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Rare Disease Day 2013 - Info & G!veaways

On this day, millions of patients and their families will share their stories to focus a spotlight on rare diseases as an important global public health concern.

“There are nearly 30 million Americans—and millions more around the world—affected by rare diseases,” said Peter L. Saltonstall, president and CEO of NORD.  “Everyone knows someone with a rare disease.  But, while many of these diseases are serious and lifelong, most have no treatment and many are not even being studied by researchers.  This leaves patients and families without hope for a better future.”

On Rare Disease Day, people with rare diseases around the world promote awareness of the challenges of living with a rare disease.  The global theme for 2013 is “Rare Disorders Without Borders.” 

World Rare Disease Day was launched in Europe in 2008 and last year was observed in more than 60 nations.  It is always observed on the last day of February.  On that day, patients and patient organizations will post stories, videos and blogs online and host events to raise awareness of these diseases, which are often called “orphans”.

This year, the observance has special significance in the U.S. because 1983 is also the 30th anniversary of the Orphan Drug Act, which provides incentives to encourage companies to develop treatments for rare diseases, and of NORD, which was established by patient advocates in 1983.

“More than half of the people who have rare diseases are children,” Saltonstall said.  “Challenges faced by patients and their families include delayed diagnosis, few treatment options, and difficulty finding medical experts.  Many rare diseases have no approved treatment.  Insurance may not cover treatments that aren’t approved.  Also, treatments for rare diseases tend to be more expensive than those for common diseases.”

In 1983, the Orphan Drug Act was passed by Congress to create financial incentives for companies to develop treatments for rare diseases.  Since then, more than 400 orphan drugs and biologics have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  It is estimated that approximately 15 million Americans benefit from these products, but that still leaves millions more with diseases for which there is no approved treatment.

For more information about Rare Disease Day activities in the U.S., go to www.rarediseaseday.us.  For information about global activities, go to www.rarediseaseday.org).

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In conjunction with Rare Disease Day, Pandora Poikilos' books will be free from 28th February 2013 till 15th March 2013. To download your free copy, please click on the links below.

Excuse Me, My Brains Have Stepped Out is free via KDP Select (Kindle) from now till 3rd March.
Dora's Essentials - Examining Anxiety is free via Smashwords from now till 15th March.
Genetically Modified Foods vs. Sustainability is free via Smashwords from now till 15th March.
Pandora's Reading Room (Short Story compilation) is free via Smashwords from now till 15th March.

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Orangeberry Book of the Day – Birds of A Feather by Kara Stefanowich

birds of a feather

When Shiloh Lashley, an International Assassin, breaks all the rules and falls in love with Monty Wright, her latest target, she finds herself in a conspiracy with her own name on the hit list — and a deep, dark secret surfacing in the fight to save her love, her life and a past she’s hidden for so long.

Birds of a Feather is a sexy tail spin of murder, money and conspiracy that gets blown to bits when Monty Wright and Shiloh Lashley are both hired by opposing agencies to kill each other. When the assassins finally meet the sparks fly, along with a hail of bullets which lead them straight into each others arms. But when their agencies discover their affair, cities crumble and a barrage of car chases, explosions and gun fights stalk the lovers around the globe, from Berlin, Germany to Tijuana, Mexico. Even as their affair blossoms, the shock still grips the pair as there are secrets a plenty in the world of spies and contract killers.

Can their love withstand the smoke of gunfire, or will their secrets tear them apart and take their lives?

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Suspense / Thriller

Rating – R

More details about the author

Connect with  Kara Stefanowich on Facebook & Twitter

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Orangeberry Book of the Day – No Foolin’ by Lisa Scott

Welcome to Willowdale, North Carolina, a small town where the folks are friendly, the romances are as sweet as the tea, and the biddies at the diner gobble up gossip like it’s peach cobbler. This may be their biggest scoop ever.

When sexy Hollywood bad-boy Teague “T-Rex” Reynolds comes to this quiet Southern town, he needs a fake girlfriend to hide the secret that brought him there. School nurse Kate Riley takes the job, but she won’t fall for a movie star, no ma’am. That’s fine with Teague. He hung a closed sign on his heart years ago.
Convincing the press they’re in love is one thing. Fooling each other they’re not is getting harder each day. Despite scandal, heartache, and misunderstandings galore, they might just find the sweet thrill of true love. Book one of The Willowdale Romances.

Lisa Scott is a former TV news anchor who now makes up stories instead of sticking to the facts. Learn more about where her ideas come from and what’s on the way at ReadLisaScott.com

Buy now @ Amazon

Genre – Contemporary Romance

Rating – PG15

More details about the author

Connect with Lisa Scott on Facebook & Twitter

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Frederick Lee Brooke – Where I Grew Up

Where I Grew Up

On a recent trip to Chicago I was able to tramp around in the field I used to play in when I was a 7-year-old. The property has been converted into a nature sanctuary and now contains prairie land, forest, wetland and pond, all in just forty acres. More info about the nature sanctuary here: http://www.obparks.org/naturesanctuary/.

I was able to peek through some trees at our old backyard. I used to fish in that pond. There were bluegills and carp as well as little crayfish and turtles. At the back of the pond there was a willow tree, but as long as I stared, I couldn’t see it. The willow tree is gone. We used to hang on the branches. Where has it gone?

It gives me incredible feelings of déja-vu to go back there and walk around. The air is clear, it’s winter and the trees are bare. Afterwards I had to pick the burrs out of my jeans. I get in my rental car and drive away. I’ve gone back in time, and my heart is full. I can’t really get my head around the fact that I’m no longer 7 years old.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Mystery & Thriller / Horror

Rating – PG13

More details about the author & the book

Connect with Frederick Lee Brooke on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://www.frederickleebrooke.com/

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Orangeberry Book Tours – Doing Max Vinyl by Frederick Lee Brooke

Earth first. Okay, maybe second. Third? She’ll KILL you!

Max Vinyl’s type of success story can only happen in America. Rising from humble beginnings, he has reached the height of the computer recycling racket. Problem is, he’s using Lake Michigan as his own personal profit center. Even that wouldn’t have been a problem if his environmentalist girlfriend Tris hadn’t found out his dirty secret. And while Max is devastated by his love crashing down around him, he’s about to learn that the rage of a woman scorned packs far more firepower and potential for destruction than he had ever imagined.

Iraq War veteran Annie Ogden has spent three tormented months living in a cabin alone trying to re-discover her purpose in life. When two of Max’s thugs threaten Annie’s sister, she is dragged into his corrupt world in an unwitting alliance with the environmentalist, Tris. Which is really lousy news for Max. Will he hold up under the coordinated attacks of two furious women? As things spin completely out of control and complications mount, it’s all Max can do to stay one step ahead until it’s all he can do to stay alive!

A farce full of hysterics and chicanery, Frederick Lee Brooke’s first installment of the Annie Ogden mysteries is an incisive examination of corporate lunacy, greed and modern disconnection. Having received multiple four and five-star reviews on Amazon, Doing Max Vinyl: An Annie Ogden Mystery is loaded with razor-sharp dialogue, ingenious plotting and so much fun it should be illegal!

What readers are saying

From Reviews on Amazon and Goodreads “I have read a great many Indie books recently and every once in a while you find a true gem. DOING MAX VINYL is one of those gems.”

“Read this book–you won’t be disappointed. BTW, I may just add Annie Ogden to my five-top-people-to-have-lunch-with list!”

“I particularly enjoyed two of the male characters, Ike and Tranny, a couple of ex-cons that work for Max Vinyl. The way that they fought like an old married couple as they dealt with the plot’s unexpected twists had me in stitches throughout the book.”

“Like Hiassen, who writes from an abiding affection for South Florida, Brooke’s satire of reckless polluting is rooted in a love and knowledge of Chicago and Lake Michigan.”

“Annie Ogden, a war veteran home after 3 tours of duty in Iraq, is trying to find her place in life. A self-sufficient, strong willed woman, she takes matters into her own hands to see justice achieved. The topic of returning veterans and their struggle to fit back into society is handled in a genuine, unique and passionate way.”

Discover why Doing Max Vinyl (An Annie Ogden Mystery) currently ranks #1 on Goodreads Best Mysteries/Thrillers/Suspense Novels of 2011!

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Mystery & Thriller / Horror

Rating – PG13

More details about the author

Connect with Frederick Lee Brooke on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://www.frederickleebrooke.com/

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Orangeberry Book of the Day - Kaleidoscope World - Tomica Scavina

Tomica Scavina

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Psychological Thriller

Rating – PG

More details about the author & the book

Connect with Tomica Scavina on GoodReads & Twitter

Website http://www.tomicascavina.com/

 

A collector of kaleidoscopes and lousy relationships, Dahlia Kasper leaves her possessive alcoholic mother and moves from New York to Barcelona. In search of lost bits of her childhood, she starts living in an apartment where her father was murdered when she was four. As soon as she enters the apartment, strange things begin to happen.
Her favorite kaleidoscope becomes a gateway to another dimension where she encounters a ghost of a famous physicist from the 19th century who tries to persuade her that reality is like a moth-eaten sweater - full of holes. He needs her to help him plug up these holes and save the world from vanishing, while the only thing Dahlia really wants to save is her sanity.
This is just a part of Dahlia's problems. An elderly cello-playing neighbor turns her emotional world upside down and her longing for lost home takes her further than she ever imagined she could go. To collect all the scattered kaleidoscope-bits of her life together, Dahlia needs to go through an intense inner transformation that takes courage and a sharp sense of humor.

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Orangeberry Book of the Day – Undertow by Elle Chardou

undertow

Five years ago, Evie Sandstrom and Finn Reilly were best friends and each other’s first love. Although neither has forgotten this time of their lives, they have moved on from one another and the secrets that continue to haunt them from the past.

Evie, now a college student, has decided to transfer for her junior year to Boston University to be closer to her family…and Finn Reilly is still there — waiting for her — in Charlestown.

During part of a gorgeous summer, the beauty of their love is rekindled again only to be torn apart by Evie’s mother, the beautiful and untouchable superstar, Athena Donahue.

Evie, angry and humiliated, is determined to avenge her mother for what she has done. Athena’s recently married Etienne Fournier, a thirty-year-old French model, and he is dangerously attracted to Evie.

Love and lust collide in the cruelest ways and now Evie finds herself conflicted, swept in the undertow and caught in the crossfire of temptation and desire for Etienne though she desperately wants to maintain the loyalty and fidelity she has promised to Finn.

Evie learns the most valuable lesson of all: falling in love is easy but for a young woman who doesn’t like to commit, maintaining a relationship is the hard part.

Publisher’s Note: Due to mature behavior, sexual references, drug references and language, this novel is recommended for those 17+.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Contemporary Romance

Rating – R

More details about the author

Connect with Elle Chardou on Facebook & Twitter

Blog http://thebeautifulpeopleawritersjourney.blogspot.com/

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Orangeberry Book of the Day - Secrets by Liz Schulte

Secrets by Liz Schulte

While Olivia Martin observed life through her camera, the Abyss gazed back at her. She discovers mysterious men follow her around, people close to her are dying, and her dreams are no longer her own as she falls head over heels for a perfect stranger. A chance encounter leads to an obsession that could destroy everything she has ever known or loved. Olivia is about to find out there is a lot she doesn’t know and sometimes what you don’t know can kill you.

Buy Now @ Amazon & Smashwords

Genre – Paranormal Romance

Rating – PG13

Connect with Liz Schulte on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://www.lizschulte.com/

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Orangeberry Book Tours – Dojo Boys: The Italian Connection Volume 1 by Alex Akira

 

Dojo Boy's Button

 

This swiftly-paced two-volume romantic Yaoi love story tells the tale of the multi-talented thief/dancer Philippe Michael Ponty. First introduced in Dojo Boys: Dragon & Crow Volume II, the now twenty-two year old platinum haired, petite Adonis struggles to make a home for himself in America.

Volume I finds Philip settling in Connecticut in disguise, as he doesn’t want to draw too much attention to his true line of work. Despite his caution, he meets and befriends a local rock musician, Tommy Sear, who despairs of ever having his band make it.

Quickly smitten by the dark-haired, shy Asian male that is Philip, Tommy seeks to make the young man his, but Philip doesn’t believe in love; besides, he has a very real problem. He can’t seem to get the victim of his last burglary, a green-eyed, virile Italian male… out of his mind.

With Philip’s encouragement, Tommy renews his efforts to get his band, Sear, a record deal. He makes a demo and shortly after a scout contacts him, from Italy no less. The Italian scout is coming to America hear them play in the hopes of signing Sear to the much sought-after label, Romano Studios.

But Tommy has a secret and he’s afraid that without Philip’s help, they may not get the deal.

Publisher’s Note: This book contains sexual content, explicit language and situations that some readers may find objectionable: male/male sexual practices.

Genres: Yaoi, Boy’s Love, M/M Romance, Gay, Action Adventure

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – M/M Romance

Rating – R

More details about the author

Connect with Alex Akira on Facebook & Twitter & GoodReads

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Review: The Italian Connection 1 (Dojo Boys, #4) by Alex A. Akira

The Italian Connection 1 (Dojo Boys, #4)The Italian Connection 1 by Alex A. Akira
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What have you read that is similar to this book? Honestly, I have never read a m/m romance book. This was my first. Interesting and different, will probably read more by this author in the future.

What are your concerns about this book? No concerns, just hope that one day everyone will be able to accept same sex relationships.

Which character could you relate to best? Gabriella, she only wanted the best for her brother. What any sister/brother wants for their sister/brother.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.

View all my reviews

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Orangeberry Book Tours – The Lucky Escape by Dr. Heather Manley

Merrin and Pearl’s little brother Robbie has swallowed a penny. Now through magic and imagination they find themselves on an adventure through his digestive system where they must grab the penny, save Robbie, and narrowly escape his poopy diaper.

Buy now @ Amazon

Genre – Children’s Book

Rating – G

Connect with Dr. Heather Manley on Facebook & Twitter

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Orangeberry Book of the Day – Genetically Modified Foods vs. Sustainability – Bruno McGrath

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“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” – Albert Einstein
This ebook points out the surrounding issues of genetically modified fruit and vegetables that consumers are unaware of. While several parties defend the use of technology to create food, there seems to be little being done to increase awareness about this matter to the end consumer. It also points out alternative food sustainability options such as organic farming and land management.
This ebook will indicate that although some parties agree that genetically modified food items are cost effective and considered safe, its long-term results have not been adequately researched and the use of pesticides on these items are far higher than for other types farming or food products.
Buy Now @ Amazon
Genre – Food & Cooking (PG)
Connect with Bruno McGrath on Facebook

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Orangeberry Book of the Day - Excuse Me, My Brains Have Stepped Out - Pandora Poikilos

Anya Michaels is having the time of her life. She has the man of her dreams by her side. She has graduated at the top of her class. She has the job others were lining up for. Between late night drinks at her favourite bar and fancy dinners at the most expensive restaurants, she has a string of adoring friends. Everything changes when she hears the dreaded words, “You are sick.”
Being diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder, her world starts to fall apart, one piece at a time. Now dumped, her four year relationship is nothing but a memory filled with pictures, thoughts and a very broken heart. Her job becomes an even further challenge as she tries to hide her condition. Her friends suddenly have more important things to do, what is a party without a party girl? Perfect could not crumble any faster.
Soon, caught between situations, people and pieces of life that she never dreamed of planning for herself, Anya begins to wonder if her brain condition is all that bad. As she absorbs the changes in her life and realization sets in, she begins to wonder if she is the only one saying: Excuse Me, My Brains Have Stepped Out.
Buy Now @ Amazon Kindle
Genre – Women’s Fiction
Rating – PG
Connect with Pandora Poikilos on Twitter

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Author Interview – NS Wikarski

What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in your life? I would have to say earning my doctorate from one of the toughest graduate schools in the world. There were so many obstacles thrown in my path by the people in my life that it was a miracle that I got into the program at all. Then, I was even more surprised to find out that I had the intellectual talent to graduate with honors. I guess you never know what you can do until you try.

What is your favorite color? That depends on the day, the season, and my mood. I’m partial to fire engine red, electric blue, and fuschia (though not at the same time).

How has your upbringing influenced your writing? Thankfully, it hasn’t.

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated? Honestly, I don’t know. I was always good at it. Maybe I fell into writing simply because I was too lazy to cultivate a talent that would have required hard work to master.

When did you first know you could be a writer? I think it was all the positive feedback from my teachers during my school years. I learned early on that I might be pretty good at this sort of thing.

What inspires you to write and why? I have to be in love with a particular subject or concept in order to write a book about it. Otherwise I’d just as soon not write at all. (There’s that laziness thing again.)

What genre are you most comfortable writing? History because I love the romance of the past. Mystery because I can’t resist a good whodunit.

Did writing this book teach you anything and what was it? My current book is the third in a seven book series. I’ve learned plenty about lost history, especially as it relates to women’s role in the development of human civilization.

Have you developed a specific writing style? I try not to be a literary stylist. I think a writer who’s trying to be clever will throw in bits of stylistic fluff so that a reader will admire the verbiage of the book. That can become distracting. In my case, I want the reader to focus on my characters and their stories, not on how well I can describe a sunset. If I have a style at all, it would be “cut and dried.”

Can you tell us about your main character? Cassie Forsythe is a twenty year old college dropout whose world implodes after she has a nightmare in which she sees her sister being murdered. The nightmare turns out to be real and Cassie finds herself stuck with a telepathic gift she never knew she possessed. This leads to all sorts of complications including being enlisted to take her sister’s place in a secret organization trying to recover a series of lost artifacts. Over the course of the novels, Cassie evolves from a self-absorbed teenager into a mature adult.

 

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Archaeology Thriller

Rating – PG13

More details about the author & the book

Connect with NS Wikarski on Facebook

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Orangeberry Book Tours – Marching With Caesar: Civil War by RW Peake

In the second book of the critically acclaimed Marching With Caesar series, Titus Pullus and his friends in the 10th Legion are called on to serve as the agents of change as their general, Gaius Julius Caesar singlehandedly changes the Roman Republic to Empire. From Spain and the dusty plains of Pharsalus, to the streets of Rome itself, Titus must survive the battlefield and navigate the treacherous world of Roman politics.

Helping Titus are his surviving tentmates, including his best friend Vibius Domitius, but like the rest of the Republic, their friendship is tested by the strife and fratricide that comes with civil war. At the same time, Titus has to deal with the challenges that have confronted career military members throughout the ages as he tries to balance the demands and heartache created by the long absences from his young family.

Nevertheless, through it all Titus and the men of the 10th Legion continue Marching With Caesar.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Historical Fiction

Rating – PG13

Connect with RW Peake on Facebook & Twitter

Blog http://blog.rwpeake.com/

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Author Interview – RW Peake

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Historical Fiction

Rating – PG13

More details about the book

Connect with RW Peake on Facebook & Twitter

Blog http://blog.rwpeake.com/

 

What is your favorite quote, by whom, and why? Veni, vidi, vici. Gaius Julius Caesar. What’s not to love about it? It’s one of the most famous quotes of all times. Any quote that’s 2,000 years old and makes it into Ghostbusters has to be the greatest quote of all time.

What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in your life? Stopping a cycle of abuse with me that has been part of my family history for at least 3 generations, probably a lot longer. And I did it on my own, without help.

What is your favorite color? Scarlet and gold, or cardinal and gold. Colors of the U.S. Marines and USC Trojans respectively.

When and why did you begin writing? My first true writing project was a novel I began at 10 about the Soviets (I grew up in the Cold War with the duck and cover drills and testing of the air raid siren every Friday at noon) invading our country. Specifically, the entire invasion was focused on my street in Houston. And me and my friends, using WWII-vintage weapons courtesy of a friend’s father who was a gun collector, fought the Godless Commies to a standstill. You’re welcome America.

How long have you been writing? Uh, since I could write?

What genre are you most comfortable writing? Hmmm. Another toughie. Historical fiction will probably always be my macro genre. Obviously, because of the last 4 years that I spent immersed in the subject, Ancient Rome is an area where I’m comfortable. But ironically as much as I know about Rome, my true wheelhouse is the American Civil War. It’s what I studied as my area of focus for my History degree. I have ambitions to cover that era one day.

What inspired you to write your first book? My FIRST first book? That’s the one I wrote when I was 10 about the Soviet invasion. I was inspired to write about scenes of gore and violence, with exploding heads and falling guts. As I recall, there was a lot of that.

But my first adult novel wasn’t Marching With Caesar-Conquest of Gaul. It’s another book set in our times, titled Damning Secrets. But for reasons I won’t go into it won’t be published for a while. I was inspired to write it by a girlfriend who said, “You should write about your life.” So I did, although it’s a fictionalized account. For example, the main character is writing from Death Row shortly before his execution. So far, that hasn’t happened.

Do you intend to make writing a career? Judging from the success I’m having, I would be stupid not to. So yes, it IS my career.

Have you developed a specific writing style? I’m sure I have, but I’ll leave that to others to determine. I write the way I write, and people seem to enjoy it. That’s as far as I’ve gone to analyze it.

What is your greatest strength as a writer? According to my readers, it’s my ability to make a strong connection between the reader and character, particularly when it comes to their physical world and the challenges that come with it. “It’s like I was there” is a pretty common comment in my reviews. So I guess it would be that.

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Quality Reads UK - Special Feature

HOT STUFF

This is a monthly feature where we will share our top reads of the month.

Books are picked by our book club members and we do not receive any compensation for the books listed on this page.

PRAISE FOR BROKEN PIECES:

‘So ridiculously amazing, I can’t take it’ ~ Gabe Berman, Author ‘Live LIke A Fruit Fly

‘Engrossed. It is a grippingly brilliant work’ ~ Frank Feather, author and blogger

‘Any woman who has had a former lover (or two or three) will be able to relate to this. Her writing is very poetic.’ ~ LS Hullinger, reader, writer

‘A brilliant and intense must read’ ~ Jeffery Rowan, reader

Out less than three weeks, Broken Pieces already hit the Paid Top 10 list on Women’s Studies!

Welcome to bestselling author Rachel Thompson’s newest nonfiction work! Vastly different in tone from her previous essay collections A Walk In The Snark and The Mancode: Exposed, BROKEN PIECES is a collection of pieces inspired by one woman’s life: love, loss, abuse, trust, grief, and ultimately, love again.

This is NOT a humor book! It IS a book about relationships, a study of women, a book with heart.Want to see why people love it? Why they call it ‘riveting, powerful, insightful?’

Read it and see why Broken Pieces is tearing up the lists for Nonfiction, Women’s Studies, and books for women!

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Non Fiction

Rating – PG13

More details about the author

Connect with Rachel Thompson on Twitter & Facebook

Marching With Caesar-Conquest of Gaul is a first-person narrative, written in the form of a memoir as dictated to a scribe of Titus Pullus, Legionary, Optio, First Spear Centurion of Caesar’s 6th and 10th Legion. The memoir is written three years after his retirement as Camp Prefect, when Titus is 61 years old.

Titus, along with his boyhood friend Vibius Domitius, joins the 10th Legion in the draft of 61 BC, when Gaius Julius Caesar is the governor of Spain. Titus and Vibius are assigned to a tent group, with seven other men who will become their closest friends during their times in the legion. Titus, Vibius and their comrades endure the harsh training regimen that made the legions the most feared military force in the ancient world. The 10th Legion is blooded in a series of actions in Spain, led by Caesar in a campaign that was the true beginning of one of the most brilliant military careers in history.

Three years after joining the legions, the 10th is called on again, this time to be part of the subjugation of Gaul, one of the greatest feats of arms in any period of history. During the subsequent campaigns, the 10th cements its reputation as Caesar’s most favored and trusted legion, and is involved in most of the major actions during this period.

This first book of a completed trilogy closes with Caesar crossing the Rubicon, and the 10th preparing to march to war, this time against fellow Romans.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Historical Fiction

Rating – PG

Connect with RW Peake on Twitter

Website http://www.marchingwithcaesar.com/

In the second book of the critically acclaimed Marching With Caesar series, Titus Pullus and his friends in the 10th Legion are called on to serve as the agents of change as their general, Gaius Julius Caesar singlehandedly changes the Roman Republic to Empire. From Spain and the dusty plains of Pharsalus, to the streets of Rome itself, Titus must survive the battlefield and navigate the treacherous world of Roman politics.

Helping Titus are his surviving tentmates, including his best friend Vibius Domitius, but like the rest of the Republic, their friendship is tested by the strife and fratricide that comes with civil war. At the same time, Titus has to deal with the challenges that have confronted career military members throughout the ages as he tries to balance the demands and heartache created by the long absences from his young family.

Nevertheless, through it all Titus and the men of the 10th Legion continue Marching With Caesar.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Historical Fiction

Rating – PG13

Connect with RW Peake on Facebook & Twitter

Blog http://blog.rwpeake.com/

Evolved Publishing presents a wild journey to a sister planet of Earth, in “The Silver Sphere” by Michael Dadich. [YA Fantasy/Sci-Fi]

~~~~~

Shelby Pardow never imagined she could kill someone. All she wants to do is hide from her troubled father… when she is teleported to awaiting soldiers on the planet Azimuth. Here she is not a child, but Kin to one of the six Aulic Assembly members whom Malefic Cacoethes has drugged and imprisoned. He seeks to become dictator of this world (and then Earth by proxy).

His father, Biskara, is an evil celestial entity, tracked by the Assembly with an armillary device, The Silver Sphere. With the Assembly now deposed, Biskara directs Malefic and the Nightlanders to their strategic targets. Unless….

Can Shelby find the other Kin, and develop courage and combat skills? Can the Kin reassemble in time to release or replace the Assembly, overthrowing Malefic and restraining Biskara?

~~~~~

This eBook is DRM-Free.

Buy Now @ Amazon & Smashwords

Genre – YA / Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Rating – PG

Connect with Michael Dadich on Facebook & Twitter

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5 Star Review: Fighting the Effects of Gravity by James Robinson, Jr.

Fighting the Effects of Gravity: A Bittersweet Journey Into Middle LifeFighting the Effects of Gravity: A Bittersweet Journey Into Middle Life by James Robinson, Jr.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Top 3 things I liked about the whole book – How Robinson seemed to want his younger body back. How he believed everything happened overnight. The humour in his writing.

Top 3 things I liked about the main character – How honest he is in the writing, the to-the-point in his explanations, his take/opinion on middle age.

Top 3 things I liked about the setting in this book – The author provided several different settings. Each one provided a different laugh. My favourites: The Day My Butt Said Good-bye, The Agony of the Feet, Wake Me When it’s Over

What did you think of the story structure? Robinson, delivered the past in short chunks. This allowed readers to grasp parts of his life.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.

View all my reviews

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Orangeberry Book of the Day - Perception & Volition by Lee Strauss





Eternal Life is To Die

For seventeen year old Zoe Vanderveen is a GAP—a genetically altered person. She lives in the security of a walled city on prime water-front property along side other equally beautiful people with extended life spans. Her brother Liam is missing.

Noah Brody is a natural who lives on the outside. He leads protests against the GAPs and detests the widening chasm they’ve created between those who have and those who don’t. He doesn’t like girls like Zoe and he has good reason not to like her specifically.

Zoe’s carefree life takes a traumatic turn. She’s in trouble and it turns out that Noah, the last guy on earth she should trust, is the only one who can help her.

Want to read PERCEPTION? It's FREE on Kobo itunes B&N Smashwords
and .99 on Amazon!

VOLITION is the exciting continuation of Noah and Zoe's story from Perception.



What doesn't kill you ...

Zoe Vanderveen is on the run with her captor turned rescuer, Noah Brody.

They're in love.

Or at least that’s what he tells her. Her memories have returned but her feelings are dreamlike—thin and fleeting. Her heart can’t be trusted. Just look at what happened with Taylor Blake.

Senator Vanderveen’s new team of cyborg agents are in hot pursuit, and a reward for their capture is broadcast nationwide. Record breaking cold and snow hinder their escape. Someone dies helping them.

And their fight for survival has only begun.

Mark to read on goodreads.


To celebrate Lee Strauss is giving away a $200.00 Amazon, Nook or itunes gift card!

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About the author
Lee Strauss writes historical and science fiction/romance for upper YA and adult readers. She also writes light and fun stuff under the name Elle Strauss. To find out more about Lee and her books check out her facebook page. Follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/elle_strauss To find out about new releases sign up for her newsletter at www.ellestraussbooks.com


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Orangeberry Book Tours – Fighting the Effects of Gravity by James Robinson Jr.

fighting the effects of gravity

Fighting the Effects of Gravity is an Indie Excellence Award Finalist and recipient of a Readers Favorite 5 Star Review.

James Robinson, Jr. had it all: three beautiful children, a loving wife, a new home, a good job. But at age 36, the bottom would literally fall out of his life. He would watch his once firm deriere fall overnight never to rise again–succumbing to the evil forces of gravity.

Fighting the Effects of Gravity is a humorous, midlife, memoir full of anecdotes and life lessons. You’ll find yourself laughing out loud at the author’s experiences and how much they relate to your own. Life is short; don’t let gravity get you down.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – NonFiction Memoir

Rating – PG

More details about the author

Connect with James Robinson Jr. on Facebook & Twitter

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Orangeberry Book of the Day - A Stairway To Danger - Ben Woodard

Ben Woodard

1923. An eyeless body. A menacing stranger. And a tangled mystery.

If Clive Cussler and Lee Child wrote a teen book featuring a deadly gang, resourceful boys, and nonstop excitement it would be A STAIRWAY TO DANGER.

Fourteen-year-old Tom is learning farm life from his older cousin, Will, when they stumble on a deserted barge—or is it? The boys smell a mystery and snoop around, but what they find is bigger and more dangerous than anything they could have imagined.

A STAIRWAY TO DANGER is a fun, page-turning thriller with a dark side.

Buy now @ Amazon

Genre – YA / Mystery

Rating – PG

Connect with Ben Woodard on Twitter

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Orangeberry Book of the Day - Ethan Justice: Origins by Simon Jenner

He’s a new kind of hero. Join him for his very first adventure.

John Smith’s life is dull and uneventful. Despite a privileged upbringing and education, he is an underachiever of the highest calibre. When Smith wakes up with Savannah Jones, an escort provided by his best friend, Mark Bradshaw, his life is changed forever. Eager to pay Jones, to avoid her pimp breaking his legs, he confronts his friend for the money – but there is one small problem – Bradshaw is dead. But what was the murderer after?

Fisher has lost his job and wants payback. Bradshaw had the one weapon that could grant him the ultimate revenge but torture hadn’t loosened his tongue. Smith and Jones are dragged into Fisher’s grand plot to destroy the bureaucrats responsible for taking the one job where his lust for murder was an asset. No longer part of the elite SAS, Fisher’s licence to kill is revoked. With only vengeance and an unnatural lust for his sister on his mind, Fisher will relish the destruction of anyone that stands in his way.

Jones, an escort for less than a day, must pay her pimp a thousand pounds or be sold to an interested third party with highly unsavoury tastes. Jones needs Smith to pay the money and Smith needs Jones to… well he’s not quite sure, but he clearly likes having her around. Together, armed with nothing but their wits, they become the pawns of an anti-terrorist agency in a plan to capture Fisher before he exacts a revenge that will take thousands of innocent lives.

Can the underachiever become the hero, save the day and get the girl? Find out in this dark story of murder, deceit, lust and revenge. It’s a fun and wild ride into a disturbing world.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Action / Adventure

Rating – PG15

Connect with Simon Jenner on Facebook

Website http://simonjenner.com/

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Author Interview – Andy Gavin

 

Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)? I do travel a lot, and I incorporate bits and pieces of this into my books. For example, I went to school in Philadelphia and go back there every year. I’ve been to the tea house in Shanghai where Charlie’s dad is hanging out. I’ve spent time in London and France. But I don’t always pick particular locations from my life. All sorts of factors lead me to them. For example, Ben Franklin’s print shop was in St. Barts church in the 1723-25 time frame, so that’s where I put it. I will always use real facts if I can. Newport Prison was pretty much as described back then. Worse really.

What books have most influenced your life? A Game of Thrones, Hyperion, Carrion Comfort, Dune, The Anubis Gates, A Fire Upon the Deep, Consider Phlebas, The City and the Stars, Time Enough for Love, Great Sky River, Wizard and Glass, To Your Scattered Bodies Go, Wyvern, Assassin’s Apprentice, A Horse and His Boy, The Silmarillion, and many more.

Who is your favorite author and why? A have a lot. But Tim Powers is a favorite for his ability to bring to life the fey in a grounded yet truly otherworldly way. Stephen King is another (not all his books but many) for his uncannily ability to characterize people in just a sentence or two and his unerring ear for dialogue. Dan Simmons for the massive scope of his world building and command of pathos. George R. R. Martin for his mastery at making his gigantic cast of characters feel developed and above all, human.

Can we expect any more books from you in the future? Yep. Right now, I’m writing two more and adapting Untimed into a screenplay.

Are there any new authors that have sparked your interest and why? Wool, by High Howey was a totally unknown (to me) book that I recently read and really really enjoyed. if you like Science Fiction, post apocalyptic worlds, or just plain old good novels. Read this. In some ways it’s a throwback, in some ways very modern, Woolis a contained (in both the literary and literal way) post apocalyptic tale in the mould of Larry Niven or A Canticle for Leibowitz. Technically this is an ARC story, about an isolated world built to survive a destroyed environment. It’s very emotionally driven and tense.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – YA / Time Travel & Romance

Rating – PG

More details about the book

Connect with Andy Gavin on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://all-things-andy-gavin.com/

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Orangeberry Book Tours – Untimed by Andy Gavin

 

untimed button

Untimed is an action-packed time travel novel by Andy Gavin, author of The Darkening Dream and creator of Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter.

Charlie’s the kind of boy that no one notices. Hell, his own mother can’t remember his name. So when a mysterious clockwork man tries to kill him in modern day Philadelphia, and they tumble through a hole into 1725 London, Charlie realizes even the laws of time don’t take him seriously. Still, this isn’t all bad. Who needs school when you can learn about history first hand, like from Ben Franklin himself. And there’s this girl… Yvaine… another time traveler. All good. Except for the rules: boys only travel into the past and girls only into the future. And the baggage: Yvaine’s got a baby boy and more than her share of ex-boyfriends. Still, even if they screw up history — like accidentally let the founding father be killed — they can just time travel and fix it, right? But the future they return to is nothing like Charlie remembers. To set things right, he and his scrappy new girlfriend will have to race across the centuries, battling murderous machines from the future, jealous lovers, reluctant parents, and time itself.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – YA / Time Travel & Romance

Rating – PG

Connect with Andy Gavin on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://all-things-andy-gavin.com/

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Orangeberry Book of the Day – Grimm End by ST Cameron

Grimm end

Sara Cross never knew that her great-grandfather was still alive until an evil creature sent by his enemies burns down their house and sends her family to seek refuge at his estate on the shores of Lake Superior in northern Minnesota.

Arriving in the small, isolated town of Shadow Bluffs in the valley below his estate, they find that they have stepped into a strange world filled with magic wielders, shape shifters, and the living dead. It is also home to the Moira Sisters, three dark wielders who want to use Sara and her family to steal from her great-grandfather a centuries-old chest containing a dangerous power.

Sara’s family, already fragile after the disappearance of her father several years earlier, is brought to the breaking point as Sara, trying her best to hold her family together, sees them torn apart one-by-one by the strange creatures that inhabit the dangerous town.

When Sara learns that she too has an ability to wield magic, will it be enough combined with the developing talents of her two brothers to fight back against the Sisters? Can she rebuild what is left of her family and keep them together and, more importantly, alive?

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Paranormal Horror

Rating – PG15

Connect with ST Cameron on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://stcameron.com/

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Orangeberry Blast Off - Cargon: Duty & Sacrifice by Kimberly Gould

In a post-apocalyptic world, Eve has discovered power of more than one nature. In Honour and Privilege, Eve became heir to the throne. In Duty and Sacrifice, she explores and defines the power of the elite. At the same time, electricity is being harnessed for the first time in centuries, providing the first glimpse into the ancient people who left the world as it exists. The horror of this revelation could shake their society as much or more than a servant becoming monarch.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – YA / Sci-Fi Fantasy

Rating – PG13

About the author

In 2009 Kimberly returned to writing beginning by expanding on the work of others, filling in scenes left out of books she enjoyed, elaborating back stories of lesser known characters, and in some cases, writing beyond the end of a book or series.

With these stories, she learned how to craft a novel of her own and finally saw the opportunity to explore ideas she had jotted down, not expecting to return to again. She also found she enjoyed the endeavour so much that the need to write and create filled her. Now she can’t imagine going a week without writing a short story or a chapter for a novel.

Kim and Allen still live in Edmonton with their daughter Delilah, born at the end of 2006.

Connect with Kimberly Gould on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://kimmydonn.com/

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Book Blast: Wildflowers by Schledia Benefield

From the author of Plain Jane comes a new young adult novel by Schledia Benefield
 


Have you ever feared what may be hiding deep within you?

Darkness often skulks in the blood of unsuspecting victims, but Aster McGrath is acutely aware of the violence coursing through his veins. After all, he is the son of a murderer, and everyone in the town of Bayville, Mississippi says he will end up just like his father.

When Susan Blackman moves into town, Aster has already embraced his brutal nature, but her gentle spirit draws him in and slowly melts the icy exterior of his heart. Taming his savagery, she professes her love, but will the good within him be able to overcome the evil lurking deep inside? Or will the fiend break free of its fetters and seek blood?
Fans of Nicholas Sparks' A Walk to Remember will fall in love with the young love, tough choices, sacrifice and redemption found within the pages of WILDFLOWERS.
Buy it TODAY in ebook & paperback at Amazon
 
 
 
About the Author:

imageSchledia Benefield is the author of Plain Jane, Pretty Boy, and her soon to be released novel, Wildflowers. She attended Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College but chose to be a stay-at-home mom for many years. She devoted eight years of her life to working with youth as a youth minister and has been invited to speak in a rehab to hurting and wounded women, giving them hope for a better future. She was the Keynote Speaker for Division 14 of the Key Club International’s divisional rally.
Born and raised on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Schledia holds a sense of pride in her southern heritage. She presently lives in Big Point, Mississippi with her husband and four of her five children. On top of writing novels, she writes youth and children’s church curriculum, and she works as a substitute teacher at East Central Middle School. In her spare time, she reads, sews, and spends time with her family.

Social Media Links:
http://schlediabenefield.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/Schledia

Buy Link:
Amazon (ebook & paperback) http://amzn.to/WPszMD

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February Authors Only Kindle Fire Giveaway

 

February Authors Only Kindle Fire Giveaway

 

Kindle Fire HD Giveaway!

The winner will have the option of receiving a Kindle Fire HD (US Only)

Or $199 Amazon.com Gift Card (International)

Or $199 in Paypal Cash (International)

This giveaway is sponsored by these Authors:
The Reluctant Bachelorette by Rachael Anderson

One Classic Latin Lover, Please by Marcia Lynn McClure

Betrayal by Anne Patrick

Belleyache by Crystal Marcos

Ethan Justice: Origins by Simon Jenner

I Have People by Taylor Dean

For What It's Worth by Karey White

A Kiss of Ashen Twilight by Rae Lori

The Unraveling by Holly Barbo

Fateful by Cheri Schmidt

Dracian Legacy by Priya Kanaparti

Cascade Brides by Bonnie Blythe
A World Apart by Camelia Miron Skiba
Reality Bites, Tales of a Half-Vampire by Shaunda Wenger
Face-Off by Stacy Juba
Two Equals by Marta Szemik

The Ghost of Josiah Grimshaw by Suzy Turner
One for Kami by Charlene A. Wilson

Freak of Nature by Julia Crane

Grace Doll by Jennifer Laurens

The Secret of the Scarlet Stone by T.L. Clarke

Gallagher's Hope by M.K. McClintock

The Spy Lover & Prize Winning Pacific Stories by Kiana Davenport

Rejected by Heather Bixler
Rapunzel Untangled by Cindy Bennett

A Hard Act to Follow by Henry Bushkin

Starseed by Liz Gruder

One Classic Latin Lover, PleaseThe Reluctant BacheloretteBetrayal (Wounded Heroes, #3)Bellyache: A Delicious Tale Ethan Justice: OriginsI Have PeopleFor What It's WorthA Kiss of Ashen Twilight (Ashen Twilight #1)The Unraveling (Sage Seed Chronicles, #3)Fateful (Fateful, #1) Dracian Legacy (Dracian, # 1)Cascade Brides: The Complete SeriesA World ApartReality Bites: Tales of a Half-VampireFace-Off (Book One)Two EqualsThe Ghost of Josiah Grimshaw (Morgan Sisters, #1)One for KamiFreak of NatureGrace DollThe Secret of the Scarlet Stone (Gabby Girls Adventure, #1)Gallagher's Hope (Gallagher, #2)The Spy LoverPRIZE-WINNING PACIFIC STORIES  (SPECIAL EDITION, BOXED SET VOL I-III)RejectedRapunzel UntangledA Hard Act to FollowStarseed
Giveaway Details
1 winner will receive their choice of a Kindle Fire HD (US Only), $199 Amazon Gift Card or $199 in Paypal Cash (Internaitonal).
Ends 2/28/13
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the authors. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. 

 

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