Last Wish of Summer by Phillip Overton (Guest post, excerpt and Giveaway!)

Virtual Book Tour August 18 - September 15

August 18 - Bound to Astound - Review/Guest Post/Giveaway

August 19 - YA Book Addict - Excerpt/Giveaway/PROMO

August 20 - Literature Lovers' Labyrinth - Review/Interview/Excerpt

August 22 - My Seryniti - Review/Interview/Excerpt/Giveaway

August 23 - A Chick Who Reads - Review/Guest Post/Excerpt

August 24 - Addicted to Books - Review/Excerpt/Giveaway

August 25 - Kimmie's Bookshelf - Excerpt/PROMO

August 26 - Andi's Young Adult Books - Review/Excerpt/Guest Post/Giveaway

August 27 - A Dream Within a Dream - Excerpt/Giveaway/PROMO

August 28 - Hardcover Feedback - Review/Excerpt/Giveaway

August 29 - My Reading Addiction - Excerpt/Giveaway/Interview/PROMO

August 30 - The Book Faery Reviews- Excerpt/PROMO

August 31 - My Reading Room - Review/Interview

September 1 - Froze8's Blog - Excerpt/Giveaway/PROMO

September 1 - Little Red Reads - Review

September 2 - Books Books the Magical Fruit - Interview/Excerpt/Giveaway/PROMO

September 3 - My Devotional Thoughts - Review/Excerpt/Guest Post/Giveaway

September 4 - Bookhaven Extraordinaire - Guest Post/Giveaway/PROMO

September 5 - Good Family Reads - Review/Excerpt

September 6 - My Cozie Corner - Review/Giveaway

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September 8 - Memories Overtaking Me - Review/Excerpt

September 9 - Whoopeeyoo! - Review/Excerpt/Givewawy

September 10 - Getting Your Read On - Review/Excerpt/Giveaway

September 11 - New Age Mama - Interview/Excerpt/Giveaway/PROMO

September 12 - Walking on Bookshelves - Review/Excerpt/Giveaway

September 13 - Taking it One Page at a Time - Review/Giveaway/Guest Post

September 14 - Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf - Excerpt/Giveaway/PROMO

September 15 - Books and Needlepoint - Guest Post/Excerpt/Giveaway/PROMO

As the sun prepares to rise on the last day of summer, three friends find themselves totally unprepared for the events that are about to take place around them. For Tanya it is a chance to find peace three years after losing her parents in an auto accident. Deciding she simply can’t continue blaming God for her loss, she places a heartfelt poem in a bottle and throws it into the sea on the eve of her birthday, granting her birthday wish to whoever finds it.

Early the next morning, her best friend Anton and his buddy Johnno find the bottle washed up on the shore and set about putting it to the test. When Johnno falls for the new waitress at

the café where Tanya works, it stirs up feelings of jealousy in Tanya. Surely Johnno couldn’t be the man that God had in mind for her? Suddenly, strange wishes are beginning to come true, but is it all a coincidence? Or is God about to change people’s lives for the better?

Welcome to Kings Beach, where the forecast for the last day of summer promises to be hot, hot, hot, with a definite change in the air.


Please enjoy this guest post from Phillip Overton

10 reasons a paperback is still better than an eBook

With all the fuss being made over the eBooks’ superior attributes when it comes to discussing the latest e-readers and tablets available on the market, it's about time someone rode to the rescue of the humble paperback novel. So as a humble author of one, I give you ten reasons why a paperback is still better than an eBook...

10 - Your bookshelf will look bare with only your Kindle on it.

9 - You can still read a book on a camping trip long after the batteries have gone flat on your iPad.

8 - You still have a use for that handmade bookmark your daughter gave you for Father's Day.

7 - With an eBook, the saying "throw the book at him" would prove way too expensive to be taken literally.

6 - Replacing a school library full of books with a single e-reader would be taking away the make-out place of thousands of teenagers.

5 - You can stand on a stack of books to reach something high up. Try doing that on your Nook or Sony e-reader.

4 - How do you gift wrap an eBook to put it under the Christmas tree anyway?

3 - Second hand bookstores will eventually go out of business.

2 - A printed copy of a book will always be a physical souvenir of an emotional experience.

1 - A printed copy is still easier for authors to sign!

I hope you enjoyed reading this, even if you did read it on your tablet.

Author Bio

Phillip Overton’s writing has been compared to none other than Nicholas Sparks (http://

www.readerviews.com/ReviewOvertonAWalkBeforeSunrise.html), and his latest novel Last

Wish of Summer offers readers the perfect book to spend a summer’s day reading at the

beach. In a book that reminds us to be careful what we wish for, it manages to weave the

wholesome, virginal qualities of the main character Tanya with her band of misfit friends

in their pursuit of being able to reason why a washed up message in a bottle is somehow

granting their every wish come true. Often in a manner that is both coincidental and strangely

bizarre.

Just as a movie adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks novel will appeal to people of all ages, so too

will this story that follows the adventures of a group of twenty-something’s on the last day

of summer. The book not only manages to cut through any pre-conceived ideas we hold on

morals, body-image and social status, but delights in helping us discover what may already be

right under our nose to begin with.

Phillip Overton’s writing has been compared to none other than Nicholas Sparks (http://

www.readerviews.com/ReviewOvertonAWalkBeforeSunrise.html), and his latest novel Last

Wish of Summer offers readers the perfect book to spend a summer’s day reading at the

beach. In a book that reminds us to be careful what we wish for, it manages to weave the

wholesome, virginal qualities of the main character Tanya with her band of misfit friends

in their pursuit of being able to reason why a washed up message in a bottle is somehow

granting their every wish come true. Often in a manner that is both coincidental and strangely

bizarre.

Just as a movie adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks novel will appeal to people of all ages, so too

will this story that follows the adventures of a group of twenty-something’s on the last day

of summer. The book not only manages to cut through any pre-conceived ideas we hold on

morals, body-image and social status, but delights in helping us discover what may already be

right under our nose to begin with.

Website

http://sbpra.com/phillipoverton/

Twitter: @phillipoverton

Links to Buy (currently paperback only)

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

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Pulled by A.L. Jackson (Review, Guest Post, Giveaway!)

September 3 - My Cozie Corner - Review/Giveaway

September 4 - Insomnia of Books - Review/Interview/Giveaway

September 5 - Wonderland Reviews - Review/Interview

September 6 - Dive Under the Cover - Review/Giveaway/Excerpt

September 7 - LovLivLife Reviews - Review/Guest Post/Giveaway/Excerpt

September 8 - I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read - Review/Giveaway

September 9 -

September 10 - Just Bookin' Around - Review/Giveaway/Excerpt

September 10 - My Escape - Review/Giveaway/Excerpt

September 11- Literature Lovers Labyrinth - Review/Interview/Excerpt

September 12 - Books and Needlepoint - Review/Guest Post/Giveaway

September 13 -

September 14 - My Reading Addiction - Review/Giveaway/Excerpt

September 15 - Sweeping the USA - Review/Giveaway/Excerpt

September 16 - The Solitary Bookworm - Review/Guest Post/Giveaway

September 17 - A Date With a Book - Review/GiveawayExcerpt

September 17 - Reader Girls - Review/Giveaway/Excerpt

September 18 - The Story of a Girl - Review/Excerpt

September 19 - Beth Art From the Heart - Review/Guest Post

September 20 - Paranormal Wastelands - Review/Giveaway/Excerpt

September 21 - Taking One Page at a Time - Review/Guest Post/Giveaway/Excerpt

September 22 - Paranormal Wastelands - Review/Giveaway/Excerpt

September 23 - For the Love of Film and Novels - Review/Guest Post/Giveaway/Excerpt

September 24 - Up All Night Reviews - Review/GuestPost/Giveaway/Excerpt

September 25 -Crazy Four Books - Review/Interview/Giveaway/Excerpt

September 26 - The Adventures Within - Review/Interview/Giveaway

September 27 - The Book Maven - Review/Giveaway/Guest Post

September 28 - Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews - Review/Giveaway/Excerpt

Title:  Pulled

Author:  A.L. Jackson

Publisher: Sapphire Star Publishing

About the book: Melanie Winters and Daniel Montgomery shared a love most only dream of, a love they believed bonded them together for life.  When their world is shattered by the tragic loss of their daughter, overwhelming grief and misguided guilt distorts the truth, and their relationship ends in uncertainty and unanswered questions. 

For nine years, they drift through life, each unable to forget the one who holds the strings to their heart.  In an attempt to escape the pain of her past, Melanie finds herself trapped in a loveless marriage, while Daniel loses himself in a career that means nothing without Melanie by his side.  

Now, when their lives again intersect, neither can deny the connection they felt so long ago.  

But will the power that drew them together be enough to heal the wounds from their past, and will they have the courage to overcome the insecurities and fears that threaten to keep them apart? 

Pulled is a story of attraction and separation, of destiny and duty, of a love so strong it refuses to give up even when all others have. 

My thoughts: I liked the idea of this book with the whole scenario of being "pulled" to another person with nothing being able to keep them apart, but I didn't quite buy into the reasons they were kept separated for nine years.  

Melanie and Daniel's story was very believable, with their young love and pregnancy and loss of their daughter.  Even the reason they were first separated was very logical (from a parent's standpoint) even though they could not see it at the time.  However, I don't think that Daniel's family would have remained as uninvolved as they did for nine years.  

Okay, with that aside, I did enjoy the book.  Sometimes I was confused as to whose POV it was - Daniel's or Melanie's, but that was usually cleared up pretty quickly.  Their backstory was told in flashbacks so that while you learned about them now, you were also learning how they came to be where they were today.  

The whole idea of destiny is very romantic when it comes to your true love, and this also had a sense of danger thrown in with it - that force that will do whatever it takes to keep the lovers from reuniting.  All in all this was a tearjerker at times and I would find myself urging both Daniel and Melanie to take that next step to get back to one another.  

And now for a guest post from A.L. Jackson - and don't forget about the giveaway at the bottom!

How to Avoid the Slush Pile

Hi everyone. I’m A. L. Jackson, author of Pulled and Take This Regret, and I’m excited to share with you all today my tips on avoiding the slush pile. As an author and the co-owner of a small publishing house, I know submitting a manuscript can be one of the most nerve-racking steps we ever take as authors. We sit in front of our computers biting our nails, refreshing our email hour after hour, waiting to hear something back.

All the while, our submissions are sitting on someone’s desk waiting to be reviewed.

So how do you keep your manuscript from hitting the slush pile once someone does look it?

First, be sure you follow the publisher or agent’s submission guidelines to a tee. If you miss something or ignore instructions, your manuscript will most likely be rejected before the editor or agent even reads the first line.  Be sure that you don’t come across as someone who doesn’t know how to follow instructions or someone who just doesn’t care about them. Both are red flags.

Second and most important in my opinion is ensuring your book immediately hooks the reader. The writing should be strong and raise questions that make the reader want to continue on to get those answers. Don’t start with backstory on your main character or over-describe the setting. Get right into the conflict and then weave those other details in later. Be sure the first few pages are both clear and interesting.  The reader should be intrigued, but not confused, and most definitely should not be bored.

Be sure the portion you’re submitting has been carefully proofed and is formatted correctly (again check for submission guidelines to find out if a specific format is requested). Taking these small steps show you’re serious about your submission and are committed to your writing. If an editor is spending more time noticing typos or wonky formatting, it will distract from your writing. 

Take the time to ensure your submission stands out from the masses. These three points above can mean the difference between opening an email with a rejection letter or one asking to see your full manuscript. 

Wishing you all luck with your writing endeavors! 

About the author: A.L. Jackson first found a love for writing during her days as a young mother and college student.  She filled the journals she carried with short stories and poems used as an emotional outlet for the difficulties and joys she found in day-to-day life.

Years later, she shared a short story she'd been working on with her two closest friends and, with their encouragement, this story became her first full length novel.  A.L. now spends her days writing in Southern Arizona where she lives with her husband and three beautiful children.  Her favorite pastime is spending time with the ones she loves.  

You can connect with her at the following places:

Sapphire Star Publishing

Twitter

Facebook

Tragic Beginnings, Fairytale Endings (blog)

Purchase:
Amazon
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Pulled
Publisher/Publication Date: Sapphire Star Publishing, April 2012
ISBN: 978-1938404009
350 pages

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Reading Addiction Blog Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by Reading Addiction Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorcements and Testimonials in Advertising*

The Story That Made Me Smile (Guest Post) by Julie Anne Lindsey

The Story that Made Me Smile

I’m an author. Writing is a business. A smart author examines the market carefully, looking for where there’s room for a fresh voice. I do this now. I look at what I love to read and ask myself where it fits into the current marketplace. Is it too crowded? Can I finally write that story about the sparkly vampire I have in my heart? No? Hmm. *taps chin* Then where can I slide in and fill a need? I even have a spreadsheet now. No joke. It’s serious business over here. Now.

This is now.

Then wasn’t like Now. At all.

Then was the time when I wrote a crazy story about an angel-faced suburban woman who killed people with her cupcakes. By day she volunteered for local charities. By night, she bumbled haplessly, fudging her every attempt to teach anyone a lesson, give them a touch of a tummy “thing” or just show off her mad skills. Quite the contrary.  She is a mess.

I liked Then a lot. I wasn’t encased in the business of it all. I was free to try anything. My one and only goal: make someone smile. Mischief makes me smile, so I added several healthy doses of that, tossed in enough irony to make me drop my chin and sprinkled it all with wine. In the end, I’d created a snowball of a story. One I love all the more today for its confidence to be unique in an overcrowded book world.

Ruby and Charlotte are the best of friends, and they accept each other – body count and all. They stand together. Work together. Plot together : ) In the end, I hope they get the heck out of Dodge because, let’s face it, they aren’t criminals. What they are is endlessly inept and the dearest of characters I hope to never meet, or at least never cross.

If you’re in the mood to let loose and smile at the inconceivable, try my sweet ladies. But don’t try their goodies. You have been warned. LOL Death by Chocolate is available now on Amazon and at Barnes & Noble. I hope it will make you smile : )

Death by Chocolate

Ruby Russell has reached her limit. When she discovers her hipster husband has a dirty little secret, she whips him up a Viagra-infused-chocolate mousse punishment, but in the morning, her husband's a stiff. Armed with a lifetime of crime show reruns and Arsenic and Old Lace on DVD, Ruby and her best friend Charlotte try to lay low until after Ruby's son's wedding, but a nosy therapist, meddling minister and local news reporter are making it very difficult to get away with murder.

About Julie:

I am a mother of three, wife to a sane person and Ring Master at the Lindsey Circus. Most days you'll find me online, amped up on caffeine & wielding a book.

You can find my blogging about the writer life at Musings from the Slush Pile

Tweeting my crazy at @JulieALindsey

Reading to soothe my obsession on GoodReads

And other books by me on Amazon

Write What You Know. . .

. . . And Sometimes What You Don't Know

by Jennifer Walker

One of the most common pieces of advice bandied about by experienced authors is that you should write about what you know. This is definitely a good piece of advice! It drives me crazy when I read a book or see a movie with wildly inaccurate facts...horses that do things real horses don't do, dance scenes that don't look anything like the dance they're supposed to portray, etc. Some of these things would be so easy to correct with a modicum of research.

Beyond getting the basic facts right, when you live something, there is a depth of knowledge you have that cannot be replicated by someone who has never spent much time with that thing. For example, my thing is horses (big surprise if you've read anything about my books). One thing that is common among reactions to the books is that my knowledge of horses comes through. On the other side of the coin, I was once asked to write some reviews of high end luxury sports cars for a magazine. I knew I couldn't do justice to them, so I handed the assignment over to my husband. He claims he's not a car guy, but secretly he is. He did a fantastic job--way better than I could have done. I could have presented the facts about the cars OK, but when he did it, his enthusiasm for the subject matter shone through because he's spent a lot more time studying and drooling over cars than I have.

All that said, I think it's good to step outside of your comfort zone every once in a while. For NaNoWriMo this last year, I wrote a middle grade fiction that had no horses whatsoever. That took some effort! I also have some other story ideas that are way outside my comfort zone. I'm going to have to do a lot of research, because I want to get everything exactly right. And that's the key right there: if you do decide to go into unknown territory, make sure you do your research. If you're talking about something you don't have a background in, you might find a beta reader who knows the subject well just to check on you so your story rings true.

Above all, keep writing...no matter what the topic!

Jennifer is the author of the Green Meadow Series (for middle grade girls), one of which I recently read and reviewed - Bubba to the Rescue.  There is still time to comment to win a copy of her short story, Leslie and the Lion.

Guest Post: Nelle Davy author of The Legacy of Eden

Imagination has no boundaries – it is a vast landscape without maps or limitations. I know the old axiom is ‘write what you know’ but why should it be? Why should female writers confine themselves to the domestic and the minutiae of life, while their male counterparts explore fresh new terrain? I decided when I started writing that I would do only one thing and that was write the kind of book I would read and I would not limit myself. Of course it is difficult taking on the voice and culture of another country that is not your own but that is what a library and research is for. I spent a lot of time doing research about America and Iowa in particular (I read a lot of Bill Bryson who described what it was like to grow up in Iowa and I found his anecdotes – particularly his description of the state fair really invaluable). I was also lucky that I had an agent in America who could look over my first draft and say to me ‘an American would not say this or do this’ about small things that I would never have thought over. But these were small changes really, by that point I had already captured (or hope I have) the American voice. Mostly I found it really exciting to do something so challenging. I think that is the beauty of fiction, that you can escape – and I really did – to a different time and completely different place. The ironic thing is I have been to lots of places in America where I could have set the book (Pennsylvania for starters) but I chose a state I had never even seen. I guess I just like to be difficult.

Nelle Davy was born in Grenada in 1984 and was raised in London within an Anglo-Caribbean family. She studied English with creative writing at the University of Warwick and then undertook a master of philosophy degree in creative writing at Trinity College Dublin. She currently lives in London with her husband, where she works in publishing. THE LEGACY OF EDEN is her first novel and she is currently working on her second.

Thank you Ms. Davy for being a guest here today!  I hope that everyone comes back tomorrow for my review and a giveaway of The Legacy of Eden.  This book is currently on tour with a scavenger hunt - please check out this link to see all the blogs participating!

About the book: "To understand what it meant to be a Hathaway you'd first have to see Aurelia." For generations, a grand estate house was the crowning glory of over three thousand acres of Iowa farm land and golden corn fields. Named Aurelia, it was a monument to matriarch Lavinia Hathaway's dream to elevate the family name - no matter what relative or stranger she had to destroy in the process. It was a desperation that wrought the downfall of the Hathaways - and the once prosperous farm. Now the last inhabitant of the decaying old home has died - alone. None of the surviving members of the Hathaway dynasty want anything to do with the house, the land or the memories. Especially Meredith Pincetti. Now living in New York City, for seventeen years Lavinia's youngest grandchild has tried to forget everything about her family and her past. But with the receipt of a pleading letter, Meredith is again thrust into conflict with the legacy which destroyed her family's once-great name. Back at Aurelia, Meredith must confront the rise and fall of the Hathaway family...and her own part in their mottled history.

Creativity Goes Hand in Hand With. . . Discipline? (Guest post by Elizabeth Ann West with a free ebook!)

An unfinished scarf from learning to sew last Christmas

Over the course of two Navy deployments I learned how to embroider, cross-stitch, bead, crochet, and eventually sew. Most of my projects had one very important feature in common...they were all unfinished! When I began writing my debut novel CANCELLED in January 2011, I was adamant the book would NOT join the pile of unfinished projects.
Crafting is a very worthwhile past time. Unfortunately, too many of the folk art skills are being lost on the newer generations. We don't have older relatives nearby to hand down the techniques and who has the time? Living four years with a husband deployed 77% of the year, I spent many Friday nights with my DVR and a new craft. For the last deployment, I spent MOST of my Friday nights with a fellow crochet buddy and her sons watching Hayao Miyazaki films. We made crocheted Christmas gifts for our family members.

My first sewing project, a netbook bag!
Christmas 2010

The personal qualities of crafters are fairly universal. Most crafters are very generous, often using hours of their time to create homemade gifts from the heart. Maybe that's why there aren't many knitting-needle fencing matches at Stitch 'n Bitch circles! My sister, Christine, still wears the scarf I crocheted for her in 2006. I can't think of another Christmas gift I could buy and have it still treasured five years later.

While crafting takes a high level of creativity, the only way to avoid the high pile of unfinished projects is discipline. Yet it's not a word that quickly comes to mind when you think “creative.” For most creative men and women, the hardest part isn't the idea, it's following through. We're chock full of ideas!

In 2005, before kids, this aquamarine beaded bracelet
I made was too big! Maybe one day it'll fit once more!



When I meet a fellow artist, whether it's painting, needlepoint, or writing, I am always most impressed by the sheer amount of work she has accomplished. I know first hand how much fun a new project brings. Ask me about the time I was going to make beaded pico drop necklaces for all six of my bridesmaids! They ended up with jewelry sets purchased from a department store.

So in the spirit of the generous nature of crafters, and because I am so proud I didn't add to my unfinished project pile, I am offering a free, signed copy of my ebook CANCELLED to the readers of Books and Needlepoint. To receive the ebook, please sign up for my newsletter so I know where to email the correct file format. Each ebook is a unique file with a handwritten note inserted digitally right after the cover. You will need to use a USB to miniUSB cable to send the file over, it's the little cable that came with your ereader. If you have questions, I'm happy to help! (My newsletter comes out every 25th and only once per month, covering my latest writing projects, fun activities for readers, and technology tips for our growing digital lives).

Also, each week this month on Saturday at 5 PM EST I am drawing one name from that week's newsletter registrations. This reader wins a signed, annotated copy of CANCELLED shipped to their home. I will ship internationally. :)

Thank you so much for letting me visit! I wish I had more time to craft, but I struggle to make time to write. In many ways, my experiences, both triumphs and shortcomings, in my crafting attempts shaped the kind of writer I am today. I thrive on writing in 30 minute increments before I am distracted by something else! In the comments below, why don't we all share our strategies to keep that Unfinished Project pile as small as possible?

Elizabeth Ann West is a Jane-of-all-trades, mistress to none! After writing non-fiction professionally for three years, she made the jump to fiction in 2011 with her debut novel, CANCELLED. A chicklit/romance from the male POV, Elizabeth's novel challenges the conventions of modern romance. CANCELLED is now available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble as both an ebook and paperback. Elizabeth also writes regular posts about technology subjects on Mark Williams international, and her sites eawestwriting.com and eawestwriting.blogspot.com.

An Excerpt - On Speaking French by Karen A. Chase

AN EXCERPT – ON SPEAKING FRENCH

By Karen A. Chase

Author of Bonjour 40: A travel log

(40 years. 40 days. 40 seconds)

So I worked with a tutor one-on-one, went to a few French-speaking Meetup groups, watched foreign films, studied DVDs and podcasts, and more. As I mentioned on my first day in Paris, I quickly discovered my French sucked. Really though, it didn’t suck so much as I was just afraid to use it. I was afraid I would say things incorrectly, and instead of asking to buy a hat, chapeau, I’d ask to buy a horse, cheval. My biggest hurdle upon arrival was I simply wasn’t brave enough to try it. I was afraid they would know I was a foreigner, roll their eyes, and say, “Merde, another American comes to Paris.”

I would slowly grope around for words, or quietly whisper, or give up entirely and just simply point and grunt at things. Finally it occurred to me. You don’t know these people. Dive in! If you screw it up, you’ll learn. Maybe they’ll help out and correct you, or you’ll end up with a nice horse. Just start with Bonjour, Madame or Monsieur, and get going. I’m now convinced that speaking a new language is 25 percent knowledge, 50 percent experience, and 25 percent having the balls to open your mouth and speak it.

WoMen's Literary Cafe Authors Gratitude Blog Hop - Nov 16 -

That Little Voice

by Bonnie Trachtenberg

Although I don’t consider myself a religious person, I am quite spiritual and do believe in higher beings of love that listen to us when we pray. That’s why before going to sleep at night, after a long day of work, I take a few minutes to connect and show gratitude. I generally begin by thanking God for all the gifts in my life. The health, happiness, safety and longevity of my family, friends and pets come first. Then I pray for all the suffering in the world to end, from abused children and animals to war-torn communities to starving people around the globe. I ask God to please help enlighten the people who use religion as an excuse to hate instead of love, and to rip people apart instead of bringing them together. I also thank my loved ones who have passed, for I believe they have a hand in many of the good things that have come my way. And of course, if anyone I know is sick or in emotional distress or crisis, I say special prayers for them, too.


I’ve repeated this bedtime practice for many years, but I’ll never forget the night, when just after uttering my prayers, something wild and completely unexpected happened—someone answered! It was just a brief few words that I heard—a question actually—but it stunned me nonetheless. In my head, after once again directing my prayers at others, I heard a loving voice say, What about you, Bonnie?


I recall my eyes shooting open wide, wondering where it came from. It wasn’t my roommate, who was the only other occupant of the house, of that I was sure. So was it an angel? A passed loved one? My own evolved spirit? One thing was for sure, I knew it was not coming from my own thoughts. You see, I always thought prayer should be about others and about trying to better the world. I thought it was too selfish to pray for things I may have wanted, since unlike so many others, I had most of the things I needed. So where did this comment come from? There was only one answer that made sense to me. Some higher being was letting me know it was okay to wish for even more abundance.


From then on, I’ve added to my prayers things that would even more greatly enhance my life: a truly fulfilling job; a loving man to share my life with; true contentment and love—all of which have been answered. And when I was laid off from that fulfilling job a few years ago, I had a surprisingly good outlook. Probably because I felt it was God’s little kick in the side that I needed to finally finish the book I’d been writing sporadically for years. I did. In June of this year, Wedlocked: A Novel was finally published and I had no qualms about praying for its success. Amazingly, after four months of hard marketing, it actually hit Amazon’s bestseller lists, and as an added bonus, Wedlocked became an Award-Winning Finalist in its category for USA Book News’ “BEST BOOKS OF 2011”.

So this year, like every year, I’m thankful for all the usual things I cherish. But I’m also grateful that I listened to the little voice that startled me out of my prayers all those years ago. Until then, I had felt unworthy of such a wonderful dream—but now I realize somebody up there doesn’t think so and just wanted to let me know!


The WoMen's Literary Cafe Authors wish to thank all of the support we had on our recent book launch. As a thank you, three of you can win an ebook copy of “Wedlocked: A Novel”.  Just leave a comment telling what you are thankful for with your email address.  One entry per person - open worldwide!  TODAY ONLY!

About Wedlocked: On what should be the happiest day of her life, Rebecca Ross is panic stricken. Rebecca has just wed Craig Jacobs, but she realizes she put more thought into choosing her florist than she did in choosing the man she's just pledged to love for the rest of her life.

Before Craig, Rebecca, a talented Long Island girl, dreamed of following in her grandmother's footsteps with an acting career. Unfortunately, she was cut down to size by years of disappointment, and by her first love-a Hollywood director. She returned to Long Island a lost and broken woman, and ended up in the last place she ever wanted: her old bedroom at her parents' house.

But Rebecca's mother, an overzealous convert to Judaism, has a long held dream too: marry off her three daughters to Jewish men. So no one is more thrilled than her when Rebecca meets and marries bon vivant Craig Jacobs, the man who has won over the whole family. Too bad they're all about to discover that underneath his charismatic shell, this Prince Charming is anything but!


Bonnie Trachtenberg is the award-winning, bestselling author of Wedlocked: A Novel, a romantic comedy about a hilariously disastrous marriage. It is available in hardcover, paperback, and now for only 99 cents on Kindle and Nook. Bonnie was senior writer/copy chief at Book–of-the-Month Club. She lives on Long Island with her husband and a houseful of adorable pets. http://ning.it/ovIMiw


All of the blogs listed below are hosting wonderful authors on Nov 16th and are all having GIVEAWAYS!  Be sure to visit them all on Wednesday!

Lucianne Rivers - Sister, Sister (Guest Post and Giveaway!)

I'm an only child. So why did I write about three sisters? Well, Jane, Margo and Allison Caldwell are three extraordinarily different women with a common goal. Bonded by their love for their recently deceased mother, each sibling embarks on a journey across the world to find their long-lost and presumed dead father, Zach, finding love and danger on the way.

Jane is the well-kept, refined, all-American news anchor knocked off her perfectly chiseled high heels by the mysterious Harrison DeNeuve in the Guatemalan jungle. Margo is the potty-mouthed, tough as nails police detective who meets her match in sea captain, Adrian Prince on the treacherous waters near St. Thomas, VI. And Allison, the stay-at-home rancher, melts the heart of jaded ex -navy SEAL, Robert Rivera in the

barren mountains of Afghanistan.

Each sister is motivated by familial devotion and finds love in the wonderful form of a strong, hot, loving man.

Not having had sisters (nor the love of a wonderful, strong, hot loving man) I had to use my vivid imagination while writing the sisterly affection on the pages of HOLD ME, THRILL ME, ENTICE ME.

For my readers out there, I'd like to hear your tales of sibling rivalry and love. The most interesting comment wins a copy of HOLD ME, THRILL ME, ENTICE ME (all three novellas).

Thanks for stopping by.
Lucy

Author bio: Lucianne writes romantic suspense for Entangled Publishing and Cobblestone Press. Born and raised in Ireland, she currently lives in New Mexico with her young daughter.

Formerly a stage and television actress, she now manages a non-profit and is NM State Champion in her weight class for Olympic style weightlifting. Long story. Recently she has taken up Crossfit, Jiu Jitsu and boxing.

ENTICE ME by Lucianne Rivers

Heartsick over the untimely death of her mother, Allison Caldwell is blindsided again by the secret revealed in her mom’s will. Her supposedly dead father is alive, and she and her two sisters must find him in order to settle the Caldwell estate.

Robert Rivera, private investigator and former Navy SEAL, alerts Allison to new intel identifying her father as a P.O.W. in Afghanistan. With her sisters out of the country pursuing leads, Allison insists on heading to the war-ravaged country to find him. Robert doesn’t want his naïve client to take the risk. He knows what danger lays in that godforsaken land…he’s lived through it. Barely.

But Allison is determined to go, and Robert can’t let her travel alone. Reluctantly appreciative, Allison quickly realizes how much she needs his guidance and protection, and how deeply she longs for his love. Robert struggles to understand her effect on his battle-weary heart.

The path to Allison’s father is blocked by terrorists, traps and treachery—all demons of Robert’s past. Can he survive a second round with the enemy and keep Allison out of harm’s way?

Title: Entice Me (Caldwell Sisters, #3)
Author: Lucianne Rivers
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: Novella
Launch Date: October 2011
ISBN: 978-1-937044-32-9

To purchase:
Barnes and Noble
Amazon
Diesel

Author's Links
Web: www.luciannerivers.com
Blog: www.viceandvalkyries.blogspot.com

Jodi Thomas on The Comforts of Home

THE COMFORTS OF HOME will be hitting the stands on Nov. 1, 2011 and I’m very excited to see my people of Harmony, Texas come alive. In my mind they already are and sometimes I feel like they’re so real that I could pack my bag and go down for a visit any time I liked.

With writing it’s always been that way for me. I don’t really feel like I create characters, I feel like I just meet people and get to know them. If I’m lucky they tell me their story. When I meet people who read and love my books I always like to hug them. After all, we have friends in common.

In THE COMFORTS OF HOME I wrote about people who probably live all around us but we never take the time to know. One was Ronelle Logan. She’d lived and worked at the post office without anyone noticing her. She solved the funeral home’s crossword puzzles before she handed over the magazines, but no one complained. Tyler Wright, the funeral director, just brought her a huge crossword puzzle book. He was a kind man who tried to help everyone he came across. In the lives of these people now and then, wonder happens, brightening the world around.

In a closing note, I’d like to add that you are going to love a new character I introduce. He’s just a kid (17) with long hair, and a dream to make it big in the music world. We’ll be watching him grow up and fall in love several times before he figures women out.


Come along with me to Harmony. We’ll have a grand visit with the people there.

Wishing you much love and laughter in your life,

Jodi Thomas

www.jodithomas.com

www.facebook.com/JodiThomasAuthor

Denise Grover Swank (author of Chosen) is visiting! (Guest Post, Book Review, Giveaway)

I am thrilled to have Denise Grover Swank as a guest on Books and Needlepoint today. She is touring with her book, Chosen, which was winner of The Beacon-- 2010 Unpublished Division, Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal category.

Write What You Know?  Nah, Just Google It

by Denise Grover Swank

The computer has revolutionized writing. Hundreds of years ago people scratched their thoughts onto parchment paper using squid ink and a quill. Now we tap, tap, tap on our keyboards. Not even those little bottles of White Out for us. Make an error? That’s what the delete key is for.


But an added benefit to the computer is research. Hello, Google. Years ago if you wanted to know about the Vietnam War, you had to go to the library and do a search in periodicals and texts—and hope that the library had the publication you were interested in. Now, all it takes it the entry Vietnam War into the search bar and a click. Instant gratification. (Although I suggest you narrow down your search a bit more. Talk about information overload.)


I couldn’t have written Chosen without my bestie Google. We had already become well acquainted with my previous, unpublishable novel. But suffice it to say, when it came to writing Chosen, I was out of my element. I knew nothing about guns. Street racing. Bullet proof glass. How to blow up a truck. My Google search engine worked overtime for several months finding articles and YouTube videos, and I’m sure put me on a government watch list. I’ve said many times that if I’m ever accused of a crime, they’ll throw me in jail based on my search engine history alone.


But the advent of Google takes write what you know and throws it out the window and onto its head. (Oh, look—there it goes rolling down the street.) I can assure you that I had no idea how to make your car do a 180 degree turn or how to fire a shotgun. I had no idea if bullets could penetrate a regular, unfortified car. (They can, by the way.) If I followed the write what you know philosophy, I wouldn’t have gotten past page two. And I would have been the poorer for it.


There’s a whole big world out there just waiting for me to Google about it.

Title: Chosen
Author: Denise Grover Swank
Publisher: Create Space


About the book: Everything Emma Thompson owns fits in a suitcase she moves from one roach infested motel to another. She and Jake, her five year old son who can see the future, are running from the men intent on taking him. Emma will do anything to protect him even when it means accepting the help of a stranger named Will. Jake insists she needs Will, but Emma’s never needed help before. And even though she’s learned to trust her son, it doesn’t mean she trusts Will.


Mercenary Will Davenport lives in the moment. Hauling Emma to South Dakota should have been an easy job, but his employer neglected to tell him about Emma’s freaky son and the gunmen hot on her trail. Instinct tells him this job is trouble, but nothing can prepare him for Jake’s proclamation that Will is The Chosen One, who must protect Emma from the men hunting her power. A power she doesn't know she has.


Will protects Emma and Jake on a cross-country chase from the men pursuing them, while struggling with memories from his past, his apprehension of Jake, and his growing attraction to Emma. Will’s overwhelming urge to protect Emma surprises him, especially since it has nothing to do with his paycheck and possibly everything to do with the tattoo Jake branded on his arm. Rich and powerful men are desperate to capture Emma, and Will must discover why before it's too late.

My thoughts:  This was one of the best books that I have read in awhile.  From the very first paragraph I was hooked.  Now, is this because I have a little boy named Jake just a little older than the one in the book? - Maybe, but the resemblance ends after the name and the age. 

I love thrillers and this one grabs you and holds on - and it contains elements of the paranormal as well.  Emma and Jake have been on the run for about 3 years.  All they know is that The Bad Men are after them and that Jake can see them when they are getting close.  Emma does not know why they are after them, just that she would protect her son at all costs. 

They have always been on their own, so when Will shows up and starts trying to protect them, Emma puts up a little bit of a fight.  She does not trust anyone, and only agrees to letting him go along because of her son. Will does have another agenda that he is keeping hidden from Emma, though.  I like the way that the dynamics among the three characters start to change when Will arrives.  The author blends these changes in so that the reader becomes aware of them as the characters in the book do also. 

I don't know how much more I can say without including spoilers - so just pick this up!  It is the first in a series and you can visit Denise's blog to find out more - and to see a trailer!

~I received a complimentary ebook from Bewitching Blog Tours in exchange for my review.~

GIVEAWAY!

Bewitching Blog Tours is giving away one ebook of Chosen to one of my readers!  This contest is open internationally!  Following not necessary but is appreciated! Please fill out form to enter.  This giveaway will end on Oct 21 at Midnight, CST.  Bonus entries are available!