Rachel Thompson

@Ted_Tayler Shares a Day in His Life #Thriller #AmWriting #AmReading

Friday 14th March 7am:- Awake early; why did I hear an alarm clock? Oh yes, I remember now, daughter Kim and her husband Mal arrived yesterday afternoon from Wales. He’s taking her car over to a garage six miles away for an annual service. They took us out to dinner last night at a local restaurant and stayed over because the car is booked in for eight o’clock. Why does that need me to be awake at such an ungodly hour! Turn over and try to go back to sleep.
It’s now half past seven and Kim is in the shower. I’m awake again! Grumpy, so I may as well get up. Mal has left already because the fog is pretty thick this morning. Nobody else seems keen on breakfast so I get myself a cup of coffee and a bowl of porridge. Bailey, their dog comes across to see if there’s anything on offer. He gets short shrift. The bathroom is now free! I shower and get dressed. When I get back downstairs Lynne and Kim are watching TV; not a channel I spend any time on! Let’s get cracking on the computer then. I check a dozen emails, drop into Twitter and Facebook, and do a bit of housekeeping on my website. It might be time to start work on my Orangeberry Guest Posts.
Completed ’10 Things’ about me; almost ran out of ideas and resorted to putting ‘I can’t count’ down for number 10 but suddenly had an inspiration. The girls are still glued to the TV. I get my coat; it must be my turn to go for the papers again. The fog is thinning, with luck it will be clear by the time Mal & Kim drive back to Wales later. I pick up the papers from the nearest garage. When I get back the girls want to have first look, so I get back to work on my posts. Mal returns with a clean bill of health about eleven o’clock. For the car that is. An hour later they’re all packed up and we’re waving the three of them off as they make their way home. Two people wave back; Bailey wags his tail.
I break for lunch at one o’clock and spend an hour with Lynne in conversation about the weekend. Will we see our other two children and the grandkids? Will we be able to get out in the garden and do some more tidying up? What did we say we were going to have for dinner on Sunday? Where is that in the freezer? Will I need to go rooting about in there tonight or tomorrow morning to track it down?
Lynne goes into town to pick up a few things we didn’t get yesterday when we did our ‘big’ shop. I get back to writing. Time passes; the light is fading. Lynne has been back for a while but no sign of any reviving cup of coffee. Oh well, let’s call it quits for this afternoon. Heck! It’s almost six o’clock. That’s enough writing for today. Just about five hours completed. Another couple of items ticked off the list.
Downstairs in the kitchen I think about dinner; then I start cooking it. Lynne and I eat about seven and then we watch some early evening television together with a glass of wine. We’ve both been up since ‘silly o’clock’ and Lynne is flagging. She decides to have an early night. I tell her I’ll see her in the morning. I get ready to go out. It’s Friday night after all! There’s a new band I haven’t heard on at the pub in town. A couple of hours until the early morning with my friend Jack (Daniels) listening to their set and then I can get up later tomorrow morning to post my review.
Friday 10pm – that’s all folks! I’m off to the pub. Sleep well!

The sequel to the award winning ‘The Final Straw’ sees Colin Bailey return to the UK after almost a decade abroad. With a new name and a new face he still has scores to settle. His meticulous planning takes him ingeniously across Scotland and the North of England ticking names off his list with the police completely baffled. 

DCI Phil Hounsell pitted his wits against Colin before and so he is sent to Durham where he teams up with super intelligent young DS Zara Wheeler; together they track their man to Manchester and then eventually south to Bath. 

The final scenes take place on the streets of the Roman city; Phil Hounsell’s family is threatened and in a dramatic conclusion reminiscent of Holmes and Moriarty at the Reichenbach Falls, the two men struggle above the foaming waters of the historic Pulteney weir. 
Buy Now @ Amazon & Smashwords
Genre – Thriller
Rating – PG-18
More details about the author
Connect with Ted Tayler on Facebook & Twitter

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

@CarinKilbyClark Dissects Writing Conferences #WriteTip #Blogging #NonFiction

Ever since I started writing, one of the things that came up is whether I should go to a conference. For writers, for bloggers, for entrepreneurs – there are more conferences than I could ever hope to attend. Last year I attended a conference for bloggers and business owners, and was a little nervous with it being my first one. There was a lot of pre-conference conversation around what to wear, how to interact, whom to meet and network with.
One of the things I decided to do was not put too much thought into it. I was going to be myself and just have fun. Which is exactly what I did; and it was the most successful strategy I could’ve had. This year, I’m attending a total of three conferences. And while I’m no expert, I do think there are some key actions that can make anyone’s conference experience more than worthwhile.
How to put your best foot forward at conferences:
Put your best foot forward at conferences by dressing to impress. Whatever impression it is that you want to make, dress accordingly. I like to present myself as super professional but fun too. So, I normally choose clothing that will best display that side of me. As they say, you only get one chance to make a first impression – and while many of the people you will meet at conferences are folks that you have likely interacted with on the interwebs, it’s important that your in-person persona be someone to remember (in a good way, of course!).
Put your best foot forward at conferences by remembering that they are all just like you. When you attend a conference where you are potentially meeting and interacting with influencers and experts in your niche, it’s easy to go into celebrity mode. But it’s important to remember that they are all people. Just. Like. You. So treat them the way you want to be treated, and do not go into a fan-crazed state.
Put your best foot forward at conferences by being yourself. This is so important and can be hard for people when they are trying desperately to impress. But you must remember to be yourself. Don’t make up erroneous facts, don’t go out of your way to tell jokes or stories (unless it’s your truth), and don’t ever pretend to be something or someone that you aren’t. Remember that the people you click with naturally are the ones that you want to know. You don’t have to be anyone but you in order to make that happen.
Carin Kilby Clark is the author of the ebook, Time Management Made Easy for Busy Moms: 5 Simple Tips on How to Control Your Time and Get Things Done (April 2014, Clue Consulting, LLC). If you want to learn how to finally put time on your side, then this book has the goods that you need – and for less than the cost of a cup of coffee. Buy your copy today!

Do any of these excuses sound familiar?

I’m just too busy
I have too much on my plate
There’s never enough time
I have to do it all
I don’t know how to manage it all

If you answered yes, then prepare to put an end to the overwhelm once and for all. In Time Management Made Easy for Busy Moms, Carin Kilby Clark shares five simple tips that moms can implement right away to improve how they control their time and get things done.

Time Management Made Easy for Busy Moms offers insight into the one major block that prevents us from maximizing our time, gives readers practical information that is easily applied to everyday life, and helps you along the path to your “aha” moments about how and why you’ve been ineffective in managing your time; and how to to finally put time in its rightful place {on your side, of course!}.

As the mother of three very active children who also works full-time, runs a business in her “spare” time, publishes a lifestyle & parenting site, manages a growing motherhood community, and regularly contributes parenting advice to many popular sites in the parenting/family life niche, Carin’s advice is solid; based on methods that she has successfully implemented in controlling her time and getting things done.
Buy Now @ Amazon
Genre – Parenting, Relationships
Rating – G
More details about the author
Connect with Carin Kilby Clark on Facebook & Twitter

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

Carlos Aranda Shares His Inspiration for "My Conversations With God" #Christian #NonFiction

I never wanted to be an author, writer or a blogger. My book is a religious/spiritual book; I was given the assignment for this book by a simple conversation with God while in prayer. Similar to the story of Moses, in his journey, he encountered a burning bush experience. I too have encountered an experience like this though not in a physical sense but more in a supernatural experience in the spiritual. In this experience God gave me everything that I needed to get my start. I went from knowing nothing about how to write, to becoming a published author. A lot of my lessons have come from trials and error. God has been my inspiration throughout every step of this book. Without Him it would not have been written. The best thing that I have learned is never to say “never”. If you say never you may close the door on the best opportunity in your life.

ConversationsWithGod

This book is a biblical perspective on how God wants us to see and get through the trials that life brings our way. It is a book of conversations and things brought to our attention that we may not always see and how through scripture God wants us to get through them.

Buy Now @ Amazon
Genre - Christian Living
Rating – G
More details about the author
Connect with Carlos Aranda through Facebook & Twitter

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

@KentBurden Shares Flexibility Movements #AmWriting #NonFiction #Wellness

The following is a sample of the movements in Is Your Chair Killing You?
In the next section of this book you will find descriptions and photos of movements I have created that can be done at home, in your office, cubicle or at your desk. You won’t need any special equipment or clothing (although some of the movements may be challenging in tight skirts, and if you wear high heels I suggest you remove them before doing the movements. That goes for you guys, too). These movements were created to be office-friendly, so you won’t have to get down on the floor to perform these movements, and you shouldn’t get too many stares from your co-workers or be dripping with sweat when you’re done.
The movements were designed not only to help you get your body up and moving but also to improve flexibility, balance and strength, and energize your body and mind. Try not to worry that you’re taking time away from your assignments; these short movement breaks have been proven to make you more alert and productive over the course of your day, so you’ll actually make more progress and be more effective when you get back to it. To make this as user-friendly as possible, I have listed the movements individually under categories of benefits, such asstrength or balance, kind of like the à la carte menu at your favorite bistro. So if you want, you can chose the individual movements that meet your needs at any given time and put them together as you see fit.

Flexibility Movements
 
Chair-Supported Downward Facing Dog
Rise from your seated position and walk behind your chair. Secure the chair so that it will not move or roll away. Facing the back of the chair, grab the top of the chair back and then take a step or two backwards away from the chair until your arms are fully extended. Hinge at the hips and lean forward, bringing the torso parallel to the floor beneath you. You should feel a gentle stretch in the low back and hamstring muscles. Hold for 30 seconds.

 
Modified Hanging Pose
Begin in a standing position with feet hip distance apart. Bend both knees slightly, then lean forward and slowly lower your head as you begin to reach down toward your mid-thighs or knees depending on what feels comfortable for you. Support the upper body with your hands, and allow the spine to lengthen toward the floor as much as feels comfortable. Hold this pose for 5 long, slow, deep breaths.
 
Turning the Head
Begin in a standing position with arms hanging at your sides and the palms of your hands facing your body. Very slowly turn your head to the right and look over your right shoulder as you rotate the palms of your hands out so that they point out and away from your body. Very slowly turn your head back so that you are looking forward again as you rotate your palms back so that they face your body again. Very slowly turn your head to the left and look over your left shoulder as you rotate your palms out so that they point out and away from your body. Very slowly turn your head back so that you are looking forward again as you rotate your palms back so that they face your body again.
 
Baby Camel Prays to the Gods
From a standing position place your hands on the front of your thighs for support, then lean forward as you roll your shoulders inward and round the back, dropping your chin down to your chest creating a humped back. Pause for a moment, and then one vertebra at a time bring yourself back up to your standing position bringing your arms down to your sides. Slowly roll your shoulders back, lift the chest and look to the sky.
 
Hip Swivels
Stand with your feet hip distance apart. Place your hands on your hips and slowly start to roll your hips in a circle. With each swivel of your hips make the circles a little bigger. After 10 seconds, switch directions.


Sitting for extended periods of time is as bad for your health as smoking cigarettes. And exercising for 30-60 minutes a day isn’t enough to undo the damage from extended periods of sitting. Is Your Chair Killing You reveals shocking new research showing that sitting for long periods greatly increases your risk of developing obesity, heart disease, diabetes, stroke and cancer. Our bodies were designed to move constantly over the course of the day, but most of us sit for hours a day at work and at home! Fitness and wellness expert and award-winning author Kent Burden has created brief, simple movements you can incorporate into your daily life to combat the damaging effects of sitting. These simple movements, done standing for 1-5 minutes each hour will burn calories, energize and refresh you, and you won’t even break a sweat; you’ll even improve your back pain. This book is a how-to for weight loss and disease prevention. Read this book–you’ll be healthier in as little as 8 minutes a day.
Nominated for the Dan Poynter Global Ebook Awards and won honorable mention at the Los Angeles Book Festival
Buy Now @ Amazon
Genre – Non-Fiction
Rating – G
More details about the author
Connect with Kent Burden on Facebook & Twitter

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

ENEMY OF MAN (Chronicles of Kin Roland) by @ScottMoonWriter #SciFi #Fiction #AmReading

CHAPTER ONE
HEROES weren’t sealed in space caskets and launched into the void—not while they were still breathing. Kin shuddered. Memories came at night; they came with regrets, fears, and nightmares only a man buried alive could understand. Heroes destroyed the enemy. Heroes saved the day and died before they could wear medals or explain what it was like to shed the blood of millions.
This room is too dark.
Kin needed to go outside and look at the sky, but the wormhole song, the distant groaning of a universe unraveling, reminded him of Hellsbreach—gunfire, plasma bolts, and nuclear explosions on the horizon. Better to dream of Becca, though she was the reason he volunteered for the campaign.
“Stop thinking of her,” Laura said.
Kin sat up in bed, dropped his feet to the floor, and watched her drift back to sleep. Her chest rose and fell, a silk sheet accentuating her curves. Her eyes began to move under her eyelids.
“You don’t even know who she is.” He ran a finger behind Laura’s ear and down her neck until she giggled in her sleep. He smiled. “I can share anything with you in moments like these.” He slowly pulled the sheet lower and she didn’t stir.
Laura would like the game—exposing her skin to the night air and staring until she sensed his attention and awoke, but he stopped, reaching to cup the side of her face instead. Lust didn’t mix well with the darkness still in his mind.
“I’d fail again, given the same choice. Could you commit genocide, Laura?” he asked.
“Hmm?” She struggled to open her eyes, it seemed, but pushed him clumsily away with one hand as she rolled onto her stomach, twisting the sheets as she moved.
“I still love her. You know that, right?” Kin said.
Motionless on the bed, Laura seemed not to breathe. The wormhole that dipped into the atmosphere quieted. Silence spread across the planet. Sea birds called to each other and waves gently touched the beach.
Kin pulled on his pants and gun belt, then picked up his boots and go-bag as he crossed the room. Outside, he pressed an ampoule of caffeine against his neck and injected it. Sleep wasn’t a friend. The intramuscular dose was meant to be injected in the gluteus maximus, otherwise known as the place Laura hung on for dear life when they were together, but Kin didn’t want to ruin the feel of her hands by sticking his ass cheek with a needle.
He watched the sky as he did upon awakening morning, noon, or night, hating the way the wormhole that dumped them on the uncharted planet seemed alive and sentient. Lightning flashed through the undulating red, orange, and purple tube of light as it climbed lazily toward the ring of moons around the planet. The moons, by contrast, soothed his spirit when he could stop thinking about the gaping mouth of the wormhole. They climbed vertically from the horizon like the underside of an arch, brilliant at night and hazy during the day.
Kin steadied his breathing, forcing his shoulders to relax as he studied the anomaly.
The Goliath came through that hole. The enormous exploration vessel had been designed to orbit a planet and send down shuttles, not descend to the surface. No one planned for the uncharted wormhole to catch the ship and drop it inside the atmosphere. Much of the ship broke apart and scattered along the coast. The survivors existed between the sea and the impact site of the main fuselage.
Each year, sand covered the available salvage, making building materials scarce. The thought of leading another scavenger mission bored Kin, though he knew the children looked forward to crawling into holes the adults couldn’t reach. He rubbed his neck and decided he was done with caffeine injections for a while.
Kin had grown more sensitive to his surroundings since the deadly campaign on Hellsbreach. He heard Laura roll out of bed, though the heavy curtains were drawn over the doorway and she was trying to be stealthy. The floor creaked and Kin guessed she paused to scoop her pants and shirt off the floor. He didn’t hear her tug zippers or take the time to fasten buttons. Their relationship wasn’t that formal.
The ocean breeze and crashing waves soothed his mind, but didn’t mask the sounds Laura made. To Kin, there were simply more sounds, distinct and easily identifiable. She would have been smarter to move when the surf broke, but he still would have heard her. Auditory discrimination was why he hadn’t been slaughtered by Reapers on Hellsbreach. They could sound like men, or wolves, or stalking tigers, but beneath the obvious sounds there was always a clicking in their throats.
Laura moved closer to the doorway but stopped, probably listening for him. He measured the pause and assumed she was peeking through the curtain. She wasn’t incompetent at stealth, but he knew her game.
She moved behind him, wrapping her arms around his trim waist and pressing her body against his. She gripped him hard with no pretense of romance. Perhaps she heard what he said about being in love with Becca. She pretended she wasn’t jealous, but she was. She bit his ear. He continued to lean on the rail, ocean breeze blowing on his face, solid wood under his feet. She bit his neck. He smiled. The bite hurt, but he pretended it didn’t.
“You put your pants on,” she said. “Did I tell you to get dressed and sneak out of my bed?”
“I would hate for the Fleet to send a rescue mission and find me out of uniform.”
“If the Fleet comes to Crashdown, I’ll tell them about you,” she said. Her lips brushed his ear as she spoke and she lingered with a kiss even as one hand went into the front of his pants. Kin smiled and shook his head minutely.
“Crashdown is a good name for this place.” He thought the planet was huge and extremely dense, because the gravity was heavy and the ocean horizon to the west was flat as a blade.
“Do you think I’m joking?” she asked.
Kin didn’t answer. He wished she wouldn’t try to provoke him. He had killed for less. She enjoyed rough sex, danger, and power. Kin was bored with two of the three. She released him, patting his ass before she walked away.  He knew she kept them all alive. She was a force of nature. He needed to meet a nice girl, someone like Becca.
The wormhole convulsed. Kin let go of the rail and stood straight. His hand went to the pistol hanging on his leg. Objects burst from the hazy opening high in the atmosphere. Most ships that crashed on this huge planet came alone—pioneers, explorers, or pilgrims fleeing persecution. Meteors were more common, but during the last three days, a variety of space junk and wreckage had splashed into the ocean and smashed against the mountains east of Crater Town. Somewhere in the universe, an epic battle raged and the debris drifted through the wormhole.
Pacing, Kin watched the sky until the wormhole began to puke earnestly. Small pops sounded in the distance, but he suspected they were explosive thunderclaps.
Damn.
Objects burst into the air close together, sounding like the chatter of machine gun fire. Pop-pop-pop. Pop-pop. Pop-pop-pop-pop-pop.
That’s a planetary assault force.
Each cluster of fast-moving smoke trails were troopers in Fleet Single Person Assault Armor units. He had worn an FSPAA unit during his enlistment and recognized the formation. Several larger objects followed, flanked by more troopers in airborne assault mode.
Laura emerged from the doorway, paused to stare at the sky, and hastily buttoned up her shirt. “I’m going to the meeting hall.”
“Go to a bunker,” Kin said, but she was already running.
“Damn!” Kin estimated a division of Fleet troopers were plummeting toward Crater Town. He jumped off the side of the deck and ran to the lighthouse, sprinting up the spiral staircase. When he reached the top, he doused the light and picked up a horn.
A large ship emerged from the mouth of the wormhole, bow elevated twenty degrees too high and drifting sideways. The ship was still under power, laboriously righting itself as the atmosphere burned it. Kin watched pieces break off. He didn’t recognize the ship’s class or if it were built for entry into the atmosphere, but it was shaped like a Fleet vessel.
An armada of broken ships, huge things never meant to enter the atmosphere even if in one piece, were the last through. Kin sounded the alarm. Horns answered from every corner of Crater Town. Men, women, and children rushed from their homes with survival kits. He saw many running to the well to form a bucket line and parents rushing their children to crude fallout bunkers.
Two companies of assault troopers splashed into the water off shore. Two additional companies veered right while another two veered left of Crater Town as flanking elements. Four came straight at him. The command ship and heavy vehicles—Tanks, Strykers, and reconnaissance vehicles—fought for altitude. They soared over the town, landing near the Goliath half buried in the sand between the coast and mountains.
Kin picked up binoculars from the railing and tracked the progress of each assault force and the efforts of Crater Town’s people. About the time young men surrendered to Fleet troopers in seven-foot-tall armor, the space debris hit. The noise of the plummeting ship parts had been minimal from a distance, but as they neared, they ripped through the air, vibrating the tower where Kin stood. Troopers and townspeople ran for shelters, threw themselves on the ground, or gaped at the destruction. Earth exploded. Water erupted into steaming clouds of death. Fires rampaged like demons.
Kin risked a final glance toward the wormhole before descending the tower.
That’s not a Fleet ship.
He jerked the binoculars up.
No military emblems. No weapons. And it’s shaped like a blockade runner. 
He watched the small craft drift away from the others, seeming to sneak free of the chaos. Kin didn’t like the feeling in his gut. Dread hollowed him out. He thought of Reapers and stolen technology.
The faster Fleet vessels and plummeting debris posed the immediate threat. Kin knew it. He needed to ignore the small civilian ship, but understood Reapers hijacked anything that would take them from their home world. The creatures didn’t build ships and were notoriously bad pilots, but when they left Hellsbreach, they were on a mission of murder.
Kin forced his gaze toward the ships and troops already on the ground.
Don’t think of Reapers. Don’t think of Hellsbreach. Captivity. Death. I should have died. Kin steadied his breathing, unsure if it calmed him or merely suffocated his panic. Should have killed them all.
Sweat beaded on his forehead. He waited for Fleet ships to spot the stranger and destroy it, but nothing happened. The craft disappeared beyond the mountain pass. He wanted to go after it, but Crater Town took priority.
He left the tower and ran down the unpaved street twisting around ramshackle huts near the bay. Laura hurried from a building up the street, wearing a firefighting coat. She paused to tie up her hair, then pulled on heavy gloves. People carrying tools rushed from their shelters to follow her. She accosted a group of men held at gunpoint by Fleet troopers and ordered them to follow her.
The squad leader pointed at Laura and gave an order. Get back. This is Fleet business.
Laura elevated her chin and put both hands on her hips. She said something. I’m sleeping with Kin Roland, a murdering deserter and traitor to the Fleet. He’ll cut your balls off if I even nod your direction. Fleet business my ass. This is my business. These are my people. Kindly mind your manners, you faceless killer.
The Fleet trooper spread his hands in frustration and surprise. He yelled and thrust his gauntleted finger near her face. Listen you stupid bitch. You’re lucky I don’t blow your head off.
Kin couldn’t hear the conversation, but he could imagine it. He wasn’t surprised when the troopers released the people of Crater Town to Laura. The guards followed, seeming a bit dazed.
What the fuck just happen?
Don’t ask me. You’re the squad leader. Take charge.
I’ll take charge of your face with my boot. Stay sharp. Watch the work crew. I’ll watch the councilwoman.
Kin ran up the steep hill, knowing planetary assault forces demanded immediate compliance when they made planetfall. They were paid to shoot people. He feared Laura would push too hard. Inflexible and harsh standard operating procedures placed the interests of the Fleet before the welfare of local populations. He needed to warn her about what happened when people resisted. She won this scrimmage and freed her work crew, but needed to consider a softer touch when dealing with officers.
Then he realized she had a trump card. He believed he knew Laura. He believed she had been toying with him when she said she would expose him to the Fleet. Being wrong would cost him his life.
“You there, halt and identify,” a Fleet trooper shouted. His amplified voice echoed from the helmet speaker. He held a rifle and a plasma thrower, each connected to the armor by woven metal tubes. Kin ignored the trooper, who moved forward, weapons ready.
He slipped around the corner and ducked through a cloud of smoke, then circled the area until he was behind the trooper who continued in the wrong direction.
“Identify yourself,” Kin said, under his breath. 

Lost Hero

Changed by captivity and torture, hunted by the Reapers of Hellsbreach and wanted by Earth Fleet, Kin Roland hides on a lost planet near an unstable wormhole.

When a distant space battle propels a ravaged Earth Fleet Armada through the same wormhole, a Reaper follows, hunting for the man who burned his home world. Kin fights to save a mysterious native of Crashdown from the Reaper and learns there are worse things in the galaxy than the nightmare hunting him. The end is coming and he is about to pay for a sin that will change the galaxy forever. 

Books

Enemy of Man: Book One in the Chronicles of Kin Roland was written for fans of military science fiction and science fiction adventure. Readers who enjoyed Starship Troopers or Space Marines will appreciate this genre variation. Powered armor only gets a soldier so far. Battlefield experience, guts, and loyal friends make Armageddon fun. 

Movies

If you love movies like Aliens, Predator, The Chronicles of Riddick, or Serenity, then you might find the heroes and creatures in Enemy of Man dangerous, determined, and ready to risk it all. It’s all about action and suspense, with a dash of romance—or perhaps flash romance. 

From the Author

Thanks for your interest in my novel, Enemy of Man. I hope you chose to read the book and enjoy every page. 

If you have already read Enemy of Man, how was it? Reviews are appreciated! 

Have a great day and be safe.
Buy Now @ Amazon
Genre – Science Fiction
Rating – R
More details about the author
 Connect with Scott Moon on Facebook & Twitter

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

Lori Lesko on Happiness, Character Strength & Writing @LeskoLori #Thriller #AmReading #TBR


Greenleaf says: Please join me in welcoming author Lori Lesko as she opens up about happiness and her character strength. Scroll down for information about her latest release "Copyright: A Novel"

Lori Lesko was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She began dancing when she was five and acting at 13. She studied Photography for a year at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. Then, she traveled the whole way to Arkansas for college. There she graduated with a degree in Psychology and Theatre. She directed, acted, choreographed and stage managed several plays while attending college.

She loves to travel and has been to France and Ireland. She adapted her first book, a Novella called Our Daughters, into a Screenplay now titled Diamond City. She lives in Florida with her two dogs.

How do you work through self-doubts and fear?
I ask for help, especially from the people I admire. Also, I keep writing through the fear.

What makes you happiest?
Always finishing the first draft of a book, or when someone tells me they really enjoyed what I wrote.

What’s your greatest character strength?
I’m very stubborn, especially when someone tells me that I can’t do something.

What’s your weakest character trait?
I constantly compare myself to other writers.

Why do you write?
It’s a form of therapy for me.  I get to tell all the crazy stuff that’s in my head and leave it on the page. I find that once I write about something that’s bothering me, it no longer upsets me.

What are you most proud of in your personal life?
I completed my first novel and wrote a screenplay.

What books did you love growing up?
I loved Stranger in a Strange Land, Dune, and Fahrenheit 451- Lots of Science Fiction books.

Who is your favorite author?
I have two, Stephen king and Gillian Flynn

What book genre of books do you adore?
Psychological Thrillers
What book should everybody read at least once?
To Kill a Mockingbird


copyright

Amber Tyler is living every author’s dream: her books are all best sellers and she writes full time. She has worked hard and is well-accomplished in her career, and she has the support and love of her beautiful children and girlfriend. 

But the dream soon turns into a terrible nightmare when her latest manuscript is stolen. She decides to fight for what is rightfully hers, only to find that the harder she tries, the easier it all slips through her fingers, putting her career, her family, and her life in jeopardy.

Buy Now @ Amazon
Genre – Thriller
Rating – PG-13
More details about the author
Connect with Lori Lesko on Facebook & Twitter

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

BIG #Giveaway by I AM A READER, NOT A WRITER @toobusyreading #Kindle #AmReading

Enter to win 1 of 2 great prizes. Winner’s choice of a Kindle Fire HDX or $229 Amazon Gift Card or $229 Paypal Cash! The first prize is available via the rafflecopter below. The 2nd is available only to bloggers who post about this giveaway. You can find info on how to enter the 2nd giveaway in the rafflecopter.

 June Kindle Fire  

Win a Kindle Fire HDX, Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash ($229 value)

The winner will have the option of receiving a 7" Kindle Fire HDX (US Only - $229 Value)
 
  Or $229 Amazon.com Gift Card (International)
  Or $229 in Paypal Cash (International)
  Sponsors I Am A Reader Feed Your Reader Author Rachael Anderson Author Karey White Chelsea Author Promotions Illusio & Baqer BookReviewsAndGiveaways Author Alecia Stone Lori's Reading Corner Author Inger Iversen Shelf of Imagination Candace's Book Blog Where The Broken Lie by Derek Rempfer Helen Smith (author) Christine's Blog Reviews from a Bookworm More Than a Review Tressa's Wishful Endings Pieces of Whimsy Laurie Treacy, Author The Loopy Librarian Author Dorothy Dreyer Author Deanna Lynn Sletten Author Steven Brown Claudia Burgoa Launching Sisters to WitchCamp Rhiannon Paille Author Amanda Tru Melissa McClone, Author Author Michelle Merrill Author M. Kircher Author A&E Kirk Author Melissa Lemon My Story That I Like Best Reviews by Martha's Bookshelf J.L. Weil Maia Sepp Luthando Coeur Making it Happen Jennifer Laurens Author Extraordinary Reads Grimmtastic Girls series: Snow White Lucks Out (tween)    

Sign up to sponsor the next Kindle Giveaway here: http://www.iamareader.com/category/kindle-giveaway-sign-ups  

Giveaway Details 1 winner will receive their choice of an all new Kindle Fire 7" HDX (US Only - $229 value), $229 Amazon Gift Card or $229 in Paypal Cash (International). There is a second separate giveaway for bloggers who post this giveaway on their blog. See details in the rafflecopter on how to enter to win the 2nd Kindle Fire HDX 7", $229 Amazon Gift Card or $229 in Paypal Cash. Ends 7/15/14 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash.  

Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the participating authors & bloggers. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

Birth of an Assassin - A Dream of Many Years @Stone_Rik #Fiction #Thriller #Crime


What inspired me to write my book?
Lots of people feel the need to write almost as soon as they learn to put words together. I went to school with girls who kept diaries and diligently made entries on a daily basis. Not me, I was like the other boys. If there was a ball to play with, we’d play football. If there was no ball, we’d find an old tin, maybe in a dustbin, and play kick the tin. In the late 50’s, early 60’s, where I came from that was what life was for a young lad – and I loved it.
I don’t remember the exact age, let’s say fifteen for the sake of argument, but I picked up a book I think was my uncle’s and began reading it. The novel was called The Carpetbaggers and was written by Harold Robbins. The first chapters, when the protagonist’s parents were murdered, absolutely enthralled me. I couldn’t put it down. Unfortunately, not enjoying the greatest of concentration at that time, I found the book too long, too slow, and soon got bored. However, when another novel by the same author showed up in the house, The Adventurers, I thought I’d give it a go. Once again the first chapters had me living the pages, but, yet again, as I delved further into the book my interest waned.
So, you might think, no signs of a budding writer here. But no, those first chapters in The Adventurers were about an author who’d made it to the top of his trade. He lay next to his private swimming pool in the garden of his grand house musing over what the point of his life was now he’d done it all. Without realising it at the time, that man by the pool had been so believably drawn by Robbins that he weaved himself through my skin. Over the years he held on to a compartment of my mind. I wanted what he’d had. You might think I mean his wealth and position. That would be nice, but no, my reasoning was that the stories of that fictitious writer were adored by all who read them. He had a worldwide following and his works were renowned. I think what I felt was that age old sin… envy.
This figment of some writer’s imagination grabbed a space in my mind from where he occasionally popped up to make sure I hadn’t forgotten him. I was fifty when I retired and I had no intention of donning a new harness belonging to someone else. At the same time I’m not one to sit around contemplating life and I’d been an avid reader for many years. The little man in my head chose that moment to highlight an opportunity. I did creative writing courses, bought and read a multitude of ‘how to write anything’ type books and started writing… and there I was, proudly presenting my debut novel Birth of an Assassin. An interesting offshoot to this tale; you can carry ambition around for many years without even knowing it.

Set against the backdrop of Soviet, post-war Russia, Birth of an Assassin follows the transformation of Jez Kornfeld from wide-eyed recruit to avenging outlaw. Amidst a murky underworld of flesh-trafficking, prostitution and institutionalized corruption, the elite Jewish soldier is thrown into a world where nothing is what it seems, nobody can be trusted, and everything can be violently torn from him.
Buy Now @ AmazonB&NKobo & Waterstones
Genre - Thriller, Crime, Suspense
Rating – R
More details about the author
Connect with Rik Stone on Facebook & Twitter

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments