Death In Bagheria by Susan Russo Anderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Was the time period important to the story? Yes, I felt it was very important. Without the historical setting it would not be so interesting

What do you think is the climax of the book and why. When Naldo shot his father. Because at that point the truth was out.

Top 3 things I liked about the whole book. The idea was good. The setting was amazing. The baron and baroness.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.

View all my reviews

Zoe & Zak and the Ghost Leopard by Lars Guignard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Tell us whatever you thought. It was fast paced. Setting changed many times. The characters were believable and I enjoyed being part of their journey.

Name your favorite thing about the book. It was fast paced and I loved all the things about India and their culture.

What are the most important relationships in the book? Friendship and parenting. Zoe and Zak are opposites who learn to appreciate what they have.

What did you enjoy about this book? The book was a fantasy, a get away from real life and I really enjoyed the fresh, youthful writing style.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.

View all my reviews

How to create a great work area for inspiration

by Liz Schulte

Every writer needs a place they can feel inspired. Inspiration is different for everyone, but having a space you want to be in is important.

This is my office.

My chair is soft and comfortable, my walls are bright and stimulating, and I am surrounded my shelves of my favorite books. I also made bulletin board over my desk to story board books and hang up random bits of information or research I have done.

So to start creating your own space look at what you need and what you want.

1. Surround yourself with the things you love. I have my books and random action figures around me all the time.

2. Keep the space tidy and work ready, or if you are like me, you will waste time cleaning before you can start working.

3. Pick a color that you find stimulating. Before the lime green my office was a soft relaxing gray. It was nice, but a little too serene and it made me sleepy. I suggest something brighter.

4. Make sure you have space to be creative. Don’t box yourself into such a small space that you can’t let the creativity out.

The most important advice I can give is however you decide to set up your work space, make sure you like it because that is really the only thing that matter.

Thank you very much for having me on your blog today. Please feel free to check out the first book in my paranormal romance series, Secrets, for free.

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Genre – Paranormal Romance

Rating – PG13

More details about the author & the book

Connect with Liz Schulte on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://www.lizschulte.com/

While Olivia Martin observed life through her camera, the Abyss gazed back at her. She discovers mysterious men follow her around, people close to her are dying, and her dreams are no longer her own as she falls head over heels for a perfect stranger. A chance encounter leads to an obsession that could destroy everything she has ever known or loved. Olivia is about to find out there is a lot she doesn’t know and sometimes what you don’t know can kill you.

Buy Now @ Amazon & Smashwords

Genre – Paranormal Romance

Rating – PG13

Connect with Liz Schulte on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://www.lizschulte.com/

Chat live with Urban Fantasy author Elizabeth Kirke 

Twitter TODAY at 11 AM EST

use hashtag: #SnowBound

After learning how to use magic and fighting vampires, anyone would be bored going back to normal college life. Worst of all, Jen misses the friends she made over the summer. Naturally, Jen is all too happy to accept an invitation to go skiing with the gang during winter break.

She gears up for two weeks of snow, magic, and fun. Just when everything seems to be going great, an uninvited guest turns up. Soon the skiers aren’t the only things going downhill. Jen thought that vampires were just about the most dangerous thing the magical world could throw at her. Unfortunately, she’s about to learn that people with no magic at all can be just as deadly...

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Enter to win a More than Magic Swag Pack:

Signed paperback of Semester Abroad (More than Magic #1)

Limited Edition More than Magic Calendar (filled with exclusive trivia)

2 signed bookmarks

$25 Amazon Gift Card

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A GWR Publicity promotional event paid for by Anchor Group Publishing

All special offers are valid on a first come first serve basis until Sunday, 31st March 2013.

ALL 3 (THREE) of the Orangeberry packages listed below for only $50

1. ORANGEBERRY PAINT THE TOWN is a 15-day book tour. It consists of 10 blog stops, 2 Twitter Views and 2 Twitter Blasts. (Usual price is $50.00)

2. ORANGEBERRY SPREAD ME sees to it that you and your book receive long-term exposure on the web with 5 blog stops in 5 weeks. (Usual price is $30.00)

3. ORANGEBERRY BOOK OF THE DAY is a sweet tool if you want your book to appear on the same day on at least 50 different blogs. (Usual price is $49.99)

Payment is exclusively via PayPal.

1.Upon sign-up you will receive a starter kit with more details about your guest posts and interview questions.

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Next available date - We will need at least three weeks to finalise your book tour.

ORANGEBERRY SPREAD ME sees to it that you and your book receive long-term exposure on the web.

What will you receive? 20 blogs will feature your book over 20 weeks.

What will it cost you? It will cost you $50.00 for 20 blog stops (20 weeks)

Payment is exclusively via PayPal.

1.Upon sign-up you will receive a starter kit with more details.

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Next available date - We will need at least three weeks to finalise your book tour.

ORANGEBERRY PHOENIX is a 30-day virtual book tour that offers you and your book an extremely sweet spot at some high traffic blogs.

How will you benefit? - You’ll have the opportunity to share your thoughts, be interviewed, receive book reviews and daily social media presence.

What will it cost you? Special offer for March 2013 – Promoting your NaNoWriMo book or if you are a female author (in conjunction with International Women’s Day)  the Phoenix tour will cost you $75.00 (Usual price is $100.00)

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Why Writing is a Form of Personal Therapy

by Rachel Thompson

I’ve been writing since I was in the fifth grade. However, it wasn’t until 2011 that I published my first book of essays, A Walk In The Snark. A good portion of that book is based on my blog, in particular the differences between men and women. Though primarily known as the funny girl, a small portion of that book is dedicated to something decidedly sad and real. 

As I began writing more material to add to that book, an ex-love of mine killed himself. We’d been in touch the last few months, and in fact, I spoke with him on what would turn out to be his final day. His final hours.

I poured my shock and grief into my writing. Many people had opinions about how I should feel, but I found that writing was my true salvation. Listening to my own voice was what mattered the most. No matter that I hadn’t seen him in over twenty years – to me, a person who I gave my heart to at one point had now vanished from the earth. Suicide leaves so many questions unanswered.

It took about nine months until Snark finally ranked on a major list: Motherhood, and sales started to kick in. During this time, I started writing my next book, where I focused strictly on the humor aspect that people came to know: deconstructing stereotypes with satire. Mancode: Exposed came out just before Christmas of 2012 and shot to the #1 paid spot on Parenting and Families! Having two books out, both ranked and selling well, was a dream come true for me.

As I sat down to write my next humor book, the thoughts of dealing with the grief of my ex’s death, along with the powerful experiences I’d had growing up (molestation, attempted date rape, abuse), kept running through my head. I decided not to argue with my muse and began writing what would become Broken Pieces (released December, 2012). So far, reviewers have loved it.

In order to get my audience prepped for this change in subject matter, from light to dark, I began asking guests to share their own real-life experiences that helped shape them. The guest stories are compelling and terrifying—stories of kidnapping, stalking, rape. I highly recommend you read them.

The most fascinating aspect of asking people to write for me was this: many had never shared what they’d been through before, had never written down what had happened with them. Giving them permission, giving ourselves permission, is a wonderful way to mine those universal truths many of us have experienced.

I’m an advocate of finding those bonds that exist between all of us. There’s no shame in sharing our experiences. If nothing else, it makes us better able to deal with our own realities, knowing we’re never truly alone.

Check out my books on Amazon: A Walk In The Snark, Mancode: Exposed, and my latest, Broken Pieces. Find me on Twitter at@RachelintheOC or my business @BadRedheadMedia. Look up the same names on G+, Facebook, Pinterest, etc. I’m everywhere!

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – NonFiction

Rating – PG13

More details about the author & the book

Connect with Rachel Thompson on Twitter & Facebook