In September, I did a whirlwind book tour with the help and much hand-holding from Dorothy Thompson of Pump Up Your Book. You can see a summary of all my stops on her site, or browse below if you're looking for specialized new reads.

My first stop was with the Pump Up Your Book Virtual Library. Here you'll find book excerpts and quick links to many books along the sidebars for quick browsing to find something you like.

My next stop was with The Writer's Life. This site also features some great tips for authors (and would-be authors). If you like those mini-movie book videos offering a more visual feel for your next read, you'll find many of those here. On this site, I answer the question, "What's one fact about your book that would surprise readers?" (Answer on the Writer's Life.)

Hooked from Page One is just that--the first page from your next great read. Browse the site, then hop to your favorite online bookstore to purchase.

I'm pleased to interview Johnny Tan. I've known him for quite a few years through his From My Mama's Kitchen projects including his book by the same name. In it, Johnny talks about his nine "moms," good food, good friends, and so much more.

Whenever I speak with Johnny, I am always inspired because he comes up with so many ambitious ideas and doesn't just think about what could be, he follows through on them. He is a person who is not afraid to go after something big and accomplish it. Along that vein, I have asked him some questions to inspire you in your own goals and ambitions. 

What follows is our interview. I hope you will be as inspired as I was and am. 

 Although I already have my own overly tall stack of to-be-read (TBR) books, I try to be a discerning buyer. I read reviews and, more importantly, peek at the allowed opening pages. When I did my pre-read peek of Accidental Mystic, I didn't find what I expected. No magic shooting through the air, just the sparks of mid-life frustrations. No philosophical answers about the meaning of life, just an emotional pull from a menopausal woman losing her family and trying to make her way through an upended life. At first glance, it didn't sound like the kind of book I might be looking for. . . except, I couldn't stop turning those free pages and something about Bethany Parker sucked me in. After I bought the book and read it. . . ooooh, boy, every page turn seemed to bring a new surprise—the kind that had me saying "No way!"—including some magical creatures and some of those philosophical life questions I might have wanted on page one. Totally hooked, I immediately bought book two and then asked fantasy author Phoebe for an interview. (She said, "Yes!")

I stumbled across an interview of rags to riches author, Marc Reklau. I read his interview with interest. Of course, I wanted to know how he had lifted himself up, but something else seemed to shine through, something I couldn't quite put my finger on, a kind of je ne sais quoi.

I wanted to know more. When you want to live your best life, you need to be willing to step out of your comfort zone. I also believe in looking around for people who are doing what you want to do and learning from them. So after scoping out a few more articles and his website, I took a chance and emailed him.