It’s Monday! What Are You Reading is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between! D This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!
Another week I didn't do so well...
I'm still reading...
and listening to...
Next up? This one is still waiting in the wings for me.
If you'd like to participate with The Sunday Salon, just click the button above.
Wow, I just went to check when I did the last Sunday Salon and it was to wrap up August! Now, September is over. I feel like I'm in a race and can't catch up. I'm getting nowhere fast - I have so much catching up on reviews, blogging, etc. There just aren't enough hours in a day, are there?
I didn't have a very good September. I didn't read as much as I would have liked, although I loved everything I read. So, I guess September is about quality not quantity for me :)
I didn't review Driving Mr. Yogi. It was a great audio, though. I just decided that I'm not going to necessarily review everything (unless, of course, it's a requested review). I read Driving Mr. Yogi for my own enjoyment. I don't read enough books for my own enjoyment, so I decided to give myself a break and not always review the "enjoyment" books.
I'm hardly even paying attention to the reading challenges I signed up for at the beginning of the year, but whenever a book I read fits, I add it to my challenges. I'll see where I end up with those at the end of the year.
I have many, many blog tours coming up. I've been listing them in my sidebar, but I'll eventually have a tab at the top and put them there so I can post all the lovely tour banners.
I'm participating in Blog Fest 2012 and today's the last day to enter. I'm giving away two cozy mysteries, both of them I loved. The link to enter is in my sidebar.
Now, it's time for me to get ready to go back to work tomorrow. Why do the weekends go so quickly?
The Socrates' Book Review Blog is participating in this year's Blogfest 2012! Since I'm a huge cozy mystery fan, I thought I'd give away two cozies that I loved and happen to have extra copies to spare :)
One winner will win both books. If you'd like to try your luck, here's a few rules...
1) US Residents only.
2) Fill in the form below and include a valid email address.
3) For an extra entry, follow my blog.
4) For an extra entry: Follow me on twitter (check the sidebar for the button to click)
5) If you blog about the giveaway on your blog, you get 2 extra entries!
6) For two extra entries, tweet about this giveaway.
The giveaway will begin on Friday, September 28th at 12:01 AM, est. and end on Monday, October 1st at 12:01 AM, est. I will contact the winner by email. If I don't get a response within 3 days, another winner will be chosen.
This is a fun meme and it's hosted by Hilary at Feeling Beachie. Check out her lovely blog, if you'd like to participate.
This week’s statements
1.When I was little I was called very shy (and still am!)
2. M&M's are my favorite candy
3. If I could have one magical power it would be to be speedy (I'd be able to clean the entire house in a matter of seconds and be able to read 1000's of books a year - LOL)
4. If I could go back to school it would be to become a nurse. I always wanted to do that.
If you'd like to join in on Booking Through Thursday, just click the button above.
This week's question...
Do you bring the book(s) you’re reading with you when you go out? How?
Physically, or in an e-reader of some kind? Have your habits in this
regard changed? (I know I carried books with me more when I was in
school than I do now–I can’t read while I’m driving to work, after
all.)
My answer...
Yes, I always carry books. Depending on my current read - if it's on my Kindle or Nook, I'll take that with me. If it's a print book, I'll take that. I've always carried my current read with me - I figure I never know when I'll be waiting for something and have some time to kill. It doesn't happen often, but I like to be prepared :)
Welcome to the weekly meme that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of cats! Enjoy! This fun meme is hosted by The True Book Addict. Go over to her site to join in the fun.
If you'd like to play along on Teaser Tuesdays, just click the button above.
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
This week I'm reading...
Kazu Ito was dead. That was the only fact that really mattered, the only fact that had a family in the Seattle suburb of South Renton screaming for justice and weeping for consolation. The rest of the story was a distraction.
If you'd like to play along on Musing Mondays, just click the button above to join in.
This week’s musing asks…
Do you have any hobbies outside of reading? Or do you collect anything?
My answer...
Besides reading, I like to watch TV and movies. Is that a hobby? I sometimes cross stitch, but I haven't done that in awhile. As for collections, I collect various different cat items like statues and knick knacks. Plus, I have a collection of dolls - different Barbies and porcelain dolls, also teddy bears. I haven't added to these collections in a long time, but I do have a nice amount that I already collected over the years.
How about you? Do you have other hobbies or collections?
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between! D This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!
Thanks to a messy divorce, Reagan Summerside is left broke and the center of gossip in Savannah, Georgia. All she has left is a broken down Victorian house and a collection of designer clothes. Desperately trying to get her feet back on the ground, she turns part of her home into a consignment shop called Prissy Fox featuring her collection of clothes. It doesn’t take long for her shop to be a success, but things take a nasty turn.
Her ex-husband’s young girlfriend turns up dead in the trunk of a Lexus. Did I mention that it’s the same Lexus Reagan lost in the divorce settlement? Did I mention that Reagan was the one who was driving the Lexus and found the dead body in the trunk? The evidence all points towards her ex and he’s immediately thrown in jail. Reagan doesn’t know what to believe, but when she learns he’s going to sell her Victorian home to pay for his legal expenses, she’s furious. His lawyer, Walker Boone, is the same one who made sure Reagan was left with nothing in the divorce settlement.
Reagan isn’t about to lose everything this time. She’s determined to find the killer so her ex won’t incur anymore legal expenses and will leave her home alone. Walker has his own investigation going and the two of them clash at every turn.
This is the first book of Duffy Brown’s “A Consignment Shop Mystery” series. It’s off to an amazing start with a very strong female lead. She’s not about to lose everything she worked for and wait for someone else to save her. She takes the bull by the horns and does it herself. She even gets herself a cute dog named Bruce Willis or BW for short.
The town is filled with zany characters and each one has something to hide. Reagan and Walker have their work cut out for them. One other character I must mention is Reagan’s Aunt KiKi. She not only helps Reagan run her consignment shop, but she helps her track down a murderer. She, also, has a Cher quote for every occasion which keeps me laughing.
The story is fast-paced and there’s a hint of romance tossed in the middle between Reagan and Walker. I’m looking forward to seeing if this relationship leads to anything. It has the makings of a sizzling romance.
I love a book that takes you into their world and away from your own hectic and stressful life. That’s what Iced Chiffon did for me and I’m more than ready to read book two. A fun cozy mystery that cozy fans will devour!
5 out of 5 kitties!
FTC Disclosure: The author provided me with a copy of this book to review. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own. For reading challenge:
1)What made you choose to write a cozy mystery?Have you written other genres?
I wrote romance for twenty years. Always there was a mystery in the romances and I realized I started liking the mystery part more than the romance. But I’m not into blood and gore. Part of by bio reads…While others girls dreamed of dating Brad Pitt, Duffy longed to take Sherlock Holmes to the prom. Read Sherlock when I was a kid, love the new BBC Sherlock, and even have Sherlok as my license plate. I think I need therapy!
2)2)Can you tell us something about the “Consignment Shop Mysteries”?How did you come up with the idea?Do you know how many books there will be in the series?
There are three books so far in the series: Iced Chiffon, Killer in Crinolines, Pearls and
Poison. Consignment Shop mysteries takes place in Savannah so you have the Southern flavor to the books and titles.
They say, write what you know. I work in a consignment shop…The Snooty Fox…and love it! So many great deals and great people. No dead people in the dressing rooms!
3)Are you planning to start any other cozy series?
I’m getting ready to submit a new series this week. It’s set on Mackinac Island and the sleuth is from Chicago…nothing like the Consignment shop series. If Berkley takes the series I’ll tell you more about it.
4)Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?
I’ve always thought about stories, making them up in my head, telling stories to my kids. I remember once asking my husband… So, what kind of stories do you think about? He looked at me like I was nuts.I assumed everyone thought about stories like I did. I didn’t start writing till the last of my four kids got in school.
5)As a child, did you read much?What types of books did you read?
I love Nancy Drew. Read the Secret in the Old Clock a bazillion times. I have my copy sitting right next to me now. Looking sort of beat up after all these years but want a book! Nancy was the first real female hero who didn’t wait around to let a man do the job. I loved that part most of all. I read the Hardy Boys and then Agatha and Sherlock.
6)If you could recommend one book or author to our readers, what would it be?
Janet Evanovich, the Stephanie Plum series, One for the Money. I’ve read it so many times the pages are falling out of the book! The series is up to nineteen or so but the first three are brilliant…IMO.
7)Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
Never give up! I’ve been at this for twenty years and have never seen the pub world as tough as it is now. Things will shake out. Also, after you write the first book and send it off, don’t sit around and wait to see what happens to it, start the second book! Editors always ask…So, what else do you have. You always want to have that next book to hand them.
8)How did it feel when you first learned you’d be a published author?What was your first published book?
It took me nine years to get published and I was just tired. People ask how did you keep at it for all that time? I had so much time and effort in trying to get published I couldn’t quit and throw it all away. Plus, I’m a big believer in the Ten-thousand Hour rule…you have to do something for the-thousand hours before you good at it. I’m finally getting the hang of telling a good story…I hope!
9)Can you give us a preview of upcoming books to look for?
Iced Chiffon: To pay for rehabbing the dilapidated Victorian house she loves, Reagan Summerside opens the Prissy Fox consignment shop on the first floor and gets involved in the lives of her Savannah customers, neighbors, ex husband and the attorney who screwed her over in the divorce.
Killer in Crinolines: When Reagan Summerside is asked to make an emergency bowtie delivery for a wedding, she finds the groom face-down in five-tiers of icing and fondant, a cake knife in his back and her good friend and local UPS driver accused of the murder. Can Reagan find the real killer without winding up in the local swamp as alligator meat? Will Walker Boone, pain-in-the ass attorney and once-upon-a-time gang member, help her out or feed her to the alligators himself?
10)How about booksignings?Any coming up?
I’m doing book fairs: Books on the Banks in Cincy in October, KentuckyBook
Fair in November,and Buckeye Book Fair in October.
Thank you for taking the time visit with us, Duffy!
Thank you!
Go Cozies!!!
Hugs, Duffy
Book/Tote Bag/T-Shirt Giveaway!
And now...thanks to author Duffy Brown - I can offer one book to one lucky reader in a book giveaway. There will be an additional prize for a second winner. The 2nd place winner will get a tote bag and t-shirt.
Here are a few simple rules!
1) U.S. and Canada Residents Only!
2) Fill out the form below with a valid email address.
3) For an extra entry, leave a comment for Duffy here.
4) For an extra entry, please follow this blog (please let me know how you follow - older followers are fine, too!)
5) For an extra two entries, post this giveaway on your blog.
6) For an extra entry, follow me on Twitter. (Check the sidebar for my link!)
7) For an extra two entries, tweet about this giveaway.
That's it...the giveaway begins on Sunday, September 23rd (midnight est time) and ends on Sunday, September 30th.
A winner will be chosen using Rafflecopter. I will send an email to the winner, who must respond within 3 days or a new winner will be chosen.
Week #3 winner of a tote bag and t-shirt to honor the upcoming release of Iced Chiffon by Duffy Brown is...
Bette L.
Congratulations Bette and thanks to all who participated.
If you didn't win this time, never fear - we have a brand new Iced Chiffon giveaway going on. This time there will be two winners. The first will win a paperback copy of the book and the other will get a tote bag and t-shirt. Even if you've entered the previous promo giveaways, you have to enter again to qualify for the new giveaway!
“The evils of the World in which Anaxagoras shall come will be caused by the unworthy people of the world. Our race shall come unto the Earth and bravely wage war with them . . .”
In 2021, the Vampires attacked Earth and decimated the human population. After a fierce and bloody battle, war commander John Howe led the forced evacuation of the humans to the gigantic orbiting space station Regnum, and the human refugees have been there ever since.
Then one day, General Howe’s orphan nephew, Alexander, uncovers a terrible secret about his past — and that he may be the subject of prophesy.
“Two decades later, a new kind of evil, a Falsifier, shall come unto the Earth . . .”
The boy’s world is turned upside down when Gareng, the Vampiric General, reveals his own family ties to Alexander. As the two grow closer, Gareng begins to question the wisdom of his people waging Vampiric war on the humans. But Gareng’s own son will stop at nothing to seize control and eliminate the humans once and for all . . .
“There will be a second coming of Anaxagoras, when the sun is blocked by the moon . . .”
After learning his true origins, Alexander finds himself in an impossible situation: he must choose whether his allegiance lies with his mother’s people, or with his father’s — and condemn the other to certain doom.
“In the End of Days, the Falsifier shall challenge Anaxagoras for the fate of the world...”
But migra is thicker than water, and as Alexander embraces his role as Falsifier, he begins to hope that there could be another way.
Can Alexander forge a peace between the two warring factions — could he and Gareng ever convince the Vampires to agree — or will prophecy reach its bloody final chapter as Earth is plunged again into unrelenting war?
Excerpt
Chapter 1
Blessed Mother and Child
The year 2025
It was past young Alex's bedtime and his mother came by his room to tuck him in. He said to his mother, "Mom, since it's my birthday, will you tell me a story, please?"
"Yes, dear, I will," she said sweetly to him, patting his back as he lay down on his bed, and she tucked him in. "This is a legend about a world different from ours. It was a world filled with people like us, and was bigger than the Monolith of Faith, and had a great big round shape."
Alex's eyes widened; he had never known of anything bigger than the Monolith of Faith. It was the largest monument in his world.
"It had large amounts of water, which separated places as big as our world. The people there were many, who dwelled in peace and harmony, until one day flying humans, the vampires, killed them and took over their world."
"Mommy," interrupted Alex, "What are vampires?"
"They're these monstrous creatures, who have long teeth and—"
"As long as my teeth?"
"No, even longer." Alex was perplexed. Everyone at his school made fun of him because of his long teeth, but now he was amazed that there were people who had longer teeth than his. Unfortunately, such people existed only in his mother's myths and legends, not in real life. "Anyway, they also were able to use powers, which burned the trees, and kill humans by drinking their blood."
"Wait a minute, what are trees?" he asked in confusion.
"They are like O2s*," answered Minerva.
"Are they still alive?" asked Alex curiously.
"Yes, they are," said his mother, with anger and sadness in her eyes.
"What happened to the other humans?"
"Go to bed, it is too late now," she said in a hushed voice, and then kissed him on the forehead.
* In Alex's world, the trees were given a special name due to their extraordinary properties.
Paperback
Price: $12.99
Publisher: AJ International Press
ISBN: 9780984752201
Pages: 131
Release: 2007
Rishabh Jain's Bio
Rishabh Jain was born in the city of Kanpur, in India, in 1990. From a young age, he displayed remarkable traits of creativity and inventiveness. When a young boy of 8 or 9 years old, Rishabh left his father (himself an electrical engineer) shocked and speechless one day, when he managed to make an asymmetrical and unbalanced structure made of blocks, with which he was very fond of playing, stand stable for 2 to 3 minutes, blissfully unaware that the laws of physics and mechanics made it impossible.
Rishabh entered Pathways World School in 2003, an International Baccaulaureate School on the outskirts of New Delhi, in the 8th Grade. Here, his multidisciplinary talents and interests blossomed in the creative environment of an International Level School. He was awarded an Academic Merit Scholarship from Pathways World School, for the academic years 2004-05 and 2005-06 (his 9th & 10th Grades). Being an absolutely ardent fan of and enamored by the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and the Harry Potter series, it was his dream to write a story of his own as a “Trilogy.” This was the inspiration from which he conceived the genesis and plot of this current book The Red Serpent Trilogy, and he finally realized his dream and completed the book in 2006 and was issued the copyright to the same in January of 2007.
Rishabh completed his High School (10th Grade) in 2006, with an award of Distinction from IGCSE, Cambridge. He participated in “Harvard Model Congress Asia” (a three-day student conference organized by Harvard University, where selected students were invited from around the world to take part in simulations of the United States Congress) in Bangkok, in September 2006. He also was a participant in Ryan International School’s Indian Model United Nations (INMUN) in 2006, which was a three-day simulation of the United Nations, wherein he received a Certificate of Achievement.
While studying for the International Baccaulaureate Diploma (11th & 12th Grades) in the same school, Rishabh participated in and won 1st prize in two competitions (one for extempore speaking and the other for debate) in VIVUM Bangalore (India). He also built a Bio-Gas plant during a Community Service Project in a village of Rajasthan near Rathambore National Park. Rishabh was democratically elected by the student body for a period of two years (2007 & 2008) as a member of the Student Council (consisting of a total of twelve members representing the whole school) — a most responsible and keenly contested and coveted position.
Due to the peer recognition of his multidisciplinary talents in Creative Writing, English, Literature, and General Knowledge, and his unique ability to relate to people, Rishabh was also elected as the Editor of the Annual School Magazine Rewind. In June 2007, Rishabh participated in “GLOBAL YOUNG LEADERS CONFERENCE” (GYLC) in Washington & New York. This was a global conference, where approximately 200 international students from various countries around the globe were invited to attend. The conference lasted two weeks, with one in Washington and one in New York. He was awarded “Youth Leadership Award” in recognition of meritorious achievement in scholarship, leadership and citizenship.
Due to his exemplary performance in GYLC in 2007, he was invited to attend a week-long program, and as a special guest among a very few selected international students, attended the appointment and swearing-in ceremony of Barack Obama, the 44th President of the USA, in January 2009. After earning his International Baccaulaureate Diploma (11th & 12th Grades) in 2008, from among a large number of offers from various prestigious Universities, Rishabh entered the Mechanical Engineering program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he presently resides and is currently pursuing his engineering degree. Amid his grueling schedule of Engineering studies, Rishabh has almost completed a 2nd book, which is a space science fiction adventure & love story.
Rishabh Jain's Web Site: (coming soon)
http://the-red-serpent-trilogy.com/
When things go wrong for June Heal in Locust Grove, she decides to open her homeopathic cure shop in the quaint town of Whispering Falls. Her best friend Sheriff Oscar Park moves with her and takes a job as the local sheriff. Neither one of them realize that Whispering Falls may be quaint, but also a very strange town with very strange people, including a talking snow globe and a cat – Mr. Prince Charming – who steals charms.
June has an ugly fight with one of Whispering Falls’ citizens and the woman ends up dead clutching June’s charm bracelet in her hand. Of course June instantly becomes the prime suspect in the murder. She is desperate to prove her innocence, but discovers some incredible truths about her own past. She learns she has a few mystical powers of her own and comes from a family of spiritualists. Suddenly, her life isn’t what she thought it was and everything is about to crash around her. People she thought she could trust, prove to be just the opposite.
This is the first book in a fun new paranormal cozy series “Magical Cures Mystery Series”. What an enchanting book! The characters are quirky, eccentric and just plain wacky. A great combo of the paranormal, a little romance and a cozy mystery all rolled into one delightful story. It’s one of those books you can just sit back, enjoy and escape for a few hours of pure fun!
5 out of 5 kitties!
FTC Disclosure: The author provided me with a copy of this book to review. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.
For reading challenges:
E-Book Reading Challenge
Self-Published Reading Challenge
What an Animal Reading Challenge
If you'd like to join in on Booking Through Thursday, just click the button above.
This week's question...
Quick–what are you reading right now? (Other than this question on
this website, of course.) Would you recommend it? What’s it about?
My answer...
I know I've been reading this since last week, but I've been reading slowly the past couple of weeks. It has nothing to do with the books I'm reading, it's about lack of reading time :(
However, this is a wonderful Southern cozy mystery. The main character is Reagan and she's going through a messy divorce with her ex leaving her with nothing. She has to sell her beloved designer clothes to make ends meet and ends up opening a consignment shop. Of course every cozy mystery has to have a dead body and Reagan finds one in her ex's car. This book will be released on October 2nd and I'll have a much better review of it (along with a giveaway.
It's a fun book and hopefully I can relax over the weekend and finish it. Relaxing time is never easy to find, is it?
Welcome to the weekly meme that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of cats! Enjoy! This fun meme is hosted by The True Book Addict. Go over to her site to join in the fun.
How to Find the Right One & Make It Last! Book Summary
We all want that special someone in our lives. But isn't it odd that one of life's most important lessons tends to receive the least amount of focus. It's no wonder why we have so little success attracting the love, passion, romance and fun that we all need and desire.
The problem for many busy and successful people is that they do not know where to find and meet the right partners, how to approach dating, or what it takes to build and sustain a healthy, loving relationship. To address these issues, I have taken a unique approach and have written this book about real people, like you, who struggle with finding love and the right companionship. Many who have used my techniques have been able to find happy rewarding relationships.
This book provides real world experiences and proven dating strategies and techniques. It's a guide that can be used to change your life and bring you the romance and love you've always wanted.
Charles Johnson's Bio
After more than 20 years in the military and 16 in a corporate environment, Charles Johnson found another calling in life. In both the Air Force as well the many companies he founded or worked in, Charles managed and mentored diverse teams across Europe, Asia and North America. But he wasn’t your typical corporate manager.
Charles always focused more on the whole person and how to help those who worked with and around him find balance and achieve both personal and professional success. He found that he was helping people not only get well-deserved promotions or the financial recognition for their work, but he also helped them identify and realize what makes them happy.
Helping others create a life and a lifestyle where their happiness is a priority and life balance is the primary goal became Charles’ new life work. He became a certified life coach and author and has dedicated himself to helping single people find and select the right life and marriage partners and make it last.
Surrounded by three sisters and eight female cousins, Charles had a significant female influence growing up. With the knowledge he gleaned from that experience, he spent the last 25 years coaching and mentoring hundreds of single professionals and up-and-coming, career-minded men and women -- including his own four daughters. He found himself providing guidance to help these otherwise successful individuals improve their personal confidence by updating their image, polishing their social skills and providing insight into the art of establishing and maintaining relationships.
Charles has connected and helped hundreds of couples find marriage or committed partners and coaches them on how to make relationships last. He has been married for more than 33 years and three of his four daughters are now married.
Charles has found happiness and balance in his own life as well, pursuing his passions as an avid traveler, photography enthusiast, art collector and a supporter of various charitable causes. He enjoys basketball, football and tennis. His greatest passion is writing about hope and how people can achieve their dreams and still have a balanced and complete life.
YouTube Video Book Trailer
Paperback
Price: $19.95
Publisher: Two Harbors Press
ISBN: 9781937928445
Pages: 272
Release: April 24, 2012
Many people are unsuccessful in finding the "right partner" because they do not know what they are looking for in a partner. They have not spent enough time clearly defining what traits, characteristics, or features they prefer their future partner to have. Equally—if not more importantly—people also need to decide which traits they do not want in a potential partner. Let me introduce you to my friend Michael, who found himself frustrated and wondering about his future and finding the right person.
Michael had just completed graduate school in Texas. He was handsome, smart, well dressed, and equipped with a master's degree in hospital administration from one of Texas's most prestigious universities and a new high-paying job in Tulsa, Oklahoma. One night not long after graduation, Michael found himself with his old college buddies in a local bar, enjoying a night of drinks and hoping to find a great woman to be with.
After Michael surveyed the bar scene, he quickly realized this could end up being his daily personal life going forward. He had already achieved great scholastic and initial career success but found his life lacking in the personal area. He started talking to himself, saying, "Am I going to spend the rest of my life looking at barflies, hoping to find the right woman to complete my life and raise a family with?" Michael suddenly became depressed and quickly realized he was going to have to put some serious time into his personal life if he was going to escape the life of a single professional who cruised the bars nightly, looking for someone special. He knew he needed to sit down and determine exactly what he was looking for in a woman and where best to find her.
He did not want just anyone; he wanted someone special to love and spend the rest of his life with. Michael knew he wasn't about to find that kind of woman in the bars he and his friends frequented. Michael identified the traits and qualities that were important to him and ended up getting back together with his college sweetheart. He realized that she had everything he was looking for. He married her after recognizing she would complete his dreams, love him faithfully, enhance his life, and build the family he imagined.
The moral of this story is quite simple: Michael took the time to discover what he didn't want, which made it much easier to determine what he did want in a partner—and then he could make the right decision in his selection.
So many people make the mistake of trying to find the right partner before they determine what they are really looking for. You have to start by doing a little homework—nothing too difficult or time-consuming but something that will improve your search and selection efforts by at least tenfold. With that kind of increase in your chances for success, isn't it worth doing a little up-front work? You do it all the time in your job, so why not do it in your personal life as well?
Charles Johnson's Web Site:
http://www.askcharlesjohnson.com/
Charles Johnson's Blog:
http://www.askcharlesjohnson.com/index.php/easyblog
Charles Johnson's Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Charles-Johnson/206633556050532
Charles Johnson's Twitter:
https://twitter.com/#!/AskCharlesJ
Charles Johnson's Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6483646.Charles_A_Johnson
Charles Johnson's YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/AskCharlesJohnson?feature=watch
How to Find the Right One & Make It Last! Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14656501-how-to-find-the-right-one-and-make-it-last
Tribute Books Blog Tours Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tribute-Books-Blog-Tours/242431245775186
How to Find the Right One & Make It Last! blog tour site:
http://howtofindtherightoneandmakeitlast.blogspot.com
Author Q&A
Please tell us about your current release.
For the millions of singles around the world who have struggled to find the right one or to maintain a lasting relationship, my book, “How to Find the Right One & Make it Last,” provides a tutorial on the lost art of dating.“How to Find the Right One and Make it Last: Bring Love and Romance Back to Dating” offers practical advice for both men and women about how to initiate interaction as well as how to respond in various dating situations.
In addition to the book, I created a website,http://www.AskCharlesJohnson.com, where my readers can have easy access to relationship advice and personal coaching at any time.
I have been officially and unofficially helping clients and colleagues find personal success. Over the years, I have developed a proven set of principles and concepts that have helped singles looking for love not only find their ideal life partner, but also to keep the relationship fresh and thriving.
Over the years, I have watched my colleagues work incredibly hard to achieve professional success, but often struggle to find that same level of success in their personal lives. By applying the same discipline from their professional development to fine-tuning their dating skills, these colleagues transformed their lives and found the personal fulfillment that had previously been so elusive.
My book provides step-by-step guidance starting with how an individual can make small changes in their personal style and appearance or to their daily routine to improve the odds of finding their ideal partner. I walk readers through the first call, planning the perfect date, and what to say and do on the date.Everything first starts with a clear idea of what each individual is looking for – as well as what they’re not – to provide a guide along the way.
The principles don’t stop once a match has been made.The book provides advice for nurturing relationships for the long run.By walking readers through the seven phases of relationships, I explain how and why they change over time and how to keep them growing strong.
I draw on personal experience, primary research, and the stories of more than 500 singles I’ve connected and 118 who I’ve helped marry and continue to help. I’ve have peppered their stories throughout the book to highlight the principles in action.
Also included is a chapter to help unravel the mystery of Internet dating sites. I outline practical guidance on how to get the most out of the Internet dating site as well as what to be weary of when using the various sites.
Can you tell us about the journey that led you to write your book?
As a corporate senior executive I had the responsibility of taking new young talent and developing them into executives. For 15 years, I groomed hundreds of men and women in the boardroom and thought them the principals that would help them achieve all their professional and financial goals. I was honored and enjoyed mentoring them and watched their careers grow. But, I discovered, as my successful executives matured they would turn to me for guidance in their personal lives. Most of them who were in their early 30’s had achieved all their financial goals but lacked a personal life and wanted someone special with whom they could share their life. Many of them had been so focused on building their professional skills that they lacked the social and personal skills required to connect with someone special. That was the beginning of my unofficial matchmaking business. Over the years, I mentored my up and coming executives and helped them first determine what to look for in a partner and then helped them execute a plan of action. I would run social scenarios and conduct role-play to help them become more confident in social environments. I’ve worked with over 500 people and been able to connect and help marry 118 couples. And, to this day I continue to help the couples to keep their relationship alive and fresh.
When I left the corporate world five years ago, many of the people I mentored and their friends still called for guidance. I decided to write a book that would help everyone in similar situations to give them a starting point to change their personal life and give them a road-map to “How to Find the Right One & Make it Last.”
Can you tell us about the story behind your book cover?
I wanted to have the book cover to convey an emotion in people. We wanted the book cover to convey passion and we chose the burnt orange as the color for the cover of the book because it’s the color of fire.
What book on the market does yours compare to? How is your book different?
I cannot think of a book that is anything like the book I’ve written. In my years of mentoring and matchmaking I found that there was nothing in the market that gave single people practical tools and a step-by-step guide in how to find the right person and make their relationships last. I found that many professional adults needed to learn the skills and gain the confidence that would improve their dating prospects and I don’t believe there is anything in the market to help them. That’s part of the reason I decided to write the book. Finding the right person that will be a life partner is a process and no author has ever written about that process.
What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?
I am a retired Air Force and senior vice president from the corporate world. My writing style and quirk is my ability to write in a very conversational and relatable manner.
Open your book to a random page and tell us what’s happening?
I’m on page 32 where I describe how one can meet quality people by taking a dance class. People always wonder where they can meet new people who can be potential partners. I always tell my clients to change their routine. One way to do that is to take a dance class in your local community college or dance studio.
Do you plan any subsequent books?
I am currently working on a workbook that will be an extension of “How to Find the Right One & Make it Last!”
I am also working on a teen book based on a similar topic.
Tell us what you’re reading at the moment and what you think of it?
I am re-reading “You Can Heal Your Life,” by Louise Hay. The book gives people great insight into how they can change their life and make it the life they always imagined. It helped me re-invent my life and myself after leaving corporate America. Using the principles in Hay’s book, I have been able to take my experience from my military and corporate life and show people how to be successful in their personal lives and relationships.
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This week I'm reading...
The next morning I was up early with bags under my eyes and a headache from too little sleep and nightmares about obnoxious attorneys in my house. That AnnieFritz and Elsie Abbott came in through the back door with sly smiles on their faces meant they knew about my late-night visit from Walker Boone and wanted the 4-1-1.
