Book Review: CLAIM OF INNOCENCE by Laura Caldwell

CLAIM OF INNOCENCE

by Laura Caldwell

Pub. Date: August 2011

Publisher: Mira

Format: Mass Market Paperback , 448pp

ISBN-13: 9780778329329

ISBN: 0778329321

Description (from the publisher):

Forbidden relationships are the most tempting. And the most dangerous.

It was a crime of passion–or so the police say. Valerie Solara has been charged with poisoning her best friend. The prosecution claims she's always been secretly attracted to Amanda's husband…and with Amanda gone, she planned to make her move.
 
Attorney Izzy McNeil left the legal world a year ago, but a friend's request pulls her into the murder trial. Izzy knows how passion can turn your life upside down. She thought she had it once with her ex–fiance, Sam. Now she wonders if that's all she has in common with her criminally gorgeous, younger boyfriend, Theo.

It's Izzy's job to present the facts that will exonerate her client–whether or not she's innocent. But when she suspects Valerie is hiding something, she begins investigating–and uncovers a web of secret passions and dark motives, where seemingly innocent relationships can prove poisonous…

My Rating:  3.5 out of 5 stars - an entertaining and fast-paced legal and romantic thriller

My Thoughts:  I like a good thriller now and then. Sometimes they're just what I need to cleanse my reading palate as I transition from one historical period to another or after an especially gut-wrenching memoir. Laura Caldwell's CLAIM OF INNOCENCE caught me at just the right time. I found it to be a pleasantly engaging light read.

CLAIM OF INNOCENCE is actually the fourth book in the Izzy McNeil series, though it was the first one that I read. I didn't find myself at much of a disadvantage picking up the series at this point. It's not that different than filling in a new friend's backstory. On the other hand, I do prefer reading a series in order just so certain subplots aren't spoiled.


In this installment, Izzy deals with a number of personal issues as well as the main story line - defending a woman accused of killing her best friend. She's torn between reuniting with her ex-fiance (clearly one of those aforementioned subpots) and developing a deeper commitment with her new, much younger lover; her long-dead father isn't so dead after all; her mother seems ambivilent about her own marriage, and her stepfather, the only real father she has ever known, is leaning on Izzy for counsel and support.

While it might be a bit of a stretch for an attorney to jump right into criminal defense without prior experience, this is fiction, and let's face it, escapist fiction at that. Izzy is dedicated and observent, and she's able to form a bond with the defendant that her co-counsel cannot. Despite this bond, and though Izzy believes the woman is innocent, she knows there's more to this case than meets the eye and she's determined to get to the truth.

I liked Izzy. She's smart and has a strong individualistic streak. (Besides dating a much younger guy, she drives around Chicago on a scooter!) I really liked her young boyfriend, Theo. Frankly, I wouldn't be giving the ex-fiance a second thought if Theo was in my life. ;-) I wasn't crazy about the ex-fiance, the not-dead father, or the killer (guess I wasn't supposed to like the killer anyway!).  I don't know that I'd go back and read previous books in the series because now I know too much, but I would read future installments and I'd also like to check out a few of Caldwell's stand-alone novels, especially THE GOOD LIAR.

I enjoyed this book. I'd recommend CLAIM OF INNOCENCE if you're looking for a good, basic legal thriller that will entertain you but not strain your brain.

Click here to read Chapter One.

Click here to visit the author's website.

About the author (from the publisher):
Laura Caldwell, a former trial lawyer, is currently a professor and Distinguished Scholar in Residence at Loyola University Chicago School of Law. Her first book, Burning the Map, was selected by BarnesandNoble.com as one of the best of 2002. The releases of A Clean Slate, The Year of Living Famously and The Night I Got Lucky prompted Booklist to declare, "Caldwell is one of the most talented and inventive—writers around." Her mysteries, Look Closely and The Rome Affair, received critical acclaim, and her international thriller, The Good Liar, was called "a massive achievement." She has been published in ten languages and more than twenty countries.

The Izzy McNeil series:


1. RED HOT LIES



2. RED BLOODED MURDER




3. RED, WHITE & DEAD



I read this book as part of the R.I.P. VI Challenge.

• Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for review purposes only. No monetary consideration was exchanged for my honest opinion.

Spotlight and Book Giveaway: THE ARRIVALS by Meg Mitchell Moore

CLOSED.

Thanks to the generous folks at
Hachette Book Group,

I have been authorized to
 give away two (2) copies of

THE ARRIVALS
by Meg Mitchell Moore

Rules for entering this giveaway
are at the bottom of this post.

THE ARRIVALS

by Meg Mitchell Moore

Pub. Date: May 2011

Publisher: Little, Brown & Company

Format: Hardcover, 324pp

ISBN-13: 9780316097710

ISBN: 0316097713

Description (from the publisher):
It's early summer when Ginny and William's peaceful life in Vermont comes to an abrupt halt.

First, their daughter Lillian arrives, with her two children in tow, to escape her crumbling marriage. Next, their son Stephen and his pregnant wife Jane show up for a weekend visit, which extends indefinitely when Jane ends up on bed rest. When their youngest daughter Rachel appears, fleeing her difficult life in New York, Ginny and William find themselves consumed again by the chaos of parenthood - only this time around, their children are facing adult problems.

By summer's end, the family gains new ideas of loyalty and responsibility, exposing the challenges of surviving the modern family - and the old adage, once a parent, always a parent, has never rung so true.

Click here to access the Reading Group Guide.

Click here to visit the author's website.

About the author (from the publisher):
Meg Mitchell Moore worked for several years as a journalist. Her work has been published in Yankee, Continental, Women’s Health, Advertising Age and many other business and consumer magazines. She received a B.A. from Providence College and a master’s degree in English Literature from New York University. The Arrivals is her first novel. Her second novel will be published by Reagan Arthur Books in 2012. Meg lives in Newburyport, Massachusetts, with her husband, their three children and a beloved border collie.

RULES FOR ENTERING THE GIVEAWAY:

• Leave an original comment on this post telling me you would like to win. Include an email address with your comment so that I can contact you if you do win. Use a spam-thwarting format such as geebee.reads AT gmail DOT com or geebee.reads [at] gmail [dot] com

• You must leave an email address in order to qualify. If I can't contact you, you can't win!

• You can earn an extra entry by being or becoming a Follower or Subscriber of this blog and telling me about it in a separate comment.

• Blog about this contest and provide me with the link to the post in a separate comment, and I'll give you yet another entry.

• Tweeting about this contest and providing me the link in a separate comment will get you one more entry. I've added a Retweet button at the bottom of every post.

• Stumble this blog, Digg it, or Technorati Fave it, whatever, and leave a separate comment for another entry.

• Winners must provide a U.S. or Canadian street address. Hachette is unable to deliver to P.O. Boxes.

• PLEASE NOTE: One win per household. If you win this title in another contest hosted at another blog, Hachette will only send one copy per household address.

• Deadline for entry is 11:59 p.m. EST on Friday, June 3, 2011.

• Winners will have 48 hours to respond to my email announcing that they have won; if I don't hear from a winner, I will draw another name.

• Winners are determined using the sequence generator at Random.org.

Thank you to Anna
at Hachette Book Group

for making this giveaway possible.

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!
THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.

Guest Post: Shobhan Bantwal - Marriage By Arrangement

Today, I am honored and thrilled to welcome one of my favorite authors, Shobhan Bantwal, to A Sea of Books. Ms. Bantwal has just published her fourth novel, The Unexpected Son. Check back tomorrow for my review. (I'll give you a hint: I loved it!)

Marriage by Arrangement
by Shobhan Bantwal - author of The Unexpected Son

While arranged marriage may seem like an antiquated practice to most Americans, it has been around for thousands of years and has worked rather well in establishing the institutions of family, community, and even entire civilizations. To this day, many conservative Europeans and Jews practice arranged marriage, albeit subtly and not as frequently as they did a hundred years ago.

In my own Indian culture, what started out as a way to assure the compatibility of a couple by matching partners from similar social and economic backgrounds has worked so well over the centuries that it continues in the same vein in contemporary India. The divorce rate in India and similar cultures is a fraction of what it is in the western world.

I had a strictly arranged marriage more than 36 years ago and I'm still happily married to the same man. Arranging a marriage is not some magic formula. It is all based in the fact that family is valued above all else. To preserve that precious unit, people passionately work towards finding partners who will support it and nurture it. And who better than experienced and wise elders to go about seeking a suitable bride for their sons or grooms for their daughters?

Arranging a marriage is serious business in my culture. An intricate network of relatives, neighbors and friends are involved in the process. The horoscopes of the potential bride and groom are often matched, dowries may be discussed behind closed doors (although, not all Indian communities follow the dowry system), educational levels, likes and dislikes, hobbies, and a whole list of items that apply to both parties. Indian marriages are not just between two individuals but two families, and in rural areas, between two communities.

All my books and short stories have some reference to arranged marriage. In my latest novel, The Unexpected Son, the protagonist has a happy arranged marriage, until a shocking letter abruptly turns her cozy life upside down. A closely-guarded secret comes to haunt her after 30 long years.

A Note From Shobhan Bantwal - Information about my books, video trailers, contact, photos from India, reviews, contests, and recipes is available on my website: www.shobhanbantwal.com. All my books can be purchased at any retail bookstore or online bookseller.

For more information about The Unexpected Son virtual tour, visit http://bookpromotionservices.com/2010/07/02/unexpected-son-virtual-tour/

About The Unexpected Son (from the publisher):
What happens when a woman who's realized her dreams wakes up to a shocking truth? It is a morning like any other in suburban New Jersey when Vinita Patil opens the battered envelope postmarked “Mumbai.” But the letter inside turns her comfortable world upside down. It tells Vinita an impossible story: she has a grown son in India whose life may depend on her.

Once upon a time, a naive young college girl fell for a wealthy boy whose primary interests were cricket and womanizing. Vinita knew, even then, that a secret affair with a man whose language and values were different from her own was a mistake. He finished with her soon enough--leaving her to birth a baby that was stillborn. Or so Vinita was told.

Now that child is a grown man in desperate need. How will she confess her secret past to her arranged-marriage husband and her grown daughter? Nonetheless, to help her son, to know him, Vinita must revisit her darkest hours by returning to her battle-scarred homeland--and pray for the faith of the family she leaves behind.

About Shobhan Bantwal (from the publisher):
Shobhan Bantwal calls her writing “Bollywood in a Book,”romantic, colorful, action-packed tales, rich with elements of Indian culture -- stories that entertain and educate.

Her writing career is a “menopausal epiphany,” because she took up creative writing at the age of 50. By day Shobhan works for the government. In the evenings and on weekends she slips into her writer's cape and flies off to Authorland. She loves writing stories about her native India and Hindu culture.

To date, Shobhan has four published novels by Kensington Publishing, with a fifth slated for 2011. Since 2002, Shobhan's articles and short stories have appeared in a variety of publications. Her award-winning stories are available for reading on her website: http://www.shobhanbantwal.com/



Natasha from Princeton Community Television on Vimeo.

For more information about The Unexpected Son virtual tour, visit http://bookpromotionservices.com/2010/07/02/unexpected-son-virtual-tour/

Thank you to Nikki Leigh and Promo 101 Virtual Blog Tours
for organizing this tour.

Blog Tour and Book Review #49: THE REMAINS by Vincent Zandri

THE REMAINS

by Vincent Zandri

Pub. Date: November 30, 2010

Publisher: StoneHouse Ink

Format: Paperback

ISBN-13: 9780982770504

ISBN: 0982770502

Description (from the publisher):
Thirty years ago, teenager Rebecca Underhill and her twin sister Molly were abducted by a man who lived in a house in the woods behind their upstate New York farm. They were held inside that house for three horrifying hours, until making their daring escape.

Vowing to keep their terrifying experience a secret in order to protect their mother and father, the girls tried to put the past behind them. And when their attacker was hunted down by police and sent to prison, they believed he was as good as dead.

Now, it’s 30 years later, and with Molly having passed away from cancer, Rebecca, a painter and art teacher, is left alone to bear the burden of a secret that has only gotten heavier and more painful with each passing year.

But when Rebecca begins receiving some strange anonymous text messages, she begins to realize that the monster who attacked her all those years ago is not dead after all. He’s back, and this time, he wants to do more than just haunt her. He wants her dead.

My rating:  4 out of 5 Stars -- a thrilling thriller!

My thoughts:  I love a good thriller. You know what I mean -- the kind you can't put down. The ones where you keep saying "Just one more chapter . . ." while the the bath overflows, the roast cooks to stone, the sun sinks lower and lower, and the moon starts to rise. And the next day at work you're all bleary eyed and bored -- but the killer has been caught, the heroine is safe, and all is right with the world again. My problem is that as I've gotten older and more experienced, it's harder to find stories that provide that old "thrill." In an effort to hold readers' interests, some authors keep upping the ante by divising increasingly gory, sadistic, and ridiculously complex tortures for their victims to suffer. I say, Give me a break! When I read a thriller, I want a good, believable story -- a protagonist who is intelligent but nonetheless vulnerable; a villian who is cleverly malicious but not maniacally insane. I like a story that I think could actually happen. What I want is a good cat and mouse game where the mouse ultimately bells the cat.

I found such a story with THE REMAINS by Vincent Zandri. There may not be much in the story description that sets it apart from run-of-the-mill thrillers, but it is solidly written with interesting and plausible characters and a story line that kept me flipping through the pages late into the night. I liked Rebecca, the heroine, and found her backstory to be fascinating and believable. As a young teenager, she and her twin sister were abused and traumatized when they were trapped in an isolated and abandoned house for several hours by a serial killer. Thirty years later, her twin has passed away from cancer, her marriage has failed, and her career as an artist is flatlining. The girls never told anyone about their ordeal and so Rebecca still suffers the reprecussions of that terrifying experience, making her all the more vulnerable.

When she begins receiving mysterious text messages, Rebecca finally begins to connect with her ex-husband in a way she never could while they were married. She also receives help and support from her childhood neighbors, an artistic savant, Francis, and his mother. Turns out that Francis knows more about the danger Rebecca is facing than he's able to verbalize. With Francis, Zandri has created a fascinating and sympathetic portrait of an autistic adult.

I totally enjoyed THE REMAINS and plan to read more of Mr. Zandri's novels. Of course, I fully expected Rebecca to survive, but wondering who else would make it out alive -- and how -- kept me completely focused to the last page.  If you like a good thriller, THE REMAINS is a highly entertaining read.  Just start it early on a day you have nothing else to do - you won't get anything else done anyway!
   
The paperback version of THE REMAINS won't be released until the fall, but you can purchase the Kindle version for $2.99 by clicking here.

Click here for a special excerpt and to view the trailer.

Click here to visit the author's website.

Thank you to Dorothy at

Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours

for organizing this tour and supplying my review copy. 

Blog Tour and Book Review #46: SMALL CHANGE by Sheila Roberts

SMALL CHANGE

by Sheila Roberts

Pub. Date: March 2010

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Format: Paperback, 352pp

Sales Rank: 26,607

ISBN-13: 9780312594473

ISBN: 031259447X

Description (from the publisher):

Take a trip to the charming little town of Heart Lake, and meet three best friends who you’ll never forget…

Rachel, Jessica and Tiffany have money problems—major money problems. Tiffany’s whipped out the plastic one too many times, and now a mountain of debt is about to come crashing down on her. Jessica’s husband lost his job—thrusting this longtime stay-at-home mom out into the cold, cruel workforce. And Rachel’s divorce has transformed her from an upper-middle-class mom to a strapped-for-cash divorcee. What are three best friends to do?

Get financially fit, that’s what! Together, Rachel, Jessica and Tiffany start a financial support group called The Small Change Club—challenging each other to bring balance back to their checkbooks, and their lives. Even though frugality is a lot harder than they ever imagined, these women are about to learn some very important lessons: that small changes can make a big difference…and that some things in life, like good friends, are truly priceless.

Click here to view the Reading Group Guide online.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars - An optimistic and happy read.

My Thoughts:
First, let me say how much I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Life's waters have been a little rough for me lately, and there's nothing quite like the support of family and friends to help keep you bobbing and afloat until you reach a nice tranquil bay. In SMALL CHANGE, Sheila Roberts writes about just that - the strength and encouragement that three women friends provide to each other during difficult times, and how that friendship also helps to strengthen and renew the women's individual family relationships as well.

Our heroines, Rachel, Jessica, and Tiffany, are each experiencing financial problems in a realistic reflection of what has been happening across the U.S. in the last couple of years. It's not hard to relate to any of these women or the tough times they experience and the choices they have to make. Rachel is a single mom struggling to land a permanent job, Jessica is a not-so-empty nester who is forced back into the workplace after years of being a stay-at-home mom, and (the saucily named) Tiffany is a shopaholic whose retail therapy just perpetuates her problems.

Though their problems are serious, Roberts writes with a light touch and plenty of wit. I think I found Jessica to be the most fun character. She has to resort to some clever scheming to get her grown son up on his feet and out of the house. And her decision to audition as a lead singer for an all-girl oldies band is spunky and bold and just made me smile.

At the other end of the spectrum, Tiffany's inability to control her spending and the potential threat to her marriage is a cautionary tale. The term "shopoholic" really rather trivializes Tiffany's affliction. But this is not a heavy book, and I like the way Roberts handled Tiffany's problem. She made it serious enough that it could not be ignored, but not so devastating that recovery wasn't possible. 

There's also room in this story for romance, which provides tension of another sort: how will the long-suffering Rachel react when her Prince Charming presents her with an engagement ring AND a pre-nup? I'm not giving anything away, but I loved the way Roberts resolved that issue.

Additionally, Roberts found a terrific way to weave in some basic financial tips and advice -- Rachel creates a blog! Now raise your hands if you can relate to that!

This was the first book by Sheila Roberts that I've read, but it won't be the last. It's an enjoyable and "light" read that also provides plenty of provocative material to mull over and/or discuss. I like the way Roberts focused in on real issues and created believable and empathetic characters. I don't think reading SMALL CHANGE will change your life, but its story and characters will provide a triple threat of humor, hope, and happiness against whatever hard times might be clouding your days.

About the author (from the publisher):
Sheila Roberts lives in Bremerton, Washington. When she’s not speaking to women’s groups or at conferences, she can be found writing about family, friendship and other things near and dear to women’s hearts.

Click here to visit the author's website.

Click here to read an interview with the author.

Thank you to Dorothy at

Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours

for organizing this tour and supplying my review copy.

Blog Tour and Book Review #45: SONGBIRD UNDER A GERMAN MOON by Tricia Goyer

SONGBIRD UNDER A GERMAN MOON

by Tricia Goyer

Pub. Date: February 2010

Publisher: Summerside Press

Format: Paperback, 320pp

ISBN-13: 9781935416685

ISBN: 1935416685

 
Description (from the publisher):
The year is 1945. The war is over and 21-year-old Betty Lake has been invited to Europe to sing in a USO tour for American soldiers who now occupy Hitler's Germany. The first night's performance is a hit. Betty becomes enthralled with the applause, the former Nazi-held mansion they're housed in and the attention of Frank Witt, the US Army Signal Corp Photographer. Yet the next night this songbird is ready to fly the coop when Betty's dear friend, Kat, turns up missing. Betty soon realizes Frank's photographs could be the key to finding Kat. Betty and Frank team up against post-war Nazi influences and the two lovebirds' hearts may find the answers...in each other. But will they have a chance for their romance to sing? The truth will be revealed under a German moon.

My Rating: 3 Stars out of 5 - a light and enjoyable read

My Thoughts:
SONGBIRD UNDER A GERMAN MOON represents my first real foray into reading Christian fiction. I wasn't really sure what to expect, but I was curious. I decided that I was most likely missing out on some well-written books, and wondered exactly what it was that was causing me to resist the genre. I think my main concern was that I didn't want to feel preached to. Then I wondered why I might feel that way. After all, I read books about a wide variety of cultures and beliefs, I usually feel more understanding and respect for those cultures and more tolerance toward different beliefs after I've read about them. When I read a book with non-Christian characters and one of them refers to their spiritual beliefs, offers up a prayer to Allah, or spends time before a Hindu shrine, I don't feel as though I am being pressured to adopt those beliefs. Rather, I take it as an opportunity to learn, to gain insight not only into the character but to another culture as well. So why couldn't I approach Christian fiction with the same attitude? I decided to read a few books, consider their literary inpact on me, and write about them here I my blog. And so, I did.

I like reading historical fiction and one of my favorite periods to read about is the WWII era. I also like mysteries and the occasional romance. In SONGBIRD UNDER A GERMAN MOON, Tricia Goyer weaves all three of those strands together and creates a WWII historical with a rather transparent mystery and a predictable romance -- but it all makes for a pleasant read. It might be hard to imagine that a story set in Germany immediately after the end of the war could be a light read, but I compared it to Hollywood movies from the same period -- the handsome and brave American hero, the beautiful spunky yet vulnerable heroine, the sinister bad guy who gets his comeuppence . . .

As I said, this was an enjoyable read. Goyer has a nice, clear writing style - the kind that looks easy but surely isn't. Her descriptions of a war-torn Germany are evocotive and transport the reader back through the decades. I learned a few things about the war that I didn't anticipate - mostly about the plight of displaced persons and the way that Hitler was influenced by Wagner's operas. I'm rather embarrassed to say that I had no idea he pretty much used Wagner's masterpieces as a sort of soundtrack for his cause. I also like that Goyer worked into the story line the fact that many soldiers were so young when they joined the military, they had not yet graduated from high school. During the course of the war, they matured from boys to men, rid the world of an unspeakable evil, and yet didn't have the education to get a decent job. After all they had been through, they still had to tackle algebra!

Both central characters, Betty and Frank, are easy to like. Betty is sensitive and empathetic, with a gift for putting others at ease. Despite her youth, she has a strong sense of self and a determination to help others and generally do the right thing. She would be a steadfast and loyal friend. Frank's work as a war photographer provides a means and a cover for his more critical job gathering intelligence for the military, and that dangerous responsibility has also aided him in shielding his heart from love. Neither Frank nor Betty are actually looking for love but, when they meet, each can't help but wonder if the time isn't right after all.

So, what did I think about the Christian aspect of the book? I think Goyer did a terrific job of creating characters whose faith is central to their lives without actually preaching to the reader. Frank and Betty each draw strength and comfort from their faith. They occasionally ask for help or offer prayers of thanks. Goyer deftly made their faith a part of their personalities but only an aspect of the story. There's no proselytizing in this book; rather, Frank and Betty are examples of good, caring people who happen to be Christian.
 
Click here to read an excerpt.

WHAT ERA? CONTEST!
Leave a comment on Tricia’s blog or send an email through her website CONNECT page and answer this question: What era in history do you wish you'd lived in and why?

Earn extra entries by signing up for Tricia's newsletter here, becoming a Fan on Facebook or Tweeting about the contest on Twitter (use hashtag #songbird)!

You’ll be entered to win one of three signed copies of Songbird Under a German Moon.

Click here to visit the author's website.
 
 About the author (from the publisher):
Tricia Goyer is an award-winning author of twelve novels, more than 300 articles and six nonfiction books. In researching for her WWII novels, Tricia has interviewed over one hundred veterans and service women involved in support efforts. She has also traveled to Germany, the Czech Republic, and Austria for research. She lives with her husband and three children in Kalispell, Montana.

Click here to visit other websites on this blog tour.

Thank you to Stephanie and Amy at LitFuse Publicity

for organizing this tour and providing me with my review copy.

Blog Tour and Guest Post: Christy Strauch author of PASSION, PLAN, PROFIT: 12 Steps to Convert Your Passion into a Solid Business

Like a lot of crafters, I've toyed with the idea of turning my hobby into a business. I make beaded jewelry, handbags, and cloth dolls. I've occassionally sold jewelry around the holidays at craft fairs or house parties. I wonder if I have what it takes to make my skills turn a profit? In these challenging economic times, I could use a second income! Fortunately, I've been given the opportunity to review a book that discusses just these issues. Today's post is a guest article by Christy Straugh, author of PASSION, PLAN, PROFIT: Twelve Simple Steps to Convert Your Passion into a Solid Business. Take a peek, and come back tomorrow for my review of her book!

PASSION, PLAN, PROFIT:

Twelve Simple Steps to Convert

Your Passion into a Solid Business

by Christy Strauch

About the book (from the publisher):

In this hands-on workbook, Christy Strauch gives creative people and small business owners the tools they need to help them understand the purpose their business or skill serves in the world; serve their best clients even better; and get clear on "Number," the language their business speaks to them. Passion Plan Profit takes a light-hearted and semi-painless approach to helping readers create a useable, fun plan to run a successful business. No one is "too creative" to make money doing the work they love.

Turn Your Hobby or Passion into a Business

by Christy Strauch

Want to start a business based on your hobby or passion? Here’s what you should do.

The first thing you have to know when you are evaluating whether or not to turn your passion into a business is your level of commitment.

Having a hobby is a lot like being single—you can work on your hobby (i.e. go out on a date) when you feel like it, or stay home in your pajamas and watch TV if you don’t. Hobbies don’t demand anything of you (just like that casual date you had last night). You can work on your hobby every free minute you have, or put it down for a year, or change your mind and forget about it completely, with few repercussions.

A business, on the other hand, can be very demanding. Deciding to cross the line from hobby to business is like committing to getting married. If you decide you want to make your hobby into a business, you have to commit yourself heart and soul. If you decide to turn your passion into a business, you’ll be making the decision to go from happy-go-lucky hobby kid, to grown-up business adult.

You know what making a commitment looks like. There will be days when you don’t feel like working on your business. But since it’s now a business instead of a hobby, you’ll have to do the work anyway, or figure out how to delegate it to someone else. Your commitment will force you to take actions that scare you; take risks that might frighten you, or do things you don’t enjoy.

But just like with a marriage, if you pick the right work, the work you love, turning it into a business can be deeply fulfilling, not to mention fun and profitable.

It boils down to one question. Are you ready, willing, and able to commit?

Do you have what it takes to turn your passion into profit?

The skill of successfully owning and running a business doesn’t require a specific genetic trait, or possessing the set of secret rules from a small business society that only allows five selected people into their membership every three years. What it does require is:

• A willingness to learn, at a deep level, who your perfect clients are and how to market to them.

• The perseverance to keep going when things are tough.

• The training to understand what your business numbers are telling you.

• The ability to flow with change.

If this all sounds too scary, then you should consider keeping your hobby a hobby.

But if you think these challenges sound interesting, stimulating and fun, you’re the right candidate to turn your Passion into Profit. Ask yourself these questions:

1. Do you love your hobby enough that you’d like to do it regularly, as work?

2. Would you like to become a professional at your hobby; to step up your level of skill at it so you would be considered one of the best in your field?

3. Would you be willing to spend time marketing your work?

4. Are you willing to work on it even on days you’re not in the mood?

5. Can you weather setbacks (a client firing you, someone not paying who promised to pay, a downturn in the economy, plus a host of other things that happen to every business owner).

6. Are you willing to learn new things; such as new ways to market, updated ways to do your work, etc.?

About Christy Strauch

In 1989, Christy Strauch, took a job as a sales representative for a small IT company with $50,000 a year in sales. Christy had an MBA in finance and marketing from UCLA and a dream of making a difference in business. Fifteen years and 3 mergers later, Strauch was a partner, took the company public, and sold it.

In 2005, with over 9 years experience working for nationally known companies such as IBM, Carnation International and Capitol Records, Christy decided that it was time to follow a lifetime calling to help small business owners learn to prosper doing the work they love. Considered an expert in small business, Christy has been interviewed by The Los Angeles Times and The Scottsdale Daily Progress, among others.

Throughout her career, Christy has received numerous honors. She won several regional managers awards during her tenure with IBM, has been honored by the Arizona Small Business Association, received the advanced Toastmasters Silver designation and earned her Certified Professional Co-Active Coaching (CPCC) certificate from the Coach Training Institute, as well as her Associate Certified Coach (ACC) certificate from the International Coach Federation.

In 2005, Christy formed Clarity To Business, a coaching and consulting practice. To date has worked with over 300 small business owners, from artists to real estate agents, helping them to both do what they are passionate about – and to make a profit.

Christy Strauch is the author of Passion, Plan, Profit: 12 Simple Steps to Convert Your Passion into a Solid Business. In addition she is president of Clarity To Business and has worked with over 300 small business owners, from artists to real estate agents, helping them do what they are passionate about – and make a profit. Her book is available at Amazon.com at http://cli.gs/JhYQXG

Check out some of other stops on the tour:
The Book Connection
The Huffington Post
Daily Awareness
Marketing Mindset
Ask Wendy, the Query Queen
Stark Raving Bibliophile Book Reviews
Linda's Business Blog
Books and Authors
Simply Sweet Home

Thank you to Stephanie of

Promo 101 Virtual Blog Tours

for organizing this tour.

Blog Tour, Giveaway, and Review #39: DENISE'S DAILY DOZEN by Denise Austin

January is all about new beginnings and
the hard-working and generous folks at
Hachette Book Group
want to inspire and motivate you, so. . .

I have been authorized to
 give away five (5) copies of

DENISE'S DAILY DOZEN

by Denise Austin.

Rules for entering this giveaway are at the bottom of this post.

DENISE'S DAILY DOZEN

by Denise Austin

Publisher: Center Street

Category: Health & Fitness

Format: Trade Paperback

Publish Date: 1/5/2010

Price: $16.99/$19.99

ISBN: 9781599952444

Pages: 336

Size:7" x 9"

Description (from the publisher):

From Denise Austin comes the perfect health book for anyone who wants to live better but just can't seem to find the time. Much more than just another excercise book, Denise's Daily Dozen covers a whole range of health and diet related concepts yet manages it all in a no-stress, time-conscious program of 12's. At it's core, this book contains the minimum daily requirements to keep the reader flexible, strong and trim. Organized simply into seven chapters, which equal the seven days of the week, it covers a full week in daily allotments. Each day will have it's own focus from Monday being "fat burning day" to Sunday's "recharge and rejuvenate."

Denise has created a total body program, including a 7-day balanced meal plan that includes healthy recipes, and a workout that encompasses 12 exercises done in 12 minutes each day. Everyone can take just 12 minutes, at whatever time of the day works for them, and turn it over to these simple and fun exercises. Cardio, toning, yoga and breathing exercises...they're all here but in a way the maximizes effect while minimizing time.

Beyond a dozen exercises for each day of the week this book will include many other of Denises dozens for each day.

MY RATING:  5 out of 5 Stars

MY THOUGHTS:
I've always liked Denise Austin's positve and outgoing attitude. Working out to her shows and videos is like working out with a motivating friend rather than an harassing drill sergeant! When I was offered the chance to review her new book, DENISE'S DAILY DOZEN, I was really excited.

As I expected, this book is written in Denise's friendly, upbeat style. She keeps things simple and doable. The plan is comprised of a set of 12 exercises that can easily be done at home. She doesn't require any fancy equipment - just the occasional use of a set of small hand weights. The routines are different for each day of the week; each day you get a total body workout and, over the course of a week, there is enough variety that you don't get bored. One of the best parts? Each daily routine can be completed in about 12 minutes! Who can't find 12 minutes a day to exercise?! O.K., so you are supposed to devote more than 12 minutes - Denise would like you to also walk about 12 miles a week. Still, we're not talking about a huge time commitment or financial investment.

DENISE'S DAILY DOZEN also includes separate sections with additional ballet-inspired barre exercises and moves that target the abs. She's added a small section of "tension tamers" that can be done at your desk, and a handful of moves called "fidget-cisers" that you can toss into your day while you're around the house - watching T.V., talking on the phone, or waiting for the toast to pop up.

Another great thing about this book are the daily menu plans and recipes sprinkled throughout. They are all healthful, easy, and mouth-watering. So far, I've tried and liked the Asian Lettuce Wraps, Veggie Quesadilla and Greek Bean Salad. If you're more adventurous than I am, you can try the Fish Tacos (made with mahi mahi). Denise's eating plan is sensible and well-balanced. Nothing is off-limits, but everything in moderation.

I also really enjoyed reading the success stories -- there's nothing like hearing from someone who has successfully worked a program to show that it can be done by the average person.

I highly recommend DENISE'S DAILY DOZEN for anyone who would like to get started on a fitness plan. (Of course, you should check with your doctor first.) Denise offers easy exercises, sensible advice, and plenty of encouragement and motivation. If you've been wondering how to get yourself started, this is the book for you!

Click here to visit Denise's website.

About the author (from the publisher):
A native of San Pedro, California, Denise started gymnastics at the age of 12 and earned an athletic scholarship to the University of Arizona, graduating in 1979 with an exercise physiology degree. She began her career teaching aerobic exercise classes in the Los Angeles area and went on to cohost the The Jack LaLanne Show, in 1981. (Denise considers Jack LaLanne one of her role models, and she is delighted to still speak regularly with the 95-year-old fitness legend.)

During more than 25 years promoting health and fitness, Denise has created 82 workout videos or DVDs. Her enormous number of sales led to her 2003 induction into the Video Hall of Fame.

Denise has been married for 25 years to Jeff Austin, a sports attorney and brother of tennis champ Tracy Austin. They share a home with their two teenage daughters, Kelly and Katie.

RULES FOR ENTERING THE GIVEAWAY:

• Leave a comment on this post telling me you would like to win. Include an email address with your comment so that I can contact you if you do win. Use a spam-thwarting format such as geebee.reads AT gmail DOT com or geebee.reads [at] gmail [dot] com

• You must leave an email address in order to qualify. If I can't contact you, you can't win!

• You can earn an extra entry by being or becoming a Follower or Subscriber of this blog and telling me about it in a separate comment.

• Blog about this contest and provide me with the link to the post in a separate comment, and I'll give you yet another entry.

• Tweeting about this contest and providing me the link in a separate comment will get you one more entry. I've added a Retweet button at the bottom of every post.

• Stumble this blog, Digg it, or Technorati Fave it, whatever, and leave a separate comment for another entry.

• Winners must provide a U.S. or Canadian street address. Hachette is unable to deliver to P.O. Boxes.

• Deadline for entry is 11:59 p.m. EST on Monday, February 15, 2010.

• Winners will have 48 hours to respond to my email announcing that they have won; if I don't hear from a winner, I will draw another name.

Thank you to Anna
at Hachette Book Group

for making this giveaway possible.

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!
THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.

Remember to visit the other Blog Tour Stops to read reviews, features, Q&A, and enter more giveaways:

http://www.harvestfortomorrow.blogspot.com/ Review 1/18/2010
http://www.wholelottamama.info/ Review 1/18/2010
http://stacievaughansblog.blogspot.com/ Review, Giveaway 1/18/2010
http://www.oneincomedollar.com/ Giveaway 1/18/2010
http://shawnssharings.blogspot.com/ Review and Giveaway 1/18/2010
http://brizmusblogsbooks.blogspot.com/ Review 1/18/2010
http://worducopia.blogspot.com/ Review 1/18/2010
http://thebooktree.blogspot.com/ Review, Giveaway 1/18/2010
http://dadofdivas.blogspot.com/ Feature, Review, Giveaway 1/18/2010
http://simplylivingonabudget.blogspot.com/ Review, Giveaway 1/18/2010
http://www.autsimandadoptionblessings.blogspot.com/ Review, Giveaway , Q&A 1/18/2010
http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/ Review, Giveaway 1/18/2010
http://katiesnestingspot.blogspot.com/ Review, Giveaway 1/18/2010
http://thepracticalmomguide.blogspot.com/ Review, Q&A 1/18/2010
http://www.faithfullyfrugal-and-free.com/ Review, Giveaway , Q&A 1/18/2010
http://bugsandsnails.com/ Review, Giveaway 1/18/2010
http://justanarmywifejustamommy.blogspot.com/ Giveaway 1/19/2010
http://www.sweetmissa.blogspot.com/ Giveaway 1/19/2010
http://www.saveyspender.com/ Review 1/19/2010
http://www.stay-at-homemomwhoknew.blogspot.com/ Review, Giveaway 1/20/2010
http://bridget3420.blogspot.com/ Review, Giveaway 1/20/2010
http://www.betweenthelinesandmore.blogspot.com/ Giveaway 1/20/2010
trinsnook.blogspot.com Giveaway 1/20/2010
http://thetometraveller.blogspot.com/ Giveaway 1/20/2010
http://luckycanuck.blogspot.com/ Giveaway 1/20/2010
http://aseaofbooks.blogspot.com/ Review, Giveaway 1/20/2010
http://ratherbechangingdiapers.blogspot.com/ Review, Giveaway 1/20/2010
http://joyfulreviews-giveaways.blogspot.com/ Feature, Review 1/20/2010
metroreader.blogspot.com Feature, Review, Giveaway 1/20/2010
http://www.atlmomguide.com/ Giveaway , Q&A 1/20/2010
http://www.mommygaga.com/ Review, Giveaway 1/20/2010
http://www.libslibrary.blogspot.com/ Review, Giveaway 1/20/2010
http://jensbooktalk.blogspot.com/ Review 1/20/2010
http://www.rundpinne.com/ Review 1/21/2010
http://ilratb.blogspot.com/ Giveaway, Review 1/21/2010
http://blesstheirheartsmom.blogspot.com/ Review, Giveaway , Q&A 1/21/2010
http://www.couponclippinmommy.blogspot.com/ Feature, Review, Giveaway , Q&A 1/21/2010
http://www.mamalatinatips.com/ Giveaway , Q&A 1/21/2010
http://myreadingroom-crystal.blogspot.com/ Review, Giveaway 1/21/2010
http://www.growingababyreviews.com/ Giveaway 1/22/2010
http://kennedyandzach.blogspot.com/ Q&A, review, and giveaway 1/22/2010
http://bookinwithbingo.blogspot.com/ Feature, Review, Giveaway 1/22/2010
myfoolishwisdom.blogspot.com Feature, Giveaway 1/22/2010
http://www.mommypr.com/ Review, Giveaway , Q&A 1/22/2010
http://secondtimearound09.blogspot.com/ Giveaway 1/23/2010
http://silversavings.blogspot.com/ Feature, Review, Giveaway 1/23/2010
http://www.kballard87.blogspot.com/ Review, Giveaway 1/23/2010
http://luanne-abookwormsworld.blogspot.com/ Review, Giveaway 1/24/2010
http://desperatelyseekingdeals2.blogspot.com/ Review 1/24/2010
http://mamaof3munchkins.blogspot.com/ Review, Giveaway 1/25/2010
http://www.crazy-for-books.com/ Review, Giveaway 1/25/2010
http://startingfresh-gaby317.blogspot.com/ Review 1/25/2010
http://therempels4.blogspot/ Review, Giveaway 1/25/2010
http://www.chickwithbooks.blogspot.com/ Review, Giveaway 1/25/2010
momandbeauty@att.net Review, Giveaway 1/25/2010
http://booksandneedlepoint.blogspot.com/ Review, Giveaway 1/25/2010
http://abstract2collective.blogspot.com/ Review, Giveaway 1/25/2010
http://www.hippie-mommy.com/ Review, Giveaway 1/25/2010

Blog Tour and Giveaway: THE HEARTBREAK PILL by Anjanette Delgado

Today I am pleased to shine a spotlight on the debut novel of author Anjanette Delgado, THE HEARTBREAK PILL, as well as offer a giveaway for one (1) copy of her book. I haven't received my review copy as yet, but once I do, I'll read it and let you know what I think!

THE HEARTBREAK PILL

by Anjanette Delgado

Pub. Date: April 2008

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group

Format: Paperback, 288pp

ISBN-13: 9780743297530

ISBN: 0743297539

Description (from the publisher):

Is it really necessary to suffer for love? What if an easy-to-swallow pill could turn love off and on? You wouldn't desire what isn't good for you. You wouldn't cry for what cannot be. You'd just live. You'd be happy.

Erika Luna is a thirty-something scientist living and working in Miami. When her husband of seven years -- the very successful, very smart, very good-looking founding partner of one of Miami's top public relations firms -- falls in lust with another woman, their marriage spirals toward divorce and Erika's practical nature leads her down a strange path.

What is a scientist to do when slapped with a pain so deep it interferes with her breathing? Develop a cure, of course. Erika moves into a new apartment and turns it into her own personal laboratory. She frantically begins mixing potions and uses herself as a guinea pig as she desperately tries to create a pill that will rid the world of heartbreak forever. As she navigates the murky waters of the recently divorced, Erika also struggles to find her own sense of self and the answer to whether love, and its pain, is worth the risk.

Click here to read Chapter One.

About the Author (from the publisher):
Anjanette Delgado is an Emmy award-winning writer and producer with over eighteen years of local and network news experience. She has produced for CNN, NBC, Univision and Telemundo, among others, producing extensive coverage for events such as the 1991 Gulf War, the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the present war with Iraq, which she executive produced for Telemundo in 2003. She won her first Emmy for her human-interest series “Madres en la lejanía,” about the plight of Latino mothers who leave their own children behind and come to the United States to work illegally... as nannies.

More Tour Stops:
Nov 9 Unloaded
Nov 10 Julia Amante
Nov 11 The Sol Within
Nov 12 Latino Book Examiner
Nov 13 Behind Brown Eyes
Nov 16 Chasing Heroes
Nov 17 Musings
Nov 18 Reading with Monie
Nov 19 That Happened to me
Nov 20 Writing to Insanity

RULES FOR ENTERING THE GIVEAWAY:

• Leave a comment on this post telling me you would like to win. Include an email address with your comment so that I can contact you if you do win. Use a spam-thwarting format such as geebee.reads AT gmail DOT com or geebee.reads [at] gmail [dot] com

• You must leave an email address in order to qualify. If I can't contact you, you can't win!

• You can earn an extra entry by being or becoming a Follower or Subscriber of this blog and telling me about it in a separate comment.

• Blog about this contest and provide me with the link to the post in a separate comment, and I'll give you yet another entry.

• Tweeting about this contest and providing me the link in a separate comment will get you one more entry. I've added a Retweet button at the bottom of every post.

• Stumble this blog, Digg it, or Technorati Fave it, whatever, and leave a separate comment for another entry.

• Winners must provide a U.S. or Canadian street address. Hachette is unable to deliver to P.O. Boxes.

• Deadline for entry:  Get your entries in TODAY! I will use Random.org on Tuesday, November 24, 2009 to determine a winner.

• Winner will have 24 hours to respond to my email announcing that they have won; if I don't hear from the winner, I will draw another name.

 Thank you to Jo Ann Hernandez
at Bronze Word Latino Authors
for organizing this tour and
making this giveaway possible.

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!

This contest is now closed.