Archive for November, 2013
Book Excerpt from The Playmaker
I’m sharing an excerpt from “The Playmaker”, a contemporary/sports romance novel, and the sequel to “Fire on Ice”, which I hosted earlier this week. Enjoy!
Book Excerpt
I stared at the huge stadium in front of me. I was about to walk into Key Arena for my first game as a major league hockey player but I still felt small and insignificant next to the massive structure.
Me, Kian Kavanagh, a kid from the wrong side of Boston, was now an NHL player. It was something I had dreamed about since I was a kid and first set foot on the ice but it still didn’t feel real. I felt like I could wake up any minute and it would all be just a cruel dream. I had worked so hard and for so long just to be in this place and at this moment. Where I was from, people were well aware of what happened when their dreams died but no one ever taught me what it was supposed to be like when a dream came true.
The only thing that was missing, the only thing that could possibly make the moment any better, would be to have my girl right there with me.
My girl.
No other two words sounded sweeter.
I had to do a lot of hard things in life. Being raised, if you could even call it that, by a drug-addicted, alcoholic mother came with its share of shit storms. Growing up on the wrong side of town and trying to get through school on my own wasn’t easy. But by far, the hardest thing I ever had to do was leave my girl, my princess, and move to Seattle without her.
But she was a senior in college. She had to finish her final semester. And she was getting ready for graduate school. I wanted all of those things for her. Things that were important to her and made her Taylor Thompson.
She was better than me in every way and we both knew it. I felt so freaking lucky every day of my life that she wanted to be with a guy like me. Now that I was a major league player, I finally had something real to offer her. Something that made me worthy of being her guy.
I rubbed the smooth heart-shaped gemstone that was in my front pocket and inhaled a deep breath. That gemstone, rose quartz, Taylor called it, was supposed to symbolize love. Taylor gave it to me our last night together in Arizona. She said it was a symbol of her heart and I was to always carry it with me. I never went anywhere without it.
Taylor promised she would watch my games on television. I was so proud of her for so many reasons: for overcoming a really shitty high school boyfriend who betrayed her in an unforgiveable way and for following her dream to earn a doctorate in psychology. I was lucky my ass graduated high school. I did it by the skin of my teeth. Not because I was stupid but because I had such a shitty life; trying to survive was a bigger priority that school work. When I had to try and find something to eat because my mom didn’t give a shit about buying food, homework didn’t seem as important.
Being here, playing in the major leagues, was finally my chance to do something that would make Taylor proud of me. And I could prove that I wasn’t the complete loser that her parents thought I was. Maybe they could finally see me as being worthy of their daughter.
The Playmaker
Title: The Playmaker
Author: Dakota Madison
Genre: Contemporary Romance / New Adult Romance / Sports Romance
Kian Kavanagh, Mr. Fire on Ice, has just been called up to play hockey for the NHL’s new expansion team in Seattle. Finally playing in the NHL is a dream come true…except for one thing. Kian has to leave Northern Arizona and the love of his life, Taylor Thompson, to pursue his dream.
Taylor Thompson thinks she’s got life figured out. She’ll finish her final semester of college then move to Seattle to attend graduate school and be with her man. Until one fateful night when Taylor’s world is complete shattered and everything she’s ever wanted—everything she’s ever hoped for—is called into question.
Will Kian’s love be enough to help put Taylor’s shattered world back together again or will tragedy tear them apart?
Author Bio
Dakota Madison has been writing since she learned to read and fell in love with books. When she’s not at her computer creating spicy new romances, Dakota is traveling to exotic locales or spending time with her husband and their bloodhounds.
Purchase Fire on Ice: http://www.amazon.com/Fire-Ice-ebook/dp/B00DZTY5O0/
Purchase The Playmaker: http://www.amazon.com/The-Playmaker-Fire-Ice-ebook/dp/B00FNGA14G/
Facebook fan page
https://www.facebook.com/DakotaMadisonAuthor
Book Excerpt from Getting Lost
I’m happy to host an excerpt today from erotica novella “Getting Lost”. Enjoy the excerpt!
Book Excerpt
After a shower and a long time brushing her teeth, she felt ready to face the world. She headed into Marc’s room and pulled her clothes out of her bag. A tube of lipstick dropped from the confines of her jeans and rolled under the bed. “Ugh!” she whispered. She pulled her jeans on, buttoned them, and dropped to her belly on the floor, inching her way under the bed. As her fingers closed around the errant tube, they brushed something else. Figuring she’d haul whatever it was out, too, she looped her pinky finger around the object and pulled.
A lacy bra with a note in one of the cups was suddenly under her nose. Looking up to be sure Marc was still sleeping; she quickly gathered the bra, note, and her bag before stepping out to the living room and closing the door.
She eyed the bra as she made coffee, knowing it wasn’t hers and she was the only girl Marc had dated since he moved in six months before. Pouring a cup of the dark brew, her temper simmering, she snagged the objects and took a seat on the couch before opening the note with trembling hands.
Dearest Marc,
I really loved our time together. Making love with you has been on my mind since the first day you walked into work. When it finally happened, my every fantasy came true. Since then, every time has been like the first time. Your taste drives me wild and I can’t wait to be on my knees for you again. Having you inside me is a feeling I won’t soon forget. I’m leaving you this little memento so you might remember our passionate nights. I hope we can continue our tryst. Let me know when you break up with your girlfriend. I’m looking forward to our first real date; one that will allow us to be free and open with our feelings for one another in public. While I enjoy our private time, I don’t like sneaking around. I want to show you off to the world.
All my love,
Amber
Cicily read the letter six times before deciding what to do. Hmmm, I could kick his ass, scream and throw things, or… She walked over to her purse, pulled out a pen, and added a note to the bottom of the letter.
“Dearest” Marc,
I’m guessing that, before my family died, you were planning to dump me. I’m also guessing that you found you couldn’t do it in the wake of the pain I was already suffering. I’m going to be brutally honest with you now. The letter above has ripped my heart out of my body and left it lying on your kitchen floor. You were all I had left. I gave you my complete trust and you betrayed me in the worst way possible. I also wonder if you stayed because of the money from my parents’ estate. Were you intending to keep seeing her behind my back?
I wish you’d have just told me. Instead, you continued to use my body as you saw fit while giving yourself to another woman on the side. That’s the lowest form of disrespect. I also gave you my love. Something I never thought I’d live to regret.
It’s all gone now. Amber sounds like a nice, slutty girl and it was sweet of her to leave you a note and a bra for you to remember your times with her by. It must not have been that special if you needed a memento to recall it. Then again, sex with you sucked anyway. Maybe it was her that needed the reminder.
So, I’m leaving. When you finally wake up, my things will be out of your apartment and my number will be changed. Don’t call me. Don’t try to find me. Don’t ever look me up again.
I wish you every happiness with Ms. Amber. I only hope she realizes what she’s getting herself into. No telling how many times you’ve done this to me.
All my dead, blackened love,
Cicily
P.S. You fart in your sleep. It’s really bad. Smells like something crawled up your butt and died. You may want to see a doctor before you accidentally kill your new girlfriend.
She drained the last of the coffee from her cup, folded the note, and put it back in the cup of the bra before fastening the whole package to the front of the fridge. Silently, she moved around the apartment, gathering her things. When she had the last item in her bag, she left, giving the door a hard slam behind her.
Getting Lost
Title: Getting Lost (The Island, Book One)
Author: Marie Morgan
Genre: Erotica
Cicily Welling lost everything she cared about. On a dangerous path of self-destruction, she finds a website announcing The Island, saying how they can help those with “emotional problems.”
With much trepidation, she fills out the form and clicks submit, launching herself into a world she never knew existed. It all starts with him. He tells her she’ll heal and makes grand promises that she’ll never be a doormat again.
Now, getting lost is the only way she’ll be able to find herself. In this first book of The Island trilogy, Cicily finds out just how delicious getting lost can be.
Author Bio
Marie Morgan fell in love with the erotica genre when she read Anne Rice’s Sleeping Beauty series. Marie has attempted to delve deeply into the human psyche and show how embracing something new can set someone free.
Links
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marie.morgan.3950178
Twitter: @AuthorMMorgan
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/AuthorMMorgan
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Marie-Morgan/e/B00FQI35XU
Purchase Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FMFFX6Y
Smashwords:http: //www.smashwords.com/books/view/364201
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/getting-lost-marie-morgan/1117117138?ean=9781492881384
Giveaway
There is also a tour-wide giveaway for a $25 Amazon Gift Card. Click on the Rafflecopter link below if you want to participate in the giveaway.
Go here for the Rafflecopter giveaway.
Book Excerpt Fire on Ice
I’m happy to share an excerpt from “Fire on Ice” with you today. Enjoy the excerpt!
Book Excerpt
I shook my head and glanced around the club. Runt was right about one thing: the kids who frequented this place were loaded. Most of them were wearing top notch designer clothes and sporting hundred dollar haircuts. I grew up dirt poor, lucky to have second hand clothes from the donation bin and the occasional coupon-day haircut at Super Cuts. Even now, I didn’t like to waste money even though I was earning good coin. I knew there was a big chance my hockey career could be cut short, so I saved as much as I could for my future, which I hoped would someday be a sports bar, if I saved enough and was smart with investing.
As I glanced around the bar at the sea of perfect young faces, I spotted a girl sitting by herself at a small table in the corner. She was looking in my direction but when our eyes met, she quickly looked down and started reading a book.
What the hell?
Who reads a book in a bar, I wondered. I was intrigued.
The first thing I noticed about her was her beautiful wavy brown hair. The long waves were tucked behind her ears, which were decorated with a single pink pearl in each center. She was wearing a flowered blouse tied over a black tank top and a long black skirt. It was such an odd outfit to be wearing at a bar. She looked like she was ready for a stroll through a museum or art gallery. Most girls at bars tried to show as much skin and body parts as humanly possible. They left little to the imagination. But this girl had her arms and legs completely covered.
I could tell she was different and I wanted to know why.
I tipped back the rest of my beer, put the empty glass on the bar and made my way over to the girl. I just couldn’t get over the fact she was reading a book in a bar. It was such a strange sight. As I got closer, I noticed the book was a lot thicker than I initially thought. A textbook? Who studies at a bar?
She didn’t even have a drink in front of her. She was just intent on reading her book.
I stood next to her table and cleared my throat to get her attention. When she glanced up at me, her expression was neutral.
“Hey,” I said and gave her a quick smile.
She just stared at me. I have to admit, it kind of freaked me out. I was used to girls doing most of the work. Usually all I had to do was decide if I wanted to take them home or not.
Her hazel brown eyes were completely captivating. I felt like I was swimming in the deep end of two delicious pools. I gulped and suddenly couldn’t think of anything to say. The girl made me nervous and I never got nervous. All I could do was stare into her beautiful brown eyes.
“What do you want?” she said finally. The question wasn’t mean; it was like she was really curious why I was standing there.
“I was just wondering what you were reading.” As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I knew I sounded like a complete asshole.
And why was I second guessing myself? That was not like me at all. From the time I was fourteen, and started to really show off on the ice, girls dropped their panties for me with little more than a wink and a winning smile on my part.
But this girl was different. When she looked at me, it was like she was looking right through me, like she could see into every part of my mind and soul. And that scared the hell out of me because there was a lot of shit going on in there that I never wanted anyone to see.
Fire on Ice
Title: Fire on Ice
Author: Dakota Madison
Genre: Contemporary Romance / New Adult Romance / Sports Romance
He’s Fire on Ice and she’s afraid to get burned again…
“You always think a guy is going to be different until he’s not.”
Firestorm Center Kian Kavanagh dominates the ice like a rock star dominates the stage. He’s the hottest new player to be recruited for the Firestorm, a newly established professional hockey team in Northern Arizona.
After Taylor Thompson’s heart was completely shattered by her high school’s most popular jock, she vowed never to date another athlete. And she keeps that promise through her first three years of college by putting up impenetrable walls to protect her from heartbreak.
But after a chance meeting with the charming and irresistible Kian Kavanagh, Taylor’s carefully constructed walls are in serious danger of being burned down by Mr. Fire on Ice.
Author Bio
Dakota Madison has been writing since she learned to read and fell in love with books. When she’s not at her computer creating spicy new romances, Dakota is traveling to exotic locales or spending time with her husband and their bloodhounds.
Purchase Fire on Ice: http://www.amazon.com/Fire-Ice-ebook/dp/B00DZTY5O0/
Purchase The Playmaker: http://www.amazon.com/The-Playmaker-Fire-Ice-ebook/dp/B00FNGA14G/
Facebook fan page
https://www.facebook.com/DakotaMadisonAuthor
Release Day Party Liberty’s Torch
We’re thrilled to celebrate the release day of young adult dystopian novel, “Liberty’s Torch” today. You can get your copy of the novel from Amazon today!
You can also buy your copy on B&N or from Smashwords
About Liberty’s Torch
Title: Liberty’s Torch
Author: Janet McNulty
Genre: YA Dystopian
All it takes is one spark to ignite the flame of liberty.
Six months have passed since Dana and Kenny parted. Forced to live as a wanderer, Dana discovers a crashed drone and learns of the chaos within Dystopia and what President Klens has planned for the resistance. Realizing that she must go back, Dana acquires the help of a seventy-year-old man and an old friend. Upon her return, she finds that rebellion is in the air as the government continues to eliminate dissenters.
Forced to disguise herself, Dana searches for the resistance to tell them of President Klens’ plans. After a few run-ins with the officers and narrow escapes from Colonel Fernau—his obsession with her growing each day—she learns that the people of Dystopia yearn to be free from their oppression. What they need is a leader. Knowing that everyone she cares for will never be safe so long as the government reigns supreme, Dana must decide how far she is willing to go achieve freedom.
Author Bio
Ms. McNulty began writing short stories at an early age. That passion continued through college until she published her first book: Legends Lost: Amborese under the pen name of Nova Rose. Since then she has gone on to publish a mystery series, children’s books, and even a dystopian series.
Recently, her grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s causing her to visit her grandparent’s and record her grandfather’s memoirs before they become lost. The final result is Grandpa’s Stories: The 20th Century as My Grandfather Lived It. She did this to preserve her family history before it becomes lost.
Ms. McNulty currently lives in West Virginia where she enjoys hiking, being outside, crocheting, or simply sitting around and doing nothing. She continues writing. She is finishing up her dystopian series (the second book, Tempered Steel, is to be published in August 2013 and the final one, Liberty’s Torch, in November 2013).
Books include:
Legends Lost Series: (Published under Nova Rose)
Tesnayr
Amborese
Galdin
The Mellow Summers Series:
Sugar And Spice And Not So Nice
Frogs, Snails, And A Lot Of Wails
An Apple A Day Keeps Murder Away
Three Little Ghosts
Oh Holy Ghost
Where Trouble Roams
Two Ghosts Haunt A Grove
Trick Or Treat…Or Murder
Children’s Books:
Mr. Chili’s Chili
Mr. Chili Goes To School
Mr. Chili’s Halloween
Mr. Chili’s Christmas
The Hungry Washing Machine
Mrs. Duck And The Dragon
Rhymes-a-lot
How Do You Catch An Alien
Are You The Monster Under The Bed?
You can learn more about her and her writing at http://www.legendslosttrilogy.com
Follow her blog: http://booksandlegends.blogspot.com/
Links
https://twitter.com/JMRUL
http://www.amazon.com/Janet-McNulty/e/B006SMJXFW
https://www.facebook.com/janetmcnultyauthor
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5199153.Janet_McNulty
http://janetmcnulty84.wix.com/authorprofile
Buy your copy
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/libertys-torch-janet-mcnulty/1116875209?ean=2940045253628
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/355885
Book Review The Goddess and The Great Beast
Title: The Goddess and the Great Beast
Author: Adrian Gross
Genre: Supernatural Thriller
Purchase: Amazon
1942: a bored British soldier in Baghdad; a beautiful Babylonian Goddess; a sacred marriage unconsummated.
Five years later, in a dreary post-war London, the Goddess must be satisfied.
Can anyone save her demobbed consort from eternal torment?
Or eternal bliss?
Can he save himself?
Does he even want to be saved?
And what’s it got to do with the ‘wickedest man in the world’?
I had no idea what to expect when I began reading “The Goddess and The Great Beast”, but I certainly didn’t expect the book to be so well-written, so refreshing and original.
Vivian is a British soldier in Baghdad in 1942. He spends most of his time doing menial work, or being bored out of his mind, since the war hasn’t really gotten to Baghdad yet. He’s become acquainted with a smuggler named Farouk, who is apparently a practitioner of an ancient Babylonian religion. Vivian asks Farouk to take him along to an ancient Babylonian ritual, and Farouk agrees. After drinking a strong elixir, Vivian has a vision / hallucination of the Babylonian Goddess.
After the ritual, he’s obsessesed to participate in another one. But this time, the goddess may be looking for more from him than he’s willing to give. Feeling like his life is at stake, Vivian fleds the scene. Unfortunately, the goddess won’t let him go – he continues to feel her suppressing presence, even after he’s left the country, even after the war. Will he be able to survive what the goddess wants from him?
The story was original, refreshing, and I loved the addition of the ancient Babylonian religion, the exotic culture of Baghdad, and the historical setting of World War II and after. The writing style was kind of poetic and descriptive, but it worked well, and there were some descriptions in there that were true gems.
Vivian was an interesting character. He was far from perfect, and his flaws made him stand out from the others.
The author obviously has a lot of talent. I enjoyed reading this book, and I’m eager to read more books by this author.
Book Excerpt from The Goddess and The Great Beast
I’m hosting an excerpt today from supernatural thriller “The Goddess and The Great Beast”. Enjoy reading!
Book Excerpt
‘Fuck off, Alistair, it’s my turn now!’
These were my father’s last words to me and for many years they were incomprehensible and frustrating. Firstly, my name is not Alistair. Second, it was impossible to know what he thought it was his turn for. And finally, for a man of his generation, whose coarsest previous exclamation had been ‘bloody wars’, the first word was such a complete shock that all I could do to mark his last moments alive was gape at him, open-mouthed, as the confusing sentence reverberated around my head.
Almost as soon as he had launched this explosive phrase he was gone. The eyes were vacant, the body limp, the final breath evaporated into the air.
Nearly twenty years later the following manuscript came into my possession. It was a yellowing folio hand-typed on an old fashioned typewriter by my father. Its discovery brought back vague memories of tap-tap-tapping behind a closed door, interspersed with occasional angry shouts and the sound of sheets of paper being crumpled up and hurled against the wall. It now seems likely that the literary endeavour which was causing him so much irritation was this one, a memoir of his experiences during and just after the Second World War.
I knew he had been in the desert during the war but, as he had always been extremely disinclined to talk about anything in his life prior to my birth, I had never pressed him on the details. As I was quite a late arrival, not making an appearance until he was almost fifty, by the time I was grown up enough to have developed an interest in family history it was too late to ask him anyway because he had died when I was only just out of my teens. By this time I had formed the opinion that, like so many of his generation, my father considered the past a closed book. Either through a desire to leave the horrors of warfare behind or resentment at a system that had failed to properly reward the heroes that had laid their lives on the line to rescue it from Nazi oblivion, he clearly felt the past was best left alone.
So it was with some surprise that I came upon this tale amongst the effects of a recently deceased uncle. As it happens, his name was Alistair, so perhaps he had been the intended recipient of my father’s final words. However, he had not been in attendance at the time and as far as I was aware the two of them hadn’t been in regular contact for many years. He wasn’t even my father’s brother, but my mother’s, so they wouldn’t necessarily have been close. Unhelpfully, of course, he was now dead too, so I couldn’t ask him about it either. It was curious that he had been in possession of this manuscript, though, along with a short note in my father’s vaguely art nouveau handwriting which read simply, ‘Hope this explains.’
When I was a child I always felt there was a shadow behind my father’s eyes, a barrier preventing something I could not understand from imposing itself on our lives. The shadow never dropped and it never went away. Even in death there was something behind those empty staring orbs that would not, or could not, release itself and reveal its secrets. It was never detrimental to our relationship and I was blessed with a happy childhood, but there was always the feeling of a dark secret lurking somewhere close at hand, constantly in attendance but never showing itself except, briefly and cryptically, on his death-bed.
Perhaps this manuscript goes some way towards explaining what precipitated that mysterious psychological cloud. Of course, it’s possible my father made the whole thing up as a kind of joke to posterity or a purely personal amusement to while away the hours of late middle age. But why bother? As far as I know he never made any attempt to publish this document and never even told anyone about its existence. He must have expected it to have been read at some time though, to have thought it worth writing down, so I am of the opinion that this is a faithful rendition of his experiences as he saw them. Experiences that he may not have been fully able to explain and that he struggled even to believe had actually happened, but nonetheless experiences that he couldn’t get out of his head other than by putting them down on paper. If they had happened to me, I think I would have needed some kind of therapy.
The story presented here then is a faithful transcript of the original typescript. I am in no position to either verify or dismiss the contents, so it is offered as it was found, as a curiosity.
As a great man once said, ‘There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy’.
We are all Horatio.
About The Book
Title: The Goddess and the Great Beast
Author: Adrian Gross
Genre: Supernatural Thriller
1942: a bored British soldier in Baghdad; a beautiful Babylonian Goddess; a sacred marriage unconsummated.
Five years later, in a dreary post-war London, the Goddess must be satisfied.
Can anyone save her demobbed consort from eternal torment?
Or eternal bliss?
Can he save himself?
Does he even want to be saved?
And what’s it got to do with the ‘wickedest man in the world’?
Author Bio
Adrian Gross is a British writer. Some bits of him used to be Irish and some others were once Hungarian. He lives close to Glastonbury and likes to bang his little heavy metal head whilst drinking chewy real ale!
He has endured many terrible jobs, including adrenaline-junkie motorcycle courier, record shop dude-with-bad-attitude, and air traffic control disaster limitation assistant.
When his aching bones and throbbing hangover allow, he plays football (soccer) and rides bicycles up and down the Mendip Hills.
Links
Website: www.adriangross.co.uk
Book Excerpt Matt Monroe and The Secret Society
I’m going to share a snippet today from MG fantasy “Matt Monroe and The Secret Society” by Edward Torba. Have fun reading!
Book Excerpt
The golden glow of twilight spread over the lush countryside, magically painting trees and other plants various shades of orange and yellow, signaling the end of another workday. All seemed well in the tiny farming community. However, something was out of place; three large, eerie red lights hovered only a few feet off the ground in the middle of the cornfield.
Because of the high humidity, an inversion formed over the valley. This caused a thick fog to hang low in the fields of the Monroe Farm as fourteen-year-old Matt Monroe pulled the tractor into the barn. The smell of fresh hay filled the air.
Matt parked the John Deere in its place and was greeted by loud mooing from two of his favorite milking cows. He gathered some of the newly reaped hay and fed it to the noisy, oversized animals. His mother had always said he had a special way with them. Matt thought about it and laughed to himself, watching the Guernsey cows fight for the sprigs of hay he had just tossed their way, then he turned to leave the barn.
Something moved to his right. What was that? Matt could have sworn he saw a shadow.
“Who’s there?” he asked. No one answered.
The livestock weren’t spooked, so he chalked it up to heat exhaustion. However, when he closed the barn door Matt saw a ghostly figure standing in the fog only a few yards away. It looked like a teenage boy who waved to him, beckoning him to follow. Matt rubbed his eyes and just like that, the mysterious figure was gone.
“Maybe Mom’s right. I should slow down. I hope I’m not getting a fever. She’ll flip out.”
He looked across the field toward the farmhouse and saw the red lights. They pulsated, but gave off no sound.
About The Book
Title: Matt Monroe and The Secret Society
Author: Edward Torba
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy / Mystery
Matt Monroe and The Secret Society is the first book in a series about a fourteen-year-old boy and his friends. In this first installment, Matt puts aside his fears as he travels to a same-time dimension to fulfill a prophecy. The saga begins when Matt finds a set of mysterious wooden tablets and an onyx ring. Soon he and his older brother, along with five friends, find themselves transported to the world of Paragon, where they face numerous obstacles. This is an account of deception and betrayal, mixed with courage and the bonds of friendship. Prepare yourself for an exciting adventure with an extraordinary ending. The second book in the series, Matt Monroe and The Haunted House, continues the story of these courage young teens.
Author Bio
Edward Torba graduated from the University of Pittsburgh and received a B.S. degree in biology in 1973 and a Doctor of Dental Medicine degree in 1977. He has been a general dentist for more than thirty-six years, practicing in Latrobe [Derry Township], Pennsylvania. His lifelong hobby has been writing. Publications to his credit: The Magic Trip and Boys Club Guide to Youth Football.
Dr. Torba enjoys travel and reading when he has the time. He also has a great passion for gardening. His favorite author is Charles Dickens; one of his life goals is to pen a best selling novel that would be worthy of Dickens.
Links
Author Website: http://edwardtorba.com
Publisher Website: http://allpointspress.com/
Amazon (Hardcover) : http://www.amazon.com/Matt-Monroe-The-Secret-Society/dp/0985082704/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381579440&sr=8-1&keywords=matt+monroe+and+the+secret+society
Book Excerpt from Shelf Life (The Publicist Book Two)
I’m hosting an excerpt from contemporary romance novel “Shelf Life” (The Publicist Book Two). Enjoy the excerpt!
Book Excerpt
The floor was uncomfortable and cold; Kate hoped at least it was clean. She bent down farther, her face almost touching the tile and her deep brown hair brushing the floor. She tried not to think about how many germs she was being exposed to. She could see a sliver of light under the door and knew that Chelsea was standing just on the other side. Why the hell couldn’t anyone find the key? Oh, right, she couldn’t tell them her author had locked herself in the green room minutes before she was going on one of the top national morning shows. Of course, this couldn’t happen on some small, podunk station in the middle of nowhere. It had to happen in New York, and it had to be national. No one could find out that Chelsea was in full red-alarm-pre-TV-interview meltdown.
Kate could hear sobbing. She wondered if the last thing she would remember on her deathbed would be the sound of one of her authors crying or wailing. God knows she’d heard enough of it to last her a lifetime. Kate scooted closer to the door, No, she thought, likely it would be Mac finally telling her he had left his wife. Sure. Perfect timing. She could hear him now. “Sorry you’re dying. Guess what? We can be together now.” Just her luck.
The sobbing from the other side of the door grew louder.
“Sshhh, Chelsea, keep it down. We can’t have people knowing you’re having a panic attack.”
“I’m not having an attack!” she screamed. Well, so much for that. Kate heard footsteps in the hallway, which made her jump to her feet.
“Hi,” she said, louder than necessary. “I just dropped, eh, my….”
“Is she nearly ready?” The producer interrupted, stepping toward her. He was clearly not interested in why Kate had been on the floor. “We’re on in ten and I have to get her mic’d.”
Kate threw him her best ‘I’m-the-publicist-and-in-control’ smile but her green eyes showed a glint of worry. “Of course. She’s just, eh, meditating.”
He shook his head, “Sure, whatever. You have five minutes.”
Crap.
The producer escaped back into the studio, so Kate pulled a small pill from her purse, then dropped to the floor again. The day before the segment, Chelsea’s manager Francine had shoved a pill bottle in Kate’s hand. At the time, Kate was a bit confused. Valium? Francine said it was for “just in case.” Francine was always annoyingly chipper and, at the time, Kate didn’t really give it another thought. Francine assured her it was hardly necessary. Right. But right now she didn’t care. Valium would save the day. She wrapped it in a tissue and shoved it under the door.
“Chels, you take this and then unlock the door; otherwise the entire segment will be canceled.” Kate took the chance that this would only increase her panic, but then she saw the pill disappear under the door and heard the crying subside.
Within minutes, the door unlocked, Chelsea stood there, face swollen and tear stained. Nothing that some heavy makeup couldn’t fix. Kate pushed her back into the green room and started digging in her purse for the emergency stash of concealer she kept for just such an occasion. She considered investing in the company that created this stuff or, hell, developing her own. She’d create a line called “Panic” and sell it to other publicists. She could make a fortune. She pushed Chelsea into the chair and started smearing it on her face.
Chelsea pinched her eyes shut. “I’m sorry,” she said in a gentle voice.
Kate had a feeling she meant it. Kate wished that Chelsea’s manager had warned Kate that her author had an intense fear of being on camera; it could have saved her a lot of trouble booking her on TV shows. She would have pushed her to magazines, gotten her the number for a good therapist, and called it a day.
“Ready?” the producer asked, clearly annoyed that things were taking so long.
Chelsea threw him her brightest smile, and he—like every other breathing male on earth—melted.
“It’s so nice to meet you,” he beamed, clearly hoping for more. Kate rolled her eyes. Another crisis averted and it was only 6:30 a.m.
About The Book
Title: Shelf Life (The Publicist Book Two)
Author: Christina George
Genre: Contemporary Romance
“…this book grabbed my interest from page one. I’m sure Ms. George has more than a few industry insiders chuckling at her stories and cringing at how close to home they hit.”
Scandalicious Book Reviews
Shelf Life:
The Publicist Book Two
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The story only an insider could tell.
Publishing: An industry of out-of-control of egos, unrealistic expectations, and books with the shelf life of milk.
This is Kate’s world, but for how long?
When one of Kate Mitchell’s star authors is carted away in handcuffs, she thinks it’s only the beginning of her troubles. As her world crumbles around her, Kate desperately looks for anyone to hold onto but finds that happy endings are truly works of fiction. When her career and love affair hit their expiration date, Kate sets off on a new adventure….
Starting over in California is easy, but Kate soon learns that leaving her old life behind isn’t. Nicholas Lavigne is eager to help her forget, but two things still own her heart, the dream of discovering the next great American novel, and MacDermott Ellis.
As Kate tries to rebuild her life she finds a surprising gift that reboots her career in a new and unexpected direction. Suddenly her name becomes synonymous with one of the biggest bestsellers publishing has seen in ages and she’s welcomed back with open arms. At the height of her success the ghosts of her past come back to remind her of the world she’d been trying to forget and the man who never let go of her heart.
Behind the book, there’s always more to the story.
Welcome to Publishing, the ego has landed.
“The Publicist is great chick lit!” Elizabeth Barbarick, Stuffed Shelves
“Very well written with a great cast of characters.” Kindles & Wine Book Blog
Author Bio
I’ve worked in publishing for twenty years (give or take). Here’s what this book isn’t. It’s not a slam against publishing (though it is broken) and it’s not a slam against authors (though some of them are crazy). This book is not autobiographical though many of the stories are true. No you won’t know which ones, hell it’s more fun to guess, right? I continue to work in publicity and help authors because at the end of the day I do love books, I love publishing, and I love authors. I hope you’ll enjoy this romp through Kate’s world as much as I enjoyed creating it.
Find our more at: www.thepublicistnovel.com
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