Elemental by Emily White - #BookBlast $100 Giveaway!

Welcome to the Elemental #BookBlast.  
A new way I'm spreading the word about great books & authors!

Join me in a future BookBlast by signing up HERE.

Today I'm spreading the word about the book Elemental by Emily White.

Just because Ella can burn someone to the ground with her mind doesn't mean she should.

But she wants to.

For ten years—ever since she was a small child—Ella has been held prisoner on an interstellar starship. Now that she has escaped, she needs answers.

Who is she? Why was she taken? And who is the boy with the beautiful green eyes who haunts her memories?

Is Ella the prophesied Destructor… or will she be the one who's destroyed?  

PRAISE FOR ELEMENTAL

"Emily White's debut novel is a bestseller waiting to happen...I immediately fell in love with Ella." ~Author Michelle Pickett


"Who would have thought that mixing faeries and space opera would turn out to be so awesome? ... If you’re a sci-fi fan, you really can’t miss this debut!" ~birth of a new witch, book blogger


"Emily has done a fantastic job describing the worlds and this book has lots of action in it...keep your eye out for the book! Happy Reading! Go on a wonderful adventure to a new world where things are not always as they seem!" ~Tee loves Kyle Jacobson, goodreads review


"I can honestly say I've never read anything quite like Elemental. My hat is off to Ms. White, and anyone else who can take a novel set squarely in the sci-fi genre, throw in fairies and a few obscure King Arthur references, and make it all work." ~Keshia Swaim at The Book Addict


"I'm calling it right now. Elemental is the beginning of the next big YA series...I can safely say that I could give a copy of Elemental to my guy friends without fear of getting punched in the nose." ~Author Daniel Cohen

About Author Emily White:

Emily White lives in NY, wedged between two of the Great Lakes and a few feet of snow and ice. She's spent most of her life running away from the cold, and even spent a year in Iraq, but now contents herself with writing her characters into warm, exotic places in faraway galaxies. When not tapping away at her computer keys, she can be found reading, reading, and reading some more. And when she's not doing that, she's usually playing video games with her husband, peek-a-boo with her kids, or walking through her garden, wondering why the bugs insist on eating all her vegetables.

Connect with Emily

Blog:

http://emilytwhite.blogspot.com/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/#!/Emily_T_White

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Elemental/212879475408278

Pinterest:

http://pinterest.com/emilywhite24/

Emily on Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4807573.Emily_White

Elemental on Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11185432-elemental

Giveaway 

Author Emily White is giving away $100 Amazon Gift Code!

Last day to enter is May 8th.

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Pump Up Your Book 5 Year Anniversary Giveaway - Amazon Gift Card

Pump Up Your Book is celebrating its 5th Year Anniversary by giving YOU prizes throughout the month of April. This event allows us the opportunity to say thank you to our authors, bloggers, reviewers and readers for their patronage.

Pump Up Your Book opened its virtual doors the first week of April 2007 with one customer. Today our client list has grown to an average of 30 – 50 authors a month. What started as an experiment, escalated into one of the largest virtual book tour companies on the Internet. We have represented authors from all walks of life and platforms: from self-published authors to celebrities such as Judge Glenda Hatchett and cook show personality Paula Deen, and from those authors with little or no publicity, to NY Times bestselling authors such as Caridad Pineiro and Lisa Jackson. It has been a pleasure to serve you and we look forward to many more years to come.

Welcome to Dorothy Thompson CEO & Founder of Pump Up Your Book.

First of all I’d like to thank Kathy for having me here today on I Am a Reader, Not a Writer as part of Pump Up Your Book’s 5^th Anniversary Hoedown!  We’re visiting different blogs throughout the month of April and giving away great prizes.  Do check out http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2012/04/01/pump-up-your-book-5th-year-anniversary-celebration/ and enter all the contests!

Today I’ll be giving away a Pump Up Your Book Mouse Pad, Pump Up Your Book Magnet & a $10 Amazon Gift Card!  Woot!

But first Kathy wants me to answer some off the wall questions (which were rather fun!).  Thanks, Kathy and good luck to all!

If you could travel in a Time Machine would you go back to the past or into the future?

I’m a live by the seat of your pants in the present kind of girl so this is a hard choice.  I don’t believe in knowing what your future brings so maybe it might be more fun going back into my past and reliving my wonderful childhood days in Burbank, California, where I hobnobbed with a few celebrities such as Jon Provost, June Lockhart and Eddie Fontaine to name a few (my mother was a celebrity friend junkee). 

If you were stranded on a desert island what 3 things would you want with you?

Easy peasy.  Laptop (even though I probably couldn’t pick up anything, I could still write!), cell phone (where calling home probably wouldn’t help at that point with no signal but I could dream), and my Maltese, Cody (aka Cooter Doodle).

If you could have any superpower what would you choose?

Oh man to be able to do anything at twice the speed of sound, that’s the one for me.

If you could meet one person who has died who would you choose?

Now don’t cry but I would love to see my mother again to find out what was her secret ingredient to making her unforgettable spaghetti sauce (I know it was mushrooms which I detest).  But more so, I would love to finally be able to get her to answer unsolved mysteries that have plagued me forever.

What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?

I want to say something politically correct but I don’t want to lie either so it’s ramen noodles.  Every single morning of life and sweet iced tea. 

Night owl, or early bird?

If you had asked me about five years ago, it would have been night owl.  Now it’s in bed by 12 and up by 7:30 to do my walking the dogs around the block thing.  I love mornings!

One food you would never eat?

Ha, just one?  Escargot.  Or maybe eels. 

Pet Peeves?

I hate it when someone won’t leave me alone enough to do my work.  Just because I work at home, it doesn’t mean I’m not officially working!  I’m also a dog lover so any kind of cruelty to animals sends me into postal mode.

Please tell us in one sentence only, why we should read your book.

Well isn’t that nice of you to ask.  I do have a few books out but the one that’s dear to my heart is Romancing the Soul, a collection of true soul mate stories I put together about 4 years ago.  Why should you read it?  To understand why certain people come into your life and how to interpret that reason in regards to finding your higher self (aka being the best you can be).

Any other books in the works? Goals for future projects?

Actually I’m quite excited because I do have a few coming out this year and into next year.  I’m going the self-publishing route to see what it’s all about (didn’t have the Kindle store back then and can’t wait to get these ebooks out there).  Future projects include bringing back the platinum package for Pump Up Your Book but including lots of need things to go along with it.  Stay tuned!

What inspired you to want to become a writer?

I’ve always loved to write.  It goes back to maybe 3 or 4 years old?  I think you’re born with the trait.  I just can’t stand a piece of paper with no words on it so when I was younger, you couldn’t give me a better present than a notebook or notepad.  Now of course it’s the computer, so much easier.  And more fun.

Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.

Wow, so many.  I think when the editor of OK! Magazine called me to get a quote on the Jennifer Aniston and what’s-his-face-she-was-dating-at-the-time relationship.  My quote ended up on supermarket shelves! 

If you could jump in to a book, and live in that world.. which would it be?

Wow, you know this is a good question.  I would absolutely love to live in the old west.

What was your favorite book when you were a child/teen?

Absolutely the Nancy Drew series.

What's one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors?

My one absolutely best piece of advice to give to aspiring authors is to start promoting yourself yesterday.  Start building a fan base so that when you do have a book come out, the work will be less hectic.

If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?

You know, I could live anywhere I want to live and I choose to live on a little island called Chincoteague.  Chincoteague is maybe 10 miles across and is separated by a causeway – so that’s the only thing between us and civilization.  It was named #1 top family beach town by AOL I believe, made all the papers.  We’re famous.  But..if I had to choose another destination, it would have to have tropical climates.  I don’t like hurricanes but I’m a hot weather babe.

When you were little, what did you want to be when you "grew up"?

Believe this or not, I wanted to be a singer and I can’t sing a tune out of a paper bag.  My mother wanted me to be an actress (her dream not mine) but I remember climbing to the top of this little tree out in the front yard and belting it out pretending I was a broadway star or something.  I also wanted to be a spy.  Fun times growing up!

How did you know you should become an author?

Isn’t it everyone’s dream to have their name on the cover of a book and make millions? *grin*

What's the best advice anyone has ever given you?

The most recent was how to make thousands off your ebooks.  I can’t wait to give it a try whether it works or not.

Hidden talent?

I used to like to paint but haven’t had time lately what with running Pump Up Your Book and trying to get my own books published but it’s something I used to love to do.  And play the guitar although that’s kinda iffy on how much talent is there, lol.

How do you react to a bad review?

Like any author, I scream rant and spit bullets.  But publicly, you accept it as someone’s opinion and learn from it.

You have won one million dollars what is the first thing that you would buy?

I would probably give most away being as that’s what I seem to be doing a lot lately but I’d probably buy some kind of indoor track and put it on this island to give us islanders something to do in the winter time when it’s freezing!

What do you do in your free time?

What’s that?

If someone wrote a book about your life, what would the title be?

Life, Less Interrupted.

Give us a glimpse into a typical day in your day starting when you wake up till you lie down again.

It would take a book to tell you everything that happens from the moment I get up to the moment I lie down so I’ll keep it brief.  I start out the morning by doing my daily walk with the pooches, feeding them and turning on the computer.  As much as it kills me, I stay out of email and check on the stops that day.  It is still early and some of the bloggers are on different time zones so if I don’t see something up at that point, I email the blogger just in case.  With each stop I’m checking, I am also promoting and this usually runs from 9 in the morning until about 2 and sometimes runs to 5 depending on how many authors and what special promotions we have going on.  After that is done, I check on the next day’s stops and make sure everyone has everything and then if there’s any time left, I work on upcoming tours.  I usually work on them in spurts during the week but the weekend is totally devoted to them.  This leaves out answering email from incoming authors, authors on tour, book bloggers, reading my favorite newsletters on book news, so forth, doing research for promoting books and studying blogs to see if they’d be a good fit for my authors and vice versa.  I do take about a 15 minute break at noon to watch Chopped with my daughter as we eat lunch, then I’m back at it.  This is an every day schedule, it only changes if I have to go out of the house to run errands and then I’m back at it.

Favorite places to travel?

My most favorite place of lately has been the Outer Banks of North Carolina but I so miss the Smokies.  Travel is my passion.  Besides books of course! ;o)

http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2012/04/01/pump-up-your-book-5th-year-anniversary-celebration/

Be sure to stop off at each blog on the tour for a chance to win great prizes.  Leave a comment on the tour posts because one lucky commenter will receive a $50 Amazon gift certificate. 

Now for the Giveaway!

Giveaway Details:

1 commenter on this blog will receive a Pump Up Your Book Mouse Pad, a Pump Up Your Book Magnet & a $10 Amazon Gift Card!

To enter just leave a comment on this blog post. Make sure there is a way to contact you if you win.


WINNER - Ollie AKA DarkBloodyVamp

  

*This also enters you for the grand prize $50 Amazon giveaway mentioned above!

Last day to enter is April 29th.

The Barrett Company Kindle Fire Giveaway!

Welcome to Barbara Wall, VP of The Barrett Company.

Barbara Wall, a specialist in media marketing and media research, serves as Vice President of TBC. She has accomplished extensive assignments, ranging from technology to entertainment to printing/publishing and has working relationships with a wide circle of book media contacts including reviewers at major US newspapers to Internet book reviewers including NY Times, USA TODAY, Midwest Book Review, BookPleasures.com, BookReview.com, writers at select men and women’s’ magazines and online social media bloggers covering authors and publishers. Ms. Wall formerly served as an executive in two Fortune 500 companies (Xerox, Experian) and has worked with a range of clients including BMG Music Service, The Fox Network, Eddie Bauer, Levi’s, Starbucks, and Jamba Juice. She holds both BA and MBA degrees and formerly taught high school English in Colorado.

INTERVIEW:
From book publicist Barbara Wall, VP of The Barrett Company PR firm

If you could travel in a Time Machine would you go back to the past or into the future?

The past I think....the 40s and 50s styles were so very cool. I like the casual and elegant ladies clothes and gigantic cars like Cadillacs with fins. I am a huge fan of "Leave It To Beaver" on retro TV cable channels.

If you could invite any 5 people to dinner who would you choose? 

Meryl Streep, Greta Van Sustern, Bill O'Reilly, Harrison Ford and Dean Koontz

If you were stranded on a desert island what 3 things would you want with you? 

My I-Phone, my media contact lists and a good unread book. 

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? 

Vanilla Fudge Ripple from Ben &  Jerrys

If you could meet one person who has died who would you choose? 

Coco Chanel

What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? 

A cup of black coffee and vanilla nonfat yogurt

Night owl, or early bird? 

I am defintely a night owl

One food you would never eat?

Broccoli – I like it, but it doesn’t like me!

Pet Peeves?

Road hogs on California freeways and other forms of assorted rudeness

What's one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors?

Educate yourself on the revolution in the publishing biz and how it works before you do anything else 

If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?

I am a California native....I cannot imagine living anywhere else but here, although I have traveled all over the USA, parts of Asia and Europe too.

Favorite Food?

A healthy California omelet at The Montecito (CA) Inn and a chunky Chicken Pot Pie

Favorite Candy? 

Pay Day (salt and sugar)!

What movie and/or book are you looking forward to this year?

"The Descendants" from Geoerge Clooney

If you were a bird, which one would you be?

A Roadrunner...I had a wild Roadrunner for a “pet” at my Palm Springs home and he was so much fun...so smart and social too.   They also take care of pests and rodents – they eat them!  But they like people…go figure.

You have won one million dollars what is the first thing that you would buy?

Something frivilous

What do you do in your free time? 

Reading and watching PBS' "Antiques Road Show," Fox News or a good movie on Turner Movie Classics channel.  Traveling is also high up there on my list of "free time" activities, espefcially trips to the California desert areas

Favorite places to travel? 

Paris, Hong Kong, Hawaii, New York and all over California too.

About The Barrett Company:

Media expert & advisor Charles Barrett formed The Barrett Company in 1991 as a full service media relations and media marketing/communications agency. The Los Angeles headquartered firm offers 21^st century integrated media outreach and media marketing expertise with an emphasis on the entertainment and leisure time industries serving authors/publishers, Hollywood celebrities, motion pictures, and television. Since inception, TBC has served such companies as Simon & Schuster, Globe Pequot Press, Norton Publishers, Warner Brothers Studios, American Movie Classics cable channel, ABC TV, CBS TV, Fox Television, self-published author publishers such as Xlibris, Author House, I-Universe and numerous celebrities from Johnny Carson to Ed McMahon to Kevin Costner to Oprah Winfrey (Oprah’s Big Give television series on ABC).
The Barrett Company also assists attorneys and their clients, managing media coverage in civil and criminal cases from California to New York in both state and federal courts.
Mr. Barrett formed the firm after serving in top public relations positions with the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) for more than ten years, where he was in charge of media relations for The Tonight Show and Today, among other well-known NBC shows such as Unsolved Mysteries, Fame and numerous highly-rated NBC specials, including The American Film Institute Awards and The American Movie Awards.
Mr. Barrett has also held executive media relations posts with 20^th Century Fox Film Corporation in New York and Capitol Records in Hollywood, New York and London, where he helped launch recorded music by The Beatles, The Band and many other music artists.
When earlier basing in New York City, Mr. Barrett assisted major publishers with publicity campaigns for a number of New York Times best-selling authors, serving such publishers as Scribner’s, Simon & Schuster, Norton, John Wiley & Sons, Warner Books and Golden Books, among many others.
The Barrett Company serves major publisher and self-published authors with Harper Collins, Little Brown, Penguin Press, i-Universe, Oxford University Press, Viking Press, Xlibris, Random House, Holm Press, Ben Bella Books, Author House, SMU Press, NYU Press, creating and performing a range of publicity services and media outreach for both fiction and non-fiction book releases.
Charles Barrett began his media career as a reporter with The Associated Press in New Haven, CT and later served on the editorial staffs of both The Hollywood Reporter in Los Angeles and Billboard Publications in New York. He has also authored numerous articles for magazines and newspapers on the performing arts and travel as well as appearing as a contributor on major U.S. radio talk shows discussing celebrities, films, television and books. He was voted the Book Publicist of the Year award by the Southern California Book Pub Society recently. Charles is a member of The Publishers Association of Los Angeles, The Academy of TV Arts and Sciences (Emmy Award) and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (The Oscars ®).
The Barrett Company is well known and regarded among the world’s media outlets for its credibility and creativity. Through years of client assignments we have developed remarkable and successful campaigns for our wide range of authors/publishers, Hollywood creatives, companies and celebrities, which have paved the way for us to produce media, consumer and trade events of all descriptions both in the United States and overseas, from Book Expo to NATPE (the renowned annual television program executive conference) to Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, The Frankfurt Book Fair to filmdom’s Show West as well as MIP in France, The Beverly Hills Film Festival and The Cannes International Film Festival.
TBC’s experience, skills and knowledge in various professional disciplines have enabled the company to offer programs we are proud of, including trade and consumer publicity campaigns, Internet publicity campaigns, crisis communications management, new company and celebrity launches, trade show media awareness, marketing communications solutions, and consultancy to in-house publicity firms in publishing, film and television. No assignment is too big or too small. TBC possesses a keen awareness of the workings of the global media – - including but not limited to print, broadcast and digital – - and has demonstrated over the years the ability to create stunning and effective media outreach models for valued clients, be they well established, or start-ups, or beginning careers as authors and celebrities.

~ ~ ~ GIVEAWAY ~ ~ ~

Pump Up Your Book and The Barrett Company are teaming up to give you a chance to win a Kindle Fire!

This giveaway is part of the Barrett Company Hollywood Publicity Tour hosted by Pump Up Your Book. There are a lot of great blogs participating in this Kindle Fire giveaway.  After you enter, check out the other stops on the Barrett Company Hollywood Publicity Tour and enter there too!

Here’s how it works:

Each person will enter this giveaway by liking, following, subscribing and tweeting about this giveaway through the Rafflecopter form below.
The Kindle Fire promotion will run March 5 – 23, 2012. Winner will be chosen randomly by Rafflecopter, contacted by email and announced on March 24, 2012.
To find out who else is participating and more chances to win, visit http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2012/02/09/the-barrett-company-hollywood-virtual-book-publicity-tour-march-2012-kindle-fire-giveaway/.
Contest is only open to U.S. and Canada residents.
Good luck everyone!



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Author Interview & Swag Package Giveaway: Pretty Crooked by Elisa Ludwig

Welcome to Author Elisa Ludwig

My debut young adult novel PRETTY CROOKED (Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins) will be released in March 2012. Even though I had to extensively research pickpocketing techniques, I am a law-abiding citizen. I live in Philadelphia with my husband Jesse. I'm a proud member of The Apocalypsies, a group of children's book authors debuting in 2012.

Links:
Website: http://www.elisaludwig.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ElisaLudwigYA
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/elisaludwigya

Interview:
What is one book everyone should read?
Feed by M.T. Anderson. It blew me away the first time I read it and continues to inspire me about the possibilities of YA fiction.

What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?
I'm a Philly girl, so I'm gonna give a plug for scrapple. For the uninitiated that's a bunch of pig parts processed with cornmeal and buckwheat. It comes in a block and you cut it into slices and fry them until crisp. Sounds gross, I know, but it's totally delicious.

Night owl, or early bird?
Early bird. Once I'm up, there's no going back.

Any other books in the works? Goals for future projects?
I just finished the second book in the Pretty Crooked series and will be starting on the third soon. I'm also working on another unrelated novel.

What inspired you to want to become a writer?
There are so many influences but a biggie for me (as for so many YA authors of my age) is Judy Blume. I loved her books, all of them, when I was a kid. Later when I became a freelance writer, I wrote a short biography of her for an educational publisher. Last summer I got to hear her speak at the SCBWI conference and I couldn't help but get all teary-eyed and mushy. She just represents all that is good about the industry, and pretty much the world.

Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.
By far, the most rewarding experience has been connecting with the community of authors, librarians, teachers and bloggers and realizing how many people care about kid lit—and how deeply. I'm so grateful to be part of something bigger.

What's one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors?
Do your thing (and keep doing it). Only you can make it happen.

Hidden talent?
Back when I was in graduate school, I was pretty good at shooting pool. I used to hang out with a gang of girls and we would run the tables at the bars—but it's been a while so my hidden talent might need some polishing at this point.

Favorite Food?
I love Turkish food. Pretty much all of it.

What do you do in your free time?
Crossfit, yoga, read, cook, visit flea markets, travel, watch obscure movies with my husband, wander around New York City, look at art.

What's your favorite season/weather?
Winter. I love snow! This year has been a pitiful showing for winter in Philly, though. I might need to move northward.

What is your guilty pleasure?
Gossip blogs. Also Mystery Science Theater 3000, Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job, Cadbury chocolate and KFC.

Write a Haiku about your book
Her friends are bullies.
She must help the others, steal
money; give justice

High school sophomore Willa and her artist mother move to Arizona where Willa starts attending an elite prep school after her mother finally sells some paintings, and Willa attempts to even things out by stealing from the rich students and giving to the poor ones.

Giveaway Details
1 fun surprise swag package
Open to US & Canada
Ends 3/21/12

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Thank You Giveaway! $50 in Books!

WOW!

I'm always a bit awed and humbled by the number of people who regularly visit this blog. 

A huge thank you to those who find a reason to regularly visit.  I seriously believe I've got the best of the best when it comes to blog followers and readers!

I just hit a blogging milestone - 1,000,000 page views.

I was watching but missed the actual 1,000,000 page view.

But I did catch a snapshot of the 999,999th page view.















Seems like a reason to celebrate and what better way to so than by hosting a giveaway.

First I must give a shout out to those who have purchased through my amazon associate links, bought advertising or clicked through to advertisers. I couldn't do a giveaway like this without your support!

Now for the GIVEAWAY!

1 Lucky Follower will receive $50 in books.

 The winner may choose an amazon.com gift card or to choose up to $50 in books from the book depository.

WINNER: Jocelyn Adams

Debut Author Interview & Giveaway: Cracked by K.M. Walton

Welcome to Debut Author K.M. Walton

K.M. Walton writes contemporary YA, middle grade suspense, picture books and nonfiction. Her debut contemporary YA novel, CRACKED comes out from Simon Pulse ~ Simon & Schuster January 3, 2012. She is fortunate to be represented by the lovely Sarah LaPolla from Curtis Brown Ltd.

K. M. had a gazillion dreams when she was a little girl. Her biggest dream was to be a teacher. Teaching became a reality for K. M. and she taught for twelve glorious years – some of it in Osteen, Florida and most of it in Springfield, Pennsylvania. But, it turns out writing is her favorite thing to do. Even the hard parts – and there are a lot of hard parts.

K.M. Walton also co-authored a book on the teaching of mathematics called TEACHING NUMERACY: 9 Critical Habits to Ignite Mathematical Thinking published by Corwin Press.

LINKS:
Website: http://www.kmwalton.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/KMWalton1
Blog: http://skateorbate.blogspot.com/

INTERVIEW:
One food you would never eat?
Anything involving bugs. Chocolate covered ants or fried termites. Yeah, no.

Any other books in the works? Goals for future projects?
I am in the middle of my line edits for my second contemporary YA. It’s about Dell, an overweight sixteen-year-old girl, whose life spirals out of control after being bullied and abused. It’s untitled as of yet, but it releases from Simon Pulse in Spring 2013!

What is your dream cast for your book?
Some of my sister’s friends were just discussing this with me. I said I picture the character Freddie, from iCarly as Victor—but Freddie would have to cut his hair into a much more conservative style. Michelle Pfeiffer has always been Victor’s mother in my head – even while writing the book. Rachel McAdams has always been Nurse Ellie too. The football coach from Glee is definitely Nurse Agnes. I haven’t seen the perfect “Bull” yet. I’m still looking.

Is there a song you could list as the theme song for your book or any of your characters?
I actually have a playlist that goes along with the entire book. Each song is dedicated to a character. Just click on the iPod sitting on my desk over at kmwalton.com.

If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
Ireland. I’ve gotten to visit there twice and felt a strong connection each time. It’s beautiful and magical.

What is your favorite Quote?
"Life's most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?" - Martin Luther King

When you were little, what did you want to be when you "grew up"?
An opera singer, an archeologist, a teacher and a mother.

What was your favorite children's book?
I absolutely loved THE BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA by Katherine Paterson. That book made a deep emotional impact on me.

How do you react to a bad review?
I figure everyone is entitled to their opinion. And honestly, as a reader, there are tons of books I haven’t liked. Reading is very subjective and the experience deeply personal. Every reader comes to the text with a different set of life experiences, comprehension skills, and expectations, which all shape their opinion. Not every reader is going to love every book. It’s a statistical impossibility and I’m okay with that.

Harry Potter or Twilight?
Harry! All day, Harry. I’ve read all seven of those books multiple times and they’re genius.

Cracked by K.M. Walton

Sometimes there's no easy way out. 
Victor hates his life. He has no friends, gets beaten up at school, and his parents are always criticizing him. Tired of feeling miserable, Victor takes a bottle of his mother's sleeping pills—only to wake up in the hospital. 
Bull is angry, and takes all of his rage out on Victor. That makes him feel better, at least a little. But it doesn't stop Bull's grandfather from getting drunk and hitting him. So Bull tries to defend himself with a loaded gun. 
When Victor and Bull end up as roommates in the same psych ward, there's no way to escape each other or their problems. Which means things are going to get worse—much worse—before they get better…

Giveaway Details
Cracked Custom Swag Pack which includes: custom tote bag, custom mouse pad, custom magnet and signed book mark.
Open to US only
Ends 2/21/12


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Guest Post at The World of Book Reviews and Giveaway: Bloodthirsty by Flynn Meaney

Babs from The World of Book Reviews did an interview with me which was posted today.

As part of the interview I'm giving away an unread ARC of Bloodthirsty by Flynn Meaney on her site. (Fill out the form on Bab's site to enter)
Be sure to stop by Bab's site starting tomorrow. There will be 9 blogs each hosting a giveaway as part of her New Year's Smash Giveaway Hop.

Audiobook Giveaway: Fed Up! by Rick Perry

Now, do not misunderstand me, America is great.

But we are fed up with being over-taxed and over-regulated. We are tired of being told how much salt to put on our food, what kind of cars we can drive, what kinds of guns we can own, what kind of prayers we are allowed to say and where we can say them, what we are allowed to do to elect political candidates, what kind of energy we can use, what doctor we can see. What kind of nation are we becoming? I fear it's the very kind the Colonists fought against.
But perhaps most of all, we are fed up because deep down we know how great America has always been, how many great things the people do in spite of their government, and how great the nation can be in the future if government will just get out of the way.
Our fight is clear. We must step up and retake the reins of our government from a Washington establishment that has abused our trust. We must empower states to fight for our beliefs, elect only leaders who are on our team, set out to remind our fellow Americans why liberty is guaranteed in the Constitution, and take concrete steps to take back our country. The American people have never sat idle when liberty's trumpet sounds the call to battle-and today that battle is for the soul of America.


Thanks to Anna at Hachette Book Group I have 2 audio copies of Fed Up! by Rick Perry to giveaway.

Entry rules:
Only residents of the U.S. or Canada are eligible to win.
No PO boxes, please.
Winners will be subject to the one copy per household rule. If you win the same title in two or more contests, you will receive only one copy of the title. Books will be sent directly from the publisher.
Last day to enter is 1/23/11.

To Enter Please Fill Out This Form:

Audiobook Giveaway: Hollywood Hills by Joseph Wambaugh

The legendary Hollywood Hills are home to wealth, fame, and power--passing through the neighborhood, it's hard not to get a little greedy.

LAPD veteran "Hollywood Nate" Weiss could take or leave the opulence, but he wouldn't say no to onscreen fame. He may get his shot when he catches the appreciative eye of B-list director Rudy Ressler, and his troublemaking fiancée, Leona Brueger, the older-but-still-foxy widow of a processed-meat tycoon. Nate tries to elude her crafty seductions, but consents to keep an eye on their estate in the Hollywood Hills while they're away.

Also minding the mansion is Raleigh Dibble, a hapless ex-con trying to put the past behind him. Raleigh is all too happy to be set up for the job--as butler-cum-watchdog--by Nigel Wickland, Leona's impeccably dressed art dealer. What Raleigh doesn't realize is that under the natty clothes and posh accent, Nigel has a nefarious plan: two paintings hanging on the mansion's walls will guarantee them more money than they've ever seen.

Everyone's dreams are just within reach--the only problem is, this is Hollywood. A circle of teenage burglars that the media has dubbed The Bling Ring has taken to pillaging the homes of Hollywood celebutants like Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan, and when a pair of drug-addled young copycats stumbles upon Nigel's heist, that's just the beginning of the disaster to come. Soon Hollywood Nate, surfer cops Flotsam and Jetsam, and the rest of the team at Hollywood Station have a deadly situation on their hands.
Hollywood Hills is a raucous and dangerous roller coaster ride that showcases Joseph Wambaugh in vintage form.

About the Author:
Joseph Wambaugh, a former LAPD detective sergeant, is the bestselling author of 19 prior works of fiction and nonfiction, including The Choirboys and The Onion Field. In 2004, he was named Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America. He lives in southern California.

Thanks to Anna at Hachette Book Group I have 2 audio copies of Hollywood Hills by Joseph Wambaugh to giveaway.

Entry rules:
Only residents of the U.S. or Canada are eligible to win.
No PO boxes, please.
Winners will be subject to the one copy per household rule. If you win the same title in two or more contests, you will receive only one copy of the title. Books will be sent directly from the publisher.
Last day to enter is 1/21/11.

To Enter Please Fill Out This Form:

Blog Tour: Book Giveaway - Command Influence by Robert Shaines

Inteview with Robert Shaines Author of Command Influence:

Why did you decide to write your book?
I was a 23‐year‐old Air Force Judge Advocate officer and was one of the defense counsel for Lt. George C. Schreiber, who was accused of premeditated murder in the court martial. The story of this injustice has haunted my thoughts all of my adult life, and I finally found the time and the ability to vindicate my own conscience in writing the book. I came to understand how George Schreiber and myself were a couple of dedicated but naive and trusting young Air Force officers, whose lives and characters became permanently shaped by the events in those years.

What types of readers will be interested in your book?
Anyone interested in justice, and military justice and history of the Korean War and an understanding of how political events can affect the lives of those in the military.

What is special about your book? What differentiates it from other books in the same category
My book is differentiated from others involving history of the Korean War and the politics of injustice in the military by the exercise of command influence leading to the conviction of an accused because I was personally present and participated in the events set forth in my book.

Have you published any other books? Do you plan to publish more?
I have not published any other books, but I do plan to publish more and am presently working on a book, a work of fiction, based upon my experiences working for the Defense Nuclear Agency in the former Soviet Union from 1992 to 1996. I would anticipate that book being out sometime in late 2011.

George C. Schreiber was a twenty-five year old second lieutenant in charge of an Air Police guard unit in Pusan, Korea. A year earlier, in 1951, he had innocently been teaching fifth and sixth grade children in Brookfield, Illinois. A year later, he was convicted by a general court-martial of premeditated murder. The unconscionable injustice made no sense to twenty-three year old Air Force lawyer Robert A. Shaines and Schreiber’s story has haunted his thoughts ever since. Command Influence chronicles Shaines’ first hand observation of the dramatic events leading up to the trial of Schreiber and two of his contemporaries and shows how he, Schreiber and others became pawns in a power game among ambitious and vindictive men eager only to please those who could advance their military careers. This series of events would ultimately involve the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, the Governor of Illinois, the President and the Supreme Court of the United States and bring about a change in the law which would reach the highest levels of government. A fascinating tale of military and legal history, Command Influence is also a captivatingly personal vindication of the conscience of the author, who comes to understand that he and Schreiber were a couple of dedicated, but naive and trusting young fellow officers whose lives and characters became permanently shaped by these events. Both were victims in their own ways.

Book Giveaway:
1 copy of Command Influence by Robert Shaines
Open to those with a US mailing address:
Last day to enter is 1/16/11.
To Enter please fill out this form:

Audiobook Giveaway: An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin

An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin:
Lacey Yeager is young, captivating, and ambitious enough to take the NYC art world by storm. Groomed at Sotheby's and hungry to keep climbing the social and career ladders put before her, Lacey charms men and women, old and young, rich and even richer with her magnetic charisma and liveliness. Her ascension to the highest tiers of the city parallel the soaring heights--and, at times, the dark lows--of the art world and the country from the late 1990s through today.


About the Author:
Steve Martin is a legendary writer, actor, and performer. His film credits include Father of the Bride, Parenthood, The Spanish Prisoner, and Bringing Down the House, as well as Roxanne, L.A. Story, and Bowfinger, for which he also wrote the screenplays. He's won Emmys for his television writing and two Grammys for comedy albums. In addition to a play, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, he has written a bestselling collection of comic pieces, Pure Drivel, and a bestselling novella, Shopgirl, which was made into a movie.

Thanks to Anna at Hachette Book Group I have 2 audio copies of An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin to giveaway.

Entry rules:
Only residents of the U.S. or Canada are eligible to win.
No PO boxes, please.
Winners will be subject to the one copy per household rule. If you win the same title in two or more contests, you will receive only one copy of the title. Books will be sent directly from the publisher.
Last day to enter is 1/21/11.

To Enter Please Fill Out This Form:

Audiobook Giveaway: Hell's Corner by David Baldacci

Oliver Stone and the Camel Club return in #1 bestselling author David Baldacci's most stunning adventure yet.

An attack on the heart of power . . .
In sight of the White House . . .
At a place known as . . .

HELL'S CORNER
John Carr, aka Oliver Stone-once the most skilled assassin his country ever had-stands in Lafayette Park in front of the White House, perhaps for the last time. The president has personally requested that Stone serve his country again on a high-risk, covert mission. Though he's fought for decades to leave his past career behind, Stone has no choice but to say yes.

Then Stone's mission changes drastically before it even begins. It's the night of a state dinner honoring the British prime minister. As he watches the prime minister's motorcade leave the White House that evening, a bomb is detonated in Lafayette Park, an apparent terrorist attack against both leaders. It's in the chaotic aftermath that Stone takes on a new, more urgent assignment: find those responsible for the bombing.

British MI-6 agent Mary Chapman becomes Stone's partner in the search for the unknown attackers. But their opponents are elusive, capable, and increasingly lethal; worst of all, it seems that the park bombing may just have been the opening salvo in their plan. With nowhere else to turn, Stone enlists the help of the only people he knows he can trust: the Camel Club. Yet that may be a big mistake.

In the shadowy worlds of politics and intelligence, there is no one you can really trust. Nothing is really what it seems to be. And Hell's Corner truly lives up to its name. This may be Oliver Stone's and the Camel Club's last stand.

About the Author:
David Baldacci lives with his family in Virginia. He and his wife have founded the Wish You Well Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting literacy efforts across America. He invites you to visit him at http://www.david-baldacci.com/ and his foundation at http://www.wishyouwellfoundation.org/, and to look into its program to spread books across America at http://www.feedingbodyandmind.com/.

Thanks to Anna at Hachette Book Group I have 2 audio copies of Hell's Corner by David Baldacci to giveaway.


Entry rules:
Only residents of the U.S. or Canada are eligible to win.
No PO boxes, please.
Winners will be subject to the one copy per household rule. If you win the same title in two or more contests, you will receive only one copy of the title. Books will be sent directly from the publisher.
Last day to enter is 1/20/11.

To Enter Please Fill Out This Form: