Pandora Radio on my iPhone

I wouldn’t have gotten an iPhone if it weren’t for my wife. I’d still have the old clunker that I had that did nothing but make phone calls. But then my daughter didn’t always answer her phone, but she responded quickly to my wife’s texts.

Now, I have the iPhone and can text. My daughter is too busy to text now. And forget about Skype or Face time. So I have a phone that I don’t use for phone calls. I play games and read books and listen to music.

And I love Pandora. Have you listened to Pandora? Have you created your own radio station? I like how they choose artists similar to your tastes.

I would have never heard of the following:

Alex Nackman

Jack Johnson

Straight No Chaser

Death Cab for Cutie

Zac Brown Band

I now have an eclectic collection of music added to my iPod.

What artists have you discovered through the internet?

The Vault by Boyd Morrison

Book Description
Tyler Locke's routine commute on a Washington State ferry is interrupted by a chilling anonymous call claiming that his father has been kidnapped and that a truck bomb is set to detonate on board in twenty minutes. When Tyler, a former army combat engineer, reaches the bomb on the boat's car deck, he's stunned to find classical languages expert Stacy Benedict waiting for him. She's received the same threat and her sister has also been taken. In order to disarm the bomb, they must work together to solve an engineering puzzle--a puzzle written in ancient Greek. Preventing the explosion is only the first step. They soon learn the entire setup is a test created by a ruthless criminal who forces them to go on a seemingly impossible mission: uncover the legendary lost riches of King Midas.

Tyler and Stacy have just five days to track down the gold. Armed with an ancient manuscript penned by brilliant Greek inventor Archimedes, they begin a quest to unravel a 2,000-year-old mystery whose answer is hidden within the workings of a cryptic artifact: the Antikythera mechanism, a device designed by Archimedes himself.

To save their loved ones and prevent their captors from recovering a treasure that will finance unspeakable devastation, Tyler and Stacy head to Italy, Germany, Greece, and finally the streets of New York City in a race against the clock to find the truth behind the story of King Midas.

My thoughts
If you like Indiana Jones or Rick O’Connell and archeological thrillers, then you will love The Vault. Tyler Locke and Stacy Benedict are forced to search for King Midas’ Tomb (yeah, the guy with the touch of gold). Forced you ask? Yes, a cold-blooded criminal has kidnapped their loved ones and will release them once these two find Midas’ secret.

They travel across the globe (archeology never seems to be so easy or calm) to try and figure out clues left by Archimedes (a Greek inventor from ancient times, for those that didn’t know). The closer they get to the secret the rougher it is for them.

The descriptive narrative and fast-paced action could easily make this a Hollywood blockbuster and I really enjoyed this one!

Disclosure: I received this book for review from the publisher. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

No Rest For The Dead by Twenty-Six Authors (yep, that's correct - 26 authors)

Book Description
More than twenty New York Times bestselling authors team up to create a first-rate serial novel -- a collaboration that combines the skills of America’s greatest storytellers to produce a gripping, spellbinding mystery.

Alexander McCall Smith. Sandra Brown. Faye Kellerman. J.A. Jance. Jeffery Deaver. Kathy Reichs. Lisa Scottoline. Jeff Lindsay. These are only a handful of the names that make up the all-star lineup of authors behind No Rest for the Dead, a tale of vengeance, greed, and love that flows seamlessly, in the words of David Baldacci, “as it passes from one creator's mind to the next.”

When Christopher Thomas, a ruthless curator at San Francisco’s McFall Art Museum, is murdered and his decaying body is found in an iron maiden in a Berlin museum, his wife, Rosemary, is the primary suspect, and she is tried, convicted and executed. Ten years later, Jon Nunn, the detective who cracked the case, is convinced that the wrong person was put to death. In the years since the case was closed, he's discovered a web of deceit and betrayal surrounding the Thomases that could implicate any number of people in the crime. With the help of the dead woman's friend, he plans to gather everyone who was there the night Christopher died and finally uncover the truth, suspect by suspect. Solving this case may be Nunn’s last chance for redemption … but the shadowy forces behind Christopher’s death will stop at nothing to silence the past forever.

In this innovative storytelling approach, each of these twenty-five bestselling writers brings their distinctive voice to a chapter of the narrative, building the tension to a shocking, explosive finale. No Rest for the Dead is a thrilling, page-turning accomplishment that only America’s very best authors could achieve.

With contributions from:
David Baldacci (Introduction)
Jeff Abbott
Lori Armstrong
Sandra Brown
Thomas Cook
Jeffery Deaver
Diana Gabaldon
Tess Gerritsen
Andrew F. Gulli
Peter James
J.A. Jance
Faye Kellerman
Raymond Khoury
John Lescroart
Jeff Lindsay
Gayle Lynds
Philip Margolin
Alexander McCall Smith
Michael Palmer
T. Jefferson Parker
Matthew Pearl
Kathy Reichs
Marcus Sakey
Jonathan Santlofer
Lisa Scottoline
R.L. Stine
Marcia Talley

Here are some quotes from a few of the contributors to this novel:

“I enjoy puzzles. Trying to write a chapter in this novel without really knowing what had already happened and what would happen later was certainly like a puzzle. I decided to be a little perverse. I asked myself what would happen if my chapter turned everything around?” —R.L. Stine

“It’s said that organizing writers is like herding cats, and one fears for the man or woman who tries. I wrote my chapter and, as a novelist is advised to do in Hollywood, threw the manuscript over the e-fence and ran in the opposite direction. Imagine my delight – the inimitable Andrew Gulli has not only brought together a world atlas of writers but in the process has created a world-class mystery. It’s been a pleasure. And the rest of us didn’t even have to break a sweat.” —Gayle Lynds

"I think for me the most exciting part of being involved in this project was to be in the company of so many fine writers--not only because I've admired their work for years but because it gave me an insight into the different techniques they employed and their approach to the craft of writing fiction. Normally I'm not an author who "plays well with others," but it was exhilarating to be part of a team working together in such harmony, all for the benefit of our readers." —Jeffery Deaver

My thoughts
I thought the concept of No Rest for the Dead was a unique one; twenty-six authors write a chapter our two telling a story. I also thought that it would be a little disjointed, but these mystery writers ended up writing a great book.

The story revolves around the tenth anniversary of the execution of Rosemary Thomas, who was convicted of murdering her husband. Even ten years later, the investigation officer has doubts that she was guilty.

Although each author took a chapter or scene, the book flowed evenly and if you are a fan of one or all of these authors you could tell their writing style (although each chapter has a heading with the author’s name). They kept the story going as with the action, and keeps reader (me) absorbed in the story.

Disclosure: I received this book for review from the publisher. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

Split Second by Catherine Coulter

Book Description
A serial killer is on the loose, and it's up to FBI agents Dillon Savich and Lacey Sherlock to bring him down. They soon discover that the killer has blood ties to the infamous and now long-dead monster Ted Bundy. Savich and Sherlock are joined by agents Lucy Carlyle and Cooper McKnight, and the chase is on.

At the same time, Agent Carlyle learns from her dying father that her grandfather didn't simply walk away from his family twenty-two years ago: he was, in fact, murdered by his wife, Lucy's grandmother. Determined to find the truth, Lucy moves into her grandmother's Chevy Chase mansion. What she finds, however, is a nightmare. Not only does she discover the truth of what happened all those years ago, but she faces a new mystery as well, a strange ring that holds powers beyond her ken.

As the hunt for the serial killer escalates, Savich realizes he's become the killer's focus, and perhaps the next victim. It's up to Lucy to stop this madness before it's too late.

My thoughts
While FBI agents Dillon Savich, Lacey Sherlock, Lucy Carlyle and Cooper McKnight are busy tracking down a serial killer that may be related to Ted Bundy, Lucy has to deal with her dying father declaration that her grandfather was killed by her grandmother. So she moves into her grandparent’s home and learns of a family heirloom that holds secret powers or does it? But don’t forget the serial killer that has her sights on agent Savich.

With all this going on, one cannot stop turning the pages as Coulter has written a serious thriller with three storylines that simply absorbs this reader.

Disclosure: I received this book for review from the publisher. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

Everything Beautiful Began After by Simon Van Booy

Book Description
Rebecca is young, lost, and beautiful. A gifted artist, she seeks solace and inspiration in the Mediterranean heat of Athens—trying to understand who she is and how she can love without fear.

George has come to Athens to learn ancient languages after growing up in New England boarding schools and Ivy League colleges. He has no close relationships with anyone and spends his days hunched over books or wandering the city in a drunken stupor.

Henry is in Athens to dig. An accomplished young archaeologist, he devotedly uncovers the city’s past as a way to escape his own, which holds a secret that not even his doting parents can talk about.

...And then, with a series of chance meetings, Rebecca, George, and Henry are suddenly in flight, their lives brighter and clearer than ever, as they fall headlong into a summer that will forever define them in the decades to come.

My thoughts
This is one of those books where you either love it or hate it; understand it or confused by it. It’s a story about three lost people who meet in Athens one summer; a summer that molds their future. Although, beautifully written, I could not get into it as I become confused and then disinterested. But I do say give it a try since Simon Van Booy is a gifted author.

Disclosure: I received this book for review from the publisher. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

Deed To Death by D. B. Henson

Book Description
AT TWENTY-NINE, TONI MATTHEWS IS ON THE CUSP OF HAVING IT ALL—a successful career as one of the top real estate agents in Nashville, great friends, and the partner and family she’d always longed for in her fiancé, architect Scott Chadwick.

But just days before their planned nuptials, Scott plummets to his death at one of his construction sites and Toni is forced to bury her fiancé on their wedding day. Now living all alone in their new, custom-made dream house, dealing with her loss becomes even harder when the police rule his death a suicide. Yet Toni refuses to believe that it could be anything other than a tragic accident.

When she learns that Scott’s estranged brother, Brian, is contesting the will, threatening to take away her home, Toni starts to suspect that it may not have been a mere accident but something more sinister. Without the cooperation of the police, and in spite of her friends’ growing concern that she’s in denial and not dealing with her grief, Toni begins investigating on her own. As she crisscrosses Nashville on a mission to prove to herself and the world that Scott wouldn’t try to escape this life, Toni can’t shake the sinking feeling that something is off, that she’s being followed—and that her search for truth may have deadly consequences.

My thoughts
Real estate agent, Toni Matthews is about to be married to architect Scott Chadwick, when he jumps off the building he was working and kills himself. Toni doesn’t believe it was suicide and becomes obsessed with finding out the truth. The closer she gets to an answer, the more danger she is in. Did his estranged brother murder him or was Scott really in a financial mess?

For a first novel, this is not a bad read. It is quick and I enjoyed the plot which kept me going, but it needed more. Some of the descriptions need to be trimmed and the dialogue spruced up. I really felt for Toni as she is a likable character.

Disclosure: I received this book for review from the publisher. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

Justice by Karen Robards

Book Description
Feisty criminal attorney Jessica Ford has done her best to comply with the orders of the Secret Service’s unofficial witness protection program ever since she became the lone witness to the First Lady’s murder. She changed her name, dyed her dark hair blonde, and traded her sturdy black-rimmed glasses for contact lenses. Unfortunately, winning her first high-profile case for prestigious Washington, D.C., law firm Ellis Hayes, and subsequently landing her face all over the news, is not exactly “keeping a low profile.” Or so says hunky Secret Service agent Mark Ryan, whose newest assignment—despite Jess’s stubborn protests—is keeping her safe at all costs. It just so happens he’s also her ex-boyfriend.

The trial earns Jess a permanent spot on the firm’s elite legal defense team, replacing an associate who eloped suddenly and never came back. It’s the chance of a lifetime. But Jess’s mind has raced with questions from the moment the prosecution’s star witness shocked the courtroom with an electrifying revelation involving the handsome son of a powerful U.S. senator. Was the pretty, young mother intimidated into changing her story on the stand? Why will she not return Jess’s calls? Did Jess’s ambitious predecessor on the case really just abandon her successful career? Or did both women mysteriously disappear?

After Mark rescues Jess from an attacker outside her apartment, she begins to consider the possibility that she is a target. Maybe it’s not so bad to have her irresistibly charming and hard-bodied former lover around for protection. Maybe. The question is, which of the many inadvertent enemies Jess has made recently is he protecting her from? The investigation leads her to some startling coincidences—and to a teenage runaway who may just hold the missing link . . . if Jess can find her.

As Jess hurtles closer to the truth—and the sexual tension between her and Mark grows hotter than ever—she finds herself in a race against the clock to find the answers before what she doesn’t know gets them both killed.

My thoughts
Criminal attorney Jessica Ford is the Secret Service’s witness protection program after being the only survivor and witness to the murder of the First Lady. But she doesn’t relocate and after replacing a former associate that left on a high profile case that gets her notice, someone is out to kill her. Little does anyone know (except two runaway teenagers), the associate was murdered also.

Karen Robard’s tale of legal intrigue and the powers that be makes for one gripping novel. There is tense moments, romance and lots of action. I was a little let done with the climax but the ending made me let that pass.

Disclosure: I received this book for review from the publisher. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

Flesh & Bones by Paul Levine

Book Description
“I was sitting at the end of the bar sipping single-malt Scotch when I spotted the tall blond woman with the large green eyes and the small gray gun.”

The next thing Jake Lassiter knows, the woman pumps three bullets into the man on the next barstool.

Lassiter, the linebacker-turned-lawyer, has a new client.

She’s stunning model Chrissy Bernhardt, and the dead man is her wealthy father. The defense? Chrissy claims that she’s recently recovered repressed memories of having been sexually abused by her father. Jake wants to believe her but suspects that the memories were either implanted by a shady psychiatrist or fabricated by Chrissy herself. Complicating the situation, Jake falls for his client, clouding his judgment. Is she an anguished victim or a cold-blooded killer? And what about her brother, who stands to inherit a fortune if Chrissy goes to prison? Jake wades into a quagmire of dirty water deals, big money, and family corruption, all leading to an explosive finale.

My thoughts
Picture this, you’re an actor-turned football player-turned lawyer sitting in bar with a friend when in walks a model. This model walks up to another man and shoots him. Turns out this other man is her father who abused the poor girl when she was a child. Would you represent this woman?

Jake Lassiter doesn’t really want to, but something about the case has piques his interest and off he goes – seeker of the truth. This is the seventh in the Jake Lassiter series, but the first for me.

This legal thriller has its plot twists and the dialogue is witty and there is sarcastic humor thrown in. Paul Levine’s description of the Florida Keys is detailed. Some of the situations are predictable and I thought it ended too quickly, but otherwise a pleasant read. I will check out some of the Jake Lassiter stories.

Disclosure: I received this book for review from the author. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

Buried Secrets Audio Book Giveaway

Thanks to Esther at Macmillan Audio, I am offering one audio book copy of Joseph Finder’s BURIED SECRETS. It is narrated by the very talented Holter Graham, who Audiofile wrote “throws himself at the job, cracking his voice as an arrogant teen and pleading piteously as a woman whose eyeballs are threatened by a scalpel-wielding mercenary.”

To enter, leave a comment as to why you like listening audio books with your email address.
Open to US residents only.
Contest ends, Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Check out my review here

The Upright Piano Player by David Abbott

Book Description
Henry Cage seems to have it all: a successful career, money, a beautiful home, and a reputation for being a just and principled man. But public virtues can conceal private failings, and as Henry faces retirement, his well-ordered life begins to unravel. His ex-wife is ill, his relationship with his son is strained to the point of estrangement, and on the eve of the new millennium he is the victim of a random violent act which soon escalates into a prolonged harassment.

As his ex-wife's illness becomes grave, it is apparent that there is little time to redress the mistakes of the past. But the man stalking Henry remains at large. Who is doing this? And why? David Abbott brilliantly pulls this thread of tension ever tighter until the surprising and emotionally impactful conclusion. The Upright Piano Player is a wise and acutely observed novel about the myriad ways in which life tests us—no matter how carefully we have constructed our own little fortresses.

My thoughts
The story begins with a shocking tragedy that makes the reader want to continue the story. But as the story unfold it steps back in time prior to the tragedy to the life of Henry Cage, a lonely old man who was forced to retire form the company he created (we learn why through flashbacks).

Henry learns that his ex-wife is dying of cancer and his estranged son has his own son and reaches out to him. He is also stalked by a psychopath he accidently bumped into during a walk n the streets. Henry wants to make right all he has done wrong in his life and I think it may be too late.

David Abbott’s debut novel is an emotional story which is well written and the short chapters make it a quick read. I look forward to his second novel.

Disclosure: I received this book for review from the publisher. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

Cold Wind by C.J. Box

Book Description
When Earl Alden is found dead, dangling from a wind turbine, it's his wife, Missy, who is arrested. Unfortunately for Joe Pickett, Missy is his mother-in- law, a woman he dislikes heartily, and now he doesn't know what to do-especially when the early signs point to her being guilty as sin.

But then things happen to make Joe wonder: Is Earl's death what it appears to be? Is Missy being set up? He has the county DA and sheriff on one side, his wife on the other, his estranged friend Nate on a lethal mission of his own, and some powerful interests breathing down his neck. Whichever way this goes . . . it's not going to be good.

My thoughts
Joe Picket’s mother-in-law is arrested for the murder of her fifth husband, Earl Alden. Earl, a wealthy landowner was found hanging from one of the wind turbines, he was having installed on his property. Although this is the eleventh installment of the Joe Pickett mysteries, this is the first that I have read. Since not knowing the character and his background, I found the descriptive narratives of Wyoming life intriguing. Not the most suspenseful of stories, but still enjoyable nonetheless.

Disclosure: I won this book from Murder, Mystery & Mayhem: A Resource for Readers.

Montygog's Art-O-Rama

I have been following Dave Perillo’s blog for some time now and really like his artwork. When I found out that he does commissions, I couldn’t pass up the chance to have him do one for me.

Here is me and my family.

Ellis Island: A Novel by Kate Kerrigan

Book Description
Sweethearts since childhood, Ellie Hogan and her husband, John, are content on their farm in Ireland—until John, a soldier for the Irish Republican Army, receives an injury that leaves him unable to work. Forced to take drastic measures in order to survive, Ellie does what so many Irish women in the 1920s have done and sails across a vast ocean to New York City to work as a maid for a wealthy socialite.

Once there, Ellie is introduced to a world of opulence and sophistication, tempted by the allure of grand parties and fine clothes, money and mansions . . . and by the attentions of a charming suitor who can give her everything. Yet her heart remains with her husband back home. And now she faces the most difficult choice she will ever have to make: a new life in a new country full of hope and promise, or return to a life of cruel poverty . . . and love.

My thoughts
Ellie has loved John all her life and when she is of age, they marry. Living in the turn of the century Ireland, they are poor but make the best of it. John joins the IRA and gets wounded and needs an operation. Another friend who had already immigrated to the United States offers Ellie the opportunity to come and work with her. Ellis sees this as a chance to make enough money to pay for John’s operation.

Off she goes to America to work as a maid for a young socialite. At first she hates, then loves it and enjoys the modern conveniences that the new world has to offer. She invites John (after he has his operation) but soon finds that he doesn’t want to leave Ireland.

So Ellie has a dilemma, does she stay in America without her true love or go back to a world of poverty but be with the man she loves?

This was your ordinary romance story with some historical references. It’s an easy read but nothing too captivating.

Disclosure: I received this book for review from the publisher. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

Watch Out, World: E-Books Are on the Move - GUEST POST: Author Connie Corcoran Wilson

Author of It Came From The 70's: From the Godfather to Apocalypse Now, Connie Corcoran Wilson is today's guest.

Note: "Connie is giving away cool It Came from the '70s luggage tags to 10 of my lucky readers. In addition, she will send the winners a short story "sneak preview" of her upcoming short story collection, Hellfire & Damnation II, the sequel to Hellfire & Damnation (all available on Kindle right now; short story title "The Bureau.") She welcomes reviews of "The Bureau" on Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com, as well as comments or reviews of It Came From the 70's on Amazon.com.

Additionally, if you purchase a copy of It Came from the '70s and post a review for it on BarnesandNoble.com and/or Amazon.com, Connie will send you her new novel, about to be released on Kindle, The Color of Evil. The Color of Evil is a thriller about a young boy with paranormal abilities. You can even suggest plot directions to Connie by e-mail for this first-in-a-series novel and, if you wish, Connie will use your name as a character in the novel.

Both "The Bureau" (6,500 word short story) and The Color of Evil (80,000 word novel, Book One) will be sent to you by e-mail, free of charge, as a Microsoft Word document to read on your computer.

After you have reviewed It Came from the '70s on BarnesandNoble.com and/or Amazon.com, Please send Connie a link at EINNOC10@Aol.com, with Book Tour Review in the subject line, to claim your free copy of The Color of Evil."

And now for the guest post!

Watch Out, World: E-Books Are on the Move

I just concluded teaching "Blogging for Bucks" at the Midwest Writing Conference at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa, and sat in on a presentation from an e-book publisher. The same gentleman now setting up to publish in e-book formats was an agent when I sat next to him at lunch in Chicago at "Love Is Murder" a few years back. Now, he and his wife---and me---are pioneers packing our wagon train and heading for the New Frontier of Kindles and Nooks. David Morrell thinks that agents, in the future, will take over most of the functions of a variety of print publishers. I have an agent. I would rather not use her and take care of business myself, but, then, I founded and functioned as CEO of 2 previous businesses (Sylvan Learning Center #3301 and Prometric Testing Center #3301), so I don't mind that "the buck stops here."

I just attended the BEA in New York City for the 8th time, BlogWorld, WorldCon (in Austin, TX) and the Book Blogger conference at the Jacob Javits Center. All the talks and presentations and panels eventually talked about e-book publishing and what to make of it. Here's what I make of e-book publishing, which Dan asked me to comment on, I will echo J.A. Konrath, one of the leaders of the charge.

Why not?

"Writers of the world unite, you have nothing to lose but your chains! Give me your hungry-to-publish, your poor struggling authors, your wretched masses yearning to write free. I lift my E-Lamp beside the golden door."

The "tipping point" for e-books versus print books has already been reached. By Christmas, the deluge will be unleashed as waves of Kindles and BookNooks and Sony Readers are gifted. The new generation (Millennials) are growing up playing with complex technology and hungry for it. My two-year-old granddaughters see anything electronic (camera, cell phone, Ipad) and immediately want to glom onto it.

There is no turning back.

The new frontier is upon us. The print publishing industry is circling the wagons. [They're humming Cher's song, "If I Could Turn Back Time."] In reading David Morrell's blog, I saw that he had revised his opinion on when e-books would overtake print books downward from 5 years to 2 years. Reading the new E-book "How I Sold 1 Million Copies of My E-Book in 5 Months" by John Locke, I learned that GBL (Guaranteed Buy Lists) and OOU (One of Us) and blogging to spread the word are all going to be part of the Author-of-the-Future's repertoire.

In my own case, my paperback books are not self-published. Small, independent publishers thought enough of my work to put out the print copies. I paid Pattishall, McAuliffe, Newbury, Hilliard & Geraldson LLP (Chicago) to retain all e-book rights. I publish the same book as an e-book under the imprimatur Quad City Press. I make more money from virtual book sales and I know I'm being paid what I'm owed.

What are the advantages? Control, for one thing.

I had one publisher who slapped a cheap cover on a good book and nearly ruined it. (One reviewer even said, "You can't judge this book by its cover.") This would never have happened if I had published it as an e-book title and developed the cover myself. That same publisher kept my book a year, never paid me one cent of royalties (despite being contractually obligated to do so) and then, after I protested, sent me a check for $32. I knew, for a fact, that the book had sold that much in one book signing at a Barnes & Noble store, but how would I prove that I had been cheated? I licked my wounds and moved on, got a new (better) cover (Amish men don't wear blue jeans, shirts with rick-rack and pork pie hats!) and published it as a Kindle title myself. It's new and improved, and it stays up until I decide it comes down. Plus, I don't have to worry about being cheated out of my royalties or not getting paid when the company goes under, as is happening now with Leisure book authors.

If you price your book under $9.99, the author retains 70% of the money paid directly to his or her bank account. I was recently offered 35% royalties by an e-book publisher for The Color of Evil. The company wanted extensive rewrites of one section. There was no upfront money, so promotion would still be all on my dime, as has been the case with the small independent publishers with whom I've worked. Why not publish this myself as Quad City Press, not have to rewrite in a different voice, and reap two times the royalties? (70% versus 35%). Also, you can do creative things with pricing books in a series, which is my plan with The Color of Evil, Red Is for Rage and the third book in the series, (which I am at work writing now.)

E-book publishing is both a godsend and opening the floodgates. True, some drek will be published, but if you have a person who has been writing for pay for 55 years (as I have) and has won national awards for her writing (as I have), your odds are pretty good that, if you like one title by this proficient author, you'll like the others.

Pricing is key. Perseverance is key, but watch out, world. Here we come: the E-book authors! Get ready!

It Came From the '70s BLOG TOUR

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Connie Corcoran Wilson's It Came From The '70s. As part of the tour Connie is giving away Luggage Tags to ten readers who leave comments on either this post or tomorrow's guest post. Check out more on this at the end of this post.

Book Description
It Came From the '70s is the book movie lovers old and new have been searching for. The 1970s represented a fertile decade that produced such films as: Alien, Dirty Harry, Apocalypse Now, The Exorcist, Chinatown, The French Connection, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Godfather (Parts I and II), Star Wars, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and many, many more. Featured in these pages are over 75 photos, major casts, a multitude of reviews, "Best of/Worst of" lists, and trivia for both the film buff and the uninitiated. It Came From the '70s is a slice of film history, painstakingly documented by noted author and journalist Connie Corcoran Wilson. The original reviews found here could not be replicated today. Consider them tiny time capsules capturing the zeitgeist of a decade.

My thoughts
Connie Corcoran Wilson takes the movie reviews she written in the seventies and compiled them in this book. The seventies had some classics and some flops and she covers many of them in this book. It‘s like going back through a time machine and reliving an era of cinema. I actually saw about 80% of the movies that are reviewed in this book and agree with about 90% of her assessments. I felt like I was back in my times deciding what movie to take my date to. I enjoyed the nostalgic trip to the films of the past.

------------------

"Connie is giving away cool It Came from the '70s luggage tags to 10 of my lucky readers. In addition, she will send the winners a short story "sneak preview" of her upcoming short story collection, Hellfire & Damnation II, the sequel to Hellfire & Damnation (all available on Kindle right now; short story title "The Bureau.") She welcomes reviews of "The Bureau" on Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com, as well as comments or reviews of It Came From the 70's on Amazon.com.

Additionally, if you purchase a copy of It Came from the '70s and post a review for it on BarnesandNoble.com and/or Amazon.com, Connie will send you her new novel, about to be released on Kindle, The Color of Evil. The Color of Evil is a thriller about a young boy with paranormal abilities. You can even suggest plot directions to Connie by e-mail for this first-in-a-series novel and, if you wish, Connie will use your name as a character in the novel.
Both "The Bureau" (6,500 word short story) and The Color of Evil (80,000 word novel, Book One) will be sent to you by e-mail, free of charge, as a Microsoft Word document to read on your computer.

After you have reviewed It Came from the '70s on BarnesandNoble.com and/or Amazon.com, Please send Connie a link at EINNOC10@Aol.com, with Book Tour Review in the subject line, to claim your free copy of The Color of Evil."

Creep by Jennifer Hillier

Book Description
If he can’t have her . . .
Dr. Sheila Tao is a professor of psychology. An expert in human behavior. And when she began an affair with sexy, charming graduate student Ethan Wolfe, she knew she was playing with fire. Consumed by lust when they were together, riddled with guilt when they weren’t, she knows the three-month fling with her teaching assistant has to end. After all, she’s finally engaged to a kind and loving investment banker who adores her, and she’s taking control of her life. But when she attempts to end the affair, Ethan Wolfe won’t let her walk away.

. . . no one else can.
Ethan has plans for Sheila, plans that involve posting a sex video that would surely get her fired and destroy her prestigious career. Plans to make her pay for rejecting him. And as she attempts to counter his every threatening move without her colleagues or her fiancé discovering her most intimate secrets, a shattering crime rocks Puget Sound State University: a female student, a star athlete, is found stabbed to death. Someone is raising the stakes of violence, sex, and blackmail . . . and before she knows it, Sheila is caught in a terrifying cat-and-mouse game with the lover she couldn’t resist—who is now the monster who won’t let her go.

My thoughts
I thought when I choose this book to read, that it would be you usual stalker story, but it so much more. Dr. Sheila Tao is about the get married, but first she has to break off the affair that she is having with her TA/student, Ethan. But Ethan doesn’t want it to end and makes it know that he will tell her fiancé.

But Sheila has another problem, she has an addiction that her fiancé, Morris knows nothing about and when he discovers her problem, they fight, she leaves and disappears. Did Morris kill her or did Ethan do something?

Jennifer Hillier’s story is like an onion; the reader peels off layer after layer and discovers something new. I like that because it had me wondering and guessing, although some things I figured out, but was still left with a lot of surprises.

Creep is a very creepy thriller!

Disclosure: I received this book for this blog tour from the publisher. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

Chips Ahoy! Chewy Gooey Megafudge

My thoughts
Maybe it’s me, but I was deeply disappointed in Chips Ahoy’s Chewy Gooey Megafudge cookies. First, they’re the size of a half-dollar and crumbled when I picked them up, so that makes them a little dry. Not mega; not chewy gooey. They were packed with white chocolate chips (although, I wished they were macadamia nuts). They had a slight chocolate flavor but not fudgy that’s for sure.

There are about 15 cookies to the package, but for some reason my package must have shifted in shipping and many of my cookies were in pieces. Needless, to say I wasn’t happy with this cookie.

Disclosure: I received a sample for review through the Amazon.com Vine program. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens

Book Description
All her life, Sara Gallagher has wondered about her birth parents. As an adopted child with two sisters who were born naturally to her parents, Sara did not have an ideal home life. The question of why she was given up for adoption has always haunted her. Finally, she is ready to take steps and to find closure.

But some questions are better left unanswered.

After months of research, Sara locates her birth mother---only to be met with horror and rejection. Then she discovers the devastating truth: Her mother was the only victim ever to escape a killer who has been hunting women every summer for decades. But Sara soon realizes the only thing worse than finding out about her father is him finding out about her.

What if murder is in your blood?

Never Knowing is a complex and compelling portrayal of one woman’s quest to understand herself, her origins, and her family. That is, if she can survive. . . .

My thoughts
Sara Gallagher has a lot going for her; she’s the mother of a precious 6-year-old, about to be married, and has a thriving restoration business. Being adopted, she dreams of finding her birth parents. Her dreams become determination and she soon finds her birth mother. But discovers that she is possibly the child of a serial murderer known as the Campsite Killer. Somehow this leaks to the press and guess what? The Campsite Killer starts calling her. With the help of the police, she continues to take his calls, so that they can capture him before he kills again.

This novel is a psychological thriller that keeps the reader wondering what will happen next, but most of the story is Sara dealing with the phone calls while trying to keep a secret from her family and trying to keep her daughter and self safe. It builds up to a suspenseful climax with a twist to it.

Disclosure: I received this book for review from the publisher through the Goodreads.com program. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

Happy Independence Day!

99 cupcakes; 4 different flavors (fudge marble with chocolate fudge, banana supreme with butterscotch, strawberry supreme with banana cream, dark chocolate fudge with white chocolate). Another creation by my wife with help from her assistant - me!

Very Bad Men by Harry Dolan

Book Description
David Loogan returns! Loogan is living in Ann Arbor with Detective Elizabeth Waishkey and her daughter, Sarah. He's settled into a quiet routine as editor of the mystery magazine Gray Streets -- until one day he finds a manuscript outside his door. It begins: "I killed Henry Kormoran."

Anthony Lark has drawn up a list of names -- Terry Dawtrey, Sutton Bell, Henry Kormoran. To his eyes, the names glow red on the page. They move. They breathe. The three men on the list have little in common except that seventeen years ago they were involved in a notorious robbery. And now Anthony Lark is hunting them down, and he won't stop until every one of them is dead.

My thoughts
David Loogan, the editor of a crime magazine, receives a manuscript that outlines a murder that happened and others that will. Why has the killer done this, he ponders. It seems that the killer wants to make clearly kill persons involved in a bank robbery that took place seventeen years ago. In the course of trying to find this guy, Loogan encounters a tabloid reporter, a hero cop, his daughter and a US Senator. As he gets closer to getting this guy, something new pops up and we’re off on a whole other chase.

As with his previous book, Bank Things Happen, I found the layers of mystery a challenge to unpeel. A marvelous summer read!

Disclosure: I received this book for review from the publisher through Librarything.com. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

Buried Secrets by Joseph Finder

Book Description
Nick has returned to his old home town of Boston to set up his own shop. There he’s urgently summoned by an old family friend. Hedge fund titan Marshall Marcus desperately needs Nick’s help. His teenaged daughter, Alexa, has just been kidnapped. Her abduction was clearly a sophisticated professional job, done with extraordinary precision. Alexa, whom Nick has known since she was young, is now buried alive, held prisoner in an underground crypt, a camera trained on her, her suffering streaming live over the internet. She’s been left with a limited supply of food and water and, if her father doesn’t meet the demands of her shadowy kidnappers, she’ll die. And as Nick begins to probe, he discovers that all is not quite right with Marshall Marcus’s business. He’s being investigated by the FBI, he has a lot of shady investors, his fund is in danger and now he has a lot of powerful enemies who may have the motivation to go after Marcus’s daughter. But to find out who’s holding Alexa Marcus hostage, Nick has to find out why. Once he does, he uncovers an astonishing conspiracy that reaches far beyond anything he could have imagined. And if he’s going to find Alexa in time, he will have to flush out and confront some of his deadliest opponents ever.

My thoughts
Alexa Marcus, the teenage daughter of multimillionaire Marshall Marcus is kidnapped and Marshall asks old family friend Nick Heller to find her before she is killed. Nick pulls no stops in trying to locate the young girl who is buried alive with time running out. The ransom demand is something that Marshall cannot or will not give to the kidnappers.

This fast paced story is so intense that you won’t want to put it down. I couldn’t help but wonder if Nick would be to save the girl and the day! A truly powerful read with twists that you won’t know who to trust or believe.

Disclosure: I received this book for review from the publisher through the Goodreads.com program. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

Dr. Pepper Tenderloin

Here is another interesting recipe that I found. It came from Rachael Ray’s website. Here’s the link. Anyway, I tried it this past weekend because I love Dr. Pepper, but I must have used the wrong meat because I didn’t taste the marinade. I guess I will have to try again.

Dr Pepper Tenderloin
By: Robb Walsh

Dr Pepper was invented in Waco, Texas, in 1885 and it makes a great marinade.

Makes 4 Servings
PrepTime: 10 min + marinating
Cook: 45 minutes

Ingredients:
2 pounds beef fillet (preferably cut from the large end of a whole tenderloin), tied with butcher twine every inch
1 liter Dr Pepper
½ cup soy sauce
Juice of 3 lemons (about 3/4 cup)
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon coarse salt
3 cloves garlic, crushed

Don't substitute Diet Dr Pepper; you need the sugar to carmelize.

Directions:
Place the beef in a deep container for marinating. Add 2 cups Dr Pepper and the remaining ingredients and mix well. Add more Dr Pepper to cover. Seal and refrigerate for at least 5 hours or overnight.

Preheat an outdoor grill to medium. Place the tenderloin on the grill, reserving the marinade, and cover the grill (or heat a grill pan over medium heat, add the tenderloin and cover loosely with foil). Cook, turning occasionally, until the meat registers 130° on a meat thermometer for medium-rare, about 45 minutes. Transfer to a board to rest for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring the reserved marinade to a boil in a medium saucepan, then lower the heat and simmer until slightly reduced, 5 minutes. Slice the beef and drizzle with the Dr Pepper sauce.