Bel-Air Dead Stuart Woods

I hope everybody had a nice holiday weekend! They are way too short aren’t they? They start and then, boom, over. Personally I could have used another week or two off. Anyway moving on here, to get back in the swing of things, I have tried to get a good mix of novels and digital short stories rolling here. Later on today I drop in an Author’s Spotlight on Joann Lewis/Amy Faircloth, the co-authors of “Wicked Good”. Later on in the week, Thursday, I will be featuring author Cody Toye. I also have some neat guests on The G-ZONE , my blogtalk radio show: today –Big Daddy Abel , Weds.-Robert Vendetti, Thurs. –Barbara Briggs Ward, and then Fri.- Robert Elrod. Good stuff, great guests, plenty of surprises, and some really nice reads to be had; so listen in and check out the blog for all of it. Alright, I am going to start the week by grinding an axe. Yes that’s right, I am going to be a bit pointed in this post, but I feel with good reason. Trust me; I am not taking this lightly! To that end this is what actionable steps I have taken: I have emailed the author; I have offered space on my blog to counterpoint and I have offered him the opportunity to be a guest on The G-ZONE to respond to my issues. Here is what is between the covers on this novel:
“Stone Barrington's latest client is no stranger. Arrington Calder isn't just a former lover, this one-time heartthrob is the mother of Stone's son. Arrington, it seems, has been recently widowed by her actor husband, leaving her as the custodian of a fortune in Hollywood studio stock. Intent on cashing in, his pretty ex asks Stone to handle the dull paperwork involved in the deal. There is nothing dull, however, about what Barrington encounters when he arrives on the Bel-Air scene.”
I have given this three stars till I hear back, if I do, from the author. Perhaps I am misunderstood in the way I have read the novel. Maybe the characters have not turned into buffoons; maybe they are just written that way for some reason. I personally don’t lament the death of certain soap operas that are being replaced by reality shows in the daytime, nor will I lose any sleep over not reading a character I have followed for 20 novels. It’s tough, but I don’t feel I am getting return on my reading time, only frustration. When I first read this character, Stone Barrington, he was not written as outlandishly as he is now. Dino was not a simple side note and relegated to being just a marginal part of the novels, he is now but a caricature of himself, very sad. The bad guys are just too cartoonish and really wouldn’t even fit in a bad graphic novel. I am going to stop here, anything else I could write would just be like sacking the quarterback and the entire defense just piling on. Let me then ask you this: do you agree with any of my thoughts and feelings on this once great character and series? Anybody? Or do you stand on the other side and think I am just tossing rocks at glass houses? Feel free to comment and email me if you are up to it.
Things have changed around here. I am now the published author by Trestle Press of “I Have Chrome Balls, Don’t You?” an “In Between The Collaborations”, “Down Low- Dead” with Vincent Zandri, “The Jersey Shore Has Eyes” with Big Daddy Abel”, “G.S.I Gelati’s Scoop Investigations Psychotic Detectives” with Thomas White, “Who Whacked The Blogger” with Benjamin Sobieck,“Thad and The G-Man’s Most Awesome Adventure” with Thad Brown and the soon to be released “Hotel Beaumont” with B.R. Stateham. All the stories are available @ Amazon, Barnes & Nobles and Smashwords. I am also the host of the wildly popular The G-ZONE blogtalk radio show. Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com

Jason Baca Q&A

-What made you decide to do this?
Well way back in 1997 I was a double in a movie called I know what you did last summer. The photographer of the movie approached me and asked if he could take a few photos of me. I realized then that I was photogenic. The photographer kept complimenting me and I figured if a professional like this was saying something good , then I knew I must be something. That's where it all began.
-How often do you work out?
I workout 6 days per week. If I don't, I get upset with myself and won't be able to sleep. Taking proper care of my body is essential in this business of modeling. There is always someone out there that is working harder then you possibly. He could end up taking all your jobs away, that's why you have to stay at the absolute top of your game at all times.
-Are your workouts more intense as you get closer to a photo shoot?
Great question! And Yes they do get more rigerous as the day approaches. I tend to put all my energy, all my emphysis, all my attention on just my body, photo shoot, and looks. I normally believe in taking care of myself, but I want to look my best for the shoot. I don't want to come in with my face puffy and stomach bloated.
-As far as the poses you do goes, how do you decide which ones to do?
I don't , the art director or photographer tell me the poses to do. I get into that position and they shoot off 500 or so of that pose or slightly similar ones. Sometimes I work with photographers independently where we will bring photos of various poses and then work from that.
-Is it important to have a good relationship with the photographer?
Yes , its essential! I would have to say that the only time you wouldn't want to have a good relationship with a photographer is if they are shooting for a serious look or angry face.. Otherwise it will just work against you. The 2 of you shouldn't even bother with a shoot unless you can be friends and laugh about stuff.
-To get to that finished shot, how many shots do you have to go through to get that?
This would really depend on a couple of things, One being the kind of shape I come in. If I'm in great shape, we'll get a lot of "Useable" shots to work with. Lets say I'm not in great shape on the day of the shoot, well then we'll have to do a lot of covering up or different twists or angles. Those shoots you may be lucky to get 10 good photos of the 500 taken. Everything must be working good though, not just my body but also the lighting , the camera, and the photographers eye of knowing when to catch a pose.
-Do you talk to people that do the same thing?
Yes, I talk to a few models in the business. There are a couple that I really are doing well in the business. There are some that I feel are intimidated by me. They think that if they talk to me too much , I might pick at their brain and get too much info from them to use for myself. What they don't realize is , if we were to become friends , hey I would probably help them out and give them some of my contacts too. That's okay though, I understand the business after being in it for 15 yrs.
-My wife says I have a great face for radio. How do you put up with being so photogenic?
Well I do what I can to maintain a balanced diet. When I pick up a piece of food, before I put it in my mouth I ask myself "Will this food be beneficial to my body and looks or will it make me look ugly?" Then I proceed. I also make sure to use plenty of anti-age defying creams as well as exfoliate 3 times per week to rid my face of any dead skin. I want my face to feel viberant, wholesome, smooth so by doing so, I must take care of it.
-Favorite recipes?
I enjoy a variety of fancy dishes from Swordfish Meatloaf in an onion marmalade sauce or sea urchin ceviche' , to squid ravioli in a lemon grass broth.
How can someone reach you to book a shoot or purchase your photos? How can someone purchase your modeling book?
Well its pretty simple, contact bret@exaltagency.com to book a shoot ,
to purchase one of my photos for a book cover, go to http://jasonaaronbaca.deviantart.com
and to purchase my book on how to model , visit -
http://www.amazon.com/Overexposed-Model-Journey-Male-II/dp/1425748287/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1306256434&sr=8-1
Things have changed around here. I am now the published author by Trestle Press of “Down Low- Dead” with Vincent Zandri, “The Jersey Shore Has Eyes” with Big Daddy Abel”, “G.S.I Gelati’s Scoop Investigations Psychotic Detectives” with Thomas White, “Who Whacked The Blogger” with Benjamin Sobieck,and the soon to be released “Thad and The G-Man’s Most Awesome Adventure” with Thad Brown and “Hotel Beaumont” with B.R. Stateham. All the stories are available @ Amazon, Barnes & Nobles and Smashwords. I am also the host of the wildly popular The G-ZONE blogtalk radio show. Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com

Lynette Eason Killer Among Us

It is hard to say anything but good stuff about this novel. I am going to say this again, I have had the pleasure and the honor of saying it a few times this week; I enjoyed interviewing Lynette Eason on my blogtalk show, The G-ZONE,here is the link:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/gelatisscoop/2011/05/04/lynette-eason-a-killer-among-us
If you tune into the show, you will gain some insights into the novel as I ask some pretty tough questions and get to the real heart of the matter with her. You will get the skinny on this intense and enjoyable read. Here is what the novel has in store for you:
“Kit Kenyon is a first-rate hostage negotiator. Noah Lambert is a good detective with excellent instincts. The new partners have hardly had time to get used to each other when they are thrown into a grisly murder case. As evidence mounts up and more victims are found, Kit and Noah realize they are on the hunt for a serial killer. The problem is, he's hunting one of them too.
With nail-biting suspense, clever plot twists, and a hint of sweet romance, A Killer Among Us is the latest thriller from Lynette Eason. It will keep readers up late as they race to discover the killer--and whether Kit and Noah will live to tell about it.”
What are thoughts on the read you ask? You don’t have time to listen to me yap with Lynette? Okay I was totally enamored with the characters, loved her narrative, and enjoyed the prose. I am a sucker for character driven fiction, you know that by now, and this is just that, really good character driven fiction. The thing that also makes me smile as I read this is the Christian bend to it. I love it! How she and other authors of this publisher can carry this off time and time again is just amazing. I applaud them; my ball cap is off to them, and I want to read more of their work. Top to bottom top notch work, not a bummer in the bunch; I don’t hesitate to suggest this read. Enjoy !!
Things have changed around here. I am now the published author by Trestle Press of “Down Low- Dead” with Vincent Zandri, “The Jersey Shore Has Eyes” with Big Daddy Abel”, “G.S.I Gelati’s Scoop Investigations Psychotic Detectives” with Thomas White, “Who Whacked The Blogger” with Benjamin Sobieck,and the soon to be released “Thad and The G-Man’s Most Awesome Adventure” with Thad Brown and “Hotel Beaumont” with B.R. Stateham. All the stories are available @ Amazon, Barnes & Nobles and Smashwords. I am also the host of the wildly popular The G-ZONE blogtalk radio show. Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com

Bryan Healey Guest Post

When considering all that encompasses the process of becoming an author, one must always remember to ensure that, first and foremost, the story you choose is one that you love utterly and completely. Writing a novel is always a monumental undertaking, and that love is the only thing that will keep you driven when the work becomes drudgery. It will power you through any trial.
Let us consider all that constructing a novel entails...
At the most basic level, unless you have a superhuman capacity for typing and consideration, you will almost assuredly be writing your first draft for at least a few months. Once you have completed that, you are likely to spend another month or more reading and re-reading your new manuscript, scouring the text for continuity errors, misspellings, and grammatical mistakes that will, tragically, be riddled throughout. Then, when all that effort has been invested, you will hand your manuscript over to an editor, who will promptly find thousands more mistakes that you missed. Then you'll fix them, and give it one final read through, and you will find a small number of final flaws. And then you'll fix them...
Now, publication-ready, you will embark on the very long, slow, painful process of promoting your work and trying to get someone, anyone, to read it (and hopefully enjoy it.) You'll spend a lot of money and time and energy working to secure reviews and sponsor popular web services. You'll build (or pay someone to build) a website for your book, and you'll market your brand on social networking services and forums aggressively and endlessly. You'll talk about your book tirelessly, do countless interviews, host book readings and signings, and give free copies of your work to anyone who is willing to read it and tell their friends about it.
And when all this blood and sweat has been shed, you will finally be able to stand back, foist upon yourself a gleaming and unwarranted smile, check your sales figures and see the fruit of your labor: You have sold thirty copies... And this is the moment, when you're at your most vulnerable, that you must choose the topic for your next story...
It is because of this tremendous, and all too often unsatisfying, effort that it is important to only write of subjects that you personally enjoy. The act of creating the work should be the highest joy you expect from the entire process. If the book, at completion, manages to wiggle it's way onto a best-seller list, then that is wonderful and that moment should be cherished. But you should never write about a topic you don't find particularly engaging in a quest to achieve such an outcome.
In case you cared, this is how I choose my topic:
While everyone may have a different process, my method almost always begins with a high-level theme. I consider a general concept that I think would be interesting to explore and I write down a mission statement for the project. For example, "consequence of action and subsequent justification and self-delusion" was the general idea behind my first book, "A Line Blurred." My second book, "Shattered Wings," began as merely a desire to talk about the psychological effects of job loss and the crippling nature of addiction.
Once I have a theme in mind, I will spend some time considering possible plot directions for the concept. Often, this comes in tandem with the theme (and plot ideation may even give rise to a change to the overall theme, or the discovery of a new concept for a future work.) When I feel I have enough to get started, I will spend one evening and quickly jot down the first 2,000-5,000 words of a possible story direction. This doesn't have to be the beginning of a story, but it often is. I won't edit myself as I write, and the initial words are always extremely rough (sometimes never even making it to the final product.) The purpose is merely to create an archive of mental deliberation.
Once this initial treatment is finished, I put the words away in a file on my computer and work on something else. If all is happening according to schedule, that "something else" should be marketing efforts for the previous book. I allow myself at least a week (and in some instances, over a year) while I let the idea stew and percolate in the back of my consciousness, forming opinions and characters and plot points and determining overall direction. Once I feel I can no longer hold back, I return to the original treatment and begin the process of constructing a genuine story.
From here, my process tends to become far less formal. I rarely create outlines, and when I do I almost always break them. I just let my characters that I have mentally introduced, and likely developed unhealthy emotional attachments to, tell the story for me. You'd be amazed the direction a story will find itself going when you don't try and force it to where you originally intended it.
During this phase of the process, I will rarely work on anything else. After a few months, I have a first draft done and the whole process starts over again. It is a wonderful quest and I happily do it over and over again because the creation of a story is the ultimate joy, at least for me. I love telling stories and I love creating characters. Where it not for the innate desire, the same desire that almost every writer has, to have someone read their work and experience it for themselves, I would probably continue to write even without publication.
The story is always what must be most important if you want to be a "success."
http://www.bryanhealey.com
Things have changed around here. I am now the published author by Trestle Press of “Down Low- Dead” with Vincent Zandri, “The Jersey Shore Has Eyes” with Big Daddy Abel”, “G.S.I Gelati’s Scoop Investigations Psychotic Detectives” with Thomas White, “Who Whacked The Blogger” with Benjamin Sobieck,and the soon to be released “Thad and The G-Man’s Most Awesome Adventure” with Thad Brown and “Hotel Beaumont” with B.R. Stateham. All the stories are available @ Amazon, Barnes & Nobles and Smashwords. I am also the host of the wildly popular The G-ZONE blogtalk radio show. Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com

SEAL Team Six: Memoirs of an Elite Navy SEAL Sniper Howard E. Wasdin,Stephen Templin

I don’t read too much in the way of non-fiction,if you follow my blog than you know that. This book for me just needed to be read before the Memorial Day holiday. I am not mincing words here today. If you are a supporter of Freedom , you want an inside glimpse, no matter how small it may be, into the world of the elite operators that allow us to have our barbeques, swim in ours pools, and enjoy our families this weekend while they are in the hot spots protecting us away from theirs, than this is your book. Here is the synopsis:
“When the navy sends their elite, they send the SEALs. When the SEALs send their elite, they send SEAL Team Six -- a secret unit tasked with counterterrorism, hostage rescue, and counterinsurgency.
In this dramatic, behind-the-scenes chronicle, Howard Wasdin takes readers deep inside the world of navy SEALs and Special Forces snipers, beginning with the grueling selection process of Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL -- the toughest and longest military training in the world.
After graduating, Wasdin faced new challenges. First, there was combat in Operation Desert Storm as a member of SEAL Team Two. Then, the Green Course: the selection process to join the legendary SEAL Team Six (ST6), with a curriculum that included practiced land warfare to unarmed combat. More than learning how to pick a lock, they learned how to blow the door off its hinges. Finally, as member of ST6, he graduated from the most storied and challenging sniper program in the country: the Marine Corps Scout Sniper School. Eventually, of the eighteen snipers in ST6, Wasdin became the best -- which meant one of the best snipers on the planet.
Less than half a year after sniper school, he was fighting for his life. The mission: capture or kill Somalian warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid. From rooftops, helicopters, and alleys, Wasdin hunted Aidid and killed his men whenever possible. But everything went quickly to hell when his small band of soldiers found themselves fighting for their lives, cut off from help and desperately trying to rescue downed comrades during a routine mission. The Battle of Mogadishu, as it became known, left eighteen American soldiers dead and seventy-three wounded. Howard Wasdin had both of his legs nearly blown off while engaging the enemy. His explosive combat tales and inside details of becoming one of the world's deadliest snipers combine to make this the most thrilling and important memoir by a navy SEAL since Lone Survivor.”
The read on this is compelling, heartfelt, and well done. I think it is by far one of the best books I have read on this type material in quite some time. The other one that comes to mind for me is the Oliver North book on The Special Forces Heroes I posted on around Christmas time. I don’t hesitate to suggest this book. Enjoy !
Things have changed around here. I am now the published author by Trestle Press of “Down Low- Dead” with Vincent Zandri, “The Jersey Shore Has Eyes” with Big Daddy Abel”, “G.S.I Gelati’s Scoop Investigations Psychotic Detectives” with Thomas White, “Who Whacked The Blogger” with Benjamin Sobieck,and the soon to be released “Thad and The G-Man’s Most Awesome Adventure” with Thad Brown and “Hotel Beaumont” with B.R. Stateham. All the stories are available @ Amazon, Barnes & Nobles and Smashwords. I am also the host of the wildly popular The G-ZONE blogtalk radio show. Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com

Buried Prey John Sandford

Lucas Davenport just knows how to find his guy and solve a mystery doesn’t he? I really love this novel for so many reasons, let me count the ways. But first, let’s just jump into the synopsis:
“A house demolition provides an unpleasant surprise for Minneapolis-the bodies of two girls, wrapped in plastic. It looks like they've been there a long time. Lucas Davenport knows exactly how long.
In 1985, Davenport was a young cop with a reputation for recklessness, and the girls' disappearance was a big deal. His bosses ultimately declared the case closed, but he never agreed with that. Now that he has a chance to investigate it all over again, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: It wasn't just the bodies that were buried. It was the truth. “
The flashback for me was really fun and exciting to read: a young Davenport making his way through a crime, going from the streets to detective and showing up the best they have right off the bat. The insights into his character, the trip back down memory lane, and the regrets that have burden him those many years, all great stuff and fuel for the present as he tracks down a killer that had gotten away. The action is tense, the story moving, the pages just kept turning; the cast of characters is just amazing. Time in and time out the “Prey” novels just keep growing and growing. Whether or not you groove on Lucas Davenport like I do, there are far too many good, strong supporting characters here not to like many of them. The fact that John Sandford can also weave a nice, tense, plotline into all that is an added bonus. I like that although there was a heinous crime to be solved in this one, the complexity of the characters and their emotional makeup was more the central part of the novel. I really enjoyed the evolution of the cast, the care that was displayed, and the level of skill and deft hand used by the author.
Things have changed around here. I am now the published author of “Down Low- Dead” with Vincent Zandri, “The Jersey Shore Has Eyes” with Big Daddy Abel”, “G.S.I Gelati’s Scoop Investigations Psychotic Detectives” with Thomas White, and the soon to be released “Who Whacked The Blogger” with Benjamin Sobieck, “Thad and The G-Man’s Most Awesome Adventure” with Thad Brown and “Hotel Beaumont” with B.R. Stateham. All the stories are available @ Amazon, Barnes & Nobles and Smashwords. I am also the host of the wildly popular The G-ZONE blogtalk radio show. Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com

Tomorrow's Girls Eva Grey

A Middle school book to share with my youngest daughter on occasion is fun and breaks things up a bit. Next week I will be reading a Brett Battles middle school novel, and sometime later I believe the new John Grisham YA novel also. Okay let’s get this rolling along and find out what is between the covers:
“In a terrifying future world, four girls must depend on each other if they want to survive.
Louisa is nervous about being sent away to a boarding school -- but she’s excited, too. And she has her best friend, Maddie, to keep her company. The girls have to pretend to be twin sisters, which Louisa thinks just adds to the adventure!
Country Manor School isn’t all excitement, though. Louisa isn’t sure how she feels about her new roommates: athletic but snobby Rosie and everything’s-a-conspiracy Evelyn. Even Maddie seems different away from home, quiet and worried all the time.
Still, Louisa loves CMS -- the survival skills classes, the fresh air. She doesn’t even miss not having a TV, or the internet, or any contact with home. It’s for their own safety, after all.
Or is it?”
I couldn’t imagine being involved in this stuff when I was at this age. If this is to be the future, it looks a bit bleak. Eva Grey creates a world that does not thrill me, so if I get to live to see the day when her novel takes place hopefully I will have my own private island where everybody is happy and secure. As bleak and foreboding as this all was though I enjoyed the characters, the dialogue and the plotline, I definitely will continue to read this series.
Things have changed around here. I am now the published author of “Down Low- Dead” with Vincent Zandri, “The Jersey Shore Has Eyes” with Big Daddy Abel”, “G.S.I Gelati’s Scoop Investigations Psychotic Detectives” with Thomas White, and the soon to be released “Who Whacked The Blogger” with Benjamin Sobieck, “Thad and The G-Man’s Most Awesome Adventure” with Thad Brown and “Hotel Beamont” with B.R. Stateham. All the stories are available @ Amazon, Barnes & Nobles and Smashwords. I am also the host of the wildly popular The G-ZONE blogtalk radio show. Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com

The Follow Up Mark Miller Guest Post

Giovanni, thanks for having me back! I’m sitting here reflecting on the really terrific week my publisher, Comfort Publishing put together for me last week. The long-awaited second book in my Empyrical Tales series was released in style. The Lost Queen is available now! Comfort, together with Great Wolf Lodge, hosted a Homeschool Week. In the past, Great Wolf simply offered a discount to homeschoolers during this week, right after their public school spring break season is over. When Comfort stepped in, they helped take things to the next level by bringing in their authors (like me). The Billy Graham Library and Discovery Place, to name a few, also had presentations and displays.
Now, I work at a public school. My kids go to public schools. I’ve never really known the homeschool experience. I have to say that I was impressed with the families I’ve met. Plenty of smart kids and dedicated parents. Oh, and no behavior issues. These families I met last week had polite, happy children. I had the opportunity to read my books to some great kids!
How can I segue from that into another thought? Despite meeting some wonderful people and knowing that I generated some great exposure, how do I take it to the next level? Everyone that reads my books love them (I do mean love, and not just my mom says this). I have only ever gotten 5-star reviews, but how do I get more reviews? How do I get more exposure? How do I get more sales?
I’m asking a lot of questions, but offering very few answers. Well, what can I say? There are a lot of us (authors) out there. Many of us know we have written a NY Times Bestseller, problem is NY Book Review doesn’t know it. Don’t let that get you down. Every successful author will tell you, no matter what, you have to keep writing.
Then get out there.
If you’re going to be a successful author, living on royalty checks instead of a 9 to 5 time clock, then the job does not end when you hit the print button. You have to make the connections. You have to make the appearances. I know I just finished raving about homeschoolers, but good old brick school houses are a good place to start for YA/Children’s authors. Find your target audience and go to them. Teachers (at certain times of the year) love guests and love to get kids involved, especially in reading.
Do book signings. With our economy still doing whatever it’s doing, some of the major book chains are being picky about who takes up their floor space. So think of unconventional places to set up your table. I’m doing a signing this Saturday in a frozen yogurt shop! The buzz has been huge (by my scale) for that.
Lastly, be gracious. Thank the people that allow you to clutter their blogs (Thanks, G). Thank the people that give you reviews, even if they are not syndicated. Nice guys don’t always finish last.
Then sneak in that last plug:
Mark Miller is the author of The Empyrical Tales fantasy-adventure series. Book II: The Lost Queen is available now from Comfort Publishing. Find him on Goodreads and Facebook. Read his blog at empyricaltales.blogspot.com and visit the official site at www.MillerWords.com.--
The Empyrical Tales by Mark Miller. The critically praised fantasy adventure series is available now at www.MillerWords.com. Book III: The Secret Queen coming Spring 2012!
Be sure to check out my blog at http://empyricaltales.blogspot.com/
Things have changed around here. I am now the published author of “Down Low- Dead” with Vincent Zandri, “The Jersey Shore Has Eyes” with Big Daddy Abel”, “G.S.I Gelati’s Scoop Investigations Psychotic Detectives” with Thomas White, and the soon to be released “Who Whacked The Blogger” with Benjamin Sobieck, “Thad and The G-Man’s Most Awesome Adventure” with Thad Brown and “Hotel Beamont” with B.R. Stateham. All the stories are available @ Amazon, Barnes & Nobles and Smashwords. I am also the host of the wildly popular The G-ZONE blogtalk radio show. Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com

Dead Man:Hell in Heaven Lee Goldberg

Hey, welcome to Thursday; we are one day removed from TGIF, can’t wait, seriously. I am looking forward to this weekend because I have another new release this week, G.S.I. Gelati’s Scoop Investigations, Psychotic Detectives, another in The Author’s Lab/Collaboration Series with Thomas White, author of Justice Rules. Really fun stuff, his style is just brilliant, but ‘nuff said on that, I will pop in a post on Monday morning for it. Today I am dropping in two posts, the first on this enjoyable series, The Dead Man, and then a little later on Cody Toye’s new digital short story series: Intangible. I tried to grab as much info as I could on The Dead Man series for you, here you go:
“BOOK #3 in THE DEAD MAN saga, the action/horror series that readers and book critics alike are hailing as "an epic tale" that compares to the best of Stephen King and Dean Koontz...
Matthew Cahill was an ordinary man leading a simple life until a shocking accident changed everything. Now he can see a nightmarish netherworld that nobody else does. Now for him each day is a journey into a dark world he knows nothing about, a quest for the answers to who he is and what he has become...and a fight to save us, and his soul, from the clutches of pure evil.
HELL IN HEAVEN
The sign on the exit reads “Heaven.” What better place could there be for a dead man to visit? But when Matt takes the ramp, he finds a banner welcoming him by name to a tiny town seemingly left behind by the 21st century… and waiting for him to rescue it. But when he agrees to save Heaven’s citizens from a coming terror, he discovers that evil has more faces than he could ever imagine – and good is far more complicated than he ever dreamed.
BONUS MATERIAL
* the first two chapters of THE DEAD MAN #4: THE DEAD WOMAN by David McAfee
* The first chapter of JUDGMENT, the first book in the JURY SERIES, by Lee Goldberg.
Just in case you have heard nothing about the authors, here you go:
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Lee Goldberg is the bestselling author of the thriller THE WALK and the MONK series of novels. William Rabkin writes the wildly successful PSYCH books and is the author of "Writing the Pilot." And together, they are the authors of DEAD MAN #1: FACE OF EVIL and have written and/or produced such hit TV series as "Diagnosis Murder," "SeaQuest," "Nero Wolfe," "Martial Law,' "Monk" and "The Glades."
Alright let’s get down to business here about this third installment that has really grown on me. I am a sucker for a good sense of humor and sense of irony. This story has it pouring out of its skin like an Italian guy that has had way too much garlic in his last meal. Do I know much about that, the garlic stuff maybe, being able to write like these legends, no. You have read my posts so you know the score on that. The characters and the universe they have created here is nothing short of original, fun, scary, and totally laughable. The combination makes for a read that is quick, insightful, engaging and thumb numbing. I read this on my Kindle and my thumb was having difficulty keeping up with my eyes, the virtual pages were flying. You know I am a freak for character driven fiction; this is right in my wheelhouse. Besides that it is just quality stuff, plain and simple. Any reader, of any genre should be up for that, whether it is in your wheelhouse or not. For The G-man this read was pure heaven, there was nothing hellish about it.
Things have changed around here. I am now the published author of “Down Low- Dead” with Vincent Zandri, “The Jersey Shore Has Eyes” with Big Daddy Abel”and the soon to be released “Who Whacked the Blogger” with Benjamin Sobieck, “G.S.I Gelati’s Scoop Investigations Psychotic Detectives” with Thomas White, “Thad and The G-Man’s Most Awesome Adventure” with Thad Brown and “Hotel Beamont” with B.R. Stateham. All the stories are available @ Amazon, Barnes & Nobles and Smashwords. I am also the host of the wildly popular The G-ZONE blogtalk radio show. Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com

Big Daddy Abel Open Mic Volume Three

Things are moving right ahead for my fellow collaborator, Big Daddy Abel. What is he up to you ask? Pretty much a lot, here is a list of stuff he has on his plate tell me if you don’t agree. He currently has just released Volume Three of his highly rated and best-selling Open Mic Series. Open Mic Volume One rose as high as #20 in his Kindle category for Humor/Essay in sales and stayed at a steady #3 in ratings with 39 five star reviews. Pretty impressive, huh? Open Mic Two has sold well and is on the move again with the release of Volume Three, which has the theme of ‘Pressure” running through it. Also he wrote an Author’s Lab/Collaboration with me, The G-Man, “The Jersey Shore Has Eyes”, a zombie/comedy/laugh-fest that is garnering some seriously good reviews. Then to add to all this, Big Daddy Abel is going to be on The G-Zone, my blogtalk radio show, this Wednesday @ 11.30am EST to be a part of our first Author’s Panel where we will discuss an element of writing. AND he will be my guest by his good old self again on May 31st @12PM EST, your basic lunch with BDA and The G-Man. What more can you ask for, is that busy enough? Oh yeah, at his day job as a rock & roller he entertains thousands each and every week doing gigs in many east coast states. Here is what is between the virtual covers of Open Mic Volume Three:
“Pressure? Did anyone say Pressure? “Big Daddy” Abel wears his heart on his sleeve, and has his “real” heart in the right place. He lays himself emotionally naked for us to read, ponder and absorb. This, is real, at times all too real. Be prepared; guard yourself, as “Big Daddy” takes you for a “real” ride into his real mind, real heart and real soul.
Hi! Introductions may be in order, yes? Only proper thing to do I think. I am Big Daddy Abel. A singer, guitar player, & entertainer. Usually my "job" is to entertain. Getting people to laugh, dance and sing and just have a good fun time. However, at times... my mind goes beyond that. It goes a little deeper and sometimes, as I've been told, a little TOO deep, (I used to be a school teacher in my former life. Shhh! Don't tell anyone.) Thank you for giving/sharing your time here with "my thoughts". I hope you feel something positive on the other end of it all.
One of Big Daddy Abel favorite quotes, "So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future."
Here are some of his favorite bands/musicians: Van Halen (1976-1984), The Beatles, Aerosmith (1973-1989), The Black Crowes, Prince, Seal, Led Zeppelin, Butch Walker/The Marvelous 3, Stevie Wonder, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Alice in Chains, Love/Hate, Buckcherry, The Cure, George Clinton, Mozart, Electric Mayhem, The Soggy Bottom Boys, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Fishbone, Too Much Joy, Beethoven, the kid down the street learning guitar.”
My thoughts on this are simple. Then again when have I been complex? Big Daddy Abel has a very unique take on life, a very different viewpoint, he seems to be freer spirit and able to articulate many of the same thoughts we as just normal people have but are unable to put our collective finger on it, for me he is that finger, that guide, that who can point out the that which eludes me in thought sometimes. He is the guy that says it right and you think, “Why couldn’t I have said it like that; it makes sense”, or “I was thinking along those lines but he puts it in such good words.”
Basically for the cost of less than a gallon of gas right now, you can get four pieces of Big Daddy Abel’s mind, his kind heartfelt thoughts, and feelings, right there for you in downloadable digital form for you to carry with you anywhere you go on any ereading device known to man. It is easy to see why when he performs so many people want to have their picture taken with him, why they seek him out, why they want to feel his presence. He wears his heart on his sleeve, his genuineness comes through immediately and it is infectious. His writing is no different; it has substance, style and ethics, yes I wrote ethics, rare these days. I strongly suggest you give this author a try; it is money well spent, and it will open your mind and make you laugh also.
What are you reading today? Have you checked out our new blogtalk radio show The G-ZONE? Check us out and become our friend on Shelfari, The Novel Spot &Twitter. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Amazon Banner on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com

Robert Parker Sixkill

Sixkill rules! I want to take a different tact with this, as I am huge fan of the author‘s work. Okay he passed away, this is his last work, yes, I am sad. But instead let’s celebrate this last work for the fun and frolic that it is. No Hawk, total bummer, but he seems to have had a plan with that, maybe the new author will take it to new heights, a new resurgence with a fresh approach and set of eyes on the characters. I have read every Spenser novel , yes every one, and have enjoyed each one immensely. What exactly is Sixkill about? Here is what is between the covers:
“On location in Boston, bad-boy actor Jumbo Nelson is accused of the rape and murder of a young woman. From the start the case seems fishy, so the Boston PD calls on Spenser to investigate. The situation doesn't look good for Jumbo, whose appetites for food, booze, and sex are as outsized as his name. He was the studio's biggest star, but he's become their biggest liability.
In the course of the investigation, Spenser encounters Jumbo's bodyguard: a young, former football-playing Native American named Zebulon Sixkill. Sixkill acts tough, but Spenser sees something more within the young man. Despite the odd circumstances, the two forge an unlikely alliance, with Spenser serving as mentor for Sixkill. As the case grows darker and secrets about both Jumbo and the dead girl come to light, it's Spenser-with Sixkill at his side-who must put things right.”
The thing about the novel I enjoyed most was the simplicity of it: the dialogue, the plotline, and characters. And yet it wasn’t boring, held my interest till the last page and left me wanting more, looking for that next installment in the series. I love the Spenser universe, and all it stands for. Even the “bad” guys Spenser counts as friends have his back and his best interests at heart. The novel is a quick read, I devoured it at one time, pages were turning like crazy, and in the back of my head, this little voice was telling me to slow down, this is the last one, savor it, chill and slow down, but I couldn’t, I didn’t care. I wanted to enjoy this one just as much as I had the others without that sadness, that remorse, tainting the read. My suggestion is to read this the right way for the right reasons, whether this is the first time you have read his work or you have them all like me. An excellent new addition to the Spenser universe has been born. Enjoy it for everything it is worth.
What are you reading today? Have you checked out our new blogtalk radio show The G-ZONE? Check us out and become our friend on Shelfari, The Novel Spot &Twitter. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Amazon Banner on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com

Leo Maloney Termination Orders Code Name Cobra

This was a great week to read this novel. Leo Maloney and his character Cobra, are very patriotic guys: doing the right thing for the right reasons. The story is emotional, raw and intense. I love a novel that wears its heart on its sleeve, makes for a good read. Let’s get right to the action shall we?
“Leo J. Maloney, former Black Ops contractor, penned this action thriller novel as a quasi-memoir about the dark but arguably necessary side of intelligence that the government officially denies. The book spans the late 1960's through 2001 depicting events witnessed first-hand by the author embodied in the hero, Dan Morgan. It is a masterly blend of Black Ops intrigue interwoven with imaginative sequences of fiction. The reader must guess which accounts are real and which are merely storytelling.
TERMINATION ORDERS: Code Name Cobra races the reader through a twisting plotline, populated by memorable characters who make their way through a tangled web of ethical questions, personal priorities, and suspense. The storyline is comprised of counterterrorism, hostage rescue, and target reconnaissance, in a crescendo of events set across three continents from a fireside ambush at a Kandahar village pig roast, to the vast inner halls of the CIA, to a window-ledge view through a sniper scope aimed at Gaddafi in Libya. “
I am going to have the good fortune to interview Mr. Maloney on The G-ZONE , my blogtalk radio show, Friday, May 13th. I think it is going to be one intense and interesting conversation. Do I have questions? You bet! Let’s get back to the novel shall we: Leo Maloney puts his character Cobra into a situation that only he can solve. The action is quick, moving, and intense. The important part of the read for me was not so much the plotline or the conspiracy that he has his character involved in No, no, no, it was the way he presented it, the manner in which he brought it to me: raw, uncensored, and totally unfiltered. I don’t know if a “Traditional“ Publisher would have touched this, given its contents. For me that made it that much more compelling and interesting.
What are you reading today? Have you checked out our new blogtalk radio show The G-ZONE? Check us out and become our friend on Shelfari, The Novel Spot &Twitter. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Amazon Banner on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com

The 6th Man David Baldacci

What can I say about a novel by a guy whose last name ends in a vowel like mine? What do you think? I wonder does he come from the old country like I do, I mean Trenton, N.J. I really don’t know; I haven’t had the pleasure and privilege of interviewing one of my favorite authors on this planet. I have read and consumed every word that the man has written that I can get my hands on. Here in The 6th Man I thought, hey, he is taking Sean King and Michelle Maxwell, one of my favorite tandems in the whole world in a new direction with the sports title. But low and behold that was just the first curve ball thrown my way in what is quite possible one of his most twisted, action packed, and well written novels of his to date. Here is what is between the covers (I read this in hardback):
“After the #1 New York Times bestsellers Split Second, Hour Game, Simple Genius, and First Family, Sean King and Michelle Maxwell return in their most shocking case: a high stakes struggle where the relentless needs of national security run up against the absolute limits of the human mind.
Edgar Roy-an alleged serial killer held in a secure, fortress-like Federal Supermax facility-is awaiting trial. He faces almost certain conviction. Sean King and Michelle Maxwell are called in by Roy's attorney, Sean's old friend and mentor Ted Bergin, to help work the case. But their investigation is derailed before it begins-en route to their first meeting with Bergin, Sean and Michelle find him murdered. It is now up to them to ask the questions no one seems to want answered: Is Roy a killer? Who murdered Bergin? With help from some surprising allies, they continue to pursue the case. But the more they dig into Roy's past, the more they encounter obstacles, half-truths, dead-ends, false friends, and escalating threats from every direction. Their persistence puts them on a collision course with the highest levels of the government and the darkest corners of power. In a terrifying confrontation that will push Sean and Michelle to their limits, the duo may be permanently parted. “
How many government conspiracy novels have you read in 2010, and so far this year. It seems there are plenty of them. The point I am trying to make is that this is not just another one of those. Yes, it revolves around another government plot, but this goes a long way to further the relationship between our two heroes and introduces us to a few more. I just loved it; he kept me on my toes turning pages till the very end, twists turns, double crosses, triple crosses, well you get the point. I sincerely hope that he spins a few of these characters off into their own novels because they really are pretty neat characters. I see that this is at the top of the food chain on the NYT Bestseller list; it deserves to be there no doubt, great stuff, well done, well thought out and executed. Don’t pass this up whether you are a fan of his or not, and if you are not, please reconsider it, he has so many good novels it would be a shame to miss them.
What are you reading today? Have you checked out our new blogtalk radio show The G-ZONE? Check us out and become our friend on Shelfari, The Novel Spot &Twitter. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Amazon Banner on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com