****************Mila's Summer 2013 Beach Read*******************

The beach is one of my favorite places to be.  I love the feel of the sand beneath my feet, the cool water caressing my body and a tropical breeze brushing against my skin. I  don't live near a beach so, I look for books that will make me feel like I  am  relaxing on a beach  as the sea teases the shoreline.

My Beach Pick is, Wish You Were Here by Amanda McIntyre

The Blurb:

"A broken engagement.

Two BFF’s stuck in a tropical storm in the Keys.

There’s bound to be thunder and lightning.

But what happens after the storm passes?

Ever since certifiably geek Maggie saved the hide of Josh from a mean dog, the two were destined to be best friends. Social barriers kept them closet friends as Josh became popular and Maggie remained the brains that kept the brawn in academic good standing. Maggie carried her secret crush, only to be devastated when given the chance, Josh walks away, leaving her to suffer her unrequited fantasy of being with him.

Maturity reveals to Josh how badly he once treated Maggie. When she calls him then, to tell him of her engagement being cut off, it’s hard for him to be happy about his own wedding plans feeling guilty that Maggie is walking this road alone. Challenged by his bride to be that he may harbor unresolved feelings about his friend, she calls a break in their relationship, challenging him to find out and be sure of what he wants. Determined to prove her wrong, that he only cares for Maggie as a friend, he pays her a surprise visit where she’s gone to relax and recuperate.

He soon realizes that while the choices he’d made long ago were noble, the feelings he had for Maggie then were very real. One afternoon spent catching up with each other’s lives reveals what neither expected--that the embers once thought dead between them are still smoldering." ~Amanda McIntyre

**My rating:  Five flip flops and a Martini .**

Review

Wish You Were Here, read more like...Wish I Was There! I truly enjoyed reading this book. The characters were easy to get to know and I felt their struggle of indecision. Decisions of that caliber are not easy to make and the author does an excellent job relating that. I would definitely recommend this book to others. It’s a book you’d want to have handy as you relax on a towel or chair at the beach. Reading this book made me miss being near the ocean, and the mood that often accompanies such a tranquil place. Wish You Were Here gave me a taste of that feeling and I will cherish it until I walk the sandy shores again.

Enjoy what's left of  the Summer weather. Treat yourself; get  a copy of  Wish You Were Here, and read it under a shaded  tree.  

Goodbye Reality---A Paranormal Mystery

Genre: Paranormal Short Story

Cover Artist: Mila A. Ballentine

Release Date: July 25, 2013

Here’s the Blurb:

While on a road trip, two friends make a pit stop in a quaint town. They spend more time there than they anticipated. It’s debatable if they’ll ever reach their destination or if they’ll live.

Sometimes road trips can be hazardous to your health.

Links to Goodbye Reality:

Add Goodbye Reality to your TBR list on Goodreads. 

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18241988-goodbye-reality 

Amazon: 

http://www.amazon.com/Goodbye-Reality-ebook/dp/B00E4WYLX2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374727756&sr=8-1&keywords=%22goodbye+Reality%22

Barnes & Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1116209532?ean=2940148772125

Smashwords:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/340474

When Great Expectations Come At No Cost

Imagine, Cathy wakes up, gets ready and heads out the door. She arrives at her job and starts to do her duties. She spends eight and sometimes up to sixteen hours working on a project before leaving for the day. That’s Cathy’s schedule for the next two weeks and at the end of it, she receives an envelope. She happily accepts it and leaves for the day. Cathy checks he mailbox when she gets home; it’s filled with bills. They always come on time, every time and they don't accept monopoly money...though it would be nice.

She goes through them before putting them aside. Cathy opens the envelope she received at work and her heart sinks when she reads the note tucked inside. F.Y.I: No charge, No pay! Cathy sighs. No business can survive under that business model nor can their workers. They’d go out of business. It may seem dramatic, but it’s a true representation of what many authors face. Yet, they still manage to offer books at discounted rates or at no cost.

In the real world, I enter the food court area in the mall and I look up at the restaurant signs. 

A lady approaches me with a platter of samples on a toothpick. She extends one to me. My forehead wrinkles, should I? I take the sample and eat it. The flavors dance on my tongue and I decide to order a plate of whatever that was from the restaurant. Hopefully, it’s not monkey meat. I have a funny story about that, but I’ll save it for another time. I ordered and the food was delicious. I make a mental note to eat there  the next time I’m there.

With that said, I’m not a fan of free even when I’m on the receiving end but I realize the benefits of providing samples. In light of this, I am releasing, Goodbye Reality, a short story that will be offered for $0.99 cents. During promotions featured on this blog, and other sites via Rafflecopter, Goodbye Reality will be  offered as a "Gifted" prize. Why will it be gifted on certain sites and not all? Honestly, I don't want to be bound by a lengthy contract that will limit my audience. Hopefully, readers will find my story appealing and will be compelled to come back for more.

Goodbye Reality, a paranormal mystery will be available on July 25, 2013. Get your copy on Amazon.com, Barnes and Nobles and Smashwords.com.

The Mysterious Musings Of A Precarious Heart - Cover Reveal And Interview

I’m sitting here with S.J. Dennery, a carefree seventeen-year-old with a vibrant imagination. She smiles and it chases any anxiety that I have about the interview. She gazes around the room filled with fervent chatter, takes a sip of her drink, and gives me her undivided attention. 

1. S. J. Dennery it’s a pleasure to interview you. My readers would love to get to know you. Tell us about you?

S.J.: When I was fifteen I began writing and before I turned sixteen I accomplished my goal of being an author. I’m a junior in high school and I enjoy singing, dancing and preparing meals for my best friend and my mom.

2. Writing a book at the age of fifteen is an impressive accomplishment. What motivated you to write this book?

S.J.: My English teachers, Mrs. Stickel and Mrs. Borchers  gave our class a writing assignment. We were given vocabulary words and each student had to write a story. We had to read what we wrote in front of the class. I received a lot of positive feedback from my peers. The story, Down by Chunky Bones was also included in Thin Skin Soul Pinned, your first paranormal mystery. I was also inspired to write  a book after working on a few projects with you, Mila. You helped me discover my love of writing stories.

Mila: I read 'Down by Chunky Bones' and I knew from that moment that you had a gift for storytelling. It was one of the reasons why I included it in Thin Skin Soul Pinned. I’m happy to hear that your classmates appreciated your talent as well.

3. What life experiences prepared you for writing this book?

S.J.: I think working as an intern with you, Mila for the past two years has expanded my imagination and respect for the art of writing. I observed your joy while you wrote your stories but I didn’t understand until I began to write my own. I especially enjoyed acting out scenes with you to get it right. It made me realize that if you can do it, I can do it too.

Mila: I’m amused that my enthusiasm has somehow fueled your desire to write. I hope that you’ll continue to find joy in writing stories.

4. What should we expect from you in the future?

S.J.: Upon graduating high school, I'll be studying towards a degree in the culinary arts. I don't have any immediate plans to write another book but the proceeds that I make from this book will go towards my college education.

Mila: Well, I hope to read more titles by you. As far as the proceeds going to your college education, that’s a great way to save towards your future endeavors. I’m sure that your parents are very proud of you.

5. If you had the benefit of a camera crew to create a commercial for your book what would you say?

S.J.: Love comes in strange packages, and life is a never-ending mystery waiting to be unraveled. The Mysterious Musings of a Precarious Heart will take you on a mysterious ride through a world that will leave you spellbound. Get your copy and begin the journey! 

Genre: YA Mystery

Release Date: July 8, 2013

Cover Artist: Mila A. Ballentine

My thoughts:

 Just when I thought that my imagination could not stretch any further, The Mysterious Musings Of A Precarious Heart came along. Co-authoring this book with S.J. Dennery allowed me to flex my creative muscles in an unexpected direction. It was an experience that I will treasure always. 

Here's the Book Trailer:

Here's the Blurb:

The Paine’s new home on Zephyr Street was a fresh start for the young family but the comfort of their new sanctuary quickly fades when a stranger invades their picturesque home and tarnishes everything that they hold dear. Their daughter Lilac’s life is forever changed and her troubles bring them more than their fair share of sorrow.

Postscript: The Mysterious Musings Of A Precarious Heart is my first and last  co-authored book. 

Thank you, S.J. Dennery for taking the time out of your busy schedule to chat with me. I wish you infinite success in your future endeavors.  

How To Create An Ebook Cover In Publisher

Tap into your...

1.      Open a new document in Publisher.

Please note: This tutorial was done in Publisher 2010. The navigation process may vary in other editions.

2.     Select  the Page design tab. Select  the size tab and scroll down and select the 5.827 X 8.268 page option.

3.      Select the insert tab. Select the picture tab or clip art. **For this exercise, use the clip art tab and select a picture. Re-size the picture to fill out the entire 5.827 X 8.268 page. 

Please Note: This tutorial uses one photo. If you want to use two or more photos you will have to use another program.

4.   Select the Wordart tab. Choose a style of lettering.

A dialog box will pop up. Choose the font and type the title of your book. Select okay.

Please note: All text should be in the 0.5 away from the margin area.

**The font I choose has a shadow effect. It can be removed by selecting the shadow effects tab. Select No shadow effect.

**Use the same method in step 4 to add the author’s name.

5. When you have finished the cover, select the background picture, hold down the control key and select the title and authors name. Then, save the file as a JPEG. Also, save a copy of the publisher file, you may need to make adjustments based on the online retail stores system. 

Please note: Any changes made to a picture will change the dpi. The finished cover should be 300 dpi. You will have to change it in a photo editor program.

Once you have mastered the navigation aspect of the task, you will be able to create a cover in less than 15 minutes.   

Review of Back From Africa by Corinne Hofmann

                                        

★★★★

 

My thoughts:

I enjoyed reading Back From Africa simply because I felt compelled to find out what happened next in the life of Corinne Hofmann. I felt a sense of kinship while reading The White Masai but not with this book. I was thrilled to see that all that she gave away so willingly was returned to her tenfolds. I especially enjoyed the chapter where she sets out to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. I felt the pain of the adventure, and laughed when there was an ounce of humor in the most treacherous moments of the trek up the mountain. 

If you read The White Masai it is essential to follow through and read Back From Africa. If you don't a part of you will always wonder, what happened to Corinne?

What's next? 

 Reunion in Barsaloi. I'd like to know what happens next! 

DISCLAIMER: Readers escape to another reality, if only temporarily, while reading a good book.  When I review a book, I will focus on the entertainment factor, story structure and the eloquence in the writing. I have no desire to undermine an author’s effort. After all, they are responsible for the books we enjoy.

REVIEW SCALE:

5 stars = Excellent story. I would read it to someone

4 stars = Great story

3 Stars = I liked it

HUNTED Cover Reveal

M. Pratwell  Biography

M. Pratwell has always been an avid reader and when her friend, Genevieve Scholl, started publishing books she found that she had the urge to write her own novel. She wasn’t sure if she could do even half as well as Genevieve, but she knew she had to try. With encouragement from Genevieve and their other friend, H.R Hyacinth, she sat down with her Ipad and started typing. At first, it was just a jumble of words that made no sense, but eventually she started to form a mysterious story set in her hometown of Rome, N.Y. She fell in love with the characters and was desperate to solve the case.

Unedited Excerpt of Hunted

The ride along the Erie Canal was smooth and pleasant, save for the slight breeze that blew up from the water and chilled her skin. The leaves on the trees moved in silence, acknowledging the presence of the boat as it passed. Elena touched two of her fingers to her temple, sending Mother Nature and the spirits around her a respectful salute. She had boarded the boat to get away from everyone she knew and clear her head, but she was glad that the spirits had tagged along. They calmed her.

She closed her eyes and listened to the gentle lap of water against the bottom of the boat. The spirits might have calmed her, but she still hadn’t decided what she was going to do about her current situation. How was she going to support another human being, if she couldn’t even support herself? How was she going to tell her parents? They’d likely want her to get an abortion, but there was no way she was going to kill the innocent child that was growing inside of her. If she couldn’t give he or she a good home, then she would find someone who could. She allowed a tear to slip down her cheek; giving the child up for adoption would kill her, but she would do what was best for her baby.

The sound of footsteps behind her jerked her from her thoughts. Swiping the tear from her cheek, she spun around to the person who had just joined her. Dark hair covered his head, the ends lightly touching his jaw as the breeze toyed with the strands. Dark sunglasses covered his eyes and an earring glinted in the sunlight as it peeked between the strands of hair. He was handsome, in a non-conventional way, but Elena couldn’t help the unease that she felt as he continued to stare at her.

“You really shouldn’t be out here on your own,” his gravelly voice said. “You could fall overboard and no one would know it.”

Before she could respond, he moved. Elena barely had time to blink before she felt his hands against her shoulders. Her feet came off of the deck and floated in front of her for a few minutes as the railing dug into her spine. She deeply inhaled to scream, but before any sound could escape, his hands moved to her throat to silence her. The pressure he applied was suffocating and Elena gulped for air. The water beneath the boat suddenly sounded louder than it had before; it roared in her ears like distant thunder. She clawed at her assailant’s throat with her fingernails, but to no avail. The block to her airways was making her dizzy and disoriented. She wasn’t even sure if she had made contact as her arms flung about like two fish out of water.

She gave up and waited for death to come, but just as the darkness started to take over, the pressure on her throat was released. She gulped in confusion, trying to relieve the pain in her lungs. Why had he let go? Had he been scared off? Her answer came in the worst kind of answer as those hands grabbed on to her again and pushed her up and over the railing.

Cover Designer: Genevieve Scholl

My thoughts:

Hunted by M. Pratwell is a mystery that has a plethora of suspense and I look forward to reading it. It should be on every mystery lover's TBR list. 

Genre: Mystery 

Hunted Release Date: August 29^th 2013