Summer on Earth by Peter Thompson

Title: SUMMER ON EARTH
Author: Peter Thompson
Publisher: Persnickety Press
Pages: 293
Genre: Sci-fi / Middle Grade

BOOK BLURB:

The night that eleven-year-old Grady Johnson looked out his window and wished upon a shooting star, his life changed forever.

Grady, his Ma, and younger sister Luanne are having a hard summer. Dad has died and the family isn’t the same. Though Ma is trying her best, Grady knows they don’t have enough money to get by.

The shooting star he saw was a space craft plunging to Earth, and landing at the back of their farm. Extraterrestrial engineer Ralwil Turth has one goal, to fix his power drive and go back home. But things don’t go as planned. Stuck in human form, he gets to know Grady and his family as he works on their farm. He starts to learn about what it means to be human, and the exotic charms of this planet like the taste of potatoes, and how amazing bugs are.

Ralwil grows to care for Grady and his family. On a trip to town, he realizes that money is what matters to humans, and is the cause of the family’s trouble. That night, he uses his technology to combine a twenty-dollar bill with an oak twig. Over the next week this grows to a towering tree, every leaf a twenty-dollar bill. This, Ralwil is sure, will solve all the family’s problems.

But the family’s wealth raises suspicion in this small town, and this soon leads to more trouble. With the family’s fate, and Ralwil’s life, on the line, Grady has to find the courage to help his family and save his friend.

Summer on Earth blends humor, adventure and poignancy to create an unforgettable story about finding home.

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Book Excerpt:

Before

      It was hotter than usual that night, and Grady couldn’t get comfortable, even with the fan on high. The June bugs thumped against the window screen, and the crickets chirped so loudly it sounded like they were right there in the room. He could hear the TV on downstairs, so he knew Ma was still awake. Ever since Dad died she’d stayed up late most every night.

Grady just stared out the window and looked at the night sky. Where they lived, out in the country, there wasn’t much light at night and the stars stood out more than they did in the city. Grady tried to find the constellations his Dad had taught him, just letting his mind wander. At some point he started to get sleepy. But before he fell asleep, he saw a shooting star. And when he saw it, he made a wish.

      This is the story of how that wish came true. 

Bite Thy Neighbor by Esmae Browder

Title: BITE THY NEIGHBOR
Author: Esmae Browder
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Pages: 300
Genre: Erotic Paranormal Romance

BOOK BLURB: 

Some neighbors suck...literally.

Quirky Maisy Harker spends her time daydreaming about her sexy husband, Jensen Helsing. Though their marriage is one of convenience, Maisy wishes the sparks of heat she feels around him were reciprocated. Sexually starved, she also lusts after her mysterious neighbor, Adam. True, his incisors do look a bit sharp, and he never seems to drink or eat anything—but hey, maybe that’s how he keeps that yummy, drool-worthy physique!

Yet Maisy knows something’s not quite right, and it isn’t long before she learns Adam is a centuries-old vampire embroiled in a gypsy curse placed on the women of her family. All her female ancestors have been drawn to the vampire and bound by his desires, experiencing a terrible side effect of the curse and resulting in death.

It's up to Maisy to find a way to break the curse once and for all before she, too, falls under his spell.

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Book Excerpt:

You’re the one I’ve been waiting for,” Adam whispered. “And I’ve waited a long time.”

I was unable to fight being aroused by this sexy man with the fierce, dark eyes. His lips were a pale red, and as I looked at them, my mind instantly pictured us in a heated lip lock, our tongues ravishing each other. All my senses jumped to high alert.

“I don’t know what you mean,” I whispered back, unable to keep the shake out of my voice. “You don’t know me. And…and I’m a married woman.”

“Married?” he scoffed and grabbed my hand, kissing it lightly. “That doesn’t matter when it comes to destiny.”

Damn. His lips on my skin set my heart skipping. I started to feel a little tingle between my legs.

“Destiny?” I asked, shifting slightly.

“Don’t play dumb with me, my sweet Maisy.” Adam smiled and then stood in front of me so quickly I didn’t see the actual movement. “You can’t deny the passion you feel for me,” he said, going to his knees. “I’ve been in your dreams. I know your desires.”

He put a hand on my bare leg, sliding it up to my thigh as light as a feather.

“That’s not possible.” I shivered, wondering if he would slip that hand higher and discover how vulnerable I was without panties. “You’re teasing me.”

“Am I?”

PUYB Virtual Book Club Chats with EJ Apicello

Welcome to EJ’s real, crazy, emotional, probably too honest journey. She is an everyday girl in this everyday world trying to keep her head above water. Within the pages of this book you will learn about the things that have broken EJ down and the steps she is taking to build back up. You will see, that this story is written in a unique, general, conversational voice, which was her choice. She wants you to be able to picture yourself in her shoes, relate her trials and tribulations to yours and see that you too can find your happiness. Even if you don’t realize this yet, every single one of us possesses things inside of ourselves that we didn't know were there. It took EJ’s life taking a crazy right turn and dumping her at the lowest possible point before she could see the strength within herself. We are not defined by what we do, we are defined by the choices we make. EJ decided when she put pen to paper that she wanted her choices to start defining her as strong, confident, secure and above all else, happy. So, who am EJ? How about who she was - a self-loathing shell who put everyone else’s happiness before her own. Herein lies a story about finding that happiness and all of the ups and downs along the way. See who EJ was and who she is trying to become and maybe, somewhere in there, you will find out a little about yourself too.

Her latest book is the self-help, Your Crossroads. Your Choice.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

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About the Book:

Welcome to my diary, my journey, as I tripped and crawled through the darkest time in my life- when I witnessed  people that I held incredibly close to me shatter my very existence with their words and actions. The things within this book spine are extremely raw and exceptionally real. You and I are going to get very close, the details in this book, although oddly general, are incredibly specific. Yes, I realize what I just said and as you read my words you will see what I mean. As you silently gasp and mentally bitch slap me, please be kind because my story is just that - my story. It is not any more or less special than yours. In fact the only difference between our stories are the choices we made at each of the crossroads in our lives. For most of my life the choices I made were not based on my happiness but on everyone else’s. This book describes what I have experienced in my journey to finding my happiness and hopefully never letting it go. Sadly, it took me thirty six years to find the strength I need to detoxify my life and self-view and find someone who is worthy of my awesomeness. Thirty six years to shatter the negative foundation I had built shatter the ultimate representative I created to hide behind and begin the process of building a new foundation. Only this foundation will be built on strength, confidence and above all, happiness. So take a minute or thirty and sit with my story for a while. You never know what you might find out.

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How did you come up with name of this book?

I had a much wordier version of this title but decided that less is more. The whole essence of my message in this book, of my whole platform is that you control the choices you make. My goal is to empower you to have strength and confidence in those choices so you can find your happiness.

Do you read yourself and if so what is your favorite genre?

I love to read! I am a middle school teacher so I admit I read a lot of young adult novels in order to stay current with what my students are experiencing/reading. I am also adapting this book into a more kid friendly version in the hopes that it can help kids navigate the choppy waters of middle and high school with a little more strength and confidence than they may have had.

Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise? Why?

I prefer noise - it makes me feel connected to the world.

What do you feel you can accomplish with this book?

If there is enough reach, then I am hoping I can begin a global change - a major shift in the way our culture and society view happiness.

What is your next project?

I am working on a sequel to this book that will include tools and strategies to find your confidence and happiness.

BOOK BLAST / THE RAID ON TROY BY MURRAY LEE EILAND JR.

 

Title: THE RAID ON TROY
Author: Murray Lee Eiland Jr.
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 300
Genre: Light Fantasy / Historical Fiction / YA

The Greek raid on Troy is chronicled in the Iliad and the Odyssey. These poems are pillars of ancient literature and continue to be carefully studied. Homer, who lived in the 8th or 7th century BC, is credited as the author. The actual conflict has been dated from 1260-1180 BC or even earlier. The question is, how close is Homer’s account to real history?

In the Orfeo Saga volume seven there are some familiar characters from Homer. Their motivations, as well as their history, can be radically different. Memnon is a self-made man and a petty king who craves the fabled gold of Troy. His brother Menas is king of Sparta. They assemble a coalition to sack the city. Telemon, not eager to join the expedition, is moved to act after his daughter Elena is taken. He seizes the city of Mycenae and goes to Troy. Odysees might not be as clever or brave as the man described in Homer, but he joins the expedition out of greed. He soon meets Orfeo’s son, who is in search of his first real adventure. Orfeo is on the Trojan side, and has to face the assembled military might of Greece as well as Odysees cunning plans. The Greeks have Ajax, who they count on to defeat any foe in single combat. Can Telemon - now an old man - defeat the greatest Greek warrior and recover his daughter?

The Raid on Troy might not be any closer to real history than the ancient poems, but it does offer insights into what might form the basis of the stories.

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Memnon knew the ship was hitting the beach. He heard the scraping of the hull against sand and

pebbles, and the angle of the deck changed as the prow rose higher. He had not seen the ship’s deck for days, nor had he been permitted to walk around on land for perhaps two years. Slaves on Theran ships were treated with about the same respect as sheep, only slaves could not even be eaten because of some Theran religious prohibition. Galley slaves were useful,but were neither expensive nor in short supply.

At age fourteen, Memnon had seen little else of the world, as he had been seized in a slaver raid as he and his brothers played on an unknown beach now well beyond remembering. He knew he was less than five years old at the time, and now he believed he was nearly fifteen, although no one had been interested in explaining the concept of birthdays to him. Memnon had learned virtually all of what he knew from other slaves in the orchards of Thera, where he had begun his working career by carrying buckets of water to the men who tended the trees and picked the fruit. He had been separated from the two older brothers seized at the same time, but recognized one of them as he was taken to his place at an oar on one of the warships the Therans used to exact tribute from various cities; Memnon had occasionally spoken with him when their different groups of oarsmen were allowed on deck

Memnon recognized that his brother burned with rage. Over time, Memnon found himself coming to understand its origin and nature. Although he could not recall much about his life before his abduction, he remembered a world with occasional comforts, and even times of celebration.

Dr Eiland is a psychiatrist by training, and has written about Near Eastern art and culture. His novels are set in the heroic past and feature fictional characters in a realistic matrix. He has a special interest in exploring how and why people lead. The books contain themes that are suitable for young adults who have an interest in history.

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Dorothy Thompson

 CEO/Founder PUMP UP YOUR BOOK
Winner of P&E Readers Poll 2016 for Best Publicity Firm

Visit us at www.PumpUpYourBook.com

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Dinner Conversations by Jason Reid

Title: DINNER CONVERSATIONS
Author: Jason Reid
Publisher: Createspace/Reid Group
Pages: 348
Genre: Humor / Family / Parenting

BOOK BLURB: 

“You are going to LAUGH! You are going to then wonder if these conversations actually happened. You are going to wonder what kind of guy would actually say these things to his family.”

The answer is simple—yes, these conversations did actually happen. They occurred over a period of roughly 5 years, mainly at my dinner table.  I took them verbatim and posted them on Facebook so that all my friends could get a good laugh.

I must be honest with you, some of you will are going to laugh and say things like “…that sounds like something I would say or want to say” others are going to think that I am a horrible parent.  I am ok with either thought process.

What I hope is that after laughing, scratching your head and wondering what is wrong with Jay Reid, you realize that you need to create more of your own Dinner Conversations.  

Please join me @ www.Facebook.com/DinnerConversations to read more and post your own.” 

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Book Excerpt:

Taxes

Kids

"You have to pay how much in taxes?!?"

Jay

"Yep, half or more of my money goes to pay taxes, the rest goes to pay for you guys. I have almost nothing left over."

Kids

"That's crazy!”

Jay

"I agree, but I am stuck with all of you."

Hearts at Seaside by Addison Cole

Title: HEARTS AT SEASIDE (Sweet with Heat: Seaside Summers Book 3)
Author: Addison Cole
Publisher: World Literary Press
Pages: 280
Genre: Sweet with Heat Romance

BOOK BLURB:

Sweet with Heat: Seaside Summers features a group of fun, flirty, and emotional friends who gather each summer at their Cape Cod cottages. They're sassy, flawed, and so easy to relate to, you'll be begging to enter their circle of friends! 

Hearts at Seaside by Addison Cole is the sweet edition of New York Times bestselling author Melissa Foster's steamy romance novel Seaside Hearts. The stories and characters remain the same and convey all of the passion you expect between two people in love, without any explicit scenes or harsh language. 

In HEARTS at SEASIDE... 
Jenna Ward is vivacious, spontaneous, and confident--except when she's around the man who stole her heart years earlier, strikingly handsome, quiet, and reliable Pete Lacroux. After years of trying to get his attention and overwhelmed from dealing with her mother's new cougar lifestyle, Jenna's giving up on Peter--and is ready to explore other men. 

As the eldest of five siblings, with an alcoholic father to care for, boat craftsman Pete Lacroux always does the right thing and has no time for a real relationship. He's looking forward to seeing his friend Jenna, a welcome distraction who's so sexy and painfully shy that she equally entertains and confuses him. 

When Jenna picks up a hard-bodied construction worker, jealousy ignites Pete's true feelings, and he's unable to ignore the desires for Jenna he never realized he had. But Pete's not the quiet guy he appears to be, and his life is anything but conducive to a relationship. Can Jenna handle the real Pete Lacroux--the most alpha male she's ever seen--or will she crack under pressure? And can Pete reclaim the life he once had without tearing apart his family? 

SWEET WITH HEAT: SEASIDE SUMMERS SERIES 
Read, Write, Love at Seaside 
Dreaming at Seaside 
Hearts at Seaside 
Sunsets at Seaside 
Secrets at Seaside 
Nights at Seaside 
Seized by Love at Seaside 
Embraced at Seaside 
Lovers at Seaside 
Whispers at Seaside 

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Book Excerpt:

There should be an unwritten rule about drooling over construction workers, but Jenna Ward was sure glad there wasn’t. She sat on the porch of the Bookstore Restaurant, soaking up the deliciousness of the three bronzed males clad in nothing more than jeans and glistening muscles that flexed and bulged like an offering to the gods as they forced thick, sticky tar into submission. Their jeans hung low on strong hips, gripping their powerful thighs like second skins and ending in scuffed and tarred work boots. What red-blooded woman didn’t get worked up over a gorgeous shirtless man in work boots?

Heaven help her, because she needed this distraction to take away her desire for Peter Lacroux, which went hand in hand with summers on the Cape and consumed her in the nine months they were apart. She zeroed in on one particularly handsome blond construction worker. His hair was nearly white, his jaw square and manly. She wanted to march right out to the middle of the road that split the earth between the restaurant and the beach and be manhandled into submission. Right there on the tar. Wrestled and groped until all thoughts of Pete evaporated.

“Wipe the drool from your chin, chica.” Amy Maples handed Jenna a margarita and, pointedly, a fresh napkin, as she settled into the chair across from her. “Goodness, woman. What’s up with you this summer? I swear you’re in heat. I can practically smell your pheromones from over here.”

Jenna gulped her drink and righted her red bikini top, which was trying its hardest to relieve itself of her enormous breasts. Even her bikini top was ready for a man. A real man. A man who craved her as much as she craved him.

Jenna reluctantly turned away from Testosterone Road and faced her best friends. The women she had spent her summers with here in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, for as long as she could remember and the women she hoped would help her through her most important summer ever.

PUYB Virtual Book Club Chats with Joseph Bendoski, author of 'When the Sky Falls'

Joe Bendoski studied psychology in college and was fascinated by all the insights it provided into human behavior, only to realize most the information never reach people, and when it did, rarely was it in a form that allowed for practical application. He started writing non-fiction, but soon came to understand how few people read that genre and began the difficult transition into fiction writing. His non-fiction works include; the Chemistry of Attraction and the Language of Emotion. 

He worked as the head writer for the television show ‘Saved by Grace.’ After being frustrated with comments like "make this scene cheaper," "What's my motivation?", and "Do we need this scene?" he decided to go in to literature.

His latest book is the thriller/espionage/conspiracy/historical novel, When the Sky Falls.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

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About the Book:

Title: WHEN THE SKY FALLS
Author: Joseph Bendoski
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 408
Genre: Thriller/Espionage/Conspiracy/Historical

“What makes you believe a lie? I’m not asking how you know someone is lying. What makes you believe? Because if you don’t understand how that works, then you won’t know when you’re being manipulated.”

In 1938 the War of the Worlds hoax panicked millions of Americans, then in 1988 another fictional media broadcast convinced nearly half of Portugal that sea monsters had risen from the ocean to destroy their cities. A team of CIA agents was sent to study the aftermath of this 6th Skyfall Event in the hope that they could turn it into a weapon of war. When the team consultant turns up dead, everyone scrambles to be the last man standing: the one who will decide if or when the sky falls.

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Before you started writing your book, what kind of research did you do to prepare yourself?

I studied a lot of mass hysteria and group sociology as I prepared to write the book, along with a lot history involving media persuasion.

Did you pursue publishers or did you opt to self-pub?

I went indie. After I was made a very small offer and informed that I would need to develop my own platform on social media and use it to sell books, I didn’t see the need to share royalties with the publisher.

If self-published, did you hire someone to format the ebook version for you or did you do it yourself?  Can you tell us what that was like?

I just watched a YouTube video for the formatting. Honestly, Amazon’s software does most of the work.

If self-published, how did you determine the price?

At the moment, I’m keeping the price about low as I can and still get 70% royalties. The reason is that I’m an unknown author, and if people see two books by unknown authors side by side they will pick the cheaper of the two. I have set certain goals that once I reach them I will increase the price of the book.

Did you purposefully choose a distinct month to release your book?  Why?

No. I wanted to be done. I’d been working on the project for seven years. It was ready, so I released it.

How did you choose your cover?

I’ve spent a fortune on the cover and messed it up multiple times. Initially, I hired an illustrator, but when it was finished, I didn’t love it. I then tried 99 Designs, and I got the exact cover I wanted, but soon realized it was miss communicating my genre so I had two more done and this final cover is awesome, but it’s taken a long time to get here. What really worked about this final cover is that I had very little say in the early drafts. I gave the designer a one paragraph summary of the book, the title, and genre. They took it from there.

Did you write your book, then revise or revise as you went?

Both. I revise a lot as I go. I think this has a lot to do with working in a critique group. As I get feedback from them, I incorporate into the book, but I also record the alpha and beta drafts and send those out for overall feedback.

Did you come up with special swag for your book and how are you using it to help get the word out about your book?

I have planned for those things, but right now I’m focusing on the book marketing specifically. Once I have that down, I’ll move into merchandising.

Did you consider making or hiring someone to make a book trailer for your book?  If so, what’s the link?

My brother does commercials and films, so he created the trailer. Currently, I’m the one doing the narration, but my Audiobook narrator Bill Nevitt plans to do the voice over of the final draft. http://joseph-bendoski.com/landing-page/

What’s your opinion on giving your book away to sell other copies of your book?

I think most writers don’t like the idea of giving away their book for free. We work really hard on them, but I understand that it’s a proven method, so I’m working on prequel right now that will be a giveaway.

What are three of the most important things you believe an author should do before their book is released?

Get feedback. Make sure your cover matches your target audience. Have all your marketing ready before the launch; it’s a lot more than you expect.

What are three of the most important things you believe an author should do after their book is released?

Tweak your marketing regularly. Reach out to other authors. Know that you’ll suck at marketing in the beginning.

What kind of pre-promotion did you do before the book came out?

None. Big mistake on my part.

Do you have a long term plan with your book?

Finish off the series

What would you like to say to your readers and fans about your book?

I always wonder what people’s favorite part is. I wonder if it changed the way the watch/read the news.