Category Archives: Book Tours

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

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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

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