The Sirens of Paris 

Promotional Book Tour, Review and Interview for David LeRoy’s Debut Novel:

The Siren of Paris

 

 

The Siren of Paris is a historical fiction novel inspired by the events of occupied France during World War II.  David LeRoy’s research of the German invasion and occupation in France is impressive and lucid throughout the book. The story revolves around the life and experiences of an American; opening with his days as a student in the USA and France to his internment as a political prisoner of war.

Marc’s journey began before the outbreak of war in 1939.  A broken relationship spurs him to leave the USA, abandon his medical studies, and voyage to the land of his birth, France.  Marc forms many friendships on the transatlantic crossing destined for France.  On his arrival in Paris and commencement at Art school, he realizes things are not as expected.  The signs that war is looming becomes clear.  Americans are encouraged to leave France but Marc chooses to stay.  His life becomes convoluted as the war progresses.  He works for the American Ambassador, meets Hitler, attempts to escape from France, and joins the resistance. 

The Story tells of friendship, love, betrayal, guilt and forgiveness.  The vivid imagerythat David paints with his word captures the meaning of the war and experiences ofthe characters.  LeRoy’s story starts with Marc in death looking down on his own burial service watching the events of his life.  As his past flashes by souls that emerge from French graveyards interrupt Marc.  The ghosts represent all who died from the sinking of the RMS Lancastria on which Marc was attempting to make his escape from France.

The author has successfully employed flashback in time throughout the book.  As the story progresses the reader can understand how Marc’s past experiences are an important part of the present.  Marc’s recollections fall into place as the layers of his life experiences throughout the war unfold. I highly recommend the book as poignant, compelling, and provocative.  The book provides an excellent historical chronicle of life during World War II in France and the importance of the Resistance.

Author David LeRoy has drawn from his own background and interests in this his first novel.  David has a bachelor of arts in philosophy and religion and studied art in France in 2010.  During David’s time in France he became interested in and researched the French Resistance of World War II.  Through his research David discovered the Americans involvement with the Resistance and how difficult escape was during the war.

Keep Posted for David's Interview

My Next Author

Interview and Book Give-away - Judith Ingram

 

Many thanks to April Gardner for a great week and generous offer of the free book.  The winner will be announced soon!  We really enjoyed April's interview and a look at her Creek Country Saga books.  Thank you to all who took the time to come over, take a look, and leave a comment.

My next interview will be with Judith Ingram.  Come and join Judith and I for another great week of comments, discussion, and don't forget Judith is offering a free book!  

More Author Interviews

Interview and Book Give-away - April Gardner

 

Many thanks to Diane Wylie for a great week.  We really enjoyed Diane's interview and peek into her latest book, Moonlight and Illusions.  Thank you to all who took the time to come over, take a look, and leave a comment.

 

My next interview will be with April Gardner, author of the Creek Country Saga books and more.  Come and join April and I for another great week of comments, discussion, and adventures in the literary world!  

Coming Soon

A very special event will be happening here starting Novemeber 1st. 

I will be holding interviews with some very talented Authors.  Do come on and read all about their latest books, ask questions, chat, and check out their websites and blogs.

books

The Mind of a Genius

Welcome to David Snowdon and his latest book "The Mind of a Genius"

David, could you tell our readers a little about yourself. What are some of the events that have influenced your life today?
As a child I used to write and narrate short stories, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Later on in life, when I started reading novels, I had an urge to write. One day in 1983, I woke up and started writing a book. And that is how it started.

What inspired you to write your latest book “The Mind of a Genius”

I wrote my first espionage thriller in 1984, and I enjoyed writing it. Twenty-three years later, I had an urge to write a contemporary espionage thriller. And thus, The Mind of a Genius, was born.

David, do write a plot or outline before you start writing?
It all starts with an idea. When I get an idea for a story, I write an outline, I do some research and then I start writing.

Has there been any Authors in particular, that inspired the writing of this story?
The James Bond films that were the adaptations of Ian Fleming’s spy fiction novels initially got me interested in espionage movies as a child. But that isn’t why I wrote the book. I wrote, The Mind of a Genius, because I felt like writing a modern-day, espionage thriller.

What makes this book special to you?
Two things make it special. It’s my second published work and my first espionage novel to be published.

How did you choose the cover for the book?
It was chosen by the publisher. I just had to approve it.

Has there been any stumbling blocks in your writing of this book?
None that I can think of.
What was the most positive experience in writing, The Mind of a Genius?

I got a lot of satisfaction from writing another espionage thriller, twenty-three years after I wrote the first one. Writing the book brought back some good memories. The funny thing is that if you’ve done something before, the second time around is always easier than the first time.

What other projects are you currently working on?
I’m currently working on my new book.

Do you write to make money or for the love of writing?
It’s good to make some money, but money isn’t everything. And I would still do it even if I wasn’t making any money out of it, for the sheer satisfaction that I get from writing. The ability to create a story, the ability to create a plot, the ability to create characters and the ability to play with words is so wonderful. And I love it.

Could you share some of your ways of marketing your book?
The internet is a wealth of information for book promotion. At the moment, I’m doing a virtual blog tour.

Why did you not have the book you wrote in 1984 published?
The book wasn’t sent to the publishers.

Have you had a good response from the American market being a British Author?
Yes. So far there’s been a certain amount of interest. As far as I’m concerned, people will buy a book irrespective of where the author comes from, if they like the book.

Who is your favourite Author?
I haven’t read a lot of fiction lately, so I don’t have one at the moment.

Thank you very much for your time David andf good luck with your book. We look forward to the next one.

For more information see details below.

The Mind of a Genius by David Snowdon
(The Formula That Could Change The World)

Special Agent, Jason Clay from the MI4 is hired to find a secret formula that was invented by the famous British scientist, Malcolm Prince. The only weak element in Clay’s strategy to accomplish his mission is Laura Prince, the beautiful wife of the scientist, who Clay has to seduce in order to obtain the formula.

But the CIA, the Denmark Intelligence, the Australian Intelligence and many other very determined individuals are also after that formula, and can’t wait to get their hands on it. The competition is fierce, but who’s going to win?

The story develops as a travel through the world; with the action starting in London, then moving onto Copenhagen, Hong Kong and Australia.

Clay appears to be the right man for the job; extremely handsome and a natural charmer, nothing could be easier for him than seducing a beautiful woman in order to obtain a top secret.

For more information visit http://www.the-mind-of-a-genius.com/

About the book:
The Mind of a Genius by David Snowdon
ISBN: 978-0-9552650-1-3
Publisher: Pentergen Books
Pages: 288
S.R.P £6.99/ $13.56

Available from Waterstone’s, Blackwells, Amazon.co.uk Amazon.com and from the author at his website http://www.the-mind-of-a-genius.com/order.html

About David Snowdon -
British thriller writer, David Snowdon was born in London, and lives in London. He started writing in 1983, and wrote his first book, which hasn’t been published in 1984. His first published work, Too Young To die, was published in August 2006. And his second novel, The Mind of a Genius, was published in November 2007.

To learn more about David Snowdon and The Mind of a Genius, visit http://www.the-mind-of-a-genius.com/ and to learn more about his virtual tour in early 2009, http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/12/mind-of-genuis-by-david-snowdon.html

Post comments on any of the blog tour stops and be entered in a drawing for a copy of The Mind of a Genius.

Patricia Guthrie - In the Arms of the Enemy

Welocme to Patricia Guthries's Virtual Book Tour for In the Arms of the Enemy

1) Patricia, tell us more about your love of animals, in particular horses and how this has influenced your writing?I’ve always had a love of horses and since I became an adult, I’ve had as many as my village would allow. I’ve had horses for about twenty years. I started with an Arabian, then went through several thoroughbreds, to my lovely and favorite quarter horses. I love their temperament. Horses were the focus of my first book, which probably will never see the light of day (I have three novels like that) Then I moved away from them, until In the Arms of the Enemy. That seemed to work. How the horses influenced my writing? I had such fun day dreaming up scenes with the horses. Think about annoying little habits that Jackson and Socks had. A few are in the book. I haven’t used the escape artist’s yet, but I’m sure I will. LOL 2) Have you or do you plan to write a book inspired by your four Collies?There is a collie in my next novel “Waterlilies Over My Grave” due out this spring. She helps catch the bad guys. I am thinking about a story that would incorporate all three of them. I haven’t figured out how, yet. What are some of the sources that gave you the ideas for this mystery? The seed was formed years before I started writing. A scandal erupted after the candy heiress Helen Brach disappeared. Horses were being murdered for insurance money. And that meant mega-bucks. One theory is that they think she knew what was going on and was about to expose them. I PUT IT INTO THE BACK OF MY MIND, UNTIL IT POPPED OUT A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, AND I DECIDED TO WRITE AGOUT IT. 3) Do you write a plot or outline before you start your writing?I outline before I start a novel. I get the story idea then write a short synopsis, figure out my themes and the basic premise for the novel. Then I think the story , before I break it down into outline chapters. No, the finished story isn’t always like the original outline. 4) Have there been any Authors in particular, that inspired the writing of this story?No authors inspired this story. Many authors have inspired my writing though. Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Linda Howard, Janet Evanovich, Joanna Wayne, Mary Higgins Clark, Stella Cameron and those are just the ones I can think of off hand. Oh Laura Hillenbrand who wrote Seabiscuit.. 5) What makes this book special to you? Several things come to mind. The setting: the barn where most of the story takes place is the barn where I keep my horse, Jackson. Jackson reminds me so much of “Bluebird” in the story. The inn where a kidnapping takes place is from an embellished version of a real inn and I love Lake Michigan where the inn is located. I also love Maggie, maybe because she’s doing what I dreamed of doing when I was a child. 6) Tell us about the positive aspects of writing In the Arms of the Enemy?Hunting several of the locations for the story. Researching by talking to people. Riding the prototypes for some of the horses in the story. Running into a woman who reminded me so much of Maggie. Then looking for actor prototypes for my characters is always fun. I envisioned Nicole Kidnman as Maggie. 7) What were the negative experiences, if any?I think learning the real history of those terrible events that took place years ago and seeing some horsemen I’d known indicted and sent to jail. That put a chill up my spine. 8) How did you choose the cover for the book?I didn’t choose the cover. The publisher did that. Both the front and the back are nostalgic. The front cover was a tribute to a special horse named Cody, a champion Champaign stallion owned by Bonny Kirby from Texas. The back cover is me sitting on Shotgun Socks a quarter horse gelding and the love of my love. He passed away in the Fall of 2006. So both covers are tributes. I could have had racehorses instead, but both of us, being sentimental decided to go with our own animals. 9) Do you have any tips that you would like to share for promoting your book?Main thing is to get your name out there in every way you can. Try getting book signings at your local book stores. Take one of Nikki’s virtual blog tours. Join online Chapters of national or international writing websites like Romance Writers of American, Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America. Have your own website and blogspots and keep them up. Invite people to come and share short stories that you can post. Post your own short stories. Networking is probably the main thing. And keep up with everyone. Look for review magazines for your genre and follow their submission guidelines. The internet is a great resource. If you have more questions, feel free to ask. Patricia A. Guthrie"In the Arms of the Enemy." (Light Sword Publishing)Dedicated to those horses lost to man's inhumanity and greedand to those humanitarians who's mission is to save and protect them.www.paguthrie.blogspot.com, www.patriciaanneguthrie.com
Book Promo 101 - NOW AVAILABLEwww.nikkileigh.com/book_promo_101.htm"Coastal Suspense with a Touch of Romance"Would you like information about the newestblog tour option? Ask me for details.

WANTED: ASSASSIN TO KILL RACE HORSES ON DEMAND
FLEXIBLE HOURS-GOOD BENEFITS
Light Sword Publishing announces the release of Patricia A. Guthrie’s first published novel “In the Arms of the Enemy.”
When the death of a racing stable’s prize horse and his trainer is blamed on the stable’s owner; his son, Adam Blakely, goes undercover convinced that the trainer’s partner, Maggie McGregor, is the killer.
Determined to leave the tumultuous world of horse racing, Maggie returns home to try and find peace. When a handsome horse owner moves his horse into her father’s boarding stable and asks Maggie to train his horse, family finances dictate that Maggie accept--and that’s when the accidents begin.
Drowning in deception and lies, Maggie and Adam search for a killer and uncover an insurance scam so insidious, it threatens to rock a horse racing empire and bring the killer to their doorstep. They need to learn to:
Keep your friends close; but your enemies closer.
Review magazine "Affaire de Coeur" says, "With a strong mystery and a sizzling romance, Ms. Guthrie captivates readers from the start. This is an enjoyable thriller with a plot that will keep you guessing until the climactic end.”
* * * * * Rated five stars
AUTHOR BIO
Patricia A. Guthrie is a resident of Park Forest, Illinois. A recently retired music teacher from the Chicago Public Schools (May Community Academy and Chicago Vocational Community Academy) and former opera singer, Author Patricia A. Guthrie is now an avid horse owner, dog obedience trainer and writer. Ms. Guthrie lives with three feisty collies who act as “ghost writers” and help her write at every given opportunity.
This story is dedicated to those horses lost to man’s greed and inhumanity and to those humanitarians whose mission is to save and protect them.
In the Arms of the Enemy By Patricia A. Guthrie
http://www.paguthrie.blogspot.com/
http://www.patriciaanneguthrie.com/
www.myspace.com/paguthrie
For much more information about Patricia Guthrie and In the Arms of the Enemy, please visit her virtual book tour home page - http://inspiredauthor.com/promotion/Patricia+Guthriehttp://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0011mQlJIeqfmsJNlH07-KNRIrsZyOjrFZwTol4kMeMeOtqQxkeAgDsLQZ-BK-CH58Vov1zeD5k0sTNYEMkjJArB1fPTS2uX_-hV1_pgUMWo74PkdAkBk17O8nfPDz3j14z

"LADIES OF CLASS" BLOG BOOK TOUR

Keep posted for dates and links for the up and coming book tour!

Nikki Leigh's New Virtual Book Tour Site Launch on February 1

Many people have heard about virtual book tours, sometimes called virtual author tours or virtual blog tours. They are a new and exciting way for authors to "tour" the internet - without leaving their home.Imagine... you can meet potential readers from all over the internet and potential all over the world and you don't need to leave your home and family. In addition, a virtual tour is much more reasonably priced than the plane tickets, hotel rooms, meals etc that you need to buy for a book tour on the ground.Authors and readers are all invited to visit the new virtual book tour site. There are over 100 articles and interviews to help authors learn more about book promotion. There are a number of web pages that were created by our tour site sponsors - they offer many products and services that could be beneficial for you. (If you would like to become a sponsor, please contact me at nikki_leigh22939@yahoo.com for more information.)What's different about this book tour option? While our featured authors will visit other blogs throughout the month, each tour stop will be posted on the book tour site. Visitors who come to the site have the option of reading any or all of the information about the books and the author in one central location. So, whether you arrive at the tour on day 1 or the last day, you can easily catch up on all the details that each author wants to share with you. Each visitor has a choice about how they want to learn about the feature authors. I encourage you to visit the site frequently to find out what new information has been posted. The links which are posted below, take you to each author's tour page. All posts about their books are linked to these pages and are easy to access.So, what books are we featuring in February? Here's some information about the authors you will meet during the month. They have all posted some information on the site and much more will be posted throughout the month.

Earl Ofari Hutchingson - The Ethnic Presidency: How Race Decides the Race to the White House http://www.inspiredauthor.com/promotion/Earl+Hutchinson+-+Feb+2008

The Ethnic Presidency is an explosive look at how racial and ethnic conflict has openly and covertly played a crucial role over the past three decades in influencing, shaping and ultimately deciding who bags the world's biggest political prize, the White House. It explains how racial politics is playing an even bigger role in the 2008 presidential election and future elections.

Steven Clark Bradley - Nimrod Risinghttp://www.inspiredauthor.com/promotion/steven-clark-bradley-author-nimrod-rising

Have you ever felt that the world was guided in ways that are beyond man's control? The constant changes in the world since the time of Nimrod 4000 years ago until today and all the events that have shaken the world have been to bring the universe back into the hands of the Prince of Darkness, Lucia, a world that he had ruled with his Watchers before it was all ripped from his grasp when man was created. Nimrod Rising paints a diabolical picture of how the Prince of Darkness executes his evil plot to take the world back by force and destroy civilization in the process. From the Great Builder Nimrod in 4000 BC to today, 666 generations later, you can ride the storm of Nimrod Rising and experience the death of a world and the birth pangs of another. You will swear it is really upon us!

Virginia Vassallo - Unsung Patriot: Guy T. Viskniskki How The Stars and Stripes Beganhttp://www.inspiredauthor.com/promotion/Virginia+Vassallo

The Unsung Patriot is the biography of Guy T. Viskniskki, the dynamic first officer-in-charge and editor-in-chief of The Stars and Stripes newspaper. Based in part on Guy's unpublished autobiography describing the first difficult months of the paper, his granddaughter's knowledge of the family verbal history paints a picture of a complex man. A devoted husband and father, Guy was unable to show the love he felt for his family. Guy poured his time and talent in the newspaper business. His knowledge and energy made the Army's newspaper a reality and his doctrine of "by and for the soldiers" still is the guiding light of the Stars and Stripes.

I want to extend an invitation for each person to visit the site and learn more about each of these authors and their books. I invite readers and authors to register on the site and create a profile page to tell us more about yourself. Also, feel free to post a comment about any of the posts or post an introduction on the forums. If you have questions, feel free to contact me at nikki_leigh22939@yahoo.com.

I look forward to meeting many new people.Nikki LeighAuthor of the Book Promo 101 Serieswww.nikkileigh.com/promo.htm