Happy June First!

Welcome to June!


We’ve got some outstanding releases from my backspace brethren this month, but before I go into that, I just wanted to say thank you to those that followed my blog tour in May. I had a lot of fun and hope you did too.

This month I have quite a few cool authors swinging in, starting with Brett Battles this Friday – June 3rd. The rest of the month lays out like a Hollywood who’s who with: Ian Barker on June 10th, Morgan Gallagher on June 17th, and finishing on a stellar note with Marcus Sakey on June 24th.

Now without further adieu, here are some books to check out for June…

Joe Moore & Lynn Sholes – THE PHOENIX APOSTLES June 8, 2011

Magazine journalist Seneca Hunt is reporting on the opening of Montezuma's tomb in Mexico City when the dig team learns that the remains of the Aztec emperor are missing. Within moments of the discovery, an apparent terrorist attack kills everyone at the site except Seneca, who barely escapes the carnage.

Determined to get answers, Seneca starts investigating. She finds out that someone is stealing the remains of the most infamous mass murderers in history-and plotting to slaughter millions in the name of an ancient cult. Seneca needs to prove the threat really exists while trying to stay one step ahead of those who want her dead. With time running out, she must follow a deadly 2,000-year-old trail that leads back to the death of Jesus Christ.

Marcus Sakey - THE TWO DEATHS OF DANIEL HAYS June 9, 2011

Marcus Sakey returns with his most ambitious novel, a captivating story of love and memory, where the only thing more frightening than the questions are the answers.

A man wakes up naked and cold, half-drowned on an abandoned beach. The only sign of life for miles is an empty BMW. Inside the expensive car he finds clothes that fit perfectly, shoes for his tattered feet, a Rolex, and a bank envelope stuffed with cash and an auto registration in the name of Daniel Hayes, resident of Malibu, California.

None of it is familiar.

What is he doing here? How did he get into the ocean? Is he Daniel Hayes, and if so, why doesn't he remember? While he searches for answers, the world searches for him-beginning with the police that kick in the door of his dingy motel, with guns drawn. Lost, alone, and on the run, the man who might be Daniel Hayes flees into the night.

All he remembers is a woman's face, so he sets off for the only place he might find her. The fantasy of her becomes his home, his world, his hope. And maybe, just maybe, the way back to himself.

But that raises the most chilling question of all: What will he find when he gets there?

Camille Noe Pagán - THE ART OF FORGETTING June 9, 2011

Marissa Rogers never wanted to be an alpha; beta suited her just fine. Taking charge without taking credit had always paid off: vaulting her to senior editor at a glossy magazine; keeping the peace with her critical, weight-obsessed mother; and enjoying the benefits of being best friends with gorgeous, charismatic, absolutely alpha Julia Ferrar.

And then Julia gets hit by a cab. She survives with minor obvious injuries, but brain damage steals her memory and alters her personality, possibly forever. Suddenly, Marissa is thrown into the role of alpha friend. As Julia struggles to regain her memory- dredging up issues Marissa would rather forget, including the fact that Julia asked her to abandon the love of her life ten years ago- Marissa's own equilibrium is shaken.

With the help of a dozen girls, she reluctantly agrees to coach in an after-school running program. There, Marissa uncovers her inner confidence and finds the courage to reexamine her past and take control of her future.

The Art of Forgetting is a story about the power of friendship, the memories and myths that hold us back, and the delicate balance between forgiving and forgetting.

Katie Alender - FROM BAD TO CURSED June 14, 2011

Alexis is the last girl you'd expect to sell her soul. She already has everything she needs—an adorable boyfriend, the perfect best friend, and a little sister who’s finally recovering after being possessed by an evil spirit.

Alexis is thrilled when her sister joins a club: new friends are just what Kasey needs. It’s strange, though, to see how fast the girls in the Sunshine Club go from dorky and antisocial to gorgeous and popular. Then Alexis learns that the girls have pledged an oath to a seemingly benevolent spirit named Aralt. Worried that Kasey’s in over her head again, Alexis and her best friend, Megan, decide to investigate by joining the club themselves. Soon, Alexis trades in her pink hair and punky clothes for a mainstream look, and finds herself reveling in her newfound elegance and success.

The club’s connection with Aralt seems harmless, and before long, Alexis can hardly remember why she joined in the first place.Surely it wasn’t to destroy Aralt. . . . Why would she hurt someone who has given her so much, and asked for so little in return?

Ally Carter - UNCOMMON CRIMINALS June 21, 2011

Katarina Bishop has worn a lot of labels in her short life: Friend. Niece. Daughter. Thief. But for the last two months she’s simply been known as the girl who ran the crew that robbed the greatest museum in the world. That’s why Kat isn’t surprised when she’s asked to steal the infamous Cleopatra Emerald so it can be returned to its rightful owners. There are only three problems. First, the gem hasn’t been seen in public in thirty years. Second, since the fall of the Egyptian empire and the suicide of Cleopatra, no one who holds the emerald keeps it for long — and in Kat’s world, history almost always repeats itself. But it’s the third problem that makes Kat’s crew the most nervous, and that is . . . the emerald is cursed. Kat might be in way over her head, but she’s not going down without a fight. After all, she has her best friend — the gorgeous Hale — and the rest of her crew with her as they chase the Cleopatra around the globe, dodging curses and realizing that the same tricks and cons her family has used for centuries are useless this time. Which means, this time, Katarina Bishop is making up her own rules.

Kristina Riggle - THINGS WE DIDN'T SAY June 28, 2011

What goes unsaid can sometimes speak the loudest . . .

What makes up a family? For Casey it's sharing a house with her fiancÉ, Michael, and his three children, whom she intends to nurture more than she ever took care of herself. But Casey's plans have come undone. Michael's silences have grown unfathomable and deep. His daughter Angel seethes as only a teenage girl can, while the wide-eyed youngest, Jewel, quietly takes it all in.

Then Michael's son, Dylan, runs off, and the kids' mother, a woman never afraid to say what she thinks, noisily barges into the home. That's when Casey decides that the silences can no longer continue. She must begin speaking the words no one else can say. She'll have to dig up secrets—including her own—uncovering the hurts, and begin the healing that is long overdue. And it all starts with just a few tentative words. . . .


Such great titles this month, just in time for beach weather.  Speaking of bathing suit form, I'm still holding steady on the Jenny Craig side of things.  No gain, no loss and this past week, no change in inches either.  I'll pick back up on my Wednesday Jenny updates next week. 

In the meantime, don't forget to swing in on Friday while I dish it up with Brett Battles. 

Until then,
Ciao,
JET

Happy March First!

Welcome March!

Today my daughter turns sixteen and is getting her driver’s permit – Lord help us all!

With such a thrilling event on tap, I figured I’d share with you folks some equally as heart pumping books. In the mix are my Backspace brethren’s releases as well as some from a great group of Indie authors. Relax, grab a glass of wine and one of these puppies and enjoy a nice quiet evening.

Blake Crouch – RUN – February 26, 2011
5 D A Y S A G O
A rash of bizarre murders swept the country...
Senseless. Brutal. Seemingly unconnected.
A cop walked into a nursing home and unloaded his weapons on elderly and staff alike.
A mass of school shootings.
Prison riots of unprecedented brutality.
Mind-boggling acts of violence in every state.

4 D A Y S A G O
The murders increased ten-fold...

3 D A Y S A G O
The President addressed the nation and begged for calm and peace...

2 D A Y S A G O
The killers began to mobilize...

Y E S T E R D A Y
All the power went out...

T O N I G H T
They're reading the names of those to be killed on the Emergency Broadcast System. You are listening over the battery-powered radio on your kitchen table, and they've just read yours.

Your name is Jack Colclough. You have a wife, a daughter, and a young son. You live in Albuquerque, New Mexico. People are coming to your house to kill you and your family. You don't know why, but you don't have time to think about that any more.

You only have time to....
R U N

Mel Comley - FINAL JUSTICE – February 18, 2011

After suffering a breakdown and quitting the force, former Detective Inspector Lorne Simpkins is contacted by a friend at MI6 to help in a covert operation. Against her will, Lorne is convinced to help track down an old enemy, a sadistic and calculating criminal whose ambition is to become the world's richest man.

It’s up to Lorne and the agent to prevent him, which results in a chase through France.

Claudia Gray – AFTERLIFE – March 8, 2011

Destiny awaits Bianca and Lucas . . .

Bianca and Lucas have always believed they could endure anything to be together. When a twist of fate not only transforms Bianca into a wraith but also turns Lucas into a vampire—the very creature he spent his life hunting—they are left reeling.

Haunted by his powerful need to kill, Lucas can turn to only one place for help . . . Evernight Academy. Bianca is determined to remain with him. But with the vampire leader of Evernight waging a war against wraiths, her former home has become the most dangerous place she could be, despite the new powers her ghostly transformation has given her.

A battle between wraiths and vampires looms, and Bianca and Lucas face a terrifying new reality. They've overcome every obstacle life has thrown at them, but is their love strong enough to survive the challenges after life?

Michael Haskins – FREE RANGE INSTITUTION – March 9, 2011

Mick Murphy, the newshawk hero of Haskins’ latest Key West mystery, makes a classic reporter goof. He pretends to be a little closer to the action than he really is. Both good and bad guys take him at his word, and the chase is on. At the heart of it all is a plot to bring a particularly cheap and addictive drug called paco into the U.S. As the good guys assemble behind Mick and check their guns, echoes of Miami Vice reverberate, with both its pastel glitz and its underlying despair. The cartels have more money and guns; the best the rest of us can do is hold together. Things get lively as the confrontation approaches, but this really isn’t a high-concept action novel or even a stripped-down thriller. It’s about adult relationships, and its generous use of the Key West setting will appeal to readers who like local color. Since it’s the Keys, a lot of beer and rum goes down, and there’s much eating of cheeseburgers, dolphin sandwiches, and breakfast eggs with hot sauce. --Don Crinklaw – Booklist

Carrie Ryan – THE DARK AND HOLLOW PLACES – March 22, 2011


There are many things that Annah would like to forget: the look on her sister's face when she and Elias left her behind in the Forest of Hands and Teeth, her first glimpse of the horde as they found their way to the Dark City, the sear of the barbed wire that would scar her for life. But most of all, Annah would like to forget the morning Elias left her for the Recruiters.

Annah's world stopped that day and she's been waiting for him to come home ever since. Without him, her life doesn't feel much different from that of the dead that roam the wasted city around her. Then she meets Catcher and everything feels alive again.

Except, Catcher has his own secrets -- dark, terrifying truths that link him to a past Annah's longed to forget, and to a future too deadly to consider. And now it's up to Annah -- can she continue to live in a world drenched in the blood of the living? Or is death the only escape from the Return's destruction?

Tracey Alley - SLADE'S DESTINY - March 2011

The war has begun but there is no sign of the shadowy witch Shallendara. Her allies, Prince Ulrich of Vestland and The Dark One rain down death and destruction on the Emirate of Kemet but the witch herself pursues her own goals from the safety of Ieriendi palace. Lord Michael and Solomon do their best to lessen the damage caused by the witch’s ally’s war of conquest but the enemy are more interested in causing death and destruction and Lord Michael’s Knights and Solomon’s Monks are badly outnumbered.


Meanwhile with the help of Roulibard and a sympathetic dragon Slade and Ursula seek out their dying father, High King Erich in the bowels of Ieriendi’s dungeons. Facing death at every turn the siblings know only that to strike a blow against the witch’s plans they must somehow save their beloved father before it is too late.

Can Slade manifest his destiny in time to save, not just his father, but an entire world?



And on the non-fiction side of the fence, check these books out…



Eileen Kennedy-Moore, PhD – SMART PARENTING FOR SMART KIDS – March 1,2011

"My kid is smart, but..."

It takes more than school smarts to create a fulfilling life. In fact, many bright children face special challenges:

• Some are driven by perfectionism;
• Some are afraid of effort, because they're used to instant success;
• Some routinely butt heads with authority figures;
• Some struggle to get along with their peers ;
• Some are outwardly successful but just don't feel good about themselves.

This practical and compassionate book explains the reasons behind these struggles and offers parents do-able strategies to help children cope with feelings, embrace learning, and build satisfying relationships. Drawing from research as well as the authors’ clinical experience, it focuses on the essential skills children need to make the most of their abilities and become capable, confident, and caring people.

John Elder Robison – BE DIFFERENT – March 22, 2011

“I believe those of us with Asperger’s are here for a reason, and we have much to offer. This book will help you bring out those gifts.”

In his bestselling memoir, Look Me in the Eye, John Elder Robison described growing up with Asperger’s syndrome at a time when the diagnosis didn’t exist. He was intelligent but socially isolated; his talents won him jobs with toy makers and rock bands but did little to endear him to authority figures and classmates, who were put off by his inclination to blurt out non sequiturs and avoid eye contact.

By the time he was diagnosed at age forty, John had already developed a myriad of coping strategies that helped him achieve a seemingly normal, even highly successful, life. In Be Different, Robison shares a new batch of endearing stories about his childhood, adolescence, and young adult years, giving the reader a rare window into the Aspergian mind.

In each story, he offers practical advice—for Aspergians and indeed for anyone who feels “different”—on how to improve the weak communication and social skills that keep so many people from taking full advantage of their often remarkable gifts. With his trademark honesty and unapologetic eccentricity, Robison addresses questions like:

• How to read others and follow their behaviors when in uncertain social situations
• Why manners matter
• How to harness your powers of concentration to master difficult skills
• How to deal with bullies
• When to make an effort to fit in, and when to embrace eccentricity
• How to identify special gifts and use them to your advantage

Every person, Aspergian or not, has something unique to offer the world, and every person has the capacity to create strong, loving bonds with their friends and family. Be Different will help readers and those they love find their path to success.


On Friday, I’ve got the talented Cat Connor on my blog talking about her latest release exacerbyte. Swing in and say hi!


Until then,


Ciao.


JET

Welcome February!

Welcome to the first day of February. Not only do we have Valentine’s Day this month, but we also have these fantastic releases by my cohorts over at Backspace. Curl up by the fire and enjoy one of these puppies on those long cold winter nights!

T. J. Forrester - MIRACLES, INC. (Simon & Schuster, February 1, 2011)

The rise and fall of a ne'er-do-well–turned–preacher fuels Forrester's promising debut. Waiting to be executed in a Florida prison, Vernon Oliver reluctantly agrees to write his autobiography at the request of his attorney, who hopes to sell it to cover Vernon's legal fees. His story begins 11 years earlier, in 1997, living in an RV park and working for Tabernacle Carnival, a shady Holy Roller church. His girlfriend, Rickie, sells Bibles, and the two are content to mostly get high and play Scrabble until carnival owner Miriam MacKenzie sees epic televangelist potential in Vernon and packs him off to religious boot camp where Vernon meets the actors who will receive his "healing" touch. Soon he's taking the stage in pyrotechnic displays of Jesus-loving fervor, amid cries of blasphemy from other Pentecostal leaders and a crumbling relationship with Rickie. While alternating between Vernon's autobiography leading up to the act that lands him on death row and his life in prison is a structural choice that mostly pays off, the depiction of life in prison suffers compared to the inventiveness of Vernon's life as a sham faith healer. 

Lisa McMann - CRYER'S CROSS (February 8, 2011);

The small town of Cryer’s Cross is rocked by tragedy when an unassuming freshman disappears without a trace. Kendall Fletcher wasn’t that friendly with the missing girl, but the angst wreaks havoc on her OCD-addled brain.

When a second student goes missing—someone close to Kendall’s heart—the community is in an uproar. Caught in a downward spiral of fear and anxiety, Kendall’s not sure she can hold it together. When she starts hearing the voices of the missing, calling out to her and pleading for help, she fears she’s losing her grip on reality. But when she finds messages scratched in a desk at school—messages that could only be from the missing student who used to sit there—Kendall decides that crazy or not, she’d never forgive herself if she didn’t act on her suspicions.

Something’s not right in Cryer’s Cross—and Kendall’s about to find out just how far the townspeople will go to keep their secrets buried.

Cat Connor - exacerbyte (February 10, 2011)

SSA Ellie Conway is well aware how delicate life really is, so when the child trafficker known as Hawk surfaces in New Zealand, and the Director suggests 'Delta A' welcome Doctor Kurt Henderson to their ranks she agrees. The events that unfold haul Supervisory Special Agent Ellie Conway out of her comfort zone and into a terrifying personal situation. Delta A work to find missing children in New Zealand before they disappear forever.


This time Hawk's not hunting children from the Butterfly Foundation.

He's found a new place to meet his vulnerable prey. He's broadened his net, and increased his activity.
And he’s watching...

J.E. Taylor – END GAME (eXcessica February 14, 2011)

Chris Ryan has everything he's ever dreamed of: the love of a beautiful woman, two amazing children, an obscene amount of money and mystical powers beyond his wildest dreams.

His perfectly planned Valentine's Day proposal hits a speed bump when Jessica receives a call from her ex-husband and agrees to attend the premier of his movie in New York City. A movie Chris isn't so sure he wants to see, especially on the same night as his wedding.

Sharing the spotlight with her ex becomes the least of his concerns when three thousand miles away on the sunny coast of California, a scorned woman activates a contract on Jessica.

He lands in the cross hairs between an endless trail of assassins and his wife, fending them off and vowing revenge on the crazy bitch that set them loose. But his valiant efforts crumble in a near fatal hit leaving him on the brink.

In the dark plane between life and death, Chris is given a choice: Save his family or save his soul.

Sara J. Henry - LEARNING TO SWIM (Shaye Areheart Books February 22, 2011)

The opening lines of Sara J. Henry’s moving and disturbing novel plunge us directly into the action, along with our narrator, Troy Chance. It is a child she’s seen thrown overboard. Harrowing minutes later, Troy and a terrified little boy emerge shivering from the spring chill of Vermont’s Lake Champlain.

Troy is a freelance writer living in Lake Placid, New York, with no responsibilities to speak of and just a few close friends. Suddenly, little Paul is in her life. Her fierce protective feelings stun her. Who could even think of doing such a thing to a child? She’s repulsed and determined to find out in equal measure. Her search will take her into a world of great wealth—a world in which horrible things are all too imaginable, a world in which she’ll either sink or swim. And along the way, she’ll come to discover that it is amazing what you can do if you don’t stop to think.

J.A. Konrath - SHAKEN (February 22, 2011);

Since her debut in Whiskey Sour, Lieutenant Jacqueline “Jack” Daniels has dealt with her fair share of criminals. But she may have finally met her match in “Mr. K,” the brutal serial killer who has eluded Jack not once, but twice, over the years. Mr. K is the essence of evil, credited with more than two hundred horrific homicides. Now, on a hot August night, Jack finally gets the chance to face the maniac—unfortunately, she must do so while bound and gagged in a storage locker, primed to be his next victim. As she awaits her fate, Jack looks back on her career, from her first homicide case to her recent retirement. The twenty-five years in between saw Jack’s attitude toward justice, the law, her job, and her personal life shift drastically. She is a different woman now…but is she good enough to stop a madman? Novelist J. A. Konrath’s trademark blend of suspense and wry humor are on full display in this tense thriller, a gripping tale that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.


The rest of this month is packed with guest interviews starting with a very special guest - A.S. King award winning author of Dust of 100 Dogs and Please Ignore Vera Dietz. On the 11th, I have romantic suspense author Betty Ann Harris and then on the 18th, we have Betty Sullivan LaPierre. 

Until Friday...

Ciao,

JET

Backspacer's books...a nice diversion from the pain of physical therapy!

Just a little illustration of a fraction of the books the members of Backspace, past & present, have published that I own and could find easily.  Nice reading during my post surgery time to heal.    

Welcome 2011

Welcome to the first Friday blog of 2011. I usually reserve the first Friday of the month to showcase my Backspace brethren releases, however, January seems to be quite a light month – well, non-existent actually – at least as far as the release dates on our internal forum calendar.


So, with the absence of information, I thought I’d showcase one of the authors I am having on my blog this month after a brief commentary on self-publishing.

Self publishing – taking the leap.

I’ve been reading Joe Konrath’s blog lately on self-publishing and I want to take a second to give my own voice to this debate. The one thing I want to stress to those thinking of taking this leap – get a decent editor, not just a proofreader – because, while occasional grammatical mistakes are annoying, they can be forgiven, but sloppy writing, inconsistent point of view, head hopping and the telling of a story cannot.

A good editor can point out excessive amount of back-story, or annoying head hopping or the fact that the pace is stunted by detailed descriptions riddled with clichés.  A good editor helps turn passive voice into an active, engaging voice.    

A good editor will point out the holes in your story, the places that need ironing out, things that work, things that don’t. They help you build a stronger, more solid foundation and push you to reach further, to capture the reader. Without this influence, the book doesn’t stand a chance.

If you can't afford a decent editor, find a good critique partner that isn't afraid of telling you like it is or a writers group that will offer both critiques and support.  This step in the process is essential to your growth as a writer and a chance to hone your craft. 

And on that note – speaking of critique partners… I’d like to take a moment to showcase a new writer whose first book – an urban fantasy - is coming out on January 25, 2011. Allison Pang and her book - A BRUSH OF DARKNESS.

I hooked up with Allison in one of Margie Lawson’s deep editing classes and I knew from the first assignment we swapped that this girl was going places. I had the pleasure of reading and offering feedback on A BRUSH OF DARKNESS before it had that title and let me tell you, even the rough draft kicked ass. Talk about god given talent. Allison will be swinging in on January 28th to talk a little more about her journey to publication, but in the meantime, here’s the description of A BRUSH OF DARKNESS:

The man of her dreams might be the cause of her nightmares.


Six months ago, Abby Sinclair was struggling to pick up the pieces of her shattered life. Now, she has an enchanted iPod, a miniature unicorn living in her underwear drawer, and a magical marketplace to manage. But despite her growing knowledge of the OtherWorld, Abby isn’t at all prepared for Brystion, the dark, mysterious, and sexy-as- sin incubus searching for his sister, convinced Abby has the key to the succubus’s whereabouts. Abby has enough problems without having this seductive shape-shifter literally invade her dreams to get information. But when her Faery boss and some of her friends vanish, as well, Abby and Brystion must form an uneasy alliance. As she is sucked deeper and deeper into this perilous world of faeries, angels, and daemons, Abby realizes her life is in as much danger as her heart—and there’s no one she can trust to save her.

Thanks for swinging by today. Next week I have David Nelson Bradhser dishing it up about his unique book Vampire Sonnets and on the 21st I have award winning romance novelist Annette Blair dishing it up about some of her new projects as well as her Works Like Magick series.

Until next week,
Ciao
JET

Ho ho ho - it's December!

December is here.

Woohoo!

Christmas time.

I love the holidays but the time flies by so quick that I don’t have time to really sit back and enjoy as much as I’d like to. But hey – that’s life – right?


Anyhow – it’s the first Friday of the month, so it’s time to highlight a few new releases from my Backspace brethren that would be great stocking stuffers!

Boyd Morrison – Rouge Wave – November 30 -In this thrilling novel from THE ARK's Boyd Morrison, a massive explosion rocks the uninhabited central Pacific and launches a series of mega-tsunamis toward Hawaii. In one hour, Honolulu will cease to exist. In that same instant, Kai Tanaka, the director of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, begins a desperate race to save the lives of a million people, including his wife and daughter.

Lesley Livingston – Tempestuous – December 21 - "I don't love Sonny Flannery."

That's the lie Kelley Winslow told to protect the boy she loves from a power he doesn't know he possesses. Devastated, Sonny retreats—to a haven for Lost Fae that's hidden deep underneath New York City.

But Kelley's not about to let things end in heartbreak. To get Sonny back, she's got to find out who's after his magick—and how to use her own. She's got to uncover who's recruiting Janus Guards to murderously hunt innocent Faerie. She's got to help rebuild the shattered theater company she called family. And she's got to do it all without getting dangerously distracted by the Fennrys Wolf, whose legendary heart of stone seems to melt whenever he's around Kelley.

The intrigue and romance that began with Wondrous strange and Darklight come to a stormy head in Tempestuous, the breathtaking conclusion to Lesley Livingston's ravishing urban Faerie trilogy.

Karen Dionne – Boiling Point – December 28 Chaiten, a long-dormant volcano in Chile, fuses the destinies of two microbiologists, a celebrity scientist, and a Nobel Prize-winning scientist who waits for the one sign that his diabolical plan is about to be put into motion. For the Earth has become a pawn in the biggest gamble ever played with humanity's future-and Chaiten is about to blow.

Karen Abbott – American Rose: A Nation Laid Bare: The Life and Times of Gypsy Rose Lee - December 28 America in the Roaring Twenties. Vaudeville was king. Talking pictures were only a distant flicker. Speakeasies beckoned beyond dimly lit doorways; money flowed fast and free. But then, almost overnight, the Great Depression leveled everything. When the dust settled, Americans were primed for a star who could distract them from grim reality and excite them in new, unexpected ways. Enter Gypsy Rose Lee, a strutting, bawdy, erudite stripper who possessed a preternatural gift for delivering exactly what America needed.

American Rose chronicles her story, as well as the story of the four scrappy and savvy showbiz brothers from New York City who would pave the way for Gypsy Rose Lee’s brand of burlesque. Modeling their shows after the glitzy, daring reviews staged in the theaters of Paris, the Minsky brothers relied on grit, determination, and a few tricks that fell just outside the law—and they would shape, and ultimately transform, the landscape of American entertainment.

With a supporting cast of such Jazz- and Depression-era heavyweights as Lucky Luciano, Harry Houdini, FDR, and Fanny Brice, Karen Abbott weaves a rich narrative of a woman who defied all odds to become a legend—and whose sensational tale of tragedy and triumph embodies the American Dream.

Allison Brennan – Love Me to Death – December 28 - Six years ago, Lucy Kincaid was attacked and nearly killed by an online predator. She survived. Her attacker did not. Now Lucy’s goal is to join the FBI and fight cyber-crime, but in the meantime, she’s volunteering with a victim’s rights group, surfing the Web undercover to lure sex offenders into the hands of the law. But when the predators she hunts start turning up as murder victims, the FBI takes a whole new interest in Lucy.

With her future and possibly even her freedom suddenly in jeopardy, Lucy discovers she’s a pawn in someone’s twisted plot to mete out vigilante justice. She joins forces with security expert and daredevil Sean Rogan, and together they track their elusive quarry from anonymous online chat rooms onto the mean streets of Washington, D.C. But someone else is shadowing them: A merciless stalker has his savage eye on Lucy. The only way for her to escape his brutality may be another fight to the death.

Darlene Franklin-Campbell – I Listened, Momma - A poignant and enduring story of a young woman’s struggle to maintain hope amidst desolation.

With characters so real they seem to be made of breath and bone, Campbell draws us into the nucleus of this Appalachian family as if we are relatives. We feel their heartaches and yearn for their healing as though our own happiness depends on theirs. This is Southern fiction at its finest.

— Sandra Kring, author The Book of Bright Ideas



Don’t forget to grab a couple of my releases this December as well. Survival Games and Mind Games – the first two in my Games Trilogy and in my FBI series , you’ ve got a choice of Dark Reckoning or Vengeance.

Happy Shopping!

Next week I’ve got another FIDO /Excessica author on board to dish it up with - Jason Halstead. Swing in and say hi if you get the chance!

Until next time.

Ciao

JET.

First Friday!

Hey all –


It’s the first Friday in November and that means it’s time to highlight some of my Backspace brethren’s books as well as two of my own November releases. Remember – books are fantastic Christmas gifts!

So without further adieu…(in release date order):

Ian Barker – FALLEN STAR - November 1

FAMOUS: Celebrated. Acclaimed. Legendary. Illustrious. Popular. Notorious. Recognised. Renowned. Successful. Eminent. Prominent. Excellent. Having kudos. Being a star. The Fallen Boys were at their zenith when Zac’s luck ran out. How does the shock of being dumped from dazzling and conspicuous success into relative obscurity affect his fellow boy band members Karl, Ritchie and Leon? Accustomed to adulation, wall-to-wall glamour, sex and all the illusions of fame, the Boys find themselves in strange territory. No longer courted, with zero prospect of resurrecting the group, they find themselves facing harsh realities. Karl is driven to appear on chat shows and accept pantomime roles: all the P.R. exercises he previously spurned. Desperate for work he even auditions for a blue movie. Reluctantly, he participates in a TV reality series soon after he meets Lizzie Keating, daughter of an IRA bomber. Hormones and adrenalin surge as the challenges to their relationship surface: Karl’s father, ex-Army and implacable in his hatred for the Irish; Karl’s wandering eye; Lizzie’s refusal to play second fiddle to anyone. With gusto, humour and insight, Ian Barker entertains with this intertwined tale of discovering what is truly valuable in life.

Kim Stagliano – ALL I CAN HANDLE – I’m No Mother Teresa (A Life Raising Three Daughters with Autism) – November 1

How one woman raises three daughters with autism, loses one at Disney World, stays married, has sex, bakes gluten-free, goes broke, and keeps her sense of humor. "Dr. Spock? Check. Penelope Ann Leach (remember her?)? Check. What to Expect When You’re Expecting? Check. I had a seven hundred dollar Bellini crib for God’s sake! I was perfect. And so was Mia when she was born . . ."

...and so begins Kim Stagliano’s electrifying and hilarious memoir of her family’s journey raising three daughters with autism. In these stories, Stagliano has joined the ranks of David Sedaris and Augusten Burroughs with her amazing ability to lay everything on the table—from family, friends, and enemies to basement floods to birthdays to (possible) heroin addictions—eviscerating and celebrating the absurd. From her love of Howard Stern to her increasing activism in the autism community and exhaustive search for treatments that will help her daughters, she covers it all. Always outspoken, often touching, and sometimes heartbreaking, Kim Stagliano is a powerful new voice in comedic writing—her “Kimoir” (as she calls it) will be a must-read within the autism community and the literary world at large.

J.E. Taylor – VENGEANCE – November 1

Living large in New York City as a corporate lawyer for the most savvy drug lord on the East Coast, Special Agent Steve Williams carefully plots Charlie Wisnowski's downfall. His plans go to hell when his wife Jennifer survives an attack by a serial killer. With her life in jeopardy and his undercover guise threatening to unravel, he orders Charlie's arrest. But the sting goes woefully wrong and Steve becomes the target of a mafia assassin hired by the biggest crime boss in America. Escaping from the city, Steve and Jennifer settle back into their quiet life on the banks of Mirror Lake. Their peaceful existence shatters with a crippling loss and Jennifer's visions escalate, forecasting a brutal assault on their family. Armed with scant details from her dreams, Steve trudges through a litany of past connections, searching for the key to stop the course of fate. What he uncovers chills him to the core - a brother with a grudge, a serial killer and a mafia assassin are all on his trail. The hunt begins . . .

Caridad Ferrer – WHEN THE STARS GO BLUE – November 23 YA

A dancer driven to succeed.

A musical prodigy attempting to escape his past.

The summer they share.

And the moment it all goes wrong.

Dance is Soledad Reyes’s life. About to graduate from Miami’s Biscayne High School for the Performing Arts, she plans on spending her last summer at home teaching in a dance studio, saving money, and eventually auditioning for dance companies. That is, until fate intervenes in the form of fellow student Jonathan Crandall who has what sounds like an outrageous proposition: Forget teaching. Why not spend the summer performing in the intense environment of the competitive drum and bugle corps? The corps is going to be performing Carmen, and the opportunity to portray the character of the sultry gypsy proves too tempting for Soledad to pass up, as well as the opportunity to spend more time with Jonathan, who intrigues her in a way no boy ever has before.

But in an uncanny echo of the story they perform every evening, an unexpected competitor for Soledad's affections appears: Taz, a member of an all-star Spanish soccer team. One explosive encounter later Soledad finds not only her relationship with Jonathan threatened, but her entire future as a professional dancer.

J.E. Taylor – MIND GAMES – November 29

Chris Ryan doesn't understand why he's alive. By all accounts, he should have died in the prison he and his step-brother created. Dying screams and the ring of gunshots still haunt his dreams and to make matters worse, five years hasn't erased his passion for Jessica Connor. She left him bleeding on the cold concrete floor, escaping the prison that held her for close to a year. Semi-conscious and close to death, his gaze fell on an apparition of her son and white light filled his skin, healing his wounds and giving him a second chance . . . and to this day that power still rages within him. Haunting visions of her daughter's death drive him out of hiding and he shows up at her doorstep with the intent of giving her the power he safeguarded all these years. But his good intentions fall short when they realize he led the vengeful spirit of his step-brother straight to her. Cancer is no longer their biggest worry, now Chris and Jessica must battle a ghost hell bent on destroying all of them.


Next week I'll be doing a character interview - stay tuned for more details.

In the meantime - keep reading!

Ciao.
JET

Happy First Friday!

October 1. Holy cow. Halloween is just around the corner and I’ve got to start thinking about finding those candy deals. In honor of the fun and freaky month of October, I’ve set all my short stories on Smashwords so you folks can set whatever price you feel is fair – even zero – for my stories for the entire month. Enjoy!

In the meantime – I’ve got some fun guests on my blog this month. I’ve got Jonathan Maberry, Author of Patient Zero and Rot & Ruin swinging by on the 15th. The fab four - F. Paul Wilson, Jeff Strand, Blake Crouch, and Joe Konrath talk about their release Draculas on October 22 and Heather Brewer – author of the Vladamir Tod Vampire Chronicles series hanging with me on the 29th.

October is also a busy month for my Backspace brethren and their book releases. Join me in giving props to the following folks and the fabulous books they’ve written:

 

 A. S. King - Please Ignore Vera Dietz

Jonathan Maberry - Rot And Ruin

Tasha Alexander - Dangerous to Know

Lauren Baratz-Logsted - The Sisters Eight Book 6: Petal’s Problems

Erin Blakemore - The Heroine’s Bookshelf

Laurel Corona - Penelope’s Daughter

Linda Gerber - Trance

Camille Kimball - What She Always Wanted

This month you can find me over at eXcessica’s blog and don’t forget to follow my Jenny Craig experience here on Wednesdays.

Well that’s it for today. Happy October!

Catch you next week.

Ciao.

JET

Don't panic . . .

Don’t Panic . . .


Summer is officially over and it’s back to school for the kids out there. Mine are very happy to be in school now. I think the summer was extra long for them because they had to stay inside a couple days a week while Mom and Dad worked and let me tell you, the number of calls I received during those days was excessive. It is quite hard to referee a fight over the phone, especially in a crowded office. Fun - Not so much.

Anyhow, I’d like to send props to my Backspace brethren who have September releases:

Lauren Baratz-Logsted -THE TWIN'S DAUGHTER

Chris Grabenstein - THE SMOKEY CORRIDOR

Sara Gruen -APE HOUSE

Susan Henderson - UP FROM THE BLUE

Denise Jaden - LOSING FAITH

EJ Knapp - STEALING THE MARBLES

Mardi Link - THE MICHIGAN MURDERS

Jonathan Maberry - WANTED: UNDEAD OR ALIVE: VAMPIRE HUNTERS AND OTHER KICK-ASS ENEMIES OF EVIL with Janice Gable Bashman

Joanne Rendell - OUT OF THE SHADOWS

L.J. Sellers - THRILLED TO DEATH

Therese Walsh - THE LAST WILL OF MOIRA LEAHY

There are a ton of great titles there. Woohoo! Go Backspacers Go!

And as for me, my computer is due back from the repair shop today and I can’t wait! But in the meantime – here’s my take on what to do if you’re computer craps out . . .

#1 - Don't Panic! (hence the blog title)

On Friday the 13th - yes THAT day - my computer - my ever present companion, crapped out.

While I was in the shower no less.

I left it in fine working order, went to wash the sweat from my exercised body and came back to an ominous black screen with the horrific words "Operating system not found" screaming from the monitor.

Panic set in and the accusations flew, directed toward the nearest child - "What'd you do to my computer?"

"Nothing." The pat answer that always follows my special accusatory tone - you know the one, the tone only a parent can deliver.

"Uh-huh, right, really, what'd you do?"

"Nothing Mom - I didn't touch the computer!"

#2 - Don't blame your kids! They tend to get bent when it really wasn't their fault.

And her intensity told me she really didn't touch my sacred net book.

#3 - Follow the manufacturer troubleshooting guide *exception - see #4 below!

So I tried the cursory reboot. Nothing. Turned off, unplugged, counted to ten and rebooted. Same damn black screen.

Now panic laced its way into my mouth and my mind raced, calculating the last time I backed up my stuff. Not recent enough. A month, maybe more - oh no. What have I lost?

You see - I've already forgotten rule #1.

I kept telling myself to Chill - even while reading through the manufacturer website and walking through the troubleshooting methods.

Nothing. And now I'm really in a state of duress. My brain starts tabulating the cost of things I lost, like a whole slew of things I'm using for my not yet completed video trailers - ugh. Some of which I can't get back without paying for again, and believe me - they weren't cheap.

I tried again.

Still nothing but the black screen with the hideous words.

#4 - If you need your data - DO NOT DO A FULL RESTORE! Yes - this warning warrants all caps because if you choose this option, it will wipe everything out. A painful lesson I learned a while ago. However, in this instance, I couldn't even get to the restore function - so that wasn't even an option to get the computer working again.

So I call the manufacturer and we walked through the same process again with the same predictable results. Before we opened a service ticket, I asked the question: If I send this in, will they retrieve my data before fixing the computer?

Of course not. Ugh.

That was enough to set my heart leaping in my chest and the beautiful beach day outside our camper was lost on me. I started frantically calling local computer places and found one that would actually come out to where we were vacationing. Geek To You out of Newmarket New Hampshire.

#5 - Shop around for the best deal - both in computer repair and for external backup drives.

I now need something to back the data up for when my Geek savior arrives and I ran out to by a zip drive. The local drug store only has a 4 gig drive - not nearly big enough and the nice guy helping us suggests I go to Best Buy or Staples because I can get a bigger drive for half the price of the things on his shelf. Nice kid. Longer drive to these store than around the corner, but I took it and got a stellar deal on an external drive - one that's bigger than my computer - it could back up mine and my kids net books without issue.

#6 - Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.

I got back to our camp and plug the external drive in, hoping it would work without an operating system after all - the box says just plug in. . .

Ok – I don’t know what I expected, but the external drive operated off windows, duh – and my system still didn’t recognize the operating system.

I know, not so bright, my Pollyanna view tarnished when nothing happened and I was forced to wait for the Geek team to show up.

In order to keep the frantic thoughts at bay, I spent the afternoon on the beach reading one of Lisa McMahon's books - FADE. Nice beach read that kept me engrossed enough to forget about my computer woes for a while – I recommend you pick this book up – great read. But I digress.

#7 - Sometimes patience pays off.

Well - Geek man showed up and after an hour of fiddling with the hard drive, he hadn't been able to recover the data. Blackness overcame me and I almost cried, but alas, he was willing to take it back to his shop and try some other avenues that he thought might be successful – and a bonus, he said he'd drop it off on Sunday before we left for home.

Saturday came and went and I didn't harp on the lack of a phone call – no with the beach beckoning and the cook out with the neighbors.

Sunday morning, the phone rang with precarious news. None of his regular avenues was able to recover my data. I momentarily mourned the loss of my stuff and then he gave me a ray of hope. He did find a diagnostic program that was currently running that MAY get it back - but it had already been running for eight hours and it was only through a small fraction of the drive. Did I want to kill the program and get the computer back or let it ride and he'd mail the sucker back to me once it was done?

Torn, I had to consider costs. What was the data I lost worth and what were his charges? I really didn’t want to get hit with a whopping bill – especially since the net book wasn’t all that expensive to begin with.

After a brief conversation on cost – and a very reasonable price tag attached if he was able to get the data back, I decided on waiting the program out. In other words, I had a rare moment of instituting patience into my reaction.

Long story short - On Tuesday I got word that the data recovery was successful! Talk about relief. I had gotten myself to the point where I was resigned to have lost the additions to my computer since the end of June.

And now I had it all back.

The moral of this long and winding story?

#8 - Back up your data - daily. This is probably the most important lesson within this post!

If you're in the states, particularly the Northeast, and need to get your data back - I'd suggest Geek To You out of Newmarket. They have a cap on data recovery costs and in my case, that cap was well worth it.

As I said above, my computer is due back today and they had to reload it, so I’ve got a couple days of downloads and uploads to do to get it back to where it was data and software wise.

Thanks for hanging with me for a bit today! Next week I have the wonderful and talented Stacey Cochran on my site.

Until we meet again . . .

Ciao.

JET

Happy July!

As you know - it’s the first Friday of the month and before I get into my blog, I want to give a shout out to those of us at Backspace that have releases this month along with a special shout out. So without further adieu . . . here’s to the following July releases: Jon Clinch -KINGS OF THE EARTH, and Lauren Baratz-Logsted - THE EDUCATION OF BET.

Don’t forget my two releases this month: DARK RECKONING and SURVIVAL GAMES!

Now for that special shout out to those who like a good horror story, check out John Everson’s SIREN released at the end of this month. He’ll be on this blog on Friday the 13th of August talking about both SIREN and The 13th which was released earlier this year. Stay tuned . . .

Now back to our regularly scheduled program . . .

Summer is upon us and we’re getting ready to celebrate the anniversary of our country’s freedom. The 4th of July is always such fun, especially in New England. I love this time of year because my birthday follows the 4th of July and sometimes there are fireworks on MY birthday too. And I’m not necessarily talking about those that sparkle in the air. :-)

TMI? Oops, sorry but after 21 years of marriage, it’s nice to know the fireworks are still burning bright!

But I digress. This year, I seemed to have lucked out on my birthday gift. My birthday coincides with the release of my debut novel. Dark Reckoning, my mainstream paranormal suspense about FBI special agent Steve Williams, a clairvoyant college co-ed named Jennifer, and a killer that she swears isn’t human, is coming out on July 5, 2010. And then two weeks later I’ve got my erotic thriller SURVIVAL GAMES knocking on the release door.

I’ve been invited to blog or be interviewed on a whole host of blogs and there are give-aways on a few of these stops:

July 5th on Randy Susan Meyers blog: http://www.randysusanmeyers.com/blog/

July 7th I’ll be over with CJ Gabriel - www.cjgabrielbook.blogspot.com

July 8th is something special - Anita Philmar and I did a “what if” scenario introducing my main character Steve Williams to her main character Danni in a story that starts on her blog http://anitaphilmar.blogspot.com and ends here on mine. It’s a fun intro to both our characters, so show some love and check it out!

July 12th I’ve got my normal guest spot over on eXcessica’s blog: http://www.excessica.com/blog

July 14th: Cate Masters blog and giving away a signed copy of Survival Games to one of the lucky folks that posts there.

July 14th : I’m also over at www.roxannesreal.blogspot.com / www.fang-tasticbooks.blogspot and again will have another Survival Games giveaway.

July 16th - I’ll have my normal Friday blog here.

July 21st I’m at two separate places as well: Lisabet Sarai - http:lisabetsarai.blogspot.com and then over at

CJ Gabriale books again. I’ll have book giveaways of Survival Games for each of these as well.

You can see all these stops on my calendar page on my website along with the guests on my blog for the next couple months! Check it out - www.JETaylor75.com

As you can see, July is a tremendously busy month with all this, I also have a vacation nudged in the middle of the chaos. I have a feeling this summer is going to go by in a blink and I’ll be stunned when September rolls around again and the kids have to go back to school. I certainly hope you’ll follow the zigzag pattern of my blog tour and say hi at the different places. Who knows, I may have an extra special treat for someone now that DARK RECKONING is also being released in paperback.

Hope to see you all there!

Ciao!

JET