iRead Book Tours Blog Tour : THE PUBLICIST ONE AND TWO by Christina George

Synopsis: The Publicist Book One
Behind every book, there’s always more to the story.

Can one woman change an age-old institution like publishing? Probably not, but Kate Mitchell sure wants to try. As a publicist with a large, respected New York publishing house, Kate finds herself at the mercy of a broken publishing system, books that don’t always sell (at all) and author egos that are often, well, as big as the island of Manhattan.

Enter the star Editor, MacDermott Ellis. Tall, handsome, charismatic, married, and ready to save the day. Kate wants to do the right thing but her hormones seem to be driving her decisions. Then there’s Allan Lavigne, once a revered author, now as forgotten as yesterday’s news; and his nephew Nick, who wants to sweep Kate away from New York for another coast, California.

As Kate tries to navigate the landmine of publicity, the over-the-top author expectations, and the careful dance of “I’m sorry, your book isn't on the bestseller list this week”, she also finds authors who are painfully overlooked by a publisher wanting more sex, more celebrities, and more scandal.
Review:
This is a well-written story with many personalities and, perhaps, more than a grain of truth.  Certainly, in any business, there is the push for profit and sometimes that road isn't the prettiest. Most people have had to deal with the egos and idiosyncrasies of individuals who think a lot of themselves - sometimes with humorous outcomes, sometimes less humorous.  That said, the Publicist Book 1 probably provides a glimpse of the day to day ups and downs of those behind the scenes.  Add to that the relationship between Mac and Kate, and then between Kate and Nick.  A bit steamy at times ...  The most memorable character, however, is Allan Lavigne - the elderly gentleman who wrote a bestseller many years ago and still has a contract with the publishing firm for a second.  Kate brings him food, helps to clean his apartment, and is his friend - probably his only friend.  I have to say Allan was my favorite!  The Publicist ends with a lot of balls up in the air... so on to Shelf Life: The Publicist Book Two.

Synopsis:  Shelf Life: The Publicist Book Two
The story only an insider could tell.

Publishing: An industry of out-of-control of egos, unrealistic expectations, and books with the shelf life of milk.

This is Kate’s world, but for how long?

When one of Kate Mitchell’s star authors is carted away in handcuffs, she thinks it’s only the beginning of her troubles. As her world crumbles around her, Kate desperately looks for anyone to hold onto but finds that happy endings are truly works of fiction. When her career and love affair hit their expiration date, Kate sets off on a new adventure…

Starting over in California is easy, but Kate soon learns that leaving her old life behind isn't. Nicholas Lavigne is eager to help her forget, but two things still own her heart, the dream of discovering the next great American novel, and MacDermott Ellis.

As Kate tries to rebuild her life she finds a surprising gift that reboots her career in a new and unexpected direction. Suddenly her name becomes synonymous with one of the biggest bestsellers publishing has seen in ages and she’s welcomed back with open arms. At the height of her success the ghosts of her past come back to remind her of the world she’d been trying to forget and the man who never let go of her heart.

Review:
Shelf Life begins about where The Publicist ends.  Kate continues to go back and forth on whether she can move in the same direction as the company.  She leaves the company and Mac and heads for California. Needless to say, the publishing world (and Mac) still have heart.  As with The Publicist, Shelf Life is well-written and includes a variety of characters and scenarios.

I read both books together and I would recommend others do the same as the story continues from one book to the other much as chapters do. Without reading The Publicist, I think a reader would be missing much.  



Meet the Author:

Christina George has worked in publishing for twenty years (give or take). Here’s what this book isn't. It’s not a slam against publishing (though it is broken) and it’s not a slam against authors (though some of them are crazy). This book is not autobiographical though many of the stories are true. No you won’t know which ones, cause it’s more fun to guess, right? George continues to work in publicity and helps authors because at the end of the day she does love books, she loves publishing, and she loves authors. She hopes you’ll enjoy this romp through Kate’s world as much as she enjoyed creating it.


Website: http://www.thepublicistnovel.com
Twitter: @publicistgal
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kate.mitchell.528316