Thanks to Anneliese Grosfeld of Simon & Schuster Canada, I am giving away one copy of Mating For Life.
Book Description:
With pitch-perfect honesty and heartwarming humor, this captivating debut explores marriage, motherhood, identity, and what it takes to love someone—family members, friends, or spouses—for life.
Former folk singer Helen Sear was a feminist wild child who proudly disdained monogamy, raising three daughters—each by a different father—largely on her own. Now in her sixties, Helen has fallen in love with a traditional man who desperately wants to marry her. And while she fears losing him, she’s equally afraid of abandoning everything she’s ever stood for if she goes through with it.
Meanwhile, Helen’s youngest daughter, Liane, is in the heady early days of a relationship with her soul mate. But he has an ex-wife and two kids, and her new role as a “step-something” doesn’t come with an instruction manual. Ilsa, an artist, has put her bohemian past behind her and is fervently hoping her second marriage will stick. Yet her world feels like it is slowly shrinking, and her painting is suffering as a result—and she realizes she may need to break free again, even if it means disrupting the lives of her two young children. And then there’s Fiona, the eldest sister, who has worked tirelessly to make her world pristine, yet who still doesn’t feel at peace. When she discovers her husband has been harboring a huge secret, Fiona loses her tenuous grip on happiness and is forced to face some truths about herself that she’d rather keep buried.
By interweaving the alternating perspectives of Helen, her daughters, and the women surrounding them, Marissa Stapley reveals the many roles modern women play, and shows that even though happy endings aren’t one-size-fits-all, some loves really can last for life.
About Marissa Stapley:
Marissa Stapley is National Magazine Award nominated writer and former magazine editor whose work has appeared in the Globe and Mail, National Post, Elle Canada, and many others. Mating for Life(June 24, 2014, Simon & Schuster Canada; July 1, 2014, Atria Books) is her first novel. She lives in Toronto with her husband and two young children, where she teaches writing and editing.
This giveaway is open to Canada only and ends on July 8, 2014. Please use Rafflecopter to enter.
Today it is my pleasure to kick off The Infinity Program by Richard H. Hardy Tour!
Book Description:
Publisher: Camel Press (March 23, 2014) Category: Science Fiction, Techno-Thriller, Thriller for the Digital Age ISBN: 13: 978-1-60381-933-6 Tour Dates: June 23-August 1, 2014 Available in: Print and ebook, 250 Pages
Jon Graeme and Harry Sale are unlikely friends. Harry is a world-class programmer, but his abrasive personality alienates co-workers. In contrast, Jon is a handsome and easy-going technical writer, the low man on the IT totem pole.
Sharing a love of nature, the men set out together, planning to go their separate ways–Jon on a hike and Harry, fly fishing. Three days later, Jon arrives at the rendezvous point, but his friend is nowhere in sight. When Jon finds Harry unconscious on the floor of a cave, Harry claims to have been lying there the entire time. But he is neither cold nor hungry. What Jon doesn’t know is that Harry fell into an underground cavern, where he came into contact with an alien quantum computer.
Back at work, Harry jettisons his regular tasks and concentrates exclusively on inventing a new operating language to access the alien system. In the process he crashes his company’s Super Computer and is fired. Jon convinces the company to give Harry a second chance, arguing that the system he has invented will make them millions.
Jon has no idea what havoc Harry is about to unleash.
Praise for The Infinity Program:
“I am not a hater of technobabble. I’m perfectly happy to have my science fiction rely on information that is either completely fictional or completely over my head in technical terminology. As long as the story is good, I can live with not understanding every nit and tiddle along the way. Hey, I grew up watching Star Trek re-runs – it’s just how I roll. I plowed through The Infinity Program, thoroughly enjoying it. It’s not so different from reading Dan Brown or Robert Ludlum. I can happily give The Infinity Program 4 stars out of 5 for being jubilant, self-indulgent mind candy.”–S. Millinocket, Reader’s Lane
“This book is a high technology science fiction story, and it was surprisingly easy for me to follow. I am not a high tech kind of girl, yet I was able to move right along with the story for the most part, even as I lack any knowledge of computers and programming. The main character Jon was not totally familiar with the programming lingo either, so as dialog with him progressed, I was able to learn what I needed to know and never once did I feel overwhelmed with jargon.
When it comes right down to it, I was highly impressed with the storyline and the way everything played out. With ups and downs, a touch of romance, and a bunch of pig headed supporting characters, The Infinity Program by Richard H. Hardy is sure to please the high tech science fiction readers as well as the readers who are not so technically savvy. In general, this novel was absolutely fantastic! I am more than ready to see what Hardy comes up with next.”–Jennifer Hass, BC (blogcritics)
” Richard H. Hardy pens an exciting tale about an underground extraterrestrial computer with clairvoyant powers, but it’s the humans it’s manipulating who end up stealing the spotlight. Because what makes this story unique is that Hardy has inside knowledge about how technology companies operate, because he worked for one, and the office politics he infuses into the core of his novel definitely ring true to life. The long hours, the tight deadlines, the demanding clients – all combine to create an implied sense of urgency.
Hardy is smart to use a sci-fi hook in order to discuss these crucial cultural issues. He draws readers in with an otherworldly premise that promises to entertain, while enlightening them about the challenges that people face in everyday life that are no less extraordinary or important than a super intelligent species looking to take over the earth. He mixes the mundane with the fantastical to maximum effect, causing readers to think with their minds and their hearts. Framed in this context, prejudice and intolerance are just as frightening as getting encapsulated in gelatinous slime or being resurrected by nanobots.”-Tribute Book Reviews
About Richard H. Hardy:
I was born at home in Glasgow, Scotland during a week of relentless bombing raids just before the close of World War II. The day I was born an incendiary bomb fell on the church across the street from where we lived. I guess I entered the world with a big adrenalin rush.
My family later moved to England and then on to America. I learned quickly what it was like to be a stranger in a strange land. Like so many immigrants I developed the reflexive habit of stepping back and watching, looking at the world through the wrong end of a telescope. All in all, it was a great beginning for someone who would become a writer.
I followed a path typical of so many writers. After college I bounced through a series of temporary jobs as I traveled around the country. I wasn’t interested in a career; all I wanted was to write. I produced dozens of short stories and at least a half dozen botched attempts at novels. Finally, I met a wonderful woman who became my wife. I got a job driving a library van and spent much of my free time writing short stories and working on a novel. When I couldn’t sell my novel, I took a long look at myself. I had no career and no prospects. I decided it was time to turn things around.
My wife and I moved to New Hampshire and I got an entry level job at a software company. I was soon promoted to the technical writing department and ended up writing over 500,000 words of online documentation. After a few years in technical writing I was promoted to the programming department and ended up the Senior EDI Programmer, creating EDI maps and writing UNIX scripts and troubleshooting on AIX systems throughout the US and Canada.
I started writing again when I retired. I decided to write the kind of book that I would enjoy reading — a book that was entertaining and had a strong story, clear writing, interesting characters, and unexpected twists. The title of this book is The Infinity Program. It was published on April 1, 2014 by the Camel Press. The book is about a 60 million year old computer system, a world class systems programmer by the name of Harry Sale, and an alien program that might just change the world forever.
This giveaway is international however, print is for U.S. only. International winner would receive ebook. This giveaway ends on July 31, 2014. Please use Rafflecopter to enter. a Rafflecopter giveaway
You may have already heard about Esther the Wonder Pig or maybe not. Her human parents, Steve and Derek adopted her when she was just a baby. They were told she wouldn’t weight more than 50 pounds full grown. She is now over 500 pounds! They love her and it is very apparent she loves them. However, it is really a tight fit in their small 1000 square foot home. Yes, she is house trained!
Cool video of Esther and her family:
Steve and Derek found a great place for sale and want to build a sanctuary for Esther and other “food industry animals”. So far they have raised just shy of $228,000 with a goal of $400,000. Every dollar counts! Please help them reach their goal! They only have 8 days left for their Indiegogo Campain. There are some great perks for helping out! You can find out more and contribute here: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/esther-the-wonder-pig-farm-sanctuaryWhat are you waiting for? Go there now!
Thanks to Anneliese Grosfeld of Simon & Schuster Canada, I am giving away one copy of Mating For Life.
