THE OVUM FACTOR VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR '08

Join Marvin L. Zimmerman, author of the fiction thriller novel, The Ovum Factor (Synergy Books, Feb. '08), as he virtually tours the blogosphere in February on his first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotions! Marvin L. Zimmerman is 58, father of one son, Eric, who is 7 and married for 20 years to Maisie. For nearly 15 years now, Marvin has been Publisher & Editor of INMR Quarterly Review - a publication in the field of transmission and distribution of electrical energy, with 20,000 readers worldwide. He is also Chairman and organizer of the WORLD CONGRESS OF INSULATORS, ARRESTERS & BUSHINGS - a bi-annual technical conference and exhibition which takes place in selected cities throughout the world. Marvin received his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and went on to complete his M.B.A in international business (1972). Before starting INMR, he owned a small consulting firm specializing in international marketing. During this time, he travelled extensively throughout the world, visiting over 50 countries on all continents. He was also for many years a teacher of International Business at two of Canada's largest universities - McGill and Concordia. Marvin's parents are both Holocaust survivors who managed to flee Poland just before the arrival of the Nazis. He was born in Salzburg, Austria shortly after the war finished and emigrated to Montreal, Canada while still a child. The Ovum Factor was written in Rio de Janeiro as well as the Amazon during the three-month period between October to December 2006. The images and experiences written into the plot of his novel are based on firsthand exposure to the jungles and rivers as well as visits to the Indians living there. All his life, Marvin has been an ardent environmentalist and lover of the natural world. The plot of this novel is in many ways his reaction to the desperate situation faced by the planet as a result of humanity's unrelenting focus on growth without constraint. He wrote The Ovum Factor to help remind readers that our future ultimately depends on protecting the natural world as its survival depends on us. You can visit his website at http://www.theovumfactor.com/ or his blog at http://www.marvinzimmerman.blogspot.com/. THE OVUM FACTOR SYNOPSIS: Destruction of Earth's ecology threatens the survival of humanity. With time ticking away, a clandestine think tank of scientists and world leaders has identified our last hope - the controversial research of a Nobel Prize - winning professor aimed at unleashing the power of a unique molecule that can alter the course of human history. When David Rose, a young investment banker from New York, is assigned to evaluate the professor's research, he soon becomes swept up in a whirlwind of international espionage, assassination, and sabotage. David finds himself on a journey that takes him to the unexplored depths of the Amazon in order to fulfill two ancient prophecies for saving mankind and at the same time to realize his own destiny. From New York to Califonia, from China to the slums of Rio de Janerio, and into the Amazon, the search for the mysterious source of this rare molecule will take you into the heart of the unknown and unseen forces of nature. READ THE EXCERPT! The only sound came from the muted ticking of the alarm clock on the night table. David Rose opened bleary eyes and reached over to scan its face. Not even 5:00. Yet he knew he would not be sleeping any longer. His dreams had been filled with all sorts of unfamiliar images and faces, none of which he could now recall. He had no desire to return to that chaos. He lay back, staring blankly at the ceiling and feeling the cooling sensation as the perspiration from his dream evaporated into the dry air of his Manhattan bedroom. Many unrelated thoughts drifted through his mind. But all brought him back to the same basic question. What am I doing with my life? That question had begun haunting him in recent weeks. He was blessed with all the trappings that defined success in his job as an investment banker. Yet he was far from satisfied. Something important was missing. He had always imagined a different life for himself. He was a dreamer who wanted to change the world by helping shape the minds of the next generation. This would have made a career in education his obvious choice. But the influence of family had caused him to follow a much different course—one more likely to bring a handsome income. And with his combination of intelligence and intuition, he had excelled at it, in spite of the poor fit with his real aspirations. While he was reflecting on how life might have been different had he only resisted these external pressures, an unfamiliar feeling began to take hold. It was almost as if some outside force were pulling him from the bed and compelling him to begin his usual morning ritual. He chose to comply even though this would mean arriving at the office much sooner than normal. He stumbled out of bed and entered the shower, leaving the bright bathroom lights off to avoid the uncomfortable transition from the night. The jets of water cascading over his face and running down his long, lean body provided welcome relief from the tension accumulated in his dream. The shower was a place he could let his mind wander wherever it chose to take him. Suddenly, standing there in the dark, the warm water pouring over his body, he felt a powerful sense of reverse déjà vu. Not that he had experienced this moment in the past but that he would soon experience it again and in a place far away. He dressed quickly in his usual light shirt and conservative dark suit. He then decided to skip breakfast to keep his momentum. As he closed the door of his apartment that cold January morning, David Rose could never have foreseen what destiny had planned for him. He was about to embark on a great adventure that could affect all humanity—an adventure whose origins had already begun seven decades earlier in a village in southern China. WATCH THE TRAILER! READ THE REVIEWS! "I finished your book and very much enjoyed it. I was intrigued by the storyline, and loved the visual effects your writing created. I'm also extremely impressed by your background knowledge and the vivid description you gave on all those exotic locations." Anna Abracen, Beaconsfield, Quebec "Ever since I returned home with your book, I have not been able to set it aside (except for teaching two classes). The Ovum Factor is an artful combination of philosophical reflection, human humility and, of course, much adventure. Once again, congratulations on a fascinating book that deserves to be read by many." Dr. Yakov M Rabkin, international renowned writer, historian,university professor Montreal, Canada "I waited a month before submitting this review of this wonderful book. I wanted to see if after this period of time, it would still have the same impact. Indeed, it has. The Ovum Factor is a real adventure and a haunting one at that. Whatever you do, don't turn to the last page to see what happens. As this is a real page-turner, you will get to the end very quickly. And - in between, there is a real message, namely the challenges affecting mankind. The book's response combines very skillfully modern science with tribal remedies, history and legend are intertwined and likewise religion and superstition. Don't read this book if you're reading another one at the same time, for once you start The Ovum Factor, you won't let it down." David Franklin Professor of Law, Consul General of Iceland in Montreal "I found the science in The Ovum Factor very interesting, and credible. The characters are well-depicted and generate empathy in the reader. Also, very importantly, the´hero´completes both an actual and metaphysical journey, which is emotionally satisfying. Although very different in genre, in some ways, The Ovum Factor is reminiscent of The Celestine Prophecy, which so successfully pulled off a similar storytelling style combining ideas and action. The theme of synchronicity running through The Ovum Factor will certainly have an appeal to an audience that has become familiar with this sort of idea about the way the universe works. The story strands pull together successfully. The sense of place is wonderful and the characters are varied and well-drawn." Eleanor McKenzie, editor, author, United Kingdom & Spain ******* THE OVUM FACTOR VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR '08 will officially begin on Feb. 1, 2008 and continue all month. If you would like to follow Marvin's tour, visit http://www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/. ******* Marvin's virtual book tour is brought to you by Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours at http://www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.com/ and choreographed by Dorothy Thompson. Tags: Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours, online book promotion, author publicity, virtual book tour, book promotion, Marvin L. Zimmerman, The Ovum Factor, fiction thriller, eco-thriller, environmental destruction, Amazon Indians