Jack Cannon's American Destiny

Rachel Thompson

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Rare Disease Day 2013 - Info & G!veaways

On this day, millions of patients and their families will share their stories to focus a spotlight on rare diseases as an important global public health concern.

“There are nearly 30 million Americans—and millions more around the world—affected by rare diseases,” said Peter L. Saltonstall, president and CEO of NORD.  “Everyone knows someone with a rare disease.  But, while many of these diseases are serious and lifelong, most have no treatment and many are not even being studied by researchers.  This leaves patients and families without hope for a better future.”

On Rare Disease Day, people with rare diseases around the world promote awareness of the challenges of living with a rare disease.  The global theme for 2013 is “Rare Disorders Without Borders.” 

World Rare Disease Day was launched in Europe in 2008 and last year was observed in more than 60 nations.  It is always observed on the last day of February.  On that day, patients and patient organizations will post stories, videos and blogs online and host events to raise awareness of these diseases, which are often called “orphans”.

This year, the observance has special significance in the U.S. because 1983 is also the 30th anniversary of the Orphan Drug Act, which provides incentives to encourage companies to develop treatments for rare diseases, and of NORD, which was established by patient advocates in 1983.

“More than half of the people who have rare diseases are children,” Saltonstall said.  “Challenges faced by patients and their families include delayed diagnosis, few treatment options, and difficulty finding medical experts.  Many rare diseases have no approved treatment.  Insurance may not cover treatments that aren’t approved.  Also, treatments for rare diseases tend to be more expensive than those for common diseases.”

In 1983, the Orphan Drug Act was passed by Congress to create financial incentives for companies to develop treatments for rare diseases.  Since then, more than 400 orphan drugs and biologics have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  It is estimated that approximately 15 million Americans benefit from these products, but that still leaves millions more with diseases for which there is no approved treatment.

For more information about Rare Disease Day activities in the U.S., go to www.rarediseaseday.us.  For information about global activities, go to www.rarediseaseday.org).

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In conjunction with Rare Disease Day, Pandora Poikilos' books will be free from 28th February 2013 till 15th March 2013. To download your free copy, please click on the links below.

Excuse Me, My Brains Have Stepped Out is free via KDP Select (Kindle) from now till 3rd March.
Dora's Essentials - Examining Anxiety is free via Smashwords from now till 15th March.
Genetically Modified Foods vs. Sustainability is free via Smashwords from now till 15th March.
Pandora's Reading Room (Short Story compilation) is free via Smashwords from now till 15th March.

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Orangeberry Book Tours – Rock My World by Sharisse Coulter

Jenna Jax-Anders hit rock bottom in high school. Or so she thought. From rock star heiress to knocked-up has been, she turned it all around, marrying the punk rock baby daddy love of her life. The perfect Hollywood fairytale. Until the day she walked in on him kissing her best friend.

As she struggles to find herself and redefine the world around her, she faces the challenges of raising her over-achieving teenage daughter, the heartbreak of losing her best friend (backstabbing aside), and emerging from the shadows of two famous last names to find her own identity. Oh, there’s also the tiny issue of her husband’s record label, backed by an anonymous mogul whose morally ambiguous creative direction may ruin them all.

But she doesn’t know about that yet.

Buy Now @ Amazon, Barnes & Noble & Kobo

Genre – Contemporary Women’s Fiction

Rating – PG13

Connect with Sharisse Coulter on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://leecoulter.com/tour/

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Orangeberry Book of the Day – Birds of A Feather by Kara Stefanowich

birds of a feather

When Shiloh Lashley, an International Assassin, breaks all the rules and falls in love with Monty Wright, her latest target, she finds herself in a conspiracy with her own name on the hit list — and a deep, dark secret surfacing in the fight to save her love, her life and a past she’s hidden for so long.

Birds of a Feather is a sexy tail spin of murder, money and conspiracy that gets blown to bits when Monty Wright and Shiloh Lashley are both hired by opposing agencies to kill each other. When the assassins finally meet the sparks fly, along with a hail of bullets which lead them straight into each others arms. But when their agencies discover their affair, cities crumble and a barrage of car chases, explosions and gun fights stalk the lovers around the globe, from Berlin, Germany to Tijuana, Mexico. Even as their affair blossoms, the shock still grips the pair as there are secrets a plenty in the world of spies and contract killers.

Can their love withstand the smoke of gunfire, or will their secrets tear them apart and take their lives?

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Suspense / Thriller

Rating – R

More details about the author

Connect with  Kara Stefanowich on Facebook & Twitter

Monday, February 25, 2013

Orangeberry Book of the Day – No Foolin’ by Lisa Scott

Welcome to Willowdale, North Carolina, a small town where the folks are friendly, the romances are as sweet as the tea, and the biddies at the diner gobble up gossip like it’s peach cobbler. This may be their biggest scoop ever.

When sexy Hollywood bad-boy Teague “T-Rex” Reynolds comes to this quiet Southern town, he needs a fake girlfriend to hide the secret that brought him there. School nurse Kate Riley takes the job, but she won’t fall for a movie star, no ma’am. That’s fine with Teague. He hung a closed sign on his heart years ago.
Convincing the press they’re in love is one thing. Fooling each other they’re not is getting harder each day. Despite scandal, heartache, and misunderstandings galore, they might just find the sweet thrill of true love. Book one of The Willowdale Romances.

Lisa Scott is a former TV news anchor who now makes up stories instead of sticking to the facts. Learn more about where her ideas come from and what’s on the way at ReadLisaScott.com

Buy now @ Amazon

Genre – Contemporary Romance

Rating – PG15

More details about the author

Connect with Lisa Scott on Facebook & Twitter

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Orangeberry Book Tours – The Dragon’s Wing Enigma by NS Wikarski

THE ARKANA SERIES: Archaeological Thrillers That Defy History
Volume Three – The Dragon’s Wing Enigma

Think ”Medium meets Indiana Jones in The Lost Symbol.” (Kindle Nation Daily)

Runaway Bride

Cassie Forsythe’s checkered resume never included the job of babysitter. Former college freshman, yes. Amateur relic hunter, certainly. Seer for a secret organization, absolutely. But babysitter? Not likely! Cassie is packing for the next leg of a treasure hunt to recover a legendary artifact known as the Sage Stone when trouble comes knocking at her door. Trouble takes the form of fourteen year old runaway Hannah Curtis. Hannah isn’t your average teenager. She happens to be the youngest wife of aged polygamist Abraham Metcalf. Metcalf leads the religious cult known as the Blessed Nephilim and he covets the Sage Stone for himself.

Unwelcome Guest

Hannah’s untimely arrival creates a predicament for Cassie. The Nephilim isn’t supposed to know that anyone else is hunting the Sage Stone. More than that, the cult must never discover the existence of the Arkana – the secret society for which Cassie works. The Arkana has spent centuries recovering artifacts of ancient civilizations which predate patriarchy–advanced goddess-worshipping cultures on every continent. Their archaeological troves document the lost women’s history of the world and need to be protected at all costs. Unfortunately, Hannah could lead the cult straight to the Arkana’s underground cache of relics. Cassie contacts Faye, the Arkana’s elderly leader, for help. The old woman spirits the girl away to her farmhouse in the country. Faye promises to keep Hannah out of sight so that Cassie and her teammates can resume their quest.

Tricky Trinkets

Cassie, librarian Griffin, and bodyguard Erik face a daunting task. Five sequential artifacts reveal the hiding place of the Sage Stone. The treasure hunters must not only retrieve the relics before the Nephilim, they must also substitute forgeries in place of the real artifacts to keep the cult from discovering that it has competition. Luck has been on their side so far. They’ve recovered the first artifact with their foes none the wiser. The Arkana team flies to Malta, hoping to unearth the second artifact among the ruined temples of a long-dead civilization. After a fruitless search of the archipelago, their quest leads them northward into the Basque region of Europe. Meanwhile, Abraham’s son Daniel is combing the same terrain and narrowing the gap between them.

Dragon’s Wing Dilemma

In an isolated mountaintop cave, the treasure hunters learn that the next relic can only be discovered if they “keep true to the dragon’s wing.” The clue baffles them. What does it mean? Cassie and her friends are running out of time. With Nephilim operatives closing in, will they all survive this mission? Will the cult capture Hannah and breach the defenses of the Arkana itself? Follow the dragon’s wing to learn the answers.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Archaeology Thriller

Rating – PG13

More details about the author

Connect with NS Wikarski on Facebook

Billie Thomas – 10 Things You Didn’t Know

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Murder on the First Day of Christmas

by Chloe Carstairs 

1. It’s a rom-com mystery.

One look at the icicle sticking out of Santa’s back on the cover and you might’ve guessed that this is a whodunit that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Chloe doesn’t take herself too seriously either. She tends to overthink some things (like her love life) and under-think others (like chasing after murderers), two tendencies that always get her in trouble.

2. Chloe’s love life is the one mystery that may never get solved. Sherlock had his Moriarty. The Mentalist has his Red John. Chloe has Cupid. Though she’s currently torn between two love interests – her on-again-off-again boyfriend, Jacob, and a dishy detective named Max McGowan, Chloe’s ready to file a missing person’s report for Mr. Right. I constantly have to remind her that a good detective – even the amateur kind – always gets her man.

The relationship between Chloe’s parents, Amanda and Alex, is based on a true story.

When it comes to investigating, Amanda and Alex are like Dashiell Hammett’s Nick and Nora  – only with Southern accents. But I took inspiration from their incredible love story right from my own parents. I still tear up thinking about how deeply my mom and dad cared for one another. It’s an impossibly high standard by which to judge a relationship, but I wouldn’t want Chloe – or myself – to settle for anything less.

It’s set in Birmingham.

I love Birmingham and want everyone to know what a great city it is. It’s a character itself – often underestimated, full of surprises. Another Birmingham author, the late Anne George, was a master at using Birmingham as a backdrop for her stories. She was a definite inspiration.

People really do spend that much on their Christmas décor. Several years ago, I wrote a monthly column for Birmingham Magazine about some of the most beautiful homes in town. I got to interview a lot of interior designers, including one who did Christmas decorating like the kind Chloe and Amanda do in the book. Yes, there are people who spend thirty thousand dollars and up – way up – on their Christmas décor.

It’s the first in a numbered series.

Chloe and Amanda’s second case is called Murder in a Two Seater. I hope the series continues through Murder SPF 15 and beyond.

It started out as a collaboration between my mother and me.

My mom and I always traded mysteries back and forth, so when I set out to write Murder on the First Day of Christmas, I knew my mom would be my biggest fan and toughest critic. The idea of a fun, funny mystery with a mother-daughter relationship much like our own, appealed to both of us, and our relationship was the perfect inspiration. The first draft was a joy to write. I’d work on a chapter, send it to my mom, she’d make suggestions and I’d rewrite. Easy. Fun. Maybe even therapeutic. Sadly, my mom died unexpectedly of an aneurism at the end of 2011 and never got to see Murder on the First Day of Christmas get published in December 2012. But luckily, when it comes to Chloe and Amanda’s relationship, I have a lifetime of inspiration from which to draw.

I let Chloe go rogue and do all my social networking.

My main character, Chloe Carstairs is a thirty-year old. Chloe has her own website, chloegetsaclue.com, Facebook, Pinterest, Goodreads and Twitter accounts.

I love that got her own distinct voice and personality, so let her live in the spotlight and market this book for me. I prefer to stay under the paparazzi’s radar.

There’s a poignant reminder to always wear good underwear to a crime scene, lest you end up mooning half of the Birmingham Police Department.

Poor Chloe. The girl just can’t catch a break sometimes. But she did make quite an impression on Max, which bears further investigation. Which hopefully Chloe will do with all her clothes on this time.

A cast-iron cornbread skillet and can of non-stick cooking spray make effective weapons. Hey, that’s how we do it in Alabama. Sometimes you have to use whatever’s close at hand to defend yourself. And that cartoonish “Conk” sound when metal meets skull? So satisfying.

Hopefully, I’ve piqued your interest enough to investigate Murder on the First Day of Christmas a little further. Here’s how:

Links to books

http://www.amazon.com/Murder-Christmas-Carstairs-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B00APPOR40/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_t_2

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/murder-on-the-first-day-of-christmas-billie-thomas/1113992722?ean=2940016095981

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Mystery

Rating – PG

More details about the book

Connect with Chloe Carstairs on Facebook & Twitter & GoodReads

Orangeberry Book Tours – Murder on the First Day of Christmas by Billie Thomas

It’s beginning to look a lot like murder.

Finding a severed hand at a client’s house might throw lesser decorators off their games. But Chloe Carstairs and her mother, Amanda, won’t let a little thing like murder keep them from decking the halls. With a body under the partridge’s pear tree and a dead Santa in a sleigh, they have to crack the case before the killer strikes again – this time much too close to home.

Filled with laugh-out-loud humor, romance and a delightfully difficult mother-daughter relationship, this new series from Billie Thomas offers a fast-paced caper as these two southern ladies try to keep their very merry Christmas from turning into the Noel from hell.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Mystery

Rating – PG

Connect with Chloe Carstairs on Facebook & Twitter & GoodReads

Murder on the First Day of Christmas by Billie Thomas

Murder on the First Day of ChristmasMurder on the First Day of Christmas by Billie Thomas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Is the plot well-developed? Is it believable? Yes, I can see this type of revenge happening. The planning and everything.

Which characters do you particularly admire or dislike? I had a very hard time liking Angela.

How would the book have been different if it had taken place in a different time or place? I can see the story/plot happening anywhere in the world. I cannot see this happening more than 30-40 years in the past.

List the characters and describe them. Chloe – interior designer, fitness instructor. Amanda – mother to Chloe, retired interior designer. Tony – possibly a mob boss, restaurant owner. Alex – semi-retired lawyer, spouse to Amanda. Bunny – an over the hill diva. Gavin – doctor. Lady Chablis – chocolate lab. Saul – true crime author

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.

View all my reviews

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Never Give In To Fear by Marti MacGibbon

Never Give in to Fear: Laughing All the Way Up From Rock BottomNever Give in to Fear: Laughing All the Way Up From Rock Bottom by Marti MacGibbon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What makes a minor character memorable? I will remember Yuji. He truly helped Marti. He seemed more than a customer. He seemed like someone who cared.

What did you think of the main character? I thought Marti was someone who had it all and became more interested in finding the next high than expanding her mind. Granted she is knowledgeable. This goes for anyone who try drugs/alcohol – I will never understand the want/need/desire to try any type of mind altering substance.

Which character could you relate to best? Yuji – he helps people. That is what I am professionally. A person that helps people.

What did you think of the style of the writer? The style was raw and to the point. She did not gloss over the sticky/messy scenes.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.

View all my reviews

Orangeberry Book Tours – Never Give in to Fear by Marti MacGibbon

Never Give in to Fear: Laughing All the Way Up from Rock Bottom, the enhanced edition of this darkly funny, dramatic memoir, describes an emerging standup comic’s drug-fueled descent into the underworld, escape from human traffickers, homelessness, and ultimate redemption. With brutal honesty, humor, and clarity, the author vividly describes her experiences as she rides her downward spiral: a near-miss with a notorious serial killer, a series of tragically hilarious misadventures in the California drug world, and a terrifying account of imprisonment at the hands of Japanese organized crime, to name a few.

This revised and re-edited version contains three additional chapters that introduce readers to quirky characters, insights into standup comedy, resilience and recovery, and deliver an inspiring message about healing, hope, and courage to change.

What readers are saying …

“Marti MacGibbon shows readers just how rough the road to redemption is in her gritty memoir of addiction… Her raw, honest, casual, funny voice permeates every page… A dark yet inspiring look at conquering addiction and regaining hope.” –Kirkus Reviews

“Marti’s natural humor and storytelling help balance out the book into a symmetrical tale of both hurt and healing. Never Give in to Fear is a book everyone needs to read. This is not only a book about the danger of drugs, but about the power of the human spirit.” –San Francisco Book Review

“Her narration is funny—she can laugh at her old self, even as she shows the reader the terror and loss she felt in the past… Honest to a fault… captivating from the very first sentence. A memoir that offers hope, even in the worst of times, Never Give in to Fear is a terrific read.” –Claire Foster, Foreword Clarion Reviews

“It’s amazing that Marti MacGibbon survived her harrowing life and had the guts to recount it… not too preachy, the author’s candor and sense of humor keep the pages turning.” –Suzanne Daly, the bohemian.com

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Biographies & Memoirs

Rating – R

Connect with Marti MacGibbon on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://martimacgibbon.com/

Orangeberry Book of the Day - Kaleidoscope World - Tomica Scavina

Tomica Scavina

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Psychological Thriller

Rating – PG

More details about the author & the book

Connect with Tomica Scavina on GoodReads & Twitter

Website http://www.tomicascavina.com/

 

A collector of kaleidoscopes and lousy relationships, Dahlia Kasper leaves her possessive alcoholic mother and moves from New York to Barcelona. In search of lost bits of her childhood, she starts living in an apartment where her father was murdered when she was four. As soon as she enters the apartment, strange things begin to happen.
Her favorite kaleidoscope becomes a gateway to another dimension where she encounters a ghost of a famous physicist from the 19th century who tries to persuade her that reality is like a moth-eaten sweater - full of holes. He needs her to help him plug up these holes and save the world from vanishing, while the only thing Dahlia really wants to save is her sanity.
This is just a part of Dahlia's problems. An elderly cello-playing neighbor turns her emotional world upside down and her longing for lost home takes her further than she ever imagined she could go. To collect all the scattered kaleidoscope-bits of her life together, Dahlia needs to go through an intense inner transformation that takes courage and a sharp sense of humor.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Marching With Caesar: Civil War by RW Peake

Marching With Caesar: Civil WarMarching With Caesar: Civil War by R.W. Peake
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


What do you think is the climax of the book and why. I felt there were several different climax’s thru out the book. Each time Titus/Caesar won a battle was a small climax.

Who do you think the author intended to read this book and why? People who are interested in history or historical fiction. As to why, I can only guess but it maybe that he is a wonderful author.

If you could only save one character from the book, which one would it be and why? Well, since my favourite character was not hurt I honestly do not know who I would pick. I guess I would pick Didius so he would not have his leg amputated.

Is the title a good one? Perfect title. I am amazed at how wonderful the title fits the book.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.

View all my reviews

Orangeberry Book of the Day – Undertow by Elle Chardou

undertow

Five years ago, Evie Sandstrom and Finn Reilly were best friends and each other’s first love. Although neither has forgotten this time of their lives, they have moved on from one another and the secrets that continue to haunt them from the past.

Evie, now a college student, has decided to transfer for her junior year to Boston University to be closer to her family…and Finn Reilly is still there — waiting for her — in Charlestown.

During part of a gorgeous summer, the beauty of their love is rekindled again only to be torn apart by Evie’s mother, the beautiful and untouchable superstar, Athena Donahue.

Evie, angry and humiliated, is determined to avenge her mother for what she has done. Athena’s recently married Etienne Fournier, a thirty-year-old French model, and he is dangerously attracted to Evie.

Love and lust collide in the cruelest ways and now Evie finds herself conflicted, swept in the undertow and caught in the crossfire of temptation and desire for Etienne though she desperately wants to maintain the loyalty and fidelity she has promised to Finn.

Evie learns the most valuable lesson of all: falling in love is easy but for a young woman who doesn’t like to commit, maintaining a relationship is the hard part.

Publisher’s Note: Due to mature behavior, sexual references, drug references and language, this novel is recommended for those 17+.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Contemporary Romance

Rating – R

More details about the author

Connect with Elle Chardou on Facebook & Twitter

Blog http://thebeautifulpeopleawritersjourney.blogspot.com/

Orangeberry Book Tours – Marching With Caesar: Civil War by RW Peake

In the second book of the critically acclaimed Marching With Caesar series, Titus Pullus and his friends in the 10th Legion are called on to serve as the agents of change as their general, Gaius Julius Caesar singlehandedly changes the Roman Republic to Empire. From Spain and the dusty plains of Pharsalus, to the streets of Rome itself, Titus must survive the battlefield and navigate the treacherous world of Roman politics.

Helping Titus are his surviving tentmates, including his best friend Vibius Domitius, but like the rest of the Republic, their friendship is tested by the strife and fratricide that comes with civil war. At the same time, Titus has to deal with the challenges that have confronted career military members throughout the ages as he tries to balance the demands and heartache created by the long absences from his young family.

Nevertheless, through it all Titus and the men of the 10th Legion continue Marching With Caesar.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Historical Fiction

Rating – PG13

Connect with RW Peake on Facebook & Twitter

Blog http://blog.rwpeake.com/

Author Interview – RW Peake

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Historical Fiction

Rating – PG13

More details about the book

Connect with RW Peake on Facebook & Twitter

Blog http://blog.rwpeake.com/

 

What books have most influenced your life? Too many to count. I consider Stephen King’s “The Stand” to be the best book I’ve ever read. Although I will have to say that most recently Plutarch’s Lives, and Caesar’s Commentaries have had a huge impact.

Have you ever considered anyone as a mentor? Yes, but he was unwitting in his role, and I didn’t realize it until recently. Ironically, my real area of expertise is the American Civil War. It was what I focused on when pursuing my BA in History. One semester, I needed a history class, but none of the ones I wanted were available. All that was left was an Ancient History class, taught by Dr. Frank Holt of the University of Houston. And he ignited in me an interest that slowly developed into a passion, and it was through his influence and his ability to present the material in a way that I (and a lot of students) completely connected to. So without Dr. Holt, “Marching With Caesar” would never have been written.

Can we expect any more books from you in the future? Yes.

Have you started another book yet? Not yet. As I said, right now I’m polishing the next book, but the writing that I’m doing is focused on my blog, with a story I titled “Caesar Triumphant”. It’s a suppositional history based on a simple premise, that Caesar didn’t get assassinated on the Ides of March. As it was widely known at the time, the very next day he was scheduled to go conquer the Parthians. My story picks up ten years after the Ides, where Caesar not only conquered Parthia as he planned, but in his attempt to outdo Alexander, he just kept going. Now he’s poised to conquer the last lands, an island nation known then as Wa, but what we now call Japan. The idea is based on a simple daydream; if the Legions of Rome were to face the samurai, who would win? Granted, the classical era of the samurai occurred about 14 centuries later, so these people that Caesar’s army faced have the characteristics of the samurai. I’m willing to bend history, but not to the point where time travel is involved. And while this started out as just for fun, it’s kind of taken a life of its own, so I’m toying with turning it into a book before I pick Marching With Caesar back up.

Have you included a lot of your life experiences, even friends, in the plot? As I say in my author’s bio, I’ve been the pointy tip of the spear of my nation’s policy, so there is inevitably some commonalities between my story and that of Titus and his friends.

How important do you think villains are in a story? Never given it much thought, to be honest. I think because I don’t necessarily buy into the idea that anyone is pure good or pure evil, so that even the ‘villians’ in my story, like Spurius Didius, will show himself to have redeeming qualities. While my hero Titus does some really dickish stuff to others in his climb to the top.

Did you learn anything from writing this book and what was it? Besides wearing socks with sandals?

How do you promote this book? Every way I can think of. I know there’s a lot of debate in the indie community, for example, about the merits of social media, and I’ve gotten some very…spirited resistance to the idea. All I can say is that for the first book I used Facebook to great effect, helped a great deal by that “secret weapon” of my cover.

I also do things like this, with Orangeberry, and I’ve tried a few other things. Being brutally honest, it’s a learning process and there have been some dry holes along the way. But probably the best promotion is through the readers themselves. In a really short period of time (at least so I’m told), for an unknown, self-published author, in the 8 months that the first book has been out, I’ve garnered more than 100 reviews, and 95 of them have been 4 or 5 stars. The word of mouth has been outstanding, and now that I’m sitting at more than 10,000 copies sold for the first title, and several weeks in the #1 spot in the Ancient Rome genre, I would have to say that the word of mouth promotion has been the most effective.

Will you write others in this same genre? Ah, the 64K question. For some time I’d been wavering about this. I hate it when people use the “But I’m an artist” crap, and yet I found myself saying, “But I want to do more than just write about Rome. I’m an ARTIST.” Thanks to a very loyal, and vocal, group of fans, I’ve seen the error of my ways. Yes, the “Marching With Caesar” will continue, and I’ve already begun creating a “genealogy” that has my character Titus Pullus as the founder, where characters from that family tree will be Marching With Caesar throughout Rome’s history. After the release of the fourth and final book of the Titus Pullus series, in May of 2013, I’ll be announcing what comes next.

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Orangeberry Book of the Day - Secrets by Liz Schulte

Secrets by Liz Schulte

While Olivia Martin observed life through her camera, the Abyss gazed back at her. She discovers mysterious men follow her around, people close to her are dying, and her dreams are no longer her own as she falls head over heels for a perfect stranger. A chance encounter leads to an obsession that could destroy everything she has ever known or loved. Olivia is about to find out there is a lot she doesn’t know and sometimes what you don’t know can kill you.

Buy Now @ Amazon & Smashwords

Genre – Paranormal Romance

Rating – PG13

Connect with Liz Schulte on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://www.lizschulte.com/

Monday, February 18, 2013

Orangeberry Book Tours – The Lucky Escape by Dr. Heather Manley

Merrin and Pearl’s little brother Robbie has swallowed a penny. Now through magic and imagination they find themselves on an adventure through his digestive system where they must grab the penny, save Robbie, and narrowly escape his poopy diaper.

Buy now @ Amazon

Genre – Children’s Book

Rating – G

Connect with Dr. Heather Manley on Facebook & Twitter

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Orangeberry Book of the Day – Genetically Modified Foods vs. Sustainability – Bruno McGrath

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“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” – Albert Einstein
This ebook points out the surrounding issues of genetically modified fruit and vegetables that consumers are unaware of. While several parties defend the use of technology to create food, there seems to be little being done to increase awareness about this matter to the end consumer. It also points out alternative food sustainability options such as organic farming and land management.
This ebook will indicate that although some parties agree that genetically modified food items are cost effective and considered safe, its long-term results have not been adequately researched and the use of pesticides on these items are far higher than for other types farming or food products.
Buy Now @ Amazon
Genre – Food & Cooking (PG)
Connect with Bruno McGrath on Facebook

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Orangeberry Book of the Day - Excuse Me, My Brains Have Stepped Out - Pandora Poikilos

Anya Michaels is having the time of her life. She has the man of her dreams by her side. She has graduated at the top of her class. She has the job others were lining up for. Between late night drinks at her favourite bar and fancy dinners at the most expensive restaurants, she has a string of adoring friends. Everything changes when she hears the dreaded words, “You are sick.”
Being diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder, her world starts to fall apart, one piece at a time. Now dumped, her four year relationship is nothing but a memory filled with pictures, thoughts and a very broken heart. Her job becomes an even further challenge as she tries to hide her condition. Her friends suddenly have more important things to do, what is a party without a party girl? Perfect could not crumble any faster.
Soon, caught between situations, people and pieces of life that she never dreamed of planning for herself, Anya begins to wonder if her brain condition is all that bad. As she absorbs the changes in her life and realization sets in, she begins to wonder if she is the only one saying: Excuse Me, My Brains Have Stepped Out.
Buy Now @ Amazon Kindle
Genre – Women’s Fiction
Rating – PG
Connect with Pandora Poikilos on Twitter

Friday, February 15, 2013

Quality Reads UK - Special Feature

HOT STUFF

This is a monthly feature where we will share our top reads of the month.

Books are picked by our book club members and we do not receive any compensation for the books listed on this page.

PRAISE FOR BROKEN PIECES:

‘So ridiculously amazing, I can’t take it’ ~ Gabe Berman, Author ‘Live LIke A Fruit Fly

‘Engrossed. It is a grippingly brilliant work’ ~ Frank Feather, author and blogger

‘Any woman who has had a former lover (or two or three) will be able to relate to this. Her writing is very poetic.’ ~ LS Hullinger, reader, writer

‘A brilliant and intense must read’ ~ Jeffery Rowan, reader

Out less than three weeks, Broken Pieces already hit the Paid Top 10 list on Women’s Studies!

Welcome to bestselling author Rachel Thompson’s newest nonfiction work! Vastly different in tone from her previous essay collections A Walk In The Snark and The Mancode: Exposed, BROKEN PIECES is a collection of pieces inspired by one woman’s life: love, loss, abuse, trust, grief, and ultimately, love again.

This is NOT a humor book! It IS a book about relationships, a study of women, a book with heart.Want to see why people love it? Why they call it ‘riveting, powerful, insightful?’

Read it and see why Broken Pieces is tearing up the lists for Nonfiction, Women’s Studies, and books for women!

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Non Fiction

Rating – PG13

More details about the author

Connect with Rachel Thompson on Twitter & Facebook

Marching With Caesar-Conquest of Gaul is a first-person narrative, written in the form of a memoir as dictated to a scribe of Titus Pullus, Legionary, Optio, First Spear Centurion of Caesar’s 6th and 10th Legion. The memoir is written three years after his retirement as Camp Prefect, when Titus is 61 years old.

Titus, along with his boyhood friend Vibius Domitius, joins the 10th Legion in the draft of 61 BC, when Gaius Julius Caesar is the governor of Spain. Titus and Vibius are assigned to a tent group, with seven other men who will become their closest friends during their times in the legion. Titus, Vibius and their comrades endure the harsh training regimen that made the legions the most feared military force in the ancient world. The 10th Legion is blooded in a series of actions in Spain, led by Caesar in a campaign that was the true beginning of one of the most brilliant military careers in history.

Three years after joining the legions, the 10th is called on again, this time to be part of the subjugation of Gaul, one of the greatest feats of arms in any period of history. During the subsequent campaigns, the 10th cements its reputation as Caesar’s most favored and trusted legion, and is involved in most of the major actions during this period.

This first book of a completed trilogy closes with Caesar crossing the Rubicon, and the 10th preparing to march to war, this time against fellow Romans.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Historical Fiction

Rating – PG

Connect with RW Peake on Twitter

Website http://www.marchingwithcaesar.com/

In the second book of the critically acclaimed Marching With Caesar series, Titus Pullus and his friends in the 10th Legion are called on to serve as the agents of change as their general, Gaius Julius Caesar singlehandedly changes the Roman Republic to Empire. From Spain and the dusty plains of Pharsalus, to the streets of Rome itself, Titus must survive the battlefield and navigate the treacherous world of Roman politics.

Helping Titus are his surviving tentmates, including his best friend Vibius Domitius, but like the rest of the Republic, their friendship is tested by the strife and fratricide that comes with civil war. At the same time, Titus has to deal with the challenges that have confronted career military members throughout the ages as he tries to balance the demands and heartache created by the long absences from his young family.

Nevertheless, through it all Titus and the men of the 10th Legion continue Marching With Caesar.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Historical Fiction

Rating – PG13

Connect with RW Peake on Facebook & Twitter

Blog http://blog.rwpeake.com/

Evolved Publishing presents a wild journey to a sister planet of Earth, in “The Silver Sphere” by Michael Dadich. [YA Fantasy/Sci-Fi]

~~~~~

Shelby Pardow never imagined she could kill someone. All she wants to do is hide from her troubled father… when she is teleported to awaiting soldiers on the planet Azimuth. Here she is not a child, but Kin to one of the six Aulic Assembly members whom Malefic Cacoethes has drugged and imprisoned. He seeks to become dictator of this world (and then Earth by proxy).

His father, Biskara, is an evil celestial entity, tracked by the Assembly with an armillary device, The Silver Sphere. With the Assembly now deposed, Biskara directs Malefic and the Nightlanders to their strategic targets. Unless….

Can Shelby find the other Kin, and develop courage and combat skills? Can the Kin reassemble in time to release or replace the Assembly, overthrowing Malefic and restraining Biskara?

~~~~~

This eBook is DRM-Free.

Buy Now @ Amazon & Smashwords

Genre – YA / Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Rating – PG

Connect with Michael Dadich on Facebook & Twitter

Orangeberry Book of the Day - Perception & Volition by Lee Strauss





Eternal Life is To Die

For seventeen year old Zoe Vanderveen is a GAP—a genetically altered person. She lives in the security of a walled city on prime water-front property along side other equally beautiful people with extended life spans. Her brother Liam is missing.

Noah Brody is a natural who lives on the outside. He leads protests against the GAPs and detests the widening chasm they’ve created between those who have and those who don’t. He doesn’t like girls like Zoe and he has good reason not to like her specifically.

Zoe’s carefree life takes a traumatic turn. She’s in trouble and it turns out that Noah, the last guy on earth she should trust, is the only one who can help her.

Want to read PERCEPTION? It's FREE on Kobo itunes B&N Smashwords
and .99 on Amazon!

VOLITION is the exciting continuation of Noah and Zoe's story from Perception.



What doesn't kill you ...

Zoe Vanderveen is on the run with her captor turned rescuer, Noah Brody.

They're in love.

Or at least that’s what he tells her. Her memories have returned but her feelings are dreamlike—thin and fleeting. Her heart can’t be trusted. Just look at what happened with Taylor Blake.

Senator Vanderveen’s new team of cyborg agents are in hot pursuit, and a reward for their capture is broadcast nationwide. Record breaking cold and snow hinder their escape. Someone dies helping them.

And their fight for survival has only begun.

Mark to read on goodreads.


To celebrate Lee Strauss is giving away a $200.00 Amazon, Nook or itunes gift card!

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About the author
Lee Strauss writes historical and science fiction/romance for upper YA and adult readers. She also writes light and fun stuff under the name Elle Strauss. To find out more about Lee and her books check out her facebook page. Follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/elle_strauss To find out about new releases sign up for her newsletter at www.ellestraussbooks.com


Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Orangeberry Book of the Day - Ethan Justice: Origins by Simon Jenner

He’s a new kind of hero. Join him for his very first adventure.

John Smith’s life is dull and uneventful. Despite a privileged upbringing and education, he is an underachiever of the highest calibre. When Smith wakes up with Savannah Jones, an escort provided by his best friend, Mark Bradshaw, his life is changed forever. Eager to pay Jones, to avoid her pimp breaking his legs, he confronts his friend for the money – but there is one small problem – Bradshaw is dead. But what was the murderer after?

Fisher has lost his job and wants payback. Bradshaw had the one weapon that could grant him the ultimate revenge but torture hadn’t loosened his tongue. Smith and Jones are dragged into Fisher’s grand plot to destroy the bureaucrats responsible for taking the one job where his lust for murder was an asset. No longer part of the elite SAS, Fisher’s licence to kill is revoked. With only vengeance and an unnatural lust for his sister on his mind, Fisher will relish the destruction of anyone that stands in his way.

Jones, an escort for less than a day, must pay her pimp a thousand pounds or be sold to an interested third party with highly unsavoury tastes. Jones needs Smith to pay the money and Smith needs Jones to… well he’s not quite sure, but he clearly likes having her around. Together, armed with nothing but their wits, they become the pawns of an anti-terrorist agency in a plan to capture Fisher before he exacts a revenge that will take thousands of innocent lives.

Can the underachiever become the hero, save the day and get the girl? Find out in this dark story of murder, deceit, lust and revenge. It’s a fun and wild ride into a disturbing world.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Action / Adventure

Rating – PG15

Connect with Simon Jenner on Facebook

Website http://simonjenner.com/

Orangeberry Book of the Day - A Stairway To Danger - Ben Woodard

1923. An eyeless body. A menacing stranger. And a tangled mystery.

If Clive Cussler and Lee Child wrote a teen book featuring a deadly gang, resourceful boys, and nonstop excitement it would be A STAIRWAY TO DANGER.

Fourteen-year-old Tom is learning farm life from his older cousin, Will, when they stumble on a deserted barge—or is it? The boys smell a mystery and snoop around, but what they find is bigger and more dangerous than anything they could have imagined.

A STAIRWAY TO DANGER is a fun, page-turning thriller with a dark side.

Buy now @ Amazon

Genre – YA / Mystery

Rating – PG

Connect with Ben Woodard on Twitter

Monday, February 11, 2013

Orangeberry Book Tours – Untimed by Andy Gavin

untimed button

Untimed is an action-packed time travel novel by Andy Gavin, author of The Darkening Dream and creator of Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter.

Charlie’s the kind of boy that no one notices. Hell, his own mother can’t remember his name. So when a mysterious clockwork man tries to kill him in modern day Philadelphia, and they tumble through a hole into 1725 London, Charlie realizes even the laws of time don’t take him seriously. Still, this isn’t all bad. Who needs school when you can learn about history first hand, like from Ben Franklin himself. And there’s this girl… Yvaine… another time traveler. All good. Except for the rules: boys only travel into the past and girls only into the future. And the baggage: Yvaine’s got a baby boy and more than her share of ex-boyfriends. Still, even if they screw up history — like accidentally let the founding father be killed — they can just time travel and fix it, right? But the future they return to is nothing like Charlie remembers. To set things right, he and his scrappy new girlfriend will have to race across the centuries, battling murderous machines from the future, jealous lovers, reluctant parents, and time itself.

Buy Now @ Amazon
Genre – YA / Time Travel & Romance
Rating – PG
Connect with Andy Gavin on Facebook & Twitter
Website http://all-things-andy-gavin.com/

Orangeberry Book of the Day – Grimm End by ST Cameron

Grimm end

Sara Cross never knew that her great-grandfather was still alive until an evil creature sent by his enemies burns down their house and sends her family to seek refuge at his estate on the shores of Lake Superior in northern Minnesota.

Arriving in the small, isolated town of Shadow Bluffs in the valley below his estate, they find that they have stepped into a strange world filled with magic wielders, shape shifters, and the living dead. It is also home to the Moira Sisters, three dark wielders who want to use Sara and her family to steal from her great-grandfather a centuries-old chest containing a dangerous power.

Sara’s family, already fragile after the disappearance of her father several years earlier, is brought to the breaking point as Sara, trying her best to hold her family together, sees them torn apart one-by-one by the strange creatures that inhabit the dangerous town.

When Sara learns that she too has an ability to wield magic, will it be enough combined with the developing talents of her two brothers to fight back against the Sisters? Can she rebuild what is left of her family and keep them together and, more importantly, alive?

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Paranormal Horror

Rating – PG15

Connect with ST Cameron on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://stcameron.com/

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Orangeberry Blast Off - Cargon: Duty & Sacrifice by Kimberly Gould

In a post-apocalyptic world, Eve has discovered power of more than one nature. In Honour and Privilege, Eve became heir to the throne. In Duty and Sacrifice, she explores and defines the power of the elite. At the same time, electricity is being harnessed for the first time in centuries, providing the first glimpse into the ancient people who left the world as it exists. The horror of this revelation could shake their society as much or more than a servant becoming monarch.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – YA / Sci-Fi Fantasy

Rating – PG13

About the author

In 2009 Kimberly returned to writing beginning by expanding on the work of others, filling in scenes left out of books she enjoyed, elaborating back stories of lesser known characters, and in some cases, writing beyond the end of a book or series.

With these stories, she learned how to craft a novel of her own and finally saw the opportunity to explore ideas she had jotted down, not expecting to return to again. She also found she enjoyed the endeavour so much that the need to write and create filled her. Now she can’t imagine going a week without writing a short story or a chapter for a novel.

Kim and Allen still live in Edmonton with their daughter Delilah, born at the end of 2006.

Connect with Kimberly Gould on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://kimmydonn.com/

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Friday, February 8, 2013

Book Blast: Wildflowers by Schledia Benefield

From the author of Plain Jane comes a new young adult novel by Schledia Benefield
 


Have you ever feared what may be hiding deep within you?

Darkness often skulks in the blood of unsuspecting victims, but Aster McGrath is acutely aware of the violence coursing through his veins. After all, he is the son of a murderer, and everyone in the town of Bayville, Mississippi says he will end up just like his father.

When Susan Blackman moves into town, Aster has already embraced his brutal nature, but her gentle spirit draws him in and slowly melts the icy exterior of his heart. Taming his savagery, she professes her love, but will the good within him be able to overcome the evil lurking deep inside? Or will the fiend break free of its fetters and seek blood?
Fans of Nicholas Sparks' A Walk to Remember will fall in love with the young love, tough choices, sacrifice and redemption found within the pages of WILDFLOWERS.
Buy it TODAY in ebook & paperback at Amazon
 
 
 
About the Author:

imageSchledia Benefield is the author of Plain Jane, Pretty Boy, and her soon to be released novel, Wildflowers. She attended Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College but chose to be a stay-at-home mom for many years. She devoted eight years of her life to working with youth as a youth minister and has been invited to speak in a rehab to hurting and wounded women, giving them hope for a better future. She was the Keynote Speaker for Division 14 of the Key Club International’s divisional rally.
Born and raised on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Schledia holds a sense of pride in her southern heritage. She presently lives in Big Point, Mississippi with her husband and four of her five children. On top of writing novels, she writes youth and children’s church curriculum, and she works as a substitute teacher at East Central Middle School. In her spare time, she reads, sews, and spends time with her family.

Social Media Links:
http://schlediabenefield.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/Schledia

Buy Link:
Amazon (ebook & paperback) http://amzn.to/WPszMD

Thursday, February 7, 2013

February Authors Only Kindle Fire Giveaway

 

February Authors Only Kindle Fire Giveaway

 

Kindle Fire HD Giveaway!

The winner will have the option of receiving a Kindle Fire HD (US Only)

Or $199 Amazon.com Gift Card (International)

Or $199 in Paypal Cash (International)

This giveaway is sponsored by these Authors:
The Reluctant Bachelorette by Rachael Anderson

One Classic Latin Lover, Please by Marcia Lynn McClure

Betrayal by Anne Patrick

Belleyache by Crystal Marcos

Ethan Justice: Origins by Simon Jenner

I Have People by Taylor Dean

For What It's Worth by Karey White

A Kiss of Ashen Twilight by Rae Lori

The Unraveling by Holly Barbo

Fateful by Cheri Schmidt

Dracian Legacy by Priya Kanaparti

Cascade Brides by Bonnie Blythe
A World Apart by Camelia Miron Skiba
Reality Bites, Tales of a Half-Vampire by Shaunda Wenger
Face-Off by Stacy Juba
Two Equals by Marta Szemik

The Ghost of Josiah Grimshaw by Suzy Turner
One for Kami by Charlene A. Wilson

Freak of Nature by Julia Crane

Grace Doll by Jennifer Laurens

The Secret of the Scarlet Stone by T.L. Clarke

Gallagher's Hope by M.K. McClintock

The Spy Lover & Prize Winning Pacific Stories by Kiana Davenport

Rejected by Heather Bixler
Rapunzel Untangled by Cindy Bennett

A Hard Act to Follow by Henry Bushkin

Starseed by Liz Gruder

One Classic Latin Lover, PleaseThe Reluctant BacheloretteBetrayal (Wounded Heroes, #3)Bellyache: A Delicious Tale Ethan Justice: OriginsI Have PeopleFor What It's WorthA Kiss of Ashen Twilight (Ashen Twilight #1)The Unraveling (Sage Seed Chronicles, #3)Fateful (Fateful, #1) Dracian Legacy (Dracian, # 1)Cascade Brides: The Complete SeriesA World ApartReality Bites: Tales of a Half-VampireFace-Off (Book One)Two EqualsThe Ghost of Josiah Grimshaw (Morgan Sisters, #1)One for KamiFreak of NatureGrace DollThe Secret of the Scarlet Stone (Gabby Girls Adventure, #1)Gallagher's Hope (Gallagher, #2)The Spy LoverPRIZE-WINNING PACIFIC STORIES  (SPECIAL EDITION, BOXED SET VOL I-III)RejectedRapunzel UntangledA Hard Act to FollowStarseed
Giveaway Details
1 winner will receive their choice of a Kindle Fire HD (US Only), $199 Amazon Gift Card or $199 in Paypal Cash (Internaitonal).
Ends 2/28/13
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the authors. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. 

 

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