Saturday, January 5, 2013

Win your own copy and read an excerpt:The Daring Young Man by Jane George

Title: The Daring Young Man
Author: Jane George
Release date: December 10, 2012
Genre: Fantasy
Age Group: Young Adult Fantasy – I usually recommend for 14+
Promotion Event organized by: AToMR Tours
Buy Links: Amazon


Once, sixteen year-old Dante Delgado dreamed of being one of the few trapecistas able to do a quadruple somersault in the air. Then a tragic accident took his parents, their circus, and his ability to fly.
Circus is one big family all over the world, and Dante hates everything to do with it. But to survive, he must choose between joining the ranks of the tiny, yet magical Mumbo Jumbo Circus or its nemesis, the Las Vegas spectacular, Cirque Patron. And it doesn't help that two very different girls are confusing the situation.
If he makes the wrong choice, he won't have a future to worry about.

Book #1 Description
THE MUMBO JUMBO CIRCUS
MAGIC. MYSTERY. MAYHEM. The MUMBO JUMBO CIRCUS...

Step right up into the world of mystery and magic that is The Mumbo Jumbo Circus, a rag-tag traveling circus that is also home to a group of throwaway teens. When 15 year old Evan takes up with the circus, she has nowhere else to go. She soon discovers this circus is like no other. The Ringmaster was bequeathed a powerful ju-ju that brings forth a magical talent, or donvrai, in certain individuals. Evan's gift is the ability to read horses' minds. She's terrified of horses, with good reason. Worse, a traitor who wants the ju-ju is convinced Evan will make a success out of Mumbo Jumbo Circus and they will do anything to stop her. Does she have what it takes to be a star in the center ring and save her weird, new-found family?


About the author:
(Author pic attached in email.)
Author and illustrator Jane George lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. She holds a BFA in illustration from the California College of the Arts and has won awards for her art.
A dedicated writer for over a decade, she produces and publishes her YA fantasy and literary titles under her personal imprint, Paper Grove Publishing. Find out more at: www.Jane-George.com

Author social media links:





DARING YOUNG MAN Excerpt #2 from Chapter 13.

MARKIE
Dante and Markie, a strange girl who has taken up with the circus teens, are busking (performing for money) in Balboa Park, San Diego. The act ends with a kiss:

Markie crashed into him. By all rights, he should have been flattened. The impression was more like being absorbed into a marshmallow. Her arms wrapped around him, sending a rush of feeling all down his back that continued into his hamstrings and calves. He shuddered, and she responded by quivering with glee. Her eyes were bulbous. Her teeth protruded. Dante should be repulsed.
But he wasn’t.
The crowd started chanting, “Kiss him! Kiss him!”
Markie played the moment to its fullest, glancing at the crowd, her expression bursting with naiveté, as if to ask, “Should I, really?”
They hooted and stomped.
She ripped the fake lips from her face and placed her mouth upon Dante’s.
A collective, “OOOOOOOOH,” rose from the audience.
Dante barely heard it. What he did hear was the haunting lullaby from the night he almost drowned and the seductive sound of ocean waves relaxing his defenses, drawing him in. Her mouth slid over his with sublime tenderness. He couldn’t stop himself from kissing her back. The kiss grew deeper.
His body buzzed, and along with the sensation came an overwhelming sense of her love. For him. He felt himself melting into her. He craved this unconditional comfort she offered. And her kiss was so incredibly hot. So sinuous. He forgot this was Markie. She hugged him tighter, and he floated on a soothing bed of complete ease. His hurt, his worry, his anger, vanished. He longed to keep kissing her, to disappear into her love.
The lullaby pulled at his thoughts. A hiss-hiss sound tugged at his body. It was the sound waves made as they kissed the sand. Over and over. He could no longer tell where he ended and Markie began. They merged. For a split second, he connected with her pure, inner joy, sparkling and fizzy, like he was her.
Dante wasn’t swimming, but he felt like he was. Deep in his soul, something black rose up like a shark, ascending toward the surface beneath his desperate, paddling feet. He couldn’t allow this. She’d drown him. Kill who he was. He couldn’t breathe.
He pushed away from Markie and stumbled backward.
They were alone. The crowd had long dispersed.
¿Qué diablos?” he demanded.
We kissed.” She stared at him with those ugly, gorgeous goggle-eyes. “It was part of the act.”
I’m talking about the rest of it.” He backed a step further from her. “What in hell happened, man?”
She walked over to the coffee can and lifted it. “We made a bunch of money is what happened. We work well together.”
Huh.”
There’s a group of people coming out of the conservatory.” Markie pointed. “Let’s start the act over.”
You mean do it again?” Dante couldn’t quite keep the dismay out of his voice.
Yeah, of course. The Mumbo Jumbo Circus needs money. We can double what’s in this can right now.”
He narrowed his eyes at her, trying to see her secrets. “You’re some type of siren aren’t you? You know, like the ones that drown sailors.”
She startled. “What are you talking about? We don’t… Those aren’t real.”
You tried to drown me with that kiss,” he accused.
You’re nuts. I would never…” She set down the can and put her hands on her hips. “I saved your life on that beach!”
Angry again, Dante walked up close to her. “Saved my life? I woke up naked, covered in sand, and couldn’t remember much. How about you tell me what went on, yeah?”
I rescued you so now I care about you, is that so awful?”
Dante froze. That was exactly how he felt about Belinda. Well that, and a healthy dose of lust.
He said, “I don’t remember needing to be rescued.” Which wasn’t true.
Trust me. You were well on your way to being the cutest corpse I’ve ever seen.”
Dante hated to be called cute. And wait a minute, she’d seen other corpses? He was far from reassured. He could recall the gangbangers, their fists and their knives. He remembered backing into the ocean to escape them. After that, his mind filled with that haunting lullaby and a warm mushy feeling. Yuck. That feeling, combined with the frustration of not being able to recount everything that happened that night, added to his rage.
You must be one heck of a swimmer,” he spat out. “Olympic level even.”
Oh, I’m better than that. I’m a regular sea monster.”
Dante laughed and, oddly, his anger dissipated. He couldn’t figure her out. What an absurd thing to say.

 **GIVEAWAY**

(1) eBook copy of THE MUMBO JUMBO CIRCUS (Book #1) or THE DARING YOUNG MAN (Book #2).  
eBooks will be in mobi and epub formats only
Open International. 
ends Jan 9

To enter:
Be nice and tell Jane what you think by commenting on this post. INCLUDE your email addy, ebook title you like and your preferred format

Friday, January 4, 2013

Thought I'd Share: Back Up Your Blog


Okay, so thanks to Kathy @ I Am a Reader Not A Writer for reminding not only me but to all bloggers that we should back up our blogs since we don't know for sure what will happen. Kathy said, one of her friends just had her blog removed by blogger because it was marked as SPAM. And guess what?! this could happen to any of us.

I really wouldn't know what will I do if that happens to me.. All those post, comments, reviews I've worked hard for over a year---gone..That would surely mean, I'd quit blogging altogether. And to avoid that I just backed up my blog today!
One should back up their blog ONCE A WEEK, in fact some do that daily.. But for me I guess, once every two weeks will be just fine.

Wordpress logo

For WordPress

1. Log into WordPress.com
2. Click “My Blogs” and click “Dashboard".
3. On the left sidebar, you’ll see “Tools.” Hover over it and a drop down appears. Click “Export.”
4. On the page that loads, click “Export.”


Backing up a self-hosted WordPress blog


How:
1. Log into your host’s site. Then click Control Panel or cPanel.
2. Click “Backup Wizard.” 
3. A new window will appear. If you want JUST your database, look under “partial backups” and click the “MySQL Databases.” If you want to download all the files, then  do a full backup.

A friend of mine said she used a cheat to this process of backing up your database by downloading the WP-db-backup plugin and  it will automatically do it for you on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. It could also send it to your email or to your server.

Go to  WordPress, for more info.

Blogger


Blogger logo
1. Log into your Blogger dashboard.
2. Click “Settings.”
3. Click“Other.”
4. At the very top of the page is “Blog Tools.” Click “Export blog”.


Back up template
If you have a template you want to back up, you can also do it easily.
1. In the dashboard of your site, click “template.”
2. On the upper right hand corner of the page is a button that says “Backup/restore.” Click that and then “Download full template.”

For more info, go to  Blogger .

I hope that helps..:)

Tour and Giveaway: Daisy:Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Janis F. Kearney


Daisy: Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Presidential diarist and author Janis F. Kearney transforms civil rights legend Daisy Gatson Bates’ life from black and white, to living color.  The author, who interviewed Bates many times; recreates her conversations and interviews to “fill in” places left un-filled, and colors incidents and experiences, to bring Daisy Bates to life. Kearney plums the mysterious murder of Bates’ mother, and the orphan’s childhood; the young woman’s prophetic decision to share a traveling salesman’s life; her non-traditional role as co-publisher of an award winning newspaper; and her leadership role at a time, and place where women rarely led.
Between a Rock and a Hard Place is Daisy’s “look back” at her life, and…finally, a self-analysis of how, and possibly, why she became the Daisy Gatson Bates for which she is known throughout the world.  Author Janis F. Kearney recounts the leader’s many friendships, relationships and associations that helps define who she was in the eyes of the world - from Presidents Kennedy, Johnson and Clinton; First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt; the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.; Roy Wilson, NAACP President; Thurgood Marshall and Wiley Branton, NAACP attorneys, Maya Angelou and Jackie Robinson… and countless others.
The author met Daisy Bates in the summer of 1969, at the age of16. From that moment, the high school student dreamed of working for the woman her father called one of Arkansas’ greatest leaders – black or white.  The book is based on the author's personal interviews, oral histories, conversations and in-depth research.


Praise
"Thank you to Janis F. Kearney for shedding a critical light on an often forgotten civil rights heroine. Daisy Bates was a woman who refused to be defined by society's rules on both race and place in America. An often controversial figure, Bates lived life on her own terms, for which she paid dearly. She was an American hero who loved her country for all its greatness; but courageously proclaimed it could and should be better." ~Sharon La Cruise, Producer





Author Janis F. Kearney

Janis F. Kearney is a publisher, author, and oral historian. She was one of 19 children born to Arkansas Delta Sharecroppers T.J. and Ethel Kearney. She Graduated from the  University of Arkansas at Fayetteville with a B.A., in  Journalism, and completed 30 hours in public administration, and Journalism.  

She was hired by Daisy Bates in 1987 as Managing Editor of the Arkansas State Press.  In 1988, she purchased the newspaper.  She served as Personal Diarist to President Clinton from 1995 to 2001.  She was the country’s first personal diarist to a U.S. President, and during that time, she also served as White House liaison to the U.S. National Archives.   

In 2001, Janis moved with her husband Bob Nash to Chicago, where she began her writing life.  In 2003, Janis, with her husband’s support, founded Writing our World Press/WOW! Books  in 2003.  Her first book, Cotton Field of Dreams: A Memoir was published in 2004. Her other books include Something to Write Home About: Memories of a Presidential Diarist; Conversations: William Jefferson Clinton…from Hope to Harlem; and Once Upon a Time there was a Girl: a Murder at Mobile Bay, her first fiction. WOW! Books has also published two other authors. Her next book, Daisy: Between a Rock and a Hard Place, is scheduled for publication, December 2012.  Her third memoir, Sundays with TJ: 100 years of Memories on Varner Road,  and her second Once Upon a Time there was a Girl murder mystery are both slated for publication in Spring, 2013.

Janis is an internationally-traveled public speaker, and can be contacted for speaking engagements, by emailing: bookingagent@writingourworldpress.com. 



Links:




Tour Schedule




BookBlast Giveaway
$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 1/21/12

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Win and Read: Dead Running by Cami Checketts



Dead Running

Cassidy Christensen is running.
Running from the mercenaries who killed her parents.
Running from a scheming redhead intent on making her life miserable.
Running from painful memories that sabotage her dreams of happiness.

With two very tempting men competing for her attention, she hopes she'll finally have someone to run to, but can she trust either of them? When secrets from her past threaten her family, Cassidy decides to stop running and fight for her future.







Dying to Run

Cassidy Christensen wants to run.

Captured by the traffickers who killed her mother, her only hope is Dr. Tattoo, a man she loves but nobody trusts. When she finally gets a chance to run, someone else she cares about is taken. Running might be her only chance at survival, but she won’t allow another family member to be killed in her place.

This must-read sequel to Dead Running will have you laughing, biting your nails, and hoping for more.




Purchase






Author Cami Checketts

Cami Checketts is married and the proud mother of four future WWF champions. Sometimes between being a human horse, cleaning up magic potions, and reading Bernstein Bears, she gets the chance to write fiction.

Cami graduated from Utah State University with a degree in Exercise Science. Cami teaches strength training classes at her local rec and shares healthy living tips on her fitness blog: http://fitnessformom.blogspot.com.

Cami and her family live in the beautiful Cache Valley of Northern Utah. During the two months of the year it isn't snowing, she enjoys swimming, biking, running, and water-skiing.


Links



#BookBlast Giveaway

Details
$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
$50 Gift Card to Running Chics
Ends 1/31/12
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Winner #9-December

Blog Tour (Ten's List+Giveaway): For What It's Worth by Karey White

Entry #1284Holly (.

Cover Unveiled+ Giveaway: The Obvious Game by Rita Arens

Entry #72Shona L.
Entry #292Megan R.
Entry #266Megan C.

Promotional Event(Excerpt +Giveaway): Altered Souls by Karice Bolton

Evie

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash: Blood Oath by T.L. Clarke

Entry #16766Tanya B.

Blog Tour (Excerpt #2+Giveaway): Finding Mia by Rachel K. Burke

Entry #102CJane N.
Entry #84Brandee P.
Entry #41Natasha D.
Entry #15Sarah W.
Entry #115Alison P.
Entry #45Soma R.
Entry #53erin f.
Entry #36Lori K.
Entry #114Jessie
Entry #27Mary L.
Entry #40Pernille M.
Entry #79Lariza

Cover Unveiled+Giveaway: Free Souls by Susan Kaye Quinn

Entry #421Brittney W.
Entry #348Uwe T.
Entry #125Desiree D.
Entry #413Kerry A.
Entry #291Jennifer B.

Promotional Event(Excerpt+Giveaway): Troll or Derby by Red Tash

Cjane Novero

Blog Tour (Review + Giveaway): Flukes by Nichole Chase

Entry #178Emily R.
Entry #246Zemira D.
Entry #168Botezatu P.
Entry #44Sara
Entry #177DeeDee B.

Book Blast: For What It's Worth by Karey White


Entry #6121Jasmyn N.

Promotional Event (Excerpt+Giveaway): Kiss Me by Jillian Dod


Hot Holiday Blog Hop!

Entry #3253Juana E.
Entry #2385Chastity B.
Entry #1352Jennifer J.
Entry #3424Susan
Entry #1683JenniferK
Entry #2432Mel B.
Entry #5395Rochelle J.
Entry #4141Picardy
Entry #3369Sheryl S.
Entry #4627Chris B.
Entry #876Jenni
Entry #3177Kristen H.
Entry #3917Lakin M.
Entry #5336Vicky t.
Entry #941Kathy C.
Entry #4176Stephanie C.
Entry #156infinitieh
Entry #5966Chenise J.
Entry #2900Nurmawati D.
Entry #2174Monie G.
Entry #5478Ryver M.

Promotional Event (Price Drop+Giveaway): Dead Running by Cami Checketts

Entry #54Amanda R.
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