Saturday, December 15, 2012

Happy Book Release Day to Authors Ayoe and Bob Lai!

Congratulations Ayoe and Bob Lai for the release of 'Three More Bites Presents: Cozy Cooking'! 

Whether you are an experienced chef or just learning to cook, this book will entertain you and warm your heart, and the recipes will satisfy your appetite!



“Cozy” is equivalent to the Danish expression, “Hygge”. It is more than just a word, it is a lifestyle. It is spending time together with family and friends over nice meals, sharing, relaxing and enjoying life. 

Ayoe and Bob love to cook and have “Hygge”. They travel the world and experience many cuisines, and experiment in their kitchen constantly! They want to share their experiences, and most especially, their recipes with you, recipes that are special but also easy to make. You can even access some very special videos through your computer, smartphone, or tablet. Tips on cooking, knife skills, and even what to do with those occasional leftovers are all covered through amazing new technology contained in this book.

Whether you are an experienced chef or just learning to cook, this book will entertain you and warm your heart, and the recipes will satisfy your appetite! Ayoe and Bob want to inspire the chef in you, share the love and appreciation of family and sharing, and provide the tools and knowledge necessary to create beautiful meals in your everyday life.

Order yours today and don't forget to check out the entertaining and informative YouTube videos presented by Three More Bites


Happy Reading... and Cooking!

Thursday, December 13, 2012

'What's next?' Q&A with author A.J. Walkley

Welcome author A.J. Walkley as she talks about her current project and her NaNoWriMo experiences.


Hi A.J.!  Can you tell readers a little about yourself and your books?

A.J.: My name is A.J. Walkley, author of such titles as Choice and Queer Greer. Choice is about the decision a high school student must make once she discovers she is pregnant, the plot following both her path to abort the pregnancy, as well as her path to keep her baby in alternative endings. Queer Greer tells the story of a girl in high school coming to terms with her bisexuality after she falls for both a boy and a girl upon moving to a new state and school.

What are you currently working on? 

A.J.: I have two projects in the works. Vuto, which I wrote the first draft of during National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) 2011, tells the story of a Malawian woman who bucks tradition and must flee from her husband; a Peace Corps volunteer takes her in, leading to an attack by her husband and his accidental murder; the two women must flee, encountering physical, ethical and cultural struggles along the way.
I just finished the first draft of The Pileup during NaNoWriMo 2012; this book follows the stories of every passenger involved in an eight-car pileup on the 405 freeway in Los Angeles one morning, getting into their backstories as their fates in the massive accident are revealed.

Where did the idea come from for the book?

A.J.: I was driving home one day and saw a car swerve in front of me when I realized the driver was on his cell phone. This got me thinking about what was so important that he had to read a text while driving. I thought it might be interesting to write a book that started with that premise and expanded from there.

What genre does it fall under?

A.J.: Probably just traditional fiction.

What is the one-sentence synopsis for your book?

A.J.: A pileup on the 405 in Los Angeles during morning rush hour reveals the lives of the passengers involved, forever connected by one of the worst accidents in recent history.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

A.J.: I’ve been seeing more and more stories in the media about terrible accidents and injuries caused by texting and driving, so I wanted to incorporate that message into a book in some way. As I wrote it during NaNoWriMo 2012, however, that message became overshadowed by the serious stories each of my characters were dealing with at the time they became involved in the car accident that was caused by a text. Now, it’s not so much a cautionary tale about texting while driving as it is a character-driven story in which that message is only one small factor.

I can imagine that there is a lot of research involved in writing The Pileup. What can you tell us about what the research process has been like and it's obstacles? 

A.J.: When writing a NaNoWriMo project, there is no time for research except for what is in your head already. I had years and years of watching terrible car accidents on the news to base my initial draft off of, so that was, in a sense, my "research." As for the ample amount of characters I chose to include, all of their individual accounts of the crash and their back stories just sort of came to me as I was writing, very organically. When I finished the first draft, I was actually surprised by what I had made the characters do and have happen to them. I almost felt like this story came from someone else!

I participated in NaNoWriMo before and one of the few negatives things that I have to say about it is that it took away from my being able to get to know and enjoy my characters like I usually do.   Do you think that NaNoWriMo limits what 'could be' in terms of research and character development or is that something which can be easily fixed during the revision process when you have more time to go back and add to the story?

A.J.: For me, I love the NaNoWriMo challenge simply because it forces you to write, write, write and not to worry about editing as you do, which leaves you with a pretty nice sized rough draft at the end of the 30 days. Because of the need to not edit, however, there are tons of details, especially character details, that need to be added and fleshed out in the weeks and months post-challenge. I am sure there are some writers who prefer to get those details down on the first run. In my writing, however, I find the revision process post-first draft to be a fine time to go back to the beginning and get into the nitty-gritty of it all. Oftentimes, it takes me the entirety of the first draft to really get a feel for who I want my characters to be, so this method works really well for me.


What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

A.J.: I think The Pileup would interest readers who enjoy reading books in which different characters take up varying chapters. I really enjoy writing such stories where each chapter is told from the perspective of a different person, eventually having all of those stories overlap and intertwine down the line.


'Queer Greer' is available on RSP LaunchPadAmazonKindle, and Nook


Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Happy Book Release Day to Author Daniele Lanzarotta!


Congratulations to YA author Daniele Lanzarotta for the release of Sins of the Fallen (Academy of the Fallen #3).

Here is what reviewers have to say about Sins of the Fallen:

"There are a few twists to this book that will leave you with your mouth hanging open...  Loved the book a lot and I can’t wait for the last one because holy cow the end killed me!" 
- Starry Night Book Reviews

"There is a beautiful balance of drama and action. As always, there are twists and turns that you don't see coming and will keep the pages turning!"
 - Book Purses 

Sins of the Fallen Synopsis (from Hunter's POV):

Hunter
I knew how much Kayla had changed over the past few weeks, but it was nothing compared to what I had seen in her from the moment we stepped into this place. The Kayla from before she learned about this world, was gone. She was already attached to some of their kind and I could see that she felt as if it was her responsibility to protect them all, the haunted and the fallen. She was starting to put them before her in every decision she made. It started sometime before we left the Academy where her father is in charge. After her incubus half-brother and his allies attacked the Academy, we managed to leave and take shelter here. Only, everything about this place is completely different. Many of the beings that live here have earned back the privilege of being full-blooded angels. Well, some say that is a privilege; others see it as a curse. Either way, the place itself had already started to become my very own curse. From the moment Kayla stepped foot in this place, I could see her change complete faster and faster. This Academy was giving her the confidence to be who she was meant to be, and deep down, I knew it was only a matter of time before I would no longer be needed in her life. It may sound selfish, but as Kayla started her journey to save those who were left behind, I was fighting for her. I was fighting to be worthy of a Nephilim.

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Order yours today!





Tuesday, December 4, 2012

'What's next?' Q&A with author Elissa Burr.


Elissa Burr, author of fiction novel 'Between Heaven and Helen', and children's book 'Are They Speaking Martian?', is currently working on not just one, but a few new projects! Elissa is here today, answering questions about her projects and talking about her experience in writing books for different target audiences.

What is the working title of your book?

Elissa: Booker the Bald Cat

Tell us about your current project.

Elissa: I am working on a few different projects. I hope to finish my trilogy about a cat named Booker. He was found in a library, hence the name; and adopted by a family that loves him a bit too much! The first in the series is Booker The Bald Cat. The sequels will be following Booker's adventures and finally, we will release the trilogy as a hardbound edition.

Where did the idea come from for the book?

Elissa: Booker was inspired by my own cat Luke. 

What genre does it fall under?

Elissa: Children's - age 7-11

What is the one-sentence synopsis for your book?

Elissa: A kitten is found in the walls of the local library and is adopted by an overly-enthusiastic family that loves this kitten so much he goes bald! 

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

Elissa: The inspiration came from grooming my cat Luke. He absolutely loves to be combed and one day, I had an idea to write a book about moderation and how to teach children this valuable lesson. The subsequent books will address bullying and bravery. 

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

Elissa: The three books will all teach valuable lessons for children. I think the issues of moderation and bullying are particularly topical in America at this time


Do you find it more difficult to write for kids or adults?


Elissa: I definitely find it more difficult to write for adults. My first novel was going to be a short story but then kept growing and growing. I have to say though, I did a lot of editing for "Between Heaven and Helen" before I submitted it to Frank [Monahan]. Writing children's books was never on my radar until one day my mom and I were talking about her house in New Jersey being built by a German man named Herman Greif. I then said to her, "So Herman was German!" That was what sparked the idea for "Are They Speaking Martian". 

What are some of the obstacles (if any) that you encountered when changing genres?

Elissa: I have found children's books to be much easier to write; so switching back from the novel to short stories for children has been a welcome change. Writing a novel requires so much more concentration and in the case of "Between Heaven and Helen" it was always in my mind how I was going to link these characters together. In children's books, I try to teach lessons and that seems to be a much more cut and dry way to write (but I always try to make the stories interesting!)

Do you plan on writing more books for adults?

Elissa: I do have one idea for another novel that I haven't fleshed out completely. I will be working on that in the New Year and I have started an adolescent's book about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder aka PTSD. It's about a teenage girl whose father returns from Iraq and how she helps him through his trauma. 

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'Between Heaven and Helen' and 'Are They Speaking Martian?' are available on RSP LaunchPad, Amazon, Kindle, Nook, and iBookstore.

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Elissa Burr was born in New Jersey in 1975. Growing up, she was always very artistic and decided to attend college at the University of Kentucky in their Architecture program. After graduation, she spent a year traveling the world. She has been to 14 countries and over 40 of the United States. When she realized that working at an architecture firm and attending school for architecture were vastly different, she decided to pursue her art again. Elissa then went on to receive her BFA from Georgia State University, and graduated in 2005 Suma Cum Laude. It was shortly after her graduation that she was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. This debilitating disease kept Elissa almost completely bedridden for 3 years and kept her from working on her ceramics. Even though she couldn’t be a ceramicist at that time, she found other ways to satisfy her artistic needs including writing. 
The premise for her first novel, Between Heaven and Helen, came to her in a dream. It was such a strong image that it would not leave her mind; so she decided to begin creating a story around it. The story, in time, became the novel Between Heaven and Helen.  
In her spare time, she still works in clay, and even though the fibromyalgia is under control, she still experiences bouts with pain every day.
 Elissa has just published her first children's book, Are They Speaking Martian? Elissa never thought she had a prowess for writing but she has happily proved herself wrong. Elissa doesn’t plan on stopping her artistic or writing pursuits anytime soon.