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Tour: Where You Write Featuring Keith Rommel

Tour: Where You Write Featuring Keith Rommel

October 15, 2012 by · 7 Comments

Today My Shelf Confessions is excited to present Keith Rommel and his book blog tour for The Lurking Man that is part of his Thanatology series. I read the synopsis and it sounds so fascinating to me, I’m looking forward to reading it at some point! Rommel is sharing a Where You Write post with us. :)

I live in sunny Florida and what I see around me is beautiful; a clear blue sky, crystal clear water and a place where vacationers will pay a lot of money to be. I beg the question: How would you like this as your surroundings while you read or write your next novel?

Sure, people have the impression that it is amazing living in paradise, sitting in the shade with my feet up while I sip lemonade and write my next novel. Oh, how the words flow while a gentle breeze caresses my skin and lift my spirit. Imagine how I sink into the seat while the slosh from the waves lap the shoreline and relaxes me. It sets the mood perfectly…

But wait a second. I don’t write love stories, I write dark suspense that touches on psychological horror. The pretty backdrop and feeling cozy wouldn’t inspire me to write the things that I write. I assure you, there is no caress from a breeze or the swishing sounds from waves breaking on the shoreline. There is this:

[Read more...]

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Tour: Where You Write With Rebecca Roland

Tour: Where You Write With Rebecca Roland

August 20, 2012 by · 3 Comments

Where You Write Featuring Rebecca Roland
Author of Shards of History

Shards of History by Rebecca Roland blog tour

I’m excited to welcome Rebecca Roland to My Shelf Confessions today for her blog tour for her book Shards of History! She’s been generous to share with us a Where You Write post and give us an inside look into where she likes to write and give us a little tour! :)

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My office is in the room that was probably intended to be a formal dining room. It opens into the kitchen as well as into a living area. There are no doors to shut out the rest of the house, and while that is sometimes inconvenient, I enjoy the openness of it. I love color, so I painted the walls “pepper” red. Looking over my shoulder as I write are the covers to I, Robot, The Grapes of Wrath, andA Farewell to Arms.

 

The cat often claims the desk when I’m not working there so she can look out the window at the street and the park. Whenever I need to think, I end up staring out that window. I’ve seen plenty of soccer games, a wedding, a man walking his cat on a leash, and even a trio of men filming a scene where a guy gets hauled away in a fake sheriff’s car by a fake sheriff. All this green just outside the window sometimes makes me forget that I live in a desert.

 

The bookshelves are crammed with books and miscellaneous items, like a cow painted with Las Vegas scenes (my husband and I got married in Vegas), a mug that a patient made for me (Arm Bender Extraordinaire!), and an ash tray that I won for making the most improvement in time at an autocross (I don’t smoke, and I’m not sure why an ash tray in the first place). The bookshelves hold fiction, autobiographies, cookbooks, bibles, poetry, books on child rearing and education, books on writing, and textbooks. I’m surprised they haven’t come crashing down yet.

When I need to step away from the desk, I usually end up writing on the patio outside, especially when the weather is warm. The furniture is comfy, the chairs are in the shade, and the dogs are always happy to keep me company. I sit in one chair and put my feet on the other. I bring a diet soda and some chocolate outside, and I’m all set. Here’s Ruby, our older Corgi, peeking out from under the table.

 

 

And this is the view from my chair. Look at all the green! I enjoy the fresh air, the roses, the buzzing of hummingbirds and bees, and the occasional butterfly. There’s an elementary school about a block away. I can hear the bells ring and the children laughing and shrieking in delight as they play. Sometimes it lulls me into relaxation and I end up nodding off. Shh! Don’t tell anybody.

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Thanks so much for the tour! If you’re curious about Shards of History or want to find out more information about Rebecca Roland check out the links!

Find Shards of History: World Weaver Press | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter 

Follow Rebecca Roland: Twitter 

Shards of History by Rebecca Roland

Like all Taakwa, Malia fears the fierce winged creatures known as Jeguduns who live in the cliffs surrounding her valley. When the river dries up and Malia is forced to scavenge farther from the village than normal, she discovers a Jegudun, injured and in need of help.

Malia’s existence — her status as clan mother in training, her marriage, her very life in the village — is threatened by her choice to befriend the Jegudun. But she’s the only Taakwa who knows the truth: that the threat to her people is much bigger and much more malicious than the Jeguduns who’ve lived alongside them for decades. Lurking on the edge of the valley is an Outsider army seeking to plunder and destroy the Taakwa, and it’s only a matter of time before the Outsiders find a way through the magic that protects the valley — a magic that can only be created by Taakwa and Jeguduns working together.

Now Malia is in a race against time. She must warn the Jeguduns that the Taakwa march against them and somehow convince the Taakwa that their real enemy isn’t who they think it is before the Outsiders find a way into the valley and destroy everything she holds dear.

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Blog Tour: One Breath Away by Heather Gudenkauf

Blog Tour: One Breath Away by Heather Gudenkauf

July 9, 2012 by · 4 Comments

One Breath Away by Heather by Gudenkauf

I’m excited to be part of the One Breath Away blog tour. I’ll be reviewing the book and also sharing a special giveaway offer. As part of the tour there’s also a live chat with the author scheduled for July 26, so check out the button and link below for more information on that! I’m also participating in the awesome excerpt scavenger hunt for this tour so keep a look out for the excerpt we have here! :)

One Breathe Away by Heather Gudenkauf

In her most emotionally charged novel to date, “New York Times” bestselling author Heather Gudenkauf explores the unspoken events that shape a community, the ties between parents and their children and how the fragile normalcy of our everyday life is so easily shattered.In the midst of a sudden spring snowstorm, an unknown man armed with a gun walks into an elementary school classroom. Outside the school, the town of Broken Branch watches and waits.

Officer Meg Barrett holds the responsibility for the town’s children in her hands. Will Thwaite, reluctantly entrusted with the care of his two grandchildren by the daughter who left home years earlier, stands by helplessly and wonders if he has failed his child again. Trapped in her classroom, Evelyn Oliver watches for an opportunity to rescue the children in her care. And thirteen-year-old Augie Baker, already struggling with the aftermath of a terrible accident that has has brought her to Broken Branch, will risk her own safety to protect her little brother.

As tension mounts with each passing minute, the hidden fears and grudges of the small town are revealed as the people of Broken Branch race to uncover the identity of the stranger who holds their children hostage.

Review

One Breath Away is a remarkably human book. That’s the first thing that comes to my mind, the sheer humanity expressed in its pages. Everything from the good, the bad, and well, the not so pretty. We get to know quite a cast of characters because of the 4 points of view the book is written in. I know what you’re thinking  – “four points of view, that’ll be too confusing, PAAASSSS” – but I’m here to reassure you, it’s not confusing and if you do pass up on this one, you’ll be missing out. So if you do pass it up, don’t let it be because of the multiple POV’s. :)

The four points of view for One Breathe Away:

Meg – Broken Branch police officer, and mother of Marie who is a student at the school being held hostage. She’s had relationship issues, which we learn more about them as we read.

Augie – Student being held hostage. She has a younger brother she is fiercely protective of named P.J. Augie is very stubborn and once she gets an idea in her head she’s going to go with it no matter what. She’s also brave and smart. I felt frustration and compassion for her all at once.

Will Thwaite – Augie and P.J.’s grandpa. He’s has hard headed as Augie, so they often butt heads. They both have trouble showing affection, so that’s another thing that separates them. Will has been estranged from his daughter Holly, so he has never had contact with his grandkids previously. It’s a learning experience for all of them, with its ups and downs.

Mrs. Oliver – P.J.’s teacher. Also being held hostage by the gunman. I think second to P.J. that Mrs. Oliver is my favorite character. She has so much love for her students, she’s wise and brave. You can’t help but love her for how she treats her students and the person she is.

We get to know all of these characters and others through their voices. My most favorite character was P.J. which we learn about through Augie and Will. P.J. is funny and a little naive, but very intelligent. I challenge anyone to walk away from this book without a love for P.J. really. He’s just so fricken likeable!

I’m rating this a 4 instead of a straight 5 because of a couple small reasons. One, I wish that P.J. had been given his own point of view instead of us learning about him through other characters. I want a look inside his head! I couldn’t get enough of him. The second reason is that I figured out who the gunman was a little bit before the police did, but that’s a very small quibble. I was still riveted to the book wondering how the whole situation was going to work out.

One Breath Away is an interesting book because it’s a contemporary fiction novel that definitely has elements of suspense. It wouldn’t necessarily be a book I would’ve grabbed myself off the shelf, just seeing the cover, but now that I’ve read it, it definitely satisfied my “must keep turning the page” requirement. So suspense lovers might want to give One Breath Away a try!

One Breath Away Chat Invite

 

Excerpt Scavenger Hunt

Augie
My pants are still damp from when Noah Plum pushed me off the shoveled sidewalk into a snowbank after we got off the bus and were on our way into school this morning. Noah Plum is the biggest asshole in eighth grade …

One Breath Away Giveaway

Sorry INTL’s this giveaway is only open for US/CA residents. I promise that I’ll have an INTL giveaway soon for all of you! Enter via the rafflecopter for a chance to win a paperback copy of One Breath Away!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Find One Breath Away: Amazon | BD | Goodreads

Follow Heather Gudenkauf: Website | Facebook |  Blog

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Guest Post: The Importance of Music & How it Inspired In Leah’s Wake

December 14, 2011 by · 7 Comments

Announcing the In Leah’s Wake Social Media Whirlwind Tour!

As part of this special promotional extravaganza sponsored by Novel Publicity, the price of the In Leah’s Wake eBook edition has dropped to just 99 cents this week.

What’s more, by purchasing this fantastic book at an incredibly low price, you can enter to win many awesome prizes, including Amazon gift cards of up to $500 in amount and 5 autographed copies of the book. Be sure to enter before the end of the day on Friday, December 16th, so you don’t miss out.

 

To Win the Prizes

 

  1. Purchase your copy of In Leah’s Wake for just 99 cents on Amazon or Barnes & Noble
  2. Fill-out the form on Novel Publicity to enter for the prizes
  3. Visit today’s featured event; you may win an autographed copy of the book or a $50 gift card!
  4. BONUS: If you leave a comment on this blog post, you have another chance at $100!

..And I can win too!

Over 100 bloggers are participating in this gigantic event, and there are plenty of prizes for us too. The blogger who receives the most votes in the traffic-breaker poll will win a $100 gift card as well. So when you visit Novel Publicity’s site to fill-out the contest entry form, don’t forget to say that I referred you, so I can get a point in the poll.

The Featured Events include:

Monday, Radio Interview with Novel Publicity! We’re kicking-off on the Novel Publicity Free Advice blog. We interviewed Terri on our radio show Sunday night and have embedded the full podcast and blogged about its highlights. Give it a listen and then leave a comment on the blog post. This is a great chance to get to know more about this inspiring and friendly author. One commenter will win an autographed copy of In Leah’s Wake. Don’t forget to enter for the other contest prizes while you’re over there!

Tuesday, Twitter sharing contest! A tweet is tiny, only 140 characters. But on Tuesday, it could win you $50. Send the following tweet across the twittersphere, and you just may win a $50 Amazon gift card. An autographed copy of In Leah’s Wake is also up for grabs. The winner will be announced Wednesday morning. Here’s the tweet: In Leah’s Wake has taken the publishing world by storm. Get the book for just 99 cents http://ow.ly/7WP5H #whirlwind

Wednesday, Google+ sharing contest! Yup, there’s yet another awesome opportunity to win a $50 Amazon gift card, and this time it just takes a single click! Visit Google+ and share Emlyn Chand’s most recent post (you’ll see the In Leah’s Wake book cover included with it). On Thursday morning, one lucky sharer will be $50 richer. An autographed copy of In Leah’s Wake is also up for grabs. Three chances to win! How about that?

Thursday, Facebook sharing contest! Stop by Novel Publicity’s Facebook page and share their latest post (you’ll see the In Leah’s Wake book cover included with it). It’s ridiculously easy to win! On Friday morning, one lucky sharer will be $50 richer. An autographed copy of In Leah’s Wake is also up for grabs.

Friday, special contest on the author’s site! Win a $500 Amazon gift card, simply by leaving a comment on Terri’s most recent blog post. Yup, you read that correctly—$500! How easy is that? An autographed copy of In Leah’s Wake is also up for grabs.

 

Remember, it’s all about the books!

Terri Giuliano LongAbout In Leah’ Wake: The Tyler family had the perfect life – until sixteen-year-old Leah decided she didn’t want to be perfect anymore. While her parents fight to save their daughter from destroying her brilliant future, Leah’s younger sister, Justine, must cope with the damage her out-of-control sibling leaves in her wake. What happens when love just isn’t enough? Get it on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

About the Author: Terri Giuliano Long grew up in the company of stories both of her own making and as written by others. Books offer her a zest for life’s highs and comfort in its lows. She’s all-too-happy to share this love with others as a novelist and a writing teacher at Boston College. She was grateful and thrilled beyond words when her award-winning debut literary novel, In Leah’s Wake, hit the Barnes and Noble and Amazon bestseller lists in August. She owes a lot of wonderful people – big time! – for any success she’s enjoyed! Visit her on her website, Twitter, Facebook, or GoodReads.

 

What’s the Story, Morning Glory?

The Importance of Music and how it Inspired In Leah’s Wake

 

Although I find it too distracting to listen to music while I write, inspiration for my stories often arises from music. While I was writing In Leah’s Wake, songs brought me into the emotional state necessary to write difficult scenes. Songs set a mood, which helped me envision places, and songs helped me to identify and shape the book’s themes.

The novel opens with Zoe and Will listening to the Van Morrison song “Tupelo Honey,” a sweet love song that gives their relationship context by suggesting happier, better days. “Showdown at Big Sky,” which Will puts on the stereo next, foreshadows the problems on the horizon, and “Face in the Crowd” speaks to the profound loneliness Will feels as he waits up for Leah that night, imaging all the unthinkable horrors that might have befallen his daughter.

Later in the book, the song “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina,” from Evita, gave me a glimpse into Zoe’s fractured emotional state—remorse compelled by abiding love—as she drives home, wondering what to expect next from her rebellious teenage daughter: “I still need your love after all that I’ve done . . . I love you and I hope you love me . . .” “Stardog Champion” from Stardog Champion by Mother Love Bone, suggests power, so appropriate to the post-fight euphoria felt by Todd and Lupo after a showdown with Will.

Often, songs transport me to a place. Listening to Miles Davis one evening brought me, in my mind, to the coffeehouse Zoe visits with the policeman, Jerry Johnson. Music also helps me to clarify themes. One night, on our way home from dinner, my husband, Dave, played the Bruce Springsteen album Greetings From Asbury Park. The song “Growin’ Up” struck a nerve and I insisted on listening to it over and over. I saw Leah, a good kid, just trying to grow up and make her way in the world.

I heard “Champagne Super Nova,” from the Oasis CD What’s the Story? Morning Glory, when I stepped out of the shower one morning. Our house was wired for sound and Dave was playing the new CD he’d just bought. As with “Growin’ Up,” I insisted that he replay the song, and then replay it again. The pivotal scene, where Justine asks Leah for a cigarette and Leah allows her little sister to smoke, blossomed as I listened to the music.

As I wrote, music came to play a defining role in the book, and I would often search for the right music after writing a scene. The Liszt piano solo “Hungarian Rhapsodies” mirrors Zoe’s frenzied mind as she drives home from her motivational workshop, the day after Leah shows up drunk at 3:00 a.m., after a wild party. The same happened with “Paranoid Android,” from Okay Computer by Radiohead, “I’m On Fire,” from the Bruce Springsteen album Born in the USA, “Stardog Champion,” from Stardog Champion by Mother Love Bone, “I Loves You Porgy” from Porgy and Bess, and “Misguided Angel,” from The Trinity Session by the Cowboy Junkies.

Without music, In Leah’s Wake would be a very different – and for me, the writer, much less compelling book.

For those of you who, like me, find inspiration in music, here’s the soundtrack. Enjoy!

Soundtrack from In Leah’s Wake

 

“Growin’ Up,” Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ, Bruce Springsteen, Sony Records, 1972

“Tupelo Honey,” Tupelo Honey, Van Morrison, Polydor/Pgd, 1971

“Showdown At Big Sky,” Robbie Robertson, Robbie Robertson, Universal Int’l, 1987

“A Face In The Crowd,” Full Moon Fever, Tom Petty , MCA, 1989

“John Barleycorn,” John Barleycorn Must Die, Traffic, Island Records, 1970

“Not A Pretty Girl,” Not a Pretty Girl, Ani DiFranco, Righteous Babe, 1995

Hungarian Rhapsodies, Franz Liszt, Leslie Howard solo piano, Hyperion, 1999

“Testify,” The Battle of Los Angeles, Rage Against The Machine, Sony Records, 1999

“Don’t Cry for Me Argentina,” Evita (Music From The Motion Picture), Madonna, Warner Bros./WEA, 1996

“The Ride of the Valkyries,” Wagner Without Words, Conducted by George Szell, Performed by the Cleveland Orchestra, Sony Records, 1991

“Chase The Blues Away,” Morning Glory: The Tim Buckley Anthology, Tim Buckley, Elektra/ WEZ, 1966

“Champagne Supernova,” (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?, Oasis, Sony, 1995

“The Candy Shop,” The Massacre, Fifty Cent, Aftermath, 2005

“Vital Transformation,” Inner Mounting Flame, The Mahavishnu Orchestra Jazz, Sony 1971

“Strawberry Fields Forever,” Magical Mystery Tour, The Beatles, Capitol Records, 1967

“Mozart Violin Concerto No. 5,” Mozart: The Five Violin Concertos by Itzhak Perlman violin, Weiner Philharmoniker and James Levine, Deutsche Grammophon, 1995

“Surrey With The Fringe on Top,” Steamin, Mile Davis, Prestige, 1956

“Come As You Are,” Nevermind, Nirvana, Geffen Records, 1991

“Paranoid Android,” Okay Computer, Radiohead, Capitol Records, 1997

“I’m On Fire,” Born in The USA, Bruce Springsteen, Sony, 1984

“Stardog Champion,” Stardog Champion, Mother Love Bone, Mercury/Universal, 1992

“I Loves You, Porgy,” The Melody At Night With You, Keith Jarrett, EMC Records, 1900

“Hasta Siempre, Witchi-Tai-To, Jan Garbarek and Bobo Stenson Quartet, EMC, 1973 Records

“As The Years Go Passing By,” Born Under a Bad Sign, Albert King, Stax, 1967

“Misguided Angel,” The Trinity Session, Cowboy Junkies, RCA Records, 1988

“Davidian,” Burn My Eyes, Machine Head, Roadrunner Records, 1994

“Here I Am, Lord,” Wonder, Love, and Praise, Daniel Schutte, New Dawn Music, 1981

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Tour: Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

Tour: Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

November 26, 2011 by · 10 Comments

Iron Knight Tour Featuring Julie Kagawa

I am pleased to welcome Julie Kagawa to My Shelf Confessions as a stop on the Official Blog Tour; she’s been kind enough to answer a few questions! As I’m sure all of you know, her new book Iron Knight is out, it’s the latest in the Iron Fey series.

Interview

     Did you always know you’d be writing a spin off series and can we expect to hear more of Meghan, Ash and Puck’s story in the future?

Actually, I was approached by my publisher when The Iron Fey series was wrapping up and asked if I had any more Iron Fey stories floating around my head.  Which got me thinking of Ethan, Meghan’s little brother.  He was the one who started the whole adventure, in a way.  What would it be like growing up, able to see the fey?  And the more I thought about it, the more I realized Ethan had a story to tell, too.  As for Ash, Meghan, and Puck, I’m sure there will be a few cameos in the new series. ;-)

     Do you recall when your interest in writing originated?

Around high school, I believe.  I didn’t always want to be a writer; when I was younger I wanted to be a veterinarian.  Until I realized the amount of math and science that was required, which dampened my enthusiasm a bit.  But I always enjoyed writing, so I thought I would give that a try.  I had this ridiculous idea that I could write and publish a novel before I went to college, and then I’d be set.  Yeah, it didn’t exactly happen that way, lol.

     What is your ideal writing environment? Do you prefer music or solitude? Is there a time of day (or night) that you prefer?

I would love to be one of those writers who can go to a coffee shop or a bookstore and write with a steaming mug of tea beside me.  Sadly, I’m so easily distracted that I can’t concentrate if there’s anything interesting going on around me.  So I’m usually confined to my office, though I do like listening to music as I write.

      Where did you come up with the idea for the Iron Fey series?

Faeries, the old, ancient fey, not the glittery winged sprites, have always fascinated me. But I wanted to write a book that was different than other faery books. So I began thinking: what are the fey afraid of? The answer, in most ancient mythos, is iron. Faeries can’t stand the touch of iron and steel. So, what if there was a new type of fey that had evolved with progress over the years? What if they weren’t only immune to iron, their existence was slowly poisoning and corrupting the lands of the traditional fey? And I realized we already have “monsters” in machines: gremlins, bugs, viruses, ect. And from that thought, the Iron fey were born.

My name—my True Name—is Ashallayn’ darkmyr Tallyn. I am the last remaining son of Mab, Queen of the Unseelie Court. And I am dead to her. My fall began, as many stories do, with a girl…

To cold faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.

Then Meghan Chase—a half human, half fey slip of a girl—smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.

With the unwelcome company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end—a quest to find a way to honor his vow to stand by Meghan’s side.

To survive in the Iron Realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. And along the way Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Julie Kagawa Around the Web: Official Website | Goodreads | Twitter

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