Interview with Jackie Ashenden, author of 'Hollywood Blackmail' - Win a $50 Gift Card!

 

Title: Hollywood Blackmail
Genre: Romance
Author: Jackie Ashenden
Publisher: Entangled Indulgence
Pages: 152
Language: English
Format: Ebook

 Lizzie Kent needs to forget the past. She lives in total anonymity, immersing herself in nursing to help her forget. But when a man from her previous life turns up in her clinic, the life she’s tried to create for herself may come toppling down. Ash knows what he wants and he wants Lizzie, the girl who left him all those years ago. As Hollywood's greatest action superstar no one says no to him, but when Lizzie refuses to acknowledge their shared past, he has to resort to a little old fashioned blackmail. Will Lizzie revisit her past to enable her future with the man she loves, or do old wounds run too deep?

AMAZON

Could you please tell us a little about your book?

Hi and thanks for having me on the blog.  Okay, so Hollywood Blackmail contains some blackmail (obviously), Hollywood (again obviously),  a hot action star, a nurse in hiding, sexytimes in a private cinema and some blatant Wuthering Heights appropriations. J

Did something specific happen to prompt you to write this book?

Actually yes. I was asked to write this book as a start to the Seacliff Medical series, a series set in an LA plastic surgery clinic. There are three other writers who will be writing the next books in the series – should be great!

Who or what is the inspiration behind this book?

I guess I wanted to go all out with the fantasy element. I thought if you were going to set it in LA with Hollywood stars then one of the ultimate fantasies is having a hugely famous, incredibly hot actor fall for the plain not-famous girl. So that's what I wrote.

What are you currently working on?

I'm working on a book for Samhain at the moment. This book is different from Entangled books in that it's much, much darker and angstier. In fact, it's probably going to be the darkest book I've written so far.

What is the most important lesson you have learned from life so far?

If you have a dream you want to follow, don't wait. Do it now. And never, ever give up. The best things in life are worth working hard for.

Is there anything you regret doing/not doing?

I regret not following my writing dream sooner. But then, if I had, I may not have had the toughness I needed to get through to actually achieving it.

You know the scenario – you’re stuck on an island. What book would you bring with you and why?

The Lord of the Rings because it's really, really long and when you've finished reading the story, you've still got all the Elvish poetry to go back and read. ;-)

ABOUT JACKIE ASHENDEN

 

Jackie has been writing fiction since she was eleven years old. Mild mannered fantasy/SF/pseudo-literary writer by day, obsessive romance writer by night, she used to balance her writing with the more serious job of librarianship until a chance meeting with another romance writer prompted her to throw off the shackles of her day job and devote herself to the true love of her heart – writing romance. She particularly likes to write emotional stories with alpha heroes who've just got the world to their liking only to have it blown wide apart by their kick-ass heroines. She lives in Auckland, New Zealand with her husband, the inimitable Dr Jax, two kids, two cats and some guppies (possibly dead guppies by the time you read this). When she's not torturing alpha males and their stroppy heroines, she can be found drinking chocolate martinis, reading anything she can lay her hands on, posting random crap on her blog, or being forced to go mountain biking with her husband.

TWITTER * FACEBOOK PROFILE *PINTEREST* WEBSITE *GOODREADS

Pump Up Your Book and Jackie Ashenden are teaming up to give you a chance to win a $50 Gift Card (Reader’s Choice Amazon/B&N etc)!

Terms & Conditions:

• By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
• One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $50 Gift Certificate
• This giveaway begins January 13 and ends on February 7.
• Winners will be contacted via email on February 8, 2014.
• Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck everyone!

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Interview with Gwen Hayes, author of 'Mr. Virile and the Girl Next Door'

ABOUT MR. VIRILE AND THE GIRL NEXT DOOR

Title: Mr. Virile and the Girl Next Door
Genre: Romance
Author: Gwen Hayes
Publisher: Entangled Indulgence
Pages: 67
Language: English
Format: Ebook

Online virile.com dating columnist Dane Martin has no plans to give up his reign as bachelor extraordinaire. He has a reputation to uphold, especially with the upcoming release of his book Coming on Strong. Holly Winters, everyone’s favorite girl next door, thanks to her blog of the same name, gives advice, but she doesn’t always take it. When she meets Dane Martin, every fiber of her being warns her to turn tail and run. Instead, she risks her future as an authority on relationships, jeopardizing her upcoming self-help book for women struggling to find commitment among the Virile sycophants. Has the Girl Next Door tamed the most Virile man alive, or is she just another notch on the bedpost?

AMAZON

The Interview

What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in your life?

 My youngest just turned 18. That means I kept two children alive from birth to adulthood. I’m pretty stoked about it. I’m thinking of trying a houseplant next. I think I might be ready.

  How has your upbringing influenced your writing?

 There were always books and soap operas growing up. I think this explains a lot. (*Shout out to Patch and Kayla*)

  When and why did you begin writing?

 I wrote on and off as a child/teen, but it wasn’t until 2007 that I decided to try for real. And then it was just something I had to do.

  Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

 My interest in writing has stemmed from the voices in my head. They talk, I transcribe.

  What inspires you to write and why?

 Music, photographs, people watching, reading, dreams…and the voices. I find inspiration everywhere and I enjoy trying to make up people’s stories in restaurants and grocery lines.

  What genre are you most comfortable writing?

 I write kissing books.

  What inspired you to write your first book?

 My first full length was inspired by a scene I couldn’t get out of my head of a burning man falling from the sky. I had no idea what or who he was.

  Who or what influenced your writing once you began?

 Nora Roberts, Joss Whedon, and John Hughes are big influencers to me…but I get a lot of support from friends I’ve made through publishing.

  What do you consider the most challenging about writing a novel, or about writing in general?
The hardest part is getting it from daydream to paper. I come up with great ideas in the shower or in the car, but when I sit down to the computer, I have a hard time finding the motivation to bypass the internet.

  Did writing this book teach you anything and what was it?

 I can write sexier than I thought! I’ve even had reviews say it was too sexy. That makes me smile.

  Do you intend to make writing a career?

 I did…and actually, I’ve circled back to making writing a hobby and editing a career.

  Have you developed a specific writing style?

 No. It’s pretty much a crapshoot every time.

  What is your greatest strength as a writer? 

Humor, I think.

  What is your favorite quality about yourself?

 I pick really great people to surround myself with. My friends and family are the best part of my life.

  What is your least favorite quality about yourself?

 I can sometimes be judgmental.

  What is your favorite quote, by whom, and why?

 "We're all pretty bizarre. Some of us are just better at hiding it, that's all." John Hughes, The Breakfast Club

ABOUT GWEN HAYES

Gwen Hayes lives in the Pacific Northwest with her real life hero, their children, and the pets that own them. She writes stories for teen and adult readers about love, angst, and saving the world. Gwen's first novel, Falling Under, was released in March of 2011 by NAL/Penguin and followed up by the sequel, Dreaming Awake, in January of 2012. In addition to writing, Gwen is a freelance editor at www.fresheyescritique.com and is Editorial Director of Scandalous Books, an imprint of Entangled Publishing www.entangledpublishing.com. She is represented by Jessica Sinsheimer of the Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency.

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Have you had an NDE? Interview with Jeremy Kagan, author of 'My Death: A Personal Guidebook'

Jeremy Kagan is an internationally recognized director/writer/producer of feature films and television and a tenured professor. Some of his feature credits include the box-office hits HEROES, the political thriller THE BIG FIX, THE CHOSEN (2 time Grand Prize winner),and THE JOURNEY OF NATTY GANN  (Gold Prize Moscow Film Festival).  Among his many television shows are KATHERINE: the Making of an American Revolutionary and HBO’s CONSPIRACY: THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 8  (ACE Award for Best Dramatic Special). His film ROSWELL,THE UFO CONSPIRACY garnered a Golden Globe nomination and he directed the pilot for the hit series DR. QUINN: MEDICINE WOMAN.  Other television films include, for Showtime COLOR OF JUSTICE about racism and BOBBIE’S GIRL about a lesbian couple and CROWN HEIGHTS about the 1991 riots, which won the Humanitas Award for “affirming the dignity of every person.”  Kagan has won an EMMY for Dramatic Series Directing and directed “West Wing” and Spielberg’s  ”Taken.” He has made films for The Doe Fund which is the most successful program in America helping the homeless and for The Bioneers which organizes leaders in ecology and social justice, and TreePeople. Professor Kagan teaches graduate courses at USC in directing and has created the Change Making Media Lab, which has made projects on cancer prevention, obesity and ADHD.   Kagan has served as the Artistic Director of Robert Redford’s Sundance Institute and is on the National Board of the Directors Guild and Chairperson of its Special Projects. His books DIRECTORS CLOSE UP, Vol. 1 & 2, are published by Scarecrow Press.  A Graduate Fellow of the American Film Institute, he has an M.F.A. from NYU and a B.A. from Harvard University. He has taught master seminars on filmmaking in Hong Kong, Hamburg, Hanoi, France, Lebanon, Israel, Ireland and India.

His latest book is My Death: A Personal Guidebook.

You can visit Jeremy Kagan’s website at www.theneardeathandlifeofjeremykagan.com.

Thank you for this interview!  I’d like to know more about you as a person first.  What do you do when you’re not writing?

Sleep. Play music. The clarinet.  Have sex. Make movies.  Teach how to make movies.  Paint and draw. Eat. Watch movies. Suck up culture. Talk.  Laugh. Think. Sometimes too much.

When did you start writing?

I started when I was a kid and wasn’t very good. I had this fantasy to write a novel when I was around 10. I wrote two pages and that was that. When I was in high school I got into journalism and became the editor of the high school newspaper. What was true for my writing even when I was young and for this particular piece of work as well, was that I like to add illustrations.  This ebook has 150 of my paintings.

As a published author, what would you say was the most pivotal point of your writing life?

When a film producer that I had worked with as a director asked me to write a screenplay, I was surprised.  This was the first time I realized that others thought I could write well. So I wrote the screenplay and directed the movie, which got a lot of attention at the time.   The film was a television movie called Katherine starring Sissy Spacek. about a young girl becoming a revolutionary.  I had to rewrite it repeatedly and that was a good lesson.

If you could go anywhere in the world to start writing your next book, where would that be and why?

There is this fantasy that if I were to go to some isolated mountain cabin in the snow and that I would be able to be totally dedicated to whatever writing project I might take on. But the truth is I like to work in my office surrounded by the stuff that I have made and collected over the years. I still would like to go to parts of India and the Amazon and go up north to see the Aurora Borealis, and I’m sure I would gather stories to tell, but I’m not certain that I would actually write them down.  Will see.

If you had 4 hours of extra time today, what would you do?

I would respond to those waiting emails, continue writing the book on direction that I am doing now, and catch up on some sleep.

Where would you like to set a story that you haven’t done yet?

In inner space. I think about the millions of activities going on inside each of our bodies every second, and wonder if we could actually engage with all of those beings that make us up, from the bacteria to the soul.

Back to your present book, My Death; A Personal Guidebook, how did you publish it?

I went through a journey to get to publishing.  At first I thought this would be a hard cover book.  After my third re-write I sent it off to some agents and publishers.  I was looking for the kind that was into books about para-normal, metaphysical and philosophical subjects.  I went through the waiting game and received some complimentary rejections.  Enough to tell me in my own mind that the book wasn’t ready.  I re-wrote some more.  I even tried it as a novel rather than non-fiction and then I put it aside.  But I knew I wanted and needed to get its message out.  So a couple of years ago, I investigated self-publishing.  And I read up on e-publishing as well and this seemed intriguing but I didn’t know which service to use.  Should I do this entirely on my own?  Then I began illustrating the book and one of my students turned me on to Balboa Press of Hays House which specializes in publishing this kind of material.  I contacted them on line and on the phone and went through their vetting process and then paid them to help prepare the book so it could be distributed in a variety of ways including Amazon.  They were very assiduous in the process and receptive to all the changes I asked for.  Once it was done came the next phase that I am in now which is how to get the word out about the ebook.  I created a website www.theneardeathandlifeofJeremyKagan.com and spent some money getting people to activate a Facebook site and Twittering and am into getting professional publicity to make more inroads to having the book seen and read.  I purposely priced it as inexpensively as possible to make it available to as many as possible. 

In writing your book, did you travel anywhere for research?

Well in this case I traveled to hell and back, as well as to the stars.

Why was writing My Death: A Personal Guidebook so important to you?

Honestly this was the most profound experience that I’ve had in my life. It was a gift. It allowed me to have a deeper perspective about who I am and about death. I realized viscerally that consciousness never ends, and that we are part of an infinite interconnected awareness.  It also was a fantastic journey that eased my fear of death.  I felt that this was something I could and should share with others.

Where do you get your best ideas and why do you think that is?

Ideas come from being open. Not fording them.  Open to my own imagination, open to the suggestions of others, open to new experiences, open to the unknown. Specifically I noticed that when facing a problem I literally sleep on it and often times a new approach will come through the dream time.

Any final words?

As I learned from my NDE, lighten up.  And facts may inform, but stories transform. 

About the Book:

This is a powerful memoir of a near-death experience. After a Native American sweat lodge, the author loses control of his body and then his life. He begins a passage that leads to a personal hell. He discovers a way to escape and emerges into an amazing exploration of the soul’s journey. In this intense adventure, there are insights into stages of consciousness and encounters of blissful perfection. This spiritual, inspirational book is meant to be an aid to removing the universal fear of the final journey we are all taking.

Buy the Book at Amazon

Discuss this book in our PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads by clicking HERE.

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Book Blast! To Kill for His Queen by Carolina West - Win a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

ABOUT TO KILL FOR HIS QUEEN

   

Title: To Kill For His Queen
Genre: Paranormal Fantasy
Author: Carolina West
Publisher: iUniverse
Pages: 216
Language: English
ISBN - 978-1-47590-345-4

Living in the world of werewolves, vampires, and dark magic can have a certain effect on a child, especially when that child is Hassen Mason, who seems destined to bring ruin to those he loves. Hassen was abandoned as a child and was immersed in the world of magic by the strange creatures that raised him. His lineage was a mystery, but no mystery buried in the past can stay buried for long—especially when that mystery is strong enough to span centuries. An accident leaves Hassen without memories, and he must find a way to remember who he was and what his life meant to him before his past creeps up and kills him. He encounters evils worse than abandonment—vengeful demons and walking dead. Somehow, Hassen’s family was involved in this dark underworld. Now he has to fight his own internal battle: Is he a good guy or one of the villains? Then he meets Carissa—a woman he suspects he knew before he lost his memory. She has had a similarly troubled past, and although the two of them are from different worlds, they find a common bond that even dark spirits cannot break. Will Hassen’s good side be strong enough to battle the side that longs to be bad? Will Carissa’s love keep him sane, or will the truth about his family finally cast him into the endless abyss of insanity?

Purchase your copy:

ABOUT CAROLINA WEST

Carolina West is a high school student living with her mother and younger sister in Arizona. She has been writing since she was fourteen years old. This is her first book.

Pump Up Your Book and Carolina are teaming up to give you a chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

Terms & Conditions:

• By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
• One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $25 Amazon Gift Certificate
• This giveaway begins January 7 and ends on January 21.
• Winners will be contacted via email on January 22, 2014.
• Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck everyone!

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Book Blast! Evoked Potentials by Pat Dannenberg

ABOUT EVOKED POTENTIALS

 

Title: Evoked Potentials
Genre: Murder/Mystery
Author: Pat Dannenberg
Publisher: iUniverse
Pages: 346
Language: English
 ISBN - 978-1-49171-172-9

  Sadie Ackerman doesn’t have to leave home to find adventure. She is on a trip of descent to the shadow world of her own unconscious, a trip of ascent to the mystery of expanded awareness, and a trip in the mid-world of everyday reality where falling in love with a sexy detective rocks the current organization of her psyche. A convergence of mystery, murder, maternity, marriage and the Mossad swirls around Sadie as she searches for a new direction in the quiet woods and waters of southern New Jersey and the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.

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ABOUT PAT DANNENBERG

The author and her husband enjoy winecations, road trips and water. They spend their time in New Jersey and Virginia.

Pump Up Your Book and Pat are teaming up to give you a chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

Terms & Conditions:

• By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
• One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $25 Amazon Gift Certificate
• This giveaway begins January 7 and ends on January 21.
• Winners will be contacted via email on January 22, 2014.
• Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

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Book Blast! More Than Words by Andrea Shannon - Win a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

ABOUT MORE THAN WORDS

Title: More Than Words Genre: Poetry Author: Andrea Shannon Publisher: iUniverse Pages: 168 Language: English ISBN - 978-1-45026-947-6 Andrea Shannon writes poetry that reflects on life experiences and relationships – the good, the bad and the ugly. This collection of poems will draw you into her world and perhaps give you a closer look into your own. As you read, you will find yourself saying, “I know someone like that” or “I was in the same situation at one time”. See how many of your family, friends and acquaintances you can identify in these pages. You’ll find no flowery prose here; each poem is real, raw and straightforward. Ms. Shannon tells it like it is and doesn’t pull punches. Her writing takes you straight to her heart, exposing all the joy and pain, laughter and tears, anger and fear that come wrapped up in this thing we call life. This is a collection you will want to read again and again.

Purchase your copy:

ABOUT ANDREA SHANNON

ANDREA SHANNON began writing poetry in her high school years. Even then, it was noted that she had a unique style of writing. Her collection of poems is based on life experiences and observations. Andrea currently resides in Columbus, Ohio with her husband of 25 years. She is the mother of two and grandmother of three.

Pump Up Your Book and Andrea are teaming up to give you a chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

Terms & Conditions:

• By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
• One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $25 Amazon Gift Certificate
• This giveaway begins January 7 and ends on January 21.
• Winners will be contacted via email on January 22, 2014.
• Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

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Book Blast! Tuna Breath by Doug Pedersen

ABOUT TUNA BREATH

Title: Tuna Breath
Genre: Memoir
Author: Doug Pedersen
Publisher: Balboa Press
Pages: 162
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1452575797
ISBN-13: 978-1452575797 

Written from the unique experiences of Doug Pedersen, this self-improvement book-disguised as a memoir-is at once funny, poignant, and generous, while offering genuine advice. Providing intimate insights into being a "super fat kid," and insecure teenager, and an over-aggressive, angry, and ironically arrogant Marine who was full of self-pity, Doug shares the negative emotional drivers and responses that drove him through a "binge eating life" before finding physical health, emotional balance, and spiritual wholeness. Tuna Breath invites us to intimately observe a troubling life journey in which the lessons to be learned are truly visceral and inspirational.

Purchase your copy:

ABOUT DOUG PEDERSEN

Doug Pedersen is the founder of PLAYGROUND: GLOBAL (PGG), a research and education company. His own history with childhood obesity and study of human nature fuels his writing, speech topics, and teachings. Doug teaches "The Art of the Personal Turnaround" and frequently uses innovative techniques taken from the practice of Strategic Intervention and Human Needs Psychology to help people improve, heal and live their lives with outstanding quality. Currently, Doug is helping people see that the health of their emotional state is the real invisible battleground in their lives through his latest book “TUNA BREATH: A 275-Pound Teenager’s Coming Of Age Story.” Doug resides with his wife and two year-old son in the Washington, DC area. See more at www.dougapedersen.com.

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Book Blast! Dichotomy by W.C. Wampler - Win a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

ABOUT DICHOTOMY: A BOOK OF POEMS AND SONG LYRICS

 

Title: Dichotomy: A Book of Poems and Song Lyrics
Genre: Poetry
Author: W.C. Wampler
Publisher: iUniverse
Pages: 112
Language: English
ISBN - 978-0-59544-606-3

Light poetic verse and song lyrics touching the authors search for adventure and balance.

Purchase your copy:

ABOUT W.C. WAMPLER

My compositions are oratories on my principles and philosophies. I reduce the frills, reveal some belief, and expose them to reality. I commit to memory all that I can, to unite mind, body, and heart. Think to be timeless. Stand and deliver. It?s a performance approach to my art.

Pump Up Your Book and W.C. are teaming up to give you a chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

Terms & Conditions:

• By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
• One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $25 Amazon Gift Certificate
• This giveaway begins January 7 and ends on January 21.
• Winners will be contacted via email on January 22, 2014.
• Winner has 48 hours to reply.

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ENTER TO WIN!

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Book Blast! Seasons of Poetry by Ken Ollis - Win a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

ABOUT SEASONS OF POETRY

Title: Seasons of Poetry Genre: Poetry Author: Ken Ollis Publisher: iUniverse Pages: 108 Language: English ISBN - 978-0-59527-906-7 A book of verse so plain and clear To ease the mind and please the ear. So easy to read, no burdensome lines. No lingering stories of trouble times. This poetry is written in a style different from any I have seen before. Each poem is distinctly different from others within the book. Collectively they are entirely different from any book of poetry it has been my pleasure to read. I believe the poems contained in this book will be of interest to anyone regardless of their station or status in life. This is beautiful poetry that is sad at times, passionate and inspiring at others. The reader can expect to be transported away to different times and places.

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ABOUT KEN OLLIS

My roots are here in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina. After leaving for many years I returned to live again among natures beauty and lovely people. My wife and I live in a log cabin on a mountain named Gingercake. We raised two sons and have three grandchildren.

Pump Up Your Book and Ken Ollis are teaming up to give you a chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

Terms & Conditions:

• By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
• One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $25 Amazon Gift Certificate
• This giveaway begins January 7 and ends on January 21.
• Winners will be contacted via email on January 22, 2014.
• Winner has 48 hours to reply.

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ENTER TO WIN!

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Book Blast! Shadows Present, Shadows Past by J.H. Sanderson - Win a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

ABOUT SHADOWS PRESENT, SHADOWS PAST

Title: Shadows Present, Shadows Past Genre: Paranormal Fiction Author: J.H. Sanderson Publisher: iUniverse Pages: 186 Language: English ISBN - 978-0-59584-269-8 A mysterious legacy from an old neighbor is a dream come true for the Evans sisters. However, the unexplained phenomenon they encounter soon turns the dream into a nightmare. The search to discover the explanation for these events uncovers secrets that were never meant to be revealed, including murder! Will the search for the truth put all this to rest, or plunge them in deeper?

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ABOUT J.H. SANDERSON

J. H. Sanderson is a bishop with the Liberal Catholic Church International and lives in New Hampshire with his two sons and four dogs.

Pump Up Your Book and J.H.  are teaming up to give you a chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

Terms & Conditions:

• By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
• One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $25 Amazon Gift Certificate
• This giveaway begins January 7 and ends on January 21.
• Winners will be contacted via email on Thursday, January 22 2014.
• Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

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