Category Archives: Author Tours

Christopher Meeks, Award Winning Author of ‘A Death In Vegas’: On Tour

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This post was most recently updated on November 7th, 2014

A death in Vegas coverPublisher: White Whisker Books (August 15, 2014)
Category: Mystery
ISBN: 9781499124551
Tour Date: October, 2014
Available in: Print & ebook, 176 Pages

In A Death in Vegas, the president of BenBugs, a company that specializes in beneficial bugs for organic gardening, discovers a young woman dead in his Las Vegas hotel suite. She had worked as a sexy lady bug at his convention booth—and he had nothing to do with her death. While that’s being investigated, the FBI raids his booth on a money-laundering scam that he knows nothing about, either. Soon, the coroner doesn’t have good news. The police and FBI are against him—and his wife cannot be found. He flees to find the answers.

View the Trailer: 

Praise for Blood Drama by Christopher Meeks:

“What sets this novel apart from other thriller is the development of the characters.  Not only is Medina more complex than the stereotypical FBI agent found in many suspense novels, but Nash is a new type of victim.  His theater and academic background give him an interesting perspective.  This is definitely a suspenseful, can’t-put-it-down thriller.  Clear your calendar in order to have time to read this from start to finish!“- Tammy, The Self-Taught Cook

“Blood Drama was highly entertaining and extremely enjoyable. It is a combination black comedy and crime novel. The characters of Ian and Aleece are memorable, quirky, and unique. I  reveled in Ian’s quoting David Mamet (or some other playwright or work of literature) to deduce and interpret the information he had to ascertain where the clues were leading them.   Meeks is a gifted writer. He has a pleasing way of propelling the action forward while developing his plot and characters. I enjoyed Meeks Love at Absolute Zero quite a bit, but I liked Blood Drama even more. I’m hopeful that Meeks will bring back Ian and Aleece to solve another crime.”- Lori, She Treads Softly 

“This is one action packed thriller that you don’t want to put down. The author doesn’t waste time with the trivial, he gets right to the action and stays there. Just when you think things are as bad as they possible could get…wrong!
This was different from most thrillers I read in that it also has a little humor, I absolutely loved that aspect of the book.  The characters are well written, they seem like real people, flaws and all. There’s also romance in this book, which gives you a little relief from the gripping adventures.  I liked this book very much and so I will be checking to see what other books this author has written.“- Vicky, I’d Rather Be At the Beach

“This story had me hooked just out of pity for the poor guy, but when things turned from bad to worse I couldn’t put it down. I had to know what was going to happen next. This was far from the typical suspense/thriller. Yes, it does follow the MOs you expect in some areas but the characters make it so unique.  I loved these characters. They were so unique that I could see them as real. They had their quirks and secrets that revealed their flaws and their vulnerabilities Nothing is really too farfetched. Yes, there is one character you might argue is but I live in a huge city. Trust me, it is not farfetched. Can’t say more or I let a big secret slip which is a no-no in reviews.  If you love suspense/thrillers that have some humor, you’ll love this book. Yes, it kept me riveted. You have to read this book. You’ll enjoy it and want more. Plus you’ll learn to appreciate your own days a little bit better.”– Rebecca Graf, A Book Lover’s Library

“Having read and reviewed every book and play written by the gifted Christopher Meeks it was with some trepidation to pick up a novel with a title BLOOD DRAMA packaged by a cover that suggested he’d joined the au courant genre of spy and murder and intrigue army of writers, forsaking his own quirky and deliciously entertaining usual topics of onstage interpersonal relationship scenarios of his previous books. Had he sold out to the bigger market of bestseller yet rapidly transient airport books? Happily, after getting attached to his satisfyingly rather strange hero in the first chapter and the fear that he had abandoned his signature warmth and tasteful dissection of ordinary people, the pages practically turned themselves.
Meeks has the gift to mold characters with such extensive backstories that after only a few pages as each new character is introduced they become part of the surround-sound family into whose story we have wandered.
The book is so rich in feisty humor, in theatrically enacted derring-do as the pursuit of the quartet of bank robbers ensues, some fine psychological insights into these strange but likeable folk from the Southern California setting Meeks knows and lives so well – well, so rich, period, that it begs to be read. Meeks may have daringly (for him) stepped into new territory, but the fact that he continues to remain in the rarefied atmosphere of fine contemporary authors is secure.” Grady Harp, Amazon Hall of Fame Reviewer

About Christopher Meeks:

Christopher Meeks has four novels and two collections of short fiction published. His most recent novel before this was the acclaimed thriller, “Blood Drama.” His novel “The Brightest Moon of the Century” made the list of three book critics’ Ten Best Book of 2009. “Love at Absolute Zero” also made three Best Books lists of 2011, as well as earning a ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Finalist award.

He has had stories published in several literary journals, and they have been included in the collections “Months and Seasons” and “The Middle-Aged Man and the Sea.” Mr. Meeks has had three full-length plays mounted in Los Angeles, and one, “Who Lives?” had been nominated for five Ovation Awards, Los Angeles’ top theatre prize.

Mr. Meeks teaches English and fiction writing at Santa Monica College, and Children’s Literature at the Art Center College of Design. To read more of his books visit his website at: www.chrismeeks.com.

Christopher at the Red Room: http://redroom.com/member/christopher-meeks
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/christopher.meeks1?fref=ts
Twitter https://twitter.com/MeeksChris

Follow The Tour:

Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus Sept 29 Review & Giveaway
What U Talking Bout Willis? Oct 1 Guest Post & Giveaway
fundinmental Oct 2 Review
Sherryfundin Oct 2 Review
Manic Mama of 3 Oct 3 Review
Elizabeth McKenna Romance Author Oct 6  Excerpt
My Reading Addictions Oct 7 Review
Room With Books Oct 9  Interview & Excerpt
Bound 4 Escape Oct 10 Review
What U Talking Bout Willis? Oct 13 Review
Lady in Read Oct 14 Review & Giveaway
She Treads Softly Oct 15 Review
Cuzinlogic Oct 16 Review
Sapphyria’s Steamy Books Oct 20 Excerpt
Genuine Jenn Oct 21 Spotlight with Trailer
The News in Books Oct 22 Review & Guest Post
Cassandra M’s Place Oct 23 Review & Giveaway
Pinky’s Favorite Reads Oct 24 Excerpt
deal sharing aunt Oct 27 Review & Giveaway
I’m A Voracious Reader Oct 28 Review
Genuine Jenn Oct 29 Review
The Discerning Reader Oct 30 Review

Lloyd Lofthouse, Author of Running With the Enemy: On Tour Again

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This post was most recently updated on April 18th, 2014

Publisher: Three Clover Press (February 1, 2013)
Category: Vietnam War, Action/Adventure, Suspense/Thriller
Tour Dates: March 2014
Available in: Print and ebook 384 Pages

Awarded Runner Up in General Fiction at the 2013 Beach Book Festival. Awarded honorable mention general fiction 2013 New York Book Festival!

In this suspense thriller set during the Vietnam War, Victor Ortega is a rogue CIA agent, and he needs someone to blame for his crimes. Recon Marine Ethan Card is the perfect patsy. As a teen, Ethan ran with a Chicago street gang, and he has a criminal record. He also has a secret lover, Tuyen, who is half Vietnamese and half French.

Tuyen is a stunning, beautiful Viet Cong resistance fighter.

Since she was a young child, Tuyen has lived under the control of her brutal, older, sexually abusive half-brother, Giap, a ruthless and powerful Viet Cong leader, who has forced her to kill Americans in battle or die if she refuses.

When Ethan discovers he is going to be court marshaled for weapons he did not sell to the Viet Cong and Tuyen will be arrested and end up in an infamous South Vietnamese prison, where she will be tortured and raped, he hijacks a U.S. Army helicopter and flees with Tuyen across Southeast Asia while struggling to prove his innocence.

Victor Ortega and Giap—working together with the support of an unwitting American general—will stop at nothing to catch the two, and the hunt is on.

The star-crossed lovers travel across Laos to Cambodia’s Angkor Wat; to Bangkok, Thailand, and then to Burma’s Golden Triangle where Ethan and Tuyen face a ruthless drug lord and his gang.

In the rainforests of Burma, Ethan also discovers Ortega and Giap have set in motion a massive assault on his Marine unit’s remote base in South Vietnam with the goal of killing the man he admires most, Colonel Edward Price, who is the only one who believes Ethan is innocent.

Ethan must risk everything to save Price and his fellow Marines. Will he succeed?

Read Chapter One.

Praise for Running With the Enemy:

“Lloyd Lofthouse describes his book Running with the Enemy as a memoir that evolved into fiction. As a Vietnam veteran who had seen and experienced enough to leave him with post traumatic stress disorder, he wrote this book it seems to come to terms with all he experienced in Vietnam. The book became fiction, an action novel with a strong romance component.
Overall it rings true of war and what it was like to serve in Vietnam. Much of the book details the fighting, the casualties and the heartbreak and the trauma experienced by the soldiers. The book also takes you on a dizzying journey when the lovers Tuyen and Ethan flee to other countries in Southeast Asia – Laos, Cambodia, Bangkok, Thailand ,and Burma (Myanmar).
For those who would like to get a sense of what combat was really like, this is an excellent book, which began as a memoir of Vietnam.“- Book Dilettante

“I found Running with the Enemy captivating and well worth reading and enjoyed such a different type of historical novel from Mr. Lofthouse than his previous. Since Mr. Lofthouse is a former Marine and Vietnam veteran, I am sure he drew from some of his personal experiences and I shudder to think of some of these experiences.”– M. Denise C.

 “Running With the Enemy is a gut-wrenching page-turner at once a historical rendering of the Vietnam-American war, a suspense-thriller involving the framing of an innocent man forced to go on the run, and a passionate love story.  As an historical novel, it renders an intricate tapestry of the era, the geography, and the several cultures in confrontation at that time. As a suspense-thriller it grips on page one and keeps your heart racing page after page with hardly a paragraph of relief. As a war story, it depicts war as the bloody, hell that it is–a place in which the mettle of the honorable is tested and honed in the same landscape where sociopaths thrive and reach the heights of power and influence.   As a love story, it portrays the way a bond between two hearts can transcend race, religion, politics, national identity and family loyalty, defying all convention, tradition, prejudice and law to claim their right to have each other.
The characters are all deftly drawn and believable and if they exist beyond a page or two they will leave their mark on the reader who has come to care about them whether it is to love them, admire them, hate them or simply be amused by them.  I can wholeheartedly recommend Running With the Enemy as a story that rewards the time and effort invested. Its impact will linger long after the last page is turned.”-Joystory

“Running with the Enemy was everything and more than I was expecting. First off, the way Lloyd had everything under control from the plot and setting to the character developments and the historical elements that were added. Everything was extremely vivid, as if I was experiencing it first-hand.
Now talking about the extremely sexual love affair between Ethan and Tuyen felt so real that I actually cried at times throughout reading Lloyd’s Running with the Enemy. Speaking of crazy relationships, that Victor Ortega man. I really didn’t like him from the start, but who likes bad guys?
Running with the Enemy is an adventure that definitely isn’t suitable for younger children, but mainly for adults due to the extreme sex and violence. With that being said, I absolutely LOVED Lloyd’s novel and I honestly can’t wait to see what he comes up with next.”-A Book and Latte

About Lloyd Lofthouse:

Lloyd Lofthouse, a former U.S. Marine and Vietnam veteran, served in Vietnam as a field radio operator in 1966. Back home, Lloyd was a heavy drinker until 1981, never talked about the war and suffered from PTSD. In the early 1980s, he confronted his demons by writing about his war experiences in an MFA program.

Running with the Enemy started as a memoir and then evolved into fiction.

His short story, A Night at the “Well of Purity”, named a finalist of the 2007 Chicago Literary Awards, was based on an event Lloyd experienced in Vietnam.

His novel My Splendid Concubine has earned ten honorable mentions in general fiction—a few examples: the 2008 London Book Festival; 2009 San Francisco Book Festival; 2009 Los Angeles Book Festival, and the 2012 New York Book Festival, etc.

In 1999, his wife, Anchee Min, the author of the memoir Red Azalea, a book that was named a New York Times Notable Book of the Year in 1994, introduced Lloyd to Robert Hart, the real-life character of My Splendid Concubine.

After an honorable discharge from the U.S. Marines in 1968, Lloyd went to college on the GI Bill to earn a BA in journalism, and then worked days as a public school teacher for thirty years (1975 – 2005) in addition to nights and weekends as a maître d’ in a Southern California nightclub called the Red Onion (1980-1982).

Loyd’s Website: http://lloydlofthouse.org/

Lloyd on Twitter: https://twitter.com/lflwriter
Lloyd of Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lloyd.lofthouse

Follow the Tour:

So Many Precious Books Feb 27 Spotlight & Giveaway
Deal Sharing Aunt Mar 4 Review
Deal Sharing Aunt Mar 5 Guest Post
The New In Books Mar 5 Review
Margay Leah Justice Mar 10 Guest Post
The New In Books Mar 12 Interview
Ordinary Girlz Mar 13 Review
Identity Discovery Mar 14 Guest Post & Giveaway
Cheryl’s Book Nook Mar 17 Review & Giveaway
Every Free Chance Mar 20 Spotlight
Sapphyria’s Book Reviews Mar 21 Excerpt & Giveaway
Cassandra M’s Place Mar 25 Review & Giveaway
Teddy Rose Book Reviews Apr 10 Guest Post

Keith H. Hirshland, Author of Cover Me Boys I’m Going In: Tales of the Tube from a Broadcast Brat: On Tour

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This post was most recently updated on March 19th, 2014

Publisher: Create Space, August 8, 2013
ISBN-978-1482760521
Category: Memoir, Television Broadcasting, Behind the Scenes
Tour Dates: February, 2014
Available in: Print & ebook, 519 pages

Growing up in the shadow of one of network affiliate television’s groundbreakers, Keith Hirshland was destined to follow in his father’s footsteps. In this gripping new memoir, readers will follow Hirshland’s stories as he witnesses the creation of sports networks and works alongside the legends of broadcasting. With a career that spans more than thirty years, Hirshland has seen it all.

From the meteoric rise of Tiger Woods to the Kelly Tilghman “lynching” controversy and countless stories from the incredibly successful SKINS GAME golf franchise, his amazing stories provide a behind-the-scenes look into one of the most revered industries in the world.

Cover Me Boys, I’m Going In: Tales of the Tube from a Broadcast Brat gives readers an informative, reflective, and often humorous look at live television from both in front of and behind the camera. Offering an insider’s look at the television industry as well as the creation of two sports networks, this gripping memoir’s stories include some of the most famous athletes and broadcasters in the world.

With a behind-the-scenes look into sports television that few will ever experience, this exciting memoir gives readers a priceless glimpse into one of the nation’s most coveted industries. The first book to document the creation of the Golf Channel, Cover Me Boys, I’m Going In is a unique memoir that covers a number of fascinating industry moments. Covering the Golf Channel as well as the earliest days of ESPN2, these wonderful stories are packed with the larger-than-life personalities that made these sport networks successful.

Inspired by his parents’ death, Hirshland wanted to document as much as possible about his professional life. After having led an interesting and unique life, he wanted to find a way to honor his parents while passing his stories down to his children. A mesmerizing read for anyone interested in sports, television, or “behind the scenes” stories in general, Cover Me Boys, I’m Going In is sure to hook readers from the very beginning. With its eclectic mix of playful, humorous, and dramatic stories, this excellent collection is truly the entertaining, informative, and enlightening book that readers have been waiting for.

Praise for Cover Me Boys, I’m Going In:

“A broadcast veteran dishes about the evolution of TV as we know it.  The memoir is a fascinating personal record that might serve as a compendium of people, places, and events from one niche of television history.  Hirshland’s gentle humor and friendly tone are entertaining and his unique riffs on “on-air talent” serve to be fresh and funny. A memorable personal chronicle of a very public phenomenon. Hirshland offers a unique glimpse into the world of television, and his enthusiasm and positivity make for an inspiring treatise on dedication and success.”- Leia Menlove, Foreword Reviews

“Hirshland comes across as admirably hardworking and dedicated, feeling lucky to do what he loves. An engaging memoir by a true TV sports insider.”–Kirkus Reviews

“A humorously entertaining and insightful autobiography. Like playing golf? Like to watch golf on TV? Don’t have any interest in golf, but want an enjoyable read? I recommend “Cover Me Boys…”–Larry Green, Amazon Reviewer

“Great read for everyone!  Awesome Read!!! A honest behind the scenes view of three decades in the world of TV, what was most striking to me was the honesty that it takes courage to write with. Keith tells his story with a very comfortable style that keeps you turning pages and really gives you a great picture of the world and the people that work so hard to bring us what we take for granted on the screen. Any sports lover (especially golfers) will love the book, but Keith’s open and frank discussion of his personal successes and failures offer a little something for anyone. I’d recommend this engaging read to anyone.”- William F. Porter, Amazon.com Reviewer

About Keith H. Hirshland:

Growing up in the shadow of one of network affiliate television’s groundbreakers, Keith Hirshland was destined to follow in his father’s footsteps.

In this gripping new memoir, readers will follow Hirshland’s stories as he participates in the creation of sports networks and works alongside the legends of broadcasting.

With a career that spans more than thirty years, Hirshland has seen it all. From the meteoric rise of Tiger Woods to the Kelly Tilghman “lynching” controversy and countless stories from the incredibly successful SKINS GAME golf franchise, his amazing stories provide a behind-the-scenes look into one of the most revered industries in the world. With its eclectic mix of playful, humorous, and dramatic stories, this excellent collection is truly the entertaining, informative, and enlightening book that readers have been waiting for.

Hirshland is the son of a local television broadcast icon and an Emmy Award-winning veteran of the television industry. His experience has taken him all across the country, covering sport’s most famous athletes and television’s most interesting and charismatic personalities.

Having worked at both the local affiliate and national network levels, Hirshland was on hand for the beginning stages of ESPN2 and one of the first forty people hired at the Golf Channel when the world’s first niche sports channel began its preparations in 1994. For years, he was part of the production team for golf’s nationally televised SKINS GAME. Hirshland has worked alongside sports television’s most iconic figures while following sport’s most recognizable names.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/keith.hirshland
Twitter: https://twitter.com/khirshland

Buy Cover Me Boys, I’m Going In:

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Book Depository

Follow the Tour:

So Many Precious Books Mar 16 G & spotlight
Deal Sharing Aunt Mar 17 Review & Giveaway
Dr. Bill’s Book Bazaar Mar 18 Review
From L.A. to LA Mar 19 Review

Shelly Frome, Author of Tinseltown Riff: On Tour

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This post was most recently updated on November 7th, 2013

Publisher: Sunbury Press (March 2013)
Category: Hollywood Crime Caper, Action/Adventure, Thriller
ISBN-13: 978-1620062050
Tour Date: October, 2013
Available in: Print and ebook, 239 Pages

Tinseltown Riff centers on Ben Prine, a thirty-something Hollywood screenwriter who, on a Labor Day weekend, finds himself in desperate straits. Latching on to a dubious last-minute opportunity, he unwittingly embarks on a collision course with a Montana tracker connected with a Vegas mob; an odyssey which culminates in a showdown on an abandoned Western movie set.

Praise for Tinseltown Riff:

“Tinseltown Riff is a twisty tale of quirky characters in a dangerous world of shadows and subterfuge, that company town called Los Angeles. Shelly Frome opens the door on a fascinating and all-too-real scene of hustle and hope. One lovely riff.” – Donald E. Westlake, Oscar nominated and three-time Edgar Award winner, Mystery Writers of America Grand Master, author of over a hundred crime novels, many of which have been made into motion pictures.

“Tinseltown Riff is a kick — a funny, well-told tale about the world’s most insane business.” – Peter Lefcourt, Emmy Award winner, screenwriter and best-selling novelist specializing in the Hollywood scene.

“Shelly Frome’s Tinseltown Riff takes us on a ride along the Hollywood fringe that is equal parts gritty intrigue and social comedy. In a subculture where get-rich-quick screenwriting workshops are a con and even the Santa Ana winds can be an illusion, Frome’s characters are heartbreakingly real. Under this pulp fiction facade lurks an unsettling yet compelling truth about the Dream Factory and its high-risk allure.”– John Fusco, mainstream Hollywood screenwriter of Young Guns, Thunderheart, The Forbidden Kingdom, winner of two Bronze Wrangler awards and the Spur Award for Hidalgo, an Academy Award nominee for Best Screenplay and showrunner for Marco Polo.

“Shelly Frome writes with loving attention to the moment and the milieu of Hollywood and the aridity that surrounds it. Some of the best scenes give us a real taste of the Hispanic world most tourists never see. A fast moving and intriguing book with real energy.” – Lee Jacobus, book critic, Connecticut Public Radio.

“An amazing writing technique that actually makes the reader feel they are watching a movie. Frome’s remarkable details fill each page as if viewing a film scene. You find yourself nearly breathless trying to keep up with the constant action. Danger, humor and narcissistic sex co-exist in the Hollywood world of fantasy and selfish ambition.  Each chapter brings a change of direction.  All is finally resolved like the Santa Ana Winds finishing their breezy run. Enjoy this Hollywood story, but hold on to your hats, you’re in for a ride!“- Herbert Siegel. Amazon Reviewer

“Tinseltown Riff by Shelly Frome took me on a trip through the movie industry that was a surprise and a lot of fun.
From C.J. Rodriguez, the Hispanic wild surfer undercover cop, Leo the mad Russian whose visa is about to expire, Mrs. Melnick who will do anything to get on the Jay Leno show, Ray the sleazy front man from Vegas under the gun from the mob, to Angelique, the desperate rock star on the skids, you’ll find people caught between hustle and hope. Oh, and let’s not forget Molly, the actress wannabe who happens to be a younger version of the desperate rock star, and Deke, the cowboy with a mission and not much conscience.
On this wild ride through the industry, you’ll be watching over Ben’s shoulder as he does his best to make it in the Big Time, only to trip and fall, time and time again.
What could all of these people possibly have in common with Ben? Read the book and find out. I did, and I wasn’t disappointed. I recommend this story to readers looking to get away from it all, who are looking for an adventure, and who want to be entertained.”– A. McGraw, Amazon Reviewer

About Shelly Frome:

Shelly Frome is a member of Mystery Writers of America, a professor of dramatic arts emeritus at the University of Connecticut, a former professional actor, a writer of mysteries, books on theater and film, and articles on the performing arts appearing in a number of periodicals in the U.S. and the U.K. He is also a film critic and a contributor to writers’ blogs.

His fiction includes Lilac Moon, Sun Dance for Andy Horn, the trans-Atlantic cozy The Twinning Murders and Twilight of the Drifter, a southern gothic crime-and-blues odyssey. Among his works of non-fiction are the acclaimed The Actors Studio and texts on the art and craft of screenwriting and writing for the stage. Tinseltown Riff, his latest novel, is both a social commentary and a Hollywood crime caper.

Shelly Frome’s Website: www.shellyfrome.com
Shelly Frome Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/shellyfrome
Shelly Frome Twitter: https://twitter.com/shellyFrome

Buy Tinseltown Riff:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Book Depository
Sunbury Press

Follow the Tour:

So Many Precious books Oct 7 Review & Giveaway
Dr. Bill’s Book Baazar Oct 8 Review
Butterfly-o-Meter Books Oct 9 Interview
Joy Story Oct 10 Review
Ann’s Reading Corner Oct 11 Review
Ordinary Girls Oct 14 Review
From L.A. to LA Oct 15 Review & Giveaway
Paperback Writer Oct 15 Guest Post
Deal Sharing Aunt Oct 16 Review
Bookalicious Travel Addict Oct 22 Guest Post
Kate Eileen Shannon Oct 24 Guest Post & Giveaway
Hollywood Daze Oct 25 Review
Sweeps 4 Bloggers Oct 29 Review & Giveaway
Rose & Beps Oct 31 Spotlight & Excerpt
Literary, etc Nov 1 Review & Giveaway
I Feel So Unnecessary Nov 4 Review