Never Go Back by Lee Child #JackReacher

Never Go Back

by Lee Child

(Bantam Press)

Synopsis:

After an epic and interrupted journey all the way from the snows of South Dakota, Jack Reacher has finally made it to Virginia. His destination: a sturdy stone building a short bus ride from Washington D.C., the headquarters of his old unit, the 110th MP. It was the closest thing to a home he ever had. 

Why? He wants to meet the new commanding officer, Major Susan Turner. He liked her voice on the phone. But the officer sitting behind Reacher’s old desk isn't a woman. Why is Susan Turner not there?

What Reacher doesn’t expect is what comes next. He himself is in big trouble, accused of a sixteen-year-old homicide. And he certainly doesn't expect to hear these words: ‘You’re back in the army, Major. And your ass is mine.’

Will he be sorry he went back? Or – will someone else?

 

Links:
Amazon
An excerpt from Lee Child's "Never Go Back", MSNBC
Lee Child's WebSite

Enjoy!

CYM

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Night Film by Marisha Pessl

Synopsis:

Cult horror director Stanislas Cordova hasn't been seen in public since 1971.

To his fans he is an enigma.

To journalist Scott McGrath he is the enemy.

To Ashley he was a father.

On a damp October night the young, beautiful Ashley Cordova is found dead in an abandoned warehouse in lower Manhattan. Her suicide appears to be the latest tragedy to hit a severely cursed dynasty.

For McGrath, another death connected the legendary director seems more than coincidence. Driven by revenge, curiosity and a need for the truth, he finds himself pulled into a hypnotic, disorientating world, where almost everyone seems afraid.

The last time McGrath got close to exposing Cordova, he lost his marriage and his career. This time he could lose his grip on reality.

Book Trailer:

Links:

RandomHouse

Amazon

MarishaPessl

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Author Spotlight: T.C. Southwell (The Queen's Blade) #epicfantasy

The Queen's Blade

by T.C. Southwell

(Genre: Epic Fantasy)

Book Blurb:

A doomed kingdom, a young queen’s sacrifice and a killer who will bring an empire to its knees... In a world where men share kindred with beasts, an ageless seer predicts a child who will end the Endless War. One man is the instrument who will change fate. He will usher in a time of strife and pain that will live in legend, and forever bear his name... the time of the Queen’s Blade.

Buy the Book:

Smashwords

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

About the Author:

T. C. Southwell was born in Sri Lanka and moved to the Seychelles with her family when she was a baby. She spent her formative years exploring the islands – mostly alone. Naturally, her imagination flourished and she developed a keen love of other worlds. The family travelled through Europe and Africa and, after the death of her father, settled in South Africa. T. C. Southwell has written over thirty novels and five screenplays. Her hobbies include motorcycling, horse riding and art.

Website

Blog

Twitter

Facebook

Thank you Tammy for being this week's author spotlight!

Stay in touch...

CYM

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Alexandra Hamlet, Author UPDATE!

Author Spotlight UPDATE:

Since I first spotlighted Alexandra Hamlet on 7/27/12. Her book, The Right Guard, has won 7 book awards and is up for 5 more. Also, Hollywood came calling and they are in negotiations for an option film from an academy-award winning director!

Take a look at Alexandra's interview on writing/publishing.

http://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2012/04/interview-with-military-thriller-author.html

Congrats!!

The Right Guard

by Alexandra Hamlet

Synopsis:

Over one million military weapons and equipment are missing from the U.S. military inventories across the country. Who is stealing the weapons and why? CIA operative Eric Brent, and his revolutionary light weapon invention, is used by CIA to flush out a secretive, phantom group hostile to a wildly spending, intrusive U.S. Administration that threatens to destroy the American economy and shrink individual freedoms.

Hamlet takes you through the twists and turns of the secretive world of intelligence as the undercover assignment goes astray. Eric exposes a far-reaching and well-planned movement and an event that could alter the United States forever.

Strained loyalties arise as the phantom group appeals to Eric and his superiors. At the height of his infiltration, a former lover, Jill, reenters his life and places them both in danger. Loyal forces within the intelligence community struggle to learn who is involved and organize counter-moves yet stay undetected. Each question ends in surprise as personal and professional conflicts for Eric arise. He is forced to reach back into his high-ranking father's Nazi Germany past...to solicit help.
The year is 1978, yet The Right Guard resembles the present state of the political and economic climate of the U.S. and a possible, eerie scenario and outcome.
The Right Guard is an exercise in gripping, fast-paced realism that keeps the reader mesmerized through the eyes of those who live in the intelligence world.

About Alexandra Hamlet:

Alexandra is a cultural and defense anthropologist, an international lecturer and a former TV and print journalist. She consults on cultural affairs and international business. She was an auxiliary nurse in London; Visiting Fellow at Harvard University; an executive search specialist for world-wide C-suite positions; and is a consultant on irregular warfare. This is her first novel.

Other Resources:

Amazon

TheRightGuardNovel

AlexandraHamletBlog

Thank you Alexandra for being this week's Author Spotlight!

-CYM

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Best-selling author Vince Flynn dies at 47

An incredible author, mentor, father & husband. He died much too young with so much more to write.

from USA Today Bob Minzesheimer, USA TODAY

Novelist Vince Flynn, who was diagnosed with stage three metastatic prostate cancer in 2010, but continued to write his best-selling thrillers, has died at the age of 47.

Flynn died Wednesday morning at United Hospital in St. Paul. 

He's best known for his CIA page-turners that starred Mitch Rapp, a counterterrorism operative who made Flynn the darling of conservatives. He wrote 14 USA TODAY best sellers.

Three reached No. 2 on the list: Kill Shot and The Last Man (both in 2012) and American Assassin in 2010.

His publisher, Atria, says it's not yet known what or how much was completed on Flynn's next novel, The Survivor, originally scheduled to be released in October.

In a 2012 interview with USA TODAY, Flynn discussed living and working with cancer: "The first 48 hours of my diagnosis were hellish," he said. "Things just seemed to get worse and worse. We (he and his wife) were sneaking around the house, whispering so the kids wouldn't hear us. It was horrible.

"But, he said then, " I feel great now. ... We have this under control."

He's survived by his wife, Lysa, and three children (a stepson, 16, and two daughters, 11 and 9).

His fans included George W. Bush, who called Flynn "a little too accurate" because Flynn's books are often so true to CIA actions around the world. Once, while catching a ride in Bush's limo from Andrews Air Force Base, Flynn was grilled by the then-president on where he gets his information.

"I started to stutter," Flynn said.

His 2004 Memorial Day describes a raid very similar to the one that killed Osama bin Laden in 2011. Often his books have been put on security review by the Pentagon before they are released, and they are even used by the Secret Service to identify possible lapses in their security.

"It used to astound even me," he said of his "clairvoyance." All he did, he said, was "connect the dots. I just look at what's going on in the world."

Flynn was working in sales and commercial real estate 20 years ago when he began reading voraciously in an effort to conquer his childhood dyslexia. In the process he fell in love with espionage novels and decided to try writing one himself.

His first book, Term Limits, was self-published in 1997 after Flynn received 60 rejection letters. After its immediate success, an agent signed him.

Flynn said his novels are "entertainment, educational and serve as cautionary tales."

Heading the charge is rough-and-tumble CIA agent Rapp, who was introduced in Flynn's second novel, Transfer of Power.

Flynn was close friends with radio commentator Rush Limbaugh, whom he called "one of the smartest guys I've ever met."

Flynn said not all his fans are conservatives. But if the scales tip toward the right, it probably comes from the pro-military, CIA and law enforcement theme of the books," he said. "And the idea that the United States is not the problem."

Contributing: Craig Wilson

AMAZON

-CYM

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Author Spotlight: David Lichty

Jimmy Miller The Super Powerful: Forecast Acid Rain

by David Lichty

SYNOPSIS
Is the fate of the world really in the hands of one 9-year-old kid?  Find out in Jimmy Miller the Super Powerful: Forecast Acid Rain.  In this work of science fiction, 9-year-old Jimmy Miller gains super human abilities after he is unknowingly fed experimental genetically-modified food by a government funded corporation, Etyouth.  Forced to remain at the facility, Jimmy and his father eventually escape with the help of the boy’s new found powers.  Jimmy and his dad settle into a home in Battle Creek, Michigan and attempt to live as normal of a life as possible, attending school and going off to work.  Meanwhile, Etyouth refrains from pursuing Jimmy and his dad…until one year later.  Etyouth leads Jimmy and his dad into a battle away from their home, and captures the boy, incapacitating him.  While in captivity the callous, malevolent director informs Jimmy that not only was his father captured…but now is dead!  Jimmy escapes Etyouth once again, and now he has to fight off the evil corporation alone, without any parents.  Eventually, he joins up with his best friend, 9-year-old Annie Marshall, who is struggling to overcome her abusive and chaotic childhood.  The story is told in first person from the perspective of our protagonist and hero.  However, is Jimmy emotionally capable of handling these extraordinary abilities or is it too overwhelming for someone so young?

This is book 1 of a series written by first time author, David Lichty.  With plenty of action, adventure, and human interest this is a tale that will be enjoyed by all age levels.  Although not specifically for children (think PG-13 for language, situations, and violence), juvenile readers (as well as anyone who used to be a child) from 9 on up will certainly identify with the characters.

BIOGRAPHY     

David is married to the love of his life, Kerri, and the father of two boys, Kaleb and Brayden.  All his life he has resided in southwest Michigan and currently has a home in Battle Creek, a.k.a. Cereal City.  In his past he has been a social worker, possessing both a master's degree and a state license to practice.  His work (as well as his own past) has opened his eyes to the struggles that some children are faced with and the question always in his mind was--what if these kids had incredible super powers?  Would it help them or just add on to their troubles.

WHERE TO BUY
You can get a paperback version at either Amazon or Barnes and Noble (online only).  While I enjoy hard copies of any book I read, I know there are those who prefer gadgets and technology.  For those people, Jimmy Miller the Super Powerful:  Forecast Acid Rain has an e-book version for the Kindle (get it at Amazon) or for the Nook (get it at barnesandnoble.com).  The paperback version runs at $12.99 but the e-book versions are as low as 2.99.  You can also find David and like him on Facebook, just make sure you get his author page (it's the one with the book cover).  You can also get previews and some information at his bloghttp://bcdavid-jimmymiller.blogspot.com/.


Happy Holidays-
CYM

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Cogar's Despair by Nate Granzow

Cogar's Despair

by Nate Granzow

Released: Aug 3, 2012 

International freelance news correspondent Grant Cogar is a clever man of action with a knack for finding trouble. Sent to Seoul, South Korea to cover dictator Kim Jong-il’s violent transfer of power, Cogar finds that the story he was meant to uncover has nothing to do with politics or war, but is instead hidden in the powdery residue beneath an old friend’s nose. 

Quietly pursuing a network of violent drug smugglers into downtown Shanghai, China, Cogar will need to use every ounce of his cunning and cleverness to outwit these hardened criminals, keep his friend and himself alive, and come away with the story of a lifetime. 

The first of the Cogar series, this action-adventure novel seamlessly joins hilarity with white-knuckled excitement.

Resources:

Facebook

Nate Granzow

$0.99 Kindle

Check it out, Friends!

CYM

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Author Spotlight: J. Thomas Shaw - The RX Factor @thejshawfactor

The RX Factor

by J. Thomas Shaw

Langdon Street Press

Synopsis:

After emerging from a five year hangover on the Bahamian Island of Exuma, Dr. Ryan Matthews begins his quest to find the truth behind the real cause of the death of his wife and children.  Sobered up by the sensational murder of the family of the new women in his life, Jordan Carver, Ryan sets off on a thrill ride of adventure, marred in danger, with villains at the highest level of both the corporate and political worlds determined to bring him down. 

Prior to his disintegration into the abyss, Ryan was a brilliant research scientist who thought he had invented a cure for ovarian cancer. When his cure was shot down by The United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA), life as he knew it was over.  Now with Jordan Carver at his side, Ryan uncovers a string of evidence that suggests his former employer, multi-national pharmaceutical giant Fisher Singer Worldwide, may be involved in an insidious plot with the Washington D.C. power elite to insure their continued profits over the health and well being of American citizens.  

To discover the truth and uncover one of America’s best kept secrets, Ryan will have to bend the rules, break the law – and maybe even kill.

Resources:

Amazon

B&N

Find J. Thomas Shaw:

Web Site - www.therxfactor.com

Twitter

Facebook

YouTube

Thank you John for being this week's Author Spotlight!

-CYM

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Author Spotlight: Alexandra Hamlet

The Right Guard

by Alexandra Hamlet

Synopsis:

Over one million military weapons and equipment are missing from the U.S. military inventories across the country. Who is stealing the weapons and why? CIA operative Eric Brent, and his revolutionary light weapon invention, is used by CIA to flush out a secretive, phantom group hostile to a wildly spending, intrusive U.S. Administration that threatens to destroy the American economy and shrink individual freedoms.

Hamlet takes you through the twists and turns of the secretive world of intelligence as the undercover assignment goes astray. Eric exposes a far-reaching and well-planned movement and an event that could alter the United States forever.

Strained loyalties arise as the phantom group appeals to Eric and his superiors. At the height of his infiltration, a former lover, Jill, reenters his life and places them both in danger. Loyal forces within the intelligence community struggle to learn who is involved and organize counter-moves yet stay undetected. Each question ends in surprise as personal and professional conflicts for Eric arise. He is forced to reach back into his high-ranking father's Nazi Germany past...to solicit help.
The year is 1978, yet The Right Guard resembles the present state of the political and economic climate of the U.S. and a possible, eerie scenario and outcome.
The Right Guard is an exercise in gripping, fast-paced realism that keeps the reader mesmerized through the eyes of those who live in the intelligence world.

About Alexandra Hamlet:

Alexandra is a cultural and defense anthropologist, an international lecturer and a former TV and print journalist. She consults on cultural affairs and international business. She was an auxiliary nurse in London; Visiting Fellow at Harvard University; an executive search specialist for world-wide C-suite positions; and is a consultant on irregular warfare. This is her first novel.

Other Resources:

Amazon

TheRightGuardNovel

AlexandraHamletBlog

Thank you Alexandra for being this week's Author Spotlight!

-CYM

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Author Spotlight: Sherri Fulmer Moorer

Recently Released....

Synopsis:

Meet Jana Lanning: A recent college graduate who can't seem to get a grip on life. All of her plans for the future have fallen apart within two weeks of graduation. The only comfort she finds is in a mysterious music box sent to her by a friend. At first she looks to it for comforting memories of her past, but soon she's having strange dreams of a life where she's the queen of a world where everything she desires comes to pass. It seems ideal until elements of reality and her dream world start to merge, leaving her ill and confused. When she's confronted by attacks in both worlds she must face her demons and choose which reality she prefers; and what price she'll pay to keep it.

Sherri Fulmer Moorer's Bio:

By day, Sherri is a program assistant working in professional licensing for design professionals. By night, Sherri writes mystery novels from her home in the woods. She has published 4 books, 2 novellettes, and is a regular contributor to the Mystery Readers and Writer's Newsletter. 

Resources:

Amazon Author Page
Amazon UK
B & N
Facebook
Goodreads
Twitter

Sherri the Writer

Thank you Sherri for being this week's Author Spotlight!

-CYM

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Author Spotlight: Ethan Carrell

Overcoming Obstacles The True Story of How Ethen Carrell Went From Being In A Straight Jacket to Receiving the Most Scholarships In his Graduating Class!


by Ethan Carrell


This book is based on true events in the life of Ethen Carrell. This book should show you that the possibilities in this life are truly unlimited. This is an inspirational story that can positively impact all those that are willing to read it.

                                                        5 Star Review By James Henderson

"This is truly a great book. We need more positive books like this in the world today. Ethen overcame a lot to get to where he is now. I think that everyone should get a copy of this book because it is extremely inspirational. I read this book all the way through and was not disappointed in any way. I would recommend it to the world!!"

Resources:

LuLu

Thank you Ethan for being this week's Author Spotlight!

-CYM

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Author Spotlight: Stephen Leather

NIGHTFALL 

by UK thriller master Stephen Leather

Synopsis:

"You're going to hell, Jack Nightingale."

The last words spoken in Jack's final case as a police negotiator have been haunting him ever since leaving the job. He'd been a cop long enough to see people at their worst, to doubt the existence of God, heaven, hell, or souls. Now a struggling private detective, the chilling words return with a vengeance when Jack inherits a mansion with a priceless library and a terrifying warning.

Nightingale quickly learns his soul was sold at birth and a devil will come to claim it in three weeks on his thirty-third birthday. It's a hard pill to swallow
—
until people close to him start to die horrible deaths, leading to the inescapable conclusion that real evil may be at work. And if he doesn't find a way out, he'll be damned in hell for eternity.

Dripping with brooding intensity, unrelenting suspense, and surprising wit, UK thriller master Stephen Leather's first book in the Nightingale series is a riveting, heart-stopping mystery with extraordinary range and power.

NIGHTFALL will take you on a high-speed ride that will keep you turning the pages well into the night.  NIGHTFALL is an updated classic thriller, tersely written to keep your heart rate up as Jack Nightingale follows a trail of murders and suicides to figure out where he really came from…and why his biological father would sell his unborn son's soul to a devil.

Cinematic in its quick pace and shocking moments of violence, NIGHTFALL will have readers wondering about good and evil, and whether or not we really have any control over our own destinies. This private-eye-meets-Satanism thriller is satisfying to the last (bloody) drop.

What others are saying about NIGHTFALL:

"Authentic…exciting stuff with plenty of heart-palpitating action gingered up by mystery and intrigue…"

—Daily Mail

"Leather is in the top rank of thriller writers."

—Jack Higgins, New York Times bestselling author

"…A good, old-fashioned page-turner."

—Reviewing the Evidence

"Taut, tense, teasing…and terrific! The first book of Stephen Leather's brilliant new thriller series is so dark that you won't want to put out the light…Devilishly good…"

—The Lancashire Evening Post

About the Author:

Stephen Leather is one of the UK's most successful thriller writers. Before becoming a novelist he was a journalist for more than ten years on newspapers such as The Times, the Daily Mail and the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong. Before that, he was employed as a biochemist for ICI, shoveled limestone in a quarry, worked as a baker, a petrol pump attendant, a barman, and worked for the Inland Revenue. He began writing full time in 1992 and his bestsellers have been translated into more than ten languages. He has also written for television on such shows as “London's Burning,” “The Knock,” and the BBC's “Murder in Mind” series and two of his books, The Stretch and The Bombmaker, were filmed for TV. His ebooks have spent more than six months on the UK Kindle Top 100 and for several months he had four titles in the UK Kindle Top 10. You can find out more from his website, www.stephenleather.com. AMAZON. 

Thank you Stephen for being this week's Author Spotlight!

-CYM

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Author Spotlight: Mark Jacobs

Pascal's Wager

by Mark Jacobs

Amazon

Smashwords

B&N

Synopsis:

     Destined for a brilliant career in academia, Pascal Silver instead decides to be a risk taker. Packing up his unfinished philosophy dissertation he moves to Las Vegas to pursue his dual goals of winning the World Series of Poker and the only slightly less daunting task of finding the meaning to existence.

     Low on cash, Pascal is forced to take a part-time job at a private detective agency. Now, with his boss out of town, into his life walks the gorgeous Allegra LaPierre. She asks Pascal to find out who murdered her father, casino owner “Houston Phil” LaPierre.

     Using his uncanny poker skills, Pascal can tell everyone involved with Houston Phil has something to hide, including his ex-stripper widow, his knucklehead son, Bruce, and his old business partner, Fat Johnny, who’s in debt to a local gangster. Complicating matters, Bruce LaPierre is suddenly found dead in his office and the number one suspect is Allegra. Though all the evidence points to his client’s guilt, Pascal falls back on the famous wager of faith put forth by his illustrious namesake. He chooses to have faith in Allegra, not just because he’s gone head over heels for her, but because it’s a good bet.


     But when representatives of the Chicago mob show up and tell him to drop the case, Pascal has to take his greatest gamble yet. With Allegra’s life hanging in the balance, he’ll need to pull off the biggest bluff he’s ever attempted to get her back alive. Even if he does, he’s still left with the question “Who killed Phil?” a question only he is shrewd enough to answer. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author Bio:


 Mark Jacobs is a freelance writer, martial arts instructor and semi-professional poker player who regularly plays for more money than he can afford to lose. His written work has appeared in publications such as Sports Illustrated, Men’s Health and TimeOut New York. The author of the acclaimed instructional text, The Principles of Unarmed Combat, he currently serves as a monthly columnist for Black Belt Magazine. Pascal’s Wager is his first novel.


Also by Mark:




The Principles of Unarmed Combat (“If ever there was a comprehensive look at just about every scenario possible in hand-to-hand combat, whether it’s attack or defense, it’s covered here.” - espn.com).

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Author Spotlight: Batya Casper

Israela

by Batya Casper

Tate Publishing 2011

Synopsis:

In Israel, the lives of three women interweave with the story of their country. Ratiba, an Israeli journalist, turns her back on her heritage to marry an Israeli Arab. Her sister Orit, an actor, lives alone and longs for her lost sister. Elisheva is a nurse who dedicates her life to the wounded and the dying. As their lives unfold, the three women find themselves facing choices they would never have envisioned.
This is a story of secrets and alienation, yet also of hope and heroism. It is about Arabs who save Jews from disaster and Jews who heal Arabs. It is the story of everyday people torn and desperately searching for the right path.

Author Bio: Batya Casper

Batya Casper is a director, actor and teacher of theater. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland. Lived in Manchester and London, England; Johannesburg, South Africa; Jerusalem and Caesarea, Israel; in Boston, Massachusetts; New Haven, CT; St. Louis, Mo; and Los Angeles, CA.

She has a BA in English literature; and a Masters and a Ph.D. in theater Arts from UCLA.

Batya has lived in Israel intermittently since early childhood, has taught Hebrew literature and biblical studies at an adult education center in St. Louis, and Hebrew to adults in Boston.  She worked as an Assistant to the Cultural Attache of Israel in Boston, as the coordinator of educational programs for exchange students between U.S. and Israel. She has lived in Israel intermittently since early childhood; has watched friends and family struggle, question, sacrifice their children.


Additional Resources:


Israelathebook
Facebook
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Thank you Batya Casper for being the week's Author Spotlight!

-CYM

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Author Spotlight: Lee Harrington

Rex and the City

by Lee Harrington

In this humorous, moving, intelligent and startlingly original memoir, critically-acclaimed author Lee Harrington shares her story of love, loss, dysfunctional relationships, and the shelter dog who put things right. In 1997, Lee and her then-boyfriend Ed were on the verge of breaking up. Money was tight, their careers were floundering (Lee was an aspiring novelist: Ed was an aspiring documentary filmmaker) and their personalities, frankly, did not mix. Plus, they lived in a crumbling, cramped tenement apartment on the Lower East Side—for which they paid more than they earned. Tempers, needless to say, often flared.

Then, on a fateful day in August 1997, they decided on impulse to visit a nearby animal shelter, just to “look at” dogs. In a split-second decision that would change their lives, they brought home a troubled spaniel mix named Wallace. They quickly realized that this dog was more than they could handle—he was aggressive, fearful of humans, untrained and seemingly untrainable. For the first few months of their new lives with this aggressive animal, Lee and Ted struggled with the question—the reality—of whether they could realistically rehabilitate this dog (they even considered bringing him back to the shelter). They also struggled with the question of whether they could make it as a couple. Faced with a new responsibly, they bickered constantly, worried incessantly, cried daily (mostly Lee) and disagreed on nearly every aspect of how to handle the dog. Their disagreements ranged from how to train the dog to where he should sleep to what to feed him. But the one thing they could agree on was that they loved their dog. And slowly but surely, that love helped transform both the dog and the relationship. Both Lee and Ed, through the dog, learned how to love in new and fearless ways. And thus, by rescuing a needy spaniel, they ended up rescuing themselves.

Written with keen insight, sparkling humor, piercing honesty and masterful prose, Harrington’s memoir leaves the reader with the sense that, while adopting an abused dog can often be a challenge at first, the rewards are limitless. This is an exhilarating book—readers will laugh out loud, smile in recognition, nod in empathy, and/or pause in reflection as Harrington shares both her pains and her joys of her life with a troubled dog. Mostly, readers will be reminded—in a delightful way—that love does indeed conquer all. Especially dog love.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About the Author:

Lee Harrington is an award-winning, critically-acclaimed author and musician who divides her time between New York City, Woodstock, and–when she is lucky—the south of France. Her memoir, Rex and the City: True Tales of a Rescue Dog Who Rescued a Relationship (published by Random House and now available in enhanced eBook edition) is hailed as “the best human with dog memoir you’ll ever read.” Her forthcoming books include two novels (The Expatriate’s Guide to Heartbreak and Secrets in Motion); a memoir about her experiences living in a tent at a Tibetan Buddhist retreat center after losing her husband, apartment, job and beloved dog (entitled, for now,In Tents); a four-volume young-adult fantasy series (which seems to be writing itself at the moment); and a second volume of Rex and the City. Lee is also working on a screenplay based on two Edith Wharton short stories. And that’s just her day job.

At night, Lee is lead singer in various rock bands. In 2012 she is recording her first CD—a companion CD to The Expatriate’s Guide to Heartbreak, with eleven songs based on characters, lines and deleted chapters from that novel. Lee is also a kirtan walli and has lead kirtans throughout the East Coast. She leads chants from the Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Sufi and Native American traditions and continues to study mantra, chanting, and sacred sound with masters from many traditions.

Also at night, Lee teaches creative writing at New York University and studies graphic design, sound healing and energy medicine.

Sometimes she has to wake up extra early in order to compose essays, stories, columns and blogs—which have appeared in such publications as Salon, Huffington Post, Poets and Writers, One for the Table and The Bark as well as in various fiction and non-fiction anthologies. For the past decade she has been an Editor-at-Large and contributor at Bark magazine.

Her other hobbies include Kundalini yoga, painting, samurai sword, and graphic design.

She considers it a great gift to be able to do what she loves, and aspires to give back to the world in some meaningful way. Thus, Lee always gives 10% of her book, music, and art proceeds to animal rescue.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Resource Links:

Amazon

Lee Harrington

RexandtheCity

You don't want to miss the great web sites listed above (Rex and the City & Lee Harrington). So great! Thank you Lee for being this week's Author Spotlight.

-CYM

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Author Spotlight: Stuart Meczes

‘DILECTI SURGEMUS - SOCII POLLEMUS’ 

Chosen we rise - Allied we prevail 

Alexander Eden is one unhappy teenager. A geeky, social pariah, he's the victim of constant bullying at school. His home life isn't much better with a stepfather who resents him and a half brother who is better than him at everything. 

But that all changes the day the mysterious and beautiful Gabriella De Luca walks into his life. Everyone wants to know her, to be with her. But she is interested in Alex.

Because Alex is different. 

Soon afterwards he is thrown into a world he never thought possible. A world where he and others like him are the last line of defence. A world where an ancient unspeakable evil lurks.

Evil which seeks to consume him.

THE AWAKENING will have you laughing, crying and your adrenaline pounding in excitement!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What's being said about The Awakening

“The characters are fleshy and well developed, dialogue is tight and after the opening build up the story thumps along at a terrific rate, throwing you right into the imaginative world the author has clearly spent some time developing. I can see where the Twilight references are coming from but I really feel this book offers something new, if it catches on, this book will be huge. Can't wait for the second chapter!” 

 “The Awakening has an electrifying story with exciting depths and textures that grab the imagination, that thrill with the emotions and interactions of the characters. I would highly recommend this. Unputdownable.”  

“A new author to rival "Koontz and King" fantastic fast paced read! I cannot wait for the second instalment. The World Stuart creates is epic and unique, full of wonder and characters that leap from each turn of the page. This is, I hope, the start of a long and prosperous career for Mr Meczes.”  

“All in all I laughed, I cried, I raced through the scenes in suspense. What more can you ask for? Highly recommended and looking forward to the next ones in the series!”

"This story deserves 5 stars because I couldn't put it down."

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About Stuart Meczes

Stuart Meczes was born in South London, but now spends his time between Worcester and Birmingham. Obsessed with writing stories from a very young age, everyday life made him slowly forget about his dream and enter the rat race. He rediscovered his passion during the economic decline of 2008, when he began work on The Awakening in his spare time. There was no going back. He is currently taking a degree in English and Creative Writing at the University of Birmingham.

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Thank you Stuart for being this week's Author Spotlight.
-CYM

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Author Spotlight: Estevan Vega {The Forsaken}

 

Synopsis:

DON'T LET IT IN.

The first victim has no natural wounds. No prints left behind. No lacerations. But the life has been gruesomely drained from the corpse, and a broken cross is now imprinted inside the skin.

Left for dead a year ago by his former partner, reckless and medicated Detective Jude Foster now endures mindless therapy sessions in order to be given another chance at his life.When the chief of police discovers the first victim strangely killed in this sadistic fashion, Jude enters a dark world all-too-familiar. He knows he’s seen this method of murder before, but he never caught the killer.

Could this be a copycat, or is it the one that got away?

Forced to take on a new partner for the case, Jude must come to terms with the fractured memories of his past, attempt to keep his younger brother safe, and chase down a ghost killer who is collecting human souls. But time is against him. How many more victims will there be before the killer is satisfied? And will Jude Foster be able to survive this new hell or in the chaos, will he risk becoming something else entirely?

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Thank you Estevan for being this weeks Author Spotlight. If you are a book reviewer, please contact Estevan for review copies.

-CYM

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Author Spotlight: Jackie Townsend

Reel Life: A Novel
by Jackie Townsend
Ripetta Press

Two sisters on the verge escape to the movies.

Sisters are meant to always be there for each other, or are they? In the glare of reality, clashing views and acts of betrayal can work to form unbridgeable gaps, and the fabric of sisterly love must be delicately rewoven from whole cloth. Reel Life charts the story of redheaded sisters Betty and Jamie, who must call upon the past to forge a new and meaningful connection for the future. With iconic moments of contemporary cinema driving the narrative thread, this absorbing work will cut straight to the heart and reveal the intricate, complex emotions that come together to form a family. Exploring themes of motherhood, body image, ambition and love, this tender, deeply affecting tale of two sisters offers a poignant close-up of this most intimate of relationships, which can both haunt and heal. Surging with drama that is interlaced with subtle irony, Reel Life illuminates how, sometimes, escaping reality can be the clearest path to emotional truth.

Author Bio:

Jackie Townsend, a native of southern California, spends a lot of time in places not her own. As the youngest of four siblings she carries with her a strong sense of family to these places, often foreign, and writes about belonging (or not belonging), loss, and love. She lives in New York with her husband. Reel Life is her first book.

The idea for Reel Life came to the author upon leaving a theater with her sister one evening years ago. Something was different, as if the universe had been slightly altered. Perhaps they disagreed about the film later, over drinks, or laughed about it, she doesn't remember. Just the thought, leaving the bar, that if you could piece together all the movies the sisters had ever seen together, you could write the story of their lives.

You can visit her website, www.jackietownsend.com, to learn more about the author, read a chapter, or visit her Reel Blog, where she delves deeper into this notion of how movies and the movie going experience can impact our personal relationships.



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Thank you Jackie for being this week's Author Spotlight!

-CYM

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