• Ding Dong The Diva’s Dead can be purchased at: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
• Publisher: Camel Press
• Release: January 30, 2011
• Hardcover: ISBN: 9781603818087
• Paperback: ISBN: 9781603818070
• Pages: 246
• eBook: Kindle | Nook | Smashwords

ABOUT THE AUTHOR…Cat Melodia is the nom de plume of a Seattle-based mezzo soprano and voice teacher. Like her heroine, she often wears the pants on stage. Three of her opera adaptations/translations have been performed at community colleges. She has a Bachelor’s Degree cum laude in German Literature from Princeton and a Master’s in Music.

VISIT THE… Blog Tour Site | Author Blog

FROM THE BOOK FAERY REVIEWS…I do believe this to be the first murder mystery book that had me laughing  A LOT. What a cast of characters! Leave it to someone with stage experience to write a funny tale with a twist of what that lifestyle could be like with a diverse group of people. I don’t believe anyone else could do it. I remember the brief moments on stage and behind stage in my younger days and I could imagine easily this riot of a group. The main character, Debbie was fun to hang out with among the pages and her agent and mom tripped me out! I recommend this fun read to anyone looking for a quick and fun stage read.

I received a copy of the book in exchange for a review for the Tribute Books Tour.
No monies was given and all opinions above are my own.

Get free books and win a Kindle or iPod.

About No Hope for Gomez!

It’s the age-old tale: -   Boy meets girl. -   Boy stalks girl. -   Girl already has a stalker. -   Boy becomes her stalker-stalker.We’ve seen it all before, many times, but this time it’s different. If only slightly.    When Gomez Porter becomes a test subject in an experimental drug trial, he is asked to keep track of any strange experiences through a blog.

What Gomez isn’t ready for, is so many of his experiences suddenly seeming strange; the antiques dealer trying to buy his old tax papers, the phone-sex salesman who hounds him day and night, the super sexy lab assistant who falls for him but is unable to express herself in terms outside the realm of science.

But when one of the trial participants turns up dead and another goes missing, Gomez begins to fear for his life. No longer sure who he can trust and which of his experiences are real and which merely drug induced delusions, he decides it’s time to go underground and work out a devious plan.

Read a chapter.

“Extremely witty and clever writing.” — California Chronicle

“An unputdownable read. a Coens Brothers’ film in book form.” — BookReview.com

“A veritable page turner of nonstop laughs!” — Reader Views

“A Party for your Brain!” — Warren Baxter

Warning: clinical studies have shown that reading this novel is likely to make you more attractive to the opposite sex and elevate your random luck by about 9.5%**

(** These statements have not been evaluated by any person of consequence!)

With every cool summer party comes a gift bag, so here’s just some of the stuff all summer readers will get:

• Exclusive new story collection
• No Hope for Gomez: The Lost Chapters
• Making of Gomez: behind the scenes eBook
• Signed hi-res poster + bookplate

Additionally, several lucky readers will win a prize. I’m raffling off a Kindle, an iPod Nano 8GB, and five exclusive spin-off paperback novels that are not available elsewhere!

All you have to do to have a “Summer of Gomez”, is get the book from any store before July 12th 2011 and forward your receipt to nohopeforgomez@gmail.com.(Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Amazon CA, Amazon UK, Amazon DE)

Every purchase counts as an entry so increase your chances by stocking up on some extremely cool birthday presents
Points towards additional entries are gained by getting your friends to join in, and tweeting/blogging/face-booking (is that a verb?) about the summer of Gomez.Tweet

Bio:

They say, you can tell a lot about someone by what they read. Perhaps that is so. I thought I’d share with you what’s on my shelves. You tell me if you can figure out who I am by my books. For I think if you pay close attention or look closely, you’ll be able to decipher the clues to who I am.

Each week I’m going to go through the shelves in my bedroom and tell you the name of three books. (Because we ALL know, I’m a freak about numbers and especially the number THREE. (In fact I want a book about 3s!) The books living on these shelves are either my favorites (in my preferred hardback version), books I wish to read sooner than later, and the books I’m scheduled to review. One day I may go over the giant bookcase in the other room, but for now we’ll start with the characters who watch me while I sleep (what else would I be doing?!).

Without further ado…the first 3 books on my shelves:
(top to bottom, left to right, and yes they are in alphabetical order by AUTHOR)

Number ONE - The Outlander by Gil Adamson – Want to read.

Set in 1903, Adamson’s compelling debut tells the wintry tale of 19-year-old Mary Boulton ([w]idowed by her own hand) and her frantic odyssey across Idaho and Montana. The details of Boulton’s sad past—an unhappy marriage, a dead child, crippling depression—slowly emerge as she reluctantly ventures into the mountains, struggling to put distance between herself and her two vicious brothers-in-law, who track her like prey in retaliation for her killing of their kin. Boulton’s journey and ultimate liberation—made all the more captivating by the delirium that runs in the recesses of her mind—speaks to the resilience of the female spirit in the early part of the last century. Lean prose, full-bodied characterization, memorable settings and scenes of hardship all lift this book above the pack.

Number TWO – Aesop’s Fables Illustrations by Ernest Griset – LOVE this version. Beautiful hardback with foil letter printing on the jacket cover.

Number THREE - The River Wife by Jonis Agee – Want to read.

When the earthquake brings Annie Lark’s Missouri house down on top of her, she finds herself pinned under the massive roof beam, facing certain death. Rescued by French fur trapper Jacques Ducharme, Annie learns to love the strong, brooding man and resolves to live out her days as his “River Wife.”

More than a century later, in 1930, Hedie Rails comes to Jacques’ Landing to marry Clement Ducharme, a direct descendant of the fur trapper and river pirate, and the young couple begin their life together in the very house Jacques built for Annie so long ago. When, night after late night, mysterious phone calls take Clement from their home, a pregnant Hedie finds comfort in Annie’s leather-bound journals. But as she reads of the sinister dealings and horrendous misunderstandings that spelled out tragedy for the rescued bride, Hedie fears that her own life is paralleling Annie’s, and that history is repeating itself with Jacques’ kin.

Among the family’s papers, Hedie encounters three other strong-willed women who helped shape Jacques Ducharme’s life–Omah, the freed slave who took her…

Now…What’s On Your Shelves?

• Paperback: 282 pages
• Publisher: Inkwater Press (September 17, 2010)
• Language: English

ABOUT THE AUTHOR…Chad Coenson was born in Orlando, FL but spent most of his youth in a decaying suburb outside of Washington, D.C. It was there that he would write his first short story and unlock his infinite passion for written expression. Before he was finished with the third grade he had won both a citywide and countywide writing contest. As the surrounding area continued to crumble, to the point where Chad was almost accidentally shot by a police officer, his parents decided to move the family to the outskirts of metro Atlanta, GA.

Young Coenson continued to develop his craft as both a fiction writer and a lyricist/poet, and was published for the first time in a local Georgia newspaper as a high school freshman in 1995. He began to perform spoken word poetry at open-mic nights around town and gathered a modest following who came to these events to hear his work specifically. During his junior and senior year of high school his work was published in the award winning literary magazine, Chrysalis. From 1997 to 1998 the magazine published a total of six of his pieces consisting of both poetry and short stories and in his senior year of high school he won the gold medal at a school sponsored poetry contest, beating out over 2,000 other entries. He was awarded a scholarship to the University of Georgia but opted not to take it as the south and its racist tendencies had taken a toll on his soul. He chose to head west and was accepted to the University of Arizona’s Creative Writing program in the summer of 1998.

During the latter part of his high school career he had begun to read the works of Kurt Vonnegut, Hunter S. Thompson, Ken Kesey, Jonathan Swift ,and Terry Southern to name just a few. These writers opened the door to the genre(s) Chad found to be most fitting for his sense humor and take on the world, that being sociopolitical satire and speculative fiction. Having already developed a strong, distinct voice and an original style, these authors of influence dared him to take chances with his writing, leading him to take on many controversial subject matters as scene in much of his work such as his first full length novel, Me and Bobby McGee.

In parallel with his fiction writing, Chad also became immersed in Tucson’s poetry and music scene. He actively participated and placed very highly in many spoken word competitions and was also featured in the Arizona Daily Wildcat (U of A’s newspaper) after a reporter witnessed one of his performances. Chad was also writing lyrics and playing bass for a local band called, Cultural Funktion (musical influences included the Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Phish). The group played numerous gigs at bars and college parties before disbanding in 2001. It was during this time that Chad and his partner in music, Bryan Forrester, decided to leave the country to work on their chops in Tasmania, AUS. The two played quite a few gigs in their 6 months overseas in both Tasmania and mainland Australia, and closed out their trip by recording an independent album entitled, Tasmanian Rain. They stopped in Fiji on their way home where, at the people’s request, they ended up playing many hours of music for the locals of Korolevu before returning to the US. – FROM AMAZON.COM

FIND THE AUTHOR ON THE…WEB ~ FACEBOOK ~ YOUTUBE

FROM THE BOOK FAERY REVIEWS…We’re giving away one copy of Me and Bobby McGee to a lucky reader with a US/Canadian address (no PO Boxes). All you have to do is leave a comment for the author, Chad Coenson, below in the comments.

This giveaway will run through the month of May. The winner will be selected using the WordPress ‘And the Winner Is’ plugin. Winners will be notified via the comment posts, in the weekly recap newsletter (subscribe in the right sidebar), and on the Facebook Page wall of The Book Faery Reviews (Like us in the right sidebar).

You can receive additional entries by…

1. Liking us on Facebook (see right sidebar)
2. Subscribing to our newsletter (see right sidebar)
3. Follow @farrah1230 on Twitter and tweet this giveaway (add ‘@farrah1230 #tbfr’ so I can find it)

Follow along on his virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion:

• Tuesday, May 3 – Interviewed at Working Writers
• Wednesday, May 4 – Interviewed at Examiner
• Thursday, May 5 – Guest blogging at Booksake
• Friday, May 6 – Book reviewed by Booksake
• Monday, May 9 – Book reviewed at Freda’s Voice
• Tuesday, May 10 – Guest blogging at Literal Exposure
• Wednesday, May 11 – Guest at Literarily Speaking’s May 2011 Book Panel
• Thursday, May 12 – Book reviewed at Mad Moose Mama
• Friday, May 13 – Interviewed at As the Pages Turn
• Monday, May 16 – Book Reviewed at Must Read Faster
• Tuesday, May 17 – Book reviewed at Wakela’s World
• Wednesday, May 18 – Interviewed at The Book Connection
• Thursday, May 19 – Interviewed at The Writer’s Life / Book reviewed at April’s Lifestyle Show
• Friday, May 20 – Guest blogging at The Book Bin
• Monday, May 23 – Book reviewed at Blog Business World
• Tuesday, May 24 – Interviewed at Review From Here
• Wednesday, May 25 – Interviewed at Literarily Speaking
• Thursday, May 26 – Book reviewed at Taking Time for Mommy
• Friday, May 27 – Chat & Book Giveaway at Pump Up Your Book’s Authors on Tour May 2011 Facebook Party

Mailbox Monday is where other bloggers write about the books they received the previous week. The Mailbox Monday is now going on a blog tour with the host this month being Rose City Reader. Visit her blog to see what books made it her way and check out the others who are participating like me in the Monday Mailbox Meme.

The Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier – A deadly virus has spread rapidly across Earth, effectively cutting off wildlife specialist Laura Byrd at her crippled Antarctica research station from the rest of the world. Meanwhile, the planet’s dead populate “the city,” located on a surreal Earth-like alternate plane, but their afterlives depend on the memories of the living, such as Laura, back on home turf. Forced to cross the frozen tundra, Laura free-associates to keep herself alert; her random memories work to sustain a plethora of people in the city, including her best friend from childhood, a blind man she’d met in the street, her former journalism professor and her parents. Brockmeier (The Truth About Celia) follows all of them with sympathy, from their initial, bewildered arrival in the city to their attempts to construct new lives. He meditates throughout on memory’s power and resilience, and gives vivid shape to the city, a place where a giraffe’s spots might detach and hover about a street conversation among denizens. He simultaneously keeps the stakes of Laura’s struggle high: as she fights for survival, her parents find a second chance for love—but only if Laura can keep them afloat. Other subplots are equally convincing and reflect on relationships in a beautiful, delicate manner; the book seems to say that, in a way, the virus has already arrived. – FROM AMAZON.COM

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger – Niffenegger’s ghost story is a stirring meditation on doubleness featuring twins Valentina and Julia; their mother, Edie and her twin, Elspeth; the two halves of Highgate Cemetery in London; the Western duality of body and soul. Audie Award–winner Bianca Amato gives a brilliant performance: Julia and Valentina’s voices are differentiated just enough to tell them apart; Elspeth is Oxbridge refinement, but her twin has Americanized her accent. Amato’s greatest challenge is Martin, a brilliant crossword setter whose neuroses prevent him from leaving his flat. Amato gives him a wit and allure that let the listener become as entranced with him as Julia does. This well-paced and lustrous audio will mesmerize and delight. – FROM THE PUBLISHERS WEEKLY on Amazon.com

Lastingness: The Art of Old Age by Nicholas Delbanco – America grows older yet stays focused on its young. Whatever hill we try to climb, we’re “over” it by fifty and should that hill involve entertainment or athletics we’re finished long before. But if younger is better, it doesn’t appear that youngest is best: we want our teachers, doctors, generals, and presidents to have reached a certain age. In context after context and contest after contest, we’re more than a little conflicted about elders of the tribe; when is it right to honor them, and when to say “step aside”?

In LASTINGNESS, Nicholas Delbanco, one of America’s most celebrated men of letters, profiles great geniuses in the fields of visual art, literature, and music-Monet, Verdi, O’Keeffe, Yeats, among others – searching for the answers to why some artists’ work diminishes with age, while others’ reaches its peak. Both an intellectual inquiry into the essence of aging and creativity and a personal journey of discovery, this is a brilliant exploration of what determines what one needs to do to keep the habits of creation and achievement alive. – FROM AMAZON.COM

Letters from Home by Kristina McMorris – In love and war, nothing is as it seems…
Chicago, 1944. Liz Stephens has little interest in attending a USO club dance with her friends Betty and Julia. She doesn’t need a flirtation with a lonely serviceman when she’s set to marry her childhood sweetheart. Yet something happens the moment Liz glimpses Morgan McClain. They share only a brief conversation – cut short by the soldier’s evident interest in Betty – but Liz can’t forget him. Thus, when Betty asks her to ghostwrite a letter to Morgan, stationed overseas, Liz reluctantly agrees.

Thousands of miles away, Morgan struggles to adjust to the brutality of war. His letters from “Betty” are a comfort, their soul-baring correspondence a revelation to them both. While Liz is torn by her feelings for a man who doesn’t know her true identity, Betty and Julia each become immersed in their own romantic entanglements. And as the war draws to a close, all three will face heart-wrenching choices, painful losses, and the bittersweet joy of new beginnings. – FROM THE AUTHOR SITE

Dukes to the Left of Me, Princes to the Right by Kieran Kramer – If Poppy Smith-Barnes knew that the Duke of Drummond really existed—and wasn’t just a sherry-induced figment of her cook’s imagination—Poppy never would have told everyone he is her fiancé. So, of course, when Nicholas Staunton, the newly titled Duke of Drummond, turns up at a society ball with a ring and an offer of marriage, it would seem that Poppy has no choice but to accept. As it turns out, Nicholas really has no choice but to propose to Poppy. If Nicholas wishes to continue his supersecret work for the British government, he needs a suitable wife—one who would deflect all the attention, and matchmaking mammas, his new title is brings. Of course, the logical solution is a faux engagement, but once love enters the equation, logic has nothing to do with anything. The second installment of Kramer’s deliciously clever “Impossible Bachelors” series rewards readers with a simply irresistible combination of scintillating wit and sizzling sensual romance. –John Charles – FROM BOOKLIST REVIEW AT AMAZON.COM

Dear Sparkle: Cat to Cat Advice by Sparkles the Cat – Sage advice straight from the mouth of the world’s most pointed puss!

• My human is moving in with her boyfriend, so we’ll have to leave our apartment and my perfect birdwatching perch. I need to know how to get rid of him!
• Our pet sitter smells weird. Is there any way to make her less stinky?
• My humans like to sleep when it’s obviously the best time to play! Have any ideas for how to wake them up?

Face it, felines, your humans can’t help you untangle your problems — especially when they’re usually the ones driving you crazy! Never fear, the world’s foremost feline authority Sparkle the Cat is here to solve all of your kitty conundrums. Sparkle can relate to you and your furry friends and offers insight laced with tough love.

With 70 Q&As, “Sparkle Says” sidebars, and full-color photos throughout, this guide is definitely NOT your usual human-written cat book.

Whether you’re a confused kitty who doesn’t understand why you’re supposed to stay off the couch, a cat who’s furious because the new puppy ate your catnip stash, or a freaked-out feral who wants to return to the wild, Sparkle has the wise — and often hilarious — answers for your woes. – FROM AMAZON.COM

AUTHOR: Bill Scheft

PUBLISHER: Simon & Schuster

PUBLICATION DATE: April 7, 2009

PAGES: 288

Will Pepper, a straight-talking Texan, survive a confirmation battle in the Senate? Will becoming one of the most powerful women in the world ruin her love life? And even if she can make it to the Supreme Court, how will she get along with her eight highly skeptical colleagues, including a floundering Chief Justice who, after legalizing gay marriage, learns that his wife has left him for another woman.

Soon, Pepper finds herself in the middle of a constitutional crisis, a presidential reelection campaign that the president is determined to lose, and oral arguments of a romantic nature. Supreme Courtship is another classic Christopher Buckley comedy about the Washington institutions most deserving of ridicule. – FROM HACHETTE BOOKS

Listen to an Excerpt

ABOUT THE AUTHOR…Christopher Buckley is the author of eleven books, many of them national bestsellers, including The White House Mess, God Is My Broker, Little Green Men, and No Way to Treat a First Lady, which won the Thurber Prize for American Humor. He has published more than fifty comic essays in The New Yorker. In 2002, he received the Washington Irving Medal for Literary Excellence. He is the editor of ForbesLife and lives in New York and Washington, D.C.

You can find Christopher Buckley also at the The Daily Beast.

FROM THE BOOK FAERY REVIEWS…Thanks to Hachette Books, The Book Faery Reviews is giving away THREE copies of Supreme Courtship by Christopher Buckley. THREE will US/Canada (no PO Box) candidates will be randomly chosen on October 1st. To enter for a chance at a copy of this book, please comment below.

Get additional entries by:

1. Tweeting (be sure to add in “@farrah1230 #tbfr so I can see it)
2. Post the giveaway on your site (facebook, blog, website, etc) and leave me the link
3. Become an e-mail subscriber
4. Become an RSS subscriber
5. Fav The Book Faery Reviews MAIN link (http://tbfreviews.net) on Technorati
6. Stumble The Book Faery Reviews MAIN link (http://tbfreviews.net)