Showing posts with label authors. Show all posts

10/28/13

Author Tuesdays on Facebook!

If you are an author, feel free to post your links on Tuesdays over at my Facebook page!

BookHounds on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/BookHounds/208357342524513

7/30/10

PETER HELLER, Author of KOOK appearing at Barnes and Noble tonight!

Peter Heller
Kook: What Surfing Taught Me About Love, Life, and Catching the Perfect Wave

Author Event
Award-winning adventure writer Peter Heller will discuss and sign his new book, Kook: What Surfing Taught Me About Love, Life and Catching the Perfect Wave.

Friday July 30, 2010 7:00 PM

Huntington BeachBella Terra, 7881 Edinger Ave. #110, Huntington Beach, CA 92647, 714-897-8781

6/16/10

GUEST POST: STEPHEN V. MASSE, author of SHORT CIRCUS

I would like to thank Stephen Masse for stopping by to talk about being a writer:

The second year out of college, I wrote my third novel.

I remember in digital clarity cranking that last page out of the electric typewriter, salivating over the recognition and financial stability I would soon have. The conventional wisdom at the time was to send the book to one publisher at a time, wait for a response, and if the work is returned, then send to another. Yah, right.

For years I followed the general rules while continuing to write other novels. I got really good at playing book traffic controller between the U. S. Post Office and every publisher in the country, starting with the big guys and working my way down to the smallest art houses. My cover letters to many well-known editors at several publishing houses were answered personally, though negatively. I saved money from my day job to pay for assessments of my writing, and also began to peddle the books around to literary agencies, with the same negative results.

Whoever said, “Do what you love and the money will follow,” never talked to a writer. Here I was after a decade or so of writing like a madman, and the only signings I was doing was when I signed my name on a customer’s wall: “Paint & wallpaper by Steve Masse, almost starving writer (date).”

Now fast-forward to 21st century. Imagine persisting like this for over thirty years. Frustrating just doesn’t begin to describe it! And well-meaning friends tell you that you must be doing something wrong, or you should try writing about (*fill in the blank), or my personal favorite, “you’re not ready for success.” Then imagine finally getting that book published, and within six months winning a literary award and getting a second contract for an electronic edition.

True story. Thirty-odd years.

Lesson learned: Do what you love, get your money some other way.
Lesson 2: You’ll probably have time for both.

BE SURE TO STOP BY AND ENTER TO WIN AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF SHORT CIRCUS HERE!

6/13/10

20 QUESTIONS WITH: Cathy Lamb, author of the upcoming Such Pretty Face

You know how you get all evangelical about certain authors, talking about them, recommending them to anyone who will listen? Well, this is how I felt when I first read JULIA'S CHOCOLATES by Cathy Lamb

I would like to welcome Cathy Lamb the author of the upcoming SUCH A PRETTY FACE that will be released on July 27, according to Amazon. I fell in love with her writing style when I won a copy of JULIA'S CHOCOLATES and promptly bought copies for my friends since I knew this was a keeper for me. Cathy's books tackle a lot of hard issues but in a friendly, funny way although you should be sure to have some tissues on hand since I get a little weepy while reading them.

Be sure to stop by her site at www.CathyLamb.net

Here are her answers to my silly 20 Questions:

1. Bookmarks or dog ears?
XX

2. Dust jacket on or off when reading a hard back?
XX

3. Favorite author?
Hmmm...so many. Tracy Chevalier, Alice Walker, James McBride, Anita Diamant, Khaled Hosseini, Jeanette Walls, Anne Lamott, Carolyn Jourdan.
4. Favorite genre’?
I read all over the place...fiction, non-fiction, memoir. Love 'em all.

5. What is the best book you have read in the last year?

Now that's a tough one...The True Story of Hansel and Gretel is my most recent favorite. Finished it two nights ago.

6. What book would you most like to see made into a movie?

Well, gee. My own. Other than that. How about The Guernsay Literary and Potato Peel Society? That'd be fun.

7. If you could only take one book with you to a desert island, which would you bring?

I would take a book titled, "How To Realistically Get Off A Desert Island Before You Lose Your Mind (Unless You Are There With Keanu Reeves And Prefer to Stay.)"

8. What book have you read that you think is overrated?

Ha. Won't answer that one.

9. What are you reading right now?

I am reading Major Pettigrew's Last Stand. The books I am going to read next, in order, are: The Devlin Diary. Red Azalea. Precious. Someone Knows My Name.

10. What is the last book you bought just for the cover?

I never buy books for their cover. I find books to read through the NY Times book review, Online Book Groups Recommendations, and recs from friends.
11. What is the last book you received in the mail?
xx

12. What is the number of books you own?

I own a lot of old books. Books my mother owned, and her parents owned before her.

13. What is the first book you remember reading by yourself as a child?

I remember reading about Pippi Longstocking. That girl is still my heroine. You rock, Pippi!

14. Do you have a favorite place to read?

Yes. In bed. I have insomnia, so if I don't read, I don't sleep. I mean it. Three in the morning and I'm wide awake unless I've read. So, I have to manage my books and always make sure I have a great, gripping book to read, and another one right after that...

15. What is next for you, publishing-wise?

I have a book coming out in August called, "Such A Pretty Face." It's about a gal named Stevie Barrett who has lost 175 pounds. Ladies, please. Get through the first scene, which is a little tough. I promise I add humor after that! It's about creating a new life, painted chairs, a vegetable garden, blow up dolls, a green house with a white picket fence, a legal case, a farmhouse, a schoolhouse that is now a home, corn, flashbacks, Amazin Grace, changing relationships, quirky cousins, an ass of an uncle, and an aunt who finally decides she deserves a life.

16. Do you have a favorite place to write?

I write at Starbucks all the time. I write at my dining room table late, late, late at night, when only me and my cat are awake unless she is sleeping with my husband. The cat thinks my husband is her husband. It is very strange. My husband knows that the cat is not his wife, this I know and am grateful for.
17. Do you have any pets ?
See above on odd cat.

18. How does your garden grow?

I am a terrible gardener. I just picked 4 million weeds out of my yard. It wasn't fun. I hate morning glory. If I left for the summer, by the time I got back morning glory would be covering my entire house. Can you get rid of that stuff with a blow torch or is that just a myth?

19. The last thing you Googled?

NY Times

20. What makes you cringe?

Getting on the scale. I hate that scale.

Happy reading every one.

ORDER HER BOOKS HERE:

5/18/10

Sharing the love: God is in the Pancakes by Robin Epstein

I just e-met Robin Epstein and thought everyone here shoud know something about this book. I think I really want to read this one now that I have seen the description! I love snarky smartass characters!

Now, I have to ask her about that title. I have made bunnies, puppies and kitties, but God has never shown up in my pancakes.

This is from Robin's website:

god is in the pancakes

About the Book
Being optimistic doesn’t come naturally to Grace Manning, but this year has been especially trying. Her dad’s run off, she’s had to take a job at a nursing home for extra cash, and things are getting weird with her best friend Eric. At least the job is okay, thanks to Mr. Sands, a resident with Lou Gehrig’s disease who keeps up with Grace’s sarcasm, teaches her how to cheat at poker, and even lets her give him a Mohawk.
And then one day, Mr. Sands asks Grace to help him die.
Surely he didn’t mean for her, a fifteen-year-old smartass, to take him seriously?
But he does, and she can’t bring herself to tell anyone—not even Eric, despite her growing feelings for him. Grace tries everything from praying for a miracle cure to stuffing herself with pancakes, but she knows she can’t run from this decision forever. And whatever choice she makes, Grace knows it’s a decision she’ll have to live with…
Click here to read the first chapter of God is in the Pancakes.
Coming May 15, 2010 from Dial Books (Penguin)
You can buy the book here!:
Amazon
Borders
IndieBound

20 (-1) QUESTIONS WITH: Grace Coopersmith author of Nancy's Theory of Style

1. Bookmarks or dog ears?

Both! I use bookmarks for my general reading, but if I really want to remember a page for some reason, I dog-ear it. I may also stick a post-it on the page with notes that I can’t decipher later.

2. Dust jacket on or off when reading a hard back?

I always take the dust jacket off and then I put it away and lose it. But I love the smooth feel of the dust jackets. I don’t feel worthy of them. When I was in college, my best friend was an au pair for a family with a library with first editions of American classics all with their dust jackets.I used to sneak in and read them.

3. Favorite author?

If I had to choose only one, it would be Jane Austen.

4. Favorite genre’?

I couldn’t pick one. I go through moods were all I want to read is mysteries, or romantic comedies, or 19th century literature, or gardening books. This is why you can’t take me to the bookstore: because I wander around and refuse to leave.

5. What is the best book you have read in the last year?

It would probably be The Little Stranger, a gothic by Sarah Waters. It had a delicious atmosphere of creepiness and malevolence. However, my favorite Sarah Waters’ novel is Fingersmith, an intricate, grimy and seductive Victorian suspense.

6. What book would you most like to see made into a movie?

I would have to say Nancy’s Theory of Style, which is with producers now. I hope one will buy the film rights. Other than that, I’ve always wanted to see The Confederacy of Dunces made into a movie. People have been trying to do that for decades. I’d love to see really good versions of Austen’s Persuasion and Mansfield Park. Both have been made into mediocre movies. I think Emma Thompson needs to step in and write the screenplays, like she did for Sense and Sensibility.

7. If you could only take one book with you to a desert island, which would you bring?

I’d choose something extremely long and dense so I’d be entertained for a while. The writer would need to be prolific, which knocks out Austen. Could I take The Essential Henry James Collection. Maybe I’d eventually finish The Golden Bowl, which I’ve started three times. Each time, I quit around page 300, but I allude to the book in Nancy’s Theory of Style.

8. What book have you read that you think is overrated?

Oh, Mary, you’re a bad thing and that’s a very bad question. My very bad answer is A Secret History by Donna Tartt. A lower-class kid doesn’t suddenly possess all sorts of upper-class affectations without years of trying. I should know.

One of my friends just gave me The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The writing is so turgid and there’s so much blah-blah-blah exposition that I wanted to use it in my worm composting bin, but I was afraid the worms would find it utterly indigestible.

9. What are you reading right now?

I’m proofreading my own manuscript for my next novel, Haunted Honeymoon at Casa Dracula. But on my desk is Paul Theroux’s My Other Life.

10. What is the last book you bought just for the cover?

I bought a copy of Gail Carriger’s Soulless for a teenage friend. I love her cover designs and theme. I’m going to try to borrow it back from my pal. I bought The Possessed by Elif Batuman for myself. The awesome cover art is by Roz Chast.

11. What is the last book you received in the mail?

I just got two copies of Linda Howard’s Blood Born to give away as prizes in a contest on my Vampire Wire blog. I love getting books in the mail and I love giving them to others, too.

12. What is the number of books you own?

I have no idea. Seven bookshelves full and a several boxes in the garage. But if I don’t think I’m going to read a book again, I try to give it to charity. I was a poor kid who scraped together dimes to buy used paperbacks, so I’d rather share them than have them gathering dust.

13. What is the first book you remember reading by yourself as a child?

It was a Dick and Jane book. When my mother picked me up from school, I was so excited that I had learned how to read that I couldn’t wait to get in the house. I sat with her on the front steps and read to her.

14. Do you have a favorite place to read?

On warm afternoons, I still read on the front steps!

15. What is next for you, publishing-wise?

I’ve got my fourth Casa Dracula book coming out in October, Haunted Honeymoon at Casa Dracula. I’m also working on a ghostly YA and another adult contemporary romantic comedy about two people who decide to transform their lives.

16. Do you have a favorite place to write?

I work at my desk facing the back garden. My dogs snooze nearby. I open the window and watch the birds and the butterflies. Last week I saw a young possum ambling along in the middle of the day. I hoped it wasn’t rabid.

17. Do you have any pets?

I have two rescued German Shorthair Pointers. They’re a high-energy breed, which is why they end up in rescue. Their names are Betty von Snoggle and Bosco de Gama. They’re quite fabulous.

18. How does your garden grow?

My garden is doing well since we had late rains this year. I have a cottage garden with many species of heirloom rose. They’re in full bloom now, and my favorite is an arbor covered with small yellow hybrid musk roses. Every year I attempt to grow tomatoes, but I live in the fog belt and so every year I’m disappointed.

19. The last thing you Googled?

The last thing I googled was Lafitte, a new restaurant on San Francisco’s Embarcadero. I wasn’t sure of the spelling. It was named after the pirate and pirates are a theme in Nancy’s Theory of Style. Everyone likes to dress like a pirate.

Thanks for having me here, Mary, and for asking such fun questions!

From Mary:
I wanted to include a picture of the back of the book since it shows such amazing creativitiy:

5/11/10

20 QUESTIONS WITH: Adam Selzer, author of I Kissed a Zombie and I Liked It

YAY!!! Adam Selzer has stopped by my blog to play 20 Questions! OK -- everyone go out and buy his book or force your library to order a copy today like I did!

1. Bookmarks or dog ears?
Usually bookmarks, but never REAL bookmarks. Usually a receipt, a ticket stub, a comic strip I cut out, or something like that.

2. Dust jacket on or off when reading a hard back?
OFF! They just get in the way.

3. Favorite author?
Charles Dickens and Daniel Pinkwater (tie).

4. Favorite genre’?
I'll go with mystery here. But all writing is mystery writing.

5. What is the best book you have read in the last year?
Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby. I always feel like that guy can see right through me.

6. What book would you most like to see made into a movie?
Out of my own books, probably I PUT A SPELL ON YOU, which was about a spelling bee and was based on Watergate. I'd also love to see how someone would adapt THE SMART ALECK'S GUIDE TO AMERICAN HISTORY into a movie.

7. If you could only take one book with you to a desert island, which would you bring?
Tristram Shandy by Laurence Sterne. It's a huge 18th century novel that makes very little sense - large sections are written in dashes instead of letters. Tristram himself is hardly even in it, and spends half his time telling dirty jokes. It's silly as get-out, but it would keep me busy for YEARS trying to figure it all out. That's what I look for in desert island stuff. There are plenty of books that I enjoy more, but none that would keep me occupied so long.

8. What book have you read that you think is overrated?
I'm going to plead the fifth here! I don't want to make anyone mad. I mean, I get mad if people tell me Dickens is overrated, and he's far too dead to care. So if I say Twilight is overrated, I can only imagine what would happen.

9. What are you reading right now?
Memos from Purgatory by Harlan Ellison. All about teenage gangs in the 50s - the sort of greaser gang who used to stomp around my neighborhood. Some of the old timers are still around, still fighting the same stupid fights from 1954. Nice guys, really, but I sure wouldn't want to borrow money from them.

10. What is the last book you bought just for the cover?
The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z by Kate Messner

11. What is the last book you received in the mail?
A book about Charles Dickens's reading tours.

12. What is the number of books you own?
Ack! We have about 8 bookcases full, plus other books shoved into nooks, crannies and sock drawers. I couldn't begin to count them. I'm not the world's greatest counter. That's part of why I make fun of accountants so much in my books - because I'm jealous that they can count so well. I'm a bully. I know it.

13. What is the first book you remember reading by yourself as a child?
Follow the Monsters, a Sesame Street book. But there was a "chapter book" version of Peter Pan that I read without an adult looking over my shoulder when I was six, and then at seven I read "Superfudge."

14. Do you have a favorite place to read?
On the brown line El trains in the winter when it's snowing.

15. What is next for you, publishing-wise?
As far as I know, my next one will be a book called TANGLED UP IN BLUE (the title is tentative; at other times it's been known as DEBBIE DOES DETENTION). It's a romantic comedy about a girl who tries to get over an unrequited crush by embarking on a "holy quest" with a couple of misfits who have invented their own religion.

16. Do you have a favorite place to write?
Sip Coffee on Grand Avenue here in Chicago. I go there every single morning. I can't write at my own desk.

17. Do you have any pets ?
Two cats.

18. How does your garden grow?
Oh, badly. After Michelle Obama put in a garden at the White House, I thought "what a great idea!" and bought some planters to put a victory garden out on the fire escape behind the apartment. It turned out to be more of a defeat garden than a victory garden. All I got was weeds. Plenty of farmers out there can grow vegetables faster, cheaper and better than I can!

19. The last thing you Googled?
Kirok the Besotten. I was trying to get track names for this CD of a guy doing raps about Star Trek, conspiracies, and marijuana. I met him at a filk convention a few years ago. Quite a character. I think he went by Reverend Brother Jack Musick, and was a proponent of the theory that George Bush and other world leaders were shape-shifting reptiles. I'm completely serious. But the man could rap.

20. What makes you cringe?
Sarah Palin's twitter account.

Please stop by Adam's web sites. The site for I Kissed a Zombie has lots of special features!
http://www.ikissedazombie.com
http://www.adamselzer.com

Facebook
Twitter

4/9/10

Vampire Wire: Full-length Novel Free Read: THE SHADOW GIRL OF BIRCH GROVE

FROM MARTA ACOSTA author of Happy Hour at Casa Dracula:

I want others to get the chance to read my book, so I posted it as a free read on Scribd last night. Since then, it's been read over 400 times, which is approximately 400 times more than it would have been read otherwise.

Here's a brief summary:
Poor, plain foster teen Jane Williams survives in her gritty world by keeping to the shadows. When she's invited to attend the elite Birch Grove Academy for Girls on a full-scholarship, it sounds too good to be true. She even gets to live on her own in the old groundskeeper's cottage in the middle of a Birch Grove. Everyone is so Jane, especially the elegant and very pale headmistress and her gorgeous sons.
But soon an unknown enemy is threatening Jane and she begins to have questions about the headmistress's family...and another scholarship girl who disappeared. What secrets are people keeping and what's the real reason Jane was invited to this school? What's she willing to give up in exchange for a once-in-a-lifetime chance at being forever bound to the academy and the wealthy, powerful family?I hope you'll take the time to read The Shadow Girl of Birch Grove because I put lots of thought and heart into it. Please tell your friends!

Vampire Wire: Full-length Novel Free Read: THE SHADOW GIRL OF BIRCH GROVE

The link above will take you to her blog post about the book.

She said tell your friends, so go down load this right now! I have loved everything Marta has written so here is an easy way to check out her work!

4/8/10

DEAD IS JUST A RUMOR BY MARLENE PEREZ Trailer

Oh and Marlene had this to add:

I'm also pleased to announce the following from Publisher's Marketplace.

Marlene Perez's first three books in her DEAD IS series, optioned to Disney Channel, with Jane Goldenring producing, by Stephen Moore at Paul Kohner Agency, in conjunction with Stephen Barbara at Foundry Literary + Media.

This series will make an excellent new series! I can't wait. And I can't wait for the new book either. Sigh, August seems like a long way away.

4/5/10

YouTube - My Fair Lazy, Jen Lancaster - OMG I can't wait!

3/30/10

20 QUESTIONS WITH: Love in Mid Air author KIM WRIGHT

Kim Wright, author of Love in Mid Air has stopped by to answer 20 questions.

1. Book marks or dog ears?

Actually, I just turn the book upside down until I pick it up again so I guess the answer is broken spines.

2. Dust Jackets on or off when reading a hardback?

Jackets on

3. Favorite Author?

Jane Austen

4. Favorite Genre?

Literary Mainstream

5. What is the best book you have read this year?

The Privileges by Jonathan Dee

6. What book would you most like to see made into a movie?

The History of Love

7.If you could only take one book with you to a desert island, which would you bring?

A collection of short stories.

8. What book have you read that you think is overrated?

I simply couldn't get through The Life of Pi. Which is weird because I usually finish any book I start, even if I'm not enjoying it.

9. What book are you reading right now?

The Women by TC Boyle

10. What is the last book that you bought?

The Women by TC Boyle

11. What is the last book you received in the mail?

Actually , my own. A carton of 20 copies was mailed by my publisher last week.

12. What is the number of book that you own?

I have no idea. A lot. Maybe 400?

13. What is the first book that you remember reading by yourself as a child?

I loved the mysteries. Nancy Drew. Remember Encyclopedia Brown? I loved trying to figure things out.

14. Do you have a favorite place to read?

On the beach in front of my mom's condo in Cherry Grove, SC.

15. What is next for you, publishing-wise?

The sequel to Love in Mid Air. It picks up the story ten years later and is told from Kelly's point of view.

(YAY -- sorry, I couldn't help sticking that in....Mary)

16. Do you have a favorite place to write?

Most of the time I write at my desk but if I'm getting restless I take my laptop to this little sushi place near my house and work at the bar while I eat. For some reason nobody ever interrupts you in a sushi restaurant.

17. Do you have any pets, real or imaginary?

I have the very real Otis the dog and Mickey the cat. A pic of me and Otis is attached. Mickey is camera shy.

18. The last thing you Googled?

A list of character names in A Streetcar Named Desire. I wanted to be sure I spelled Blanche DuBois correctly.

19. What is the one thing you would save in a fire?

Probably a picture of me ballroom dancing, doing the tango with my Russian instructor, Max. I look so happy in the picture it's like borderline religious ecstasy.

20. What makes you cringe?

People who are rude to servers in restaurants. I have ex-waitress syndrome. I always overtip.

3/26/10

I just got this in the mail: Winging It by Jenny Gardiner

Winging It by Jennifer Gardiner

Product Description

A hilarious and poignant cautionary tale about two very different types of creatures, thrown together by fate, who learn to make the best of a challenging situation -- feather by feather.Like many new bird owners, Jenny and Scott Gardiner hoped for a smart, talkative, friendly companion. Instead, as they took on the unexpected task of raising a curmudgeonly wild African gray parrot and a newborn, they learned an important lesson: parrothood is way harder than parenthood.
A gift from Scott's brother who was living in Zaire, Graycie arrived scrawny, pissed-off, and missing a lot of her feathers -- definitely not the Polly-wants-a-cracker type the Gardiners anticipated. Every day became a constant game of chicken with a bird that would do anything to ruffle their feathers. The old adage about not biting the hand that feeds you -- literally -- never applied to Graycie.
But Jenny and Scott learned to adapt as the family grew to three children, a menagerie of dogs and cats, and, of course, Graycie. In this laugh-out-loud funny and touching memoir, Jenny vividly shares the many hazards of parrot ownership, from the endless avian latrine duty and the joyful day the bird learned to mimic the sound of the smoke detector, to the multiple ways a beak can pierce human flesh. Graycie is a court jester, a karaoke partner, an unusual audio record of their family history, and, at times, a nemesis. But most of all, she has taught the family volumes about tolerance, going with the flow, and realizing that you can no sooner make your child fit into a mold than you can turn a wild parrot into a docile house pet. Winging It is an utterly engrossing reminder of the importance of patience, loyalty, and humor when it comes to dealing with even the most unpleasant members of the family.

About the Author

Jenny Gardiner is the author of the novel Sleeping with Ward Cleaver. Her writing has appeared in Ladies Home Journal, the Washington Post, and NPR's Day to Day, and she has a column of humorous slice-of-life essays that runs in the Charlottesville, VA Daily Progress. Jenny lives in central Virginia with her husband, three kids, two dogs, one cat, and, of course, a gregarious parrot.

Product Details

Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Simon Spotlight Entertainment (March 16, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-13: 978-1439157619
Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6.5 x 0.9 inches

Doesn't this look fabulous? It is a departure from the dog books that I love, but I understand the Parrot.

3/19/10

GIVEAWAY - Little Billy's Letter by Bill Geerhart (Book Review 2010-44)

Little Billy's Letters: An Incorrigible Inner Child's Correspondence with the Famous, Infamous, and Just Plain Bewildered by Bill Geerhart

Product Description

What do Tori Spelling, the Church of Scientology, Oprah Winfrey, and Donald Rumsfeld all have in common?: They -- and many others -- have answered letters from "Little Billy", a grown man with a cache of stamps and far too much time on his hands. Funny, touching, and delightfully quirky, Billy's letters cover a broad range of subject matter:

Operation Drop-Out: Considering dropping out of elementary school, Billy writes to serial killers and celebrities seeking their wise counsel.
Billy's Law: Which Supreme Court Justice prefers the Big Mac to the Whopper? Who is Janet Reno's favorite crime fighter? What do Robert Shapiro and Congressman Gary Condit say is the best defense for being framed for murder? Billy finds out.
The Making of the Class President: Billy runs for class president and collects "endorsements" from Nancy Reagan, Dick Cheney, George HW Bush, Gerald Ford, Bob Dole, Ken Starr, and Colin Powell.
Choosing My Religion: Billy asks representatives from the Catholic, Presbyterian, Mormon, Raelian, Satanic, Scientologist, Hare Krishna and Unification Church (Moonies) what is "cool" or "easy" about their religion.

Presidents, Supreme Court Justices, Celebrities, Heads of Corporations, Serial Killers, Robot Makers, and the NesQuick Bunny have all replied to "Little Billy's" scrawled questions.

About the Author

Bill Geerhart grew up in Bethesda, MD, in the seventies and eighties and was obsessed with MAD magazine, television, movies, true crime, and crank calling talk radio stations. To the amazement of his high school guidance counselor, he was admitted to several reputable institutions of higher learning, and earned a Creative Writing degree from Emerson College. Geerhart is an expert in Cold War history; his groundbreaking work via his website www.conelrad.com and Bear Family Records have been featured in the New York Times, Newsweek, Vanity Fair, Entertainment Weekly, and on National Public Radio's Morning Edition, the BBC, and many other media outlets.

Product Details

Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: William Morrow (March 9, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0061807281
ISBN-13: 978-0061807282

Source: Author

ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT

Rarely does a book enter my house and then disappears from my desk so quickly that I don't get to read it first. That is what happened when I got Little Billy's Letters. First my husband grabbed it and then my son got to it. I finally had to steal it back. So here it is: a book that is suitable for the whole family. Well, only if you live in the Manson family or one like mine. You need to buy a copy for each member of family though so there is no fighting over it.

This book is pure creative genius! I don't think I have laughed so hard that I have had to put a book down and come back to it only to find something else just as funny. I think my favorite part were the letters from the serial killers. They are a little sad at the same time though. I highly recommend this book and it also makes a great gift. I am going to buy additional copies as gifts. Thanks Bill all of my holiday shopping is done!

My husband's thoughts:
I loved this book because it shows that children are smarter than "adults".

TO WIN YOUR VERY OWN COPY OF THIS BOOK:

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Ends 4/9/10.

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3/15/10

Guest Post: DR. VIVIAN DILLER AND DR. JILL MUIR-SUKENICK authors of FACE IT

Ten Tips For the Body and Soul: From Two Women Who Should Know
By Dr. Vivian Diller and Dr. Jill Muir-Sukenick
Authors of Face It: What Women Really Feel as Their Looks Change

We are often asked how the psychological six steps we describe in our book, Face It: What Women Really Feel as Their Looks Change, translate into practical ways to feel and look more attractive. So, we put together some tips that once were useful to us in our former careers as models. They are even more useful more so now as our own looks are changing! They were designed in conjunction with the internal changes suggested in Face It and work best if you have learned what it really means to be attractive at any age. The 'beauty' of these tips is that unlike quick-fix ones that instruct women how 'not to look old,' these can be applied throughout life and are for all women.

1. Show Confidence Inside and Out
We learned first hand that models who walked in with an air of confidence tended to get the jobs. It wasn't about being the prettiest -- everyone was. Or about being perfect -- no one was. It was about how you carried yourself. Some models were known for their great legs or long necks and used these assets to feel beautiful. Sometimes only one's hands or feet were considered marketable material. Instead of focusing on features you don't like about yourself, take the ones you do and embellish them. Delicate wrists? Wear an eye-catching watch. Thick hair? An elegant headband or jeweled clip can make your statement. Posture is a feature all women can enjoy if they keep their bones healthy. Hold your head up with poise and self- assurance and people will see what you feel.

2. A Radiant Smile Can Work for You
There are models who are not perfectly shaped who have successful careers because of their great smiles. Think of a baby's smile. Does anything bring more pleasure to the eyes of others than that spontaneous toothless grin? Sure, we can whiten and straighten our teeth, but regardless of how they look at any particular moment, smiling with a sparkle in our eyes goes a long way to convey beauty.

3. Reinvent Your Look
As models we had to constantly change our 'look.' It taught us to be capable of adjusting our appearance to the circumstances. Instead of feeling anxious about change, have fun as you reinvent a look with each stage. Those short skirts might not work, but other styles may. Letting go of your former self-image doesn't mean neglecting yourself. Try walking instead of jogging; take yoga, in place of spin class. Adjust your attitude as you adjust your look.

4. Sexy at Sixty
We may have left behind unlined faces and bright teeth, but we never have to leave behind our ability to connect to others sensually. As models, we were sometimes told to 'make love to the camera.' With safety pins pulling at our clothes, fans blowing in our faces, that was a challenge. But the more we let ourselves get into it, the more alluring we felt. A model can be absolutely exquisite, but her photos can look cold, sexless, and dull. It's not about the perfect body or the skimpy clothes she's wearing or not wearing. It's about the connection to the viewer. So it can be for you.

5. Accessories Can Say A Lot
A woman who has interests that go beyond age-defying remedies is one who conveys a vital approach to life. Sport the cap of your local baseball or football team, or a T-shirt with a meaningful saying, "Save the Whales" or "Free Tibet". Use these ageless accessories and you may end up having fun rooting for your team or supporting a new cause.

6. Work Out and Work With Your Friends
Models are dressed, undressed and styled with other people coming and going all around them. (Nothing like outfit changes with stage hands in full view!) At best, we learned to laugh to make the work fun. Instead of sneaking off alone to color your hair, make it fun by passing the time chatting with a friend in the next salon chair. Go to a spa with friends. Take a power walk with a buddy. Tell one another how attractive you each are. We're in this together.

7. Get up close and personal.
An essential tool for models to inspect imperfections is a magnified mirror. It's like wearing glasses while you attend to your face. You can pluck the white hairs if you don't want them, rub creams on brown spots if you want them to fade, and apply makeup where it belongs. How many of us have left smudges of mascara above and below our eyes thinking they made it on to our lashes?? By seeing yourself up close and personal, you can choose among the plethora of products available to adorn your beautiful self.

8. Leave Competition Out of Beauty
As models, competition was a necessary part of the work. At our age, we don't need to be the best, but rather look our best for our age, which is about looking as healthy, robust, and vital as we possibly can. There is no race for the smoothest skin, the thinnest or the youngest looking body, nor is looking good about a race with time. Let's get out of the competition we've imposed on ourselves. We'll all feel like winners.

9. Take the Plastic out of Plastic Surgery
We are not anti taking steps to feel better about how you look. We are not anti- anything, except recklessness. Cosmetic surgery aimed at altering physical features so they appear more in sync with your self image -- like removing dark circles under your otherwise sparkling eyes -- can surely bring increased pleasure. However, surgery performed with the hope of changing your self-image often leads to the opposite result. How you look is based on how you experience yourself, no matter what you do or don't do to your face and body.

10. See Yourself as an Example for the Next Generation.
At social and professional gatherings, you have the opportunity and responsibility to show younger women what beauty at midlife can be. Demonstrate the kind of poise and grace you want your daughters and younger colleagues to emulate. Remember, those who admire and respect you are the people you influence most. Let's provide the next generation with the kind of role models we weren't lucky enough to have. We owe it to them to look forward to -- rather than dread -- the years that lie ahead. Live them with confidence that you can look and feel beautiful at any age. It will benefit both the body and the soul.

© 2010 Dr. Vivian Diller and Dr. Jill Muir-Sukenick, authors of Face It: What Women Really Feel as Their Looks Change

Author Bios
FACE IT: What Women Really Feel As Their Looks Change by Vivian Diller, Ph.D, with Jill Muir-Sukenick, Ph.D. and edited by Michele Willens is a psychological guide to help women deal with the emotions brought on by their changing appearances. As models turned psychotherapists, Diller and Sukenick have had the opportunity to examine the world of beauty from two very different vantage points. This unique perspective helped them develop a six-step program that begins with recognizing "uh-oh" moments that reveal the reality of changing looks, goes on to identify the masks used to cover deeper issues, defines the role beauty plays in a woman's life, and ends with bidding adieu to old definitions of beauty so women can enjoy their appearance -- at any age!

For more information on the book, authors, and events, please visit http://www.faceitthebook.com or visit their fan page on Facebook.

3/2/10

20 Questions with EILEEN BOGGESS - AUTHOR OF MIA THE MAGNIFICENT

20 Questions with EILEEN BOGGESS

AUTHOR OF MIA THE MAGNIFICENT

1.Bookmarks or dog ears?

Both. But most of the time I just leave a book propped open when I have to set it down.

2. Dust jacket on or off when reading a hard back?

If it is not attached, I take it off. I also remove the inserts out of magazines before I read them. I'm kind of OCD when it comes to clutter.

3. Favorite author?
Yikes! That is too hard to decide. How about favorite author per favorite genre? Chick lit/humor: Janet Evanovich, YA: Jan Blazanin, Mystery: Jill McGown or Sue Grafton, Historical Fiction: Sharelle Byars Moranville, Picture Book: Rebecca Janni, Nonfiction: Sarah Vowell or Anne Lamott

4. Favorite genre'?
Mystery. I just can't resist a good whodunit.

5. What is the best book you have read in the last year?

The Reader by Bernhard Schlink.

6. What book would you most like to see made into a movie?

Can I say my own? If the Mia series were made into a movie, it would really help pay the bills! But, if I had to name someone else's book, I would say Five Smooth Stones by Ann Fairbairn. It is a beautiful story of a family during the civil rights era.

7. If you could only take one book with you to a desert island, which would you bring?

Probably Gone With the Wind because I have never read it and I feel like I should. Also, it kept Ponyboy and Johnny company when they were hiding out in the abandoned church, so it can't be all that bad.

8. What book have you read that you think is overrated?

The Twilight series. I thought Bella's obsession with Edward's looks was a little creepy. There's nothing wrong with having a hot boyfriend, but a boyfriend that sparkles? That's a little too much for me.

9. What are you reading right now?

I just finished The Red Glass by Laura Resau and am currently reading The Note by Angela Hunt for my book club read.

10. What is the last book you bought?

Books by Jill Esbaum, Linda Skeers, and Dori Butler for my nieces' Christmas presents. I always give autographed books as gifts. My nieces probably think I am boring now, but hopefully one day they will appreciate these gifts... or at least get a good price for them if they ever sell them on e-bay.

11. What is the last book you received in the mail?

The UPS guy brought me Mia the Magnificent when it was released in December. Does that count?

12. What is the number of books you own?

Going back to my issues with clutter, I tend to give books away as soon as I finish them. I only keep autographed books and books that mean something to me. I probably own around 200 books.

13. What is the first book you remember reading by yourself as a child?

Richard Scarrey's Best Mother Goose Ever. "Taffy was a Welshman, Taffy was a thief, Taffy came to my house a stole a piece of meat..."

14. Do you have a favorite place to read?

When I was a kid, I would snuggle up next to a heat register in my family's living room. Nowadays, it seems I only get to read while I am in the school parking lot while I am waiting for my kids to finish practice, or when I am traveling somewhere with my family and my husband is driving.

15. What is next for you, publishing-wise?

I am not sure. I am in the middle of writing several books, but I don't know if any of them will go anywhere. Between running my city's food pantry and raising two teenagers, my writing has been slow lately. I can't wait to get back into it soon!

16. Is there another book in the works for Mia?

I have an idea where Mia is a summer camp counselor in Maine and will call it Mia the Maniac, but it is just in brainstorming mode right now.

17. Do you have any pets (real or imaginary)?

I have a rescued greyhound named Onyx

18. The last thing you Googled?

The name of the author who wrote The Note. (Just think, if I didn't have the Internet, I would have had to actually get off my chair and go up to my room to look for the author on the copy of the book in my room. The Internet is a lazy person's dream!)

19. What one thing would you save in a fire (other than pictures, people or animals)?

My laptop! I never back things up, so if I lost my laptop, I would be back to square one in my writing projects.

20. What makes you cringe?

Apathy

Thank you so much Eileen for taking the time to answer!

DON'T FORGET TO ENTER TO WIN A COPY OF MIA THE MAGNIFICENT HERE!

Visit Eileen's web page HERE (it is really cool)

2/11/10

Dog On It Movie?

Media Madness

Note from Admin: It’s too soon to say there will definitely be a Dog On It movie. All we can say for sure is that it’s in development at Universal, with Mandalay producing and Jeff Lowell writing.
Note from Spence: There’s that pessimism of yours again.

I can't wait for this movie -- I hope it makes it through all of the hoops!

2/3/10

BLOG TOUR -- Searching for Tina Turner by Jacqueline E. Luckett (Book Review 2010-19)

BLOG TOUR

Searching for Tina Turner
by Jacqueline E. Luckett

On the surface, Lena Spencer appears to have it all. She and her wealthy husband Randall have two wonderful children, and they live a life of luxury. In reality, however, Lena finds that happiness is elusive. Randall is emotionally distant, her son has developed a drug habit, and her daughter is disgusted by her mother's "overbearing behavior." When Randall decides that he's had enough of marriage counseling, he offers his wife an ultimatum: "Be grateful for all I've done for you or leave." Lena, realizing that money can't solve her problems and that her husband is no longer the man she married, decides to choose the latter.

LOVED IT

At first I thought this was just another chick lit book, but it gives a whole new spin on the genre. Lena's marriage is in trouble and like so many other women around the age of fifty, she discovers that she has given up more than she bargained for when she supports her husband's rise in the corporate world. She has given up her own identity and becomes the perfect wife. The theme of Tina Turner's life story plays in the background and gives Lena hope that she too can find her own way.

I really enjoyed this one and look forward to more from this author. This story is one that has played out recently for a lot of my friends. It is nice to see one where the woman wins and becomes a stronger person.

Product Details

Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (January 27, 2010)
ISBN-13: 978-0446542968

Obtained From: Publisher

1/30/10

GIVEAWAY Dino Vicelli, Private Eye by Lori Weiner and 20 Questions! (Book Review 2010-16)

Dino Vicelli, Private Eye by Lori Weiner

Description from GoodReads:
This story transports the reader to an alternate-reality version of New York City, in which talking dogs interact regularly with humans. The hero, Dino Vicelli, is a private investigator who just happens to be a sharply dressed Italian greyhound with a great fondness for cigars. He takes on what initially appears to be a routine missing person case but soon finds himself in the midst of a sinister plot that involves kidnapping, murder, and bizarre scientific experiments aimed at controlling the world. As he investigates this strange case, Dino repeatedly encounters mortal danger, while also finding romance with a beautiful blonde Afghan dog.
With its unusual twists on the traditional detective story genre, this book blends elements of humor, suspense, and fantasy into a truly unique and entertaining tale.

About the Author

Lori Weiner was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and has lived for twenty years in Rancho Mirage, California. She is married to Martin Weiner and has one daughter, Kandice. She has a special interest in show dogs and was inspired to write this book by her own Italian greyhound, Dino, whom she describes as ''funny, inquisitive, very nosy, and very smart.''

Product Details
Paperback: 98 pages
Publisher: Dorrance Publishing Co. Inc. (June 8, 2009)
ISBN-13: 978-1434902948
Obtained From: Author

Really Liked It
My Thoughts:
I am always on the lookout for books about dogs and especially those where the dogs are main characters. I especially love the ones where the dogs actually have thoughts and speak like humans. Dino Vicelli doesn't disappoint! Dino is a very cool private eye, except he is not a normal PI, he is a dog! This short story develops in an alternate universe where dogs and humans coexist and are equal, although the humans run in races here, not dogs.

There is enough mystery and action that keep the pages turning so that it all goes by too quickly. You need to see the wonderful artwork that is inserted throughout the book in the style of the cover. If you are a dog lover and enjoy mysteries, this is your book. There is a sequel planned as well.

20 Questions with Lori Weiner
1. Bookmarks or dog ears?
Dog ears
2. Dust jacket on or off when reading a hard back?
off
3. Favorite author?
Iris Johansen
4. Favorite genre’?
Mystery
5. What is the best book you have read in the last year?
Haven't had much time to read at home., I know what I like and what I would like to take the time to read.
6. What book would you most like to see made into a movie?
Racing Rain
7. If you could only take one book with you to a desert island, which would you bring?
Blood game, Eve Duncan Forensic thriller/ Iris Johansen. I would take the series.
8. What book have you read that you think is overrated?
I have one in mind but would rather not say.
9. What are you reading right now?
Nothing currently
10. What is the last book you bought?
Racing Rain
11. What is the last book you received in the mail?
haven’t
12. What is the number of books you own?
no answer
13. What is the first book you remember reading by yourself as a child?
Cat in the Hat
14. Do you have a favorite place to read?
Anywhere its quiet or on vacation. Don't have a lot of time to read with everyday life and trying to get my own book finished.
15. What is next for you, publishing-wise?
The sequel - Vicelli goes to Washington/the great
Fopaw and Murder in Chains
16. Do you prefer to write about animals or people?
both
17. Do you have any pets (real or imaginary)?
Yes, 5 afghans, 2 Italian greyhounds
18. The last thing you Googled?
Afghanistan, for my sequel
19. What one thing would you save in a fire (other than people or animals)?
pictures
20. What makes you cringe?
the sight of actual blood. I can read about it or talk about it but don't do too well in person.

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10/28/13

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Peter Heller Kook: What Surfing Taught Me About Love, Life, and Catching the Perfect Wave

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Peter Heller
Kook: What Surfing Taught Me About Love, Life, and Catching the Perfect Wave