November 24, 2014
I’m not even sure how Mary Pat Hyland and I met. Over Twitter, I think it was — so for all you who don’t use Twitter to chat and network and make new friends, see what you’re missing out on?
So let’s get to business: Mary Pat, what song reminds you of your book?
This is a great question, and as part of my promotion for my new
collection of short stories, In the Shadows of the Onion Domes, I already
created a playlist on my facebook page.This song, “Secret O’ Life” by James Taylor, I linked to the final story
in the book “The Reluctant Magnolia.” That tale is about a woman recently
widowed who is forced to downsize her life, painfully aware of the
downward slide ahead. But I think the universal themes in Taylor’s lyrics
fit all of the stories.The connecting thread in this collection of eighteen stories is the fact
that they’re all set in the same river valley in Upstate New York. It’s an
area settled by a major influx of European settlers seeking manufacturing
jobs during the first half of the twentieth century. Each group bought
its own perspectives and unique flavor that remains to this day. (There
are many Orthodox churches throughout the valley and their “onion domes”
help define its skyline.)These stories follow families, college students, couples, friends and the
recently widowed, each presented with the challenges of life, love and the
rapid changes that come with the passage of time. “Einstein said that he
could never understand it all,” Taylor sings.Each tale has a different treatment. Some are sweet, others tinged with
bitterness, and since these take place in the childhood hometown of writer
Rod Serling, some carry a definite Twilight Zone vibe. Two are sudden
fiction, under five hundred words, and “The Reluctant Magnolia” is
novella-length.I think of them all as drawings in a sketchbook, trying to capture moments
in this “lovely ride” we call life and reminding us to “enjoy the passage
of time.”
Okay, how about you? I’m fascinated. This sounds like the sort of thing I’d love to read, to savor a story each night before bed… it takes me back to my grad student days, when I was an MFA in creative writing and I read short stories the way, one each night, and thought about it as I went to sleep…
Ahh, the memories. I still remember how that bed felt; it wasn’t the most comfortable thing my money has ever purchased. But still… It was mine!
Back to the collection. Here’s the back cover copy, just in case you need to know more.
By the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango rivers in New York’s
Southern Tier lies a verdant valley called the Triple Cities.The shoe factories that originally drew thousands of immigrants from
across Europe have long moved on.What remains are the distinct ethnic flavors of a gritty community
determined to overcome economic woes, adapt to the rapid changes in
society and find true meaning in life.Consider these stories as pages ripped from a sketchbook. Some are quick
studies; others are more detailed portraits inspired by observed
characters, whispered gossip, overheard conversations and the local lore
of the residents whose neighborhoods are framed by the gilded Orthodox
Church domes that span this valley.You’ll find that each tale has its own tone: some are humorous or
poignant, others are surprising and haunting.
Pick up a copy!
CreateSpace
Amazon U.S.
Amazon UK
Barnes & Noble
The book will be available via Smashwords and other ebook retailers in
late January 2015
(but I don’t wanna wait! Daddy, I want a golden egg NOW.)
Connect with Mary Pat. She’s fun to chat with!
Website
Blog
Facebook
Goodreads
Twitter
November 10, 2014
I’ve known Tina Donahue via Triberr for awhile now. She’s prolific, and if you like your romance on the steamy side, check her out. And even if not, read on ’cause her song choice is way cool.
Katy Perry’s Roar – that baby is spot on. In Intimate Details, Shana’s not
taking it anymore. Despite a tragic and hidden past, she’s now a
world-class computer hacker, bringing down one of Manhattan’s most corrupt
executives. A far cry from when she was the victim. Now, Shana demands
justice, which gets her involved with two of the hottest men in town, Mike
and Cody. They’ve never met anyone quite like Shana, smart as hell, sexy
as sin. These guys will do whatever it takes to keep her safe and in their
arms…
I love that song. Simply love it.
Tina’s explanation does a pretty good job of telling us what the book’s about, no? But here’s the official description anyway:
As a computer hacker, she demands justice.
As a woman, she craves two powerful and commanding men.Shana’s been hacking one of Manhattan’s most corrupt executives, making
him pay for what he’s done to his victims. Using her skills, she convinces
Mike and Cody to hire her at their intelligence-gathering firm, where
intimate details help their clients.Never has Mike met a woman as delicious as Shana. Smart as hell, curvy and
assured, she’d be a delightful challenge in bed. Cody’s carnal hunger is
equally intense. He and Mike want to know everything about her.She won’t divulge the secrets of her past. All she can offer is
unquenchable desire and her heart.During weeks of shameless lust and pleasure, Mike and Cody peel away the
layers of Shana’s life. The stunning truth changes everything. They’ll do
all that they can to keep her safe…and in their arms.
Pick up your copy, exclusively at BookStrand.
Connect with Tina!
FB Fanpage
Email
Website
Blog
Goodreads
Twitter
Facebook
Triberr
Pinterest
Amazon author page
My page at TRR
EC Author Page
Samhain Author Page
October 27, 2014
I can’t recall if Kelly Washington has stopped in at West of Mars before. I know her alter ego, Della Roth (formerly Jean 8), has.
Kelly’s good people. Special people in my world. So don’t just read this post. Be sure you go pick up a copy of her newest romance, Collide Into You. Here’s why.
What song makes me think of my book? “Afraid” by The Neighborhood.
YouTube link (with lyrics!) -Â http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=GsLMoxa6xZ0, the key lyrics being, “When I wake up, I’m afraid somebody else might take my place.” (Note the explicit version of this song.) Now, this song is somewhat on the darker/moodier side, and my novel, Collide Into You, is a romantic comedy with a “touch of magic”. Hmmm… these two emotions don’t exactly mix, now do they? However, this is a body swap romantic comedy and, one day, my two romantic leads (Keira and Dillan) literally wake up as somebody else–each other–with hilarious and touching results.>
Sounds good, huh? Here’s the description:
When twenty-seven-year-old Army Sergeant Keira Holtslander, an orderly and rule-loving intelligence analyst, is reassigned to the Pentagon for a special assignment, she agrees to room with her brother’s best friend, Dillan Pope. But there’s a problem. Several, in fact. He’s sarcastic, egotistical, full of himself, extremely attractive, and a womanizer. Within a matter of days, her life is chaos. She didn’t like him when they met nine years ago, and her opinion isn’t likely to change now.
Dillan Pope, a thirty-year-old career businessman climbing his way up the corporate ladder, has learned to use his looks, charm, and sexual skills to his advantage. There isn’t much he cannot accomplish. Women easily tumble into his bed and business deals come about effortlessly. But when his best friend’s little sister moves in, he knows he’s in trouble. She’s rather hostile toward him, which takes him by surprise. Not even his patented smile works on her, but maybe that’s why Keira, aka Sergeant Prim and Proper, has always been the one girl he hasn’t been able to forget since their first meeting, nine years ago.
When a meddling barista puts a charm on the roommates, causing them to swap bodies, they must live as the other until they both own up to some hard truths. They quickly learn that panic, fighting, and accusations will get them nowhere. Until they can learn the lessons they refuse to acknowledge, they experience life as the other. Along the way they are forced to concede that maybe the other isn’t so bad.
Maybe there’s a reason they hated each other. And admitting the feelings that lay hidden may be the only way to undo the switch.
Nice, huh? I’ve … read this one. If you get my drift. Yes, I’m biased.
Get your own copy, exclusively at Amazon.
June 30, 2014
It’s a two-fer! Something we don’t see her often is an author with two back-to-back weeks in the spotlight. That’s probably because most of you don’t have such close release dates. But my buddy Faith Cotter does, and I’m eager to tell you about this one. It’s an essay, a work of non-fiction, and it’s called Paper Dragons.
Before I tell you much more about it, let’s pique all our interests — mine included — with the important stuff: What song makes Faith think of her essay?
“Blue,†by Mai Yamane for the Cowboy Bebop OST
You’re gonna carry that weight. The Beatles lyric appears in the bottom of the television screen. Blue has just hit its final note, and the story has ended. John turns to me and says, “Did you like it?â€
There are tears in his eyes. It is one of the only times I have seen him cry. Yes, I tell him. I loved it.
Blue marked the end of a show that built its story around exploring how we carry the past and make sense of a chaotic world. In a scene that eloquently speaks to why people create narrative, cartographers race against time and nature to map out rapidly changing land, all in a futile effort to creature structure and logic.
You’re gonna carry that weight. It’s why I wrote Paper Dragons. It’s why John and I share stories, and why he will write someday, too: to make sense of it all. To carry the past as best we can.
Wow. Powerful stuff, huh? So… need to know more? I do.
What would you do with time that you didn’t think you’d have? In the wake of an illness that rocked the lives of their family for nearly a decade, Faith and her brother John don’t speak to each other that much anymore. He no longer needs her to help take care of him, and he’s too old for their favorite book, The Velveteen Rabbit. With John staring down the sudden possibility of time, Faith tries to pick up pieces of the past in an attempt to make life whole for both of them again–but she can’t find these relics, pictures of dragons drawn by John’s hands in the early days of his childhood. Paper Dragons examines the kind of grief that is created by lost years, and the stories that break relationships apart–and puts them back together.
Sounds like powerful stuff, huh? (And can I repeat myself any more??? Sheesh. But really. What other word would you use?)
Pick up your copy. Since it’s not available at the wider retailers yet, remember that Smashwords can give you any format you need, and the author (in this case, Faith) gets the highest royalties around. Win-win for everyone, so it’s always worth opening an account and keeping your eyes peeled for the periodic promotions.
June 2, 2014
It was looking like the spotlight would be a bit dark this week when Karen Docter popped into my inbox with a new book! The lady couldn’t have had better timing if she’d tried.
What song makes me think of my book, Killing Secrets (A Thorne’s Thorn Novel)?A Broken Wing by Martina McBride Martina McBride – A Broken Wing
I understand that desire, to never be caged again.
Ready for the book description?
Rachel James’ ex-husband is released from prison determined to reclaim her and her little girl — the child is his key to controlling the James fortune. Frightened, Rachel flees to Denver with the child who hasn’t uttered a word since her daddy went to prison.
Contractor Patrick Thorne wants nothing to do with another of his parents’ charity cases. He failed his own wife so abysmally she took her own life as well as his unborn son’s. After two years, it’s time to concentrate on the bid he’s won and the saboteur trying to destroy his construction firm.
There is no room for trust in either of their hearts. But trust is all that will untangle the secrets that dominate their lives, free a little girl of her silent prison, and save them all from a serial killer who stands too close.
(A Thorne’s Thorns Novel)
Oh, nice! I think I need to read this one. Karen, you’ve made a fan!
Pick up your copy today.
Amazon
Paperback
B&N
Kobo
iTunes
Smashwords
And connect with Karen, too. You’ll be glad you did!
Website
Amazon Author Page/K.L. Docter
Facebook/K.L. Docter
Book Bench for Romance Lovers FB Group
Google+
Linked In
Goodreads
Shelfari
Pinterest
May 5, 2014
If you’ve looked around the site since the redesign, you’ll know Liz Milliron’s name. Or, you’ll recognize her real name: Mary Sutton, the head of our non-fiction department and one of our e-book formatters. Mary’s one busy woman! On top of writing and being a West of Mars subcontractor, she also has a day job and a family with needs. And I think there are some pets in there, too, but I’m not 100% certain.
She’s here with the first short story in her Laurel Highlands Mystery series. I was thrilled to find a fellow soul sister in Mary, in that on top of everything else, we share a love for Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands. I’m not sure where her love of the area came from, but what’s important here is that Mary shares it.
The story was originally published at Mysterical-E, and she’s got the rights back, so … it was time to let a wider audience know about Jim and Sally. Once you’ve met them, you’ll be glad you did.
So, Mary/Liz… what song reminds you of your book?
I don’t have a particular song in mind for this story. However, thinking of my protagonist, Jim Duncan, always puts me in mind of Bruce Springsteen. Springsteen is classic rock, simple lyrics, just a hard-working every day guy. No punk, no death metal. Just a guy singing about life, usually in a small, working class town. And that’s Duncan, just a guy trying to do a job. He lives in a rural county and likes it. He likes being a cop, being a hard-working guy, doing a job he loves because he wants to do it. And he’s a little working class. But he’s, um, really not lucky in the relationship department. He had a wife he loved and lost her. So if I have to pick a song that represents Jim at this point, it’d be The Boss’s “I’m Going Down.” The song is about a guy who sees a relationship that used to be perfect going down in flames. And that’s pretty much where Jim is in the relationship department – down in flames.
Ahh, Springsteen… I’ve seen him live twice. He truly holds a special place in my heart, and that’s before we get into the really good stories (and the fact that he inspired my own short piece, Keys, which is in Demo Tapes 4).
See? IÂ told you Mary is cool.
Ready for the story’s description?
The Laurel Highlands seem idyllic, but for Trooper First Class Jim Duncan, they’re anything but.
When a young woman from Pittsburgh ends up dead inside a rental cabin Confluence, it’s up to Duncan to find the killer before the event brings unwanted publicity to one of Southwestern Pennsylvania’s most scenic regions. There seems to be a built-in suspect in the local character known as The Creeper, but if Fayette County public defender Sally Castle has anything to say, The Creeper won’t end up in prison without a fight.
Previously published at Mystericale.com, “An Idyllic Place for Murder” is the first story in THE LAUREL HIGHLANDS MYSTERIES series.
This makes me want to read it, and I already have. Don’t be left out.
Get your copy:
And Apple, too!
April 7, 2014
There’s nothing like an old friend when it comes to one of life’s most comforting friends, and Maria Savva definitely fits the bill around here. Not only a fellow music lover, Maria and I share a love for many, many bands.
Remember a few weeks back, when I was impressed we had a three-peat author in the Featured New Book Spotlight? Maria puts that to shame — she’s here for her fifth time. I kid you not.
The new book is called Far Away in Time. 
Purty cover, huh?
So, Maria, what song makes you think of your book?
Echo Beach, by Martha and the Muffins
Although none of the stories were inspired by the song, when I finished writing the story ‘Far Away In Time’, I think I may have leaned more towards that title because it reminded me of the song by Martha and the Muffins. I’ve always loved that song, especially the intro, the saxophone, and the bit at the end ‘Far away in time’! It’s always conjured up a sense of nostalgia when I hear it.
When I realised that the title I’d chosen had a connection to the song, I noticed that one of the other stories had the word ‘Echoes’ in it and another had ‘Beach’. That gave me the idea to find out some more about the actual song and see if I could add a few links to the song throughout the book.
I looked on Wikipedia and found out some facts e.g. the names of the people who wrote the song, the name of the beach that possibly inspired the song etc. I then added a few bits to some of the stories.
For example, I have a character called Martha in the story ‘A Sign’, and many of the other characters in the book are named after the people who wrote the song or sang it at some stage e.g. Toyah.
I also have a character whose job is an ‘office clerk’ in ‘Echoes of her Dreams’, just like the person the song was written about.
When you read the book, perhaps you’ll spot some of the other links! 🙂
Need a summary?
Our lives are a series of stories, and we are the characters with the starring roles. The memories, regrets, secrets, and struggles that fill these pages are at once unique and relatable. These stories belong to us all.
Eight unforgettable tales reaching out to a place Far Away In Time…
Buy a copy — Amazon only, though.
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Amazon FR
Amazon DE
Amazon IN
Amazon AU
Amazon BR
Amazon IT
Amazon ES
Amazon MX
Amazon JP
Amazon CA
Want a gander at the book trailer? Sure you do!
Connect with Maria:
My website
Facebook Page
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March 24, 2014
You guys know I love getting out and about and meeting people. Today’s guest is a Triberr friend, and you guys know I dig my Triberr friends.
Without further ado, here’s SM Johnson to talk about her book, Jeremiah Quick.
The answer is almost impossible. There are so many songs on my playlist for Jeremiah Quick – six and a half hours’ worth, actually. It took me two days of browsing that playlist to finally pick “>Behind Blue Eyes by The Who as the answer to this question.
A lot of the music on my JQ Playlist is similar in tone and message to Behind Blue Eyes, only most of the others have more words. So I figured for this one choice, I’d keep it simple. Jeremiah and Pretty try (but fail) to connect through music, so there are a lot of references to songs and artists in this book, especially near the beginning. This is actually the first song mentioned in the book.
Jeremiah Quick is, at base, the story of high school companions Jeremiah Quick and Pretty Loberg reconnecting twenty years after they’d been friends – and how the most benign relationship can have a huge impact on our character and moral development. The story is a mix of past and present, and because of this, I feel comfortable choosing a song that’s survived over the course of decades, made and remade by many different artists… and yet… the song, at its heart, remains the same. I don’t want to spoil anything here, so I’ll say only that this concept is well-reflected in Jeremiah Quick.
For me, this song was damn near the start of my obsessive need to know the lyrics of songs. I was, oh, somewhere around eight or nine years old when my brother started playing The Who, very loudly, behind his closed bedroom door. I remember the green shag carpeting in the hallway tickling my nose as I lay on the floor outside that door, my ear pressed as close as I could manage to the space at the bottom of the door, barely breathing because I was trying to decipher the lyrics. So, really, this song was the very first song of my life that I memorized on purpose.
That makes it special.
And it’s interesting to me that my first song was damn dark. Huh.
Thanks for asking!
Wow! What a story! But if it’s not enough of a story, check out SM’s in-depth answer, posted at her own blog.
Need to know what the book’s about? Me, too. Here’s the description.
Jeremiah is Other, he’s always been Other, and he’s always fascinated Pretty Loberg with his Otherness. He doesn’t give a fuck about society, or middle class values, or following the crowd. He believes in anarchy, self-education, doing the research, and making up one’s own mind. He believes in asking cui bono? – who benefits?
To pampered and spoiled middle class good-girl Pretty, Jeremiah was terrifying. And she couldn’t stay away.
She’d been trained since her earliest years to follow the crowd, not stand out, don’t embarrass the family. Stick to the status quo and not only will everything be fine, but everyone will like you.
Jeremiah didn’t like her. Not at all. In fact, sometimes she thought he hated her.
When he finds her twenty years after high school, Pretty gets into his car, even though she knows Jeremiah will disrupt her marriage and her life.
Behind blue eyes is a man with a quick brain, a cynical outlook, and a penchant for the subversive. He’s kinky, mean, controlling, and more than a little bit broken.
Pretty wants to fix Jeremiah.
Jeremiah wants to break Pretty, remake her, and talk her into doing something terrible.
Only one of them will leave the dungeon alive.
Behind Blue Eyes as performed by The Who. Here’s a studio version with a cool slide show. The song has been covered by many other artists, as well. For a more interesting viewing, here’s a link to the song performed by The Who in 1979.
Need a copy? I think I might!
Buy it at Smashwords (affiliate link)
Amazon
Get to know SM Johnson!
March 17, 2014
This week, we welcome back Jean 8. Aeglothecca, a wonderful writer, a great person, and a rebel of the sort who is a kindred soul.
After THAT intro, how can you NOT read the book?
Dear Susan, thank you for the opportunity to spotlight the second book, The Queen Of Scarred Hearts, #2 in my Reclaimed Souls Series. So, “What Song Reminds Me of My Book?” I’ve been down this road with you before, so I am prepared.
Britney Spears’ “Trip To Your Heart” is the winner. Here’s the youtube link. I have no qualms coming out and saying that I really like Britney Spears, and, while I like most of her songs, “Trip To Your Heart” reminds me of Rahda and Roland’s heart dance in this book. There’s arguments, sex, betrayal, mistrust, a whopper of a family secret, and, oh yeah, a huge war simmers just under the surface
Britney! Did I not TELL you that Jean is a kindred soul? Did I just out myself?
Here’s what the book’s about.
The stakes are higher as Rahda leaves Skyscraper City and heads to see the master she’s betrayed. While there, she meets a charismatic man, Dev Osta, who gives Roland a run for his money. Let’s just say that Dev is gorgeous and that all of my beta readers, to include my editor — yes ALL of them — found Dev drool worthy. You’ll want to purchase this book just to get the bonus material at the end. (Shhhh, but it is the unedited version of Rahda and Dev’s, um, encounter). Now, on to TQoSH…
A Conflicted Heart… Caught between two worlds, Rahda must decide what she desires more: to be Lady Rahda Sevradan or the Grandfather’s disciple. Now that she knows that masking the dark prince’s scars was a ruse, she leaves the Palace Skyscraper only to unearth new secrets, including secrets about her family’s history. Then she meets someone that threatens her feelings for Roland. Will her heart and soul ever been in agreement?A Dark Soul… Prince Roland Rexus wants nothing more than to keep Rahda close, but she fights him at every turn. He wants a real marriage. He wants her heart. Once she learns of his future plans, he worries he will lose her forever. As the battle brews internally between them, war looms over his head and the dark prince is powerless without Rahda’s help.
A Royal Revolution… With a royal revolt simmering just under the surface, Rahda and Roland must tread carefully as the continent’s citizens descend upon Skyscraper City for a royal celebration that changes everything. Will the Queen of Scarred Hearts emerge? You can read an excerpt. The Queen of Scarred Hearts is available for $3.99.
Get your copy!
iTunes
All Romance eBooks
Smashwords (affiliate link)
Barnes and Noble
Amazon
Mix, mingle, and hang with Jean:
email
website
about me
goodreads
November 18, 2013
Let’s welcome the lovely Jean 8. Aeglothecca — yes, that’s a pseudonym and no, I don’t know where it comes from. And no, I won’t tell you Jean’s real name. But if you read down to the bottom of this post, you may figure it out for yourself.
I will, however, tell you to read this book. The vision, the characters, the situation… it’s not what you think and it’s one not to miss.
Which leads me to one big question: Jean, what song makes you think of your book?
I think I’ll have to go with Garbage’s “Why Do You Love Me?” from their 2005 Bleed Like Me Album. To me, it’s raw, it’s real, it’s unforgiving. As a reader (and a writer) I want to read stories about flawed characters. I enjoy strong female characters that go against the grain, and against what’s “expected” of them just because they are female. I want to know what makes characters tick–but not necessarily WHY they tick–otherwise it will feel like some sort of lesson. I want to see what characters do when bad things happen to them. In my story, THE PALE WATERS, which is set in a futuristic, alternate-earth like land, my main character Rahda is (internally) flawed to the bone and when she meets Roland, who is physically scarred and deformed, she is unprepared, but it is fun to watch what she does about it, how all of her plans are thrown out the window, and the journey she goes on. The reason why I chose Garbage’s song for this question is because, at the heart of my book (and the series) is that it is an unconventional romance. Why Do You Love Me? Great question. Why do any of us love?
Yeah, I’m still struggling with that question, myself.
Need a blurb? Sure you do!
WHO OWNS YOUR SOUL?
Welcome to The Continent on Earth II, a post-royal revolutionized land filled with robots, beasts, humans, and half-humans, and ruled by the mysteriously absent and secretive Dark Prince Roland Rexus.
The Continent is a place where a dark stain spreads, the sun no longer shines, where the rain is black, icy, and laced with metal shrapnel, and where souls are collected and owned like prized possessions.
Rahda Plesti, a Class Zero citizen and an unorthodoxly trained assassin, descends upon the capitol city of Skyscraper City with one goal in mind: kill the Dark Prince and end the monarchy. But because of a secret she carries, Rahda finds that things do not go as planned as she discovers what Roland keeps hidden.
She’s in the midst of war she doesn’t fully understand with consequences that not only impact Skyscraper City, the Dark Prince, and her own soul, but the entire continent as well.
The Pale Waters is the first installment of a four-book Romance series that fans call a “Futuristic Beauty and the Beast Story with a Seductive, Science Fiction and Fantasy Twist.”
Yes, I’ve read all four of them. And yes, you should, too. Pick up your copy!
Smashwords (affiliate link)
Amazon
More links:
http://smallfiction.com
www.goodreads.com/kellywashington
www.amazon.com/author/kellywashington
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/KellyWashington
October 24, 2013
It’s Rocktober, so that can only mean that the ROCK refers to rock fiction, not geologic features (a question I get asked more often than I’d like to admit).
And today, it also refers to Tommie Vaughn, herself an industry veteran. She has a debut novel out, and it’s titled… ready? This Rock in my Heart.
Tommie was kind enough to send me a copy of This Rock in my Heart to review, and I did that, so go read it. And then go pick up the book and see if you agree with what I had to say.
Remember, if you can leave a few words of your own thoughts on any site — GoodReads, book retailers large or small, a blog, a friend’s blog — it all helps the author. Not as much as handing your copy to a friend or (even better) handing them a brand-new copy, but it’s a help, all the same.
Us authors love it when you do that sort of thing for us. Just a few words…
October 15, 2013
Remember a few weeks back, when I mentioned I’d read a Rock Fiction novel that was so good, it very well needed to be included with Fat Kid Rules the World as one of THE BEST Rock Fiction works of all times?
And remember how I said you’d have to wait until Rocktober to hear about it?
Well, here you go. You’re hearing about it.
The book is How the Mistakes Were Made, written by Tyler McMahon. I’ll let you click through and read my review, but I’m warning you now, it’s a long review. It’s worth it.
I love, love, loved this book.
June 25, 2013
Hello everyone!
Last week I was out of town, away from all technology, thus being unable to post. But here is Behemoth, the second in the Scott Westerfeld series. Jump in!
Behemoth: Scott Westerfeld
🙂 out of 😀
4/5
The behemoth is the fiercest creature in the British navy. It can swallow enemy battleships with one bite. The Darwinists will need it, now that they are at war with the Clanker Powers.
Deryn is a girl posing as a boy in the British Air Service, and Alek is the heir to an empire posing as a commoner. Finally together aboard the airship Leviathan, they hope to bring the war to a halt. But when disaster strikes the Leviathan’s peacekeeping mission, they find themselves alone and hunted in enemy territory.Alek and Deryn will need great skill, new allies, and brave hearts to face what’s ahead.
Immediately after Leviathan, our story picks up. The Clankers have revealed a new Shocking weapon, one that will bring the Darwinists to their knees. However, the Darwinists have the Behemoth, their fierce new weapon. But the Ottoman Empire is one who remains neutral, and they WILL be a turning point in the war, if the Darwinists can gain their trust.
I have read a lot of series where the books run right into each other, and most of them have been either bad, or awful. This book, by those standards was amazing, not only in the fact that the two books ran right into each other, but the book itself was amazing. Next week, we have the series finale, Goliath, and then we move on to a new series. Most likely the Bartimaeus series, but if I get any other ideas, we will delve into that.
See you next week,
Your Friend at TBR
June 4, 2013
Ok, everyone. Sorry it has been so long, but I have just forgot to post, but will have posts more regularly as summer rolls in. Again, sorry. I wrote this post a while ago, but never posted it. So, I bid you best reads.
Well, It’s here.
Department 19, book TWO! The Rising. Amazing. excited. Lets get it before I can’t type.
Department 19: The Rising
😀 out of 😀 (5/5)
91 DAYS TILL ZERO HOUR.
THAT’S 91 DAYS TO RUN.
91 DAYS TO HIDE.
OR 91 DAYS TO PRAY FOR DEPARTMENT 19 TO SAVE YOU…
After the terrifying attack on Lindisfarne at the end of the first book, Jamie, Larissa and Kate are recovering at Department 19 headquarters, waiting for news of Dracula’s stolen ashes.
They won’t be waiting for long.
Vampire forces are gathering. Old enemies are getting too close. And Dracula… is rising.
12 weeks after Lindisfarne, The department has picked itself up and most who went survived. But all who went changed. And Valeri Rusmanov has been working Dracula back to life, and the vampires and becoming bolder, and they are leaving graffiti on all the walls. He Rises 91 days to slay Dracula, because after then, Dracula becomes the world’s dictator and all the humans will be non-existent. Unlikely alliances will form, all to bring down these monsters.
Holy Heck in a handbasket. To make this simple, Department 19 blew almost every other book I have read out of the water. The Rising blew the first one out of the water. Yeah. So, next week, I am trying something new. I am going to give a “Reccommended Reads/Recently Read,” and we’ll see how that goes. After that, I will do the Leviathan Trilogy BY Scott Westerfield, and Then Mortal By Phillip Reeves.
See Ya next time,
Your Friend at TBR
June 3, 2013
I know cool people.
It really IS that simple. I know cool people. Lots of them. And M. E. Sutton is one of them. Best of all, I know her in real life, too. She’s one of my more favorite real-life people, and we simply don’t get to spend enough time together.
It ought to go without saying that when her new book came out, I was all too glad to have her swing by and tell us what song makes her think of her book.
What song makes me think of this book? I’d have to say “Breakaway” by Kelly Clarkson. It is from the Princess Diaries 2 soundtrack. They play it during the parade, where Mia goes up to a little girl at the children’s home who is being bullied by some older kids. Mia asks if the girl wants to be a princess, and she’s says, “I’m too little.” And Mia says they are all princesses and leads them in the parade. For me that kind of encapsulates the whole series message of Hero’s Sword, that even when the world is trying to put you down and keep you in the place others have decided you should be, you have to “break away,” spread your wings, and fly – be true to yourself.
“I’ll spread my wings and I’ll learn how to fly
I’ll do what it takes til’ I touch the sky
I’ll make a wish
Take a chance
Make a change
And breakaway”
Your favorite metal head here has to admit a soft spot for Kelly Clarkson…
But… M E, what’s the book about?
Eighth-grader Jaycee Hiller is beginning to fear she only imagined her trip to Mallory. But when a rainy afternoon leaves her with hours of playing Hero’s Sword, her favorite video game, she finds herself drawn back into the game – literally.
STORM CLOUDS is the exciting second volume of the HERO’S SWORD saga – chronicling Jaycee Hiller’s trials in eighth grade, and her exciting adventures in Mallory, the setting of her favorite video game. Jaycee enters the video game realm via a special controller and is caught up in the action of this fantasy realm.
In STORM CLOUDS, a valuable jewel belonging to the neighboring estate of Devin, the Sapphire Star, is missing, stolen at the Fall Consortium. Lady Starla stands accused of the theft. Devin’s demands are clear: return the Star or they will take it back by force.Now it’s up to Lyla Stormbringer to find the Star and the thief. before Mallory finds itself at war.
You know you need a copy…
Amazon:
May 27, 2013
Rock fiction alert! Rock Fiction alert!!!
Why Anne-Marie and I haven’t hooked up sooner is beyond me. I think we’ve tried and it’s been me who’s dropped the ball. It’s not for lack of intent, but for lack of time, I promise!
So Anne-Marie is here today to talk to us about the latest entry into her quadrilogy, Behind Blue Eyes. This volume is called Let My Love Open the Door and why do I feel the need to windmill my strumming arm and smash a guitar before handing things over to a deaf, dumb, and blind kid who plays a mean pinball?
On that note… Here’s Anne-Marie.
What a wonderfully easy question when your book series is based on a famous song. Or is it? The quadrilogy is called Behind Blue Eyes, and so one might be tempted to start humming along with Roger Daltrey or even delve deep into Pete Townshend’s more haunting solo version. But then, you start to think about the three books you have published so far, each with its own Who-related title, and choosing between Love Reign o’er Me, Love Ain’t for Keeping, and finally, Let My Love Open the Door seems impossible. They’re all great songs, and they each have a role to play in telling Ian Harrington’s story. Ian is the main character across the four-part rock and roll saga, a talented but troubled young rock musician who has fled his homeland to start a new life, burdened by a terrible secret and wanting a career in music. He is at once a bad man and sad man, a creation of my imagination from when I first heard the song Behind Blue Eyes in the late 1970s. I threw him into the Toronto of that time, added a great cast of characters to complicate his new life, and weaved a rock and roll story with drama, romance, and to quote a reader review, “euphoric highs and startling crashesâ€. And so we come full circle back to the original song, which was the catalyst and inspiration for the entire tale. I present you the Pete Townshend version, if only to give full credit to the man who started me on this writing journey.
Ooh, yeah… this is my sorta stuff!! Check OUT this blurb:
It’s 1986. Ian Harrington is living the good life in Toronto: he is the lead singer of Something Else and is raising his six-year-old daughter, Victoria. His life is busy and creatively satisfying, but he has not been able to hold a romantic relationship since Sarah. A chance encounter with a former flame offers the possibility of lasting love, but the liaison is fraught with conflicts and challenges both new and echoed. By following his heart, Ian risks having his world turned upside down. Standing skill threatens far more…
Links!
Behind Blue Eyes: Part Three: Let MyLove Open the Door (paperback)
Lulu author spotlight for Behind Blue Eyes series
Book 3 (Let My Love Open the Door) Amazon link
Personal links:
Author website
Twitter @BadManSadMan
April 30, 2013
Hey everyone,
Today is my recommended reads post. All of these books are really good, so read some!
Artemis Fowl Series- Eoin Colfer
All Books I have reviewed, for the most part
Holes- Louis Sachar
Rick Riordan- I will not read him, but I know he is really good
Margaret Peterson Haddix, Amazing author
I, Q- Roland Smith
Jerry Spinelli
Evil Genius- Catherine Jinks
Alex Rider- Anthony Horowitz
Eragon-
Maximum Ride- James Patterson WARNING!! When Reading a James Patterson Book, look under his name. Patterson Has many people writing under his name!
Eoin Colfer in general
Dan Gutman, Sports
Jack Gantos
HIVE- Mark Walden- LOVE IT!
Rangers Apprentice- Never read it, but have heard nice things about it.
Warriors- Erin Hunter
The Mostly True Story of Jack
Thanks for reading,
Your friend at TBR
April 15, 2013
It’s Monday, so you know what that means… Time for a Featured New Book spotlight!
Today it’s author JoAnne Tucker with her poetry book and her mystery, Murder Most Foul. Two books, but only one song. What’s with that?
The song that reminds me of my poetry book is “I want to know what love is.” This is a song about a man searching for true love, and that is what my poetry book is about. It is true love in various forms-love of family, of god, of nature, of personal triumphs and heartbreak. My poetry collection is about my life and all the stages I went through over the years, but it was wonderful even in times of sorrow. I had my future and my family beside me and that is what got me through the bad times. I hope you can use this.
Now, JoAnne didn’t tell me if she was referencing Mariah Carey’s version of Foreigner’s classic, or if she had the rockin’ version in mind, so I’m making the call (sort of!).
Blurb for Murder Most Foul
When two dismembered torsos wash up on the banks of the local river in the small industrial town of Pleasant Valley, residents are horrified. Between contradicting statements, police ineptitude, lust, lies, manipulation, incest, the motorcycle gang The Devil’s Disciples, crooked cops, and a botched crime scene, everyone becomes a suspect.
The young beautiful Jackie Reeves, a registered nurse, believes the killer is a man from her past. She contacts the dangerously handsome FBI Agent Walker Harmon. An arrest is made, but Harmon and Jackie believe an innocent man is being railroaded by local cops. Determined to find the truth, before anymore killings, Agent Harmon and Jackie are forced to run a gauntlet of deep trouble and turmoil, which marks them for death.
Buy link for Murder Most Foul–
Murder Most Foul is a four story anthology. And we know how much Susan likes anthologies!
Buy link for Poems About Life, Love, and Everything in Between
Blurb for Poems About Life, Love, and Everything in Between
Poems About Live, Love, and Everything in Between, is a collection that provides a glimpse into the heart, mind, and soul, of its author. It is a heartwarming read, written with love and respect for others. It was inspired by the authors love of nature, inspiration, spiritualism, personal triumphs and heartbreak, and life in general. Some poems were written in times of sorrow, others in joyous celebration. Life is like that.
My website is Books and Paintings by JoAnne
I can also be found at
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April 1, 2013
I’ve known Jaime McDougall almost since I began blogging. I know she was one of the first folk to ask me to write a guest blog post for her, and I’ve written HOW many since then? (over 50 is the answer, and no, that original blog post isn’t linked to. If you find it, holler, and I’ll link to it.)
So… It’s my pleasure to host Jaime today with her new book, Fading Echoes. 
I’ll admit it; I thought way too much about what song reflects my recent release Fading Echoes. I tried to think about what reflects the themes of secrets and lies, what song reflects being haunted by your past… But when I cleared my mind and thought of my main character, Charlotte, the song came to me instantly.
Vindicated by Dashboard Confessional
Why Vindicated? Why would I pick a song attached to one of the Spiderman movies? Well, not because of Spiderman. Rather, the lyrics…
Vindicated, I am selfish, I am wrong, I am right
I swear I’m right, swear I knew it all along
And I am flawed but I am cleaning up so well
I am seeing in me now the things you swore, you saw yourselfWhen Fading Echoes begins, Charlotte has been trying so hard for so long to be what people want her to be. But as the book progresses, she discovers that being flawed is okay. She struggles to take control of her own life – and to discover what being a pure bred werewolf is all about.
The lines ‘I am right, I swear I’m right, swear I knew it all along’ are especially relevant because Charlotte faces another predicament: she is a werewolf crying wolf. Intensely focused on her past, Charlotte knows that the pack is under threat. But, knowing her obsession, no one is willing to listen. Even her best friend, Tom, is beginning to think she should just let it go.
She still has hope that she will find a way to prove that they are in danger, but is she putting her hope – and trust – into the right people?
Slight hope dangles on a string
Like slow spinning redemption
Ooh, yum, right??? Damn, I like this song. I’m putting it on my iTunes wishlist as I type. (am I really out of it that I’m still iTunes and not Spotify?)
Ready for the blurb?
In a town full of werewolves and legends, Charlotte Peterson is unique. As the first ‘pure-bred’ werewolf in Echo Falls, she struggles to fit in even amongst her pack.
When Dr. Adam Baker arrives in town, Charlotte is forced to balance their growing friendship with her need to keep the pack’s secrets – and her own. But she is not the only one keeping secrets and Adam’s past could threaten them all.
That is not the only danger. Compass, the genetic research company intent on isolating the ‘werewolf gene’, will do whatever it takes to gain the final advantage over all werewolves. Compass CEO Calvin Stephens has a very special plan in mind for Charlotte…
Time is running out for Charlotte and the pack as Calvin’s plans near completion. In a town where secrecy is the key to survival, can Charlotte trust Adam to help her? Or has she revealed the deadliest secret of them all?
Go pick up a copy or three!
Amazon
Smashwords
Find me at:
March 25, 2013
Remember back a few weeks, when I mentioned I’d be hosting Phyllis Zimbler Miller for a second turn in the spotlight? Well, here we go!
The song “All the Right Moves” by One Republic makes me think of my cozy mystery CAST THE FIRST STONE: A REBECCA STONE MYSTERY because of the theme of competition that runs throughout the book. These lyrics from the song capture this:
“All the right friends in all the right places
“So yeah, we’re going down
“They’ve got
“All the right moves in all the right faces
“So yeah, we’re going down.”In the story Los Angeles business reporter Rebecca Stone must finally face the fellow Wharton student who broke off their engagement in order for him to focus on making it big on Wall Street. The following words from the song are similar to the thoughts that have plagued Rebecca since then:
“Do you think I’m special?
“Do you think I’m nice?
“Am I bright enough to shine in your spaces?”Now Rebecca may finally get the answer to these questions.
Ready for the blurb? Here you go…
Cozy mystery CAST THE FIRST STONE introduces shomer Shabbat Los Angeles business reporter Rebecca Stone:
While investigating the murder of a Wharton professor spending the summer term at UCLA, Rebecca Stone must grapple with telling her former fiancé that she has now become an observant Jew.
Kosher recipes from the Jewish holiday book SEASONS FOR CELEBRATION by Rabbi Karen L. Fox and Phyllis Zimbler Miller (available on Amazon) are included in this cozy mystery.
See the followup outing for amateur sleuth Rebecca Stone in TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE: REBECCA STONE MYSTERY SHORT STORIES.
You know, I may need to present this to my book club… Hmm….
Pick up your own copy!
Kindle
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