Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Macaroni and Cheese for Thanksgiving by Cheryl C. Malandrinos






Title: MACARONI AND CHEESE FOR THANKSGIVING
Author: Cheryl C. Malandrinos
Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing
Pages: 16
Genre: Children’s Picture Book

Ten-year-old Macy is waiting for her grandparents to arrive on Thanksgiving. When the front door swings open, Grandma and Grandpa are covered with hugs and kisses. Crash! Everyone rushes in to find the dog gnawing a meaty turkey leg. Can Macy’s quick thinking save dinner?

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Book Excerpt:

Moments later, the front door swung open. In walked Macy’s dad and grandparents. The family raced to the door to hug them.

Crash!

“Oh no!” cried Mom. “What was that?”




About the Author


Cheryl C. Malandrinos is a freelance writer and editor. She is the author of Little Shepherd and A Christmas Kindness. A blogger and book reviewer, she lives in Massachusetts with her husband and two daughters. She also has a son who is married.

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Monday, December 12, 2016

On Top of the World (Until the Bell Chimes) by David Lamb



Title: ON TOP OF THE WORLD (UNTIL THE BELL CHIMES)
Author: David Lamb
Publisher: Woolly Mammoth Books
Pages: 240
Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Contemporary Romance/Multicultural/Humor/Satire

2016 BEST FICTION-Pacific Book Awards. FROM THE FUNNY AND NATURALLY BRILLIANT DAVID LAMB, award-winning playwright of the New York Times celebrated play, Platanos Y Collard Greens, comes a modern spin on Dickens' classic tale that perfectly combines humor and romance in a story re-imagined for our digital, consumerist age.  This version of Scrooge and Belle is familiar, yet unlike any you've come across before. Scrooge, or rather Scrooje, is music's biggest superstar, with one hundred million albums sold, fifteen million devoted YouTube subscribers, two and a half million Facebook likes, and twenty-five million fanatical Twitter followers known as Scroojites. Belle, is a legal shark who gulps down her opposition voraciously and whose beauty and stunning figure causes traffic accidents as she zips through the sidewalks of Manhattan stylishly adorned and taking no prisoners.   They never imagined being music's most powerful couple, but that's exactly what happened when Belle fell head over heels and gave the Coke-bottle glasses wearing, plaid and stripe attired, scrawny, biggest nerd on her college campus the ultimate makeover, turning him into a fashion impresario whose style sets trends from Milan to NY Fashion Week and who can be seen courtside at the NBA Finals sporting a perfectly-fitted cashmere suit.   Then it happens. Belle realizes too late that she's created a chart-topping monster as Scrooje's ego explodes and he starts acting a fool.   Now, it's been three years since they ve spoken. But tonight at Hollywood s biggest red carpet event, with the whole world watching, they'll be given a second chance.   Will Scrooje listen to the ghostly-advice of Marley, his best friend since the fourth grade, who at the time of his untimely drowning at his Brazilian poolside birthday bash was as big a star as Scrooje? Will Scrooje finally do right by his number one artist, Cratchit, a genius comedian, who Scrooje invariably rip offs every chance he gets?   And with twenty-five million viewers tuned in will Scrooje finally shed his ego, jeopardize his image and declare his love for Belle, the one he betrayed and let slip away?   Second chances don't often come around. Will Belle even give him a chance?   Mixing heart, soul, bling and romance in a fresh, original satire about race, class and celebrity worship Lamb establishes himself as one of the most talented and amazing writers today. And leaves no doubt that the Pacific Book Awards chose wisely when they selected On Top Of The World as the year's Best Fiction.

Purchase Information:

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Book Excerpt:
The devil doesnt wear Prada, he wears Sean John and I was the idiot who taught him how to shop.
That was what I got for reading Frankenstein in college. Id been turned into a mad scientist without even realizing it. Just my luck, I was a math major and the one literature course I took had tricked me into creating a monster.
When I first met Scrooʝe, helike most humans with XY chromosomeswas a fashion emergency. Awkwardly walking around campuslost, desperately in need of a haircut, and for some strange reason wearing glasses so big he looked like an owl hunting for prey. He was just plain pitiful.
But I have to confess, from the moment I saw him my heart sang a happy song and I couldnt look away. Something between us was magnetic.

Hey, what can I say, I was always the kind of girl who liked rescue projects. When I was eight years old, I turned my familys garage into a makeshift animal shelter, and damn near gave my father a heart attack when a hungry pack of strays rushed at him as he pulled into the driveway.
So naturally, one look into Scrooʝes sad puppy dog eyes and I felt right awayhe was the one.
Before I knew it, we were college sweethearts and best friends. Of course, I had to clean him up, but after a few months under my tutelage everyone noticed his transformation. They saw that with his gorgeous toffee skin, deliciously full lips and sexy broad shoulders he was the cutest boy on campus.  Pretty soon I had girls telling me I needed to start a makeover service.
That was how it all started. Who could have known that a simple makeover would unleash the devilish genius of the sweetest, shyest, most socially awkward boy Id ever met, and transform him into musics biggest superstar with an ego the size of Texas yet more fragile than an egg yolk? And a whole lot messier! Not me.
Without a doubt weve traveled a long crazy road together. Scrooʝe was the first boy I gave my heart to. Our relationship went from me rescuing him in college, to him rescuing me in law school, to our emergence as musics power couple. He was the artist/entrepreneur, and I was the best lawyer love could buy.
And now, were strangers.
Its been three years since weve seen or spoken to each other, and sometimes, against my better judgment, I find myself thinking about him and feel a smile creep across my face. 
This morning was one of those times when my thoughts turned to Scrooʝe. Normally Id tell myself off for not letting go, but today I gave myself a break. After all, it isnt every day that you might not just run into your ex, but do it live on television at Hollywoods biggest event.
“Everything’s gonna be fine, girl,” I told myself as I contemplated everything that could go wrong if we ran into each other at The Awards. I was especially dreading an untimely re-emergence of my long-standing klutz curse.
My whole life, Id been jinxed with inopportune clumsiness. As the ring girl at my parentsvow renewal, I stumbled, fell in the grass, and lost the rings. As a tiny ballerina, I was the best in my class, until the day of the recital when I went tumbling down like Humpty Dumpty.
Now with the whole world watching, I simply could not afford such an embarrassing spill.
As I sat in the back of a sleek limousine on my way to the ceremony, gazing up at the L.A. skyline, nervously checking my hair in the mirror for the dozenth time in half a dozen minutes, I tried to push down the queasiness threatening to erupt from the pit of my stomach. The last thing I needed was to step onto the red carpet covered in this afternoons lunch. The paparazzi would surely have a field day with that one.
Well, like I said it was exactly three years to the day that I stomped out of Scrooʝes life, but tonight we were both nominated for Awards. I knew God worked in mysterious ways, but now I was convinced she also had a sense of humor. 
I never thought Id be nominated for anything, but life had other plans. After we broke up, I quickly discovered that the best cure for PTRS—post-traumatic-relationship-stress—was writing. By the time I finished hammering those computer keys, I was author of an award-winning, best-selling, drama-filled, tragically comic novel that Hollywood just had to have. Now here I was nominated for an Award as one of the producers of the years biggest movie.
Once word got out that I was nominated, I was immediately blessed (or cursed depending on your view) with a merry-go-round of opinions. From my hair to my makeup to my shoes to my dress, from my eyebrows to my voice, to making sure I didnt have ashy kneeseveryone had an opinion. Normally I was unflappable, but with so many people giving so many conflicting opinions I was suddenly a nervous wreck. Finally, I stopped answering the phone because I couldnt take any more unsolicited advice. If someone did manage to reach me on the phone, before they could even say a word Id say, No, I dont know what Im going to wear, and no, I dont know how Im doing my hair,before abruptly clicking off. Unbelievable, Russell Simmons can show up without a tie and wearing sneakers, yet still be a style icon. But let a woman have one eyelash out of place and itll be the lead on the evening news.
Two nights before The Awards, I tried to veg out with an episode of Soccer Moms From Hell. But before I could lose myself in the drama, my cell phone buzzed with a text. Oh, come on!I yelled, throwing my hands up unnecessarily dramatically. Then I looked at it. It was from my father. He wrote simplyBe you.
At least there was one man in the world I could still count on.
Two days later, on my way to The Awards I tried to wrap my head around the idea that Id soon be standing on the stage with millions watching. This was not part of the plan. I was a behind-the-scenes kind of gal, not at all attracted to the limelight. So, as I pulled up to The Awards, my nerves fluttered in my stomach like butterflies. But despite my anxiety, when I last checked the mirror I didnt look too shabby. Thank God, Michelle Obama isn’t the only one who looks perfect in a Carolina Herrera gown.
As I climbed out of the limo and walked the red carpet, waving at the crowd gathered to cheer on their favorite artists, I thought about everything that had led up to this moment and even though I was anxious on the inside, on the outside I smiled as if I werent the least bit concerned all while praying for two thingsplease, dont let me fall in front of all these people, and please, please, dont let me run into Scrooʝe.
  About the Author
 
David Lamb is a native New Yorker, born and raised, bitten with the writing bug since he was in elementary school and had handwriting nobody could decipher. Like Charles Dickens, David grew up a poor boy in the big city who found that the pen really is mightier than the sword. In middle school Lamb’s hero was David Lampel whose velvet voice could be heard reporting the news over David’s grandmother’s radio. Whenever he heard him on the radio, David would substitute Lamb for Lampel and pretend he was delivering the news. Sure that he was destined to be a famous reporter David was happy to go to a high school with a journalism program. Like most kids, by the time he finished high school he had a whole new career in mind. After high school he went to Hunter College and majored in Economics because he wanted to be cool like that college kid who came to speak at his last year of high school. He was an Economics major, he was dressed sharp and above-all the girls thought he was the man! So like any unreasonable high school boy fueled by overactive hormones David figured if he majored in Economics they’d think he was cool. After finishing college David went on to law school at NYU, but all the time writing was still his heart. While working as a lawyer by day, at night he transformed into a writer and eventually wrote and produced the award-winning hit off-Broadway romantic comedy Platanos Y Collard Greens. Being a writer and having the chance make people laugh out loud while challenging them to think about the world around them, and inspire each of us to believe in the power of love and our own ability to overcome life’s challenges is a great gift that David truly enjoys and thanks you for allowing him to share with you in On Top Of The World (Until The Bell Chimes).

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Beckham 101: The Kate and Robert Chronicles by Suzanne Eglington






Title: Beckham 101: The Kate and Robert Chronicles
Author: Suzanne Eglington
Publisher: Xlibris
Pages: 280
Genre: Romantic Suspense

BECKHAM 101 is the third installment in the Kate and Robert Chronicles by author Suzanne Eglington. Eglington invites readers into the intimate inner world of the newly wedded duo as they learn to navigate life as a committed couple. Settling down brings new perspectives and people into Kate’s and Robert’s lives, along with the exposure of more of Robert’s mysterious past. For Kate, being married to a top cop means managing both desire and reality.
Following a one-week courtship, Kate submits to her love for Robert, an intense super cop who has been patiently waiting for his opportunity to seize the one women he truly desires. Their quick marriage means frequent amorous entanglements, but it also means that Kate’s knowledge of her new husband’s personal history is limited. Kate must steady herself to cope with the slow unveiling of her husband’s past.
Being the wife of an influential and respected police officer means a change in lifestyle for Kate. Robert is fiercely protective of his wife and enjoys spending as much of his free time with her as possible. Marriage to Robert means Kate has inherited a family of high-performing cops who not only open their hearts for her but also provide protection when ghosts from Robert’s past threaten to harm her.         
In BECKHAM 101, the author introduces new characters into the series, including Robert’s best friend, Jimmy and Kate’s wise and skilled Uncle Jack. As with the two previous books in the Kate and Robert Chronicles, Eglington’s mission is to offer readers a respite from their daily lives. “First and foremost,” Eglington says she wants her readers to feel “I have entertained you with my characters and possibly left a lasting enjoyable impression that fed the passion and intensity of the love between Kate and Robert. Second, that I was able to take you away from your everyday routine to enjoy some downtime with a story you are falling in love with.” Beyond the steamy intimacy and the thread of danger embedded in her stories, Eglington’s books also highlight the lives of cops. “My stories are about the lives cops lead away from the police department. I want readers to think of the men behind the badge and the people who could be in their lives.”
By gradually revealing some elements of Robert’s past in BECKHAM 101, Eglington is priming readers for the fourth book in this sexy and suspense-filled series.

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Book Excerpt:

Everything Robert had said to me was playing over and over in my head.
“Don’t open the door for anyone. Liam and Kevin have a key. They will call first.”
     They will call first. . .  they will call first . . .
    Why would they break protocol? They were under Robert’s orders.
                  Liam phoned to tell me he had to go out on a call. “Don’t open the door for anyone. . .” And stupid, stupid me, here was “anyone” forcing her way into our home, radiating with conflict. She had caught me off guard, and as my brain started taking in what was happening, I had two choices because this was going to end badly. I could run downstairs, which would be another bad decision on my part. She knew the setup very well because that is where my husband used to take her and all the women he slept with. Talk about feeling used—he never let them sleep over or spend time with him. Hell, he didn’t even let them touch him. It was just sex and then they left.
                  This bitch in front of me—Ms. Fellow officers Christine Foss—was one of his regulars. I hated her so much. And I still hadn’t paid much attention to how the bottom floor was laid out. There was the gym, the bathroom, and a bedroom with a big storage area in the back. Did it have a door? Where was it located? Damn it! I do not like being vulnerable. Everything I needed was located upstairs. Outside of cleaning down there a few times, it was pretty much forgotten that it was part of the house.
                  Survival mode began to erupt. My dad’s poker face slipped on just like he and Uncle Jack taught me to show no emotion in a conflict. Uncle Jack said once they read fear, it’s all over.




About the Author


Suzanne Eglington is the author of the Kate and Robert Chronicles series. The three-book series follows the unfolding romance of top cop Robert Beckham and the ravishing Kate Quinn. The titles in the series are Inceptions, You and I, and the recently released Beckham 101. A fourth book in the Kate and Robert Chronicles series is forthcoming.

Suzanne currently resides in Central Massachusetts with her family.

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Saturday, December 10, 2016

Cover Reveal: Rig 'Em by Delphine Dryden


Inside the Book:




Title: Rig 'Em
Author: Delphine Dryden
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Genre: Women's Fiction
Format: Ecopy 

SADDLED
Thanks to a boots knockin’ schedule of both vanilla and kinky events, the Hilltop Guest Ranch is more successful than ever. And with their hemp rope skyrocketing into a sought-after bondage staple, Chet is fielding a lot of questions about his cousins’ business . . . and indulging his own kinky side with the help of Diego, the ranch’s hot, accommodating gamekeeper . . .

SPURRED
The fun is kicking into high gear until Chet ropes in a roving reporter trying to crash a private event. But Nicole’s not just any reporter—she’s Diego’s former Mistress. And she’s not crashing, she’s trying to win Diego back and enjoy a weekend of open-air pleasure . . .

FULL GALLOP
Chet’s not willing to give up his favorite sub so easily, and he doesn’t trust Nicole. He fully intends to keep an eye on her. But Diego wants them both and he has a plan to turn observation into participation. It seems the best kind of trouble comes in threes . . .


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MEET THE AUTHOR



Delphine Dryden majored in English at the University of Texas at Austin, and probably should have gone ahead and gone for that MFA and PhD to become an English professor like she planned. Instead, she took a detour through law school, practiced law for a woefully brief time, and wound up working in special education for the next fifteen or so years (first as a teacher, then as an educational diagnostician). Somewhere in there, she also obtained a Master’s in Educational Psychology/Special Education.

Delphine has written contemporary and erotic romance for Carina Press and Harlequin, and mainstream steampunk romance for Berkley Publishing. She has also self-published. Her writing has earned an Award of Excellence and Reviewers’ Choice Award from Romantic Times Book Reviews, an EPIC Award, and a Colorado Romance Writers’ Award of Excellence. She was the also the inaugural winner of the Science in My Fiction contest. When not writing, she can be found editing for various freelance clients and for Riptide Publishing.

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Friday, December 9, 2016

Guest post by Jane Jordan, Author of 'The Beekeeper's Daughter'

The book cover for The Beekeeper’s Daughter is a simple design - a bee resting on a pentagram, against a plain dark background.  The title words are situated below the design and are a light honey color.  We used a vintage style in keeping with the Victorian theme of the book. My name is written in more modern style, and is a little more prominent. 

I wanted a simple yet eye-catching design, to make my book stand out if it were placed amongst others.  This design also does not look out of place amongst my other previously published book covers, where I used a single idea, or a combination of two ideas significant to those stories.

The bee and the pentagram are significant to the story of, The Beekeeper’s Daughter, as bees feature throughout the novel.  The pentagram is reference to the witchcraft element, and a strong theme running throughout this book. 

My publisher is Black Opal Books, and I worked with Jack in the art department to create this cover.  When I told him my idea, he soon grasped exactly what I wanted.  We did try, adding a red rose and a dark honeycomb pattern as a background, but I soon decided both these things detracted from the main design.  They made the cover appear complicated.  I came to the conclusion that simplicity was the best way to go.


Then, it was a matter of the right type of bee, and pentagram.  I requested the pentagram either be etched or drawn, to mimic the pentagram in the story, and Jack  achieved that idea perfectly.  We tried a couple of different bees, but the one we ended up with is exactly what I was looking for. This bee is lifelike and endearing, but when placed on the pentagram it gives a hint of something sinister.

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ABOUT THE BOOK

Title:  The Beekeeper’s Daughter
Genre: Thriller
Author: Jane Jordan
PublisherBlack Opal Books
Find out more on Amazon and B&N
Beekeeper’s daughter Annabel Taylor grows up wild and carefree on the moors of England in the late 1860s. A child of nature and grace with an unusual ability to charm bees, Annabel follows in the footstep of her mother Lilith, a beautiful witch.  With her closest friend and soulmate Jevan Wenham by her side, Annabel’s life is a life filled with wonder and curiosity. But Jevan, the son of a blacksmith, lives his life on the verge of destruction, and his devotion to Annabel probes the boundaries between brutality and deep desire, passion and pleasure. When Jevan leaves Exmoor to pursue an education in London, Annabel’s world shatters.  Devastated without Jevan, Annabel is sure her life is ending. But everything changes when she crosses paths with Alexander Saltonstall. The heir to the Saltonstall legacy and son of Cerberus Saltonstall, the wealthy landowner of the foreboding Gothelstone Manor, Alex is arrogant and self-assured—and enamored of the outspoken Annabel.  Even though the two are socially worlds apart, that doesn’t stop Alex from asking, or rather demanding, Annabel’s hand in marriage.  But when Annabel refuses, she is forced into an impossible situation. To further complicate matters, Jevan is back—and so are those same desires, that same passion and intensity. But nothing is as it seems, and Annabel and Jevan are in grave danger.  At risk of being ensnared into the dark legacy of the Saltonstall family, Annabel faces the ultimate test.  Will her fledgling powers be enough to save those she loves most? Can she even save herself?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jane Jordan grew up in Essex, England and spent six years in the South West of England living on Exmoor.  A trained horticulturist, Jane worked and volunteered for Britain’s National Trust at Exmoor’s 1000-year-old Dunster Castle. The atmosphere, beautiful scenery, and ancient history of the place inspired Jane’s first novel, Ravens Deep, the debut release in her gothic vampire trilogy, which also included Blood & Ashes and A Memoir of Carl.  Jane Jordan lives in Southwest Florida.

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