Pump Up Your Book’s August 2010 Authors on Virtual Book Tour – Day 5

Welcome to Day Five of Pump Up Your Book’s August 2010 Authors on Virtual Book Tour! Follow along as these talented authors travel the blogosphere all month long to talk about their books, their lives and their future projects. Leave a comment at their blog stops and you could win a FREE virtual book tour if you’re a published author with a recent release or a $50 Amazon gift certificate if you are not published. So, pick your favorites, follow their tours, and make sure you leave them a note to tell them you stopped by!

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Kim Baccellia, author of the young adult novel, Crossed Out, will be visiting Pump Up Your Book and Literarily Speaking!  Following the light can’t be that hard, right? So why don’t the dead just do it and leave Stephanie Steward alone? However nothing is ever as simple as it should be as Stephanie learns when her hidden ‘gift’ becomes more than a nuisance, quickly turning into a liability. If she can’t learn to trust someone with her secret, the world as she knows it will go to hell. Literally. But if she doesn’t choose wisely, she might just end up learning firsthand how hard it is to follow that light. Because she’s next on the list to be crossed out.

You can visit the author’s website at www.kim-baccellia.com.

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LG Bradshaw, author of the general literature book, Dot to Dot, will be visiting (no stop today)! ‘Dot to Dot’ is a literary relay race revolving around one central theme: we are all connected. These connections may be seemingly insignificant – bumping into an old friend on the street or passing a stranger in a hospital corridor – but they have the potential to alter the course of our lives, some slightly, others in more profound and lasting ways. The race begins with an embattled United States senator and moves from character to character like wildfire: the senator’s disgraced wife who decides to leave the public eye following the outing of her husband; the motley crew of movers tasked with transporting the senator’s wife and kids back home to New Mexico; a boy who takes matters into his own hands to save himself and his mother from her murderous boyfriend; a private detective who discovers that his past has come back to haunt him; a police chief who spends his own money to help a Mexican family; the Mexican family themselves who are desperate to get their kidnapped daughter back; a country music singer who stumbles on fame after heartbreak; and, finally, a serial killer who has the tables turned on him by a very unlikely avenging angel. Simply put, ‘Dot to Dot’ is a story about people, some extraordinary, some not, but all memorable and flawed in their own unique ways.

You can visit the author’s website at www.lgbradshaw.com.

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Sharon Donovan, author of the suspense thriller, Mask of the Betrayer, will be visiting Literarily Speaking!

Deep in the foothills of Red Rock Canyon, a serial killer stalks. He leaves his signature—a skull mask on the corpse. But when the homicide cop realizes the crimes are the reenactment of a case never solved ten years ago–all fingers point to Michael DeVeccio. And when Margot realizes she is married to the killer, her life becomes a living nightmare.

You can visit her website at www.sharonadonovan.com.

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Paula Deen, author of the home and garden decorating book, Paula Deen’s Savannah Style, will be visiting Cafe of Dreams! In this gorgeous, richly illustrated book, Paula Deen shares a full year of Southern living. Whether it’s time to put out your best china and make a real fuss, or you’re just gathering for some sweet tea on the porch at dusk, Savannah style is about making folks feel welcome in your home. With the help of decorator and stylist Brandon Branch, you’ll learn how to bring a bit of Southern charm into homes from Minnesota to Mississippi. For each season, there are tips on decorating and entertaining. In the spring, you’ll learn how to make the most of your outdoor spaces, spruce up your porch, and make your garden inviting. In the summer, things get more casual with a dock party. Sleeping spaces, including, of course, the sleeping porch, are the focal point of this chapter. In the fall, cooler weather brings a return to more formal entertaining in the dining room, and in the winter, attention returns to the hearth, as Paula and her neighbors put out their best silver and show you how they celebrate the holidays.

You can visit Paula’s website at www.pauladeen.com.

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Lisa Gardner, author of the mystery novel, Live to Tell, will be visiting Thoughts in Progress!

In New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner’s most compelling work of suspense to date, the lives of three women unfold and connect in unexpected ways, as sins from the past emerge—and stunning secrets reveal just how tightly blood ties can bind.

You can find Lisa online at www.LisaGardner. com

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Tom Graneau, author of the nonfiction book Renters Win, Home Owners Lose: Revealing the Biggest Scam in America, will be stopping off at Blogcritics! Tom, a financial management coach, pinpoints owning a home as the black hole for the American dollar. This timely masterpiece exposes the biggest shakedown in consumer spending—home ownership. Driven by the American dream of grandeur and prosperity, buyers purchase their homes as “smart investments” when in actuality, the best they can hope to get is zero percent return. More commonly, owners lose an enormous amount of money on the deal, driving themselves even deeper into debt as they pour their hard-earned income in mortgage payments and maintenance costs. In Renters Win, Home Owners Lose, author Tom Graneau prudently shows readers how to avoid getting trapped in the biggest scam in the country, endorsed by national and local governments and the housing and mortgage industries. Tables, graphs, and various statistics are prominently laced throughout the book to expound the obvious, tangible advantages that renters have over anyone preparing to buy a home. For those already owning a home—fear not. Graneau concludes by outlining winning strategies and solutions to make their experience a little more agreeable. Renters Win, Home Owners Lose is a perfect eye-opener for renters, first-time home buyers, and those who plan to upgrade to a second or third home

You can visit the author’s website at http://renters-win.com/.

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James Hayman, author of the murder mystery, The Chill of Night, will be stopping off at Chrissy’s World of Books! Fresh off the success of The Cutting, James Hayman brings Detective Michael McCabe back in an even more powerful tale of duplicity, murder, and revenge. Glamorous young Portland attorney Lainie Goff thought she had it all—brains, beauty, and a fast-track to a partnership in a top-ranked firm that was going to make her rich. But then one cold winter night she pushed things too far, and her naked frozen body is found in the sub-zero temperatures at the end of the Portland Fish Pier. The only witness to the crime: a mentally disturbed young woman named Abby Quinn who mysteriously disappears the very same night. With the discovery of Lainie Goff ’s body and the disappearance of Abby Quinn, Portland homicide detective Michael McCabe finds himself on the trail of a relentless and clever killer. A killer he must find before another life is lost. With The Chill of Night James Hayman returns to tell a gripping tale of evil and deceit and creates characters so real and so human, we want to meet them again and again.

You can visit the author’s website at www.jameshaymanthrillers.com.

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Maya Jax, author of the chick lit novel, Escapades of Romantically Challenged Me, will be visiting Review From Here! Lelaina is trying to make it in LA, but first she has to make it through her trip home… Aspiring screenwriter Lelaina Zane finally lands a Hollywood break, but it’s cut short when her dad has a heart attack and she has to return to her home town. Leaving LA for the first time in three years, she returns home to be with her family. And now that she’s back, her parents want her to stay and join the family law firm. After three years of unsuccessfully trying to ‘make it’ in Hollywood, she thinks they might be right. But soon after settling into her new life, Hollywood calls with a potential offer. Lelaina has to decide if she’ll stay for her ailing father and the promise of a successful life, or return to LA to pursue what she’s always wanted. Torn between her two choices, the decision becomes even harder when her cheating ex — her first love, first kiss and first… you know — reappears with apologies and a proposition.

Visit Maya Jax’s website at www.mayajax.com.

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Jackie M. Johnson, author of the relationship book, When the Love Ends and the Ice Cream Carton is Empty, will be visiting The Hot Author Report! While most books for singles tell readers how to get the next guy, When Love Ends and the Ice Cream Carton is Empty encourages a healthy healing process. Practical and biblically based, each chapter guides the reader through a metaphorical day of restoration. Twilight recognizes and deals with endings, night validates and grieves the loss, dawn awakens hope, and day is the new beginning based on the solid assurance of Christ.

You can visit her website at http://whenloveends.com/.

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Sally Koslow, author of the women’s fiction book, With Friends Like These, will be visiting A Musing Reviews!

From the author of The Late, Lamented Molly Marx, a novel following four New York City women’s complicated friendships across a span of twenty years–for readers of The Ten-Year Nap and The Wednesday Sisters.

You can visit Sally online at www.sallykoslow. com

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Tina Martin, author of the romance novel, Secrets on Lake Drive, will be visiting Book Marketing Buzz! Monica and Sean clash at a parent-teacher conference when Monica accuses Sean of being too occupied with making money and chasing women to take a real interest in his son’s life. But Sean is no pushover. He knows how to hold his own and deal with Monica, but after the incident at school, he’s also come to realize that he can use Monica’s devotion to his advantage. He propositions her to move into his home to babysit five-year old Roman for the three months of summer break, offering her a substantial amount of money, hoping that she’ll accept. But is babysitting the only reason he’s so anxious to get her into his mansion?

You can visit her website at www.tinamartinbooks.com.

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Tina Murray, author of the romantic supsense novel, A Chance to Say Yes, will be visiting Writing Daze! Finally, after years of struggle, Heston Demming is at the peak of his acting career—a Hollywood heartthrob, his handsome face on every tabloid. When he comes home to Naples, Florida, his opulent lifestyle is declaration of victory over the poverty and hardship of his youth. But his triumphant return is a sham, a lie he’s told himself to keep from facing the truth.The truth is, his life is falling apart. It’s as though he is standing on the beach in the edge of the surf, each wave washing more sand from beneath his feet. And, with nothing solid to hang onto, he is going down. Then one “real” person comes back into his life, Poppy Talbot. The woman left behind in his quest for money and fame. Poppy still has the same sweetness as she did when they were love-struck teenagers. She could save him—if he could get her to forgive the past and win her trust…

You can find out more about Tina at www.tinamurrayauthor.com

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Kerri Nelson, author of the romantic suspense book, Cross Check My Heart, will be visiting Beyond the Books! She’s on the run from something ominous in her past and escapes to a new town and a new job as the physical therapist for the U.S. Hockey Team who is preparing for the Olympics. He’s a veteran hockey player with a secret of his own that threatens his chances at making the final cut for the team. When she discovers his secret, will she attempt to stand in the way of his childhood dreams? Or will he unwittingly become the new target when her past ultimately catches up with her? As their attraction for one another grows, danger looms nearby. Jana and Danny must decide what they will risk for the ultimate game of love…

You can visit Kerri’s website at www.kerrinelson.com.

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Elle Newmark, author of the Renaissance mystery novel, The Book of Unholy Mischief , will be visiting A Novel Source! It is 1498, the dawn of the Renaissance and Venice teems with rumors of an ancient book that hold the secrets of unimaginable power. Rich and poor alike speculate abouthe the long buried secred tht might be scrawled in its pages and where the book might be hidden in the labyrinthine city. While those who seek the book will stop at nothing to get it, those who know will die to protect it. As a storm of intrigue percolates in Her Most Serene Republic, Luciano, a penniless orphan, is plucked off the street by the doge’s chef and taken in as the chef’s apprentice. In the palace kitchen Luciano is initiated into the chef’s rich and mysterious world where recipes are more than they seem. It is not long before Luciano is caught up in the madness. Torn between loyalty to his street friends and his passion for Francesca, a convent girl, Lucianco’s worthiness is tested. Armed with a precicious mind and insatiable curiosity, Luciano embarks on a perilous journey to uncover the truth. What he discovers will swing opent he shutters of his mind, inflalme his deepest esires, and leaven an indelible mark on his soul.

You can find out more about Elle at http://www.ellennewmark.com

Soren Paul Petrek, author of the historical thriller novel, Cold Lonely Courage, will be visiting As the Pages Turn! An assassin born of death and violation is the most dangerous of all. Cold Lonely Courage tells her story.The action begins during the German Blitzkrieg attack on France in the opening days of World War II. The heroine, Madeleine Toche races to the front to find her brother dying after his unit is destroyed as the Germans advance. Crushed, Madeleine returns his body to her parents.In the months that follow, Madeleine is raped by a Nazi officer. Seeking revenge she kills him and flees to England to volunteer for duty with Britain’s shadowy Special Operations Executive. Trained as an assassin she clandestinely returns to France with Captain Jack Teach a veteran of the SOE ‘Dirty Tricks Department’. They find themselves in love but are torn apart by duty and the insurmountable odds of survival. Madeleine fights on terrorizing the murderous Nazi elite always only one step ahead of capture and torture.

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Sue Provost, author of the Christian spirituality novel, Where is God in Your Life: Three Retreats in Christian Spirituality, will be visiting Marta’s Meanderings!

As Christians, our spiritual journey constantly brings us back to Jerusalem, to the death and resurrection of Jesus, which gives meaning to all that we do. Strengthened by God’s Spirit we join on the walk to wherever, we share meals, and we tell our stories. We remember. God, as we go along our life’s way, will help us to be aware of His presence with us. He will open our eyes, makes us expectant, eager to be met by Him. We will never complete our spiritual journey.

You can visit Sue’s website at www.sueprovost.com.

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Leonora Pruner, author of the historical romance, Close to His Heart, will be visitingThe Book Connection and  The Writer’s Life!

Serious misunderstandings, of Grace and Lord Henry, shatter their marriage until Grace’s loss of memory offers an opportunity for renewal – if they can forgive each other.

Find out more at http://nordskogpubl ishing.com/ book-close- to-his-heart. shtml.

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Diana M. Raab, author of the memoir, Healing With Words: A Writer’s Cancer Journey will be visiting (no stop today)!

Healing With Words: A Writer’s Cancer Journey is a compassionate and wry self-help memoir written by an award-winning author, nurse and poet, who at the age of forty-seven found her life shattered first by a DCIS (early breast cancer) diagnosis and five years later by another, seemingly unrelated and incurable cancer—multiple myeloma.

You can visit the author’s website at www.dianaraab.com.

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M.J. Rose, author of the historical suspense novel, The Hypnotist, will be visiting (no stop today)! An FBI agent, tormented by a death he wasn’t able to prevent, a crime he’s never been able to solve and a love he’s never forgotten, discovers that his true conflict resides not in his past, but in a…Past Life. Haunted by a twenty-year old murder of a beautiful young painter, Lucian Glass keeps his demons at bay through his fascinating work as a Special Agent with the FBI’s Art Crime Team. Currently investigating a crazed art collector who has begun destroying prized masterworks, Glass is thrust into a bizarre hostage negotiation that takes him undercover at the Phoenix Foundation—dedicated to the science of past life study—where, in order to maintain his cover, he agrees to submit to the treatment of a hypnotist. Under hypnosis, Glass travels from ancient Greece to 19th century Persia, while the case takes him from New York to Paris and the movie capital of world. These journeys will change his very understanding of reality, lead him to question his own sanity and land him at the center of perhaps the most audacious art heist in history: the theft of a 1,500 year old sculpture from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. International bestselling author M. J. Rose’s The Hynpotist is her most mesmerizing novel yet. An adventure, a love story, a clash of cultures, a spiritual quest, it is above all a thrilling capstone to her unique Reincarnation novels, The Reincarnationist and The Memorist.

You can visit her website at www.mjrose.com.

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Dr. Harry Saranchak, author of the medical mystery, Betrayals of Hippocrates: Crimes Against Innocence, will be visiting Pump Up Your Book! Dr. Alston Crowley’s medical career took flight on the wings of his parents’ dream. With fluctuating grades and a half-hearted desire to become a doctor, Alston much preferred to set his sights on specimens of the female variety. Not wishing to disappoint his parents, however, he decided to compromise, and set out for the Caribbean island of Montserrat, where he studied while basking in the natural beauty around him. Then, during his residency, the euphoria of paradise soon morphed into the harsh, clinical reality of New York Charity Hospital, where he met his nemesis, the brilliant practitioner, Dr. Maggie Finney. Under her relentless scrutiny, Alston’s medical career teetered on the brink of annihilation – until he was given a second chance to study at Physicians Scientific Research Institute in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, under the mentorship of Dr. Harry James Thornton, M.D., Ph.D.. At the Institute – metaphorically somewhere between Montserrat and Alcatraz, Alston’s life unexpectedly converged with researchers and practitioners in a tangled web of good versus evil. The subject of everyone’s focus: tiny yellow, red, and green frogs, emitting a mysterious substance. In the right hands, the discovery had the potential to revolutionize medical science. When in the clutches of the sinister Dr. Vincent Edison Longfellow, however, it altered countless lives and generations, engendering debates about the definition of “life” and its preservation. The ensuing challenges were not for the faint of heart, and beckoned Alston and his colleagues to probe and question the integrity of their profession. Ultimately, they found their way home – to the core meaning of “justice,” and the true essence of themselves. In this intense narrative, blended with intrigue, romance, and humor, author Harry J. Saranchak asks his readers to do the same. No one is immune to unethical practices and, where lives are at stake, the world is involved. Anyone, anywhere who has been privy to injustice must rise to the cause and have a voice.

147 pages

You can visit his website at www.harryjsaranchak.com.

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Kathryn Shay, author of the women’s mainstream fiction novel, The Perfect Family, will be visiting Rundpinne! In THE PERFECT FAMILY, seventeen-year old Jamie Davidson doesn’t think being gay should be such a big deal…until he comes out to his parents and friends. Even as Jamie celebrates no longer needing to hide his true self and looks forward to the excitement of openly dating another boy, the entire Davidson family is thrown into turmoil. Jamie’s father Mike can’t reconcile his religious beliefs with his son’s sexuality. His brother Brian is harassed by his jock buddies and angry at Jamie for complicating all their lives. Maggie, his mother, fears being able to protect her son while struggling to save her crumbling marriage. And Jamie feels guilty for the unhappiness his disclosure has caused. What happens in their small town community, in the high school, in two churches–one supportive and one not—as well as among friends and relatives is vividly portrayed. Finally, every member of their “perfect family” must search their hearts and souls to reconnect with each other in this honest, heartwarming, and hopeful look at the redemptive power of love and family.

You can visit her website at www.kathrynshay.com.

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Bill Walker, author of the soul searching romance novel, A Note From an Old Acquaintance, will be visiting A Moment with Mystee! Brian Weller is a haunted man. It’s been two years since the tragic accident that left his three-year-old son dead and his wife in an irreversible coma.

A popular author of mega-selling thrillers, Brian’s life has reached a crossroads: his new book is stalled, his wife’s prognosis is dire, and he teeters on the brink of despair. Filled with tender romance and taut suspense, A Note from an Old Acquaintance is an unforgettable story about fate, honor, and the power of true love.

You can visit his website at here.

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Jennifer Walker, author of the young adult novel, Bubba Goes National, will be visiting (no stop today)! Thirteen-year-old Leslie Clark has loved horses for as long as she can remember and has been riding since she was six. Although her widowed father cannot afford to give her everything she desires, she works hard to get what she wants. When what she wants, a great horse to show, is taken right out from under her by her rival, Kate Wellesley, Leslie thinks her whole world has been turned upside down–until she finds Lucky (nicknamed Bubba by her father, who thinks he is funny). Then, everything changes. Readers of Bubba Goes National will be touched by an inspiring story, but they will also learn about the care and showing of horses while they read about Leslie’s adventures. Sandwiched in is a lesson that if one is willing to work hard, they can make their dreams come true. Bubba Goes National is the first of the Riders of Green Meadow series, which will showcase horses that are unwanted by one person but are another’s dream come true.

You can visit her website at www.authorjenniferwalker.com/.

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Jonathan Williams, author of the Christian adventure novel, Jungle Sunrise will be visiting Life in the First Draft! A unique and captivating novel by a member of the Xtreme Team, who risk their lives and endure unthinkable physical deprivation while assisting native people in the most remote areas of the world. He unlocks the secret of how to begin life anew, as the book’s central character moves from a depressing, directionless life to a rewarding and incomparable adventure, discovering the ultimate meaning in life through trials and tragedy.

Visit his website at www.junglesunrise.com/.

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Pamela Samuels Young, author of the legal thriller, Buying Time, will be visiting Tell Me a Story! Buying Time is a scandalous tale of blackmail, murder and betrayal, evoking John Grisham with a dash of Terry McMillan. Waverly Sloan is a down-on-his-luck lawyer. But just when he’s about to hit rock bottom, he stumbles upon a business with the potential to solve all of his problems. In Waverly’s new line of work, he comes to the aid of people in desperate need of cash. But there’s a catch. His clients must be terminally ill and willing to sign over rights to their life insurance policies before they can collect a dime. Waverly then finds investors eager to advance them thousands of dollars—including a hefty broker’s fee for himself—in exchange for a significant return on their investment once the clients take their last breath. The stakes get higher when Waverly brokers the policy of the cancer-stricken wife of Lawrence Erickson, a high-powered lawyer who’s bucking to become the next U.S. Attorney General. When Waverly’s clients start dying sooner than they should, both Waverly and Erickson—who has some skeletons of his own to hide—are unwittingly drawn into a perilous web of greed, blackmail and murder.

You can visit her online at www.pamelasamuelsyoung.com.