Category Archives: Author Tours

Erika Rummel, Author of Head Games: On Tour

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This post was most recently updated on March 22nd, 2016

Publisher: Guernica Editions; 1st edition (April 30, 2013)
Category: Literary Fiction, Adventure, Suspense
Tour Date: September, 2013
ISBN: 978-1550716870
Available in: Print & pdf,  200Pages

Argentina, 1979.  Life has gone stale on Jim, an expat working in Catamarca. Everything is predictable until he meets Lisa. She has the starry eyes, the sensuous lips, and the tango steps that make all rational assumptions go away.  Jim gives her top marks for animation but there is a flashing beacon at the end of his tip sheet: Danger. Lisa is a little too intense, a little too crazy, a woman with too many scenes playing in her head.

That doesn’t faze Santos, a curandero looking for a medium to channel the spirits of the dead and attract his lost sister. He lures Lisa to his compound in northern Argentina, where she becomes a pawn in a deadly family feud. Jim goes in search of Lisa. Tracking her down turns into a double mission — delivering Lisa from her captors and himself from the confining routine of his life.

It takes a fantastic journey through rugged back country for Jim to realize how much he loves Lisa.  The story unfolds against the background of a country in the grip of a military junta. It is a place where kidnapping, violence, and death no longer make headlines, a place where you learn survival skills.

Praise for Head Games:

“An author with a powerful imagination. A complex plot that takes us to Argentina in the late seventies with compelling characters even though you often feel like beating some common sense into the heroine. Many ironic remarks indirectly criticizing our modern time that make you smile. A good read, beautifully written.”-J. Ragache C.T., Amazon.com Reviewer

“Identity’s a big theme in this work, so if you’ve ever felt you were someone other than yourself, if you thought you might like to try living in someone else’s skin, if you’ve wondered whether your friends and loved ones were not exactly who they claimed to be, then this psychological labyrinth might just be your winding road to a good read”.- Carole Giangrande, Words to Go

Having read Rummel’s “Playing Naomi” I couldn’t wait to get hold of her next novel. And I wasn’t disappointed – as one often is with second works. What a fertile imagination she has to dream up.
As before, Rummel offers some quirky characters, lovingly sketched, and twists and turns in the plot that kept my interest throughout. I love her sense of humour, her wonderful irony. And the way she makes you enter the head (games) of the heroine. The three men are wacky and interesting too. The trip to Argentina you can take for free!
The novel is beautifully written. A joy to read. Can’t wait for the next one!! Keep writing.”- Katarina, Amazon.ca Reviewer

Praise for Playing Naomi:

“Suspenseful & riveting.  What a wonderful debut novel! Once I started reading, I simply couldn’t put it down. I want a sequel! This imaginative story about role playing is not just about the protagonist (Liz) impersonating an eccentric author (Naomi), but touches on broader issues about what can happen while we play roles.
What I found particularly fascinating and unique about Playing Naomi was how Rummel interrupts her narrative with excerpts from Naomi’s (fictive) novel.
This novel within the novel provides a suspenseful and compelling backdrop to Liz’s story.
Rummel’s psychological insights, fine sense of irony, quirky characters, fluid style, and ability to create and keep the suspense make this a riveting read.”- Carina, Amazon.com Reviewer

“Playing Naomi is a tightly woven novel with great descriptive passages and a gripping story. I really felt for Liz when she is confronted by one of Naomi’s old friends without warning, while impersonating Naomi. It explores the complexities of taking on someone else’s life while trying to live your own, against a back drop of reviving the past in order to make peace with it. It was a quick read, but the characters and story stayed with me.”- N. McIntosh, Amazon.com Reviewer

About Erika Rummel:OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Erika Rummel was awarded a Random House Creative Writing Award in 2011. She is the author of more than a dozen non-fiction  books (social history, biography, translation) and two novels, Playing Naomi (2009) and Head Games (2013).

Erika came to Canada from Vienna and obtained a doctorate from the University of Toronto. She divides her time between Toronto and Los Angeles, but has also lived in small villages in Argentina, Romania, and Bulgaria.

Playing Naomi has been praised as a wry comedy “reminiscent of the corrosive but jovial cynicism of media satires like The Larry Saunders Show and The Newsroom” (Cynthia Sugars in University of Toronto Quarterly).

Erika Rummel’s Website:: www.erikarummel.com
Erika Rummel’s Blog: www.rummelsincrediblestories.blogspot.com

Buy Head Games:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Follow the Tour:

So Many Precious Books Nov 5 Review & Giveaway
Bookalicious Travel Addict Nov 12 Spotlight & Giveaway
Sweeps 4 Bloggers Nov 13 Review & Giveaway
Ordinary Girlz Nov 14 Spotlight
Carole Ramblings  Nov 15 Review
Ordinary Girlz  Nov 18 Review
Joy Story Nov 19 Review
Books, Books & More Books Nov 20 Review
Paperback Writer Nov 20 Guest Post
Buried Under Books Nov 21 Promo
From L.A. to LA Nov 22 Review
Deal Sharing Aunt Nov 25 Spotlight & Giveaway
Magdalena Ball Nov 26 Guest Post

 

Bobbie Pyron, Author of The Dogs of Winter, On Tour

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

Publisher : Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic, October 1, 2012
Category:  Grades 5 & up/YA Crossover
Tour Dates: February, 2013
Available in: Print and Kindle, 320 pages

Like thousands of other children in post-Soviet Russian, five-year-old Mishka finds himself trying to survive on the streets of Moscow after his mother disappears and he has no home. Help comes from an unlikely source: a pack a feral street dogs! For two years, Mishka and the dogs protect and love each other, becoming a family in every sense of the word. When Mishka has the chance to rejoin the world of humans, will he want to? Inspired by a true story!

Praise for The Dogs of Winter:

“Packs plenty of punch.” The New York Times

Starred Review!: “[A] first-person narrative in beautifully composed writing enhanced by Ivan’s visual acuity and depth of emotion. Terrifying, life-affirming and memorable.” Kirkus

Starred Review!: “a compelling and highly original fiction. Loyalty in the dog pack, and the dog characters are as vivid as Mishka’s human acquaintances.  An absorbing account in its own right, this could also partner with Gerstein’s Victor (BCCB 12/98) for two very different looks at (purportedly) wild children.” DS, The Bulletin for the Center of Children’s Books

“Pyron delivers a reflective, hard-hitting story about the bond between child and dog… The book’s emotional impact is immense.” Publishers Weekly –This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

“It was riveting and full of nonstop excitement and action.”  Karen Yingling, Mrs. Yingling Reads

“This is a captivating, important story based on the life of Ivan Mishukov, a Russian boy who lived a similar adventure. The author’s note and extensive bibliography offer further insight into the underlying problems faced by Ivan and other children in Russia and around the world. Eva Hornung’s Dog Boy (Viking, 2010) was also inspired by Mishukov’s early life.”–Renee Steinberg, School Library Journal

“No one will be able to read this story of a five-year-old boy’s survival on the streets of Moscow by living with dogs without being moved. Bobbie Pyron again shines as an author of considerable talent.” Margie, GoodReads Reviewer

“Even though I knew the outcome of this story, I was still riveted. How could a four year old abandoned to live on the streets with a pack of dogs survive? For over two years Dog Boy aided by seven dogs he came to love like family struggled to find food and warmth. It is a story of almost daily despair and often very brutal events, but the child has an amazing will to live. He is a character I won’t soon forget.” Cathy Coronado, GoodReads Reviewer

“An amazing story, moving and poignant, packed with action and emotion.” Edward T., GoodReads Reviewer

“Bobbie is a wonderful writer and this story will stay with me forever.” Snb, GoodReads Reviewer

 About Bobbie Pyron:

Bobbie was born in Hollywood, Florida and spent her growing up years up in the panhandle, swimming in the Gulf of Mexico and dreaming of being a mermaid.  She has degrees in Psychology and Anthropology, and a Masters degree in Library Science, and has worked as a librarian for over twenty-five years.

Her first book, a novel for teens titled The Ring (WestSide Books), was published in October of 2009. Her second book, A Dog’s Way Home (HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Books), was published to starred reviews in March of 2011. The Dog Writers Association of America recently awarded Bobbie the Maxwell Medal of Excellence and the Merial Human-Animal Bond Award.  It was also named a Banks Street Best Books of the Year.

Her new book, The Dogs of Winter (Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic), came out October of 2012. The Dogs of Winter is a Junior Library Guild Selection and a Kirkus Best 100 Children’s Books of the Year. Bobbie lives in Park City, Utah with her husband, three dogs, and two cats.

Bobbie’s Website.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BobbiePyron
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bobbie.pyron?fref=ts

Buy it:

Amazon.com: Hardcover or Kindle
Barnes & Noble: Hardcover or Nook
Book Depository

Follow the Tour:

Pages of Forbidden Love Jan 30 Review                                
So Many Precious Books Feb 7 Review
So Many Precious Books Feb 8 Interview & Giveaway
Sweeps 4 Bloggers Feb 11 Review & Giveaway
The Wormhole Feb 12  Review
The Wormhole Feb 13 Interview
My Devotional Thoughts Feb 13 Review
A Book Lover’s Library Feb 14 Review
A Book Lover’s Library Feb 15 Interview
As I Turn the Pages Feb 18 Review
Books a la mode  Feb 20 Interview & Giveaway
Geo Librarian Feb 22 Review
Geo Librarian Feb 25  Interview & Giveaway
Lovey Dovey Books Feb 25 Review
Book Journey Feb 26 Review & Giveaway
Bookhounds Feb 27 Review
Book Snatch Feb 28 Interview & Giveaway

Khanh Ha, author of Flesh, On Tour

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This post was most recently updated on April 1st, 2013

Publisher: Black Heron Press, June 15, 2012
Category: Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction
Tour Dates: January, 2013
Available in: Print Only , 368 pages

Set in Tonkin (now northern Vietnam) at the turn of the 20th century, Flesh tells the story of a boy who witnesses the execution, by beheading, of his father, a notorious bandit, and sets out to recover his father’s head, and then find the man who betrayed his father to the authorities. A coming-of-age story of brutal self-awakening and also a tender love story, Flesh takes the reader into places, both dark and wonderful, in the human condition where allies are not always your friends, true love hurts, and your worst enemy can bring you the most solace.

Khanh Ha writes of the physical world with such sensuousness that he will make the reader’s heart ache. At the same time, though Flesh is his first novel, his knowledge of the human psyche is that of a fully mature writer. The title refers to temptation—the temptation of the flesh. But it refers equally to the obligations of kinship, the connections between us and those to whom we are related, even if we would choose not to be.

Praise for Flesh:

“In this dark, violent, and poetic saga, with cinematic vignettes that make it read like a screenplay, characters are not who they seem. While this makes for a thrilling finale, what lingers . . . is Ha’s descriptive prose.”- Publishers Weekly

“Readers who enjoy epic sagas set in faraway lands will find absorbing satisfaction here.”- Library Journal

“Read Flesh to lose yourself in a vividly-described colonial Vietnam, with its poverty and hopelessness, its people’s industrious nature at work to better their lives and the lives of those dear to them, all wrapped up in beautiful prose.” –Drey’s Library

“Flesh, Khanh Ha’s debut novel, is almost dreamlike. A dream in that early hours of a hot morning where you are still in between sleeping and waking up. Ha is a talented writer; he does a wonderful job setting the dark, yet poetic, mood and a fine job describing settings in vivid, smells, colorful imagery.”- Seattle Post Intelligencer

FLESH brings Vietnam – at around the turn of the last century – to life. Life was hard, and this book does not spare us. The book opens with a scene . . . an execution. Ha’s powers of description are good, and we are brought into the scene and witness this act. I would recommend this book. Part of what I (and many of you, I suspect) love about reading is being whisked off to an exotic place for an adventure. And Flesh fills the Bill!”- LibbyBooksBlog

“A lush, poetic tale, takes readers on a journey far beneath the surface of a land most have only glimpsed superficially in clichéd Hollywood films. . . .readers willing to venture off the beaten path to an unfamiliar land will find great pleasure exploring Flesh.”- Book Reviews by Elizabeth White

“The story is a sensual one. . . . The prose of Khanh Ha’s debut is laden with sensory details that pull readers into multi-dimensional scenes. . . . The outstanding element of this novel is the solid invitation extended to readers, to enter this world which Khanh Ha has created in Flesh.”- Buried in Print

“This book was really something to read!. . . Somewhere along the way, it broke my heart. . . . The author did not sugar coat this story one bit! It is so unlike anything I have ever read. . . . It blew my mind towards the end!” -Mary Bearden ,Mary’s Cup of Tea Blog

“Unique. The ending was amazing. . . . Ha has the writing skills to make the reader imagine every scene he sets, each mood, every setting. The prose felt poetic at times. Author Khanh Ha is truly a talented writer. I enjoyed the novel and it sits on my shelf as a DARN GOOD READ.”- Reading Rendezvous Reviewz

“The realism of the book certainly made an impression on me. . . . Ha is a master at detailed descriptions to the point that you can see it happening the way the author intended you to. The brutality in the book was descriptive but not to the point that I had to “look away.”—Ruth Hill, My Devotional Thoughts

About Khanh Ha:

Khanh Ha’s debut novel is FLESH (June 2012, Black Heron Press). He graduated from Ohio University with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism.  During his teen years he began writing short stories which won him several awards in the Vietnamese adolescent magazines.

He is at work on a new novel. A short story, reshaped from this novel, will be published by Red Savina Review  in its 2013 Spring inaugural edition. It was also nominated for the Winter Literary Award in the Tethered by Letters Journal but was withrawn because of conflict of interest. Another Ha’s short story will be published in the 2013 February Outside in Literary & Travel Magazine (http://outsideinmagazine.com/)  For further information on FLESH, please follow the links regarding author’s website, blog, professional as well as reader’s reviews (www.authorkhanhha.com).

Buy Flesh in Print at:

Amazon
Barnes and Noble

Follow the Tour:

So Many Precious Books   Jan 7 Review
So Many Precious Books Jan 7 Interview & Giveaway
Eclectic Books & Movies  Jan 8 Review
Eclectic Books & Movies  Jan 9 Interview
She Treads Softly  Jan 10 Review
Book Lover Stop  Jan 11 Guest Post
Broken Teepee Jan 14 Review
MK McClintock  Jan 15 Interview
Joy Story  Jan 16 Review
From L.A. to LA  Jan 17 Review
Books à la Mode Jan 17 Guest Post & Giveaway
A Book Lover’s Library Jan 22 Review
A Book Lover’s Library Jan 23 Interview & Giveaway
Relentless Reader  Jan 23 Review
Joy Story Jan 25 Guest Post
The Wormhole  Jan 25 Interview
Sweeps 4 Bloggers  Jan 25 Review & Giveaway
Ordinary Girlz Reviews  Jan 28 Review & Giveaway
Cuzinlogic Jan 29 Interview
Belle of the Literati Jan 30 Review
Overflowing Bookshelves  Feb 1  Review
Overflowing Bookshelves   Feb 4 Interview
Broken Teepee  Feb 5 Guest post & Giveaway
Book Dilettante  Feb 6 Guest Post

K. Hollan Van Zandt, Author of Written In the Ashes: On Tour

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This post was most recently updated on June 27th, 2012

Publisher: Balboa Press- July, 2011

Category: Historical Fiction

Tour Dates: May, 2012

Available in Print and eBook, 448 pages

Written In the Ashes has been optioned by Mark R. Harris, Academy Award-Winning Producer (Crash, Gods & Monsters) for a TV mini series!

Who burned the Great Library of Alexandria?

When the Roman Empire collapses in the 5th century, the city of Alexandria, Egypt is plagued with unrest. Paganism is declared punishable by death and the populace splinters in religious upheaval.

Hannah, a beautiful Jewish shepherd girl is abducted from her home in the mountains of Sinai and sold as a slave in Alexandria to Alizar, an alchemist and successful vintner. Her rapturous singing voice destines her to become the most celebrated bard in the Great Library.

Meanwhile, the city’s bishop, Cyril, rises in power as his priests roam the streets persecuting the pagans. But while most citizens submit, a small resistance fights for justice.

Hypatia, the library’s charismatic headmistress, summons her allies to protect the world’s knowledge from the escalating violence. Risking his life, his family, and his hard-earned fortune, Alizar leads the conspiracy by secretly copying the library’s treasured manuscripts and smuggling them to safety.

When Hannah becomes the bishop’s target, she is sequestered across the harbor in the Temple of Isis. But an ancient ceremonial rite between a monk and priestess inside the Pharos lighthouse ignites a forbidden passion.

Torn between the men she loves, Hannah must undertake a quest to the lost oracles of Delfi and Amun-Ra to find the one thing powerful enough to protect the pagans: The Emerald Tablet.

Meanwhile, the Christians siege the city, exile the Jews, and fight the dwindling pagan resistance as the Great Library crumbles.

But not everything is lost. . .

Praise for Written In the Ashes:

“A stunning epic about the burning of the Great Library of Alexandria, Egypt from a brilliant young novelist whose depiction of the ancient world is sure to capture the hearts and readers everywhere.”- Mark R. Harris, Academy Award-Winning Producer (Crash, Gods & Monsters)

“Written in the Ashes is one of those rare novels that sets ‘history’ afire, to bathe readers in the glow of a greater, hotter truth. Fans of The Mists of Avalon will find this romantic/alchemical/feminist/spiritual epic equally captivating.” – Tom Robbins, international/ New York Times bestselling author Even Cowgirls Get the Blues and Jitterbug Perfume

“Van Zandt’s vivid description of the Great Library instantly transported me to a lush fifth century Alexandria. Her lyrical writing style and breakneck storytelling kept me riveted to the very last page.”-Robin Maxwell bestselling author of The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn and Signora da Vinci.

“In her captivating debut novel, Written in the Ashes, K. Hollan Van Zandt brings to life a fascinating and forgotten woman of history: Hypatia of Alexandria, who may have been one of the greatest female minds of all time. If you’ve ever wondered what it was like to walk the streets of long ago Egypt, then look no further. You will be enthralled!”-Michelle Moran, international bestselling author of Nefertiti and Cleopatra’s Daughter

“Written in the Ashes is a story that could have been ripped from today’s headlines. It opens the door into a magical, fascinating and frightening era in our history.  With hope, it’s one we will not be doomed to repeat.”-Josh Conviser, Executive Consultant HBO’s Rome, author Echelon and Empyre 

“This book has been optioned for a TV mini-series by Academy Award-winning producer Mark Harris (Crash 2005). I cannot wait to see this beautiful story on my TV.   Once I started this book I worked my way through it in 2 days. And when I say work, I mean it was a perfect read.  It is clear that a lot of research has gone into this book, which is perhaps most beautifully expressed in the description of the Library of Alexandria.  Next to a beautiful story, the book also shows respect for the time in which the story is set. As a historical fiction novel it is one of the best I have read in a long time. Kaia has truly achieved creating a story that is both captivating and interesting. With beautiful attention to detail and tradition, it is bound to ensnare every reader.”-Juli, UniverseinWords.Blogspot.com

“The story is extremely detailed in historical fact, but by no means is it dry and dusty. The author manages to weave the facts seamlessly into the exciting and romantic fictional story. So much so, that it becomes difficult to separate the two while reading – it just sucks you right into 5th Century Alexandria. I found myself absolutely riveted while reading this book! I highly recommend this book for anyone that appreciates a strong female character or two.” Theresa Jones, frugexperments.com

About K. Hollan Van Zandt:

K. Hollan Van Zandt has always loved libraries, oceans, ancient history and migrating birds. Her mentor, novelist Tom Robbins, instilled in her an abiding love and respect for language.She lives in Southern California, and dreams of a home in Greece. This, her first novel, took ten years to complete.

K. Hollan Van Zandt’s website.

Do you have a question you would like to ask K. Hollan Van Zandt?  Please join her new group at Goodreads.com and ask away.

Tour Stops:

So Many Precious Books May 1 Review and Giveaway
A Bookish Affair May 2  Review
A Bookish Affair  May 3 Giveaway and Guest Post
Joy Story May 3 Review
The Owl Bookmark Blog May 7 Review
The Owl Bookmark Blog May 8 Giveaway and Interview
Curling Up By the Fire May  10 Review and Giveaway
Broken Teepee May 11 Giveaway and Guest Post
Royal Reviews  May 14  Review
Reflections of a Book Addict May 15 Review
Reflections of a Book Addict May 16 Giveaway and Guest Post
A Words Worth May 17 Review
Unabridged Chick May 18 Review and Giveaway
My Devotional Thoughts May 21 Review
My Devotional Thoughts May 22 Giveaway and Guest Post
Let’s Book It May 23 Review
Unabridged Chick May 23 Interview
Deb’s Book Bag May 24 Review
Deb’s Book Bag May 25 Giveaway and Interview
Book Faery Reviews May 25 Review
Carabosse’s Library May 28 Review
The Maidens Court May  30 Review
The Maidens Court May 31Giveaway and Guest Post
Layers of Thought May 31 Review