Thursday, October 31, 2019

Riddled Prophecy



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Historical Fiction, Short Stories
Date Published: March 2019
Publisher: Page Publishing


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Riddled Prophecy is a fascinating collection of short stories spanning 1200 years. The first five are historical fiction, all based on genealogical information from the author’s ancestors. The next eight are autobiographical and are arranged chronologically. The last one springs from a love of horses.



About the Author

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L. Marlene Payne, MD, is a child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist who retired after forty years of private practice. She is married to John F. Payne, also a psychiatrist, and they have three married children and seven grandchildren. She and her husband live in McLean, Virginia. She has written two other books: Mission Possible and Call Life a Good Gift.


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Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Good Cop Bad Cop

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Sallie Moppert will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN GC+ 3 commenters will receive a prize pack consisting of pen, key chain, and magnet (US/Canada only) as a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

See below to sign up for the GIVEAWAY.



When his mother is beaten to death by his alcoholic stepfather, fourteen-year-old Samuel Marlowe is rescued from seeking revenge against him by a chance meeting with Officer Edwin Hill. The veteran policeman takes Sam under his wing and even becomes the boy’s foster father.

Sam becomes a cop and works alongside his beloved mentor until Edwin is killed in a shooting. Hailed as a hero for his actions in the case, Sam feels like anything but. He begins a dark descent away from the stand-up policeman he once was, turning to drugs and alcohol to numb his pain and his PTSD.

The police captain assigns Sam a partner hoping to salvage what is left of him by forcing him to become a good role model for the young recruit. Needless to say, Sam is not pleased with the arrangement, protesting it up until the moment Junior Detective Dahlia Bennett enters his life.

Will he try to shake her loose? Does her by-the-book ideals and strong moral code rub off on him? Will his relaxed attitude and views on true justice start to influence her?  What will ultimately lead to the two becoming a solid team? When Dahlia declares she wants to reopen some cases believing that the wrong person was sent to prison, Sam tells her straight out that in doing so, she would be putting her life at risk. As Dahlia persists, Sam is faced with the ultimate decision: let Dahlia reopen the cases and discover his crimes, or kill her to keep her from learning the truth.


My Review...

You know that feeling where you HAVE to go do something and you wish you could do your work and still hold the book or e-book in front of you? Well, this is that kind of book.

This is a book containing what you might think of as almost novellas, but it is really the continuing story a young boy growing up with an uncaring mother and a stepfather who is abusive. He has a hard time growing up but gets a few breaks in life. He grows up to be a cop. A cop that I was mad at a lot of the time and one I was glad for at other times. I think I was even mad at the author and how she portrayed him. But I think that is because of strong writing evoking emotion. I always try to say something when an author creates an emotional feeling in the reader. Think about it, this is a set of letters on your page or your screen. Somehow an author can craft those words to create an emotion in the reader. Pretty darned amazing isn’t it?

Those emotions created by the author’s writing and her ability to make me feel I knew those characters were what kept me reading. Every page; not one word skipped for fear I might miss something.

I could put down all those pat statements about descriptive writing and the smooth flow of the text, etc., etc., but it’s not what I want to get across to you here. This is a really good story. Sometimes hard to read only because of events and the people involved, but still one to make sure you read.

I read that Sallie Moppert is a freelance writer. I found books she has co-written with other authors but as far as I can find this may be her first fiction book written by herself. Whether my research is correct or not, we need to be watching for anything else she publishes.



read an excerpt...

Brian stepped forward, opening the massive doors with ease, and walked straight into the sea of microphones, camera flashes, and video recorders. Roderick followed a few steps behind his loyal attorney and stood at his side as he waited for the onslaught of the inevitable media coverage that was a result of the trial’s conclusion.

“People, please,” Brian started to speak, holding his hands up to halt the millions of questions that were being voiced to him all at once.

Once the media crowd quieted down, Brian addressed them: 
     
“I am pleased to announce that my client, Mr. Roderick Morgan, was found not guilty for the deaths of his parents, Walter and Cassidy Morgan. Mr. and Mrs. Morgan adopted Roderick and raised him as if he was their own flesh and blood. There was no way that he would repay their love and kindness by brutally murdering them as they lay sleeping in their beds.”

Roderick nudged Brian, who turned to look at him.

“May I?” he asked.

“Of course,” Brian said.

Roderick stepped in front of Brian to better face the endless crowd of media before him.

“I would like to extend my gratitude to everyone who supported me throughout this dreadful ordeal,” he said, speaking in the sweet and innocent tone that had helped him to win over the jury a short time ago.

Roderick’s gentle eyes and sincere expression then suddenly transformed to that of smugness accompanied by a sneer. “But that proves that you are all stupid as hell,” he said with a wink. “Because I got away with murder. Adios!”

Roderick pulled his designer sunglasses out of his designer suit coat pocket and put them on as his personal driver pulled up in front of the courthouse with his golden Maserati. The media watched in stunned silence as Roderick descended the concrete steps to his car, not a care in the world. Brian followed solemnly behind him, his head lowered in shame at the admission of guilt by his client.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

A New York native, Sallie has a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice, with a Specialization in Forensic Science. A lifelong mystery fan, she has combined her love and passion for writing with her interests in criminal justice, law, and forensic science.
Sallie currently resides in New York with her family and her “zoo,” which includes two dogs, two guinea pigs, a betta fish and a leopard gecko. She works as a freelance writer/editor and a legal assistant.






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Monday, October 28, 2019

THE SEDUCTION OF LADY PHOEBE





This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Ella Quinn will award a $25 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.


Polite society has its rules for marriage. But for Ella Quinn’s eligible bachelors, their brides will show them that rules are for the faint of heart . . .



Phoebe Stanhope is not a typical Lady. As feisty as she is quick witted, no one can catch her, especially when she is driving her dashing phaeton with its perfectly matched horses. And unlike her peers, experience has guarded her against a growing list of would-be suitors. But when she encounters Marcus Finley, what she fears most burns deep within his blue-eyed gaze . . .



For Lord Marcus, the spark of recognition is but a moment in the love he has held these many years. Now that he’s returned to England, all the happiness he desires rests on Lady Phoebe never finding out that he was the one who turned her heart so cold and distant. He must work fast to gain the advantage—to convince her what she wants is exactly what she denies—but in order to seduce her into his arms, he must be willing to give up more than he can control . . .

Read an Excerpt

Phoebe walked briskly into the large, sunny breakfast room, the train of her pale green nankeen riding habit draped over one arm.

She greeted her brother, Geoffrey, the sixth Earl of Cranbourne. “Good morning.”

When he looked up from his newssheet and met her gaze, Phoebe saw the fatigue etched in his face.

“Oh, you poor dear,” she said. “Is it the baby?” Miles was Geoffrey and his wife, Amabel’s six-month-old son.

“Yes,” Geoffrey replied. “He’s getting his first tooth. I dare say, had I’d known he would be in this much pain, I would have recommended to him that he not bother.”

Grinning, Phoebe said, “I am sure he would have appreciated the advice.”

Geoffrey handed her a section of the newssheet, and they sat in companionable silence until her sister-in-law joined them.

After pouring a cup of tea, Amabel asked Phoebe, “When do you leave for Town?”

She swallowed a piece of toast. “Next week.”

“I do wish I could go with you,” Amabel said.

“What a whisker!” Phoebe smiled. “You have no desire at all to go to London and dance attendance on me, and, indeed, I have no wish for you to have to do so. I am quite content to stay with my Aunt St. Eth. I much prefer the political parties the St. Eths attend.”

Her sister-in-law pulled a face. “But they are so dry.”

Phoebe laughed when Amabel wrinkled her nose. “I know, for you the subject is a dead bore, but I enjoy it extremely.”

Her sister-in-law frowned. “My dear, how will you ever find a husband if you are attending only political parties?”

“It is not as if there are no unmarried gentlemen at the parties,” Phoebe retorted. “Besides, I daresay I have met every unmarried gentleman the length and breadth of England. Not one has given me the smallest desire to marry. Perhaps I shall set up a salon and become a famous bluestocking.”

Her sister-in-law’s mouth dropped open in shock. “You cannot mean that!”

Phoebe tried to hide her exasperation. “I know you’ve tried very hard to bring about a match for me. I wish you would not persist. I shall marry when I find a gentleman I can love and not before.”

“But you must marry,” Amabel said. “You are almost twenty-four, and you are much too beautiful to become a spinster.”

“I am well aware of my age,” Phoebe said as mildly as she could. “I’m not on the shelf yet.”

After taking a sip of tea, Amabel said airily, “I have invited my brother to visit us.”

Phoebe creased her brows. “Evesham? I thought he was too ill to travel.”

“No, Arthur is indeed too ill,” her sister-in-law said. “I have invited my other brother, Marcus. He shall arrive in three days’ time.”

“Lord Marcus?”

Amabel hesitated before continuing, “He needs to marry now, and I immediately thought of you.”

At the mention of Lord Marcus Finley, Phoebe’s stomach clenched, and the humiliation she had not felt in years burbled within her, feeding her anger.

She took a breath and calmly but firmly said, “I have met Lord Marcus, we did not suit. Amabel, pray excuse me. I have just remembered something I must do.”

Phoebe rose and left the room. Upon entering her chamber, she closed the door with a snap. The control with which she had been holding herself threatened to unravel. Lord Marcus Finley was back.

Myriad feelings of fear, hurt, and despair assailed her. It confused her to feel almost as raw as she had eight years ago when he’d shattered her childish romantic ideas. She had pushed him out of her mind then and, other than the bad dreams, had not purposely thought of him since.

She’d hoped never to hear his name again and certainly did not want to meet him. She’d learned to protect herself, but still mourned her loss of innocence he’d stolen. She would not weep over Lord Marcus. No good could come of thinking of him. Forgetting that day had been easier when he had been safely across the ocean.

Phoebe breathed deeply and strode to her writing desk, a beautiful cherry secretaire. She furiously mended her nib then took a piece of hot-pressed paper, dipped the pen in the standish, and wrote her first letter to her aunt, the Marchioness of St. Eth.


About the Author: USA Today bestselling author Ella Quinn's studies and other jobs have always been on the serious side. Reading historical romances, especially Regencies, were her escape. Eventually her love of historical novels led her to start writing them.

She is married to her wonderful husband of over thirty years. They have a son and two beautiful granddaughters, and a Great Dane. After living in the South Pacific, Central America, North Africa, England and Europe, she and her husband decided to make their dreams come true and are now living on a sailboat. After cruising the Caribbean and North America, she completed a transatlantic crossing from St. Martin to Southern Europe. She's currently living in Germany, happily writing while her husband is back at work, recovering from retirement.

Ella loves when readers connect with her.

Author Contact and Social Media:



Website: https://www.ellaquinnauthor.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EllaQuinnAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ellaquinnauthor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7044274.Ella_Quinn

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/ella-quinn

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Ella-Quinn/e/B00CAE0FSQ




Buy Links for the Mass Market Paperback:



Kensington: https://www.kensingtonbooks.com/book.aspx/38034

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Seduction-Lady-Phoebe-Marriage-Game/dp/1420147285/

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-seduction-of-lady-phoebe-ella-quinn/1115119327

BAM: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Seduction-Lady-Phoebe/Ella-Quinn/9781420147285?id=7711374629459

Indiebound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781420147285

Target: https://www.target.com/p/the-seduction-of-lady-phoebe-marriage-game-by-ella-quinn-paperback/-/A-76508331

Walmart: https://www.walmart.com/ip/The-Seduction-of-Lady-Phoebe-9781420147285/853764265



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Asylum Road






BOOK # 4 in the JAKE CALDWELL SERIES

Crime Thriller
Publisher: Lakewater Press
Published Date: October 1, 2019
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A vengeful drug lord. A vicious biker gang. A beautiful victim of a trafficking ring.

Nearly two years ago, former mafia leg-breaker Jake Caldwell had ruthless drug king Shane Langston staring down the wrong end of a pistol. Instead of pulling the trigger, Jake let the law handle it. Now Langston’s escaped from prison and is hell bent on killing the men who put him there—including their families.

As the body count rises, Jake and his best friend Sheriff “Bear” Parley follow the bloody clues and realize it’s not just Shane they need to stop. Jake will do whatever he can to protect the people he loves.

The fourth installment of the award-winning Jake Caldwell series will have you biting your nails and praying you never have to make the trip to Asylum Road.


read an excerpt...
Bear slowed past Boone Branch Creek, and a gravel drive split from the asphalt marked with a stenciled sign announcing Asylum Road. The drive dipped low into a bowl terminating at the bar. A hand-painted sign—white letters on a black board—hung over the front door. The painted letters reading The Asylum trailed down the board, like blood dripping from a wall. Were the dripping letters purposeful or the work of a sloppy painter? Either way, the ominous sign screamed “Go Away.” The stone buildings matched the sign with spaced red bulbs throwing an eerie light across its face. A faint glow emanated from dirt-caked windows as the sun dipped below the tree line and bloodied the sky.

“Jesus.” Jake leaned forward in his seat and studied the building as Bear rolled down the drive. “People go in there on purpose? I’ll give the owner credit for the name.”

Two scruffy bikers clad in Blood Devil vests over plaid flannel shirts smoked outside the front entrance, eyeballing Jake and Bear with hardened eyes. One flicked his cigarette toward Bear’s truck and disappeared inside.

Bear grabbed his cell phone. “So much for the element of surprise. I’d better call in and let Klages know where we are.”

“Backup?”

Bear pulled up his favorites on his phone and punched Klages’s name. “Nah. We’ll probably be okay.”

“Probably?”


“It’s better than maybe.”





About the Author




James L Weaver is the Kansas City author of the Jake Caldwell series, featuring:

·        Poor Boy Road (Jake Caldwell Book #1) – IAN Thriller of the Year finalist,

·        Ares Road (Jake Caldwell Book #2) – New Apple Official Selection for Thrillers and IAN Thriller of the Year finalist

·        Blackbird Road (Jake Caldwell Book #3) – Solo Medalist Winner for the New Apple Book Awards Suspense/Thriller category.

James makes his home in Olathe, Kansas with his wife and two children. His previous publishing credits include a six-part story called “The Nuts” and his 5-star rated debut novel Jack & Diane, which is available on Amazon.com and has been optioned for film.

You can follow him on Twitter @jlweaverbooks or visit his website at jameslweaver.net


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Sunday, October 27, 2019

Betsy Blossom Brown


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Young Adult
Date Published: June 5, 2019
Publisher: Jan-Carol Publishing, Inc.

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Betsy Blossom Brown is a coming-of-age story about a young girl who journeys from being an observer of life to a participant. Her seemingly idyllic life with her privileged South Carolina family is turned upside down, revealing truths and disarming pretensions. She's independent, opinionated, and brave. Uncertainty enters her life when she and her mother move to the Appalachian region until, through a series of unsettling events; she sheds her uncertainty and learns to embrace life. The graphite illustrations help to understand the depth of Betsy Blossom Brown, as she sketches her way through life recognizing her mild Asperger syndrome, without letting it curb her appetite for life.



Excerpt

Chapter 1

Charleston, SC:  2007



Fourteen-year-old Betsy Blossom Brown sat on the saffron-colored, vinyl kitchen chair across from her mother, Lily. Lily’s opened palms buried her face, and Betsy’s elbows rested on the vintage, enameled, red and white kitchen table, the palms of her hands holding up each side of her chin. Betsy and her mother loved this vintage kitchen set. They loved anything vintage. But they loved this set in particular, because it was found on top of a heap of discarded furniture outside a dilapidated beach house on Sullivan’s Island. Betsy’s chestnut curls concealed her olive green eyes so that her mother would not be able to see every tear that fell from them. Betsy watched in a near hypnotic state as each teardrop seemed to disperse on the shiny, enameled tabletop. She secretly longed to go wherever they were headed—to a place where what she had just been told hadn’t yet arrived.

“But I don’t understand,” Betsy winced.

“I know, Sugar, it’s difficult. I don’t even understand it, but it is the truth. And ever since the day you entered my life, I made a promise to always tell you the truth, no matter what. Your father thought different. He believed a lie was okay if it meant that you avoided hurting someone. And while that may have a bit of merit, especially with the truth I just shared with you, it’s just not the way I see it. And in this moment, I would certainly love to be able to keep this truth under lock and key forever, but sooner or later, you would find out. And then you’d wonder why I hadn’t been the one to tell you what happened to your father.”

“But why? Why did he do it? I need to know why. I need to know the reason. It’s a quirk I’ve had ever since I was born, Mom. You know that. I always need to know why.” Betsy continued to snap at the placket of her front, periwinkle-colored, linen shirt. She loved this shirt most because it had been her mother’s when she was in college. It was a bit oversized, so Betsy sometimes belted it with her wide, brown, leather belt. Finding plackets and seams on pockets and collars was something Betsy had done since she was a small child. She seemed to look for them without even thinking, and yet, she was thinking of nothing else.

“I don’t know why, Betsy. He didn’t have a reason. All he said when I saw him was, ‘Lily, dear Lily, I’m sorry. Please tell Betsy that I’m sorry.’”

I turned each side of my hair behind my ears, wiped at my eyes, and looked to Mr. Peabody and Steve as they raced furiously around their cage, stopping briefly to hop on the plastic, multi-colored toy ferris wheel, and tumbled to the tiny pieces of torn comic strips from the newspaper and fleece bedding that lined the floor of their cage. I had begged my mother for pet rats for months before she surprised me with a trip to MacGruder’s Pets on Sullivan’s Island. My father was out of town at a business meeting (or so, at the time, we thought), and that always presented a prime opportunity for us to charge ahead with plans that he might not have approved. He pretty well knew that whenever he went out of town, my mother and I would retaliate by doing or buying something that hadn’t been mutually agreed upon. We thought it was funny; he didn’t.

Betsy Blossom Brown walked over to her mother, wrapped both arms around her neck, and picked up the morning paper that her mother had brought for her to read. The front page made her dizzy, like the time she rode the “Round Up” at the carnival. She took the newspaper with her to her room and chose the rigidity of her desk chair to read what she already knew.



LOCAL BUSINESSMAN WILLIAM BROWN

CHARGED WITH EMBEZZLEMENT OF

CLIENT FUNDS



William D. Brown of Charleston was charged on Friday with embezzlement of client funds from his management firm, Brown & Associates. According to a report released from the FBI and in conjunction with an SEC investigation, which had been conducting their own investigation into mismanagement of funds at the firm and client allegations of fraud from a number of Brown’s clients, evidence shows that Brown had been embezzling vast amounts of money from his individual client accounts since he joined the firm in 1994. Brown allegedly skimmed in excess of three million dollars over the past five years. The majority of Brown’s clients are retired, live out of state, and have trusted him since he joined his father, the late Joseph Brown, at the firm in 1994, the same year the elder Brown died from a fall while vacationing in the Caribbean after tripping on a sidewalk as he returned to the vacation home he and his wife owned, hitting his head on the concrete pavement and suffering massive bleeding before going into a coma. The senior Brown opened the respected firm in 1969. At the time of his death, the managed assets of Brown & Associates were listed by the SEC at over one billion dollars.

The South Carolina State Police worked with FBI agents and SEC officials in locating Brown on Friday morning after his wife, Lily Park Brown, the only daughter of the late Senator Tommy Park, reported her husband missing. After numerous reports of Brown’s physical location, the authorities were led to the lighthouse on Sullivan’s Island, where Brown was sitting in a gray flannel suit, starched white shirt, and a perfectly-knotted silk tie, surrounded by an incoming tide that saturated the pillowcases filled with bundled money that encircled him. One FBI official noticed a revolver in Brown’s hand, and as he raised it and pointed it to his temple, the trained police German shepherd leapt through the air and seized the weapon, and Brown fell forward.

Attempts to contact Brown’s wife or any of the officials involved with the incident and apprehension have been futile.



Betsy reached inside her desk drawer and pulled out a pair of scissors. She cut out the newspaper article about her father, opened the finches’ birdcage, and slid the newspaper at the bottom, and then she waited until “Scout” and “Jem” and “Boo” and “Atticus” crapped all over the newsprint. The birds broke into their sweet singsong, and Betsy was overcome with anger. She wasn’t sure, though, whether she was angry with her father, with herself for carpeting the finches’ birdcage with the morning news, or with the finches for sounding so happy, when she felt anything but, as they flew with seeming madness from perch to perch.




About the Author

Kathleen M. Jacobs is the author of books for young readers. Her first YA-novel, Honeysuckle Holiday, has received critical acclaim. And her children’s book, Please Close It! has won numerous awards. She divides her time between New York City and the Appalachian region. She lives with her husband, John, and far too many books. Visit her website at www.kathleenmjacobs.com and on Instagram @kathleenm.jacobs.



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Friday, October 25, 2019

That April in Santa Monica

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Melody
DeBlois will be 
awarding a $50 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

See below to sign up for the GIVEAWAY.



Madison receives acclaim for running a talent agency for people with disabilities, but she doesn't know how to take care of herself. When her altruism becomes life-threatening—a matter of either develop healthy habits or die—she joins a reality TV show that pairs her with hot, raven-haired Brandon. He is witty, sexy, and her teacher. That makes him off limits.

After a successful run on a soap opera, Brandon stepped away from empty fame and now focuses on his work as TV's most noted health teacher. He has one fast rule—never fall for a student. But when he meets Madison, their chemistry is combustible. There's no hiding their conflict or their attraction, especially when it's all caught on film.


read an excerpt...

On the beach, Madison started to gather energy, so that when they went into downward-facing dog, he discovered, with her well-earned agility, she didn’t bend her knees as usual.


“Madison, you’re touching the ground!”

She beamed up at him. “I am!”

She was unimaginably beautiful. The way the sun seized the golden streaks in her red hair, the way the natural wave framed her angular face, distracted him. He had his fantasies 
about her, and this was one of them. The two of them by themselves on the beach, doing yoga. The only problem? The usual. They were not alone.

Warrior pose brought with it an expression of victory on her part, and child’s pose caused her to fold up within herself like a flower after sunset. No woman had ever done the positions with as much raw sensuality. Being with her made him, the yogic practitioner, forget how to move and how to breathe.

This day she stood taller and bent farther. The muscles in her arms supported her with effortlessness. Even her hands seemed stronger than before. She balanced herself with greater ease, like a goddess surveying her kingdom by the sea. Brandon closed his eyes against the gush of erotic pictures she evoked in him. He had been with her too long, yet not long enough.

When they finished, she purred, “I just might learn to love this.”

“You did well.”

“Do you think it was the fancy yoga outfit?”

He shook his head. “Nah, I think it was the woman.”

TO READ AN INTERVIEW WITH MELODY CLICK HERE


AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Born in California, award winning author, Melody DeBlois follows the sun. When she isn’t swimming laps, she’s writing sweet and sassy romances. Her heroines are self-reliant and smart and her heroes are kind by nature and love dogs. She lives in California during the summer and spends winters in Arizona with her husband. She has plotted her novels while hiking the beach or trekking across the desert. Her most treasured possession is family.




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Thursday, October 24, 2019

The Monday Book



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author is awarding a randomly drawn winner a $15 Amazon/BN gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.



In the midst of pain, Shari Ramming saw an opportunity to learn and create The Monday Book to help others find themselves in their brokenness. With personal evaluations, she guides you to wholeness. Shari lays out steps to finding the treasure in the trauma of life: Acknowledge, Honor, Connect, Practice, and finally, Open to receive the gift of the lesson. Her simple straight-forward advice for fixing whatever feels broken is "begin and continue." It seems hard in practice, but in showing up for yourself, you'll find small ways to daily love yourself and become the cure for your own brokenness. Her message puts your problems outside so you can interact with them in a productive way. By seeing everything and everyone as a reflection of yourself, you'll become more compassionate toward yourself and everyone else. Open yourself up to the true and best you.


Read an Excerpt:



I was on a girl’s trip with ten or so good friends. On the day we were to leave to go back home, my heart rate seemed too fast. I could see my chest wall moving heavy with effort. After four or more hours of driving, my friend Marty looked at me and said, “If this were me telling you this about my body we would be on the way to the ER”. I said, “You’re right,” and off we went. After some testing I was found to have Grave’s disease. War was raging inside my body. Racing heart, weakness, leaky gut, weight loss, hair loss, and exhaustion (to name just a few) were all burning with the same intensity, ravishing my hapless body. After a hospital stay for particular rough patch with my heart rate stuck at 220 beats per minute for hours, I witnessed my son watch my life beat away on a monitor and that filled me with more fear than dying. Because my thyroid was trying to kill me, I had to kill my thyroid with radioactive iodine (I was allergic to the other meds that would have helped). Isolation for a few weeks followed. Alone, terrified, and very ill, all I could do was wait for relief. I was bereft. I felt like I was going to die each time.



About the Author:
Shari Ramming writes on a broad range of subjects. She feels there is a great intelligence that is not of the mind. Loving her three grown children fiercely she uses verve and wanderlust to make her home in Austin, Texas. She is still learning.


Website: http://www.shariramming.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shariramm/


Twitter: https://twitter.com/shariramm


Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16559530.Shari_Ramming


Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Monday-Book-Shari-Ramming/dp/1733043691/ref=sr_1_1





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Wednesday, October 23, 2019

In Over Her Head

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Krysten Lindsay Hager will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

See below to sign up for the GIVEAWAY.


Cecily feels like she has it all: great best friends, the beginnings of a career as a model/actress, and she’s dating her favorite singer, Andrew Holiday. Then Cecily’s best friend Lila begins to ditch her every time Lila’s boyfriend calls. Cecily feels lost, but she and Andrew begin connecting more and she’s never been in a relationship where she felt so understood. Andrew even begins to confide in her about his anxiety. Soon Cecily experiences her own anxiety on a magazine photo shoot, but she manages to impress the magazine staff. Just when it seems like all her dreams are coming true, everything comes crashing down when a photo of Andrew with another girl appears online. He swears nothing happened, but Cecily is crushed. She feels like she’s lost two of the people closest to her.

Was her perfect relationship real or was she in over her head?

read an excerpt...
“They were talking about how they’re using unknown models right now and I mentioned how awesome you were in the video and they agreed. We started talking and they wondered if you’d want to come to New York and do a shoot for the magazine. What do you think?” he asked.

I almost fell off my bed. Me? Model? I wasn’t pretty enough for that and everyone would write in to let them know that just like they all felt the need to voice that opinion in the online video comments.

“Wow, it’s…wow.”

“I know, right? And I’m here for a few weeks recording so we could see each other. My manager said he’d talk to your parents and work out the details. You’d be working just to get exposure, so the contract would be about rights and not money—is that cool? It’s a great way to get your name out there and stuff for your book.”
           
“My book?”

“Your portfolio. You know, the photos people look at to decide whether or not they want to hire you for modeling jobs.”

Was I going to be modeling enough that I needed a book? Did this magazine actually want me? It sounded too good to be true—going to New York to model and be in a magazine while visiting my pop star boyfriend. Was this my life?
 
“I don’t know if my parents will go for it,” I said.

“Let my manager talk to them and see what magic he can work. He wants to help this magazine out, too. You want to do it though, right?”

Part of me did—the part of me that wanted a big life and to be famous and adored. The reality side of me was an anxious mess just thinking about flying out there though.
           
“Yeah, for sure,” I said hoping I sounded convincing. 

“Great, give me your parents’ number and I’ll have my manager give them a call.”

 I felt like I was having an out of body experience as I recited my mom’s cell phone number to him. 

My entire life could change in a phone call.



READ AN INTERVIEW WITH KRYSTEN...HERE


AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Krysten Lindsay Hager writes about friendship, self-esteem, fitting in, frenemies, crushes, fame, first loves, and values. She is the author of True Colors, Best Friends...Forever?, Next Door to a Star,  Landry in Like, Competing with the Star, Dating the It Guy, and Can Dreams Come True. True Colors, won the Readers Favorite award for best preteen book and the Dayton Book Expo Bestseller Award for childen/teens. Competing with the Star is a Readers' Favorite Book Award Finalist. Landry in Like is a Literary Classics Gold Medal recipient.
Krysten's work has been featured in USA Today, The Flint Journal, the Grand Haven Tribune, the Beavercreek Current, the Bellbrook Times, Springfield News-Sun, Grand Blanc View, Dayton Daily News and on Living Dayton. 

Author links:

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