For Summer Reading Grab Gumbeaux by Kimberly Vargas

For Summer Reading Grab Gumbeaux by Kimberly Vargas

Then Quietly Transport Yourself into a World of Adventure Spiced with Cajun Characters

SAN DIEGO, June 18, 2012 - With vacation season approaching a great read is still a staple for the summer traveler. Whether by electronic reader or in paperback, a good book is both entertaining and satisfying and serves as a distraction from airport waits, train rides or car trips. Gumbeaux, by award-winning author Kimberly Vargas, transports the reader into the sultry, steamy world of Louisiana and is just the ticket to getting lost in a romantic coming-of-age story that chronicles Mary Veronica Fait’s shattered life and the characters she meets.

Haunted by memories of a reckless past, the protagonist revisits New Orleans to face her demons and to set her soul to rest. The book flashes back to the early 1990s when Mary Veronica Fait, a sheltered yet rebellious teenager, journals her transformation from a trapped orphan into a spirited woman who faces life head-on after the tragic death of her parents.

Mary Veronica takes charge of her destiny, changes her name, and moves to New Orleans where she attends art classes during the day and works as a waitress in a Cajun restaurant by night. The book’s title –the name of this restaurant–serves as a metaphor for the blend of people she meets, characters who create adventures and misadventures, and who ultimately help Mary Veronica grow.

Echoing the style of the journals found in Bram Stoker's Dracula, Vargas retells in diary form how Mary Veronica Fait gains independence by leaving behind a life of privilege in Washington D.C. for a life as an art student in New Orleans, Louisiana. Void of the comforts of wealth, and released from an abusive, controlling, uncle, Mary Veronica, granddaughter of renowned artist, Jean-Luc Fait, becomes Veronica Fey.

Years later, Mary Veronica Fait, mature and in charge of the family fortune and art museum, is haunted by the belief that she may have left part of her soul behind in the deep south and must face her dark past in order to win it back. Through therapy and by revisiting her teenage journal entries, Mary Veronica returns to New Orleans and finally finds peace.

Set in the sultry, steamy backdrop of pre-Katrina Louisiana, Vargas gives the reader an intimate window into the life of the teenager Veronica Fey, the psychological and physical abuse she endures with an alcoholic guardian, and the inner strength that releases her from his control to finally live life on her own terms.

This is Vargas’ debut novel and was a 2011 Readers Favorite Award Winner for fiction. Vargas was four when she wrote her first book then at the age of seven she authored a book about Dolphins which was featured in the Christian Science Monitor. Like her main character in Gumbeaux, Vargas–currently a human resources manager for Modern Postcard in Carlsbad, CA–has always been independent, kept journals and is a fine artist. Her art pieces, held in private collections, recreate the romance of southern plantation homes and the intense color of floral studies in acrylics.

Vargas has strong family ties to Washington D. C. and as her father was a naval eye surgeon her family traveled extensively throughout the USA. As a young adult Vargas attended college in Louisiana, which remains dear to her heart. "The more people who fall in love with Louisiana the better, because then they will take care of it. I'm hoping this book generates interest for them to do so," she says.

Now residing in San Diego, but still bitten by the travel bug, Vargas along with her husband, Michael, visits tropical points where they can surf and paddle board and be close to the dolphins. Like her character Veronica Fey, Vargas believes in living life to the fullest and cannot refuse the call to adventure.

“Author Kimberly Vargas’s deeply personal narrative draws the reader into a unique cast of quirky characters and unexpected relational dynamics. This story literally pours off the page, overflowing with complex relationships that intertwine both the familiar and the uncomfortable.” Nicole M. Knox

Visit http://www.kimberlyvargasauthor.com/ to learn more about Gumbeaux and Kimberly Vargas

To purchase a paperback version of the book for $7.99 visit

http://www.amazon.com/dp/061553483X/ref=rdr_ext_tmb

Download an ebook for 99c from http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/gumbeaux?keyword=gumbeaux&store=nookstore

Cool-jams, a local mompreneur's success story

What to buy the best mom on the planet for Mother’s Day? In the USA, it’s a question that comes around each May, coincidentally just as the days are starting to get longer and hotter. And if your mom is one of the 35 million Baby Boomer American women in the 45-64 age bracket chances are she is facing the challenges and dreaded symptoms of menopause: hot flashes!

But, “no sweat,” states Anita Mahaffey, founder of Cool-jams, Inc., she has the perfect answer to what to buy the much loved menopausal mom in your family, and it turns out, the perfect gift. Her signature line of state-of-the-art moisture wicking, pajamas, nighties and bedding lets moms–and dads for that matter–sleep easy. “It’s the best ticket for a hot mom’s cool, restful sleep,” she says.

Cool-jams combine science with style to create a line of beautifully crafted sleepwear, for men and women, made from an innovative silky, soft fabric that helps regulate body temperature. “Wicking sleepwear is great because it draws moisture away from the body to the outside of the fabric where it quickly dries,” Mahaffey explains. “Meanwhile your body temperature stays regulated so you are never too hot or too cold when wearing Cool-jams. A huge benefit is the lightweight fabric that we use, which is quick drying, compact and wrinkle resistant. It’s also perfect for the traveler.”

It was while researching different business ideas–after Mahaffey, a Scripps Ranch resident, left the world of corporate marketing 25 years ago–that she discovered Turkey had grown into one of the biggest textile producers in the world. “It was natural for me to think of establishing some kind of Turkish import/export business. Having spent time in Turkey as an exchange student, I understood the culture and loved the people.” In collaboration with a Turkish friend she began developing sleepwear programs for many of the largest US retailers and catalogs. “It was while making a routine design visit to our factory in 2005, that I discovered a new micro-fiber fabric. As soon as I felt this fabric, I knew I had a winner.”

An independent laboratory tested and confirmed the fabric’s wicking and quick drying properties. It rapidly absorbed and evaporated moisture and dried three times as fast as cotton or poly/cotton blend. A big part of Mahaffey’s motivation to develop her moisture-wicking pajamas was to get relief for her own menopausal related night sweats. “This was the start of Cool-jams!” says Mahaffey whose restless nights are a thing of the past.

Seven years later Cool-jams is featured in national women’s magazines, on TV shows like The Doctors, and is top-rated with a 5 out of 5 star rating on Amazon. It has grown its line to include bedding and has thousands of happy customers around the world. In an effort to give-back Cool-jams also donates 20% of its profits to women and child centered charities so each purchase is helping others in need. It’s online store makes ordering easy, and with low prices, high quality and quick shipping, it’s the perfect place to shop for the perfect Mother’s Day gift.

“And if you still need convincing visit our website and read a few of the many testimonials we receive daily from our customers,” Mahaffey suggests. Kathryn L. from Minn states, “I've been so uncomfortable with menopausal night sweats soaking my sleepwear, getting clammy. On a whim, I bought the Cool-jams nightshirt....My best guess is that fairies wove some sort of magic into this fabric.”

“It’s no magic,” says Mahaffey, “just solid research, technical know-how and craftsmanship!” Visit www.cool-jams.com to see its full line of quality guaranteed moisture-wicking sleepwear and bedding, from cami-strap nightgowns, to boxer pajama sets, bathrobes, pillows and more. Repin Cool-jams on Pinterest and enter the Mother’s Day Contest to win the pajama or nightgown of your choice up to $65 dollar value. A winner will be selected on May 11, 2012!

Polly the Parrot, is she worthy of mentioning on your Facebook page?

Your competition already has a Facebook business page, and not because they want to share news about their favorite pet, Polly the parrot. 

The "Like" button has become the new "link." Many online marketers, myself included, now believe that the Facebook "Like" button is on a par with backlinks to a website. In other words, the more "likes" your page has, the greater the chance of it ranking high in the search engines for your specific field and keywords. So think of it as a link and encourage your customers to press it. Every time you update something on your page these customers will now see it as they have been "linked" to it.

Using Social Media To Reach Out and Touch Someone

With over 600 million users and almost 50% of them on Facebook daily and over 40% of existing businesses already up and running on it, you want your business to be where your customers and potential customers are going, right? If you knew that your customers were passing by one of the huge billboards in Times Square every day and those billboards didn't cost millions per month to be advertising there, you would want to be up there - wouldn't you?

Social networking etiquette

Keep in mind that networking is about being genuine and authentic, building trust through relationships, and seeing how you can help others. It's not all about you! The same goes for virtual social networking. Nobody likes spam, so respect your friends, whether on facebook, LinkedIn or any other popular social network, and offer them tips and advice. Then when you have built trust with your group of friends, you will start to see others joining your network to be part of the "buzz".