BLOG BOOK TOUR 3RD STOP AT THE LITTLE BLOG OF MURDER

Today, Monday, my Killer Career Blog Book Tour stops at http://www.thelittleblogofmurder.com, where my host is Jeff Marks.

The topic is Libraries - Do They Help or Hinder Sales?

Come on over, see what I have to say, and offer your opinion.

My prior two stops are also still on display by my hosts, if you'd care to check them out -
http://www.marywelk.com/ - Villains and Heroes - Gotta Love 'Em - host Mary Welk

http://booklandheights.blogspot.com/ - Interview, plus a later post coming - How I Named My Baby - host Mary Cunningham

Thanks, everyone


PS Remember the prizes - Comment there and let me know here before or after with your email address here and you could win - gray tee shirt for a guy without the cover art on it, cap or tote bag for a girl with the cover art on it.

PPS Tuesday, tomorrow's stop, is at Unbound, http://hagelrat.blogspot.com where Hagelrat will interview me.

BLOG BOOK TOUR RESUMES, PLUS BOOK LAUNCH PARTY TODAY

It's a busy time over here. Saturday marks the official release date for Killer Career.

Sunday, the Killer Career Blog Book Tour continues onto its second stop at http://booklandheights.blogspot.com If you miss the tour stop on Sunday, you can catch up to it on Monday, as Mary Cunningham, my host, has promised to leave it up for the week. Each day until the end of the month I'll be posting reminders here about other tour stops.

Remember, if you comment at a tour stop, mention it here with your email address, you'll be eligible to win a prize - Grey tee shirt for the guys without the cover art, Killer Career cap or tote bag for the ladies with the cover art.

Also on Sunday is the Killer Career Book Launch Party. If you're anywhere near Arlington Heights between 1-4pm, you're invited to stop in at the Arlington Heights Historical Museum, 110 West Fremont, 1st floor, Arlington Room, Arlington Heights, IL (Across from the library)

Light Refreshments, Raffle, and http://www.amazon.com/KILLER-CAREER-Morgan-Mandel/dp/0981991602/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1250252850&sr=8-1'>Killer Career autographing happening. I'll also have copies of Two Wrongs and Girl of My Dreams available for anyone who missed the first time around.

Hope to see you online and/or in person today.

THE BRIEFS AND A BRIEF RESPITE

The Briefs - I thought the DH was kidding when he mentioned my Killer Career Book Launch Party announcement had made it to The Briefs on front page of the Neighbor Section of the Daily Herald Newspaper. I'd been in such a hurry this morning, I hadn't checked the paper thoroughly. It was a nice surprise.

Also, it's a reminder to everyone to take advantage of free publicity. How this got in was by my submitting the information over the Internet one night. Actually, I hit a button before putting my name in, so I didn't think it would appear. I'm happy it made it anyway.

A Brief Respite - I've got only a few days rest before the next stop on my blog book tour which will happen on August 16 at http://booklandheights.blogspot.com.
That will be a fun filled day for me, since my book launch party is also that day.

Hope to see some of you at both spots.

BLOG BOOK TOUR FOR KILLER CAREER- FIRST STOP

This is the first day of my Blog Book Tour. The first stop is up at
http://www.marywelk.com/.

I'd appreciate it if you'd hop on over to Mark Welk's blogspot, Cicero's Children, and read about Villains and Heroes - Gotta Love 'Em.

Don't forgot, to be eligible for a prize after the entire tour is over at the end of the month, you'll need to leave a comment here with your email address, plus a comment at one of the blogspots of the tour.

Next stop after today is on August 16 at http://booklandheights.blogspot.com.


Thanks to everyone who comes with me on my tour.

Prizes for Blog Book Tour

I didn't mention I do have prizes to give away, one for the ladies, one for the guys. The guy prize is a gray tee shirt. It says Killer Career by Morgan Mandel, and my website on it, but it does not have the photo of the heroine, since that might not seem masculine to some.

I've also got a choice of a tote bag or a white cap, which have the cover art from the book on them. This can be a ladies choice, unless a guy winner wants it for his girl.

Anyway, to be eligible for the drawing what you need to do is comment on one or more stops of the tour. There's more. Either before or after doing so, stop here and say you will or have already commented at the blog stop. Leave your email address with your name and whatever else you usually leave for the signature here. Don't send the entries there, but by all means make sure you comment on one or more stops to be eligible.

I'll do a drawing at the end from those who said they commented and did. I'll have the DH or Rascal pick the winner.

No cheating - I'm obsessive about checking for comments on my blogs, so I'll know if you really weren't there. (g)

You've probably figured out this is my not-so-devious way of getting you to comment here as well during the tour.

Hosts are eligible if they comment on a different stop than their own and mention it here, plus include their email addresses. This pertains to the entire tour, which also includes the week at The Blood Red Pencil.


Morgan Mandel
http://www.morganmandel.com
KILLER CAREER IS HERE!

Good Luck to everyone! FIRST STOP IS AUG 12 AT:
Cicero's Children - http://www.marywelk.com
Host: Mary Welk

FEAR THE WORST AUTHOR - LINWOOD BARCLAY - MY GUEST TODAY

Linwood Barclay is a former columnist for the Toronto Star. He is the author of several critically acclaimed novels, including Too Close to Home and No Time for Goodbye, a #1 bestseller in Britain. He lives near Toronto with his wife and has two grown children. His website is http://www.linwoodbarclay.com/

Website: http://www.linwoodbarclay.com/

Your daughter doesn’t come home one night from her summer job.

You go there looking for her. No one’s seen her. But it’s worse than that.

No one’s ever seen her. So where has she been going every day? And where is she now?

In Linwood Barclay’s riveting new thriller, an ordinary man’s desperate search for his daughter leads him into a dark world of corruption, exploitation, and murder. Tim Blake is about to learn that the people you think you know best are the ones harboring the biggest secrets.

Tim is an average guy. He sells cars. He has an ex-wife. She’s moved in with a man whose moody son spends more time online than he should. His girlfriend is turning out to be a bit of a flake. It’s not a life without hassles, but nothing will prepare Tim for the nightmare that’s about to begin.

Sydney vanishes into thin air. At the hotel where she supposedly worked, no one has ever heard of her. Even her closest friends seem to be at a loss. Now, as the days pass without word, Tim must face the fact that not only is Sydney missing, but that the daughter he’s loved and thought he knew is a virtual stranger.

As he retraces Sydney’s steps, Tim discovers that the suburban Connecticut town he always thought of as idyllic is anything but. What he doesn’t know is that his every move is being watched. There are others who want to find Syd as much as Tim does.

But they’re not planning a Welcome Home party.

The closer Tim comes to the truth, the closer he comes to every parent’s worst nightmare—and the kind of evil only a parent’s love has a chance in hell of stopping.

Some Words From Linwood:

Fear the Worst hits bookstores tomorrow, and many readers are already calling it the best of my thrillers so far. Fast-moving, loads of suspense, a real page-turner. But something no one seems to have zeroed in on is the thing that makes this thriller very different.

The hero is a car salesman.

In most thrillers, our protagonist is, to varying degrees, familiar with crime and those who practice it. Maybe he or she's a spy, or ex-military. A cop or a private detective. An FBI agent. A profiler, maybe.

But the hero is not, generally, someone who sells Honda Accords.

People who sell Hondas are not typically acquainted with the bad guy element. (I'd like to go out on a limb here and say this is also true of people who sell Fords, Toyotas, Nissans, and most other makes.) Tim Blake, who tells the story and sells Hondas for a living, has had his share of troubles over the years, but none that brought him face to
face with fraud artists, human traffickers and killers. But when his daughter Sydney goes missing, he finds himself getting introduced to a whole new class of people.

When I was thinking about what the hero in this book would do for a living, I knew I didn't want it to be police work. I had no interest in having him work for a secret government agency. I didn't want him to be a reporter. (That's my next book.) I wanted him to have a normal, everyday job. And that's when "car salesman" popped into my head.

Let's face it, car salesmen get kind of a bad rap. And that's too bad.

I have a couple of good friends who have sold cars their entire working lives. I've bought cars from them, and I've been happy with the deals they gave me. And they both helped me with this book.

But our relationship with car salesmen (and saleswomen) tends to be somewhat adversarial. We want to get the car for as little as possible. They want to make the deal, getting as much profit as possible. We need wheels and they need the commission. We say we can't spend that much, they say they can't do it for that. Finally, they say, "Let me talk to my manager and see what we can do."

That, we figure, is when they wander out back of the dealership and have a smoke.

Anyway, once I'd made up my mind what Tim was going to do for a living, I invited my retired car salesmen friends Carl and Mike out for lunch and asked them to tell me their best stories. Like the one where the guy took a pickup truck for a test drive and used it to deliver manure. (That story finds its way into Fear the Worst.) Or that other test-drive when a new Toyota Celica ended up sitting atop a
fireplug, and the prospective buyer was nowhere to be found. They had great tales, and what came out was that they'd really enjoyed their careers. Why? "Because of the people," they both said.

I like writing about people -- regular people. I like writing about what happens to ordinary folks when extraordinary things happen to them. Tim Blake is a regular guy about to be plunged into a parent's worst nightmare. Nothing in his life has prepared him for what's about to happen.

I like that.

As this blog is posted, I’ll just be getting back from promoting Fear the Worst in New Zealand, having already spent a few days in Hong Kong and two weeks in Australia. Everyone down there is pumped about Fear the Worst, and I'm hoping North American readers will feel the same way.
Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Fear-Worst-Novel-Linwood-Barclay/dp/0553807161

KILLER CAREER GETS ANOTHER REVIEW!

I'm excited to report that my new release, KILLER CAREER, just got another review, this one by Ron Berry, and I love it! Thank you, Ron, for your kind words.

What I find fascinating about reviews is that you never know what might strike a chord with the reviewer. That happens with our readers also. Nobody thinks exactly alike and that's a good thing.

Snippet: "Morgan Mandel writes an intriguing tale which will keep you turning pages"

For more, go to:
http://unwriter1.wordpress.com/2009/08/08/review-for-killer-career/
Thanks,
Morgan Mandel
http://www.morganmandel.com,

KILLER CAREER ON SALE AT AMAZON.COM, BN.COM, ALSO AVAILABLE FOR ORDER AT BOOKSTORES, LIBRARIES, MOBIPOCKET.COM

Tony Deblauwe Teaches Us How to Tangle With Tyrants - Bosses, That Is

Tony Deblauwe

This topic should be of interest to a great many of you out there. Who hasn't had to deal with a difficult boss at some time or another? Let's see what Tony's advice is.

Do you dread going to work because of your boss? Quitting is not always an option and feeling like a victim of a bad boss only robs you of productivity, job satisfaction, and power. Career strategist and workplace expert Tony Deblauwe has spent years coaching weary employees how to be more effective with difficult bosses, and he has compiled his experiences into this indispensable guide.

Tangling with Tyrants®: Managing the Balance of Power at Work offers practical techniques that show you how to build a communication process that will turn things around to help you build successful outcomes. You’ll get guidance on addressing direct and indirect bad boss behaviors, developing the right approach, and achieving mutually beneficial outcomes. By applying the techniques in this book, you will be equipped with the right tools to handle your boss and create the results you want.


What Inspired Me to Write My Book

I reported to a bad boss early in my career. I didn’t know what to do at the time and spent more energy agonizing over how unfair it was to report to a difficult boss rather than try and fix the relationship. I didn’t want to throw up my hands and quit so my alternative was to figure out a way I could work with him. After much trial and error I started seeing a pattern of communication that was effective whether the boss was a bully (like I had) or a more ineffective and detached style. I started coached others on my methods and refined several techniques that could be duplicated in the field. When I saw I was adding value, I knew I wanted to write a book and share my advice with others.

The inspiration for the title stemmed from the angst I saw in people over their bad boss troubles. It felt like a struggle—a tightness that needed relief. I tried to qualify that feeling with the idea of being tied up in knots. I took it a step further and eventually came to the tangling concept. Someone is so frustrated by their boss they get entangled in emotions and they cannot communicate effectively anymore. The “Tyrants” piece was a little easier. Since I wasn’t writing a book about several boss types or just the bully boss, I wanted one concept, one profile that captured a mixture of traits that magnify some kind of stress and irritation in employees. A “Tyrant” as one distinct profile of disruptive behaviors stuck with people I polled regardless if their boss was a bully or not.

About Tony:
During his career in Human Resources, Tony has worked through many complex people and business challenges to yield lasting results for customers. His interest in high-tech and how technology impacts people has given him insight into what it takes for people to succeed in a virtual economy.

Tony grew up in an eclectic family just a few blocks from Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California. The son of Belgian immigrants, his father is a former college professor of art, language and history. His mother is an entrepreneur having worked in haute couture fashion design. Tony's exposure to several world perspectives fuel his cultural awareness and understanding.

Tony believes in collaboration of perspectives and ideas to yield successful results. He applies his expertise in human resources, organization development, and coaching to provide solutions that strengthen ways of working and achieve beneficial outcomes.

For more information visit: http://www.tanglingwithtyrants.com/

Buy Link:

http://www.amazon.com/Tangling-Tyrants-Managing-Balance-Power/dp/1589615786/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1249402375&sr=8-1

Bios

I got my bio ready for the Blog Book Tour for Killer Career and sent it off to Mary Welk for my first stop at her blog on August 12. Afterwards, I wondered, should I use the same bio at all the stops?

Have you gone on a tour yet? What did you do? If you haven't gone on one, what would you do? Use the same one each time, or think up a new one?

BLOG BOOK TOUR FOR KILLER CAREER - A PREVIEW

Here's the lineup for my upcoming Blog Book Tour for Killer Career. If you follow a particular blogspot, please mark the date of my appearance on your calendar. If you've never been to some of them, it wouldn't hurt to try them out. They're all great places or I wouldn't have picked them.

8/12/09 - Cicero’s Children – http://www.marywelk.com/ Host: Mary Welk – Villains & Heroes – Gotta Love ‘em.

8/16/09 – Bookland Heights – http://booklandheights.blogspot.com/ – Host: Mary Cunningham - Interview and How I named my baby

8/17/09 – The Little Blog of Murder – http://thelittleblogofmurder.com/ - Host: Jeffrey Marks Libraries and library events – Do they help or hinder book sales?

8/18/09 – Unbound – http://hagelrat.blogspot.com/ – Host: Hagelrat – You’ll have to ask her for her real name. I’m sworn to secrecy. - Interview

8/19/09 - A Writer’s Words, An Editor’s Eye – http://www.lillieammann.com/blog
Host: Lillie Ammann - Interview

8/20/09 - Spunk on a Stick – http://www.circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com/ – Host: L. Diane Wolfe – Thursday Excerpt

8/21/09 - Straight From Hel – http://straightfromhel.blogspot.com/ – Host: Helen Ginger –
How to add description to your novel.

8/22/09 – Murder by 4 – http://www.murderby4.blogspot.com/ – Host: Marta Stephens –
Need to move your plot forward? Consider a secondary character.

8/23/09 – Recap of Previous Week & Schedule of The Next Week’s Guide to Self-Publishing – How I Did It - Weeklong Feature at The Blood Red Pencil – Host: Dani Greer http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com/

8/24 through 8/30 Guide to Self-Publishing – How I Did It by Morgan Mandel

Living A Dream - What's Yours?

On my way home from work, I heard one guy say to another, "I was living a dream - sleeping in, playing video games and watching TV."

I had to smile at that one. Sure, I like sleeping a little later than usual, but sleeping really long makes me groggy. I'm also not a fan of video games. I must confess that I do like to watch TV, but not as much as I used to. Cable was supposed to improve the selection, but maybe I'm getting jaded. I usually can't find much I like to watch.

If I were living a dream, it would probably be eating whatever I wanted without gaining weight or cholesterol, living in a perfect home and doing what I like best - writing, instead of commuting and working at a day job. If it were rotten weather, I wouldn't have to fight the elements to get to work on time. Of course, the DH and Rascal would also be in the picture and we'd all be healthy and happy.

What about you? What's your dream? Does it involve travel? Raising a family? Writing? Are you already living it?

Please share.

Killer Career Released at Amazon

It's August, which means Killer Career has been released at Amazon.com. Here's the link for anyone who wants to get a copy.

If you haven't heard, Killer Career is about a lawyer whose career change could be a killer when her mentor, a NY Times Bestselling Author, does more than write about murders. As for her bestfriend, who is also her law partner, does he mean more to her than she thought? Will he let her go without a fight? To save herself and him, she must face her worst fear: claustrophobia.

Getting back to my Sunday post about the dog days of August, that shot of Rascal appears on every cover of Killer Career, only not as large, since she's the mascot of Choice One Publishing Co.

Happy August!
Morgan Mandel

Dog Days of Summer

In celebration of the Dog Days of Summer, the DH and I took Rascal to obedience class this morning. She loves being around other dogs, not to mention the petting from the handlers and the extra treats.

So, for an hour I tromped around with Rascal and the other owners with their dogs and followed commands like right about turn, left u turn, etc. Fortunately, the weather was not typical Dog Days weather. Actually it was kind of cool, which is one reason we decided to go over there. Since lessons are free for life with dogs from Chicagoland Dog Rescue, we thought it would be a good idea to every once in a while take a refresher class.

She made me proud, following almost all the commands, despite the distraction of other dogs.

Afterwards, we stopped at Bentley's Corner Barkery, her favorite store, where she got another treat and got the royal treatment from Mia, one of the staff.

Rascal was so happy, after we closed the gate and took her leash and collar off in the backyard, she ran around like a nut. You'd think she'd be tired like I was, but apparently not.

To round off her memorable Dog Day, I gave her a femur bone, which is one of the few bones that are safe for dogs to eat and one of her favorites. Actually, almost any food is her favorite.

All in all, this has turned out to be a wonderful Dog Day for Rascal.

KILLER CAREER'S FIRST REVIEW

I want to thank Hagelrat for such a great review. It's especially dear to me since it's my very first. I kind of went all over the place Friday mentioning the review, but if somehow you missed it, here's the link:

http://hagelrat.blogspot.com/2009/07/killer-career-morgan-mandel.html

It's still me

When I updated my Blogger user profile because Killer Career will be out soon, I couldn't help but notice I was still wearing my Wisconsin sweatshirt. It's kind of hot for sweatshirts right now, even though this summer is running cooler than usual in the Illinois area. I feel much better not looking silly wearing a sweatshirt this time of year. Never fear, I haven't abandoned Wisconsin. I will be visiting there again over Labor Day weekend.

While I was at it, I also updated to the same summer gear at my Google profile. When I have more time, I'll add more pics there for my gallery.

Anyway, if you see someone somewhere in a white top holding her head at a strange angle, it's me. Photographers do have strange ideas for poses.

What about you? Have you updated your Blogger or Google profile lately? What about your profile pic?

Bookmarks

Wednesday night we picked up my Killer Career bookmarks, which had finally arrived at my brother's house. He's the one with the protected porch.

For some reason, I'd put off ordering them. Then I had the other decision of where I wanted to go. I chose Print Place. After that, I had trouble figuring out how I wanted them to look.

I was kind of nervous, but they turned out just lovely. Thursday I'm off to a few downtown Chicago bookstores to hand out my own bookmarks for a change. Usually I'm dropping off those from my friends.

By the way, that's a good in at a store. If you want to get known, just bring bookmarks from friends when they have a new book and drop them off. The staff then gets to know who you are. Sometimes that's all you need to get a book signing.

What about you? Do you drop off bookmarks for your friends? If not before, will you now?

Scrap at Acme Today

What do you do with your scrap? My topic today at http://acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com/

Come on over and let us know.

If you get a chance, check out Helen Ginger's post today - A Killer In My House at http://straightfromhel.blogspot.com

Thanks,
Morgan

Two by Two

I received my author copies of Killer Career and already they’re marching out two by two. On a normal day, I lug a laptop computer, a tote bag and purse with me to work. On these Killer Days, I add to the mix two copies of Killer Career. I’d bring more but the 300 page books get heavy along with everything else.

On my lunch break I drop them off at the post office. Today, one is going to Robert W. Walker, another to Austin S. Camacho for providing terrific back cover blurbs. Yesterday, I sent a few out for reviews, tomorrow will be two copies to a friend who already received her own copy and now wants to share Killer Career with others.

You might ask why I don’t do this on weekends when it’s easier to get to the post office in the car. Actually, I did drop off nine filled bubble envelopes last Saturday and will probably bring more the next.

I don’t like to wait and I don’t like to make others wait, so as the need arises, Killer Career is marching out two by two.

The official release date is August 15, but Killer Career is available for pre-order, on & off line.

Publisher: Choice One Publishing
isbn#978-0-9819916-0-3

Reviewers, Blog Book Tour, Reader

I've got quite a few reviewers lined up for Killer Career and hope to get some feedback soon.

There are only two days left to fill on my blog book tour. I'll be posting the links to the tour stops when I get it all set up. Very soon I'll need to think up some witty things to say on the blogs I visit. The last stop, which will be for an entire week, will be on http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com/ when I tell everyone the process of getting Killer Career published.

Anyway, I thought I had the Microsoft Reader conversion figured out until I discovered that the Reader program doesn't support Microsoft Word 2007, though it's the same company. It uses Microsoft 2003 like most of the world. So, even when I set my document to compatibility mode for 2003, I got weird error messages. Now I'm trying to use my old computer with Word 2003 on it to see if the program will work there. So far the old one is getting hung up on adding the cover art. It doesn't have much room. That's why I usually just let the DH use it for surfing. Nothing's easy.

I did get to go to Mount Prospect Saturday night where they had a doings called a Block Party on their main street, with food booths, tables and bands. The DH and I met some fun people to sit with and had a great time.

KILLER CAREER NOW AVAILABLE AT MOBIPOCKET

I'm happy to announce Killer Career is making its way along the Internet. I've found several sightings. Of course, I had to print out each and every page I discovered and add all of them to my special folder as keepsakes.

Anyway, the first ebook offering of Killer Career, mobipocket edition, is available for order right now, is over at
http://www.mobipocket.com/en/eBooks/eBookDetails.asp?BookID=208914&Origine=6314

For Pre-Order links of the paperback version to date, with more to come, check out http://choiceonepublishing.com/.

If you haven't gone over there yet, you're missing out on seeing what a sexy villain looks like.
Later on, more about the good guy will be up on that site.