Wednesday 28 May 2014

Pearls of Asia by Lee Geiger

 



Published by TWCS PH
Released Date: 29th May 2014

Excerpt:
“This is not a drag show, honey. There are no boys in skirts working here. All the beautiful ladies at Pearls of Asia are transsexuals. We also happen to be curvaceous, luscious, and all things deliciously glorious about being feminine. We’re Women 2.0—special girls with special equipment. That’s what makes us, as well as this place, unique. Pearls of Asia is more than just a restaurant; it’s about the quest for self-identity, about the right to own and control one’s body. We leave you questioning everything you think you know and see. If that’s not an outrageously fun night out, then I can’t help you, honey. Do you still want my phone number?”

Summary:
After beloved San Francisco anchorwoman Michelle Osher is found nearly decapitated in her palatial Nob Hill apartment, suspicion focuses immediately on her wealthy, arrogant husband, Paul. Inspector Mac Fleet and his partner are assigned the sensational case, and they quickly uncover an all-too-familiar pattern linking the widowed spouse to Sheyla Samonte, a part-time waitress enjoying a lavish lifestyle on Paul Osher’s dime. The pair of seasoned detectives assume she wanted a promotion from mistress to wife. 

The investigation turns on its head when they discover Sheyla, a drop-dead gorgeous dancer born and raised in the Philippines, works at Pearls of Asia, a stylish restaurant featuring a cast of exotic transsexual performers who serve up flirtatious teasers along with delicious cocktails. Mac crawls down a rabbit hole and comes face to face with the restaurant’s uniquely captivating servers—Diamond, Reyna, Nadia, and Ashley—and unveils a fascinating lifestyle full of drama, humor, and high heels. 

When Sheyla refuses to cooperate unless Inspector Fleet takes her to brunch, he agrees even though he knows it’s outside the lines of police protocol. Mac soon finds himself dealing with his own set of personal demons, unable to decide whether to arrest Sheyla or ask her on a date.

The ensuing investigation reveals infidelities, betrayals, and a host of people who might want Michelle Osher dead. But as the case heats up, so does Mac’s romantic interest in Sheyla, whose stunning beauty and charming personality compel him to question her involvement, but not her courage, and to cross the line between his personal impulses and professional responsibilities. Convinced of Sheyla’s innocence, Mac devotes himself to finding the real killer. Ultimately, he is moved to take actions he never dreamed of to discover the truth about the case, Sheyla, and himself.


Introducing Lee...
Pearls of Asia is Lee Geiger's debut novel. He is also the author of The Marginal Prophet (www.marginalprophet.com), a popular newsletter that is part information, part inspiration, and all entertainment. 
When he's not writing or trading stocks, Lee can be found wandering the streets of San Francisco in search of red wine and pasta, which he considers to be two of the four major food groups

Connect with Lee
FB - PoAFB - LeeWebsiteGoodreadsTwitter

Sunday 25 May 2014

#TowelDay Tribute and Giveaway


Give Away... Why?

To celebrate Towel Day.
To honour Douglas Adams, an author supportive of derivative fiction.
To introduce a novel of a similar vein to The Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy (see below)

It's no secret that The Writer's Coffee Shop's first major success was a work of derivative fiction. Whilst E.L. James' Fifty Shades of Grey, was not the first fan fiction to be pulled, reworked and published, it certainly appears to have been the piece responsible for the often heated debate on the merits of such endeavours.


Douglas Adams is one of many authors who embraced derivative works as this article; "Hitchhiker's Fan-Site Started By Douglas Adams Shows Why Authors Shouldn't Panic Over Derivative Works" from the bring a towel dept of Case Studies by techdirt, indicates.

Case Studies by techdirt have explored how content creators in a variety of mediums have handled derivative works, particularly musicians, TV/film and authors (all very interesting articles). They concluded that...


"the responses are predictably varied, with some creators embracing derivatives, some abhorring them, some that draw the line on commercial use, and others that use derivatives to build even further works. The least controversial of the lot is work done by fans, of course. Few creators want to go to war with fans that love their work so much they make fan films, or write fan fiction."

Douglas Adams not only allowed derivatives of THHGTTG, he also started the site h2g2 The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition to encourage it - a phenomenal, generous and memorable way to give back to his fans. Is it any wonder that he is remembered each year world wide on towel day? So wear a towel, take a picture of it and share the love with your online community. And if you feel like it enter the Give Away for a chance to win one of three great prizes... The Amazon Gift Card, a copy of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy or a copy of Everybody Out of the Laundromat, I Need to Think by Phil G Glenn (see summary and cover below) ...Oh and check out the site http://www.techdirt.com they have some awesome case studies.


When the ordinary life of Virgil Blaine crosses the path of the even more ordinary Doug Coulthard, it sets off a series of extra-ordinary events. Doug Coulthard is a Filing Clerk and the President of the Unpublished People’s Poet’s Party –Political Unit (UPPPPU) where a catastrophe has just happened; two of his long time members have been published. The UPPPPU goes on a recruiting drive by distributing leaflets, one of which finds its way into Virgil Blaine’s pocket. Virgil Blaine, who is a slight poet himself, attends one of the meetings where he meets Forward Slash who offers Virgil Blaine a job. The offer comes with two things Virgil Blaine has never had; a job and a car and on a whim he accepts. The problem is, through no effort of his own, his position is suddenly elevated. Virgil Blaine says the job is ‘messing with his DNA – Deliberate Non-Achiever’ and he misses his old life and so hatches a plan to get it back… Though very ordinary, Doug Coulthard has the distinction of being only one of four hundred and thirty one Earth creatures who have been abducted by Aliens. The Aliens took Doug to the Canis Minor and back, a round trip of 3.02 parsecs. Due to the spacecraft’s immense velocity Doug was left with an annoying and sudden ‘tic’ which is to nod his head up and down rather abruptly every four minutes. And now the Aliens are back to take Doug on a ‘quite a few years since we last picked you up’ Reunion Party which turns out to be one of the worst experiences of Doug’s life….
If you would like a review copy of Everybody Out of the Laundromat, I Need to Think! by Phil G Glenn, please email marketing at the writers coffee shop dot com 

Monday 19 May 2014

The Land of the Shadow by Lissa Bryan - Cover Reveal

        PRESENTING. . .
The_Land_of_the_Shadow_Hi-Res_Cover

Release Date: August 21, 2014
SUMMARY
In the highly anticipated stand-alone sequel to The End of All Things, Lissa Bryan returns readers to a world devastated by disease, and the breakdown of modern society.
Two years after a horrific virus swept the globe, decimating the world’s population, Carly Daniels and her husband, Justin, have made a safe home in the isolated southern town of Colby. Protected by fences and a vigilant population, the residents there had somehow managed to keep the Infection out. Until the sight of Carly and Justin’s healthy baby girl convinced them it was safe to allow Outsiders in. Now, in the wake of fresh losses, the small band of survivors struggles to rebuild a community. With only nineteenth-century technology to aid them, they must learn skills long forgotten to provide for their basic needs. Each day brings new challenges, and every choice they make affects their long-term survival. While Carly and Justin adjust to a growing family, and to their roles as community leaders, they must rely on one another for strength and support when they face difficult questions. Carly has to decide how to move forward in a world where equality, justice, and freedom from tyranny are no longer guaranteed. And when new threats emerge, she has to decide what she is willing to do—and how far she’s willing to go—to protect what she has worked so hard to build. When the end has come and gone, it’s a journey down a long and broken road through The Land of the Shadow.
EXCERPT
Justin was in the barn when he heard Carly scream, and the sound of it almost stopped his heart. It was a sound of sheer terror, a sound that could only mean . . . He didn’t finish the thought. His brain clicked into action mode, based on training and instinct, pushing his own fear aside. Justin jumped to snatch the pump-action shotgun mounted on pegs above the door and ran harder than he’d ever run in his life, pumping the weapon to chamber a round. He prayed as he ran. He didn’t know to whom he was praying, nor for what, but he prayed just the same. Rounding the corner of the house, he saw Kaden and Carly running toward a goddamn big alligator in the front yard. Sam darted around its sides, snapping. Justin caught up to Kaden just as the beast decided that Carly’s direction was a better avenue of escape than the path blocked by the snarling wolf and the two running men. It charged right at her, its mouth wide, tail thrashing in its wake. Carly jumped for the porch, clutching at the post, her foot braced on the rail. Kaden charged up the steps and swept Dagny up into his arms, flinging open the screen door to scramble inside the house. Dagny yelled something that sounded like, “No, kay!” as the keys tumbled from her hand to clatter on the floorboards. Justin heard her wail as the screen door slammed behind Kaden. But she was safe, and that was what mattered at the moment. Carly still clung to the porch rail, her eyes wide. Safe, too, Justin noted, as his mind switched over to seek-and-destroy mode. The alligator kept running across the lawn and straight into the cornfield, surprisingly fast for such a large, awkward creature. “Not the corn!” Justin swung wide to try to drive the reptile toward the road instead, but the alligator saw safety and concealment in the thick patch of tall green stalks. It charged into the patch, clearing a three-foot-wide path of broken stalks with every swipe of its thrashing tail. A flash of movement from the left caught Justin’s eye, and Pearl jumped in front of the alligator with a shout, waving her arms to prevent it from charging deeper into the field. The gator hissed at her and brandished its gaping maw, but began to back away. More people from the town, who had been drawn by Carly’s scream, ran across the lawn toward the corn patch. The confused alligator found himself surrounded, and he turned, crushing more stalks. Justin swore. He caught Pearl’s eye and didn’t even need to tell her what he needed. She shouted and feigned a lunge to get the gator’s attention, and it swung around to hiss at her. He darted to the gator’s side and aimed the shotgun at the back of its head. “Clear!” “No, Justin!” Carly shouted. “Don’t!” Justin groaned. His wife, the animal lover. Was she going to say something like, He can’t help he’s an alligator, and insist Justin transport the thing back to the swamp? He was already picturing wrapping the beast’s jaws with duct tape or something to avoid losing a goddamn hand in the process when she reached his side. Instead, she pulled out the .45 she wore at her hip and blasted the gator three times in the head. It slumped to the ground, dead as Caesar. “I didn’t want you to use the shotgun and tear up the hide,” Carly said. God, he loved her. He felt a grin stretch his cheeks. She turned toward the house but called over her shoulder to the staring townspeople as she ran to check on her baby. “We have meat.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lissa-Bryan     Lissa Bryan is an astronaut, renowned Kabuki actress, Olympic pole vault gold medalist, Iron Chef champion, and scientist who recently discovered the cure for athlete's foot...though only in her head. Real life isn't so interesting, which is why she spends most of her time writing. She is the author of three other novels, Ghostwriter, The End of All Things, and Under These Restless Skies.    













CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR
The-Land-of-the-Shadow-3D-Bookstack
TWCS-Cover-Reveal-Banner

Monday 12 May 2014

Cover Reveal - Anniversary Killer by Alexandra Allred

PRESENTING...

Anniversary-Killer-Hi-Res-Cover

Release Date: August 14, 2014

Summary: 
Allie is back! When a kidnapping, house fire, and murder occur around the corner from Allie Lindell’s house, it’s too much for her to resist. Despite promises to stay away from murder and mayhem, a missing Irish setter named Chester puts Allie on the hunt. Almost a year to the day, Mickey Callahan’s business partner was found dead from a single gunshot wound to the head and nothing but questions surround his murder. Now, Mickey is convinced that the same people are out to get him. After a sloppy kidnapping attempt, no one takes him seriously until the body count starts to grow. The Allie Lindell saga returns with the third book in the series and more drama than ever as Allie continues the struggle to hold on to herself without giving up on her partner and love, maintaining a relationship with her police officer sister and best friend, and keeping up with her caper-loving neighbor who insists on going along on every stakeout.
 
aallredAbout the Author:

Alexandra Allred is a former national and professional athlete turned adventure writer turned humorist and novelist. She’s often been called the next Erma Bombeck with a grudge. Her annual Christmas letters, which have frequently made the news, could make the Grinch weep with joy. For a taste of holiday glee, see http://www.allredgreetings.blogspot.com Allred is a writer of fiction and nonfiction alike, but is most proud of the Allie Lindell series. Several close friends from her sports background and personal life have been the source of inspiration for the books. And just like Allie Lindell, Allred grew up with a father who taught her the love of reading a good obituary column. Allred writes for Waxahachie Daily Light newspaper, continues to testify in Washington D.C. on behalf of children with asthma and our need for clean air, and she’s never too far from her gym in Midlothian, Texas. You can always drop her a note at www.alexandratheauthor.com.

Connect with Alexandra Allred on: ​
Anniversary-Killer-3D-Book-Stack
TWCS-Cover-Reveal-Banner