, making it easier not to think about all he hadn’t shared with her.
After a half-hour, she glanced at the clock. Mike would be home soon. So she was forced to bring up the mechanics of dealing with what Jamie told her. “How do you plan to handle this at home? With the family?”
“Brian’s gotta know before anybody at school finds out. I’ll tell him. You tell Dad.”
Which they both knew would be the hardest part of all this.
Mike’s love for his son was deep. But how on God’s earth was he ever going to reconcile Jamie’s homosexuality with the Catholic religion? He was so single-minded about the church. The thought of how his attitude would influence this huge benchmark in their lives terrified Maggie. She squeezed Jamie’s arm and left her hand there, more for herself than him. “Dad will want to talk to you about all this.”
“I know.”
“What about the rest of the family?”
Since he was a baby, Jamie always got this certain expression on his face when he was troubled. Maggie could read it like a neon sign. “No.”
“No?”
“I don’t want to announce to anyone I’m gay, Mom.”
“What does that mean?”
“That I’m a son, a brother, a friend and an actor, not just a gay man.”
“I understand that.”
“And you didn’t feel the need to announce to anybody that Brian’s straight, did you?”
How wise he was for sixteen. Of course, he’d had time to think this out. And she was still reeling about the effect his disclosure would have on Mike. On all their lives.
“All right. I can abide by that wish, until it’s time for people to know.”
Like Brian’s graduation party, a few months away, if Jamie decided to bring Luke as his date. There were several possibly homophobic people in their lives.
A half-grin from her son. “We’ll tell people on a need-to-know basis.” Standing, he reached out a hand to her. She took it and prayed he didn’t feel hers trembling. When she got to her feet, she hugged him. He held on longer than usual. “I love you, Mom.”
“I love you, too.”
“Come on, Bucky,” he said to the dog, and they both disappeared down the hallway. She heard his feet pound on the steps, the bathroom door close and Buck bark at being left outside.
Dazed, Maggie picked up Mike’s shirt and stared down at it unseeingly. Her heart thudded in her chest as the ramifications of Jamie being gay flooded her. She picked up the stain spray to apply more to cuff, but dropped the can to the floor. Gripping the shirt to her chest, she swallowed hard.
“Stop it Maggie,” she said aloud. This wasn’t a tragedy. If Jamie had a terminal illness, or hit somebody while driving and killed them, or was into drugs that would be a tragedy. His sexual orientation was a simple fact of life.
Forcing herself to move, she put the white clothes in the washer, but random images bombarded her: Brian teasing Jamie about not having a girlfriend…Jamie’s dislike of proms… discussions about having kids, and Jamie saying he wanted some. She thought about Brigadoon. Her son was a boy who’d never experienced longing for the opposite sex but he always played the romantic, heterosexual lead in the plays he loved so much. What had that been like for him?
Her heart ached for her child—what he’d gone through alone, and what he would still go through, even in this day and age. In bigger cities, gay kids were more accepted, but Sherwood was different. And she knew the shattering statistics on gay teen suicide—three times higher than others in the age group.
After she closed the machine’s lid, she went to leave the laundry room, but instead, slid to the floor and wrapped her arms around her waist, trying to squelch her negative thoughts—like the wish to go back to how her life was an hour ago. Like the wish that…no, she wouldn’t even think about that. It took her a while but she won the battle and chose instead to figure out how she could help her son. And her husband.
#
With Buck at his heels, Jamie took the stairs two at a time. He catapulted into the bathroom, slammed the door and lowered the toilet seat. Dropping down onto it, he buried his face in his hands.
Breathe in, breathe out. Again. And again.
When his stomach settled and he didn’t feel like he was going to hurl, he stood and crossed to the sink in front of the mirror. He looked the same. Too skinny. Great hair, now that it was longer, normal nose. Eyes that, some cheerleader had told him, could get him into any girl’s pants. Showed how much she knew. But as he stared at his reflection, he sensed he wasn’t the same and never would be after what just happened in the laundry room.
He’d told her! Finally, after years of self-doubt that made him sick to his stomach, and when that passed, months of feeling like he was going to bust open from the inside if he didn’t let go of his secret, he found the courage to tell her. Luke’s last text message said, If you do, I will. They’d made a pact to approach both their mothers today.
But, oh God, he’d upset her, this woman who’d been the most important person in his life. He could see it in her face, always filled with gentle love and an acceptance most kids couldn’t fathom.
Typical of her, she’d tried to be brave. She said the right things. Yet he knew her almost as well as she knew him and what he’d revealed would cause her worry and pain. He’d pretended he was good, too, that he hadn’t had sleepless nights over who he was, hadn’t gone through stages of self-loathing and recriminations. He was, after all, an actor. And he had come out on the other side, had accepted who he was. Rejoiced in it, even. Finding Luke just brought it all together.
Still, this step was done. Finally, finally done.
After throwing some water on his face, Jamie opened the door and made his way to his own room. Flopping on the bed, with Buck leaping to the foot of it, he checked his text messages. None. He was dying to know how it went with Luke, who was scared shitless of his parents. But like Jamie, being gay had gotten too big to keep inside any more. It took too much energy to keep the door closed on a closet full of secrets. How would Luke’s Mom and Dad handle it? Would they explode, say awful things that could never be taken back? Luke feared the latter, and having gotten to know the Cranes in the last few weeks, Jamie expected the worst.
Linking his hands behind his head, staring up at the ceiling, he thought about his mom again. She hadn’t said any of those awful things and she never would. She’d deal with his being gay and any problems that caused inside her and make his coming out easier for him. Yet Jamie wasn’t out of the woods. Brian would freak, and Jamie would have to smooth over not telling his brother sooner. But it was his Dad’s potential reaction that woke Jamie up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. Because of the church he belonged to and the religion he embraced, his own father could reject him. His Dad might say those things he could never take back.
And Jamie didn’t know what he’d do if that happened.
Probably sensing tension in him, Buck barked and moved in to nuzzle him. Jamie petted the dog for a while, then grabbed his phone and sent a text saying, So, how’d it go telling your parents?
After a while there was a chime. I couldn’t do it, Jamie. Maybe we should both wait.
Jamie’s hand curled around the cell. “Now you tell me.”
Disappointment shot through him, harsh and acute. When he got past it, he messaged Luke that it was okay, he should wait until he was ready. But it wasn’t okay, really. The plan was to share the joy of coming out to their parents. He wanted to share everything with Luke.
“Shit!” he said aloud. Bolting up, he knew he had to get out what he was feeling, so he went to the desk, to his journal, which was the only place he’d been honest for months. Once again, he poured his heart out on the pages. Alone
I am alone in this.
I didn’t think I would be.
He promised he would tell.
It was too much for him.
Fear mixes with joy.
Joy colludes with hope.
Hope brings about expectation.
Was he wrong to have told all?
His real self speaks:
No, no, no.
It’s right. No matter what.
Right to be the person you are.
Isn’t it?

More Books by Kathryn (partial list):

The Perfect Family Tour Schedule

Monday, August 2
Book reviewed at Colloquium
Tuesday, August 3
Book reviewed at Always With a Book
Wednesday, August 4
Book spotlighted at Examiner
Friday, August 6
Book reviewed at Rundpinne
Monday, August 9
Book reviewed at Marta’s Meanderings
Tuesday, August 10
Interviewed at Literarily Speaking
Friday, August 13
Interviewed at Review From Here
Tuesday, August 17
Guest blogging at Susan Wiggs
Thursday, August 19
Interviewed at Personovelty
Friday, August 20
Interviewed at The Writer’s Life
Monday, August 23
Guest blogging at Writing Daze
Tuesday, August 24
Interviewed at A Book and a Chat Radio Show
Wednesday, August 25
Interviewed at The Hot Author Report
Thursday, August 26
Guest blogging at The Book Connection
Friday, August 27
Book reviewed at My Reading Room
Tuesday, September 7
Interviewed at Examiner
Wednesday, September 8
Guest blogging at The Writer’s Life
Thursday, September 9
Interviewed at Beyond the Books
Friday, September 10
Guest blogging at The Book Boost
Monday, September 13
Interviewed at Pump Up Your Book
Tuesday, September 14
Interviewed at As the Pages Turn
Wednesday, September 15
Guest blogging at Literarily Speaking
Thursday, September 16
Interviewed at Blogcritics
Monday, September 20
Guest blogging at Running with Quills
Book reviewed at Fictionary
Tuesday, September 21
Guest blogging at Gelati’s Scoop
Wednesday, September 22
Guest blogging at Literarily Speaking
Thursday, September 23
Interviewed at Broowaha
Friday, September 24
Interviewed at Working Writers
Monday, September 27
Guest blogging at As the Pages Turn
Tuesday, September 28
Book reviewed at Fictionary
Thursday, September 30
Guest blogging at The Story Behind the Book
Book reviewed at Write for a Reader

Book Tour: The Chill of the Night by James Hayman

Join James Hayman, author of the thriller novel, The Chill of Night (Minotaur, St. Martin’s Press), as he virtually tours the blogosphere in July and August ‘10 on his second virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book!

About James Hayman

Like McCabe, I’m a native New Yorker. He was born in the Bronx. I was born in Brooklyn. We both grew up in the city. He dropped out of NYU Film School and joined the NYPD, rising through the ranks to become the top homicide cop at the Midtown North Precinct. I graduated from Brown and joined a major New York ad agency, rising through the ranks to become creative director on accounts like the US Army, Procter & Gamble, and Lincoln/Mercury.
We both married beautiful brunettes. McCabe’s wife, Sandy dumped him to marry a rich investment banker who had “no interest in raising other people’s children.” My wife, Jeanne, though often given good reason to leave me in the lurch, has stuck it out through thick and thin and is still my wife. She is also my best friend, my most attentive reader and a perceptive critic.
Both McCabe and I eventually left New York for Portland, Maine. I arrived in August 2001, shortly before the 9/11 attacks, in search of the right place to begin a new career as a fiction writer. He came to town a year later, to escape a dark secret in his past and to find a safe place to raise his teenage daughter, Casey.
There are other similarities between us. We both love good Scotch whiskey, old movie trivia and the New York Giants. And we both live with and love women who are talented artists.
There are also quite a few differences. McCabe’s a lot braver than me. He’s a better shot. He likes boxing. He doesn’t throw up at autopsies. And he’s far more likely to take risks. McCabe’s favorite Portland bar, Tallulah’s, is, sadly, a figment of my imagination. My favorite Portland bars are all very real.
Visit James on the web at www.jameshaymanthrillers.com.

About The Chill of  Night

Some Crimes Can Never Be Forgiven.
Lainie Goff thought she had it all. The ambitious young attorney was brilliant, beautiful, and on a fast-track to a lucrative partnership at one of the top firms in New England. But then, one cold night, a dark and ugly secret comes back from Lainie’s past and she pushes things too far. Soon her body is found, frozen solid in sub-zero temperatures at the end of the Portland Fish Pier.
A mentally ill woman named Abby Quinn witnesses the brutal crime. But when she tells what she has seen, nobody will believe her. Not until she too mysteriously disappears.
In The Chill of Night, Portland homicide detective Michael McCabe finds himself finds himself fighting memories from his own past as he races to find the killer before another life is lost.
James Hayman once again tells a gripping tale of evil and deceit and creates characters so real and so human, we want to meet them again and again.

Read the Excerpt!

Abby looked up and saw a low dark thing moving toward her. A black form, now visible through the whipping snow, now obliterated by it. With each step it grew clearer and bigger. At twenty feet it began to take shape. Animal. Not human. A large dog, gray fur glistening under crystals of snow, cruel icy eyes shining through the night, more wolf than dog. She stopped but the animal kept coming. She could hear its rumbling growl. Low. Menacing. Commanding. Her heart beat against the walls of her chest so hard she was certain it would break through. She knew what the creature wanted. She knelt on her hands and knees. It bared a fang long enough and sharp enough to penetrate the soft flesh at back of her neck. She lowered her head and waited for release. But release didn’t come. Finally, after a minute or two, she looked up and it was gone. She could see nothing in front of her but the snow-covered street and the wind-swept flakes still hurtling down through the night sky. She stayed where she was, kneeling in the snow. She could hear a child crying. She listened. After a bit she realized the sound was coming from her. She got up and started walking again.

The Chill of Night Tour Schedule

 
Tuesday, July 6
Book reviewed at Rundpinne
Wednesday, July 7
Book trailer spotlighted at If Books Could Talk
Thursday, July 8
Guest blogging at Readaholic
Friday, July 9
Book reviewed at Readaholic
Monday, July 12
Guest blogging at Beyond the Books
Tuesday, July 13
Guest blogging at Literarily Speaking
Thursday, July 15
Book reviewed at Musings of an All Purpose Monkey
Friday, July 16
Book reviewed at Marta’s Meanderings
Monday, July 19
Book reviewed at Cheryl’s Book Nook
Wednesday, July 21
Book reviewed at Lucky Rosie’s
Thursday, July 22
Guest blogging at Writing Daze
Friday, July 23
Guest blogging at The Book Boost
Monday, July 26
Guest blogging at The Naked Hero
Tuesday, July 27
Book reviewed at Blog O’ the Irish
Wednesday, July 28
Guest blogging at The Writer’s Life
Thursday, July 29
Guest blogging at Blogging Authors
Friday, July 30
Book reviewed at A Room Without Books is Empty
Monday, August 2
Interviewed at Literarily Speaking
Tuesday, August 3
Book spotlighted at Virginia Beach Publishing Examiner
Wednesday, August 4
Book reviewed by Book Reviews by Buuklvr81
Thursday, August 5
Book reviewed at My Reading Room
Friday, August 6
Book reviewed at Chrissy’s World of Books
Monday, August 9
Interviewed at Broowaha
Guest blogging at Thoughts in Progress
Tuesday, August 10
Book reviewed at Books R Us
Wednesday, August 11
Book reviewed at DK’s Book Reviews
Thursday, August 12
OPEN
Friday, August 14
Guest blogging at CMash Loves to Read
Monday, August 16
Interviewed at Examiner
Tuesday, August 17
Book reviewed at Reading at the Beach
Wednesday, August 18
Guest blogging at Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers
Thursday, August 19
Book reviewed at Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers
Friday, August 20
Book reviewed at Teresa’s Reading Corner
Monday, August 23
Guest blogging at Literarily Speaking
Tuesday, August 24
Book reviewed at CMash Loves to Read
Interviewed at Divine Caroline
Wednesday, August 25
OPEN
Thursday, August 26
OPEN
Friday, August 27
Book reviewed at The Book Connection

Book Tour: A Note From an Old Acquaintance by Bill Walker

Join Bill Walker, author of the soul searching romance novel, A Note From an Old Acquaintance (iUniverse, June 2009), as he virtually tours the blogosphere in February and March on his third virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion!

My Thoughts:

Due to a crazy week - I have started this book but haven't finished it.  But I must say that as I started reading it I found it hard to put down.  I am enjoying it so far and look forward to reading more and becoming more involved with this book.  A Note from an Old Acquaintance sucks you in from the very first page. 

About Bill Walker

Bill Walker is a graphic designer specializing in book and dust jacket design, and has worked on projects by Ray Bradbury, Richard Matheson, Dean Koontz, and Stephen King. Between his design work and his writing, he spends his spare time reading voraciously and playing very loud guitar, much to the chagrin of his lovely wife and two sons. Bill makes his home in Los Angeles and can be reached through his web site: http://www.billwalkerdesigns.com/

About A Note From an Old Acquaintance

Brian Weller is a haunted man. It’s been two years since the tragic accident that left his three-year-old son dead and his wife in an irreversible coma. A popular author of mega-selling thrillers, Brian’s life has reached a crossroads: his new book is stalled, his wife’s prognosis is dire, and he teeters on the brink of despair.
Everything changes the morning an e-mail arrives from Boston artist Joanna Richman. Her heartfelt note brings back all the poignant memories: the night their eyes met, the fiery passion of their short-lived affair, and the agonizing moment he was forced to leave Joanna forever. Now, fifteen years later, the guilt and anger threaten to overwhelm him. Vowing to make things right, Brian arranges a book-signing tour that will take him back to Boston. He is eager to see Joanna again, but remains unsure where their reunion will lead. One thing is certain: the forces that tore their love asunder will stop at nothing to keep them apart.
Filled with tender romance and taut suspense, A Note from an Old Acquaintance is an unforgettable story about fate, honor, and the power of true love.

“Please tell me why you’re doing this, Brian! Please!”
He tried opening his mouth, tried to tell her the truth, but the words
he’d always wielded with such effortless aplomb, failed him, slipping
away like smoke on a windy day. His throat felt as if it were gripped in
a vise, his mind a flat, cracked slab of flyblown desert; and her muted
sobs echoing through the phone’s earpiece made him want to take it all
back. Every word. But how could he do that, now?
“I—I’m sorry, Joanna…for everything….”
“BRIANNNN!”
THE PHONE JANGLED, RIPPING Brian Weller out of the dream. He sat
up, gasping, sounds and images jumbling in his groggy brain until
none of it made any sense.
The phone rang again, startling him.
He grabbed it, his eyes struggling against the darkness in the
room.
What time was it?
Jesus, it was only 6:00. It felt even earlier due to the late night he’d
spent at the computer.

Pump Up Your Book Promotion Tour: The Magic Warble by Victoria Simcox

Join Victoria Simcox, author of the children’s fantasy chapter book, The Magic Warble (Two Harbors Press) , as she virtually tours the blogosphere in November and December on her first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion!

** Thank you to Pump Up Your Book Promotion and the author, Victoria Simcox for my copy of the book to read and review.

About the Author:

Victoria, known as Vicki, was born in 1966, in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, to an Austrian immigrant mother, and a Dutch immigrant father. She has one older sister, Jeannette. When Vicki was 7, she moved with her family to British Columbia. In her early twenties Vicki moved to Western Washington and now resides in Marysville WA. She has been married to her husband Russ, for nineteen years and they have three children; Toby, who is fifteen, Kristina, thirteen, and William, eight. She has home schooled her children for the past nine years, and she also teaches elementary school art. Vicki’s other family members are, a Chihuahua, named Pipsy, two cats, Frodo, and Fritz, and two parakeets, Charlie, and Paulie. She did have a pet rat named Raymond when she started writing The Magic Warble, but sad to say, he has since passed away of old age. Vicki enjoys writing, painting watercolors, watching movies, hanging out with her family, and chauffeuring her kids around to their many activities. Her favorite author is C.S. Lewis, and one of her fondest memories is when she was twelve. She would sit at the kitchen table and read The Chronicles of Narnia to her mother while she cooked dinner. These magical stories were very dear to Vicki and she remembers wishing, If only I could go to Narnia like Lucy and Susan. Vicki hopes that maybe, she can touch someone with her story in a similar way. You can visit her website at www.themagicwarble.com.

About the Book:

The Magic Warble (click on cover to purchase at Amazon)

Twelve-year-old Kristina Kingsly feels like the most unpopular girl in her school. The kids all tease her, and she never seems to fit in. But when Kristina receives an unusual Christmas gift, she suddenly finds herself magically transported to the land of Bernovem, home of dwarfs, gnomes, fairies, talking animals, and the evil Queen Sentiz.
In Bernovem, Kristina not only fits in, she’s honored as “the chosen one” the only one who can release the land from Queen Sentiz’s control. But it’s not as simple as it seems. To save Bernovem, she must place the gift she was given, the famous “Magic Warble” in its final resting place. And she must travel through the deep forest, climb a treacherous mountain, and risk capture by the queen’s “zelbocks” before she reaches her destination. Guided by her new fairy friends, Clover and Looper and by Prince Werrien, a teenage boy, as well as an assortment of other characters, Kristina sets off on a perilous journey that not only tests her strength but her heart.
Book Excerpt:

Bernovem
Afraid to make a move, Kristina lay curled up in the place where she had been dumped out. The laundry sack was gone. The pile of laundry had been replaced by a pile of leaves, and instead of the basement floor, it seemed to be grass. She cautiously poked her head out the pile of leaves and saw a lovely manicured garden. In the middle of it sat a small cottage made of stones and with a thatched roof. The garden itself was circular and along its perimeter was a dense forest. The weather was slightly cold, and the sky was overcast. A cold breeze blew by her and made her shiver. She felt very strange, being in the garden, and wondered if she was simply dreaming. If this is a dream, I sure hope it’s more exciting than yesterday, she thought.She suddenly heard the sound of whistling again, and when she poked her head out of the pile of leaves, she saw a man—or at least she thought it might be a man—coming around the corner of
the cottage. He looked old, and he seemed to be even shorter than herself. He had a stout stature, distinctly sharp facial features, icy blue eyes, pointy ears, a long white beard, and silver hair. Upon his left shoulder he carried a large sack, and in his right hand he held a rake. He walked toward the pile of leaves, and Kristina ducked back down so he wouldn’t see her. He dumped out the large sack onto the pile of leaves, which brought another pile of leaves upon
her head. Kristina tried not to move or make a sound. Then the little man struck a match and was about to throw it on the pile of leaves, right where she was hiding, but she jumped out just before he did so yelling, “Wait! Please don’t throw that
match!”
The little man almost fell backwards. “What in our lady’s name is this?” he said, steadying himself.
“I didn’t mean to end up in your leaf pile,” Kristina said nervously, while backing away. “As a matter of fact, I have no idea how I got here.”
The little man walked closer to her, leaning forward slightly and holding the rake in front of him, as if to protect himself. He stared at Kristina as though he’d never seen anyone like her before.
“You may find this hard to believe,” Kristina said, “but I was only trying to retrieve a little silver ball.”
The little man’s eyes grew wide. “A little silver ball, you say.”
“Yes, Sir I…”
The little man seemed impatient. “Well, go on. Go on, spit it out.”
“My teacher, Miss Hensley, gave it to me on the last day of school. It was a Christmas gift,” Kristina continued.
The little man twirled his beard around one finger as he thought for a moment. Then he looked up at her and, seeming relieved, said, “Why, yes, of course! How soon I lose my memory.” He dropped his rake on the ground.
“I’m very sorry if I upset you,” Kristina said.
“No, no. No worries! Come with me to my cottage, and we’ll have a nice cup of tea. I could use a little break anyway. My back’s about killin’ me,” he said, stretching backwards.
He picked up his rake, and then put it down on top of a wheelbarrow that was nearby. Then he motioned for Kristina to follow him. Kristina wasn’t sure if she should trust him, but he seemed friendly enough, so she walked after him. When they arrived at the cottage, he pushed open the small wooden door, and they went inside. He took a lantern down from a hook on the wall and led the way into the front room. There was a fire burning in a fireplace, and it made the room—probably the living room—feel cozy and warm. Kristina noticed that everything in the room was smaller than normal.
“Come, child, sit down,” the little man said, pointing to a small couch. “Now, how about that cup of tea?”
“Oh, yes, please. I’m a little chilly and that would warm me up,” Kristina said.
The little man picked up a basket filled with tiny red flowers.
Then he took a big handful of them and dropped them into a black kettle that was sitting on top of the fire. As the flowers fell in, the water in the kettle spat out the top.
“Now, then, let’s discuss matters while we wait on our tea,” he said, sitting down in an armchair across from Kristina. “This little silver ball… do you have it with you?” he asked, while lighting a pipe.
“Yes, I have it in my pocket. Would you like to see it?” Kristina asked.
“Yes, but let me get the tea for us first.” He got up and poured tea into two cups and handed one to her. The tea was fluorescent red, and Kristina had to squint because of its brightness.
“I’ve never seen tea like this before. Its color is such a brilliant red,” Kristina said. She took a sip of it. “Yum, this is very good.
I would say it tastes like…” She paused for a moment and then continued. “Well, actually, I can’t describe it at all, but it is very delicious.”
“It’s fairy blossom, very hard to come by nowadays,” the little man said as he sat back down. He took a big puff off his pipe, then stuck out his knuckle-swollen hand and said, “The name’s
Rumalock.”
Kristina took hold of his hand and shook it. “I don’t mean to ask a silly question or seem rude, but are you a human?”
Rumalock chuckled and said, “No, I am what you would call a dwarf.”
“I’ve heard of dwarfs in fairy tales.” She looked a little embarrassed.
“I never thought they… or, I mean, you were real. I mean, no one I know of has ever met one,” she said, getting a little tongue-tied and turning red. “I hope that I’m not saying the wrong things.”
Rumalock chuckled again. “No need to feel bashful, my dear. I’m sure you don’t run into many dwarfs where you come from, and for that matter, I guess, I could say that I don’t get the chance
to meet many of your type either.”
Kristina took another sip of her tea and then said, “My name is Kristina.”
“Pleased to meet you, Kristina,” Rumalock said. “Now, should we take a look at this little ball?”
“Oh, yes, of course.” She took it out of her pocket and dropped it onto the palm of his hand. He held his eyeglasses with his other hand and peered down at it. He rolled it around and then clasped his hand tightly shut around it.
“Yup! It is the one,” he said. “This, my dear, is a very special day, to say the least.”
“Oh, why’s that?” Kristina asked, looking a little confused.
“This little ball is called the Magic Warble. It is what everyone in our land has been waiting for, for many years,” Rumalock said excitedly. Then, looking very serious, he narrowed his eyes.
“After it was given to you, did anyone else come into contact with it or even with anything that it was stored in?”
Kristina had to think for a moment and then answered, “Yes, three people, to be exact. Wait a minute, four, actually, if you include my pet rat, Raymond.” She started to count on her fingers.
“So it would be Graham Kepler, Hester Crumeful, Davina Pavey, Raymond, and, of course, me.”
“My, my, that many, and a rat also. I haven’t seen one of those little fellows in years. This could make matters very complicated,” Rumalock said.
“How so?” Kristina asked.
Rumalock placed the Magic Warble back in Kristina’s hand and said, “After the Magic Warble was given to you, whoever touched it or even anything it touched, like a container it may have been resting in, will be brought here.”
“Where is here?” Kristina asked.
“The place you are in, child, is called Bernovem,” Rumalock answered. He took another long drag of his pipe and blew out a large number of perfectly round smoke rings. Then he got out of his
chair, walked to the fireplace, and took a dusty book off the mantel.
“What is that?” Kristina asked.
“This, my dear, is the Book of Prophecy, and it is the only one in the whole land of Bernovem.” He opened it and ran his finger along the page. “Ah ha! Here it is, just as predicted: Kristina
Kingsly,” he said.
“Do you mean I’m in that book?” Kristina asked, getting up off the couch to take a look inside it.
Rumalock pointed his finger on the page. “Is your name Kristina Kingsly?” he asked, while glancing up at her through his round glasses.
“Yes,” she answered, looking puzzled. “But how come I’ve never heard of Bernovem?”
“Bernovem is a land very far from your land, or any other, as a matter of fact. It’s in a totally different galaxy than where you are from. You see, child, you have been brought here by the Magic Warble to deliver it to its resting place.”
Kristina’s face went pale.
“Is something the matter?” Rumalock asked her.
“I’m just worried that I won’t know where to bring it,” Kristina said.
“I thought you might feel that way. I must tell you that I can’t promise you that your journey will be a smooth one, but if you trust that the Magic Warble will lead you to where it needs to go,
you should be fine. And besides, you might even get some help along the way.”
Kristina looked back into the book. “Why are so many of the pages blank?” she asked.
“Oh that’s because the prophecies in this book will only appear on the pages a few minutes before they actually come to pass. Look here—it says, ‘Kristina’s scrape on her arm was healed.’”
“How could that be? The scrape is right here on my arm. It couldn’t possibly heal within a few minutes,” she said, showing him the scrape she had gotten from falling on the icy sidewalk the morning before.
“Ah! But are you sure? Give me your arm.” Rumalock said.
Kristina stretched her arm out, and Rumalock poured a few drops of his tea onto her scrape.
“Ouch! What are you doing? That’s very hot!” she said, shaking her arm to relieve the pain.
“Take a look at your scrape now,” Rumalock said excitedly.
“It’s gone!”
“That’s right! The tea is also magic.”
“This is all so cool,” Kristina said excitedly.
“Yes, yes, I suppose you could say that,” Rumalock said as he placed the Book of Prophecy back on the mantel. “Now, child, you look hungry. How about a nice warm meal?”
“I’d like that very much,” Kristina said.
Kristina ate a delicious meal of cheese, brown bread, boiled potatoes, and the best chocolate cake she had ever tasted. Afterward, while sitting by the crackling fire, she still could hardly believe
where she was or how she had gotten there, but she was much too sleepy to figure it out. She took the Magic Warble out of her pocket to take another look at it, and when she stared down at it; her sleepy eyes suddenly grew two sizes bigger.
“The Magic Warble! Its color has changed. It used to be tarnished silver, but now it is light purple,” she said.
“Yes, of course, Kristina, it is all part of its journey,” Rumalock said. He sat across from her in his armchair, smoking his pipe.
“All part of the journey?” Kristina repeated, yawning. Her eyes grew so heavy that she couldn’t keep them open any longer. Once she fell asleep, Rumalock got up, and placed a warm woolen blanket over her. Then he blew out his lantern and left the room.

Peeking Between the Pages www.peekingbetweenthepages.blogspot.com
A Sea of Books www.aseaofbooks.blogspot.com
The Neverending Shelf www.neverendingshelf.blogspot.com
Falling Off the Shelf www.fallingofftheshelf.blogspot.com
The Princess and the Monkey http://kennedyandzach.blogspot.com/
Cafe of Dreams www.cafeofdreams.blogspot.com
A Book Blogger’s Diary www.abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.com
Revenge of the Book Nerd www.booknerdextraordinaire.blogspot.com/
Examiner www.examiner.com
Psychotic State www.psychoticstate.blogspot.com
One Person’s Journey Through a World of Books www.bookjourney.wordpress.com
Beth’s Book Review Blog www.bethsbookreviewblog.blogspot.com
Readaholic www.bridget3420.blogspot.com
I Read www.sumanan.wordpress.com
Beyond the Books www.beyondthebooks.wordpress.com
Marta’s Meanderings www.martasmeanderings.blogspot.com
The Writer’s Life www.thewriterslife.blogspot.com
Kylie’s Journal www.kylees-journal.blogspot.com
Divine Caroline www.divinecaroline.com
A Book and a Chat www.blogtalkradio.com/across-the-pond
Beyond the Books www.beyondthebooks.wordpress.com
As the Pages Turn www.asthepagesturn.wordpress.com
My Reading Room www.myreadingroom-crystal.blogspot.com
Shawn’s Sharings www.shwanssharings.blogspot.com
Jen’s Book Talk www.jensbooktalk.blogspot.com
Revenge of the Book Nerd www.booknerdextraordinaire.blogspot.com
Book Junkie www.bookjunkie.blogspot.com
Pick of the Literate www.bookrevues.blogspot.com
Layers of Thought www.layersofthought.net
Books, Movies, Reviews! Oh My! www.writesthoughts.blogspot.com
Gothic Asylum Reviews www.gothicasylum.blogspot.com
Victoria Simcox’s THE MAGIC WARBLE VIRTUAL BLOG TOUR ‘09 will officially begin on Nov. 2 and end on Dec. 16. You can visit Victoria’s blog stops at www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com during the months of November and December to find out more about this great book and talented author!

Pump Up Your Book Promotion Tour and Review: World War II Heroes of Southern Delaware by James Diehl

Join James Diehl, author of the historical nonfiction book, World War II Heroes of Southern Delaware (The DNB Group, November ‘09), as he virtually tours the blogosphere in November and December on his first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion!

Thank you to the author and Pump Up Your Book Promotion for my copy  of World War II Heroes of Southern Delaware for reading and review.

My Review:
Both of my Grandfathers served in WWII along with many great-uncles and others in the family.  I recently became fascinated with this period of time.  I thankfully did get to talk some with my maternal grandfather some about his service in the Pacific before his passing 3 years ago.  I never got to talk with my other grandfather as he passed long before I was born.  As the author mentions in the beginning of this book, we are reaching a time where these stories are starting to disappear and I agree that is vital that these stories are told.  This was a very important time in history and these men (and women) who sacrificed for their country are heroes, even if they don't consider themselves heroes.

James Diehl does a wonderful job telling the stories of 48 men and 2 women who served this country during WWII.  I hope there are more projects like this one in the future for other states.  It was fascinating reading - a first hand look from those that were there.  I'm not a huge history buff, but I loved this book.  My husband will be reading it next as he is a huge history buff.

Each story is just a few pages long, but give you a good look at each person.  I wanted to know more, but each story was very self-contained and interesting.  I loved reading each one and felt I got to know a little bit about each person and got their very personal insight into WWII.

It's wonderfully written for history buffs and for people just interested in the human side of the war.  I think everyone would really enjoy this book, and take something away from it.

About James Diehl

James Diehl is an award-winning journalist who has covered Sussex County, Delaware for various media outlets since 1998. Since 2007, he has owned and operated a freelance writing company based in Seaford, Delaware and is also a partner in a Lewes, Delaware-based public relations and marketing firm. He is the author of one other work of non-fiction – “Remembering Sussex County, from Zwaanendael to King Chicken,” published in 2009 by The History Press. James lives in Seaford, Delaware, with his wife and two daughters. You can visit his website at www.ww2-heroes.com.

About World War II Heroes of Southern Delaware

World War II Heroes of Southern Delaware is a book unlike any other ever written. In its pages are profiles of 50 ordinary Americans who did extraordinary things during a time unlike any other in American history.
These are men and women who today call southern Delaware home. In the 1940s, these brave Americans put their lives on hold to fight for freedom and democracy against the horrific threat imposed on the world by Emperor Hirohito of Japan and German Fuhrer Adolph Hitler.
When Imperial Japan attacked the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on Dec. 7, 1941, the world changed forever. These men and women were a big part of that change; they fought to protect our freedom and our way of life.
Among the amazing stories you’ll read in “World War II Heroes of Southern Delaware” are:

• A United States Marine who was a part of the 1945 attack on the Japanese island of Iwo Jima. He was one of 17 members of his company who survived, a company that numbered more than 300 at the beginning of the attack.
• An Army soldier who was responsible for uncovering Adolph Hitler’s enormous, and illegally gained, fortune toward the end of World War II.
• An Army navigator who led a group of 500 B-29s over Tokyo Bay on Sept. 2, 1945, the day the Japanese surrendered to the United States.
• A United States Navy machinist’s mate who narrowly survived a Japanese kamikaze attack.
• A United States Marine who witnessed the horrific attack on Pearl Harbor from the deck of a nearby ship.
• Men who survived German prisoner of war camps.
• First–hand accounts from the beaches of Normandy during the D-Day invasion.
• Two black soldiers who served their country with pride during World War II.
• Men who liberated German concentration camps.
• A woman who served her country by becoming a part of the “Rosie the Riveter” movement.
• And much, much more.

Readers of World War II Heroes of Southern Delaware will also receive a bonus section on Fort Miles, the immense, heavily fortified military facility built to protect the mouth of the Delaware Bay and the city of Philadelphia from an attack by the German navy. Today, the fort is being renovated and will soon become one of the largest World War II museums in the country.

Read the Excerpt!

Ed Roberts will never forget the day American tanks rolled into Moosburg, Germany – more specifically into “the hole” the Germans called Stalag 7-A, a prisoner of war camp where the Pennsylvania native spent nine months as a guest of the German government during World War II. It was, as a fellow prisoner later penned in his memoirs, a day when he saw 10,000 men cry. “You just can’t imagine the joy we felt after almost a year of making do under all kinds of situations,” Roberts says.
When American tanks rolled into the compound and started distributing K-rations, Roberts – who at the time was down to a mere 135 pounds – and his fellow prisoners started gobbling them down like they were candy.
“But after all that time, nothing tasted good,” he remembers.
As a prisoner of war in Germany, Roberts and his fellow captives called themselves kriegies – short for the German word kriegsgefangenan, which appropriately translates to “prisoner of war.”
As a kriegie, Roberts essentially had no rights. But when the American flag was raised over Moosburg in April, 1945, he realized his time in “German hell” was over.
Decades ago, former kriegies started the “Kriegie Klarion,” a monthly newsletter for those who suffered in German prisoner of war camps during World War II. Vernon L. Burda, who was in Stalag 7-A with Roberts, penned the following passage after the camp was liberated by American soldiers on April 29, 1945.
It still rings true to Roberts today.
“…for no apparent reason, a hush fell over the compound and all eyes turned toward the town in which stood two high church steeples. [More than] 20,000 eyes saw machine gun bullets splatter against the steeples – a period of quiet – and then it occurred. [It was] a scene, the happening of which brought tears streaming down the face of every single American prisoner of war there, and a sob from every throat.”
The passage continues: “We saw the greatest sight – the most emotional minute that we would probably ever witness. Raised before our eyes and flying defiantly above one of the church steeples was the symbol of our beloved land. The American flag!”
It was an emotional end to a fantastic journey that saw Roberts leave Pennsylvania State University and transverse the American landscape while training to become a fighter pilot. Joining the U.S. Army Air Corps on Nov. 11, 1942, all he ever wanted to do was fly.
“That was always my interest,” he says simply. “I took all kinds of physical and mental tests and, after that period, people in charge would say if you should be a pilot or a bombardier, or whatever. My classification was a fighter pilot.”
Roberts spent time training across the South, including stops at military facilities in Tennessee, Arkansas, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Virginia and Florida. He even spent about a month flying P-47 Thunderbolts at Dover Army Airfield, now Dover Air Force Base. Finally, in the summer of 1944, he was sent to England and assigned to the 412th Squadron of the 373rd Fighter Group.
His unit was based on the beaches of Normandy following the D-Day invasion – Roberts says he’ll never forget the first time he flew over the famed beachhead.
“After the invasion, the Americans stayed in one place and they brought in all kinds of supplies,” says Roberts, who missed participating in the D-Day invasion by just two weeks. “Every free space on that beach was loaded down with supplies. It’s hard for people to understand the enormity of the whole thing. All we could see when flying over was hundreds of ships in the water and lots of supplies on the beaches.”
Taking off from Normandy to the south, Roberts says he would only be in the air for 400 to 500 yards before he was over enemy lines and, thus, taking enemy fire. He flew four missions before being shot down and taken prisoner – he still remembers it as if it was yesterday.

World War II Heroes of Southern Delaware Tour Schedule

Monday, Nov. 2
Interviewed at Talking Virtual Book Tours
Tuesday, Nov. 3
Book Spotlight at Examiner
Wednesday, Nov. 4
Interviewed at Beyond the Books
Thursday, Nov. 5
Interviewed at American Chronicle
Friday, Nov. 6
Interviewed on Kim Smith’s Introducing Writers Radio Show (8:30 eastern; adjust to your time zone)
Monday, Nov. 9
Interviewed at Pump Up Your Book!
Tuesday, Nov. 10
Guest Blogging at Beth’s Book Review Blog
Wednesday, Nov. 11
Guest Blogging at Market My Novel
Thursday, Nov. 12
Book Spotlight at The Writer’s Life
Friday, Nov. 13
Interviewed at The Writer’s Life
Monday, Nov. 16
Interviewed at Blogcritics
Tuesday, Nov. 17
Interviewed at Broowaha
Wednesday, Nov. 18
Interviewed at In My Youth
Thursday, Nov. 19
Book Spotlight at As the Pages Turn
Friday, Nov. 20
Interviewed at As the Pages Turn
Monday, Nov. 23
Interviewed at Divine Caroline
Tuesday, Nov. 24
Book Review at Reading to Know
Wednesday, Nov. 25
Interviewed at Review From Here
Friday, Nov. 27
Guest Blogging at Blogging Authors
Tuesday, Dec. 1
Book reviewed at 4 the Love of Books
Book spotlighted at Between the Covers

James Diehl’s WORLD WAR II HEROES OF SOUTHERN DELAWARE VIRTUAL BLOG TOUR ‘09 will officially begin on Nov. 2 and end on Dec. 16. You can visit James’ blog stops at www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com during the month of November and December to find out more about this great book and its talented author. If you would like to host James’, contact Dorothy Thompson at thewriterslife@yahoo.com before Oct. 31. Thank you!

Review and Giveaway: Sins of the Flesh by Caridad Pineiro

Sins of the Flesh by Caridad Pineiro

My rating: 4.25/5.0

I received this book from the author for a tour stop with Pump Up Your Book Promotion.

My Review:

Sins of the Flesh is a wonderful start to Caridad Pineiro's new Sins series. I was taken in by the story and I am looking forward to picking up where this one leaves off when Stronger than Sin comes out.

Caterina Shaw is an amazing heroine. She has had a tough time of things, but she remains true to her self and strong. I think she makes the perfect heroine because she is smart and sexy, feminine and tough all wrapped up in one. Being all of those things makes her a perfect match for the hero Mick. Mick is tough guy to the core. Former army and currently a man-for-hire, he has morals and he has a family. He is tired of a life of one-night-stands but doesn't think he's good enough for any one woman. The one place where his soft spot shows is with his family. His love for family shines through from the beginning and only a very special woman can break through the walls he has constructed around his heart.

Add to the great hero and heroine a very engrossing plot line and a lot of unanswered questions that are slowly answered and you have an exciting story.

If it doesn't grab you in the first 25 pages I encourage you to continue because I guarantee that shortly after that the story really takes off and then the book is very hard to put down. The different paranormal storyline is fascinating as it explores science experiments and genetics gone wrong more than vampires and werewolves. But it doesn't go into it too deep to bog the story down, it adds just enough to make the story interesting and different. So if you like your romance paranormal but you want a little something different and if you want an amazing (and hot) romance then Sins of the Flesh is the book for you.

About the Book:
Caterina Shaw's days are numbered. Her only chance for survival is a highly experimental gene treatment-a risk she willingly takes. But now Caterina barely recognizes herself. She has new, terrifying powers, an exotic, arresting body-and she's been accused of a savage murder, sending her on the run.

Mick Carrera is a mercenary and an expert at capturing elusive, clever prey. Yet the woman he's hunting down is far from the vicious killer he's been told to expect: Caterina is wounded, vulnerable, and a startling mystery of medical science. Even more, she's a beautiful woman whose innocent sensuality tempts Mick to show her exactly how thrilling pleasure can be. The heat that builds between them is irresistible, but surrendering to it could kill them both . . . for a dangerous group is plotting its next move using Caterina as its deadly pawn.

Giveaway:

I won a really great lunch tote promoting Caridad Pineiro's Sins of the Flesh release on a twitter contest.  When it came I was sent two of them so I am willing to share one with a lucky reader.  I would share my book but it's autographed and I'm hanging on to it.  Just leave a comment and you are entered.  For extra entries you can twitter, follow me on google, rss or twitter.  Just leave a comment with what you do.  The contest is open to the US and Canada and will end 12/15.

Book Challenges:
100+ Book Challenge
Fall Into Reading Challenge 2009

Virtual Book Tour: Sins of the Flesh by Caridad Pineiro

Join Caridad Pineiro, author of the sensual suspense novel, Sins of the Flesh (Grand Central Publishing, Oct. ‘09) , as she virtually tours the blogosphere in November on her third virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion!

My review is coming later today.  Thank you to Caridad Pineiro for sending and autographing a copy of the book for me to read.  I have a giveaway coming later today also.

About Sins of the Flesh

Caterina Shaw’s days are numbered. Her only chance for survival is a highly experimental gene treatment – a risk she willingly takes. But now Caterina barely recognizes herself. She has new, terrifying powers, an exotic, arresting body — and she’s been accused of a savage murder, sending her on the run.
Mick Carrera is a mercenary and an expert at capturing elusive, clever prey. Yet the woman he’s hunting down is far from the vicious killer he’s been told to expect: Caterina is wounded, vulnerable, and a startling mystery of medical science. Even more, she’s a beautiful woman whose innocent sensuality tempts Mick to show her exactly how thrilling pleasure can be. The heat that builds between them is irresistible, but surrendering to it could kill them both . . . for a dangerous group is plotting its next move using Caterina as its deadly pawn.

About Caridad Pineiro

New York Times and USA Today bestseller Caridad Pineiro wrote her first novel in the fifth grade when her teacher assigned a project – to write a book for a class lending library. Bitten by the writing bug, Caridad continued with her passion for the written word through high school, college and law school. Shortly after the birth of her daughter, Caridad’s passion for writing led to a determination to become published and share the stories she loved with others. In 1999, Caridad’s first novel was released and a decade later, Caridad is the author of over twenty novels and novellas. Caridad hopes to continue to share her stories with readers all over the world for years to come.
When not writing, Caridad is an attorney, wife and mother to an aspiring writer and fashionista. For more information on Caridad, please visit www.caridad.com or www.thecallingvampirenovels.com.

Read an Excerpt

The day the music died, Caterina Shaw did as well. Not physically, although she understood the death of her body was inevitable. She had come to terms with that reality some time ago. She had even managed to deal with the blindness caused by the tumor eating away her brain. But then the pain had become so great that it had silenced the music, stealing away the only thing that had made life worth the anguish.
“You understand this treatment is new and uncertain,” Dr. Rudy Wells explained, his voice smooth and comforting. The touch of his hand, warm and reassuring, came against hers as it rested on her thigh.
“I understand,” she said and faced the direction of that calming voice.
Another person abruptly chimed in, his tones as strident and grating as a badly played oboe. “We’ll begin with laser surgery to remove the bulk of the tumor followed by two different courses of gene therapy.”
Two? she wondered and sensed Dr. Wells’ hesitation as well from the tremble that skated across his fingers. He removed his hand from hers and said, “Dr. Edwards believes that we can not only shut down the tumor growing in your brain, but possibly regrow the portion of your optic nerve that the tumor damaged.”
Caterina’s only wish when considering the experimental treatment had been to stop the pain so that she could play her cello once again. So that her last months would be filled with the vitality her music provided.
It was through her music that she lived. That her mother lived, Caterina thought, recalling the passion she had felt as a small child when her mother had played the piano for her; the way her mother’s fingers had coaxed life from the keys much like she now did with a stroke of her bow and the deft touch of her fingers on the strings of her cello.
Or at least like she had up until the cancer had put an end to her music, bringing her life to a close. Except now she was being told something different.
Caterina had never thought about eliminating the tumor. Every prognosis so far had been that she was terminal. Now these new doctors told her not only that might she live, but that she might actually see again too. She didn’t dare believe that she would be able to get her old life back completely, as well as her sight but . . .
“You think I’ll be able to recover? To see again?” Caterina asked, needing to be sure she had understood correctly.
“The risks are great, my dear,” Dr. Wells urged gently.
“But you qualify for the human trials because of the advanced state of your illness, Ms. Shaw,” Dr. Edwards added, annoyance at his partner evident in the staccato beats of his voice.
Her advanced state which could possibly bring death even with this treatment, Caterina thought. Not that she feared her end. What she did fear was letting the pain in her head rob her of the one thing she could not live without.
Her music.
She knew without hesitation that it was worth any risk to regain that part of her. To drive back the illness so she could play her cello once more and reanimate her heart for as long as she had left if the treatments couldn’t stop the tumor.
“What do you need me to do?”

Extras!

For Behind the Scenes blogs where readers can find out about the places where the book is set, you can go to: http://www.caridad.com/books/paranormal/sins-of-the-flesh/

Caridad Pineiro’s SINS OF THE FLESH VIRTUAL BLOG TOUR ‘09 will officially begin on Nov. 2 and end on Nov. 27. You can visit Caridad’s blog stops at www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com during the month of November to find out more about this great book and talented author!

Virtual Book Tour: Run at Destruction by Lynda Drews

Join Lynda Drews, author of the true crime book, Run at Destruction: A True Fatal Love Triangle (Title Town Publishing, Aug. ‘09) , as she virtually tours the blogosphere in November on her first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion!

About the Book

Deeply immersed in the close-knit culture of long-distance running, Pam and Bob Bulik were avid competitors. To all appearances, they were also a happily married couple, devoted to each other and their two young children. Then, Bob made a fateful decision. He began an extramarital affair that led to his wife’s tragic death and to one of the most sensationalized and heavily attended trials in Green Bay’s history.
Candidly written by Pam’s best friend, Run at Destruction exposes the irresistible human passions that make us so vulnerable, and the ultimate price we pay for choosing to act on them. You’ll relive every detail of the crime and the exhaustive police investigation, and watch the courtroom drama from a front-row seat as a major homicide case unfolds in a small town where everyone knows all the players. Then, when you’ve heard all the evidence, you can decide for yourself – was Pam Bulik’s death a terrible accident, intentional suicide, negligent homicide or premeditated murder?

About the Author

Lynda Drews, a Wisconsin native and dedicated runner, recently gave the commencement speech at the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse, her college Alma mater. One lesson she shared with the graduates was: “to journal your life.” When Lynda, an IBM marketing executive, made the decision to retire after her thirty-year career, she returned to an earlier passion. Run at Destruction is the outcome.
Even though this is Lynda’s first book, she has inside knowledge about the victim and the accused. One of the book’s themes is the impact her best friend’s mysterious death has on Green Bay’s close-knit running community. Lynda and her husband, Jim, a retired teacher and guidance counselor, helped launch the local running movement. Green Bay now hosts the nation’s fifth largest 10K, attracting more than 15,000 participants.
Along with a golden retriever named Bailey, Lynda and her husband have two sons, Collin and Chris. After they reached sixth grade, the author let them pick a yearly one-on-one trip with just their mom. One son chose exotic places like Cancun, the Bahamas, Costa Rica, and skiing in Oregon, while the other went to the bathroom sized PEZ Museum in San Francisco, and to eight different locales where the Dave Mathews Band played. Lynda may be the oldest person in the world that’s been to fifteen DMB concerts!
www.lyndadrews.com www.lmdrews.wordpress.com

Read an Excerpt

Now reaching the eight-mile mark in today’s half-marathon, I filed those memories of Pam in the back of my mind so I could focus on the target ahead. I was gaining on Dr. John Kiser, a good friend, my general practitioner, and someone I frequently tried to beat. Sirens filled the air as a rescue squad pulled up alongside him. John perplexingly climbed in. About ten minutes later I neared the corner by Pam’s home. An uneasiness crept through me. What was going on? She’d missed the start and now was absent from this spot. I strained my neck looking up the hill, which then turned left into the Buliks’ hidden cul-de-sac. There appeared to be a cluster of neighbors near the top, but I didn’t see Pam. I had a weird premonition that something was terribly wrong.
The effect of my pre-race caffeine had vanished, and a trudging heaviness enveloped my legs. A cluster of blackbirds, perched high on the crossbar of a light pole, cawed at me, their beaks jerking left and right, temporarily drowning out my raspy breathing. I tried to focus, but thoughts of Pam kept getting in the way.
Finally, the end was in sight. Place did not matter– first or last, runners and spectators would cheer. But today there was little applause. An uncanny quiet surrounded much of the black T-shirted group. Furtive glances from friends felt targeted my way.
Relieved to be crossing the finish line, I heard Dick announce 1:39:10. I was pleased.
But instead of congratulatory words, my friend gave me a despairing look, sliding his arm around my sweaty back, supporting me. “Lynda, there’s no easy way to tell you this.”
A stab of anxiety cut through me. “Tell me what?”
“They found Pam.”
I stumbled at his words, my worried eyes finding Dick’s. “What do you mean?”
“They found her at home.” He tightened his grip on me and heaved a body-racking sigh. “Lynda, Pam’s dead.”
Runners clustered around at the finish line, weeping and whispering. Through my own tears I mentioned my earlier premonition, how, when Pam had not been at the corner, I’d somehow thought, I hope she didn’t commit suicide.
Friends attempted to console me. Dr. John Kiser was now among them. Another friend had driven him back to the finish. John worked in the local hospitals’ emergency rooms, and knew the paramedics who’d coincidentally picked him up. They’d been responding to a 911 call and asked for his assistance. John had been troubled when they’d turned down the Buliks’ driveway. Even though another rescue squad had beat them to the scene they’d entered the home and been directed to the master bathroom off the foyer.
John paused so I could prepare myself. My heart beat spastically, dreading what I’d hear next.
Near the Buliks’ 4×6 foot whirlpool bathtub, he said that a white hospital blanket had covered a body. Kneeling beside it, the coroner had uncovered Pam’s face.
A soft moan escaped my lips. I visualized my friend just last weekend, so alive. I’d told Pam how proud I was of her and then had given her a hug, feeling her warm breath against my neck. Of course we weren’t sisters, but the way I’d felt about her was as dear as that bond.
My pained eyes caught John’s. “Do you know how she died?”
“Apparently, Lynda, she drowned.”
“Drowned?” I could not comprehend.

Lynda Drew’s RUN AT DESTRUCTION VIRTUAL BLOG TOUR ‘09 will officially begin on Nov. 2 and end on Nov. 27. You can visit Lynda’s blog stops at www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com during the month of November to find out more about this great book and talented author!