Reviews by Nikki Leigh

Lords of Finance: The Bankers That Broke the World by Liaquat Ahamed

2009-07-02T22:57:00.002-04:00

Lords of Finance: The Bankers That Broke the World by Liaquat Ahamed

In 2009 we’re deep into a major recession in the United States and many other countries throughout the world are experiencing many of the same problems. Each week we hear comparisons to previous recessions and economic downturns – but the benchmark for all financial crisis is the “Great Depression”. So, this seems like a great time to read and learn more about what happened around the world from the end of World War I and the late 1930’s. Liaquat Ahamed has written a great book that documents what was happening in the world during this twenty year period. I highly recommend that anyone interested in learning more about what lead up to the Great Depression and how the financial leaders handled it – must read this book.

In 1918 the world was reeling from the events during World War I and they were trying to rebuild their countries and the economies in those countries. We are all familiar with the bare bones of the end of World War I, the Roaring Twenties in the United States, rebuilding in Europe, the financial crash in the United States, the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party and many of the other events between 1918 and 1938.

· But, how many of us know the details of the individual financial systems in the United States, France, Britain and Germany?

· Do you know what people managed the financial decisions in these countries during that time?

· Do you understand how the gold standard worked and what that meant for each country?

· Do you know what happened in the ongoing debate about war reparations and what that did to various economies around the world?

· What happened within Germany when they were ordered to pay substantial reparations after the war?

· What happened when Germany started printing money around the clock to boost the economy?

These are just a few of the questions that are answered in this book.

In school I remember learning that the financial situation in Germany after World War I was one thing that enabled Adolf Hitler to gain power in Germany. But I never understand the extent of the financial crisis. My depth of understanding on that piece of history has increased dramatically. Understanding what happened in the different countries and the various domino effects are staggering as you turn the pages and see how things fell apart.

I love to read about history and to get a deeper understanding of what led to various events. But I think in the current economic climate – this information is even more important. Most of us have heard the saying that “those who do not study history are destined to repeat it”. That idea kept coming to mind as I read this book and saw many examples of the things these power players in the worldwide economic community tried that failed and in a good number of cases – made the situation much worse.

Through the pages of this book you will meet Montagu Norman of the Bank of England, Emile Moreau of the Banque of France, Hjalmar Schacht of the Reichsbank in Germany and Benjamin Strong of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. In addition, you will learn how each of these men reached these positions and much about the history of these various financial institutions.

Anyone interested in the economy – and especially people who could make a positive difference in the financial situation – should be required to read this book. For people who are concerned about authenticity – there are 23 pages of notes and references for the information in the book and a 12 page bibliography. This is a long book – over 500 pages of content, plus the notes, bibliography and index. It took me a while to read the book – because its not really the sort of content you want to rush through, but I thoroughly enjoyed the content and feel like I have a much more complete understanding of the things that led up to the Great Depression and how the world recovered from this crisis.

Whale Hunting Women by Dr Barbara Weaver Smith

2009-06-25T23:03:00.003-04:00

You may be asking what whale hunting has to do with women and why we’re talking about this in the 21^st century. I was curious when I first heard the title too – but I can guarantee that this book will surprise you. I’ll share the full time which will give you some insights into the content. This book is titled Whale Hunting Women: How Women Do Big Deals.

We get used to long books that go on and on about a topic – but Whale Hunting Women gets right to the point. I couldn’t find any “fluff” in this book, but there is a lot of great content to help you. These are some of the chapters in this book –

· How Women Hunt Whales.

· Only a Minnow (In a Sea of Whales).

· Small Company Looking Big.

· Small Fish Hunting Whales.

· Radical Culture: Take a Rival to Lunch.

· Radical Culture: Money is Cheap.

· Radical Culture: Kill Some Commandments.

· Who Do You Trust?

· Whale Hunting Resolutions.

Women are uniquely qualified to “hunt whales” because they listen, align and empathize. Men can learn these qualities too – but women are usually raised to have these traits. That gives them a boost in the “whale hunting” concept.

For people who aren’t familiar with whale hunting – the entire village was involved in preparing for the hunt and the right combination of skilled people were necessary for the hunt. Imagine having several people in a small boat and having to hunt and kill a whale – then you have to row the boat to get the whale home. They had no “modern conveniences” like radar, radios, motors and other things to help them bring home the whale to help the people in their village. Today we have many tools to make a whale hunt easier, but we still need a skilled team filled with members who all contribute to the hunt.

Dr Barbara Weaver Smith helps the reader understand that small businesses can look bigger and they can compete with big companies to get the big clients. This is where the team you assemble will make the difference and give you an edge. In the current economic climate, using the tips in Whale Hunting Women allows us to compete with the “big boys” by building our team in creative and productive ways to attract the big clients without piling on additional financial obligations of hiring more staff members.

These ideas are just the beginning of the information that is included in this information packed book. As you read through this book we recommend that you take the time to work through the journal pages. I always like it when the author creates review exercises or journal pages that prompts the reader to dig deeper to learn more and to start applying what they are learning.

If you are a business woman or business owner who would like the tools to take the business to the next level – I highly recommend this book. If you have a woman in your life that is in business and she wants to set herself apart from the crowd – you need to buy this book for her. It is available on www.thewhalehunters.com along with much more information about Dr Barbara Weaver Smith and Whale Hunting Women.

Manhattan is My Beat by Jeffrey Deaver

2009-06-20T00:31:00.002-04:00

This is one of Jeffrey Deaver's early books and the main character is a very colorful young woman named Rune. She has a hard time finding a job and an even harder time keeping a job. Rune isn't her real name of course, but I don't think I remember her mentioning her real name. She was also in Death of a Blue Movie Star - very good book.

In this book Rune is working part time in a video store and she has become friends with an older gentleman who comes in the store and rents the same movie time and time - Manhattan is My Beat. He tells her that the movie is a high point in his life and that means Rune's imagination is working over time. Then one day, she goes to his house to pick up a movie that needs to be returned and she finds him in his apartment --- dead. Talk about kicking your imagination into overdrive.

She cared about the man and now she is determined to figure out what really happened to him. She is also curious about whether he was involved in the unsolved bank robbery that is the subject of Manhattan is My Beat. The problem is, she doesn't realize killers are on her trail and working to tie up some loose ends.

This is an early work by Jeffrey Deaver - but it has his trademark plot twists and there were even a couple that I didn't see coming.

The Devil's Bones by Jefferson Bass

2009-06-20T00:24:00.002-04:00

This is the third book in the Body Farm Mysteries by Jefferson Bass. Jefferson Bass is the writing team of Dr Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson - and what a team they are.

I loved the first book, liked the second but was a little disappointed, but the third is back on target. Its funny I feel that way because The Devil's Bones picks up where Flesh and Bone left off. Dr Bill Brock was just cleared of murder charges, the real murderer was behind bars and Dr Bill is back to work. Sounds peaceful, doesn't it? Don't blink, you might miss what's about to happen.

A woman died in a car that burned - but is her death an accident? Of course not.

Dr Brock is waiting for the trial of the man who killed the woman Dr Bill was falling in love with - but that wait won't be smooth either.

So many possibilities and interesting forensic details that only Dr Bill and Jon can bring to you like this. I highly recommend this book and am waiting to get my hands on the next book in the series. But I will mention there is plenty of detail and if you don't want detailed and at times graphic descriptions, you may want to preced with caution. You won't usually read about blood and guts, but there is plenty of description and authenticity in the pages of these books.

Willing Spirits by Phyllis Schieber

2009-05-17T03:31:00.000-04:00

Are you the kind of person who enjoys reading about friendships between women? Many women are the best of friends and they insist that they couldn't get through life without those friendship. If this sounds familiar to you -- this is a book you have to read. I'm not a fan of chick lit - and Phyllis' books have been called chick lit - but I don't agree. Schieber's books are about mature women who are in their 40s or 50s and they have accomplished a lot in their lives - and they have also had their share of difficulties.

In Willing Spirits we meet two friends who are in their 40s and their children are grown and have gone off to college. One (Jane) is married - although she is unhappy. The other (Jane) raised her sons alone because her husband walked out when the boys were very young.

Jane discovers her husband in bed with a younger woman and once the shock and anger wear off - she realizes that she doesn't want to be with him anymore. Her friend, Gwen, is there to support her.

As the story progresses we see the many dimensions of their friendship. We meet their children, mothers, significant others and many other people as these women work their way through their lives. Should a 40 something woman be alone when she isn't married? Is it all right to be involved with a younger man? What should she do when her 20 something daughter finds them in bed together? Is it all right to have an affair with a married man? If he leaves his wife - does that mean he will or that he should live with his mistress? How do grown sons handle their mother and her married lover? And - how can these women juggle their responsibilities and still be true to herself?

These are just some of the answers you will find in this book. You will laugh, you will cry, you will nod at the things that are familiar and you may even raise your eyebrows in surprise - but if you like stories about women, their lives and their friendships - you will enjoy Willings Spirits by Phyllis Schieber.

Flesh and Bone by Jefferson Bass

2009-05-17T03:10:00.000-04:00

This is the second novel in the Body Farm series. I really like this series - I will tell you this isn't my favorite book in the series - but it leads into the 3rd which is very good.

Dr Bill Brockton (based on Dr Bill Bass) is back and facing an interesting combination of situations, people and mysteries. We meet a very attractive medical examiner who is also attracted to Dr Brockton and Dr Bill unearths some rotten apples within his acquaintances. He takes the high road and must point out the error and that sets a gruesome and danger set of events in motion.

I won't give you the details -- wouldn't want to ruin the book for you - but there is plenty of action and Dr Bill is even arrested for the murder.... of his lady love. I recommend this book because you should keep up with the series - and even less than stellar from this team is good. There is great forensic detail and plenty of intrigue to keep you wondering what will happen next....

Freckleface Strawberry by Julianne Moore

2009-05-17T01:41:00.001-04:00

I was so excited about being asked to work on the promotional campaign for Julianne Moore's new book - Freckleface Strawberry and the Dodgeball Bully.

One of the obvious reasons is because I've heard great things about Julianne Moore.

Another reason is that I've had a great friend since we were about 7 or 8 who has red hair and I remember that he hated it while we were growing up. Now he has a daughter with beautiful red hair.

The other reason is because I've had people pick on me for years for an unusual name (real name, not pen name), I've always been tall and have been 6'1 since I was 13 and I had braces for years. So, I can understand the tough time Freckleface has.

I think its great that Julianne has used her childhood experiences in a way that will help children deal with the things that make them different. Hopefully this story can also help other children understand that they should not pick on people just because they are different. We're all different from one another - we're so much better off if we appreciate the differences, but it seems that is hard for some people.

One rainy morning - Freckleface goes to Early Bird at her school. She loves Early Bird - but Windy Pants Patrick is also there and he's a bully. He picks on all the children - what will Freckleface Strawberry do?

Come along with Freckleface and see what she does in the face of a school bully.

I highly recommend this book for parents and their children. It give parents or other important adults a great opportunity to help children talk about how to deal with bullies and people who pick on them. Its also a great chance to teach children tolerance and caring about others.

LeUyen Pham is back to illustrate this second book in the Freckleface Strawberry series.

Beyond the Body Farm by Dr Bill Bass & Jon Jefferso

2009-05-15T22:52:00.000-04:00

I have to read everything that this fantastic duo turn out. I was intrigued with Dr Bass and his work - but meeting Dr Bass and Jon Jefferson in person sealed the deal for me. Anything they write - I will have to read :) The full title of this book is Beyond the Body Farm: A Legendary Bone Detective Explores Murders, Mysteries and the Revolution in Forensic Science. That is a mouthful - but it does say it all.

This is the 2nd non fiction collaboration for Dr Bass and Jon - the first was Death's Acre (read my review here - http://nikkisreviews.blogspot.com/2008/02/deaths-acre.html).

Both of these books are about Dr Bass' experiences as a bone detective. For people who aren't familiar with Dr Bass - years ago he started The Body Farm (made popular by a Patricia Cornwell novel). The Body Farm is a research facility at the University of Tennessee where Dr Bass worked for years. In his work he discovered that people could determine the time of death with more accuracy by studying the decomposition of the body - so he started a facility where they would study - body decomposition.

This may not sound glamorous - and its not. However through the pages of Death's Acre and Beyond the Body Farm - you will learn why this is important information and how it can help law enforcement, the legal community and the family of the victims and people who are falsely accused of crimes.

Learn about plane crashes into rivers, an ancient mystery,the smallest clues in the bones, bite marks, the importance of bugs, the long term search to identify a skeleton and much more including exhuming the body of The Big Bopper. Its all here and if you are interested in forensics and forensic anthropology or a good mystery - this book is for you. Take a walk through the interesting career of this knowledgable and charismatic professional. If you have the chance to meet Dr Bass and/or Jon Jefferson - I highly recommend that you do it.

I've also reviewed several of their novels which include forensic information Dr Bass gleaned through the years - they are very good :)

http://nikkisreviews.blogspot.com/2008/01/carved-in-bone-by-jefferson-bass.html

The Entrepreneurial Author: Surviving Tough Economic Times By Jay Conrad Levinson and David L Hancock

2009-04-19T01:15:00.000-04:00

The Entrepreneurial Author: Surviving Tough Economic Times
By Jay Conrad Levinson and David L Hancock
Foreward by Rick Frishman

When I started doing promotional work, I was always given a limited budget. This meant that I had to get creative and that was one of the things that really appealed to me about promotional work. So, for a long time I was doing “guerilla” marketing – without knowing it. When I was asked to do a review for the new Jay Conrad Levinson book I was very pleased. Since David Hancock is a co-author, that made me even more interested in this book because I’ve enjoyed his entrepreneur author blog. David and I share many thoughts about how authors, especially business book authors, should approach their promotion. Many of these thoughts are included in the pages of The Entrepreneurial Author. Let me say in the beginning that this book is good for many entrepreneurs – not just authors.

Many books are coming out about how to do business in tough economic times and it seems that approach will be useful for the foreseeable future. So, our challenge is to find books that have quality and useful content. I was very pleased with the content in The Entrepreneurial Author. If you are a fan of the Guerilla Marketing books – you will enjoy this book. If you are an author who thinks your publisher is going to do all your promotion – you may not like the content, but you will learn a lot.

When you have a book on the market, you have created a product that you want to sell – that makes you a business person. So, all authors need the “entrepreneurial author” mindset. That is what this book is all about. In tough times, the people who approach their work with the right attitude, have a better opportunity to succeed. If you’re an author – do you approach your writing and book promotion as a business? If not, you need to read this book.

There are a number of great chapters in this book which are geared to working and promoting in a tough economy – such as: Tough Times Don’t Have to be as Tough as You Think, Importance of Stressing Value, Using Consent Marketing Now More Than Ever, Community Involvement During Tough Times, Attracting New Business During Tough Times and Online Marketing in a Shaky Economy.

Additional Chapters Include:
Free and Almost Free Marketing.
The Importance of Service During Tough Times.
Making Yourself the Talk of the Town.
Freebies That Can Lead to Serious Profits.
Getting Extra Mileage From Your Marketing.

I always advocate creativity and ingenuity in promotional efforts and tough economic times makes that even more important than usual. These are the times when we need to show potential clients that we offer great value. We also need to build our credibility for clients and that is a great reason for a business person to write a book.

This book starts at the beginning and helps you see the various options that are available to authors and can help you find the one that is best for you. Too many writers dive into publishing without doing sufficient research and it is amazing how much money this can cost you. The chapter on Tough Times Don’t Have to be as Tough as You Think is easily worth the cost of the book and it offers opportunities for authors and other business people. These tips help you reduce “the cost of marketing while reinforcing the customer relationship”.

I like books that draw you into the content and help you use the information within the book. The Entrepreneurial Author contains Exercises and Action Steps in each chapter to help you dig deeper into the content and also to actually take steps to start doing the work you need to do.

Guerilla Marketing is very much about using your mind and creativity instead of a big advertising budget. What better time could there be to learn how to promote effectively on a tight budget? The content is great and the time is definitely right – to learn to be an entrepreneurial author. Are you ready to take your books and your promotion to the entrepreneurial level? If you realize this is the time – you need to read this book ---- now. I think you will be astounded by how far you can take your writing career and your business by using the information in this book.

Nikki Leigh – Author of Book Promo 201: Harness the Power of the Internet with Web 2.0 and Social Media Marketing

Before the Scalpel by Panchali Dhar, MD

2009-03-09T23:56:00.000-04:00

What Everyone Should Know About Anesthesia
Before the Scalpel by Panchali Dhar, MD

I had the opportunity to help promote this wonderful new resource in a virtual blog tour. My regular visitors have gotten to know about a lot of great books I've reviewed that were written by tour clients. This is definitely another one that I highly recommend, but this one is different. The content of this book can and very possibly will, affect your health and the health of your loved ones.

Dr Panchali Dhar is a respected anesthesiologist in New York and she has written a great book that gives so much great information. It is not a dry medical text book - not at all. The layout is very interesting and colorful. Since I wrote my first non fiction books, I've become much more aware of the layout of books and this layout is very good and adds a new dimension to the content.

To see a sample of the information and the contents of the book, you can view this PDF - http://www.tellmepress.com/publ_images/pdf/before_the_scalpel.pdf

Some of the Topics Included in the Book Include:

The Anesthesiologist
What sort of choices are there
Understand the operating room, monitors etc
Recovery after surgery - including managing pain
Plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery
Concerns for overweight patients
Anesthesia and childbirth
Concerns for children when anesthesia is used
Dental anesthesia
Nausea and vomiting and how to take care of yourself when you wake
There is also the history and timeline of anesthesia along with a glossary and more

This book is simply packed with everything you need to know to understand anesthesia and the tools you need to have an educated conversation with your doctor before surgery.

At the end of each chapter Dr Dhar provides what she calls "Prescriptives:Be a Better Consumer". These sections ask you questions to review important points from the chapters. These questions will also prepare you to know what you need to tell your doctor - what information will make a difference for you during and after surgery.

From the added tidbits that are included in each chapter, the pictures and even a couple of cartoon, the tips and the "Panchlines" are all parts of the book that make it very readable, easy to understand and beneficial for you. I highly recommend that everyone should read this book if they are unsure about anesthesia. As I've frequently said during this virtual blog tour, when you are lying on the operating table is NOT the time to start thinking about anesthesia.

This is some additional information that we compiled for the tour that you may like to see:

To view videos about various elements of the book - visit

Concerns for Overweight Patients - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUVfO96wDxA

Preparing for Surgery - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6gDu1sl4DI

Plastic Surgery Patients - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-N8O_qbsJE

Surgery Concerns for Children - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kk5N5w2m208

To read the full table of contents, visit http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2009/01/before-scalpel-by-panchali-dhar-table.html

This is the publisher's sale page - http://www.tellmepress.com/product.php/Before-the-Scalpel/3/

To buy your copy - http://www.amazon.com/Before-Scalpel-Everyone-Should-Anesthesia/dp/0981645305

Nikki Leigh

How I Managed $20,000,000,000 By Age 32 By Wade Slome

2009-03-08T21:12:00.001-04:00

How I Managed $20,000,000,000 By Age 32

By Wade Slome

First, a bit about Wade Slome

Wade Slome holds an MBA from Cornell University with an emphasis in Finance. He earned a B.A. in Economics from UCLA. In addition, he holds the esteemed credentials of CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) and CFP (Certified Financial Planner.) He is the go-to resource for USA Today, The New York Times, Dow Jones, Investor’s Business Daily, Bloomberg, Smart Money and many other media outlets. He presently leads his own investment practice in Newport Beach, California.

Wade Slome has led an adventurous life. He started trading penny stocks in high school stock market competitions after the 1987 Crash. As a freshly minted MBA graduate from Cornell University in 1998, he never expected in his wildest dreams to land on one of the largest mutual funds in the entire United States of America. But at the age of 3.

About How I Managed $20,000,000,000 By Age 32

This book was much more entertaining than I expected. While it was being edited and laid out, I saw portions of it. But, then I received the final book and got a chance to read it. I will admit that finance is not something that I know much about. I can manage my finances and I have done bookkeeping for years - but this is a whole different dimension to finance and economics.

I really enjoyed the fact that Slome takes us back to his childhood and we see his development and learn about his family. Its clear the family and his roots are important and helped shape him into the man he is today.

We go with Slome to his college days and to his internship. Through movies, I've seen the life that financial interns and that comes across in the pages of the book. From no pay and low pay and the very long days that all interns have to survive.

Slome goes into a lot of detail about the job where he managed $20,000,000,000. We get an insider's view of a typical day, the responsibilities and rewards. I'd never thought about the type of people he interacted with during this time period. Imagine being in your early 30s and dealing with titans in business. He met with these very powerful people and it was his job to question just about everything.

Throughout the book, some of the headings include:
Influences
Paying His Dues
Chasing Profits
Investment Philosophy
Hedge Funds
Managing Billions

Once we get a clear picture about the man behind the book and the accomplishments, he moves us to topics that are very timely.

Technology and Globalization
Winning Strategies
How to Choose a Financial Advisor
Credentials
What to Do With Your Portfolio

2008 and 2009 have brought and will bring the biggest financial challenges this country and the world have faced in over a quarter of a century. Most Americans seem to be no clue what to do about their financial future and what to do now. Wade Slome has the background and experience to help people have more information about how to tackle the current and future economic situations.

How to Write a Damn Good Mystery by James N Frey

2009-03-08T16:54:00.000-04:00

I've wanted to read this book for ages and finally broke down and bought a copy a couple of months ago. When I finished the manuscript for Book Promo 201, I wanted to start planning the next book in my Cape Hatteras mystery series -- seemed like a great time to read this book :)

How to Write a Damn Good Mystery by James N Frey

My next book will be a kidnapping mystery and its my 13th book (to be published under my name) and the 22nd book I've written, so I wasn't looking for the usual "how to write" book. I wanted to read something that delved into the nuisances of mysteries and this was just what I needed. There are a couple of characters on character development, point of view, writing, editing, rewriting etc - but the other chapters were the most interesting to me.

Frey begins by talking about why people read mysteries. How can we write a story that appeals to our target audience, if we don't know what they want?

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - moves into sorting through our ideas and getting started.

There is an entire story and plot, behind the obvious plot in a mystery. To be "mysterious" and to use red herrings, and to include those twists and surprises that readers love, we need to develop and completely understand the "hidden" part of the story.

Creating the Villain is another important element - is the villain three dimensional? Can the reader relate the them? Are they evil enough? A great and memorable villain must be well developed and realistic. This leads right into a chapter about being intimate with the villain.

Once you understand the villain and have developed them thoroughly, its time to move on to the hero and/or heroine. You must also fully develop the hero or heroine. At this point Frey talks about the hero's journey and how that assists you in the development of your hero or heroine. ****

The hero's journey will also help you to discover the type of secondary characters you can use and why they are needed.

Creating an effective plot for an edge of your seat mystery requires plotting and this can take many forms and chapter 9 explains some of these tips.

You need a believable detective - whether a professional or an amateur. How will they figure out the mystery? Will they have help? Who will help them?

The gripping climax is one of the most critical elements of the mysteries I love to read, so I was very glad to see a complete chapter devoted to the climax of the book. Part of the climax is capturing the villain and that is the topic in chapter 15.

There is so much great information in this book and if you plan to write mysteries - I highly recommend that you read this book. Its definitely worth the cost and if you are a beginning author - there is plenty of information in this book to help you with the writing basics.

In last 2009 or early 2010 - you will have to check out my latest mystery and you can tell me whether you think this book helped me :) Or, if maybe I should read it over again -- I did highlight many great points while I was reading it and I plan to go back through those sections as I'm working on future mysteries.

**** If you aren't familiar with the Hero's Journey, there are all kinds of articles online and a number of books that you can use to understand the details of the hero's journey - following are links to some of the ones I'm familiar with - some could be helpful.

Writer's Journey Mythic Structure for Writers - http://www.amazon.com/Writers-Journey-Mythic-Structure-3rd/dp/193290736X

Hero's Journey Works of Joseph Campbell - http://www.amazon.com/Heros-Journey-Joseph-Campbell-Works/dp/1577314042

Writer's Journey Mythic Structure of Writers - http://www.amazon.com/Writers-Journey-Mythic-Structure-3rd/dp/193290736X

Hero with a Thousand Faces - http://www.amazon.com/Hero-Thousand-Faces-Bollingen/dp/1577315936

Garden of Deadly Pleasures

2009-03-08T14:09:00.000-04:00

I thoroughly enjoy a great mystery and I've picked up quite a few mystery short story collections. So many times I can't find time to get into a great book, but maybe just to enjoy a short story or two. That's why I found Garden of Deadly Pleasures edited by Cynthia Manson. But, I have to tell you that I picked up my copy on a used book site. If you can find a copy of this great paperback and if you like short mysteries - definitely pick this up.

Each mystery in this collection has something to do with plants and gardens. It could be unique or killer plants, could be a body buried in a garden or maybe dead bodies are dumped in a garden. Agatha Christie even sends Hercule Poirot to investigate the poisoning death of a elderly woman. Aside from Agatha Christie, none of the names were familiar, but there are plenty of great story tellers in this small book.

This is a fairly quick read and very enjoyable :)

Publisher: Signet Book
Book Type: Paperback
ISBN-13: 9780451187727 - ISBN-10: 0451187725
Publication Date: 4/1/1996
Pages: 256

WAKE UP Your Life! By Doris Roper

2009-01-24T00:19:00.000-05:00

WAKE UP Your Life! By Doris Roper

(Review by Nikki Leigh)

Are you a woman in a transformational stage of your life? Have people told you that your life needs some major changes? Do you feel that things in your life need a change? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you are a person who needs to read this book. It is geared toward women, but men can benefit from the advice.

Doris Roper writes his book from a unique perspective. She tells us about a woman taking, not one, not two, but three husbands from her. That’s right – three husbands. At that point, Doris realized that she and her life needed some definite changes. That’s what started her trek to WAKE UP her life and being able to help other women wake up their lives. The book is called “A Woman’s guide to real personal power”, but the information can be great for a man who is stuck in a bad situation and really needs to make changes.

Doris Roper’s target audience are women who need to make a change and also women who are being forced to make a change because of their situations, that can include: divorce, death of a spouse, big financial change, illness or any other major change that would mean the women’s life will change dramatically.

These are some of the chapter titles to give you an idea of the topics that are covered:

Chapter 1 Getting clear on my quest.

Chapter 2 Pain is a blessing, not a curse.

Chapter 3 Forget rejection, think redirection.

Chapter 4 Give up your power, give up your life.

Chapter 5 Focus on your limitations, and you will only see brick walls.

Chapter 6 Remember the Butterfly Effect – your view of things affects others.

Chapter 7 Forgiveness is for you, not for them.

I would tell you which chapter was my favorite, but I found things that I really liked in each chapter. In the opening couple of chapters, I got the feeling the message was to get off your backside and realize your life NEEDS to change. And, there are many people who need to hear that message. I have a habit of making that point to loved ones pretty bluntly sometimes, so that really resonated with me.

It is so true that pain is a blessing in many instances. It reminds us of the old adage that what does kill us makes us stronger – and stronger is not a bad thing. Strength can help us to get through very trying times and each of us have the ability to be strong and to survive some unbelievable situations, sometimes we just need the chance to proof it.

I also liked the idea of redirection instead of rejection. Have there been times in your life when your really needed to change the direction your life was taking, but you hesitated to make that change? I think we all have and rejection can be the motivator we need to make that change. I especially liked chapter 7 and the idea that forgiveness is for us and not the other person.

The book is only one thing that Doris does to help women in transition. Doris is the founder of The W.I.T. Institute, an educational and support organization for women to master their financial lives. Doris helps women to change their belief systems about life, money and success as she knows that it’s their limiting beliefs that keep so many women from being successful. She offers assistance in many ways including special programs on her website to help women make those needed changes.

I highly recommend reading WAKE UP Your Life. It could be just what you need or you may have a friend who needs a nudge to make changes in her life or who is facing an incredibly trying time and just doesn’t know how to make the changes that are needed. That’s where Doris and WAKE Up Your Life comes in.

For more information about Doris' book and her work, visit http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/12/wake-up-your-life-by-doris-roper.html and her website http://www.witinstitute.com/

The Broken Window by Jeffrey Deaver

2009-01-01T20:50:00.000-05:00

I'm made myself a promise that each holiday, I'll try to take some time off from working and I'll treat myself by reading a book just for fun. The vast majority of the books I read are for clients and although I thoroughly enjoy those books - its fun to read a book just for fun. So, you will probably notice that on many holiday weekends, I've posted reviews for Jeffrey Deaver books :)

The Broken Window is a high tech story about identity theft taken to extremes. Picture this, you are at your home having dinner or watching TV and the police knock on your door. They ask where you have been that evening and even though you know that you haven't done anything wrong, the police find evidence that ties you to a crime - murder. How can that be? They have a shoe print that matches your shoe, the condom at a rape scene matches the condoms you bought a couple of days ago, the potato chip crumbs at the scene match a bag in your garage and the worst news is that the victim's blood was found in your car.

This master criminal thinks that he has all the necessary information to pull off repeated "perfect crimes" and he did for years. Then he makes a "fatal" mistake - he frames Lincoln Rhymes cousin. That brings the renowned forensic specialist to the case and that means the criminals days are numbered (he would appreciate the pun :).

As the criminalist and his crew work on the crime, they find their way to a business that collects every bit of available information about every man, woman and child in the US. The business gives credence to the concerns about 'big brother watching you'. They know where you were, what you did, what you bought and much much more. The idea that a company could have all this information is creepy enough - but then imagine that a criminal mastermind has access to that information.

We see bits and pieces of the criminal and he lashes out at Rhyme, Amelia, and the other people who work with Rhyme. Literally, no one is safe from him and while Rhyme is very good - he has limited access to the information he needs. As always there are plenty of people who appear to be guilty while the reader is given tidbits to help us figure out who the mystery man is.

For anyone who likes a detailed and well researched thriller, I highly recommend this book. If you are a fan of Jeffrey Deaver - this book does not disappoint.

NOTE: I read through a number of other reviews before I posted this and I enjoy the immense detail that Deaver brings to his book and as an author I know the amount of pain staking work that is involved in being authentic and bringing this realism to a story. There was a lot of detail in this book and his usual multiple sub plots, but those are all things that make a Deaver book so great. Its not short or full of fluff and it is very possible to get lost in the story. I didn't think this book had as many whiplash twists to it, but with the detail that was included, I'm not sure that would've worked as well in this novel.

How Obama Won by Earl Ofari Hutchinson

2009-01-01T20:31:00.000-05:00

How Obama Won by Earl Ofari Hutchinson
A Comprehensive Dissect of Obama's White House Win

I have to be honest that I’ve never followed politics for many reasons. But in the past year, I’ve worked with Earl Ofari Hutchinson, read four of his book and followed his blog posts. I can tell you that it has been a crash course in politics.

The unbiased details that he shares and the historic information that he provides to support his conclusions are fascinating to me because I love to learn the story behind the news. Earl Ofari Hutchinson is a nationally recognized political analyst and author who has had his finger on the pulse of the political system for years and he uses that experience to help the reader dissect Obama’s win.

That is also one of the things I really liked about his latest book, How Obama Won. So many things happened through the 20+ months of campaigning, that I had lost track of many of the details. Through the 20 chapters of this book, he starts with Obama announcing that he will run, his big and important win in the Iowa primary and brings the reader through the final days of the election. I was talking to a friend who was reading this and he mentioned that it felt like a friend was explaining the election to your personally.

In the pages of How Obama Won, Hutchinson discusses many things that helped propel Obama to victory and some things that had the potential to derail his candidacy. These topics include: the economy, fund raising, the black vote, Oprah’s support, “the Bradley Effect”, Jesse Jackson, Reverend Wright, the race issue, the Clintons, choosing the right vice president, Sarah Palin, Colin Powell, blue collar America, and more.

There are very high expectations for President Obama and his administration. This book is to the point and will take you back through the election process and remind you of the details that got Obama to his current position. Take a look back at this historic election that people will study for years to come. This is your chance to dissect Obama’s win. Sure Obama got more votes, but what lead up to him getting those votes? That’s what you learn in How Obama Won.

The Sinner’s Guide to Confession by Phyllis Schieber

2009-01-01T19:14:00.000-05:00

Take three best friends, each woman has her own life and family. They share just about everything – but each friend has a secret that she won’t share with her friends or family. Will people think less of her if they know the secret she is hiding? How will her life change if she admits the truth? Will her life be better if she shares the secret? Admitting the truth gives friends and family the chance to help her with the secret – is that what she wants?

Barbara, Kaye and Ellen live in New York and they are each around 50 years old. Barbara recently lost her husband when he died unexpectedly. Thankfully, she has a lucrative career as a romance author and an even more lucrative secret. Her children are grown and on their own, but she is their mother and children have certain expectations about what their mother’s should do.

Kaye has a life with her husband and her children are adults, but her relationship with her husband has grown stale – is her future with him or another man? She meets a man who makes her feel sexy and desired, that makes her “stale” relationship with her husband even harder to tolerate. What will the future bring for Kaye and her family?

Ellen was forced, by her parents, to give up her daughter for adoption. This made her relationship even more strained with her parents and siblings. This forced adoption is even harder to handle as Ellen is married and she is unable to become pregnant. Will Ellen be able to meet her long lost daughter and if she does, can they forge a relationship?

Each of these women has a strong support system in place, but she needs to make the decision to trust these people with the secrets she is hiding. Their journey to self discovery takes you on an interesting, touching, emotion and at times a humorous trek through the pages of The Sinners’ Guide to Confession. Female relationship stories are not usually my favorite reads, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book and often found myself laughing at great one liners and other times reaching for tissues as I read this very well written book by Phyllis Schieber.

Phyllis Schieber is touring cyber space in January 2009 to promote Sinner's Guide to Confession, for complete details - http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/12/sinners-guide-to-confession-by-phyllis.html

The Mind of A Genius by David Snowdon

2009-01-01T18:59:00.000-05:00

Imagine if a genius created an invention that could literally change the world – for the better? What would a world changing invention be worth and what extent would be go to in order to get their hands on it? That is the premise behind The Mind of a Genius. I won’t tell you details about the invention, for that you need to read the book.

Malcolm Prince is a brilliant British scientist and he’s finalized the world changing formula. The word is out that he has succeeded and the British, American and Denmark governments are all interested. But, there are a few problems. Malcolm Prince dies without revealing the details and no one knows where he stored the formula. So, the brilliant scientist accomplished the impossible, but the world can’t benefit if the formula isn’t found. Then you have the concern that the formula could fall into the wrong hands.

The race is on – who will find the formula and how many people will go to jail because of their failed attempts to get their hands on the formula? A lot of money is being offered for the person or people who can get their hands on the formula. Which of these mysterious and devious people would you prefer has control of this world changing creation?

One government is trying a different approach. MI4 brings in their suave and very dangerous special agent Jason Clay. Clay is known to be a womanizer and the plan is for him to get close to Malcolm Prince’s beautiful widow. It’s a plum assignment for Clay and the money is good too. He meets Laura Prince and they get to know each other in the coming days. As they get acquainted and get closer, there are plenty of other people who want to get close to the beautiful widow or at least get close to her husband’s formula.

The Mind of a Genius brings together some very colorful and memorable characters to the story board and the action takes the reader from London to Copenhagen, Hong Kong and Australia. Who will find the formula? What is the formula? Will Jason Clay fall for the beautiful widow? Who is the dwarf? Who is Gorgeous Steve? And, who is the young man who keeps breaking out of jail? These are just a few of the answers that author David Snowdon answers in the pages of The Mind of a Genius. Get ready for international intrigue and mystery in the pages of this book.

David Snowdon is touring cyber space from mid January to mid March. For more information, vist http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/12/mind-of-genuis-by-david-snowdon.html

How to be a Sales Superstar by Mark Tewart

2008-12-14T22:04:00.000-05:00

How to be a Sales Superstar: Break All the Rules and Succeed While Doing It
by Mark Tewart

Every aspect of our daily lives are affected by sales, even though we may not think in those terms. When you buy any product or service, various sales people are involved in the background. Even your utilities are affected by the sales process. Sales people have gotten a bad “rep” for years, but that isn’t necessary. We all know people in the sales industry that are superstars. The question is – how do you become a sales superstar? Mark Tewart is a definite expert who has the answer to this question and he is sharing his thoughts and tips in his new book “How to be a Sales Superstar”.

In these tough economic times, its even more critical for people to make a living. A ho-hum sales person very likely will not survive in this economic climate. A sales superstar will not only survive, but he or she has the opportunity to thrive – even in tough times. That’s what Mark Tewart can help you do in the pages of How To Be A Sales Superstar.

I have many favorite parts in this book, but I really appreciated the fact that Tewart shows you how to improve your overall life – life skills, people skills, promotional skills and yes, sales skills. He explains that improving your sales skills is a great start, but it is not enough to make you a superstar. You also need to work on improving your own life, your outlook on life, how you relate to and communicate with other people and much more.

I’ve always loved to read and it was interesting that Tewart mentions continuing to learn is motivating. The people who continue to work to learn and to improve themselves, do seem to be motivated to do and accomplish more. Have you found it easier to do more when you have more information to use? He includes a quote from Jim Rohn, it says – “If you motivate someone and you don’t educate them, all you have is a motivated idiot.”

He discusses the need to set goals and to have a clear vision. How hard is it to accomplish something when you have no goals to work toward and no vision of where you’re headed and how to get there? He doesn’t just say you need to set goals and have a vision, he shows you how to do both of these things which are critical to your success.

Another quote that seems especially useful in this difficult time – “When you go to work on yourself and get better, it’s amazing how much better your customers get.” How can you work on yourself to improve your skills and your outlook – to help you get better customers? These are two more quotes that I really liked. “Allow no limitations, no excuses, and no reason not to ask and receive. When you open the door to your positive belief system, you close the door to scarcity.” This is a thought that I’ve shared with many people who worked with me over the years, “You don’t get paid by the hour, you get paid for the value you bring to the hour.” If we all adopted that attitude, would we be motivated to work harder and better?

Mark Tewart explains why over 90% of salespeople underachieve. Are you in the 90% or the 10%? If you’re in the 90%, you need to read this book. The book includes a wide variety of marketing ideas. It also contains a list of questions to use and questions to avoid. I’ve always believed that we learn so much by learning from mistakes that others have made. Mark Tewart shares plenty of do’s and don’ts. He gives you examples of how to meet and greet customers, how to work with them, how to talk with them, how to understand what they are actually trying to tell you and much more.

For anyone that wants to learn how to excel in sales and in their life, I highly recommend that you need to read this book. Tewart gives you invaluable tools on how to improve your quality of life, your personal relationships, your promotional skills and to move your sales skills to a superstar level.

The One Minute Coach by Masha Malka

2008-11-07T21:39:00.000-05:00

Remember the song – “What a Difference a Day Makes”? If a day can make a big difference, is a minute helpful. What can you actually accomplish in a minute? You may think the answer is “not much”, but I’m here to tell you that you can accomplish plenty in a minute… with Masha Malka’s new book “The One Minute Coach”. Get ready to turn your life around in a minute.

We all have very busy lives and we know how hard it is to work anything else into our schedule. I sympathize with the lack of time. However, can you find a couple of minutes in your day? Some people will find time at breakfast, on the train to work, in the restroom or some other place. The location doesn’t matter – the important thing is to find a few minutes.

This book is set up in a layout that I’ve really come to appreciate. Masha gave you a series of short points and then action steps to help you actually move forward and to make a difference in your life. Each chapter contains a series of these points.

There are over 50 points and over 50 action steps in this book – so literally, there is something for everyone. She discusses the topics listed below.

Freedom to be Who You Are
The Secrets of People Who Are Successful
Why Do We Suffer?
The Secret to a Great Life
Are You a Natural Leader?
Time Management and Decision Making
The Best Source of Wealth
Is It Ever Too late?

To give you some examples of the talking points in the book, I’ll share some of my favorite sections.

Freedom to be who you are – “Don’t say if I could I would. Say instead, If I can, I will.” - Jim Rohn.
The Secrets of people who are successful – “Successful people make a habit of doing what the failing person doesn’t like to do.” - Thomas Edison .
The most important ingredient to your success – “Calm self confidence is as far from conceit as the desire to earn a decent living is remote from greed.” – Channing Pollock.
Are you guilty? – “Lack of forgiveness causes almost all of our self-sabotaging behavior.” – Mark Victor Hansen.
How much do you love yourself? – Let’s talk about LOVE. More specifically, I would like to focus on self love. Why? Because you cannot give more than you have – in order to give and receive love, you have to first love yourself.
Using words with good purpose. – Did you know that you can positively transform your environment just by changing the words that you use?
Personal satisfaction at work – “We can change our lives. We can do, have and be exactly what we wish.” – Anthony Robbins.
How much do you rely on logic? Do you make your decisions using mainly your logic or your intuition?
Produce the results you are looking for – “The definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over again and expecting different results.” – Albert Einstein.
What did you miss out on today? “If a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take it away from him. An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.” Benjamin Franklin.
The power of questions – “The quality of our lives is closely related to the quality of our questions.” – Michael Angier.
Ask and you will receive – “Quality questions create a quality life. Successful people ask better questions and as a result, the get better answers.” Anthony Robbins.
Excellence is not an act, but a habit – “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.” Aristotle.
Can one person change the world? – “You are where you are and what you are because of what you believe yourself to be. Change your beliefs and you change your reality.” Brian Tracy.

Each of these headings and sayings begin a two page section of the book. There is one page that gives an in depth explanation of the saying on the left page. On the right page, you see “action steps”. These action steps are included to help you see how to apply these principles in your life. It is very possible to change your life to make it better and you can change your life, once minute at a time.

I highly recommend this book. It is only about 130 pages, but it is packed with so many great thoughts and recommendations about how to get your life on track and how to excel. Like Brian Tracy said – we are each responsible for where we are in our lives and that means that we are the ones who have to put forth the effort to make a change.

In this day and time, there are many people who are facing trying times, but it is amazing how we can change our reality and our future by applying the points Masha Malka gives us in this power packed book. Newscasters keep telling us that we are in the worst financial situation in over 70 years, unemployment is soaring and the future looks very unsure – but if we make the most of our life, that is a great step in the right direction. Let Masha Malka show you how to start on the path to a more happy and successful life – one minute at a time.

The Freedom Formula by Christine Klosser

2008-11-07T21:30:00.000-05:00

The Freedom Formula: How to Put Soul in Your Business and Money in Your Bank by Christine Klosser. Are you an entrepreneur who wants to include a spiritual element and attitude to your business? This is the book for you. Some people feel that you can’t run a “spiritual” business and make money, but Christine Klosser feels that it can be done. She also focuses on being a “conscious” entrepreneur. Do you run your business with a higher and more focused consciousness?

This is the freedom formula – (S+C+D+I) x E = F

That stands for – Soul + Connection +Design + Implementation x Energy = Freedom

How many of these elements do you use in your business?When we talk about the “soul” of your business – we’re talking about YOU. The person who “birthed” the business is the soul of the business – it’s your baby. We often say that we put our heart and soul into building our businesses, but Klosser takes it further in her book.

There are four components to a conscious business.

A Conscious Business Makes Money – It may be hard for some people to believe, but you can look out for your clients and still make money. We don’t have to sacrifice our lives and our needs to succeed. Both aspects are desirable and we can build a successful business that treats clients well and allows the owner to have a life.
A Conscious Business Makes a Difference – A conscious business should make a difference in the lives of others. Don’t just treat them well, but actually make a positive difference in their lives. This doesn’t mean that you have to be a doctor to make a difference. Do you offer a product or service that makes their life easier or that makes their life more enjoyable? These are ways to make a difference in their lives. Another aspect of this is knowing when you should refer the client to someone else. Do you know another business person that is better qualified to serve them? Then you should make the referral. Think about it like this – if you need to compromise what you think is right to make the customer happy, they aren’t right for you. Be true to yourself.
A Conscious Business Calls You to Be Fully Who You Are – Can you be true to yourself and not hide parts of your personality in your business? This is the sign of a conscious business. Being true to yourself and using every aspect of yourself is what will help you succeed. One big side benefit is that giving your whole self gets rid of any competition. If YOU are the element that brings success to the business – then no one else can possibly replace you. Klosser says “Success is supposed to be easy. When you’re simply being you and doing all that comes naturally as your Divine self, success flows.” I have to ask, can it possibly be that easy? Klosser seems to think so.
A Conscious Entrepreneur Trust in Their Divine Plan – One major element of this is to squash the negative thoughts and feelings that can creep in, especially with an unusually pesky client. It is important to stay focused on your Divine plan for your business and keep moving forward. No matter how bad the moment or the day is, its only a blip in the overall plan. This part of the plan requires you to reconnect with God – your source – your spirit – whatever you call the divine guidance in your life.

One of the elements I really liked were the “Action Guide Exercises” that are interspersed throughout the book. These are usually short and to the point, but to do them right will require thought and action on your part. There are many very good business elements in this book and it definitely helps the entrepreneur to stay focused on the bigger picture and the greater good. However, if you are not inclined to include your religious or spiritual beliefs in your business life, this book probably isn’t for you.

Before making the final decision to purchase this book, I’d recommend going to Amazon and click on the “look inside the book” link. This gives you the chance to read the first chapter. If you like Klosser’s approach and it resonates with you, I highly recommend that you buy it and read the rest.

Book Promo 101: Learn the Basics of Book Promotion by Nikki Leigh

2008-10-29T18:42:00.000-04:00

This review was done for one of my book by Lillian Brummet. Her details are at the bottom of the review.

Book Promo 101: Learn the Basics of Book Promotion

Only a small part of a writer’s career, no matter what genre they focus on, is the act of writing – most of the writer’s schedule is filled with record keeping, office work and marketing. The first year after a book is published is often referred to as the “honeymoon period” because this is when the authors direct contacts have been exhausted. Typically, sales drop off and the author becomes disenchanted with the thought of facing more promotion activities for a seemingly “dead” book. Sadly there are only a few in the industry that seem to understand that a marketing plan should last the life of the contract for that book, sometimes longer.

Nikki Leigh has graciously put together a series entitled Book Promo 101 and the first book of this series has just been released. This first installment is an overview of the basic process and tools that are involved in book promotion activities. The author will go into each of these tools in more detail in the upcoming books in this series. This is a great way to have a brief understanding of what each of these tools are, why they are employed and some great tips on how to avoid using them ineffectively.

There are, what looks to be more than 50 contributors to this book. Virtually every page has a contribution from authors, educators and others that are involved in the world of writing. These insiders tips are very helpful; I was impressed at the amount of comfort that is felt through reading these personal experiences. The contributors’ willingness to admit errors, discuss
emotions and share their favorite resources is refreshing.

Readers will find lists of questions for them to use to define what their needs are and how they plan to reach society with their message. Find out if you need services, such as a professional full time publicist, and learn about alternatives that are available for you to consider. There is an excellent sample conversation in the chapter dealing with bookstores that will definitely be of service to readers.

In total there 208 pages in the print book which is a generous 8 x 10 book. It contains 16 chapters along with Appendices that offer extensive lists for review sites and best selling book sites. Book Promo 101 was released in March 2008 by Write Words Inc – an imprint of Cambridge books. (The ebook is standard size 5 x 8 and over 400 pages.)

The author, Nikki Leigh, has been involved in marketing businesses, books and web design for over 15 years. She has 4 novels and 4 non-fiction business books that are available for readers to investigate through their favorite bookseller. She also runs several bogs, offers virtual book tour services to her clients and facilitates classes in character development.

ISBN#: 978-1594314985 (e-book)

ISBN#: 978-1594314698 (print)

Rating: 5-out-of-5 stars

~ Lillian Brummet: co-author of the books Trash Talk and Purple Snowflake Marketing, author of Towards Understanding; Host of both the Conscious Discussions talk radio show & the Authors Read radio program (www.brummet.ca)

For more information about Book Promo 101 - visit www.nikkileigh.com/book_promo_101.htm

NIghts in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks

2008-10-16T12:29:00.000-04:00

I have to start by saying that I don't usually read "chick" books, but this book is set on the Outer Banks of North Carolina and I love that area. One of my books is set about 20 miles south of Rodanthe (Lilah and the Locket by Nikki Leigh).

I love almost anything set on or near the coast, so I had to take a look.

The story is about a mother who is worried about her daughter. The daughter recently lost her husband and she's having a hard time dealing with her life and her young children after her husband died. So, her mother feels that its time to share the details about a very special weekend she spent in Rodanthe. Although, she probably won't share every little detail.

Our heroine - Adrienne - is still hurting from her husband leaving their marriage, her and their children. She assumes that she won't find love again and the future doesn't look especially good. A friend of her's owns a bed and breakfast in Rodanthe, on the secluded Outer Banks of NC and she offers to be the hostess for a weekend when her friend has plans out of town.

There will only be one guest that weekend - an attractive man who is facing problems and a crossroads in his own life. Dr Paul Flanners is traveling to Rodanthe to meet with the husband of a patient who unexpectedly died on the table during surgery that should've been safe. An investigation revealed that he wasn't negligent, but it is still hard to face the situation and to face this woman's husband. Even though it is hard, he feels that he should respect the man's request and he travels to Rodanthe.

We learn that Dr Paul has been a dedicated doctor who worked hard to build a thriving practice, often to the point of ignoring his duties to his wife and son. He has reached a point in his life where he is rethinking previous choices, sold his home, sold his practice and is heading out of the country to work with his son in a remote area.

Both of these people are dealing with a lot in their personal lives and maybe a new friend and a new perspective is just what they need. Add an impending storm and we have the recipe for an interesting weekend.

Adrienne and Paul get along from the start and its clear that there is an attraction, but they are each hestitant to act on that attraction. After this weekend, they won't see each other again.

Shared conversation, working to prepare the house for the storm, and quiet dinners bring these two individuals closer and eventually, they stop fighting the attraction. Will it only be a couple of days of bliss? Will they see one another again? Why doesn't Adrienne's daughter know about this special man that entered her mother's life? Wil Adrienne's story help her daughter move on?

You will have to read the book to discover the answers or you can watch the new movie with Diane Ladd and Richard Gere. I was on the Outer Banks as the film crews were moving in, so I know that at least parts of the movie are filmed on location. The locale is gorgeous and I'm familiar with the house where the story takes place. I hope you enjoy your trip to Rodanthe, through the pages of the book or through the movie.

Below are some books that I personally own about the Outer Banks in case you want to learn more and my Cape Hatteras murder mystery is included :

Amazon.com Widgets

The Forbidden Daughter by Shobhan Bantwal

2008-09-25T18:09:00.000-04:00

I thoroughly enjoyed Shobhan Bantwal's first book, The Dowry Bride. It was well written and the glimpses into Indian culture were fascinating. Learning that paying or not paying a dowry could be a matter of life or death was shocking to me and she handled it very well in her book. So, I've been looking forward to reading her second book.

This weekend I took time to read The Forbidden Daughter and my wait was rewarded. The book is about female infanticide. That is the practice of killing female babies and unborn female babies. I've heard various reasons for female infanticide in India and that is one of the elements of this story. Are women less worthy or important than men? The characters have a variety of feelings about this question. Another element is the financial angle to performing abortions along with the social repercussions.

Isha Talik is drawn into this web of lies, deception and money when her obstetrician informs her and her husband that their unborn child is a girl. In an off handed comment, he says that he's willing to perform an abortion if they want to be rid of this child. Isha and Nikhil vehemently insist they will have their child, but they realize Nikhil's parents will want them to abort the child. The couple have one daughter and Isha knows her in laws treat her daughter Priya as less worthy than her male cousins. When the news is shared with the elder Taliks, they insist the child must be aborted.

This debate rages and is only interrupted late one evening when the family receives news that Nikhil was stabbed to death at his job. Isha, Priya and the in laws are all shaken by the news of Nikhil's death. The news is especially devastating to his parents because Nikhil was their only son and he had no sons to carry on the family name. Life for Isha and Priya is tougher each day and after her father in law beats Priya, the young, pregnant widow walks out of the house - with almost no money and only some of her possessions.

Isha and Priya are taken in at the local convent and make their home in a small, bleak room and they wait for the birth of her daughter. The day after Diya is born, Isha is seen by the doctor who helps the convent. He was a student at the college Isha attended and he had a crush on her in school.

Doctor Harish Salvi becomes a very good friend and his affection for Isha and her children continues to grow over time. Isha is reunited with her sister in law Sheila. With Sheila and Dr Salvi, Isha finds the support she needs.

Over time things begin to look better for Isha and her family and her support network grows again. But, the story isn't over and Isha must deal with a couple more concerns before the end. Isha and her closest confidantes realize who killed her husband and why. She has evidence of his wrong doing and the time stamp on the computer disc makes it very obvious, who is responsible for his murder. Will they go to the police? Will the murderer pay for his crime? Who else will have to pay for this man's actions?

I don't want to ruin the story for anyone, but I highly recommend this story. You will grow to admire, you will admire and cherish Dr Salvi and you will care what happens to Isha's daughters. This book is a wonderful work from a talented author who share her knowledge of India with us.

Shobhan Bantwal is touring with Promo 101 Virtual Tours in October. Visit www.virtualblogtour.blogspot.com for more details.

Bounce! by Barry Moltz

2008-09-14T13:01:00.000-04:00

Bounce! Failure, Resiliency and Confidence to Achieve Your Next Great Success by Barry Moltz

We all love to share our success stories in business. But, there is so much to learn from our failures. One key to learning from our failures is to be prepared for failure, develop the humility to deal with problems and to develop the keys that we need in order to be resilient.

Bounce! This seems to be the year where people discuss resiliency and how to bounce back. I’ve personally reviewed four or five books about improving our lives, making needed changes and moving on. The full title of this book is Bounce! Failure, Resiliency and Confidence to Achieve Your Next Great Success. Its an inspiring title and the book is very good. When we think of failure, we need to also think about bouncing back and starting over

In the United States and in other countries around the world people are facing very tough economic times and it doesn’t appear that will change drastically in the near future. We see huge companies failing and/or being taken over by the government or being sold on a pretty regular basis. If multi billion and multi million dollar businesses are failing, doesn’t it make sense that other businesses consider that failure is possible and to be ready for the possibility? No one is saying that failure is inevitable, but develop the mindset and skill set that make it easier for you to face failures and the situations we encounter as a business faces tough times.

Barry Moltz built his original business reputation at IBM. That’s where I initially heard about him, but he decided to leave IBM and start his own business venture. At one point in the book, Moltz mentions how his stature and income increased each year while he was at IBM and he had the mistaken opinion that the trend would continue even when he left IBM. That’s something I’ve heard from people who left a fulltime job to begin their own business. That can be one of the first things to rattle a new entrepreneur. The steady paycheck and job security disappear overnight.

Moltz gives the example of a rubber band ball that is created by wrapping rubber bands and creating a ball. Each band increases the size and strength of the ball. Through the pages of Bounce!, he shares the key “bands” we need to create sufficient bounce. They include:

Environmental and Cultural DNA – Attitudes in your country and associates about success and failure have an impact on how you view these elements of business.

Humility – Humility has the ability to lift us up or to pull us down. If you fail, will you wallow and brood over it or will you understand that people fail and pick yourself up and move on?

Face Your Fear of Failure – Failure is always possible. No matter how qualified or prepared we are in business, it is always possible to fail. Its best to be prepared for that possibility. If we never fail, that’s wonderful. But, if it does happen, be ready to deal with it.

Give Up Shame About Failure – This is not simple, but it is necessary. Once you decide to stop feeling shame over failure, tackle the things thrown at you by others. Some people will be obnoxious about any failure, but you need to be convinced it’s a temporary situation and move forward.

Failure Offers a Choice – How many people do you know that are stuck in a “no win” situation because they decide to stay in a failing business instead of admitting defeat? Give yourself the choice to say, “It’s not working” and get out of a losing situation. Make the choice to fail and move on to something better.

Be Careful About the Risks You Take – As your decision making skills improve, you are better qualified to make careful decisions and to limit the potential for risk and failure. Make sure that you understand the full risk and the full benefit of any major decision you are going to make.

Refine and Improve the Process to Improve the Outcome – Business goes through cycles and its important to understand that the processes we use make a difference in the outcomes we get.

Develop Patience About Success and Failure – We must be realistic and many times we don’t succeed as quickly as we hope. So, patience is needed. Set realistic goals and work toward these. Even when progress is slow, goals and benchmarks enable us to see the progress that is being made.

Develop Your Own System to Measure Your Success and Failure – Most people realize that just having money is not a guarantee of happiness. Decide what you need to feel successful. No one else’s idea of success should guide you – what makes you happy? Once you know that answer, strive to be happy.

Place Value on Action and Progress – Read the book, but then realize that you need to make things happen. Your experience is a great way to build confidence and the humility to face the tough situations and to move on to bigger and better things.

Those points are the key elements that the book covers and is built around. The longest chapter in the book, is Chapter 5 Forget the Archetypes: Messy Lines Teach Humility. At first glance this was interesting and a bit confusing because we all know that strong entrepreneurs need confidence, to be self assured and to be strong. So, why did Moltz include such a long chapter about humility? He discusses ego and how it does and does not help a business person. He discusses how humility is crucial is facing problems and failures in a way that helps us start over and rebuild or future.

There is so much great information in this book, but I highly recommend that no one skip the last chapter, Read This Book – Then Throw It Away. He makes great points including the fact that planning is great and needs to happen, but we also know that you will never succeed or fail until you take the leap and actual work to make it happen. Anyone who is waiting for the “perfect” time to start will be waiting forever. There is never a “perfect” time.

Do sufficient research and planning and learn to make sound decisions. Then develop true and positive humility and move forward. It’s also critical to realize many great people have failed, some failed in huge ways. The great people, large and small, are the ones who pick themselves up and start over. There is always another possibility and another opportunity. Will you move on and find your next opportunity?

Polarizing Your Life Toward Perfection by Philip F Harris

2008-09-01T03:45:00.000-04:00

The Little Book That Will Alter Your Life

Many books about how to move yourself to a better place have hit the market since the phenomenal success of The Secret. They deal with the Law of Attraction, manifesting, and much more. Polarizing Your Life Toward Perfection helps you take an honest look at your life and what happened to create the person that you have become. Its not just a book about – “I want”, “Give me” and that sort of mentality. Philip Harris gives you the tools that you need to create a more positive, happy and successful life. It truly is “the little book that will alter your life”. So much information packed into a small book. Isn’t there a saying about the best things coming in small packages? This is a great example of that idea.

Harris provides various examples of things we do, say and think which has a negative impact on our life. He lists many phrases and words that we shouldn’t use. Many of the examples show how a small change in the wording we use, can make a big difference in our outlook. Learn which phrases you should not use and the easy ways to adjust our thoughts. It may sound silly, but there are many great ways that we can “look on the bright side” and “be more positive”. The first two chapters provide many ways to do this in your life.

Once you start to work on the way you think and talk about things, its time to take a look inside yourself. There are a variety of people in your life and who have played a part in your life over the years. Your beliefs, job and health are all things that affect who you are and how you feel about things. Chapter 3 is titled “Life Assessment”. Simply, this chapter is about helping you evaluate the people and things in your life – to determine what does and does not work for you. In some cases, you can evaluate a person or situation and adjust the way you view it. In other cases, you need to make changes in your life. This chapter helps you with this assessment.

When we look into a mirror, we assume that we are seeing a true reflection. However, consider this. The reflection you see is affected by your beliefs, your mind, your job, your relationships and much more. How often have you been around people who are negative? When you look in a mirror with those comments fresh in your mind, do you see yourself differently? Even if its only a stray gray hair or lines around your eyes that someone talked about earlier, this is an example of ways that your reflection is affected by these outside forces. The good news is that Harris also provides a chapter about “How to Change the Image in the Mirror”. You can change your perception of yourself and that reflection.

No book on changing yourself would be complete without a section about how to alter the things you put into your body. Polarizing Your Life contains chapters about your body and the environment that you are in. Learn ways to change your environment to improve your life. Your diet can have a big impact on how your feel and how your body functions. Harris provides many ways to improve your diet, your health and your environment – all of these things go a long way in polarizing your life.

The chapter about visualization provides great insights. Do you limit your success by approaching visualization in the wrong way? If you start with “I want”, “I need” and similar phrases, you can limit your success. Harris provides many illustrations of how our phrasing makes us focus on the negative things in our life and this makes it more difficult to achieve a better life. Another thing to consider, do you vocalize appreciation for the things you have? Even for people who don’t have much, you should be appreciative for the things you have.

You will be amazed by the wealth of life changing information that Philip Harris has packed into this small book. If you’re interested in “the secret”, the law of attraction, manifesting, visualization, being in tune with the universe and creating a better life for yourself – this is a must read.

Brillante Weblog Premio Award For This Blog

2008-08-25T11:15:00.000-04:00

Isn't this a beautiful award? Joyce Anthony over at:

http://joyceanthony.tripod.com/blog

nominated me for it. This is a pay-it-forward award and my instructions were to now choose some blogs I find worthy of this award. The choice wasn't easy, but I have finally narrowed it down to the following. These are in no particular order; that would be impossible to do.

Joyce Anthony - http://joyceanthony.tripod.com/blog - I know she nominated me, but Joyce is always willing to work with me and to help the authors that I work with each month. She puts together an event on her blog which is a part of my tours. Her help is wonderful and very appreciated. I hope that I've been able to introduce her to some interesting new people.

Yvonne Perry - www.yvonneperry.blogspot.com - I met Yvonne as I was coordinating my very first blog tour- it was for her. We worked together and got to be friends and when I started doing more tours, she was one of the people I contact about upcoming tours. She's hosted a number of people for me, on her blog and in her newsletter. Its been great getting to know her even more as we;ve worked together on various projects and she offers a wealth of info for writers and others on her blog.

Kathleen Gage - www.themarketingmindset.com - I heard of Kathleen long before I actually got to talk with her. She shares a wealth of information for authors, speakers and others on her blog and she hosts a number of authors for me on her blogs as well. Kathleen and her blog are both wonderful resources that should not be overlooked and she is one of the nicest and most caring people that I know.

Dyan Garris - http://blog.voiceoftheangels.com - I met Dyan early in 2008 and we've worked together for a while. During this time I've come to know her as a person who truly wants to help others. She wants to share the information she has that can help other people improve the quality of their lives. She shares plenty of great information on her blog and her website. She has also become a friend and someone who has words of wisdom and comfort at the right time.

Carolyn Howard Johnson - www.TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com - Carolyn created a review blog where she is willing to post reviews for all sorts of authors, not just big name authors, but even the lesser known authors. Her instructions are very clear and it is very easy to take advantage of her offer. She has hosted a number of authors for me on their tours and her assistance is certainly appreciated.

Philip Harris - http://philipharris.blogspot.com - Phil Harris has been a good friend and he has hosted a number of authors for me. There are a number of topics that he is very knowledgeable about and those are great opportunities for him to host an author and to ask very targeted questions. He has a knack for getting to the heart of a topic and asking great questions. This has been helpful on a number of tours and I think he's also made some friends along the way.

I'm sure there are others that I've forgotten and I am sorry. I've also discovered some new blogs that are going to be very good for the authors to work with me. More great resources to come in the near future.

The rules for the above recipients are as follow:

Rules for next recipients of the Brillante Weblog Premio are as follows:

1. The award may be displayed on a winner's blog.

2. Add a link to the person you received the award from.

3. Nominate up to seven other blogs.

4. Add their links to your blog.

5. Add a message to each person that you have passed the award on in the comments section of their blog.

There you have it, folks, my nominees for this wondrous peer-driven award. Please stop by the above blogs and drop everyone a note of congratulations!!!

Email Marketing for Complex Sales Cycles by Winton Churchill

2008-08-24T13:08:00.000-04:00

Direct mail and email marketing have gotten a bad rap for many years. But, when the email marketing is executed properly, the results can be fantastic. That is the sort of email marketing that Winton Churchill talks about in this book. It’s not just a simple email being sent from time to time, but it is an email system that gets definite and positive sales results for your business.

The complete name of the book is Email Marketing for Complex Sales Cycles – Proven Ways to Product a Continuous Flow of Prospects and Profits with Effective, Spam Free Email Systems. When properly formulated and executed, an email mailing system can generate additional sales for your company – quickly.

We’re all familiar with the long drawn out and unpredictable sales methods. How many times have your sales people spent endless hours coddling sales leads? How often do these hours generate few sales? You know that isn’t cost effective, but every body does cold calling, trade shows and similar sales approaches. Or do they? You won’t need to continue these unpredictable sales strategies after you read and apply Email Marketing for Complex Sales Cycles by Winton Churchill.

To illustrate the wealth of information in this book, these are some of the topics–

· Email Marketing is Not About Spam.

· Email Marketing… Relatively Easy and Extremely Powerful – When You Do it Right.

· Change your Mindset, Change Your Future.

· Six Special Needs of Complex Sales Cycles.

· Three Critical Stages of Success.

· Unhooking – The Process of Un-Training Your Brain.

· Four Ways to Identify and Qualify Legitimate Prospects.

· The Rapport Sequence.

· Eighteen Essential Components Simplified.

· Seven Damaging Mistakes Many Executives Make.

· Eight Indispensible “Fast Track” Strategies.

Recipients have mental blocks about spam and supposed junk mail. So, the first thing to realize is that Winton Churchill isn’t talking about spam or junk mail. In various places throughout the book, he admonishes the reader to find a quality list. This helps you get better results because those lists contain people who want to receive information about a product or service that is similar to yours.

Email marketing is reasonably easy, but you need to understand why it works and how it works. The complex sales cycle is a powerful sales tool and Churchill helps you learn how to use it properly. Are you one of the business people who spent your budget on an address list, but didn’t know how to properly use the list? This book is for you. Just having the list isn’t enough. You need to reach the people and determine who needs your product or service. You also need to build up a rapport with these people in order to lead them to make a purchase.

The email complex sales cycle allows you to screen these potential clients, show them that you are an expert in your field, demonstrate ways that you can help them and lead them to your business to make a sale. That does not mean that every one on the list will become a client, but when you start with a targeted and qualified list, your chance of making the sale increase. Once you have the right list, work on the cycle of messages that prove your credibility and illustrate how you can fill their needs.

In several of the chapters, Churchill addresses the mindset and that re-training are necessary to make email marketing work. The content of this book helps you get past the preconceived ideas about spam and to see the strategic way that a complex sales system works.

I enjoyed the entire book and I really enjoyed the sections on how to identify qualified prospects, how to simplify the eighteen components that are necessary and learning about common mistakes. I learned long ago that we can learn through past mistakes – the ones we make and the ones that other people make.

Finally, the eight “fast track” strategies are very useful. We all want to fast track our sales cycle, but it needs to be done correctly. Throughout the book, Churchill explains that we can ruin the sales cycle by pushing too hard to fast, so learning how to effectively “fast track” the program is helpful and will help us avoid mistakes.

My copy of the book has all kinds of information highlighted for future reference. I found many great ideas and tips that I will use. As I was reading the book, I also noticed an idea forming to use email marketing for a client’s business. I hadn’t thought about the approach before, but it made so much sense as I read Email Marketing Solutions.

The content could inspire you to make radical changes in the way your sales force finds and how they handle sales leads. Think of the time and money you could save with a more effective sales prospecting system for your business. Let Winton Churchill show you how to make these changes and how to increase sales that are generated for your company.

Winton Churchill will tour the blog-o-sphere September 15 to October 10. For more details, visit www.virtualblogtour.blogspot.com

Vietnam Air Rescues by Dave Richardson

2008-08-18T21:55:00.000-04:00

I have to start by saying that I love to read true stories - the good, the bad and the ugly :) This is a good one.

Dave Richardson is a man who was sent to Vietnam in the late 60's and he chose to be a helicopter rescue pilot while he was in the war. This put him in a position to have some fascinating experiences and it gave him a chance to see his faith in action during trying and dangerous times.

Vietnam Air Rescues started out as a book from a father, to his family. It was the chance to share his experiences and to help the family understand what he did during his time in Vietnam. A big part of the book are Dave's recollections and pictures from his rescues. There are many pictures throughout the book which are a great addition. I should mention that Dave does remind us that the pictures were taken over 30 years ago and most were taken under "less than favorable" conditions. Some of the pictures are out of focus, but when you read the content and realize what he was doing at the time he was taking the pictures, a bit of fuzz should be ignored.

The book begins with Dave Richardson's "Totally Unauthorized History of the Vietnam War". He shares his reflections of the war and his time overseas. He also explains the various editions of the book. The first edition was written for Dave Richardson's family, but as others requested copies, slight changes were made to make the story appropriate for other readers.

Dave shares many interesting details throughout the book, a jargon section, information about a typical day, details about the missions he flew, he shares maps of the area and full details on each of his rescues.

I feel that the personal feel is very obvious in the book. It feels like a friend is telling you about a year in his life and you get involved in the things they did to kill time when they had time to spare. We also feel the tension as he struggles to rescue a pilot who was shot down, realizing that a mistake would mean death for a number of people. It was never a situation where he only had to worry about his own life.

I interviewed Dave Richardson on my radio show and I got the chance to learn so many additional details. Learning more about how a person handles a helicopter added more tension to the rescue sections. I highly recommend listening to the interview for plenty of details. (http://www.blogtalkradio.com/nikkileigh/2008/08/18/Nikki-Leigh-Talks-with-Dave-Richardson)

On August 25th, I will interview Dave Richardson and the last person he rescued, Kenny Fields. Both men wrote books about their experiences. One of the interesting things is that these two books give us the perspective from the air and the perspective from the ground. Dave was days from going home and he agreed to go out one more time. Little did he know what would happen over the next 48 hours. Kenny Fields was stranded on the ground and the rescue planes and helicopters had a very difficult time - these men will share their stories with us.

If you prefer to read the details - Dave Richardson's book is Vietnam Air Rescues (www.amazon.com/Vietnam-Air-Rescues-Dave-Richardson/dp/1434891348/nikkileighaut-20)
Kenny Fields book is Rescue of Streetcar 304: A Navy Pilot's Forty Hours on the Run in Laos (www.amazon.com/Rescue-Streetcar-304-Pilots-Forty/dp/1591142717/nikkileighaut-20)

If you would like to learn more about what happened behind the scenes this is a great place to start. There is no grandstanding, no political undertones and no agenda in Vietnam Air Rescues. But, there is a great story told from an author who is proud to share his story with us.

What the Best CEO’s Know by Jeffrey Krames

2008-08-14T19:39:00.000-04:00

With all the focus in the last several years on corporate scandals, are there any CEO’s who can teach us something? There are, and their stories are included in What the Best CEO’s Know by Jeffrey Kramer. We cannot deny that there have been an unusual number of corporations who find themselves on the wrong side of the legal system, but that is not the case with every CEO.

What traits are needed to be a top CEO? How do you build a business that can weather the inevitable storms that will come? The stories of these men will inspire you, help you analyze your abilities as a CEO along with learning how to improve your effectiveness in business. Some of these men survived personal and business pitfalls, but established durable companies.

You are given the chance to “Assess Your CEO Quotient” by using questions to evaluate your performance and your business. These unique features offer you the opportunity to learn improved ways to handle your business.

Six Traits That Connect 7 CEO’s

1 – “Outside-In” Perspective – This perspective requires the ability to analyze varying aspects of the target market. The organization must focus on and satisfy the market.

2 – “Evangelical Leadership Gene” – A common mistake that people make, is to confuse this trait with charisma. A CEO must arouse enthusiasm and devotion.

3 – Importance of Culture and the Difficulty in Changing Culture – Some CEO’s create a fun, family culture in their businesses and others opt for a culture of a healthy fear of competition and failure.

4 – “Next Generation” Companies – Top CEO’s must anticipate what the market will need and how their business can fill that need. They need to have vision about what will be needed.

5 – “Implement Best Idea” – Some people must take credit for all good ideas. These CEO’s realized that a good idea should be utilized, no matter who originated the idea.

6 – Advance Leadership Body of Knowledge – These men understood the knowledge of a leader should always increase and improve their performance.

Focus Your Business Around the Customer

Michael Dell was a Fortune 500 CEO at 27. He realized any product needed to fill the customer’s need. His system eliminated the need to stockpile items. Each system is custom built to meet a specific customer’s needs, after the order was placed.

He learned an expensive lesson, when a new product was designed without consulting the public. After this setback, Dell returned to the principle of listening to his customers. They realized a profitable use for the internet was placing orders online. This also collected information from customers and freed employees for other duties. These things help Dell to maintain a competitive edge and rock bottom prices. By eliminating the middleman and inventory, he held prices down and ensured a higher profit. Focusing on the customer and satisfying them multiplied potential profits and made Dell a company to watch and learn from through the years.

Create an Authentic Learning Environment

Imagine being promoted to CEO in an established company and the best move is to totally reorganize the organization? This is the situation that confronted Jack Welch as CEO of GE. To make the situation worse, key vice presidents and thousands of managers didn’t see a problem.

Welch needed a better learning environment to reorganize GE, but his first priority was to cut expenses. The company needed to be financially stable before the education could be implemented. The training would be costly, but the cost would be offset through increased productivity and more effective management of the companies which made up GE.

Welch knew a key source for valuable ideas could be competitors. He encouraged his employees to actively search for ideas in any place. Employees were rewarded for bringing ideas to his attention. New ideas were celebrated within the company and the best were shared in a company newsletter. He felt the employees needed to share information and this enabled them to understand how the company operated and their part in the process.

GE spent billions to train their employees, but their revenues proved this was a worthwhile endeavor. When Welch took over as CEO in 1981, the total market capitalization was $13 billion. While this was a very respectable number, the value in 2000 was an impressive $596 billion.

Focus on Solutions

What if you were chosen as the CEO of a company founded by Thomas Edison. If that isn’t intimidating enough, the previous year the company posted the largest annual loss to date - $8.1 billion. How could one person remedy the problems in that company?

At one time, IBM was the largest computer company. As the CEO, Gerstner’s first priority was to stop the financial bleeding. The last CEO wanted to break up the company, but Gerstner planned to keep the company together. The decision was to expand and make IBM a full service computer company. The existing customer base needed more and the new plan would enable IBM to capitalize on long term and loyal customers by satisfying more of their needs.

Each part of the company needed to be involved in this restructuring and expansion to make it a success. Gerstner also went to the customers and asked for their input. In the past, IBM became arrogant about their business position. They developed the mindset that they didn’t need to study their competitors or talk to their customers to maintain their position.

Gerstner turned to Jack Welch for help. He “shocked” the company into understanding the situation by cutting expenses by $1.5 billion in six months. The original idea was to sell products, but under Gerstner, they needed to provide solutions. One of Gerstner’s primary goals was to increase research and development. The researchers put their emphasis on finding and creating ways to solve their customer’s problems.

Prepare the Organization for Drastic Change

Intel developed and manufactured microchips. They discovered that limitless information could be stored without needing more space, the potential was limitless. But, a Japanese company found the same answer and could make the chips cheaper. This shook Intel’s foothold on the market. It took three long years, but Intel bounced back. They shifted from microchips to microprocessors and regained their footing in the industry. This decision by Andy Grove put the company in a profitable position and positioned the company to become a giant in the industry. He viewed the company in a brutally honest way and saw what was needed. It was a drastic answer, but it was what the situation needed. He found this answer by thinking like a person outside the business.

A small defect was found in a chip. He had two possibilities, one was to convince the public it was a small problem or he could replace the part. Grove decided to replace the parts, which cost the company $500,000,000. Andy Grove helped Intel survive several large crises by insisting that there was no place for complacency within the company. Regular meetings with managers help everyone keep an eye on potential problems and deal with many before they become large problems. A healthy fear also needs to be instilled in employees. This will keep them watchful for trends that can harm the company and their future.

Harness the Intellect of Every Employee

Bill Gates became involved in the computer industry at a key time. He was able to get in on the ground floor and build his business while the industry was young. His belief that every employee had something to contribute was a key to forming an idea driven company and that gave an employee the confidence to come to him about the potential of the internet. An employee noticed how Cornell students were using the internet for more than research, and he brought the information back to his employer.

Create a Performance Driven Culture

Airlines were especially hard hit after the September 11 terrorist attacks. Even in these tough times, the CEO for Southwest Airlines showed a profit for three decades. Herb Kelleher’s strategies contributed to that success. Southwest originally flew commuter routes in Texas and grew into a $5.7 billion business.

There is little conventional thinking at Southwest Airlines. These ideas begin with the low pricing structure and include the policy of no assigned seats. The overall attitude creates an incredible loyalty among employees. In 2000, fuel prices that had tripled and that could threaten the company. Each employee found ways to save $5 a day, in 6 weeks they saved $2 million.

The company hiring policies are a little unorthodox, but people’s attitudes play a big part in their hiring decision. The attitudes they want include: “cheerfulness, optimism, decision-making ability, team spirit, communication, self-confidence and self starter skills.” Kelleher told his people to focus on service and pleasing the customer. He believed if you give excellent service and satisfy the customer, profits will follow.

Learn from Competitors, but Remain Faithful to the Vision

Sam Walton started with a small retail store and created a mega store. He had a trial and error process, but he learned from each mistake and continued to make changes throughout the years. He admitted that he “borrowed” ideas from competitors. He kept an eye on their product selection, prices, customers and service. Walton understood to keep an eye on the competition and to learn from them.

Many people have a hard time comprehending Walton’s most prevalent idea – the belief that lower prices bring higher profits. He bought products at very low prices because he bought in such bulk. Then he sold more than others and the profit grew. Look down the aisles of your local Wal-Mart. Most products are represented on the shelves, but there are only a couple of types of each product. Limiting the depth of selection gave Walton a wide breadth of products.

Summary

What common threads are seen with these seven CEO’s? Each one knew customers were a key to their success. They needed to supply a product the customer wanted and to do it better than their competitors. To do this, they needed to study their competition, use good ideas and improve on the bad ideas. These men knew a good idea was important, no matter where it originated. Many rewarded their employees for sharing good ideas and didn’t penalize bad ideas. The CEO’s acknowledged some of the best ideas came from employees.

Through the “CEO Quotient” questions in each chapter and practical examples, each CEO or small business owner can find invaluable tips. Even if you have heard the idea before, these men may procide a different slant on it that would benefit you and your business to reach heights you didn’t think was possible.

Garden of Beasts by Jeffrey Deaver

2008-08-09T22:38:00.000-04:00

I LOVE a great Jeffrey Deaver book and over all these years, there was only one that I couldn't get into - but I really enjoyed Garden of Beasts. I decided to take some time for myself over the long July 4th weekend and that meant, I should read a Jeffery Deaver book :)

Garden of Beasts is set in the 1930's in Nazi German. Hitler is coming to power and some people were already beginning to see what a threat Hitler and Nazi Germany could become.

I love that the "hero" of the story is a button man. He kills people for money. But, he is very clear that he only kills bad people - people that deserve to die. Fixing nature's mistakes - that kind of thing. In the opening pages, he is waiting for his mark to come home, but something is wrong. Then he receives a call that the law is waiting for him downstairs. It seems that things are over for our hero before chapter 2, but this is a Deaver book - which means there will be plenty of twists and turns.

Our "hero" is offered a deal - if he will go to Germany to kill someone, he will be paid and can start a new life. He has a girlfriend and thinks this would be good. He can invest in the family printing business and live a respectable life. The only problem is that he has to go into Nazi Germany and kill one of Hitler's top men.

The mark is the man who is strategizing the rearmament of the Nazi party. He is finding loopholes for Hitler to build the army etc that it needs to be a world power - and still maintaining the appearance to the world that Hitler is within the limits set after World War I.

Our hero - Paul Schumann is off to Germany and his first day in town, there is a dead body and the Nazi's have been alerted that an assassin is in town. The olympics are about to start and Hitler wants the appearance of a peaceful city - the dead body and several skirmishes aren't helping his plans.

There are more twists and turns than I could layout for you here - but suffice it to say, every time you think the story is over - Deaver has another surprise waiting for you. There is great background and interesting perspectives on many of the big people in the Nazi party. I had to wonder how much of these comments and insights were true and how many were a fictional author taking some liberties :)

The array of characters in this book will give you insights into many aspects of Nazi Germany and the people who became collateral damage during Hitler's rise to power. There are many things in the book that you have to wonder if it could have been true. I can warn you that when you get to the last quarter of the book - don't even plan to put the book down. There is far too much happening and the twists and turns come at you at a lightning pace. Just settle into your chair and get a tall cold drink because you will be turning pages until you reach the end.

THe book is about 540 pages, but I easily finished it in part of 3 days. Its a very quick read and there is certainly enough to keep you interested. As in every Deaver book - don't think you know what will happen, because he has many tricks up his sleeves, that is one of the reasons I love his books. No one writes a thriller like Jeffrey Deaver.

PS - When I grow up I want to write like Jeffrey Deaver - in the mean time I'm going to keep searching for tricks of the trade in his books :)

Nikki Leigh
www.nikkileigh.com

Out There by Diane Fanning

2008-08-09T19:22:00.000-04:00

I'm sure most people heard about the astronaut love triangle and the former Shuttle astronaut who drove from Texas to Florida to confront the woman who had taken her lover's attention. That is the story that Diane Fanning tells in this book.

If you enjoy true crime and haven't read any Diane Fanning books, I highly recommend that you pick one up. This book is very good too.

She begins by recounting the confrontation we heard about in the news. That was the part of the story we all knew. Former shuttle astronaut drives to Florida to meet up with a woman who had captured the heart of her boyfriend. Two astronauts and a woman in the Air Force were involved and Lisa Nowak's arrest photo certainly didn't look like her NASA photos.

After recounting the news information, Diane takes us back to meet a very driven young girl who always dreamed of going into space. She watched the monumental mountains in US space history in the late 1960's and she wanted to go to space. In the 1960's that was a far off dream for any woman. Fanning tells us about much of NASA history and some military history as it related to women being permitted to fly.

We come along on the journey as Lisa Marie Caputo strives for excellence and pushes herself toward that dream. She graduates from high school and goes to the Naval Academy. There she meets her future husband Richard Nowak.

The family move all over the country, but each stage of their lives brings Lisa closer and closer to NASA. In the mean time, space travel is changing and eventually woman are being accepted into the astronaut program. We watch as Lisa learns of the Challenger explosion and as she wonders if the space program will continue in the US. Her dream gets so close before she loses friends in another shuttle disaster.

I really enjoyed how Fanning shares the internal and external forces that push Lisa Nowak as she marches toward her dream of going to space. No matter what happens in Lisa's world, she keeps that positive face for the world, but inside the cracks are starting to show.

Her good friend Bill Oefelein becomes her lover and although her marriage is still together, his marriage ends when his wife learns about the affair. But, over time, Bill's romantic interests change and he becomes involved with Air Force Captain Colleen Shipman. We learn that Bill eventually told Lisa that their romance was over, but his actions sent her mixed signals.

Diane Fanning gives us insights from many perspectives and many inspects into the lives of astronauts before, during and after space travel. I learned many things about NASA and the space program that I never knew and these details certainly added to the story. For anyone who would like to learn about the people behind the headlines in this bizarre case, I highly recommend Out There by Diane Fanning.

Nikki Leigh
www.nikkileigh.com

The Chic Entrepreneur by Elizabeth W Gordon

2008-08-09T17:06:00.000-04:00

The Chic Entrepreneur was written for female entrepreneurs. As a female entrepreneur who is not "girly" or "chicified" - I can still recommend the book. Some of the "chic" and "girly" reference can be distracting, but the actual business content contains plenty of valuable business set up, hiring, management and promotional information.

The Chic Entrepreneur - Put Your Business in High Heels by Elizabeth W Gordon

This book has a catchy title that is meant to appeal to women who are interested in becoming entrepreneurs. One problem is that not all women respond to the fashion and flirty explanation of things – in personal or business matters. Another big concern is the sections that talk about customers and compare this to flirting, marriage and batting your eyelashes. I was told the references are used metaphorically and hopefully readers won’t take these examples literally.

There are obviously some women who respond to this phraseology and comments, but women who don’t appreciate this approach can still learn a lot about business from this book. If this sort of reference appeals to you, read this book. If these references irritate you, I recommend you read the book because there is plenty of great business information in the pages of this book and simply skim past the metaphors. For female entrepreneurs who are less “girly” – you can still learn plenty from this book.

Throughout the book, you will find “Chic Tips”. These are small sections which provide specific tips that relate to the content of each chapter. One example of a “Chic Tip” is: “Instead of figuring out what you can make and then how to sell it, ask the market what it wants or needs, then design a solution for it. Working backward is a market-focused way to take your new product development efforts forward.” At the end of each chapter you will find review questions about the content of each chapter.

The author provides in depth information on these key topics:

• What’s Your Value?

• Pick Your Niche.

• What Do Customers Really Want?

• Attract and Retain the Best Employees.

• Do You Know Your Cash Flow?

• Sales and Marketing Go Hand in Hand.

• Importance of Systematic Processes.

• Strategically Align Yourself.

• Have a Plan and Measure Your Results.

Various examples of the right way to proceed and the wrong way to proceed are included in the chapters. These explain various stages of the business process. There are plenty of individual examples within these stories to show things an entrepreneur should and shouldn’t do during each stage of your business.

Picking your niche or target market is a key when you are getting started. An effective entrepreneur must know who they want and need to attract to their business. Once that information is determined, review what these people need from you. What do they need and what can you effectively offer?

All good business books include information about how to bring in and keep the best employees. Your employees are a key to making your life as an entrepreneur “easier” and to helping you maintain great relationships with your customers, so never skip this important element of your business.

Many businesses are sunk because budgeting is not handled correct and no one really has control and knowledge of the business’ finances. Effective entrepreneurs need to have an accurate view of their finances from the beginning and stay in touch with the finances. One section in this chapter is about keeping personal and business money separate. This is a bit of extra work, but in the long run, it will save all sorts of potential problems and it makes tax preparation much easier when your personal money is separate fro business funds.

Should you advertise? That is a question the author asks in chapter six. The simple answer is a resounding YES. But, in the chapter, she goes into detail about why you promote and how to promote. She also includes a chart of several promotional options along with how often to do each, how to do it, why to do it and the results you should get. The chart is a good place to start and over time you can add or subtract things from that list as you find what sort of promotion is right for your business.

Something I’ve told every client over the years is to establish systems for your business. This makes it much easier to keep the business on track and a big benefit is that its great to have working systems to train new hires. Chapter seven discusses how to set up these systems, how to create a flow chart to make sure you include each step in the process. Over time, you will make changes to these systems and especially as the business grows and new people are hired, but having the basic systems established is a great benefit to you and your business.

Planning is crucial to having a successful business and that is discussed in detail. Learn how to set up things within your business so that you can track the results of promotion, service, specific products and much more. There is also a chapter about setting up strategic alliances with other businesses. Joint ventures and alliances can be great for your business, but they need to be established and executed in the right way for the most benefit.

There is much valuable business information to be learned in The Chic Entrepreneur. I recommend reading the business advise to learn more about how you can set up and run your business in an effective and successful way.

Transforming Power by Hugh Ballou

2008-07-30T15:29:00.000-04:00

Transforming Power by Hugh Ballou

Hugh Ballou has over 40 years of experience as a choir director and has worked with small organizations and large organizations. I believe the largest had 12,000 members. Now, you may be asking yourself what a choir director knows about transforming power and how he can help entrepreneurs. That’s an interesting story.

As I’ve spoken with Hugh Ballou and as I read some of the articles and his book, it became very clear to me that the situations he faced with the choir members, the religious structure and the members of the congregations often reflect the situations we face in business. This is especially true when we talk about implementing change in any type of organization. This experience has given him a unique perspective when he deals with businesses and other organizations that need to make changes.

First, some detail about the structure of Transforming Power. The book was compiled by collecting personal experiences from over twenty different people who experienced a transformational change. Hugh Ballou hand picked the people that are included and asked the people to share a transformational story that would be beneficial and that would inspire others. Those stories are included in this book.

I looked up a couple of definition for “transformational change” -

A shift in the business culture of an organization resulting from a change in the underlying strategy and processes that the organization has used in the past. A transformational change is designed to be organization-wide and is enacted over a period of time. - www.businessdictionary.com

A qualitative change and an event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another. - www.thefreedictionary.com

In the introduction, Hugh Ballou reminds us that each of us see the transformation from our own perspective and so each experience that is shared in the book, is told from that person’s perspective. There are interesting consistencies throughout the book that help illustrate how the need for transformational change can be a universal situation. Each story inspires and encourages leaders to begin the transformational process within their organization. This enables you, the reader, to begin to make a difference for the people who work with you and to the organization as a whole.

Over the years, I’ve noticed that people see “leadership” in many different ways. However, this is not talking about someone who was just put in charge of a group. A leader is much more than a manager or supervisor. A true leader accepts the challenge to help the people they lead. Our leadership can also help other people learn how to lead and to create a more positive and encouraging environment. The first step in this process is to realize if we need to make a change in ourselves. How can we honestly ask others to make a change, if we’re unwilling to make changes first?

There are key qualities that all transformational leaders should have. They include:

Sharing responsibilities.

Promoting creativity.

Clearly defining goals.

Effectively delegate to others.

Coach others in an effective way.

Celebrate accomplishments within the group and/or the organization.

Provide knowledge and education where needed.

Value the individuals in the group and/or organization.

Be a model of leadership.

A true leader can be a very powerful and encouraging person. However, something interesting that stood out to me as I read the book was that each story showed us some concern, vulnerability, fear etc. We each have concerns about change and especially major changes. The people who contributed to this project showed us those very human traits. I found it encouraging to realize those traits are common in this sort of situation.

Several of the experiences showed how people tell us they want change, but once the change begins, we see another side to them. It’s important to understand that sometimes they want a change that will make things better for them. Change is one of those times when you will experience growing pains – or we could call them changing pains. Any change will bring some difficulties within the process and as the change is happening. True and lasting change takes time and a transformational leader needs to be prepared for the complete journey.

As a leader is leading the group through a change, they have the opportunity to create a “community” feel and approach to the project. This community atmosphere has the power to create a synergy that is very beneficial to the change that is happening and the people who are involved. It isn’t productive to approach these changes in a dictatorial way. Leading and using the community approach is much more effective and lasting than a dictatorial approach. The community attitude also allows others to step up and be involved in many aspects of the changes that are being made.

Effective communication, delegation and planning are key to a change. When you begin a change, do you communicate the ideas? Do you find qualified people for delegated responsibilities? Are thorough plans developed to assist the change go smoothly? These things help the change process. There may be problems along the way, but leaders who take these initial steps have a higher chance for success.

All these points are illustrated very effectively in Transforming Power. A number of the examples relate to church situations and I enjoyed reading how effectively these approaches and techniques can be used in any organizational situation. Is your group or organization in need of change? This is a book you must read and you will be able to apply many of the examples that are included in your business, church or organization. For a special offer during August 2008, visit www.transforming-power.com.

NOTE - For more details about Hugh Ballou – visit www.hughballou.com. Book information available at http://www.amazon.com/Transforming-Power-Transformational-Encouragement-Inspiration/dp/0881775312 For full tour details, visit http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/06/transforming-power-virtual-tour-with.html

A SPECIAL BONUS TO EACH PERSON WHO PURCHASES TRANSFORMING POWER TODAY – Hugh Ballou has compiled a list of great FREE bonus gifts for anyone who purchases Transforming Power today. To see a sample of the items that are being given away, visit http://www.transforming-power.com. Just buy a copy of Transforming Power, return to this page and click to submit your invoice number to receive the web page link to download all of these gifts for FREE.

Nikki Leigh – Author, Publicist and Tour Coordinator

www.nikkileigh.com – Book Promo 101: Learn the Basics of Book Promotion

Get Noticed Get Referrals by Jill Lublin

2008-07-15T18:20:00.000-04:00

How many times have you heard that you need to make a name for yourself? That’s something I’ve heard in many different contexts over the years. Get noticed, get referrals and networking – these are all powerful strategies that all business people should utilize.

Jill Lublin writes in an easy to understand manner that walks you through the process of getting noticed and getting referrals. This book focuses on getting noticed and networking in the real world, not on the internet. (But, I hear that her next book will deal with online promotion.)

Are you one of the entrepreneurs who feels that networking and generating referrals is something you could never do? Let’s think about that for a minute. What is a referral? Last time you saw a great movie or discovered a new restaurant, did you tell your friends about it? That is a referral. Have you ever had a friend recommend a doctor or a show? That is a referral. Getting and giving referrals can be just that easy. When people know you and understand what you do, it is easy for them to give you referrals.

Why do you want referrals? That’s easy, referrals are a great way to find new clients for your business. But, I’m getting ahead of myself. Sorry, I do that when I talk about referrals and networking because I’ve seen the “magic” in action and it is wonderful for your business.

First you need to get noticed. That is the first thing that Jill Lublin helps you understand in her book. Take a few minutes and think about your business. How many times have you gotten what you need through a recommendation from someone else? It could be a location, a supplier, an advertiser or clients – any of these things can be recommended by another person. These are referrals.

We have to put forth the effort to “get out there”. This means that you have to get noticed through meeting people and interacting with them. Jill gives some great pointers on how to do this. One of my favorite points was “to be completely there”. This simply means that you need to focus on the person you meet and really get to know them. Don’t scan the room for “someone better”. You never know which person could be a key to your future, so focus on each person individually and get to know them. These are the first steps in beginning to build new business relationships.

Throughout the book, Jill Lublin gives us Action Plans. These are at the end of each chapter and they help the reader implement the information they have read. What good is the information if you can’t figure out how to use it in your business? She also provides a wonderful Client Worksheet to give us an idea of what matters we should discuss with a new client. This is only a sample, but could be used to develop a checklist that is appropriate for each of us. The checklist is only a part of the information in Chapter Two about how to deal with clients effectively.

One of the chapters I included was about myths and misconceptions. There are so many myths in business and she chose fourteen common misconceptions and explains why they are not true. It’s a short chapter, but it can be an eye opener.

Where can you go to get noticed and to start this process? Chapter Six gives plenty of examples of where to go and she even suggests that you can start your own group. Once you get “out there”, you need to make a good first impression. Before you go to those networking meetings or the chamber of commerce mixer, read chapter seven. Jill Lublin takes you step by step through the process of making a great first impression and getting started on the road to referrals.

Some advanced networking information includes:

Chapter 8 – Goals, Intentions and Strategies Chapter 9 – Cultivate the Media Chapter 11 – Focus, Focus, Focus Chapter 12 – Always Keep It Real Chapter 15 – Be Flexible and Keep Your Options Open The book contains a wide variety of information to help you get noticed and get referrals, but one of my favorite chapters is number fourteen – Service Makes a Difference. I don’t know about you, but I feel outstanding customer service is a thing of the past in many businesses today. Its sad, but how often have you gone into a business, emailed a business or called a business and been ignored or put on hold for an extended period of time?

Getting Noticed and getting referrals is a great start, but once you have the customer, you must knock their socks off with great customer service. Jill Lublin gives us the ten commandments of business, she tells us to be pleasant, respond to customers, encourage people to come back and to use heart centered marketing. Those are the subheadings in chapter fourteen, but I’ll let you discover the hidden treasures about how to give outstanding customer service.

I recommend this book for any business person who needs to learn how to get noticed. Even if you are getting noticed, are you getting referrals from others? If you aren’t getting referrals and your aren’t networking – you’re missing a big piece of the entrepreneurial puzzle. Jill Lublin’s new book can give you the networking pieces of the puzzle that you’re missing. You can learn much more about Jill Lublin and Get Noticed… Get Referrals at www.jilllublin.com and http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/06/jill-lublin-author-of-get-noticed-get.html

Personality Not Included by Rohit Bhargava

2008-07-02T23:09:00.000-04:00

Personality – Personality is defined as “the unique, authentic, and talkable soul of your brand that people can get passionate about. Personality is not just about what you stand for, but how you choose to communicate it. It is also the way to reconnect your customers, partners, employees, and influencers to the soul of your brand in the new social media era.”

Have you ever thought about the fact that your business should have a personality? You might not have thought about creating or developing a personality for your business – but in the twenty first century, your business needs a personality. The time for faceless businesses is gone. We have all been told to develop a brand for our business. But, creating a personality that reflects and deepens that brand is taking the idea to a higher level.

Think about your favorite coffee shop or your favorite restaurant. What do you like about that business? Is it the service, the products, the atmosphere, the location, or something else? The personality includes things that set that business apart from other similar businesses.

This book contains six chapters in Part One. Part Two contains learning guides which expand on the content in Part One and various other resources. The contents include:

Part One

1. Sign Here to Read This (How Organizations Lose Their Personality)

2. The Accidental Spokesman (How Unlikely Voices Are Shaping Your Brand)

3. A Signature is Not Enough (How to Define Your Organization’s Personality)

4. Lessons from the Storytellers (Crafting a Backstory People Care About)

5. Conquering the Fear Factor (Getting Your Organization to Embrace Personality)

6. Add Personality and Stir (Finding and Using Personality Moments)

Part Two

· The Butler Was a Marketer (Putting Personality into Action)

· New Styles of Marketing (Ten Techniques are Described in Detail)

· Taking Theory Further (Tools and Guides to Accompany Chapters 1 – 6)

Throughout the book Rohit Bhargava provides ample examples of businesses which are using the techniques that he discusses. The case studies were almost enough to sell me on this book, but learning about each technique and then being given an interesting and detailed example of how each idea can be implemented in real life was invaluable. For example, we all know that Starbucks is very popular. In Personality Not Included we are given details on what they did right and then how they let the personality slip away.

Another fascinating chapter is chapter two when we learn about the many types of accidental spokesmen that can represent a business. In addition, he tells us how each type of spokesmen is effective and how to make the most of their enthusiasm and appeal. In business for years, I’ve learned so much through mistakes that have been made, by me or by others. There are plenty of examples in this book of what techniques won’t work in certain situations or when it’s better to use another option. I love to highlight the valuable information in books and my copy has plenty of information marked for future use for me and my clients.

Backstory is critical when writing a novel, but have you ever thought about sharing the story behind your business? This chapter explains why you should have a backstory and how to use that backstory. The strangest thing happened as I read this chapter. I usually share my business and promotional background with people when I give my experience, but chapter four helped me begin to develop a new approach. My dream as a teenager was to be a novelist named Nikki Leigh and later on I got my feet wet in promotional work as a consolation prize in a management job and I found that I loved it. Those are two of the things I can use to begin to put the backstory for my business on paper. What story do you have behind your business that would attract the public and help them to see you in a more favorable light?

In the opening chapter and introduction of the book I was patting myself on the back because I’ve used many of the ideas that are presented. Then Rohit Bhargava said something that really got my attention. He mentioned that just learning to create a personality isn’t enough. You need to learn the best way to implement that personality plan in your business and learn to identify even more ways to find opportunities to develop this personality even further.

When you read the book, definitely take the time to read the learning guides in Part Two. Here is an example. In Chapter Four (page 112), we learn about How to Use the Backstory Model Picker. This section summarizes the different types of backstory, what they include and who should use each type. Once you read that information, you flip to the guide on page 259 for much more detail on each of the types of backstory and how to utilize them in the best way. There are many “guides” in the book which give you additional information on how to get the most out of the ideas and techniques in the book.

I highly recommend this book for any entrepreneur and business person who wants to understand the need for a business personality. Business managers can also learn so much from the content in this book. It is also for the person who wants to find the different ways to develop this personality. Your business can stand out from the competition in amazing ways - it just needs more personality. When you read the book, keep your eyes open for the interesting ways the author has woven a unique personality into the pages of the book.

The Bounce Back Book by Karen Salmansohn

2008-06-17T23:18:00.000-04:00

The full name of the book is The Bounce Back Book how to thrive in the face of adversity, setbacks and losses. How is that for a mouthful? Karen Salmansohn has 29 books in print and has sold over 1,000,000 books. I figure there must be something special in her books, so I read The Bounce Back Book. The first thing you notice is the red rubber cover. That’s right, it’s just like a red rubber ball. When you open the cover, you see colorful pages with vivid graphics.

Karen Salmansohn claims that her books are written for people who wouldn’t be caught dead reading self help books. This book is packed with information to help people “bounce back” from all sorts of adversities, setbacks and losses. Entrepreneurs know that major problems in our personal lives can impact our day to day work. As entrepreneurs, we need to be focused on our business and one way to do that, is to learn how to deal with those problems life hands us – personal or business problems. That’s why I think this book is beneficial for business people.

Each person has their own way of dealing with problems. Some people ignore them and pretend they will simply go away. I don’t know about you, but my problems never just disappear. So, I had to learn to face these problems head on and to learn how to get past them. That can be incredibly difficult, depending on your situation and the problem, but it is possible.

In the Bounce Back Book, Karen Salmansohn shares 75 tips on how to face problems. Some are very easy, others require more thought and effort. I put a paper clip on every tip that I thought was really beneficial – there are a lot of paper clips in the book. But, don’t’ skip the introduction, she gets to the heart of the matter in the opening pages. A couple of thoughts in the introduction include:

· In life, you always have a choice. Be weak or be strong.

· Who you are as a person is best revealed by who you are during times of conflict and crisis.

Those are two powerful and true statements. I contend that people can be a victim or a survivor – that’s another way of saying we can be weak or we can be strong.

Throughout the book, she presents a tip and then gives further information about that particular tip. Some of the details are simple common sense and other areas include examples or a bit of philosophy to support her suggestions. Below are some examples of the tips in the book.

Tip # 4 - We’ve all heard of the stages of grief – these steps show we are beginning to heal and beginning to deal with a crisis or a problem. At the end of this section, she gives 4 assignments for people to begin the healing process.

Tip # 9 – “It’s not only the event itself, but the way we explain the event to ourselves that causes depression.” That is so true. Our perception of an event can make it easier or harder for us to get past the problem. How do you view problems or troublesome events in your life?

Tip # 10 – “Happiness is a choice, not just a matter of genes or good luck.” Will you make the choice to be happy?

Tip # 16 – “Write a complaint letter. Then answer it.” Make a list of each thing that is a problem, fear, concern for you and then write a reply. If someone else came to you with the problem, how would you try to help them?

Tip # 35 – “Don’t just write a ‘To Do’ list. Write a ‘To Be’ list.”

Tip # 39 – “Shrink negativity into nuggetivity.” Think about whatever it is that is bothering you and let yourself think about it for 3 minutes. At the end of 3 minutes, you cannot think about it any more.

These are just a few of the bits of wisdom that Karen Salmansohn shares with us. What problems do you need to deal with and to handle? I feel pretty sure that there is a nugget in the book to help you with the problem. This book is a quick read and it is entertaining. If you wouldn’t be caught dead reading a self help book – this book was written for you.

For more information about Karen and her virtual book tour -

Karen Salmansohn - The Bounce Back Book (May 27th to June 30th, 2008)

Author and Book Information - http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/05/upcoming-virtual-book-tours.html

Tour Schedule -
http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/05/bounce-back-book-tour-schedule.html

Bounce Back Book - Spa Giveaway
http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/05/bounce-back-giveaway-your-turn-to-share.html

The Abbott & The Acolyte in Death and Taxes

2008-05-18T22:38:00.001-04:00

Abbott Rutilius is assigned to travel to various monasteries to balance their accounts in 13th century France. Does that sound serious and boring? You might think so, but you would be wrong. This story includes, robbery, temptation, two murders, tempting women, afternoon romps, food theft, and much more.

The Abbott brings a young man to work with him in his travels and these two get into all sorts of situations. The Abbott seems to often be on the hunt for a decent meal and you can tell that he doesn't feel that he must deny himself of some comforts of life. There's an interesting group of characters in this story and they each play important roles. You will have to read to the end to see who is really innocent and who is really guilty. And, who is that beautiful young woman who seems to pray a lot?

I've seen episodes of the BBC show Cadfael and this reminded me of that series although there is more humor. The Abbott thoroughly enjoys a rich meal. He makes it clearly known when he isn't happy with the food that is prepared. He meets a mysterious woman from a nearby village and is very pleased when she invites him to dinner parties. Abbott Rutilius also has some personal problems that offer some very humorous episodes within the story.

An interesting setting, fascinating characters, suspense, intrigue, misappropriation of church funds and much more await for you in this tale of death and taxes.

http://www.amazon.com/Abbot-Acolyte-Death-Taxes/dp/1905988184/nikkileighauth-20

Three Feet Under: Journal of a Midlife Crisis

2008-05-18T21:18:00.000-04:00

Three Feet Under: A Journal of a Midlife Crisis by Christie Gabour Atwood

Christie Gabour Atwood gives an enlightening and hilarious view into midlife and the humor. This book is written as a one year journal and gives the reader many insights into a normal life and the struggles to get through daily life.

Christie shows us what to do with gym equipment that isn't being used. She has "decorating" advise for ceiling fans, and much much more.

Passages in the book are side splitting and funny, while others will tug at your heart strings. As you read, how many of these things have you done? How many of these things have you seen others do? Does it help you understand what others are going through?

Whether you are going through midlife or are heading toward midlife and for people who have been through these turbulent years, you should pick up this book. Midlife isn't the end - it is a humorous interlude. Every one goes through this time - how will you face midlife?

http://www.amazon.com/Three-Feet-Under-Journal-Midlife/dp/1580421792/nikkileighauth-20

Deal A Story by Sue VIders

2008-05-18T21:01:00.000-04:00

Deal A Story A Brain Storming CARD GAME

for individuals or groups:
fiction genre writers,
screen and play authors,
writing classes/groups,
comediennes,
improv actors,
cartoonists, etc

Usually I post reviews about books - but this product is for writers, so I feel its appropriate. Sue Viders has developed a "card game" that can be used to create and plot stories. There are a variety of cards, including: hero, heroine, villain, flaw, plot and genre cards. There are even wild cards to shake things up. The idea is to use various combinations of the cards to create your story. It is a way to get the creative juices flowing and to help you learn to think "outside the box". The deck includes 101 different cards and the box says there are 1,000,001 story ideas.

For much more information - http://www.dealastory.blogspot.com/

http://www.rdrpublishers.com/catalog/item/5440601/5384818.htm

Money and Manifesting by Dyan Garris

2008-05-18T20:08:00.000-04:00

For many years, I've believed that people have the "power" to make their lives better. I'm a big fan of alternative health and thinking. So, when Dyan Garris approached me about a virtual book tour for her book Money and Manifesting, I was intrigued.

I admit that I'm one of the few people who didn't read The Secret. Too much hype and too many expectations... I avoid books that have that much hype behind them. The laws of attraction are a principle that I had heard about, but I didn't know a lot of detail.

I began to read Money and Manifesting and there are many points that just made so much sense from the beginning. For years, I've always said that actions speak much louder than words. That idea fits into manifesting. Just thinking about what you want to accomplish isn't enough- action is needed. Many people have disagreed with me that ACTION is needed - many of these were people who didn't want to believe they had to do something to make these things happen for them. It was validating to see those words in print and to have that ideal substantiated in such a logical way.

Money and Manifesting covers so many wonderful topics including: chakra balancing, detailed explanations about each chakra and what it affects, entitlement, poverty consciousness, fear, how people measure success, grounding, centering, integrating, taking responsibility, making choices and much more.

In addition to all of this information, Dyan Garris also includes sections which include fictional people. These sections are great ways to give us more depth of understanding about how this information applies to people and how it can impact their lives.

This is a small book, but there is a wealth of valuable information packed in these pages. I highly recommend it for people who want to go past the laws of attraction and who need additional information to make things happen in their lives.

http://www.amazon.com/Money-Manifesting-Dyan-Garris/dp/0977614069/nikkileighauth-20

Beyond Booked Solid by Michael Port

2008-04-25T22:03:00.000-04:00

Recently I was contacted to read and review Beyond Booked Solid by Michael Port. Earlier he released Book Yourself Solid and this latest book is about the next steps in running and owning a business.

I've written a number of books and have been running a variety of businesses for twenty years. I've had many experiences of my own and I've read many books on the topic of business management. So, I went into the book with the expectation that it would be similar to all those other business books I'd read. My expectations were way off base.

I really enjoyed the book and found many points that I had experienced myself. There were many things mentioned in the book that I know for a fact - work. There were some places in the book where Michael Port was very clear that if the reader didn't follow his instructions, they simply would not move their business forward.

I had to smile as I remembered the number of times I told that to business owners I worked with or business partners who refused to make necessary changes. The author showed a good sense of humor throughout the book and the style was very conversational, which I prefer. I like the writing style to speak to me, not preach at me.

Some of my favorite topics included: preparing for the future, being creative (my favorite section), building blocks for business, measure your objectives, how to get things done, how to develop business systems (one of the best pieces I've read on this topic), how to hire and outsource, building alliances and partnerships, and creating balance in your life.

In the last chapter, Michael Port included personal experiences from a variety of business people that showed what is possible and how to take a simple business idea and then build it into something much bigger and more successful.

I highly recommend this book for a business owner and/or manager who is working in a busy business, but wants to take it to the next level. Its very easy to be overwhelmed in business and in real life when a business grows. But, apply the many invaluable tips and suggestions that the author shares with you and the business and your life should improve. I'll keep my eyes open for the next book by Michael Port.

Nikki Leigh
Award Winning Author and Publicist
www.nikkileigh.com

Frankie the Walk 'n Roll Dog by Barbara Techel

2008-04-13T19:23:00.000-04:00

I have to start by saying this book is absolutely adorable. Don't get me wrong, that doesn't mean its filled with fluff. But, the "heroine" is a sweet little weiner dog. We learn about Frankie and how she came to live with her humans. Wouldn't we all like to hear what our pets think about the first time they met us? Frankie is a friendly dog who loves her humans and makes friends at a variety of places, including the local farmer's market.

The author, Barbara Gail Techel, shows us how the relationship between Frankie and her humans develops and one day, they leave town on a vacation. While they are out of town, Frankie and Kylie stay at the kennel and even though they miss the rest of their family, they are doing all right. One evening, Frankie gets a little rambunctious and she lands hard on the cement floor. She can't feel her back legs, but she feels stabbing pains in her back. The caretaker at the kennel takes Frankie to the vet and her family come back from their vacation when they hear about the accident.

Frankie has surgery, recovery and rehabilitation to get her back legs moving again. Even though Frankie feels better and gets back to being herself, but her back legs are not moving. Her mother finds a cart with wheels that allows Frankie to get around.

The later portion of the book is inspiring and deals with perceptions and concerns for anyone who is disabled. This is written in a simple fashion and contains beautiful pictures, but the points being made will benefit a reader and animal lover of any age. Any pet owner with a disabled pet should definitely check into the cart mentioned in this book. It is a wonderful way for an animal without the use of their hind legs to get around.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to meet an inspiring and unique heroine and who loves animals.

For more information, visit www.joyfulpaws.com
For information about the cart used by Frankie - visit www.eddieswheels.com

Nikki Leigh
www.nikkileigh.com/promo.htm

Cover of the Year - Asking for Your Vote

2008-02-21T11:16:00.000-05:00

I just scanned the covers for Cover of the Year on Erin Aislinn's website and saw a lot of familiar covers - many were on my Judge A Book By its Cover blog last year :)

I invite you to visit http://www.erinaislinn.com/BookCoveroftheYear2007.htm and I hope that you will vote for Lady Lightkeeper which is one of my covers and it is listed as the winning cover for September.

If you prefer the easier route - feel free to email webmail@erinaislinn .com and put "VOTE for Lady Lightkeeper" in the subject line. I appreciate every vote :)

Nikki

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Death's Acre

2008-02-20T19:02:00.000-05:00

Death's Acre
Dr Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson

I am fascinated by forensics and the details that can be discovered through forensic work. So, when I got a chance to interview Dr Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson on a book panel, I was thrilled. I have to admit that neither of the men were what I expected, but that's all right. But, I was very impressed with both of them and I've enjoyed the books they have written together.

For people who aren't familiar with Dr Bill Bass, he is a world renowned forensic anthropologist and he has worked on a huge number of cases. At one point in those cases, he realized that it would be beneficial if there was a scientific way to determine how long a body had been dead. This would make it much easier for police, attorneys etc to make a case against a suspect. If the time of death is narrowed down to several days - it can be hard to debate an alibi, but if the time of death can be narrowed down to a more limited time frame, that makes an alibi more necessary and more useful.

This is one of the things that prompted the development of the "Body Farm" at the University of Tennessee. The Body Farm was started by Dr Bass and it was originally an acre - therefore "Death's Acre". Dr Bass and the UT students study the various stages of death and decomposition in a wide variety of conditions. It is fantastic research which is very helpful in crime solving.

I could rattle off all kinds of great stories and examples that were in the book, but that would take the fun out of it for you. I will tell you that there is death, gore and sorted details. It could be more gory, but there is plenty of detail. I think it was handled very well and should appeal to many people who are interested in forensics and forensic anthropology. I highly recommend the book and it gives you an interesting overview of many aspects for Dr Bass' life.

I admit that I had a tough time getting into the beginning, but give it a chance. The case studies are great. When I talked with Dr Bass, he looked at my copy of the book and noticed all the paper clips on the pages (there are a lot). He asked me what they meant. When I told him those were all the examples that I want to include in my future mysteries. He gave me a huge smile and said he was very glad he could get me thinking. Its a fantastic resource for mystery writers and entertaining for people who are interested in forensics.

Nikki Leigh

The Ethnic Presidency by Earl Ofari Hutchinson

2008-02-20T17:00:00.000-05:00

The Ethnic Presidency by Earl Ofari Hutchinson

I've never really kept track of the political process. I have my own opinions, but I never really understood the process of primaries, caucuses and so on. So, I had never noticed how various ethnic groups vote in specific ways. After reading The Latino Challenge and The Ethnic Presidency I have learned so much about the electoral process and the deeper ways that the issues affect various ethnic groups.

The Ethnic Presidency delves into the democratic and republican parties, the various candidates and the parts they are playing or have played in the primary process. It gives a large number of examples from past elections which show techniques that have brought in votes from all ethnic groups.

In the introduction to the book, Earl Hutchinson explains why this topic involves more than the fact that there is a woman and a black man running for president this year. That makes the 2008 election more unusual, but throughout the years the same elements and principals have come into play in many elections and that even applies to the elections when two white men were running for president.

For anyone of any ethnic background, any age or any gender who wants to learn more about how race, gender and ethnic background play a big part in the election process - this is a must read. This year, more than any other, race, gender and ethnicity will have a major impact on the presidential election.

Nikki Leigh

The Appeal by John Grisham

2008-02-20T16:26:00.000-05:00

I enjoy John Grisham's book and especially the legal books. It seems like a long time since I've read one of these, so I was looking forward to this one. I enjoy books that deal into subjects that I don't know a lot about and that applies to much of the legal system and especially appeals. So, I enjoyed the subject.

The reader learns about a husband and wife legal team who have quite literally "risked it all" for a client who has lost her husband and her son due to the negligence of a large corporation. I feel the reader is brought even deeper into the story as they learn more about the repercussions for the town because of things that were done by this corporation. It was nice to see that the attorneys didn't resent their situation (which I have seen in other characters - real and fictional).

As a reader, I wanted to reach into the book and help some characters while I wanted to strangle other. The art auction was a nice way to show the stark differences between the corporation owner and the people who his company hurt.

The plan that is implemented in part two seems very plausible and there have been elections where it seemed this sort of "campaign" is being executed. The detail in the planning and the specifics for an interesting array of characters was enjoyable.

I won't give away the end, but I wanted the new justice to have something happen to him and the "incident" worked very well for the book and seemed appropriate for John Grisham who is very involved in youth baseball.

It was great to read a new Grisham legal book - I'm looking forward to the next one :)

Nikki Leigh
www.nikkileigh.com

Rhett Butler's People

2008-02-10T22:45:00.000-05:00

I've read a bunch of the reviews complaining about this book. But, I have to tell you, I really enjoyed it. I love to read things which are (for the most part) historically correct. I like to learn about a specific time and place when I read a historic novel and I learned quite a bit in Rhett Butler's People. One of my future novels will have a blockade runner and I learned some interesting details while I was being entertained.

I really enjoyed Gone With the Wind, but Rhett was my favorite character and there were so many unanswered questions about him. Certainly, there are a million possibilities for his story, but I enjoyed this take on the story. I think the author did a wonderful job of tying the stories together and maintaining the characters and setting.

It was nice to get to know Rhett's family and Bell's family. I did have a little trouble with the story jumping around in the first few chapters, but once I got into it -- I really enjoyed it. It was also nice how the author tied pieces of the story to Gone With the Wind, but it was redundant.

All in all, I think the book was very well done and I am now digging Jacob's Ladder off my shelf to read soon.

The Latino Challenge by Earl Ofari Hutchinson

2008-01-22T17:22:00.001-05:00

I worked with Mr Hutchinson to promote The Latino Challenge in the fall of 2006. I live in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and many of the situations mentioned in Mr Hutchinson's book aren't every day happenings in this area. Although, the Latino population is growing in nearby communities. While I lived in a local city that has a large number of turkey plants, I was much more aware of the growing Latino population and how that affected the residents.

As a single, white woman in her early 40's, I don't experience the problems mentioned in The Latino Challenge. But, I feel that the information can help anyone understand many of the stories in the news. Media reports often mention which ethnic groups are involved in skirmishes or problems, but they don't give listeners background. I really appreciated learning more about what has taken place between black and Latino residents in the US.

We have all heard of the problems in large cities - Los Angeles, New York and many other large cities. We hear the news reports of murder, gangs, school problems, racial tension and many other problems. The Latino Challenge gives historic details about what has caused these problems, what has magnified the problems. It also explains how these problems will change and grow as the Latino population has become the largest minority in the United States.

The problem isn't just an immigration problem - there are many other undercurrents that can and will affect everyone. If you have children in school, if you use public services, if you live in a city or town with a growing Latino population - there are issues in The Latino Challenge that will help you understand what is happening.

The Latino Challenge presents the idea that it is time for black Americans and Latino Americans need to have a serious conversation. The increased tensions and problems can hurt each of these ethnic groups.

I found the content in the book enlightening and educational. Don't think that the content isn't important if you aren't black or Latino - there is something to be learned for everyone in the US. As Mr Hutchinson mentioned to me, by reading the book before these situations are a big issue in my area, I'll be ahead of the learning curve as things change near my home. I'm the type of person who likes to be informed and to understand things happening in my area. I now have a much better understanding of news stories near my home.

I look forward to finishing Mr Hutchinson's latest book The Ethnic Presidency. I'll post a review about this very timely book soon.

Nikki Leigh - www.nikkileigh.com/promo.htm

Baby Be Mine by Diane Fanning

2008-01-12T13:09:00.000-05:00

I've been a fan of true crime books for many years and have several favorites that I read. However, in March of 2006, I met Diane Fanning when I moderated a panel she was on at the Festival of the Book. To prepare for our panel discussion, I read two of her books and I was hooked. She takes the true crime book to a new level that I appreciate.

She doesn't just give the well publicized facts of the case, but she digs deeper. In Baby Be Mine, she gave a lot of information which some may consider to be unnecessary and I was a little confused at first. However, as I continued to read, I realized she was giving us information about the collateral damage that was caused by this act of violence. The repercussions were felt by many people in many areas and not just the immediate family of the victim.

I found the information she wove into the book about similar crimes to be very enlightening and it gave more depth to the Bobbie Jo Stinnett murder. For this case, murder does not seem like a sufficient description of the crime perpetrated on her. I appreciated the additional information that was included in the book and feel it made the content even more compelling. I have two other books of Diane's in my to be read pile and hope to read them soon.

Review By Nikki Leigh - www.nikkileigh.com

Cape Cod by William Martin

2008-01-12T13:06:00.000-05:00

This is a wonderful version of the settling of Cape Cod. The story begins before the boats arrive in the New World and follows a family's struggle through the present time. The history is interwoven with his fictional town. I read this after I visited Cape Cod for the first time and loaned my copy to a friend from the area. It didn't find its way home and I bought another copy. Highly recommended. The flashback chapters which are worked into the story and the present day chapters may be confusing, but stick with it, this is a great book. My novels are set just north of Cape Cod on the Cape Ann coast and I'd love to read his take on Cape Ann.

review by Nikki Leigh - www.nikkileigh.com

Carved in Bone by Jefferson Bass

2008-01-12T13:01:00.000-05:00

I read this book because I will moderate a panel discussion with Dr Bass and Mr. Jefferson at the Virginia Festival of the Book in March 2006. I real a lot of true crime, thrillers and mysteries and thoroughly enjoyed this book. The details are incredible and the descriptions make you feel like you are bumping along the road with the doc. I'm glad to say that I didn't know "who did it" before the end. The characters are vivid and blend well with the setting for the story. The personal touches to show the expert is human were a great touch. I would recommend this to anyone who likes a well written thriller. Can't wait to meet you both in March :)

UPDATE - I just met Dr Bass and Jon Jefferson and they were great. It was a joy to be there when they talked to potential readers about their books. Its also amazing the number of questions I knew the answer to, because I'd read Carved in Bone and Death's Acre. Looking forward to the next fiction and non fiction. My parents attended the programs with me and are now interested in forensics for the first time. Great job guys :)

Dr Barbara Holstein Shares "The Truth"

2008-01-12T12:49:00.000-05:00

I recently got a chance to read Dr Barbara Holstein's book "THE TRUTH: I’m Ten, I’m Smart and I Know Everything!"

This book is centered around a ten year old girl who has some important information to share with you. Do you remember what you thought of life when you were ten? What did you expect to happen in your life? Now that you've grown up, did you reach the dreams that you had when you were ten? If not, why not?

Dr Barbara starts off in the Introduction and reminds us of how many woman are leading unfulfilling lives and who feel they have lost the feeling that they have any control over their lives. Many woman have forgotten how to laugh and are feeling depressed and discouraged with the way their life ended up.

Its never too late to take control and try to take back your life. Do you have creativity that is untapped? This could be the time to find a creative outlet. Let the young heroine of this book transport you back to the time when you were time. She will remind you of how innocent life was at that time and all the promise that was before you. It can be productive and therapeutic to go back in time to a simpler and more interesting time. Come along as our young friend tells you about her "first love", "balloons" in her father's nightstand, betrayal by her best friend and the feeling in the pit of her stomach every time her parents fight.

Dr Barbara's Contact Information
Visit her website at www.enchantedself.com/ or her blog at www.enchantedself.typepad.com/.

Review by Nikki Leigh - www.nikkileigh.com

Past Imperfect by Nora Peterson

2008-01-10T20:57:00.001-05:00

Nora Peterson introduces us to Casey McCloud. She is a thirty something woman who is on a mission. A young woman hired a private investigation office to find out some mysteries from her past. That sounds simple enough, but the young woman dies under questionable circumstances a couple of days later. Casey realizes that something is not as it seems and decides to solve the mystery, even though the client is dead. Her quest sends her to Boston a week before Christmas. The Boston atmosphere will make you dig out your gloves and hat as you make your way through the streets with Casey as she pieces together the clues to solve the mystery. Nora Peterson will also take you from the world of high society and into the world of the homeless as a harsh winter storm heads toward Boston. I love a good mystery and Past Imperfect kept my attention and even distracted me for an entire morning while I kept reading to find out "who done it".

Killraven by Arline Chase

2008-01-10T20:52:00.000-05:00

Intrigue and Romance on the Chesapeake Bay in the 1890's,

I know Arline Chase and I think she's a wonderful woman and publisher. But, I'd never read any of her writing until we were in a chat together.

I love books set in places I know little about and set in the past, so Killraven was the perfect choice. It's set along the Chesapeake Bay in the late 1890's. I was hooked from the first pages and had a hard time putting it down.

From the beginning, I felt like I was walking along the docks and riding along the oyster shell roads with Hope and DeCoursey. These two couldn't be more different, but we all know that opposites attract. She had a strict religious upbringing and DeCoursey is a scoundrel. The question is whether he's as bad as the rumors the local gossips spread about him.

My favorite books make you feel that you're part of the story and that the characters are your friends. I had that feeling right away and I worried about Hope who had left her family and community. Even with the rumors about Coursey, I wanted him to find peace with his past and possibly to find love.

Arline Chase's book simply oozes with atmosphere and drew me in from the beginning. She weaves a variety of interesting and memorable characters into the story and gives us vivid details of their home, their community and their lives. Killraven had humor, dread, fear, suspense, murder, robbery, love, friendship and so much more. I would recommend this book and especially to people who enjoy a historic mystery with a bit of romance.

For more information, visit -
http://www.amazon.com/Killraven-Arline-Chase/dp/1594311374/nikkileighaut-20

Saratoga Summer by Dorice Nelson

2008-01-10T20:49:00.000-05:00

Dorice Nelson brings a dramatic time period vividly to life in her book, Saratoga Summer: 1863. The characters are vivid and colorful, whether it is an independent spirit or fiery red hair. We learn about New York during a very turbulent time in American history and the horse industry in beautiful Saratoga. Mrs. Nelson's love and knowledge of horses will jump off the pages and adds a wonderful dimension to the story. The tension and attraction between Sinead and Con are obvious and the reader feels their struggle. They were married on paper to save a young boy. Sinead is in New York and Con is in Ireland at the time. Once they meet in 1860's New York, the fireworks begin. The young "newlyweds" try to get to know one another while the Draft Riots erupt all around them. Fire, violence and destruction push in on all sides. At this point, the family head to horse country. Sinead must face her terrible fear of horses which was caused by a tragic accident when she was a child. Will these young people be able to make a life together? I could tell you, but I don't want to rob your chance to experience this wonderful story for yourself.