SELF HELP SUNDAY!!!

Hello my little CHICKLETS!

and Welcome to another installment

of SELF HELP SUNDAY!!

Which, I know

have not been that regular lately...

hey, I'm trying..

apparently I could use some help too

But I'm pretty sure you're going to like this one!!

THE SASSY LADIES'

TOOLKIT FOR START-UP BUSINESSES

From AMAZON:

Starting a business is serious stuff, but it doesn't have to be dull. Not when you have the resources of The Sassy Ladies. They share their own experiences as well as rich insights of other solopreneurs who have learned valuable lessons running their businesses.
The Sassy Ladies' Toolkit for Start-Up Businesses is a reference guide and workbook designed to get your business from the dream stage to the ''oh-my-gosh-I'm-running-my-own-business'' stage, all from women who have been there.

WHAT I THOUGHT:

This book is awesome!

Lots of inspiration and resources here for how to get started living your dream and making it happen. These ladies not only tell you how they did it, they give you practical

exercises and resources to help you do it. It's also written in a way that makes it really fun. You can read this book in a couple hours, to get the gist and then go back and complete the exercises as you go. This book would be great for anyone who is wanting to be successful in any business, and I would definitely recommend it also to everyone out there who is a consultant for any of the Multi Level Marketing copanies such as Stampin Up, Pampered Chef etc.

Authors WEBSITE

SASSYLADIES

I have one copy to give away!!

To enter please leave a comment with your email!

That's it for today!

Thanks for stopping by and

READ ON CHICKS!!

Triple Cross...

FROM THE INSIDE: It’s New Year’s Eve at the Jefferson Club, a luxurious private ski resort in the mountains of southwestern Montana. Seven of the world’s wealthiest men and a U.S. Senator are among the guests gathered in the ballroom of the club’s spectacular main lodge for a private party. Expensive champagne flows and multi-billion dollar deals are getting done, when, at the stroke of midnight, a ruthless and well-armed militia attacks the club. Self-described anti-globalists, they intend to to put the wealthy patrons of the club on trial for crimes against humanity, live on the Internet for all the world to see.As the first trial unfolds, it becomes a new-media sensation, with tens of millions of viewers who are allowed to vote as jury members. It seems harmless, funny, until one of the tycoons is convicted and put to death just as stock and bond trading opens for the New Year. The markets are rocked by the execution, and start to plummet as more of the billionaires are put on trial.The only people who can prevent an outright market crash, stop the madness, and uncover the true reasons behind the brutal attack are Mickey Hennessy, the club’s director of security, his three fourteen-year-old children and Cheyenne O’Neil, an FBI financial crimes specialist.Ultimately capitalism and anti-globalism collide with stunning consequences in a searing narrative that’s a lean blend of suspense, dark humor and explosive action, as well as a novel that raises compelling questions about who the real criminals are in a world where financial markets can be manipulated on an unfathomable scale and a powerful few profit at the expense of the many.

WHAT I THOUGHT: This book plays out like a good action movie. Plot twists and suspense, romance and kids in danger, all come together to keep you on the edge of your seat for the whole book. I have a weakness for stories involving Heroes who are former government agents...and this is no exception. The story captures you from the first and weaves it's way to an exciting and action filled finish!

I have one copy to giveaway!

To win please leave a comment with your email!!

winner will be announced July 5th

Thanks so much!

and

READ ON CHICKS!!

FREE BOOK FRIDAY!!

Yep Chicks!

It's another

FREE BOOK FRIDAY!!!

FROM AMAZON: Sarah Harper is driven to achieve success no matter what the cost. She wants to do good and not hurt the people she loves--especially children and her husband, Joe--but her desire to succeed in her career too often leaves little time for family. One cold, autumn afternoon, all of that changes when Sarah's car plunges off a bridge and into a river. She is presumed dead by those on the "outside," but Sarah's spirit is still very much alive. What she discovers on the other side transforms everything about Sarah's view of life--past, present, and future.When Sarah is revived, she is a changed woman. And the unsuspecting world around her will never be the same again.

WHAT I THOUGHT: This book reads like a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie. It also kind of reminded me of Fireproof...so I think we'll probably see some sort of production of it in the future if it's not already in the works. I have to say it gave me a healthy dose of not taking things in my life for granted. There are, of course a lot of Christian themes here...the characters, finding themselves in dire need of help turn to God in prayer, but it's not overdone and I think this could be a valuable lesson for almost anyone of us. In other words, if you don't typically read Christian fiction, I wouldn't pass this one up for that reason alone. The story is written almost in Charles Dickens style, with Sarah the main character visiting her past, present and future with her deceased Grandmother and an angel named Wingtip. It reads quickly and leaves you with hope.

I have one copy to giveaway courtesy of Miriam at Hatchette

US and Canada only please no PO Boxes!!

To enter please leave a comment with your email!

That's it for today!

THANKS and

READ ON CHICKS!!

Choices Meant for Gods

CHOICES MEANT FOR GODS

by SANDY LENDER

BLURB: Not even the gods noticed when Chariss was born with the mark of The Protector. Now she and her wizard guardian seek shelter from a mad sorcerer in a household not just full of secrets and false hope, but watched by the god who will unwittingly reveal her role in an impending war.

When an orphan sets aside a lifetime of running and fear to accept the responsibilities of guarding an arrogant deity, can she face the trials in the prophecies she uncovers? Will Nigel Taiman of her latest refuge dare to use his dragon heritage to bind her to his estate or to help her in her duty?

WHAT I THOUGHT: If you know nothing else about me by now, (unless this is your first time here, in which case I forgive you) you know I love a strong heroine. Not the kind who play the part of the victim, although I know a certain amount of vulnerability is sometimes what makes a strong heroine seem stronger...anyway...LOVE CHARISS. It's been a little while since I've read a good fantasy, so I was overdue. Who wouldn't want to be born with an amethyst set into the corner of their right eye, I ask you??...oh and I really like dragons...

We're in for a special treat today Chicks, as the Author,

Sandy Lender has joined us for a Guest Post:

Strong Chicks Rule
By Fantasy Author Sandy Lender
www.authorsandylender.com

Amanda Chariss Derdriu is a strong chick. And I dig that. She’s not the sarcastic, scantily-clad, promiscuous heroine you see in a lot of fantasy and spec fiction novels these days, but she is intrigued by humor, romance, and scandals she can solve. She knows her own mind and isn’t afraid to speak it. (Within reason.) See, she’s a good girl, except for a propensity to stick knives and swords in people. (I think she gets that from me. Now, I’ve never actually stuck a knife in anyone, but I sure feel better having a sword under the bed and a medieval dagger on the dresser.)

Back to Chariss.

Chariss has a power known as the geasa. In my fantasy writing, this is a gift the gods breathe into a soul after his or her conception, while the person is still forming in the womb. I designed this power for the “good guys” in the fantasy world of Onweald so they wouldn’t be using sorcery. I’m a Southern Baptist and I believe that you need to be pretty darn cautious about playing around with magic and sorcery—danger, Will Robinson—so I needed something “completely different” in my story. Now, you can argue that even the geasa sounds like magic (and I’ll agree), but I had to do something. I mean, this is fantasy. So the good guys like Chariss have the geasa and the bad guys get their “gift” of sorcery from the big bad evil Julette, an ancient goddess who has gone a little nuts with wanting to usurp her husband and son’s worshippers.

What else about Chariss is cool? Well, she was born with this beautiful little amethyst on her cheekbone, high up near the corner of her right eye. I used to be married to someone who couldn’t grasp the concept when I explained it to him. He kept saying, “A stone is inorganic matter.” And I would say, “It’s fantasy.” The point is Chariss has a destiny that was set in motion prior to her birth and the amethyst is a birthmark that seals her fate. (And her eyes match the color of the amethyst, which I think makes her just gorgeous.)

Chariss saw the massacre of her family when she was four years old. The sorcerer Jamieson Drake would have killed her back then, too, if Hrazon of Mon’dore, the greatest wizard the gods created hadn’t shown up and whisked her off to safety. He’s been her guardian, mentor, teacher, and constant companion ever since. The perfect love and respect these two have for each other is amazing to me. It’s based on 1 Corinthians 13:4 and The Master Rothahn alludes to this in CHOICES MEANT FOR GODS. He seems almost jealous of it when He first mentions it, and that deadly sin of envy only grows.

As you can see, Chariss isn’t an insular character who goes through the novel on her own insular journey. She affects the people around her. One character she affects in an extreme fashion is Nigel Taiman. This poor man seems to have given up on love and the pursuit of happiness when we first meet him. He’s just going through the motions of tending to his family’s estate and school. He protects his little sister and his mother from a tyrannical father and hides among the shadows of the estate until Chariss appears and knocks the wind out of his sails. She doesn’t mean to. It just sort of happens. In fact, she’s apologetic and fretful when she finds out he’s in love with her.

There are plenty of sides and shades to Amanda Chariss. The best way to get to know her, of course, is to read about her in the trilogy, to follow her through her arc. I’ve lived with her in my head for years now so I know her like a sister. She’s a beloved friend to me. I hope that folks who come to the series as new readers will find a friend in her as well. There’s a quick little description of her in the “Character Sketches” section of the Worlds link on my new Web site at www.authorsandylender.com.

Thank you for visiting today to learn a little more about Chariss!
“Some days, I just want the dragon to win.”

For a chance to win a signed copy of

Choices Meant For Gods by Sandy Lender

Please leave a comment with your email!

Sandy is giving away 1 copy a week during the blog tour

You can see all the particpants at her blog

HERE

For more chances to enter!

Thanks and

READ ON CHICKS!!

IT's A TWOFOR!!!!!

My apologies again my chickadees

For being offline for awhile and getting somewhat behind

I was up in Ohio taking care of some family matters,

and unfortunately internet access is somewhat limited for me there

To make it up to you ...

I'm hoping to get my crap together and have several giveaways here

over the next several days.

TODAY is A TWOFER

That means One Lucky CHICK

will recieve 2 BOOKS!!

So here we go!!

From AMAZON: Syd, a breathtakingly beautiful supermodel on a photo shoot in Hawaii, disappears.

Fearing the worst, her parents travel to Hawaii to investigate for themselves, never expecting the horror that awaits them.

LA Times reporter Ben Hawkins is conducting his own research into the case, hoping to help the victim and get an idea for his next bestseller.

With no leads and no closer to uncovering the kidnapper's identity than when he stepped off the plane, Ben gets a shocking visit that pushes him into an impossible-to-resist deal with the devil.


A heart-pounding story of fear and desire, SWIMSUIT transports readers to a chilling new territory where the collision of beauty and murder transforms paradise into a hell of unspeakable horrors.

WHAT I THOUGHT: I've liked James Patterson a long time. If he sounds familiar to you but you don't know why, it's because he's the author of the "Detective Alex Cross" books, several of which were brought to the screen starring Morgan Freeman. When two authors team up together, you never really know what you're going to get, but in this case it works. I really liked the female perspective that Maxine Paetro added to the story, while it kept Patterson's usual edge of your seat suspense!







FROM AMAZON: PhD candidate Mitch Samuel's life isn't going exactly according to plan: his girlfriend just dumped him (to be fair, he did forget to pick her up at the airport), his estranged father has landed in the hospital, and his literary masterpiece-one part Shakespeare, one part Steinbeck, and all parts lyrical epic-has been rejected for the umpteenth time.
However, after a chance encounter at Starbucks with the queen of women's fiction- Katharine Longwell-who seems to take a liking to him, he senses an opportunity for literary riches, if not reputation. After telling her that his (imaginary) female cousin is an aspiring chick-lit author, he secures a promise from her that she'll help his "cousin" get published. The only problem is, Mitch needs a manuscript, and fast.
Unfortunately, try as he might to get inside a woman's head by reading Vogue and Cosmo, watching Oxygen and Oprah, nothing seems to work. That's when his roommate Bradley suggests that he try a dance class at the studio where Bradley's sister Marie takes lessons. Self-conscious about his own skills, and unwilling to reveal his true intentions, Mitch attends the first class under an alias: Jason Gallagher, pharmaceutical rep. What could go wrong?
Nothing, except that Mitch/Jason quickly finds himself hooked on dancing, and on the charming Marie. Who has no idea who he really is. Or that he knows her brother. Or why he's there. Suddenly, his novel-writing project is becoming a lot more than he bargained for...
WHAT I THOUGHT: This is a lot of fun, and very funny. A romantic comedy, from a guys point of view and written by a guy. I really loved it because that alone made it different from any chick lit I've read recently, or maybe ever...It's also a fairly quick read perfect for a day at the beach!

One Copy of Each is going to one lucky Chick!

All you need to do to win is leave a comment with

your email!!

That's it for today!

Thanks and

READ ON CHICKS!

Katka by Stephen Meier

KATKA

By Stephen Meier

I've never read a novella before...but there's definitely something to be said for something that can be read in just a couple hours, and the author managed to pack a whole lot of excitement in this short book!

From Amazon: Katka by Stephen Meier is a gritty, edgy novel of greed, love, and swindles gone very wrong. When Gavin and his girlfriend team with her best friend Simona to pull a phony mail order bride scam in the Czech Republic, Gavin gets in way over his head in the high-stakes and dangerous business of selling wives. When Gavin talks Katka, his girlfriend, into becoming part of the merchandise, planning to bait-n-switch the client in the end, things go awry and Katka disappears with the client. Partnering with the jealous and volatile Simona, Gavin begins to lament this risky life he has chosen, but finds the money is something he can’t walk away from. Gavin’s doubts grow; the con begins to consume him, and he finds himself thinking of Katka, the fate he dealt her, and whether he can undo the biggest mistake of his life. Written with staccato grit and streetwise savvy, Katka reads like a Quentin Tarantino movie. Stephen Meier’s work will leave you begging for more.

What I Liked: As I said, I really appreciated how much was packed into a pretty short read. I didn't feel like I missed anything. I really liked the "grittiness" of it. At it's base it's a story of love and money, and how far people will go for the sake of greed. The three main characters Katka, Gavin, and Simona are also very well developed. This is a great book to take to the beach or the pool!

Stephen Meier was kind enough to grant an interview!

1. What's your favorite thing you've read in the last year? Finished up Irving Welsh's, "If You Liked School, You'll Love Work". I love his style.

2. Name a character from a book you've read who you still find yourself thinking about. Just reread the Odyssey, and have been thinking about Odysseus.

3. A favorite quote from a book. Lately been discussing a lot of Hunter S. Thompson, so I would go with,"We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold. I remember saying something like, "I feel a bit lightheaded; maybe you should drive . . ."And suddenly there was a terrible roar all around us and the sky was full of what looked like huge bats, all swooping and screeching and diving around the car, which was going about 100 miles an hour with the top down to Las Vegas. And a voice was screaming: "Holy Jesus! What are these goddamn animals?"

4. Who do you consider your role model, literary or otherwise?Role Model? Hmmm, well i would say my father is my biggest hero and probably role model. He's a great man.

5. What music, if any, do you listen to when you're writing? I always listen to music! Right now some of my favorites are: Rob Dickinson acoustic, Radiohead, David Gray, and Aidan Hawken.
6. Have you ever faked reading anything? If so what? Haha, great question! Well, I was an English Major in College so the answer has to be yes!!!! And I think it was either Dubliners or Ulysses by James Joyce!

Thanks so much Mr. Meier for joining us Chicks today!

That's it for today!

READ ON CHICKS!!

A Morning Like This...

Hey There CHICKS!!

My apologies for things being a little slow around here the past several

days..I'm up in Ohio enjoying some time visiting family and my internet

access is a bit limited. BUT...I have manged to do some reading of course

so here you go..

A MORNING LIKE THIS

By Deborah Bedford

FROM AMAZON: David and Abby Treasure seem to have everything together: a perfect marriage, a perfect son, and a perfect life. But one simple phone call turns their world upside down. Years ago, David had an affair outside of his marriage, and though he never knew it, the affair produced a daughter. Now his former lover calls with heartbreaking news: his daughter is dying of leukemia. Her only hope for survival is a bone marrow transplant-from David or his son. Can David and Abby set aside their betrayal and anger to save a little girl's life? If they can make it through, they may find that their love for one another and their faith in God can be redeemed . . . and grow stronger than ever before.

What I thought: This was a really good story. It did come across as a little "preachy" to me at times, (although not overly so) but it is classified as Christian Fiction, so I'd expect it to. That fact, however, did not deter from the story line at all, in fact the characters are well developed, and while I think I got a little bothered by David's indignation over Abby's initial trouble with forgiveness, I felt the overall theme rang true. Yes, I cried a little, but in the end I felt hopeful, so I think the author did what she set out to do.

I have one copy to giveaway courtesy of Miriam at Hatchette!!

To win simply leave me a comment with your email!

THANKS!!

Winners of

"IF YOUR KID EATS THIS BOOK

EVERYTHING WILL BE OK"

ARE

Suburban Prep

Danetta

Ashley

Linda

Sharon

That's it for today!!

READ ON CHICKS!!

FREE BOOK FRIDAY!!

To Beguile A Beast
Elizabeth Hoyt
What is it about a wounded man that drives
me crazy??
Alistair has been hiding in his dilapidated Scottish castle since being wounded in the war. Wounded and scarred he has hidden himself from the world.
Helen has taken her two children and fled life in the ton to escape the Duke she has been mistress to, trying to carve out a better life for her and her children.
She arrives at Alistair's castle determined to start a new life as his housekeeper.
Slowly, Alistair notices as his house begins to come back to life with the love that Helen and her children have bestowed upon it, so does his heart for Helen. But, not everything can go as planned when the Duke finds Helen and his children and tries to take them back.
I really liked this story. I'm enjoying the turn a lot of historical romances I've read lately have taken, not assuming that every heroine has to be some blushing virgin and every hero a rogue. The characters is this story are charming, and the love story between Alistair and Helen has this sweet, warm feeling to it that I truly enjoyed!

I have 5 copies to giveaway courtesy of Anna at Hatchette!

US and Canada Only please no PO Boxes!!

1. Leave a comment with your email +1

2. Please TWEET about this contest!! +1

3. Follow Me on TWITTER! +2 (http://www.twitter.com/chicbookchick)

4.Post this contest on Your Facebook page!! +3

Please link me back for extra entries! THANK YOU!!

Winners of Bound To Please ARE

ZIA, KATHLEEN, BOOKLOVER,MARI,ASHLEY!!!

THAT's IT!!

READ ON CHICKS!!

Chemical Cowboys

Chemical Cowboys
Lisa Sweetingham
From Amazon.com: For nearly a decade, Ecstasy kingpin Oded Tuito was the mastermind behind a drug ring that used strippers and Hassidic teenagers to mule millions of pills from Holland to the party triangle--Los Angeles, New York, and Miami.
Chemical Cowboys is a thrilling journey through the groundbreaking undercover investigations that led to the toppling of a billion-dollar Ecstasy trafficking network--starting in 1995 when New York DEA Agent Robert Gagne infiltrated club land to uncover a thriving drug scene supported by two cultures: pill-popping club kids and Israeli dealers.
Gagne’s obsessive mission to take down Tuito’s network met unexpected challenges and personal discoveries that almost crippled his own family. Weaved into the narrative are the stories of Tuito’s underlings who struggled with addiction as they ran from the law, and the compelling experiences of a veteran Israeli police officer who aided Gagne while chasing after his own target--a violent Mob boss who saw the riches to be made in Ecstasy and began to import his own pills and turf warfare to the U.S.
Chemical Cowboys offers a taut, behind-the-scenes glimpse into an international criminal enterprise as daring as it is deadly.

What I Thought: While yes, usually I tend toward lighter reading I really enjoy investigative writing like this. When I was a little girl, and people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up my answer was a cop...more specifically a detective. I just find it so interested. That being said, this book tends to read more like a story than non-fiction which is what kept me so riveted. The Author goes into incredible detail on the inner workings of the DEA and it's agents, and the story of a drug that got it's start as a treatment for depression and how it became known as the nightclub drug of choice.

This would be a great FATHER'S DAY GIFT for readers who like to read about crime, fiction ornonfiction, as this story rolls off the page like a movie.

Lisa Sweetingham was kind enough to grant me an interview. Here's what she had to say!

1. How did you get started in journalism?
I knew by my mid-twenties that I wanted to write, but I wasn’t sure of the delivery method: would I focus on fiction, screenplays, poetry, journalism?
As an undergrad in a small southern college, I had managed the student newspaper and I loved the hectic pace. But just to be sure, I spent a year as an assistant on a literary desk at a major talent agency in Beverly Hills. I quickly burned out on reading scripts and decided that the most interesting movies came from articles and books. But I also chose journalism because—truth be told—I’m nosy. I am insatiably curious about human nature and being a reporter gives me an excuse to ask personal questions.

Not everyone needs to go to journalism school to get a job in the industry, but for reasons I can’t fully explain I readily accepted a lifetime of financial debt in return for a strong foundation in the skills of reporting, writing, and editing. In truth, I have no regrets. Columbia University’s graduate program in journalism gave me a broad set of story-telling skills and forged relationships with talented professors and alum who I still count on for guidance.

Once out of school, I freelanced for local New York newspapers and magazines and eventually landed a job as a writer and technology editor at Time Out New York, a weekly entertainment magazine. By 2004, a friend from Columbia told me about a web reporter opening at Court TV and soon I was traveling across the country covering high-profile murder trials. It was a fantastic job. It gave me a solid foundation in the language and processes of the justice system and provided opportunities to do television, radio, and multimedia reporting.

I eventually left Court TV (now InSession on TruTV) to work on “Chemical Cowboys,” full time, but I freelance for my old bosses on occasion and still love haunting the crime beat.

2. Who are some of your favorite authors?

In no particular order and completely off the top of my head: Raymond Chandler, W. Somerset Maugham, Walt Whitman, Christopher Hitchens, Bruce Wallin, Jerry Stahl, William Faulkner, Truman Capote, Ian McEwan, Bill Styron, Charlie LeDuff, Russell Banks, Joni Mitchell, Raymond Carver, Hemingway, James B. Stewart, William Langewiesche, Gay Talese, Edna Buchanan, Tom Wolfe.

Also, I think Anthony Lane and Mike D’Angelo are exceptional film critics. And A.J Jacobs’ writing in Esquire inspires me to push boundaries in terms of how I approach a story. The last article of his I clipped was: “Do I Love My Wife? An Investigative Report,” [http://www.esquire.com/features/mri-of-love-0609] in which he allowed researchers at Rutgers University to monitor his brain activity to see if pictures of his wife still triggered chemical reactions indicative of feelings of romance, sex, and emotional attachment. It’s not Hemingway, it’s just a clever way to show readers the human side of science.

3. What is research like for a book like Chemical Cowboys?

Endless!

In a nutshell: “Chemical Cowboys” follows a decade’s worth of formerly classified undercover operations into the drug Ecstasy. The narrative follows one New York DEA agent (whose life is a series of unbelievable twists and turns), but it also weaves in the stories of the agent’s partners, an Israeli Ecstasy kingpin, the kingpin’s beautiful American girlfriend, and a veteran Israeli detective who worked alongside the American drug cops to help take down a billion-dollar organized crime network.

In order to write “Chemical Cowboys” the way I wanted to—and by that, I mean, giving readers a never-before-seen portrait of the inner workings of DEA, Israeli mafia, and the Ecstasy trade—I had to secure cooperation from the Drug Enforcement Administration and Israeli National Police. At the same time I was developing the book proposal, I was hanging out at New York DEA, getting to know the agents, and learning about their personal and professional lives.

In total, I spent about four years of reporting, writing, editing, traveling around the world, digging through stacks of ceiling-high case files, and getting people who had no good reason to talk to a reporter to open up about their experiences.

4. Describe yourself in One Word.
Watchful.
5. What would be your perfect day?

Since I’m freelancing, every day is a work day, so I’ll spare you my “perfect day at work” and give you my “perfect free day.”

My perfect free day begins at dawn when I’m awoken by the sounds of roosters crowing. I take my old dog, Max, for a walk on the beach and the Pacific breeze lends a spring to his step. Upon returning home, I find that the boyfriend has brewed a perfect pot of coffee and has laid out today’s copies of The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Wall Street Journal to read at my leisure.

By noon, we’re off for a hike in the Santa Monica Mountains to catch lizards and riff poetic about our dreams, our friends and family, and funny stories we keep forgetting to share because there’s never enough time to get to everything we want to talk about. He discovers a giant fossil in the hillside that I’m pretty sure provides a missing link between humans and primates. (How it ended up in Topanga Canyon? Anyone’s guess.)

By 3 p.m., I’ll have convinced him to take me to the indoor shooting range near Los Angeles airport. We’ll play shoot ‘em up and do our best Dirty Harry impressions! (I’ve yet to convince him that shooting a Glock is pure fun. But it’s my perfect day, so he’ll submit.)

Afterward, we’ll head to the Santa Monica pier for a sunset ride on the new solar-powered Ferris wheel. It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt, as they say, which is why in a startling turn of events, we’ll form a two-person chain to save a small toddler who’s wriggled loose from his mother’s arms and is dangling precariously between our cars. After the fire department, mayor, and city police thank us for our saving the day with quick reflexes, we’ll slip away before the local press arrives and have a quiet dinner of Tuscan seafood stew at a dark, candle-lit café near the beach.

It will be there, while racing to the bottom of a bottle of Brunello, that we simultaneously experience a grand vision—the cure for cancer and a plan for peace in the Middle East. We’ll celebrate with the purchase of more wine and Dodgers Dugout Club tickets.

Years later, we’ll think back and say, “That was a perfect day.”
6. What are you working on now?

Right now, I’m working on crime stories (an unsolved Hollywood homicide) and travel features (Africa); I’m investigating three different book ideas (in a word: steroids, Cuba, and luxury); and I’m attempting to make my answers to your questions vaguely entertaining.
Thanks, Amy, for the fun interview! I hope your readers will enjoy “Chemical Cowboys.”
***
Lisa Sweetingham
Author of “Chemical Cowboys: The DEA’s Secret Mission to Hunt Down a Notorious Ecstasy Kingpin.”
www.LisaSweetingham.com
bio info:
Journalist Lisa Sweetingham spent four years following in the footsteps of DEA agents and Ecstasy traffickers to bring CHEMICAL COWBOYS to life. Previously, she covered high-profile murder trials and Supreme Court nomination hearings for Court TV online. Sweetingham is a graduate of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Parade, Spin, Time Out New York, Health Affairs, and many other publications. She resides in Los Angeles. CHEMICAL COWBOYS is her first book.

I have one Copy of Chemical Cowboys to giveaway!

US and Canada Only Please

To enter Please leave a comment with your email!

Winner of IN OVER HER HEAD is DIXIE!!

Winner of BLOOD BAR is JESS!!

You'll be getting an email from me!

Thanks and come back tomorrow for

FREE BOOK FRIDAY!!

READ ON CHICKS!!

SELF HELP SUNDAY!!!

if your kid eats this book,

everything will still be okay

by Lara Zibners, MD

From Amazon.com; As an Emergency Room pediatrician, Dr. Lara Zibners has seen it all. She's cared for a portion of the 25 million children in the U.S. who are taken to the ER each year-and she knows that more than 50% of these visits may be unnecessary. IF YOUR KID EATS THIS BOOK, EVERYTHING WILL STILL BE OKAY shows parents when they may need to take action, and when they might be able to just go back to bed and call their doctor in the morning. With sections such as "In the Diaper" and "His Noggin and the Nervous System," Dr. Zibners covers every part of the body and offers sound advice (for example, did you know that oil is the best remedy for dissolving superglue between body parts?), all while maintaining a lively and often hilarious tone. To the question, "What if she chokes on her vomit?" Zibners answers, "A healthy child will not choke on her own vomit, unless she is drunk or high on Grandma's sleeping pills."

Finally, no more frantic late-night searches through the "why to buy,""how to diaper," or "what to feed him" sections found in other childcare books to find out if little Franny needs to go to the ER. This book focuses on the truly important questions, like how to keep her from electrocuting herself in the first place. Not every child has a pediatrician with specialized emergency room experience living in her home. But this book just might be the next best thing.

Lara Zibners, MD, is a former Assistant Professor of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at Mount SinaiHospital in New York City. Currently, she divides her professional time between New York and London.

About the AuthorDr. Zibners holds board certifications in both pediatrics and pediatric emergency medicine, a feat that followed over 14 years of higher education. She can run a helicopter resuscitation over the phone, put a tube into a child's chest in under 2 minutes, make a long leg cast that looks like the American flag, and play peek-a-boo with a baby while his mom visits the ladies room. She and her husband are eagerly working towards their own family of little book eaters.

WHAT I LIKED: This book is written in a funny, down to earth way that doesn't make you feel like an idiot. I really would have appreciated something like this when my kids were really little and I freaked out over everything they put in their mouths. It has a scenario/question and answer format, with clear answers on when not to panic and when to call 911.

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I've got 5 Copies to giveaway courtesy of Anna at Hatchette

US and Canada only Please No PO Boxes

How to enter

1. Please leave a comment with your email +1

2. Please follow me +1 already a follower +2

3. Please blog about this contest and link me back!!

Help Me Hit 200 Followers!!

When I hit 200 I will host a Book Bonanza Giveaway!!

More details coming!!

Winners of the GFREE Diet are

KellyKlauser

lbkelly

Christine

Chey

Heather

Watch your inboxes for an email..!

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FREE BOOK FRIDAY!!

Here we are again Chicks!!

Free Book Friday!!

Bound to Please

by Lilli Feisty

This chick put her name to good use...This book is very FEISTY!!

This is erotic fiction done very well and in a believable way. No paranormal stuff here, unless you count the kinky sex.

Ruby is a 37 year old event planner, who has lived a pretty "vanilla" sex life, but has some very anything but vanilla fantasies. She's never shared them with anyone.

UNTIL...

She meets Mark, the very hot, very gifted band boy ten years her junior

who seems to see right through her carefully constructed "good girl", to the wannabe "bad girl" underneath. With Mark, Ruby is able to fulfill her sexual fantasies.

(um...this book is sex pretty much from cover to cover...)

WHAT I LIKED:

I really liked that Ruby is older and sure of herself. She actually even ends the relationship at one point, with Mark coming back for her.

Mark...is tall, dark and bald..with glasses and lots of leather...I love that he's not you typical lookalike leading man...

(um...hello...Vin Diesel..with glasses)

AND...I like that while Ruby has these "submissive" fantasies in the bedroom she's no pushover, she's a strong female lead.

I have 5 copies to giveaway!! Courtesy of Anna at Hatchette!

US and Canada Only please No PO Boxes!

To ENTER:

Please Leave a comment here WITH YOUR EMAIL!!

THANKS and GOOD LUCK!!

WINNER OF SANTA OLIVIA

BY

JACQUELINE CAREY is

DEANNA

Winner of

APRIL AND OLIVER

by

Tess Callahan

is

Darby

you chicks are going to love those books!

That's it for today!!

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In Over Her Head...

In Over Her Head

by Judi Fennell

As you know, I've read a lot of paranormal romance.

I can say for sure though, none of them have ever included a Mer Man. Which, for me is what made this book so much fun!

Erica Peck is a Marina owner who is afraid of the ocean. Carrying out her Grandfather's wishes by spreading his ashes out to sea, she inadvertently also throws with them the diamonds her snake of a boyfriend hid in the urn.

Reel was out human watching when he saw the one he remembered from his boyhood with a gun pointed at her head. When she gets shot, he has two choices, let her get eaten by Vincent the old Great White in his territory, or turn her into a water breather.

Before she can accept there's so much more to this world than she ever imagined, Erica finds herself depending on Reel for her life. They embark on an underwater diamond hunting expedition, trying to avoid Sea Monters, a very hungry Kracken,

And love...

This is a great one to take to the pool or beach chicks! A fun, light romantic read!

I have one copy up for grabs!

Please note,It is my Review Copy!

So, gently used.

US and Canada Only please

NO PO BOXES

To enter Please Leave a comment with your email!!

You can purchase the book at Amazon.com by clicking below!

Winner of Outcast by Cheryl Brooks is
booklover1335

Winner of Mating Rituals of The North American Wasp is
Amber
Chicks, I'll be emailing you!!!

Do you have a business you're trying to get noticed?

I'm offering advertising space here

Prices are very reasonable

Please email me if you're interested at

castellanoamy (at) yahoo (dot) com

That's it for today!

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GUEST POST..BLOOD BAR by NORM APPLEGATE

I've got something a little different for you today Chicks!

Norm Applegate author of Blood Bar

is here as a Guest Blogger!

The rest of this post is written by Norm Applegate.

Blood Bar, is a vampire tale.

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.

Blood Bar is Norm Applegate’s third book, and visit his website at www.normanapplegate.com it’s stuffed full of links to horror sites, authors, actors, and just good stuff.

Title: Blood Bar
Author: Norman Applegate
Paperback: 324 pages
Publisher: BLACK BED SHEETS BOOKS (January 31, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 098225301X
ISBN-13: 978-0982253014
Available: Amazon.com and on the Kindle


When and why did you begin writing?
Started writing in the 90’s while traveling to sharing my experiences with my wife. But began my first novel, Into the Basement in the mid 90’s. It took me a couple of years to get into the daily habit of writing, and reading everything I could about developing a story, it took awhile to find the zone
Always wanted to write a book, didn’t know how, thought it was beyond my capabilities, but while working in New Zealand it began. The hypnosis career changed my life, and realizing nothing is impossible, began writing short notes, tales, and just life experiences to my wife back in the States.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
That moment was when a few readers, strangers actually, people I had never met, sent me emails, or talked to me about something I wrote. The book was Into the Basement, abduction, torture, murder, the usual romantic stuff that makes you squeeze your thighs tight, warms your face, and blush sinfully. It surprised me, thrilled me to know people liked what I liked...I wasn’t alone from that point forward, my dark side had an outlet, freedom.

Do you have a specific writing style?
Yes, I have found my voice. I weave factual information into the plot. For instance, in Blood Bar, a vampire tale, the references, and murder descriptions to Jack the Ripper are all real, as are the unknown facts about the Brooklyn Bridge, did you know John Roebling the builder, died before the bridge was complete, tetanus, cut on something they believe, I think he was bit by a vampire. Let me show you what I mean, here’s an excerpt from Blood Bar

How did you come up with the title?
Blood Bar, A Vampire Tale...what the hell is a blood bar? Sounds creepy, but intriguing. The premise for Blood Bar, was what would happen if you found out you were turning into a vampire. Where else to be initiated but a bar. So I built the plot around my murder mystery sleuth and heroine Kim Bennett, she’s in my first two novels, murder at a bar for vamps, gothic dressed men and woman, and your basic role playing vampires, however it’s fertile ground for picking up fresh meat...if you like that sort of thing. Are you going ask if blood bar exists, I can’t disclose that here for fear of being arrested...blushing sinfully.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
I’m lucky, I have a mentor, USA Today’s best selling author David Hagberg. My writing has improved because of his influence, if you haven’t read his works, do it now. He writes realistic CIA terrorist novels.

What are your current projects?
Just finished re-editing Into the Basement, was never happy with what my previous publisher did to it. Next is the screenplay to Basement, written by Nicholas Grabowsky and myself, we have a producer/distributer interested, and the movie is cast with Courtney Gains, then my next novel in the Kim Bennett series that I’m tentatively calling Black Sun Rising, is another vampire tale. You can go to www.intothebasementthemovie.com to read more about the cast, director J.L. Botelho, and see his trailer for Into the Basement...it’s wicked, prepare yourself, you don’t want little kids watching this, seriously don’t let your kids see this.

I need to interject a warning here that what you're

about to read is not for the faint of heart!!

Excerpt from Blood Bar:

Kim Bennett stood still, her head was spinning and she was not sure whether to sit down or stand as Nicolai moved toward her. He looked beautiful. The cubicle with its large table could easily sit eight, and with the drapes shut afforded the luxury of an additional four feet of open space.
He moved closer and extended his arms, Kim stepped forward, and in the tight space Nicolai managed to circle her taking in her physical beauty.
She felt his presence press against her back, and lifting her hair his hand brushed her neck sending a rapid shiver through her body. Kim tilted her head, relaxed her shoulders, and deliberately inhaled and exhaled slowly to control her thundering pulse.
With her hair flowing over his face, Nicolai stopped moving. “Your scent will stay with me forever.” He filled his lungs and continued, “I didn’t know it would be like this.”
“Do you remember the moment we first saw each other?” Kim said, her eyebrow rising seductively. “I couldn’t take my eyes from you.”
Nicolai slipped his hands down along her sides and nervously lifted her sweater over her head. “I wanted you from that first glimpse, all of you.” (I had to remove a pretty racy scene here so blogger doesn't rate me X)
Out of breath, Kim sat upright and cleared her throat. She ran her tongue over her lips, and for the first time let herself accept the undisputed truth, she was a vampire.
“Yes you are.”
“You’re reading my thoughts,” Kim said. “I can block you can’t I?”
He frowned, “If you want.” Then he grasped Kim tight around the waist and smiled. “But I’ll always find you, I’m a good hunter.”
“What happens now?” Kim asked.
There was a silent moment, “With us?” Nicolai knew the meaning to Kim’s question, not only was it about them but also the Black Testament. “We find the last piece of the Testament, destroy it, maybe hide it.”
Nicolai had a concerned look, “You know they’re coming after us?” he said. “I knew the moment I accepted your journey someone would be gunning for me.”
“Then why did you do it?”
“It’s easy to explain, I knew you were special...I just knew in my heart you and I were destined to be together,” he said.
Kim turned her head to hide her smile. She was in love like a school girl and it was embarrassing. “We’d better get going.”
She jumped off the table, grabbed her clothes, and started to get dressed. Nicolai didn’t move. His eyes studied every curve of her body, memorizing her beauty.
“You’re a stunning woman.”
Kim had her back to him and grinned, he loved her, and she knew it. In that moment she wished all this was behind them. The thought of having a haven of vampires after them was not a good thing.
“You said...you knew where it was?” Nicolai’s tone was worried. “Are you sure?”
“I got a feeling when Rose and I were at her house. I didn’t know it then, but after we left I couldn’t shake it. We need to go back there.”
“Okay.” Nicolai murmured.
“There is something about Rose’s father," she said. You’ve never met him have you?”
“All I know is that he’s dying.”
“If she had it, none of this would be happening. So it has to be her father,” Kim said. “He goes back to my childhood, and he knows...” Kim was absolutely right, Thomas Nicholls knew things about Kim that nobody else did.
“Knows what...” Nicolai asked.
“He knows who I am.”

I'm giving up my copy to one lucky winner!

To Enter please leave a comment with your email

us and canada only please no po boxes

winner will be announced June 9th

Thanks to Mr. Applegate for being a part of my blog today!

Have a great one! and

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