NEW AND WORTH NOTING (04/2014)

Recently literary agent, Sharon Belcastro from the Belcastro Agency contacted me concerning two new authors, J. A. Kazimer and Jodi Linton. Both authors have just released books and could use some exposure.

I've not read either book, but would like to offer the opportunity to publicize their work on my blog. With over 40,000 page views, I hope it makes a difference. Please spread the word, and support a new independent author. Who knows, this may be the next J. K. Rowling!

THE ASSASSIN'S HEART by J.A. KAZIMER


When CIA assassin Hannah Winslow mistakenly kills the wrong man, she vows never to take another life. Unfortunately Hannah's superiors believe the killing was intentional. Now Hannah is the target. Hannah always knew it might come to this. Surprising her colleagues, she manages to disappear completely into a new, screamingly dull life, assuming a fake identity, shacking up with an overweight cat, and starting a new career as an ad executive.

Hannah's past finally catches up with her at a company retreat in Hawaii, where her former partner Benjamin Miller has tracked her down. Is it a coincidence that assassination attempts on her life are now as common as rum, suntan lotion, and tiny umbrella drinks? What is the real reason for Ben's presence? Will he be her savior or her assassin?

RT BOOK REVIEWS gave it a Top Pick GOLD AWARD

WHO IS J.A. Kazimer?

J.A. Kazimer is a writer living in Denver, CO. Books include The Junkie Tales, The Body Dwellers, CURSES! A F***ed-Up Fairy Tale, Holy Socks & Dirtier Demons, Dope Sick: A Love Story, SHANK, Froggy Style: A F***ed Up Fairy Tale and The Assassin's Heart. She is currently working on a new fairy tale mystery for Kensington Books.

When Kazimer isn't looking for the perfect place to hide the bodies, she spends her time surrounded by cats with attitude and a little puppy named Killer. Other hobbies include murdering houseplants, kayaking, snowboarding, reading and theater. After years of slacking, she received a master's degree in forensic psychology, which she promptly ignored and started writing novels for little to no money.

In addition to studying the criminal mind, Kazimer spent a few years spilling drinks on people as a bartender and then wasted another few years stalking people while working as a private investigator in the Denver area.

MORE INFORMATION

www.jakazimer.com

TO ORDER THE ASSASSIN'S HEART CLICK ON THE AMAZON SEARCH BOX IN THE SIDEBAR

MORE NEW AND WORTH NOTING (04/2014)

Meet Jodi Linton, another new author debuting her first novel, PRETTY RECKLESS. Reviewers called it "full of sassy dialogue with more twists and turns than a bucking bronc at a rodeo!."

If you're looking for a fun, colorful read, pick up the Kindle edition of PRETTY RECKLESS by Jodi Linton on Amazon at the bargain price of .99 cents!

(Use the Amazon Search Box in the Sidebar) 

 PRETTY RECKLESS BY JODI LINTON

 

 

Welcome to Pistol Rock, Texas where everyone knows secrets last about as long as the sporadic west Texas rain showers.

Laney Briggs has long been considered reckless by the denizens of her hometown, but she's finally turned it all around—she's happily engaged to the local veterinarian and she's become a Pistol Rock deputy sheriff. Everything's fine and dandy—until a dead body turns up and her ex, Texas Ranger Gunner Wilson, decides to stick his boots into the town's first murder case. 

Of course, the troublesome cowboy's rugged good looks and T-shirt-straining muscles are already leaving Laney knee-deep in hot water, but she'll be damned if she lets Gunner trample all over her turf. She's decided that, instead of conflict, she wants a contented, steady life with her vet—a life in which Gunner Wilson and his seemingly endless ability to undermine her resolve and her libido plays no part.

Still, it's hard to keep her head as forbidden sparks ignite and suspicions arise between old rivals and old flames. And when the bodies start to pile up, Laney has to ask the lethal bad boy for a hand—and a truce in exchange for his help. But after uncovering the pack of lies surrounding not only her job but her heart…

Having an ex-boyfriend as an ally might not be the best idea, but it's certainly the most reckless, and Laney has always been pretty reckless… 

....... As one reviewer said,  "You'll be roped in from the git-go!"

)

WHO IS JODI LINTON

Jodi Linton lives and works in Texas, with her husband and two kids. She can be found cozied up to the computer escaping into a quirky world of tall tales, sexy, tight jean wearing cowboys, and a protagonist with a sharp-tongue quick enough to hang any man out to dry.  PRETTY RECKLESS is her first novel. She is currently at work on her next Deputy Laney Briggs book.

MORE INFORMATION

www.jodilinton.com

 

PLEASE SUPPORT UNKNOWN INDEPENDENT AUTHORS!

NEW AND WORTH NOTING / GIFT SUGGESTIONS

The past few months I have been spotlighting unknown authors.  The holidays are upon us, so why not support a new voice and gift a friend or family member with a book by an undiscovered talent.

Here's a recap of the featured authors. You can order a book immediatly by clicking on the title in the above graphic.

Between the Cracks by Carmella Cattuti

Bad Girls by Deborah Doucette

Small Gods of Summer by Gregory LeStage

The Hands of Time by Irina Shapiro

The Interloper by Peter Savodnik

The Lailly Worm by Walter Donway

The Frankenstein Candidate by Vinay Kolhatkar

Cossacks in Paris by Jeffrey Perren

For detailed info about these books enter the title in the Blog Search Box at the top of this page. 

NEW AND WORTH NOTING (11/03/2012)

I'm the co-administrator of a Facebook page that focuses on memories of my hometown. Members post photos of times past and talk about events that were meaningful to them. Conversations often get contentious and spirited debates ensue. With close to 10,000 members everyone holds a different perspective of their city.

When Walter Donway asked to join, I knew someone worth noting had surfaced. His Timeline said "Author"...and I gently went in for the kill...(Meaning, maybe blog-worthy?)

NEW AND WORTH NOTING is a blog segment that highlights an unknown author, plugs a book and hopes you'll take notice...I guaranty you won't forget Walter Donway's eloquence whether you like his latest book, THE LAILLY WORM, or not!


WHO IS WALTER DONWAY?

WALTER DONWAY is a professional writer and editor whose four novels serialized on the Web site Literotica that have been read and praised by tens of thousands of readers. His other work includes widely admired poetry; articles on topics from brain science and health-care policy to psychology and the arts; online publications on topics from investment and finance to international politics.

He started the quarterly journal, Cerebrum: The Dana Forum on Brain Science, and edited it for eight years. His book of poetry, Touched By Its Rays, was hailed as reasserting the great tradition in poetry that is magical to the ear, accessible to read, and always emotionally rewarding. The Price of Hannah Blake, published by Romantic Revolution Books, was his first novel published as an Amazon Select book.

Mr. Donway makes his home in New York City and East Hampton, Long Island, with his wife, Robin. (Amazon.com)





THE LAILLY WORM by Walter Donway

The Lailly Worm, named after the legendary Scottish popular ballad, is a romantic thriller about how evil, striking in an instant out of nowhere, can crush the beautiful, the successful, the “safe”--even in the privileged suclusion of an exclusive Long Island resort town. Sometimes, though, fate offers the victim a slender chance to fight back.

But when a beautiful woman who took her passion and allure for granted has been reduced to “the lowly worm,” will there be enough left of her courage to fight justice? Can the love of a tough ex-Marine who conceives a passion for Caroline save her—even from herself—as their affair blazes into life in the presence of deadly danger?

The pace of this novel keeps accelerating right up to the moment innocence and evil come face-to-face. Then, you discover that the real battle is not to salvage life itself, but to reignite the passion that makes life worth living.

Caroline Brecher is every woman—and human being—whose courage and will to live and love again are tested when the unimaginable—and unendurable—strikes out of nowhere. (Goodreads.com)


FOR MORE INFORMATION:

http://www.amazon.com/Walter-Donway/e/B00B5H5SA4
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Romantic...Books/535668683123691

Please support the New and Worth Noting authors. Order books directly from this blog by using the Amazon Search Box in the Sidebar.

NEW AND WORTH NOTING/ OCTOBER 2013

Once again I am using Joyce's Choices to focus on an unknown author. I've received enthusiastic responses and hope I can help many more undiscovered authors publicize their work.

Indie author, Irina Shapiro has been writing for many years. What's an Indie (Independent) author you ask? It's usually an author who may be self published, or not. It's an author who has an independent attitude but is open to a variety of creative choices.


Below is a quote from author Irina Shapiro's website describing her book THE HANDS OF TIME:

"Is there anything better then a great story that makes you feel transported to another time and place? (Well, I can think of a few things, but this is not that type of website!) I love a good romance that's set against the rich backdrop of European history. What makes a story even better is a touch of mystery and just a sprinkling of the occult?"




THE HANDS OF TIME is part of a trilogy, a historical time traveler tale transporting the reader back 400 years. It's a bit of a stretch and may have some historical misteps, but most readers felt these inaccuracies were worth overlooking. Afterall, it's fiction.....with a touch of time travel.

 
  IRINA SHAPIRO

Irina Shapiro was born in Moscow, Russia, and for the next eleven years lived the life of an ordinary Soviet child in then communist Russia, until her family’s emigration to the United States in 1982. Due to her love of reading, Irina was able to pick up English very quickly, and was an honor student throughout her school career.

After graduating from Bernard M. Baruch College in 1992 with a Bachelor’s degree in International Business, Irina worked in advertising for two years before shifting her focus to Import/Export. She worked her way up to the position of Import Manager in a large textile house before leaving the work force in 2007 to focus on her autistic son.

It wasn’t until Irina had been at home for some time that she began to write. Eventually the characters began to take on a life of their own and have conversations in her head and once she started writing her musings down the stories came easily enough.

Irina incorporated her love of history and travel into her writing to create a rich and detailed background for the characters. Since then Irina has written eight novels. She is currently working on book five of The Hands of Time Series.
Irina Shapiro lives in New Jersey with her husband and two children.








THE HANDS OF TIME BY IRINA SHAPIRO

When a young American woman vanishes without a trace from a quaint fishing village on the coast of England only one person knows the truth, but he remains silent, allowing the authorities to search for her in vain, safe in the knowledge that she will never be found. As Valerie’s bereft sister returns home alone, she struggles to understand what happened and come to terms with her terrible loss when she suddenly stumbles upon a clue that might finally shed some light on her sister’s disappearance.

Meanwhile, Valerie Crane finds herself transported to the year 1605. Terrified and confused she turns for help to the Whitfield brothers, who take her in and offer her a home despite their misgivings about her origins. Both Alexander and Finlay Whitfield fall in love with the mysterious woman who shows up on their doorstep, creating a love triangle that threatens to consume them all. Valerie must make her choice, deciding between the brother who will lead her down the path of destruction or one who will give her the love she couldn’t find in her own time.




THE HANDS OF TIME by Irina Shapiro is available on Amazon. Click on the Amazon Search Box in the Sidebar.


FOR MORE INFORMATION:
www.irinashapiro.com




Please take the time to support these unknown authors. If you are an unknown author or know an author who would like their book spotlighted, leave a comment or email me at jssherr@gmail.com


(PLEASE NOTE THIS IS NOT A REVIEW NOR IN ANY WAY AM I PERSONALLY ENDORSING THIS BOOK.)











 

NEW AND WORTH NOTING (OCTOBER 2013)

NEW AND WORTH NOTING has been a very popular blog post. It's a great opportunity for an unknown author to get some well needed attention. Because Joyce's Choices has over 31,000 page views, one never knows what literati will stop by (or not..)


The following author and Huffington Post blogger, Deborah Doucette contacted me on Facebook. I had reservations (and still do) about the title of her new book, BAD GIRLS, (can't help referencing Donna Summer's big hit) .....but after reading her bio and a book description, this version of Bad Girls sounded thought provoking and honest.





ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Deborah Doucette comes from an Italian American background and counts that as one of her most treasured blessings. She began her writing career as a free-lance journalist subsequently becoming involved in the issue of grandparents raising grandchildren. She is the author of the non-fiction book Raising Our Children’s Children: Room In The Heart updated and slated for re-release in Spring 2014.

Her women’s contemporary fiction novel, Bad Girls, is about the choices women face, family, a mystery and a little magic. Deborah's Italian American heritage prompted her to include many of her experiences in her novel, BAD GIRLS, as homage to her loving family.

She is a blogger for the Huffington Post, an artist, and mother of four. She lives in a small town west of Boston with her red standard poodle Fiamma (Italian for flame) enjoying the comings and goings of her twin grandchildren, and working on a new novel.



BAD GIRLS by Deborah Doucette

BAD GIRLS is an instantly engaging, evocative novel that draws you into the lives of three women on individual journeys of self-discovery and redemption. The protagonist, Rebecca Griffin, was raised to be a good girl in her Italian American family. Now she has everything she ever wanted, but her marriage is unraveling and for the first time, she wonders if she should try once again to stitch it together.

Worse, she fears her daughter, Dana, is going “bad,” hurtling dangerously out of reach toward a self-destructive calamity. Then Rebecca learns of the mysterious death long ago of a distant cousin at the prison bordering the small, idyllic New England town where she lives; it’s a story she can’t shake. Questions about the young woman nag at Rebecca as she desperately tries to reclaim the little girl she once knew, while struggling with the ragged remnants of her marriage.

Rebecca, her troubled daughter, Dana, and an enigmatic woman from the past, embark on a journey of discovery, both distinctly their own and shared. Each must wrestle with the demons that nip at their heels propelling them headlong until all three collide one desperate, enchanted autumn night.

BAD GIRLS, at its heart, is a story about family. The origins, variations and connections that shaped them – even the places they came from – set these women on their paths. As the unlikely travelers come to the end of their journey, they find new paths revealed in the most unearthly of places, from the most innocent of messengers.


ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

www.deborahdoucette.weebly.com
https://wwwfacebook.com/pages/Deborah-Doucette-Author/204355576355301
www.huffingtonpost.com/deborah-doucette
http://www.pinterest.com/djd2948/bad-girls-a-novel


TO ORDER:
Click on the Amazon Search Box in the Sidebar


NOTE:
Please support these authors. If you are an unknown author or you know an author who would like their book spot-lighted, leave a comment or email me at jssherr@gmail.com.
(Please note this does not include a book review, or in any way am I personally endorsing these books.)

NEW AND WORTH NOTING (09/21/2013)

CARMELA CARTUTTI

AUTHOR, ARTIST, TEACHER

There are many new authors struggling to promote books that I thought why not introduce one or two as a regular blog feature? This first segment will focus on a newly published book by a multi-talented unknown author who has drawn inspiration from a family member.

Author Carmela Cattuti is a Boston artist and teacher. She created BETWEEN THE CRACKS as an homage to her great-aunt, who survived the earthquake and eruption of Mt Etna and bravely left Sicily to start a new life in America.

Carmela was born into an Italian family and as a child, listened to her great aunt, (who partly raised her) relate stories of the destruction of Messina and the aftermath. "My entire family died, I was one of the lucky ones" her aunt often said, a phrase that still resonates with Carmela.







The following is a summary of BETWEEN THE CRACKS by Carmela Cattuti:

Join Angela Lanza as she experiences the tumultuous world of early 20th century Sicily and New York. Orphaned by the earthquake and powerful eruption of Mr. Etna in 1908, Angela is raised in the strict confines of an Italian convent. Through various twists of fate, she is married to a young Italian man whom she barely knows, then together with her spouse, immigrates to the U.S.

This novel is an invitation to accompany the young Angela as she confronts the ephemeral nature of life on this planet and navigates the wide cultural gaps between pre-World War II Italy and the booming prosperity of dynamic young America.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT CARMELLA CATTUTI

Carmela Cattuti started her writing career as a journalist for the Somerville News in Boston, MA. After she finished her graduate work in English Literature from Boston College she began to write creatively and taught a journal writing course at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education.

As fate would have it, she felt compelled to write her great aunt's story. “Between the Cracks” has gone through several incarnations and will now become a trilogy. This is the first installment.

Caramella Cattuti is extremely grateful for her Italian heritage. It's been her inspiration.

EXPLORE THE FOLLOWING LINKS:

cattutic@gmail.com

www.betweenthecracksnovel.blogspot.com

www.yogaofthefuture.com

www.cattutidesigns.com

TO ORDER BETWEEN THE CRACKS:

Click on the Amazon Search Box in the Sidebar