Eyrie: Society of Feathers #2 by Emma Michaels, Excerpt and Giveaway!

Eyrie:
Society of Feathers #2

Somewhere between falling and flying...you will find the truth.

The truth is being unveiled and Iris’ past is unlike anything she ever could have guessed. For Stryx, finding your missing half doesn’t always mean finding your mate. Iris has been missing a part of herself for so long that no one is sure she will be able to put the pieces back together and her ever reliable dreams may be forcing her astray. Coping with the death of someone she loved, she is forced to face the truth and break free from the lies that have caged her.

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Excerpt

Iris lost herself in Falcon's arms, feeling the world drift away again as her lips melted against his stronger, larger ones. The warmth spreading through her body felt like electricity filling very part of her, pooling at the tips of her fingers where she touched his shoulders then traced along his arms. The tension that had worked its way up her back and through her own shoulders released as his hand brushed lightly down the length of her spine, sending sparks through every nerve.

"Please," she whispered softly, centimeters from his lips as they breathed in each other's warm breath. She felt herself lean towards him, this time not holding back as she moved his arm to her waist, making him wrap both arms around her fully. His secure hold on her was the only thing keeping her upright.

"Anything," he whispered into her ear a few moments later after she had caught her breath.

"Be the one beside me when I enter the masquerade. Be the one by my side when I change it all. I know I can do it on my own or with Nestor but...I don't want to. I want you both there with me,” Iris said.

The look on Falcon's face, the light in his eyes, showed her the joy he found in her invitation. "I was waiting for you to ask. Waiting for you to want to need me, even if you never will. It would be my pleasure, Izzy. I will always be there for you. Nothing could pull me away." He didn't say the words but they still hung silently between them, the knowledge that anyone who tried to pull him away from her would die trying. She knew she should be afraid, but somehow he was the only person she knew she could trust, the only one her heart was perfectly sure about, like a tether tied them together, connecting their lives.

"I do need you. Even if I don't, I still need you." She whispered and kissed him harder, forgetting the world outside their doors, ready to explore the man that the boy she had known had become. The man who felt like such a part of her now that she had accepted him. She didn't know what she’d do if she ever lost him. She had never felt a connection this powerful, this all consuming.

"I love you." He whispered, his eyes gazing into hers, their intensity only pulling her further into the joy of just being close to him, just letting herself forget the world she wanted so desperately to help, to change. "I want to do something for you."

"What is it?" Iris almost pulled back, not wanting to lose the moment between them but instead she leaned the side of her face against his chest so that she could hear his heart beating.

"I want to show you what it’s like to run without hesitation, without taking away the one part of running that makes it so magical̶the freedom. I want to show you that freedom." He bent and traced his fingers along the back of her legs. They buckled but he lifted her, taking it as an invitation.

She smiled and leaned against his chest. This time he wasn't carrying her because something was wrong. It was like when they were kids and he wanted to show her he was strong enough to support her, that he could be that person who would pick her up even if she hadn't fallen. He walked to the door and she turned the doorknob for him. They found Autumn in the hallway.

"Wanna go for a run?" Falcon asked Autumn, his voice a conspiratory whisper.

"Sure!" She said and smiled lightly when she realized what Falcon was planning. "Every girl should get to feel the aves inside of her come alive."

Iris smiled feeling like she had her team. They were the people she needed and wanted by her side. They were the ones who kept her human and kind, protecting her at all costs. Nestor was upstairs with Nathaniel preparing for his duties in their upcoming plans. The rest of her family was downstairs. As they jogged by, they passed Jarem on the way, heading up to meet Diana. "We’re going running, wanna come?" Falcon offered and Iris laughed.

"If you invite everyone we may as well all go." Iris giggled and smiled widely, looking forward to it, not caring who decided to come. Iris knew that no matter how people surrounded her and Falcon, somehow they were always alone. They were the only two people in on the secret. That was their unusual type of love. It would only grow with time and trust as long as it was never betrayed.

"Sure, why not." Jarem said and smiled. He opened the door to Diana's room and hollered, "We’re going running with Falcon, wanna come?"

"Absolutely!" They heard Diana yell back. She joined them even though she was wearing a short dress. Not bothering to change, she threw a pair of high-tops on with it.

As they jogged through the house David joined them, leaving the fort to Neal, Garah and Griffin so as not to disturb Nathaniel and Nestor. When they went out the door, Diana led them to the back of the house, going through the garden to a strange trail beyond it. "Is this the fairy trail?" Jarem asked. When Diana nodded, he smiled and looked at Iris. "It's perfect."

"Wooooo!" Diana shouted, crying out like a hawk soaring through the sky. Jarem and even Autumn joined in and Iris realized it was for her and Falcon, egging them on. Falcon set her on her feet and knelt down the way he once had to offer her a ride on his back. She blushed feeling like that same little girl for one beautiful moment, attaching herself to his back and holding onto him tightly.

The bird calls got louder and louder until Falcon got ready and whispered, "You ready?"

"Yes." She whispered next to his ear and then looked straight ahead realizing, she really did need him. Falcon knew what she needed even before she did. As he started running, she shifted her weight and realized, she fit so well against his back, like they had been molded for just this moment, for him to give her the freedom that her body robbed her of. Suddenly her grudges against her body for being made the way it was disappeared as the wind whipped her hair away from her face. She arched her back ever so slightly to get the full effect and to keep her weight manageable for Falcon as he ran faster and faster. Her heart felt like it was soaring for the very first time. There was nothing like it, the faster he went the more amazing it felt. All she could feel was the earth around her and the link to her aves.

She couldn't help but giggle with glee as she watched Diana pass them, holding her arms out at her sides like wings. The wind was pushing her arms behind her, and her face was lifted toward the sunlight shining through the trees. Jarem sped to catch up with her and they started to race each other, getting competitive each time one of them would pass the other.

Autumn was at Falcon’s side as she called out, "Oh come on, go for it. She'll love it!"

"Faster!" Iris squealed like a little kid, the sheer joy of movement giving her a rush she had never felt before. As she leaned her face against Falcon's, she could feel that he was smiling as he gained speed. He wrapped his arms behind her, entwining his fingers at her back like he was stretching as his position formed a brace for her. She leaned into it and as he went faster and faster. She slowly let go of his shoulders and held her arms out at her sides like Diana. The sun beat down on her face and arms. As she closed her eyes, she felt like she was flying, really and truly flying.

Author Emma Michaels

Emma Michaels is a multi-talented bookish girl. Not only is she the designer of beautiful covers, but she has many other accomplishments under her belt. She started book blogging in 2009 and was first published in 2010 (The Thirteenth Chime). She started The Writers Voice in 2011 as a way to help readers get to know authors on another level.

She moved to Washington at seventeen to be with the man that she loves, who asked her what she secretly wanted to be when she grew up. Naturally, she told him that she wanted to be an author, but at the time she thought "it was a pipe dream." He encouraged her to pursue her dreams and taught her that "sometimes reaching for the impossible can make a world of difference in your life." Now she is published and reaching well beyond what most people can imagine.

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coming October 13, 2014






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Now Available!! The Angel Chronicles, Book 3: A Privilege by Amy Lignor - Excerpt and Giveaway!

A Privilege:
The Angel Chronicles, Book 3

The beloved Angel/Warrior team face pure evil in their final climactic story!

The first time they were sent down, Irish lives were led. Emily, the angel, ended up embedded in murder and lost in the realm of true love. While Matthew, the warrior, took over a life that left blood on his hands and anger in his soul.

With their second coming, Emily found herself facing an oncoming war that brought her to the shores of America. While Matthew tried desperately to unveil the evil character of a young man who was intent on locking his partner in a ‘gilded’ cage.

Now...Emily and Matthew find that their lives are all their own. Yet, all the memories, hatred, longing and regret have come hand-in-hand with this newfound freedom.

In small town U.S.A., Matthew finds himself loving his new life. From his military school existence to a new, ‘odd’ friend who’s arrived in town, Matthew’s looking forward to graduation and heading off into a brilliant future with Emily by his side.

Emily wants nothing more than to hide. Although doing her best to fit in, she lives a life on the edge, wondering when her past love with reappear to either forgive or seek revenge on the angel who let him down. Battling the shadows that seem to be breaking her soul in two, Emily soon discovers that her small, quiet town has a secret that’s beyond dangerous...

As she and Matthew join forces to help a ‘haunted’ victim, they open the door on a mystery neither of them can believe. A true villain has returned from the past, and not even their heavenly family will be able to save them. This time they’re on their own, as they face a fight that could lead them straight to Hell…and end the angel/warrior team forever.

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Excerpt

Without a word, Matthew reached out, took Emily by the hand and pulled her down beside him. He looked into her eyes and smiled. “I knew my Emily was still in there.”

Out of the blue, the room became incredibly hot, as if Gabriel had entered in order to give a lesson to his favorite students. “What?”

“That spark.” He pulled Emily’s face closer before she could push herself away. “You’ve been acting all this time like you’re just here to sit and wait it out until you’re lucky enough to go Home. But you’re still in there, Emily. You still have all that energy and belief in there and you want to do something. That’s the partner I know.”

Shaking her head, Emily listened to her own breathing intensify as she stared at his full lips and wondered why she felt so completely and utterly strange...vulnerable even. “I want to help this girl. This is a job, maybe my only job down here. She saw a ghost and she wants me to help her out, that’s all.”

“And you will.” Matthew captured Emily’s lips, and she could no longer feel the breath in her lungs. Completely different than the one kiss they’d shared up above so long ago, this one was far more demanding, as if Matthew was a young man determined to kiss his human love for the very first time.

Sitting back, Emily practically jumped off the bed.

“I’m sorry,” she heard him whisper behind her. “I guess I was just excited to see you again.”

Not trusting her voice, she remained silent.

“We have jobs, but we also have a life to live. Our own lives this time around. Maybe you should think about adding that into your angelic plans.” Matthew continued softly, “Jason isn’t here, Emily.”

The name being said out loud sent a chill down Emily’s spine. It reminded her of the vow she’d made a long time ago—a vow that an angel couldn’t break.

She cleared her throat. “It doesn’t matter if he’s here. We were sent to do a job, and maybe helping this little girl prove her story is what I need to begin.”

Standing up, Matthew looked as if he was a man who wanted nothing more than to turn back the clock and erase the name he’d spoken aloud. He walked to the open window. “Well, I hope the job goes well. Good luck with it.”

“Matthew,” Emily took a step toward him. “Don’t leave like this.”

He nodded at the book on the bed. “You have your mission, Emily...your job. Ghosts, goblins, lost souls—knock yourself out.” He took a deep breath. “I wonder when you’re going to figure out that the living souls around you would like some of your attention as well.”

Closing her eyes, Emily shed silent tears as she heard his feet hit the ground beneath her window. A friend, a partner, the one who actually listened, was now just an angry young man racing back to The Armory—a place where warriors reigned.

Emily sighed. She’d done it again. No matter how hard she tried to be good, her mouth always got her into trouble. She needed Matthew to understand. She’d made a promise to a young man a long time ago; a promise that was supposed to last for eternity. How was she to know at the time that their eternity would include death by her hand? Had the second time around broken their vow? Emily had no idea. But whatever happened she could not and would not offer Matthew her heart if payment was still due for her past sins. Above all, Matthew was the last person who deserved to be punished for her mistakes.

Author Amy Lignor

Amy Lignor began her career at Grey House Publishing in northwest Connecticut where she was the Editor-in-Chief of numerous educational and business directories.

Now she is a published author of several works of fiction. The Billy the Kid historical The Heart of a Legend; the thriller, Mind Made; and the adventure novel, Tallent & Lowery 13.

She is also the owner of The Write Companion, a company that offers help and support to writers through a full range of editorial services from proofreading and copyediting to ghostwriting and research. As the daughter of a research librarian, she is also an active book reviewer.

Currently, she lives with her daughter, mother and a rambunctious German Shepherd named Reuben, in the beautiful state of New Mexico.

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Books 1 and 2 are now 99 cents on Kindle!
   




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Author Visit and Giveaway - Rennefarre by Malve von Hassell

On Tour with Tribute Tours....

Rennefarre: Dott's Wonderful Travels and Adventures
by Malve Von Hassell
Paperback, first English edition, adapted by the translater, 297 pages
Published December 2012 by Two Harbors Press (first published 1965)

Premise:

Imagine riding on the back of a blue heron across time and space. Imagine befriending crows, being kidnapped by magpies, and being given a lift on the back of a kindly stag. Imagine experiencing life as an outcast from human society, encountering spirits and mythical creatures from the world of legends, experiencing the plague in Dresden, and being chased through Berlin by Frederick the Great.

Dott is a twelve-year old girl. She lives in the countryside east of Berlin in an unspecified time between the two world wars. When Dott sneaks out to see the bonfire at the edge of her village on the evening of the midsummer night festival, she has no idea what will happen next. In the dark of night, the magical Rennefarre flower falls into her shoe. It not only makes her invisible, but also allows her to see things no one else could see. No longer able to stay with her parents and her young brother and sister, she begins her search to find a way out of her predicament.

Her quest to return home to her family winds its way through the cities and countryside of 20th century Germany—and beyond. As she befriends the local animals, they help her on her way with gifts of food, shelter, and—through the help of a kind spirit—a magical cup which allows her to become small and ride on the backs of the birds.

Flying across the country on the backs of crows and herons, Dott finds herself seeing the country not only as it is, but also as it used to be. She lives through moments in history others can only read about—meeting historical kings and fanciful spirits along the way. But, even with all of the excitement of her travels, she always has one goal in mind: returning home to her family.

Part coming-of-age story, part fantasy, and part social-cultural portrait of Eastern Germany in the early part of the 20th century, the book covers real ground. That is, one could follow Dott's travels on a map of the area. Seamlessly blending elements of fantasy and history, the book contains a fascinating array of details of day-to-day life in rural and urban areas in eastern Germany. Dott’s adventures are interwoven with folklore and myths as well as vivid accounts of different eras and the diverse cultural and ethnic strains that have formed the basis for a rich and complex history of Germany and Eastern Europe. Written on the eve of World War II, the book offers a sobering perspective on the human potential for causing devastation. At the same time it is filled with hope. In one scene, Dott gets a glimpse of the future — an utterly destroyed cityscape; it inspires her to look to her own responsibilities and actions in life.

I have a weakness for fairytales from around the world... and this adventure from Germany sounds absolutely amazing. I am happy to share the book & history as well as give away an eCopy with Tribute Tours!
Please welcome Malve Von Hassle to Colorimetry!!

When rereading Rennefarre as an adult, I began to appreciate the amount of research Tamara Ramsay must have engaged in. Alongside an emotionally compelling story of a girl’s attempt to return home to her family, the book offers a wealth of factual detail, vivid descriptions of geography, plant, and animal life, a rich fabric of history and historical figures, and a colorful tapestry of legends and myths, doubly attractive for being rooted in concrete places and events.

For instance, the legendary Frau Harke, protector of nature and animals, appears today in the name of a mountain in Lower Saxony, and she is still celebrated in some local traditions. I searched for information about the plants that Tamara Ramsay mentions and discovered that these plants are not imaginary, but rather real plants that have potent properties and feature in homeopathic and folk remedies. Hence, the Springwurzel, given by the giant spirit Rübezahl to Dott as a remedy for her little sister, is the caper spurge. The caper spurge (euphorbia lathyris) has been used as an anti-inflammatory agent and to treat a variety of medical conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis.

In one of my favorite scenes in the book, Dott and her friend Klaus spend an evening in the cemetery of the church St. Anna in a town called Rosenberg.  Today, this town is called Olesno, and it is in Poland. The children, who had been conflicted about their journey, are transported into a moment in deep winter. The children watch pilgrims from all over the county travel to the church for a service. The first wave of pilgrims consists of animals, among others, horses from the mines in Silesia, bent and blind from their labors. Men, women and children dressed in their finest follow. The children watch this procession and decide to go along; and the experience helps them to resolve some of their doubts. When I researched St. Anna, I found that this church had indeed been the site of regular pilgrimages since the 15^th century.

In another scene, Dott encounters the bridge builder Matteo Foccio, thought to have built the first stone bridge in Dresden in the 13^th century. Matteo Foccio shows Dott a sculpture in one of the pillars of the bridge, claiming that it was his self-portrait and that he carved it himself. I was able to track this down and verify that until 1813, one of the original pillars of the Augustus Bridge featured a stone relief sculpture of a man in a sitting position and dressed in the style of the period. According to local lore, it was a portrait of the Italian architect Matteo Foccio. The bridge was dynamited in 1813 and rebuilt; the figure was lost in the process. This is one of many such instances in the book where Dott’s personal story is linked in seemingly effortless fashion with real history as well as the shifting ground in the way in which we experience and rethink history.

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Don't miss any of the virtual book tour stops!

About the Author:

Malve von Hassell is a freelance writer, researcher, and translator. She holds a Ph. D. in anthropology from the New School for Social Research. Working as an independent scholar, she published several books and journal articles, in particular, The Struggle for Eden: Community Gardens in New York City (Bergin & Garvey 2002) and Homesteading in New York City 1978-1993: The Divided Heart of Loisaida (Bergin & Garvey 1996). She has also edited her grandfather Ulrich von Hassell's memoirs written in prison in 1944, Der Kreis schließt sich - Aufzeichnungen aus der Haft 1944 (Propylaen Verlag 1994). She has taught at Queens College, Baruch College, Pace University, and Suffolk County Community College, while continuing her work as a translator and writer. She has published a children’s picture book, Letters from the Tooth Fairy (Mill City Press, 2012), and completed a manuscript for a historical fiction book set in the 13th century for young adults, Falconello. She is working on a historical fiction novel set in Jerusalem in the time of the crusades.

Author

Tamara Ramsay was a German writer of children’s books. In addition to her writing work, she illustrated several of her books. She also translated the tales of Hans Christian Andersen into German.

            Ramsay was born in Kiev in 1895; her father, manager of the Kiev Millworks, was of Scottish and Baltic descent. Her mother was the daughter of a Russian orthodox priest and his German-Danish wife. Ramsay’s father died unexpectedly in 1901. His young widow left Kiev with her three children and moved to Hamburg where she had relatives. Tamara Ramsay’s mother supported her family through her work as an interpreter and piano teacher.

            Dott’s Wonderful Travels and Adventures was her most well-known work. Ramsay wrote the first draft in the 1930s. The book appeared originally in 1941. After the war, Ramsay wrote additional volumes, and the work was published in its entirety in 1951. An abridged edition appeared in 1965, and it has been in print continually since that year. It was translated only once previously, into Dutch. In 2007/2008, the complete work was published in a new edition in two volumes by Prignitz-Pur Verlag, Germany.    

      Ramsay converted to Catholicism in 1932. During the war years, Ramsay was engaged in advocacy on behalf of rape victims and active in connection with youth work through her church. After the war, Ramsay struggled to come to terms with the concept of guilt and the reality of suffering as result of the war, in particular, the suffering of Jews, displaced persons, refugees, and prisoners of war. Throughout these years, her faith was her mainstay of support.

            She died in Mühlacker, Germany on March 7, 1985.

Find & Follow Malve von Hassell:

Malve von Hassell's Web Site: 

http://www.malvevonhassell.com/

Malve von Hassell's Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/malvevonhassellauthor

Malve von Hassell's Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/471746.Malve_von_Hassell

Rennefarre Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16117302-rennefare

Tribute Books Blog Tours Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tribute-Books-Blog-Tours/242431245775186

Rennefarre blog tour site:

http://rennefarre.blogspot.com/

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On Tour... Gilded Wings by Amy Lignor... Readalong!

On tour with Tribute Books...

Gilded Wings
The Angel Chronicles Bk 2
By Amy Lignor
ebook
Published November 1st 2012 by Tribute Books

Premise:

The Beloved Angel/Warrior Team from Until Next TimeReturns!

When Matt and Emily are sent on their second mission they have no idea how truly dark human nature can become… 

Emily never wanted to face humans again. With the heartache that went on down below, she’s still trying to figure out how to save souls that don’t deserve saving. The only one she wants to see again is Jason - the young man she fell in love with who became the soulmate she simply can’t forget…

Matt was trained to protect and defend the souls down below. Longing to feel the heartfelt emotions that come from being human, Matt wants nothing more than to have just one life - one chance - to live and love the girl of his dreams…

The powerful team find themselves in a brand new century, living in the Gilded Age of New York City. Emily takes over the body of Anya, a young Russian girl who arrives on Ellis Island after a hideous tragedy. There she meets up with a strangely familiar young man by the name of Drew Parrish, who helps Anya survive in an unknown world of luxury, snobbery and…obsession.

What Anya’s inner angel doesn’t know is that the soul she loves is also back. This time around Jason goes by the name of Max Carrow. Once a quiet and kind boy, he’s now part of the ‘Four Hundred Club,’ and wants nothing more than to be among the most admired as he climbs the shaky ladder of society’s elite.

As two worlds merge, Emily and Matt struggle under the weight of their “Gilded Wings.” Not only will they have to figure out who they should fight to save, but they must also face a romantic choice that could destroy them both.

This readalong is in order!!!  Check out the LINKY below the Giveaway to see all the stops on this Tour and read the excerpts in order. Here's mine....

Tour Stop - Readalong, Interview, Giveaway - Owlet by Emma Michaels

On Tour with Tribute Tours

Owlet

by Emma Michaels
ebook
Published October 13th 2012 by Tribute Books

Premise:

Somewhere between falling and flying… there is a girl.

Iris has a secret. She lost her memory eight years ago and never told a living soul. After an asthma attack one night she finds out that her dreams of a strange house on a snowy island may be a memory resurfacing but the more she learns about the past the more she realizes the life she has been living is a lie. As the façade her father has built starts to crumble around her she will have to decide which means more to her; the truth or her life.

I am happy to welcome Emma Michaels to Colorimetry!!  I love the cover to her book... I love the name... I love the idea. And after this interview, I can't wait to read it!

Make sure to catch the snippet of excerpt before the giveaway below. This is a special Tour by Tribute where each stop has an excerpt. In order. I got the best one. (That might be my opinion.)

What inspired you to write this story?

What inspired the story and what inspired me to actually write it are a bit different. I had a dream that expanded into an idea. From there it grew, but what inspired me to actually write Owlet and have it published was a moment when I was much younger than I am now where I realized that because of my asthma I couldn’t do what the main characters in my favorite novels could. I couldn’t run to the rescue to swoop in and save the day. I searched for a main character who was asthmatic and for the most part I could only find reality based novels, not fantasy or urban fantasy which have always been my favorites. So when I had the idea that sparked Owlet I wasn’t sure I was going to pursue it until I remembered that moment and realized I had an opportunity to give something to someone that I had not had. I had a chance to maybe spare a person that moment of resentment when you favorite character manages to run for hours straight to save the man she loves and you realize you would have died on the way there if you tried. It was harsh to learn that my health could affect my life in that way if a situation were to arise. I wanted to write a strong asthmatic female who had those limitations but managed to work with what she had and still do the extraordinary.

I know about that resentment. I don't have to deal with asthma, but it's not as if I have personal experience with how it would feel to run for hours straight. I've read some books where I felt, like, geez... another opposite of me!

Do you have a favorite scene?

In Owlet there is a scene where Iris has a dream about Falcon. In the dream it mirrors something they saw birds do earlier in the novel which is a courtship dance. I really love this scene because it was unexpected. I didn’t have it in any of my outlines or previous drafts but when it came time to end the scene before it I just kept writing and this scene came from that moment of inspiration. I have never been much of a romantic but suddenly I was and I could feel Iris’ doubts and fears and the way that in her dreams her underlying nature took over and she let herself fall for him for just a moment. I loved getting to write that unexpected moment and being so in tune with the character.

How fun! I love the idea of the story surprising you... especially with a courtship dance. I get a sense of Iris' character, too, that she "let herself fall for him for just a moment." She sounds strong. I like her already.

Please share something personal about YOU! Favorite color? animal? vacation spot?

I have actually never been on a vacation before. I love monkeys and otters. I love the color pink but only certain shades and I am a huge Doctor Who fan!

Oh, my... I feel like we need to give you some vacation ideas!!  Staycations count if you pitch a tent in the backyard or living room. Sometimes books count. Pinterest definitely counts. :-)  We will find you some vacations, I think... maybe with monkeys and otters!!  Pink ones!

Oh... and Yay for Doctor Who!!   

Interview and Giveaway - The Shadow Man by Mark Murphy

On Tour with Tribute Tours...

The Shadow Man
by Mark Murphy
Paperback, 348 pages
Published July 20th 2012 by Langdon St Press

Premise:

There is a devil in the night, silent and invisible, moving in the dream realm between life and death. And he's coming for you.
Savannah surgeon Malcolm King had a perfect life—a loving wife, devoted daughter, and a thriving medical practice. But when a random airport parking lot hit-and-run links him to a dead body in a Florida hotel and an acquaintance is found dismembered and stuffed into a garbage bag, Malcolm finds himself on the run as a suspected serial killer. But he's no murderer. 

Or is he?

Who is the mysterious Thin Man who lurks at the edges of his vision? Are the ravens that crowd the skies overhead a warning of impending doom - or do they exist at all?

With the help of Seminole tracker Billy Littlebear, Malcolm tries to untangle the web of clues left behind by a mysterious chameleon-like killer known as the Shadow Man. But will he be too late?

The Shadow Man is a complex, atmospheric thriller in the tradition of Stephen King. Darkly evocative and relentless in its twists and turns, it dares the reader to put it down - even for a minute.

Colorimetry is happy to welcome the first ever gastroenterologist to stop by for a visit. Quite honestly, the idea of anyone with "-ist" attached to their official title... that is also a writer... is intriguing. What sort of book would a gastro-dude write? It might be "darkly evocative" with "dismembered body parts stuffed in a garbage bag"!

Please welcome Mark Murphy with me...

            I’m a gastroenterologist.  That’s my day job, and it’s a busy one.  But I have an alternative life as a writer. That alternative life is a reflection of what I see every day.  It is seen in the beautiful and ancient city that I live in, filled with ghosts and intrigue, drawing its very lifeblood from the sea to its east and the marshland that gave the city its name.  It is in the practice of medicine, a veritable parade of characters who waltz through my exam rooms every day.  It is in the love of my wife and children—the driving forces behind everything that I do in my life.  And it most certainly in my love of the written word—the subtle nuances of spoken diction, the deft use of description the place a reader in a certain contextual location—that makes me revel in what I do in my writing life.

            Those are the things I derive my writing from.  I’m simply a reflection of what I have been given to describe.

           

            And what a wonderful gift that is.

Tour Interview and Giveaway - Gotta Call BS On That One by Dr Gerry Steiner

On Tour with Tribute Tours...

Gotta Call BS On That One
by Dr. Gerry Steiner
Paperback, 178 pages
Published August 5th by Two Harbors Press

Premise:

Was missile defense started to save the free world or start a new empire? Do religions help us understand God or help keep God a mystery? Do schools prepare us for life or delay our lives? Does Congress help protect us or help exploit us? Has there ever been any BS involved in any of the above? Have we embraced or challenged the BS.? Could we make a difference? Would we want to make a difference?

Whether reading a newspaper, watching TV, or listening to a song, we are probably observing and absorbing a certain amount of BS. Do we recognize it, realize it, reject it or absorb it. This book provides a beginning to considering these questions. It can provide a basis for understanding, a basis for action, a cause of laughter, a foundation for tears, or some combination. This book often states the obvious, but it’s the obvious that often we collectively don’t seem to own up to. Much of the strife of life, the inequities of the world, even the causes of wars and disasters of the economy might be rooted in our collective self-deception.

The adventure starts with a reflection on a fairy tale from our childhood and one from Washington. It then joins a pair – a professor and his young assistant on an American adventure. They look at such topics as social interaction, sports professional and local, and our individual fitness. Business and education provide many examples and insights. Next, religion and science provide contrasts and similarities.

Government, politics, the legal system, and military service complete this brief trip. In each area, the presence and effects of BS are noted. The final section is devoted to the three greatest downfalls of society in the last century. They are identified and their drastic effects on our society are briefly examined.

Intro:

I jumped at the chance to highlight this book. There is something comical about the cover and author, not to mention, the title, that caused me to pause in a sort of "Wha-?!" kind of way. But a second look brings out a chuckle in me 'cause... the world could use a few people yelling BS from time to time.

After reading Dr. Steiner's bio (below), I'm more in awe. I'm not laughing so much. His experience is incredible. He's been all over the place doing all kinds of cool things. His wife dying of cancer adds a depth that makes me pause again. Only this time I wanna say, "Yea, Ok, I'll listen. What have you seen?"

I'm grateful Dr. Steiner has delivered his book humorously. I'll chuckle, alrighty, but I'll listen thoughtfully, too. And I love a good conspiracy theory any day of the week. Great conversation starters. :-D  All the highlighting in the guest post and bio are mine... me, thoroughly enjoying this post...

Please welcome Dr. Steiner to Colorimetry:

Have you ever wanted to stand up during a speech, lecture, sermon, advertisement and just yell. You weren’t being directly harmed or attacked.  Nothing was physically being stolen from you.  No one was demanding your mind or your money.  Just the same, you felt violated in a very real sense.  BS steals from us all.  Pretending to accept the false makes it harder to trust the authentic.

It seems very important that we know what is real and what is BS.  It is also important that those that generate BS,  (we all do some) realize that they’re not fooling anyone.  It would really mess things up if all BS were challenged and rejected, but it might be useful if it were identified and acknowledged. As I started to collect my thoughts, I was almost overwhelmed by the examples and challenges that life presents us. Almost every area of our experience is affected.  In the book I have not put much emphasis on politics. As we proceed in this election year I am sure that we will have ample opportunity to find “sterling” examples.  (Sterling BS is sort of an oxymoron!)

As we proceed we’ll need active participation to make this the best experience.  Maybe we can have some awards on the blog for different classes of BS. Your suggestions are encouraged.  As with any blog, it is your participation and our interaction that will provide the richness.

I have spent much of my life being frustrated by the BS and by the frequent pretense that the BS is reality.  Through the book and this blog I want to challenge this.  I believe most of us recognize BS when we stop and think about it.  I’ve often felt that putting up with BS is societies definition of maturity and wisdom.  I don’t think most of us really feel that way.  This is an effort to observe, laugh and possibly change. 

Throughout the book you will see a wagging finger beside the text. There was a small group of us at work that would silently use this finger wagging as means to silently, but visibly, point out BS when we see or hear it.  It would be great to establish this as a nationally recognized and accepted symbology,  It might even become an effective way of communicating our knowledge and feelings to those that provide the BS. 

Maybe we can also create a list of BS. Postulates.  The first might be: “If you wonder if it’s BS, it almost certainly is!”

Please enjoy.  Laugh at the BS, act but don’t get mad!

About the Author:

Gerry Steiner has enjoyed a life that is varied in location, vocation, and activities. He started in the land of tradition and history, Hampton, Va., the oldest continuous English speaking settlement in the United States. After high school and eighteen years surrounded by history. Gerry was ready to venture away from Virginia. After considering Cornell, he caught a train to California and went to Caltech. He left Caltech after a couple years to work in seismic oil exploration. His Uncle invited Mr. Steiner to visit Asia. Gerry picked the Navy as the best way to get there. This kept him busy for ten years. A year of Navy school as an electronics technician started the process. Fortunate circumstances led him to his wife and “stability?” for the next 40 years. Gerry then finished his BS and an MS in oceanography before sailing for Vietnam, There gunfire support and chasing aircraft carriers kept him in touch with the real world. Receiving fuel and supplies at sea gave him an appreciation for close quarters’ steerage. A pleasant break provided a week in Olongapo followed by a week in Hong Kong. His wife, Marilyn joined him.

After the Navy and back in Seattle he continued his work in sonar research at the UW Applied Physics Laboratory. He started work on a PhD in electrical engineering. He made sonar measurements from an ice floe in the Arctic Ocean north of Barrow, Alaska. Two visits by polar bears approaching to 20 ft. added to the excitement Dr. Steiner moved to Ridgecrest, CA where he held a position at China Lake Naval Weapons Center. Several years in automatic target recognition included radar field measurements from Pt. Loma, San Diego. Next he started the Airborne RF Targeting Branch. Gerry also completed his doctorate in electrical engineering.

From China Lake Dr. Steiner ventured off to Denver, Colorado to join Martin Marietta. The initial year in Denver was focused on space based radar plans. A movie and a president changed his focus. The movie was Star Wars, the president was Reagan, the focus became the Strategic Defense Initiative. He spent the next decade on issues related to SDI. After the space based interceptor there was a space based laser concept. His efforts contained analysis, management, design, and testing. A couple years were spent developing a new rocket to provide a re-useable single stage to orbit vehicle. Only physics stood in the way.

Gerry’s wife was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer and given six months to live. They had great times that were ended. Dr. Steiner moved to Maui five years ago. He has written this book to share his observations on how the world works and how it could work better.

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Tour Review - Immigration and Adaptation by Haskell G Edwards

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Immigration and Adaptation
How Immigrant Families Excel in North America
by Haskell G. Edwards, D.Min.
Paperback, 254 pages
Published September 15th 2011 by Langdon Street Press

Premise:

Adaptation is a must. But how does one go about doing this? It takes great planning, finances, and courage to leave one's homeland; but then finding support and comfort or anything of familiarity in a new land presents a whole new set of challenges. The stress is overwhelming. How do you gain the happiness and success you dreamed of attaining in the new land?

Immigration and Adaptation is here to help you navigate through these challenges. With the information herein, immigrants coming to North America will be prepared to identify and resolve social, family, and personal challenges with confidence. Mr. Edwards' vast professional experience with diverse immigrant families, as well as his own personal journey and genuinely encouraging approach, not only help immigrant families adapt to new surroundings, but grow stronger together in their journey.

This book includes:
- A family wellness test
- Step-by-step guidelines
- Real-life examples
- Inspirational stories
- Family, parenting, and spousal exercises
- Illustrations
- Single-parenting advice

Immigration and Adaptation also includes tips on: building self-confidence, resolving conflicts, tuning communication skills, networking and building social supports, budgeting, parenting, enhancing spousal relationships, helping teenagers adjust, communicating effectively, and more.

My Review:

This was an emotional read for me. Yea, I know it's not a novel, but there's plenty of story from the author's  examples from experience. But more than that, this book celebrates the homeland roots, encouraging memories, while also filing them away to accept the new & different adoptedland.

The author believes strongly in the ability of immigrants to overcome the challenges of adjusting to their new home. He repeats throughout the book that the choice is being comfortable nowhere, or adapting... Adaptation is a Must with the strength of conviction, that it is possible.

The emotional part? The author gets so many things so right. Like, "Home" always feels far away. It's hard to let go of your homeland and embrace the adoptedland. But that feeling of "home" is attached to a period of time in the past that doesn't actually exist anymore. Accepting that makes it easier to move on and create a new "home". Anyone who has moved has felt that and can relate, even if immigrants feel it more intensely. Just listen to my husband share stories from Montana!! Lol.

Some of the discussions the author urges brought back memories for me. My parents asked us kids what new words we'd learned after school every day when we first moved to England when I was ten. Sharing with them helped me see embarrassing situations from a different perspective and I was able to laugh and embrace the differences, instead of draw away from them. The end of each chapter includes an exercise. Some are just discussions between family members. Some are writing down goals. All of them are easy and build upon the previous one, strengthening that conviction that it is possible to adapt.

This is a fast-paced read for anyone who is an immigrant or moved from one place to another or knows someone who has... which is just about everyone. The author daringly tackles parenting issues with great examples that I could relate to as a teenager and a mom. *snort* He encourages spouse communication and accepting the differences each face, outlining how northern America defines men and women rolls so differently than many other places in the world. He clarifies the economic challenges - the disparity between hopes and reality. He breaks down the adaption process into do-able steps. He uses great Bible verses, but broadly addresses all cultures and beliefs.

Personally, I had a few TaDa! moments - those heart-swelling, tear stinging, "oh yea, it's like that, alright" moments. I can see how Edwards is addressing an issue he understands personally and has helped others overcome. I'm grateful he wrote it down.  So many people move and yet feel isolated, but many challenges are similar. There's comfort in facing the same issues and it's heartening to hear it from someone who is convinced that success is possible. 

Curious if you'll feel the same connection? Read the first chapter for yourself!!

About the Author:

Haskell G. Edwards, D. Min. has vast professional experience for more than forty years as pastor, administrator, family therapist, and director of a family therapy center. His extensive experience gained from working with immigrant families in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic setting, as well as his own personal journey and genuinely encouraging approach, positions him not only to help immigrant families adapt to new surroundings, but grow stronger together in their journey.

He has successfully held immigrant seminars, workshops, and lectures throughout North America. Now a retired pastor, he continues to help immigrant families of a wide cultural heritage transition into their new homeland.

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Tour Interview - Satan's Chamber

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Satan's Chamber
by Molly Best Tinsley 
        & Karetta Hubbard
Paperback, 1st Edition, 294 pages
Published August 21st 2009 by Fuze Publishing

Satan's Chamber Summary:

Junior CIA operative Victoria Pierce is posted to Khartoum, Sudan, where her father vanished five years before. Obsessed with solving the mystery of his disappearance, she uncovers a horrific plot that threatens to ignite World War III. A fast-paced spy thriller, Satan's Chamber shuttles between Washington, DC, and war-torn Sudan, geo-political intrigue and ancient mysticism. It introduces a rich array of memorable characters, from Bart Wilkins, the bumbling but buff young supply officer at the Embassy, to Kendacke, one-eyed descendant of the female pharaohs, to Adam Marshall, one of the richest and most ruthless men in the world.

Author Interview:

Welcome Molly & Karetta!!  I was immediately intrigued by your story after reading the premise. I appreciate you stopping by for an interview!!

What inspired this story... it sounds ominous!!

Satan’s Chamber is ominous, as a riveting spy thriller should be.  The plot pits a naïve young woman, Victoria Pierce, against a trio of amoral, greedy egomaniacs, and the stakes are very high.  If she doesn’t figure out their malevolent plan in time and who’s really behind it, thousands of Sudanese will die and the Middle East could go up in smoke, igniting a world-scale war.

That said, we have always been fatally attracted to saving the world.  The  mystery/thriller genre gave us the opportunity to create a story that positions good against evil, then make sure the righteous win.  The bonus for us was shining a spotlight on the horrific political circumstances in the real Sudan, as well as on its wonderful people, rich history, and diverse culture.

Thus the title Satan’s Chamber, which was with us from the beginning, became a sort of  metaphor for what we wanted our story to be about.  While it describes the horrific circumstances under which the people of Sudan must live, it is also a metaphor for the hell people create for themselves when they turn to greed to fulfill themselves.  Satan’s Chamber is ultimately opposed by the sacred chambers inside the mountain of Jebel Barkal, where the female leader Kendacke, who finds fulfillment through love and generosity, is hatching her counter plan to bring peace and unity to her people. 

What is your favorite scene or character?

Karetta’s favorite scene occurs near the end of the book when the protagonist Victoria, aka Tory, discovers she can count on other people, that we are all connected in a mystical, spiritual way, that she doesn’t have to do everything alone.


Molly’s favorite scenes occur between Tory and the ambiguous Bart Wilkins—the mix of attraction and annoyance, the sexual tension that shapes their interaction.  I also like the scene near the end when the ruthless government militia comes galloping over the horizon.

Can you share something personal? 

Molly is addicted to playing duplicate bridge, and periodically must take a week off to hit a regional tournament.  Karetta, who suffers in cold weather, just packed up her household of X years and fled the Washington, DC, ratrace to live year round in Maine.

Thank you, ladies!!!

About the Authors:

Molly Best Tinsley:

Air Force brat Molly Best Tinsley taught on the civilian faculty at the United States Naval Academy for twenty years and is the institution’s first professor emerita. Author of My Life with Darwin (Houghton Mifflin) and Throwing Knives (Ohio State University Press), she also co-authored Satan’s Chamber (Fuze Publishing) and the textbook, The Creative Process (St. Martin’s). Her fiction has earned two fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Sandstone Prize, and the Oregon Book Award. Her plays have been read and produced nationwide. She lives in Oregon, where she divides her time between Ashland and Portland.

Karetta Hubbard:

As a businesswoman and entrepreneur, Karetta Hubbard has more than twenty-five years of experience in consulting, strategic management, and organizational change for companies throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Japan. Having recently turned to literary endeavors, Ms. Hubbard credits her five grandchildren as her inspiration and encouragement to put pen to paper.


As an active member of the Washington, DC community, Ms. Hubbard has held appointments at the Small Business Advisory Council (SBA), the Tyson Business and Professional Women Foundation (BPW), and the Fairfax County Democratic Committee. Ms. Hubbard attended the University of Virginia and received her B.A. degree from George Mason University. She also attended Catholic University’s Graduate School in Social Work. 

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