How to write a book asap by Garrett Pierson

How to write a book ASAP by Garrett Pierson

ISBN: 978978069201599X

Trade Paperback

Synopsis: How To Write A Book ASAP by Garrett Pierson Have you ever wanted to write a book? Have you started to write your book, but weren't able to finish? Are you ready to learn how to get a book published? Discover inside secrets to: Writing a book fast Where and how to start writing your book Finding the time in your busy life to write and finish a book Publishing a book the easy way Achieving real and practical writing results This book is for those of us who want to write regardless of what others say about our ability to write. It is for those of us who want a step-by-step guide to the process and strategies to finishing and publishing a book. The book is specially formulated to be a tool to support your success. If you want to avoid mistakes and prevent costly pitfalls, whether those pitfalls be measured in time and/or money wasted, then this book is for you. You will only become a writer/author through the act of writing. This is your golden opportunity to stop talking about writing a book and actually do it. Only when your book is finished will you truly understand the authority and respect authorship demands and how the title of "author' can open up new channels of achievement and profit. Learn How To Write A Book Outline In Garrett Pierson's book "How To Write A Book ASAP" you'll find the system to creating a book outline that guarantees your success. Writing a book outline is essential to your book writing and publishing success and the process that Garrett lays out is by far the best for any author to follow. Need to Write Your Book Fast? Whether you want to write a book in a weekend or you desire to learn how to write a book in 30 days, 60 days, 90 days or even two years, this book will show you the exact steps to finishing your book fast. You will find all the right ingredients to get started, why you shouldn't start writing until you're ready, detailed strategies to organization and self-control, a crash course in the basic writing process, clear steps to finishing your book fast and staying laser focused, traditional publishing vs. self-publishing and what is right for you, how to become the authority in your market when your book is finished, plus much more! When reading this book you'll also discover: How everyday people just like you and I, have finished and published their book in record time... The ONE skill you need to master ... to leapfrog confusing details, and get started FAST... How to craft a proven time management system to create all the time you need to write your book... How you can finish your book in as little as 30 days using a 7-step system that really works... 5 roadblocks that 97% of writers encounter and how to overcome them immediately... The BIGGEST MYTH of writing a book flattened and debunked instantly... A multi-channel market positioning technique that can skyrocket you from no one to famous in no time at all... And Much More... Learn how to write a book ASAP. Scroll up & click the buy button today. 

My review:  This book was ok and I did learn a few things from it. At times though this book seemed a little too technical and dry for my liking. I will keep it handy for future reference if need be. There are some helpful links provided in this book that I may use in the future. 

Diners, Drive-Ins and Death by Christine Wenger - Review and Giveaway

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review

Diners, Drive-Ins and Death by Christine Wenger 

A comfort food mystery - #3

ISBN: 9780451415103

Mass Market Paperback

Synopsis: For Sandy Harbor’s tastiest comfort food, venture to the Silver Bullet Diner. But head next door to the new drive-in theater if you have an appetite for murder….

 
Trixie Matkowski has a tall order to fill this fall. Aside from dishing out delicious fare at the Silver Bullet during peak fishing season, she’s helping her friend—Antoinette Chloe Brown, or ACB for short—open a drive-in movie theater in the vacant lot beside her diner. It’s just the thing to take ACB’s mind off Nick, her missing biker beau.
 
But their plans are fried after Nick’s body is discovered during the groundbreaking for the drive-in. And when the police connect the murder weapon to ACB, she becomes the prime suspect in eighty-sixing Nick. With the fate of her innocent friend and her business on the line, Trixie must make the guilty party pay up before someone else gets stiffed….

Includes Delicious Home-Style Recipes!

My review: One thing I love about the cozy mysteries is that so many of them include great recipes to try out and this book is not exception. This book is a fun quick read that I read in one weekend. I have not read any other books in this series but was able to keep up just fine. Although now I want to go back and read the rest of the series. This is set in the fun little town of Sandy Harbor, now if we could only visit that would be nice. The characters are so fun to read about - they are someone you would have fun hanging out with. Christine did a good job of keeping you guessing on who killed Nick. I suggest picking this book up if you like a fun - fast paced mystery. 

Be sure to stop by Escape with Dollycas to see all the stops on the tour

Click here for Dollycas's website

About This Author

I have worked in the criminal justice field for more years than I care to remember! It seems like I was forever going to school while I was working full time, but in the end, I received a dual master’s degree in Probation and Parole Studies and Sociology from Fordham University.

Unfortunately, the knowledge gained from way too many years in night school, didn’t prepare me for what I love to do the most – writing cozy mysteries.

LOVE THOSE COZY MYSTERIES!!

The year 2013 began my series of “comfort food” cozies  which are set in a small-town 1950’s diner: the Silver Bullet (open 24 hours, air conditioned).  The Silver Bullet sits on the shore of Lake Ontario and many colorful characters, including the owner of the diner, Trixie Matkowski, live in Sandy Harbor or are just visiting.

The first book, DO OR DINER, from Penguin/Obsidian books was released in August, 2013.  Another followed, A SECOND HELPING OF MURDER, in April, 2014, and a third, DINERS, DRIVE-INS AND DEATH, is scheduled for January, 2015.  I’d like to continue with this series for as long as readers keep reading about sleuthing Trixie Matkowski’s way.

JUST FOR FUN

I enjoy watching professional bull riding and rodeo with my favorite cowboy, my husband Jim. We put on our cowboy regalia (I look horrible in a cowboy hat!) and have traveled to events in Las Vegas, Florida, Connecticut, and other states.

Of course I have to do research for my comfort food diner series.  That takes me to diners all over the U.S. and Canada (and maybe Europe and Asia!) for meals.  It’s a tough job, but I just have to do it!

Best wishes to you, and I hope you smile when you read my books!

Author Links

Online links: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christinewengerauthor?fref=ts

Website: www.christinewenger.com

Purchase Links

Amazon B&N Book Depository

Giveaway

Open to the US only. Winner has 48 hours to respond to the email or another winner will be picked. 

Giveaway is for one copy of Diners, Drive-Ins and Death by Christine Wenger

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Feta Attraction by Susannah Hardy - Review, Guest Post and Giveaway

I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Feta Attraction by Susannah Hardy

A Greek to Me Mystery #1

ISBN: 9780425271650

Mass Market Paperback

Synopsis: Georgie Nikolopatos manages the Bonaparte House, a Greek restaurant and historic landmark in beautiful upstate New York rumored to possess ghosts and hidden treasure. But when her husband disappears and her main competitor is found dead, it’s up to Georgie to solve a big fat Greek murder.

With her husband, Spiro, inexplicably gone for days, Georgie has her hands full running the restaurant and dealing with the crew of the TV show Ghost Squad, called in by Spiro to inspect the house for haunting. So when she has a chance to take a boating excursion on the St. Lawrence River with her friend Keith Morgan, she jumps on it. But their idyll is quickly ruined when they discover the body of rival restaurant owner Domenic “Big Dom” DiTomasso floating in the water.

When the police start asking questions, it doesn’t help that Spiro can’t be found—and with Georgie on their suspect list, it’s up to her to find her missing husband and find out who killed Big Dom before someone else’s order is up.

Includes delicious Greek recipes!

My review: I love a good cozy mystery so I jumped at the chance to give this new one a chance. This was a fun book to read. It was cute how she used the play on words in her title, I love feta cheese and will think of this book each time I eat it now. You can not help but love Georgie and her typically Greek mother in law Sophie. The author kept me going with the inclusion of history of ghosts in the story. These are two of my favorite things to read about. There are enough twists and turns that kept me reading long into the night. The only thing that left me wanting more was the end of the book and what I want more of is more books in this series. I can't wait to read the next one. Don't forget to check out the delicious recipes in the back of the book. 

Link to all the stops on the blog tour

Guest Post by Susannah Hardy

Hi, Griperang! Thanks for having me here today to talk about my debut mystery novel, FETA ATTRACTION, book 1 of the Greek to Me Mysteries.

People often ask me how I got interested in the mystery genre. I’d have to go back—way back!—to elementary school, where I read every Encyclopedia Brown book I could get my hands on. Oh, how I loved to match wits with Donald J. Sobol’s boy detective. I didn’t always figure it out before reading the solutions—but sometimes I did, and that was all it took to hook me.

My second influence was, of course, Scooby-Doo. Saturday mornings in my house were spent in front of the television with a bowl of Cap’n Crunch (crunchberries and the peanut butter kind were preferred varieties), trying to figure out who the bad guy was before my sisters did—which wasn’t exactly fair, since I (a) was older and (b) had the Encyclopedia Brown training. To this day, I have a thing for stories about people in disguise with big secrets—and meddling kids. I’m still trying to figure out how to work a witch doctor and an abandoned amusement park into one of my books.

It didn’t take long for me to move on to Nancy Drew, who probably influenced every mystery writer and reader out there. Nancy is a young woman who had pretty much everything my young mind wanted: money of her own, a cool car, a devoted boyfriend in Ned Nickerson, stalwart friends in Bess and George, and a father who gave her the freedom to gallivant about the countryside solving mysteries and helping people along the way. Nancy (despite her many incarnations and updates over the years) has stood the test of time.

No list of influencers would be complete without a mention of Agatha Christie. I’ve read and reread her stories and would, if I could, move to St. Mary Mead. Although, I would hope that as a stranger, I wouldn’t be the first one to be dispatched by the local vicar or some disgruntled relative. Obviously, Miss Marple is a favorite character of mine. Poirot and some of the others, less so, but that’s understandable given that Miss Marple is the patron saint of the cozy mystery.  The genre as we know it today would not exist were it not for Dame Agatha.

And finally, I must give a shout-out to the late Barbara Michaels/Elizabeth Peters. Her gothic standalones and mysteries—especially her Amelia Peabody Emerson Egyptian mysteries—are brilliant, and her work is probably the single biggest reason I can point to for my own desire to become a writer. Barbara Michaels/Elizabeth Peters died in 2013, and there is one more Amelia Peabody mystery due to be released (The Painted Queen, April, 2015, according to Amazon). After that, I’ll have to go back and reread the series to get my fix and continue to learn from the master.

It’s been a pleasure to visit here today! Did any particular series of books influence your early reading life? I’d love to hear about them.

Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Feta-Attraction-Greek-Me-Mystery/dp/042527165X/ref=tmm_mmp_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1419969013&sr=8-1

Website: www.susannahhardy.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100004162515783

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SusannahHardy1 @susannahhardy1

Bio:

Susannah Hardy thinks she has the best job in the world: making up stories and inventing recipes to go along with them. A native of northern New York, where she attended St. Lawrence University, Susannah now lives in Connecticut with her husband, teenage son, and Elvira the Wonder Cat.

Giveaway

There will be two giveaways on my blog today. The first is from the author - she is giving away a $10 gift card to Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts - winners choice. The second is a copy of her book Feta Attraction. This giveaway is for the US only. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the email with their address or a new winner will be picked. They will be a rafflecopter giveaway. See below to enter. 

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Tears of the Sea by MaryLu Tyndall

Tears of the Sea by MaryLu Tyndall

ISBN: 9780990872313

Trade Paperback

Synopsis: Doomed by the evil warlock Forwin to wander the ancient seas as a mermaid for all eternity, Perdita longs for the release death would bring. Every ten years she has a chance to break the curse when she emerges from the sea fully human for one month. The catch? She must find a man willing to die for her.

Captain Savion Ryne wants nothing to do with beautiful women. It was one such woman whose betrayal ruined his life and his reputation. After nearly drowning in a storm at sea, he wakes on an island with visions of a dark haired mermaid pulling him from the water. When a woman similar in appearance begs for his protection, he is suspicious.

Perdita has never met anyone as honorable as Savion. Even though he shuns her every advance, she falls for him. But as the end of her time on land approaches, she faces the hardest decision of all, save Savion and remain cursed for all eternity or break the curse and watch the man she loves die.

My review: I really enjoy this latest book by MaryLu. Her writing style is right up my alley, the characters in the book are strong and she does a great job with her descriptions. All of these make for a great book. I like how MaryLu chose to write about a mermaid. I felt for Perdita and kept hoping she would have her curse broken. I recommend picking this book up for a nice weekend read. I look forward to the next book that MaryLu has in store for us. 

Interview with MaryLu Tyndall

What made you pick this genre? 

I had this mermaid story rattling around in my head for a couple years, but I couldn't quite make it work with the genre I normally write in, which is Historical Romance, so I figured, hey, let me try my hand at fantasy!  I'm not sure I'll continue writing in this genre, but it was a really fun experience. 

You write a lot about Christian Pirates, how did you come up these types of characters? 

I have a bumper sticker on my car that says "Jesus loves pirates too",  which gets many comments. The truth is, I've always wanted to write pirate adventures, and I noticed that most of the pirate romances out there are either pretty cheesy or really sleazy. Why can't there be a good pirate story that has romance, adventure, but that also teaches good morals and values and shows people how loving God is.  I know Christian Pirates is an oxymoron, but hey, maybe it will prompt people to check out my books and see how I pulled it off.

Do you have a goal of how much/how many pages/words you write in a day? 

I used to have word count goals, but honestly they stressed me out. I have 6 kids, 2 grandkids and 3 cats, so life isn't always predictable. Some days I get tons of words written, others, not so much. I just do what I can do with the time I have and somehow the book gets done.

What do you do when you to help you get past writer's block? 

Music really helps. Also a long walk, watching a good movie, or going out for coffee with a friend. Really, anything that gets me away from the computer for awhile. This may sound weird but I get my best ideas when I'm soaking in a hot tub not thinking about my book at all!

Do you have a favorite quote or positive saying that you like?

Yes, it's from the Bible.  "All things work together for good for those who love God."  Romans 8:28  This verse has gotten me through some really tough times, knowing that everything that happens to me has a purpose for my good in the end.

What was your favorite book as a child? as an adult?

As a teenager, my favorite book was The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper

As an adult, well, you'll probably laugh, but it's Captain Blood by Raphael Sabatini.  Don't be dissuaded by the title. It's fabulous!

When you are not writing what do you like to do? 

I actually have very little free time, but I am a Aquarium hobbyist, reef tanks in particular. I love to grow corals, starfish, shrimps, and anemones.  I also love to oil paint.

About the Author

Best-selling and award-winning author, MaryLu Tyndall dreamt of pirates and sea-faring adventures during her childhood days on Florida's Coast. After obtaining a degree in Math and working as software engineer for 15 years, she decided to test the waters as a writer. With now more than fourteen books published, she makes no excuses for the spiritual themes embedded within her romantic adventures. Her hope is that readers will not only be entertained but will be brought closer to the Creator who loves them beyond measure. In a culture that accepts the occult, wizards, zombies, and vampires without batting an eye, MaryLu hopes to show the awesome present and powerful acts of God in a dying world. MaryLu makes her home with her husband, six children, and several stray cats on the California coast, where her imagination still surges with the sea.

Her latest book is the fantasy romance, Tears of the Sea.

For More Information

• Visit Marylu Tyndall’s website.
• Connect with Marylu on Facebook and Twitter.
• More books by Marylu Tyndall.
• Contact Marylu.

The Sugar Cookie Sweetheart Swap by Donna Kauffman, Kate Angell and Kimberly Kincaid

The Sugar Cookie Sweetheart Swap by Donna Kauffman, Kate Angell, and Kimberly Kincaid

ISBN: 978161773202

Mass Market Paperback

Synopsis: Where There's Smoke by Donna Kauffman

When flames from a recipe gone disastrously wrong send hunky fire-fighter Will Mason to pretty Clara Parker's rescue, the sparks really begin to fly! And once Will gets a taste of Clara, he aches for more than just a little sugar from the famously single food columnist...

The Gingerbread Man by Kate Angell

Folks have always told fun-loving Abby Denton that her anatomically correct Gingerbread cookies are...impressive. But those erotic cookies have nothing on the sexy stranger Abby saves from a snowy country road. Could Lander Reynolds be the Christmas treat she's truly been longing for? 

Sugar And Spice by Kimberly Kincaid

When caterer Lily Callahan goes up against hotshot pastry chef Pete Mancuso in the bake-off of the season, the stakes are high - and scandalously passionate. Will the gorgeous gourmand steal Lily's heart - and the top prize in the Christmas cookie competition?

My review: I loved this book. Around this time of year I like to read books that help to put you in the mood for the season and this was one of those books. It was nice that each of the three stories went along with each other, as well as the prologue and epilogue tied the stories together perfectly. I am trying to think of which story was my favorite and I am not sure I have one as they were all equally as good as the next. Each story was very touching and had me sad and happy during the same story. I recommend this book for a fun holiday read. 

Corporate Cowboy by Stuart Anderson - Review, Guest Post and Giveaway

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review

Corporate Cowboy by Stuart Anderson

ISBN: 9780692200636

Paperback

Synopsis: Restaurant Management: First Hand Lessons from the King of Steak Houses

Black Angus Beef Chain Founder shares business tips, food recipes and personal memoir

Stuart Anderson had led a fascinating life for the past 90 years. He built Black Angus, America's #1 restaurant chain of the 1980s, and ranched on a 26,000 acre spread where he raised cattle. His circle of friends has included Hollywood stars and corporate bigwigs. You'll discover his personal history is a lot like the man - larger than life!

Anyone seeking to go into the restaurant business or moving into a food industry management position will benefit from the lessons offered in this book as Stuart Anderson shares both his success and failures. Told with wit, simple cowboy logic and clever business savvy, there are numerous vignettes included in this memoir to include tales from World War II, Business Startups, Management Feuds, Love Affairs, Community Service and semi-Retirements.

Aside from the personal story and professional information, readers - especially those who ever ate at a Black Angus restaurant in the past - most notably in the 1980s - will enjoy such recipes like the BLACK ANGUS POTATOES AU GRATIN, ORIGINAL BLACK ANGUS RANCH BREAD, BREAKFAST STIR FRY and BAKED STEAK WITH MUSTARD SAUCE just to name a few.

Note: The author, diabetic himself, also offers menu ideas for "special" diet needs.

In addition, reader benefits:

• Discover the ins and outs of profitable restaurant management as imparted by a master entrepreneur

From initial ideas, failed startups and a relentless pursue for success, Stuart Anderson outlines how he went raising and eating Black Angus beef to building one of the most famous and successful restaurant chains in America voted #1 by consumers numerous times during the 1980s. But not everything remained rosy once Stuart Anderson sold his empire. The author offers his opinion on how a corporate takeover changed his business and ultimately why he retired ... at least the first time.

•  Delight in "bone head" mistakes Anderson made early in his career

Like the case of the "melted chocolate" or "bitter pills for bulls"

• Get a backstage look at celebrity friendships and news-making events

John Wayne fans will enjoy some "cowboy" fun when the star of Western Movies stops in for a surprise visit.

My review: I enjoyed reading this book. The way it was written was as if I was sitting with a family member telling me their stories. It was nice to hear about all the good things that happened to make Stuart a success but to also hear his mistakes. I remember this restaurant as a kid in the Midwest so it was kind of neat to hear the story behind the place that was so famous. It was also neat to hear about his relationships with celebrities. As an added bonus you get some of his recipes to try out for yourself. A nice book to enjoy on a lazy afternoon. 

Tour schedule for Corporate Cowboy

Be sure to check out all the stops on the tour.

Dec 15 - A Blue Million Books - author interview / giveaway
Dec 15 - One Frugal Girl - review / giveaway
Dec 15 - Lady in Re(a)d - review / giveaway
Dec 16 - Deal Sharing Aunt - review
Dec 16 - The Discerning Reader - review
Dec 17 - Heart of a Philanthropist - review / author interview
Dec 17 - 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! - review / giveaway
Dec 18 - Library of Clean Reads - review / giveaway
Dec 18 - Rockin' Book Reviews - review / author interview / giveaway
Dec 19 - Life With Katie - review / giveaway
Dec 19 - Bless Their Hearts Mom - book spotlight / giveaway
Dec 22 - Cassandra M's Place - book spotlight / giveaway
Dec 22 - Counter Culture Critic - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Dec 23 - Griperang's Bookmarks - review / author interview / giveaway
Dec 26 - Brooke Blogs - review / guest post / giveaway
Dec 26 - Man of la Book - book spotlight / giveaway

Author's Bio:

Stuart Anderson was the founder of the Number 1 full-service restaurant chain in the Nation. He grew his original concept of a one-price steak dinner from one restaurant to 122 before he retired in the 80's when these polls were taken that made them No. 1. The chain still exists primarily on the West Coast. He was also a rancher for over 30 years with a beautiful ranch in Central Washington State where he raised Black Angus cattle and Clydesdale horses. 

He spent most of his life in Washington until moving to the beautiful Desert in Southern California. He has two wonderful daughters, two grandsons and about to have his first great grandson. He and his wife traveled extensively over a good part of the world and around America in their motor home. They especially loved train travel and enjoying retirement. Stuart is currently 91 years young!

Connect with Stuart on Facebook

Where to buy the book:

Amazon

Barnes & Nobles

Q&A with Stuart Anderson

1. How did you do research for your book? 

I did a lot of research on my first book, HERE’S THE BEEF! That was a book defending beef—ranchers were getting a bum steer. This book, being a memoir, primarily was remembering and reliving my life.

2. In your book you make a reference to how large this business is. 

This definitely influenced me to write the book because of the fascination people have with this industry.

3. What made you write a book about the restaurant business? 

It’s a huge market—13 million people. Also, the number one question I’m always asked is, How did you get started?”

4. There are many books out there about restaurants. What makes yours different? 

Mine is different because I started and grew the chain into the No. 1 dinner house chain in the Nation and that was by public poll.

5. What advice would you give budding writers? 

Read a lot, take classes, join writer’s guilds, etc. Marketing is the big challenge

6. In your book you talk about ranching. Why is that? 

There’s a close association between the two—from the ranch to the restaurant. I did try at first to furnish the beef for the ranch but as only 22% of the animal was usable, it was too difficult to get rid of the rest and we grew too fast to keep that up.

7. How long have you been writing? 

Since 1995.

​8. ​

Where do you write? 

I've had a stroke

​and​

 my right hand doesn't work

​,​

 so I dictate the book from my comfortable old club chair.

​9​

. What is the last great book you've read?

Killing Patton probably because I drove a tank in Patton’s Army.

​10. ​

What is your next project? 

To write my obituary

​.​

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The Reluctant Midwife by Patricia Harman

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review

The Reluctant Midwife by Patricia Harman

A Hope River Novel

ISBN: 9780062358240

Trade Paperback

Synopsis: The USA Today bestselling author of The Midwife of Hope River returns with a heartfelt sequel, a novel teeming with life and full of humor and warmth, one that celebrates the human spirit.

The Great Depression has hit West Virginia hard. Men are out of work; women struggle to feed hungry children. Luckily, Nurse Becky Myers has returned to care for them. While she can handle most situations, Becky is still uneasy helping women deliver their babies. For these mothers-to-be, she relies on an experienced midwife, her dear friend Patience Murphy.

Though she is happy to be back in Hope River, time and experience have tempered Becky’s cheerfulness-as tragedy has destroyed the vibrant spirit of her former employer Dr Isaac Blum, who has accompanied her. Patience too has changed. Married and expecting a baby herself, she is relying on Becky to keep the mothers of Hope River safe.

But becoming a midwife and ushering precious new life into the world is not Becky’s only challenge. Her skills and courage will be tested when a calamitous forest fire blazes through a Civilian Conservation Corps camp. And she must find a way to bring Isaac back to life and rediscover the hope they both need to go on.

Full of humor and compassion, The Reluctant Midwife is a moving tribute to the power of optimism and love to overcome the most trying circumstances and times, and is sure to please fans of the poignant Call the Midwife series.

My review: This is the first book that I have read by this author and I have to say I enjoyed and will now be going back to get the first one. Patricia does a great job with her descriptions - for me this is a plus because it helps the imagination so you can "see" exactly what she is talking about. I felt sorry for Nurse Becky at times - trying to do her job and take case of the doctor who is not right since his wife died. The author did a great job with her research as well. This made the book very nice to read for me as I enjoyed the accuracy. I look forward to reading more books by this author.