Tuesday, December 27, 2016

New Release: SEALs of Honor: Chase by Dale Mayer

Today we celebrate the release of SEALs of Honor: Chase!



This is the next installment in the SEALs of the Honor series. Everyone has something in their history they’d like to keep buried in the past…

Chase has more than most. And his secrets are about to blow wide open as one really bad part of his past has come looking for him. Vanessa is all about moving forward in her life and not looking back. There are enough painful memories in her history for a lifetime. But when she gets embroiled in Chase’s problems, they become her problems too. Both need to deal with their pasts, because if they don’t, they might no longer have a future.

PURCHASE HERE: AMAZON|B&N|KOBO


ABOUT DALE:


Dale Mayer is a prolific multi-published writer. She’s best known for her Psychic Vision Series. Besides her romantic suspense/thrillers, Dale also writes paranormal romance and crossover young adult books in different genres.

To go with her fiction, she writes nonfiction in many different fields with books available on resume writing, companion gardening and the US mortgage system.

She has recently published her Career Essentials Series . All her books are available in print and digital format.

CONNECT WITH DALE: WEBSITE| FACEBOOK | TWITTER   lords-of-the-kingdomlords-of-the-kingdomlords-of-the-kingdomSave Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save

Monday, December 19, 2016

Interview with Myron Heavin, author of Human Origins And The Bible







Can you tell us what your book is about? ( brief synopsis)

  • The Bible teaches that Adam and Eve lived about 6,000 to 8,000 years ago as documented by:      
1.                     The genealogies written in 3 separate places with only 10 generations between Adam and Noah 10 ten generations from Noah to Abram (Abraham). 
2.                     Cain founding a city (the first cities were founded about 8000 years ago),
3.                     The 8th generation of Adam which contained the fathers of those that worked metal (6000 years ago max), those that kept animals (8000 years ago max, and those that played musical instruments.
  • Paleontologists and Archeologists are finding that humans migrated out of Africa about 50,000 years ago (Native Americans perhaps 12-20,000 years ago), and
  • DNA researchers say DNA traces homo sapiens to just a single Mother (Eve) that lives perhaps 135,000 years ago.

The book examines modern theories how all these three things can be true, and evaluates leading modern theories showing they all have major issues.  The book then proposes a new bold theory to explain how to best explain the above 3 statements.

The book is about 50% bible study and 50% brief summary of current scientific research in a study format with lots of discussion questions – also suitable for small groups.

Why did you write your book?

Sometimes the Spirit of God gets hold of you and says – write.

What kind of message is your book trying to tell your readers?
          
        A literal interpretation of Scripture can be reconciled with science, because God wrote the Bible, and God created the Cosmos.  If God created both – then how can they disagree?  Those that disregard a literal reading of Scripture also tend to deny what we learn from studying His creation.

Who influenced you to write your book?

I took a Biola University course in Human Origins, and was disappointed that all the textbooks ignored a literal reading of Scripture, and most of the Christian textbooks ignored scripture entirely.  I then set out on a year-long quest to understanding Human Origins by deeply understanding Scripture first and then only using science in a secondary role to help interpret scripture.  All the Christian textbooks put science first while almost ignoring Scripture.

Is it hard to publish a nonfiction book?

           I hope not, as this is my first serious try, so we well will see.

Which author(s) do you admire?

   I loved James Michener, I love C.S. Lewis, I loved the “Left Behind Series (mostly as entertainment), and I have a special love of Hugh Ross.  However all of Ross current attempts to explain Human Origins have been only so-so compared to his earlier brilliant writings on astronomy and God.

Have you suffered from writer’s block and what do you do to get back on track?

I have never at any time in my life suffered by writers block because I am vision-driven (idealist).

What would you do with an extra hour today if you could do anything you wanted?

I love to dream about totally new ways of thinking about scripture – as led by the Spirit.

Which holiday is your favorite and why?

If we were to meet for lunch to talk books, where would we go?

What do you like to do for fun?
          
Preach, teach, study, garden, glean food for the hungry, be amazed by science.

Can you tell us about your family?

           A wonderful wife, three great children, and some outstanding grandkids.  My family also includes our small group my wife and I founded and our wonderful neighbors.

What do you like the most about being an author?

I love doing something new.  I always wanted to write, ever since college.  But first I had a 50 year career as an Aerospace Engineer at Boeing, including a recent MA degree from Talbot Theology Seminary

What kind of advice would you give other non-fiction authors?

Have something to say nobody has said before, something that you feel driven to write about.   And if you have never written before in your life – creative people really want to try something new and perhaps have more enthusiasm and original ideas.  Be driven by your vision.





About The Book

Title: Human Origins And The Bible
Author: Myron Heavin
Publisher: Redemption Press
Publication Date: July 20, 2016
Pages: 194
Genre: Christian Apologetics / Theology


An engineer takes a scientific approach to the study of human origins, and compares Scripture with the findings of current scientific discoveries and DNA research. Myron Heavin examines differing views on creation and human origins, and what the Bible has to say in Genesis 2-5. From how to read and interpret the Bible, to when Adam and Eve lived, to hominids and Neantherthals, Heavin examines the validity of various creationist viewpoints, always with the supremacy of Scripture in mind. An individual or group Bible study that uses nature and Scripture to answer questions on our origins.


Book Excerpt:

Introduction (pages IX – XI)
There is a need for a sensible discussion of how humans came to be, what recent fossil records reveal, what DNA reveals, what science has learned, and what we can learn from a careful and reasoned study of Scripture. We wish to interpret Scripture as literally as possible, since God was the real author of Scripture. God also created the heavens and the earth, and left clear footprints everywhere in nature clearly revealing to all humans that He did this. There is much passionate discussion among friends, between believers in the high schools, in the media, from the pulpit, from our politicians, etc. about both nature and religion. Most teach us today that science is king; the scientist is the wise one; advances in science and technology will lead to a better life for all; and careers in science and technology often pay well. Other people tell us religion is all-important; if the nation becomes more Christian it will succeed; and a nation that turns its back on God will surely sink into total failure. The result is a kind of polarization where religion and science are mutually contradictory, and one is the enemy of the other. Rejection of God leads to divisiveness.

It is suggested that God wrote both books, nature and Scripture, and they do not conflict with each other, but rather they help each other to a better understanding of both. It is observed that most people reject  both Scripture and science somewhat equally. They say they believe in science, but reject global warming, they reject immunizations, they are not supportive of exploration of space (NASA), they are against new developments in agriculture such as genetically-modified food, are against chlorination of drinking water, and are against even most economic theories. Likewise, most people believe in the Bible and the Ten Commandments, and literally believe the world was created in six twenty-four-hour days as they Bible says, but many say evolutionists like Darwin are from the devil. Our youth read the creation story in Genesis and the literal six days of creation and this turns them off religion entirely. 

This book takes both Scripture and nature seriously, because God wrote both books. The heart of the problem is people reject God, and this leads to rejecting equally both science and Scripture. We believers see only through a foggy mirror. It is important to be humble about what we do and what we do not know. We read and think we understand Scripture, but scripture is “living”—it speaks to us anew each time we read it. Our understandings today are often different from our understandings when we were young. Likewise, nature is “living” and our understandings are different from when we were younger. As we age, our opinions tend to harden, and we tend to become more conservative. We are always changing, always seeking, always hungry for new dialogue, but it always becomes more difficult to change. Our society, likewise, is becoming more polarized. We tend to read and see things that we already believed. When we hear something different, we somehow process it to reinforce what we believed before we heard it. Some of the greatest theologians and preachers did not do well in science and mathematics. Likewise some of the greatest scientists and engineers lack “people skills.” Perhaps this is because each believer is unique with his or her spiritual gifts and natural abilities. The scientist has trouble communicating with the theologian, and the theologian has trouble communicating with the scientist. This is further compounded by congregations that “hang” on every word their beloved preacher says; likewise, classroom students that “hang” on every word the science or engineering professor says. This tends to build up egos. Suddenly, the preacher knows more about science than the scientist; suddenly the scientist knows more about religion than the pastor. This tends to polarize society as people have trouble listening to each other. 

This book will avoid the creation issues (wars) in Genesis 1, but instead concentrate on understanding human origins in Genesis 2-5. Let’s tackle only one issue at a time, and try to understand it well. The main subject of all of Scripture is God. The main subject of Genesis 1 is God—see how God created the world! The main subject matter of Genesis 1 is not the creation, and how God created the fantastic creation. See how God is the intelligent creator; not “see how creation was intelligently created by God.” This temporary cosmos will someday be destroyed by fire, but God and those reborn will live in eternity with new bodies. Lastly, it is difficult to write anything about science and religion without later developments proving us wrong. We observe that bipedalism seemed to suddenly and miraculously appear as hominids seemed to evolve from chimpanzees, and we used this as somewhat of a proof God intervened to suddenly create a new species. When a later development finds an intermediate form, we are embarrassed. This has happened over and over each time a theologian gets too carried away by scientific specifics.



For More Information:

Human Origins And The Bible is available at AmazonBarnes & NobleGoodreadsRedemption Press

Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club on Goodreads


About the Author




Myron G. Heavin graduated from Purdue University with a BS in aeronautical engineering, and has a BA in biblical and theological studies from Talbot Theological Seminary, and is currently enrolled in Christian Apologetics MA studies at Biola University. After fifty years as an engineer for the Boeing Company, Heavin retired and continues teaching and leading seven different Bible studies. Heavin and his wife Sharyl, who have been married over fifty years, have three grown children, and make their home in Lompoc, CA.


For More Information:





Virtual Book Tour






Thursday, December 15, 2016

Paradise Series Book Blast!


We're happy to host Deborah Brown's PARADISE SERIES Book Blast today! Please leave a comment to let her know you stopped by!



Title: Paradise Series
Author: Deborah Brown
Publisher: Paradise Books
Pages: 626 (total in series)
Genre: Mystery/Humor

Crazy in Paradise: Dying in the middle of the summer in the Florida Keys is sweaty business. Welcome to Tarpon Cove. Madison Westin has inherited her aunt's beachfront motel in the Florida Keys. Trouble is she’s also inherited a slew of colorful tenant's - drunks, ex-cons, and fugitives. Only one problem: First, she has to wrestle control from a conniving lawyer and shady motel manager. With the help of her new best friend, whose motto is never leave home without your Glock, they dive into a world of blackmail, murder, and drugs.

Deception in Paradise: Madison Westin is back!! The Florida Keys are hotter than ever.
With Madison's never-say-no style she's smarter and packing an attitude not to mention her Glock. This time, trouble rolls into Tarpon Cove in the form of Madison's ex-husband, Jackson Devereaux, whom she hoped to never see again. His arrival brings unparalleled chaos and an uninvited corpse. Teaming up with her hot friend, Fabiana, the two women go from chasing the usual cast of misfits and weirdos to hunting down a murderer. The action turns deadly serious when they stir up a nasty enemy as they try to stay one-step ahead in a game of cat and mouse that threatens their lives.

Trouble in Paradise: What is big news in small town Tarpon Cove? An accidental drowning or perhaps a ruthless murder? When a dead fisherman rolls up on shore, Madison cannot resist jumping into her new role as Private Investigator. But she soon discovers the people in The Cove who normally gossip about everybody's business are unusually tight-lipped. The bad tenant radar still not working, the cottages continue to be full of riffraff. Madison gets arrested, shot at, and outsmarted. She teams up with her best friend – the Glock carrying Fabiana. Together they take on cases no other investigators would ever touch!

Purchase:

Amazon


Book Excerpt:
There should be a law in South Florida that a person can’t die during the summer. The death of a loved one was hard enough without the added humiliation of sweat. I felt it rolling down my back, like a stream trapped by the belt of my dress with nowhere to go.
My name is Madison Elizabeth Westin, and I’m seated at the funeral of my favorite aunt, people watching, of all things. Most of the mourners looked ready for a pool party, some of them in shorts and bathing suit cover-ups. I was the only one dressed in black; even my brother wore khaki shorts.
The minister began, “We are gathered here today to give thanks for the life of Elizabeth Ruth Hart, who shared herself with us. It is in her memory we come together and, for all she meant to us, we are thankful.”
My mother had named me after her older sister. Elizabeth was like a second mother to my brother Brad and me. We spent summers with her in Florida, running and playing on the beach, building sandcastles, and she was a regular visitor to our home in South Carolina.
After five years of not seeing her, I had packed for a several-month stay and planned to spend the summer with her. That’s when I got a phone call from her lawyer telling me she had died. I still found it difficult to believe it had happened so suddenly.When I walked into the funeral home earlier, the heat had smothered me; this main room was suffocating. The air conditioning wasn’t working and it felt as though it was more than one hundred degrees. The director, Dickie Vanderbilt, had apologized for that, telling me that the central unit had gone out earlier in the day. He informed me he had all of the ceiling fans on high, which, in my opinion, were only circulating hot air.
Dickie Vanderbilt gave me the creeps. He had a slight build, pasty white skin, and long skinny fingers. When he reached out to touch my arm, I tried hard not to squirm.
I’m not a big fan of shaking hands. I find people only want to shake your hand when they can see you’re not interested. A friend suggested I perfect the dog paw shake for those who insist. I extend my hand like a paw and let it hang loose. Often times, they jerk their hand away and give me an odd stare, which makes me want to laugh every time.
The minister rambled on. I found him to be uninteresting, his speech dry. He talked about Elizabeth as though she were a stranger to him and everyone here. Apparently, Elizabeth’s jerk attorney, Tucker Davis, hadn’t given the minister any information about her. I didn’t understand why my aunt left all of the details of her funeral to Tucker. Why would she exclude the people who loved her and knew her best from having input? I wished I had one more day to walk along the beach to laugh, talk, and collect shells with her.
On Sunday, Tucker called to inform me that Elizabeth had died in her sleep from a heart attack. “The funeral is Wednesday, 1:00 p.m. at Tropical Slumber Funeral Home on Highway 1 in Tarpon Cove,” he told me.
“I want to help plan the funeral.”
“All of the arrangements have been made.” He sounded impatient, emphasizing his words. “If you want to, you can call anyone else you think should be informed.”
“My aunt would’ve wanted her family to be involved in the decision-making for her funeral. After all, my mother, brother, and I are the only family she had.”
“Elizabeth appointed me executor. She left me written instructions for everything she wanted done after her death, including her funeral.”
I didn’t believe him. Elizabeth loved us. She never would’ve excluded her family in this way, knowing how important it would be to us.
“I oversaw all of the arrangements myself. I’m sure you’ll be satisfied. If you have any other questions you can call my assistant, Ann.” He hung up the phone.
My aunt never once mentioned Tucker Davis to me or anyone else in the family. Here he was, a stranger, handling her estate.
The next day, I called the lawyer back to tell him that Elizabeth’s sister Madeline, her nephew Brad, and I, would attend. He refused to take my phone call, and I was frustrated.
“This is Madison Westin. May I speak with Tucker Davis?”
“I’m Ann, Mr. Davis’s assistant. He’s not accepting calls at this time. Can I help you with something?”
“I wanted to ask again if there was anything I could do in preparation for Elizabeth Hart’s funeral? Surely, you can understand how her family would want to be involved in any final decisions.”
“Mrs. Hart wanted Mr. Davis to make those arrangements, and he has. She didn’t indicate that she wanted anyone else involved in the planning. I can assure you he’s seen to all of the details. He worked directly with Mr. Vanderbilt at the funeral home.”
“I’ll be arriving later today. Would you tell Mr. Davis I’m available to help with anything that needs to be done? He can reach me at Elizabeth’s house.”
“Does Mr. Davis know you plan to stay in Mrs. Hart’s house?”
“I don’t need Mr. Davis’ permission. I’ve never stayed anywhere but the Cove Road house, and this trip won’t be any different. If Mr. Davis has a problem with my staying there, he can call me,” I said.
“Any more messages?” Ann sniffed and, without waiting for a response, hung up on me.




About the Author


Redhead. Long legs. There's nothing like a strawberry-lemonade in summer. Favorite activity: Filling my pockets with seashells. An avid rule follower when eating Animal Cookies: Broken ones get eaten first, match up the rest, duplicates next, line them up favorite to not, least favorite go first. South Florida is my home, with my ungrateful rescue cats, and where Mother Nature takes out her bad attitude in the form of hurricanes.

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK




http://www.pumpupyourbook.com

Saturday, December 10, 2016

Cover Reveal: Rig 'Em by Delphine Dryden


Inside the Book:




Title: Rig 'Em
Author: Delphine Dryden
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Genre: Women's Fiction
Format: Ecopy 

SADDLED
Thanks to a boots knockin’ schedule of both vanilla and kinky events, the Hilltop Guest Ranch is more successful than ever. And with their hemp rope skyrocketing into a sought-after bondage staple, Chet is fielding a lot of questions about his cousins’ business . . . and indulging his own kinky side with the help of Diego, the ranch’s hot, accommodating gamekeeper . . .

SPURRED
The fun is kicking into high gear until Chet ropes in a roving reporter trying to crash a private event. But Nicole’s not just any reporter—she’s Diego’s former Mistress. And she’s not crashing, she’s trying to win Diego back and enjoy a weekend of open-air pleasure . . .

FULL GALLOP
Chet’s not willing to give up his favorite sub so easily, and he doesn’t trust Nicole. He fully intends to keep an eye on her. But Diego wants them both and he has a plan to turn observation into participation. It seems the best kind of trouble comes in threes . . .


PURCHASE HERE: AMAZON|B&N|GOOGLE PLAY|KOBO

MEET THE AUTHOR



Delphine Dryden majored in English at the University of Texas at Austin, and probably should have gone ahead and gone for that MFA and PhD to become an English professor like she planned. Instead, she took a detour through law school, practiced law for a woefully brief time, and wound up working in special education for the next fifteen or so years (first as a teacher, then as an educational diagnostician). Somewhere in there, she also obtained a Master’s in Educational Psychology/Special Education.

Delphine has written contemporary and erotic romance for Carina Press and Harlequin, and mainstream steampunk romance for Berkley Publishing. She has also self-published. Her writing has earned an Award of Excellence and Reviewers’ Choice Award from Romantic Times Book Reviews, an EPIC Award, and a Colorado Romance Writers’ Award of Excellence. She was the also the inaugural winner of the Science in My Fiction contest. When not writing, she can be found editing for various freelance clients and for Riptide Publishing.

CONNECT WITH DELPHINE: WEBSITE|FACEBOOK|TWITTER|GOODREADS| PINTEREST

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Cover Reveal: Seducing Mr. Sykes by Maggie Robinson


Inside the Book:



Title: Seducing Mr. Sykes (Cotswold Confidential)
Author: Maggie Robinson
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Genre: Historical Romance
Format: Ecopy 

 In Maggie Robinson’s sparkling new series, the quaint village in Gloucestershire is where the wayward sons and daughters of Great Britain’s finest families come for some R&R—and good old-fashioned “rehab”. But sometimes they find much more . . .

No one at Puddling-on-the-Wold ever expected to see Sarah Marchmain enter through its doors. But after the legendary Lady’s eleventh-hour rejection of the man she was slated to marry, she was sent here to restore her reputation . . . and change her mind. It amused Sadie that her father, a duke, would use the last of his funds to lock her up in this fancy facility—she couldn’t be happier to be away from her loathsome family and have some time to herself. The last thing she needs is more romantic distraction . . .

As a local baronet’s son, Tristan Sykes is all too familiar with the spoiled, socialite residents of the Puddling Rehabilitation Foundation—no matter how real their problems may be. But all that changes when he encounters Sadie, a brave and brazen beauty who wants nothing more than to escape the life that’s been prescribed for her. If only Tristan could find a way to convince the Puddling powers-that-be that Sadie is unfit for release, he’d have a chance to explore the intense attraction that simmers between them—and prove himself fit to make her his bride . . .


PURCHASE HERE: AMAZON|B&N|GOOGLE PLAY|KOBO

MEET THE AUTHOR

Maggie Robinson is a former teacher, library clerk and mother of four who woke up in the middle of the night, absolutely compelled to create the perfect man and use as many adjectives and adverbs as possible doing so. A transplanted New Yorker, she lives with her not-quite perfect husband in Maine, where the cold winters are ideal for staying inside and writing hot historical romances. Her books have been or will be translated into French, German, Portuguese, Turkish, Russian, Japanese, Thai, Dutch and Italian.

CONNECT WITH MAGGIE: Website|Facebook|Twitter|Goodreads

Interview: David Lamb, author of 'On Top of the World (Until the Bell Chimes)



David Lamb is a native New Yorker, born and raised, bitten with the writing bug since he was in elementary school and had handwriting nobody could decipher. Like Charles Dickens, David grew up a poor boy in the big city who found that the pen really is mightier than the sword. In middle school Lamb's hero was David Lampel whose velvet voice could be heard reporting the news over David's grandmother's radio. Whenever he heard him on the radio, David would substitute Lamb for Lampel and pretend he was delivering the news. Sure that he was destined to be a famous reporter David was happy to go to a high school with a journalism program. Like most kids, by the time he finished high school he had a whole new career in mind. After high school he went to Hunter College and majored in Economics because he wanted to be cool like that college kid who came to speak at his last year of high school. He was an Economics major, he was dressed sharp and above-all the girls thought he was the man! So like any unreasonable high school boy fueled by overactive hormones David figured if he majored in Economics they'd think he was cool. After finishing college David went on to law school at NYU, but all the time writing was still his heart. While working as a lawyer by day, at night he transformed into a writer and eventually wrote and produced the award-winning hit off-Broadway romantic comedy Platanos Y Collard Greens. Being a writer and having the chance make people laugh out loud while challenging them to think about the world around them, and inspire each of us to believe in the power of love and our own ability to overcome life's challenges is a great gift that David truly enjoys and thanks you for allowing him to share with you in On Top Of The World (Until The Bell Chimes).

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS


About the Book:

2016 BEST FICTION-Pacific Book Awards. FROM THE FUNNY AND NATURALLY BRILLIANT DAVID LAMB, award-winning playwright of the New York Times celebrated play, Platanos Y Collard Greens, comes a modern spin on Dickens' classic tale that perfectly combines
humor and romance in a story re-imagined for our digital, consumerist age.  This version of Scrooge and Belle is familiar, yet unlike any you've come across before. Scrooge, or rather Scrooje, is music's biggest superstar, with one hundred million albums sold, fifteen million devoted YouTube subscribers, two and a half million Facebook likes, and twenty-five million fanatical Twitter followers known as Scroojites. Belle, is a legal shark who gulps down her opposition voraciously and whose beauty and stunning figure causes traffic accidents as she zips through the sidewalks of Manhattan stylishly adorned and taking no prisoners.   They never imagined being music's most powerful couple, but that's exactly what happened when Belle fell head over heels and gave the Coke-bottle glasses wearing, plaid and stripe attired, scrawny, biggest nerd on her college campus the ultimate makeover, turning him into a fashion impresario whose style sets trends from Milan to NY Fashion Week and who can be seen courtside at the NBA Finals sporting a perfectly-fitted cashmere suit.   Then it happens. Belle realizes too late that she's created a chart-topping monster as Scrooje's ego explodes and he starts acting a fool.   Now, it's been three years since they ve spoken. But tonight at Hollywood s biggest red carpet event, with the whole world watching, they'll be given a second chance.   Will Scrooje listen to the ghostly-advice of Marley, his best friend since the fourth grade, who at the time of his untimely drowning at his Brazilian poolside birthday bash was as big a star as Scrooje? Will Scrooje finally do right by his number one artist, Cratchit, a genius comedian, who Scrooje invariably rip offs every chance he gets?   And with twenty-five million viewers tuned in will Scrooje finally shed his ego, jeopardize his image and declare his love for Belle, the one he betrayed and let slip away?   Second chances don't often come around. Will Belle even give him a chance?   Mixing heart, soul, bling and romance in a fresh, original satire about race, class and celebrity worship Lamb establishes himself as one of the most talented and amazing writers today. And leaves no doubt that the Pacific Book Awards chose wisely when they selected On Top Of The World as the year's Best Fiction.

Purchase Information:

Amazon | iTunes | B&N




It’s a pleasure to have you here today, David. Can you tell us what your new book is about?

A fast and fun spin on Dickens that combines laughs and love in a story re-imagined for our digital age. This version of Scrooge and Belle is familiar, yet unlike any you've come across before. Scrooge, or rather Scrooʝe, is music's biggest star, with one hundred million albums sold and twenty-five million fanatical Twitter followers known as Scroojites. Belle, is a legal shark whose beauty and stunning figure causes traffic accidents as she stylishly zips through the sidewalks of Manhattan.

Together, with his best friends Marley (the hyper-talented music producer) and Cratchit (the hottest comic in the country) they rise to the top. Belle becomes the brains behind the scenes and Scrooʝe becomes the sexy superstar, until he betrays Belle’s most intimate trust and she leaves him. 
But at Hollywood's biggest event, Scrooʝe will take the journey of a lifetime to heal from his feelings of being unworthy of love, find a way to melt the ice that's turned his heart cold, and hope for a chance to make things right.

What's a girl to do when the nerdy guy she fell for in college becomes music's biggest superstar and biggest jerk? Give him a second chance or walk away and start over?


Can you tell us a little about your main and supporting characters?

The main characters are Scrooge and Belle is familiar, yet unlike any you've come across before. Scrooge, or rather Scrooje, is music's biggest superstar, with one hundred million albums sold, fifteen million devoted YouTube subscribers, two and a half million Facebook likes, and twenty-five million fanatical Twitter followers known as Scroojites. Belle, is a legal shark who gulps down her opposition voraciously and whose beauty and stunning figure causes traffic accidents as she zips through the sidewalks of Manhattan stylishly adorned and taking no prisoners.   They never imagined being music's most powerful couple, but that's exactly what happened when they met in college and fell head over heels and Belle gave the Coke-bottle glasses wearing Scrooje the ultimate makeover, turning him into a top-charting fashion impresario whose style sets trends from Milan to NY Fashion Week

The supporting characters are Marley, Cratchit & Camille. Marley is Scrooje’s best friend since grade school. Although he started out as Scrooje’s biggest bully, that all turned around when Scrooje discovered Marley’s secret dyslexia and began helping him learn to read. Marley grows up to be a great athlete and along with Scrooje become a music start. He dies a ridiculous superstar death falling into his pool at his Brazilian mansion on his birthday after having it filled with the world’s most expensive wine. He returns as a ghost to give Scrooje advice to save his life and love. Cratchit met Scrooje in Marley in college he was the campus clown and goes on to become a famous comedian exploited by one of Scrooje’s notoriously crooked contracts. Camille is Scrooje’s love interest, Belle’s, best friend since college. She has her own successful event planning business and has to stop Cratchit’s romantic fantasies.

Your book is set in New York.  Can you tell us why you chose this city in particular?

Because New York is part of the music and fashion scene and Scrooje is a music superstar who is a fashion mogul. Also the vibrancy of the city and the different cultures and neighborhoods gave a lot for me to play with.

Open the book to page 69.  What is happening?

Scrooje is in the 4th grade, the smallest boy in class and the picked on teachers pet. His lead tormentor at that time is Marley (this is long before they become best friends and music stars together). On that day Scrooje wins a contest in class that wins him two new comic books and Marley threatens him if he doesn’t hand them over.

What has been the most pivotal point of your writing life?

Several, but the one that comes to mind is getting applause after reading my first short story to my 6th grade class. After that I was hooked J

What kind of advice would you give other fiction authors?

WRITE! By that I mean don’t wait until you feel the story is complete resolved in your mind to get your ideas down on paper. Just get your ideas down and then let the story lead you where it wants to go.

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Colorado Dream Book Blast!



We're happy to host Charlene Whitman's COLORADO DREAM book blast today!  Please leave a comment to let her know you stopped by!


Title: COLORADO DREAM
Author: Charlene Whitman
Publisher: Ubiquitous Press
Pages: 450
Genre: Sweet Historical Western Romance

Yearning to become a concert musician, a young woman from New York travels to Colorado to purchase a violin, but when she meets a wild, untamable cowboy, her dream is threatened and her heart torn ...
In New York in 1877, Angela Bellini longs to become a concert violinist and get away from her abusive father. When her dream takes her to Greeley, Colorado, to purchase a violin from a master instrument maker, she learns she must wait three weeks until her violin is ready before she can head home.
Angela is determined not to let anything or anyone waylay her dream, but when she meets rough-and-tumble cowboy Brett Hendricks, her heart is torn. He is her opposite in every way—uncouth, cocky, and reckless. But she is hopelessly drawn to him, like a moth to flame.
Brett Hendricks is on the run—not just from an angry rancher who is tracking him down for shooting his son but from a dark and troubled past plaguing him with guilt and shame. A wild, untamable cowboy, Brett can break any horse with a soft touch and soothing word, but nothing in the world can bring him peace. He fears he will never stop running, never see his dreams of ranching realized.
But then, one evening, he hears sweet violin music that seeps deep into his soul--music that floods him with peace. He falls hard for Angela but knows she plans to leave Colorado. All his attempts to win her heart fail disastrously, and though he buries himself in the cattle roundup, when he helps thwart a rustling outfit, his enemies multiply.
Somehow he must find a way to gain Angela's heart and trust. And somehow Angela must break past her distrust of men to discover the love awaiting her with open arms.
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Book Excerpt:
Chapter 1

September 9, 1877
New York City, New York

The slap on Angela Bellini’s cheek burned, but not as fiercely as the hurt in her heart. The pain and disappointment smoldering there sizzled like hot embers, threatening to reduce her to a pile of ash. She glared at her father’s back as he stomped out of the room.
Why couldn’t her papá understand? She would not marry Pietro, no matter how wealthy his family was, no matter how many years her papá and his had planned such an arrangement. “It is our way, Angela,” he had told her again, his face hard and eyes dark and menacing, leaving no room for debate. “And you will marry him. You are twenty years of age—you are lucky he is still willing. You’ve made him wait long enough.”
When she forced her objections past the rock lodged in her aching throat, she knew what would follow. What always followed. Her papá’s rage erupted in a torrent of Italian curses that ended with a slap that knocked her nearly senseless against the foyer wall before he stormed out the apartment.
As she slid down in a heap by the front door, she had caught a glimpse of her mamá in the kitchen, her back turned to her in unspoken submission. Angela huffed. I will never marry and become like you, Mamá—squashed under the thumb of some man who wants only subservience and a crowded apartment full of squalling babies.
 She swallowed back tears. She would not cry—not today. Today she would take the first steps—real steps—toward her dream. And no one, not even the powerful and prominent Giusepe Bellini could stop her.
Their tiny stuffy apartment rumbled—as it always did six times a day and twice each night—from the Third Avenue El Train fifty feet away. The noise of the wheels clacking and the platform rattling mingled with the loud voices of her downstairs neighbors arguing—Mr. Paolino’s tenor to his wife’s shrill soprano. Outside her window, carriages clattered on cobblestones in sharp staccato, and shoppers and merchants carried on in boisterous conversation, sounding no more pacifying than an orchestra tuning their instruments.
On most days Angela could drown out the suffocating symphony of Mulberry Bend by rehearsing violin caprices in her head, imagining her fingers flying over the fingerboard, her right hand bowing the strings, eliciting the sweet and sonorous timbre of her instrument.
But on this stifling, humid September afternoon, the many pieces she’d memorized—no, absorbed into her very soul, as if food that nourished her—flitted away, out of reach, as she pulled down the heavy carpetbag from the hall closet—a bag that she’d found months ago stuffed behind a stack of wool blankets.
She stopped and listened. Her mama was humming in the back room as she folded laundry. Her two younger siblings were off playing with neighborhood children—in the street, no doubt, as the sweltering heat was worse indoors.
Angela’s hands shook as she dabbed her perspiring forehead and neck with a handkerchief and went through her mental list of all she would need on her trip. Not much—she’d only be gone ten, perhaps, twelve days, if all went as planned. She pushed from her thoughts her papá’s impending fury at her insolence and the resulting punishments that would await her upon her return. But she had made her decision, and there was no turning back.
Hurry, she told herself. Her papá had gone downstairs to the corner market, and while he often spent an hour or more on Sunday afternoons smoking cigars with the men of the neighborhood, discussing the politics of her close-knit Italian community and their various business ventures—and arranging their daughters’ marriages, she thought bitterly—he could return at any time.
In her bedroom, she gathered the neat stack of clothes she had put in her bottom dresser drawer, then stuffed them into the traveling bag along with her few womanly items, her prayer book, some sheets of music, and a spare pair of shoes. She checked her reticule and found the roll of bills—the money she’d earned over the last two years from babysitting and teaching music lessons through Signore Bianchi’s instrument shop on Second Avenue. She hoped it would be enough for the quality of violin she planned to buy.
Mr. Fisk hadn’t answered her inquiry regarding pricing in his letter. He merely assured her he would provide her with an exceptional instrument and that they would work out the financial details once she arrived in Greeley, Colorado.
Would her meager savings be enough? It had to be, for she couldn’t return to New York and face the audition committee without a proper instrument.
The director’s words still stung. “You’re a talented musician, Miss Bellini. But you bring shame to your craft by playing on such an inferior violin. Come back when you have an appropriate instrument.” The three committee members had politely frowned when she flustered an apology and hurried to the exit of the symphony hall, pressing down her humiliation and frustration as tears welled in her eyes.
Her papá could well afford to buy her a violin of exceptional quality, and every year at Christmas she begged him to indulge her love of playing with the purchase of a new one, but he only laughed in cool disdain and waved her away. “Give up your foolish dreams, Angela. Your place is in the home, with a husband and children. Not on the stage.” Her papá regarded music appropriate only at holidays and festivals and family gatherings, and only traditional song and instrumentation. He didn’t—couldn’t—understand this dream she nursed. The dream to play in the New York Philharmonic, to play on stage before an audience, to be a part of the creation of ethereal music that filled a great performance hall and moved listeners to tears.
To make matters worse, her older brother, Bartolomeo, sided with their papá, constantly nagging her to “get married already and stop being a burden on the family.” Although he was but two years older, he and Dora had three children. And Dora—and most of Angela’s other girlfriends from her school days, who were also married—gave her constant looks of pity, as if Angela was missing out on life’s greatest joy. But they just didn’t understand.
She had to fan the tiny spark of her dream to keep it alive, to prevent it from being snuffed out by her papá’s stern expectations and society’s demands. And it had nearly been extinguished a month ago, upon her papá’s brash public announcement of her engagement to Pietro—an arrogant youngest son of a successful wine merchant who had no love for music—none whatsoever. She harbored no hope that he would ever understand her passionate need to play the violin, and no doubt he’d forbid her pursuit of her dream.
And then she’d read an article in the Times about one George Fisk, a master violin maker in a newly founded town in the West—a place called Greeley. On a whim she’d written him. Why? She didn’t know. She could purchase a violin in Manhattan—one of sufficient quality. But there was something about the description of this man, Fisk. The way he spoke about the instruments he made. The care and time and love he put into each one. He built his instruments with a passion and love for beauty and music that resonated with her. For, she wanted more than a good violin. She wanted one that spoke to her soul, one made just for her. George Fisk promised he could provide just that. But she had to travel halfway across the continent. Was she willing? he’d asked her.
Yes, she wrote him. Yes, more than willing. Although, she’d never traveled outside of the city, and the thought of venturing into wild country, alone, made her stomach twist. But Fisk had told her not to worry. He would see to her accommodations and show her around his “wonderful little Western town.” And she had to admit—she was ready for an adventure.
She looked around her cramped tiny bedroom situated in a crowded apartment in a busy, noisy city. I’m more than ready for peace and quiet, and to get away from Papá’s mean spirit and violent temper.
What must it be like to stand under a wide-open sky spattered with stars, with no neighbors quarreling or trains rattling or horses’ hooves clacking on stones? Her heart yearned for such open space, for such silence. Silence that longed to be filled with beautiful music. She imagined nature itself performing a symphony of birdsong and coyote howls and water cascading over rocks. Those were some of the images her mind drifted to as she played, and she longed to merge her own musical voice to that of creation, if even just for a day or two.




About the Author


The author of "heart-thumping" Western romance, Charlene Whitman spent many years living on Colorado's Front Range. She grew up riding and raising horses, and loves to read, write, and hike the mountains. She attended Colorado State University in Fort Collins as an English major. She has two daughters and is married to George "Dix" Whitman, her love of thirty years. 

The Front Range series of sweet historical Western romance novels (set in 1876) includes Colorado Promise, set in Greeley, Colorado; Colorado Hope, set in Fort Collins; Wild Secret, Wild Longing, which takes readers up into the Rockies, and Colorado Dream (release date 11/15/16) and Wild Horses, Wild Hearts (release date 1/1/17).

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