Finding Marco Winner

The winner of FINDING MARCO is...

Debbie from Deb's Desk

Congrats!! I've emailed you already and you have until Thursday, July 7th to email me back. Thanks so much to those that entered. =)

Finding Marco GIVEAWAY

***GIVEAWAY CLOSED***

As a young boy, running through the mountain valleys of Italy, Mark Gentile dreams of success-the kind of success that happens in a boardroom, far away from the country life. So after graduating from law school, Mark quickly climbs the corporate and legal ladder, eventually becoming CEO of a leading auto manufacturer. But after butting heads with company leaders, Mark fears he has compromised his ethics. With his wife's blessing, Mark returns to Acerenza, his birthplace in southern Italy. While enjoying the leisurely pace of the new life he's found in his old home, however, Mark must make a decision: Should he abandon his roots for a second time and satisfy his innate hunger for the struggles and rewards of corporate life? Or should he embrace his native land and create a more balanced life for himself and his family?

----------

I have one (1) copy of FINDING MARCO up for grabs thanks to Phenix Publicity for one lucky reader. To enter simply comment below with an email address... (no email address = no entry)



Extra Entries:
+3 for following the blog with Google Friend Connect
+2 for subscribing through email (Located in sidebar)
+2 for following the blog on Facebook. (<---- click the link)
+2 for following on twitter. (provide your twitter @name)
+1 for commenting on the review! (<---click the link)
+1 share this! -sidebar, blog post, twitter, facebook (links required, each link = +1)


Giveaway ends July 4th and the winner will be announced July 5th. Sorry, US Entries only.

Good Luck!

Finding Marco

Finding Marco

Kenneth C. Cancellara

Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Release Date: June 2010

Publisher: Synergy Books

Pages: 211

Book Site: http://www.findingmarco.com/

My Rating: 3.25/5

Source: Received for review from Phenix Publicity

Synopsis

[from goodreads.com]:

As a young boy, running through the mountain valleys of Italy, Mark Gentile dreams of success-the kind of success that happens in a boardroom, far away from the country life. So after graduating from law school, Mark quickly climbs the corporate and legal ladder, eventually becoming CEO of a leading auto manufacturer. But after butting heads with company leaders, Mark fears he has compromised his ethics. With his wife's blessing, Mark returns to Acerenza, his birthplace in southern Italy. While enjoying the leisurely pace of the new life he's found in his old home, however, Mark must make a decision: Should he abandon his roots for a second time and satisfy his innate hunger for the struggles and rewards of corporate life? Or should he embrace his native land and create a more balanced life for himself and his family?

Review:

FINDING MARCO was an enjoyable read. It was slow-paced but filled with vivid descriptions and a “homey” kind of writing style that was very easy to get lost in. Mark “Marco” Gentile has been successful all his life after his big move to Canada with his family as a child. He graduates from law school top of his class and spends many years as a successful lawyer. Mark eventually finds a niche as a CEO of a top North American auto manufacturer. But shortly after taking over, the business strategy of the company is up for debate and Mark’s views disagree with those of the company leaders. So instead of compromising his ethics and integrity he decides to resign from his position.

After resigning Mark heads back to Acerenza, Italy where he was born in hopes of finding something to help guide him into the next stage of his life. In Acerenza the corporate world seems to fade away as Mark immerses himself in the simplistic beauty of his birthplace. He comes back into contact with an old friend and finds the time to reflect on his life. Not really a mid-life crisis, Mark is struggling to come to terms with what to do now that he has achieved so much in his life already. Mark’s journey is a reflective one that I think most adult readers will come to appreciate and enjoy.

After reading a little of the author’s background, I can definitely see some similarities between him and Mark. Kenneth Cancellara has been through much of what his character has and successfully uses the events in his life to help shape Mark’s. Being a business major myself I found the first part of the novel extremely interesting. Mark’s corporate career dealing with business strategies and running a company involved things I had talked about earlier this year in college and I admit I liked knowing exactly what was going on. I wanted to mention the fact that that the first part of the novel is filled with business terms that some readers may find a little boring or overwhelming.

I also wanted to say that I did have some trouble personally connecting with Mark. Overall he was a very developed character. It might have been the fact that the story was in written in third-person, but I’m not too sure. I just felt distant from his character if that makes sense at all. And that’s just a personal thing I’m sure. Like I said, the book was enjoyable and so was Mark (along with the other characters). I think FINDING MARCO focuses more on the journey rather than the character taking it and because of that I think many readers will be able to find some part of Mark’s journey that they can connect with.

Book Arrivals

----------

From Contests/Giveaways & Misc:

Finding Marco :: Kenneth C. Cancellara

(Received for review)

As a young boy, running through the mountain valleys of Italy, Mark Gentile dreams of success-the kind of success that happens in a boardroom, far away from the country life. So after graduating from law school, Mark quickly climbs the corporate and legal ladder, eventually becoming CEO of a leading auto manufacturer. But after butting heads with company leaders, Mark fears he has compromised his ethics. With his wife's blessing, Mark returns to Acerenza, his birthplace in southern Italy. While enjoying the leisurely pace of the new life he's found in his old home, however, Mark must make a decision: Should he abandon his roots for a second time and satisfy his innate hunger for the struggles and rewards of corporate life? Or should he embrace his native land and create a more balanced life for himself and his family?

Greywalker :: Kat Richardson

(Book one in the Greywalker series)

(Won in giveaway - Thank you Brooke!)

Harper Blaine was slogging along as a small-time P.I. when a two-bit perp's savage assault left her dead. For two minutes, to be precise.

When Harper comes to in the hospital, she begins to feel a bit ...strange. She sees things that can only be described as weird-shapes emerging from a foggy grey mist, snarling teeth, creatures roaring.

But Harper's not crazy. Her "death" has made her a Greywalker-able to move between our world and the mysterious, cross-over zone where things that go bump in the night exist. And her new gift (or curse) is about to drag her into that world of vampires and ghosts, magic and witches, necromancers and sinister artifacts. Whether she likes it or not.

----------

Purchased:

Blue Bloods :: Melissa De La Cruz

(Book one in the Blue Bloods series)

When the Mayflower set sail in 1620, it carried on board the men and women who would shape America: Miles Standish; John Alden; Constance Hopkins. But some among the Pilgrims were not pure of heart; they were not escaping religious persecution. Indeed, they were not even human. They were vampires.The vampires assimilated quickly into the New World. Rising to levels of enormous power, wealth, and influence, they were the celebrated blue bloods of American society.

The Blue Bloods vowed that their immortal status would remain a closely guarded secret. And they kept that secret for centuries. But now, in New York City, the secret is seeping out. Schuyler Van Alen is a sophomore at a prestigious private school. Suddenly, when she turns fifteen, there is a visible mosaic of blue veins on her arm. She starts to crave raw food and she is having flashbacks to ancient times. Then a girl from her school is found dead... drained of all her blood. Schuyler doesn't know what to think.

Could those vampire legends really be true? Steeped in vampire lore and set against the heady backdrop of the rich, young, and powerful in the heart of New York City, Blue Bloods will be devoured by Melissa de la Cruz's legion fans.