Monday, October 28, 2013

Book Spotlight: "The Diabolist"

The Diabolist Blog Tour Information:
About the Author:
In addition to writing, Layton attended law school in New Orleans and was a practicing attorney for the better part of a decade (even though he still resents having cut his hair for that first interview). He has also been an intern for the United Nations, an ESL teacher in Central America, a bartender in London, a seller of cheap knives on the streets of Brixton, a door-to-door phone book deliverer, and the list goes downhill from there.

He has traveled to more than fifty countries, lived in a number of them, and has a burning desire to see every country, city, beach, moor, castle, cemetery, twisted street and far flung dot on the map. Religion and cults, as well as all things spiritual and supernatural, have also been a lifelong interest. Combine the travel and the religion with fifteen years of Japanese Jujitsu training, and the Dominic Grey series was born.
His latest book is The Diabolist.
Visit his website at www.laytongreen.com.
Connect & Socialize with Layton!

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About the Book:
In this gripping thriller, the bizarre murder of a Satanic priest in San Francisco draws Dominic Grey and Viktor Radek, private investigators of cults, to the scene. Witnesses claim a robed figure, seemingly able to appear and disappear at will, set fire to the priest. When the leader of another Satanic cult in Paris dies under similar circumstances, the case only grows stranger… and more dangerous.

Convinced that a charismatic New Age prophet is behind the murders, the investigators undergo a perilous journey into the world of the occult as they try to penetrate the prophet’s inner circle. From the catacombs of Paris to London’s nefarious East End, from the haunted walls of York to a monastic fortress in the Sicilian wilderness, the case plunges Viktor and Grey into a vortex of black magic, ancient heresies, and the dark corners of their own pasts.

The Diabolist is a chilling novel that not only pulsates with action and suspense, but also mines a trove of fascinating historical, philosophical, and paranormal research to probe some of our closest held beliefs. From the opening pages to the astonishing conclusion, this latest installment in one of today’s most original new thriller series is not to be missed.
Purchase your copy at AMAZON.


Book Spotlight: "The Funny Adventures of Little Nani"

The Funny Adventures of Little Nani Blog Tour Information:
About the Author:
Cinta Garcia de la Rosa is a Spanish writer who has loved the written word since she discovered she was able to read books at age 5. Since then, she has become a bookworm and reads around 100 books every year. She also writes, every day, compulsively, even in the middle of the night. You cannot control when inspiration hits you, can you? She writes in English because she is convinced that in a previous life she was British, so writing in English feels more natural to her than writing in her native language. Yes, she is crazy like that. Cinta Garcia is the author of “The Funny Adventures of Little Nani”, a collection of short stories for children, and “A Foreigner in London”, a short story published on Smashwords.
Visit her website at www.cintagarciadelarosa.com.
Connect & Socialize with Cinta!

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About the Book:
Little Nani is a little girl who likes helping people. However, when she helps people the results can be a bit unexpected. Why is that? Little Nani is a witch! Or at least she wants to be a witch. With her magic wand, she will try to cast different spells to help her friends, but she won’t be successful all the time. Follow Little Nani in her funny adventures and meet her extraordinary friends. Funny ostriches, horses that love reading, super-fast turtles, grumpy zombies… Little Nani has lots of friends! You can also draw your own characters! Little Nani is willing to become a good witch. Will she manage to do it? Who knows? Read the stories and discover what happens next!
Purchase your copy at AMAZON

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YouTube Code for Book Trailer:


Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Review: Once Upon a Prince


Once Upon a Prince
Once Upon a Prince by Rachel Hauck

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



I was disappointed. All the characters seemed to do was whine about their lot in life until the end, than Nate started to get better and be a stronger character.

This had the makings of a good book. I just didn't like the way the characters were written.



View all my reviews

Review: Luthecker


Luthecker
Luthecker by Keith Domingue

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I was so caught up in this book, that I couldn't put it down and read it in one day. The story line was captivating and so possible.

Alex Luthecker is a man who has spent his life avoiding people because, with a glance, he is able to see who they truly are and how their life is going to end. When he reports a bomber to the police, he comes to the attention of Richard Brown, a man who, once he knows about Alex, will go to any lengths to find and control him in his quest for power. Nicole Ellis has a chance meeting with Alex and he saves her life. That encounter puts her in Richard Brown's sites as well.

With all of the technology advances at his disposable, will Richard be able to capture Alex and use him for his own purposes?

This suspense novel kept my attention from the first page. I enjoyed reading the story. The only problem that I had was that sometimes, there were grammar mistakes that I am not sure whether they were the author/editor or from the printing process. Overall, a very good book and I would recommend it to others.


FTC Notice: I received a copy of this book from the author via the Virtual Book Tour.



View all my reviews

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Guest Post: Robert Steven Williams


Lolly Winston’s Good Grief was one book that greatly influenced the writing of my novel. Lolly’s a tremendous writer and what I loved about that book is how it slowly unraveled, like peeling an onion, and along the way you got a much deeper understanding of the relationship between this woman and her now deceased husband.

Whether it’s a divorce, a death, a lay-off, or a natural disaster, any event that disconnects you from what appears to be reality has a profound impact. I loved how Lolly showed this impact versus telling us that this death made this woman a bit crazy.

I tried to do the same with Chuck, the protagonist of my novel. I wrote My Year as a Clown in first person, present tense to give the reader that immediate sense of happening, the way one feels in the front car of a rollercoaster. First person also allows the writer to play with what we call the unreliable narrator – we’re hearing this from Chuck direct and what he says and what he thinks isn’t always what’s really happening.  Although this is challenging for a writer to pull-off, when done well, it is highly effective in misdirecting the reader.

Of course at some point you need to set the record straight and that’s not easily done in first person, but through letters, emails and conversation, you can create that sense of: this guy isn’t seeing this for what’s really going down.

I set out to write an honest book, not a novel that was factually correct. It’s not a memoir, but of course some of the situations may have happened in some fashion. A novelist must stay consistent with emotional truths, but facts are irrelevant.

A lot of novels about relationships are categorized as Chick-Lit, since most are written by women, there really is no such thing as Guy-Lit or as some have crassly dubbed it: Dick-Lit. A great book about relationships is worthy of more than a cheap, commercial catch-phrase regardless of whether it’s written by a guy or gal.

I didn’t write My Year as a Clown to fit into any genre or marketing classification, I simply set out to write an honest story that was entertaining, and yet hopefully provoked thought about relationships as well as how men and women often see things differently.

Thanks so much for taking allowing me to reach out to your readers and talk about My Year as a Clown.



My Year As a Clown Blog Tour Information:
About the Author:

Silver Medal Winner for Popular Fiction from the Independent Publisher Book Awards.

With My Year as a ClownWilliams introduces us to Chuck Morgan, a new kind of male hero—imperfect and uncertain—fumbling his way forward in the aftermath of the abrupt collapse his 20-year marriage.

Initially, Chuck worries he’ll never have a relationship again, that he could stand in the lobby of a brothel with a hundred dollar bill plastered to his forehead and still not get lucky. But as his emotionally raw, 365-day odyssey unfolds, Chuck gradually relearns to live on his own, navigating the minefield of issues faced by the suddenly single—new routines, awkward dates, and even more awkward sex.

Edited by Joy Johannessen (Alice Sebold, Michael Cunningham, Amy Bloom), My Year As a Clown will attract fans of the new breed of novelists that includes Nick Hornby, Jonathan Tropper and Tom Perrotta. Like others in that distinguished group, Robert Steven Williams delivers a painfully honest glimpses into the modern male psyche while writing about both sexes with equal ease and grace in a way that’s both hilarious and heartbreaking at the same time.
His latest book is My Year As A Clown.
Connect & Socialize with Robert!

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About the Book:

Silver Medal Winner for Popular Fiction from the Independent Publisher Book Awards.

With My Year as a ClownWilliams introduces us to Chuck Morgan, a new kind of male hero—imperfect and uncertain—fumbling his way forward in the aftermath of the abrupt collapse his 20-year marriage.

Initially, Chuck worries he’ll never have a relationship again, that he could stand in the lobby of a brothel with a hundred dollar bill plastered to his forehead and still not get lucky. But as his emotionally raw, 365-day odyssey unfolds, Chuck gradually relearns to live on his own, navigating the minefield of issues faced by the suddenly single—new routines, awkward dates, and even more awkward sex.

Edited by Joy Johannessen (Alice Sebold, Michael Cunningham, Amy Bloom), My Year As a Clown will attract fans of the new breed of novelists that includes Nick Hornby, Jonathan Tropper and Tom Perrotta. Like others in that distinguished group, Robert Steven Williams delivers a painfully honest glimpses into the modern male psyche while writing about both sexes with equal ease and grace in a way that’s both hilarious and heartbreaking at the same time.
Purchase your copy at AMAZON
  

Book Spotlight: My Year as a Clown by Robert Steven Williams

My Year As a Clown
Genre: Popular Fiction
AuthorRobert Steven Williams
Publisher: Against the Grain Press (December 26, 2012)
Pages: 312
Language: English
ASIN: B00AHS0IUM
Silver Medal Winner for Popular Fiction from the Independent Publisher Book Awards.

With My Year as a ClownWilliams introduces us to Chuck Morgan, a new kind of male hero—imperfect and uncertain—fumbling his way forward in the aftermath of the abrupt collapse his 20-year marriage.

Initially, Chuck worries he’ll never have a relationship again, that he could stand in the lobby of a brothel with a hundred dollar bill plastered to his forehead and still not get lucky. But as his emotionally raw, 365-day odyssey unfolds, Chuck gradually relearns to live on his own, navigating the minefield of issues faced by the suddenly single—new routines, awkward dates, and even more awkward sex.

Edited by Joy Johannessen (Alice Sebold, Michael Cunningham, Amy Bloom), My Year As a Clown will attract fans of the new breed of novelists that includes Nick Hornby, Jonathan Tropper and Tom Perrotta. Like others in that distinguished group, Robert Steven Williams delivers a painfully honest glimpses into the modern male psyche while writing about both sexes with equal ease and grace in a way that’s both hilarious and heartbreaking at the same time.

Excerpt:
This is the link to the Issuu Reader:

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My Year as a Clown Tour Page: