NOTE; The winner of this giveaway is Joy Q. Congratulations to Joy and thanks to everyone who entered the contest.
I’m delighted to be participating in author Rebecca Park Totilo’s Premier Virtual Author Book Tour for her latest release, ORGANIC BEAUTY WITH ESSENTIAL OIL: Over 400+ Homemade Recipes for Natural Skincare, Hair Care and Bath & Body Products.
In this day and age it’s always nice to be able to provide your family with all-natural bath products. This book offers more than 400 eco-friendly recipes for beauty products. Thanks to the author and the lovely Teddy at Premier Virtual Author Book Tours, I have a copy of this delightful book to giveaway. Please see the end of the post for the details.
I’ll share my thoughts on this book, tell you a bit about the author, list the other bloggers participating in the tour and provide the giveaway information.
Finding all-natural bath products can sometimes be a difficult and expensive task. Learning how to make your own organic bath and body products using essential oils is the answer.
Author Rebecca Park Totilo has crafted a helpful resource guide that will lead you through the process of making your own products step-by-step. ORGANIC BEAUTY WITH ESSENTIAL OIL is filled with more than 400 simple and easy recipes that will indulgence and enrich you from head to toe.
The various products you can create will not only smell wonderful, but will also have therapeutic benefits to help in your all over natural health. The rich organic ingredients will aid in a relaxing and refreshing experience.
The book is designed in such a way to help those interested in using essential oils whether you’re a novice just beginning or experienced with using the oils. Many of the detailed recipes also contain variations that can be used to fit your own unique flare.
The author explains the differences in the oils and how they can benefit your body. In addition, the book details the various methods for using essential oils on the body. There are also handy charts for blending and diluting. Throughout the book, there are helpful tips to assist with the creating process.
With this handy guide you can create your own bath salts, body powders, shower gels, shampoos, luscious body creams and lotions, lip gloss, facial scrubs and toners, and foot lotions just to name a few. When it comes to pampering yourself or giving the gift of natural products, ORGANIC BEAUTY WITH ESSENTIAL OIL is the right resource book to have.
Organic Beauty with Essential Oil: Over 400+ Homemade Recipes for Natural Skincare, Hair Care, and Bath and Body Products by Rebecca Park Totilo, Rebecca at the Well Foundation, @2013, ISBN: 978-0982726426, Paperback, 232 Pages
FTC Full Disclosure - This book was sent to me as part of the author’s virtual blog tour in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Rebecca Park Totilo’s flair and passion for life bursts into living color when she writes and speaks, as you will see in the visual way she presents herself. She literally believes in the “show, don’t tell” principle in everything she does. Becca has ministered to literally millions of people via television, radio and live appearances. She is an award-winning published author of over 40 books, including “Therapeutic Blending With Essential Oil.” “Heal With Essential Oil,” and “Through the Night With God.”
Her credits include working as a contributor writer on two best-selling series (“Quiet Moments with God” and “Stories for the Teen’s Heart”) which sold over one million and five million copies respectively. She is also a freelance writer for several national magazines include Christian Parenting Today, Discipleship Journal and Woman’s World.
Rebecca’s photography work has appeared in numerous national magazines such as Woman’s World, Sports Spectrum, Evangel, and Sharing the Victory. But by far, her greatest accomplishment, if you asked her, is after a decade of rejection slips (with almost 150 in one year!), Rebecca hit it big in 1999, with over 13 books contracts, ranging from teaching curriculum to gift books and devotionals for adults. Truly, it’s her grit determination that makes her inspirational writings draw such a mass market appeal.
Rebecca graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1986 with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Information Systems. In addition, she attended Faith Bible Institute in Richmond, Virginia, for instruction in ministry and University of the Nations in Hawaii. She is also trained as a Clinical Aromatherapist and is an international educator offering online courses on the art of perfume-making and how to blend with essential oils worldwide on her website http://rebeccatotilo.com.
Rebecca owns a cute soap boutique, Aroma Hut, near the beach in Florida where she practices as a Clinical Aromatherapist. She won the Writer of the Year in Non-Fiction (National Writer’s Association).
For more on Rebecca and her writing, you can connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+.
ORGANIC BEAUTY WITH ESSENTIAL OIL is available at the following locations: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Book Depository.
TOUR PARTICIPANTS:
For additional chances to win a copy of this enjoyable book and learn more about the author, visit the following blogs participating in her tour:
So Many Precious Books Jan 2 - review and giveaway
Teena in Toronto Jan 3 - review
Daddy Blogger Jan 5 - interview 7 pm pst Google Hangout- Live
Saving for Six Jan 6 - review
Taking Time for Mommy Jan 7 - review
Library of Clean Reads Jan 8 - review
Just Another New Blog Jan 8 - review and giveaway
Indie Review’s Behind the Scenes Jan 10 - Live Radio 7pm
Luxury Reading Jan 13 - review and giveaway
Daddy Blogger Jan 15 - review
Let’s Talk About Books Jan 16 - review
Princess Gummy Bear Jan 17 - YouTube Video Demo
Peppermint Ph.d Jan 20 - review and giveaway
Mrs. Mommy Booknerds Jan 21 - review
Deal Sharing Aunt Jan 22 - review
Beagle Book Space Jan 22 - review
Joy Story Jan 23 - review
I’d Rather Be At the Beach Jan 24 - review and giveaway
Sincerely Stacie Jan 28 - review
Beauty Is a Sleeping Cat Jan 29 - review
Sammy The Bookworm Jan 30 - review and giveaway
Genuine Jenn Feb 3 - review
Mama Knows Books Feb 4
Books, Books & More Books Feb 5
Life Happens With Kids Feb 6
GIVEAWAY DEAILS:
This giveaway is for one copy of ORGANIC BEAUTY WITH ESSENTIAL OIL. The contest is open to residents of the U.S., who can choose either a print copy or eBook format, and residents from other countries who can win the eBook format.
To enter, just send me an e-mail (mcbookshelf@gmail.com) with the subject line, “Win Organic Beauty.” Residents of the U.S. can select either a print copy of the book or an eBook. Your message should include your name and mailing address for the print copy or the email address you’d like the eBook sent to and the eBook format you’d like. If you are an international visitor entering the giveaway, please include your name, the email address you’d like the eBook sent to, and the eBook format you’d like in your message. And, just so you know, I don’t share any of this information with anyone other than the publisher/tour promoter nor use it for any other purpose. The deadline to enter this giveaway for a copy of ORGANIC BEAUTY WITH ESSENTIAL OIL is 8 p.m. (EST) on Tuesday, Feb. 4th.
After a random drawing is held to select the winner, the winner will be notified by email and will have 72 hours to respond to the email before another winner is selected. FYI: the author will be sending the books to the winners once the tour has ended and all winners’ information has been received so it will probably be mid-February to late-February before the books are shipped out.
Thanks so much for visiting here today. Do you make your own beauty products? Have you used essential oils before?
It’s my pleasure to be a part of author Paul Byers’ Premier Virtual Author Book Tour for his thriller, action adventure, ARCTIC FIRE.
The book, published by Fortress Publications, is available in print and eBook format. It’s a available to purchase at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Thanks to Paul and the lovely Teddy at Premier, I have a copy of ARCTIC FIRE to giveaway to a lucky reader. Please see the end of the post for the details.
Here’s a brief synopsis of ARCTIC FIRE:
Wealthy entrepreneur Nigel Cain has devised an efficient new way to bring the earth’s most precious resource to the masses – clean water – by transporting massive man-made icebergs from the frigid arctic and delivering them literally to the doorsteps of millions.
Gabriel Pike works at a small engineering firm that has been awarded the task of giving the final safety approval to pilot the first gigantic block of ice into New York harbor.
A consummate showman, Cain has built a fabulous 5-Star hotel and casino high atop the iceberg so his celebrity guests and media elite can cover this spectacle from beginning to end. Pike is whisked away from his work-a-day world and dropped into the lap of luxury where he’s expected to simply rubber-stamp his inspection.
A brutal winter storms ravages the iceberg and exposes structural inconsistencies and hidden agendas that fill Pike with serious doubts about the true intentions of the project. But a grisly double homicide on the ice puts the inspections on the back burner and sends Pike’s life spiraling out of control when he’s accused of being the jealous murderer in a lover’s triangle. But Pike soon discovers that there is far more at stake than just his life. He uncovers a conspiracy more heinous than anything he could have imagined – a plot that will level a city, change the political face of America, and whose shockwaves will be felt around the world. Fate rests in his hands – if he can survive long enough to take action…
Paul joins us now to tell us how ARCTIC FIRE came to be, as well as a bit he learned while writing this story.
Originally, I was looking to write a book that I could turn into a series. I know that as a reader I like to follow characters that I enjoy and sometimes one adventure is just not enough, both in the scope of the story and in the development of the characters.
For ARCTIC FIRE, the stakes had to be high but the world has already been threatened by aliens, nukes and terrorists so I was looking for a more creative way to take over the world. I was also looking for a main character who wasn’t ex-special forces or James Bond or a bored millionaire playboy. I wanted an ordinary man who found himself thrown into extraordinary circumstances.
As a writer, I see story ideas everywhere, newspaper articles, radio, television shows, and things I find on the internet. Not all ideas are good of course or can be expanded into book but I saw two shows on the History Channel that piqued my interest. One was on WWII and the other was on mega disasters. I took those two concepts and combined them with today’s headlines and developed the plot for ARCTIC FIRE.
Having forged my main character and laid the foundation for the story line, I set about writing the book. When I write, I don’t usually plot and outline my stories; I tend to let the stories write themselves. I have a beginning and ending in mind but the middle is usually pretty open. For example, I was in a part of the book where I thought I needed a little action so I started to write a storm scene. What started out as filler grew and expanded until it became a major catalyst for events and revealed the true nature of the threat.
ARCTIC FIRE is a great story with great characters, but the book did not become the first story in a series I was hoping for. There is sequel in it, (probably my next project) and maybe one more story after that but I don’t see this as an Alex Cross, Dirk Pitt or Lincoln Rhyme type series.
Satisfied with the story, I started the editing process, and here is where I’ll admit that I dropped the ball. They say that a good story is not in the writing but in the rewriting. While I am pleased with the way the story and characters turned out, the mechanics is where I feel I fell short.
I rushed the book to get it published and in doing so I didn’t deliver the best product I could have. I ended up having to go back and doing things later that should have been done in the first place. I disappoint myself and my fans. Since then I have corrected the problems and have learned to be more patient.
For me, I find that writing is a continual process of learning. Learning the process of putting words on paper, of editing those words so they tell the right story, formatting those words so that others can enjoy them and learning how to become better at the very process of writing those words.
Paul, thanks so much for joining and giving us a look at how ARCTIC FIRE came about. I think you’re right about writing being a continual process of learning. If we don’t continue to learn, our writing becomes stale.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR……
Paul grew up in Oregon on the shores of the mighty and mysterious
Columbia River, and spent endless hours daydreaming on the beach in front of his house, making up stories about the ships from exotic ports all over the world that steamed up the river – what secret cargo might they be carrying; did they harbor spies who were on dark and exciting missions?
Later in adult life, he moved to another mysterious and provocative city – Las Vegas, just outside the famous Nellis Air Force base. After work he would sit on his porch and watch the fighters take off and land, igniting his imagination with visions of secret missions and rich speculation about what could possibly be hidden at Area 51.
After moving back to his native Pacific Northwest, Paul worked for the Navy and took every opportunity he could to speak with veterans from WWII to the Gulf War, listening to them swap stories and relate the experiences of a lifetime.
So it is this combination of a passionate love of history, a vivid “what if” imagination, and a philosophy of life that boils down to the belief that – there are few things in life that a bigger hammer won’t fix – that led Paul to become a writer of exciting, fact-based action-thrillers. His greatest joy is leaving his readers wondering where the facts end and the fiction begins.
For more on Paul and his writing, visit his website and find him on Facebook and Goodreads.
GIVEAWAY DETAILS:
This giveaway is for one eBook copy of ARCTIC FIRE. The giveaway is open international.
To enter, just send me an e-mail (mcbookshelf@gmail.com) with the subject line, “Win Arctic Fire.” Your message should include your name and the email address you’d like the eBook sent to. And, just so you know, I don’t share any of this information with anyone other than the publisher/tour promoter nor use it for any other purpose. The deadline to enter this giveaway for a chance to win an e-copy of ARCTIC FIRE is 8 p.m. (EDT) on Thursday, Sept. 26.
Follow the Tour:
So Many Precious Books Sept 2 Review & Giveaway
She Treads Softly Sept 4 Review
Books, Books, & More Books Sept 5 Review
Books, Books, & More Books Sept 6 Interview & Giveaway
Cheryl’s Book Nook Sept 9 Review
Butterfly-o-Meter Books Sept 10 Spotlight
Butterfly-o-Meter Books Sept 11 Guest Post
My Shelf Confessions Sept 13 Review
My Shelf Confessions Sept 13 Interview & Giveaway
Room Without Books is Empty Sept 16 Review
A Book & a Lattee Sept 17 Review
Green Mountain People Sept 18 Review
Romance & Inspiration Sept 19 Review
Bloggin Bout Books Sept 20 Review
The News In Books Sept 23 Review
The News In Books Sept 24 Guest Post
Sweeps4Bloggers Sept 24 Review & Giveaway
Tales of a Book Addict Sept 25 Review
Joy Story Sept 26 Review
fundinmental Sept 27 Review & Giveaway
Recent Reads Sept 30 Review & Giveaway
DWED Oct 1 Review
Book Lover’s Library Oct 2 Review
Book Lover’s Library Oct 3 Interview & Giveaway
Thanks so much for stopping by today. If given the chance, would you stay in a hotel built upon a moving iceberg?
It’s my pleasure to be a part of author Angela Shelton’s Premier Virtual Author Book Tour for her latest children’s book, TILDA PINKERTON’S MAGICAL HATS BY THE RED TRACTOR MAILBOX.
As part of the tour I’m sharing my thoughts on the book, a bit of background on the author and including links to the various other blogs the author will be (or has) visited during her tour. In addition, thanks to the author and Teddy at Premier, I have one copy of TILDA PINKERTON’S MAGICAL HATS to giveaway. Please see the end of the post for the giveaway details. Here we go.
I’m always impressed when an author can not only entertain a
youngster with a story, but have them learning - and enjoying it.
Author Angela Shelton has created just such a story with TILDA PINKERTON’S MAGICAL HATS. This enchanting tale will not only have youngsters laughing, but also learning new vocabulary words. In addition, they will learn about family, helping others, and hope.
Eleven-year-old Madison Mae and her younger brother, Albert, are spending their carefree summer on their grandparents’ farm. However, they have learned their grandfather may lose the family farm.
Suddenly one day a mysterious Magical Hat Shop appears by their grandfather’s red tractor mailbox. They meet Tilda Pinkerton, owner of the shop, who presents them each with an amazing one-of-a-kind hat. When wearing the hats, the youngsters begin to create and have new ideas they never dreamed of before. With the farm being threatened, the youngsters learn they can accomplish more than they ever imagined with a little help from Tilda Pinkerton.
To enhance this charming tale, the book is beautifully illustrated by James Murry. The illustrations are whimsical and reveal bits of the story. But the illustrations also serve another purpose. They are left as color book drawings allowing the reader to give each illustration their own color preferences and have a hand in the book.
The story flows smoothly and quickly. It’s easy to follow along. Shelton’s has also included a 344 word glossary in the back of the book. She encourages youngsters to learn the meaning of the new words they discovered throughout the book.
The book is geared for youngsters ages K1-4, but is a delight for readers of all ages. TILDA PINKERTON’S MAGICAL HATS is a must add to any youngster’s library. It’s a fun tale to inspire, entertain and educate. What will Tilda Pinkerton do next?
Tilda Pinkerton‘s Magical Hats by the Red Tractor Mailbox by Angela Shelton, The Magic Hat Shop Book One, Illustrated by James Murry, Quiet Owl Books, @2013, ISBN: 978-0985944384, Hardcover, 196 Pages
FTC Full Disclosure - This book was sent to me as part of the author’s virtual book tour in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Angela Shelton is an author, actor, blogger and public speaker. She has
been writing since she was eight years old. Her first novel was adapted into the movie Tumbleweeds. Angela won a regional Emmy award for her portrayal of Safe Side Superchick in The Safe Side video series created by Baby Einstein’s Julie Clark and America’s Most Wanted’s John Walsh.
After living in Los Angeles for over a decade, Angela left the big city for a one-light country town to marry her first love and fulfill her dream of writing books in a barn house.
Find out how Angela has incorporated the character of Tilda Pinkerton into an entire line of book projects, each geared towards a different age group at www.MagicHatShop.com.
For more on Angela and her writing, visit her website or find her on the following social medias: Twitter, Facebook, and Tilda Pinkerton on Twitter.
TILDA PINKERTON’S MAGICAL HATS is available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
THE TOUR:
You can follow Angela’s tour on the following blogs to learn more about Tilda Pinkerton and for more chances to win a copy of the book:
So Many Precious Book July 2 Review & Giveaway
Books, Books & More Books July 3 Review
Books, Books & More Books July 5 Guest Post
Haunting of Orchid Forsythia July 8 Review
Sweeps4Bloggers July 9 Review & Giveaway
Sincerely Stacie July 10 Review
Library of Clean Reads July 11 Review
Cozy Little Book Journal & The Bookish Elf July 15 Review
Cozy Little Book Journal & The Bookish Elf July 16 G & Guest Post
Carole Rae’s Ramblings July 17 Review
Reading Novels Online July 18 Review
Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell July 19 Review
Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms July 19 Review
Saving for 6 July 22 Review
Saving for 6 July 23 Guest Post
Joy Story July 25 Review
Haunting of Orchid Forsythia July 26 Interview
From L.A. to LA July 29 Review
Heck of a Bunch July 30 Review & Giveaway
Second Bookshelf July 31 Interview
Pragmatic Mom Aug 5 Review
Sweet Southern Home Aug 6 Review
VW Stitcher Aug 7 Review
Musing with Crayolakym Aug 8 Review
DWED Blog Aug 9 Review & Interview
City Book Review Aug 12 Review
Giveaways & Glitter Aug 13 Review
GIVEAWAY DETAILS: Now for the giveaway details. I have one copy of TILDA PINKERTON’S MAGICAL HATS to giveaway. Residents living in the U.S. have a choice of receiving either a print copy or eBook copy. Those entering the contest living outside the U.S. have a chance to win an eBook copy.
To enter this giveaway, send me an e-mail (mcbookshelf@gmail.com) with the subject line, “Win Tilda Pinkerton.” Your message should include your name and mailing address, if you are a U.S. resident and wish to receive the print copy or include the email address you’d like the eBook copy sent to. All other entries should include the email address you would like the eBook copy sent to. And, just so you know, I don’t share this information with anyone other than the publisher nor use it for any other purpose. The deadline to enter this giveaway for a chance to win a copy of TILDA PINKERTON’S MAGICAL HATS is 8 p.m. (EDT) on Wednesday, July 31.
Thanks so much for stopping by today. Are you always on the lookout for intriguing books to share with your children or the children of family and friends?
It is with great pleasure that I welcome author Tim Rowland here today as he makes a stop on his Premier Virtual Author Book Tour for his release of CREATURE FEATURES, a must read for animal lovers.
Tim is an award-winning columnist at Herald-Mail Media in Hagerstown, Maryland. He and his wife Beth decided to add animals to their life and soon found they had an assortment of farm animals. Tim used those daily experiences with the animals for his newspaper column and from the column came CREATURE FEATURES, his second book of animal essays.
CREATURE FEATURES contains more than 75 warm and funny essays, from the introduction to the farm of bovines Cleopatra and Heifertiti, the Belted Galloway beauties, to the further antics of Hannah the English Bulldog and Juliet the tiny Siamese, along with assorted donkeys, pigs, goats, horses, chickens, geese-and of course, more of the joyful bouvier des Flandres named Opie-that's sure to provide loads of smiles and even outright guffaws.
I reviewed the book yesterday and must say it’s a delightful read for animal lovers and even those without pets in their life will get a chuckle or two out of it.
Tim joins us now and has graciously answered some questions about his book and writing for me.
Mason - Have you always wanted to write or was there an event that led you to writing?
Tim - There were two driving factors: One was a love of the language and magic I felt arranging words on a page to communicate thoughts in new and interesting ways—and the other was an acute lack of skill when it came to doing anything else. It wasn’t as if, for example, becoming a mechanical engineer was ever an option. Fortunately I realized this early on.
When I was in fourth grade, I was producing my own newspaper. It had a circulation of three, since that’s the maximum number of carbon copies I could make on my manual typewriter. After a very short amount of time my newspaper went belly up, so in that respect I was about 30 years ahead of the curve.
Mason - What advice have you received about writing that you pass on to other inspiring writers?
Tim - Read. Hands down, read. A writer develops a voice by ingesting a wide variety of sources that meld into a single, unique voice. Also, for young writers, this is a big help when it comes to grammar, vocabulary, punctuation and such.
Mason - How did you come to write this particular book?
Tim - This book is an accumulation of experiences, and quite honestly began as therapy. As referenced above, non-writing activities are not a strength, and animal husbandry falls into this “other” category. So there were any number of growing pains, most of which, fortunately, had quite a humorous side.
Mason - With the book’s release, as you look back what was the biggest surprise that occurred while putting this book together?
Tim - That the real-life experiences had piled up so fast. This was both good and bad. It speeded turnaround time on the book, obviously, but it is also a pretty good indicator that my foray into virtual zoo keeping was rarely “smooth sailing.”
Mason - What message would you like readers to take away from your book?
Tim - Trying time can be viewed in two ways. One, they can weigh you down and make a person feel put-upon. Or they can be seen through a humorous lens, at which point even your bad experience have some good.
Mason - What can readers look forward to next from you?
Tim - Probably something environmental or recreational. I’m an outdoors person at heart, so every so often I want to share the joy I discover while bicycling or hiking. And I like to mix recreation with history, just to add an extra layer—and no doubt some humor will find its way into the material as well.
Tim, thanks so much for joining us today and giving us a look at why you write. I especially like your take on viewing trying times. If we don’t see the humor in bad experiences, they will weigh us down quickly.
A little more about Tim. He has written for numerous history and outdoor magazines and news syndicates nationwide. In addition, he has authored several books including: Strange and Obscure Stories of the Civil War; All Pets are Off: A Collection of Hairy Columns; Petrified Fact: Stories of Bizarre Behavior that Really Happened, Mostly; Earth to Hagerstown; High Peaks: A History of Hiking the Adirondacks from Noah to Neoprene; and Maryland's Appalachian Highlands: Massacres, Moonshine & Mountaineering.
Tim is also keeper and lackey for a wide assortment of mostly non-useful, freeloading critters, aided as always by his trusty (well, mostly trusty) companion Opie.
For more on Tim and his writing, visit his website at http://www.timrowlandbooks.com. You can also find him on Facebook and Twitter.
Thanks everyone for stopping by today. Have you encountered fun stories while dealing with your pets? What is your take on dealing with trying times?
Being an animal lover, I couldn’t resist reading author Tim Rowland’s CREATURE FEATURES as part of his Premier Virtual Book Tour. I’m so glad I did.
This is a light-hearted look at life on the farm…Rowland-style. This 
delightful book is a collection of warm and funny essays from Rowland’s newspaper column. He shares how the animals in his and his wife Beth’s life make for interesting and sometimes unexpected adventures.
CREATURE FEATURES is comprised of more than 75 essays on the various animals and their exploits. The stories will bring you to tears from laughing. Those with animals can relate on so many levels to the mishaps and triumphs having pets will bring.
This is a quick and easy book to read. The stories flow from one adventure to the next giving you insight into living the farm life. The stories are written in a down-to-earth style that reminds me of a friend sharing daily happenings with you.
While CREATURE FEATURES is a must read for animal lovers, it’s also an entertaining book for those without animals in their lives. For some, it might entice you to get a pet and for others it will be a timely reminder of why you’re pet less. Either way, the book will bring a little laughter into your life.
If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to live with chickens, cows, horses, a pig, donkeys, goats, along with a dog, cats and much more - pick up a copy of CREATURE FEATURES and get inspired.
Rowland is an award-winning columnist at Herald-Mail Media in Hagerstown, Maryland. He has written for numerous history and outdoor magazines and news syndicates nationwide. His website is http://www.timrowlandbooks.com
Creature Features by Tim Rowland, High Peaks Publishing, @2012, ISBN: 978-0976159735, Paperback, 160 Pages
FTC Full Disclosure - I requested this book as part of the author’s virtual book tour. An eBook copy of the book was sent to me by the author in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.
Thanks so much for stopping by today. Do you enjoy stories about animals? Have you ever thought about compiling stories about your pet’s antics? Please be sure to join me tomorrow when author Tim Rowland stops by to answer some questions about his writing.
Daily we are bombarded with scams, especially through emails, and unfortunately the elderly are a prime target with one in five in the U.S. becoming a victim. With that in mind, I’m delighted to be a part of author Art Maines’ Premier Virtual Book Tour for his current release, SCAMMED, and welcome him here to talk about his experience.
Here’s a brief description of his book:
When author Art Maines' beloved stepfather Bill was cheated out of thousands of dollars, Art went on a mission to ensure no other family experiences this tragic crime.
In SCAMMED, Art provides a three step scam prevention and recovery program, based on his training as a social worker, therapist, and his extensive research. Suitable for seniors or children of elderly parents, SCAMMED will help you.
* Understand the most common types of scams.
* Learn the psychological ploys used by scammers so that you can spot a scammer immediately.
* Create a scam prevention plan.
* Recover from a scam with your dignity intact.
* Use the resources in your community if you suspect a scam.
Art shares with us the lessons he learned while writing SCAMMED.
After my stepfather Bill was the victim of multiple scams, I was shocked and angry. I wondered how anyone could take advantage of a senior citizen who had no opportunity to replace the moneys lost in multiple frauds. In my quest to help him get justice and try to recover, financially and emotionally, I spoke with many attorneys, law enforcement officials, and representatives of financial institutions. The process of scam recovery too longer than I ever anticipated and was extremely time consuming. I wished there was an expert who could tell me what to do to help Bill.
After the crisis in our family abated a bit, I started to consult with other mental health professionals and geriatric experts to determine the severity of this problem. I was surprised to learn how prevalent elder fraud has become. As I dug deeper into the psychology of scammers and some of the characteristics of seniors which make them especially susceptible to scams, I realized this information needed to be available to the general public so I decided to write my book Scammed: 3 Steps to Help Your Elder Parents and Yourself.
I’d written professional articles and reports before but this was my first book. One of the first things I had to do was talk to Bill and ensure that it would be alright with him if I shared his story. I did not want to embarrass him. He already had enough shame and guilt about falling for the scammers. Thankfully, Bill realized that he had an opportunity to prevent other elders from being taken advantage of with this book so he gave me his blessing to tell his story with full details.
Next, I did extensive research. My graduate school experience was helpful as I was able to access professional journals and scholarly research to understand the science behind scams and how to best help seniors recover from such a traumatic event. I had my own ideas based on my experience but I wanted to make sure that research backed up my conclusions. I also was fortunate enough to interview some outstanding law enforcement professionals, attorneys, and geriatric financial planners who gave me additional information to make my book more useful.
Writing the book took longer than expected. I’m sure that’s true for every first time author. Between my private practice and family
obligations, I keep very busy so it was a challenge to find time to work on the book. I found that my best writing time was on the weekends. I worked with a developmental editor who helped me with the structure of the book and kept me on track when I wanted to give up. That support was extremely helpful as was the support of my family and friends.
While I was writing I started doing presentations on Elder Fraud in a variety of settings. These presentations were extremely helpful. They helped me see how eager people were to have a resource like Scammed and showed me where I needed to add additional information based on the questions I was getting during the presentations. I would suggest that every author begin to speak on his or her topic during the writing process.
Once the book was written, I worked with a boutique publishing house who could publish the book for me quickly. I did not want to make the public wait for the information while I got an agent and sought a traditional publishing contract. The editing, design, and production of my book took about six months.
It was a thrilling day when my first case of books arrived!
Now I am busy marketing my book via speaking engagements, blog tours, a new website, and publicity. Again, it is a challenge to fit all these activities into my busy schedule. However, the initial feedback regarding Scammed has been so positive that it gives me energy to devote as much time as possible to making sure no other senior has to suffer like Bill did.
Art, thanks so much for joining us today and sharing how your book came about. It is a shame that so many elderly are victims of scams each day. Your book is a good resource for those dealing with this tragic situation.
Art Maines, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker in private practice, speaker, and expert in elderly fraud recovery and prevention. He earned his Master's Degree in social work from Washington University in St. Louis, MO. Art and his stepfather Bill live in St. Louis.
Here’s what others are saying about SCAMMED:
"Just finished reading this book. this would be a great resource for people finding themselves in the unenviable position of being scammed or finding that they have a parent who has been scammed. It is packed full of practical, clear advice on what steps to take when you don't know where to turn or how to get started on recovering from being scammed. This book also gives valuable direction on how to be proactive and to get started on protecting yourself or your parent from becoming a scam victim." -- Peggy I. Montgomery, Amazon.com Reviewer
"An excellent guide to helping your parent avoid predators." -- N. Kortner Nygard, Ph.D., Geriatric Psychologist
"A wealth of advice to help heal the emotional and physical aftermath of scams." -- Jennifer L. Abel, Ph.D., author of Active Relaxation
"A simple breakdown of scams that target the elderly with a battle plan to protect and prevent" -- Detective Joe Roubicek, Author of Financial Abuse of the Elderly; A Detective's Case Files of Exploitation Crimes
"This is an important book for anyone with elderly parents." -- Gregory W. Lester, Ph.D.
Thanks for stopping by today. Do you know someone who has been touched by a scam? Do you have any tips to avoid scams?
I’m delighted to welcome author Hy Conrad to Thoughts today as he makes a stop on his Premier Virtual Author Book Tour for his mystery debut, RALLY ‘ROUND THE CORPSE, An Abel Adventures Mystery.
Being a fan of the TV show ‘Monk,’ which Hy was a writer and producer of, I’m thrilled to have Hy joining us. He has graciously answered some questions about his writing and is offering a copy of RALLY ‘ROUND THE CORPSE to one lucky visitor. Please see the end of the post for the giveaway guidelines.
Here’s a brief description of RALLY ‘ROUND THE CORPSE, which I reviewed yesterday:
Amy Abel needs a fresh start as it‘s been two years since the death of her fiancée. And what better way for a shy, risk-averse woman to start over than to sink her savings into a travel agency specializing in adventure. Her first project? A mystery road rally through the European countryside.
At the starting line in Monte Carlo, Amy finds herself attracted to Marcus Alvarez, the most mysterious of her two dozen game-loving clients. But the rally gets off to a rocky start when an eccentric writer, the only person who knows the game's solution, is himself murdered back in New York.
Weird accidents begin happening along the route and Amy discovers that this fictional mystery was based on a real, unsolved case, one that Marcus knows too much about. Now she has no choice but to join forces with Fanny, her domineering mother, before the killer strikes again.
Now Hy answers questions.
Mason - Why write this book? What made this story so compelling to you that you had to tell it?
HY - RALLY ‘ROUND THE CORPSE is my first mystery novel. It’s hard to think that I’ve been in the world of mysteries for so long – writing for “Monk” and “White Collar” plus numerous collections of short mysteries and games – without writing a novel.
The idea behind the Abel Adventures series was to combine an intricate mystery with exotic locations. My amateur sleuth, Amy Abel, leads high-end tour groups around the world, where she always runs into murder. I wanted to keep the tone light, but at the same time make the stories a little larger and more complex than the usual cozy.
RALLY, the first Abel book, is my attempt to have fun with the mechanics of a traditional story. It’s basically a mystery within a
mystery, which was something I always wanted to do.
Mason - If you had to write this book over, would you do anything differently -- content in the book, your writing schedule, the way you researched it, etc.?
HY - I was extremely happy with the way it turned out. But now that I’m working on the sequel, I’m discovering the difficulty of my premise. In every book, I have to send Amy off with a group of suspects and a victim. Then I have to deal with international police and local customs. Finally, I have to bring the mystery home to Greenwich Village, in order to spend time with Amy’s mother, Fanny, a character that everyone seems to love.
I didn’t realize how hard this would be to do over and over. So, in retrospect, I might have gone easier on myself and picked a simpler premise.
Mason - Did anything unusual, scary and/or funny happen during the course of your writing this book?
HY - I wish the writing process were more unusual or scary or funny, but it’s not. Not for me. The only interesting thing I can think of is the genesis of Abel Adventures.
In the early days on the web, no one knew what kind of Internet content would be successful. So I was asked by Prodigy (an early version of AOL) to write a monthly mystery serial with a different chapter every day. The result was Tom Abel, a character similar to Amy Abel, who led adventurous tours around the world. This idea has always stayed with me, even though the original stories have been lost to time – and a few computer crashes.
Mason - You have been shipwrecked on an island. You have 2 books to keep you company until help arrives, plenty of drinking water and 1 food item, plus your _____. Name the books, what food item would you want and fill in the blank.
HY - The joke answer is “Cooking with Coconuts” and “Boat Building for Dummies”, freeze-dried protein and a satellite phone.
My real answer would be the collected works of P.J. Wodehouse and something new by Ken Follett. In case you can’t tell, I love humor and good plotting.
My food would be pineapple upside cake and my item would be a combination bug repellent and sunscreen, which no one seems to make but would be a best-seller, at least on desert islands.
Mason - What can readers look forward to next from you?
HY - Obsidian Press has hired me to continue writing the Monk novels. I just finished the first, MR. MONK HELPS HIMSELF, which will be out this summer. In addition, I’m working on second Abel Adventures novel, IF I DIE BEFORE THE WAKE.
Hy, thanks for joining us today and answering these questions. Having Amy run a travel agency may cause a few problems for your writing, but after reading RALLY ‘ROUND THE CORPSE I can’t image Amy doing anything else. It’s such a fun twist.
As I mentioned earlier, Hy was a writer for the TV show Monk. In fact, he was one of the original writers for the groundbreaking series. He worked on the show for all eight seasons, the final two as Co-Executive Producer, and received three Edgar Nominations from the Mystery Writers of America for "Best TV Episode."
In a related project, Hy was Executive Producer and head writer of Little Monk, a series of short films featuring Adrian Monk as a ten-year-old. His latest TV work was as writer and Consulting Producer for White Collar.
Hy is also the author of hundreds of short stories and ten books of short whodunits, which have been sold around the world in fourteen languages. Hy's first full-length comedy/mystery play, Home Exchange, premiered at the Waterfront Playhouse in Key West in May 2012. And, in a different vein, he recently authored a humor book called Things Your Dog Doesn't Want You to Know.
Hy splits his time among Key West, Vermont and New York City. For more on Hy and his writing, visit his website at http://www.hyconrad.com
Now for the giveaway guidelines. To enter, just send me an e-mail (mcbookshelf@gmail.com) with the subject line, “Win Rally ‘Round The Corpse.” Residents of the U.S. and Canada can select either a print copy of the book or an eBook. Your message should include your name and mailing address for the print copy or the email address you’d like the eBook sent to. If you are an international visitor entering the giveaway, please include your name and the email address you’d like the eBook sent to in your message. And, just so you know, I don’t share any of this information with anyone other than the publisher/tour promoter nor use it for any other purpose. The deadline to enter this giveaway for a copy of RALLY ‘ROUND THE CORPSE will be 8 p.m. (EST) on Friday, Jan. 18.
Thanks everyone for stopping by today. Would you participate in a mystery road rally if one was held near you? You can follow Hy on his blog tour here.
