Monday, September 28, 2015

Universal Scams & Fraud Detection by David Snow Virtual Book Tour & Giveaway

Genre: Non-Fiction
Publisher:
Release Date:
Buy: Amazon US | Amazon UK


Book Description:


Fraud and Scams are a costly menace to society and global industry. Learning from experience is the best way of developing skill and knowledge. This book will assist you in preventing fraud and financial crimes against you and your business. The book will teach you the tricks used by scam artists in modern society and give you the edge and ability from falling victim to fraud. Explore the many aspects of fraud, including; identity theft, retail scams, fraud against the elderly, insurance scams, employee theft and more. Learn how to conduct elaborate investigations including cross border and gathering of valuable evidence. If its too good to be true, then it probably isn’t true. Learn to trust your feelings from experiencing the different real life cases and scenarios. Don’t fall victim to fraud, learn how to protect yourself.

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BIO

David Snow has been working in the private security and financial investigation arena since 1989. He was one of the first graduates and members of the Institute of Irish Investigators. He obtained the "youngest student award" from the Institute in 1989. In 2013 he was awarded Investigator of the Year by the Europe Middle East and African chapter of the International Association of Financial Crime Investigators. He was also presented with the International Investigator of the Year Award in Denver Colorado by IAFCI – North America and donated his winnings to the Wounded Warrior Project, which supports American troops injured at war.

He was initially employed by Sleator Carroll Investigators and then Pinkerton Security & Investigations. Pinkerton is the world’s oldest and largest Private Detective and Security agency with operations on every continent. He joined Pinkerton in 1993 and became the General Manager of the Irish operation in 1996, leaving in 2001 to pursue a career within insurance fraud investigation.

Today he is employed as the Head of Special Investigations for the Irish operation of a multi-national insurance company. He is a member of the International Association of Special Investigation Units (IASIU), the International Association of Financial Crime Investigators (IAFCI), the Association of Irish Risk Management (AIRM) and was one of the first Europeans to obtain the Certified Insurance Fraud Investigator (CIFI) from North America. He has lectured on identity theft and financial crime in Ireland, North America and Europe. He is also a member of the Irish charity A Little Lifetime Foundation, formally known as ISANDS, obtaining an award in 2012 for his efforts in the prevention of the identity theft of dead Irish baby’s.

He lives in Dublin, Ireland with his wife and two children Olivia and Sarah. 


Website

www.davidsnow.ie
http://www.davidsnowauthor.com/

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/Davidsnowauthor?ref=bookmarks

Twitter

https://twitter.com/author_davesnow/





Tweet: RT & Enter to #Win an #ebook of Someone Has Taken My Place by @author_davesnow #vbtcafetours #PIDavidSnow http://ctt.ec/2puCi+

Giveaway Rules: Click to tweet this giveaway above, or tweet from this page using the Twitter share button. Tweet MUST contain #PIDavidSnow, #vbtcafetours and follow @author_davesnow. The more you tweet these hashtags, the more entries you get.

Good Luck!

All prizes courtesy of author, David Snow.


Sunday, September 27, 2015

Tillie's Tale by Mindy Mymudes Virtual Book Tour & Giveaway

Genre: Middle Grade | Urban Fantasy
Publisher: MuseItUp Publishing
Release Date: March 24, 2015
Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble


Book Description:


Who is the mysterious ghosty haunting puppygirl Tillie? And why? George, the magical basset hound familiar is on the trail. 

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Author Bio: I've worked in a hazardous waste lab, where under the sign for the Right To Know law, was added: if you can figure it out. I've been a metals tech, a bakery clerk, a professional gardener, and taught human anatomy and ran two university greenhouses. Along the way I picked up my Master's Degree in Biology, specializing in the population genetics of an endangered plant. I’ve also been a top breeder, handler, and trainer of English springer spaniels under the prefix of Muddy Paws. We three in the equivalent of the National Club's (ESSFTA) hall of fame. Every time I think I know dogs, another dog comes along and proves my beliefs are totally wrong. The truth is, the Muddy Paws Pack walk all over me.


Author Links - 

Website http://mindymymudes.weebly.com

Blog: http://mindymymudes.weebly.com/blog

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Mindy-Mymudes/486126501426333

Twitter: @GeorgeBasset

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6702514.Mindy_Mymudes

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Mindy-Mymudes/e/B00H9LFMR4


Tweet: RT to enter to win an #ebook of George Knows or an #Amazon gift card from @GeorgeBasset #vbtcafetours http://ctt.ec/lcHzM+

Giveaway Entries: To enter this giveaway, click the bird above & Tweet about the giveaway, or click on share by Tweet on this post. Your Tweet MUST contain the following to enter - #vbtcafetours & @GeorgeBasset. Good luck!

All prizes courtesy of author, Mindy Mymudes.


Thursday, July 31, 2014

Operation Angelica by Juliene Lloyd






Juliene Lloyd is a writer and entrepreneur living near Ann Arbor, Michigan. She enjoys living life to
the fullest with her husband, three children, dog, cat and several goldfish.


Author Links:

www.julienelloyd.com
www.twitter.com/ljulienelloyd
www.darkswordpress.com














Genre: Suspense

Publisher: Dark Sword Press

Release Date: July 2014

Buy: Coming Soon





Book Description:

FBI sniper Elizabeth Ashton's ideal life shatters with the murder of her fiancée in Honduras, Central America. Let down by the government she serves, Ashton takes justice into her own hands. However, after crossing paths with a shadowy Washington D.C. consulting firm, Vormund/Ames, she decides to join the company.

Partnered with former soldier and CIA operative Brandon Casey, Ashton learns that sometimes governments and law enforcement agencies need an ace up the sleeve. Her first assignment: to aid in the rescue of twelve people held hostage by rebels in Colombia, South America.


 With the help of three very different men in her new life, Ashton leaves her FBI life behind while the Vormund/Ames team prepares for their mission. But can they rescue a dying woman held prisoner for five years in time? Can Ashton be the ace?




Schedule:

July 31 - Introduction at VBT Café Blog

July 31 - Guest Blogging at Coffee, Books, Art

July 31 - Spotlight at Cherry Mischievous

August 1 - Reviewed at Storyteller SK Gregory

August 1 - Spotlight at Urania's Distractions

August 2 - Spotlight at Deal Sharing Aunt

August 3 - Spotlight at Debbie Jeans

August 3 - Guest Blogging at Mythical Books

August 4 - Review & Interview at That's What She Read

August 5 - Spotlight at Musings of a Book Maven

August 6 - Spotlight at A. Literary Mafia

August 7 - Guest Blogging at Lori's Reading Corner

August 7 - Guest Blogging at Sun Mountain Reviews




Sunday, June 22, 2014

Counterfeit Youth by Narbeh Avanessian




Narbeh Avanessian lives in Los Angeles as a freelance writer and marketing professional. He spends
his free time writing science fiction and studying video games.

Author Links -
Narbeh Avanessian.com

Twitter.com/TheNarbs













Book Genre: Science Fiction
Publisher: Self-published
Release Date: April 28, 2014
Buy Link(s):





Book Description:

What does the man who has everything want? The answer is simple: for it to never end. Jackson Riley is a young billionaire living in the year 2052 with a single obsession - to discover immortality within his lifetime. But what happens when this obsession tears him apart from reality and his one true love Nicole? And why have untraceable special agents taken an interest in his medical experiments? Counterfeit Youth is an emotionally charged sci-fi thriller that explores the concept of happiness, and what it means to live forever.


Excerpt:

February 2nd, 2053
What does the man who has everything want? It was the one question that began to haunt me in the younger years of my life. If I could just come up with the answer, I was convinced I could find the secret to the most elusive human emotion: happiness.
I remember sitting alone in a dimly lit Burbank diner at dawn, playing with my ketchup-drenched curly fries as my coffee cooled down, lost in thought. My sunken, insomniac eyes would wait for the sun to rise through the cafe's east windows. The blinding light of dawn's first rays coming in strong and low was almost pristine enough to deliver some kind of answer, but it was not to be.
The bullet train would deliver me to Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco in the winter, when the crowds had left. The wind would gust with bursts of fury, and I'd smell the salt in the air. The splashes of the bay water calmed me down immensely. It was the closest I had come to finding what I was looking for, yet I still searched.
For most of my life, I would convince myself the answer would come through my art; perhaps a set of my best paintings—no, an entire exhibit—would give me solace, but it was never enough. Everywhere I looked in my Golden State, the state many simply called California, the answer to the question continued to elude me.
It was my family's move from the valley into West Los Angeles that finally aligned the stars in my favor. Against all odds, I found him—the man who had everything. The question that had driven me mad all of these years could finally be answered, if I could somehow become part of his story and pay close enough attention.
That man was Jackson Riley. He was born in the year 2017 to proud parents who would have only one child. By 2035, Jackson Riley neatly fit the criteria as the man who had everything. He was worth eight billion dollars, the sole heir to a real-estate empire, so he never worried about money. He was deeply in love with his strikingly beautiful high school sweetheart and never suffered unrequited love. At the young age of eighteen, he never ached for lost youth.
So did I learn the answer to my question through a man I thought would only exist in theoretical debates? Is my story in the pages written below any help at all? A simple answer to a once philosophical question does it no justice, but in case you were still wondering, I'll give it to you square. What does the man who has everything want? Simple—for it to never end.
Arsen









Thursday, May 15, 2014

True Nature by Jessica Freely (Book Tour & Giveaway)




Author Bio:

Jessica Freely can't resist a wounded hero. As a reader and a writer, her favorite stories are of soul mates finding redemption in each other's arms. Married to the love of her life in a beautiful relationship based on mutual goofiness, Jessica also warps minds as an instructor in Seton Hill University's Writing Popular Fiction MFA program. Her dog, Ruthie, doesn't seem to care that Jessica's an award-winning and best-selling author in multiple genres. She just wants to play tug of war with Jessica's pages.

Author Links -

Jessica Freely Online:
Website & Blog: http://jessicafreely.com



Book Genre: Paranormal Gay Romance
Publisher: Loose Id
Release Date: April 22
Buy Link(s):

Loose Id Buy Link: 

Book Description:

Lake Clearwater--conservation officer and water spirit--has just been appointed guardian of Gem Pond by The Powers That Be. It's the first time in eight years he's had a real home and he's determined to protect it, even if that means hiding his attraction to his sexy new partner, Forrest Oakwood.

Forrest is a native of the Gem Pond area and the guardian of its trees. He knows the land and its people are a crucial lynchpin in the natural order. He also knows that if he comes out, his boss in the DNR, Sgt. Dennison, will find an excuse to fire him. But ignoring his true nature was a lot easier before Lake Clearwater showed up. The man's a walking, talking wet dream.

Meanwhile, local residents--human and animal alike--conspire to bring Lake and Forrest together. The land needs its guardians united and at their full power. Dennison wants to cut down the trees to make room for water slides and tennis courts. If Forrest and Lake don't embrace their passion for each other, they'll be unable to stop him and that would be a disaster, not just for Gem Pond but for the entire natural world.

Excerpt One:

It was full dark and snowing by the time Forrest finished his report. He stood up with a groan and stretched his stiff muscles.
Clearwater sat at the kitchen table, playing a game of solitaire. He looked up as Forrest entered and smiled. “Want some soup? I made it myself.”
Forrest wandered to the stove and sniffed suspiciously at the simmering pot. It actually smelled pretty good. “What is it?”
“Lentil.”
“Vegetarian, right?”
“Yeah. Doesn’t mean it’s not delicious. Here, let me get you a bowl. Sit down. What do you want to drink?”
Forrest allowed himself to be herded over to the table.
A few minutes later, Lake set a plate with bread and butter beside him, poured him a glass of milk, and set a steaming bowl of lentil soup before him. It was kind of like being a kid again only…
Only Lake didn’t look anything like his mom. He sat down opposite Forrest now, tucking his long blond hair behind his ears. His green eyes gleamed as he waited for Forrest’s reaction.
Forrest took a spoonful. Flavors of sage, rosemary, and garlic burst across his tongue, borne by the silken seduction of pulverized lentils. “Mmmmmm.”
Lake sat back, looking like a bear with a piece of honeycomb. “Good, huh?”
He nodded, but apprehension stole in upon him. “You trying to convert me, Clearwater?”
Lake widened his eyes as if to feign innocence. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
Like hell. Forrest enjoyed the soup anyway.
* * * *
As he washed the dishes, Forrest’s thoughts returned to the events of the night before. He remembered Clearwater’s body stretched out in the bed, naked and tan, all long lines and flat planes. As he washed his supper dishes, his fingers tingled, remembering the silken texture of that warm, smooth skin. How he wanted to touch those rose-pink nipples, tease them, and watch them become erect, and then dip his head down, circling each one with the tip of his tongue as Clearwater’s gasps and moans of pleasure bathed his ears.
“Think I’ll turn in early and do some reading,” Clearwater said.
Forrest started, dropped the soapy bowl, and splashed water all over his shirt.
Clearwater laughed. “Sorry.”
“Just not used to having someone else around.” That should have been someone so hot around. Forrest fought to quell his burgeoning erection.
Silence. Clearwater was still there. No footsteps announced his departure. But he didn’t say anything. What was he doing? Embarrassment and irritation doused Forrest’s libido, and he was able to turn around without humiliating himself.
Clearwater stood in the doorway, staring at him.
“What?”
“Officer Riverbend… Not much of a talker?”
The understatement forced a smile to Forrest’s lips. “You could say that.”
Clearwater nodded. “I’ll try not to overwhelm you with my relentless chitchat.”
“That’s not what I meant. I just… I don’t know. It’s just…” What was wrong with him? Why couldn’t he complete a sentence?
“It’s a change.”
“Yeah.”
They stared at each other in silence. Forrest felt the stillness of the winter night settle around them.
Suddenly Clearwater drew a deep breath and turned away. “Well, good night.”
“Good night.”
Forrest finished up the dishes. Yawning, he went into the bedroom and grabbed his PJs. Clearwater was already in bed. One rosebud nipple peeked out from beneath the blanket as he lay on his back, reading a book. No pajama top. What about the bottoms? 












Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Renegades by Sara Mason



Title: Renegades
Author Name: Sara Mason


Author Bio:

Sara Atherton Mason was raised in Somerville, Massachusetts, with an amazing immediate and extended family. She attended Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts, graduating with highest honors in Chemistry. She then graduated from the Florida State University College of Law with high honors. She lives in the Florida with her toy poodle, Melvin, and clerks for a United States District Court Judge. She enjoys coffee, wine, sports, and science fiction television shows. 


Author Links -




Book Genre: Science fiction
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: October 31, 2013

Buy Link(s):





Book Description:


Elora Pertin spent her life trying to please her father, an esteemed General for the Empire. 

When he convinced her to leave her quiet life as a scientist to advance a secret project for the Emperor, she had no idea what she was getting into. The seemingly innocent projects she engineered were actually being used to develop a genocidal weapon. After uncovering the Emperor’s plot, Elora had no choice but to act. 


Elora finds herself fighting for her life against the Empire she once served, abandoning everything with only a handful of friends and an unlikely ally—the Emperor’s deadliest assassin. Will he prove himself true as her protector, a loyal servant of the Empire, or a romantic distraction? With the law and assassins searching the star system for them, Elora and her team are determined to accomplish their mission . . . or die trying.



Excerpt One:

Back in her room, Elora tried to come up with another plan. If her father couldn’t—or wouldn’t—help, she had to find someone else. Just finishing and going home was not an option. She tried to focus on the weapon, but was preoccupied with thoughts of her father. What was he involved with? How could he involve her in the development of an illegal weapon? He had been her rock and best friend since her mom died when she was so young. If she couldn’t trust her dad, whom could she trust?
She had just closed her eyes to practice the meditative techniques she learned on Naruta when she was suddenly pulled out of bed to her feet. She felt the strong arms of a man on either side of her head. Instinctively, she tried to jerk his arms away because she was sure he was about to break her neck. Her head was pulled so far to one side she could feel the muscles in her neck tearing apart. Then he stopped.

Elora could barely see the mirror in her peripheral. The man’s black monochromatic attire made him hard to see in the dark room, but she could make him out against her body. He was tall with shaggy dark hair, slightly curly on the ends. He had a strong jaw, and as she moved up his face, she saw he was looking at her in the mirror. His eyes were dark—almost as black as his clothes. Just as suddenly as he pulled her out of bed, he released her.









Sunday, February 2, 2014

King of Rags by Eric Bronson




Title: King of Rags
Author Name: Eric Bronson



Author Bio: Eric Bronson teaches philosophy in the Humanities Department at York University in Toronto. He is the editor of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Philosophy (Wiley-Blackwell, 2011), Poker and Philosophy (Open Court, 2006), Baseball and Philosophy (Open Court, 2004), and co-editor of The Hobbit and Philosophy (Wiley-Blackwell, 2012), and The Lord of the Rings and Philosophy (Open Court, 2003). In 2007 he served as the "Soul Trainer" for the CBC radio morning show, "Sounds Like Canada." His current project is a book called The Dice Shooters, based loosely on his experiences dealing craps in Las Vegas.


Author Links - The link for any or all of the following...




Book Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Neverland Publishing
Release Date: May, 2013
Buy Link(s): Amazon

Book Description:

King of Rags follows the life of Scott Joplin and his fellow ragtime musicians as they frantically transform the seedy and segregated underbelly of comedians, conmen and prostitutes who called America’s most vibrant cities home. Inspired by Booker T. Washington and the Dahomeyan defeat in West Africa, Joplin was ignored by the masses for writing the music of Civil Rights fifty years before America was ready to listen.

Excerpt One:

Whenever he had a difficult decision to make, Scott set himself up on the small hill with high grass and wildflowers. In the starlight he was especially careful not to disturb the patient, purple flowers. A traveling white schoolteacher once read to his class the story of the heliotrope from Ovid’s
Metamorphoses. Derided by the world and scorned by her lover the Sun God, a poor nymph keeps her eyes ever fixed to the sun. Streaked with purple, she is covered in leaves and flowers, roots that claw their way around her helplessness, forever binding her to the earth.

“‘An excess of passion begets an excess of grief,’” the schoolteacher quoted. “Don’t reach so high. You’ll be much happier if you lower your sights.”

But there was something about the nymph’s undying faith that touched him inside. She refused to be stuck here in this world, and that refusal brought hope along with the pain. Scott thought he understood the nymph’s eternal conflict. His music wouldn’t right the wrong, but it might help ease the loss. Long after the sun abandoned her, Scott sat among the heliotrope and played for her his coronet.

The hill had a further advantage: it overlooked the new train station. He was there one December day, ten years earlier, when the first Texas & Pacific railway pulled in from Dallas, on its way to Fulton, Arkansas. Since then his father had taught him to play the violin, banjo and coronet, but none of them could take him beyond his colorless world. Maybe the trains couldn’t either, but the tracks held that promise, going outwards, ever away. His mother believed the coronet was
the Devil’s instrument. Scott disagreed. Any instrument that brought relief to others was useful. It shouldn’t much matter who was dancing at the other end.

Under the wavering light of a half-moon, Scott played with all the sounds of the night: the high-pitched melody of cicada bugs over the running bass line of lumber cars and freight trains, garbage crates and short hauls sounding their syncopated iron rhythms: boom-chugga boom-boom: boomchugga boom-boom. The music of the night trains was the sound of waiting—waiting and waning and wasting away. The greatest secrets in life, Scott knew, lay not in the music or the

people who played it, but in the short, silent spaces that sometimes fell unexpectedly off the beat. The Stop Man taught him that without hardly even saying a word.











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