Leviticus...When We Were Gods Blog Tour

  Leviticus....When Were Gods Tour/ Review

My Review:

I was given a free copy of Leviticus for an honest review.

Technology as we know it is changing more and more everyday.
Leviticus is not the type of book that I would normally read, but was very curious after seeing the book cover and reading the books synopsis. I was really intrigued with the character Clay. Seeing that Clay stood firm on his beliefs, and rather than take part of this new medical technology to stay young, he decided to age gracefully. He enjoyed living the simple life.  Clay was a well developed, yet strong character that struggled with this change in technology, at times. I really admired Clay.
Daniel Seltzer really packed a punch with this dark, provoking read. Seltzer shows how some may not always accept change and go with the flow of others.

Leviticus was a confusing read at times, but as the chapters flowed, some things became a bit more clearer. The book tackles ones morality. If dystopian/ Sci-Fi is your thing, then this is the book for you. It also sends your mind into a thinking mode, and you began to wonder what if, or would I stand firm to my morals or belief, or give in.

I gave this book 3.5 stars, only because I felt some of the chapters just didn't fit at times. But I did enjoy reading this book, and stepping out my comfort zone. I look forward to reading more from this author. Thanks for allowing Books & Chocolates to take this journey with you.

Book Blurb:

Science has created a world where anything is possible and everything is affordable A world where illness and disease have been eradicated

"What if you could be young forever?"

"What if you didn't want to?"

Levi Clayton Furstman's decision not to be inoculated with technology designed to bestow youth and immortality leads him on a journey that forces him to reexamine his relationships, his purpose in life, and, ultimately what it means to be human.

Chapter 2 Excerpt:

News Flash: June 6, 2024. 11:30 a.m Peace negotiations continue in the Middle East.

Although not unexpected, it nevertheless always shocked him somewhat to hear the voice whispering in his ear, not quite loud enough to drown out other sounds occurring around him, but loud enough to be heard and sometimes, throw him off his train of thought.

 It had been three years since his fitting, yet Clay continued to be disconcerted by the answers and frequent news updates spoken in his ear.

“More,” Clay said. The not unpleasant voice of Clay’s iMeme relayed additional information on the peace negotiations.

An unprecedented twelve weeks of calm has led many world leaders to believe that Hamas’ promises of peace and recognition of Israel as the Jewish State may, finally, result in a binding peace treaty between
Israel and the Palestinian People.

The nightmare predicted after the fall of Fatah three years ago and the aggressive stance assumed by Hamas has never materialized and the recent actions of Hamas to reign in splinter terror groups has lent a certain optimism to the whole conference.

Clay wondered how many other folks were listening to this news. How many others even cared. The iMeme Notification App allowed users to customize what information would be relayed by the iMeme directly into one’s auditory system.

Given the scarcity of (and lack of any apparent demand for) rea news available in the newspapers, he figured he was one of a very smal number not receiving updates only on the latest gossip or entertainment.

Clay had been one of the last of the people he knew to get an iMeme. Most of his friends had been using them for severa years, before his wife, after repeated attempts to talk him into getting one, gave him an iMeme as a birthday gift.

The decision to actually have the TIN (transceiver interface-nano) implanted in his ear did not come easy for Clay. He could not understand how people were willing to accept the use of tiny cameras and two-way communication tied directly into one’s body so quickly Implanting a device that would not only allow the iMeme to speak directly into one’s auditory system, but to listen in on one’s thoughts and respond appropriately.

He had a lingering fear that he would wake up one day and himself on the Cloud, having been videoed and published without his knowledge or consent.

“The technology for TIN has been around for decades actually,” said the young man assisting Clay. The lanyard hanging around the youth’s neck displayed the words Rudy and Genius.

It had been almost eight months since his family had purchased him an iMeme as a birthday gift and they had finally worn him down and elicited a promise to have the TIN nanochip fitted today. Rudy was explaining how the process worked and it seemed to Clay the young man knew what he was talking about. Most of the Genius Bar staff did.

“It uses the same technology the physically impaired use to transmit brain signals to a computer to perform specific functions. Your iMeme sits here on your Spot, or wherever you choose to keep it, and as long as it’s within a three-foot radius, it can transmit information to, or receive information from, the TIN, which is really just a cochlear nanochip placed in your inner ear. With two-way communication and the iMeme’s built-in nanocamera the iMeme can perform any number of important functions.”

Clay was still nervous. “So you’re going to stick something in my inner ear? Right here?” he asked, looking around. “No doctor? No specialist?”

“Trust me sir, I’m an Apple trained audiologist. I’ve done thousands of these. I simply place this device in your ear and the TIN nanochip will be inserted into your cochlea. Takes just a few moments.” Rudy put a smile on his face to try to reassure Clay.

“That’s the problem, Rudy. I’m not too hip on you puncturing my eardrum with that thing. I mean, don’t doctors say that only thing you should put in your ear is your elbow?”

“Sir,” Rudy responded. “The PSD wil barely enter your outer ear.”

“PSD? What’s a PSD?” Clay asked.

Rudy was clearly working to retain his patience. “Sir, the PSD is the Placement and Syncing Device,” he said showing Clay the object in his hand. It looked to Clay like an ear thermometer with a small cable hanging off its lower end.

Rudy pointed to the small tip protruding from the top of the PSD and continued. “A nano-needle extends from here into your inner ear and to the cochlea. The needle itself is thinner than the proboscis of a mosquito. Not only will you fee absolutely nothing, the procedure is so safe that even if the TIN were misplaced there would be no harm done to you.” He saw the look of doubt on Clay’s face and added, “The TIN won’t be misplaced. I promise.”

Rudy put the PSD to Clay’s ear, pressed a button. Clay closed his eyes expecting the worst. He felt absolutely nothing. A hopeful thought that the PSD was broken crossed his mind. He opened his eyes and turned to Rudy.

“Listen, if there’s a problem, I can always come back.”

“I’m sorry Sir. What was that you said?” Rudy asked, involved in hooking up Clay’s tiny iMeme to the cable dangling off the lower end of the PSD.

“I said,” Clay started and then jumped slightly when he heard a gentle whisper in his ear.

iMeme now activated: November 13 2021. 5:43 p.m.

Clay spun around to see who had spoken to him, but quickly realized it was no one, simply his iMeme communicating to him. Clay flushed slightly with embarrassment as he noticed Rudy grinning.

Clay wondered whether everyone reacted as surprised or whether Clay was the random oddball. The idea of being looked upon as some sort of fool annoyed him.

“What if I want to take the chip out?” Clay asked.

A puzzled look crossed Rudy’s face. “Take it out?”

Buy Links:

Website http://daniel-seltzer.com,

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Leviticus-When Were-Gods-ebook/dp/B00EW38MXI/ ref=sr_1_9? s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1377900025&sr=1 9&keywords=leviticus

Barnes & Noble   http:// www.barnesandnoble.com/w/leviticus daniel-se ltzer/1116851811?ean=2940148564768

Createspace   https:// www.createspace.com/4259668

About Daniel Seltzer

Daniel Seltzer holds a J.D. degree and a BA in English. He also holds an MA in Bioethics and previously worked at a major university researching the ethical, legal and social implications(“ELSI”) of nanotechnology. It was while working there that the idea for this story first took shape.

Connect With Author:

Facebook   https://www.facebook.com/ WhenWeWereGodsTrilogy

Twitter https://twitter.com/ WeWereGods_Book

Blogspot http:// whenweweregodsbook.blogspot.com

Webpage http://www.daniel-seltzer.com

Giveaway:

Author Daniel Seltzer is giving away 20 print copies of Leviticus and a $50 Amazon gift  card! Enter through Goodreads and Rafflecopter! USA residents only, please.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/g4lris3d4/

My Cup Of Tea Blog Tour Stop

My Cup Of Tea, By Author Kat Lieu

Blurb:

It’s another suck-tastic summer for book nerd and baker, Sara Lee-Affen. She’s broke, she’s single, and she’ll probably die a virgin. At her beautiful cousin’s wedding, Sara meets a sexy and delicious stud muffin, Ian Forrests. He’s totally her cup of tea, that is until he laughs at her misery when a bee burrows into her ear. Yes, a dang bee. She’s dying(well not really) as he’s dying from laughter.

What a jerk. A smoking hot, Adonis of a jerk with strikingly green eyes dark hair, and drool-worthy pecs and eight-pack abs.

As luck and fate would have it, Sara keeps bumping into Ian al summer long and ends up working for him as a pastry chef at his failing bakery.

Despite her better judgment, Sara falls for the sexy, badass rich boy. She discovers the truth about Ian: he’s a tortured soul who’s stil pining for his deceased girlfriend, Sarah.

One look at Sarah’s picture and poor Sara knows that she could never compete. She could never be Ian’s cup of tea.

Or could she?

Excerpt:

A minute ago, when I noticed someone approaching me, I couldn’t help but ogle at perfectly-formed man pecs and a tapered waist sporting well-defined washboard abs.

Droplets of water glisten on his tan skin. Said tan skin belongs to a guy, a hot guy walking toward me. Water from the pool drips off his dark hair.
His lean and muscular legs are made for running. His blue swim trunks, wet and plastered to his skin, leaves little to my imagination. I gulped.

I felt his eyes on me, all hot and smoldering Having a feeling that a handsome face goes along with his hot bod, my eyes traveled upward to confirm my theory.

traveled upward to confirm my theory Sharp features. Chiseled jawline. Straight nose with two nostrils that are perfectly shaped and sized. Cellophane forest-green eyes filled with intelligence. Hot..

But too bad it’s him, that jerk from Millie’s wedding.

Goodreads:

Goodreads Direct Link https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/ 20588539-my-cup-of-tea?ac=

Buy Links:

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/My-Cup-Tea Summer-Volume-ebook/dp/B00HX6X3OO

About The Author:

Kat's most current publication is My Cup of Tea: Summer of Love. Read My Cup of Tea here: http://amzn.to/1fKJ4YW

Kat read her first book (a picture book while potty training at the age of one and half.

Reading became an addiction and a must during subsequent potty sessions.
Writing as a passion soon followed when Kat was in the fifth grade. She drew a picture storybook hand-stitched the pages together, and presented it to a class of second graders.
The children loved hearing Kat's story and that cemented Kat's love for writing.

Kat wrote My Cup of Tea, Summer of Love during maternity leave. While caring for her newborn, Kat sacrificed nap time and much needed rest in order to write.

When her baby slept, she quickly typed away, ignoring carpal tunnel. Now Kat works full-time by day. By night, she's a dedicated mommy and a writer.

She hopes to be able to spend more time with her son Philly Cheese Steak, and write for a living in the near future.

Dreams do come true, when you believe in them and work hard. Many of Kat's dreams have come true and she wishes the same for all her fans and readers.

Kat is also a Doctor of Physical Therapy and a Certified Lymphedema Therapist.

She also runs a tween/teen empire Nummyz Productions.

Nummyz Productions creates original Flash games for girls and provides them with a safe community, love advice, free stories, and support. Nummyz Productions publishes books and e-books.

Kat's company has also created websites for celebrities of The Young and the Restless(Kate Linder) and Flash games for multi-million dollar company LittleMissMatched.

Connect With Kat:

Twitter  

https://twitter.com/katlieu

Goodreads  

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3342372.Kat_Lieu

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/ Nummyz

Amazon  

http://www.amazon.com/Kat Lieu/e/B003U1T7SC

Website

  http://www.nummyz.com

Maid for Me, Too Book Trailer  

http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kUyh0a1JQY

Giveaway:

Kat is giving away four ebook copies of Maid for Me and one print copy at each stop! This giveaway is open to USA residents only. Make sure to follow the tour and enter at every stop by leaving a comment with a valid emai address. Winners will be randomly selected by the author after the tour is over.

Author Guest Post:

" How important is being inspired when writing?"

As a writer, inspiration defines me. No writer can write without inspiration.

"Where does inspiration come from?"

Life events. I based the wedding scene in my newest novella, My Cup of Tea: Summer of Love, on two weddings: my friend's wedding in Planting Fields and my own wedding.

Dreams George Lucas dreamed and now we have the epic Star Wars. TV, movies, and other books. No story is truly original anymore.

If you analyze contemporary romance and erotic novels, you'll see that most of romance and erotic novels, you'll see that most of them, especially ones with billionaire alpha male them, especially ones with billionaire alpha male protagonists, are reincarnates of Pride and Prejudice or Cinderella, sprinkled with sex scenes and the author's  original prose.

I mentioned TV. Netflix is the gold mine of inspiration. protagonists, are reincarnates of Pride and Prejudice protagonists, are reincarnates of Pride and Prejudice or Cinderella, sprinkled with sex scenes and the author's  original prose. I mentioned TV. Netflix is the gold mine of inspiration the gold mine of inspiration.

During my three-month maternity leave, my favorite shows to watch were Cake Boss and DC Cupcakes

These shows, along with my love for pastries and These shows, along with my love for pastries and baking, inspired me to write Sara's story in My Cup of Tea: Summer of Love. She's a book nerd (like me) and a pastry chef who falls in love with her Heathcliff/Darcy bad boy boss, Ian. Both characters have experienced loss in their lives.

Two pained souls find comfort in one another, but not without a boatload of conflicts and misunderstandings along the way. Cue eye rolling.

Being inspired when writing is a necessity. You can't write if you're not passionate about the subject When I write, I let my words just flow from my brain to my fingertips.
I close my eyes, seeing the scenes play out in my head. You write what you know.

I'm not going to write about race drivers or electrica not going to write about race drivers or electrica engineers–that story would just resemble a wikipedia entry because I'd have to do a lot of wikipedia entry because I'd have to do a lot of research.

The end result will be more like a college essay than a story. I would write about vampires, fairies, and elves. Even though they don't exist, I've been a total fantasy and paranormal nut since I was a child, inspired by authors like L.J. Smith of the Vampire Diaries, and of course J.R.R. research. The end result will be more like a college research.

Tolkien. My genre is romantic comedy. My life is ful of laughter and love, which inspires me to write of laughter and love, which inspires me to write humorous love stories.

My inspiration becomes the inspiration of others. My original fan base of tween and teen girls are now new adults who tell me all the time that I've inspired them to write and love.

An inspired writer is a more powerful writer than one who doesn't have an open mind. Think outside of the box as a creative writer. Don't worry about grammar and the technical aspects of writing when writing. Let the ideas flow and let inspiration lead you. Let your beta readers and editors worry abou grammar and the technical aspects. Inspired writing sparkles with life.

Uninspired writing is dull and sparkles with life.

Uninspired writing is dull and lifeless, nothing more than typed words on paper. ifeless, nothing more than typed words on paper

Being inspired when writing is of utmost importance and I can't stress that enough.

Thank you for inviting me as a guest blogger, Books and Chocolate Book Blog! Happy reading and writing Kat Lieu~

Follow Your Heart Tour Stop

Follow Your Heart, By Cheryl Persons

Blurb

It had been 10 years since Cassie and Seth said their goodbyes. They had both moved on and were leading happy lives, or were they? When Cassie finds herself back in Texas, everything changes Cassie remembers the love that she once had and surprisingly finds herself longing for it again. Is it too late, or does her heart have other plans?

Excerpt:

“Cassie wait;” Seth called, begging her to stop running.  He grabbed his keys and ran to his car; the storm was beginning to pick up and he was worried she would get sick, if she did not let him take her home.  He put the windshield wipers on full blast and made his way down the road where Cassie was headed.  As he approached her, he was glad to see she started to slow down.  He rolled down his window and moved at a snail’s pace“Cassie, please just get into the car.” She did not look at him as he continued to drive.  “I am begging you, let me take you home.  This is obviously a misunderstanding and we can clear it up.  Just get into the car, before you get sick.” When Cassie stopped and opened the door, he breathed a sigh of relief.  “Thank you.

Cassie, I am sorry I did not tel you about Rebecca.  It’s not as if I didn’t try.  If I could take it al back, I swear I would have found some way to tell you sooner.  I…”

“Seth, stop talking.  This isn’t about you not telling me that Rebecca and you are no longer engaged…it goes way beyond that.  In fact, it might even go back the past ten years.”

“What do you mean?”

When she turned to face him, he saw the trickle of tears flowing down her cheeks.  “Recently Courtney told me something.  I suppose I haven’t been able to get it off my mind.”

“I’m listening.” Colton braced himself for what she was about to tell him he hoped that it would not be the end to any chance of them getting back together.

Buy Links:

Amazon http://amzn.com/B00DKJONAQ

About The Author:

Cheryl Persons was born, raised, and to this day lives in Fort Wayne Indiana.

 At the age of 21, she decided to pursue her dream of writing However, it has taken nearly 15 years to make it a reality.

 That is one thing she believes in most, never give up on your dreams.  She works ful time in a doctor’s office, doing clerica work and can honestly say she loves her job.  Yet, being able to write, as well, is an added bonus.

Connect with the Author

Goodreads   https://www.goodreads.com/ cpersons

Twitter https://twitter.com/pcpersons2

Author Cheryl Persons is giving away two $10 Amazon gift cards! Open internationally. The giveaway will run 2/ 19/14 - 2/27/14 at 12 AM Eastern time.

Or Rafflecopter Direct Link

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/ d202c323/

Author Guest Post:

My Self Publishing Journey

There is something about reading that can take you into a whole new world I fell in love with it at an early age.  

Over the years, I gradually contemplated about putting my imagination onto paper.  However, it was not until I was an adult that I really decided to take action.  

I began writing my first romance novel.  Over the course of three years and multiple revisions, I finally finished my first story The only problem was I did not know where to go from there.

 I put it off to the side and forgot about it and began to see it as just a dream That was when I heard about the term self-publishing and how it has changed the wave of getting your story out there.

Anything that is worth doing, takes a lot of work.  I have definitely learned that this is true, when I started this process.

 I have written a total of five books, four of those were part of my Love Conquers Al Series.

 My first one was published on Amazon in June 2013.  I have found a passion for writing and I enjoy every minute of it.  I was lucky, in the fact that, my first book gained momentum rather quickly.  That inspired me to continue this journey.

 If I find myself having writer’s block, then step away from the characters and look at a new avenue, but I always go back to where I left off.

If you have aspirations that you could have never imagined they would turn into a reality, just believe.  I don’t know what my future in writing holds, but I know that whether I am making money or not that I am destined to be doing it.  The most important thing to remember is that you should keep doing what you love and in the end you will succeed.

Thanks to Fire And Ice Book Tours for letting me be part of this wonderful Tour.

A Life Singular Blog Tour Stop

A Life Singular. By Lorraine Pestell

Blog Tour Stop, hosted by Fire And Ice Book Tours

Serial Blurb

“A novel in six parts, serialised as e-books and paperbacks, "A Life Singular" tells the story of a successfu celebrity writing his autobiography, after the tragic loss of his wife.

In essence a love story, "A Life Singular is about the triumph over menta illness, the choices we make between right and wrong, and how the one affects the other.  Some of life's lessons are harder to learn, and some amazing opportunities easier to take.  The trick is always to understand the consequences of our choices, before it's too late...”

Sales proceeds go to two Australian not for-profit organisations helping disadvantaged children:  

the School Volunteer Program ( http://www.svp.org.au) and The Smith Family ( http://www.thesmithfamily.com.au )

Part One Blurb

“What do you do when you lose the one who gave your life meaning?  You write about it.  You tell the world how amazing it is to love and be loved by someone so special, what love helps you achieve and how it makes you stronger.

adulation and wealth by making the right choices for the right reasons.  He lived by the law of reciprocity, a lesson learned on the streets as a teenager with nothing but an unquenchable thirst for knowledge Plagued by the scars of a violent childhood, he created his vision and fought for it.  And once he no longer needed to fight for himself, he fought for others.

Yet when Jeff’s dream girl was taken from him and their children by the ignorant act of a jealous misfit from his own home town, the millionnaire realised just how far he had come.  Why had he succeeded when so many like him fail?  It wasn’t complicated.  The secret lay in the endless pursuit of love and wisdom; life’s two magic ingredients.  Now Lynn was gone, he resolved to use his remaining days to account for their life in a way that would inspire young people to make his type of choice rather than García’s.

Then after their story was written, he would be free to go after her, to begin the whole incredible journey over again.  Everyone has a life singular.  One.  Unique.  Extraordinary.”

Excerpt:

<Scene:  Our protagonist, Jeff Diamond and his daughter, Kierney, have arrived home after the trial of his wife’s killer.  Kierney has gone to bed, leaving her father alone to contemplate the future.>

“That night, safely back in their Melbourne apartment, the widower lay on his bed in the dark and resumed his own life sentence.  Running through his mind were all those years during which Lynn had helped him break out of the obsessive “now or never” anxieties which had gripped him in his teens, as a result of the betrayal and abandonment he had suffered as a child.

 How long had it taken before he started to believe in the new mantra of“There’s always tomorrow” which had been bestowed upon him by his beautifu best friend?

Yet there wasn’t always tomorrow, was there?  García had seen to that twenty-year sabbatical from his old fears, but now the boy with the death wish was back.  For the sake of his children, he knew he must find a way to rise above the despair, or at least make a damned good show of doing so Ryan and Kierney deserved to think positive thoughts about the future, even if he had no interest in it.

Unable to sleep, the loving father quietly walked into the office to switch on his computer and then into the kitchen to make some coffee.

 One of the e-mails Jeff had missed while away in Sydney was a summary of the various tribute records that were steadily being released by other prominent artists, all keen to acknowledge the influence Lynn had had on their careers.

 Like the memorial service, the list contained virtually every chart-topping musician, including some from Africa and even a couple from China.  Once again, the grieving husband felt humbled by the love the world had for him and his dream girl.

In addition to these instant hits, the Melbourne Academy students had written to him to announce their intention to make a film tribute to their favourite School.

Governor, and Qantas had sought permission to use video footage of Lynn and the family, for a tribute to be shown for a month on all in-flight entertainment, just before each news bulletin.  

The widower scoffed bitterly at his assistant’s request for approval for these projects to go ahead, and he typed a suitably restrained response to indicate that he could hardly put a stop to people expressing their grief, even though it might be seen to prolong it for everyone else.

 Meaning him, he insinuated.

The list of senders’ names in his e-mai inbox also resembled a catalogue of contemporary public life, and the boy from Sydney’s western suburbs still found himself affected deeply when being counted in their number.

All these Very Important Persons had taken the time to write to him about the death of his wife, to express support for the trial and to find out how he was faring.  

He couldn’t decide whether this was a good thing or a bad thing.  He was grateful for their concern but mostly wished he could simply disappear for the next six months, unti the plight of his family had been relegated to the inner pages of the world’s newspapers and magazines.

The forty-three-year-old leaned back in his black leather executive chair and stared at the ceiling.  

An eerie shadow of himself moving among the furniture, elongated by the angle of the illuminated desk lamp, conjured up memories of the nights he would sleep as a boy, behind the piles of contraband stacked up in his family’s living room on the Stones Road unable to face the short journey down the corridor and past his mother’s bedroom door.

OK.  That was enough.  What had happened to Juan Antonio García’s mother? Why hadn’t she arrived off the boat in Sydney with her husband and sons? Why did he even care?  Jeff shook himself out of the obsessive train of thought.  The man had killed his wife, and this evening he had received a life sentence to prove it.  The widower knew he must learn to accept the guilty verdict as justice.  Somehow.

So with what did society expect justice to furnish the partner of a murder victim?  The Queen had succeeded in removing one more killer from the streets.  Big deal!  There were plenty of far more dangerous criminals still roaming free, and with a much greater likelihood of striking again.

The Sydney Mafia remained alive and well, for example, Jeff had no doubt.

What would justice have meant to him, if he had been able to choose its form?  This was a tough one.  Definitely not financial compensation; a concept that never ceased to intrigue the intellectual when reading about other cases.  Was a couple of million dollars really going to ease the suffering after losing a loved one?  No amount of money could bring his children’s mother back, and the Diamonds had more than enough money as it was.  Their financial whizz-kid, Gerry Blake, had seen to that.

Buy Links

Website (sales proceeds of softcover and e-books go to charity)

http://www.ALifeSingular.net

Amazon (Kindle version):  

http:// myBook.to/ALS1-on-Amazon

Amazon (softcover version)

http://bookstore.xlibris.com/Products/ SKU-0503662049/A-Life-Singular--Part One.aspx

About the Author

Lorraine Pestell was born in London and has had a successful career as an Information Technology professional in the UK, US, Europe, Singapore and more recently Australia.

 She currently resides in Melbourne, Victoria with her 13-year-old dog, Jed.  Writing has been a lifelong passion, for work by necessity but mostly for pleasure.

Although working full-time, Lorraine is a passionate volunteer for severa organisations, including serving on the Boards of non-profit organisations being a mentor for The Smith Family's iTrack program and providing project management assistance to The Schoo Volunteer Program.  She finds that volunteering time and energy to those less fortunate is an effective antidote to persistent depression and the symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

The idea for "A Life Singular" originated when Lorraine was 14 years old born out of a fascination for celebrity and the popular music scene.  

As life continued, bringing with it significant mental health challenges Lorraine decided to incorporate these experiences into the story.

 It has been almost four decades in the making and she spends as much time as possible writing it, whenever time and life events permitted.  

Her ambition is to publish a Part of the serial every six months; two down, four to go!

Author Links Website:

  http://www.ALifeSingular.net

Blog:  

http://alifesingular.com/

Facebook:  

http://www.facebook.com/

ALifeSingular Twitter:  

https://twitter.com/ LorrainePestel

Book Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=JKN84O5We0o

Giveaway

Author Lorraine Pestell will be giving away ebook copies of A Life Singular– Part One and A Life Singular – Part Two for every day of the tour! Enter with Rafflecopter.

Code:

<a id="rc-dc2f270" class="rafl" href=" http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/ dc2f270/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>

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Fire and Ice Book Blog Tour

- Guest Post for Books & Chocolate

Lorraine Pestell, author of the

“A Life Singular” serial Rejections, I Renounce Thee

Thank you very much for inviting me to guest post on Books & Chocolate.

  I have to admit that my mouth immediately began to salivate at the prospect of such a delicious combination, being a confirmed chocoholic whose other loves are writing, reading, red wine and my ancient, creaky dog!

I am Lorraine Pestell, a native of London who has been living in Australia since the turn of the millennium.  Since becoming an author in 2013, my remoteness from the vast majority of readers has been a topic of much soul-searching.  This distance manifests itself in many ways.

- By the time most of you read this post I will already be well into tomorrow-

I am a whole lot further south than any American state or European country, even those describing themselves as “deep south”-

It is a blisteringly hot mid-summer for me right now, so while most of you are cuddling up with a good book by the fire, many of our communities are actually ON FIRE- Book blogging is in its absolute infancy in Australia and neighbouring New Zealand.

The majority of North Americans and Europeans never make the journey to discover Australia’s culture, lifestyle humour (and spelling J- With a population only 7% that of the USA living on a continent of the same size as the USA, I am restricted by the lack of local choice of publishers, literary agents, writers groups and of course lovely readers.

Therefore, I am very grateful for the opportunity to showcase my beautifu adopted country in the context of my writing journey.  I really hope you enjoy exploring the territory and am looking forward to reading any comments or questions you might wish to post.

As you see from the title of my article, it’s all about rejection.  

Oh no!  No-one likes rejection.  Least of al we writers who fall in love with our characters and immerse ourselves in their adventures, hoping that someday many others might do the same.

 When I started focussing more time on writing, which had previously been a hobby and a boring, necessary evil at work, I used to dream of what it would be like to be picked up by a traditional publishing house.

 Six-figure advances, to be able to resign from my job, to travel the world making endless public appearances and most importantly, to devote so much more energy to my story.

I began to follow other authors on socia media, finding out that even the best-known celebrity writers I admire had been able to wallpaper their houses with rejection letters before finally having a manuscript accepted Another revelation was attending writers festivals in Perth, Western Australia, where I lived for the last five years before returning to my spiritual home of Melbourne, 4000 kilometres to the east, on the opposite coast.

Perth is the world’s most isolated city which takes even longer to wise up to new inventions!  It became painfully apparent at the writers’ workshops that e-books, digital readers and the whole sordid underworld of self-publishing was still frowned-upon by academics and other literati leading me to pursue a life free of rejection.  I renounce thee, I renounce thee, I renounce thee!

Since anyone can self-publish at a very reasonable cost, those who fear rejection have many options these days Yet there are still pitfalls to trip us up, and early lessons taught me that it’s definitely unwise to rely on glossy website marketing spiels!

By the way, I am writing a six-part nove serial, “A Life Singular”  ( http://www.ALifeSingular.net), which has truly been my life’s work.  The first two parts are available, and I’m feverishly trying to stick to my schedule of publishing the remaining four in six-monthly intervals.  This will mean that the story’s events wil conclude in contemporary times.

Now I’ve been working in IT for nearly thirty years, which means I know almost nothing about the publishing industry.

 Therefore my first instinct was to select a self-publishing company which would hold my hand (albeit cheaply!) through the intricacies of the process:  manuscript preparation cover design, deciding on content for the synopsis and biography, et cetera I made my choice based on the information on their website, paid their not insignificant fee and prepared for stardom.

Once I got to grips with the different working style of my Philippino publishing partners, for which my IT career had already given me a headstart, I then had to convince them not to call me in the middle of the night!  Australia?

 No-one actually lives in Australia, right?  That must be a mistake… For the most part, after these initial glitches had been ironed out, the process was fairly painless and I was pleased with the result:  total flexibility on content, format distribution and marketing.

But then the fun started!  Part Two of my serial was censored Self-publishing houses censor writers work?  That wasn’t what I signed up for!  What they had omitted to provide was their policy on what they termed“under age sex”; the strict Catholic culture of the Philippines mixed with outdated US moral policing resulted in a character over the age of consent being ruled impermissable.  How does that work?  People are legally allowed to so something that it’s illegal to write about?  Really?  Well, yes apparently!

My story absolutely depends on this key character being under eighteen since one of the serial’s key themes is the relentless passage of time and the varying level of control it has on us as we age.

 This interpretation of an archaic censorship policy completely negated the premise of Part Two of my storyline, leaving me with a one part serial J.

Lesson number two:  ask for the policies read the fine print and ask questions before you part with your money!  Despite being promised a partial refund, my credit card is stil waiting…

Undaunted, I turned to Amazon’s CreateSpace to publish Part Two.  What an unbelievably smooth process, and free too!  Free, free, free!  Even ordering printed copies and shipping them to the opposite end of the world was much cheaper.  No censorship, no delays, no bizarre misunderstandings and no telephone calls in the wee, smal hours.

I have now employed a wonderfu Norwegian lady at Amygdala Designs to create covers for all six parts and am in the process of re-publishing Part One via CreateSpace too.

 My serial is back on track, and I am wiser for the experience:  I have more refreshed waking hours to write Part Three and guest posts such as this, more time to eat chocolate and read books, and more time to exercise the chocolate and the slothful but delightfu behaviour away.

But don’t get me wrong, if a large, multi national traditional publishing house wants to offer me a six-figure advance to give up work and write to my heart’s content, who wouldn’t want to be JK Rowling?

Thank you again for sharing my liberating journey to a world free of rejections.  

Sales proceeds from my books go to two Australian non-profit organisations helping disadvantaged children:  The Smith Family ( www.thesmithfamily.com.au) and the School Volunteer Program( www.svp.org.au) Best wishes from tomorrow.

Thanks for allowing Books & Chocolates to take this journey with you! Best Of Luck!

The Joneses Blog Tour Stop

The Joneses, By Best Selling Author Shelia Goss

"The grass is not always greener on the other side."

The Joneses seems to be a book about so many people in the world today. If we learn to live life to the fullest without trying to keep up with the Joneses, life will be much more happier, and fulfilling. I cant wait to get my copy.

Book Blurb:

Keeping up with the Joneses isn't all it's made out to be. In this intriguing novel full of drama and plot twists, one family tries to hold on to their "perfect" life before their secrets lies, and scandals are exposed.

On the outside, the Joneses seem like the ideal family: Royce Jones, a funeral home mogul, and his wife, Lexi are parents to Charity, Hope, and Lovie—and everybody wants to be them But it's true that money can't buy happiness, and the Joneses are harboring secrets that can't stay hidden forever…It's only a matter of time before the Joneses' perfect life goes spinning out of control.

To read an excerpt, go to: https:// www.smore.com/sjq3-the-joneses

Order your copy of THE JONESES from Simon & Schuster

( http://books.simonandschuster.com/
or purchase from other online retailers such as:

Amazon

< http://www.amazon.com/exec/ obidos/ASIN/1593095228/ simonsayscom >

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ ASIN/1593095228/simonsayscom

Barnes & Noble< http:// click.linksynergy.com/deeplink? mid=36889&id=PwUJvmDcu1U&murl=http:/search.barnesandnoble.com/ bookSearch/ isbnInquiry.asp%3Fr%3D1%26ISBN%3D978

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the joneses-sheila-m-goss/1115884720? ean=9781593095222

IndieBound

< http://www.indiebound.org/ book/9781593095222 > http://www.indiebound.org/book/ 9781593095222

Available in stores everywhere on February 18, 2014

THE JONESES GIVEAWAY

Lexi Jones, one of the main characters from THE JONESES loves her handbags so it's just befitting that the grand prize be a handbag.  Contest ends on February 25, 2014.

GRAND PRIZE

One (1) random entrant will receive a small Coach handbag {Retail value $188.00, 10 3/4″(L) x 7″(H) x 3 1/4″(W)} and Bath & Body Works minatures(Retail value: $19.75

One (1) random entrant will receive an autographed copy of Montana's Way.

10 ENTRANTS

Ten (10) random entrants will receive the electronic version of the book Hollywood Deception.

Open to U.S. & Canada residents only Avoid where prohibited by law.

To enter please use the rafflecopter form below:

<a id="rc-fd624f0" class="rafl" href=" http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/ fd624f0/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>

<script src="// d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/ rafl/cptr.js"></script>

About The Author:

Shelia M. Goss is a national bestselling author and a screenwriter.

She writes in multiple genres.

USA Today says, "Goss has an easy, flowing style with her prose…"

She's received many accolades in her career including being a finalist in the mystery category for the 2013 AA Literary Award Show and a 2012 Emma Award Finalist.

Her books have been on several best sellers lists, such as: Essence Magazine, Dallas Morning News and Black Expressions Book Club.

Shelia loves to hear from readers so feel free to contact her via her website

www.sheliagoss.com

 < http:// www.sheliagoss.com/ >or

follow her on Facebook at

www.facebook.com/sheliagoss  <

http:// www.facebook.com/sheliagoss >or

Twitter: www.twitter.com/sheliamgoss.

Five Signs You May Be Falling in Love or Not

By Guest Blogger Shelia M. Goss

1. You can't stop thinking about him.

He crosses your mind throughout the day no matter what you're doing. He's part of your thoughts whether you're sleeping or awake. No matter how hard you try, you can't stop thinking about him.

Be careful that you don't neglect others(family/friends) while focusing so much energy into your new man.

2. You get butterflies every time you hear his name.

You haven't felt this way since your first love. The strange feeling leaves you feeling a little fluttery. It's a feeling that comes over you every time you hear his name.

Be sure this feeling isn't trying to alert you to something else.

3. You see yourself dating him exclusively.

You're at a point you want to commit to him and him alone.  You're willing to take a chance to an exclusive relationship.

Don't go fantasizing about matching towels just yet. Make sure you know what you're getting into.

4. You walk around with a silly grin on your face.

Your friends and family comment that you have this goofy smile on your face–for no apparent reason. You try to curb your enthusiasm,, for your new beau, but it's unavoidable.

Don't fret that your family and friends don't feel the same way about yourman Give them some time.

5. You hear a love song on the radio and it reminds you of your man.

Every slow jam that comes on the radio reminds you of how you feel about your man. You download old school slow jams to your mp3 player.

Be careful that you're not getting caught up in the "idea" of being in love.

Love is a beautiful thing; especially when it's reciprocated.

Author Interview:

1. How did you come up with the characters of the Joneses?

I've always wanted to write a family drama. Once decided on the concept for the book, the characters created themselves.

2. Which character dolike the most? And why?

Lexi Jones because she's smart, sassy and loves her family. She doesn't allow anyone to walk over her and will protect her family by any means necessary.

3. Which character isyour least favorite? And why?

Jason, because he's a pompous jerk.

4. Do you think theJoneses can relate to people in today's society?

Yes. That was one reasonwhy I decided to write The Joneses.

5. What inspired you towrite the Joneses?

I came up with the idea for The Joneses by taking the concept, "Everybody wants to be like the Joneses and writing my own interpretation.

6. What do you wantreaders to take from this book?

I want readers to see that the grass is not always greener on the other side.Some people miss out on happiness trying to compare their lives with someone else's life; never knowing what the other person has to go through.

7. In writing this book,did it make you evaluate your ife, in any way?

No, because the lessons in this book, I actually earned some time ago.

8. Leave the readerswith some inspirational or motivational words?

Be your authentic self and don't worry about trying to be like the "Joneses." Your life will be so much happier.

Shelia M Goss also writing as SPARKLE

www.sheliagoss.com

Keeping up with the Joneses isn't all it's made out to be. In this intriguing novel full of drama and plot twists, one family tries to hold on to their "perfect" life before their secrets, lies, and scandals are exposed...

Pre-order - Amazon.com

Sending out a big Thank You to Author Shelia Goss for stopping by Books & Chocolates Book Blog on the Joneses tour stop.

Something Dirty Blog Tour Stop

Something Dirty, by Em Petrova

"You want a hot, sultry and steamy read with memorable characters?"

Something Dirty gives you that and more...

Title – Somethin’ Dirty Series –

Country Fever Author – Em Petrova

Genre – Contemporary erotic western romance

Publication Date – 2/11/14 Length

(Pages/# Words) – 217 pages

Publisher – Samhain Publishing

Book Blurb/Synopsis –

She’s headed for the big time…unless her heart gets stopped at the pass.

Country Fever...Book 4

Forty-two-year-old single father Griffin Turner couldn’t have made it
through colic and calving season without his mother’s babysitting services
But just when he thinks he’s got the hardest part of the infant learning
curve licked, he gets devastating news Mom is sick. And Griffin is forced
to hire a nanny.

With nothing but twenty dollars in her pocket and her voice, Nola Brady
wants to leave small-town Wyoming to pursue her dreams in Nashville. She
answers Griffin’s ad to keep body and soul together until her big chance
arrives. Love isn’t even on her radar… until she unexpectedly falls for the
rough-and-playful cowboy.

Between the sheets, they’re poetry Outside the bedroom, he inspires her to
be more woman than she ever dreamed possible, which scares her enough to
put on the brakes…and hit the road.

But if she thought he’d just let her leave quietly, she was wrong. Because
hell hath no fury like a cowboy in love… especially one with a baby on his
hip. And a ring with her name on it.

Warning: This cowboy daddy is determined to make a May/September romance
work—even if he has to lay down his palm or his mouth on a round ass cheek
to do it.

Amazon Kindle Link – http://www.amazon.com/Somethin-DirtyCountry-Fever-Petrova-ebook/dp/ B00FZ0FGDG/ref=sr_1_1?
ie=UTF8&qid=1385831061&sr=8 1&keywords=somethin%27+dirty

Barnes & Nobles Nook Link – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/somethin-dirty-em-petrova/1117228890? ean=9781619218338

Author Bio:

Em Petrova lives in backwoods Pennsylvania, where she raises four kids and
a Labradoodle puppy named Daisy Hasselhoff and pays too damn much for
utilities. She loves to write gritty characters with lots of heart and is
well-known for scorching, panty-soaking erotic romance.

Follow The Author:

Amazon Author Page – http://www.amazon.com/Em-Petrova/e/B005D0EXCI/ref=sr_tc_2_0? qid=1385831226&sr=8-2-ent

Website/Blog – http://empetrova.com http://hardworkingheroes.wordpress.com

Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/ em.petrova

Twitter – @empetrova

Networked Blogs – http:// wildandwickedcowboys.wordpress.com
http://69shadesofsmut.wordpress.com

**Tamer Excerpt**

Nola’s mind lost track of Molly’s words Everything around her vanished but
those two dark eyes pinning her down.

A movement from Molly snapped her out of it. She looked up in time to see
her sister had raised her glass in greeting to Mr. Thigh-Clenchingly Hot.

She wrapped her fingers around Molly’s arm. “What the hell are you doing?
Don’t draw his attention.”

“Why not? Have you scored in the past six months? You’ve gotta be feeling
the weight of that stare, sis. Why not invite him onto the dance floor?”

“No, I—” She glanced up to see him pul away from the wall and make his way
across the floor. “Oh f***. Now look what you’ve done!"

She tried to duck and run into the masses, but Molly hooked a boot around
her shin and sent her careening off balance. Her beer sloshed over the
floor, spattering the boots of some dancers.

“So sorry,” she mouthed, her voice lost in the stampede of boots and the
cry of appreciation as someone took the microphone for an old Hank Williams
song.

 Two long, denim-clad legs slid into her vision. She followed the lines up
up, up to the thick chest sporting the white and gray western shirt. And
hell, the fabric had a small embroidered flower design next to the pear
buttons.

A man who wore embroidery was very comfortable in his skin. Not a boy. A
man.

If she’d had any question about this, she didn’t now as she stared into his
face. Small lines framed his eyes and lips and a few threads of silver wove
through his beard.

She quivered.

“Wanna dance?” He offered a hand to her and she gaped at it for two
heartbeats.

Before she could think, Molly had divested her of her beer. Then her sister
shoved her from behind, and Nola jerked forward. Taking her movement as
acceptance, Mr. Thigh-Clenchingly Hot wrapped his fingers around hers and
tugged her onto the floor.

Before she could suck in air, she was whipped into his embrace. When she
did, she filled her head with his persona musk—man and clean soap Leather.

He was smiling at her. She returned it then gave a laugh and dropped her
gaze.

He leaned in. “I’m Griffin. And before you ask, this is the first dance
I’ve had in over a year. So don’t laugh at my jumbled up feet.”

How could she remain aloof to that? Everything about him charmed the
pants—or mini-skirt—right off her.

“I’m Nola.” She inhaled deeply and didn’t catch a hint of beer or whiskey
on him. “You’re not drinking tonight?”

The corner of his mouth tipped up. “Nah I’m a designated driver. Love to
help out the cause and my ma has the—” He bit off the rest of the sentence
with a shake of his head. “My ma taught me to give back to the community.”

For several heartbeats, she lost herself in his deep, chocolate gaze. God
were those golden flecks in his eyes? And the creases around each corner
enhanced the image that he perpetually squinted into the sun or smiled. Or
both.

“Crowded in here,” she said a little breathlessly. The bodies hemming her
in tighter to Griffin were unwelcome Weren’t they?

Damn, she needed to get away from him and fast. One more upward quirk of
his mouth and she’d be wearing a wedding band and apron.

Character Interview:

1. What does the title Something Dirty mean to your characters?

Something old, something new something borrowed, something blue… and
somethin’ dirty. Yep—there’s a wedding proposal in there.

1. What are some of your characters fears?

Griffin’s fears are falling for another woman who is too young and immature
to handle him—and now his infant daughter as well. He’s also faced with his
mother’s illness, a deadly epidemic among his cow herd, and even the worry
about his daughter growing up and wearing skinny jeans.

Nola is determined not to let her dreams fade, but Griffin—and her desire
for him—is getting in the way.

1. Does your main characters have any insecurities?

Griffin is an older man. Why would a pretty little twenty-something woman
want him?

1. Are your main characters in love or full of lust?

Full of lust that soon morphs into more for Griffin. Nola isn’t so trusting
of her instincts.

1. How were your characters developed?

My characters start talking to me. I ask them questions sometimes to dig
deeper, but mostly they drive the writing van. I’m along for the ride.

1. How does the main characters fee about their names?

Nola Brady is the perfect name for a country singer, don’t you think?
Griffin is too manly to give a damn about things like names. *grin*.

1. What does your main characters names mean?

Nola means…(I’m shocked, b/c I didn’t know this)…famous! Psst—read the book.

Griffin means a fierce mythical creature.

1. Did your characters enjoy getting dirty?

Everyone loves getting dirty in my books There’s even a scene where they
are nude in the rain!

9. What is actually the something dirty?

See #1. The hero says he wants to see her in something old, something new
something borrowed and something blue. Then he wants to do somethin’  dirty
to her. And there is plenty of dirty-hot sex in my books. J Thanks for the
questions—fun.

Author Chemistry
Books & Chocolate

Hosted by: My Family Heart Reviews


--
Chemistry
www.chemistryslife@gmail.com



--
Chemistry

www.chemistryslife@gmail.com

Run To You Blog Tour Stop...Clara Kensie

Run To You Blog Tour Stop
W/ Clara Kensie

RUN TO YOU PART ONE: FIRST SIGHT

Available February 1, 2014

Part One in the riveting romantic thriller about a family on the run from a deadly past and a first love that wil transcend secrets, lies and danger…

Sarah Spencer has a secret: her rea name is Tessa Carson, and to stay alive, she can tell no one the truth about her psychically gifted family and the danger they are running from. As the new girl in the latest of countless schools, she also runs from her attraction to Tristan Walker—after all, she can’t even tell him her real name. But Tristan won’t be put off by a few secrets. Not even dangerous ones that might rip Tessa from his arms before they even kiss…

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/ 19193494-run-to-you-part-one

RUN TO YOU PART TWO: SECOND GLANCE(available February 8, 2014

Part Two in the riveting romantic thriller about a family on the run from a deadly past and a first love that wil transcend secrets, lies and danger…

Tessa Carson has unlocked her heart and her secrets to Tristan Walker—but Tristan has secrets of his own, and his might just mean the end of Tessa’s family. Unaware, Tessa embraces falling in love and being herself for the first time since she was attacked when she was only eight years old. But secrets can’t be run from forever, and sometimes love is too good to be true…

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/ 19193489-run-to-you-part-two

RUN TO YOU PART THREE: THIRD CHARM(available February 15, 2014

Part Three in the riveting romantic thriller about a family on the run from a deadly past and a first love that wil transcend secrets, lies and danger…

Betrayed, heartbroken, and determined to save her family, Tessa Carson refuses to give in to Tristan Walker’s pleas for forgiveness. But her own awakening psychic gift won’t let her rest until she uncovers the truth about her family and her past. And Tristan is the only one who can help her sift through the secrets to find the truth hidden in all the lies…

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/ 19193490-run-to-you-part-three

Buy Links:

Amazon

< http://www.amazon.com/s/ ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search alias%3Dstripbooks&field keywords=RUN+TO+YOU+clara+kensie >

B&N

< http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/ Clara-Kensie? store=allproducts&keyword=Clara+Kensie

iBooks < https://itunes.apple.com/us/ artist/clara-kensie/id784187975?mt=11 >

Google Play Books< https:// play.google.com/store/search? q=Clara%20Kensie&c=books >

Harlequin< http://www.harlequin.com/ catalogsearch.html? vcname=Catalog_Search&keyword=RUN+To+ you

Kobo< http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ Search? query=Clara%20Kensie&fcsearchfield=Auth >

Indigo < http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/ home/search/? keywords=clara%20kensie >

Sony < https://ebookstore.sony.com/ search?keyword=Clara+Kensie >

Indiebound< http://www.indiebound.org/

hybrid?filter0=Clara+Kensie&x=-1049&y= 92 >

About the Author:

Clara Kensie grew up near Chicago reading every book she could find and using her diary to write stories about a girl with psychic powers who solved mysteries. She purposely did not hide her diary, hoping someone would read it and assume she was writing about herself. Since then, she’s swapped her diary for a computer and admits her characters are fictional but otherwise she hasn’t changed one bit.

Author Links:

Website < http://clarakensie.com >

Twitter < https://twitter.com/

ClaraKensie >

Goodreads < https://www.goodreads.com/ author/show/7350533.Clara_Kensie >

Facebook < https://www.facebook.com/ AuthorClaraKensie >

Tumblr < http://clarakensie.tumblr.com/ >

Instagram < http://instagram.com/ clara_kensie

Author Guest Post:

Three Truths and a Lie with YA Author Clara Kensie

Three truths and a lie about me

1. I have been in one Federal prison, two state prisons, and one juvenile detention center.

2. I’ve been drinking coffee every morning since I was ten years old

3. I despise bell peppers of all colors: red green, yellow, orange

4. My great-great uncle worked for A Capone.

Three truths and a lie about my writing

1. I do my best writing in the early, pre dawn hours.

2. I work out my plot by talking aloud to myself while I drive.

3. I used to write in silence but now need music.

4. I love my readers more than words can express (hint: this one is not the lie).

Three truths and a lie about RUN TO YOU

1. Tessa’s hair is the color of honey

2. Tristan’s favorite kind of music is classic rock.

3. Before they had to go on the run Tessa’s family had a calico cat named Cosette.

4. RUN TO YOU is two serialized books Book One (Parts 1, 2, and 3) has three weekly releases in February 2014 and Book Two (Parts 4, 5, and 6 has three weekly releases in June 2014

***GIVEAWAY***

3 winners will receive a package of Harlequin TEEN books which includes:

- PUSHING THE LIMITS by Katie McGarry (print- INDIGO AWAKENING by Jordan Dane(print

- a SOUL SCREAMERS volume by Rache Vincent (print- All three parts of RUN TO YOU Book One (ebooks- Part One: First Sight-

Part Two: Second Glance-

Part Three: Third Charm

RULES AND RESTRICTIONS Contest is void where prohibited. Entrants must be 18 or else have parent or guardian’s permission to enter Winners will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to respond  or another winner’s name will be selected Winning entries will be verified for authenticity.

Code:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share code/ MjM0OGI5ZGJmNWUwNzllYTYzNjAyYzhhZG

Blog Tour Hosted by YA Bound Book Tours

< http:// yaboundbooktours.blogspot.com/ >

It was a pleasure to have the Run To You Blog Tour stop by my blog.
I wish Clara Kensie, much success.

Web Of Lies ...by Sara Dailey and Staci Weber

Web Of Lies.  Sara Dailey and Staci Weber

Summary from Goodreads

In the midst of a struggle for control of his pack, eighteen-year-old werewolf enforcer-to-be Luke Stanton meets the one girl who will destroy everything…or complete him Eighteen-year-old Luke Stanton is focused, strong, and intimidating as hell. He has to be. As the future enforcer of Red Ridge, it will be his job to keep the other weres in line. So avoiding close friendships, pack drama and especially pack females is in his best interest. He witnessed firsthand what love did to his father, so casua human hookups are enough.

Then she arrives: Scarlett Reed. She arouses something primal in him something undeniable. But just as Luke gives himself permission to finally experience something real, the truth bursts free. The were beauty is harboring a secret so devastating it has the power to destroy him. At the same time, the pack is splintering over a battle for leadership, and Luke’s strength is needed more than ever. It is a time of upheaval, of the destructive power of lies. Everything he thought to protect is in danger his family, his friends…and most of all his heart .

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/ 19168085-web-of-lies?from_search=true

Goodreads links to other books in this series

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/ 13596882-pack-of-lies?ac=

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/ 17188539-circle-of-lies

About The Author:

Both Sara Dailey and Staci Weber are avid readers, English teachers friends, wives and soccer moms. They have been teaching together for the past ten years and writing together for six.

Born and raised in Houston, TX, Stac Weber is a graduate of the University of North Texas. Staci is a junior high school teacher with an addiction to reading romance novels. She considers herself incredibly lucky to have a close family, some good friends, a fabulous husband and two beautifu little girls.

Sara Dailey co-authored the Red Ridge Pack Novels with her good friend and co-worker Staci Weber. She has a degree in literature from U of H Clear Lake and is a graduate of The Institute of Children’s Literature. Sara is a native Texan and lives with her wonderfu husband and son in League City TX.

Author Links:

http://saraandstaci.com/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/ show/4341954.Sara_Dailey

https://twitter.com/Sara_StacI

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sara Dailey-and-Staci-Weber/102330932229? ref=nf

http://pinterest.com/weberjohnstaci/

Excerpts from Web of Lies by Sara Dailey and Staci Weber

Cami turned her attention to something off in the distance, but I knew it was because she didn’t want to look at me as she dumped me on my ass“Technically, no. I’m not breaking up with you since we were never really officially together, but I’m done sneaking around. Look, we both know you don’t do serious, Luke, and if we keep doing what we’re doing, things wil get serious…for me, at least. Let’s just cal it quits now before I end up hating you,” she admitted, still refusing to look me in the eyes.

She was right. I had never dated anyone longer than a few months. I didn’t know why really, but I did tend to split when things got too heavy. I’d never be boyfriend material, and even had to agree that Cami was smart to end things before I ended up hurting her.

It was stupid on my part to even get involved with her in the first place but she was just too damn irresistible the night we bumped into each other on a run out in the woods. As wolves we’d spent hours romping around through the brush like cubs, playing chase for a while until she finally let me catch her. When we shifted back and I wrapped her completely naked body up in a blanket I couldn’t seem to stop myself from kissing her.

Unfortunately she’d known me her entire life and was well aware of my past Why she even let things go on for as long as she did was beyond me. The reality is she’s a sweet girl and she could do a hell of lot better than me, so I didn’t try to convince her otherwise. Besides, I had been texting Scarlett, the Fixer’s daughter, ever since she left, and while I wasn’t technically cheating on Cami, I wasn’t being honest either. It wasn’t fair to lead Cami on even if I wasn’t quite ready to end things.

Giveaway link

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share code/ MjM0OGI5ZGJmNWUwNzllYTYzNjAyYzhhZG

Blog Tour Hosted by YA Bound Book Tours < http:// yaboundbooktours.blogspot.com/ >

Las Hechizadas Blog Tour & Giveaway

Fiction Book Tour & Giveaway: Las Hechizadas by Anne Garcia - Tour Dates 1/29/14 – 2/12/14

Link Back to the Tour

http:// fireandicebooktours.wordpress.com/ 2014/01/19/fiction-book-tour-giveaway las-hechizadas-by-anne-garcia-tour dates-12914-212 4/

Book Blurb:

Blurb: When Juan Romero decides to visit his Abuela in Aguas Puras he doesn't realize the magical healing powers that exist in the high mountain valley. His journey to reconnect with his family's past transforms his life and the lives of generations to follow. He becomes involved in a battle to save the valley from a multinationa mining company and the struggle threatens to destroy "Las Hechizadas," or healing women, and their way of life. Twenty years later his sister, Silvia makes her way from the U.S. to again discover the secrets of her family's past, but in contrast to her brother what she learns finally sets the universe straight and the women of the valley are once again in balance. Anne Garcia weaves her own experiences of living in South America into this magical novel that ll to the extraordinary women of the valley of Aguas Puras.

Excerpt:

Sofia arrived just as the altar was receiving its final touches. Those who are not familiar with altars often think of them as objects of pagan rituals, however, an altar is a persona sacred space where anyone can offer and receive blessings. In this case, it was a family altar, welcoming not only Sofia, as a new member, but the unborn child into the family.

Abuela had built it around the same base her great-great grandmother had made and that had been used for each generation since. The path leading to the altar was aligned with stars. Each woman who attended the ceremony to welcome the new child placed a gift at the base of the altar decorated with photos of several generations of children interwoven with daffodils, bring the higher powers to bless the child.

A loaf of bread to stave off hunger a bottle of wine to attract everlasting joy and laugher and, stems of birds of paradise to attract creative energy were only some of the many offerings Sofia was led to the front of the altar and seated on a hand painted stool Abuela began o light the candles made with Echinacea extract to boost Sofia’s immune system.

The other women hummed a calming melody and circled Sofia. No one knew what she was asking for or thinking, but it was none of their business so they didn’t wonder When Abuela was done she took a glass jar from her bag and smeared a lavender salve on Sofia’s forehead. The blessing was to pass Abuela’s knowledge on her grandchild. Again, her secret desire for a girl reappeared.

What she didn’t know was that Sofia too, wanted a daughter. She placed a crown on Sofia’s head and the women left her alone to present her own offerings and prayers.

Buy links:

Amazon   http://www.amazon.com/dp/ 1891554387/ref=rdr_ext_tmb

Genres: Literature, Fiction

Goodreads Direct Link https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/ 18751443-las-hechizadas?ac=

About The Author:

I am a bilingual teacher and author in Colorado. Writing and reading has always been my passion and as part of my teaching I have documented my thinking as the years have passed. I have written one professiona development book for ESL teachers and contributed to a book on comprehension strategy work. Currently am working on a title that documents the importance of partnerships between community-based organizations and schools. In my free time I also write fiction. My first novel, Las Hechizadas, is available in paper book and on Kindle. I am also writing two new bilingual children's books.

Connect with the Author:

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/pages/ Author-Anne-Upczak-Garcia/ 486096314831032

Goodreads

http://www.goodreads.com/ author/show/848851.Anne_Upczak_Garcia

Book Trailer

http://animoto.com/play/ s0sezlnG8xXKucn0hY2GXQ

Giveaway

Author Anne Garcia is giving away five print copies of her book on Goodreads! The giveaway runs 1/29/14 2/12/14 - make sure to enter for your chance to win.

Direct link to giveaway

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/ show/78761-las-hechizadas? utm_medium=email&utm_source=giveaway

Author Guest Post:

Developing Powerful Female Characters

By: Anne Garcia

As I write and develop characters I often wonder how to create personalities that are true to themselves realistic and believable. Trying to develop powerful female characters can be tricky only because there are so many opinions about what that looks like. As a child of the 70s and the daughter of a powerful, loving and successful woman I have been part of a generation of women who has had to examine and evaluate what “powerfu and successful” even means. Thus my own process was still in the works when began writing this book.

I began by writing character sketches based I women I already knew. I drew with my friends and the women in my family. In my lifetime I have been blessed with valuable, deep friendships with women who have fought and survived. They have overcome economic hardships, illness, death, divorce and more and through it all they come out smiling and fighting for new and better lives. Watching and sharing with these women helped me weave their stories and their experiences into the characters in my book. These women shared with me their deep emotional psychological and spiritual needs. I took these characteristics and interlaced them with my own imagination to come up with a cast of women who could handle anything I threw their way.

I knew that the protagonists had to be women who understood their own journey and maintained focus in trying to achieve their goals. I brought in the power of Mother Nature to exude the teachings for the women. They are both recipients of her knowledge and skil and serve as teachers. It is the teaching and the care giving that makes these women who they are. Their wisdom makes them stable and balanced Their willingness to risk and lose everything makes them strong and resilient. Their ability to connect with family and community makes them authentic.

Las Hechizadas are women who follow their hearts, and their paths with a quiet fervor, because they know that understanding human life and each of our struggles is what is important to the flourishing of their own community. It isn’t about men vs. women or good vs. evil, but about internal power that spreads love. These women embrace La Pachamama, or the interwoven relationship with the Earth Pachamama is the Goddess of fertility, of planting and harvesting. She embodies the creative life sustaining powers on Earth and when she suffers so do we. It is with this in mind that I developed this group of women who could be emissaries for the idea that there is equilibrium between nature and human beings that must be maintained for us all to survive.

There is an eternal struggle about the definition of a feminist, yet my view is such that women should be who they are and guide themselves with their hearts and minds. We do not have to be bound by societal norms if we don’t want to, but neither should we be judged if we choose more traditional roles. We have a plethora of gifts to offer to the world and none of them should be oppressed. It is in these gifts that we create diversity and life. We have the power and ability to do whatever we want be whomever we want and model for those young women to come that the feminine within has a strength not seen in others. It is from this perspective that I wrote the female characters in my book. None of them are weak, although they show moments of weakness. In these moments of weakness other women in their families or communities sustain them. This support system is what rejuvenates their strength and allows them to move forward Living in a society that values individualism, we get caught up in the idea of competition, but working together with respect and value as underlying precepts only makes us more resolute.

While there is violence and gender power struggles in the story, my hope is that the intelligence and passion the women feel about peace and instilling curative powers in their community outweighs the negative, tiresome politics that invade the lives of the other characters. I try to show the dichotomy between the masculine and the feminine, between nature and ambition. The women in the story serve as a conduit to a bigger picture which is that without balance we cannot exist.

I want to thank Author Anne Garcia for stopping by Books & Chocolate on her blog tour, hosted by Fire And Ice Book Tours.

Please feel free to enter the giveaway and leave your comments or questions below!

Black History Month...How It Began

Black History Month Originated

Black History Month is a month set aside to earn, honor, and celebrate the achievements of black men and women throughout history Since its inception, Black History Month has always been celebrated in February.

Find out how Black History Month originated, why February was chosen, and what the annual theme for Black History Month is for this year Origins of Black History Month The origins of Black History Month can be traced back to a man named Carter G. Woodson (1875- 1950).

Woodson the son of former slaves, was an amazing man in his own right. Since his family was too poor to send him to school as a child, he taught himself the basics of a school education.

At age 20, Woodson was finally able to attend high school, which he completed in just two years.

He then went on to earn a bachelor's and master's degree from the University of Chicago In 1912, Woodson became only the second African American to earn a doctorate from Harvard University (W.E.B. Du Bois was the first). Woodson used his hard-earned education to teach. He taught both in public schools and at Howard University.

Three years after earning his doctorate Woodson made a trip that had a great impac on him. In 1915, he traveled to Chicago to participate in a three-week celebration of the 50th anniversary of the end of slavery. The excitement and enthusiasm generated by the events inspired Woodson to continue the study of black history year-round. Before leaving Chicago, Woodson and four others created the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH) on September 9, 1915. The following year, the ASNLH began publication of the Journal of Negro History.

Woodson realized that most textbooks at the time ignored the history and achievements of blacks. Thus, in addition to the journal, he wanted to find a way to encourage interest and study of black history. In 1926, Woodson promoted the idea of a "Negro History Week," which was to be held during the second week of February. The idea caught on quickly and Negro History Week was soon celebrated around the United States. With a high demand for study materials, the ASNLH began to produce pictures, posters, and lesson plans to help teachers bring Negro History Week into schools In 1937, the ASNLH also began producing the Negro History Bulletin, which focused on an annual theme for Negro History Week.

In 1976, the 50th anniversary of the beginning of Negro History Week and the bicentennial of the United States' independence, Black History Week was expanded to Black History Month Ever since then, Black History Month has been celebrated in February around the country.

When Is Black History Month?

Woodson chose the second week of February to celebrate Negro History Week because tha week included the birthdays of two importan men: President Abraham Lincoln (February 12 and Frederick Douglass (February 14). When Negro History Week turned into Black History Month in 1976, the celebrations during the second week of February expanded to the entire month of February.

What Is the Theme for This Year's Black History Month?

Since its inception in 1926, Negro History Week and Black History Month have been given annual themes. The first annual theme was simply, "The Negro in History," but since then the themes have grown more specific. Here is a ist of the most current and future themes for Black History Month.

2005 - The Niagara Movement: Black Protes Reborn, 1905-2005

2006 - Celebrating Community: A Tribute to Black Fraternal, Social, and Civic Institutions

2007 - From Slavery to Freedom: Africans in the Americas

2008 - Carter G. Woodson and the Origins of Multiculturalism

2009 - The Quest for Black Citizenship in the Americas

2010 - The History of Black Economic Empowerment

2011 - African Americans and the Civil War

2012 - Black Women in American Culture and History

This is truly a day to be proud of!

Author: About.com