Book Review Friday – The Great Gatsby

By Patricia Zick @PCZick

I am a lover of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. So I was fascinated by director Baz Luhrmann’s attempt to recreate one of my favorite novels on the screen. Not only did the director need a movie so much larger than life, he also needed to outshine the earlier movie, starring Robert Redford as Jay Gatsby. He managed to pull it off in the new movie Gatsby, but he also created a realistic portrait of the division between the classes of society that existed in the roaring ’20s and now in the riotous 2000s.

Before I go into why I loved the new movie, I’d like to take a look at the original novel written by Fitzgerald while he lived in Paris. One of his beta readers was Ernest Hemingway of all people. Hemingway, often jealous and bitter toward his fellow writers, read The Great Gatsby and knew it was a masterpiece.

I often reread The Great Gatsby for many reasons.

1. The time period - The Great Gatsby captures a period of recklessness in society in this country. After the Great War, the Great Prohibition began. It fueled the concept of the roaring ’20s when lawlessness in dress and decorum ruled. From our perspective today, the time is played at a fast speed, and we know the people of the time were headed toward catastrophe at the end of the decade.
2. Where Fitzgerald wrote the book - Scott and Zelda were a part of the 1920′s artistic scene in Paris. It’s actually amazing he could write anything during the alcoholic haze where the artists lived. I love to read stories about the expats during that time period. I wonder at the tight group of artists living in this world in the post-war era. From accounts, the atmosphere was charged with creativity and competition. And from it came some of the greatest pieces of literature of the twentieth century.
3. The tight and concise plot – I reread the book specifically to study how Fitzgerald crafted the main plot and secondary plot so they intersect by the end of the novel in a tragic conclusion. Brilliant plotting.
4. The characters - Fitzgerald paints portraits of characters chiseled from reality. The shallowness of the rich and the depth of the narrator and Gatsby are universal and remain relevant today. That’s the true standard of classic literature – nearly one hundred years later, I recognize parts of myself and others around me in Fitzgerald’s Daisy, Gatsby, and Nick.
5. The deep divide between cultures – Fitzgerald created distinct caricatures of society. East Egg on Long Island is the haven for the old rich who look down their docks across the bay to West Egg where the noveau rich luxuriate in their newly minted wealth. And then there’s the valley of ashes, a dark and dingy spot on the road from Long Island to New York City. It’s here where the ugly work is done to power and fuel the workings of upper classes.
6. The indictment of the careless and shallow rich – At first, it seems as if Fitzgerald is glorying in the excesses of the rich, but as the novel progresses that glory turns as dark as the soot in the valley of ashes.

As a result of my love for this novel, I went to the new Gatsby movie on the day it opened. The new movie honors Fitzgerald in many of its portraits of the roaring and shallow 1920s. Fitzgerald and this movie both sneer at the debauchery and excesses of the time period. It’s ironic because Scott and Zelda indulged themselves in that very society. It must be one of the reasons that Fitzgerald lived a rather tortured alcoholic life as he despised the very life he lived.

The movie shouts the debauchery and the chasm between the haves and have nots. That’s not a criticism on my part. Visually, the movie is impeccable and probably plays well in 3-D, but I chose to see it in standard style.

The audience is held in suspense waiting for the first introductions to Daisy, and finally after much anticipation, Jay Gatsby himself. I thought I would be disappointed seeing any other actor besides Redford play Gatsby. But I was not. Leonardo DiCaprio is a brilliant character actor, and from his first appearance on the screen, I knew I was finally meeting the elusive and innocent and romantic Gatsby just as Fitzgerald created him.

Daisy, played by Carey Mulligan, appears much earlier in the movie with some of the same anticipation. White gauzy curtains billow in the sitting room of the Buchanan mansion. A hand lifts languidly from the couch as the curtains unfurl overhead. And then . . . Daisy? Carey Mulligan is not Daisy Buchanan by any stretch of my imagination. Daisy is wispy like the curtains blowing in the ocean breeze; Daisy is delicate and almost off balance; Daisy is dainty and desirable. But Mulligan melts into the background in comparison to her husband Tom (Joel Edgerton), Nick (Tobey McGuire), and Jordan (Elizabeth Debicki). The casting for all the other characters is brilliant, but the casting of Daisy did not work. Mulligan is neither wispy, fragile, or a woman described by Fitzgerald, “Her voice is full of money.”

Overall, I loved the movie despite my disappointment of the actress playing Daisy. She might be a wonderful actress in any other role. She had big shoes to fill, but couldn’t step into them in this movie.

When the movie ended at the matinee I attended the day of the movie’s release, the audience stayed in place for a split second and then the partially filled theater burst into applause. It’s a rare occasion when I’ve witnessed that type of spontaneous reaction to a movie. Both my daughter and I joined the rest in giving a “bravo” for a film that took the words and creative genius of F. Scott Fitzgerald and translated it onto the screen in a grand package.

What’s your favorite classic novel and has it ever been into a film?

Author Wednesday –

Welcome to Author Wednesday. Today I welcome Jane Endacott. She’s published Odious Seed and Other Stories, a collection of short stories, on Amazon Kindle. She’s currently writing a young adult fantasy novel. In her post, she discusses the writing of the new book in an unfamiliar genre for her as an author.

How to Write What You Don’t Know

By Jane Endacott

I am writing a YA fantasy novel, and I know nothing about fantasy.

When I started writing my book in 2007, I wanted to write about Otherization – the idea that people set themselves apart from others – because of a belief that others are fundamentally different from them.

I felt the story was best told in a fantasy setting.  It was a daunting challenge.  Not only was I writing my first book, but I was also writing for a genre about which I knew nothing.

The first lesson any writer is taught is to write what you know.  When you’re starting out, this is great advice because it helps you practice.

But whenever I did that, I came off as a self-absorbed sad sack.  My life is not at all extraordinary.  I have not built schools for young girls in Pakistan, and I have not trained in barefoot running with a Native American tribe.

Still, my mind went to places that don’t exist either on a map or in my memories, and I asked myself, “What if?”

In Odious Seed, my short stories tell of a developmentally disabled girl, nuclear scientists in love, the ghost of a stalker, a seed that begins to grow and sprout inside a man, and insects that consume a building.

I don’t know about any of those and even less about writing fantasy or magical realism.  Here are a few tips on how you can write what you don’t know.

Read, but not too much.  When writing something you don’t know, it often helps to read an author who has similar work.  It gives you a sense of how to do it successfully.  But it’s not the only way to do it successfully.  At some point you have to trust yourself and do your own thing.

Put yourself in their shoes.  Close your eyes and imagine that you’re watching the story from your character’s perspective.  What do you see and feel?  What are the smells and textures?  Answering questions such as these help make the world believable to our readers.

Experiment.  During the editing process, it’s easy to be fixated on one storyline, one characterization, or one description.  We sometimes approach the story with a single mind that limits our possibilities.  Trying different paths and variations opens our minds to discovery.

Make mistakes.  This goes along with experimentation. Never allow fear of failure to prevent you from trying something.  Don’t think it will work?  You don’t know until you try.  Even if you fail, you will learn something from it.

Remember, your characters are still human.  Even if you don’t know what it’s like to, say, grow up on a commune or be a race car driver, your characters are still part of the human condition.  They still argue with their siblings, have dysfunctional marriages, and say the wrong thing at parties.

If you practice with these things, you will be a stronger writer for it.  Writing what you don’t know helps you take risks and take your craft to new levels.  It allows you to explore uncharted territories. This is how you discover what you are made of.

About Jane Endacott – Jane Endacott is a blogger and fiction writer.  Her blog, “Word Savant,” helps other writers find connection and support in the creative process.  She recently released her book, Odious Seed and Other Stories, on Amazon Kindle.  She is also working on a YA series titled, The People of Fire & Water.  She also offers services as a writing coach.  She likes to read voraciously, run races, and eat food as if it were her last day on earth.  She lives in Portland, Oregon.

 

Blog: http://wordsavant.wordpress.com/

Book: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CLMABIG

Twitter: https://twitter.com/

Guest Author P.C. Zick ~ May 11, 2013

Reblogged from TJ's Author Central:

Content below the cut is PG-13

TJ's Author Central Guest Authors

Author P.C. Zick ~ Contemporary Fiction
BOOK TITLE: Trails in the Sand

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Book Review Friday – Awareness Gentoku McCree

By Patricia Zick @PCZick

Gentoku McCree lives a gentle life, and he shares the success of his life with others through his thoughtful books. Awareness, one of those books, offers a primer on how to become thoroughly aware and comfortable in mind, body, and environment.“Awareness is a foundational skill in mindfulness practice.” Gentoku opens Awareness with this statement. When we become aware, we are better able to live more fully. Gentoku begins by giving the four basic types of awareness:  base, engaged, open, and reflective. They are not mutually exclusive types, but rather serve as a step ladder to mindfulness in all we do.

I like the simplicity of his explanations in this book. It’s a good book for starting on a more thoughtful existence, and it serves as a helpful reminder of basic things we forget as we become caught up in our busy lives. The book itself is only twenty-nine pages so it’s a quick read with powerful information.

He provides exercises that can be easily incorporated into daily life without much effort. The majority of the eight (standing, stretching, waiting, walking, emotions, acknowledgements, form, and listening) assist in making us aware and atuned to our body. I particularly like the one for waiting. I hate waiting in doctor’s offices, in line anywhere, and in traffic. Gentoku provides a script to use in our mind to make the time go quicker. He suggests we might even be sorry when the wait ends.

Gentoku sells the book on his website for $2.99 per download.

Gentoku pulls on his background as a mindfulness-based personal trainer, former monastery resident, a yoga school student, writer, and Zen Buddhist practitioner living in Portland, Oregon. Gentoku is his Buddhist name given to him by his teachers Chozen and Hogen Bays at Great Vow Zen Monastery. His name means manifesting virtue  or present sincerity. His mission is to support others in living a more healthy, balanced, and mindful life. He’s off to a fantastic start with Awareness.

NOTE: I was given a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. I received no other compensation for writing this review and it in no way influenced the review.

 

Author Wednesday – Gentoku McCree

Welcome to Author Wednesday. Today I welcome Gentoku McCree, author of two self-help books, Fit and Mindful and Awareness.

Gentoku stops by today with a guest post on “mindful writing.” He stops by again in June for a post on movement for writers.

Blogging Pains

By Gentoku McCree

I used to hate writing. For years, I tried blogging and failed. The pattern was always the same. I would get fired up about a topic, write feverishly for few weeks and then lose steam. My blog would lay cold and abandoned like a scorned lover. Every now and again, I‘d get inspired and write something. But it never lasted. Eventually I stopped trying.

Hope

Then last year I started writing a blog on Mindful Fitness. Right away, I noticed something was different. I was focused and motivated, post ideas appeared out of nowhere, and I was getting positive feedback. After years of trying, I fell back in love with writing. It was wonderful.

So What Changed?

Many things changed but the key was this: I stopped worrying about what I wrote and started caring about how I wrote.

Writing is one of the most vulnerable things you can do. Yet, many of us write with empty hearts. We get so obsessed with the product that we neglect the producer.

This is a huge mistake because our hearts hold the power to create connection, embody truth, and manifest joy. Our job as writers is to create a space for our hearts to speak.

One of the best ways to create this space is to write mindfully. Mindfulness helps us bring awareness, focus, and intention to our work. And it’s easier than you think.

Six Steps to Writing Mindfully

1. Write Down Your Intentions

We are great at writing down goals. But intentions are harder, because they ask us to define who we are. Ask yourself what is my intention for today’s work? If your answer is to write well, Great! But look deeper. What are you trying to create?

Connection?

Thought?

Hope?

Laughter?

Having clear intentions establishes a strong foundation for excellent writing.

2. Write Down Your Fears

We are all afraid of something, especially when it comes to writing. Are you afraid no one will like your work? That you won’t be able to express your ideas? Or maybe you’re afraid you won’t write anything at all?

No matter what it is, admit it, and write it down. Unspoken fear has power, to conquer your fear bring it into the light. Accept that you’re afraid and then let it go.

3. Set a Timer

Simply put, I always writer better when I use a timer. Limiting time increases our focus. We are more likely to only write what is essential. And when we say less we reveal more.

4. Set a deadline

Important tasks always have a deadline. When we create deadlines, we are saying our work is important. But deadlines only work if we…

5. Make it hurt

A deadline without pain is more of a wish than a promise. A real deadline means you have to show up. And that’s what you want. You want to show up for every sentence. I achieve this by making bets. I’ll tell a friend I’ll pay them $50 if I don’t finish on time. When I bet I meet the deadline. When I don’t I’m often late.

6. Set the scene.

Now that you have made a promise to show up and created the conditions for success you have to prepare the environment. Unplug the Internet, block out distractions, whatever it takes. Make your writing environment a sacred place. A cluttered room means cluttered mind. If you are terminally cluttered, go somewhere else. Find an open clean space where you feel at ease.

Finally, make sure to honor times where creativity is ripe.

I do my best writing after yoga class. But only if I don’t listen to the radio on my walk home. Find your writing sweet spots and exploit the crap out of them.

Final Thoughts

Writing is less about producing and more about creating the space for our own voice to arise. Great writing not only comes from this space, but it also creates this space for the reader. By taking the time to care for ourselves, we create the strength to show up in a ways we never thought possible.

Discussion Question:

What techniques do you use access your heart when you write?

About Gentoku 

Gentoku McCree is a mindfulness-based personal trainer, former monastery resident, a yoga school student, writer, and Zen Buddhist practitioner living in Portland, Oregon. Gentoku is his Buddhist name given to him by his teachers Chozen and Hogen Bays at Great Vow Zen Monastery. Gentoku means manifesting virtue  or present sincerity. His mission is to support others in living a more healthy, balanced, and mindful life.

Contact Links

Blog – blog.mindfulfitnessmovement.com

Website – mindfitmove.com

Purchase links for books - http://www.mindfulfitnessmovement.com/#!resources/c164j

Twitter – @mindfitmove

Winner of Book Tour Announced

The Trails in the Sand blog tour ended on April 29. Thank you to those of you who participated in some way. And now the winner of the tour giveaway: Ty Wilson from Utah.

Ty will receive signed copies of both Live from the Road and Trails in the Sand along with a Route 66 baseball cap, magnets from both books, and a “green” grocery bag donated by Betsy Wild over at the blog What’s Green with Betsy. Congratulations to Ty and a round of applause to all of you who visited my tour stops and entered the contest.

If you’d still like to try and win a copy of Trails in the Sand, there’s a giveaway going on over at Goodreads now through May 15.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Enter by clicking here.

Book Review Friday – Vapor Trails

By Patricia Zick @PCZick

The subject of Vapor Trails by R.P. Siegel and Roger Saillant intrigued me from the start. I’ve been looking for other contemporary fiction novels with environmental themes, so when this one came across my twitter feed, I immediately researched it and then bought a copy. I wasn’t disappointed with the read, although there is no middle ground with this book, which might have drawn in a wider audience. The book preaches to the choir rather than pulling converts to the green movement.

Vapor Trails enters into the bowels of corporate greed to the highest level of power. And power or energy at any cost to the environment and its people, is the heart of this story. The story is told from the viewpoint of three main characters: a corporate stooge, an environmentalist attempting to work within the corporate system, and a free spirit who rides his bike 2,500 miles just to attend a sustainability conference in New Orleans. Through the eyes of these three, the reader receives an education on oil and its damaging effects.

An unnamed hurricane in New Orleans causes water to surge and break through the levee system. This storm brings the odd trio of characters together when they are stranded at the sustainability conference. The storm is used to bring the key players together, but it isn’t used in any useful way to make a comment about man’s folly with playing with nature. Also, it left me slightly annoyed that the three characters don’t have to put up with the unpleasantness of the aftermath because helicopters and corporate jets zoomed down to rescue them out of the hellhole of southern Louisiana.

Mason Burnside, the corporate stooge, brought a lethal oil disaster to the rain forest in Ecuador though his cold-hearted decisions encouraged by his CEO at Splendid Oil. Ellen Greenbaum is an idealistic college grads ready to make a difference by working for the evil behemoth Splendid Oil in their sustainability department. Jacob Walker yearns to make the world a better place. Add together a man missing in Indonesia, and the novel has intrigue and mystery enough to hold the reader captivated.

Through the conversations, much information is imparted on the state of energy companies, the environment, and the impact on human lives.

While the novel can come across as pedantic and biased toward the green side, the ideas presented are considerably well-researched.

It is Mason who changes the most, as the other main characters remain static. Mason goes from stooge to hero through a series of life-changing events. Perhaps if the other two characters, who experienced the same events, had also undergone some type of transformation, the novel would be a more even representation of real life.

“. . . his arrogance finally caught up with him when he thought he could control nature,” says one of the characters near the end of the novel, and that is the crux of the whole novel making it an epic undertaking by the authors.

I highly recommend the book. If you’re on the fence about how you feel on this topic, this book will give you a good background for one side of the argument. For those folks who turn red at the mention of green, this book will do nothing but turn them further away.

I applaud the authors for a well-written and well-researched book on the treachery of pushing through projects in unsafe and deadly ways. I just wish they’d left a little room for the shades of gray in this discussion.

Author Wednesday – Jennifer Donohoe

Welcome to Author Wednesday. Today I welcome Jennifer Donohoe, author of two fantasy novels, The Legend of the Travelers: Willow’s Journey and her most recent release, Fly Away.  Jennifer stops by today for an interview about her writing life.

Welcome to Author Wednesday, Jennifer. Rachel Carson (Silent Spring) said she never chose a subject because as a writer, the subject chose her. Describe a time when a subject chose you.

I always allow the subject to choose me. Most often I usually get inspiration from varying sources, then over weeks, months, or years I develop the story in my mind until I have a strong threshold for it. Currently, most of my stories are fantasy, but I have quite a few ideas that are not. They range from historical fiction to adventure to horror to thriller.

What messages or themes do you try to convey to your readers?

In whatever I write, I try to convey a message. In the two books, I have out now those messages are, “You cannot run from your life. You must face it,” and “We can’t choose the life we’re given, but we can do something about it.”

Fly Away was originally slated to be a psychological thriller. However, my characters decided differently about the whole thing. I combined some favorite themes like the Neverending Story and Dante’s Inferno to create a more unique story. I hope it worked out well.

Are you planning to continue writing in the same genre?

I’ll write wherever my characters take me, but I do plan on moving from fantasy to other genres at some point.

How did you choose the title? Has it been the title from the very beginning?

My titles often come to me prior to the book being written. I move from that title on to the idea of the story. Fly Away came to me for NaNoWriMo [National Novel Writing Month] for 2011, and it smoothed its way into the story it is now.

How long do you estimate it took you to take the book from an idea to a finished, published?

I only had a few weeks to formulate Fly Away into a story, then I wrote the first 50,000 words in a month. After that, the book was completely written within a year (October 2012). From there, I revised it and sent it to a beta reader. I finished revising it in March 2013 and sent it to an editor at that point.

That’s quite an accomplishment. If you listen to music while you’re writing, what is it?

The type of music I listen to completely depends on the type of story I’m writing. For instance, The Legend of the Travelers: Willow’s Journey was written listening to true Celtic music. Fly Away was written to more modern music. I prefer to listen to music without words. The reason behind this is so that the words don’t disrupt my thoughts.

What book are you reading right now?

I am a die hard fantasy reader. I do read other genres too, but fantasy is always my first choice. Currently, I’m reading A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin. You may know it by the title, Game of Thrones.

Thank you for stopping by today, Jennifer. It’s always very interesting to hear from other authors about their process. Somehow you manage to do it all while still working at a day job. Congratulations to you for a job well done.

About Jennifer: Jennifer Donohoe currently lives in Northeast Ohio. She works as a In-Home Counselor to Felony Juvenile Offenders. She loves taking landscape photography as a hobby and uses the photos as descriptions for some of the settings in her stories. Her passion is writing and enjoys the company of her characters.

Purchase links for Fly Away:

Amazon Kindle:
http://www.amazon.com/Fly-Away-ebook/dp/B00CEGHLPA

Paperback Link:
http://www.amazon.com/Fly-Away-Jennifer-Donohoe/dp/1480114146

Author Central Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Jennifer-Donohoe/e/B008CTFQGO

About Fly Away:  Robin Sullivan is given a magical book where she can
experience a better life in a new world called Tearmann. She can
finally escape the terrible reality of life with an abusive, alcoholic
father, her mother’s schizophrenia, and her best friend’s Leukemia.
Robin must choose between deserting her real life or living in a world
promising a better one. Events come into play forcing Robin to make a
decision. Will she be able to save those she loves and still save
herself?

Tag, You’re It!

By Patricia Zick @PCZick

I’m playing Indie Author tag today, and I’m IT. Being “IT” means that I share information about my work in progress, or WIP.

The Rules

1. Give credit (including a link) to the Indie Author who tagged you.
2. Play by the rules; therefore, you must post the rules.
3. You MUST answer all ten questions below.
4. List five other Indie Authors with links that you have “tagged” so that the game can continue.

Link Back

The Indie Author who tagged me is Christoph Fischer who writes the blog Writer Christoph Fischer where he writes reviews and promotes Indie Authors. He’s the author of The Luck of the Weissensteiners. His work in progress is Sebastian.

What is the title or working title of your WIP?

Safe Harbor, but I will have to change it before publishing. There are too many other books out with the same title.

What genres does your novel fall under?

Contemporary fiction with environmental themes

What actors (Dream Cast) would you choose to play the characters in a film version?

Emily Booth: Ashley Judd

Daniel Booth: Matt Damon

Barbara Evans: Michelle Pfeiffer

Jack Owen: Harrison Ford

What is the main outline for your book?

Safe Harbor is set in Florida where an international conglomerate starts to set up perfect living and vacation communities where they control every aspect of life, including wildlife put on display for the enjoyment of humans. The novel examines the folly of man when he transforms nature for his benefit. Nature always wins in the end. A group of ordinary citizens forms an odd group as they attempt to stop the destruction of the natural world they treasure.

Will your book be Indie published/self published or represented by an agency and sold to a traditional publisher?

I plan to publish this book as an Indie. However, I would be happy to accept an offer from a traditional publisher for any of my books.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

I wrote the first draft during six months in 2007. Then life interrupted, and I put the manuscript aside until now.

What other books in this genre would you compare your book to?

It could be a combination of Barbara Kingsolver and Carl Hiassen.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

The book is set in Florida where I lived for thirty years. For a time, I was a reporter covering the politics of several small towns in north Florida. For some reason, Florida and its people write the stories for me. Sometimes I create scenes that are tamer than real life because some of the things that happen in this state are not to be believed. Remember hanging chads, an astronaut in diapers, Trayvon Martin, and Casey Anthony, and you can figure out what I mean. Add in swamps that cover the lower part of the peninsula and some pythons, panthers, and alligators, you’ve got the setting for the next Great Florida Novel.

What else about the book might pique readers’ attention?

How about this: wildlife on steroids, new age charlatans clearing auras at the farmers’ market, a Vietnam Vet who’s actually a spy, and a dentist in love with his drill. I didn’t even mention the love triangles and the mysterious appearance of a tribe of people thought to be extinct.

Five other Indie Authors I’m tagging: Stop by their sites and say hello.

Rachelle Ayala: http://www.rachelleayala.com

Kris Jackson Design: krisjacksondesign.blogspot.com

Jennifer Donohoe, Author: http://www.jenniferdonohoe.com

Michele Shriver, Author of Real Life Women’s Fiction: http://micheleshriver.com

Carol Ervin’s Auther: http://carolervin.com

I hope you enjoyed this game of Tag as much as I enjoyed putting it all together.

Today is the last day of Trails in the Sand’s Virtual Book Tour and that means, it’s the last day to enter the giveaway. Visit my last tour stops today and enter the cool giveaway.

I’ve been on a virtual book tour with Trails in the Sand this week and today is my last stop and your last chance to enter to win a special package.

I’ve been on “tour” April 22-29 to celebrate the forty-third anniversary of Earth Day and to celebrate the publication of Trails in the Sand. Today’s the last day you’ll be able to enter a raffle for an exciting giveaway at the end of the tour. I’m giving away a package of autographed copies of both Live from the Road and Trails in the Sand, along with a Route 66 baseball cap, a Trails in the Sand magnet, all wrapped in a “green” grocery bag donated by fellow blogger Betsy Wild at What’s Green with Betsy. The bags were designed by Where Designs.

The Tour Schedule for April 29 – Check out these blogs today and enter to win the tour giveaway.

April 29

Jody’s Book Reviews features my guest post “Tikkun Olan Found Its Way into the Novel.” Jody features giveaways and tours. She also posts book reviews, but at this time she is not accepting requests for reviews.

Celtic Lady’s Reviews features Trails in the Sand. Kathleen Kelly says her blog is for reviews and giveaways.

Confessions of an Inner Aspen features an interview with me. Aspen is an aspiring writer of fiction and writes book reviews.

 

Book Tour and Giveaway Continues

I’m on a Virtual Book Tour this week with Trails in the Sand  – Visit tour stops to enter giveaway

I’m on “tour” April 22-29 to celebrate the forty-third anniversary of Earth Day and to celebrate the publication of Trails in the Sand. At each stop, you’ll be able to enter a raffle for an exciting giveaway at the end of the tour. I’m giving away a package of autographed copies of both Live from the Road and Trails in the Sand, along with a Route 66 baseball cap, a Trails in the Sand magnet, all wrapped in a “green” grocery bag donated by fellow blogger Betsy Wild at What’s Green with Betsy. The bags were designed by Where Designs.

The Tour Schedule for April 28 – Check out this blog today and enter to win the tour giveaway.

April 28

Bex ‘n’ Books features Trails in the Sand. This blog features book reviews, giveaways, and promotes authors and their books.