Tuesday, October 21, 2014

PROMO: Losing the Girls and The Road Paved in Pink #breastcancer




Non Fiction - Memoir - Self Help - Breast Cancer
Date Published: August 2013

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Readers can delve into the breast cancer journey and beyond in Losing the Girls, a unique memoir differentiated by the author’s cutting-edge nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM)—a little-known breast cancer surgery technique that leaves the breast completely whole.  Shirley Alarie shares her story to boost awareness of this specialized procedure, which is only offered at select hospitals.  She believes that women facing mastectomies deserve to know all of their options. 

Shirley found that the biggest challenge of her life began with a convoluted breast cancer diagnosis; and then there was the overwhelming array of surgery options.  Mastectomy or lumpectomy?  Single mastectomy or double?  Reconstruction or no reconstruction?  She worried about making the right choice and how her decision would affect her both in the short and long term.  How would it affect her marriage? W as it crazy to choose a hospital three hours from home?

After the surgery, Shirley’s determination to beat the cancer triggered a lifestyle transformation that resulted in a stronger, more empowered woman.  Her deep faith in God and her peace with the afterlife helped shape her response to this life-changing ordeal with cancer—and the love and support of an amazing posse of family and friends, along with a liberal dose of humor and hope, pulled her through the darkness and back into the warm, sunny light.

Losing the Girls is a powerful and uplifting book for every woman—and the people who love them—to read.

What others have said:

As I read 'Losing the Girls- My Journey Through Nipple Sparring Mastectomy and Beyond', I was touched by Ms. Alarie's honesty, humor and spirit that shone through her written words. I cried, laughed and at times held my breath as she took the necessary steps to face her fears and come out the other side of the journey, strong and healthy. Ms. Alarie faced the gut wrenching reality of hearing - you have breast cancer, and now she is a survivor sharing her story with the world. A must read. Lucinda Race

What a fantastic read! From the very first pages Shirley opens up and gives honest glimpses of her life to her readers. Knowing she has a family history does little to take the sting out of her diagnosis. The way she deals with her tests, results, doctor visits and eventual surgery is truly an inspiration for any woman dealing with this disease. Along with writing about her emotional journey, Shirley shares with her readers all the information she has gained from researching breast cancer and what she has learned through her support system of Drs., nurses and the like. Great knowledge for anyone who many deal with breast cancer themselves or have a family member go through it. I found her reliance on God through her ordeal comforting and inspiring. Any reader will feel that they've gained a friend by the end. P Walker



Non Fiction - Memoir - Self Help - Breast Cancer
Date Published: July 2014

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Lovey’s nightmare has begun. She’s been thrust into a terrifying and confusing journey, joining the nearly 250,000 women who will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. If Lovey is fortunate, she has an excellent support team, also known as Angels. The Road Paved in Pink: A Practical and Personal Guide for Breast Cancer Patients and Their Loved Ones offers Lovey and her Angels the comprehensive guidance needed to withstand the challenges ahead.

Readers will be empowered by the love and support of the many others who have already traveled the same bumpy road.

The Road Paved in Pink is offered with a unique “Pay it Forward” program designed to reach as many people in need as possible. By request via her website, Shirley Alarie will provide a free book to people recently affected by breast cancer, with the stipulation that they forward it to someone else in need when they are finished with it, and so on.

If someone agrees to take a booklet from the Pay it Forward program, they will be asked to sign in to the website and log their first name and location, so we can watch the books travel around the country - and hopefully, the world!

Request a copy of The Road Paved in Pink - Pay it Forward Program at the following link: http://shirleyalarie.com/2014/08/road-paved-pink-pay-forward-program/

What others have said:

This is a very worthwhile read. The author does an excellent job of giving useful information that is very understandable, which doesn't always happen in the medical field. She is able to tell her story as well as provide the reader with an understanding of the many choices available for their own journey. Also a great guide for families and friends to help them be helpful in what can be a truly difficult time. P Walker

A moving and to the point awesome guide. If you don't know someone with breast cancer odds are in your lifetime you will. Have this book on hand, everyone involved will need it, as will you. Twenty seven years ago my mother had her first breast removed only to have the other one worked on seven years later. I was there, so wish I had this guide. I have it now and have already highlighted my "talking points", when I'm faced with being an angel for someone. Marion Brenan





About the Author

I spent the first twenty years of my career in an industrial manufacturing environment, running around the hamster wheel as fast as my legs would carry me. My breast cancer diagnosis jammed on the brakes and forced me to put life in perspective. My journey since breast cancer has been focused on making a positive difference in the world. Stepping off the hamster wheel has brought greater harmony to me and my home. My husband and furry baby appreciate that the "Crazy Lady" of the house is gone and a more "Mellow Mama" has taken her place.

My writing adventure began with Losing the Girls: My Journey Through Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy and Beyond, my memoir, written with the intention to entertain as well as spread awareness of nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM). My website identifies some of the hospitals that perform this surgery, through the “What is NSM?” and “Where is NSM?” links.

My follow-up, The Road Paved in Pink: A Practical and Personal Guide for Breast Cancer Patients and Their Loved Ones serves to heighten awareness of reconstruction options, among other key topics specific to a breast cancer challenge. I am thrilled to offer the “Pay it Forward” program in conjunction with this book promotion.

Another tool I’ve created to help further the awareness of breast cancer surgery options is a free 11-minute video that describes and shows the various options. Since studies have shown women undergoing treatment for breast cancer aren’t always informed of all of their options, I’m striving to ensure women facing this challenge are able to make fully informed choices. I invite all women to become educated on this topic, as this information might make a huge difference for someone they love. The video can be found on my website: http://shirleyalarie.com/2014/08/breast-cancer-surgery-options-video/

I’d love to have you join me in my journey to making a positive difference in the world!




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Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Blog Tour: Hold On! by @Pete_Darley #interview #giveaway


Romantic Suspense/Thriller
Date Published: July 9, 2014

   
Two lovers! A deadly conspiracy! A race to freedom! 

When Carringby Industries, a government-contracted arms manufacturer, is raided by what appear to be terrorists, the CEO’s secretary, Belinda Reese, is rescued by Brandon Drake, a dashing young AWOL soldier. Using an experimental test aircraft, he flees with her to his remote, isolated cabin in the mountains of Aspen. 

While assisting in the design of military weaponry, Brandon discovered a plot within his own government to attack its own facilities, under the guidance of immoral politician, Senator Garrison Treadwell. Belinda’s body was not found among the dead at Carringby Industries, and Treadwell suspects that Drake was responsible for rescuing her. In an effort to entrap him, Treadwell arranges for an all points bulletin to be placed on Belinda. 

Deeply in love, Brandon and Belinda attempt to escape from America, only to endure one harrowing experience after another as they try to evade and expose Treadwell’s corrupt faction. 

But on the run, with danger around every corner, Brandon makes a discovery so devastating that it shatters the very foundations of his reality.




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Interview

Is There a Message in Your Novel That You Want Readers to Grasp?

- Hold On! definitely explores the nature of ‘self’ and ‘identity’. 

- Also blatant in the text is the question of the validity of ‘authority’, given that laws, and the concepts of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ vary from era to era, and from culture to culture. It also examines the concept that if authority could, hypothetically, be defined in absolute terms – who could possibly impose it, given that the destiny of all men is the grave? Not one is above another. The corruption that exists within authoritative bodies further adds to this dilemma. 

- That aside, the primary purpose of Hold On! was for it to be an entertaining, tense, nail-biting, roller-coaster ride. Everything else is largely secondary.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

- Finding the time to write.

How many books have you written and which is your favorite?

- I have written two, Hold On! and Go!, and I like them both equally. I am currently working on the third installment, Run!. I can only hope that I can pull it off a third time.

If you had the chance to cast your main character from Hollywood today, who would you pick and why?

- Great question. Brandon Drake has never been anyone other than Australian actor, Chris Hemsworth (Thor.) His was the face I had in mind from the moment Brandon first removed his helmet. He’s absolutely perfect for the role.

When did you begin writing?

- Soon after I graduated from law school. I wanted to see what would it would be like to write something fun for once. 

How long did it take to complete your first book?

- I think it took me about eighteen months to complete the first draft. It then went through numerous revisions over the following three years during my journey toward publication. 

Did you have an author who inspired you to become a writer?

- Not really. I am naturally visual, and I tend to be more influenced by film, although I was privy to a comprehensive academic background in English literature. 

What is your favorite part of the writing process?

- That magic moment when a golden idea just pops into my head. 

Describe your latest book in 4 words.

- “Fugitives to the rescue.” (Go! – Hold On! Season 2)

Can you share a little bit about your current work or what is in the future for your writing?

- I would love to, but it is extremely difficult. When you are working on a third installment in a series, and the second hasn’t been released yet, it is very difficult to say too much without revealing spoilers.

- That said, I want to keep the story consistent whilst offering something new and shocking to the mix, in order to avoid being repetitive, Run! – Hold On! Season 3 will continue where Go! left off, but in this one, I am turning the entire concept on its head, as I journey toward an ending that (I hope) will be unexpected and emotionally resonant. I am not a huge fan of HEA because ‘happy ever after’ demands that it’s all over. “That’s all, folks!” Cliffhangers, on the other hand, can often mean that it’s only just beginning.  My final chapters always end on a fairly hopeless note – but there’s always that ‘wink to the camera’ in the epilogue. 

(Smileys inserted to illustrate my mood in the absence of my physical presence.)

Peter Darley (P.D. to his friends) is a British novelist, whose professional history is in showbusiness. He is a graduate of the Birmingham School of Speech and Dramatic Art, and he studied television drama at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA.) His television credits include guest-starring roles is UK productions such as BBC’s Crime Ltd, Stanley’s Dragon for ITV, The Bill, and Sky One’s Dream Team, and numerous TV commercials. He has also worked as a model, presenter, and voice-over artiste for ten years, and has acted as an agent for several variety acts.
His lifelong admiration of heroes, and love of roller-coaster-style thrills have been a huge influence on his writings.
He is a keen athlete and body builder, and lives with his partner in rural England.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PDAuthor
Twitter:@Pete_Darley




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Monday, October 13, 2014

Cover Reveal: Unstrung by @KendraHighley



Cover Reveal - Unstrung by Kendra C. Highley
Young Adult Sci Fi/Dystopian
Date Published: October 17, 2014

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Book One: Unstrung Series

Lexa Pate, seventeen-year-old thief extraordinaire, has burned a bridge or two in her life. You don't make a career out of stealing other people's property without making enemies.

When a risky job goes from bad to worse, Lexa and her adopted family find themselves on Precipice Corporation's hit list because they've accidentally stolen the wrong thing--plans for a new model of genetically-engineered super humans. Now every bounty hunter, cop on the take, and snitch in the city is after them.

Lexa's world crumbles around her as she fights to keep her family safe even as someone strolls out of her forgotten past. Quinn claims to know who Lexa really is, but can she trust a stranger she met while robbing his boss?

More importantly, does she really want to know what Quinn has to tell her?

Based on the fairy tale Pinocchio, UNSTRUNG takes you into a near future world where the lines between fake and real are blurred, all that's pristine isn't always innocent, and being a criminal isn't always wrong.









About the Author



Kendra C. Highley lives in north Texas with her husband and two children. She also serves as staff to four self-important cats. This, according to the cats, is her most crucial job. She believes chocolate is a basic human right, running a 10k is harder than it sounds, and that everyone should learn to drive a stick shift. She loves monsters, vacations, baking and listening to bad electronica. If she's not writing, she's reading. If she's not writing or reading, she's likely a little cranky.




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Friday, October 3, 2014

Blog Tour: Written In Blood by Elaina Lee #giveaway


Romantic Suspense
Date Published: Jan 1, 2011 (Re-published June 2014)   


 Written in Blood: A dark and sensual, award winning, romantic suspense.

Lyndi Crisdean is assigned one of the hardest cases in her career as a defense attorney. A serial murder case. Investigating is Alek Trevian, the lead investigator for the district attorney, and a handsome and supremely dangerous man. Lyndi finds herself in over her head when she chooses desire for Alek over common sense. If they're caught, Lyndi will lose everything she's worked for. Circumstances beyond her control pull her toward Alek, for he turns out to be the only one who can help when threats start to mount against her.

Lyndi may be the key Alek needs to bring down a murderous cult running loose in his city. When her beach house is broken into and a man begins to tail Lyndi, Alek can't help but reason Lyndi may be next on the cult's hitlist. The question is, will he discover the identity of the cult, keep her safe, and still win the case against the serial killer she's defending, all while losing a battle against the strong, untamable desire she alone ignites within him?


I'm Elaina Lee, romance writer. Since given an assignment in the 6th grade to write a fantasy story, I knew writing was a passion I'd never be able to do without.  From that moment on my imagination took flight.  Over the years I've written everything from the Dark Ages to Science Fiction, all with romantic elements, of course ;-).
As a mother of two boys, a kindergartner and high schooler, life is never boring in my house!  When I'm not keeping a little one out of trouble, or trying to keep my sanity as a boy migrates into a man, I write.  I'm very fortunate to have met my remarkable husband who has supported and encouraged my dreams of being an author since the day we met. 
Thanks for taking the time to learn about me!   

Blog Tour: The Sanctum by @madhuriblaylock


(The Sanctum Trilogy, Book II)

Paranormal
Date Published: May 15, 2014

   
In THE GIRL, Madhuri Blaylock introduced readers to the world of The Sanctum, one corrupted by greed and savagery and hellbent on achieving a single goal: destroying the prophesied hybrid. When one of its most celebrated warriors questioned his allegiances, age-old secrets were unveiled and violence erupted. The journey becomes more perilous and intense as the trilogy surges forward with THE BOY.

Can you cross the plains of death, collect every piece of your soul and make it back to the land of the living?

And if you complete the journey, will your loved ones welcome your return?

The Ramyan have been answering such questions since the creation of The Sanctum. A mysterious sect of Magicals, haunting the blank spaces of time and memory, they serve no one but themselves and their higher purpose. They exist on a plane removed from earthly matters, shifting easily between the living and the dead, moving in time to the beat of their own drummer.

At least they did.

Dev and Wyatt change all of that when the prophesied hybrid lands on the steps of Rinshun Palace, seeking help for the wounded Class A Warrior. That decision alters lives and sets old agendas back on course. But at what cost to Dev and Wyatt? And does that really even matter?




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REVIEW 

Madhuri Blaylock has managed to elevate her characters in this second novel in a way I rarely see. I felt like pretty much everything in this novel was stepped up. Plot and pacing was well done and I liked that she managed to bring something fresh to a sequel. 




Madhuri is a Jersey City Heights girl via Snellville, Georgia, who writes paranormal fiction and is slightly infatuated with tattoos, four-inch heels, ice cream, Matt Damon, scotch, Doc Martens, Laini Taylor, photo booths and dancing like a fool.
She's currently working on The Sanctum trilogy and hopes one day soon, everyone is walking around with copies of The Girl and The Boy in their pocket or on their Kindle.
She wants to get a goat and a burro, but since she lives in the city, will settle for some chickens.
To learn more about her, you can follow her blog at madhuriblaylock.wordpress.com, follow her on Twitter at @madhuriblaylock or like her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thesanctumtrilogy.

She's totally chatty so drop her a line any time.



Twitter: @madhuriblaylock