Thursday, August 31, 2017

BOOK BLAST: LOCKDOWN BY SAMIE SANDS




Title: LOCKDOWN
Author: Samie Sands
Publisher: Limitless Publishing
Pages: 232
Genre: Horror/Scifi

Leah Watton’s practical joke has spiralled way out of control—all to impress a crush…

With a prank online video, Leah hopes to catch the attention of Jake Colton, a cute, blond-haired, blue-eyed co-worker she’s had a crush on for months. But instead of sending it to Jake, she manages to forward the clip to her boss—who buys every gory second.

When mass panic ensues, Leah learns the video is more than a staged act…

The government is calling the virus AM13. As the outbreak spreads, citizens are forced to stay indoors while they assess the gravity of the illness. Most people are quarantined in their homes, but Leah, Jake, and Leah’s best friend Michelle are some of the unlucky few who are stuck at work when the Lockdown occurs.

That’s where she first encounters one of the infected…

Aside from a contaminated woman devouring one of her co-workers, Leah has another problem. Does she do as she’s ordered and stay at work? Or should she disobey government orders and break free to reunite with her family?

She can’t go it alone—after all, Leah has none of the skills needed to survive—but with Michelle and Jake by her side, not even a contagious virus and a sea of the dead can keep her from…

Breaking out of the Lockdown…

Order your copy at Amazon.
 
He’s disgusting. I’ve never seen one this close before, heading towards me with such vigour. I’ve always done my best to avert my eyes from the infected, but now time seems to freeze as I can’t drag my gaze away. What I thought was him shuffling, was actually him dragging his broken, bloodied leg behind him. This wound is so deep I can see bone poking through. I can’t help but retch.
The bite on his shoulder is absolutely huge and rancid—all blackened from the infection. His arm is hanging down by his side, completely useless. He’ll never be able to move that again, no matter what happens. His face is also in a terrible state. His skin is a deep grey, much murkier than the others I’ve seen. He must have been infected for a very long time. The bags under his eyes droop incredibly low, causing his face to look deformed. The blood running down his skin, staining all his clothes, looks really old. Scratch marks cover his torso; he looks as if he’s been brutally beaten in some awful fight. I would never have thought someone could survive these injuries, they’re just so severe. People have died over much less, and yet here he is, still moving towards us, baring his teeth, ready and waiting to eat.
Jake pulls me hard and I stumble backwards, tripping over a box. I hit the ground hard and suddenly find myself unable to move, as if I’m physically paralysed by fear. It’s almost as if I’m having an out of body experience, looking down at myself, screaming run. Something is pulling me upwards, but my body is too sluggish to comply. It just won’t do what I want it to, I’m too panicked. Now I understand how Tim was feeling when he was attacked and unable to scale the fence. Limp and useless. I know an assault is imminent, but I can’t do anything to stop it. I’m utterly screwed, and I’m just sitting here, waiting for it to happen.
I’m shaking, sobs rising up in my chest. I’m going to die if I don’t get up now, so why can’t I? All I need to do is make my way over to the door, but it feels a million miles away. I don’t even know where Jake is. I can hear him hissing at me, encouraging me to move, but I can’t see him anywhere. He might have even made it outside already. If so, he should probably run before he has to witness my death.
Thud. The loud noise shocks me into looking up. Thud. There it is again. This time it’s following by a sloshing sound, like a wet mop hitting the ground. I need to locate the source of the noise. I need to know what’s happening, how long I have left. Can I escape? Can I really survive this? My heart leaps into my dry, panicked mouth and my slick palms slide across the ground.
It’s Jake, I can finally see him. He’s absolutely covered in blood. His axe is discarded on the ground next to him. He’s offering me a hand. I reach up tentatively to grab it, still trying to piece together the scene around me.
“He’s…?”I can’t finish my sentence. I can’t vocalise all the hundreds of questions that are swirling around in my mind.
“Yes, Leah, he’s gone. ”Jake blows out some air, as if all the stress is seeping out of his body.
Relief floods my chest, pushing away some of the numb sensation. I’ve never had a near death experience before, so I’m not sure how you’re supposed to feel. We sit silent for a while, just the sounds of our heavy breathing to keep us company. The shop owner doesn’t move again, so I can feel myself starting to relax in his presence. I wonder what happened to him, how he managed to get into that state, when he got bitten—all of these questions that we’ll never get the answer to now that he’s gone forever.


Samie Sands is giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card & an autographed copy of her book!

Terms & Conditions:
  • By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
  • One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $25 Amazon Gift Card and an autographed copy of her book.
  • This giveaway ends midnight August 31.
  • Winner will be contacted via email on September 1.
  • Winner has 48 hours to reply.
Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!



a Rafflecopter giveaway


About the Author

Samie Sands is the author of the AM13 Outbreak series – Lockdown, Forgotten, and Extinct. She’s also had a number of short stories published in very successful short story anthologies.

To find out more about her and her work, check out her website at http://samiesands.com or visit her on Twitter and Facebook.

http://www.pumpupyourbook.com

Monday, August 28, 2017

Book Feature: My Brain is Out of Control by Dr. Patrick Mbaya







Publication Date: September 2016
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Formats: Ebook
Pages: 76
Genre: Biography/Autobiography
Tour Dates: August 14-August 25

  Add to GR Button   

Although Dr. Patrick Mbaya’s illness caused a lot distress and nearly took his life, the emotional symptoms of the depression he developed helped him understand and empathize with patients and how they feel when they become ill. In My Brain is Out of Control, Mbaya, fifty-five and at the peak of his career, shares a personal story of how he suffered from a brain infection in 2010 that caused loss of speech, right-sided weakness, and subsequent depression. He tells how he also dealt with the antibiotics complications of low white cell count and hepatitis. He narrates his experiences as a patient, the neurological and psychiatric complications he encountered, how he coped, and his journey to recovery. Presenting a personal perspective of Mbaya’s illness from the other side of the bed, My Brain is Out of Control, offers profound insight into battling a serious illness.







Dr. Patrick Mbaya is a medical doctor specializing in psychiatry. He is a consultant psychiatrist and honorary clinical lecturer in psychiatry at the University of Manchester, United Kingdom. He has a special interest in mood and addiction disorders.

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Book Feature: Evolution Now by David Penny







Publication Date: March 27, 2017
Publisher: XLibrisNZ
Formats: Ebook
Pages: 229
Genre: Science
Tour Dates: August 14-25

  Add to GR Button   

This is a very Popperian approach to evolutionary study. Karl Popper was a philosopher of science, who took science very seriously, and had a profound influence on the chemists and zoologists where I did my undergraduate degree. The book starts from about 1600, when people accepted that life continued to arise “naturally,” and then moves to the pre-evolutionary concept of the fixity of species. Darwin started as a geologist in the Hutton-Lyell tradition and quickly became convinced that current causes were sufficient to explain geology, and he then moved to biology. I gave an account of his theory in some detail. However, there is also an update on what we have learned since Darwin. This is followed by a chapter on human evolution, especially human speech and the Out of Africa theory. This is followed by two chapters on beliefs that maybe incorrect (one of which is the extinction of dinosaurs from the extraterrestrial impact at the K-Pg boundary—maybe incorrect). The other is the direction of change between eukaryotes (which have a true nucleus) and akaryotes (without a true nucleus). The book finishes with a section on what is left for the future. In good Popperian style, there is a lot left for us to discover!






David Penny is a 'Distinguished Professor' at a New Zealand University, and has a PhD from Yale University. He is a New Zealander by birth.

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Book Feature: Poor No More: An American Dream by Steven Bentley, MD




Title: Poor No More
Author: Steven Bentley, MD
Publisher: iUniverse 
Genre: Biography/Autobiography
Format: Ebook

Now retired, author Dr. Steven Bentley was a successful emergency physician. But his path in life wasn't always an easy one. In Poor No More-An American Dream, he shares his story of how he survived a rare birth defect, abject poverty, an alcoholic mother, a KKK father, an abusive children's home, and a cruel step-mother.

This memoir tells how Bentley emerged from a difficult childhood and adolescence to practice ER medicine during a time of enormous change in the field and how he developed a lifelong love affair with his chosen profession. He discusses how he found it gratifying to apply his medical knowledge and to impact someone's life for the better. He relays a host of stories from both his personal and professional life, detailing the trials and tribulations and the challenges and rewards.

Poor No More-An American Dream describes Bentley's journey to escape his roots and become a successful doctor in America. It tells about one man who lived in and through some interesting times.



Steven Bentley, MD, is a retired emergency physician who is married and lives in the North Carolina mountains. Bentley has two living sisters-one in Florida, the other is an ER nurse in Charleston, South Carolina. He travels extensively with his wife and enjoys beekeeping, gardening, flowers, and everything about the natural world. This is his second book.

Friday, August 18, 2017

BOOK FEATURE / THE SULLIVANS BY BELLA ANDRE




Title: The Sullivans Boxed Set Books 1-3
Author: Bella Andre
Publisher: Oak Press, LLC
Pages: 662
Genre: Contemporary Romance

More than 6 million readers have already fallen in love with the Sullivans! Now get ready to meet your new favorite family in Bella Andre's New York Times and USA Today bestselling contemporary romances with the first three books in the #1 hit series.

"Not since Nora Roberts has anyone been able to write a big family romance series with every book as good as the last! Bella Andre never disappoints!" Revolving Bookcase Reviews


THE LOOK OF LOVE

Chloe Peterson is having a bad night. A really bad night. The large bruise on her cheek can attest to that. And when her car skids off the side of a wet country road straight into a ditch, she's convinced even the gorgeous guy who rescues her in the middle of the rain storm must be too good to be true. Or is he?

As a successful photographer who frequently travels around the world, Chase Sullivan has his pick of beautiful women, and whenever he's home in San Francisco, one of his seven siblings is usually up for causing a little fun trouble. Chase thinks his life is great just as it is--until the night he finds Chloe and her totaled car on the side of the road in Napa Valley. Not only has he never met anyone so lovely, both inside and out, but he quickly realizes she has much bigger problems than her damaged car. Soon, he is willing to move mountains to love--and protect--her, but will she let him?

FROM THIS MOMENT ON

For thirty-six years, Marcus Sullivan has been the responsible older brother, stepping in to take care of his seven siblings after their father died when they were children. But when the perfectly ordered future he's planned for himself turns out to be nothing but a lie, Marcus needs one reckless night to shake free from it all.

Nicola Harding is known throughout the world by only one name - Nico - for her catchy, sensual pop songs. Only, what no one knows about the twenty-five year old singer is that her sex-kitten image is totally false. After a terrible betrayal by a man who loved fame far more than he ever loved her, she vows not to let anyone else get close enough to find out who she really is...or hurt her again. Especially not the gorgeous stranger she meets at a nightclub, even though the hunger - and the sinful promises - in his dark eyes make her want to spill all her secrets.

CAN’T HELP FALLING IN LOVE

Gabe Sullivan risks his life every day as a firefighter in San Francisco. But after learning a brutal lesson about professional boundaries, he knows better than to risk his heart to his fire victims ever again. Especially the brave mother and daughter he saved from a deadly apartment fire...and can't stop thinking about.

Megan Harris knows she owes the heroic firefighter everything for running into a burning building to save her and her seven-year-old daughter. Everything except her heart. Because after losing her navy pilot husband five years ago, she has vowed to never suffer through loving - and losing - a man with a dangerous job again.

ORDER THE SULLIVANS BOXED SET:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Enjoy the following excerpt from THE LOOK OF LOVE...

Chase almost missed the flickering light off on the right side of the two-lane country road. In the past thirty minutes, he hadn’t passed a single car, because on a night like this, most sane Californians—who didn’t know the first thing about driving safely in inclement weather—stayed home.
Knowing better than to slam on the brakes—he wouldn’t be able to help whomever was stranded on the side of the road if he ended up stuck in the muddy ditch right next to them—Chase slowed down enough to see that there was definitely a vehicle stuck in the ditch.
He turned his brights on to see better in the pouring rain and realized there was a person walking along the edge of the road about a hundred yards up ahead. Obviously hearing his car approach, she turned to face him and he could see her long wet hair whipping around her shoulders in his headlights.
Wondering why she wasn’t just sitting in her car, dry and warm, calling Triple A and waiting for them to come save her, he pulled over to the edge of his lane and got out to try and help her. She was shivering as she watched him approach.
"Are you hurt?"
She covered her cheek with one hand, but shook her head. "No."
He had to move closer to hear her over the sound of the water hitting the pavement in what were rapidly becoming hailstones. Even though he’d turned his headlights off, as his eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness, he was able to get a better look at her face.
Something inside of Chase’s chest clenched tight.
Despite the long, dark hair plastered to her head and chest, regardless of the fact that looking like a drowned rat wasn’t too far off the descriptive mark, her beauty stunned him.
In an instant, his photographer’s eye cataloged her features. Her mouth was a little too big, her eyes a little too wide-set on her face. She wasn’t even close to model thin, but given the way her T-shirt and jeans stuck to her skin, he could see that she wore her lush curves well. In the dark he couldn’t judge the exact color of her hair, but it looked like silk, perfectly smooth and straight where it lay over her breasts.
It wasn’t until Chase heard her say, "My car is definitely hurt, though," that he realized he had completely lost the thread of what he’d come out here to do.
Knowing he’d been drinking her in like he was dying of thirst, he worked to recover his balance. He could already see he’d been right about her car. It didn’t take a mechanic like his brother, Zach, who owned an auto shop—more like forty, but Chase had stopped counting years ago—to see that her shitty hatchback was borderline totaled. Even if the front bumper wasn’t half smashed to pieces by the white farm fence she’d slid into, her bald tires weren’t going to get any traction on the mud. Not tonight, anyway.
If her car had been in a less precarious situation, he probably would have sent her to hang out  in her car while he took care of getting it unstuck. But one of her back tires was hanging precariously over the edge of the ditch.
He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "Get in my car. We can wait there for a tow truck." He was vaguely aware of his words coming out like an order, but the hail was starting to sting, damn it. Both of them needed to get out of the rain before they froze.
But the woman didn’t move. Instead, she gave him a look that said he was a complete and utter nut-job.
"I’m not getting into your car."
Realizing just how frightening it must be for a lone woman to end up stuck and alone in the middle of a dark road, Chase took a step back from her. He had to speak loudly enough for her to hear him over the hail.
"I’m not going to attack you. I swear I won’t do anything to hurt you."
She all but flinched at the word attack and Chase’s radar started buzzing. He’d never been a magnet for troubled women, wasn’t the kind of guy who thrived on fixing wounded birds. But living with two sisters for so many years meant he could always tell when something was up.
And something was definitely up with this woman, beyond the fact that her car was half-stuck in a muddy ditch.
Wanting to make her feel safe, he held his hands up. "I swear on my father’s grave, I’m not going to hurt you. It’s okay to get into my car." When she didn’t immediately say no again, he pressed his advantage with, "I just want to help you." And he did. More than it made sense to want to help a stranger. "Please," he said. "Let me help you."
She stared at him for a long moment, hail hammering between them, around them, onto them. Chase found himself holding his breath, waiting for her decision. It shouldn’t matter to him what she decided.
But, for some strange reason, it did.

...Excerpt from THE LOOK OF LOVE by Bella Andre © 2015


 
Bella Andre is the New York Times, USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of “The Sullivans”, “The Maverick Billionaires”, “The Morrisons”, and the NYT bestselling “Four Weddings and a Fiasco” sweet romance series written as Lucy Kevin.

Having sold more than 6 million books, Bella Andre’s novels have been #1 bestsellers around the world and have appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists 32 times. She has been the #1 Ranked Author at Amazon (on a top 10 list that included Nora Roberts, JK Rowling, James Patterson and Steven King), and Publishers Weekly named Oak Press (the publishing company she created to publish her own books) the Fastest-Growing Independent Publisher in the US. After signing a groundbreaking 7-figure print-only deal with Harlequin MIRA, Bella’s “The Sullivans” series is being released in paperback in the US, Canada, and Australia.

Known for “sensual, empowered stories enveloped in heady romance” (Publishers Weekly), her books have been Cosmopolitan Magazine “Red Hot Reads” twice and have been translated into ten languages. Winner of the Award of Excellence, The Washington Post called her “One of the top writers in America” and she has been featured by Entertainment Weekly, NPR, USA Today, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and TIME Magazine. A graduate of Stanford University, she has given keynote speeches at publishing conferences from Copenhagen to Berlin to San Francisco, including a standing-room-only keynote at Book Expo America in New York City.

If not behind her computer, you can find her reading her favorite authors, hiking, swimming or laughing. Married with two children, Bella splits her time between the Northern California wine country and a 100 year old log cabin in the Adirondacks.

Sign up for Bella’s newsletter at http://www.BellaAndre.com/Newsletter.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK


http://www.pumpupyourbook.com

BOOK FEATURE / DINNER CONVERSATIONS BY JASON REID


Title: DINNER CONVERSATIONS
Author: Jason Reid
Publisher: Createspace/Reid Group
Pages: 348
Genre: Humor / Family / Parenting



“You are going to LAUGH! You are going to then wonder if these conversations actually happened. You are going to wonder what kind of guy would actually say these things to his family.”

The answer is simple—yes, these conversations did actually happen. They occurred over a period of roughly 5 years, mainly at my dinner table.  I took them verbatim and posted them on Facebook so that all my friends could get a good laugh.
I must be honest with you, some of you will are going to laugh and say things like “…that sounds like something I would say or want to say” others are going to think that I am a horrible parent.  I am ok with either thought process.
What I hope is that after laughing, scratching your head and wondering what is wrong with Jay Reid, you realize that you need to create more of your own Dinner Conversations.  
Please join me @ www.Facebook.com/DinnerConversations to read more and post your own.” 

ORDER YOUR COPY:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble



Taxes

Kids
"You have to pay how much in taxes?!?"


Jay

"Yep, half or more of my money goes to pay taxes, the rest goes to pay for you guys. I have almost nothing left over."


Kids
"That's crazy!”


Jay
"I agree, but I am stuck with all of you."



Jason Reid is an entrepreneur by trade and a dad by passion. He currently lives in Murrieta, California with his wonderful wife and amazing four children. Over the years he has written numerous business books, a novel, and children’s The Protector Bug book series.

His latest book is the humor/family/parenting book, Dinner Conversations.

SOCIAL LINKS:

TWITTER | FACEBOOK


MEDIA CONTACT:
Dorothy Thompson
 CEO/Founder PUMP UP YOUR BOOK
Winner of P&E Readers Poll 2016 for Best Publicity Firm

 

Thursday, August 17, 2017

Book Feature: An Unconventional Lifetime Journey by Bill Faulhaber







Publication Date: August 2016
Publisher: iUniverse
Formats: Ebook
Pages: 724
Genre: Biography/Autobiography
Tour Dates: August 14-25

  Add to GR Button   

An Unconventional Lifetime Journey: My 269 Daily E-mail Stories collates and presents hundreds of short stories that provide humorous, touching, memorable, and insightful glimpses into the life of William Faulhaber. Retired after a long career in the sporting goods business, he began to e-mail reminiscences to a list of his friends. Hearing encouragement to keep writing, he wrote about a surprisingly wide array of topics: America’s bicentennial, golf-club shafts, plow horses, vacuum cleaner sales, pontoon boats, bingo, and miracles. To truly appreciate the reach of these stories, one must dive into the collection and explore its vast wealth. Many histories take as their topics the great and cataclysmic events: wars, the rise and fall of nations, discoveries that change the direction of human evolution. If you enjoy history, you may find room on your shelf for a book that takes the time to look at the little comings and goings that make up the life of one person among many who live in the world shaped by those big events. If that is the case, then An Unconventional Lifetime Journey: My 269 Daily E-mail Stories promises to give you that fine-grain detail that brings one man’s story to life.

SIGN UP HERE







William Faulhaber had a long successful career in sales and management of sporting goods, focusing mostly on the golf market. Now retired from Spalding Equipment, he and his wife, Delores, are enjoying their seventh decade of marriage and are in the midst of their fifth decade living in North Palm Beach, Florida.

BOOK FEATURE / DREAMERS, TAKE ACTION! BY NIKKIE PRYCE



Title: DREAMERS, TAKE ACTION!
Author: Nikkie Pryce
Publisher: Opportune Publishing
Pages: 118
Genre: Self-help / Self-improvement / Self-motivation

I remember going through stages in my life where I had no money; I was broken in spirit and mind.

One day I realized in order to make more money and live the life I wanted, I had to start with myself.

I started reading tons of self-help books, prayed more and did affirmation exercises to lift my self-esteem. It was time to see growth.

If you are ready to challenge yourself and start seeing better results from your creative ideas, then this book is for you.

Dreamers, Take Action! is an actionable blueprint for creating the life you want.

This book is equipped with steps and daily challenges that I’ve taken to change a few needed things. 

I've joined new networks with successful people, I’m finishing projects that I’ve started, and I am walking through open doors of lucrative opportunities, all by following one simple step.

That step is taking action.

Follow me into this journey as I vulnerably explain the road I took to get to where I am.

Hopefully, you’ll be inspired to work diligently to finish what you’ve started.

I trust that you’re ready to take that leap of faith.

ORDER YOUR COPY:

Amazon



"Don’t give up. Finish what you've started."

That’s so hard to say, especially coming from a person like me. I’ve rarely ever finished anything that I’ve pursued in my life.

However, this time it is different.

I finished this assignment to create a life for the both of us. “Us” being the dreamers who have so much inside of our mind, body and soul, but were barely taught to manifest it to completion.

On my journey of being a dreamer, I realized that one thing was wrong: I was too busy dreaming, starting amazing ideas but not finishing the things I dreamt about.

Today, I pass down what I've learned. I pass down what I’ve encountered during this journey in hopes that you will use this book as a tool to not make the same mistakes that I made. Instead, use it to learn and reroute yourself onto the path to your success. I trust your ability just like I trust mine. Take this journey with me and let’s conquer together. We owe it to ourselves, and we only can imagine where it will take us.

The goal is to not get distracted for any reason. Focus on your dream and vision 1000%. Most importantly, don’t give up. Finish what you’ve started, just like I’ve finished this book! It took some time, prayer and focus, but we are here.

Let me show you how I did it. After this, pay it forward. Share your journey with all around you so each of us can learn from each other and not make the same mistakes
twice.







Nikkie Pryce is focused on inspiring and motivating people to put action behind their dreams.
Being in the media industry and working directly with the public, she has experience pushing people past their own created limitations.
She has earned the title of "self-love influencer" through her organization, The I AM Community.
The community is comprised of dreamers who encourage self-love and self-awareness, starting with “I AM” affirmations.
What all started as a simple journey to finding her own self-love became a phenomenon of connections and solid relationships.
A highly-recommended motivational speaker, Nikkie speaks publicly at corporate conferences, non-profit organizations, women’s retreats, youth girl groups, schools, and church functions.
Her latest book is the self-help, Dreamers, Take Action!

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK