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Join me here on Friday, June 21st for Kim Richards as she stops by on her virtual book tour for her thriller novel "Death Masks"!
Check out the book trailer.
Kim will be here to answer any questions you may have for her, and you'll be entered into a drawing for copies of the book, tshirts, band cd's and more!!!
Long-time friend and companion, Hrazon has been on the run with Chariss for years. They find themselves now residing at Hleo-Arcana as guests of the Taiman’s. Chariss has sworn to protect centuries-old Rhone Taiman from all possible enemies. Her vow to Nigel Taiman to be his wife is centermost in her mind, but must not take priority in her life at the moment.
With enemies powerful in casting spells, Chariss longs to have use of her gaesa’n abilities again, but until then she must trust her gut instincts and experience. She also knows she can rely on her wizard, her betrothed, and her dragon to be there when she needs them. Her ability to win over warriors with a smile and light manner is balanced with her spectacular swordsmanship of which no one can best.
Sandy Lender grabs the reader by the hand and pulls him along until the finish with her exception writing style. The quick-witted dialogue keeps the story moving along at such a clip that the reader is grateful for a pause so he can catch his breath. Lender creates a fantasy world with gods and goddesses, dragons and wizards, swords and daggers, love and betrayal, that feels incredibly real. The characters are multi-dimensional and quite interesting. Lender’s style makes it seem like you’re watching a movie rather than reading a book.
Sandy Lender’s second novel and second in the Choices trilogy, Choices Meant for Kings, picks up just after Choices Meant for Gods. She has an English degree from Truman University and has been in the magazine publishing and public relations/marketing field for numerous years. She finds herself needing to stay extremely organized in order to make time for writing. She is hard at work on the final book in this trilogy and plans a prequel. You can read more at Sandy’s writing and marketing blog, http://www.todaythedragonwins.blogspot.com/.
I highly recommend any lovers of fantasy read Choices Meant for Kings. The fantastic world is as real as its characters. The action and dialogue move you along a fantastic thrill ride that is as curvy and treacherous as paths along a steep mountainside. Make sure you have time set aside because once you start reading this book, you won’t be able to put it down. There is never a dull moment.
Title: Choices Meant for Kings
Author: Sandy Lender
Publisher: ArcheBooks Publishing
ISBN: 978-159507-219-1
Pages: 323
Price: $27.99
Virtual Book Tour for Kim Richards June 9th through June 30th, 2008.
If you've never done a book tour before, this is how it works: on the date listed, visit the corresponding blog where you'll find reviews, interviews, information regarding Kim's thriller, Death Masks. We will also be promoting the anthology containing Kim's story, Dragonfruit, called Firestorm of Dragons.
Whenever you visit a blog, be sure and leave a comment. For each comment, your name is put into a weekly drawing for prizes such as pdf copies of either book, tshirts, music from the band, Children of a Lesser God (who provided the music for the Death Masks video book trailer) and more.
Kim will be visiting the blogs so feel free to ask any questions you may have. It's all about having fun and talking about books. Consider yourself invited!
Date Name Blog address for tour visit (in bold)Web address
June 9, 2008 Sandy Lender www.todaythedragonwins.blogspot.com
June 10, 2008 Ginger Simpson http://mizging.blogspot.com
June 13, 2008 Mike Philbin http://mikephilbin.blogspot.com/
http://www.horrorquarterly.com/mikephilbin/index.html
June 15, 2008 Heidi Martinuzzi w/Pretty Scary www.prettyscary.net
June 16, 2008 Lea Shizas http://thewritingjungle.blogspot.com/
http://leaschizaseditor.tripod.com/
June 18, 2008 Billie A. Williams http://printedwords.blogspot.com/
http://www.billiewilliams.com/
June 19, 2008 Eternal Press Blog http://eternalpressauthors.blogspot.com/
June 20, 2008 HERE!! Lisa Haseltonhttp://lisahaselton.tripod.com/reviewsandinterviews/
http://lisahaselton.tripod.com
June 23, 2008 Pamela K. Kinney http://PamelaKKinney.blogspot.com
http://fantasticdreams.50megs.com/
June 24 2008 Diana Castilleja http://dianacastilleja.blogspot.com
http://www.dianacastilleja.com/
June 25, 2008 Val Griswold-Ford http://www.vg-ford.com/blog.html
June 26& 27, 2008 Joyce Anthony http://joyceanthony.tripod.com
June 28, 2008 Glenn Walker www.monsura.blogspot.com
June 29, 2008 Sheri McGathy http://sherimcgathy.com/sheri/content/blog/
June 30, 2008 Arwen Spencer http://labingi.livejournal.com/
Other places promoting the book tour. Please patronize them for their kindness.
Jordan Dane http://www.jordandane.com
Kathy Ptacek @ Gila Queen http://gilaqueen.us/
Starmerrow http://community.livejournal.com/starmerrow/
Karina Fabian www.fabianspace.com
WritersChatroom www.writerschatroom.com
Carolyn Howard-Johnson www.thenewbookreview.blogspot.com.
The Truth (I’m a girl, I’m smart and I know everything)
Written by: Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein
Readers 9-12
Rated: Excellent (*****)
Review by: Lisa Haselton
The Truth is a glimpse into the diary and thoughts of a girl who is ten at the start of the story. We follow her through two school years and get a candid look at a ‘tween’s perspective of life. Everyone can remember feeling that we knew more than our parents when we were kids.
In The Truth, the narrator gives us her opinion on falling in love, the damage done when parents argue, and her fears about getting older. She does so in a sincere and straightforward matter. She makes a list of truths that she wants to remember as she gets older because she fears aging has a negative effect. She knows adults must know the truths but that they somehow forgot, for how else can they possibly accept yelling at each other.
The unique voice along with the diary entry format make the book a quick read. It has an educational value which should be shared with all young girls and parents. The entries are direct and honest. The reader feels privy to the secret diary of the girl whose writing is personal, accessible. The observations made within the diary follow a natural progression of personal growth, which makes it feel more like non-fiction than fiction.
Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein is the originator of The Enchanted Self(R). She has been a positive psychologist in private practice and licensed in the states of New Jersey and Massachusetts since 1981. She is currently in private practice in Long Branch, New Jersey with her husband, Dr. Russell M. Holstein.
I highly recommend reading The Truth. It is great for women of any age, and can definitely be appreciated by tweens and teens. It’s interesting to have memories of the tween years conjured up that are a mixture of enjoyable and hard to deal with.
Title: The Truth (I’m a girl, I’m smart and I know everything)
Author: Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein
Publisher: Enchanted Self Press
ISBN: 978-09798952-0-3
Pages: 96
Price: $6.95
Voice of Conscience
Written by: Behcet Kaya
Fiction
Rated: Good (***)Review by: Lisa Haselton
Ramzi Ozcomert Junior is twelve. Being invited on the annual logging trip with his father means he is a step closer to manhood. Ramzi’s determination to prove his strength teaches him endurance. His father’s wisdom teaches him much more.
Ramzi’s sister, Erin, has their father’s support in marrying the man she loves instead of following tradition. Family and friends celebrate the nuptials according to custom. The wedding day is at hand and tainted by threats from the snubbed Kocdag family. As Ramzi’s entire life changes, he must rely on the knowledge he gained from his father to make sense of his life and aid him in survival. His travels introduce him to good, bad and devious people, and he quickly realizes he has the intelligence and strength to move on.
Behcet Kaya’s descriptive writing pulls the reader into the start of the story. The Turkish village comes alive and the reader is given a glimpse of beliefs and customs inherent for the times. The writing and tone shift as the story progresses and Ramzi ages. Philosophical narrative replaces dialogue. The point of view shifts to show the reader a large overall picture instead of a slice of life.
At sixteen, Behcet Kaya left his small Turkish village for England where he finished high school and pursued mechanical engineering. He became a US citizen in 1985. He and his wife currently live in southern California. Voice of Conscience is his first novel.
Voice of Conscience is a good read for historical appreciation of how culture and beliefs may affect personal choices; however, one must be able to overlook editorial issues.
Title: Voice of Conscience
Author: Behcet Kaya
Publisher: Outskirts Press, Inc.
ISBN: 978-1-4327-0628-9
Pages: 346
Price: $26.95
The Wildcat’s Victory
Written by: Christopher Hoare
Science fiction / Fiction / Time travel
Rated: Very Good (****)
Review by: Lisa Haselton
Gisel Matah is back! Still in her early 20s and now a Major, she’s still an Iskander operative to be reckoned with. Her hands are full with balancing a love life, dealing with an operative’s murder, and preparing soldiers for battle.
The Iskanders have an alliance with the Felgers, a Gaian merchant and banker family. Yet there are still areas where the trust wanes. Gisel’s engagement to Yohan Felger hasn’t helped matters. Each has to balance duty to their people with their desire to be honest with each other. The challenges they face on a daily basis test their limits. How can she fully trust Yohan, when he’s loyal to the Baron who has yet to accept her? What drew Yohan to Gisel is now the same thing he has the hardest time accepting, especially when her newest assignment has her directly reporting to her former lover.
Life on Gaia has improved and progress is being made, but with the murder of an undercover operative and a radical movement that needs tempering, Gisel is not bored. In addition, she is asked to command a cavalry to support the rear of a battle line which has recently lost its commander. She hesitates to accept, but is pulled into the role and quickly learns the challenges ahead of her. A sadistic Skathian prince uses the battlefield for his own enjoyment and strives to learn how to defeat both sides in order to obtain total control.
The story is engaging and intriguing. I liken it to an intense chess match. It’s interesting to see how actions cause reactions and know that there is a third party lingering on the sidelines about to blow all the strategies off the board. Gisel trains her young cavalry men as best she can with the limited time they have. At the climax, their lives hang on her quick thinking, negotiating skills and ability to remain calm under pressure.
Christopher Hoare’s second novel, The Wildcat’s Victory, picks up eighteen months after Deadly Enterprise. The strong female protagonist, Gisel, is solid and well-crafted. The author manages to keep the character’s voice true to a young female officer with a lot of responsibility in a male-dominated field. She comes off feminine yet also a strong warrior. The tight writing and focused attention to detail keeps the reader engaged.
I recommend reading The Wildcat’s Victory, especially if you are a strategist, chess player, or war enthusiast. The battle scenes are succinct, yet detailed enough to appreciate a commander’s skill needed for success. The pacing is quite in tune with the scenes so the reader feels part of the action, whether it’s calm or full of motion.
Title: The Wildcat’s Victory
Author: Christopher Hoare
Publisher: Double Dragon Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-55404-539-6
Pages: 320
Price: $16.99
Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein is on a Virtual Book Tour this month and she'll be stopping by here on the 23rd!
Her book, The Truth (I’m a girl, I’m smart and I know everything!) is an educational and fun read.
Here is a synopsis:
Every tween today faces social issues, questions about their parents’ relationships, gossip and crushes. In response to the crises young girls face today, positive psychologist Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein has written girls, and their moms, The Truth (I’m a girl, I’m smart and I know everything!) (Enchanted Self Press, Feb. 2008).
The Truth for young girls is that it’s OK to be unique individuals, have fun and delight in the wisdom of being young. Behind this fictional diary written by a young girl, are psychological messages about happiness for both daughters and mothers.
After reading The Truth it will be a perfect moment to discuss so many timely subjects, such as:
Dr. Holstein merged her years of expertise as a classroom teacher, school psychologist, case study researcher and psychologist in private practice, and created this charming, wise and topically timely diary written by a girl. There are even discussion questions at the back of the book.
Along the likes of the candor of a Judy Blume book, this fun diary-format paperback gives girls 8-14 years old the knowledge they are not alone, while reminding mothers what it was like to be this critical age. The book is a win-win for girls and their moms, as better communication skills, honesty and fun are encouraged.
Just a note to thank those who stopped by on March 15th to chat with Jordan Dane as she stopped here on her Virtual Book Tour for her debut novel "No One Heard Her Scream".
This was my first time being part of a VBT and there were a few issues until I removed the validation confirmation key.
It was a good visit. Jordan's comments were quite insightful. Feel free to check them out if you weren't able to stop in on the 15th.
I look forward to hosting more authors here, and the formatting will be clearer and there won't be posting issues, I promise. :)
-Lisa
LISA: Thanks for stopping by and joining me in welcoming Jordan Dane on this stop of her virtual book tour. Jordan Dane's first novel is being released by Avon HarperCollins on March 25th.
LISA: Jordan, welcome! I'm quite new to this virtual book tour concept, but am glad to be one of your stops. I appreciate the opportunity. :)
JORDAN: Hey there, Lisa. Thanks for including me on your blog today.
LISA: Jordan, you wrote "No One Heard Her Scream" in six weeks while on medical leave. That's quite an impressive way to stay off pain meds! But it apparently worked quite well for you.
JORDAN: And my doctor! I think he added a pool.
LISA: You have been writing fiction since 2003, is that correct? Or is that just when you started pursuing it for publication? Do you still have a full-time job, or is writing now the focus?
JORDAN: Yes, prior to 2003, I’d never even thought about writing a novel. But I have to say that the bug first hit me when I was at a Zig Ziglar presentation—the motivational speaker guy. I don’t remember anything he said that day except for one thing. (Not a good thing for Zig but great for me.) He said that he wrote his non-fiction book doing it a page a day. I thought, hell I can do that. I sold my first series in June 2006 and retired from my energy job in May 2007 before I sold the second series. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with these writing contracts if I didn’t quit my day job. But my energy job was a very lucrative one. It was not an easy decision, especially since I thought of my co-workers as family and still do. But my husband and I have been working with a financial advisor since the mid 90s and had been looking for a way to retire early. The writing gig put us ahead of schedule. Even selling in a great auction would not be enough for me to recommend anyone quit their day job unless they had a solid financial plan, two years of income saved, and coverage for medical.
LISA: From what I gather, "No One Heard Her Scream" wasn't the first novel you completed, but it sounds like the one you are most satisfied with to date. Can you share the evolution of your three to-be-released novels? Which one did you actually write first? Did you have a 3-book series in mind when you started?
JORDAN: Actually, I love all my books for different reasons and I always say that my best work is my next one since I’m learning as I go. I try new things all the time, pushing the boundaries of my cross genre type stories. The last book I completed (EVIL WITHOUT A FACE) was submitted to Avon at the beginning of Jan and it was the first book in my new thriller series, Sweet Justice. That story was an amazing revelation to me and I loved it. I’m writing the next book (THE WRONG SIDE OF DEAD) and the characters are so much fun to write. On the evolution of my first series, I had written NO ONE LEFT TO TELL (#2 red book) as my first ever suspense novel. It was my big contest winner. And when I ended that book, I didn’t want to let go of the characters since there was more to tell. (When you read the ending of that book, you’ll know what I mean.) I started a follow up story that picks up a half year later--my Brazil story NO ONE LIVES FOREVER. But I realized that if I didn’t sell the first one, I might be wasting my time to do a sequel. I set aside 6 chapters of FOREVER, but did a thorough synopsis as a guide when I came back to finish it, figuring a publisher might come back for my inventory. And by this time, the characters of NO ONE HEARD HER SCREAM were clamoring in my head so I wrote that book while I was home on the mend from surgery. I have more details at my website on the page marked FOR WRITERS (see my FIRST SALE link). After I sold in auction, I had to finish FOREVER, but I had the other two done.
And no, I didn’t have a series in mind from the start. So the order was TELL first, then a partial start of FOREVER, then I completed SCREAM and went back to FOREVER. Convoluted, huh? And with my books not being released for almost two years after I sold, I would have been twiddling my thumbs for a long time if I didn’t sell another 3-book series and lucky me, my publisher Avon was open to the idea of buying more.
LISA: Do you write anything in addition to novel-length fiction?
JORDAN: No, I don’t, unless you count my INSANE Christmas letters to family. (Remember, I write fiction.) Novel-length fiction takes up all my time. I never tried to write short stories, although I think that would be a challenge worth trying sometime. In my opinion, they are harder to do (the right way) than attempting a full novel. But I heard Sue Grafton speak once and she said most people think a short story is the way to start, but she said that learning to write by doing short stories will only teach you how to write short stories. And I have to agree with her. I always had my eye on where I wanted to be, so my goal was always single-title books.
LISA: Every writer is different in her approach to the writing life - would you share a bit of yours with the readers? Do you have a particular time each day to write? So many hours/pages/words per week that you strive for? A particular location with a view?
JORDAN: A view? If I had a view, I’d be enjoying it way too much. A talented author friend of mine, NY Times Bestseller Cindy Gerard, has her desk near a window that looks out onto her horse farm. I could never do that. I’d be looking for any excuse to daydream. I’ve got a great big backyard with a Koi pond. (Yes, I’m a fish wrangler.) We feed the wild birds too, but I could never sit and look out my window.
I do have an office in my home that has a door to keep my curious cats out (and husband) while I work. (The cats are better trained.) But the door is most handy to cover my mess. I am organized on the computer and attentive to details in promo and my writing, but when it comes to clutter, I am a real pack rat. My forensics and other resource books are handy, but if mounds of trash had value, I’d be friggin’ Oprah.
And I don’t believe in placing undue strain on my process by giving myself a timetable. The clock is ticking in my head and I instinctively know when I should ramp up my game to meet a deadline. I’m usually early. I generally work from 9am-3pm every day, including weekends, when I’m on a project. My husband makes me breakfast (because I might have been up since the wee hours if something has gripped me) and we talk about crazy plots and the latest in news and politics before he goes to work. Then I’ve added an exercise bike to my day in the afternoon before I wind down to do edits for that day. I am a stickler for editing my work as I go. When I am done with a novel, I am completely done. No going back, no first or second drafts. It’s ready to go.
LISA: Was a lot of research involved in "No One Heard Her Scream"? The details surrounding how detectives conduct an investigation and the political dealings of working with a government agency feels real. Did you simply write what felt right, or did you conduct interviews with professionals, or find answers online? I'm thinking it might have been intuited from novels by your fave authors Robert Crais and Dean Koontz. :)
JORDAN: I generally start with online research because it’s easy, but I verify everything in different ways (expert help, books, interviews) to make sure my thoughts are solid. I love Robert Crais and Dean Koontz but they’d be little help for me to figure out how to write a ‘romantic suspense on steroids’ story.
I read other authors for pleasure, not to de-construct what they do to emulate them. For me, that would ruin the read for me and have the potential for diluting my voice. I’ve never tried to figure out what my style is. (I talk about my method on my FOR WRITERS page at the link for START WITH A BANG and Free Association. I filter my life’s experiences and worldview through my characters—good and bad guys—which is a scary thought.) I think that’s why my publisher and advance readers have found my book a little different. My books are very cross genre and have elements of many types of stories I love—mystery, suspense, romance, humor, police procedural, forensics, and thriller elements. When it comes to research, I am a freak about it. I went through over 45 hours of presentations with my local cop shop, including a day spent at the firing range and blowing up stuff with the bomb squad and a ride-along with an on-duty police officer. My lieutenant for the class became my technical advisor for TELL. He knew I wanted to use a flashbang grenade in my story and set one off near me (at a safe distance…I think) so I could feel what it was like. If you read these passages in my novels, you will have the inside scoop. I’ve also taken online classes in forensics and I always have a handful of technical advisors on my books for any specialty stuff—like my Brazilian friend who helped me with Brazilian Portuguese for FOREVER. And for SCREAM, I had to study interrogations and was on my own for that aspect of the novel. That was a big part of my story and there is real subtlety to the process. A cop has to have amazing instincts. But for other things, I had a former Houston homicide detective help with details of Texas law enforcement. Each state is different. So as you can see, research is a big part of what I do. I choose to add the level of detail so a law enforcement person can read my books and like what they see. I’ve gotten compliments on this before, including getting a book blurb endorsement from former homicide detective turned author, the award winning crime fiction author Robin Burcell. After she read my crime scene excerpt from SCREAM on my website, she offered to blurb my book.LISA: I enjoyed reading "No One Heard Her Scream" and look forward to reading the other novels as they are published. Your website and myspace page contain a lot of information and I love your down-to-earth humor and conversationalist style. I appreciate your time with these questions and look forward to talking with you in the future.
JORDAN: The honor has been all mine, Lisa. Thanks for taking time to read my work. And I wish you much success in 2008!
LISA: Since this is “SHOW—NOT TELL” month with Jordan Dane at The Writer’s Chatroom, I’d be remiss in my duties if I didn’t direct our visitors today to the next stop on the tour. Please join Cricket on March 19th!
March 19 Cricket Sawyer http://www.Cricketshearth.blogspot.com
Please stop by this blog tomorrow to chat with Jordan Dane as she stops here as one stop on her virtual book tour for her debut novel "No One Heard Her Scream".
Jordan announces her New 3-Ways to Win Contest
"HarperCollins has graciously offered a wonderful incentive to promote the debut of my suspense novel NO ONE HEARD HER SCREAM, upcoming release March 25th. By going to my website contest page, you get an exclusive sneak peek inside my book-up to 20% of it. And to celebrate my first release, my publisher is giving you three different ways to WIN MY BOOK or OTHER BOOKS from HarperCollins. Click on the links below for more details."
The Browse Inside post link: http://tinyurl.com/28nd9x.
And here is a link for a contest on Jordan's website to promote the Browse Inside post, listing the three ways to win: http://www.jordandane.com/contest.php
After tomorrow, next up on the tour:March 19 Cricket Sawyer at http://www.Cricketshearth.blogspot.com
March 22 Diana Castilleja at http://dianacastilleja.blogspot.comJordan has had plenty to say in our TWC interviews. If you haven't already done so, visit these previous stops for some first-hand info on how to succeed as a novelist:
Billie Williams at http://printedwords.blogspot.com
Linda J. Hutchinson at http://reviewhutch.blogspot.com/
Kim Richards at http://kim-richards.livejournal.com/