Archive for December, 2011:

  • December 12, 2011
  • Authors on Tour, Featured
  • Comments Off on The Secret of the Sacred Scarab Virtual Book Publicity Tour January/February 2012

The Secret of the Sacred Scarab Virtual Book Publicity Tour January/February 2012

Join Fiona Ingram, author of the middle grade adventure novel, The Secret of the Sacred Scarab: Book 1 in the Chronicles of the Stone series (iUniverse), as she virtually tours the blogosphere January 3 – February 29 2012 on her first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book! About Fiona Ingram Although Fiona Ingram has been a journalist for the last fifteen years, writing a children’s book—The Secret of the Sacred Scarab—was an unexpected step, inspired by a recent trip to Egypt. The tale of the sacred scarab began life as a little anecdotal tale for her 2 nephews (then 10 and 12), who had accompanied her on
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Guest Blogger: Bestsellers Are Not Born. They’re Made! by Terri Giuliano Long

Bestsellers Are Not Born. They’re Made! Terri Giuliano Long When I published my debut novel, In Leah’s Wake, in October 2010, I had no clue as to what I was doing. Stupidly, too embarrassed to self-promote, I posted the book on Amazon. That was it. I mean really it – not even my parents knew I’d published the book! I sold two books in October, four in November, and thirty-four in December. For a month or so after the holidays, as people bought books for their new Kindles, I sold a few copies a day. By March, with sales lagging, and I realized that, if I didn’t do something,
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Pump Up Chats with Karen Pokras Toz

Karen Pokras Toz is a writer, wife, and mom. Karen grew up in the small town of Orange, Connecticut and graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Finance. She also attended the University of Richmond, where she studied law and business, receiving both a JD and an MBA. Karen has spent the last several years working as a tax accountant, writing in numbers. She recently discovered a passion for writing with words. In June 2011 Karen published her first novel for children, Nate Rocks the World. Karen is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI), Association of Independent Authors (AIA), and the Independent
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New Book For Review: Zombie Novel “Patient Zero” by Jim Beck

Jim Beck, will be touring in February with his horror/zombie/drama novel, Patient Zero! Bob has a brain tumor. Not to worry, though. He’s the prime subject for a new procedure involving nanotechnology. Microscopic robots are introduced into his body and effectively destroy the tumor. Job well done. But there’s a catch. A virus lying dormant for years inside him is manipulated by the tiny machines and causes Bob to die and then be brought back to life as a zombie. His transformation into one of the living dead is slow, first appearing as a skin rash and advanced arthritis. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the virus has mutated
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New Book for Review: “Key of Sea” by Mary Stella

Mary Stella, will be touring January 3rd – 13th with her romance novel, Key of Sea ! In her youth, Dora Lee Hanson set her dreams on distant goals. A more exciting life waited, if not over the rainbow, then at least somewhere out of the quiet Florida Keys. The twenty-something beauty left home for a modeling career, but a wealthy magnate swept her off her ostrich-plumed mules. Unfortunately, after more than a dozen years of marriage, the wicked wretch kicked her to the curb. Facing a very uncertain future, she returns to her beloved grandfather and the home she eagerly left behind all those years before. Successful Keys
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New Book for Review: “All Keyed Up” by Mary Stella

Mary Stella will be touring January 3rd-13th with her romance novel All Keyed Up! A Man with a Plan At home in the Florida Keys on medical leave, undercover agent Jack Benton is on a mission to save his beloved aunt’s failing dolphin facility. He’s positive he can close a seven-figure land development deal, until his sassy Aunt Ruby accepts the proposal of world renowned marine mammal scientist Dr. Vic Sheffield. Against his better judgment, Jack must cooperate with the project or break Ruby’s heart. A Woman with a Dream Things aren’t what they seem. More than the Keys temperature heats up when Dr. Victoria Sheffield finesses her way
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Patient Zero Virtual Book Publicity Tour February 2012

Join Jim Beck, author of the horror/zombie/drama novel, Patient Zero(Black Rooster Creations), as he virtually tours the blogosphere February 6-29 on his first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book! About Jim Beck Jim Beck is a freelance writer and produced screenwriter who resides in Burbank, California with his loving wife, rambunctious son, and cute little dog named Monster. He has written for Cartoon Network’s Pink Panther & Pals, produced a short zombie film and independent feature film that was recently selected for Sundance, and is currently awaiting the release of his first direct-to-dvd creature feature. Jim’s screenplays have placed very high (and in some cases, won) in
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Pump Up Your Book Chats with Historical Fiction Author Carole Eglash-Kosoff

Carole Eglash-Kosoff lives and writes in Valley Village, California. She graduated from UCLA and spent her career in business, teaching, and traveling. She has visited more than seventy countries. An avid student of history, she researched the decades preceding and following the Civil War for nearly three years, including time in Louisiana, the setting for Winds of Change and her earlier novel, When Stars Align. It is a story of bi-racial love. It is a story of war, reconstruction, and racism, but primarily, it is a story of hope. This is her third book. In 2006, following the death of her husband, she volunteered to teach in South Africa.
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All Keyed Up and Key of Sea Virtual Book Publicity Tour January 2012

Join Mary Stella, author of the romance novels, All Keyed Up and Key of Sea (Medallion Press), as she virtually tours the blogosphere January 3rd – 13th on her first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book! About Mary Stella A voracious book fan since first learning to read, Mary Stella fell in love with romance novels while pursuing her English degree decades ago. A professional writer since someone first paid her to write radio commercials while she was still in college, she always dreamed of writing a book someday. Eventually, she realized that a book wouldn’t spring fully written from her brain so she’d better get cracking. All
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Pump Up Chats with S.B. Lerner

S.B. Lerner has worked as an attorney in Manhattan, and in the evenings she wrote and published short stories. They are now available as a collection, called In the Middle of Almost and Other Stories. After getting married and becoming a mom, she was struck with the importance of knowing family history, so she researched and wrote the story of her father’s life. It was through learning about his early interest in a Zionist youth group in Poland that she became interested in the subject of her first novel, A Suitable Husband, which is set in prewar Poland. When not writing, teaching an ESOL class, doing ‘mom’ things or
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Pump Up Chats with Hank Quense

Award-winning author Hank Quense lives in Bergenfield, NJ with his wife Pat.  They have two daughters and five grandchildren.  He writes humorous fantasy and scifi stories.  On occasion, he also writes an article on fiction writing or book marketing but says that writing nonfiction is like work while writing fiction is fun.  He refuses to write serious genre fiction saying there is enough of that on the front page of any daily newspaper and on the evening TV news. Visit Hank online at http://Strangeworldsonline.com  and http://hankquense.com. You can find his blog at http://hankquense.com/blog Thank you for this interview, Hank.  Do you remember writing stories as a child or did
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New Book for Review: Act of Grace by Karen Simpson

Karen Simpson will be touring in February with her contemporary speculative fiction novel Act of Grace. Why would Grace Johnson, an African American high school senior, take a bullet to save the life of a Ku Klux Klansman named Jonathan Gilmore? The question hovers unanswered over Grace’s hometown of Vigilant, Michigan. Few people, black or white, understand her sacrifice, especially since rumor has it years ago a member of Gilmore’s family murdered several African Americans including Grace’s father. Grace doesn’t want to talk about it, but the decision to speak is not hers to make. Ancestor spirits emerge to insist, in ways Grace cannot ignore, that she bear witness
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New Book For Review: The Canker Death by James R. Bottino

James R. Bottino will be touring February 6 – March 30th 2012 with his fantasy/sci-fi novel The Canker Death. When the reclusive, cynical systems administrator, Petor Fidelistro, discovers that one of his own servers has been cracked late one night, he makes it his personal business to track down the perpetrator. What his search uncovers thrusts him, unaware, into a mad shifting between worlds, time and alien minds. Fighting to keep his grip on reality, and forcing him to cope with his past, Petor finds himself uncontrollably transitioning between sentient minds that range from semi-conscious to dominant, from beings whose bodies and identities he can control, to those who
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K.S. Krueger Being Interviewed at Stories From Unknown Authors Tomorrow!

K.S. Krueger, author of the middle grade fantasy series, Traegonia, will be interviewed on December 8th at Stories from Unknown Authors with Renee Hand. Number to call in is: (619) 566-0945. The show begins at 8 PM Eastern. Although her background has been in business, K.S. Krueger has always loved to write. She has written poetry and several children’s stories originally for her eldest daughter. Kim enjoys the idea of seeing the world through the eyes of her imagination and finds herself submerged in the worlds she creates. Imagination has never been in short supply ever since she was a child. Because her series rides a fine line between fantasy and
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Unbridled Grace Virtual Book Publicity Tour February 2012

Join Dr. Michael J. Norman, author of the Christian/inspirational non-fiction book, Unbridled Grace (Dog Ear Publishing, LLC), as he virtually tours the blogosphere February 6th – 29th on his first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book! About Dr. Michael J. Norman Dr. Michael J. Norman has owned a family health center offering chiropractic care and wellness programs since 1992.  Since 2003, he has served as a staff doctor at a non-profit center offering health care and life services to the indigent and un-insured of his community.  In addition to his practice, Dr. Norman enjoys writing, speaking, mission outreach and completing graduate studies in Theology. He lives with his family near
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Pump Up Chats with Dianne Hartsock

Dianne lives in the beautiful Willamette Valley of Oregon with her incredibly patient husband, who puts up with the endless hours she spends hunched over the keyboard letting her characters play. Currently, Dianne works as a floral designer in a locally-owned gift shop. Which she says is the perfect job for her. When not writing, she can express herself through the rich colors and textures of flowers and foliage. Blog: http://diannehartsock.wordpress.com/ FB: http://www.facebook.com/diannehartsock Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/diannehartsock Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4850270.Dianne_Hartsock Thank you for this interview, Dianne.  Do you remember writing stories as a child or did the writing bug come later?  Do you remember your first published piece? A: I’ve always been
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New Book for Review: Historical Fiction ‘Pictures of the Past’ by Deby Eisenberg

Deby Eisenberg will be touring February 6-29 2012 with her historical fiction novel, Pictures of the Past! First-time novelist Deby Eisenberg hits the ground running with PICTURES OF THE PAST, an epic family and historical saga, sweeping through Chicago, Paris and Berlin, reliving events from pre-World War II Europe, but beginning in contemporary times.  An Impressionist painting, hanging for decades in the Art Institute of Chicago and donated by the charismatic philanthropist Taylor Woodmere, is challenged by an elderly woman as a Nazi theft. Mary Lignor of Book Pleasures says, “This novel is one of the most intriguing and beautiful books that I have ever read.  The ending of
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Pump Up Chats with John Rosenman

John Rosenman recently retired as an English professor at Norfolk State University where he designed and taught a course in how to write Science fiction and Fantasy. He is a former Chairman of the Board of the Horror Writers Association and has published approximately 350 stories in places such as Weird Tales, Whitley Strieber’s Aliens, Fangoria, Galaxy, The Age of Wonders, and the Hot Blood anthology series. John has published twenty books, including SF action/romantic adventure novels such as Beyond Those Distant Stars and Speaker of the Shakk (Mundania Press), A Senseless Act of Beauty (Crossroad Press), and Alien Dreams (Drollerie Press and Crossroad Press). Shorter books include A
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New Book for Review in Feb 2012: Christian/Inspirational Non-fiction: Unbridled Grace by Dr. Michael Norman

Dr. Michael Norman is touring in February 2012 with, Unbridled Grace. Answering a two-line classified ad in the newspaper had life-changing consequences for a trustingly naive doctor fresh out of school, just starting his career and life as a new father. In a nightmarish true story that could occur to any of us, he innocently takes a part-time chiropractic job from employers who were later found to be a Russian-organized crime ring involved in money laundering, insurance fraud and other crimes. Despite his cooperation in a federal government investigation, the author soon finds himself surrounded by deception on all sides. As his cooperation is turned cruelly against him, Michael endures
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Talking Virtual Book Tours with Chuck Waldron

U.S. born, Canadian novelist Chuck Waldron is currently working on his fourth novel, a thriller about an investigative blogger who uncovers more than he ever imagines…and has no idea what to do with his discovery. His first novel, Tears in the Dust, is a mystery set against the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War in 1937. When Alestair Ferguson volunteers to fight in the International Brigade he doesn’t realize the true price he will have to pay. Chuck’s second novel, Remington and the Mysterious Fedora, is a quirky fantasy, a story about what happens when a young man sits at the keyboard of a manual typewriter and puts on
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Pump Up Chats with Contemporary Romance Author Barbara Weitz

Barbara Weitz lives in a quiet suburb of Chicago with her husband and a mischievous German shepherd, thankful her three grown sons are grown and off making mayhem elsewhere. A career executive secretary for most of her life, she has also held a variety of mundane and unusual employment opportunities, during her sons growing years. This, coupled with a passion for animals and music, has helped shape the fictional characters she creates. She invites you to visit her website at: http://barbaraweitz.com Thank you for this interview, Barbara.  Do you remember writing stories as a child or did the writing bug come later?  Do you remember your first published piece?
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First Chapters: Death On a High Floor by Chuck Rosenberg

Pump Up Your Book is proud to bring you the first chapters of fantastic books from magnificently talented authors.  Not only does this give you a chance to see the author’s writing style, but it also helps in your book buying decisions.  Today’s first chapter is from Chuck Rosenberg’s legal thriller, Death on a High Floor. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Death On a High Floor By Chuck Rosenberg Sliding Hill Press (August 12, 2011) Legal Thriller 453 pages Chapter One © Copyright Charles Rosenberg 2011 All Rights Reserved
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The Public Pretender Virtual Book Publicity Tour February 2012

Join M.D. Cliatt, author of the legal thriller, The Public Pretender (CreateSpace), as she virtually tours the blogosphere February 6 -February 17 2012 on her first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book! About M.D. Cliatt M. D. Cliatt is a wife and a mother of two teenage boys. She lives in Central Pennsylvania where she is a staff attorney in a law school clinical program, and an adjunct law professor who teaches juvenile justice and legal writing. She used to be a public defender specializing in representing children, and for the most part, loved the work. She thrived in the heat of courtroom battle, but the highs
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New Book for Review: Espionage Thriller ‘Age of Intolerance’ by Peyman Pejman

Peyman Pejman will be touring January 3 – February 27, 2012 with his espionage thriller Age of Intolerance! Age of Intolerance is both an espionage thriller tackling a serious and newsworthy current affairs topic and heart-warming saga of a relationship between estranged brother and sister, each having pledged allegiance to a political master bent on defeating the other. Charles Shahin is a American journalist of Iranian descent whom the Central Intelligence Agency convinces to become a spy, skirting a long-held tradition that spy agencies not recruit reporters. Pretending to be a reporter for a US-based Internet newsgathering site, Shahin settles in sleepy Cyprus, long the center of spies and
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Age of Intolerance Virtual Book Publicity Tour January & February 2012

Join Peyman Pejman, author of the espionage thriller, Age of Intolerance (CreateSpace), as he virtually tours the blogosphere January 3 -February 27 2012 on his first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book! About Peyman Pejman Peyman Pejman is an award-winning journalist with over 20 years of experience. He has worked with respected newspapers, news agencies and radio stations such as The Washington Post, Philadelphia Inquirer, Cox Newspapers, The Associated Press, United Press International, Reuters, Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Pejman has extensive experience in the Middle East and the Arab world. His tenure in the Middle East has corresponded with important timelines in the
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New Book for Review: Self-Help/Spirituality ‘Anger Mastery:Get Angry, Get Happy’ by Kevin Burk

Kevin Burk will be touring February 13-April 13, 2012 with his self-help/spirituality book, Anger Mastery: Get Angry, Get Happy! Author Kevin B. Burk wants to make you angry. Burk believes that getting angry is the first step to happiness, and his newest book, Anger Mastery: Get Angry, Get Happy shows you how. “Anger is like fire,” says Burk. “When you master it, it’s a powerful source of energy. If you don’t master it, however, it can be dangerous and destructive.” More importantly, Burk asserts, until you master your anger, other people will steal your energy, your power, and your ability to be happy. The Anger Mastery Process has three
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How to Grow Apples in the Southern U.S. Virtual Book Publicity Tour January 2012

Join Trey Watson, author of the gardening book, How to Grow Apples in the Southern U.S. (CreateSpace), as he virtually tours the blogosphere January 3- 13 2012 on his first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book! About Trey Watson Trey Watson is a small businessman living in eastern Texas. For almost two decades he has gardened (sometimes successfully) in a region with hot summers and winters that are either too cold or not cold enough. In 2006 he began a nursery operation that specializes in fruit trees for warm climates. During that same year, he began marketing apple trees to southern gardeners and was met with incredulous
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  • December 2, 2011
  • Featured, First Chapters
  • Comments Off on First Chapters: Remington & The Mysterious Fedora by Chuck Waldron

First Chapters: Remington & The Mysterious Fedora by Chuck Waldron

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Remington & The Mysterious Fedora By Chuck Waldron WriteByMe Books (April 6, 2011) Fantasy 256 pages Chapter One Walking through a door one afternoon was a life-changing event for Josh. Earlier that morning, he had made a grand announcement.  Grandiose might have better described it. “I’m going to write a novel, and what’s more I’m going to write it in a month.” When his friends stopped laughing he said, “I’m not kidding.  I saw it on the internet, a challenge to write a 50,000-word
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How To Create a Facebook Welcome Page by John Ames

We have a great guest post for you today! John Ames, author of Adventures in Nowhere, is here to help us with creating our own personal Facebook Welcome Page. You can visit his website at www.johnamesauthor.com. How to Create a Facebook Welcome Page by John Ames These days, authors have to do a great deal of promotion for themselves, which usually involves creating a fan page for yourself, your book, or a product connected to your book. Creating the page itself is not very hard. Facebook gives good instructions on fan page creation: http://www.facebook.com/help/?faq=12809&ref_query=create+fanpage#!/pages/create.php Once the page is up, the next move is to make it as attractive as
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