Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Blog Tour: Gracie, Dead or Alive by @sofiadianagabel #review



Paranormal Romance
Date Published: September 15, 2015


A story of the living, the undead, magic, betrayal, love, more betrayal, and blueberry pancakes. Gracie Daniels has it all. She’s young, pretty, in love and about to graduate from the University of Southern California, but her world is turned upside down when she wakes up, dead, in the morgue. But that’s only the beginning of Gracie’s new undead life. She has to learn to survive impending decomposition from a Wiccan spell that went wrong and numerous betrayals, all while searching for a mysterious alchemical spell book. Then along comes handsome Troy Scott. How can Gracie balance being dead and falling in love? It would be easier to give up, but that’s not Gracie.




Purchase Links

Review 

I loved the pacing of this novel. I felt like it really stayed on the same level throughout. Often times novels slow down and have dead moments, but Sofia Diana Gabel did a great job of keeping the readers interest throughout with this one.

The characters are very well developed. I felt like they had their issues and weren't perfect, but showed growth throughout the novel, which I always like to see. 






Sofia Diana Gabel is a multi-genre fiction writer who was born in Sydney, Australia, but is now living in the United States with her family. With degrees in environmental science and archaeology, she enjoys being out in nature when she's not glued to her desk writing or researching a new story idea. Writing is a true passion of hers, born from a love of the written word that can transport the reader to different places or worlds and deliver them back to reality, safe and sound.

Contact Information
Twitter: @sofiadianagabel     



Wednesday, December 23, 2015

PROMO Blitz: The Modern Mughal Mentality by @afshanhashmi



Non Fiction / Business
Date Published: June 22, 2015

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The Modern Mughal Mentality  transforms hardships and difficulties into success stories by introducing the Jugaad Management Principle Business Model, which can be applied to any business, anywhere.

For the purpose of this book, the term Jugaad will be defined as “obtaining your objectives by maximizing resources through thinking out of the box.”

Following this new business model will inspire all types of companies around the world, no matter how big or small, to create innovative mentalities, products, and strategies. The Modern Mughal Mentality  reveals ways in which companies everywhere can benefit from this new business model.

It also reveals ways in which western companies can learn to be successful in India.  Executives of multi-national corporations, government officials, and even American and global small business owners who have no plans to do business in India will benefit from the innovative and revolutionary approach to maximizing resources that The Modern Mughal Mentality delivers.

Multi-sector success stories illustrate the various components of the Jugaad Management Principle Business Model. Specific questions in the “Modern Mughal Mentality Exercises” at the end will guide the reader through putting the Jugaad Management Principle Business Model to work for their business.

Implementing the model can lead to increased profit, maximized resources, and a more efficient way of dealing with today’s turbulent economy. The Modern Mughal Mentality also identifies international opportunities in various industries – providing practical solutions to take the guesswork out of the equation.

The Modern Mughal Mentality’s  four chapters reveal how the same mentality, which has enabled India to enjoy economic success in today’s turbulent times can radically transform any business. The Jugaad Management Principle Business Model can be used to maximize resources and increase profitability in many sectors.  Success stories, important lessons to remember, and opportunities for growth in both India and around the world are given. The “Modern Mughal Mentality Exercises” at the end leads the reader to think creatively and use The Modern Mughal Mentality  to create innovative and cost-effective solutions to problems on their own. Regardless of where the reader lives, or what type of business they run, they will be able to improve their bottom line by implementing these changes.

Photo galleries of magical moments that led to the birth of The Modern Mughal Mentality give the readers of my book
an opportunity to see some of my special moments and provide them another unique way to connect to this book.



https://youtu.be/g6wuWDCar6U



About the Author


Dr. Afshan Naheed Hashmi was born in India and educated both in India and USA. She now lives in Rockville, Maryland, USA.

Dr. Hashmi is an author, award-winning entrepreneur, speaker, educator, and a book, movie, make-up and beauty products reviewer, film critic and Radio and TV show host, a successful regulatory and business development and scientific professional with more than a decade of experience.

She specializes in making innovative and value creation market entry strategies for companies looking to enter India. She also lectures and delivers seminars on “Doing Business in India,” including culture training. An awardwinning entrepreneur, Dr. Hashmi has coordinated meetings and accommodations for U.S. business delegations in India. She has facilitated the introduction of U.S. businesses to potential U.S. and international partners, and viceversa. Dr. Hashmi maintains an extensive professional network that is required to launch initiatives especially in the U.S., India, Qatar, UAE and Bahrain.

Currently every month she delivers lectures on India's various aspects to a very large audience. Dr. Afshan Naheed Hashmi has an amazingly diverse career with extensive media experience. She is very popular in India, and many newspapers in India in English, Hindi, and Urdu having written about her including, "The Hindu", "Hindustan Times", and "The Indian Express" to name a few ( (drafshanhashmi.com/id16.html ).She has also appeared on major television channels in India and on TV Asia in the USA.



 Dr.Hashmi has had a total reach of over one billion people worldwide via print, TV, and online. Dr. Hashmi is the author of two blogs,”India Business Innovations”

( indiabusinessinnovations.wordpress.com) and “Connecting with the Dignitaries”


She has authored numerous scientific reports, and has also written and presented various papers on the subject of biochemistry and molecular biology.

With years of experience as a business development, regulatory, and scientific professional, Dr. Hashmi’s  wide experience base enables her to offer strategically sound advice in many business sectors. While working with clients on improving profitability, Dr. Hashmi was able to experience the powerful impact that the new business model revealed in The Modern Mughal Mentality  firsthand. She has written articles and or comments for The Huffington Post, Elle India, Elle, Glamour, Forbes India, Harvard Business Review, Elle UK,  Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, The Chew Show website, TNW Blog


Dr. Hashmi’s popular lectures range in topics and include everything from improving profitability in the international business to international cuisine and culture. She is passionate about sharing her knowledge with others.

Dr. Hashmi had founded Global Regulatory and Business Solutions, LLC as President, and has provided operations management, business development, market entry strategies for India and Qatar, and regulatory affairs expertise.

Prior to opening her own business, she was the primary company liaison to companies located in Asia and U.S. as the consulting liaison for ToxLogic LLC, and supported companies’ business development activities by communicating orally and in writing with potential clients and providing regulatory strategic planning and advice. She has traveled internationally to support business development and to give oral presentations to diverse audiences. She has been invited as a guest faculty by a very prestigious university in India to introduce and teach U.S. Regulatory Affairs and its relation to the business of Biotechnology via online classes. Dr. Hashmi is currently working on the curriculum for this online class. Dr. Hashmi successfully collaborated with a client to gather information to support filing of a Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) application to allow the client to file for a patent in multiple countries simultaneously. Reviewed scientific portion of application used this information to then help client develop licensing agreement to distribute a new technology. She has also provided entrepreneurship training.           

Dr. Hashmi earned a PhD Biochemistry from Aligarh Muslim University in Aligarh(UP) India, 1991,  M.Phil Biochemistry,(a prePhD requirement), 1988, M.Sc. Biochemistry,1985 and a B.S. (Honors) Chemistry,1983. She was also educated at Johns Hopkins University in Regulatory Affairs in the Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Advanced Academic Programs, Department of Biotechnology. Coursework: Regulatory Processes for Domestic and Global Biotechnology Products and University of Maryland (Baltimore), School of Medicine, Department of Medical and Research Technology Categorical Course in Clinical Chemistry, 1997.

Dr.Hashmi earned a certification from American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Technologist in Chemistry. She is also Regulatory Affairs Certified (RAC) US and has extensive experience with scientific research and publication as well as an indepth knowledge of regulatory requirements of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Dr. Hashmi has evaluated outsourcing opportunities for clinical trials and manufacturing, conducted scientific literature reviews, and analyzed research data, and prepared press releases and other marketing materials. Dr. Hashmi worked also as Research Associate at Human Genome Sciences, Inc., Rockville, Maryland; Medical Technologist in Rapid Response Laboratory at University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, MD; Public Health Scientist at Maryland State Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Laboratories Administration, Baltimore, MD; Postdoctoral Fellow, Division of Physiology, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Hygiene and Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD; and as Research Assistant, University of Maryland Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD. She is also a member of The American Society for Clinical Pathology(ASCP); member of Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society( RAPS) and member of Maryland Writers' Association(MWA).



        Dr. Hashmi is a recipient of the Ibn Sina Public Health Award  in recognition of her contributions in the field of Public Health Science and Entrepreneurship from the AIDS Cell of the Ibn Sînâ Academy of Medieval Medicine & Sciences, Aligarh, (UP),India. She also received an Award of Excellence by AMU Ladies Club, Aligarh, (UP), India.

On April 14, 2008, her company, Global Regulatory and Business Solutions, LLC, was awarded the Certificate of Appreciation by the County Executive,The Honorable Isiah Leggett of Montgomery County in recognition and appreciation for being one of Montgomery County’s outstanding companies chosen for visits during Business Appreciation Week. Also on April 14, 2008 another Certificate of Appreciation was presented to Dr. Afshan Naheed Hashmi’s company, Global Regulatory and Business Solutions, LLC, by the Mayor of the City of Rockville, The Honorable Susan Hoffmann and Executive Director of Rockville Economic Development, Inc., Sally Sternbach in recognition of company’s contributions to Rockville’s economy and participation in Rockville Business Appreciation Week, April 1418, 2008.

She was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation on March 10, 2008 by the County Executive of Montgomery County, Maryland, The Honorable Isiah Leggett, for serving as a member of Montgomery County’s November 2007 business mission to India.

She was also awarded Junior and Senior Research Fellowships by the Indian Council of Medical Research, May 1987 to November 1991. Dr. Hashmi was awarded an Aligarh Muslim University Medal for earning the First Position in the M.Sc. Biochemistry Program as well as the Science Merit Scholarship as a result of a written competitive test for the academic session 19831985. A scholarship was given for the pursuit of a twoyear M.Sc. biochemistry program.

           

Dr. Hashmi loves to promote authors and artists, and through videoconferencing she interviews authors and artists and then shares these interviews on various social media platforms. She runs a book club on Goodreads and Twitter called Afshan Hashmi's Online Book Club, which takes its members on an innovative, inspiring, and intellectual journey. The book club is also called Afshan's Stylish and Glam Reading Corner, launched on 20 April 2014. In the book club she also reviews books. She has also created Hashtag #drafshanglambookclub to have a very stimulating and interactive discussion in her book club. Dr. Hashmi reviews books, movies, beauty, and make-up products on Amazon and Goodreads (books only) websites. Also she reviews books, movies, beauty, and make-up products via audio and video podcasts on her  Youtube channel, internet radio and TV shows. A hashtag has been created #The Modern Mughal Mentality  as well as a  blog by this name, to have interactive discussions about the The Modern Mughal Mentality book online. Various other hashtags have been created to have stimulating discussions. These hashtags are #askdrafshan,  #americaindiaexpert and # AMUtalk.




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Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Blog Tour: Deviant Storm by @LM_Preston #giveaway





Young Adult Paranormal Romance
Date Published: 10/21/2015


The battle is on. Peter Saints thought he'd killed It. But bad people never stay down. Now the jail of his enemy is weakening. Luck is running out for Peter and the girl he saved by wagering the Earth. Only now, with each second and secret revealed, his enemy gains the answers to destroy Peter and devour the world.






LM. Preston was born and raised in Washington, DC. An avid reader, she loved to create poetry and short-stories as a young girl. With a thirst for knowledge she attended college at Bowie State University, and worked in the IT field as a Techie and Educator for over sixteen years. She started writing science fiction under the encouragement of her husband who was a Sci-Fi buff and her four kids. Her first published novel, Explorer X - Alpha was the beginning of her obsessive desire to write and create stories of young people who overcome unbelievable odds. She loves to write while on the porch watching her kids play or when she is traveling, which is another passion that encouraged her writing.



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Blog Tour: For the Love of Dixie by @ShylaColt #interview



Contemporary Romance / MC
Date Published: 10/27/2015


After having her heart broken by Echo, Dixie Dunn makes a new life for herself, away from the Kings Of Chaos. Now, she must return in order to get her stubborn father back to fighting shape after a heart attack. She knows she’ll have to face Echo, as he has made it clear over the years that she still belongs to him. But she refuses to give him any chance to crush her heart again. 

Echo, Joel Spencer knows that Dixie hates him, but he also knows she yearns for him. After being forced by his hateful father to practically leave her at the altar when they were teens, he realizes that he has his work cut out for him. One thing is on his side, he knows what she wants and needs. This time, he WILL make her his again, and to hell with whoever gets in his way





Interview

What is the hardest part of writing your books?

Each book has its own difficult area. Sometimes it’s the content matter really getting to me, and I’ll have to take breaks, because it' so emotional. Other times, it’s nailing the ending,  or in the case today, it’s getting the beginning right. I think the hardest part of writing isn’t writer’s block per say, but writer’s overload. There are so many different roads you can travel down.


What songs are most played on your Ipod?


Do you have critique partners or beta readers?
I do have beta readers. I also use multiple editors, so I get a very well rounded look at a story.

What book are you reading now?
Right now nothing. But I finished up Money Shoot by SD Hildreth last night, and it was brilliant!


How did you start your writing career?
My thirtieth birthday came into the picture, and I realized I was ready to try for my dreams. I’ve always written, and I had notebooks upon notebooks of stories saved up. But I never had the nerve to put it out there, and see what a professional thought. With the encouragement of my husband, and thoughts of my first child in mind, I took the risk.


My next release is an action packed, sexy story that features a Rock Star, a biker, and another woman. I really wanted to push myself, and represent a different type of relationship/love.

It will be one of many stories in the Rock My World Anthology releasing Dec 7th.

Blurb
Rock singer Karma Good is looking to make a comeback after a battle with cocaine addiction and a long stint in rehab. Rebuilding her once prosperous career proves to be harder than she anticipated when a late night recording session turns bloody. After witnessing the murder of her crew, she narrowly escapes with her life and runs to the first person she can find for help.
After months working on a situation for a club up north, nomad Arsen Smarts is ready for a good time. He’s on his way to the clubhouse to party when trouble throws itself into his path. The steely determination in the girl’s brown eyes earns his respect. Moved, he decides to help her. But he’ll have to win the club’s approval first.
Add the sexy blonde, Chase, to the mix and who knows what will happen


Purchase Link


Shyla Colt grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, but has lived a variety of different places thanks to her wanderlust, interesting careers, and marriage to a United States Marine. She's always loved books and wrote her very first novel at the age of fifteen. She keeps a copy of her first submission letter on her desk for inspiration. 



After a lifetime of traveling, she settled down and knew her time had come to write. Diving into her new career like she does everything else, with enthusiasm, research and a lot of prayers, she had her first book published in June of 2011. As a full-time writer, stay at home mother, and wife, there's never a dull moment in her household. 

She weaves her tales in spare moments and the evenings with a cup of coffee or tea at her side and the characters in her head for company. A self-professed rebel with a pen. Her goal is to diversify romance as she continues to genre hop, and offer up strong female characters.
You can interact with Shyla Colt online via her website
www.shylacolt.com. 


Contact Information

Sunday, December 20, 2015

Blog Tour: All We Really Need is Love by @MainlineLeRon with a #review and #giveaway



Non Fiction / Dating / Romance
Date Published: 11/2/2015

All We Really Need Is Love ponders the questions: How is love found, how love is kept, How love is lost, and How love is found again. In this book you will read stories from people in all walks of life in all different types of relationships – straight, LGBTQ, interracial, long distance, and more. Listen as a teenager shares the excitement of a first love, the nervousness of a long time boyfriend proposing to his girlfriend, a determined woman traveling thousands of miles to be with that special someone, and when a young man realizes he met his soul mate. Love is not all roses though, as the book explores why relationships break apart with stories of betrayal, divorce, and heartache. All We Really Need Is Love offers an honest look into relationships and how people feel about love.



Purchase Link
Review 

This is a great way to help you evaluate how you think about love and if what you think coincides with that of real people. It will force you to think about the way you have been living and loving and recognize things you do right and wrong. I think it was a powerful novel and really helps shed light on some of the mistakes we make all to often in relationships. 

LeRon Barton (1978 – ) was born in Kansas City, Mo. Encouraged by his Mother to write, he attended Paseo Academy Fine Arts High-school to hone his craft. Mentored by famed writer Stan Banks, Barton began to write and recite poetry in KC and contribute to an underground zine. Graduating from high-school in 1996, Barton would continue to write and commit petty crime until 1999, when he would attend college in San Diego, Ca, and return to KC the following year. In 2005 after being laid off from a telecom company, Barton returned to San Diego and began writing screen plays and volumes of poetry. In 2010, he created “Windowshopz.com,” a website that featured writing, music, fashion, travel, and movies. He would also start what would become, “Straight Dope.” After a turbulent 2012, Barton relocated to The Bay Area and started, “Mainline Publications,” an online publications firm that would release controversial works. The first project, “Straight Dope: A 360 degree look into American drug culture,” a book about how drugs are intertwined into American life, was released in February 2013. All We Really Need is Love, a collection of love stories was released in Nov 2015. LeRon’s writing has appeared on websites such as The Good Men Project, Salon, Those People, Gangsters Inc, Gorilla Convict, Black Millennials, and The Elephant Journal. You can contact him on Twitter

Contact Information
Twitter: @MainlineLeRon



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Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Blog Tour: Martin Dash by @AndyBailey23 with an #interview



Psychological Romance Thriller
Date Published: 6/20/2015

What would it be like to have no feelings? No desire, no anger, no pleasure? Behold Martin Dash. A man who possesses stunning features that captivate all who encounter him but is also cursed with a medical condition that means he has no emotion to give in return. But one woman is convinced that there is something behind the apparently blank façade and sets out on a dark trail to uncover the haunted past that holds the key to the mystery; a journey that takes in politics, criminal finance, London's neo-burlesque scene and, finally . . . murder. MARTIN DASH is the first book of a trilogy that relates the bizarre experiences of a young man whose life was always destined to be terrifying as well as exceptional.

Purchase Links
Interview

What is the hardest part of writing your books?

Probably the most thorny issue to grapple with is . . . what to put in and what to leave out. The way I write is very organic and, for me, almost anything could happen in the story (and that is the feeling I want my readers to have). So it can be very difficult to make the choice that has to be made to go down a particular route. But, in fact, that is the real fun bit and I get a definite sense of satisfaction when I've managed to work out what was actually the best route (for the story)

What songs are most played on your Ipod?

Massive variety. However, on my Facebook page we recently did a Top 5 thing whereby everyone dialed in their Top 5 tracks of all time, one each per day over five days. Here it is:- https://www.facebook.com/AndyBaileyMartinDash/?ref=hl
You'll see what my Top 5 was then; it changes all the time, so this week it's:-
#5 - Soft Cell 'Tainted Love'
#4 - Boston 'More Than A Feeling'
#3 - Abba 'The Winner Takes It All'
#2 - Iggy and the Stooges 'Shake Appeal'
#1 - Aretha Franklin 'I Say A Little Prayer'

Do you have critique partners or beta readers?

OK, this is a great opportunity to thank Rick Ford (bestselling author of 'The Faradawn Trilogy') and Pamela Brough Sandiford (author of the award-winning 'The Burma Play'), both of whom gave up chunks of their valuable time to critique Martin Dash.

What book are you reading now?

'The Genuine, Imitation, Plastic Kidnapping' by Les Edgerton. It just goes to show what a snappy title and cover can do as it was this combination that first caught my eye in the case of Mr. Edgerton's book. It occurred to me that someone who could put together that combination of words in a title must be capable of producing prose that is entertaining at the very least and so it has proved. This wise-cracking comedy crime caper set in a vivid New Orleans is a joy to read.   

How did you start your writing career?

I've been scribbling away at things for years but it was only with the Martin Dash idea that I felt I'd finally hit my stride. I spent the whole of 2014 writing it and have spent this last year dealing with its publication and promotion. The self-publishing route has, quite honestly, been fascinating and opened my eyes to a whole other world I simply knew nothing of. So - onwards and upwards!



This is a little difficult as my telling you what the second book is about or, even, when and where it is set would provide a clue as to the central mystery of the Martin Dash book (the first of the trilogy) and I don't want to spoil that for the readers ! Suffice to say that it will be as packed with incident, passion and humor as the first book.






Andy Bailey is a British writer residing in deepest Staffordshire ('the Creative County' . . .) His principal claim to fame as an author (so far) is the creation of 'Martin Dash' and his recurring theme is the absurdity and futility of human endeavour (unless you're on double time) and his writing seeks to explore the strange motivations that drive the endlessly entertaining members of the species, homo sapiens.

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Cover Reveal: Molly's Misadventures by @denaehaggerty with a #excerpt and a #giveaway



Romantic Comedy
Date Published: January 11, 2015

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I’m having the suckiest day ever. First, my father, aka Mr. Grumpy Pants, calls to say his nurse just walked out on him. Likely story. I rush home to pack only to walk in on my husband getting it on with his younger, skanky secretary. Unfortunately, my quick weekend trip home to fix Dad’s problems turns into a stay of a few weeks. Luckily, I’ve got Danny, the neighbor boy I had a crush on when I was a dorky, braces-wearing, nose-buried-in-a-book teenager, and a brand-spanking new blog to keep my mind off things. Before I know it, I’m writing product reviews of vibrators and getting questioned by a store rent-a-cop at the world’s worst date ever. All while trying to figure out how to take things with Danny to the next level. Not to complicate things or anything but my boss decides to give me an ultimatum – come back in four weeks or don’t come back at all. How in the world did my life get so complicated?



Excerpt



Danny clears his throat and turns to me. “I was going to ask you something about your blog.” I raise an eyebrow at him. “Why don’t you ever blog about me?”

I nearly choke on my wine. “Blog about you? The blogs are about my dates.”

“Babe, pay attention.” He grabs my chin. “What do you think we’re doing?”

My eyes nearly pop out of my head. “Being good friends?”

He shakes his head. “Um, no. I’m wooing you.”

“Wooing me?”

“Yeah, wooing.” He points between us. “Do you think I drink wine on my porch with just anyone?”

I’m confused. “You don’t like wine?”

He chuckles. “Look at me. I’m a single guy with a kid. Why would I have wine in the house?”

The dominoes begin to fall in place. “Oh.”

“Yeah, oh. Come over here.”

 He takes my wine and places it on the ground next to his glass before firmly grabbing my head and planting his lips on mine. The kiss is soft, sweet, and everything that’s right in the world. And it’s not enough. I want, no need, more. I grab his neck and pull him closer. He growls and grabs my head to tilt it to his liking so he can deepen the kiss. I’m putty in his hands by the time he eases up and pulls back. What. Just. Happened?






About the Author


I grew up reading everything I could get my hands on from my mom’s Harlequin romances to Nancy Drew to Little Woman. When I wasn’t flipping pages in a library book, I was penning horrendous poems, writing songs no one should ever sing, or drafting stories which have thankfully been destroyed. College and a stint in the U.S. Army came along, robbing me of free time to write and read, although I did manage every once in a while to sneak a book into my rucksack between rolled up socks, MRIs, t-shirts, and cold weather gear. A few years into my legal career, I was exhausted, fed up, and just plain done. I quit my job and sat down to write a manuscript, which I promptly hid in the attic after returning to the law. Another job change, this time from lawyer to B&B owner and I was again fed up and ready to scream I quit, which is incredibly difficult when you own the business. Thus, I shut the B&B during the week and in the off-season and started writing. Several books later I find myself in Istanbul writing full-time.



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Giveaway
$10 Amazon gift card



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