Memoirs of a Widowed Mistress Virtual Book Tour March & April 2011

Hello there! If you are new here, you might want to subscribe to the RSS feed for updates on this topic.

Join Megan Van Eyck, author of the memoir, Memoirs of a Widowed Mistress, as she virtually tours the blogosphere March 1 – April 29 2011 on her first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book!

About Megan Van Eyck

Megan van Eyck lives near Seattle, Washington with her husband and children.

Memoirs of a Widowed Mistress is her first memoir.

You can visit Megan’s website at www.widowedmistress.com.

Connect with Megan at Twitter and Facebook below:

About Memoirs of a Widowed Mistress

Memoirs of a Widowed Mistress is a cautionary tale about the causal relationship between marital emotional neglect and questionable choices. It is a warning for the spouse who wants to dismiss an affair as just sex or for any woman who thinks love is enough to keep a man that isn’t really hers.

“You never know what happens between two people when they are alone” is a common sentiment reserved for married couples who appear to have relationships that defy the odds. The same can also be said for couples involved in long-term adulterous affairs.

Many people believe that infidelity is only about sex: two people, one hotel room, and a few hours to spare. And Megan van Eyck’s extramarital affair began just like that, with lusty hours spent between hotel sheets. But within a few months van Eyck realized she had found what she and her lover did not know they were both looking for: true love.

Memoirs of a Widowed Mistress offers an honest look behind closed doors. It is a forthcoming, sometimes steamy, account of both the passion and the heartbreak associated with being a mistress; about the futility of sharing a love while not sharing a life. Van Eyck is reflective as she addresses her compelling and unusual personal history, which made being the other woman an acceptable option. She makes no excuses for herself, her mistakes, or her betrayal of her husband as she recklessly pursues love. She wants everything, unabashedly.

But her priorities shift when Carlos, her lover, is diagnosed with Amyloidosis, a rare blood disorder. Her concerns shift for hoping for a life with him to hoping that he’ll be able to live through treatment for this rare and incurable disease. In the end, van Eyck must not only come to terms with her loss, mistakes and regrets, she must come to terms with herself.

Memoirs of a Widowed Mistress is must read for anyone that has struggled with love, intimacy or self-acceptance. Memoirs of a Widowed Mistress will captivate supporters, surprise critics and change the perspective of those that have ever considered having an affair.

Read the Excerpt!

Days later, as I dressed for our get-together, I couldn’t decide what to wear. Pants or skirt? Heels or flats? I’d held onto some of the prettiness I had possessed in my happier years and I still expected the room to pause a moment when I entered: women glaring and men looking up from their chairs with a hint of something naughty in their eyes. My vanity was my safe place, my armor. Whenever I felt insecure or uncertain, I hid in my blondeness, appreciating its little conveniences and finding refuge in its stereotypes; it was easier being blonde than not. It was easier being pretty than not. I decided on khaki culottes, a proper well-fitting white cardigan, and flats—an outfit perfect in its suburban pristine inaccessibility.
Carlos had spoken affectionately of his wife and it seemed clear that love was in his life. The thought put me at ease as I styled my hair. I rationalized away notions of a fleeting daydream of him. Even if we were available to each other, this man was way out of my league, no doubt about it. He seemed worldly, successful, sexy, and smart. Men like that, married or not, never liked me past the first forty-eight hours—the time it takes to get a woman to bed, or accept the fact that it’s never going to happen. Now that I was married, it never did. He’d given no sign of being a predatory man. I didn’t get the feeling he was looking for a burger and a conquest over lunch. I sprayed my blonde curls with finishing spray and topped it all off with a little pink lip gloss and flowery perfume.
Hours later, as I waited in the restaurant, I felt frumpy and detached from my former siren self: a spectator of my own absurdity. Perhaps I should have chosen the pumps . . . what was I doing? As I sat emotionally torn between wanting a harmless flirtation to redeem my waning vibrancy and a growing friendship to nourish something unshakably lonely and desperate at my core, it hit me that I was sitting alone, waiting to having a secret lunch with a married man at a restaurant that was about an hour’s drive from either of our homes. In that instant, it occurred to me that he might have misunderstood my intentions. I took a big gulp of water and resented myself with my mixed signals and the traps they always laid for me. I was happy I’d chosen the flats.
I was unnerved at my own brazen stupidity. What if he thought I wanted to get together for a little afternoon delight—a little something on the side? As I sat waiting, nibbling on a buttered roll, insecurities battled in my head. Would he be angry if I had to reject him, if he had arranged this far-away sales call for nothing? Would he end up just being another jerk? I dismissed all of it as silliness, welcoming the opportunity to revisit our casual easy closeness. He’d made it clear that he loved his wife, that his life was content and satisfying.
I looked at my watch. He was late. I called. He said he was lost, but circling the area. I left our booth, walked through the restaurant, out the front door and onto the sidewalk hoping he would see me as he drove around the block. I stepped into the warm rays of the spring sunshine, taking a deep breath of caution and hope. I looked to my left, stores lined the avenue; awnings flapped in the warm gusty breeze. Then I saw a black Audi park on the road, shiny as a pair of new patent leather Mary Janes. A familiar silhouette emerged from the car and there he was, walking toward me, wearing a navy summer-weight suit, seducing me at first glance.
Seeing him brought an unexpected tsunami of overwhelming desire and longing. I could feel his nearness in the pit of my stomach as we made our way to our table. Sitting across from each other the inevitability of our future indiscretion was instantly unmistakable. Anticipated. As we chatted and laughed, desire stirred in the space between us.
Our conversation is a vague memory, but I do remember my insistent ache for him, needing to be near him as I had been on the plane. I moved over from across the table and sat next to him. He cleared his throat and turned toward me. He leaned in, as if he were going to kiss me, and then pulled away. His fingers fidgeted awkwardly with his fork and knife, realigning them on his napkin. I placed his hand on my thigh. It was an unabashed invitation, not a shy question. I knew we shared the same lust as I looked into his eyes, as I heard his breath quicken. His hand caressed my thigh, a promise of a longing to be fulfilled.
That afternoon we sat at our booth, tucked away from the world eating our salads, our eyes wheeling and dealing sex as we talked about the weather. He was impossible to resist and nothing in me wanted to try. He was warm and seductive. He smelled of starch and cologne, like the men’s section at Nordstrom. His words felt like kisses at the nape of my neck. We looked at each other as if we were already in the afterglow.
After lunch, we crossed the street to the lush green park that was across the way. We sat together on a bench under a large maple tree that was dense with spring leaves, full of future and promise. On that old wooden bench, with its chipped paint and rickety leg that made us teeter to and fro, we agreed to actualize the lust that was panging around inside of us both like shiny silver balls in a pinball machine. We promised each other a one-night stand, nothing more. Soon. But one night in the distant uncertain future wasn’t enough for him.
“Megan, I want to kiss you right here, right now, on this bench. You know that, don’t you? Can I at least have a kiss? I want to go home, think of you, and know these feelings are something that we share.”
I couldn’t. Time had slowed down as if each moment was a part of a long forever, and then sped up as if those moments had already happened all at once: emotional whiplash. It was all going so fast and was so unexpected; I had to catch my breath before I did something I could not undo.

Here’s what critics are saying about Memoirs of a Widowed Mistress!

“This memoir totally blew me away…”

— Healing Hearts

“This book is filled with intense emotion. This book is a great weekend read for anyone just wanting to read about emotion, love, need and loss. “

— A Moment with Mystee

Memoirs of a Widowed Mistress Virtual Book Tour Schedule

Tuesday, March 1
Book reviewed at Healing Hearts
Excellent and awesome review! Healing Hearts calls it “gut-wrenchingly honest, insightful, and very well written.”

Wednesday, March 2
Book spotlighted at All Things Books

Thursday, March 3
Interviewed at Blogcritics

Friday, March 4
Book reviewed at A Moment with Mystee
Mystee at A Moment with Mystee gives it a 4 stars review!

Tuesday, March 8
Guest blogging at Fantasy Pages
Megan talks about the affair and how if she could go back and undo everything, she would not. Find out why!

Thursday, March 10
Book spotlighted at Between the Covers

Friday, March 11
Interviewed at Examiner

Monday, March 14
Book reviewed at Taming the Bookshelf

Tuesday, March 15
Interviewed at The Hot Author Report

Wednesday, March 16
Book reviewed at Reading Frenzy

Thursday, March 17
Interviewed at Review From Here

Monday, March 21
Book reviewed at Mom’s Tree House

Tuesday, March 22
Guest blogging at Night Owl Reviews

Thursday, March 24
Book reviewed at Black Diamonds Book Reviews

Friday, March 25
Chat & Book Giveaway at Pump Up Your Book’s March 2011 Authors on Tour Facebook Party

Monday, April 4
Book reviewed at Colloquium

Tuesday, April 5
Book reviewed at Journey Into Reading

Wednesday, April 6
Interviewed at Journey Into Reading

Guest blogging at The Book Bin

Thursday, April 7
Interviewed at Pump Up Your Book

Monday, April 11
Interviewed at As the Pages Turn

Tuesday, April 12
Book reviewed at Pump Up Your Book

Wednesday, April 13
Interviewed at Literarily Speaking

Thursday, April 14
Guest blogging at Literarily Speaking

Friday, April 15
Interviewed at The Book Connection

Monday, April 18
Interviewed at The Writer’s Life

Tuesday, April 19
Book reviewed at A Cozy Reader’s Corner

Wednesday, April 20
Interviewed at Beyond the Books

Thursday, April 21
Guest blogging at Beyond the Books

Friday, April 22
Book reviewed at You Wanna Know What I Think?

Tuesday, April 26
Book reviewed at Psychotic State Reviews
Book reviewed at Booksie’s Blog

Wednesday, April 27
Book reviewed at Book Junkie

Thursday, April 28
Book reviewed at Between the Page

Friday, April 29
Book reviewed at My Book Views
Interviewed at Self-Publishing Review
Chat & Book Giveaway at PUMP UP YOUR BOOK APRIL 2011 AUTHOR ON TOUR FACEBOOK PARTY

Megan Van Eyck’s MEMOIRS OF A WIDOWED MISTRESS VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR ‘10 will officially begin on March 1 and end on April 29 ’11. Please contact Dorothy Thompson at thewriterslife@yahoo.com if you are interested in hosting and/or reviewing her book or click here to use the form. Thank you!

If you would like to book your own virtual book tour with us, click here to find out how!

Award-Winning Book Publicity Company Since 2007

VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR, BLOG TOUR & BOOK PUBLICITY ENDORSEMENTS: NICE THINGS PEOPLE SAY ABOUT PUMP UP YOUR BOOK

NEW! "Thank you Dorothy for a lovely tour! Thanks so much for the graphics and wonderful trailer!!"Avery Sterling, PRECIOUS BURDENS

"I just wanted to thank you for everything. You ARE the queen. Your are so personable and professional. Your graphics soared beyond. They are beautiful. It was a pleasure to work with you."Jude Hopkins, BABE IN THE WOODS

"THANK YOU for all of these graphics!!! That was a valuable added perk of working with you on the VBT! Thank you for all the work you put into those, and into the organization and follow-ups on the tour itself. It's been a pleasure working with you, Dorothy!"Allyson Rice, The Key to Circus-Mom Highway

"Oh, awesome!! Thank you so much! You ran such a lovely tour. Those images are great, I look forward to using them and will miss seeing the regular postings on Twitter ;-).
I really appreciate your steadfast and ongoing support. It means a lot!!"Palmer Pickering, MOON DEEDS

"Just wanted to send you a quick note to say thank you again for the amazing blog tour and to tell you that we will be adding the tour to Mark's author website in the next few days. We will of course be recommending your company to other authors we know. And when Mark's next book is out, we will use your services again." Kirsten Grenside on behalf of Mark Grenside, FALL OUT

"Thank you for all the great, creative, work you have done on behalf of my book. You are
a special lady, as a kind hearted woman and a professional."
Maria Andrade, DEFIANCE AND REDEMPTION

"Everyone did an excellent job. The blog pages were beautiful, and the trailer was so clever and funny. Thanks for sending these lovely "souvenirs" from my tour. I will be able to use all of these posts on Twitter. I enjoyed this so much and look forward to my next tour!"
Irene Woodbury, HONEYMOON ROULETTE

" I am delighted with the results of my recent tour with Pump Up Your Book. Dorothy is meticulous and professional, presents beautifully laid out pages, maintains constant contact with the client, and gives more than expected value for money. In a nutshell: you get what you pay for and more on top! I will certainly be using Dorothy’s services for my other Regency romance books.”
Arabella Sheraton, THE LORD BLACKWOOD REGENCY ROMANCE SERIES

"Thank you so much for The Shadow of Atlantis tour. I've really enjoyed all the posts and seeing my book being promoted. I will definitely come back to you with another of my titles!"
Wendy Leighton-Porter, THE SHADOW OF ATLANTIS

"Thank you so much for the great job on the book tour! Pump Up Your Book was a driving force in the launch of THE PILATE SCROLL!"
M.B. Lewis, THE PILATE SCROLL

"Thank you ever so much - it was a fun tour. I will continue singing your praises to my fellow authors. And grateful for the images, I will put them to continued use."
Kathleen Shaputis, HIS KILT DROPPED HERE

"I appreciate you and your hard work. Thank you for creating these awesome images for my book and allowing me to use them. I am very thankful to have them!"
Joni Ankerson, TO KILL OR BE KILLED

"Thank you for an Amazing Virtual Book Tour for Son of a Soldier! I really appreciate all the work you put into it!"
Aiken Brown, SON OF A SOLDIER

"Thanks so much for getting ANNA INCOGNITO out there and reviewed and shared with so many people. It was great to see it on so many twitter feeds!"
Laura Preble, ANNA INCOGNITO

"Thank you so much for such a fantastic tour! You did an amazing job getting it together so quickly, and I couldn’t have been happier!"
Lena Gregory, GRAVE CONSEQUENCES

"Thank you so much Dorothy! I appreciate your hard work. Love the graphics!"
Jennifer Chase, FLOWERS ON HER GRAVE

"This has been one of the best things I’ve done as an author. Not only am I getting the word out about my books but I’m learning about my own work and my readers along the way. I love it!"
Elysia Strife, A PROMISE IN ASH

"Today my blog tour ended, with another great review which made me end the tour with a big smile! What a fun way to end this incredible 4-week tour. I will surely miss it. I want to thank you for arranging it so well and for being there for me whenever I needed. Thank you!!!"

Miri Leshem-Pelly, SCRIBBLE & AUTHOR

"I think you did an excellent job last time, thank you!"
Shami Stovall, KNIGHTMARE ARCANIST

"Just wanted to thank you for the book tour. :) You did a great job. :)"
Suzanne M. Hurley, THE TEDDY BEAR EYE CLUB

"I just wanted to thank you for a wonderful virtual tour in August for Brimstone and Water. I was very happy with the amount of attention given to the book and to me. I am mentioning it to friends on line that haven't gone to the site yet to be sure and take a look. Thanks for all your work."
Sharon House, BRIMSTONE AND WATER

"Thank you for running my book promotion for BlackJack. I am so pleased with the reviews that came in and appreciated all you did. My sales have improved from being around 800,000 down to the 200,000 on Amazon and hopefully dropping still. I will definitely be contacting you for a promotion again."
Christine Donovan, BLACKJACK

"You’ve been a joy to work with, and I’d do another tour with you in a heartbeat. Overall, it was an excellent experience and a good value. I’ll be sure to look you up when it’s time to release my next book."
Michael Allan Scott, GREY DAZE

"Just wanted to thank you for putting together a great tour for You Won't Remember This. I think the author was pleasantly surprised and overall very pleased."
Bacon Press Books

"Dorothy, thanks so much for another great VBT!!! The Twitter-Party was a new feature this time that I particularly enjoyed. I will continue to recommend PUYB to my writer-friends, because you are simply the best!!!"
T.M. Wallace, WINTERGARDEN

"Thank you for a great blog tour for my “Depression and Your Child.”
I’m in the middle of my third book and will definitely call on you again when it’s time to market it."
Deborah Serani, DEPRESSION AND YOUR CHILD

"Your hard work and professionalism hasn't gone unnoticed. When I release my next novel(s), I will definitely use your service. I have already recommended you to several authors."
Ashley Fontainne, GROWL

"Thanks for a very good experience with Pump Up Your Book. Fighter Pilot's Daughter has sold out of the first printing (still available as POD on Rowman & Littlefield's site, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.). My editor at R & L says there's a very good chance the book will come out in paperback in the summer. He asked me "Did you hire a publicist or something?" I told him about you, and he was impressed."
Mary Lawlor, FIGHTER PILOT'S DAUGHTER

"You are amazing Dorothy and I love what you do to get the spirit of our books out to the world. Thank you!"
Lee Papa, TEMPLE OF ALL KNOWING

"I can't believe the response this book is getting! I am so very thrilled that she liked it!!! You are THE BEST, Dorothy, for hooking up this amazing tour with all these stunning reviews! This was the book I was going to keep under my bed forever and ever and now WOW. I can't believe this is happening. It's like a dream come true!"
Madeline Wynn, DAUGHTER OF THE FALLEN

"Just wanted to say I'm appreciating your tweets so much. This is really helping my book sales, and I'm telling writer friends about you."
Mary Lawlor, FIGHTER PILOT'S DAUGHTER

"Thank you SO much!!!! I had a blast on the tour and appreciate all the time the bloggers and reviewers spent promoting Ash to Steele:)"
Karen-Anne Stewart, ASH TO STEELE

"When it comes to looking for a virtual book tour coordinator, Dorothy Thompson of Pump Up Your Book Tours is simply the best. I have tried several virtual book tour coordinators and have even set up a book tour on my own, but none of them were as successful as my tours with Pump Up Your Book Tour, which has the combination of expertise and experience needed to get the author the results they need. On this latest tour, TWELVE TO MURDER made it up to number three on Amazon! Thank you, Dorothy!"
Lauren Carr, Best-Selling Mystery Author of Mac Faraday, and Lovers in Crime, Mysteries

"Thank you again for all of your help and support for my recent book tour. You were so supportive and responsive, and I enjoyed working with you. It was a great tour and I really enjoyed it, especially when my book hit the top 100 in the two subcategories! That was awesome! Thanks for "pumping up my book!""
Monique Roy, ACROSS GREAT DIVIDES

"Thank you for another amazing tour, Dorothy!! I loved the sites I had an opportunity to visit and the people I met along the way. I even made a few new friends and found wonderful supporters that I'll never forget - I promise! The exposure you gave my book was absolutely unbelievable, and I can't think of a better way to welcome and expose an author's new creation to the literary world. Happy New Year to all your readers and may your success continue to grow. "
Kaylin McFarren, BURIED THREADS

"Thank you for a great virtual book tour. I thought it went really well and it was great to have a wave of PR that flowed through the two month period of my book release. I'm working on my next book - and will definitely reach out to you when it comes time to market! You were a delight to work with and really made me feel looked after. As I've mentioned before, I just don't know how you do it all."
--Deborah Serani, DEPRESSION AND YOUR CHILD

"I just wanted to let you know how wonderful I felt my book blast went for Be Careful What You Wish For in the month of August. So many emails and contacts that I would never have gotten. The publicity was just phenomenal!"
--R.K. Avery, BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR

"Just wanted to touch base with you and extend a huge thank you for the wonderful and successful book blast you arranged for Love Vindicated for me. I was very happy with your services and will be passing your name and brand along to some writer friends with a stellar recommendation. Again thanks and I look forward to working with you again in the future."
--Lila Munro, LOVE VINDICATED

"Thank you so much for all your hard work in putting together the virtual book tour for The Sixth Power. I appreciate it so much."
--Carol Nicolas, THE SIXTH POWER

"Thank you SO MUCH for such a great blog tour!"
--Sandra D. Bricker, ALWAYS THE BAKER, FINALLY THE BRIDE

"Wow - you are absolutely fantastic. Can't believe how lucky I was to find you :)"
--Jo Sparkes, THE BIRR ELIXIR

"I just wanted to let you know that tonight Steven Manchester's Twelve Months became The Story Plant's first #1 Kindle bestseller. This couldn't have happened without you. Barb's cover is an absolute showstopper, Sue's copyediting boosted the overall work, Jackie's proofreading kept all of us honest, and Tracee Gleichner's blog tour started what has become an avalanche of great reviews."
-- Lou Aronica, STORY PLANT

"Blog tours have been the most effective promotion I’ve done. Dorothy Thompson and her company Pump Up Your Book are the greatest. I’ve spent money with other promotion companies that advertised packages then didn’t deliver the service they advertised, inflated their audience and reach and point blank falsely represented themselves. Dorothy has been a Godsend, and by far, her services are the best promotional endeavors I’ve invested in thus far."
-- Alicia Singleton, DARK SIDE OF VALOR

"I didn't realize that there is a place on amazon that you can see your stats for foreign sales; mine are really good and I believe it is your tweeting service. I think I might have found the key to successful self-publishing when I found Pump Up Your Books."
-- Suzanne Jenkins, PAM OF BABYLON SERIES

"Dorothy Thompson helped promote my book, Gringos in Paradise: Our Honduras Odyssey. Taking part in it was so much easier (and less expensive) than the travel schedule I was hving to keep doing on my own. She set up everything, coached me through my part, and I found my book and I promoted it all over the Internet. It definitely increased my book sales."
-- Malana Ashlie, GRINGOS IN PARADISE

"Dorothy was not only a lot of fun to work with but she helped me get the word out about my book. I would recommend her to both debut and experienced authors."
---Deborah Woehr, PROSPERITY: A GHOST STORY

“Dorothy is a firecracker promoter. She is skilled at finding the most visible placements in promoting your book with unmatched enthusiasm.She is creatively talented and a wonderful person to have on your team.”
--Kathy Holmes Eckardt, REAL WOMEN WEAR RED

“I invested in a three month virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Books promotions for my noir thriller, Moonlight Falls. Not only did the marketing campaign work wonders for spreading the word about the new novel, in the very last month, on the very last day of the tour, Moonlight Falls became an Amazon Kindle bestseller!”
–Vincent Zandri, MOONLIGHT FALLS and THE REMAINS

“I’m so pleased every day when I look at Google Alerts and see our titles all around the blogosphere, so thanks for that!”
–-World Ahead Media

“This has been a wonderful experience. Dorothy Thompson and her whole team are very committed to each author, take each author’s tour very seriously, and work towards maximum exposure in the right places. This is the best book promotion expenditure I’ve made in terms of return on investment. I highly recommend Pump Up Your Book Promotion.”
--Phyllis Zimbler Miller, MRS: LIEUTENANT

"I used Pump Up Your Book promotions a few months ago for my novel, Nephilim. My publisher is a great person, but when it comes to promotions, she encourages authors to do that on their own. Enter Dorothy Thompson at Pump Up Your Book. I had 8 reviews of the book and was featured as a guest author every day of the week at various websites during the month that I used her company. Amazing! She secured everything for me which was really nice and I didn't have to do anything but write a few blogs or answer interview questions. I would use Pump Up Your Book again in a heart beat!"
--Mary Ann Loesch, NEPHILIM

Visit here to find out what others have to say!

Follow Us!

Click on image to see who’s touring in April!

Book Mockup Graphics for $49!

Click on image to find out more!

PUYB Book Trailer of the Week

The Best Life Book Club by Sheila Roberts

Question of the Day

How do you make sales happen for you?

A lot of hard work! I sponsor a lot of on line parties, festivals and contests. Book sales don’t magically happen, believe me. An author has to work hard to earn her readers. And then she has to work hard to keep them by giving them something they’ll enjoy reading. I try hard to make my books worth a reader’s time.

-- Sheila Roberts, Author of Winter at the Beach