Review - Sea Changes by Gail Graham

Sea Changes
by: Gail Graham

Paperback: 412 pages
Publisher: Jade Phoenix Publishing (May 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 069200100X
ISBN-13: 978-0692001004
Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.3 inches

I would have to honestly say that Sea Changes is a very unique reading experience. It is unlike any other, in the aspect of the otherworldlyness of the story and the main character's experience. Sarah has lost her husband suddenly and is deeply affected by her lose. Though her daughter tells her that it is time to move on, it is so much easier said than done.

After being tortured with grief and bone deep loneliness, Sarah decides that there has to be a better way and tries to take her own life. However, instead of death taking her, she is transported to another time and place, within the sea itself. What Sarah experiences is like no other and lends faith and hope to her life, as she decides to return to the surface from the underwater world that she visited.

Sea Changes is a wonderful, beautiful and delightful story that is a treasure to read. Gail Graham does a great job with bringing her characters to life and weaving a unique, touching and poignant story that will wrap the reader in a warm blanket of hope.

*overall rating 4/5

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About Sea Changes:

When Sarah’s husband dies suddenly, she is left with no anchor and no focus.

Grief is an ever-present companion and counseling a weekly chore with minimal results, but when Sarah decides to end her life her suicide attempt takes her to an underwater world where she finds comfort and friendship. Afterwards, back on the beach she wonders – Was it a dream? Was I hallucinating? Or am I going mad?

Her efforts to make sense of the experience lead to Sarah’s becoming a suspect in the alleged kidnapping of a young heiress. Now her worlds are colliding – and the people she trusts are backing away, not believing a word she says. She must decide what is real and what is not. Her life depends on it.

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Excerpt:

She doesn’t have to get up if she doesn’t want to. She doesn’t have to do anything. Propped against the pillows, she watches the changing patterns of light filter through the branches of the tree outside her window. She could lie here until Friday and nobody would know or care. But that would be giving up. You’re not supposed to give up. You’re supposed to keep trying, whether you feel like it or not. If you keep going through the motions, sooner or later, something will kick in.

So she gets up and dresses, even though she’s not going anywhere. She puts on clean underwear and clean, pressed clothes. Her appointment with Kahn isn’t until Friday, but that’s not the point. You can’t spend the day in your nightgown.

There’s nothing much in the newspaper. There rarely is. It’s Australia, only eighteen million people in the whole country. Sitting at the kitchen table with a second mug of coffee, Sarah tackles the crossword puzzle. It was years before she mastered Australian crossword puzzles, which contain fewer words than their American counterparts and are shaped differently, more like skeletons than grids. The spellings are different too.

She hasn’t eaten since yesterday and she ought to be hungry, but isn’t. French women don’t get fat because they don’t eat unless they’re hungry. Sarah looks in the refrigerator, but nothing tempts her. She needs to go shopping. Later, perhaps, when it’s not so hot. She wishes she had a ceiling fan, or better still, central air conditioning. Nobody in Sydney has air conditioning. They don’t think it’s necessary, not with the beach so close. Nobody has central heating, either. They say it doesn’t get cold enough, but it does.

Sarah picks up a novel from the library and tries to concentrate. It’s not a very good novel, although it’s supposed to be a bestseller. That doesn’t mean anything, these days. Everything’s a bestseller. The protagonist has left his wife, is having an affair, has just learned he’s got cancer. He’ll probably die at the end. Sarah thinks he deserves to die and dozes off on the couch. When she opens her eyes, damp and sticky with the perspiration of an afternoon nap, it’s already getting dark.

The telephone rings. Nobody calls her, except telemarketers and sometimes Kahn, when he needs to cancel a session. If it rings five times, the machine will answer it. Five, six, seven. maybe she’s forgotten to turn the machine on.

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About Gail Graham:

Gail Graham’s previous novel, CROSSFIRE, won the Buxtehude Bulle, a prestigious German literary award. CROSSFIRE has been translated into German, French, Danish, Finnish and Swedish. Three of Gail’s other books were NY Times Book of the Year recommendations. Gail lived in Australia for 32 years, where she owned and operated a community newspaper and published several other books, including A COOL WIND BLOWING (a biography of Mao Zedong) STAYING ALIVE and A LONG SEASON IN HELL. She returned to the United States in 2002, and now lives in Tucson, Arizona.

You can visit Gail online at www.gailgraham.net.

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Win Prizes:

The SEA CHANGES VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR '09 will officially begin on June 1 and end on June 26. You can visit Gail's blog stops at www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com during the month of June to find out more about this great book and talented author!

As a special promotion for all our authors, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour to a published author or a $50 Amazon gift certificate to those not published who comments on our authors' blog stops. More prizes will be announced as they become available.

Darkwood by M.E. Breen - Kidz Book Buzz Tour Day 3

Welcome to the 3rd and final day of the Kidz Book Buzz Tour for Darkwood by M.E. Breen! What a fun tour this has been! I hope everyone has had a chance to check out this book and all of the great things that fellow bloggers are saying about it.

Since Darkwood is basically a fairy tale type of book geared toward older children, I thought I would take this opportunity to talk a bit about fairy tales. Every one grew up hearing at least one fairy tale story that may have stuck with them through the years. I wanted to mention how very interesting I find it that fairy tales, which are geared toward children, seem to have a "scary" theme to them. There is usually a wolf, witch, or some sinister character which lies in wait for it's victim.

One of my favorite places to go on the internet is Wikipedia - you can find just about anything there and they always have such great pictures and tidbits of information to check out. When I went there to check out what they had to say about fairy tales, this is a bit of what I found:

*A fairy tale is a fictional story that may feature folkloric characters such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, giants, and talking animals, and usually enchantments, often involving a far-fetched sequence of events. In modern-day parlance, the term is also used to describe something blessed with princesses, as in "fairy tale ending" (a happy ending)^[1] or "fairy tale romance", though not all fairy tales end happily. Colloquially, a "fairy tale" or "fairy story" can also mean any far-fetched story. Fairy tales commonly attract young children since they easily understand the archetypal characters in the story.

In cultures where demons and witches are perceived as real, fairy tales may merge into legendary narratives, where the context is perceived by teller and hearers as having historical actuality. However, unlike legends and epics they usually do not contain more than superficial references to religion and actual places, people, and events; they take place once upon a time^[2] rather than in actual times.

Fairy tales are found in oral folktales and in literary form. The history of the fairy tale is particularly difficult to trace, because only the literary forms can survive. Still, the evidence of literary works at least indicates that fairy tales have existed for thousands of years, although not perhaps recognized as a genre; the name "fairy tale" was first ascribed to them by Madame d'Aulnoy. Literary fairy tales are found over the centuries all over the world, and when they collected them, folklorists found fairy tales in every culture. Fairy tales, and works derived from fairy tales, are still written today.

The older fairy tales were intended for an audience of adults as well as children, but they were associated with children as early as the writings of the précieuses; the Brothers Grimm titled their collection Children's and Household Tales, and the link with children has only grown stronger with time.

In his essay "On Fairy-Stories", J. R. R. Tolkien agreed with the exclusion of "fairies" from the definition, defining fairy tales as stories about the adventures of men in Faërie, the land of fairies, fairytale princes and princesses, dwarves, elves, and not only other magical species but many other marvels.^[11] However, the same essay excludes tales that are often considered fairy tales, citing as an example The Monkey's Heart, which Andrew Lang included in The Lilac Fairy Book.^[10] Other tales that include no magic but are often classified as fairy tales include What Is the Fastest Thing in the World? and Catskin.

Some folklorists prefer to use the German term Märchen to refer to the genre, a practice given weight by the definition of Thompson in his 1977 edition of The Folktale: "a tale of some length involving a succession of motifs or episodes. It moves in an unreal world without definite locality or definite creatures and is filled with the marvelous. In this never-never land, humble heroes^[12] The characters and motifs of fairy tales are simple and archetypal: princesses and goose-girls; youngest sons and gallant princes; ogres, giants, dragons, and trolls; wicked stepmothers and false heroes; fairy godmothers and other magical helpers, often talking horses, or foxes, or birds; glass mountains; and prohibitions and breaking of prohibitions.^[13] Italo Calvino cited the fairy tale as a prime example of "quickness" in literature, because of the economy and concision of the tales.^[14]. kill adversaries, succeed to kingdoms and marry princesses."

*text taken from Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy_tale Please be sure to click the link to find even more great information on fairy tales!

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The idea of being able to communicate with animals is such an exciting and
fascination one. This is a talent displayed in Darkwood among Annie, her sister Page and one of the "bad guys" Gibbet. This talent forges a deep bond between humans and animals (in the case of Darkwood, the animals are Kinderstalk, or as they are really, "black wolves defined as *Warm-blooded and carnivorous Forest-dwelling. Similiar in form to Frigian Ice-wolf, with pelt of black or russet hue. Largely nocturnal, vision exceptionally keen. Habits unknown. Much feared for its eerie cry. Common folk names: Witch's Wolf, Kinderstalk." *from page 164 of Darkwood)

Fairy Tales take on many meanings, many shapes and forms. A couple of my favorites are Hansel and Gretel, Goldilocks and the Three Bears and Little Red Riding Hood. As a child, I never recall finding any fairy tales frightening - I think that perhaps it is just with adulthood and age, that childhood innocence sadly fades away leaving behind that ability to find fault or something unsettling within such simple things as stories. With Darkwood, I was able to revisit my thoughts on childhood fairy tales and delve into the shady world of myth and fantasy once again. I truly found the experience delightful and cannot wait to share this story with my children when they are a bit older. I also greatly look forward to further works by M.E. Breen!

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Please be sure to check out these other great bloggers, also on the Darkwood tour!

A Patchwork of Books, Abby the Librarian, All About Children’s Books, Becky’s Book Reviews, Cafe of Dreams, Dolce Bellezza, Hyperbole, KidzBookBuzz.com, Never Jam Today, My Utopia, Through a Child’s Eyes, Through the Looking Glass Reviews

Review - Darkwood by M.E. Breen - Kidz Book Buzz Tour Day 2

Welcome to Day 2 of the Kidz Book Buzz tour for Darkwood by M.E. Breen! If you are a lover of YA fiction, especially YA fantasy, then Darkwood is the book for you!

Darkwood
by: M.E. Breen

Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books (May 12, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1599902591
ISBN-13: 978-1599902593
Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.9 x 1.2 inches

Filled with delightfully wonderful characters, Darkwood starts off with young Annie, who lives with her mean Uncle and Aunt. It doesn't take long for Annie to realize that her Uncle has hideous and cruel plans of selling her to The Drop. The Drop is a slave encampment, of sorts, where adults and children are made to chip away at a huge mountain of stone to collect Ringstone, which is extremely rare and most desired.

Alone the way, Annie discovers that she has a sudden talent and ability of seeing in the dark. This helps, as she makes her escape for freedom. Though freedom from the Drop, may not mean true freedom of her life.

Along the way, Annie encounters likable and wonderful characters such as sisters Beatrice and Serena - who are opposite as can be, but both brimming with kindness. Also along the way, to keep Annie company, are her constant companions, Prue and Izzy. The two cats seem to have a very keen sense and save and comfort Annie countlessly through her journey.

Surprises are abundant throughout Darkwood, as is magic and a search for truth. I found this to be a wonderful and enjoyable story. It is a book with the power that once you begin reading, it is oh so hard to put down, without furtive and wishful thoughts and/or glimpses to get back to it. I really enjoyed the author's style of writing, her characterization and her ability to being the story to life within the pages. I also want to mention the fact that I love the cover. It is almost mesmorizing with it's ability to draw a person in. It seems to beckon and call out to be picked up, opened and absorbed.

I do want to say that I feel the age range of 10-15 is most appropriate. Darkwood does have a bit of a darker side to it, that may not be the best for ages younger than that. There were a few times that I was reminded a bit of The City of Ember series by Jeanne DuPrau. Perhaps that was just the idea of magic and children involved that brought that comparison to mind. In any case, both that series and Darkwood are excellent books and ones that I highly recommend - what a better way to toss those "Mom, I'm bored" blues away?!

*overall rating 4.5/5

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A bit about Darkwood:

Darkness falls so quickly in Howland that the people there have no word for evening. One minute the sky is light, the next minute it is black. But darkness comes in other forms, too, and for thirteen-year-old Annie, the misery she endures in her Uncle’s household makes the black of night seem almost soothing. When Annie escapes, her route takes her first to a dangerous mine where a precious stone is being stolen by an enemy of the king, and later to the king’s own halls, where a figure from Annie’s past makes a startling appearance. All the while, reported sightings of kinderstalk— mysterious, wolf-like creatures that prowl Howland’s dark forests—grow more frequent. Eloquent, suspenseful, and imbued with fairy-tale motifs found in The Brothers Grimm, this is a riveting coming-of-age story of a girl who must learn to trust her instincts if she’s to lead the people she is destined to rule.

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A bit about M.E. Breen:

M.E. Breen grew up with dogs, cats, newts, turtles, rabbits and rats in the woolly hills of Berkeley, California. She now lives by the ocean in San Francisco.

Be sure to check out M.E. Breen's website at: http://www.mebreen.com/

Other great blogs on tour are:

A Patchwork of Books, Abby the Librarian, All About Children’s Books, Becky’s Book Reviews, Cafe of Dreams, Dolce Bellezza, Hyperbole, KidzBookBuzz.com, Never Jam Today, My Utopia, Through a Child’s Eyes, Through the Looking Glass Reviews

Estevan Vega - First Ever Latino Virtual Book Tour + Giveaway

I am thrilled and honored to be a part of the very First Ever Latino Virtual Book Tour! I am even more thrilled with the fact that the author touring is Estevan Vega - not only a talented and new favorite author of mine, but just a really great guy! Estevan is the author of Servant of the Realm, The Sacred Sin, and soon to be released (tentatively titled) Arson.

Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of interviewing Estevan and had tons of fun with that. If you missed it, you can catch it by (clicking here) Also, if you missed my review of The Sacred Sin (click here) to check it out.

Since I did have the chance, previously, to review The Sacred Sin and do an interview with Estevan, I wanted to do something fun and special for readers this time around. I asked Mr. Vega if he would be interested in writing and/or posting a short story of his and he agreed. I want to send a huge thank you to him for taking the time to do so.

Sit back, relax and enjoy The Borrower by Estevan Vega! I also want to mention that as an extra treat, Estevan is giving away a copy of his first published book Servant of the Realm to one lucky winner! To enter:

~simply leave a comment (1 entry)
~ask Estevan any question that your heart desires (2 entries)
~twitter about this post and contest - be sure to put @cafeofdreams so that I know you twittered (3 entries)

*contest ends June 29th

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The Borrower
by: Estevan Vega
*copyright Estevan Vega

Rain and sleet soaked the black world, a stray wind howling in the dark, disturbing the short stubbles on the Borrower’s face. He was wearing a cloak and little more, but the colorless garment hugged tightly to his strong frame, keeping his body warm despite the winter chill. Gasping, he fought to keep a steady pace, taking shorter breaths and longer steps. He would be there soon.

With every footstep, he was taken back to the memories he’d longed to wish away. Dwelling on them, on her, was enough to tear down the walls of Jericho. But he couldn’t help it. Tonight of all nights. They were always there, like living, moving flesh, a picture unable to be turned off. They were burdens fortified by timeless tragedy and loneliness.

His mind drifted to the battles and histories he’d willingly and freely called his own, yet both memory and history seemed like foreigners now on the shores of his weathered soul. He gritted his teeth, finding some kind of sick enjoyment in turning the edges of each incisor into a white powder, only to feel them resurface moments later. So, he clenched his fists, tucked in his head and ran faster.

The hum of the dark city drowned out all the sounds except the lonely melody of his heartbeat. Only moments ago, he was riding along the Mediterranean, hunting a faceless man—if the being could even be called that—in Barcelona. One who might have gotten away or perished, he couldn’t remember. Or could he? Yes, that was the most troubling of all. He could remember. That was his burden, wasn’t it? He could remember everything, with detail. The unquiet morning, the blood and rage. The way the dew stuck to his lips, or how the sand felt beneath his boots. The cries of the ocean returned tonight, as if they were a soft lullaby, soon to be swallowed.

The Borrower closed his eyes, wiping filthy drops of rain from his brow. “Not tonight,” he whispered. “Just forget. That’s what you must do.”

He knew it better than anyone. Though he couldn’t understand it, he knew the riddle of how a moment might turn into forever, leaving all of life as nothing more than a map of uncharted islands in a sea of wanderers and abandoned time. A snap of the fingers. A tide rolling in and rushing out just as quickly. But not for him. For him, life was not just a moment, nor a sum of increments, but a line without a start. Yet God was the blink, contained in everything and every human soul. What power and privilege. How he longed for it, how he needed and pleaded for it. God, a microorganism and a drop of water. A skyscraper and a breath of wind.

“I was God once,” he scoffed.

Alone on the beach again, he listens closely. Perhaps there’s a crow circling above, or is that the present confusing the past? Dark shapes gliding and unfolding the air behind and in front of him, their wretched caw repeating. “Soon. Very soon.”

With a blink the world looks sound and flawless, but inside it’s filled with robbery and murder and unclean men, unclean streets. It was nothing new to see or to experience. The taste of reality had already begun to spoil. To his right, he passed a nursing mother whose stare was polluted by the city smog and haze of the underground subway. The car crash six blocks ago and the bodies burning like lost embers or a smoke signal no one would ever see, flash before him. A groaning heart beat, and then, nothing at all. Life is not the only gift God can give. He knew that now, he was sure.

Another blink brought him to the beach once more. Stuck. “I don’t want to think about it anymore,” he cursed into the night. “Be gone.” But it remained, crawling into his mind and resting there. The pictures flashed. A blood-stained dagger wetting his gritty palm. It seeps into every line and curve. As he looks up into the hungry eyes of his enemy, those cheeks of his stretched back into a moonlit grin, his eyes start to spin. “I don’t want to die,” he remembered himself crying. “I’m not ready to die.” The past had never seemed so clear until this moment.

As his feet hammered against the split asphalt, he felt as though quicksand were dragging him under. A pile of angry mud, greedy and wanting and never satisfied with the dirt or ruin, always longing for more, filthy and without gratitude for the futile life it was.

He swallowed and kept moving, ever-watchful of his surroundings—the night spies. He could hear their feathers unraveling a new language as they cut through the dark air. His feet were never heavy, but tonight, it was like dragging lead.

But at last, he reached the end. He came to a halt in front of a lonely group of buildings. A cramp suddenly twisted up his ribcage, and for a second he wondered what it might feel like to have his lungs collapse, or to suffocate or drown in this vengeful storm. He wondered how Grace felt gasping for her last breath. She seemed so delicate in his hands. It was strange how different someone can look without life in them, without something to fill those shallow pools we call our eyes; without some word or smile to disturb our frosted lips. Grace was gone.

His gaze moved along the brick face of the building. The vines and shingles and flickering lights. Just one of many other connecting frames, contingent upon that which came before it. Weak and powerless on its own. Lightning angrily split the heavens. Coughing, he remained motionless.

Why can’t I move? he thought. Why can’t I walk up those steps and give him what he wants?

Because you know what it will mean if you do.

None of that matters. It is time to pay my debt.

A roll of thunder grumbled in the distance. He wiped his face and opened the small gate. With careful, calculated steps, he walked toward two angelic pillars on either side of the entrance to apartment three-sixteen. The white paint covering the door was faded and came off like clay. A flimsy banister hung down from above the door and shadowed the entryway, which had dead flowers collected in pots of stiff dirt.

He knocked, only seconds before realizing the door was already open. “Come in, Borrower,” a voice invited from within. The voice was thick and coated, somewhat raspy. “I’ve been waiting for you.” A cough ushered in the man. He shut the door behind him, as each crippled flower inside the pots began to climb and spread up out of the rough dirt, coming alive with petals, stems and vibrant colors.

He followed the cough and the near-choking old voice from the other room. The house was dark, lit up only by the moonlight. It took him back to the beach, where he refused to linger long. Back to the grin on the man overshadowing him, the man he wrestled for hours, fought and cut.

“Why don’t you take off your cloak and come into the light?” the old man said, putting on a breathing mask and sitting up in his big chair.

“Hello, John,” the Borrower whispered, revealing his face in the moonlight.

“It’s been a long time, Christopher. But you’ve come back to me at last,” John replied, lifting up his breathing mask with a whine. His eyes glanced out the big, open window to his right, and he focused on the flapping black shapes stirring along the rooftops. “So, you’ve brought company.”

“I realize that perhaps they may be unwelcome, but wherever I go, they must follow.”

“Even into hell?”

“They follow everywhere.”

John leaned up against his knees, and Christopher could hear the crack his bones made with each shift. How he winced and bit his tongue with the slightest amount of pressure. “You kept your word, Christopher. But why? Why did you come back here?”

“You are the last,” Christopher replied.

The old man heeled over in a coughing fit, blood curdling in his lungs before spilling out that wrinkly throat.

“You are stronger than I imagined you might be, John,” the Borrower said softly.

“Well, I’ve had a lifetime to practice being strong. My God, when did I get so old? Do you remember what eighty-seven feels like, Christopher?”

“No.”

“Don’t you remember anything before it happened?”

“It’s not good to dwell on memories,” Christopher said, picturing how the breeze felt against his cheek that day on the beach.

“To hell with it. I don’t want them, anyway. They’re nothin’ but excess baggage. It’ll be better just to forget everything. That way, it won’t hurt, right?”

Christopher nodded slowly, slipping back into the dark.

“What does it feel like?” John asked, leaning in his chair. “Does it hurt?”

“For a moment,” Christopher said, taking off his cloak. “When it’s over, it will feel like a dream, a very long dream.”

“Those creatures are still waiting outside. Good grief, look at them. Skulking little vermin, aren’t they?”

“They like to be watch.”

Christopher took a step toward the old man. He noticed him recoil, feeble and full of fear, even spilling his coffee on the Persian rug.

“Do not be afraid, John.”

“Wait, Christopher. Please, just wait.”

The old man reached for his cane and stood up.

“Do you ever wish you could see Grace again, Christopher? That was her name, wasn’t it?”

“I don’t have time for this. It’s not good to dwell on memories.”

John exploded with laughter. “That’s just it; you have all the time in the world.” He reached into a nearby hutch for a bottle of champagne. “It has been many years since I decided to break this old friend out. Oh, how I’ve missed the taste.”

Christopher watched his eyes glow.

“Now, where did I put that da….?”

“John, I didn’t come here to celebrate and inebriate with you. Your vices are your own, but they are not mine. We have business.”

“We have business,” John mocked. “Is that all you think about, son? Business. Be mindful of your humanity, Christopher. You mustn’t forget you are still flesh and blood.”

Christopher held out his hands and stared down at them, a look of disgust bleaching his face.

John fidgeted with the bottle’s cork, slowly unscrewing it until it popped, champagne sparkling over the glass lip and spilling onto the floor. “Indulge me.”

Another roll of thunder crashed above the city, lightning sailing through the mist and the clouds. Christopher’s eyes flashed white. “One drink.”

“Thata boy.” John poured two glasses and handed one over. “Cheers. To a long and happy life.”

Silently, Christopher clinked glasses and took a long sip.

“What’s on your mind?”

Christopher tilted his head, unsure of what to say. He stood there for a moment, silent as the dead.

“Well?” John urged.

Finally, he broke his silence. “I’ve been living on borrowed time, John. My soul is fatigued, but my body does not feel worn. My heart feels fear, but there is nothing in this world to fill me with horror. Can you imagine being thirsty, but never finding water that can truly quench your dried mouth?” He paused to finish the glass of champagne. “You are certain that this is what you want?”

John put down his glass. “I have never been more sure of anything in my entire life, son. Forgive me for calling you that. I must seem like a small child to you.” A smile split his wrinkled lips. “Tell me about Grace.”

Christopher paused and studied the old man. Frail, hunched over and pale. His frosted lips reminded him of Grace’s. Hesitant, he shifted his shoulders and stared out the window. At long length, he parted his lips and spoke. “She was…all I could ever ask for. Grace was perfect. Every line of her face. Every smile. Innocent and full of life. Even her anger was flawless.”

“Nothing is flawless. I should expect you to know that after all these years. Everything dies, Christopher. Everything ‘cept you.”

A sigh.

“What would you say to her if she were here?”

“Sorry.” A long moment drifted by them both. “Listen to me, John. When it happens, things will be different. You will be different. There is no going back. Your life will change forever.”

“I expect it shall. Don’t tell me you’re getting cold feet now, Christ…” John began to cough and reached for a hand mirror. “Christopher, I’ve been living this way for far too long. Weak and fragile. I’ve missed who I used to be. I miss my youth.”

Christopher drew the blinds. “Looks like it stopped raining, John. The sun should be coming out shortly. Are you ready?”

John set his cane against the oak coffee table beside him. He stared at the picture frame holding a much younger face beside an elegant bride. “I’m not afraid anymore. I made a wish when she died. That’s when you came to me. Do you remember?”

Christopher dipped his head and held the old man.

“Me too. Now, stop stalling. Do what you came here to do.”

Christopher looked straight into his eyes. “Years ago, I wrestled with God on a beach. One of us died that day.” He drew closer, the darkness surrounding both their faces. “I wasn’t totally honest with you, John.” Christopher grabbed the old man’s cheek tightly, and his palm shook the pale, wrinkled flesh beneath it.

“Oh, it’s cold,” he heard him shudder.

“I know,” Christopher said, growing weaker. He struggled to keep his hand up. “Close your eyes. It will be over soon. I will grant you this wish, but one thing must stay with you. What do you hold most dear that you long to forget?”

“Oh, God,” John gasped, looking straight into Christopher’s pale eyes.

Gravity dragged Christopher’s face toward hell, his flesh and skin like loose clothes on a weathered body. He caught a glimpse of his reflection, and quickly looked away. A piece of skin slipped from his jaw, exposing the gray skeleton beneath it. The flesh becoming ash on the rug.

Meanwhile, John’s skin reshaped itself, turning softer, more youthful. Kind eyes replacing cold, calloused mirrors. Ears shrunken behind a well-manicured scalp. Teeth now reformed out from decayed gums. He screamed and cried and changed.

“I got to live forever, but I was left my memories,” Christopher whispered, barely audible with the sound of wind and chaos whirring in their midst. He tried to cradle the youth in his hands with an arthritic grip, but couldn’t hold it up any longer. His power now reversed, energy depleted. His chest caving in, broken. “Everlasting life.”

John’s body dropped with a loud thud, as Christopher lay on tired knees. A ray of sunlight reached in through the darkness and scratched his old, worn-out face. Another flake of skin peeled off onto the rug, stained.

“Christopher? Borrower? Are you all right?”

“You are changed now,” he said with weighted breath. “It’s your burden now, my friend. Forgive me.” His eyes were lost and wandering.

“What do you see?”

Christopher answered slowly, “I see an end. The end of a borrowed life.”

John’s shoulders sank, and he used his palms to lift up a rejuvenated body. “Can you see her? Do you see Grace?”

“No. I see light. I see the end of all things. Finally, I have rest.” Christopher’s head rotated slowly toward the young man standing in front of him. “They are coming, John,” he said, falling over, collapsing into black dust.

Suddenly, all of the windows in the room shattered, and violent caws echoed through the open space. The sound stung at first, causing his ears to bleed and buzz. But the crows did not attack him. Their black feathers and eyes and wings took shape around him. “You are the Borrower, John Chambers.”

“What are you?” he asked, his heart beating slower despite this new fear.

“We are the guardian watchers. We dwell with you always, even until the end. Now take up your cane and walk. There are many to encounter.”

“Many?”

They unfurled their spiny wings and stared with lidless lenses, remaining silent.

“Where must I go?”

“Wherever time takes us,” they stirred.

“But Christopher. What happened to him?”

“You set him free.”

John remained still, counting his heartbeats and waiting for them to disperse. “How old was he?”

“He was the second,” the murder answered, as the violent spread of their wings folded and unfolded air and wind and light. “Four centuries old. Now, be still. Time is ever against us, and we have much to accomplish.”

John nodded, trying to walk. Pain writhed through his waist and right leg. “One thing must stay with you,” he muttered to himself. Slowly, John reached for his cane and shook to keep his balance. He bent over and reached for Christopher’s black cloak. It loosely fit him at first, but then it adjusted to his thinner frame. With a deep breath, the Borrower limped his way outside, wincing at the pain.

He closed the apartment door behind him, and glanced down at the flowers which had come to life since Christopher’s arrival during the night. He watched the murder of crows unhinge in flight and suddenly vanish within the gloves of the city. With a slow blink and a churn in his gut, John covered his young face, hiding it within the cloak. He moved toward the concrete pathway and hesitated at the gate, staring at an old life he knew was at an end.

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A bit about Estevan Vega:

As a young boy, Estevan Vega never really felt interested in the written word. Far more fascinating things like comic book superheroes and sketching fantastical beings caught his eye. But in the fifth grade, writing short essays for a standoffish teacher ignited a fire that is still burning.

Using his imaginative father as a springboard for ideas, Vega set out to write a full manuscript. His dream to become a published author came forth when he was just15 years old, releasing his first literary creation, Servant of the Realm,to the world, a story about a teenager who sees the future deaths of those he loves and tries to change it. "There is something therapeutic and natural about breathing life into the mundane, or finding escape through odd characters and strange concepts," says Vega.

The Sacred Sin, his second book, was published when he was 18, and shows a darker edge and deeper intensity than his first effort. The Sacred Sin bleeds with honesty and emotion, and tells the story of Jude Foster, a cynical self-loathing detective,assigned to bring down a serial killer capable of stealing victim's souls without ever touching them. Stopping this ghost killer, fighting against his demons, his inner darkness, may be the only path toward sanity and a new beginning. With a curiosity for the supernatural, as well as a feeling of discontentment with humanity's complacency, Vega’s story-lines dwell somewhere in between fiction and reality, a place where the world is as blurred and irregular as human choice and consequence.

Vega resides in Connecticut, a small New England state most people forget about. Tate Publishing will release his latest creation ARSON in 2009.

You can visit the author website here: http://www.estevanvega.com/

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Here's a bit of info about The Sacred Sin, to whet your appetite:

There is darkness inside us all.

Everyone has a past. One that is inescapable. Jude Foster, an L.A. homicide detective, is on the brink of mental collapse. A year ago, he was left for dead by Morgan Cross, a once-close friend and partner. Now, although forced to undergo mindless psychoanalytical diatribes in order to be reinstated into the department, the world apathetically spins on. When a dead body is found in West Hollywood, an investigation is set in motion and Jude realizes, with the aid of Rachel Cragin, his annoying new interim partner, that the first victim is only the beginning. The markings on the bodies are trails to a more sadistic pattern of evil, one Jude may or may not recognize. But how does someone stop a killer who’s slaying his victims by stealing their souls, without ever touching them? As the time ticks, the countdown begins. They will have one week to uncover the sacred sin…and the darkness that lies within all men.

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Be sure to check out The Sacred Sin and these other great blogs also sponsoring Estevan Vega and the First Ever Latino Virtual Book Tour!

une 14 BronzeWord Latino Authors
Eljumpingbean http://eljumpingbean.blogspot.com
June 15 Latinitas Magazine http://www.mylatinitas.com
June 16 The Art of Random Willynillyness.com http://theartofrandomwillynillyness.blogspot.com
Carol in Carolina http://caroincarolina.blogspot.com
June 17 Caridad Pineiro http://www.caridad.com/
June 18 Writing to Insanity http://www.locacrazywriter.blogspot.com
June 19 Lara Rios http://juliaamante.blogspot.com/
June 20 Musings http://Nilkibenitez.blogspot.com
June 21 rafaelMarquez.me http://www.rafaelmarquez.me
June 22 Latina Reader http://blogs.qoobole.com/latina-reader
June 23 Café of Deams http://cafeofdreams.blogspot.com/
June 24 Latino Pundit http://www.latinopundit.com
June 25 Queer Latino Musings on Literature http://charlievazquez.wordpress.com/
June 26 Mama Latina Tips http://www.mamalatinatips.com
June 27 Latino Book Examiner http://www.examiner.com/x-6309-Latino-Books-Examiner

Confessions of a Shopaholic releases on DVD!

I have been a fan of Sophie Kinsella's since her very first book and have loved every one of them. When Confessions of a Shopaholic came out in theaters, I was thrilled and had to go and see it. I was not disappointed - I LOVED it!! Because of that, I have eagerly been awaiting it's release on DVD and my wait is soon to be over - the release date is tomorrow, June 23rd! YAY! Life is good. I wanted to share some great clips with everyone - in case you haven't seen it yet, or in case you wanted to refresh your memory and get as excited as I am over the DVD release!









Fall in love with the adorable Becky Bloomwood (Isla Fisher) in the hilarious romantic comedy Confessions Of A Shopaholic. Becky s desperate for a job writing for a high-fashion magazine in glamorous New York. She gets her stilettos in the door writing a personal finance column at a sister publication. Much to her surprise, her column, The Girl In The Green Scarf, becomes a hit, and she falls head over high heels for her handsome, overworked boss (Hugh Dancy). But Becky has a secret that leads to some hilarious high jinks that could unravel it all. From the best-selling novel, and featuring the perfect comedic cast, it s the feel-good romantic comedy you ll fall in love with over and over.

Bonus Features Include: Bloopers, deleted scenes, music video Stuck with Each Other.

Darkwood by M.E. Breen - Kidz Book Buzz Tour Day 1

Welcome to Day 1 of the Kidz Book Buzz tour for the YA book Darkwood by M.E.Breen. This is a dark fantasy geared toward children ages 10-14. If the cover doesn't grab you, the description is sure to:

Darkness falls so quickly in Howland its people have no word for evening. One minute the sky is light, the next minute it is black—an impenetrable, suffocating black, unlit by moon or stars. Then good people bar their doors, for fearsome kinderstalk leave the forest to prowl among the houses, looking for children to steal. Yet when Annie Trewitt overhears her uncle making terrible plans for her, she flees to the only place she’s sure he will not follow: the forest. Annie never expects to survive the night, but soon she finds neither the kinderstalk nor the people of Howland are what they first appear. Her journey will take her from the depths of the forest to the glittering halls of the palace—and ever closer to an evil darker and more vast than the night itself.

I wanted to include a bit of an excerpt, also, to pique everyone's interest:

Chapter 1

The sun sets so quickly in Howland that the people who live there have no word for evening. One minute the sky is blue or cloud gray, the next minute it is black, as though someone has thrown a heavy blanket over the earth. Nowhere is the sky darker or the night longer than Dour County, a hatchet-shaped region on Howland’s western border. A swift river runs through Dour County. Slippery cliffs overhang the river. An icy sea roils off the coast. But worse than these is the forest that grows to the north. No roads mark the forest and no human footprints. Like the dark, it has lives of its own.

“Nonsense! After seven centuries, you think the moon is going to show its face for you? Come away from there now and set the table.”

Annie Trewitt took a small step back from the window. She had seen pictures of the moon in books, copied from older pictures in older books, copied from the oldest books of all. There were the skinny crescent moons, the half-shadow moons, the regular full moons. And then there were the Howler moons, round and orange and edible looking, even on the page.

“I told you, come away!” Aunt Prim shoved a stack of clean dishes into Annie’s hands and reached past her to fasten the shutters. “If it’s the kinderstalk you’re peeping after they’d better be worth a whipping.” She paused dramatically. “He will catch you one of these days.”

Annie followed her aunt’s gaze over to the chair where her uncle was enjoying his third nap of the day. Drool snaked in a clear line from the corner of his mouth to the collar of his shirt. Around one finger he wore a battered tin cup like a ring, a little residue of whisky at the bottom.

Annie set three bowls on the table, three spoons, and three cups. A fourth set of dishes sat on the shelf, untouched. The insides of the bowls had been scrubbed to a smooth gray finish, exactly the color of the porridge that filled them at every meal. She poured milk from an ewer into each of the cups,careful first to spoon the cream into a separate dish for her uncle’s dessert.

Aunt Prim’s voice sounded close at her ear. “Mind your uncle well tonight, hear me, girl?”

Annie nodded, but Aunt Prim crowded closer, her lips nearly touching Annie’s cheek. She smelled of cotton, milk, and dust.

“Do you hear me, girl? Do you hear me warning you?”

“Yes, Aunt Prim, I hear you.”

“And you can’t say I didn’t warn you, can you?”

“No, I can’t say you didn’t warn me.”


You can continue reading chapter 1, by (clicking here)

So far, I am loving this fantastic book and am on my way to my comfy couch to finish it up right now. Be sure to pop back by tomorrow for my thoughts and review on Darkwood!

Other blogs also on tour:

A Patchwork of Books, Abby the Librarian, All About Children’s Books, Becky’s Book Reviews, Cafe of Dreams, Dolce Bellezza, Hyperbole, KidzBookBuzz.com, Never Jam Today, My Utopia, Through a Child’s Eyes, Through the Looking Glass Reviews

WINNER - Katie & Kimble 2 book set

Ok, so I am a bit late in announcing the winner of the Katie & Kimble set (are you getting use to my lateness?! lol) This way I draw out the anticipation, lol! I want to thank everyone for stopping by, commenting and sharing their wishes. All the wishes were so wonderful and my wish is that everyone's wishes would come true for them.

I sincerely hope that everyone checks out these great books - they are so wonderful and I cannot recommend them enough!

Now, for the winner of the 2 book set of Katie & Kimble A Ghost Story and The Magic Wish by the talented Linda Thieman!

WINDYCINDY

Congrats and enjoy!!!! I have sent you an email, Cindy, and just need your mailing address.

Review - Blood Bar by Norm Applegate

Blood Bar
by: Norm Applegate

Paperback: 324 pages
Publisher: BLACK BED SHEETS BOOKS (January 31, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 098225301X
ISBN-13: 978-0982253014
Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.8 inches

Not for the weak at heart, Blood Bar is the tale of vampires among us - though not necessarily the type of vampires you may typically imagine. Filled with role playing (or is it?!)blood, lust, and desire for power, Blood Bar combines many aspects of the paranormal and the underside of life.

It is not often that a book can hook a reader within the first page, but Blood Bar did that and more. Never did the story allow me to wander far from it's grasp, without leaving me yearning for my return. Thus, this was a quick and engrossing story that never entered into territory that dragged on or became redundant.

Blood Bar is the third book in a thriller/horror series featuring Kim Bennett, murder mystery sleuth, unlike any other. Though I have not yet read the first two in this series, Into the Basement and Into the Spell, I was still able to greatly enjoy Blood Bar. Norm Applegate does an exceptional job painting the scenes throughout the story and breathing life into his characters. Kim Bennett is a strong, take no guff from anyone type of heroine, who readers will enjoy immensely.

A call from her friend, Rose, brings Kim to Manhattan, where she tries to help figure out who murdered Rose's lover. Little does Kim know that this trip will change her, making her realize things about herself that she did not know and not sure she wanted to know. Blood Bar merges modern life and times with the past, as Kim uncovers little known facts about Jack the Ripper the the vampire code "The Black Testament" that he had written so long ago. Will Kim be able to solve the crimes and save mankind - and herself - or will she fall victim to the erotic life of the vampire? There's only one way to find out - grab a copy of Blood Bar, get comfy and settle back with a nice drink of warm blood...er, tea or coffee and get ready to be transported to another time and place.

*overall rating 4/5

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About Blood Bar:

Vampires don’t exist...yet, on the brownstone back alley side streets of New York, a vampire dies. Desperate, his lover turns to Kim Bennett, author Norm Applegate’s quintessential heroine whose passion for S&M led to celebrity status as a hell-and-back murder mystery sleuth who’s been there, done that, and then some. This time, Kim finds herself caught between a secret vampire society’s attempts to locate The Black Testament (a sacred document written by Jack the Ripper), the modern-day vampire hunters bent on their destruction, and a white knuckled journey of self-discovery that catapults her into the bowels of hell and the arms of the ultimate vampire.......courtesy of The Haven, New York’s ultimate BLOOD BAR.

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Excerpt:

Nicolai putting his foot on the brakes brought her out of her thoughts, and looking out of the window she recognized the street. It was the entrance to the parking lot across from The Haven.

“Why are we stopping here?” Kim asked. “Is it safe?”

“I don’t care, I need you.” Nicolai’s eyes were the deepest blue she had ever seen and they said more than his words.

“I know the feeling.” Kim blushed. "It's becoming a blood habit."

They looked at each other in silence. There was no way to know how Nicolai would respond to making love with Kim. He would learn it’s a full contact sport with no limits. “This is dangerous,” she said.

Nicolai’s lips slowly parted with an inviting smile. “Is that okay?”
Kim moved toward him. When her face was just inches from his and she could smell his skin, she spoke softly. “I love the edge. It makes you feel alive, like you’re really living in the moment."

Nicolai lifted her chin, looked into her eyes and with his thumb and finger slowly examined her hair. “You seem to have recovered so quickly, everything alright?”
“You mean with what you did to me?”

“Yes, and you can say it.” Nicolai knew it was the weirdest thing to saying you brought someone back from the dead, but he did, and successfully.
“I don’t remember much, the truck, pain, darkness, and then I heard your voice rising up from below me.”

Nicolai let his lips slide down her cheek; and taking in her aroma he closed his eyes and swallowed. Kim felt the warm moist air of each breath tickle her skin, and rolling her head back she felt her knees shaking as his fingers gently probed her neck. “I’m going to taste you?”

“Don’t ever ask permission, just take me,” Kim mumbled, "Make me yours."

He went silent, lost in the nuzzling and kissing of her throat. Kim found her fingers on the back of his head, pulled him closer, and caressed his face. He was very warm to the touch.

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About Norm Applegate:

Norman Applegate is an author and consultant, with a growing body of work to his credit. Born in Glasgow Scotland, growing up in Toronto Canada and now residing in Florida with his wife Cheryl, Norm Applegate works and travels for an international consulting company, then occasionally scares the “heck” out of his family with his thoughts and writings.

His early years in Toronto were filled with aspirations of the late 60’s hippie music scene, and as a drummer in numerous bands led to a short lived career playing the bars and clubs in the Toronto area. The band Photograph, signed to a recording studio, made some noise on the coast to coast CBC radio show, the Entertainers, and after the legal issues strangled them into submission, they went their separate ways. The life of drugs, sex and rock and roll were over, sad but true.

His first novel, “Into the Basement,” a raw dark thriller introduced us to his unlikely heroine Kim Bennett and is scheduled for a movie release in 2009 with Triad Studios. The cast for the movie includes Courtney Gains, Naama Kates, Jonathan Breck, Two Foot Fred, Nicola Fiore, Jamie McCall, and a seasoned crew of horror and TV actors.

His follow up novel, “Into the Spell,” continued with Kim Bennett and the dark world of hypnosis, the paranormal and murder. Early 2008, Norm released a short story called “Jumpers,” with a Twilight Zone feel to it in the horror anthology “From the Shadows.”

Currently Mr. Applegate is a resident of Sarasota Florida, where he is working as a principle for the movie “Into the Basement,” a new horror thriller, and a sequel to Blood Bar.

For more information about Norman and his upcoming projects go to http://www.normanapplegate.com/.



WIN PRIZES!!!

BLOOD BAR VIRTUAL BLOG TOUR '09 will officially begin on June 1 and end on June 26. You can visit Norm's blog stops at http://www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/ in June to find out more about this great book and talented author!

As a special promotion for all our authors, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour to a published author or a $50 Amazon gift certificate to those not published who comments on our authors' blog stops. More prizes will be announced as they become available.

Author Guest Post - Irene Watson

I have the delightful pleasure of welcoming Irene Watson, author of The Sitting Swing, to Cafe of Dreams today! I am thrilled to share with readers this inspiring and wonderful post and want to thank Ms. Watson for taking the time to share her thoughts.

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My Thoughts on Spirituality:

Spirituality has become a common topic and term in recent years. While religions continue to go strong, many people are focusing on spirituality rather than religion; unfortunately, many religions have isolated people or turned them against each other by insisting their beliefs are the only right ones, or they know the only way for a person to get into Heaven or be saved by God. What should be at the core of religion and what is at the core of true spirituality is the principle of love.

Many people have had negative religious experiences that make them shy away from the idea of “God.” Twelve Step programs and many people interested in spirituality prefer the term “Higher Power” to eliminate views of God based in specific religions. Using “Higher Power” provides an absolute position without limiting God to anyone’s definition—God cannot be limited in that way. He or She is Love and Love is unconditional and limitless.

Our Higher Power allows us to believe in something outside and beyond ourselves. It frees us from frustration and trying to control outcomes. We can try all we want to make everything work out right or be perfect. We may frequently succeed. But we don’t succeed always. We are not perfect, and we can’t make everything perfect. Things go wrong. Accidents happen. We make mistakes—sometimes large, life-threatening ones. We learn we cannot play God. Our Higher Power is always there to pick up the pieces if we just ask and trust. Sometimes we don’t think we are getting a response—sometimes patience and waiting are all that are required.

Besides trying to play God, we may make the mistake of looking to someone else to play God. If we put people on a pedestal, we are bound to be disappointed. No human being is perfect, so we cannot look to others to solve all our troubles. Human imperfection is really a blessing—it frees us from depending on ourselves or others; it teaches us instead to love one another; it teaches us to help each other in our mutual spiritual quest to know and trust our Higher Power.

Twelve Step programs have a common saying: “Let Go and Let God.” It’s a good saying. It means we trust that everything is working out for the best for us. We trust that our Higher Power knows better than we do. Perhaps we trust in a Divine Plan, Divine Order or Divine Timing. We trust that even when things go wrong, someday we will see the wisdom in why we experienced that hardship, and we realize we are better, stronger people for it.

Spirituality is integral to rewriting our life scripts. It makes us realize there is a Higher Power helping with the writing. Perhaps we come to view life like a tragicomedy. There are bumps in the road. Sometimes it looks like the hero may fail. But if we keep reading the script or watching the play, we find that in the end, everything works out for the best, for the greatest joy.

Like a character in a play, we turn our will and our lives over to our Higher Power, to the true Author of the script, trusting He or She knows what is best for us. We remember we are spiritual beings having a human experience—playing a part in the play called Life so we can learn. We learn to trust and we learn to let go. It takes courage, but it puts us in touch with who we really are. Spirituality frees us by giving us trust and hope in something greater than ourselves.

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Editor’s Note: Comment on any of Irene Watson's tour stops and you could win:

2 copies of “Authors Access: 30 Success Secrets for Authors and Publishers” (to author or aspiring author)
2 autographed copies of “The Sitting Swing: Finding Wisdom to Know the Difference”
1 package of 3 fiction books
1 package of 3 nonfiction books
3 copies of “Journey from Head to Heart“ by Nancy Oelklaus from Loving Healing Press
3 copies of “Gifts from the Child Within, 2nd Ed” by Barbara Sinor from Loving Healing Press
1 autographed copy of “Saffron Dreams” from Shaila Abdulla
1 website/blog evaluation
1 Swarovski crystal bracelet from Belle Paris
1 handmade bracelet

Everyone that signs up on my mailing list on http://www.irenewatson.com/ will receive an ebook: A Story That Must Be Told: True Tales of Transformation

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About Irene Watson:

Irene Watson, author of award winning The Sitting Swing, was born and raised in a tiny hamlet of Reno in the northern area of the province of Alberta in Canada. It was a farming community, mostly settled by immigrants from Russia, Ukraine and Poland during the early 1900s.

Two books that had the deepest impact were Change me into Zeus’s Daughter by Barbara Robinette Moss, and, Lost and Found by Babette Hughes. Reading both books inspired Irene to write about her own life’s journey, from growing up in a semi-abusive home to finally accepting that experience as a path to a spiritual understanding of life. She now shares her story in The Sitting Swing.

Irene is the Managing Editor of http://www.readerviews.com/, where avid readers can find reviews of recently published books as well as read interviews with authors. Her team also provides author publicity and a variety of other services specific to writing and publishing books.

Irene received her Bachelor of Liberal Studies, Summa Cum Laude, in Psychology from Saint Edward's University in Austin and her Master of Arts, with honors, in Liberal Studies: Psychology, from Regis University in Denver.

Today, Irene lives beside Barton Creek in Austin, Texas with her husband Robert of 43 years, and their Pomeranian, Tafton; their calico cat from a rescue shelter, Patches; and their rescued cockatiels, Clement and Elgin.

You can visit her website at http://www.irenewatson.com/ or her blog at http://www.irenewatson.typepad.com/irenes_weblog

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About The Sitting Swing:

The Sitting Swing shows us how guilt, fear and ignorance are borne by our children. Two distinct parts of the book look at an abusive child rearing and the process of recovery that takes place years later. On many levels this is a classic story showing us that change, growth,
forgiveness and recovery are possible. It is also a heart warming healing story and a testament to the strength and courage of the human spirit. In the end it gives hope and freedom to those that accept the past and move forward by rewriting life scripts that have been passed down for generations.

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Excerpt:

My best course of action was becoming clearer all the time. Give them some things about me to play with, to feel that they could fix. Show how happy I was to have my problems resolved, and what a different person I could be at graduation. And along the way, I could make use of the retreat—open up, perhaps, and spend time in personal reflection. Then at graduation, maybe I really would be different. They could let me go, believing they’d made a difference, and I would leave, knowing I had made a difference on my own. But that’s not how it worked at all.

Giveaway #2 The Horse Boy by Rupert Isaacson

Here's your chance to win 1 of 3 copies of this touching story by Rupert Isaacson, author of The Horse Boy. Read by the author this promises to be a story not soon forgotten! Here is the description:

When his son Rowan was diagnosed with autism, Rupert Isaacson was devastated, afraid he might never be able to communicate with his child. But when Isaacson, a lifelong horseman, rode their neighbor's horse with Rowan, Rowan improved immeasurably. He was struck with a crazy idea: why not take Rowan to Mongolia, the one place in the world where horses and shamanic healing intersected?


THE HORSE BOY is the dramatic and heartwarming story of that impossible adventure. In Mongolia, the family found undreamed of landscapes and people, unbearable setbacks, and advances beyond their wildest dreams. This is a deeply moving, truly one-of-a-kind story--of a family willing to go to the ends of the earth to help their son, and of a boy learning to connect with the world for the first time.


Again, entering is easy, please just leave a comment below with your email address. U.S. and Canadian addresses only, please and no PO Boxes. Thanks to Hachette Book Group for allowing me this excellent giveaway! Contest ends June 26th.

Good Luck, Everyone!

New Giveaway #1 The 8th Confession by James Patterson

Well, now that I am all caught up on giveaways, it is time to announce a new round! The first giveaway is for the audiobook of The 8th Confession by James Patterson! I have 3 copies of this great book to giveaway, thanks to Hachette Book Group. Read by Carolyn McCormick, this consists of 5 CDs and has a running time of approx. 5 hours. Here is a bit about the story:


As San Francisco's most glamorous millionaires mingle at the party of the year, someone is watching--waiting for a chance to take vengeance on Isa and Ethan Bailey, the city's most celebrated couple. Finally, the killer pinpoints the ideal moment, and it's the perfect murder. Not a trace of evidence is left behind in their glamorous home.

As Detective Lindsay Boxer investigates the high-profile murder, someone else is found brutally executed--a preacher with a message of hope for the homeless. His death nearly falls through the cracks, but when reporter Cindy Thomas hears about it, she knows the story could be huge. Probing deeper into the victim's history, she discovers he may not have been quite as saintly as everyone thought.

As the hunt for two criminals tests the limits of the Women's Murder Club, Lindsay sees sparks fly between Cindy and her partner, Detective Rich Conklin. The Women's Murder Club now faces its toughest challenge: will love destroy all that four friends have built? The exhilarating new chapter in the Women's Murder Club series, The 8th Confession serves up a double dose of speed-charged twists and shocking revelations as only James Patterson can. And remember, this is the only Murder Club episode of the year. (2009)

Contest is open to U.S. and Canadian addresses only and no PO Boxes, please. Entering is easy - just leave a comment below and please include your email address. Contest open until midnight June 26th.

Good Luck, Everyone!

WINNERS! The Way Home by George Pelecanos!

Congratulations to the following winners of an audio copy of The Way Home by George Pelecanos!

SCOTTSGAL
PAM
KATRINA

Winners have been sent an email requesting their mailing addresses. Thank you so much to everyone for stopping by and taking the time to enter! Many more giveaways coming up!

Have a great day!

Review - Beyond the Code of Conduct by K.M. Daughters

Beyond the Code of Conduct
by: K.M. Daughters

Paperback: 180 pages
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press (April 22, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1601545444
ISBN-13: 978-1601545442
Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5 x 0.6 inches

First and foremost, I want to mention how much I love the cover of this book. It is a solemn and lonely vision, invoking yearning and desire. A perfect fit to this excellent story.

Beyond the Code of Conduct is actually the second in the Sullivan Boys Series. Though I have not been lucky enough to read the first in this series, I was still able to greatly enjoy this book. At no time did I feel lost or as though I had missed out on anything from the previous novel. However, I do have to admit that I desperately want to read the first in the series, Against Doctor's Orders, after being exposed to this great writing talent of K.M. Daughters.

What could be worse than baby trafficking and what could be greater than the desire to put a stop to it? In Beyond the Code of Conduct, Special Agent Bobbie Leighton and Homicide Detective Joe Sullivan are paired together to go undercover as a wealthy cattleman and his slightly airhead, but gorgeous wife. Under normal circumstances, this may not be such a hardship, however with the history between these two, sparks of every kind fly. The big question is whether or not they can hold it together long enough to expose this heinous crime before anymore victims are claimed.

I loved the writing style of K.M. Daughters - it is very smooth, engrossing and the characters honestly pop from the pages in vivid clarity. I greatly enjoyed the tension between the main characters of Bobbie and Joe and each one's personality and candor. Beyond the Code of Conduct holds suspense, thrills, romance and a twinge of the paranormal. In other words, this story has a bit of something for everyone.

Though short in length - 180 pages - it is not short on structure, plot, character development or it's ability to draw the reader in. I truly recommend this story to anyone looking for a great read that is quick and leaves the reader satisfied. I cannot wait to get my hands on other works by this author (or should I say authors).

*overall rating 4.5/5

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About Beyond the Code of Conduct:

FBI Agency Brass and Sullivan family connections force Special Agent Bobbie Leighton into an undercover operation with inactive Homicide Detective Joe Sullivan.

Posing as a cattleman and his arm-candy wife the couple is assigned to infiltrate NY attorney Bradley Sterling’s illegal operation. Suspected of baby trafficking, Sterling maybe be connected with Joe’s brother, Jimmy Sullivan’s murder.

How do Bobbie and Joe adhere to their professional code of conduct living under the same roof? Can they forget their personal history, ignore their volatile feelings for each other and ensnare their target when they might be next on Sterling’s victims list?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt:

“You want hot? I’ll give you hot.” In one swift motion she picked up a mug off the table and whipped it towards him, a perfect strike.

Lucky for him he still held his jacket in his hand. He swept it up like a toreador in front of his face. The coat took the brunt of the hit, but hot liquid splattered on his hands.

“Ouch. Damn. Stop it.” He dropped the wet coat on the floor. His hands burned and he wiped them on his thighs to stop the heat. It had the opposite effect on his arousal.

She batted her eyes around, apparently for something else to throw at him and tugged at the pillow on the back of the sofa. When it didn’t give, she hopped up on the seat cushion and tugged at it harder. If she realized how seductive she looked, she’d stop doing that. A glimpse of lace panties made him groan.

“Honey, add a sorority sister and a little water on the front of your T-shirt and you have everyman’s wet dream. You’re killing me here.”

The fury mounted on her face and he laughed.

She stepped down from the couch and stormed off to the kitchen.

“I’m sorry. I’m not laughing at you.” No response from the kitchen.

Gathering together the launched items, he stacked the books and magazines on the coffee table and tucked her shoes beneath. He kicked off his shoes and placed them in a neat pair next to hers before settling on the couch.

It’s fun to goad her. “While you’re in there could you grab me a beer?”

Realizing a little too late why she had marched to the kitchen, a plate swished past inches from his ear and crashed against the bookcase.

“Damn.” The next plate hit him in the shoulder. “What is wrong with you? Stop it.”

“What is wrong with me? With me? You take off. Leave me here alone to face the home inspection. And you are stupid enough to ask me what is wrong with me?” Each sentence was punctuated with the crash of a dish around him.

Hands empty, she disappeared again, surely on her way to stock up on ammo.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


About K.M. Daughters:

K.M. Daughters is the multi-published writing team of sisters Pat Casiello and Kathie Clare. Their penname is dedicated to their parents Katherine and Michael, the “K” and “M” in K.M. Daughters. Their author career began in January 2008 with contracts from The Wild Rose Press for an inspirational romance, Jewel of the Adriatic, and a romantic suspense novel, Against Doctors Orders, Book #1 in The Sullivan Boys Series. Beyond The Code of Conduct, Book 2 in the series, is rated 4-stars, compelling, page turner, by Donna M. Brown, Reviewer for Romantic Times Book Reviews (June 2009 Issue #304). A contemporary romance, Past, Present and Forever is available in E-book from Sapphire Blue Publishing. Residing in Illinois and New Jersey, the sisters continue to work on The Sullivan Boys Series. Book #3 will release later this year and two additional books are anticipated to complete the series.

You can visit their website at www.kmdaughters.com.

Follow them at http://twitter.com/kmdaughters!


Win Prizes! BEYOND THE CODE OF CONDUCT VIRTUAL BLOG TOUR '09 will officially begin on June 1 and end on June 26. You can visit K.M. Daughters' blog stops at www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com during the month of June to find out more about this great book and talented authors! As a special promotion for all our authors, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour to a published author or a $50 Amazon gift certificate to those not published who comments on our authors' blog stops. More prizes will be announced as they become available.