A Book and a Chat with Kristina McMorris

Talented author Kristina McMorris how she had been host of weekly TV shows since age nine, including an Emmy® Award-winning program.  While interviewing her grandmother for a cookery book she learned of her grandparent’s war time romance, this was the basis for her best selling multi award winning debut novel “Letters From Home”.

An account of a family friend - one who had fought for America and his brother for Japan which while researching lad her to brief mention of approximately two hundred non-Japanese spouses who had chosen to live voluntarily in the U.S. internment camps. Stunned and fascinated by the discovery, she instantly knew it was a story that needed to be told.  The result was another smash hit for Kristina with her novel “Bridge of Scarlet Leaves.”

Now Kristina is back on the show with what promises from the already rave reviews such as “Gripped me from the first page and didn't let go."  to be another “must read” this talented author, in the form of her latest novel “The Pieces We Keep”.

About “The Pieces That we Keep”:  (Taken from http://www.lybrary.com)

In this richly emotional novel, Kristina McMorris evokes the depth of a mother's bond with her child, and the power of personal histories to echo through generations...

Two years have done little to ease veterinarian Audra Hughes's grief over her husband's untimely death. Eager for a fresh start, Audra plans to leave Portland for a new job in Philadelphia. Her seven-year-old son, Jack, seems apprehensive about flying-but it's just the beginning of an anxiety that grows to consume him.

As Jack's fears continue to surface in recurring and violent nightmares, Audra hardly recognizes the introverted boy he has become. Desperate, she traces snippets of information unearthed in Jack's dreams, leading her to Sean Malloy, a struggling US Army veteran wounded in Afghanistan. Together they unravel a mystery dating back to World War II, and uncover old family secrets that still have the strength to wound-and perhaps, at last, to heal.

Intricate and beautifully written, The Pieces We Keep illuminates those moments when life asks us to reach beyond what we know and embrace what was once unthinkable. Deftly weaving together past and present, herein lies a story that is at once poignant and thought-provoking, and as unpredictable as the human heart.

Kristina McMorris always brings to the show not only her sparkling personality, but a fresh novel that to me is always a “must read”.

So listen now and share an interesting, and entertaining show as I chat with my special guest today on A Book and a Chat with Kristina McMorris


Barry
Direct link to the show
A Book and a Chat with Kristina McMorris

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Kristina McMorris"

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Kristina McMorris - The Pieces We Keep"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

Author of "Across the Pond" and "The Bathroom Book of Romance"
A Book and a Chat Blog
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A Book and a Chat with Barbara Conelli

My guest today called in from Italy, which at this moment in time is in full swing with a national party after the Italian soccer team beat Germany in the semi-finals of the European Cup. As Barbara Conelli my guest said the country has gone totally mad, they are like Spain who they now play in the finals “soccer mad” The streets are full of people cars are driving around sounding their horns as Barbra well knows that no shops or even post offices will be open in the morning after tonight’s celebrations.

Barbra for those who can remember her previous visit to the show was a bestselling author at the age of four when her book she’d written became a big hit in local kindergartens. She turned into an overnight success that lasted for twelve exciting hours. Since then, she has never separated from her writing endeavors. Barb writes even in her sleep and she can often be seen sitting on her bed at three a.m. with a flashlight frantically processing her somnambulant ideas.

A born nomad and adventurer, she’s been there, she’s done it, and she’s not afraid to write about it.

Her travel books have become a huge hit sharing her love for all things Italian with the secrets and interest that will keep the reader turning the page.

Her previous book “Chique Secrets of Dolce Vita” which we discussed on a previous show has now been followed by “Chique Secrets of Dolce Amore”.

About “Chique Secrets of Dolce Amore”: (taken from Amazon)

Fascinating, enthralling and seductive travel and life tales about unexpected encounters with the capricious, unpredictable and extravagant city of Milan, its glamorous feminine secrets, the everyday magic of its dreamy streets, the passionate romance of its elegant hideaways, and the sweet Italian art of delightfully falling in love with your life wherever you go.

The book has already received further rave reviews keeping Barbara on her best selling path.

Now Barbara is back in Italy, at the moment in Rome where she is not only blogging about her travels, but also bringing together the details for her next book, this will then be followed by a spell in Venice preparing book four in the “narrative travel nonfiction” or rather travel stories range. A further trip to Sicily will I’m sure always divulge that countries secrets that will help become yet another bestselling book.

So listen now and share an interesting, and entertaining show as I chat with my special guest today on A Book and a Chat with Barbara Conelli

Barry

Direct link to the show
A Book and a Chat with Barbara Conelli

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Barbara Conelli"

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Barbara Conelli - Chique Secrets of Dolce Amore"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

A Book and a Chat with Dr Diane Hassan

I get asked a lot about coming from England to America, how far it is to travel, time it takes, the fact I haven’t lost my accent and even what I think of America. But for me it was just 3000miles and at least the language is the same, okay more or less the same. But imagine how it was for my guest Dr Diane Hassan travelling from South Alabama to Bagdad about 10,000 miles to a totally different country and climate. This was back in the 70’s before Saddam, she met her now husband at University and moved to Iraq to be with him.

Diane’s travels, her life in Iraq and her and her families eventual escape after an attempted assassination of her husband during Saddam's purge following Desert Storm are detailed in her book “ANGELS AMONG US. . .EVEN IN IRAQ”.

Diane’s early days were one of constant learning; she was American wife of a prominent member of Saddam Hussein's political hierarchy, studying medicine, her husband, protected from perhaps some of the harsher side to Iraq in those early days. Those early days changed as Saddan came to power, stories of people going missing, worries about saying the wrong thing to the wrong person.

About “Angels Among Us… Even in Iraq" (taken from Amazon)

Angels Among Us . . . Even in Iraq is a fascinating story of love and survival, of how people can overcome any obstacle to fulfill a dream. In a highly entertaining fashion, the American wife of a prominent member of Saddam Hussein's political hierarchy chronicles her life in Iraq until she and her family dramatically escape after an attempted assassination of her husband during Saddam's purge following Desert Storm.

Dr. Taha Al Baka, a former Iraqi government minister, comments, "If you are among those Americans who care about their democratic freedoms, constitutional government and due process of law, then you should read this book. You will have a greater appreciation of your country and a greater resolve to guard the basic principles on which it was founded."

The story took over seven years to write, but is obviously written with passion, from her own experiences, not from second hand information about the situation in Iraq.

As Diane shared with us while telling the story of her husband’s escape from assignation, there are angels everywhere, and many not dressed in white playing harps, they appear in all places at many different times, under Saddam’s time of terror on Iraq.

As one reviewer wrote of the book…

ANGELS AMONG US is a way of holding a spotlight not just on Iraq but our search for good in a world where we might be prone to believe it exists. Through this book and the journey that Dianne and her family were able to go through and endure we are able to see that there is goodness and love everywhere.

So listen now and share an interesting,and entertaining thirty minutes with my guest Diane Hassan

If you have enjoyed the blog or the radio show, why not become a follower of the show?

Barry

Direct link to the show
A Book and a Chat with Diane Hassan

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Diane Hassan - ANGELS AMONG US. . .EVEN IN IRAQ"

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:"Diane Hassan - ANGELS AMONG US. . .EVEN IN IRAQ"

My new E-Book is available to download, for all of 99 cents at
"The Bathroom Book of Romance - Book 1"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

A Book and a Chat with Dr Allen Malnak

Dr. Allen Malnak is today’s guest on “A Book and a Chat” talking about his debut novel “Hitler’s Silver Box”.

Dr Malnak after a long career in the medical profession retired to Florida, there he read one day about a course in writing fiction where Hollis Alpert, a well known novelist, biographer, short story editor and movie critic was to be the teacher.

Dr Malnak took these classes for a couple of years learning the writing trade through various assignments often ending up in the form of short stories.

One such subject was titled “A Silver Box.” And for some reason, Dr Malnak decided to write it about a concentration camp prisoner at the Theresienstadt Concentration Camp who was forced by a Nazi colonel to make a silver box which would be a present for Adolph Hitler. Thus started the journey to “Hitler’s Silver Box”

Perhaps it was not is strange for Dr Malnak to write about the such matters when you consider that when his Dad died of natural causes during the Second World War and immediately following the war, along with his late brother Lewis he began to try to track down his father’s European family. They wrote letters to everyone they could think of and after about a year received a detailed reply from the International Red Cross. Nazi records as well as witness reports indicated that all members of his dad’s family had been murdered either in or near Kovno or after transfer to a death camp. Every man, woman and child!... So, one entire side of my family was destroyed by the Nazis.

“Hitler’s Silver Box” is not just about the war and what went on, it a wonderful novel that is full of tension with a rich plot with numerous twists and turns and a variety of different conflicts as well as an engaging love subplot.
The style of the novel is clear, the structure is skilled, and the ending is satisfying

About “Hitler’s Silver Box”(Taken from blogcritics.org book review)

Dr. Allen Malnak’s Hitler’s Silver Box is a compelling thriller that will keep the reader glued to the pages of the book until the book is finished.

Max Bloomberg, an old bookseller, living in one of Chicago’s affluent suburbs is brutally murdered. However, Max suffered a lot of trials and tribulations even before he was murdered. The killers burned all of his holy books and forced him to turn over the silver box. But he refuses to give it to them. So, they murder Max.

Bruce, Max’s nephew, learns about his uncle’s murder and is devastated. Bruce becomes suspicious of the unexpected nature of the murder and knows in his heart that foul play must have been involved. What even adds to Bruce’s suspicions is that he learns that Max has been cremated. But an orthodox Jew would never want to be cremated. Then in a real twist the uncle leaves Bruce a lot of money and property which makes Bruce himself a suspect.

Things get much more complicated when Bruce starts searching for the journal that his uncle left. The reader is then transported to 1945 when Max was a prisoner in a concentration camp. Innocent people were killed all over the place and Bruce discovers that he must find the Silver Box before it is too late. The secret document is hidden within it, and it could the save the world from Nazi resurgence.

I can see this being a huge hit for Dr Malnak, and as he shared with us, he left some lose ends to “Hitler’s Silver Box” which are already forming into a follow up novel.

As one reviewer wrote…

"The characters in Hitler's Silver Box are quite intriguing and well developed. I recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in reading of events of the Holocaust or to anyone looking for a gripping, fast-paced novel."--

They recommended the book, and so do I.

So listen now and share an interesting,and entertaining thirty minutes with my guest Dr Allen Malnak.


If you have enjoyed the blog or the radio show, why not become a follower of the show?

Barry

Direct link to the show
A Book and a Chat with Dr Allen Malnak

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Dr Allen Malnak"

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:"Dr Allen Malnak - Hitler's Silver Box"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

A Book and a Chat with Kristina McMorris

The last time today’s guest Kristina McMorris was on the show we found out much about this talented author, how she had been host of weekly TV shows since age nine, including an Emmy® Award-winning program. We also learned the facts behind her debut novel “Letters from Home” which has since become a huge hit for her, bringing well deserved rave reviews.

We learned, how while interviewing her grandmother for a cookery book she was writing, she learned of her grandparents war time romance, sharing within “Letters From Home” not only some of what was in her Grandparents letters but also some of the recipes from war time America. The book was critically praised and was declared a must-read by Woman's Day magazine and achieved additional acclaim as a Reader's Digest Select Editions feature, a Doubleday/Literary Guild selection, and a 2011 Goodreads Choice Awards semifinalist for Best Historical Fiction.

Kristina’s new "Bridge of Scarlet Leaves" (March 2012) has already received glowing reviews from Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews, among many others.

About “Bridge of Scarlet Leaves” (Taken from Celticlady’s blog)

Los Angeles, 1941. Violinist Maddie Kern's life seemed destined to unfold with the predictable elegance of a Bach concerto. Then she fell in love with Lane Moritomo. Her brother's best friend, Lane is the handsome, ambitious son of Japanese immigrants. Maddie was prepared for disapproval from their families, but when Pearl Harbor is bombed the day after she and Lane elope, the full force of their decision becomes apparent. In the eyes of a fearful nation, Lane is no longer just an outsider, but an enemy.

When her husband is interned at a war relocation camp, Maddie follows, sacrificing her Juilliard ambitions. Behind barbed wire, tension simmers and the line between patriot and traitor blurs. As Maddie strives for the hard-won acceptance of her new family, Lane risks everything to prove his allegiance to America, at tremendous cost.

During the show Krisitna shared how her research for the book included visiting Manzanar relocation camp, talking to several Japanese American WWII vets who bravely served in a secret branch of the U.S. Army and a flight on a B-17 bomber. Also that the book included some more culinary details this time about Asian Fusion cooking. Mix this together and you get a book I highly recommend.

With comments such as those listed below already received, I am sure that with “Bridge of Scarlet Leaves” Kristina has another huge hit on her hands.

"This gripping story...hits all the right chords."
-- Publishers Weekly
.
"A sweeping yet intimate novel that will please both romantics and lovers of American history."
-- Kirkus Reviews

"An unputdownable love story...[McMorris'] attention to detail is meticulous, the East meets West clash between cultures--revelatory."
-- Lesley Kagen, New York Times bestselling author of Good Graces

"Readers of World War II fiction will devour [this] poignant, authentic story..."
-- Jenna Blum, international bestselling author of Those Who Save Us
.
"Impeccably researched and beautifully written...I highly recommend this book!"
-- Karen White, New York Times bestselling author of The Beach Trees

"Fascinating and moving...an absolute pleasure to read."
-- Whitney Otto, author of How to Make an American Quilt

"A beautiful, timeless love story...McMorris' words reach right of the page and grab at your heart."
-- Sarah Jio, author of The Violets of March

"An epic romance...I followed Maddie and Lane's fast-paced journey to unexpected places with my breath held and fingers crossed."
-- Margaret Dilloway, author of How to Be an American Housewife

So listen now and share an interesting,and entertaining thirty minutes with my guest Kristina McMorris.

If you have enjoyed the blog or the radio show, why not become a follower?

Barry

Direct link to the show
A Book and a Chat with Kristina McMorris

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Kristina McMorris"

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:"Kristina McMorris - Bridge of Scarlet Leaves"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

A Book and a Chat with Deby Eisenberg

Deby Eisenberg, is my guest on today’s “A Book and a Chat”. She is the leader of an established Chicago area Book Club, a former English teacher and journalist, loves literary research, art, architecture, Jewish history, and travel in the United States and Europe. You mix all of those together and you can why her debut book “Pictures of the Past” is such a formidable and “must read” novel.

Using her vision of a multi-generational love story that would inform as well as entertain, that would broaden the mind and open the heart. And with many authors, lead by her characters, Deby has with this book created something that will touch the hearts and keep the pages turning for many a reader.

About ”Pictures of the Past”
(Taken from “The Girl Who Stole the Eifel Towwer” Blog)

The novel takes us through generations of hardships, each unique to their era, beginning in modern-day Chicago where an Impressionist painting on display at the Art Institute, a treasure donated by celebrated philanthropist Taylor Woodmere, is charged as a Nazi theft. The claim takes us back to 1930s Paris, where the story of Taylor Woodmere truly begins. As he journeys to Europe on his first independent venture for the business of his forefathers we learn of the would-be fiancé he left behind, of his instantaneous connection with the city of Paris, of the Impressionist painting that captivates him and finally of his meeting with the German Sarah Berger.

Their blissful romance is beautifully depicted amid the simple treasures of the German country whilst the shroud of the Nazi regime lingers threateningly in the background, inevitably proceeding to wreak havoc on Taylor and Sarah’s dream world. Together – and apart – they face the garish realities of an unjust war and Sarah takes a centric role in the center of her terrorizing quandary as a Jewish woman alone in a perilous place. Woven betwixt their tale is the story of Rachel Gold, a young girl left pregnant and abandoned by Taylor’s son, Court, in the 1960s. In her quest to secure a better life for herself and her son, Jason (aka Rusty), she travels from Chicago to New York where she pursues a life of normalcy with Aunt Ida, a Holocaust survivor and great friend.

Through Ida’s connection to the life and times of Sarah Berger, and Rachel’s connection to the heroic Taylor Woodmere a bond is forged through the eras, weaving the history of one family and illuminating the tragedy of the Holocaust, a tragedy that still resonates through time and space to our world today.

As one reviewer put it…

Deby Eisenberg has combined a compelling story of love and loss during the Holocaust with a modern love story that is a must read for anyone who enjoys well-written fiction. Her command of the subject matter brings believability to her characters & makes you want to keep reading.

To me this is a must read, it covers all your emotions and wants in a good book. Deby’s challenge to herself was to write a novel that her avid readers could not put down and would love to discuss. With “Pictures of the Past” she has done that and so much more.

So listen now and share an interesting, and entertaining show as I chat with my special guest today on A Book and a Chat with Deby Eisenberg

Barry

Direct link to the show
A Book and a Chat with Deby Eisenberg

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Deby Eisenberg"

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Deby Eisenberg - Pictures Off The Past"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

A Book and a Chat with Irene L Pynn

Irene L Pynn author of the YA fantasy novel “From Light to Dark” is my guest on today’s “A Book and a Chat”. She did not really have a huge amount of choice than becoming an author being raised in a family of writers. Though her days were filled with a mix of Dr Who and Shakespeare, the fact that she almost made herself sick in first grade trying to turn herself into some magical figure might explain the fantasy link within the story.

Irene writes fantasy and light science fiction for adults, young adults, and children. Her work spans novels, plays, transmedia events, and more. Most of her work focuses on internal conflicts told through speculative metaphors.

She got the idea for this her debut YA novel while watching a Cirque du Soleil performance of Varekai. It began with an Icarus-like fall, but, instead of dying, the Icarus character ends up in a magical world below where he encounters strange creatures. Taking this idea and blending the different worlds with a touch of Romeo and Juliet, Irene created the star-crossed Eref and Caer in From Light to Dark.

About “From Light to Dark” (taken from Amazon)

“Her voice was like flower petals falling on wet grass.”

Eref is about to die. He sits at the End of Light World, accepting his stoning execution one rock at a time, until the impossible happens: the ground opens up beneath him, and he drops down into the unknown.

There, he meets Caer, a kind-hearted girl from Dark World who saves his life. Together, the pair forms an unlikely and illegal bond that not even the strongest hatred can break. But can their connection bring down the evil institution that has kept Light World and Dark World at odds for hundreds of years?

As one reviewer put it…

“Irene L. Pynn is a phenomenal storyteller who immerses the reader in the thick tapestry of her extraordinary worlds. Again, we are introduced to a fantasy author who plunges our senses into stories that spirit us away from the daily grind and transport us into realms where honor builds heroes, beauty is birthed from dignity, and magic solves our problems. Reading Pynn isn't a pastime, it's a life choice." Ron Gavalik, author of the Grit City emotobook series.

The book as everything love, action, magic, mythology, some violence, fantasy, puzzles, riddles and great characters, add to that an amazing cover and you get “From Light to Dark” is a book not to be missed.

So listen now and share an interesting, and entertaining show as I chat with my special guest today on A Book and a Chat with Irene L Pynn

Barry

Direct link to the show
A Book and a Chat with Irene L Pynn

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Irene L Pynn"

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Irene L Pynn - From Light to Dark"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

A Book and a Chat with Stephen Labossiere

My guest on tonight’s “A Book and a Chat” is Stephan Labossiere.

Stephan is a man on a mission, that is to help men and women experience more successful and authentic relationships.

He knows firsthand how challenging the male and female dynamic can be and strives to bridge the gap of communication between the sexes. The only male in a family of three older sisters, one of whom is his twin, Stephan has learned early on to take the time to understand and embrace the inner workings of a woman’s mind.

Stephan grew up in Miami, Fl before moving to and settling in Atlanta, Ga.
He has worked as an entrepreneur for the past ten years and, most recently, has served as a Life Coach as well as a relationship consultant to married and dating couples.
In addition, Stephan is a motivational speaker conducting speaking engagements with topics such as personal and spiritual growth, financial stability and relationships. How To Get A Married Woman To Have Sex With You…If You’re Her Husband is his first book in a series aimed to break down the barriers and turn the battle of the sexes into nothing more than a pillow fight with a mutually pleasing ending.

About How To Get A Married Woman To Have Sex With You…If You’re Her Husband: (Midwest Book Review)

The ring was easy. The sex is the hard part. How to Get a Married Woman to Have Sex With You...If You're Her Husband is a humorous guide to relationships and sex from Stephan Labossiere to the wonderful nonexistent world of married sex. With plenty of advice for keeping the fire alive and understanding one another through it all, How to Get a Married Woman to Have Sex With You , is a useful and much recommended read for those who see the pursuit of lust only getting harder under the bonds of matrimony. -----The Midwest Book Review

As one reviewer put it…

… It's really a good idea for both men and women to read it and don't worry, for those men out there that would rather have their lips stapled shut than read a book about relationships and women it's only 85 pages. I'm sure you can handle that. I'm going to tie mine to a chair and make him read it!

With a second book in the series already underway also a book for single woman, I am sure Stephan will be helping many more people with his writing.

So listen now and share an interesting, and entertaining show as I chat with my special guest today on A Book and a Chat with Stephen Labossiere

Barry

Direct link to the show
A Book and a Chat with phen Labossiere

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Stephen Labossiere"

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Stephen Labossiere - How To Get A Married Woman To Have Sex With You…If You’re Her Husband"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

A Book and a Chat with Noah Baird

I haven't laughed this hard since 1967." Said Genny "Honu" LaFontaine, one of the reviewers of my guest Noah Baird and his debut book “Donations to Clarity”. We don’t know what made her laugh in 1967, but as anybody who listened to tonight’s “A Book and a Chat” vouch the author and his debut book are certainly things to exercise your chuckle bone.

No failed to get into clown school because of his grades but did get into the navy for fourteen years. Now I’m not sure if that just shows how hard it is to be a clown, or how many failed clowns there might be in the navy. After that as he shared with us during the show he went on to try and be a standup comedian, in Hawaii, working for food, in a dry club, often as we heard trying to tell jokes to a non English speaking audience. Still as we now know, he did have a boat named after one of his joke punch lines… (You’ll have to listen to the show to find out just what that was.)

About Donations to Clarity:

The plan was simple: hoax Bigfoot, then sell tours to Bigfoot enthusiasts. The plan wasn't brilliant, and neither were Harry, Earl, and Patch. The three chemical-abusing friends only wanted to avoid the 9 to 5 rat race, but their antics attract the attention of a real Bigfoot. When the misogynistic Earl is mistaken for a female Bigfoot by the nearsighted creature and captured; it is just the beginning of their problems.

The U.S. Government has a plan to naturalize the mythical creatures living within the U.S. borders. The problem is the plan needs to be carried out carefully. You can't just drop little green men and Sasquatch in the middle of Walmart without warning Ma and Pa Taxpayer. The naturalization program is not ready to be set into motion, and the rogue Bigfoot is bringing too much attention to itself, including a feisty investigative reporter who uncovers the truth of the government conspiracy and two Bigfoot researchers. No longer able to contain the situation, government agents are tasked with eliminating the Bigfoot and all witnesses.

Between bong hits and water balloon fights, Harry and Patch come up with a plan to save Earl and the lovestruck Bigfoot. Where do you hide a giant, mythical creature? In an insane asylum, because who is going to listen to them?

Along the way through this fun romp you’ll learn how Star Wars was a government training film for children, and the real truth behind Elvis meeting President Nixon,

As another reviewer put it

“… The implausible plot doesn't seem far-fetched for very long and the incredible characters are super-glued in my brain forever. If you want to take a rib-tickling ride, read this book! I think it will be the first of many amazing and zany novels to come from Noah Baird. I certainly hope so!"

I second that wish.

So listen now and share an interesting, and entertaining show as I chat with my special guest today on A Book and a Chat with Noah Baird

Barry

Direct link to the show
A Book and a Chat with Noah Baird

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Noah Baird"

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Noah Baird - Donations to Clarity"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

A Book and a Chat with Helen Laibach

My guest on today’s “A Book and a Chat” is Helen Laibach, always interested in writing she eventually graduated in psychology.

She quickly realized that her plans to be a “Marriage, child, and family counselor” did not suit her temperament. So instead she began a family and chose a more satisfying career as an executive assistant. Helen is an avid reader and very talented nature photographer.

She wrote her debut book “A Soul Less Broken” over eleven years ago, though after the days of rejections both in having the book published and getting an agent, the book, then under another name laid on the shelf.

This was not forgotten by her son who at least once a year asked his mother “So Mom, when are you going to publish your book?”

As times change and publishing with the development of e-books and the internet independent publishing has become much easier and much more common and that was the route she decided to take.

About “A Soul Less Broken”:

It's about the struggles and triumphs of the main character Catherine, as she recovers from being brutally attacked and left for dead.

She falls in love with the emergency room physician who treats her, but quickly realizes that she is so emotionally scarred from the attack that her only choice is to push away the one man who truly loves her.

Then just when her life is finally beginning to heal, she learns that her dearest friend has terminal cancer. So it's about love, loss, the enduring strength of friendship between women, and the power of love.

At the end of the day, love really can overcome anything.

As “Pacific Book Reviews” put it…

"... In Laibach's skillful hands, the psychological impacts are brought home in a frightening way. Its characters will touch readers at a deep level. Yes, this book is also a love story, but certainly not in the conventional sense. It will haunt you long after you turn the final page..."

As we learned during the show, a follow up novel “A Soul to be Forgiven” is already underway and I’m sure we’ll hear a lot more from this talented author.

So listen to an interesting and hugely entertaining show as I spend thirty minutes sharing "A Book and a Chat with Helen Laibach".

Barry

Direct link to the show
"A Book and a Chat with Helen Laibach"

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Helen Laibach"

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Helen Laibach - A Soul Less Broken"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

A Book and a Chat with Carole Eglash-Kosoff.

My guest on today’s “A Book and a Chat” is Carole Eglash-Kosoff, Carol graduated from UCLA spent her career in the apparel industry and teaching fashion retail, marketing, and sales at the college level.

Following the death of her husband, she volunteered to teach in South Africa. In 2006 her first book, The Human Spirit – Apartheid's Unheralded Heroes, which tells the true stories of an amazing men and women who have devoted their lives during the worst years of apartheid to help the children, the elderly, and the disabled of the townships. These people cared when no one else did and their efforts continue to this day. South Africa though is just one of the seventy countries Carole has visited.

She is an avid student of history, and she researched about the decades preceding and following the Civil War for nearly two years, including time in Louisiana, the setting for her novel “When Stars Align”.

About “When Stars Align”

When Stars Align, is set in 19th century Louisiana, at a time and place where mixed-race relationships are both illegal and unacceptable. How can these defiant lovers–and their love–survive? The time is a crucial period in American history–the Civil War and the years of Reconstruction following it–and the characters are Thaddeus and Amy, who share a forbidden love that can get them both killed. For he is a mulatto ex-slave, and she is white. In the novel, whenever Amy asks if she and Thaddeus will ever be together, his answer is “When stars align.”

Carole has received some fantastic reviews for her book, as one person wrote…

This is an incredibly well written book about the death of a civilization and the struggles to survive in the new era. Carole Eglash-Kosoff successfully incorporates the primary thoughts of plantation owners, slaves, and visitors in the South to powerfully illustrate in a straightforward manner what plantation life really felt like. The dialogue is simply smashing. The characters are realistic and resonate on a soulfully deep level. She makes you feel what each character felt, especially the love that Thaddeus and Amy have for one another; a love which could have them killed. The end of the story isn't a traditional happy ending, and you will really feel the strong bond Thaddeus and Amy had for one another. Carole Eglash-Kosoff makes you feel sympathetic to people with totally different values from your own, which is by no means an easy feat. When Stars Align should not be missed, particularly for those who enjoy historical fiction.

With a follow up novel “Winds of Change” already in the editing state, I’m sure the name Carole Eglash-Kosoff is one that will continue to be seen on book shelves.

So listen to an interesting and hugely entertaining show as I spend thirty minutes sharing "A Book and a Chat with Carole Eglash-Kosoff"

Barry

Direct link to the show
"A Book and a Chat with Carole Eglash-Kosoff".

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Carole Eglash-Kosoff"

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Carole Eglash-Kosoff - When Stars Align"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

A Book and a Chat with Meg Moseley

It's my pleasure to have as a guest on today’s show Meg Moseley and her debut novel "When Sparrows Fall".

As a girl she wanted to be a writer, in fact as she shared with us on the show it was in her blood, her grandmother is said to have helped the family through the depression with her writings.

However it was not until she had nearly finished her career as a home school mom that she could devote much time to writing fiction. She says it took the scenic route to publication, with many slowdowns and detours along the way, but it was worth the wait.

Yes it was worth the wait and the debut book she has produced “When Sparrows Fall” is a novel that has been worth waiting for.

About “When Sparrows Fall”

Miranda Hanford, an isolated homeschooling widow, needs to break her ties to a cultic group. Jack Hanford, her estranged brother-in-law, is an outspoken professor who helps in her hour of need but challenges her choices at every turn. Miranda wants safety and security for her children; Jack values freedom above security but doesn't understand that breaking free may cost Miranda everything, including her children.
(Thanks to Linda Clare's Writing Tips for the review)

While you might expect the book perhaps to be preachy, or sugar coated robots terrorized by a spiritual leader and that is more than just a book that would only appeal to Christians. In fact it’s a lot more than that showing the importance of perceived safety and freedom, love and forgiveness, and the ever-strengthening ties of a family.

It is a book that would be great for discussion groups for instance, with humor intermixed with romance and religion, and don’t forget the sometimes sticky subject of home schooling.

With a second book already in the editing stage...

(Sneak review… teenager lost her father to a deep mountain lake. His body was never recovered. Now, nine years later, it seems he might have faked his drowning and fled to the wilderness. As she and her closest friends search for answers, they uncover memories of a mysterious event in their childhood that might explain everything but might also break their hearts.)

I’m sure we will hear a lot more of Meg Moseley

So listen to an interesting and hugely entertaining show as I spend thirty minutes sharing "A Book and a Chat with today Meg Moseley"

Barry

Direct link to the show
"A Book and a Chat with Meg Moseley".

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Meg Moseley"

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Meg Moseley - When Sparrows Fall"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

A Book and a Chat with Nell Walton

My guest on today’s show is Nell Walton. She has degrees in journalism and biology from the University of Arkansas, spent many years as a professional journalist and worked as an intern for former President Bill Clinton when he was governor of Arkansas.

Nell as well as being founder and managing editor of the online equestrian news magazine, The AllHorses Post (www.allpetspost.org/allhorsespost), is now the author of the terrific “western mystery” The Bone Trail.

I say Western mystery, but her debut novel is a whole lot more than that.
The Bone Trail does not fit neatly into any genre. It is set in the West, but is not a classic Western. It has romantic elements, but is not a classic romance. It has fantasy elements, but is not a fantasy. It centers around horses, but it is not a horse opera!

About “The Bone Trail”

The Bone Trail is the story of investigative journalist and horsewoman, Kate Wyndham, who is sent to northern Nevada to do a story on the disappearance of two wild horse advocates. When Wyndham attempts to gain information from the FBI and local authorities she is stonewalled. She turns to Jim Ludlow (who has been called the Sexiest Man in Print (SMIP)!, a local rancher who lives on an Indian Reservation near where the advocates disappeared. Ludlow, a Shoshone Indian horse “whisperer” agrees to try to help Wyndham and they begin a search for answers that may cost them everything the hold dear – it may even cost them their lives.

The story as we heard during the program was inspired by two actual events, which molded into such a great story that people are already clamoring for a follow up novel. So am sure we will hear a lot more of Nell Walton.

So listen to an interesting and hugely entertaining show as I spend thirty minutes sharing "A Book and a Chat with Nell Walton"

Barry

Direct link to the show
"A Book and a Chat with Nell Walton".

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Nell Walton"

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
" Nell Walton - The Bone Trail"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

A Book and a Chat with Hannah Dennison

My guest today, Hannah Dennison was born and raised in England, but like myself now lives in the US. Her journey to becoming an author has led her in many different directions.

Hannah began her writing career as trainee reporter on a small West Country newspaper but soon got bitten by the travel bug. For a decade she worked as a flight attendant on private jets before moving to Los Angeles with her daughter and two cats. After several years as a story analyst in the entertainment industry, Hannah switched to long form narrative and enrolled in the UCLA Writer's Program. Hannah still works full-time for a west coast advertising company.


Her experiences being the “cub” reporter on the small news paper (mainly doing the funerals and wedding) is an obvious background “Vicky Hill” series of books, though one wonders what sort of book her diaries might make, that is if she could work out the code she used for some of them.

Vicky Hill first made the literary light of day in 2008 when Hannah produced her first book “A Vicki Hill Exclusive”, which was followed by two more in the series , “Scoop!” and “Expose!”

Vicky Hill is an aspiring investigative journalist whose two challenges in life are to escape the boredom of funeral reporting (we know where that came from) for the Gipping Gazette. The second is to lose her virginity-a heavy burden for a woman of twenty-three. Add to that the fact that her parents are silver thieves wanted by the Interpol, sprinkle in some not well known English pastimes, and a sense of humor and you have the ingredients for a mystery, romance and a read that will keep you turning the pages.

From worm charming to snail racing Hannah has introduced her readers to some of the less known of English pastimes, and in her latest book “Thieves” she continues with this educating her readers. A Vicky Hill adventure wouldn't be the same without introducing an unusual British hobby to her readers.

In "Thieves," we meet the usual suspects-hedge jumpers, hedge cutters, snail racers and a naked farmer or two, but it's Morris Dancing that really grips the townsfolk of Gipping-on-Plym this time around.

About Thieves:

When a slew of silver thefts hit the small town of Gipping-on-Plym, it's up to aspiring investigative journalist Vicky Hill to figure out if the culprits are gypsies, tramps, or thieves…

Unaware that their temporary dwelling is also serving as the official gathering site for the upcoming annual "Morris Dance-a-thon," the gypsies set up their illegal campground at The Grange, much to the dismay of almost everyone in town. And when silver is stolen shortly after the gypsies arrive, blaming the despised nomads makes more than a little sense.

But when the body of an unnamed woman is found in a shallow stream, Vicky suspects there's a connection between the murder and the recent silver thefts. And since both her boss and the local police refuse to investigate, Vicky takes on the case by herself. It's a criminal conundrum suited only for the mind of Vicky Hill, and she's determined to uncover the answers and clinch her fourth national exclusive!


With another novel already underway, this time introducing “tar barrel racing” (yes I know about that event as well, but do you?) and soon to have her series launched in England, I am sure that the name Hannah Dennison will soon be on every book shop and libraries shelves.

So sit back and listen to today's interesting and entertaining show as I host today's "A Book and a Chat with Hannah Dennison".

Barry

Direct link to the show
"A Book and a Chat with Hannah Dennison".

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Hannah Dennison"

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Hannah Dennison - Thieves"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

A Book and a Chat with Jame Richards

I was due to have today’s guest on my show previously but it had to be cancelled at the last moment, so I was very pleased to be able to have Jame Richards back as a guest on my show today. We were not let down, and learned much about my guest and her debut book “Three Rivers Rising”.

Jame was the winner of the PEN New England Children's Book Caucus 2008 Susan P. Bloom Discovery Award and nominated for the ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults 2011 list.

It seems others knew Jame was destined to be a writer before she herself did, as growing up she was the one always chosen to do the narration. Her early artistic endeavors were aimed more towards visual arts, until adults told her there was no market for pencil-on-paper drawings, and even less for crayon-on-coloring-book pages, though she would have been a dab hand at designing pajamas. If not that in another little tidbit that Jame shared with us, naming nail varnish or lipstick colors.

Her book “Three Rivers Rising” she has described in these ten words…

“Cross-class romance, disowning, power, accountability, action, disaster, change, rebuilding”

But it is a whole lot more.

The book written in a lyrical sometimes poetic format that floats the reader along through a story you never stop wanting to read.

So what about “Three Rivers Rising” ?

It is set in the late 1800s when railroads were connecting disparate regions of the U.S. and demand for steel was high.

Sixteen-year-old Celestia spends every summer with her family at the elite resort at Lake Conemaugh, a shimmering Allegheny Mountain reservoir held in place by an earthen dam. Tired of the society crowd, Celestia prefers to swim and fish with Peter, the hotel’s hired boy. It’s a friendship she must keep secret, and when companionship turns to romance, it’s a love that could get Celestia disowned. These affairs of the heart become all the more wrenching on a single, tragic day in May, 1889.

After days of heavy rain, the dam fails, unleashing 20 million tons of water onto Johnstown, Pennsylvania, in the valley below. The town where Peter lives with his father. The town where Celestia has just arrived to join him.

This searing novel in poems explores a cross-class romance—and a tragic event in U.S. history where over 2000 people lost their lives.

The show was full of interest and advice, as well as a brief insite into what Jame is currently writing.

So sit back and enjoy today’s “A Book and a Chat with Jame Richards”

Barry

Direct link to the show
"A Book and a Chat with Jame Richards"

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Jame Richards"

You can find out more about my guest and their book at:
"Jame Richards - Three Rivers Rising"


Don't Forget November is MALE YA MONTH



Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry