1. Elise Allen blurbs about Jennifer Gooch Hummer’s new novel GIRL UNMOORED

One of our favorite client’s Elise Allen took to her site to share her FIRST EVER blurb about one of our newest, freshest and most talented: Jennifer Gooch Hummer. Jennifer’s new novel GIRL UNMOORED hits bookstands soon. Here is a highlight from the blurb:

“I immediately said yes.  I’d never blurbed before, and it’s not often you get to experience a whole new verb.  It also felt like a big deal because it’s such an “established novelist” thing to do.  I was absolutely thrilled…

…and okay, a little nervous.  I remember how anxious I was when Populazzi was sent out to potential blurbers.  I had nightmares that we’d hear back nothing but a slew of, “Yeah, um… I really don’t want my name attached to this book.  Thanks, though.”  (Happily, that didn’t happen — I got great blurbs from Hilary Duff, Eileen Cook, Matthew Quick, and Deb Caletti.)

What if I didn’t like this book Crystal was sending me?  I’d have to be honest, and even though I didn’t know the author personally, I’d feel terrible passing along a bad review during those nail-biting final months before publication.

Turns out there was no need to worry at all.  Jennifer Gooch Hummer’s  Girl Unmoored had me riveted from page one.  I purposely read nothing about the book before I dove into its pages — I didn’t want any preconceived notions — but I’ll give you the official summary:”

More about Elise Allen

Elise Allen has among the most random television-writing resumes ever, with credits that run the gamut from Cosby to Dinosaur Train. She recently fulfilled one of her many life’s ambitions by writing for the Muppets. Another ambition, anytime-access to Disneyland’s Club 33, is for the moment still a pipe dream. Elise has a sick penchant for running marathons, and can’t seem to stop even though fifteen really should be enough already. She lives in L.A. with her husband, daughter, and insatiable food-hound of a dog, Riley.

2.  Speaking of Jennifer Gooch Hummer, her new novel GIRL UNMOORED is now available on NetGalley.com!

Jennifer Gooch Hummer is our first author on NetGalley! This makes it easier than ever for reviewers to receive the galley of Girl Unmoored for their e-readers. Girl Unmoored is in NetGalley’s Recent Catolog from the homepage: www.netgalley.com. Shout out to YA and women’s fiction reviewers: Request away!

More on GIRL UNMOORED

The sharp, quick-witted novel follows Apron, a young woman who has come unmoored by a sea of family drama and break-ups. But when she meets Mike, she’s met her mooring. Although Mike and his cantankerous boyfriend, Chad, don’t know what do with her first – Apron just seems to keep showing up, usually with a fat lip – they eventually offer her a job in their flower store. And then it’s smooth sailing for Apron, until she uncovers Chad’s secret. Suddenly Apron is forced to leave behind the safe harbor of childhood and navigate the stormy seas of a young adult. She knows what her real job is now, and it has nothing to do with flowers.

Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You, comments, “Love, loss, and the coming of age of one remarkable girl blaze through this haunting debut like a shooting star you’d wish upon. It’s tough and tender, funny and smart, and it frankly took my breath away. I loved it.”

Girl Unmoored is set to be published March 2012.

3. Joy Castro in the Daily Nebraskan 

Another great client Joy Castro – author of upcoming novel HELL OR HIGH WATER – was featured in the Daily Nebraskan. The article overviewed her upcoming novel and her life outside writing. Here is a highlight:

“I get bored easily, so I like being able to move among different kinds of work,” said Castro of her upcoming projects. “If I get stuck, I can turn to a different project for a while. I don’t beat my head against a wall when something’s not working. I don’t get writer’s block.”

“Hell or High Water,” Castro’s first novel, is a psychological thriller set in post-Katrina New Orleans, following a reporter sucked into a mystery of missing sex offenders and a world of poverty. Castro, whose husband is from New Orleans, said she was drawn to the city’s history and culture, emphasizing the importance of location in her writing.

“Place is huge,” she said. “Place shapes us. Place forms character. It’s there for writers whether we want it or not. I happen to want it and I suspect I’ll go on wanting it.”

More on HELL OR HIGH WATER

Nola Céspedes, an ambitious young reporter at the Times-Picayune, catches a break:  an assignment to write her first full-length crime feature.  While researching her story, she becomes fixated on the search for a missing tourist in New Orleans.  As Nola’s work leads her back into dangerous corners of the city, she finds herself faced with an even more compelling question:  Who is Nola Céspedes?  Vividly rendered in razor-sharp prose, this psychological thriller is a riveting journey of trust betrayed—and the courageous struggle toward recovery.

“Hell or High Water is more than just a mystery; it’s a heartfelt examination of a second America—poor but undaunted—that was swept under the rug but refuses to stay there.”  –Dennis Lehane, New York Times bestselling author of Mystic River

“In the tradition of P.D. James, Ruth Rendell, and Lucha Corpi, Joy Castro shows how mystery can be much more than the unraveling of crimes concealed.  An irresistible and compelling novel.”  –Lorraine M. López, author of Homicide Survivors Picnic and Other Stories

4. THE MAN WHO COULDN’T EAT on Memory Writers Network 

Jon Reiner‘s acclaimed memoir THE MAN WHO COULDN’T eat is still making buzz! Here is a highlight from the essay “10 Reasons to Read a Memoir about a Man Who Couldn’t Eat” on Memory Writers Network:

Jon Reiner’s intestines were riddled with the autoimmune condition called Crohn’s Disease, a cruel punishment for a man who enjoys food as much as he does. His memoir, “The Man Who Couldn’t Eat,” turned out to be a gut-wrenching journey through one of the most yin and yang dilemmas I have read in nonfiction. It is an exquisite interweaving of the intense pleasure of eating along with the intense suffering that results when his body rebels. The book is also about love and marriage, about a man’s responsibility to his family, and about a chronically ill person attempting to find meaning in life. Here are 10 things memoir lovers will appreciate in “The Man Who Couldn’t Eat.”

More on THE MAN WHO COULDN’T EAT

Imagine not being able to eat or drink a single thing.  No lobster roll on the beach in Maine; no hot dog at the ballpark; no cool drink on a hot summer day; no birthday cake; nothing. In The Man Who Couldn’t Eat (S&S/Gallery Books: September 6, 2011), Jon Reiner – a James Beard Foundation Award-winning writer –chronicles his three-month struggle to live without food. Based on Reiner’s acclaimed 2009 Esquire magazine article by the same name, the book reinvents the foodoir, telling what happens when a man obsessed with food is denied the taste of it.  A beautifully written chronicle of one man’s journey from plenty to deprivation and back again,The Man Who Couldn’t Eat  will change the way you think about more than just your next meal.

5. BookSparksPR and SparkPoint Studio now on PINTEREST! 

It was only a matter of time, but we’re officially addicted too! Check our our Pinterest account HERE and be sure to follow us for our latest book, author and simply great publicity finds!

1. Dr. Mark McKee on PregnancyandBaby.com 

Dr. Mark McKee – author of RAISING THE SUCCESSFUL CHILD: A PARENTING MANUAL – stopped by the SheKnows Pregnancy & Baby site to share some enlightening questions soon-to-be parents should ask themselves before the stork arrives. Here is a small snippet of the the  questions and a highlight of the article:

Consider how you want to raise your children. What do you do to provide a home that serves to promote security and independence? Dr. McKee says that without a clear plan, parents are at risk for unknowingly repeating the same unhealthy approaches to child rearing they may have experienced as children themselves.

Dr. McKee suggests sitting down and really thinking about the following questions and discussing with them with your partner.

• What does this child mean to me/us? (Multiple meanings are healthiest)

• What or how does having this child change my/our perception of myself/ourselves?

• How do you see yourself as a mother or father?

• How do you see your spouse as a mother or father?

More on RAISING A SUCCESSFUL CHILD: THE PARENTING MANUAL

The award-winning parenting book, Raising A Successful Child (The Manual), gets to the heart of what every parent needs to know to have a warm,loving relationship with their baby and raise a happy,healthy,secure child. Based on past successful parenting practices, and even more excitingly on recent research findings that point to new directions in parenting, this book provides in clear and simple language a roadmap and tools for raising successful children. “The Manual” introduces parents to the idea of a balanced life for a child–work and play are equally important at all stages of development.

Exploring all the things that can go wrong and what families should do to avoid these problems does little to build confidence in parents or children. Unlike other books which focus on specific diagnoses or “problems,” this book is centered around the theme of building a strong and healthy parent-child relationship.

2. Toby Neal on Barnes & Noble’s Unbashedly Bookish blog 

Fabulous author Toby Neal – author of Hawaiian thriller BLOOD ORCHIDS – stopped by Lisa Steinke’s Barnes & Noble blog Unbashedly Bookish for a Q&A that gives readers insight to the creative process behind her novel. Here is a small excerpt of the interview:

LS: What was your highest point while writing your book? Your lowest?
TN: Highest point was when I knew Lei was going to fall in love. Lowest was… Hey, this is a spoiler! I’m not telling. I will say there were several very emotionally gripping scenes that made me cry.

LS: How did you come up with the title of your book?
TN: Lei raises orchids in her spare time, and I wanted something that conveyed the lushness and danger of the book. Three orchids on the cover is also meaningful, as there are three victims in the story.

LS: What is the last book you read? The next book you plan to read?
TN: I just finished a dark and twisty crime thriller called The Devil of Light  by Texas writer Gae-Lynn Woods. Next to read is In In Memory of Greed  , a suspense novel by Al Boudreau.

LS: What’s the best compliment you’ve received about your book?
TN: That it kept people up at night reading! I’ve been hearing it a lot, and I love it!

More on BLOOD ORCHIDS 

3. Meg Mitchell Moore is now on Facebook! 

4. Jon Reiner in Las Vegas Review Journal 

5. Marco Polo Design’s Sweetheart-inspired jewelry lineup on SheKnows.com and LovingYou.com 

1. NOMAD BRUSH in TIME Magazine, San Francisco Chronicle and many more after a successful weekend at Macworld

Our BizSparks clients NOMAD BRUSH were the talk of the trade show at this years Macworld in San Francisco! The innovative and artistic iPad accessory makers graced the cover of TIME magazine and San Francisco Chronicle. Here is a little excerpt from both below. Congratulations Nomad Team!

TIME

“When I attended Macworld|iWorld last Thursday and Friday, the show floor was bustling with attendees. And in terms of bustle-per-square-foot, the busiest booth I saw probably belonged to Nomad Brush, which makes brushes that can be used for digital painting on the iPad and other tablets. The company provided me with one for review.

The only input device that the iPad was designed to be used with is the human finger, and designing a decent iPad-compatible stylus is tricky — most of them have blunt, squishy tips that don’t feel like a pen point. But with a brush, being blunt and squishy actually works — and the nicely-made Nomad Brush feels like a real art instrument.”

San Francisco Chronicle 

“This Portland, Ore., company makes attractive styluses that artists can use to paint on their tablets. Recently they introduced a model called the Nomad Play designed for children: a rubber nubbin underneath the brush fibers prevents kids from scratching up the screen, and a thick maple base makes it easy to hold. Given the proliferation of free kids’ drawing and painting apps on the iPad, a brush like this could come in handy. ($18, nomad brush.com.)”

Read more on Nomad here 

2. Leon Gildin on ABC 15 Sonoran Living 

Leon Gildin – the oldest self-published author and author of The Polski Affair and The Family Affair – stopped by ABC 15 Sonoran Living in Phoenix to talk about his novels and to lend some inspiration to follow your dreams. Check out the ABC 15 segment here

More on Leon Gildin

Leon H. Gildin is an award-winning author, producer and retired entertainment attorney. While practicing law in New York for more than 40 years, Mr. Gildin served as general counsel to actors, writers and composers, produced on and off-Broadway, and collaborated with authors and musicians in the development of scripts and musical material for the stage. Leon is the 2010 International Book Awards winner in the Historical Fiction category for his novel, The Polski Affair. The award-winning story continues in The Family Affair, scheduled for release in November 2011. Leon is not quite retired, always in creative pursuit of his next compelling writing project. He resides in Paradise Valley, Arizona, with his wife, Gloria.

More on his latest novel, The Family Affair 

How can a woman’s struggle to reconcile her guilt of survival both unite and divide her family for years to come? It is some two years since Anna Adler returned from a reunion of the survivors who were “guests” of the Hotel Polski after the destruction of the Warsaw ghetto. At the reunion, she was applauded for her courage in testifying against the Commandant of the Polski at his War Crimes Trial. Despite the accolades, Anna’s obsession with what took place at the hotel during her period of imprisonment continues to haunt her.

The Family Affair, a sequel to The Polski Affair, tells of the fortuitous discovery of new members of Anna’s family, bringing her both joy and torment. For Anna, the ties that bind run deeper than she cares to remember … or admit. This results in explosive revelations and a family forever changed, proving that some things are better left unsaid.

3. Auryn App VAN GOGH AND THE SUNFLOWERS in USA TODAY

Another BizSparks client Auryn found themselves and one of their pioneering digital storybook apps in USA Today round-up “Five Amazing Apps for Kids”! Congratulations! Here is a highlight where the columnist commends one of their most popular apps Van Gogh and The Sunflowers:

“Drawing from actual events in Van Gogh’s life, Laurence Anholt’s book weaves a story about how a little boy named Camille befriends the artist. Camille and his family appeared in paintings created by Van Gogh. This interactive story reveals how, although Van Gogh painted vibrant paintings of the village people and its surroundings, the townspeople of Camille’s village thought the painter was odd and ostracized him. But Camille and his family accepted Van Gogh and saw the genius of his work. The book contains 19 puzzles which kids play to bring the characters within the book to life. By tapping illustrations of characters, kids can activate a mode that lets them see the gears and mechanisms that would make the character move. By tapping again on the character, the mechanisms spring apart so that kids can connect them once again. When they do, the character will now appear to animate in the story. Kids can also use simple art tools to repaint the characters so that they appear on the pages how they would like them to look. With soothing background music and the ability to be transported to a museum for closer inspection of Van Gogh’s work, this is a great way for kids to learn about this artist and 10 of his famous paintings.”

4. Advance THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME review on Booklist

THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME by Allison Winn Scotch hasn’t even hit bookshelves (psst, that happens in April) but is already receiving great reviews! Here is an advance review from Booklist:

“After waking up in the hospital with a splitting headache, more than a few bruises, and hundreds of

questions, Nell Slattery knows she’s unlikely to find any easy answers. As one of two survivors of a

violent plane crash, Nell is diagnosed with a healthy dose of amnesia and is unable to remember most of

her life before the crash. With the help of a playlist and the increasing affections of the other crash

survivor, it’s up to Nell to decide which pieces of her past are worth rediscovering. With a reclusive father,

an evasive mother, and a potentially broken marriage, Nell is completely unsure where to start rebuilding

her life. Scotch has drawn a fully three-dimensional heroine in Nell, and the story’s pacing perfectly

mirrors the protagonist’s increasing rate of self-discovery. Scotch peppers her chapters with a number of

pop-culture and musical references, giving the story a modern and lively feel. With shades of Sophie

Kinsella’s Remember Me? (2008) and Liane Moriarty’s What Alice Forgot (2011), this novel is a breezy

yet introspective examination of one woman’s newfound history.”

— Stephanie Turza

More on THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME 

From the New York Times-bestselling author comes a novel that asks the question, who are we without our memories?  And how much of our future is defined by our past?

One of only two survivors of a plane crash, Nell Slattery wakes in the hospital with no memory of the crash – or who she is, or was. Now she must piece together both body and mind — with the help of family and friends who have their own agendas.  She filters through photos, art, music and stories, hoping something will jog her memory, and soon – in tiny bits and pieces –Nell starts remembering…It isn’t long before she learns to question the stories presented by her mother, her sister and business partner, and her husband.  In the end she will learn that forgiving betrayals small and large will be the only true path to healing herself — and to finding happiness.

5. THE FAMILY AFFAIR on A Novel Review

Leon Gildin‘s captivating novel THE FAMILY AFFAIR continues to make buzz across the literary world. Check out a great review of his latest on A Novel Review. Here is a highlight:

“The Family Affair, is not typically a book I would pick up and read. It is a conclusion to the 2010 Winner of the International Book Awards for Historic Fiction, The Polski Affair.  You can read it without having read the first book. I haven’t read The Polski Affair and I believe this story may have been more powerful to me because of it.

Anna is a Holocaust survivor living in Israel with her husband Chaim. Both Anna and Chaim had lost family during the Holocaust and escaped after leaving the Hotel Polski in Warsaw. The hotel was a trap set up by the Nazis to lure Jews out of hiding in the hopes of obtaining visas. Anna at a later point in time testified against Col. Hauptmann during his war crimes trial.

The Story picks up two years after a reunion at the Hotel Polski. Her son, Sholom is an academic working on his doctorate about the hotel. After a devastating blow to the family, Sholom takes off to research the hotel and some nagging questions. While on his research trip, he uncovers something his mother had thought was lost forever. He had hoped it would finally free her of her burden. He also uncovers truths about himself.”

More on THE FAMILY AFFAIR 

How can a woman’s struggle to reconcile her guilt of survival both unite and divide her family for years to come? It is some two years since Anna Adler returned from a reunion of the survivors who were “guests” of the Hotel Polski after the destruction of the Warsaw ghetto. At the reunion, she was applauded for her courage in testifying against the Commandant of the Polski at his War Crimes Trial. Despite the accolades, Anna’s obsession with what took place at the hotel during her period of imprisonment continues to haunt her.

The Family Affair, a sequel to The Polski Affair, tells of the fortuitous discovery of new members of Anna’s family, bringing her both joy and torment. For Anna, the ties that bind run deeper than she cares to remember … or admit. This results in explosive revelations and a family forever changed, proving that some things are better left unsaid.

1. STAY on Pop Culture Junkie

Allie Larkin‘s novel STAY was featured on Pop Culture Junkie in a poll asking if readers preferred the novel’s hardback cover or paperback cover. Which do you prefer?  Here is what Pop Culture Junkie had to say on STAY:

“Let me start by saying I absolutely loved this book! Both covers are cute but there is something so cute about the paperback and it speaks a little to how Van got Joe. And the typeface of the title on the paperback has a little more character. ”  

Let her know your thoughts at Pop Culture Junkie!

More on STAY

2. THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME on Publisher’s Weekly 

THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME by Allison Winn Scotch received a spectacular review from Publisher’s Weekly! Here is what PW had to say:

Bestseller Winn Scotch (The Department of Lost & Found) sparkles in her captivating fourth novel. Nell Slattery, one of only two survivors of a jet crash, wakes up in a hospital in rural Iowa with complete amnesia, surrounded by family and friends. As they present her with pieces of her past, a question arises: who can she trust? Everyone in her life—husband Peter, mother Indira, best friend Samantha, younger sister Rory—wants her to recover, but they are all also determined to rewrite history for their own benefit. Music, which Nell learns was once a passion of hers, helps the past emerge somewhat, as does the other crash survivor and an opportunistic journalist. But as half-truths begin to explode around Nell like land mines, she comes to understand that she can only rely on—or completely trust—herself. Winn Scotch vividly illustrates the confusion, frustration, and anger of not being able to remember or trust. She particularly shines in creating secondary characters—especially Rory and Anderson—flawed but engaging. Readers will love Nell and won’t be able to put the book down until they know how much of her past she wants to bring into her future. Agent: Elizabeth Weed, Weed Literary. (Apr.)

More on THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME

Coming April 2012

From the New York Times-bestselling author comes a novel that asks the question, who are we without our memories?  And how much of our future is defined by our past?

One of only two survivors of a plane crash, Nell Slattery wakes in the hospital with no memory of the crash – or who she is, or was. Now she must piece together both body and mind — with the help of family and friends who have their own agendas.  She filters through photos, art, music and stories, hoping something will jog her memory, and soon – in tiny bits and pieces –Nell starts remembering…It isn’t long before she learns to question the stories presented by her mother, her sister and business partner, and her husband.  In the end she will learn that forgiving betrayals small and large will be the only true path to healing herself — and to finding happiness.

3.  Toby Neal on A Cozy Reader’s Corner

Toby Neal – author of BLOOD ORCHIDS – stopped by A Cozy Readers Corner and wrote a great guest post called “The Reluctant Crime Writer”. Here is a small highlight of Toby’s post:

4. NOMAD BRUSH at Macworld in San Francisco!

1.  Leon H. Gildin on Great Thoughts

Leon H. Gildin – award-winning author of both THE POLSKI AFFAIR and THE FAMILY AFFAIR – stopped by Great Thoughts to give a little insight to the 30 year process that went into writing his historically riveting novels. Here is an excerpt from Leon’s guest post:

Shorty after the publication of “The Polski Affair” in 2009, a reviewer started his review by saying, “Just when I think I know all the bits of WWII history, something new comes along that surprises and shocks me. Such is Leon H. Gildin’s tale of the 1943 goings on at the Hotel Polski.”

As an author, I took this as a compliment. Bringing to light an aspect of the Holocaust which, aside from Abraham Shulman’s research work entitled “The Case of Hotel Polski,” can be found only in the Yad Vasham in Israel is an act in which one can have pride. When the accomplishment is recognized by the International Book Awards and given the 2010 award for historical fiction, it is even more rewarding.

At another time and far from Arizona, where I now reside, I practiced law in New York. One of my clients was Abraham Shulman who was a writer in both Yiddish and English. He was bright, he was amusing and he had lots of ideas. One day, some thirty or more years ago, he came in with a signed copy of his latest work, “The Case of Hotel Polski.” It had been published by The Holocaust Press and distributed by Schocken Books.

I don’t know how many copies of the book were ever sold but I do know that I read it, I found it fascinating. I reread it, I underlined portions of it and I knew that someday I would do something with it.

More on Gildin’s latest, THE FAMILY AFFAIR:

How can a woman’s struggle to reconcile her guilt of survival both unite and divide her family for years to come? It is some two years since Anna Adler returned from a reunion of the survivors who were “guests” of the Hotel Polski after the destruction of the Warsaw ghetto. At the reunion, she was applauded for her courage in testifying against the Commandant of the Polski at his War Crimes Trial. Despite the accolades, Anna’s obsession with what took place at the hotel during her period of imprisonment continues to haunt her.

The Family Affair, a sequel to The Polski Affair, tells of the fortuitous discovery of new members of Anna’s family, bringing her both joy and torment. For Anna, the ties that bind run deeper than she cares to remember … or admit. This results in explosive revelations and a family forever changed, proving that some things are better left unsaid.

2. Jon Reiner in San Francisco Book Review

Jon Reiner – author of memoir THE MAN WHO COULDN’T EAT – stopped by San Francisco Book Review and shared a great essay on the writing process. Here is one of the lessons he learned:

Lesson One: Get To It

Deadline pressure accelerated my thinking and led me to realize the first of two key lessons for the story-to-book process. One man’s panic is another man’s opportunity. All those years when I’d been frustrated by agents’ and editors’ failure to see the brilliance of my 100,000+ word manuscripts, I would have killed for this kind of an opportunity. Put it in perspective, brother. You’ve been graced with dumb luck and handed a great story (the basis of The Man Who Couldn’t Eat).  You’ve been telling people for years at cocktail parties, little league games, car washes, that you’re a writer. A writer writes. In the words of John Berryman, “The artist is extremely lucky who is presented with the worst possible ordeal which will not actually kill him. At that point, he’s in business.” The best writing is done on an empty stomach, right? You’ve got hunger in your wheelhouse. Get to it.

More on THE MAN WHO COULDN’T EAT

Imagine not being able to eat or drink a single thing.  No lobster roll on the beach in Maine; no hot dog at the ballpark; no cool drink on a hot summer day; no birthday cake; nothing. In The Man Who Couldn’t Eat (S&S/Gallery Books: September 6, 2011), Jon Reiner – a James Beard Foundation Award-winning writer –chronicles his three-month struggle to live without food. Based on Reiner’s acclaimed 2009 Esquire magazine article by the same name, the book reinvents the foodoir, telling what happens when a man obsessed with food is denied the taste of it.  A beautifully written chronicle of one man’s journey from plenty to deprivation and back again,The Man Who Couldn’t Eat  will change the way you think about more than just your next meal.

3 .BLOOD ORCHIDS on Sheknows.com

Blood Orchids by Hawaiian author Toby Neal was featured in a January round-up of thriller novels on SheKnows.com! Here is what she had to say on the new novel:

This thriller is the first from debut author Toby Neal and the first for Lei Texiera, a determined young cop trying to overcome her abusive childhood to right wrongs for others. It takes just a few chapters to become absorbed in Blood Orchids, and once it opens up to the reader, it is difficult to put down again.

Neal introduces the underbelly of Paradise in the Hawaiian Islands when Lei and her partner Pono stumble across two drowned teenage girls. The twisted tale establishes the complexities of Lei’s upbringing and her issues which drive her to be both impulsive and have great gut feelings with varying outcomes.

This is a great first effort from Neal, who has three other titles forthcoming in the Lei Crime series planned already. She also introduces the Chang crime family, who, while not the main focus, are sure to make things difficult for Lei in the future. Their ties are deeper than she knows and shockingly close with the man who molested her as part of a revenge plot against her father.

More about BLOOD ORCHIDS

“Blood Orchids is that rarity among debut crime novels, in that it satisfies on every level. A powerful new talent is on the scene.”
- Drew Cross, former police officer and author BiteMarks

Hawaii is palm trees, black sand and blue water— but for policewoman Lei Texeira, there’s a dark side to paradise.

Lei has overcome a scarred past to make a life for herself as a cop in the sleepy Big Island town of Hilo. On a routine patrol she finds two murdered teenagers—one of whom she’d recently busted. The girl’s harsh life and tragic death touches a chord with Lei, and she becomes obsessed with the case. The killer is drawn to her intensity and stalks her, feeding on her vulnerabilities and toying with her sanity.

Steaming volcanoes, black sand beaches and shrouded fern forests are the backdrop to Lei’s quest for answers. She finds herself falling in love for the first time—but the stalker is closer than she can imagine, and threads of the past are tangled in her future. Lei is determined to find the killer—but he already knows where she lives.

4. Founder & Publicist of BookSparksPR Crystal Patriarche on Writer Unboxed

Our very own Crystal Patriarche stopped by Writer Unboxed and shared three effective ways to use the hottest new thing – Pinterest – for book publicity! Here is one of her tips:

#2 Hold a contest

Facebook contests have sort of worn their welcome when it comes to books. What used to be a really cool way to connect with readers and give them a chance to win books and prizes is now common place and these contests are a dime a dozen – what started out as “win one book”, quickly became “win 30 books”, “win 90 books”, “win a year of books”, “win a brand new car and a year of books!”. Put a cool new spin on your giveaways by doing a “Pin It” contest. Encourage readers to visit your website or blog, pin photos of your book(s) to their personal boards, and share with their networks. Because Pinterest incorporates Facebook and Twitter, the sharing capability is automatic and the viral effect is large. Award the best book board or the person who uses Pinterest in the most creative way or shares their board the most, or have them create a cool book board with their favorites of all time. Have them incorporate your book into a board that explores the themes of the book. The options are endless.

Read more of Crystal’s Pinterest advice here

5. BookSparks Groupie program in FULL SWING! 

Hey BookSparks Groupies! We would love to thank you for taking the time and signing up to be a part of our groupies program – we have MANY fantastic books coming your way! Including new titles from Toby Neal, Leon Gilden, Sarah Pekkanen and MORE!

We invite all of our loyal blogger friends to jump on board. As a BookSparks Groupie, you get first dibs on the newest books from our clients to review and a special little gift each month to thank you for all you do.  Sign up here

About So Far Away

So Far Away by Meg Mitchell Moore

Thirteen-year-old Natalie Gallagher is trying to escape: from her parents’ ugly divorce, and from the vicious cyber-bullying of her former best friend. She discovers a dusty old diary in her family’s basement and is inspired to unlock its secrets. Kathleen Lynch, an archivist at the Massachusetts State Archives, has her own painful secrets: she’s a widow estranged from her only daughter. Natalie’s research brings her to Kathleen, who in Natalie sees traces of the daughter she has lost. What could the life of an Irish immigrant domestic servant from the 1920s teach them both? In the pages of the diary, they will learn that their fears and frustrations are timeless.

About The Arrivals

The Arrivals by Meg Mitchell Moore

It’s early summer when Ginny and William’s peaceful life in Burlington, Vermont, comes to an abrupt halt. First, their daughter Lillian arrives, two children in tow, to escape her crumbling marriage. Next, their son Stephen and his pregnant wife Jane show up for a weekend visit, which extends indefinitely.  When their youngest daughter Rachel appears, fleeing her difficult life in New York, Ginny and William find themselves consumed again by the chaos of parenthood—only this time around, their children are facing adult problems.  By summer’s end, the family gains new ideas of loyalty and responsibility, exposing the challenges of surviving the modern family. And the old adage, once a parent, always a parent, has never rung so true.

About A Girl Like You

Emma Frazier is smart, hardworking, and loves her job as a journalist for a Florida lifestyle magazine. Emma knows she’s no great beauty, but she’s pretty certain she has a shot with her handsome new boss, Ben Gallagher—until Emma overhears a mutual acquaintance refer to her as the “ugly friend.” In an effort to reclaim her battered self-esteem, Emma decides to impress Ben at work by promising an exclusive interview with NASCAR legend, Trip Monroe.

Emma and Trip went to high school together and although it’s been fourteen years since they’ve spoken, Emma is certain she can score an interview with the elusive super star. But connecting with Trip turns out to be harder than Emma imagined. Her quest for the interview leads her back to her tiny hometown of Catfish Cove, where old secrets and a new romantic interest shake up Emma’s views on life and teach her that maybe the key to finding true love is as simple as accepting yourself for the person you were always meant to be.

About The Boyfriend of the Month Club

The Boyfriend of the Month Club by Maria Geraci

Emma Frazier is smart, hardworking, and loves her job as a journalist for a Florida lifestyle magazine. Emma knows she’s no great beauty, but she’s pretty certain she has a shot with her handsome new boss, Ben Gallagher—until Emma overhears a mutual acquaintance refer to her as the “ugly friend.” In an effort to reclaim her battered self-esteem, Emma decides to impress Ben at work by promising an exclusive interview with NASCAR legend, Trip Monroe.

Emma and Trip went to high school together and although it’s been fourteen years since they’ve spoken, Emma is certain she can score an interview with the elusive super star. But connecting with Trip turns out to be harder than Emma imagined. Her quest for the interview leads her back to her tiny hometown of Catfish Cove, where old secrets and a new romantic interest shake up Emma’s views on life and teach her that maybe the key to finding true love is as simple as accepting yourself for the person you were always meant to be.

About Clean Break

Clean Break by David Klein

Can you make a clean break from the past for a fresh start on life?

After repeated attempts to get her husband to move out, thirty-four-year old Celeste Vanek makes the fateful decision to leave behind her damaged marriage and beautiful suburban New York home while her husband is away seeking treatment at a gambling rehab center. She moves to a small rental across town and establishes a new routine, works to gain financial security, and helps her troubled young son navigate his escapist fantasy life. But then her husband Adam returns, insisting he is cured and wanting his family back.

Clean Break follows the colliding lives of complex and flawed characters, delivers compelling suspense and psychological drama, and will keep you turning the pages to its surprising and emotionally satisfying conclusion.

About Stash

Stash by David Klein

Gwen Raine has it all: She’s an attractive, stay-at-home mom living in a tranquil community where everything seems right—yet so much can go wrong.

It’s a typical Friday morning in late summer, and Gwen is anticipating a weekend away at the lake with her husband, Brian, and their two young children. After dropping off her daughter at swim class, Gwen drives across town to purchase a small bag of marijuana from Jude, an old boyfriend. On the way home, she gets into a car accident that leaves her bruised but the other driver dead. The local police can see the accident isn’t her fault, but when they find the pot in Gwen’s car, they throw the book at her. There have been problems with drugs in the schools, and the police are determined to crack down.

Told from multiple perspectives and driven by psychological suspense and an escalating plot, this ambitious and deeply satisfying novel examines the moral complications that arise when one’s determination to do the right thing collides head-on with human fallibility and desire.

About Hell or High Water

Hell Or High Water by Joy Castro

Nola Céspedes, an ambitious young reporter at the Times-Picayune, catches a break:  an assignment to write her first full-length crime feature.  While researching her story, she becomes fixated on the search for a missing tourist in New Orleans.  As Nola’s work leads her back into dangerous corners of the city, she finds herself faced with an even more compelling question:  Who is Nola Céspedes?  Vividly rendered in razor-sharp prose, this psychological thriller is a riveting journey of trust betrayed—and the courageous struggle toward recovery.

“Hell or High Water is more than just a mystery; it’s a heartfelt examination of a second America—poor but undaunted—that was swept under the rug but refuses to stay there.”  –Dennis Lehane, New York Times bestselling author of Mystic River

“In the tradition of P.D. James, Ruth Rendell, and Lucha Corpi, Joy Castro shows how mystery can be much more than the unraveling of crimes concealed.  An irresistible and compelling novel.”  –Lorraine M. López, author of Homicide Survivors Picnic and Other Stories

1.  Toby Neal on Alisha Paige’s blog Ruby Vines

Toby Neal - author of BLOOD ORCHIDS – stopped by Alisha Paige’s blog Ruby Vines to give the top 20 things she has learned as a therapist and writer! Here are the first few lessons the writer extends to readers:

1. Niceness: it DOES matter. What kind of world would this be if we all gave into our nasty, jealous, greedy, murderous, slanderous impulses? So, when in doubt be NICE and even though not everyone will like you (that’s inevitable) the world will be a pleasanter place. If you must, get those evil impulses out by writing crime novels, like I do!
2. Global Warming: if it wasn’t that, it’d be something else. Because of #3.
3. Death and Taxes: yep, no matter how you wriggle and squirm, they’ll get you in the end.
4. Gum: chew it often, it makes you smarter. Research shows it increases circulation to the brain.
5. Dreams: they aren’t just too much pizza and beer. Your subconscious is trying to communicate! Listen to it or it’ll keep tossing you off that cliff (or having that bear chase you, etc)

More on BLOOD ORCHIDS

“Blood Orchids is that rarity among debut crime novels, in that it satisfies on every level. A powerful new talent is on the scene.”
- Drew Cross, former police officer and author BiteMarks

Hawaii is palm trees, black sand and blue water— but for policewoman Lei Texeira, there’s a dark side to paradise.

Lei has overcome a scarred past to make a life for herself as a cop in the sleepy Big Island town of Hilo. On a routine patrol she finds two murdered teenagers—one of whom she’d recently busted. The girl’s harsh life and tragic death touches a chord with Lei, and she becomes obsessed with the case. The killer is drawn to her intensity and stalks her, feeding on her vulnerabilities and toying with her sanity.

Steaming volcanoes, black sand beaches and shrouded fern forests are the backdrop to Lei’s quest for answers. She finds herself falling in love for the first time—but the stalker is closer than she can imagine, and threads of the past are tangled in her future. Lei is determined to find the killer—but he already knows where she lives.

2. Dr. Mark McKee on Yahoo! Voices

Award-winning author of RAISING A SUCCESSFUL CHILDS and child psychologist Dr. Mark McKee stopped by Yahoo! Voices to give the “recipe” for success in college in his article “Dad’s Rules for Success in College“. Here are just three of the eight tips McKee said will lead to success in college:

1. Go to every class and always be a few minutes early.
2. As soon as you get the syllabus for a class, read the entire thing—Then write down every due assignment,project,and exam on a calender you will review at the beginning and end of every day.
3. Stay one week ( at least one day) ahead of the syllabus. Always read all readings prior to going to class so you are prepared. It is the professor’s job to discuss and expand on the class assignments—Not to teach you what you should learn from the readings.

More on RAISING A SUCCESSFUL CHILD

The award-winning parenting book, Raising A Successful Child (The Manual), gets to the heart of what every parent needs to know to have a warm,loving relationship with their baby and raise a happy,healthy,secure child. Based on past successful parenting practices, and even more excitingly on recent research findings that point to new directions in parenting, this book provides in clear and simple language a roadmap and tools for raising successful children. “The Manual” introduces parents to the idea of a balanced life for a child–work and play are equally important at all stages of development.

Exploring all the things that can go wrong and what families should do to avoid these problems does little to build confidence in parents or children. Unlike other books which focus on specific diagnoses or “problems,” this book is centered around the theme of building a strong and healthy parent-child relationship.

3. Nomad on Padgadget

Nomad brushes continue to create buzz on the must-have iPad and iPhone accessory lists! Check out what Padgadget had to say in their article “Must Have iPad Accessories for New iPad Owners”

The artists out there will quickly learn how amazing some of the painting, sketching and drawing apps are for the iPad. To take your artistic endeavor to the next level, pick yourself up a Nomad Brush. This fantastic paintbrush stylus will allow users to feel like they are really painting on a canvas. Created by  an artist and architect, the brush is made of natural and synthetic fibers that are highly conductive to touch screens. There are currently three styles of Nomad, short tipped, long tipped and a mini brush. They cost $24 each and can be used on any touch screen device.

Check out more info on Nomad and Nomad brushes here

Nomad Bonus! 

Nomad has officially announced their Compose Portrait Siri-ies Challenge! Details from Nomad below:

We have all been reading about, and interacting with, Siri since she came onto the scene last October. But who is she? What does she look like? We’ll be exploring this topic as a part of our Macworld | iWorld Tech Talks on Saturday, January 28th, but why limit the fun to Macworld attendees? We’re inviting all of our fans and enthusiasts to participate, too!

Upload your depiction of Siri (created in any medium, limited only by your imagination) by Friday, February 3 for a chance to win one of three prizes!

HERE ARE THE PRIZES:

1st Prize:

• A custom engraved Nomad Compose
• Your work featured here on our blog, in Nomad News, and on our Facebook page
• And, your work printed on a custom 11″ x 17″ canvas!

• 2nd Prize:

• A custom engraved Nomad Compose
• Your work highlighted here on our blog, Nomad News, and on our Facebook page

3rd Prize:

• Your work featured on our Facebook page and in Nomad News

HERE ARE THE RULES:

1. Upload your depiction of Siri by Friday, February 3.
2. Winners will be selected by the number of votes entered for each portrait, so make sure to tell your friends and family to vote for your entry!
3. You can submit as many as 5 portraits – let your imagine run free and increase your chances to win!
4. Winner is responsible for any applicable taxes, including customs duties.

We look forward to seeing all of your Portrait Siri-ies in the coming weeks, and to seeing how different (or similar!) our interpretations are! Stay connected on our Facebook page for more news and updates. And make sure to let us know if you will be at Macworld so we can watch out for you there!

Submit your entry here

 4. RAISING A SUCCESSFUL CHILD by Dr. Mark McKee in West Suburban Magazine

5. BookSparks Groupie program in FULL SWING!