Monday, November 17, 2014

A Conversation With Jim Tillberry Author Of Coffee Dates From Hell

A collage of illustrations from Coffee Dates From Hell #CoffeeDatesFromH
I reviewed Coffee Dates From Hell by Jim Tillberry on my fitness and lifestyle blog Feeling Fit, Bit by Bit, for the full review visit Review Coffee Dates From Hell

In case you missed it, Coffee Dates From Hell by Jim Tillberry takes a humorous look at one aspect of single life -- the coffee date. 


Summary of Coffee Dates From Hell:
"When two single people meet for the first time, they often arrange a “coffee date.” Coffee Dates From Hell is a humorous fictional account of several very bad coffee dates. Many of these dates are disasters from the beginning. Others are destined to be train wrecks if the two people ever see each other again. The coffee dates include several famous people such as Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, and J. Edgar Hoover. You’ll also meet a range of colorful characters including a psychic, a cross dresser, and even a cannibal. The coffee dates include many funny twists and surprises. The humor is often silly, irreverent, and politically incorrect."
As a reader,  I am always curious about what inspires the author. Author Jim Tillberry graciously indulged me with this interview...

Q: What inspired you to write “Coffee Dates From Hell”?

A: I’ve been single a long time and have had my share of bad dates.  So I was interested in writing about horrible dates.   There have been many books, TV shows, and movies about “dates from hell,” so I took that concept and limited the dates to coffee dates.  It’s an ironic title because even when coffee dates are bad, they’re usually pretty short and harmless.  By making the book fictional instead of autobiographical I opened it up to more possibilities including historical figures.



Q: What inspired your idea for the coffee dates among the historical figures?

A: I’ve always been somewhat of a history buff and I was intrigued about the opportunity of revealing the personal lives of historical icons in awkward or funny situations.  For example, it’s well documented that Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln had a stormy marriage.  She was a relentless nagger and somewhat mentally ill.  So I tried to imagine what a first coffee date might have been like.


Q: You mention 10 things never to do on a coffee date, how many of those things have you actually done? Or experienced?

A: I admit it’s a silly list. These are self-evident things to avoid doing on a first date and probably any date (All right, I can see doing a ventriloquist act with your belly button by the third date, but not on the first coffee date).   Really the only one on the list that I’ve experienced is showing up the wrong day and also showing up at the wrong venue.  Both of those mistakes leading to missed connections have happened to me a few times.  As I sat waiting in a coffee house, I always wondered if I was being stood up.  Afterwards I was never completely sure which one of us was at fault in getting the time or place mixed up.



Q: If readers like Coffee Dates From Hell, do you have other books they can read?

A: Yes.  If they like this book, they should enjoy my first book Revenge of the Vegetarian.  It’s just as wacky, if not more so.  Don’t be misled by the title.  Meat eaters find the book funny too. 


Where To Purchase Coffee Dates From Hell & Revenge of the Vegetarian:

Affiliate links to follow, if you click on these links and make a purchase then I receive a small commission. It doesn't effect the price you pay, so it is a nice way to support both Enjoys & Shares and an independent author too.




And Now A Word From Our Sponsors About Another Type of Story Telling:


 

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Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Book Blast: Private Eye by Angela Graff


This post is part of a book blast organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Enter the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win a $10 Amazon/BN gift card. Click the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Now an 8th grader and the senior of Sage Brush Middle School, Alexandra Fry is looking forward to having a nice, calm, mystery-free year. But her hopes are dashed when she's visited by none other than the famous boy Pharaoh, Tutankhamun who has a very special request: to find the carved jade crocodile that once belonged to the mummy of his unborn child. With a fight brewing between Alexandra and her two best friends, Penelope and Jack, this case won't be as easy as it seems.

New friends, a first crush, and a new threat from the spirit world, Alexandra must use everything she's learned to uncover the mysteries in this case. Who is the bad guy this time? Who can she trust? And above all, what is the Shadow Man?

It's up to Alexandra, her friends, and possible new allies to save the day in the thrilling new tale of Alexandra Fry, Private Eye.


Enjoy an Excerpt:


With a groan, I threw my legs off the side of the bed, stood up, and turned. I let out a tiny yelp when suddenly Tut was there, his face drawn and concerned. “Alexandra,” he said with a slight bow.

“Oh! Did you hear my call?”

“Loudly.” His well-sculpted eyebrows were up in surprise, and he took a step back as I brushed by him.

I went right for the mini-fridge for one of the six-dollar bottles of water, hoping my mom wouldn’t be too mad at the bill when we finally checked out. I uncapped it and took a long drink. “Okay, so…” Hesitating, I finally spilled out the entire hospital scene. I did my best to explain the Shadow Man, and explain exactly what I’d seen. “Have you ever heard of anything like that before?”

Tut shook his head, his face drawn and concerned. “No. Alexandra, I assure you, we have no power over the living.”

“Well, this thing does,” I said, throwing my arms up. “Trust me, he was hurting her, and she’s already suffering enough. Is there any way you can find out what happened?”

“Of course.” I froze at his words, half-expecting him to argue with me that he was hiring me to find stuff, not the other way around. He seemed to notice my shock and his head shook. “It’s the very least I can do for you.”

About the Author: 

Angella Graff was born and raised in the desert city of Tucson, Arizona. She married and became a mother very young, and after getting started with her family, began her University studies where she found her passion for creative writing, history and theology.

She now resides in Tucson with her husband Joshua, three children, Christian, Isabella and Adia, and their three cats and three dogs.

angellagraffbooks.wordpress.com
https://www.facebook.com/AngellaGraffAuthor
@pantsarefancy
Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Angella-Graff/e/B009GLDA9C
Buy the book at Amazon

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Thursday, October 30, 2014

Cover Reveal: Lost Blood by Emma Raveling

Welcome to our first cover reveal! Slysam Enjoys & Shares proudly introduces Lost Blood by Emma Raveling.


Lost Blood by Emma Raveling
(Chancer, #1)
Publication date: TBA
Genres: Urban Fantasy, Young Adult

Synopsis:

They are the Strange, those born of magic, myths, and legends. Beings who defy scientific explanation, whose physical and mental abilities far surpass the limitations of the human body.
When they first appeared, the world resisted, frightened by their powers. But after decades of bloodshed, humanity finally accepted that the Strange were here to stay.
A tenuous peace exists. For now.

About the Author:

Emma Raveling writes a wide variety of fiction for teens and adults. She is the author of the young adult urban / contemporary fantasy series, the Ondine Quartet, and Lost Blood, the first installment of the forthcoming young adult urban fantasy series, Chancer. She’s also working on the first book in her new Steel Magic series for adults.

An avid traveler hopelessly addicted to diet coke and coffee, she currently resides in Honolulu, Hawaii with her husband and German shepherd.

Author Links:

For More Information:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20510462-lost-blood?ac=1

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

About this Blog & Disclosures

Welcome to Slysam Enjoys and Shares. This is a spin-off from my other blog Feeling Fit, Bit by Bit.  I started this blog to share books, television programming, games, music and other media that I enjoy that doesn't quite fit with my Feeling Fit content. 



This blog will contain author/artist interviews, reviews, personal observations, cover reveals, and hopefully some excerpts and giveaways. If I think we will enjoy it, I will share it. Any reviews are likely to be a mix of praise and criticism since not every work of arr and entertainment is suitable for everyone--and our time is precious!

Contact Information:

You may contact me at: slysamblogs@gmail.com and @slysamblog on Twitter.

Disclosures:

Even though this is my personal blog, I do participate in select affiliate programs and occasionally .do sponsored posts.  I promote products I have used or products that especially interest me.

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to  amazon.com.

PR Friendly:

Whenever offered free samples of a product to review,  I will disclose that in any review I post of that product. Ditto for any contest or give-a-way promotions. As mentioned, all any reviews are my opinion. If you have a book, album, game or other product that may be appropriate to feature in a Slysam Enjoys and Shares review or giveaway,  I would love to hear from you! 

You may contact me at: slysamblogs@gmail.com and @slysamblog on Twitter.

Monday, October 27, 2014

Almost Perfect by Orly Krauss-Winer (book review)

Book Review: Almost Perfect by Orly Krauss-Winer

I believe it is important to exercise the mind and imagination as well as the body. So I will occasionally review books, as reading is a great form of mental exercise. Especially books in the thriller and mystery genre.  I was fortunate to receive a free copy of the Kindle version of the novel Almost Perfect by Orly Krauss-Winer. Almost Perfect is an entertaining, light thriller.

Almost-Perfect-by-Orlly-Krauss-Winer
Screen Capture of Cover From Kindle Version

At A Glance: Almost Perfect by Orly Krauss-Winer

Publication Date: August 4, 2014
Page Count: 362
Setting: Tel Aviv, Israel
Available in paperback and Kindle versions
Genre: light thriller
Language: Originally Hebrew translated into English by Dalit Shmueli

Book Description

A Saturday off-road outing leads to a burned-out car with a man's body inside: a young and successful lawyer found dead, with no known enemies.

Three women, all deeply connected in some way to the victim, are swept into the investigation, involving a post-WWII love affair, an embezzlement case, and a brilliant police detective. When the truth is revealed, secrets are exposed – they must all face a difficult, complex, and unexpected reality.

A Brief Synopsis and My Opinion

Attorney Nili Abadi finds the body of a colleague in a burned-out car that belongs to her close friend. The plot thickens, as her friend is also the ex-lover of the victim. And she and the victim were supposed to meet that night? Despite how things appear, Nili is convinced her friend is innocent and is determined to prove it. Oh, did I mention her friend is also a colleague at the same law firm? 

I don't want to give too much away since with a mystery. I enjoyed the descriptive, yet conversational tone of the writing along with the complicated mystery.  Almost Perfect lives up to the title through a tangled mix of mystery, romance, scandal, and history. It is a fun read for lovers of the light thriller genre.

About the Author

Image of Orly Krauss-Winer
Almost Perfect's Author Orly Krauss-Winer. Promotional Photo

I always like to know a little bit about an author, as it helps to understand the perspective from which they write.  According to Orly Krauss-Winer's Amazon autobiography she was born in Israel in 1959.  She was the eldest child of parents who immigrated from different parts of the world. Her father came from Hungary after World War II. Her mother came from Uzbekistan, after a long, ten-year journey with her family through the desert, by way of Afghanistan, India, and Sri-Lanka.

Orly Krauss-Winer "sets her stories in the real world, where the smells, tastes and feelings are known and accessible to the reader. These make the book enjoyable, thrilling, and allow the reader to connect with the characters. "

Where to Purchase Almost Perfect

(Affiliate Links Follow:)

At the time I wrote this post, Amazon sells Almost Perfect (Kindle Version) for $3.99 (free for Kindle Unlimited subscribers) or Almost Perfect (Paperback version) for $12.73.



I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.