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Friday, May 31, 2013

Orangeberry Free Alert - HORSES AND HEROIN by Bev Pettersen

11:00 AM Posted by Unknown No comments

Horses and Heroin - Bev Pettersen

Amazon Kindle US

Amazon Kindle UK

Genre - Romantic Suspense

Rating - PG

4.6 (153 reviews)

Free until 4th June 2013

JOCKEY SCHOOL IS NOT WHAT IT SEEMS.
A talented rider disappears without a trace.
His frantic sister poses as a student.
A private investigator's plans for quiet recuperation are shattered.

Megan is determined to find her missing brother even though no one else at the illustrious California Jockey School seems to care. Her only ally is a recuperating PI who unfortunately is the owner's best friend. Soon she is caught between a blossoming romance and a far-reaching conspiracy...where misplaced trust can be deadly.

Author Interview – Christina Esdon

7:30 AM Posted by Unknown , , No comments

Do you intend to make writing a career? I currently have a day job that I enjoy and that I find meaningful. Eventually I would like to make writing a career, but am thankful right now I have a way to make ends meet and can ease myself into making writing a career.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? The messages in the Orange Karen anthology are all about strength, resiliency, and hope.

What are your goals as a writer? Aside from writing well, I want to inspire readers, and help them to escape everyday stressors, even if just for a moment or two.

Have you ever considered anyone as a mentor? The editors for this anthology are all mentors to me. Susan Ethridge, Jennifer Gracen, Steven Luna, and K.D. McCrite continue to teach me, in their own ways, how to become a better writer.

Who is your favorite author and why? Fellow Canadian author Margaret Atwood is my favorite author. First off, her books are amazing. I also love how she does not let herself get pigeon-holed into a particular genre. She’s very accessible to her fans, especially through Twitter and Wattpad, and she voices her opinions on matters close to her heart.

Can we expect any more books from you in the future? There has been idle chit chat about an Orange Karen anthology Volume 2, but right now we’re focusing on promoting this anthology. If there continues to be enough excitement and demand for these amazing stories, then we’ll talk about it more. For me personally, my first novel “Work in Progress”, published by Booktrope Publishing, will be out soon and I’ve started on the next novel in that series.

What dreams have been realized as a result of your writing? Not only can I say I have been published, but so have 39 other authors who have become friends. And most of all, I got to be involved in an amazing project to help a wonderful person. Talk about win-win-win!

If you could leave your readers with one bit of wisdom, what would you want it to be?

1. No matter what life throws at you, dig deep inside and dance. Our friend Orange Karen was a true warrior. She fought for her life and even when she was feeling her worst, trying to wean off of heavy pain killers, dealing with physical pain, rehabilitating from illness and trying to make sense of what just happened to her, she danced.

2. Never underestimate the value of supports, in real life and online.

3. Participate in something that speaks to your heart. Whether that be a new book or writing project, volunteering, or taking up kite surfing.

Get swept off your feet by an Internet romance

Escape from a war-torn encampment with a mystical healer/princess

Witness the murder of a NASCAR driver in the bathroom of local Home Depot

Join Miss Della and Chip as they find friendship and a new zest for life in their golden years

ORANGE KAREN: TRIBUTE TO A WARRIOR is a collection of 39 stories that explore the strength and resilience of the human spirit. From the monster in the basement to the teddy bear on a young woman’s pillow, each story uses the colour orange as a thematic element, revealing the power of love, friendship, and the will to live.

Karen DeLabar is a friend, author, and mother. In June of 2012, she was stricken with Toxic Shock Syndrome.

One hundred percent of the proceeds from the anthology will be donated to Karen and her family, to assist with her medical expenses, and ongoing recovery.

Follow Karen’s story at http://karendelabar.com/, and learn more about the symptoms, effects, and treatment of Toxic Shock Syndrome at http://www.toxicshock.com/

Acknowledgements by Christina Esdon
Foreword by Jennifer Gracen
Introduction by Karen DeLabar

Contributing Authors:
Jesse James Freeman
February Grace
Cara Michaels
Jennifer Gracen
Anna Meade
Jeff Tsuruoka
Patty Blount
Steve & Zack Umstead
R. B. Wood
Taylor Lunsford
Anne Baker
alex kimmell
Elizabeth Ann West
Janelle Jensen
Gareth S. Young
Julie Glover
Maureen Hovermale
S.G. Lee
John Moore Walker
Jonathan Gould
Benjamin Cain
Joseph Schmidt
Christina Esdon
Andrew F. Butters
Mark Ethridge
Francis Setnocis
D. Savannah George
E. Wells-Walker
K.D. McCrite
J.L. Gentry
Shay Fabbro
Christopher Cantley
Valerie Haight
J. Whitworth Hazzard
Emmett Spain
Tim Queeney
Stephanie Fuller
Steven Luna
Glenn Skinner

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre - Short Story Anthology

Rating – PG13 (some strong language)

Connect with this cause on Facebook Events & Twitter

Review: Orange Karen: Tribute to a Warrior by Christina Esdon

5:30 AM Posted by Unknown No comments
Orange Karen: Tribute to a WarriorOrange Karen: Tribute to a Warrior by Christina Esdon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Did the plot pull you in or did you feel you had to force yourself to read the book? With almost 40 stories, you would think that some of the stories were boring but not at all. Each and every story was a page turner and pulled me in.

Formatting / Appearance. We received a mobi version and everything seemed in order. No complaints here.

Content (overall theme, idea and setting). This is my new favourite book and I'm definitely blabbing about it to anyone and everyone.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.

View all my reviews

Orangeberry Book of the Day – Trouble in Paradise by Deborah Brown

5:30 AM Posted by Unknown No comments

A Brand-New Madison Westin Novel, with More Craziness in Tarpon Cove…

Remember Madison? What she had to go through… inheriting her aunt’s cottages was peanuts compared to what awaits her in TROUBLE IN PARADISE, the latest addition to the Paradise Series.

What is big news in small town Tarpon Cove? An accidental drowning or maybe even a ruthless murder? When a dead fisherman rolls up on the shore of Tarpon Cove, Madison cannot resist but to jump into her new role as Private Investigator, with only one goal in mind: to solve this intriguing mystery of the dead guy. But things do not go as Madison wants as she discovers that people in small towns are usually tight lipped, and that is certainly the case for the residents of Tarpon Cove. Although a hot bed for gossip, in a town where everyone knows everyone’s business, what is safer than keeping your mouth shut?

But that is not all…

With Madison’s tenant assessment skills not shaping up, her cottages are still full of riffraff, and it has become Tarpon Cove’s hotbed for illegal affairs. Madison teams up with her best friend and Glock-carrying Fabiana… Together they take on cases no other investigators would ever dare to touch in Tarpon Cove or anywhere else. Sometimes a girl needs a bubble bath and a fun book. So draw your bath and dive into Madison’s adventures!

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Mystery

Rating – PG13

More details about the author

Connect with Deborah Brown on Facebook & Twitter

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Orangeberry Book of the Day – Killer Work from Home Jobs: 460 Jobs SUPER BOOK by Lee Evans

12:00 PM Posted by Unknown No comments

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What’s in This Book?

Killer Work from Home Jobs: 460 Jobs SUPER BOOK, has 160 NEW jobs, 200 jobs from Killer Work from Home Jobs 1, and 100 jobs from Killer Work from Home Jobs 2. There’s no story. No lessons. Just jobs! Economical too – it’s three books in one. SUPER BOOK identifies Fortune 500 & Legitimate Work at Home Jobs from global, national, mid-sized and start-ups with wings.

Why You Need This Book!

Killer Work from Home Jobs: 460 Jobs SUPER BOOK will help you accomplish your dream.

  • Is it finally time to find a job so that you can work from home?
  • Do you really want to trudge hours to work every day?
  • Are you looking for an honest work from home opportunity?

The idea for the Killer Work from Home Jobs Series came from the fact that I trudged to my job, as manager of someone else’s business, wondering why I wasn’t happy. I was good at what I did, achieved the company’s goals, made good money, received accolades, but something wasn’t right, there was no sense of fulfillment.

I can’t convey the melancholy I felt, I worked hard to achieve success, earned every academic credential, had a resume to swoon over. But I wasn’t a happy camper. Was this all there was?

Once I decided to work at home, it was amazing, I jumped in the air and clicked my feet! Killer Work from Home Jobs: 460 Jobs SUPER BOOK is dedicated to all those who just can’t go back to work. In addition to the “I can’t take it any mores” of the world, this book will help many who have other compelling reasons, as well. The need to work from home runs deep. Taking the first step to working at home will make you jump for joy.

How is This Book Different?

How is Killer Work from Home Jobs: 460 Jobs SUPER BOOK different from other work from home books? It is the largest compilation of home-based jobs available on Amazon today.

  • Is the company financially healthy?
  • Has the company been around for awhile?
  • Does the company have a global footprint?
  • Does the company have “money in the bank?”

My months of research answered these questions, to provide you with key company data.

My Promise to You

I verified all links in Killer Work from Home Jobs: 460 Jobs SUPER BOOK at publication. Since companies change web pages, and job needs, if any of the links don’t work, simply contact me at Free-Job-Search-Websites.com, I’ll provide you with revised link info & you can get notice of new books, too.

You’re not just buying a book, you’re buying my promise that I’ll tirelessly provide you with the most up to date info at my disposal. I want to help you make your dream come true!

Learn how to find Killer Work from Home Jobs

Genre – NonFiction / Business / Job Hunting

Buy Now @ Amazon

Rating – G

More details about the author

Connect with Lee Evans on her

Website http://www.free-job-search-websites.com/

Orangeberry Free Alert - Still Fine at Forty - Dakota Madison

11:00 AM Posted by Unknown No comments

Still Fine at Forty - Dakota Madison

Amazon Kindle US

Amazon Kindle UK

Genre - Contemporary Romance

Rating - R

4.6 (7 reviews)

Free until 1st June 2013

It all started with a Girl's Getaway Weekend in Sedona, Arizona...
It's been a year since Jennifer Ellis's ex-husband left her for a much younger woman and Jennifer still hasn't dated. Now turning 40, Jennifer wonders if she'll ever find love again. So Jennifer's best-friend, Melanie Malone, books them on a Girl's Getaway in picturesque Sedona, Arizona in hopes of inspiring Jennifer to have a vacation fling.
Jennifer gets more than she bargained for when she meets the ruggedly handsome 29-year old tour Jeep guide, Cody Miller, and the two begin a passionate romance. What Jennifer doesn't know is that Cody has a secret past that not only threatens to destroy their new love but also expose a tragic event from Jennifer's past that she has tried desperately to forget.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Orangeberry Free Alert - How I Wrote 2 eBooks in 21 Days by Glen Stanford

11:00 AM Posted by Unknown No comments

 

How I Wrote 2 eBooks in 21 Days - Glen Stanford

Amazon Kindle US

Amazon Kindle UK

Genre - Non Fiction

Rating - PG

4.6 (55 reviews)

Free until 2 June 2013

Ride a hilarious roller coaster with Glen Stanford as he follows Steve
Scott's plan in "How to Write a Nonfiction e-Book in 21 Days!"
Not one to let the writing process cramp his style, this ukulele-playing,
bluegrass-singing YouTube sensation (32 views and counting) juggles his
new-found fame with astonishing persistence to produce not one, but two
works of genius. This is the true story.
FIVE CRITICAL Reasons you MUST read this book
1. America's Funniest Recipes want you to read this book
The (secret) recipe for success:
Writer's buzz - 1 oz
Sleepless nights - 2 oz
Tenacity (and beer) - 7 (units left deliberately vague)
Irreverence and political incorrectness - to taste
Espresso - administered intravenously - 55 gal
Pizza (1/2 pepperoni, 1/2 mushroom) - 37 slices
Humility - a whole bunch
Blend and enjoy.
2. Chuck Noris wants you to read this book
You gonna argue with Chuck? I'm not! He is a huge believer in the power of
laughter because it leads to the lowering of stress hormones. This is
the carrot AND the stick - lower your stress by laughing and you won't
have to worry about Chuck getting angry with you at the same time.
P.S.
Chuck Noris is from Dubuque, Iowa and is in no way related to Chuck
Norris, the consummate actor karate-guy who would probably kick my ass
if I used his name without permission.
3. The Bible wants you to read this book
The Good Book says "A joyful heart is good medicine" (Proverbs 17:22).
Then again, it also says "Judas hanged himself" (Matthew 27:5) and "Go
and do likewise" (Luke 10:37) so you gotta be kind of selective when you
pick your quotes from this 1700-year-old classic.
4. It's flipping funny and Rated PG, too
While I might dance around some edgy subjects, I never want my readers to squirm. I leave that to the Ben Stilers of the world.
P.S.
Ben Stiler is in no way related to the incredibly funny Ben Stiller,
whose masturbatory comedic genius (when he's not meeting some Fokker)
always leaves you with a chuckle.
All of my books are swear-word-free. I tire of today's "comics" who resort to f-bombing
their material as if dirty words are the main ingredient instead of an
occasional spice.
The worst word you'll ever hear from me is "crap." Feel free to substitute something stinkier if it makes you feel
better, but honest humor shouldn't have to rely on shock jock laziness.
Then again, Howard Stearn made $100 million with his lesbian obsession and I
sell my books for the price of a cup of coffee, so what do I know?
When you see the word "flipping," you are also free to substitute something
racier, like "freaking." It's your theater of the mind, and you are the
only one taking the tickets.
That is, unless you object to me using the word "Damn" in the subtitle. That's just too funny to pass up,
and I'm #%$#&! using it.
P.S. Howard Stearn is in no way related to the radio professional Howard Stern, for whom I have only the
greatest respect. Baba Booey. Oh, and "lesbian" isn't a dirty word
anyway, nana.
5. For Writers only
You will uncover nuggets of resources that will be incredibly helpful on your journey to write
and publish your own book. You'll just have to suffer through the fun
stuff to uncover them. Think of it as a treasure hunt.
IN SUMMARY
God,
Chuck, America's Funniest Recipes and the movie Rating Board all want
you to read this book (and probably Ben and Howard, too). I wouldn't
mess with any of them. So it's no coffee for you today -  you have a
hormone level to lower.

Orangeberry Book of the Day - Too Many Secrets (Cleo Sims Mysteries) by Lynn Osterkamp

6:30 AM Posted by Unknown No comments

Chapter 1

December 11

Waves of nausea overwhelmed me as I rushed into Turley’s Restaurant at noon that icy December day. A blast of hot air smelling of fish, burgers, onions and such sent me careening to the ladies room to avoid puking on the dining room floor. Amazingly, once I was inside the safety of the stall, I managed to avert the worst, containing my sickness to dry heaves. I hurried out to the sinks to make myself presentable for my lunch meeting with Bruce, the local dot-com millionaire who funds an experimental project that is a major part of my grief-therapy practice. I was a wreck. I'd had a miserable morning, I was late to a meeting with Bruce who prizes promptness, and my shaky queasiness exacerbated my anxiety about why Bruce had summoned me.

As I calmed my breathing and dabbed at my face with a wet paper towel, the ladies room door flew open, letting in a tall blond woman wearing designer jeans and a red ribbed turtleneck, topped with a necklace of multicolored glass beads. My best friend Elisa, looking stunning as always. We both jumped in surprise, then she darted over and enveloped me in a welcome hug. “Cleo? Honey, you look under the weather. Is the morning sickness getting worse?”

“Shhh,” I said. “Let’s not spread the news all over Boulder.” I wasn't ready to tell the world about my pregnancy, since I was only three months along, and Pablo and I aren’t married. So far Elisa and Pablo are the only ones who know.

Elisa pulled back, looking up and down the room. “Sorry for the blabbing, but you know me. Sometimes my mouth works faster than my brain. The good news is it looks like we’re alone in here. Now let’s fix you up a little,” she said, straightening my sweater. She grabbed a comb out of her bag and worked some magic on my hair.

I felt better right away. Elisa is like a big sister to me. The kind of sister who knows how to do stuff you don't, but never makes fun of you. She just helps.

“You’re a lifesaver,” I said, “but I have to run. I’m already late for my lunch meeting with Bruce.” I headed for the door.

Elisa waved me on. “Oh—you’re meeting Bruce! Well hang in there, honey, and call me later with the scoop.”

Back in the dining area, I scanned the room a couple of times. Didn’t see Bruce. Deep breath. Maybe I’m not as late as I thought? But no, there he is sitting with a petite dark-haired woman in a booth next to a brick wall. Unexpected. Bruce is a brilliant guy who works all the time. Divorced. No social life. Who is this woman and why did he bring her?

I hustled over to their table and slid into the booth across from them, my mind on autopilot running through possible menu choices that my gut would be willing to tolerate. “Sorry to be late,” I muttered, hoping my winning smile would distract from my tardiness. “Good to see you, Bruce.”

“Hi, Cleo, I thought you forgot. This is my sister, Gayle. She needs your help.”

Whew! A relief on that score. Good to know he hadn’t summoned me to talk about problems with the funding for my Contact Project.

Gayle gave Bruce a poke. “Whoa, Bruce. This isn’t a computer-programming job. It’s personal. Let’s take a few minutes before we dive in.”

“Okay, let’s order first, then talk,” he said, burying his face in the menu.

As we perused our menus, Gayle’s cell phone rang. She answered, and jumped up. “No,” she said sharply into the phone. “That’s not acceptable.” She turned to us. “I have to take this,” she said. “Be right back.” She dashed toward the door, talking intently into the phone with her hand over her other ear to block the restaurant noise.

“Gayle’s a real estate agent,” Bruce explained. “Her phone is her life.”

We sat quietly looking at our menus. Bruce isn’t much of a talker. He’s a techie. Brainy, but basically shy. Even though he’s forty-five and a self-made multi-millionaire, his social skills aren’t well developed. He’s one of those guys who goes around looking at the floor or off into the distance so he doesn’t have to make eye contact. Small talk is definitely not his forte.

Gayle darted back across the room to our booth. “Sorry,” she said. “I’m ready to order if you two are.”

I took a last look at the menu. Turley’s trademark is its healthy food, and in addition to more traditional lunch and dinner entrees, they serve breakfast all day. Knowing I needed protein for the baby, I decided on a garden omelet with mushrooms, spinach, and tomato with toast on the side. Hoped I could get it down with the help of a ginger ale. Bruce ordered a buffalo burger with a side of fresh fruit, and Gayle ordered the sesame spinach salad with the dressing on the side.

“So like I was saying,” Bruce began as the waitress left to turn our orders in, “Gayle needs some help from you.”

I turned to her. “Would you like to tell me about it?”

She took a deep breath and launched in to her story. “You’ve probably heard about the woman who went missing from the Rainbow Lakes Campground in the Indian Peaks Wilderness area a few weeks ago.”

“I did,” I said. “Do you know her?”

Gayle looked down at the table silently for a couple of minutes, her shoulders slumped as if the weight of her problem was a burden too heavy to lift. When she finally looked up, tears streamed down her face. “She’s my best friend, Sabrina—or maybe I should say she was my best friend. She’s probably dead. But they can’t find her and we don’t know what happened to her and that’s even worse.” She wiped her face with a tissue, but her tears continued to flow.

Bruce put his arm around Gayle’s shoulders and hugged her. More empathy than I would have expected from him, but then again until today I didn’t even know he had a sister. All I know about Bruce is what he told me in his grief therapy sessions after his eighteen-year-old daughter died from a drug overdose. He’s such a private person, he would have never come for grief counseling except that his business partner—who saw how paralyzed Bruce was after his daughter’s death—insisted. Bruce’s relationship with his daughter had been stormy for several years before she died, and his deep regrets that they hadn’t made peace had intensified his grief.

Gayle continued wiping her face as she struggled to regain her composure. But I could see grief winning out. "Take your time," I said gently. "I know it's hard to talk about."

Her face crumpled. “I’ve cried so much in the past few weeks that I’ve made myself sick,” she sobbed. “I’m totally devastated about Sabrina.”

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and collected herself. “Okay. I’m ready to tell you the story,” she said quietly. “I was part of the group at the campground—there were six of us who’ve been friends for years. We each went off separately on our personal journeys and Sabrina never came back. We searched, the rescue groups searched, the dogs searched, the helicopter searched. But no one has found her. And now they’re calling off the search.” She closed her eyes and leaned back in her seat.

The waitress showed up with our lunch. I took a quick bite, which actually tasted good. Bruce spread mustard on his burger and bit in.

Gayle picked at her salad. “I was blown away when Bruce told me about your Contact Project—that he actually talked to his daughter Charlene after she died and how he resolved things with her,” she said, her voice perking up a little. “At first I didn’t believe him when he said you put him in your apparition chamber. It’s so unlike Bruce to have anything to do with the paranormal. He debunks everything. When he told me he reached Charlene, and they forgave each other and said goodbye, I knew it was real for him.”

Bruce put his burger down. “I don’t debunk everything,” he said.

“Ha!” Gayle said. “Remember when I played the DVD of that movie, What the Bleep Do We Know? for you last year? You went on and on about how it misrepresented science, that it was pseudoscience, and quantum mysticism. You weren’t open to it at all, even though so many people liked it that it’s made over $16 million.”

Bruce scowled. “Gayle, the science was unsupported and incorrect. New Age hogwash. One of their so-called experts turned out to be a 35,000 year-old spirit from Atlantis.” Bruce gave her a self-satisfied grin as he speared a chunk of pineapple with his fork and returned to eating.

She laughed and gave him another poke. “Bruce, I’ve told you before, you totally missed the point. The movie is supposed to blow your mind, not engage it in an analysis. It’s about learning to become the creative force in your own life, instead of being a victim of circumstances. My friends and I have watched it over and over. We know group consciousness can change reality. If you looked up from your computer now and then, you’d see.”

They were off the track here, but I hesitated to break into habitual brother-sister banter. Also, I figured Gayle needed a few minutes to relax before we talked more about her missing friend. I focused on my lunch, thankful I could eat without gagging.

Bruce ignored Gayle’s jeers and turned to me. “Here’s the thing, Cleo,” he said. “Gayle needs to go into your apparition chamber and try to contact Sabrina to find out if she’s dead or alive. She needs to know and the sooner the better.”

Uh oh. As soon as Gayle said they didn't know whether or not Sabrina was dead, I should have guessed this was what Bruce wanted. But my apparition chamber is for grief-therapy clients who want to reach a loved one to resolve an issue, not for solving missing-person cases. I didn't want to refuse Bruce's request, but I had concerns about Gayle. “I understand that it’s hard not knowing what happened to your friend,” I said. “But the contact process may not make you feel any better.”

Gayle looked straight into my eyes. “It’s not about how I feel,” she said intensely. “It’s about how Sabrina’s sister Brandi has taken over Sabrina’s house and her son Ian. Sabrina would be furious. She expressly didn’t want that to ever happen. If she’s dead, everything is in trust for Ian, and I’m Ian’s guardian. But Brandi jumped in as soon as Sabrina went missing, and right now she has control. So I need to know if Sabrina is dead or alive.”

“I’m not sure the contact process can answer that question,” I said. “You could try to reach her, but if you do, it wouldn't constitute legal proof of her death, and if you don’t, that doesn’t mean she’s alive.”

Bruce broke in. “Actually I’d already thought of that,” he said. “I want you to do a thorough job. If Gayle can’t reach Sabrina, then the other women who were up there should try. In fact, why not start by meeting with all of them and telling them about the process. Get some of that group consciousness going. I’ll pay for your time—whatever it takes.”

Before I had a chance to think about how else to voice my reservations, Bruce slid out of the booth, stood up, and picked up his coat. “I have to go. You two can go on from here. Gayle can keep me updated.” He nodded at us and headed for the door.

“Oof!” Gayle said. “That’s my brother. Makes his point, and ducks out before the discussion gets complicated. But I suppose you’re used to his tactics.”

I shrugged. I'd have to go along, at least for a while. Not only had Bruce been very generous in funding my Contact Project, all he’d asked of me was that I operate professionally and that he remain anonymous as a funder. So even though the timing wasn’t ideal for me to get involved in a situation that smelled like trouble, I didn’t see any other options. “No problem,” I said. “Here’s my card. Call me and we can set up a time to talk more.”

Buy Now @ Amazon & Smashwords

Genre - Mystery

Rating – PG

More details about the author & the book

Connect with Lynn Osterkamp on Twitter

Orangeberry Book of the Day – Surrender by Melody Anne

5:30 AM Posted by Unknown No comments

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Raffaello (Rafe) Palazzo takes what he wants with no regrets. Arianna (Ari) Lynn Harlow has led a charmed life until tragedy strikes her family. He’s looking for a no-emotions attached mistress, she’s looking for redemption.

They are not a pair that should ever work, but undeniable attraction and devastating tragedies bring them together in the city by the bay where he fights to keep their relationship nothing more than an enjoyable way to meet his needs, and she battles to not lose herself in him. Spending time with Ari starts cracking the hard shell that Rafe has built around his heart, but he denies the affect she has on him until it’s too late to stop the inevitable conclusion that their relationship is headed for.

Rafe once believed in happily ever after, coming from a large Italian family. He’s got the Midas touch, since every endeavor he tries turns to gold. That all ends when his wife walks out the door and leaves him blindsided. His devastation quickly turns to steel when he decides no woman will fool him again. From that point on he treats relationships as nothing more than business transactions where both party’s come out mutually benefited.

Just when Ari has sunk to the lowest she’s ever been she finds an ad in the paper announcing a job that’s too good to be true. It turns out she’s right. She makes it through the intense rounds of interviews only to find out the job is for a mistress to the powerful Rafe Palazzo, owner of Palazzo Enterprises. Rafe gives her a day to think about whether she wants the position or not, and she’s sent on her way, only to find out her mother’s near-terminal position has taken a turn for the worse. Her mom’s only in the hospital because Ari messed up, and her mother’s the one who paid the price. Is Rafe her savior, or will he take her with him straight to the depths of hell?

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Contemporary Romance

Rating – 18+

More details about the author

Connect with Melody Anne on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://www.melodyanne.com/

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Orangeberry Blast Off – Sam’s Top Secret Journal: We Spy (Book 1)

1:00 PM Posted by Unknown 1 comment

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Sam’s Top Secret Journal – Book 1: Sam Spies by Sean Adelman. Join Sam as she embarks on her first big adventure in this middle-grade mystery full of fun, suspense…and just the right amount of spying! Sam is a middle school girl living a normal life-except when she is occasionally bullied for the differences kids perceive in her. Sam has Down syndrome. See how she and her brother John work together to find some stolen money, help a new friend and escape real danger in this exciting adventure!

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Middle Grade Mystery

Rating – G

More details about the author

Connect with Sean Adelman on Facebook

Website http://www.raiseexpectations.com/

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Orangeberry Free Alert - Jack Templar and the Monster Hunter Academy: The Templar Chronicles: Book 2 by Jeff Gunhus

11:00 AM Posted by Unknown No comments

Jack Templar and the Monster Hunter Academy: The Templar chronicles: Book 2 - Jeff Gunhus

Amazon Kindle US

Amazon Kindle UK

Genre - YA, Fantasy

Rating - PG

4.6 (14 reviews)

Free until 30 May 2013

After barely surviving the onslaught of monsters that tried to kill him the day before his fourteenth birthday, Jack Templar leaves his hometown on a quest to rescue his father and discover the truth about his past. Joined by his friends Will and T-Rex, and led by Eva, the mysterious one-handed monster hunter, Jack sets out for the Monster Hunter Academy where he hopes to find answers to his questions. Little does he suspect that the Academy is filled with dangers of its own, many of them more terrifying than anything he’s faced so far.

Review: Redwood Violet by Robin Mahle

8:16 AM Posted by Unknown No comments
Redwood VioletRedwood Violet by Robin Mahle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What problems does one of the characters have, and how does he or she solve it? Katie is trying to find out her past, who kidnapped her and bring him to justice. She did not get that in this novel.

Is the plot well-developed? Everything about the plot is well-developed and well researched. I personally felt like we were reading about a real life event.

Favourite scene …. Marshall trying to help Katie as they walk thru the area she was found.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.

View all my reviews

Orangeberry Book of the Day - Intoxicated by Alicia Renee Kline (Excerpt)

6:30 AM Posted by Unknown No comments

Prologue

“So you are really going ahead with the roommate thing?”  Matthew’s voice crackled over the telephone.

Blake wasn’t sure if her brother’s words were garbled due to her faulty cell reception or if they were laced with emotion.  She had, of course, announced with a flourish approximately six months ago that it had been the appropriate time in her life to purchase her own place.  Up until then, they had been roommates themselves.  But her wildly independent streak as well as a buyer’s market had persuaded her to take the leap into homeownership.  That and the fact that Matthew was still best friends with her ex.

She just never expected to feel so alone.

“Yes, I guess I am,” she replied as she paced her floor.

“And you’re sure about this?” he pressed.

Blake sighed.  No, not really.  But posting a room for rent online and actually having someone sign a lease for it were two entirely different things.  So what if someone was coming to look at the place tomorrow morning?  If things didn’t feel right, she could always lie and say that she had been fielding a lot of calls and that, unfortunately, she had chosen someone else.

“You’re not having money problems, are you?” he continued.

“No,” she responded quickly.  Now that had upset her a little bit.

“Just be careful.” Matthew warned.

Despite herself, Blake chuckled.  If anyone should be giving that advice, it should be the other way around.  Matthew’s indiscretions had been the whole reason that they themselves had been roommates.  Although it had been a terrible, uncomfortable time in both their lives, it had been the beginning of their beautiful friendship.  There was no one else that she trusted as wholly and completely as her brother.  Their past had forced them to lean on each other in a way she never would have imagined when she was younger, and they had ended up on the other side as better people for it.

Matthew either chose to ignore the giggle or he found the irony in the situation.  There was silence on the other end of the line until Blake whispered her response.

“Always am.”

image

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Genre – Romance / Chick Lit

Rating – PG13

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Website http://aliciareneekline.com/

Author Interview – Robin Mahle

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Can we expect more books from you in the future? Oh yes.  I’m not going away any time soon.  I have already begun drafting the sequel to Redwood Violet, which unfortunately remains untitled.  After that, I have a partially completed manuscript I think I’m ready to tackle again and then there are the story ideas that are conceptually swirling away through my mind.  I hope to be around for quite some time.

Are you reading any interesting books right now? Actually, yes.  I’ve just started reading Lisa Unger’s Fragile and I am enjoying it very much.  She’s an amazing writer.

What are your current writing projects now? I have been asked many times when the sequel is coming out for Redwood Violet.  I’m super excited the fans like the series so far.  I am currently working on the first draft, but I have yet to title the story.  I have a few ideas, but I’m waiting until I get more on paper and get a feel for where the story is taking me.  But, I do hope to release the second book at least by early this fall.  That’s the goal anyway.

Do you have any advice for writers? Considering Redwood Violet is my debut novel, I can only say to listen to the ones that came before us.  They’ve been through it.  I am a big advocate on learning from others and I would recommend that to fellow newbie authors.

Do you have any specific last thoughts that you want to say to your readers? I would like to say thank you for believing in me enough to take a chance on my writing.  With so many great stories to choose from, I am truly honored you have chosen to read mine.  I can only hope to continue publishing books that will entertain and always leave you wanting more.

Katie Reid is living the quintessential Southern California life. A dream job and her college sweetheart, Spencer top it all off. However, she can’t seem to shake the terrible dreams that have been tormenting her nights these past few months.

After seeking help to find relief from the exhausting effects of these dreams, it becomes apparent that Katie is dealing with something much deeper and much more sinister. Her only solution is to delve into a past that no one wants her to remember.

With the horrific discovery of a dark secret kept hidden for years, Katie is drawn into a world mired in evil and lost innocence. And only with the help of Detective Marshall Avery will she be able to channel her pain and anger.

But, will he be able to contain Katie’s desire for vengeance that has begun to unravel her perfect life?

The first in a two-part series, Redwood Violet will keep you firmly in its grip and refuse to let go!

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Genre – Mystery  / Thriller / Suspense

Rating – PG

More details about the author

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Monday, May 27, 2013

Review: Chasing the Lost by Bob Mayer

9:30 AM Posted by Unknown No comments
Chasing the LostChasing the Lost by Bob Mayer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What did you think of the writing style? This is the first book I have read by this author and definitely not the last. Despite the guns, action and chasing, the overall tone is consistent and does not bore you with military jargon.

How do you define the central theme in this story. The main character is conflicted. At first, the conflict is only internal but as the story progresses, external conflicts are added in the form of obstacles of finding the jogger's son.

What did you think of the ending? After anticipating every possible ending, I still got it wrong. I actually re-read the book to make sure I hadn't missed any signs but truly, there were none. The plot was pure genius.

Disclosure - As a Quality Reads Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book from the author via Orangeberry Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.

View all my reviews

Author Interview – Bob Mayer

6:00 AM Posted by Unknown , , No comments

What is your greatest strength as a writer?

Story.  I can plot anything.  Since that’s my greatest strength, I focus a lot of my energy on character development and also get my wife’s help with that.

Can you share a little of your current work with us? I’m working on the third book in my Nightstalkers series and a possible serial called Burners.  The latter is the best “big” concept my wife and I have ever had and we’re very excited about it.

How did you come up with the title? Good question.  I didn’t realize title was critical early in my writing career and no one made me the wiser.  So I had titles that didn’t say much sense like Eyes of the Hammer, Dragon Sim-13 and others.  The worst was Z.  That’s it.  Just a single letter.  A title has to invite readers into the book.  We added The Green Berets to those first six books but kept the titles since we didn’t want to confuse readers and have them buy the same book again.  So we have The Green Berets: Chasing the Lost.  The Chasing part comes from the character’s last name:  Horace Chase.  The first book was Chasing the Ghost and all the rest in this series will be chasing something.

Who designed the cover? My business partner, Jen Talty.  We do all our own covers and we’ve learned a lot over the years.  I love the image, the color and the boat that you can see through the letters.

Who is your publisher? Cool Gus Publishing, my own company.  We view ourselves as publishing partners, where the author comes first.  Publishing has got to change from the distribution model to the discoverability model, and we’re leading the way on that.

NY Times Bestselling Author, former Green Beret and West Point Graduate, Bob Mayer.

“A pulsing technothriller. A nailbiter in the best tradition of adventure fiction.” Publishers Weekly ref Bob Mayer

Horace Chase arrives on Hilton Head Island to pay his last respects at the Intracoastal Waterway where his late mother’s ashes were spread and to inspect the home his mother left him in her will. He’s been recently forced into retirement, his divorce is officially final, and now he’s standing in the middle of the front yard of his ‘new’ house where a tree has crashed right through the center of it.

What could possibly go wrong?

Within six hours of arriving on Hilton Head, Chase is exchanging gunfire with men who’ve kidnapped a young boy and tried to grab the boy’s mother, Sarah Briggs. Soon he’s waist deep in an extortion plot to funnel a hundred million dollars of Superbowl on-line gambling money into an offshore bank account or else the boy dies.

Dave Riley has long retired from the military and living peacefully on sleepy Dafuskie Island off the coast of South Carolina. Sort of. Actually he’s bored, feeling old, and just a bit cranky running his deceased uncle’s small-time bookie operation.

Horace Chase, meet Dave Riley. Riley-Chase.

Chase and Riley assemble a team of misfits and eccentrics as they take on the powerful Russian mob in the lawless tidal lands of the Low Country to get the boy back.

Meet Erin: Chase’s long-ago summer fling, now a veterinarian and not interested in men any more, at least that way. But her suturing skills and her knowledge of the island bring assets the team needs. Especially after Chase’s first visit with the Russian requires a bit of the former.

Meet Gator: an ex-Ranger, iron-pumping, fire-breathing hulk of a redneck, with a soft spot in his heart for Erin, and steroids burning in his muscles to hurt people. As long as Riley and Chase point him in the right direction, the rest of the populace should be all right.

Meet Kono: a Gullah, descendant of the free slaves who fled to the barrier islands in the 19th century and developed their own culture. He nurses his own pain and secrets, but heeds Chase’s call to renew their childhood friendship. Especially when he learns the target is the Russians.

It adds up to a fiery confrontation to rescue the young boy, and settle some old scores.

But Riley and Chase need to remember a basic tenet from their days in covert operations: Nothing is ever as it appears.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Thriller

Rating – PG

More details about the author

Connect with Bob Mayer on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://www.bobmayer.org/

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Alan Plessinger – Finding Your Voice

7:30 AM Posted by Unknown , , No comments

Do you intend to make writing a career? It’s highly unlikely. In fact, I doubt I’ll ever live to see myself break even on this book.

How did you come up with the title? “I’d Kill For You” is a fairly common, everyday phrase, and I like it as the title of a mystery novel because it says romance and murder both at once.  In fact it seems such a natural as the title of a mystery, I’m a little bit amazed no one else has grabbed it, but no one has.

What was the hardest part about writing this book? If you are asking money for your ware, everyone has the right to tell you precisely what they think of it, and to be brutally honest. And you have no right to object. Unless they’re your friends, of course. You can’t depend upon your friends to be honest critics, nor should you.

Did you learn anything from writing this book and what was it? How the process obsesses one. Writing is not an avocation one can leave at home. Ideas for additions or improvements present themselves at the most inconvenient times and places. Suppose that a cobbler couldn’t leave home and go ten feet in any direction without being accosted by shoes possessed of their own will and voice, making importunate demands to be mended or resoled. That’s something of what it’s like to be a writer.

How much of the book is realistic? There are varying levels of verisimilitude in mysteries. Private eye mysteries are realistic in that private eyes do exist, although they don’t usually investigate murders. Many private eye mysteries have some pretty unlikely things happening in them, and mine is no exception, but I like to think that nothing strictly impossible happens in “I’d Kill For You.”

What are your goals as a writer? Entertaining the reader is my main goal, but I always say, if you can’t manage to entertain your reader you should settle for trying to piss him off a little. Either way, he’ll remember you.

What books have most influenced your life? “Bleak House” by Dickens opened my eyes as to what is possible in a work of literature. It is the only book which has both made me laugh out loud and made me cry. Some books have done one or the other.  “Bleak House” is the only book that has done both.

Who is your favorite author and why? Dickens is my man. I’ve often thought that every mystery reader should be a Dickens fan. He’s magic. Putting yourself in the hands of the old magician is an unforgettable experience, as he takes you through the story and shows you the plot from many different angles.  I find that every novelist has to stop to describe a room and its contents at some point, and there are few authors that can do that with any real wit and artistry. Dickens is one of them.

Are you reading any interesting books at the moment? I’m currently reading Anna Karenina. As a Dickens fan I’m constantly looking for reasons to unfavorably compare Tolstoy with Dickens, but I must admit, some very impressive effects can be obtained with a subtler touch, and not the kind of bombastic speeches Dickens goes in for.

What do you do to unwind and relax? Lots of red wine and a Bogart movie on DVD.

 

New novel portrays unlikely alliance of jaded investigators, 16-year-old runaway “I’d Kill For You” by Alan Plessinger takes readers inside a tangled web of murders and lies to depict a vulnerable young woman and her eccentric protectors MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – “I’d Kill For You” (ISBN 1466333774) by Alan Plessinger is a private eye novel set in modern-day New York City featuring murderers, missing persons, double-crossers and a colorful cast of supporting characters. When an ex-con’s homecoming goes sour and results in a murder, the effective but eccentric De Remer Brothers Detective Agency is called in to sort out the mess.

Charlie, Clyde, Gabe, Adam and Riley De Remer – not to be confused with Dreamer – make for an odd group of siblings, much less a cohesive investigative team. Alternately obese, cantankerous, smelly, cheerful and hypersensitive, the group is soon embroiled in a case that reaches far beyond its original scope. Matters are complicated when they discover Lisa, a 16-year-old runaway from Hoboken, has come to New York City to live with her mother. The only problem is that Lisa’s mother can’t be found and an assassin is hot on the runaway’s trail. The De Remers learn that Lisa is connected to their murder case, an investigation that has become a threat to themselves and the girl they have come to care for. Now they must unravel the mystery before the threat of violence catches up with them.

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Genre – Murder / Mystery

Rating – R

More details about the book

Connect with Alan Plessinger on GoodReads

Author Interview – August Wainwright

6:00 AM Posted by Unknown , , No comments

Have you ever considered anyone as a mentor? Sure. Hemingway, Rand, Orwell, Philip K Dick, Huxley, Thoreau, Einstein, Carl Sagan – all of them are my mentors.

What are some of the best tools available today for writers, especially those just starting out? You know, one of the best tools out there for writers just starting out is Scribophile (scribophile.com). That community is really great for beginning authors and the feedback is tremendous.

What is one marketing tip you can give writers? I’ll give you three:

Treat it like a business; Don’t SPAM; Help other writers.

That doesn’t sound like marketing, but it absolutely is. Be patient and don’t overreach by spamming the crap out of your book. In the long run, it’s not worth it.

What’s your favorite place in the entire world? Right now – Cambridge, England. I was there for two weeks in December and I didn’t want to leave. The amount of educational history there is just mind-blowing. Seriously, two words – Isaac Newton.

A wildly intriguing, intimately suspenseful story about the human capacity for good and evil – and what pushes us to inevitably, and often tragically, turn to our darker emotions for comfort.

Jacob Watts broke his neck in Afghanistan. Now he’s in D.C. with no job, a therapist, an uncontrollable tick in his arm, and PTSD. And he can’t pay his rent.

His new, and monetarily necessary roommate, Remy Moreau, isn’t helping either. Cold and detached, she might be a savant – but she’s also socially inept, has absolutely no boundaries, and is possibly dealing drugs out of their apartment. When the two come in contact with a stiff and blood-covered body in Capitol Row, the ambiguous Remy Moreau will lead him on an obsessive-compulsive hunt in pursuit of a tormented killer.

Can Remy, with Watts in tow, catch a murderer before he strikes again? And what are Remy’s real intentions with Watts? Is she even capable of anything resembling real human emotion?

A Study in Sin is a fast-paced modern update of a classic Sherlock Holmes mystery.

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Genre – Mystery / Thriller / Suspense

Rating – PG13

More details about the author

Connect with August Wainwright on Google Plus & Twitter

Website http://augustwainwright.com/

Review: I'd Kill for You by Alan Plessinger

4:06 AM Posted by Unknown No comments
I'd Kill for YouI'd Kill for You by Alan Plessinger
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Was the book description accurate? The book description was accurate and Lisa was definitely an interesting character to read about. She comes alive through Plessinger's writing and the reader is hot on her tracks as she tries to make sense of what is happening.

How did you feel about the opening / ending sequences of the book? The introduction appears to be a little slow. The author lets the reader in on the location, characters and provides a good introduction to the plot. Then, as Lisa starts to run, things pick up and you won't be able to put this book down.

There were sections when I felt there was too much said about a single location but in some ways this set the mood for the action that was about to come. It was if the reader is calmed down, and then "boom". I liked that.

Was this book worth reading? Yes, this was definitely a good book. However, as it is only available in paperback and as most of us are switching to ereaders, it was a bit difficult for me to recommend this book other book club members.

Disclosure - I received a complimentary copy from the author which did not affect my honest opinion.

View all my reviews

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Author Interview – Mark David Major

7:30 AM Posted by Unknown , , No comments

What are your goals as a writer? To write what I love and hope people like or love it, either today, tomorrow or some point in the future even after I’m gone.

Who is your favorite author and why? My favorite science fiction book is The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury. Its prose has a lyrical beauty that has been rarely, if ever, surpassed in the science fiction genre. It is unfortunate The Martian Chronicles has been overshadowed of Bradbury’s other undeniably great novel, Fahrenheit 451. Personally, I think The Martian Chronicles is better.

Have you started another book yet? Yes, I’ve started writing the sequel to Mars Rising, which is titled Mars Ascending. According to the word count I keep on my desktop, I am only 12% complete to my target word count for the rough draft.

Are you reading any interesting books at the moment? I’m starting to read Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson. I’ve been a proud member of the Apple cult since 1993 so I can’t wait to get into this book about Apple’s founder. I’m still a rebel even though Apple is now ‘the establishment’.

What contributes to making a writer successful? Write what you love and the rest will take care of itself.

In our distant future, a tale of things past… Humanity is isolated in its corner of the universe. The Sovereignty is an oligarchy ruling the planets and outposts in our solar system. It has endured for 1,000 years. But the foundations of its society are crumbling, eaten away by corruption, excess, and personal ambition. A struggle for dominion of the Sovereignty leads to the ascension of supreme power for one whose eventual fall will plunge the Sovereignty into chaos and civil war.

Narrated from the perspective of a historian looking back on events that occurred many years ago, Mars Rising blends together the story and history of a distant future in a gripping drama that chronicles the epic people and events, plots and betrayals, instigating the fall of the Sovereignty and the rise of an Empire. Mars Rising is a fast-paced, character-driven political thriller in the science fiction setting of our future, now with illustrations by Jonathan Atkins.

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Genre – Science Fiction

Rating – PG13

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Orangeberry Book of the Day – Killer Abs: A Body (Pump) Horror Comedy by DR O’Brien

7:00 AM Posted by Unknown No comments

Twenty-something accountant Matt Warner enrols at an exclusive weight loss resort with his career on the line should he fail to shed the pounds from his paunchy frame.

Before long the accountant realises that his girth is the least of his problems as there is something deeply wrong with the Phoenix Resort where it’s no gain and all pain.

It’s a serving of full fat fear for the guests who must fight for their lives to survive the week.

Matt Warner is going to lose weight, or die trying.

Killer Abs is an 11,403 word short body (pump) horror comedy, with content for mature audiences.

Previous praise for the Author’s work:

“I think that you will enjoy the way Mr. O’Brien ties everything together and pits some of, if not the most famous characters in literature against each other. The story is fast paced with lots of action and adventure: a very enjoyable read and I wholeheartedly recommend it”
FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND

“Luckily for is it seems that D R O’Brien is tainted with just enough craziness to pull this task off. O’Brien has breathed new life into these well known and well loved characters. Thrilling, horrific, and funny at the same time which is no mean feat… O’Brien is a talented writer.”
GINGERNUTS OF HORROR BLOG

“Shakespeare’s characters duking it out with Lovecraft’s creatures? Sign us up immediately!
DREAD CENTRAL

“All very inventive, clever and ghoulishly entertaining… Bizarre, baroque and amusing…”
CONTAINS MODERATE PERIL

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Genre – Horror

Rating – 18+

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Orangeberry Book of the Day - For the Future Generations (For a Generation) by Anastasia Faith (Excerpt)

6:30 AM Posted by Unknown No comments

For the Future Generations

[Book 1 of the "For a Generation" series]
3.4.2113

Alamogordo, New Mexico

The sun set over Alamogordo, New Mexico and night fell in the desert. Thick black clouds shifted over the horizon, contrasting the orange sky above, and casting shadows on the barren landscape.

In one mound of sand and rock sat an underground house with a tan roof protruding from the top of the hill. The residents had built a door in the side of the roof. This remained locked during daylight hours. Inside this house, the Channing family had just finished their evening meal. The women in the family cleaned the last of the dishes, the father worked in his office, and a ten-year-old boy grew restless. The boy had a head of strawberry curls, a round face, and deep blue eyes.

He scampered down the hall and pounded on his father’s office chamber door. His father, Kelvin Channing, a college professor, would be grading the day’s homework or preparing assignments for the next school day.

“It’s Declan,” he called.

“Yes, Declan?” Kelvin answered through the door. “What do you want?”

“Laken, Chaslyn, and I want to go outside.” Declan said. “Is it safe?”

“It’s 8:00,” Kelvin said. “I don’t see why not. Remember to wear your coat.”

Declan glanced at the clock on his touch screen music device. He and his two sisters had to stay indoors until after dark because his sisters, being conjoined twins, were frowned upon in the eyes of the culture.

In Declan’s day, “handicapped” individuals were those who could not contribute financially. They required government assistance and were considered a burden to society. These handicaps could be something as simple as inseparable conjoined twins, or as severe as major cerebral palsy or quadriplegia. Benevolent medical professionals would simply deny them healthcare, while the majority would euthanize them, with or without a caretaker’s permission. At their doctor’s warning seven years before, Kelvin and Ayla Channing had relocated with their three-year-old triplets—Declan, Laken, and Chaslyn—from Kansas City, Missouri to a desert in New Mexico, hoping it would be safer. Several families who were close friends with the Channings had also come to ease the adjustment. They had scheduled their days so the triplets would be able to spend time with their friends at night.

Removing his coat from a hook near the front door, Declan slipped into it. His sisters came into the living room after they had finished cleaning the kitchen. They too were becoming restless, and the Alamogordo evening beckoned them.

“Did Dad give us permission?” Chaslyn asked.

Declan nodded and assisted Laken and Chaslyn into a special joining coat tailored for them, since they joined at one of their forearms. They piled into an elevator that led to the roof. The elevator opened, and Declan unlocked the door. They stepped out onto the sand and raced down the side of the hill to their “fort”, a crude structure constructed of logs stacked so they overlapped each other. As the evening progressed, the children’s friends arrived and joined in the imagination games.

Over their playing and laughter, Declan could hear a transporter door slam shut and then footsteps approaching. As they grew louder and came closer, Declan became increasingly concerned. All of their friends were with them, and others rarely visited the deserted area.

“Wait here,” he cautioned his sisters. “I’m going to see where that noise is coming from. Guys, keep your guard over them for just a minute.”

Fearing the worst, he left them in the fort and stole away to track the source of the footsteps. He scampered a few feet down the path behind their house. He saw a silhouette several feet in front of him, standing in the glow of a transporter’s headlights. As it came closer, he perceived a middle-aged man holding a flat nylon case.

“Who are you?” Declan demanded. “Don’t come any closer.”

“Declan, I can’t tell you much,” the man replied hurriedly, as if in a rush. “You need to trust me. My name is Mr. Wilcox; I’m a time traveler.”

Mr. Wilcox handed Declan the case. He unzipped it and found an electronic notepad. Opening a side compartment, he pulled out an automatically recharging payment card or ARPC for short. Declan searched his face for an explanation, both of the contents and of the fact this stranger knew his name.

“Keep this book a secret.” Wilcox instructed. “When the time comes, you’ll know who it’s for.”

“What about the ARPC?” He questioned. “Dad opened an account for my sisters and me, but only because he has a job; they’re linked to his. This card’s number isn’t the one on mine.”

“It will be in about thirteen years.” Mr. Wilcox said, “Remember, I’m a time traveler.”

Declan powered up the book so he could read the content, only to find it blank. He flipped it over in his hands and toyed with it, trying to discern why it would not grant him access. He pressed the bottom of the device. It squawked and a negating red light flashed.

“What happened?” He asked the man.

“I set the privacy so only the future recipient can open it. Underneath the electronic device is a fingerprint reader. It’s programmed for only my fingerprints and the person who will receive it.” Mr. Wilcox explained. “There’s an unlocked note at the beginning that I addressed to you.”

With these words, Mr. Wilcox vanished into the night and Declan focused his attention on the unlocked message.

“Declan Channing,” it instructed, “return to the place where you met me at 7 in the morning on May 1st, 2130, when you are twenty-seven. Bring this book with you. On June 30th of 2130, leave the ARPC I gave you—and your FBI badge—at the Indianapolis, Indiana branch of the bank where your account is.”

image

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre - Christian YA Fiction

Rating – PG

More details about the author & the book

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Review: Mars Rising by Mark David Major

5:30 AM Posted by Unknown No comments
Mars RisingMars Rising by Mark David Major
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What did you think of the story structure? It was excellent, with the different planets and characters, the reader isn't distracted from the main plot.

What do you think will be your lasting impression of this book? The amount of work the author has spent creating this book. Each sketch fits the chapter it introduces and each poem at the beginning of the chapters appears to offer a summary of what is to come.

Was the time period important to the story? Not really, it could happen 10 years from now or 100 years from now, the time period was purely fictional.


Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.


View all my reviews

Friday, May 24, 2013

Orangeberry Book of the Day – Betty’s Child by Donald Dempsey

12:00 PM Posted by Unknown No comments

image

“Heartrending and humorous.” Kirkus Reviews

“Highly recommended.” Dr. Alan Gettis, Ph.D., author of The Happiness Solution

“An unforgettable memoir.” San Francisco Book Review

In the tradition of Frank McCourt and Angela’s Ashes, Don Dempsey uses Betty’s Child to tell the story of life with his cruel and neglectful mother, his mother’s abusive boyfriends, and hypocritical church leaders who want to save twelve-year-old Donny’s soul but ignore threats to his physical well-being. Meanwhile, Donny’s best friend is trying to recruit Donny to do petty theft and deal drugs for a dangerous local thug.

Young Donny is a real-life cross between Huckleberry Finn and Holden Caulfield as he tells his story, with only his street smarts and sense of humor to guide him. Donny does everything he can to take care of himself and his younger brothers, but with each new development, the present becomes more fraught with peril–and the future more uncertain.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Memoir

Rating – PG13

Connect with Donald Dempsey on Facebook

Orangeberry Free Alert - Artful Dodger (Maggie Kean Mis-Adventures) by Nageeba Davis

11:00 AM Posted by Unknown No comments

Artful Dodger - Nageeba Davis

Amazon Kindle US

Amazon Kindle UK

Genre - Romantic Suspense

Rating - PG13

5 (4 reviews)

Free until 26 May 2013

Take one funny, wise-cracking artist, one gorgeous, sexy detective, throw in a grizzly murder, a little amateur sleuthing, and you have the makings of a wild, romantic, mis-adventure.
Art teacher and sculptor Maggie Kean thought she was having a rotten day, burning her toast, stubbing her toe, and all before eight in the morning. Things just couldn't get any worse. At least, until the dead body clogs up her toilet. To make matters worse, Maggie becomes the prime suspect. Now all she has to do is evade the police, clear her name, trap a killer...and deal with one mouth-watering, hunky detective who drives her crazy while making her hormones do the happy dance.

Author Interview – Rick Johnson

6:15 AM Posted by Unknown , , No comments

What is your favourite color? I like them all…

What is your favourite food? I like a lot of different foods but what I love is to savour it, share it, and make an experience of it with loved ones.

What’s your favourite place in the entire world? In a hug, especially my wife’s. Geographically, I really enjoyed southern Japan when I lived there for a few months, but I think my home in Winnipeg Beach, Manitoba, Canada, is my favourite place to be.

How has your upbringing influenced your writing? I think, profoundly. I am one of eight children in a very poor and struggling family. Thankfully, we had a very loving, accepting, non-judging mother and a perpetually committed and hard working father. The sibling competition made me strive for attention, which I achieved through academic achievement above all my siblings (at least formally-speaking). I took solace early on in a love of reading and writing, and I also saw how different personalities (my brothers and sisters) experienced life and wanted to understand everyone and explain the world to them, so I wrote down my thoughts a lot in trying to figure things out for myself and then to be able to share and help others close to me. Still do….

Being in love and full of anticipation of a great life does not shield young couples from unfair and unexpected challenges and trauma. This book is a true story about a couple that continued to put one foot in front of the other when they would rather have given up; it’s about love and faith and standing fast against adversity.

The Way Life Is takes readers into the home of a young couple trying to accommodate their own needs, desires and demons while coping with the special needs of their children: Sara, born with a rare and life threatening disability known as Prader-Willi Syndrome; Gina, who arrived needing open-heart surgery in order to survive; and Andrew, an active and exceptionally healthy little boy stuck in the middle.

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Genre – Self-Help / Mental Health

Rating – PG

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Author Interview – Julian Rosado

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How important do you think villains are in a story? A hero is only as heroic as the villain he’s facing, so villains are one of the most important aspects of any story.

Can we expect any more books from you in the future? They are underway!

Where do you see yourself in five years? Doing other projects, mine and from other writers, my plan is to begin my own small publisher house and I‘ve already put that plan into motion.

What are your current writing projects now? I’m revising Book three of Guardians Inc. and I already started Book 4. The end is near though and the series ending is already written and locked up in a disc.

Are you reading any interesting books at the moment? If you meet the Budda on the road, Kill him!  by Sheldon B, Kopp.  Very interesting, and I’m not saying anymore until I finish it.

Do you have any advice for writers? Writers write, so get to it! These words come directly from my father…

What do you do to unwind and relax? The usual I guess, read, watch TV. play with my sons and daughter. I am very fond of the short afternoon nap too!

If you could leave your readers with one bit of wisdom, what would you want it to be? One word of wisdom…. Persevere.

GUARDIANS INC.: THE CYPHER

A chance reading of a newspaper ad will send 16 year old Thomas Byrne into the world within our world.  Following the ad he will find Guardians Incorporated. A seven thousand year old organization charged with protecting the balance between Magic and technology. 

Through their guidance technology has kept Magic at bay since the Renaissance, but the balance is shifting and soon all those creatures we’ve driven into myth and legend will come back with a vengeance. To protect the present, Guardians Incorporated needs to know the future and to unlock the future they need a cypher.

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Genre – YA Fantasy / Adventure

Rating – G

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Website http://www.guardiansinc.com/

RS Guthrie РAll For One, One For All: Not Just A Clich̩

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All For One, One For All: Not Just A Cliché

clip_image002When I first decided to write a book on writing (after blogging about the subject for a year and a half), the decision was not a difficult one. I had a vision of exactly what I wanted.

Strunk & White.

Elements of Style.

It’s not that I believed myself capable of equaling their (arguable) classic work on grammar, style, and writing in general but rather I wanted to produce a book that was small in stature, large in OOMPH. A book one might keep next to the computer (or typewriter, for your sadomasochists). In fact, I priced the paperback as low as the distributor would allow (which means I make less on a physical paperback than a digital copy), all because I honestly believe, of all books, this is the one that deserves all the real highlight marks, dogears, and other signs of heavy usage over the years.

You see, over the decades I attended (and led) quite a number of writing workshops, attended courses, and handed out work to be critiqued (with the telltale grimace of someone who doesn’t want to hear what he or she knows they need to hear). But the gemsI learned over those years. I had to share them. I needed to share them. I believe fervently that writers need to band together because, unlike other products, ours is continually in demand—far more demand than only a few select of us can provide. In other words:

There are enough readers for all talented writers (and even for some not-so-talented ones).

clip_image004Books are not like sofas or cars or television sets. People don’t buy just one and hold on to it for 5-20 years. Some speedy readers I know read a book a day. What’s the average? Book a week? The demand for books is there—what we authors need are two things:

1) A hand-holding-hand path out of the jungle, to civilization, where the readers live

and

2) A product well worth their hard-earned money and time when we arrive there to present our work to them.

I work diligently at helping with #1. Now I wanted to share what I’d learned through trials, hard knocks, painful red ink on the page, and some damned fine writers over the years so that a fellow author might sit with my book and use a few simple (call them what you will: rules, techniques, processes, guidelines) and come out the other side with a book at least twice as good as it was entering the makeover.

Thus INK: Eight Rules To A Better Bookwas born.

Not of greed; not of pride; not of chance. INK was born because I was destined to write it, and I promise you, those writers who’ve taken the time to read it (one self-proclaimed slow reader devoured it in three hours!) will learn a lifetime of lessons. And it’s a book you can read over and over again. Highlighting, coming back to a section you love or need or just wanted to get straight in your head.

Writing is a process, and like every other skilled profession in the world, there are those to whom it comes naturally; there are great writers and good writers and decent writers and, yes, horrible writers. But I didn’t write INK for any one group. My theory is that no matter where you fall on the spectrum of ability or talent, your prose can always improve. None of us—nor non of “them”—is at the one hundred percent, don’t need to fix a thing stage.

None is perfect.

Lastly, the cover is intentionally simplistic, because I believe in the simplicity (and conversely, the POWER) of the eight rules. They aren’t rocket science and every single writer out there in the world can put them to use. I also have an absolute reason for using the hand print in ink for the cover. It has come to represent the unique signature of every writer on the planet. Each of us is different in some way from the next. Like snowflakes.

Like hand prints.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

clip_image006R.S. (Rob) Guthrie grew up in Iowa and Wyoming. He has been writing fiction, essays, short stories, and lyrics since college.

Black Beast: A Detective Bobby Mac Thriller” marked Guthrie’s first major release and it heralded the first in a series of Detective Bobby Macaulay (Bobby Mac) books. The second in the series (LOST) hit the Kindle shelves December of 2011. Reckoningcloses out the trilogy. For now…

Guthrie’s “Blood Land” is the first in the James Pruett Mystery/Thriller series and represents a project that is close to his heart: it is set in a fictional town in the same county where he spent much of his childhood and still visits. The sequel, Money Land, hit the shelves Christmas Day, 2012. Honor Land, the third in the bestselling series is due out in the Summer of 2013.

Guthrie lives in Colorado with his wife, Amy, three young Australian Shepherds, and a Chihuahua who thinks she is a 40-pound Aussie! Pictured is Elsa, the oldest, the Alpha, crazy adorable and every bit the diva (and she knows it!). And yes, there is a Hero Dog book bursting to get out that Guthrie plans to write concurrently with his third Pruett book.

Readers can catch up with what’s new with R.S. Guthrie at his official site, http://www.rsguthrie.com , or discussions related to writing at his blog, Rob on Writing (http://robonwriting.com).

Other Links:

Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/RSGuthrie

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rsguthriebooks

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/rsguthrie

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/rsguthrie

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/rsguthrie

A concise, personal read to share with you eight easy-to-implement strategies to make your book better. No gimmicks, no get rich quick schemes, just the lessons learned by a writer, writing personally to you (i.e. not a textbook or a collection of empty words and promises).

INK transcends all levels of authors; no experience, experienced; published, unpublished; confident, scared-witless. It is a particularly noteworthy read to the beginning writer because it focuses on rules we’ve all made early on in our careers and what better time to pick up some learned education from someone else without have to stumble yourself?

Seasoned writers with an open mind will learn a tidbit or two as well. This book is a sharing; a sharing of twenty-plus years of writing workshops, classes, flounders, flubs, successes, and all the information gleaned carved down into a fun, readable, get-to-the-meat, skip-the-potatoes, book you don’t want to miss.

Be the best writer you can. Write the best book you can write. Make yourself and your product crisper, cleaner, more grabbing, more of a page-turner.

We learn from our failures, which hammer future work into gems.

We are in this together, we writers. Share your success with others. That is how this book is written: treating other writers as part of a larger collective where one can help the other to climb the mountain of success.

Put it in INK.

Buy Now @ Amazon & Smashwords

Genre – NonFiction / Writing

Rating – PG13

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Connect with RS Guthrie on Facebook

Website http://www.rsguthrie.com/

Website 2 http://robonwriting.com/

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