*[Blog Tour Review] Things Your Dog Doesn't Want You to Know by Hy Conrad and Jeff Johnson

 

 

Summary:

Dear Human:

Your dog probably puzzles you. Most of us do that. And most of us would like to keep things as they are: humans in the dark, dogs with the upper hand.

But we dogs are about to let you in a little secret. Okay, a lot of secrets. We graduated first in our obedience class three times. This should tell you something. Puppies know that they're being cute. They're using you. We don't sound anything like those silly voices you use to imitate us. We hate those ridiculous names you give some of us. Moonbeam is not a dignified name for a mutt. You might want to check your herb garden for fertilizer. We are only wearing this stupid birthday hat so we can get some cake. No self-respecting dog cares about his birthday. We are not spoiled, certainly not in comparison to teenage girls. We are in charge of the house. We let you pretend that you are. We'd be lost without you. We love you.

It's all in our new book, Things Your Dog Doesn't Want You To Know, as told to humans Hy Conrad and Jeff Johnson. Even Steve Martin (yes, THAT Steve Martin) raves about us Inside you'll find revelations such as the reason we at the sofa (leather tastes very similar to rawhide), and what we really think of the costumes you dress us up in.

I'm not alone. Ten other courageous canines have stepped forward to tell you what your dog won't - every last dirty, hairy bit of it. If you have dogs, love dogs, or have ever been baffled by a dog, this book is a must-have.
Summary & Photo taken from Goodreads.com
Length: 232 pages (Paperback)
Source: Review copy
Publication Date:  April 1st 2012 by Sourcebooks         

I don't know how many of you know this but I'm a huge animal lover, at the last count we had 2 gerbils, 3 hamsters, 2 cats, 2 budgies and 1 golden retriever in our house that goes by the name of Annie so when my favourite book tour company sent me an invite for this book I just had to have it.

The day I got it I remember flipping through it randomly and laughing hysterically with my mother who though the book from what she saw was the cutest thing. It also got the kiss of approval from Annie (She licks everything!). So once I got Annie's approval I knew it would be a great book and it was.

I mean if you're looking for a serious read and came upon this then you took a wrong turn at Albuquerque Doc. This book had me giggling and laughing hysterically from page one. I loved all the dogs and their little journalish entries. Each dog had their own unique little personalities or in the case of some of the dogs big personalities.

I loved the cleverness of the book. I love how the book was written in such a way that the reader could put it down whenever they felt like it (but let's be honest who would want to put it down?). It's a great book to read when you're a bit down, if it's a cloudy day or if you just want to have a laugh and think about what your dog might say about you if they were able to talk.

I would recommend this book to everyone but especially the animal lovers out there, this would make the perfect birthday or Christmas present because it has something for all ages to enjoy. I know that I'm going to have a hard time getting my copy back from my mom because she likes it so much! So what are you waiting for folks?! Go get your copy!!

Here's my Puppy Annie (She's 5):

 

 

I wonder what she would say to me if she could talk!

 

*I received a free copy in exchange for my free and honest review. I was not compensated in any way and all thoughts and opinions expressed therein are my own.

Awesome, I loved it!
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

 

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*[Blog Tour Review & Giveaway] The Twilight Saint (The God's Of Morning #1) by Jessica Penot

 

 

Summary:

 

In a land torn apart by violence, the fragile peace of the world lays in the hands of one tattered warrior.

It has been thousands of years since the fall of the great nations and the tribes that remain in the ashes of the fallen must fight to survive in the shadows. In this desperate landscape, Ailive has spent her entire life fighting for the honor of her tribe and she has grown weary of war. When Ailive sees a chance to escape her fate, she flees into a chaotic landscape where death and darkness lurk behind every friendly face until she finds refuge in the peaceful city at the center of her world. In this city, Ailive finds everything she’s ever dreamt of, but news of a strange prophet from the South brings whispers of war to Ailive’s peaceful home. Now Ailive alone can stop the genocide of an entire tribe of people. Ailive alone holds the key to bringing peace to the world and destroying the monstrous man whom she once loved, if she can only gain the courage to pick up her sword again and make herself fulfill the destiny she’s fought her entire life.

Summary & Photo taken by Goodreads.com

Length: 293 pages

Source: Review Copy

Publication Date: July 13th 2012 by Musa Publishing         

 

Adventure, romance, and betrayal that's how I would describe The Twilight Saint. I was really impressed by the way that the author Jessica Penot handled the world building in her book. I know that it is probably one of the hardest parts if not the hardest part about penning a novel and I have to say that Jessica really knocked it out  of the ballpark.

 

I just found the whole world that the novel was set in, it was so interesting and unique and very different from any other fantasy novel I've read and I enjoyed that part a lot because I felt like there was always something new and interesting to be explained and I loved seeing the events in the novel through Ailive's eyes. I thought she was a wonderfully strong character and she took a lot of crap from a lot of people and life tried it's hardest to bring her down but she kept her head above water and I really admired her.

 

As much as I liked those aspects of the book I do wish the plot that the novel had been a little stronger and a little more clear because some things were confusing but that could just be because the author is leaving a lot of things to be explained in the second book in the series. Overall I really enjoyed the mix between the good guys and the bad guys in this book and it really was an adrenaline filled read.

 

I really would recommend this book to fans of the fantasy genre with a bit of a dystopian twist especially if you want a book that keeps you on your toes like this one did for me.

 

*I received a free copy in exchange for my free and honest review. I was not compensated in any way and all thoughts and opinions expressed therein are my own.

 

Liked It!
★ ★ ★ 1/2

 

To "Follow" Jessica on Twitter CLICK HERE

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To visit Jessica's Blog CLICK HERE

To purchase the book via MUSA Publishing CLICK HERE

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To purchase the book via Barnes & Noble CLICK HERE

 

 

 

 

Author Bio

 

I am a therapist and writer who lives in Alabama with my three corgis, children, husband, and other strange creatures. My short stories have been published in numerous literary magazines and anthologies including CSM, Summer Gothic, Bound By Blood, and Outer Darkness. I have ghost story columns in theValley Planet and White Cat Magazine where I share my love for ghost stories that send shivers down your spine and keep you up at night. I also share my passion for all things ghostly and haunted at my blog, ghost stories and haunted places.

I am currently working on my next Haunted America Book for History Press, Haunted South Alabama. Follow me at my blog to learn about the ghost stories I am chasing and collecting for this fascinating addition to Haunted America. I'm also workng on the next book in my Circe series. The demon is awake and waiting for my new heroine in the swamps of Southern Alabama. Click Here to Follow My Blog!You can contact me at jessica.penot@gmail.com

 

Giveaway

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

*[Blog Tour Review/Author Guest Post] On a Foreign Field: A Story of Loyalty and Brotherhood by Hazel B. West

Summary:

Sir Reeve Montgomery is an Englishman born and bred, proud of his heritage and the right to serve his country fighting against the Scottish rebels. But when the tide is turned unexpectedly during the Battle of Stirling Bridge, he is wounded by an English arrow, left for dead by his comrades, and taken captive by Wallace's army. Wounded, and alone on a foreign field, he knows he should expect nothing but torture and death at the hands of the Scottish rebels who are known to be complete savages.

But as he comes to know this tight brotherhood better, and sees Wallace's utter devotion to his men and the cause of freedom, Reeve begins to wonder whether the English are right to oppress them.

Faced with these troubling thoughts, Reeve must decide whether he will stay true to his king, or join this brotherhood of freedom fighters, thus turning his back on everything he has ever known or believed in.

This new novel by Hazel West is a thought-provoking, heartfelt read about the true meaning of loyalty and brotherhood.
Summary & Photo taken from Goodreads.com
Length: 360 pages
Source: Review Copy
Publication Date: July 25th 2012 by Createspace

Ahh, it was so nice for me to immerse myself in my favourite genre; historical fiction. Since I've started blogging I haven't had the opportunity to read as many historical fiction novels as I've wanted so I was really pleased when I got the book tour invite for On a Foreign Field. Plus the book is set in the time of William Wallace or as many of us have come to know him as "Braveheart". This is not another retelling of his life and times no siree. In this book Wallace is surprisingly not the main character. I know right? However, just because he isn't the main character it doesn't mean that the book is any less great.

I loved the writing style that the author implemented in telling this story. I've always been a fan of narrative style writing even though I know that it isn't always everyone's cup of  so this one worked out really great for me.

Right away I was sucked into the story and the way that the characters were laid out. The story was very engrossing and I felt that the characters were very well developed, I have to say I really enjoyed the fact that the story was not so much about William Wallace but the people who aided him in his struggle.

This book had it all. There was romance, political intrigue, espionage, war and murder. I loved the war bits because I feel that the author did such a great job bringing the battle to life I felt as though I were inside the book while the story was going on.

I truly enjoyed this historical fiction novel. You can tell that the author made a real effort to thoroughly research her novel and this came through in the writing. The night that I read this I kept nodding off, not out of boredom mind you but because I kept myself up until 4 am reading "just one more chapter". Needless to say one more chapter turned into me finishing the book and crashing until 11 am the next morning. I loved this book and I do hope more people give it a try. The book is so detailed and well written that I can't wait to see more from the author. I'd love to read more of her work.

I highly recommend this novel to those who enjoy historical fiction with a bit of everything added in. It makes for a great read on a rainy day and will absolutely help the hours go by faster.

*I received a free copy in exchange for my free and honest review. I was not compensated in any way and all thoughts and opinions expressed therein are my own.

 

Awesome, I loved it!
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

To become a fan of Hazel on Goodreads CLICK HERE

To visit Hazel's Website CLICK HERE

To purchase the book via Amazon CLICK HERE

To purchase the book via Barnes & Noble CLICK HERE

Also One RANDOM commenter on the tour will win a $25 AMAZON GIFT CARD

 

 

I'm pleased to have Hazel West onTurning the Pages discussing the:

Ten (Unofficial) Things You Should Know About Becoming a Published Author

1 There’s the moment you realize that ‘hey, this is my actual job now! Wait, does that mean I can’t goof off anymore and I HAVE to meet my deadlines?’ That of course all depends on whether you’re published through a company who WILL expect you to meet your deadlines or if you’re an indie author, where you will be able to make your own rules. But yes, you will have to work harder because fans will expect a second book. And a third. And if you’re really popular, a fourth!

2 The fan(s). Yes, you will get fan(s)! You know that one devoted fan who buys all your books (A.K.A, Grandma)? Well you have a duty to them (her) now. You have to keep writing!

3 The Coffee. This is especially true for self-published writers. I am going to warn you now that your coffee intake when you were brainstorming and writing is nothing compared to what it will be when you decide to publish your work. And if you didn’t drink coffee before, you can bet your best writing pencil that you will after all the hours of formatting and editing.

4 The beauty products you might have to invest in (which I didn’t). Don’t you love those glamor shots all those romance writers have on the backs of their books? Well, this is a sorry lie, no author really looks like this unless they have little elves to do all the hard work for them. Try doing five hours of formatting with Word and tell me you don’t look like a zombie in the morning. Eye drops are a writer’s best friends.

5 Having to write more and more books about a character you have grown to hate because all your fan(s) won’t shut up about him. This happened to Doyle with Holmes and to Agatha Christie with Poirot, it can happen to you too, so either prepare yourself to bite the bullet, or just make a character you love SOOOOO much! Either that or your can bribe the fan(s) with coffee and doughnuts/Pringles. And if bribery doesn’t work, remember my sign: “Please do not annoy the Writer. She may put you in a book and kill you.”

6 The frustration and sadness when no one buys your books. Yeah, it will take a while to get famous. Maybe your grandma might not even like the first book you write. I’m sorry, but that’s just the way it is sometimes. We can’t all be J.K. Rowling (Whose books I have never read, by the way ;-P)

7 The decisions. One book or two a year--one every three years? What should the cover look like (epic background or angsty guy will bloody sword--or both?) What kind of advertising should you do? Keep it real or add an odious e-book? Should I send Grandma a copy, or should I make her buy her own? See, there’s a lot to think about…

8 When all else fails, your books make great birthday presents for friends and family… Just make sure they give you a good review on Amazon and Goodreads or remind them to remember your sign as afore mentioned.

9 Make good friends. Some serious advice now. Find other people who write the kinds of books you do, they will be a great source of help in editing. For free. (Just kidding, you should totally pay them in coffee and free copies of your book!) And they might give you a good review. (Wait a second. Who REALLY wrote that terrible anonymous review?) They are also there so you know you’re not going insane when you have people talking in your head. Because every other writer understands what you’re going through whereas your normal friends and family might not…

10 And finally… well, how amazing it feels to hold your book in actual print and binding for the first time! It’s almost better than your first child because it doesn’t cry and keep you up at night--though that might be a controversial thought after you go through all the editing and formatting…

Goodreads Book Giveaway

On a Foreign Field

by Hazel B. West

Giveaway ends October 03, 2012.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

*[Blog Tour Review]Never After by Jason Macumber

 

 

Summary:

 

The world of fairy tales is twisted and corrupted. Two years after her entrapment and torture at the hands of the Seven Deadly Trolls, Snow White now works as an assassin for hire. Rude, crude and with her princess status long revoked, she has become a dark angel for the Ever After's damsels-in-distress. A game of cat and mouse soon begins when two of the Deadlies, Pride and Wrath, return to exact revenge on the fallen princess for the murder of their brothers. Armed with her trusty dagger carved from the magic mirror, Snow finds herself drawn into a conspiracy that involves an ancient relic from beyond her world's borders and the destruction of her world. Taking perversion to a whole new level, NEVER AFTER is an estrogen-filled romp to save the Ever After as Snow slices and dices her way through beloved characters leaving no talking animal safe!

Summary & Photo taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 191 pages

Source: Review copy

Publication Date:  July 29th 2012 by Melange Books, LLC

 

Snow White isn't just another pretty face in this new and darker re-telling of the classic children's fairy tale. I was really surprised by this book, as a lot of you know I'm not a huge fan of retellings but when I got the tour invite for this one I really wanted to give it a try, I was also surprised to see that the book was written by a man. Maybe it's a bit sexist of me but I'm used to female authors writing retellings so I was curious to see how one penned by a male author would turn out.

 

I'm really glad that I gave it a chance because it was such unique twist on the classic tale and I have never ever read anything like it before. I loved Snow because she was kicking ass and taking names. Its about time that someone updated this story with a strong, female lead that is so different from any other retelling that I've read.

 

The violence, the gore, as well as the strong sense of independence that Snow exemplifies was great. I loved the thrills and chills in the book and I'm so glad that I was able to take part in this book tour, it introduced me to a new author and I can't wait to see what Jason writes next. For a 191 page novel it was more action packed that I would have expected and I hope to see more from this author.

 

I would recommend this novel to those who love retellings of popular fairy takes as well as those who like urban fantasy novels. It's a great read from a new and unique voice in the writing world and I highly recommend this one. It's one of my favourites of the year!

 

Author Bio:

 

 

Jason Macumber has been writing since he could first hold a pen, weaving stories so grand his teachers would usually have to pull him back down to earth on more than one occasion. After beginning his writing career in the Young Adult genre, he found that the medium did not suit his more mature tastes and tones that were dying to rip free from the far reaches of his mind. Thus, Snow emerged and became a force to be reckoned and the Ever After Chronicles was born. He is currently living in Florida where he is finishing his graduate degree and punching out the sequel to NEVER AFTER in the company of his three dogs and one mischievous cat.

 

 

*I received a free copy in exchange for my free and honest review. I was not compensated in any way and all thoughts and opinions expressed therein are my own.

Really Liked it!
★ ★ ★ ★

To "Like" Jason on Facebook CLICK HERE

To "Follow" Jason on Twitter CLICK HERE

To purchase the book via Melange Books CLICK HERE

To purchase the book via Amazon CLICK HERE

 

 

 

 

 

*[Author Guest Post] Hy Conrad on "The Writing Process"

As part of the "Things Your Dog Doesn't Want You To Know" Blog Tour I'm pleased to have one of the author's, Hy Conrad visiting the blog and talking about the writing process. I'd like to offer him a warm welcome to Turning the Pages and thank him for giving up the time to drop by today! Also don't forget to drop by the blog tomorrow to check out my review of "Things Your Dog Doesn't Want You To Know" by Hy Conrad!!

 

 

Hy Conrad on "The Writing Process"

 

 

The most exhilarating part of writing, for us at least, is the idea.

In this case, the idea came in the form of a title. We were watching the late evening news and commercial after commercial came on the air advertising books like “Things The FBI Doesn’t Want You to Know” and “Things the Banks Don’t Want You to Know.” There was a seemingly endless number of things we weren’t supposed to know.

I turned to Jeff and said, “Sure, what about something really useful like ‘Things Your Dog Doesn’t Want You to Know.’” And that’s how the book got started.

Like many humor books these days, this one began as a blog.  We started posting on the most obvious topics: “What We Do When You’re Gone” or “Sticking My Head Out The Car Window.”  

The initial idea was to keep them generic, in a sort of Everydog persona.  But we soon realized that the humor was in the specifics.  It was funnier if the dog had a real personality, and even funnier if we invented a variety of “dog bloggers” with radically different personalities.

For inspiration, we used Nelson and Charlie, our miniature Schnauzers, and spent a lot of time at the local dog park, mostly observing the humans, who always seemed clueless about their dogs’ behavior.  If that wasn’t grist for a humor book…  

A few weeks after we started, the site garnered enough attention to get a publisher calling.  That’s when the fun really began.

We wound up creating eleven dogs, from tiny and obnoxious (Tinkerbell, author of “My Life in Your Purse”) to large and dumb (Axelrod, author of “The Reason I Ate the Sofa”).   And we gave each dog an arc, which is a writerly term for “all the little stories add up to something.”  For example, Sarge is a German Shepherd and a working dog.  In each of his stories, he gets a new job and it always winds up being a disaster.  By the time Sarge tells his tenth story, he has finally been adopted by a great family.  But he still thinks it’s a job, and this one he doesn’t want to lose.

The blog morphed into a website called ThingsYourDog.com and it’s still up and running with new content all the time. And if you submit a question about your own dog’s behavior, one of our 11 dog experts will answer it (in a humorous way, of course).

I suppose the best way to show what the book is about is to include an excerpt.  The following is from Bandana, a very bossy border collie.  This is Bandana’s first excerpt, where he establishes the rules of the house.

“FOLLOW MY LEAD”]By Bandana (Border Collie)

Let me make this simple. I'm in charge of the house-from getting people up every morning to announcing the mealtimes, even reminding you to put out fresh water for the dog. Do you really think you control the kind of friends your teenage kids bring into the house after school? Really? Guess again.

I'm not sure you realize how much I do. Take, for example, the stove. It's dangerous. I know because one day I smelled something good and I put my paws up there, just to get a sniff. Instead I got burned. Conclusion? Stoves are hot. Very often you forget this. Every day I see you getting much too close. I've even seen you taking paper towels and wiping the top of it. That's why I bark at you in the kitchen. Not a lot, maybe a half hour or until I give up.

Same thing with closing the door. Ever since I was young, you've been yelling at everyone about that. (I won't name names, but apparently someone still runs out into the street and chases cars.) But every now and then you or one of the kids forgets this simple rule, usually in the evening when I'm tired and pretending to sleep.

Just last night you were in the front yard talking to the neighbor family -- with the door wide open. I had to drag myself off a pile of comfortable laundry and close the door with my own mouth. Then, just to make sure, I ran around the house, making sure all the other doors were closed too. I don't know how you got back in, but I think you learned a lesson.

Then there's the matter of the leash. Sometimes when we get to the park or the dog run, you let yourself off the leash and just roam around on your own. This is a little reckless, since one of us could easily jump a fence and start chasing cars. Sometimes I do that just to teach you not to get off the leash.

It's a lot of work, but I think I run a pretty tight house. Oh, and as for the friends I let your kids bring up to their rooms…I don't know about you, but I prefer the ones who sneak in the cigarettes and alcohol. They're cool.

 

 

About Hy Conrad:

 

Best known for his work in mysteries, Hy was one of the original writers for the groundbreaking series, Monk. He worked on the show for all eight seasons, the final two as Co-Executive Producer, and received three Edgar Nominations from the Mystery Writers of America for “Best TV Episode.”

In a related project, Hy was Executive Producer and head writer of Little Monk, a series of short films featuring Adrian Monk as a ten-year-old. His latest TV work was as writer and Consulting Producer for White Collar.

Hy is also the author of hundreds of short stories and ten books of short whodunits, which have been sold around the world in fourteen languages. Hy’s first full-length comedy/mystery play, Home Exchange, premiered at the Waterfront Playhouse in Key West in May 2012. And, in a different vein, he recently authored a humor book called Things Your Dog Doesn’t Want You to Know.

Hy splits his time among Key West, Vermont and New York City.

 

To learn more about Hy Conrad check out his website: http://www.hyconrad.com/