First Draft to Published

Dogs Rule Cats Drool is celebrating Valentine’s Day the best way we know how with a giveaway that definitely goes to the dogs. Three people who comment will win prizes for that special dog in your life. The giveaway will run through Sunday, February 19 th . Prize #1 Maggie's Apple Cinnamon Delights, frosted with Sugar /Fat Free Yogurt (1/2lb) in a small paw printed cookie jar for the winner. Prize #2   Maggie’s Apple Cinnamon Delights, 1/2lb. unfrosted heart shaped biscuits Prize #3   Maggie’s Apple Cinnamon Delights, 1/2lb. unfrosted heart shaped biscuits Click here to Enter

Our spotlighted person today is James Bottino , author of the fantasy and science fiction novel The Canker Death . Join him as he virtually tours the blogosphere in February 2012 on his first tour with Pump Up Your Book!   About The Canker Death When the reclusive, cynical systems administrator, Petor Fidelistro, discovers that one of his own servers has been cracked late one night, he makes it his personal business to track down the perpetrator. What his search uncovers thrusts him, unaware, into a mad shifting between worlds, time and alien minds. Fighting to keep his grip on reality, and forcing him to cope with his past, Petor finds himself uncontrollably transitioning between sentient minds that range from semi-conscious to dominant, from beings whose bodies and identities he can control, to those who control him so fully as to be unaware of his presence. As the story unfolds, Petor gathers clues in a twisting mystery that sends him shifting between the mourning child Na

This week has brought startling news coverage concerning dogs. The first incident McDonald’s pulled an ad that spotlighted eating a Chicken McBite was less risky than petting a stray pit bull. In another feel good moment gone terribly wrong a dog bites a news anchorwoman while in front of a studio audience.  Read more here at Dogs Rule Cats Drool 

    About A Boy Called Duct Tape Pablo Perez is a 12-year-old poor kid without much going for him. His classmates have dubbed him “Duct Tape” because his tattered discount-store sneakers are held together with…you guessed it, duct tape. He can’t escape the bullying. Pablo’s luck, however, changes after he finds a $20 gold coin while swimming in a river near his home. Pablo later buys a $1 treasure map at the county fair. The map shows the route to the “lost treasure” of Jesse James. Pablo can’t help but wonder: Is there a link between the map and the gold coin? He is determined to find out, and he, his 9-year-old sister and 13-year-old cousin hire an ill-natured cave guide, and begin a treacherous underground adventure in search of the lost treasure. If you would like to review A Boy Called Duct Tape, email Rebecca at Rebecca.camarena@yahoo.com . Deadline for inquiries ends Feb 29 or until the tour is filled. Thank you.

Do Diets and Exercise Really Work?             The diet and exercise programs that we usually follow obviously do not lead to permanent weight loss since the population of our country is becoming heavier and heavier with each passing year. We cannot lose weight and keep it off because these standard programs work against the physiology of our bodies. However, the good news is that eating and exercising in a way that works with our bodies can produce a permanent self-controlling normal weight without the struggle and hunger normally experienced in the weight loss quest. You may also want to check out online universities to find physical fitness and wellness courses that can teach you about the science behind proper exercise and proper diet. Conventional diets say that all that matters when you want to lose weight is the number of calories consumed minus the number burned by physical activity. Although calories do have an effect, they are not the primary determining factor in ho

Summary: Announcement of Pump Up Your Book! Virtual Book Tours’ list of authors for February 2012. Spread the love in February 2012 by joining a talented and diverse group of authors, who are touring with Pump Up Your Book! Virtual Book Tours. Follow them as they travel the blogosphere from February 6 th through February 29th. There are genres for everyone: from adventure stories to romance novels, from children’s books to young adult titles, from autobiographies to political nonfiction and more! Helping us celebrate the month dedicated to love, authors Joan Bird and K. T. Wells tour with their contemporary romance novels. Kathy Holmes is talking about her women’s fiction book, “Letters on Balboa Island,” and Charlotte Hubbard is on tour with her Amish inspirational novel, “Summer of Secrets.” Fantasy novels come to you from Lou Aronica and Stephanie Keyes, while Karen Simpson returns with her contemporary speculative fiction book, “Acts of Grace.” Deby Eisenberg and Mitchell