Henry Wood Detective Agency Blog Tour: Bok Spotlight

Pump Up Your Books Virtual Tours is currently highlighting a really neat novel, one that I am excited to spotlight for you!

About the Author:

Brian D. Meeks found a love of writing through a random act of blogging. On Jan 2, 2010, he was overcome by boredom and found blogger.com. With little else to do before the football game kicked off, he wrote a piece about woodworking. Later that same day, while visiting a woodworking forum, he found a button labeled ‘blog’, so he cut and pasted the piece he had written and then went to watch football. The next day, out of curiosity, he checked back in on his blog piece. The one on forum had over 300 hits and 25 comments, many of them requesting more. This surprising dose of external validation prompted him to write a post on Jan 3. He has written every day since.

Brian writes his novels in serial form, posting one chapter per day on http://extremelyaverage.com. It was this method, which caught the attention of his publisher, Positive Imaging, LLC. Brian has completed the 2nd and 3rd books in the series and is nearing completion on the 4th. He has also compiled a collection of humorous guest blog posts, which will be available in the spring.

About the Novel:

A complex yet intriguing story. It’s full of danger, betrayal, and even love.

Henry Wood is an average detective, at best. His typical cases are boring, predictable, and safe, that is, until his new client walks through his door. It is Jan 1, 1955 and up until now his world has been one of black and white, right and wrong, but Luna Alexander’s case is going to change all of that and there will forever be shades of grey.

Henry will face the mob, question his own understanding of right and wrong, and need to make a decision that goes against everything he holds dear. A bit of a lone wolf, he finds that sometimes one needs help from their friends.

There are clues, like bread crumbs, being left by a mysterious benefactor who seems to have Henry’s best interest at heart, but will Henry put it all together in time?

What Reviewers Are Saying:

After a chapter or two I’m thinking, Well, this is fun enough to read. Artfully-unsophisticated, terse, old-fashioned style: like Dashiell Hammett, or Elmore Leonard. Fun enough characters — down-to-earth good guys and bad guys, broads you want to lay your coat across a puddle for. With some twilight zone thrown in just for fun. All a zany collection of cliches and stereotypes that kind of works, but will surely become boring in a couple more chapters. Except that it doesn’t, and I can’t put it down, and the characters emerge with dimension and depth, not so much through clever description, as without it. Through contexts skillfully constructed, and words avoided, allowing me to discover who they are rather than to be told. And so I find myself completely sucked in by a fine work of mellow jazz, full of powerful blue notes and silences. Can’t wait for the next one.

-Professor David Weiner

The Lens and the Looker (The Verona Trilogy #1) by Lory Kaufman: Review

You're in for a real treat today, I am excited to share this book and author with you - it has been a long time coming for me to review this one :)


Thanks to Pump Up Your Books for allowing me to participate in this tour!

About the Author:

“I write Post-Dystopian fiction. After society’s collapse, which is imagined in so many great dystopian stories, humans will either fade into history, with the dinosaurs, or, if it learns the right lessons, society will go on to construct a civilization to last tens of thousands of years. History Camp stories are the exciting adventures of young people doing the latter.” -Lory Kaufman

On the artistic side of Lory’s career, he’s written, acted and directed children’s theatre and musical theatre. He enjoys art, especially sculpture. He loves science fiction and historical fiction and he has been deeply involved in the green movement all across North America. All this shows through when you read his work. Lory has three grown children and works and lives in Kingston, Canada.

Lory on the WEB

About the Novel:

THERE’S HOPE FOR THE FUTURE,
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE PAST?

It’s the 24th century and humans, with the help of artificial intelligences (A.I.s) have finally created the perfect post-dystopian society. To make equally perfect citizens for this world, the elders have created History Camps, full sized recreations of cities from Earth’s distant pasts. Here teens live the way their ancestors did, doing the same dirty jobs and experiencing the same degradations. History Camps teach youths not to repeat the mistakes that almost caused the planet to die. But not everything goes to plan.

In this first of a trilogy, we meet three spoiled teens in the year 2347. Hansum almost 17, is good looking and athletic. Shamira, 15, is sassy, independent and an artistic genius. Lincoln, 14, is the smart-aleck. But you don’t have to scratch too far beneath the surface to find his insecurities.

These three “hard cases” refuse the valuable lessons History Camps teach. But when they are kidnapped and taken back in time to 1347 Verona, Italy, they only have two choices; adapt to the harsh medieval ways or die. The dangers are many, their enemies are powerful, and safety is a long way away. It’s hardly the ideal environment to fall in love – but that’s exactly what happens. In an attempt to survive, the trio risks introducing technology from the future. It could save them – or it could change history.

My Thoughts:

 I really enjoyed this book - it reminded me very much of another book called Surviving Antarctica: Reality TV 2083.  I am all for any book that makes kids relive important events in history and this one does so with a twist.

I found the characters engaging, I was invested in their story and wanted to find out what happened to the trouble makers.

The connections to history are invaluable and I really love that there are books like this that get our kids interested in history while incorporating those events into a high interest novel.  This will be a sure winner for young adults and preteens. 

The storyline kept my interest and I definitely wanted to find out what became of these characters and their story.  I can't wait to read and review the next novel from Lory Kaufman!

Words of Inspiration by Rachel Greer: Author Interview

I am delighted to share this author with you today, her book of poetry Words of Inspiration looks like a phenomenal read, check it out!

Thanks to Pump up your Books for allowing me to participate in this virtual tour.

About the Author:

Rachel Greer was born in Milwaukeee, Wisconsin on October 25th, 1992.  In her teen years, she loved to recite Maya Angelou poems in the after school activity of Forensics. Her favorite poem to recite was, Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou. She loved the confidence Ms. Angelou had. Rachel strives everyday to be the phenomenal young woman that she is.

Rachel attended a suburban school in the state of Wisconsin. She managed to graduate 1 year early from high school and pushed on to college. She currently attends a technical school in her area with desires to earn a Associate’s Degree is Business Management. While being an freshman in college, she has the title of an Wisconsin Scholar.

Rachel is naturally ambitious, she looks for more ways to back up her mission and that’s building an empire before she dies. Rachel feels she has a purpose for being put on Earth and everyone she will touch in some way or form. Rachel enjoys working, shopping, school, and real guys. As she would say, “I’m a robot, but still a bit normal.” Rachel is a woman of her word, yet very dedicated to everything she’s involved in. In Rachel’s eyes, if you have faith and stay loyal; nothing’s impossible and that way you may reach for the stars. This young woman really believes that the world is hers, and you only lose if you choose. One thing that makes her stand out is the fact that she won’t let anyone tell her no when it comes to her ambitions and dreams. At this moment of time she says, she feel so alive. Rachel is indeed grasping every bit of her destiny.

Words of Inspiration from Your Own Kind is yet her proudest accomplishment.

About the Book:

Words of Inspiration from Your Own Kind you realize that it isn’t merely your own life that may contain complexities. Through all of life’s adversities, it’s individually up to you to determine if you will surmount obscurity and persist on toward your destiny. If tomorrow never came, would you let what happened yesterday carry on to today?

Words of Inspiration from Your Own Kind is not simply inspiration to those in the ghettos of America; it’s encouragement to every type of person. All of us, as human beings, face hardships with life. This inspirational book of poetry expresses a variety of topics including relationships, love, pain, success, motivation, friendships, and negativity. You’ll be engrossed in deep thought, smiles, and perhaps even shed a few tears. This book portrays countless feelings and stories of life at both its paramount and its shoddiest.

Words of Inspiration from Your Own Kind becomes the national anthem of all individuals dealing with life’s imperfections.

Author Interview:

What do you think is the sole purpose of books?

To get people to read and exercise the human minds.

How would you convince a young person to pursue writing?

I would explain to them my journey and also how much writing is a sweet escape.

What inspired you to write your first book?

The need for people to understand that life isn't easy and the relevance of what we all go through.
 
Do you have a specific writing style?

No, I'm very versatile according to my poet's dictionary.
 
How did you come up with the title?

From a place of wanting to aim towards all ethnic backgrounds and not just my own.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

The MAIN message is to always persevere.

How much of the book is realistic?

All of it is realistic, maybe not my own experiences, but similar or close.

Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

My inspiration to write comes from all inspirations I see, I could never reveal rather it's my own or someone I know.

What books have most influenced your life most?

I haven't read any books that have influenced my life, poetry and music influenced my life the most. Any music or poetry that relates to pain, struggle, confidence, or love have most definitely influenced my life the utmost.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

Maya Angelou, she's so talented.

What book are you reading now?

Women Who Run With The Wolves by Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes 

Silent Night's Seduction by Clarissa Yip - Book Spotlight

Every now and then you need to put a good romance story in your to-be-read pile and Clarissa Yip's story Silent Night's Seduction is the perfect one to pick up right around the holidays - the release date is November 28th.  Many thanks to Marissa at Sizzling PR for allowing me to participate in this blog tour - I am excited to spotlight this book right before the holidays!

Book Summary:

Stubborn and proud cowgirl, Lily McCormick, is finally coming to terms with her quiet life on her parent’s ranch, until her older brother, as payback, signs her up for 1NightStand. Kidnapped and forced onto a plane to a foreign location, she faces the dreaded cold and an unwanted tryst, until her ex-husband appears before her…as her date.

New York City District Attorney, Rafe Martinez, would do anything to get his ex-wife back, even if it meant taking drastic measures to pretend he was there for another woman. When jealousy and rage surfaces and Lily’s tough demeanor wanes, desire and lust sparks their once powerful connection as truths unfold. Will Rafe convince her to return to him or push her further away from giving their love a second chance?

Visit Clarissa on the web HERE

Clarissa on Facebook HERE

Clarissa on Twitter HERE

Get your copy on sale from Decadent Publishing on 

November 28th!

Book Spotlight & Interview: Broken Spirit by Charles Fields

I am delighted to feature Charles Fields today, author of Broken Spirit.  He is here to answer a few of my questions about his novel and being an author!

About the Novel:

Hardcover, Paperback and Kindle
Publisher: Outskirts Press (August 19, 2011)
ISBN-10: 1432779044
ISBN-13: 978-1432779047


Charles Stone, Boston lawyer and sculptor, travels to Hawaii for a much needed vacation after performing two life threatening assignments for Franklin life Insurance Company. What is thought as paradise becomes a tropical hell and once again Franklin life has to call on this experienced investigative attorney for help. Stone is woven through a tapestry of racial discontent to confronting a radical movement trying to secede as the 50th state. He finds the cultural melting pot boiling over, threatening tourism and other island businesses and encounters violence and tragedy.

The reader will meet several characters from the author's previous travel mysteries, Sentimental Me and Canyons of the Soul and be introduced to other new and exciting ones. Lovers of travel, adventure and mystery will experience romance, island hopping, a cruise on the SS Pride of America and be introduced to ancient Hawaiian lore as they follow Charles Stone through the darker passages of Aloha.

Buy from Outskirts Press

Buy from Amazon

About the Author:

Charles L. Fields grew up surrounded by the seaside beauty of Rockport, Massachusetts, and the artists who attempted to depict it. He attended Duke University and graduated from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy in 1958.His varied and bizarre careers went from banana boat engineer to wholesale lobster dealer to chicken hatchery manager and include being a poet, sculptor, and worlds traveler. He has received numerous sculpture awards and has served for over 10 years as Membership Chair of the New England Sculptors Association. He is married and divides his time between Massachusetts and Arizona, and recently completed a travel mystery, and continues to write.  Visit Charles on his website HERE.

PUBLISHED AUTHOR

Many Lands Many Hearts - More than a memoir

Sentimental Me - Travel Mystery

Canyons of the Soul –Sequel

Broken Spirit - Travel Mystery

Author Interview:

1.  Describe what it’s like to be an author in three words.

Very Self Fulfilling

2.  What is your favorite genre of literature?

Spy Mystery

3.  At what point in your life did you realize you wanted to be a writer?

I’ve always kept a journal but after my sculpting became physically difficult I began writing to continue the need to be creative. My first book was a memoir, Many Lands Many Hearts and when I realized much was left unsaid, I created a fictional character to autobiographically carry on.

4.  What would you consider to be the best book you have ever read?

Ayn Rand’s The Fountain Head mainly for its influence on my life.

5.  Any sneak peeks at what is upcoming from you?

My sequel to Broken Spirit, Tainted Dish is in the prepublication stage. It involves military industrial espionage and takes the reader on a suspenseful chase through the Canadian Maritimes, Ireland and Europe.

6. What is it that you like to do when you’re not reading/writing?

Dine out with my wife.

7.  How do you react to a bad review of your book?

I try to turn a negative into a positive and, if warranted, use the criticism to hone my craft.

8. Are the names of the characters in your novels important?  How and why?

Names are important because they help define the characters and often  explain their course of action.

9. The titles?

This applies to the titles as well. My titles are derived from the plot and are    as dramatic and descriptive as possible

10. Why do you write for children instead of adults or vice versa?

My Charles Stone series is geared to adults, not children because of the duel genre of travel and mystery.

11. Who would play you in a film of your life?

There would be no one better than myself, but realistically, would chose   George Cooney with Clint Eastwood directing.

12. What are the most important attributes to remaining sane as a writer?

There is less mental anguish  by just letting the writing flow with feeling and honesty

13. Have you ever read or seen yourself as a character in a book or movie?

My protagonist, Charles Stone is autobiographical.- what more can I say?

14. What do you find to be the biggest challenge when writing?

Keeping the dialogue natural and keeping the action moving.

15. Do you enjoy giving interviews?

I enjoy giving interviews because it gives me greater marketing exposure  as proven by several  pod cast radio reviews at www.internerradiopros.com/bookclub.The questions also help me understand myself better.
 

Everblossom by Larissa Hinton: Review

I am so excited to feature this on my blog - I have been reading my way through it for some time now and cannot recommend it highly enough.  It has been a while since I have delved into a collection of short stories and poems so that made me even more excited to check out this anthology! 

About the Author:

Hello, my name is Larissa Hinton. I'm a grad student at Hampton University and hopefully by next year, I'll be a full time secondary English teacher. In the morning, I'll be a teacher but at night I'll become an author. Reference isn't working for you?

Lol, anyway, most of the fiction I write really comes from a life of reading of what I love to read. Some of it, comes from a dark place which I never knew existed until college. Ah, gotta love college. Always discovering new sides of yourself.

If you want to know more about me and my sarcasm, you can just check out my blog and click on FAQ's. Thanks for reading my super short bio! :)

Check out the author's website HERE

About the Anthology:

An anthology that will quench your thirst for more than the ordinary.

Everblossom is a journey through poems and short stories that may seem ordinary on the surface but dig a little deeper and the world not only shifts . . . It changes.

The author who brought you Iwishacana/Acanawishi, now brings you a dash of everything from dark fantasy to the paranormal to romance. So prepare yourself to delve into the three stages of the flower from bud to blossom then back to seed; you'll go through them all with a whole new perspective on what it all truly means.  

My Thoughts:

I admire anyone who attempts poetry, but Larissa goes a step beyond that, she actually writes beautiful poetry!  This collection really is unique as she writes about a variety of topics all feeling as if she has experienced these feelings, thoughts, and lessons of a young person.  A collection of poems and short stories, this really is a great read.

I have a few favorites, "English Major Blues," "Forget-Me-Nots," and "Sprout" caught my attention while reading through this, I loved them.  There are 61 pages of poems and short stories, each reader is bound to leave with some favorites.

I always struggle with ways to connect my students to poetry something they typically come to me with a bad taste in their mouth for so I will relish this collection and keep it in my arsenal of materials.

Kudos to Larissa, I sincerely appreciate her collection and look forward to recommending it to others!

Up Next?:

Larissa is currently working on the second book to Everblossom called Everblossom 2.  I already love the cover so I can't wait to see it when she is finished!

Heroes and Hounds by Bill Miller

You are so lucky to have stopped by my blog today as I have an amazing author and new novel to share with you.  Big thanks go our to Nurture Your Book Tourz for allowing me a stop on this fantastic tour!

About the Novel:

Heroes and Hounds is a wonderfully charming story about a young girl’s adventures with her pony and her friend as she seeks to fulfill her dream of riding “to the hounds” with the hunt. Although the story is written for young audiences, it has multi-generational appeal as it touches on such issues as the plight of families with parents in military service and the welfare of veterans. Anyone who loves horses, dogs and other animals will enjoy this book. The illustrations are beautiful and create a nostalgia of their own in their old-style look reminiscent of children’s books decades ago.

Carly is 11 years old and lives with her grandfather on a 200-acre Virginia farm while both parents serve in the military overseas.  She loves the farm, and befriends all of the animals including a sneaky red fox that stalks her grandfather’s prize chickens. Her best friend is her pony, Monroe, who shares her enthusiasm for adventure.  Carly’s constant dream is to ride with the Riverdale Hunt Club that passes through her grandfather’s property.

On one particularly rainy Saturday, Carly watches from her front porch as the finely dressed ladies and gentlemen ride to the hounds.  Later in the day, Carly finds out that a young hound named Hampton has become lost and Carly is determined to find him and by so doing endear herself to the hunt’s Master; perhaps to be asked to ride Monroe in an upcoming meet.  Carly enlists the help of her friend, Freddie, but the adventure is just beginning.  Carly, Monroe, Hampton and the red fox have no idea what’s dangers await them.



About the Author:

Bill Miller has been riding to the hounds for the over 40 years. For nearly 20 years he has been an honorary whipper-in for the Norfolk Hunt Club. Bill is also actively involved in Team Penning during the summer months. He lives on a small farm in Sherborn, Massachusetts with his wife, three horses and dog.. When not working with horses, Bill is an independent film director and cinematogrpaher. His TV shows and commercials have been viewed by millions worldwide and he has won three Emmys and numerous other industry awards. He has also been widely published in trade magazines. Bill is also creative director for Spirit of the American Cowboy Foundation, a non-profit organization which raises money for pediatric cancer research.

Book Excerpt:

    The sun was fiery red as it came up over the hill spreading welcome daylight throughout the valley. It reflected off a puddle and right into the sleeping face of Hampton who had holed up in the cement tube for the night. He slowly opened one eye. Then the other. He sniffed the air, drinking in the smells of a new October day. It was the sweet smell that lingers after a heavy rainfall. The sun was out, but the air was still heavy, leaving fog in the valley and steam rising from golden, wet leaves, which in a few days would say good-bye to their summer branches and float down to Earth. The sunlight cut beams through the changing autumn trees making the vivid colors even more vibrant.

    Hampton licked his leg. It was stiff from the mud that had hardened into a rather effective cast. The hound balanced on three legs, not yet trusting his injured leg to bear any weight. Slowly Hampton shifted his balance to test the pain level. To his surprise, the leg felt pretty good. The hairs of his coat were dry and stiff, sticking out at funny angles. Hampton didn’t care much about the way he looked. He wanted to get home. And he couldn’t believe how hungry he was.

    He lifted his nose to the air and picked up the most powerful smell he had ever experienced. It almost knocked him over which wouldn’t have been hard to do in Hampton’s condition. He trotted off in the direction of the smell that hovered just above his outstretched nose. He thought this odd, having been trained to follow scents much closer to the ground. Hampton knew this might lead to a meal. Often in the evening back at the kennel, strong odors wafted over the exercise yards. He never could figure just what these smells meant, but somehow he thought food might be involved. Most good scents led to a reward at the end of the run. Hampton hoped the reward at the end of this run would be breakfast. He followed the scent as it drifted down a dirt road. The scent got stronger and stronger. Hampton crossed a small creek and limped up a hill where a rusted, worn out, battered house trailer sat in a small clearing. Over the years, the paint had cracked and faded and rust bullied its way across the metal sides. Many years ago, the house trailer had been painted rainbow colors, which swirled and danced across the roof and sides. At one time it must have been the pride and joy of the Woodstock generation. Now it sat as a decaying monument to a forgotten era. Something inside smelled good to Hampton.


My Thoughts:

Well if this isn't a dynamite novel, I don't know what is!  This is a story that I will keep so that my own kids can read it when they are older, it is one that I can see becoming a family tradition to read. 

I loved so many things about this novel there is no way I could list them all - the characters, the setting, the morals taught, the compassion for animals, the endearing grandparents, etc.  Any novel set in Virginia is going to peak my interest because that is my home state and I love it.  A farm in Virginia is even better!

I am a big cover person and many times that can make or break my decision to read a novel, this one was beautiful and I thought it was very inviting.

Young people will love the adventure that Carly and Freddie embark on - this will definitely keep readers' attention.  It is a delightful story and one that you carry with you in your heart even after you close the last page.  Kudos to the author, this is a fantastic read - best of luck with the rest of the tour!