Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Book Blast -- Frederick Lee Brooke



Buy Now @ Amazon
Genre – Mystery & Thriller / Horror
Rating – PG13

About Doing Max Vinyl:

Earth first. Okay, maybe second. Third? She’ll KILL you!


Max Vinyl’s type of success story can only happen in America. Rising from humble beginnings, he has reached the height of the computer recycling racket. Problem is, he’s using Lake Michigan as his own personal profit center. Even that wouldn’t have been a problem if his environmentalist girlfriend Tris hadn’t found out his dirty secret. And while Max is devastated by his love crashing down around him, he’s about to learn that the rage of a woman scorned packs far more firepower and potential for destruction than he had ever imagined.
Iraq War veteran Annie Ogden has spent three tormented months living in a cabin alone trying to re-discover her purpose in life. When two of Max’s thugs threaten Annie’s sister, she is dragged into his corrupt world in an unwitting alliance with the environmentalist, Tris. Which is really lousy news for Max. Will he hold up under the coordinated attacks of two furious women? As things spin completely out of control and complications mount, it’s all Max can do to stay one step ahead until it’s all he can do to stay alive!
A farce full of hysterics and chicanery, Frederick Lee Brooke’s first installment of the Annie Ogden mysteries is an incisive examination of corporate lunacy, greed and modern disconnection. Having received multiple four and five-star reviews on Amazon, Doing Max Vinyl: An Annie Ogden Mystery is loaded with razor-sharp dialogue, ingenious plotting and so much fun it should be illegal!

What reviewers are saying:
“I have read a great many Indie books recently and every once in a while you find a true gem. DOING MAX VINYL is one of those gems.”
“Read this book–you won’t be disappointed. BTW, I may just add Annie Ogden to my five-top-people-to-have-lunch-with list!”
“I particularly enjoyed two of the male characters, Ike and Tranny, a couple of ex-cons that work for Max Vinyl. The way that they fought like an old married couple as they dealt with the plot’s unexpected twists had me in stitches throughout the book.” 
“Like Hiassen, who writes from an abiding affection for South Florida, Brooke’s satire of reckless polluting is rooted in a love and knowledge of Chicago and Lake Michigan.” 
“Annie Ogden, a war veteran home after 3 tours of duty in Iraq, is trying to find her place in life. A self-sufficient, strong willed woman, she takes matters into her own hands to see justice achieved. The topic of returning veterans and their struggle to fit back into society is handled in a genuine, unique and passionate way.”



Buy Now @ Amazon
Genre – Mystery & Thriller / Horror
Rating – PG13

About Zombie Candy:


From her gorgeous husband to her acclaimed cooking classes, Candace Roach’s life looks nearly perfect from the outside. Well, appearances can be deceiving. Her husband, Larry, has three unruly addictions that drive her to the brink–zombie movies, cilantro, and having sex with other women. Luckily, her best friend Annie Ogden is back from Iraq and armed with a private investigator’s license and a fierce determination to see Candace happy again.
Together, the women uncover the ridiculous extent of Larry’s infidelity. He needs to be punished,that much is clear. But how can they hit him where it counts? Oh, if only she could find a way to tap into those three little addictions–what a lesson that would be. Italy is calling, as are the zombies in the night, as suburban housewife Candace Roach transforms herself into the ultimate fidelity vigilante, complete with a badass motorcycle, a very small pistol, and the nom de guerre ”Zombie Candy.”

What readers are saying…
Fasten your seat belts for the wild ride provided by this graphic and gritty work full of twists, turns, surprises and gourmet recipes to boot.
I laughed until my sides hurt…. Brooke does a fantastic job of paying homage to the zombie movies we love in this hilarious parody. Annie Ogden fans will not be disappointed.
Zombie Candy is a tasty morsel of revenge, regret, renewal, friendship and love with a zombie invasion that’s as good and fun as a box of Good n Plenty.
Overall ZOMBIE CANDY is an extraordinarily fun ride, but not your cliché roller coaster. No, this ones builds to a crescendo, again walking the reader (and the victim) through the labyrinth of one of the best revenge stories I’ve read in a long while.
Brooke keeps us guessing the whole time, and then leaves you with your mouth hanging open at the end: Did I just read that?!
“The First Wives Club” with zombies and cooking. But without cilantro.
I looked my husband as I was reading the story and said, ‘Some of you men are dogs.’
Everyone should purchase this book, especially if you have a friend who has dealt with a lying, cheating spouse and needs a good laugh and a little vengeful inspiration.
If you’ve ever been in a relationship with a cheater, I think you’ll get a kick out of reading one woman’s story of how she got even.
From the awkward moments of infidelities exposed at dinner parties, botched sexual encounters of an obvious sex addict, to the gruesome “zombie” attacks that will shock and amuse, this book kept me reading well past my bedtime.
This book has all the ingredients of a perfect noir comedy – well formed characters, international locations, a fast moving plot with no brakes, and of course Zombies. Revenge is a dish best served cold – and as a betrayed wife, master chef and cookery instructor, Candace cooks up the perfect recipe for the ultimate gazpacho.



About the author:

Born and raised in the Chicago area, Frederick Lee Brooke graduated from Amherst College and studied writing at the University of Montana before moving to Europe. Having run his own company for almost twenty years (though not in computer recycling), he was inspired to write a novel that captured the way people talk to each other when workday stress is compounded by the conflicts and ethical compromises of everyday life. Brooke currently resides in Europe and visits Chicago regularly.


From the author:
My books are mysteries, for lack of a better word. Doing Max Vinyl is about a computer recycling con man, while Zombie Candy is about a serial adulterer who happens to love zombie movies. In both books, Annie Ogden, a recently returned Iraq War vet who is having trouble adjusting to civilian life, gets personally involved in taking down these world-class jerks. I like a book with a good dose of humor, and the humor can come from the absurd situations people find themselves in. The world we live in is an absurd place, and you can either laugh or cry about it.
When I’m not writing I’m usually reading. I like to write book reviews. Of course I love it when people review my books, too. I like to cook and sometimes post recipes on my blog. Zombie Candy contains most of the recipes in the book in an annex at the end. I also like to hike and travel and learn about other cultures.

Connect with Frederick Lee Brooke:

Website
Facebook
Twitter

 
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Monday, January 7, 2013

Excerpt from Bill of Human Wrongs


About the book:

What would happen if you could see how your actions today could influence the future?
In this fast—paced thriller, this is exactly what happens.
Senator Claire Winslow is expected to vote on a bill that will change the Constitution, changes that could ruin many lives in the future.
When she meets a strange woman, and is convinced that she is a product of the bill’s passage, she needs to determine what she will do.
This story shows the parallel lives of two distinct times for the citizens of the US, and lets the reader to become close to characters in both the present and future.
Can Claire stop the future devastation and still vote for the bill to save her position as a Senator?
And what about Eve, the woman from a future time? Is there anything she can do to put an end to her country’s ways?

Excerpt


“This talk is crazy, Claire. You actually believe that this intersection...” She looked around the room. “This intersection between two epochs is happening so we can see what could happen based on… based on what? Political decisions that are implemented today? That’s what you’re thinking, isn’t it? This bill is driving you crazy, so crazy that you’re seeing things that aren’t there.”

Claire listened to Rachel while her mind wandered. Yes, the bill. Its changes could influence so many people, the possibility that it was enough to cause hideous results to their lives, a bill that could wrong so many. Her breathing increased with intensity, her body began shaking again, her face flushed. Rachel’s voice kept going on and on. Claire felt as though she was ready to burst. She thought back to Tony’s reaction. She’d never seen him like that. Her fingers dug into the table, Rachel’s voice still ringing in her head. She really needed Tony with her. He might help to ground her. He might help her to believe in the impossible. She needed his enthusiasm, his outrageous delight. Her head felt light, Rachel’s face seemed blurred. Then, something cleared her thoughts. A calm sensation filled her senses. She knew she believed it, it was the explanation for Eve’s stories, she had concrete proof. A euphoric awareness took over her.

She looked across the table, her voice was steady and cool when the words came out, “Just say it, Rachel. SB 1257 could have created Eve’s world!” Her expression was gripping, sturdy. “Eve’s Bill of Wrongs!”



About the author:

C. Michaels is from the Pacific NW but now lives in Mexico with her Chow Chow, Rani. In her previous life, she taught programming languages at a community college near Seattle, and later taught in the java programming group for Oracle Corp. She has always had a love for the arts, in both writing and painting, finding Mazatlan's Paradise the perfect place to work. Her books are character driven, and will easily draw you into their crazy zany world, a place where for some, there are no scruples or decency. And, as much as you may think you have things figured out, the twisty plots keep the guessing alive, in both Cross Roads and NO FEAR! These two books are part of an ongoing sequel, with an undetermined end in sight. However, each book is independent enough to enjoy out of sequential order.


Connect with Cynthia:


Website
Blog
Facebook page
Goodreads author page
Twitter
Amazon

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Talking with Author C. Michaels


About the book:

What would happen if you could see how your actions today could influence the future?
In this fast—paced thriller, this is exactly what happens.
Senator Claire Winslow is expected to vote on a bill that will change the Constitution, changes that could ruin many lives in the future.
When she meets a strange woman, and is convinced that she is a product of the bill’s passage, she needs to determine what she will do.
This story shows the parallel lives of two distinct times for the citizens of the US, and lets the reader become close to characters in both the present and future.
Can Claire stop the future devastation and still vote for the bill to save her position as a senator?
And what about Eve, the woman from a future time? Is there anything she can do to put an end to her country’s ways?

Welcome, Cynthia. How long have you been writing, and how did you start?

Three years. It was a job I could do and live at my villa in Mazatlán, Mexico. Now, all I have to do is make my books visible and that plan will work.

What do you like best about writing?

I get to use my imagination, the sky is the limit. However, I have found as many writers will tell you, after I give birth to my characters, they seem to take on a life of their own.

What’s your least favorite thing?
Promoting the book. How do you get your book noticed? There is a lot to learn, a process necessary in order to make my dream come true.

How did you come up with the title of your book?

The title was obvious because of the story’s theme. However, the first title was Bill of Wrongs. After realizing there was already a book with that title, a good friend suggested slipping Human into the tile. The title, Bill of Human Wrongs, was born.

How would you describe your book in a tweet? (140 characters or less.)

"She sat, staring at him, speechless for some time." @cmichaelsbooks #bookbubble http://bit.ly/XVAXPe  via @BublishMe

One hundred eighteen characters. Well done! How did you create the plot for this book?

I was disturbed by the extremists in politics today. It was a story in my head, the message that our country was designed to appeal to the masses by negotiating laws to the middle. Everyone wins in some way, as opposed to one side winning it all, leaving the others out in the cold.

Do you outline, write by the seat of your pants, or let your characters tell you what to write?

All of the above. I begin with a premise, write a killer first chapter, and plan its ending. Then, the seat of my pants kicks in. After I’ve developed my characters, they tell me what to write.

Did you have any say in your cover art?

Sure. My niece is a graphic designer for a company in Dublin. She was kind enough to design it for me. She is a magnificent artist.

What books have you read more than once or want to read again?


The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

What’s your favorite line from a book?


"Who is John Galt?"

What do you do to market your book?


Social Networks
Interviews
Blogging
Book Reviews

Do you have imaginary friends? When do they talk to you? Do they tell you what to write or do you poke them with a Q-tip?

I do. They have conversations with me on the sidelines. They let me know what they think my novels need. Most of the time, they are correct.

How do you get to know your characters?


They become more sophisticated as the story develops, and, since it is my fingers that are doing the typing, I end up spending an enormous amount time with them.

Sophie’s choice: Do you have a favorite of your characters?

Eve.

I’m constantly on the lookout for new names. How do you name your characters?

Honestly? Most of them come to me when in a conversation with friends.

What would your main character say about you?

“Welcome to our circle, thanks for creating us.”

Are any of your characters inspired by real people? Who?

Not anymore, I only did that for Cross Roads, my first novel. Wait, one character is real, Rachel Ross is based on a popular news lady.

Are you like any of your characters? How so?


I am a combination of all three women in my book.

I like writing characters who do and say things I never would, as well as characters who do and say things I wish I could. Do you have characters who fit into one of those categories? Who, and in what category do they fall?


Gloria is in my first two novels. She is outspoken and sexy. Love her!

Tell us about your favorite scene in the book.

When Tony tells Claire that Eve’s newspaper is authentic.

Who are your favorite authors?


Phillip Wylie, Rod Serling.

Which author would you most like to invite to dinner, and what would you fix him?

Rod Serling. I would make him tacos.

What book are you currently reading, and in what format (e-book/paperback/hardcover)?

E-book format: Destinies, by an author friend, Karleene Morrow.

How do you handle criticism of your work?


I love it, it helps me to write a better story.


Do you have a routine for writing? Do you work better at night, in the afternoon, or in the morning?

Yes, I work best at night.

Where and when do you prefer to do your writing?

In my villa at night time.

Where’s home for you?


Mazatlán, Mexico.

Tell us one weird thing, one nice thing, and one fact about where you live.


Weird: Year-round warm weather
Nice:  Palm trees
Fact:  It is a southern paradise

Do you ever get writer’s block? What do you do when it happens?

Sure. Pacing helps me, and getting away from the computer.

Is there anything in particular that you do to help the writing flow? Music? Acting out the scene? Long showers?

Thunderstorm CD.

What three books have you read recently and would recommend?

L. Leander’s Inzared, Joss Landry’s Mirror Deep, and Stephen Cody’s Peasant Prince.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

Paint, read, walk, dance.

If you could take a trip anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Ireland, to visit my niece who lives in Dublin.

What are you working on now?


Urban Star, a thriller that takes place in Seattle.

About the author:

C. Michaels is from the Pacific NW but now lives in Mexico with her Chow Chow, Rani. In her previous life, she taught programming languages at a community college near Seattle and later taught in the java programming group for Oracle Corp. She has always had a love for the arts, in both writing and painting, finding Mazatlan's Paradise the perfect place to work. Her books are character driven and will easily draw you into their crazy zany world, a place where for some, there are no scruples or decency. And, as much as you may think you have things figured out, the twisty plots keep the guessing alive, in both Cross Roads and NO FEAR! These two books are part of an ongoing sequel, with an undetermined end in sight. However, each book is independent enough to enjoy out of sequential order. 

Michaels is proud to announce the release of her new political thriller, Bill of Human Wrongs, now on available on Amazon.



Connect with C. Michaels:

Website
Blog
Facebook page
Goodreads author page
Twitter
Amazon

                                Other books by C. Michaels:


Friday, January 4, 2013

Saving Grace Blog Tour

I'm happy to feature Pamela Fagan Hutchins today, as part of her Pump Up Your Book tour for her latest book, the mystery/women’s fiction novel, Saving Grace. Enter the rafflecopter at the end of this post for the chance to win a Kindle Fire HD.


About Pamela:

Pamela Fagan Hutchins writes award-winning mysterious women’s fiction and relationship humor books and holds nothing back. She is known for “having it all” which really means she has a little too much of everything, but loves it: writer, mediocre endurance athlete (triathlon, marathons), wife, mom of an ADHD & Asperger’s son, five kids/step-kids, business owner, recovering employment attorney, and human resources executive, investigator, consultant, and musician.  Pamela lives with her husband Eric and two high school-aged kids, plus 200 pounds of pets, in Houston. Their hearts are still in St. Croix, USVI, along with those of their three oldest offspring.


About the book:

If you're at all inclined to be swept away to the islands to fall in love with a rainforest jumbie house and a Texas attorney who is as much a danger to herself as the island bad guys, then dive headfirst with Katie Connell into Saving Grace. 

Katie escapes professional humiliation, a broken heart, and her Bloody Mary-habit when she runs to the island of St. Marcos to investigate the suspicious deaths of her parents. But she trades one set of problems for another when she is bewitched by the voodoo spirit Annalise in an abandoned rainforest house and, as worlds collide, finds herself reluctantly donning her lawyer clothes again to defend her new friend Ava, who is accused of stabbing her very married Senator-boyfriend.

Book Excerpt:


Last year sucked, and this one was already worse.

Last year, when my parents died in an “accident” on their Caribbean vacation, I’d been working too hard to listen to my instincts, which were screaming “bullshit” so loud I almost went deaf in my third ear. I was preparing for the biggest case of my career, so I sort of had an excuse that worked for me as long as I showed up for happy hour, but the truth was, I was obsessed with the private investigator assigned to my case.

Nick. Almost-divorced Nick. My new co-worker Nick who sometimes sent out vibes that he wanted to rip my Ann Taylor blouse off with his teeth, when he wasn’t busy ignoring me.
But things had changed.

I’d just gotten the verdict back in my mega-trial, the Burnside wrongful termination case. My firm rarely took plaintiff cases, so I’d taken a big risk with this one—and won Mr. Burnside three million dollars, of which the firm got a third. That was the total opposite of suck.

After my coup at the Dallas courthouse, my paralegal Emily and I headed straight down I-20 to the hotel where our firm was on retreat in Shreveport, Louisiana. Shreveport is not on the top ten list for most company getaways, but our senior partner fancied himself a poker player, and loved Cajun food, jazz, and riverboat casinos. The retreat was a great excuse for Gino to indulge in a little Texas Hold ’Em between team-building and sensitivity sessions and still come off looking like a helluva guy, but it meant a three and a half hour drive each way. This wasn’t a problem for Emily and me. We bridged both the paralegal-to-attorney gap and the co-worker-to-friend gap with ease, largely because neither of us did Dallas-fancy very well. Or at all.

Emily and I hustled inside for check-in at the Eldorado.

“Do you want a map of the ghost tours?” the front desk clerk asked us, her polyglot Texan-Cajun-Southern accent making tours sound like “turs.”

“Why, thank you kindly, but no thanks,” Emily drawled. In the ten years since she’d left, she still hadn’t shaken Amarillo from her voice or given up barrel-racing horses.

I didn’t believe in hocus pocus, either, but I wasn’t a fan of casinos, which reeked of cigarette smoke and desperation. “Do y’all have karaoke or anything else but casinos onsite?”

“Yes, ma’am, we have a rooftop bar with karaoke, pool tables, and that kind of thing.” The girl swiped at her bangs, then swung her head to put them back in the same place they’d been.

“That sounds more like it,” I said to Emily.

“Karaoke,” she said. “Again.” She rolled her eyes. “Only if we can do tradesies halfway. I want to play blackjack.”

After we deposited our bags in our rooms and freshened up, talking to each other on our cell phones the whole time we were apart, we joined our group. All of our co-workers broke into applause as we entered the conference room. News of our victory had preceded us. We curtsied, and I used both arms to do a Vanna White toward Emily. She returned the favor.

“Where’s Nick?” I called out. “Come on up here.”

Nick had left the courtroom when the jury went out to deliberate, so he’d beaten us here. He stood up from a table on the far side of the room, but didn’t join us in front. I gave him a long distance Vanna White anyway.

The applause died down and some of my partners motioned for me to sit with them at a table near the entrance. I joined them, and we all got to work writing a mission statement for the firm for the next fifteen minutes. Emily and I had arrived just in time for the first day’s sessions to end.

When we broke, the group stampeded from the hotel to the docked barge that housed the casino. In Louisiana, gambling is only legal “on the water” or on tribal land. On impulse, I walked to the elevator instead of the casino. Just before the doors closed, a hand jammed between them and they bounced apart, and I found myself headed up to the hotel rooms with none other than Nick Kovacs.

“So, Helen, you’re not a gambler either,” he said as the elevator doors closed.

My stomach flipped. Cheesy, yes, but when he was in a good mood, Nick called me Helen—as in Helen of Troy.

I had promised to meet Emily for early blackjack before late karaoke, but he didn’t need to know that. “I have the luck of the Irish,” I said. “Gambling is dangerous for me.”

He responded with dead silence. Each of us looked up, down, sideways, and anywhere but at each other, which was hard, since the elevator was mirrored above a gold handrail and wood paneling. There was a wee bit of tension in the air.

“I heard there’s a pool table at the hotel bar, though, and I’d be up for that,” I offered, throwing myself headlong into the void and holding my breath on the way down.

Dead silence again. Long, dead silence. The ground was going to hurt when I hit it.

Without making eye contact, Nick said, “OK, I’ll meet you there in a few minutes.”

Did he really say he’d meet me there? Just the two of us? Out together? Oh my God, Katie, what have you done?





Connect with Pamela:
Website
Twitter
Facebook
Google+
Goodreads
Linkedn
SkipJack Publishing
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

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Thursday, January 3, 2013

Excerpt from Click: An Online Love Story

About the book:

Fast approaching her 30th birthday and finding herself not married, not dating, and without even a prospect or a house full of cats, Renee Greene, the heroine of Click: An Online Love Story, reluctantly joins her best guy pal on a journey to find love online in Los Angeles. The story unfolds through a series of emails between Renee and her best friends (anal-compulsive Mark, the overly-judgmental Ashley, and the over-sexed Shelley) as well as the gentlemen suitors she meets online. From the guy who starts every story with "My buddies and I were out drinking one night," to the egotistical "B" celebrity looking for someone to stroke his ego, Renee endures her share of hilarious and heinous cyber dates. Fraught with BCC's, FWD's and inadvertent Reply to All's, readers will root for Renee to "click" with the right man.

Excerpt from Chapter Two


From:  meet@choosejews.com/L’Chiam22 – January 14, 2011 – 5:54 AM
To:  meet@choosejews.com/PRGal1981
Subject:  Shalom


Shalom, PRGal1981.  Don’t know your real name…yet :) 

You seem like a really smart and interesting person and I think we would have a lot in common.  I’m originally from New York – Queens to be specific – but made Alliyah to Israel a little more than 8 years ago.  I had visited when I was 13 for my Bar Mitzvah and felt a spiritual connection to the land and to my people. So, when an opportunity came up to transfer from the Internet company I worked for to the Tel Aviv office, I jumped at it.  When the Internet boom went bust, so did my job.  But I decided to stay and found work as a computer engineer for a software developer. 

I live in Tel Aviv and am looking for a spiritual woman to share a Jewish life with.


From:  Renee Greene – January 14, 2011 – 9:04 AM
To:  Shelley Manning
Subject:  Fwd: Shalom


Okay, so I sent my profile in last night and thought I would take a chance that someone emailed me this morning.  Yes, I know that seems egotistical thinking that someone would email me so quickly after my profile was posted.  And considering it didn’t officially go online until 1:00 am, I’m not sure I want to date anyone who was trolling the Internet for a date in the wee hours of the morning.  But, to be honest, I’m kind of excited about the possibilities.  Imagine that.  Me…being hopeful.  Who knew?  Anyway, I was elated – yes, elated – to find I had a message.  Hurrah!  Then I read it.  He is very religious, is looking for a “spiritual” woman and lives in Israel.  Good lord!  (HA! Maybe that does indeed make me “spiritual” enough for this guy.)  Israel!!! 

Okay, don’t get me wrong.  I have nothing against Israel.  I am one of the Chosen People after all.  And, apparently “chosen” in more ways than one, huh?  But do you picture me living in an area where 1) Most people take the bus – I’m from LA for goodness sake, where we LIVE in our cars.  In fact, I have this theory that no one walks in LA.  But, we all own treadmills.  So, even though it is nice all year long, we won’t walk outside.  We’d rather walk in our houses.  But, I digress.  Back to what’s important here: 2) These buses blow up into fiery messes; 3) And speaking of fiery messes, it is hot in Israel. Yes, yes.  It’s a dry heat.  But you know what?  A blast furnace is a dry heat.  But it’s still HOT and I wouldn’t want to live in it.  Yeah, right.  Like I’m going to start a relationship with some man in Israel.

And, he is so intense about Judaism.  I haven’t been to temple since my nephew’s baby naming three years ago.  Oh, this would NEVER work.  NEVER.

So, how do I get out of this?  Do I ignore his message?  Do I email back and say thanks but no thanks?  Yikes!  I’m not sure what to do? 


From:  Shelley Manning – January 14, 2011 – 10:45 AM
To:  Renee Greene
Subject:  Re: Fwd: Shalom


Step 1.  Revise your profile.  No spiritual junkies or out of towners accepted. 
Step 2.  Email him back and tell him you are not interested in a long distance thing. 
Step 3.  Laugh your ass off.  He obviously does NOT know you. 

Okay.  So this one isn’t going to work out.  But, to your point, it’s only been a few hours.  And, in this man’s defense, it’s probably not 1:00 am his time.  It’s like two days later and early evening or something.  So, it is flattering that he thinks you are the funny, smart and…okay, maybe not “spiritual” but certainly awesome…person that you really are.  You’re going to get a TON of emails and have your pick of tons of great guys.  Just you wait.  Trust me.

Speaking of great guy, going out again with The Cuddler tonight.  Hoping to break him of his bad habits.  I’m willing to use force if necessary.  Hope he likes it rough ;)  Gotta run. Evil corporate trolls demanding reports.  Call me tonight.  Mwah! Mwah!


From:  meet@choosejews.com/PRGal1981 – January 14, 2011 – 11:30 AM
To:  meet@choosejews.com/ L’Chiam22
Bcc:  Shelley Manning
Subject:  Shalom back


Dear L’Chiam22.  Thank you very much for your nice email.  I must confess yours is the first email I’ve received.  It’s quite flattering, especially to have someone from so far away take an interest.  Thank you.  But, I also must confess that I’m looking to meet someone local.  So, best of luck in meeting that woman of your dreams.  I’m sure she’s out there. 


From:  Shelley Manning – January 14, 2011 – 11:34 AM
To:  Renee Greene
Subject:  Re: Shalom back


Nicely done, sweetie.  Ever the diplomat. 


From:  Renee Greene – January 14, 2011 – 11:47 AM
To:  Shelley Manning
Subject:  Re: Shalom back


It’s so much easier to reject someone over the Internet than in real life.  Score one for online dating!




About the author:


Lisa Becker had endured her share of hilarious and heinous cyber dates, many of which inspired Click: An Online Love Story and Double Click.  She is now happily married to a wonderful man she met online and lives in Manhattan Beach with him and their two daughters.  So, if it happened for her, there’s hope for you!

Follow Lisa on Facebook here
Buy Click on Amazon

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Twenty Questions With Lisa Becker


Lisa Becker, author of Click: An Online Love Story, stopped by and accepted the challenge to my new feature--Twenty Questions. The questions are short and sweet but help us get to know Lisa.

1.    Love or money? 

My husband and I met 12 years ago when he was a poor, struggling medical resident and I was a successful PR executive. He always joked this would be his marriage for money and the next time he married, it would be for love. I always respond that my next marriage will be for looks. HA! In all seriousness, it's definitely love.

2.    Plain or peanut?



Peanut. I can justify eating more because I’m getting protein. 

3.    Beef or chicken?  



Neither. Nearly a year ago, I read Michael Pollan’s nonfiction book, In Defense of Food, which examines the western diet and its effect on our health. His advice is simple: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” That, coupled with a viewing of a documentary called Forks Over Knives, which examines how many degenerative diseases can be controlled or reversed with a whole-food, plant-based diet, changed my life. I’m now nearly a year into being a vegetarian and have never felt better.

4.    Coffee or tea?   



Neither.  Believe it or not, I’ve never had a cup of coffee. Ever. I tried it once and didn’t like it, so I never tried it again. Sadly, I fell in love with chocolate after the first taste and haven’t stopped. My thighs can attest to that, believe me. So, I suppose a hot chocolate with a big dollop of whipped cream would be my go-to choice.

5.    Oxford comma: yes or no?  



Thank goodness for Google! I had no idea what an Oxford comma was.Now that I’ve been educated, I say no. Not a fan. Seems extraneous.

6.    Hardback or Kindle?



I’ve surprised myself and become a Kindle girl. I always thought I would be married to physical books, but I love the freedom, ease and portability of my Kindle. 

7.    Salty or sweet? 



Oooh…put them together and you’ve hit gold!

8.    City or country? 



I’m a city girl at heart. I love museums, shopping, historical sites, movies, malls and all of the hustle and bustle that comes with big city living. 

9.    Dog or cat?  



Neither.  With two active little girls (and a husband who sometimes acts like a third child), I don’t have time for a pet. 

10.    Fame or fortune?



Fortune!  I live in Los Angeles where famous people (and I use this term loosely, as many are famous for the most inane reasons) are a dime a dozen. I’d rather be one in a million by having millions.

11.    Laptop or desktop? 



Desktop. I like a big screen and full-sized keyboard when I’m writing. Oh, and I like to write with the television on in the background. When I first started writing, I was obsessed with Law & Order reruns. Now, I can’t seem to get enough of NCIS. I guess there’s a part of me that likes to see justice served. 

12.    Health food or junk food?  



Health food, of course. I make well-informed food choices. I buy organic and locally-grown produce. I’m an excellent role model for my children and instill good eating habits in them. Oh, who the heck am I kidding? It’s junk food. I have candy and cookies hidden all over the house. You don’t get a body like this munching on kale all day, my friends. 

13.    Mountains or beach?  



I live in a part of Los Angeles County called Manhattan Beach, less than two miles from the ocean. I love walking along the strand, looking out over the ocean, searching for dolphins and playing in the sand with my girls. 

14.    Gourmet or diner?



Take the diner chow, make it gourmet and you’ve got yourself a winner. Nothin’ I love more than a high-end version of mac ‘n’ cheese. 

15.    Sweet or unsweet? (Tea of course.)  



True story: After graduate school I moved to Atlanta to work at a boutique PR firm.   During the 1996 Olympics, I wrote the “Official Grits Guide to Atlanta” as part of a guerilla marketing effort for Quaker. I got quoted in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as saying, “I’ve eaten grits once in my life. It’s corn. Who knew?” After that embarrassing mistake, I have learned my lesson. It’s sweet tea. My dear Southern Belle friends, the Skinner sisters, would be so proud.

16.    Humor or drama?  



Humor! I get enough drama dealing with the other moms in the PTA.
 
17.    Dr. Seuss or Mr. Spock? 



Dear Dr. Seuss makes my heart sing. He’s taught me many an important thing. He’s all about kindness and being true. True the very best parts of you. So if I had to choose, make a good choice, I’d pick Dr. Seuss, who helped give me a voice. 

18.    Halloween or Christmas? 



Halloween! As previously established, I’m all about candy. My girls come home with huge buckets full of the stuff and get to keep as many pieces as they are years old. The rest is left for the “Halloween Fairy” who whisks the candy away and leaves a toy or book. Then the Fairy (read: me) eats the candy. It’s the BEST!


19.    Spring or fall? 



Fall.  I love wearing a sweater and sunglasses at the same time. Feeling the cool breeze and being all nestled and cozy, but still feeling the warm sun on my face is fantastic. I live in the Los Angeles area where it’s pretty much the same all year long. But I went to graduate school in Boston and seeing the leaves change in fall was really a miracle of nature. Plus, I have to flash too much skin in the summer and spring. No one wants to see that, trust me. (Are you noticing a self-deprecating pattern here or what?!?)

20.    Morning or night? 

Late morning/early afternoon is when I’m at my best. Good thing that’s when I was answering these questions.  ;)   



About Lisa:

Lisa Becker had endured her share of hilarious and heinous cyber dates, many of which inspired Click: An Online Love Story and Double Click. She is now happily married to a wonderful man she met online and lives in Manhattan Beach with him and their two daughters. So, if it happened for her, there’s hope for you!

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      Trailer for Click: An Online Love Story


Sunday, December 30, 2012

Book Blast - Dark Side of Sunset Pointe by Michael Allan Scott


Buy Now @ Amazon
Genre – Mystery & Thrillers
Rating – R
Connect with Michael Allan Scott on Facebook & Twitter
Lance Underphal was devastated by his wife’s death, and now, the down-and-out crime-scene photographer can’t let her go. He wakes up plagued by premonitions. The double shooting of an Arizona real estate developer and his mistress/bookkeeper immerse Underphal in a world of incomprehensible phenomena.
Frank Salmon, the hard-boiled homicide detective on the case, does his best to blow off Underphal’s “visions.” But the murders keep piling up and the visions are all-too real.
Salmon reluctantly pursues Underphal’s twists and turns, leading him from a popular strip club to a failing community bank, adding a blackmailing stripper’s murder to the body count.
Underphal struggles mightily with his psychic curse, teetering on the brink of insanity. His only hope for redemption is the voice in his head, the voice of his dead wife. Stumbling through dark vortexes of murderous intrigue, he comes to realize his visions will either kill him or lead to the capture of a killer-maybe more than one.

 About the author

Born and raised at the edge of the high desert in Kingman, Arizona, Michael Allan Scott resides in Scottsdale with his wife, Cynthia and their hundred-pound Doberman, Otto. In addition to writing mysteries and speculative fiction, his interests include music, photography, art, scuba diving and auto racing.

 
*FREE ALERT* - Dark Side of Sunset of Pointe will be free from 28th December to 30th December. 
 
Giveaway is a Kindle Fire HD 7″
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