Pages

Thursday, June 30, 2016

Cover Reveal: I Wanna Be Loved By You by Heather Hiestand


 

Inside the Book:



Title: I Wanna Be Loved By You 
Author: Heather Hiestand 
Release Date: February 14, 2017 
Publisher: Lyrical Press 
Genre: Romance 
Format: Ebook
For a young woman swept into international adventure, romance can’t be far behind…

The 1920s are in full swing when Sadie Loudon leaves her grandfather’s stodgy vicarage, and she dreams of the glamour and excitement she’s seen on the silver screen. But before she even begins work at the storied Grand Russe Hotel, she is ushered into London’s glittering nightlife by a handsome young businessman intent on introducing her to the pleasures available to a Bright Young Thing. Is it a fleeting romance…or something even more intriguing?

Les Drake is on the lookout for Bolsheviks when he encounters sweet, sexy Sadie. A British Secret Intelligence agent, Les has more experience with the seedy underside of the city than with innocent chambermaids, but he can’t deny that Sadie tempts him. Using her as part of his cover seems like a brilliant plan until the danger of his assignment threatens what has suddenly become a love he can’t bear to lose…

  amazon  

Meet the Author:

Heather Hiestand was born in Illinois, but her family migrated west before she started school. Since then she has claimed Washington State as home, except for a few years in California. She wrote her first story at age seven and went on to major in creative writing at the University of Washington. Her first published fiction was a mystery short story, but since then it has been all about the many flavors of romance. Heather’s first published romance short story was set in the Victorian period and she continues to return, fascinated by the rapid changes of the nineteenth century. The author of many novels, novellas, and short stories, she is a bestseller at both Amazon and Barnes and Noble. With her husband and son, she makes her home in a small town and supposedly works out of her tiny office, though she mostly writes in her easy chair in the living room. She also writes as Anh Leod.

 You can visit her at http://www.heatherhiestand.com    
facebook
twitter
goodreads
 

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Guest Post from Dudley Mecum, author of A Sojourn Among the Avatars of Wisdom

173486_Blog-Tour_L1
 

Inside the Book:

Sojourn pic
Title: A Sojourn Among the Avatars of Wisdom
Author: Dudley Mecum
Publisher: iUniverse
Genre: Visionary and Metaphysical
Format: Ebook
Chris Cole enjoys aiming for the stars. After he rockets into orbit aboard the space shuttle, his mission is cut short when he is the victim of an accident aboard the International Space Station. Whisked back to earth for medical observation, Chris is eventually released. Before his return flight to Kennedy Space Center the next day, Chris decides to attend a nearby medieval fair with an acquaintance—a decision that will change the course of his life forever. Shortly after the astronaut's arrival at the festival, the king unexpectedly selects Chris to be a contestant in a tournament. As Chris's quest to become a knight begins, he learns how to wield a sword, battle foes, and achieve greatness. Unfortunately, villainy, treachery, and a crucible await him. As enemies emerge from the shadows, others use him as a pawn to settle old scores. Guided by a cast of colorful characters who dispense timeless advice, Chris is overcome with self-doubt as he ponders whether it is really possible to change his destiny. In this gripping fantasy tale, wisdom of the world's greatest philosophers and modern sages is brought to life as one man attempts to escape from a prison of his own making.
ORDER INFORMATION
A Sojourn Among the Avatars of Wisdom is available for order at
amazon
 
Celestial Navigation
Weather permitting, celestial navigation allowed the ancients to navigate across the unforgiving seas. Many a seafarer looked to the heavens for guidance and received it. What about us land dwellers? What guides us along the “river of life”?  Not the constellations of stars that we are familiar with.  What then?  Most of us are familiar with quote books in which the counsel is compiled by author or by subject. Each quote is like a star in an alien sky.  It is only in relationship with other stars that enables celestial navigation to take place.

Accordingly, we look to the heavens for some pattern of stars that joins wisdom across subjects.  In essence, we are searching for constellations of wisdom: a pattern in the sky that will guide us through the trials of life.  What kind of book would project these constellations of wisdom into the heavens?  It should have the counsel from the world’s greatest sages.  That would be a start. However, the end result would be exceptionally dry, like a parent lecturing a child before that youth has a chance to get a word in edgewise.  Then how would the conversation unfold?  It would be a dialog between the person seeking advice and the individual giving it. (Remember, there are many sages able to give counsel and plenty of us seeking answers.)

Such a conversation wouldn’t be effective because the end result would be too discordant: there would be too many conversations going on at the same time and the resultant wisdom would not be conveyed. Perhaps a better way to impart knowledge would revolve around the adventures of a fictitious character, which calls for the suspension of disbelief.  Moreover, a “fish out of water” story would be even better.  One that involves leaving this realm and returning to it after having his hopes and dreams dashed, one that forces him out of his comfort zone.  Add external conflict and self-doubt and we have instances in which the possibility for change exists for the protagonist, and by extension, for those who seek it. Consider A Sojourn Among the Avatars of Wisdom to do just that!

Meet the Author:

  Dudley Mecum, a trained commercial pilot, earned an MBA in Finance, later working at a defense manufacturer. He currently lives in Fort Worth, Texas, where he enjoys fine art, swimming, and virtual flying.

Cover Reveal: Stroke of Midnight by Andie J. Christopher


 

Inside the Book:



Title: Stroke of Midnight 
Author: Andie Christopher 
Release Date: January 10, 2017 
Publisher: Lyrical Shine 
Genre: Romance 
Format: Ebook

One night.

New Year’s Eve in Miami. Even workaholic Alana Hernandez can’t resist the call of the city, especially if it will get her little sister off her back. But a night of celebrating turns into a night of mischief when an alluring stranger catches her eye across the dance floor.

No names.

Former Navy Seal Cole Roberts isn’t looking for anything more than a good time in Miami. Since leaving the military and being betrayed by his former fiancée, he’s not interested in unnecessary complications. But the moment he sets eyes on the sultry beauty, Cole knows this night will be far from ordinary.

No going back.

Neither Cole nor Alana are looking for a relationship, so they strike a deal: One night. No names. No repeats. But things get complicated when their night of passion becomes something neither can walk away from.

  amazon  

Meet the Author:

I’m Andie J. Christopher and I write edgy, funny, sexy contemporary romance. I grew up in a family of voracious readers, and I picked up my first Harlequin Romance novel at age twelve when I’d finished reading everything else in my grandmother’s house. It was love at first read. It wasn’t too long before I started writing my own stories — my first heroine drank Campari and wore a lot of Esprit.

Although, I set aside writing fiction for a while, my love of reading romance novels stayed with me through college, law school, and multiple cross-country moves. During one long East Coast winter, I decided writing a book would be a good excuse to avoid braving the elements. It was love at first write. My heroes are dirty-talking alphas, and my heroines traded Esprit for Free People. (None of them would turn down a Campari, though.)

You can visit her website at http://andiejchristopher.com 
facebook
instagram
 

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Interview with Stan Matthews, author of Mark Christopher

715694_Blog Tour Circuit_L0

 

Inside the Book:

Mark Christopher

Title: Mark Christopher 
Author: Stan Matthews 
Publisher: iUniverse 
Genre: Coming of Age 
Format: Ebook/Paperback


As Mark Christopher grows up in a small railroad town during the Great Depression, he dreams of doing something special with his life. Instead, he must face one tragedy after the other as war looms. First, his parents die and then his brother while serving in the Pacific. When the war in Europe ends, Mark's sister sends him to live with their grandmother and her son. To please them, Mark is baptized in a Baptist church. While enrolled in college, he befriends a Wallabot Indian who unsuccessfully tries to save Mark's soul. Despite their religious differences, their friendship continues as Mark is offered a post-graduate scholarship contingent upon his admission to the ministry. Although Mark applies, he secretly believes he is unsuited. After he accepts a student pastorate position in a nearby church, he falls in love and marries. But when he shuns church leaders' advice and leads a group of black migrants to integrate the county fair, Mark is thrown in jail where he is forced to reflect on his life, his choices, and whether what has been done can be undone. Mark Christopher is the tale of one man's faithful journey through poverty and war and tragedy and opposition as he searches for his destiny and meaning in his life.
Meet the Author:
Stan Matthews is a veteran investigative reporter and retired pastor who has worked for both Canadian and American newspapers and served as a fund raiser for many institutions, including churches, colleges, hospitals, American Cancer Society, Easter Seals and PBS.


Cover Reveal: Dirty Deeds by AJ Nuest


 

Inside the Book:



Title: Dirty Deeds 
Author: AJ Nuest 
Release Date: January 31, 2017 
Publisher: Lyrical Press 
Genre: Romantic Suspense 
Format: Ebook

An Eye for an Eye

As owner of Dirty Deeds, a tech-savvy company specializing in the age-old art of revenge, Eden Smith knows first-hand that secrecy is critical. But when a dead body washes up on the shores of Lake Michigan clutching her business card, Eden’s well-constructed world begins to fall apart. Apparently, she’s not the only one with a passion for payback, and staying alive to outsmart a killer has become her most important job of all.

A Game for a Game

Hardened homicide detective Kelly Riordan is convinced Eden Smith is hiding more than she’s willing to admit. Years on the force have taught him that nothing is what it seems, and that couldn’t be truer than when it comes to investigating the alluring owner of a revenge-for-hire business. But revealing her past could put everything Eden has worked for in jeopardy. And trusting a man like Riordan goes against the very instincts that have kept her alive this long.

  amazon goodreads

Meet the Author:

Multi-published award-winning author and editor, AJ Nuest, resides in Northwest Indiana with her loving husband, two beautiful children and a bevy of spoiled pets. Her four-part serial fantasy romance, The Golden Key Chronicles, was recently named the RONE Time Travel Romance of 2015 by Ind’Tale Magazine, and her contemporary romantic comedy, She’s Got Dibs won First Place in the Heartland Romance Author’s Show Me the Spark! Contest, 2013. She and the cat are currently vying for dictatorship. The cat is winning.

You can visit her website at http://ajnuest.com
goodreads
facebook
twitter
 

Monday, June 27, 2016

Book Feature: The Mystery of Goat Mountain by Mel Long - Win a $25 Gift Card

The Mystery of Goat Mountain Book Banner

Inside the Book:

The Mystery of Goat Mountain
Title: The Mystery of Goat Mountain 
Author: Mel Long 
Publisher: iUniverse 
Pages: 338 
Genre: Fiction 
Format: Ebook

Eli left the corporate life in San Francisco and moved with his wife, Frances Amelia, to Goat Mountain, high up on the west side of the Cascade Mountains, near the small town of Colton, Oregon. When his parents died, Eli inherited the 640 acres, the original land they homesteaded in 1896. After his wife dies, Eli lives simply in a cabin on his beloved mountain. He learns to cohabitate with many of the wild animals on the land and most especially the legendary Sasquatch. He loves sharing his land, nature, and his lifestyle with his children and ten grandchildren when they visit each summer. The kids enjoy helping with the chores, swimming in the pond, learning to hunt, and exploring the open spaces. A novel, The Mystery of Goat Mountain narrates Eli's story-the many adventures he experiences and how he co-exists with the legendary Big Foot. Filled with descriptions of a scenic and idyllic Oregon locale, it intermingles a love story with that of intrigue and difficult decisions.  

Meet the Author:

Mel Long lived with his wife, Elaine, and their three sons while he taught school at Clarke's Four Corners, twenty-five miles from Goat Mountain, for twelve years. During those twelve years, he took his three sons camping on Goat Mountain. Long and his wife moved to Conroe, Texas, in 2010.

Giveaway

Mel is giving away a $25 Gift Card!

 
Terms & Conditions:
  • By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
  • One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $25 Gift Certificate to the e-retailer of your choice
  • This giveaway begins June 27 and ends on July 8.
  • Winners will be contacted via email on July 9.
  • Winner has 48 hours to reply.
Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

Tour Schedule

 June 27
June 28
June 29
June 30
July 1
July 4
July 5
July 6
July 7
July 8

Book Blast: Welcome to the Empire by Mark Curto Sr. - Win a $25 Gift Card

Welcome to the Empire Banner

Inside the Book:

Welcome to the Empire

Title: Welcome to the Empire 
Author: Mark Curto Sr. 
Publisher: iUniverse 
Pages: 148 
Genre: Historic Fiction 
Format: Ebook

From the dawn of recorded time, death, hell, and mayhem have been the calling cards of a Destroyer, who leaves nothing but carnage and desolation in his path. Thousands of years in the future, nine-year-old Prince Marckolius witnesses a brutal assault on his mother by a group of ruthless vampires. Mortified when she dies in his arms and convinced that his uncle had something to do with the attack, Prince Marckolius vows to seek justice. After training diligently with his aunt for several years, seventeen-year-old Marckolius gathers his friends and embarks on a search for the truth behind the evil act. Initially driven by revenge, Marckolius matures to become the legend he is meant to be as he faces off against forces led by his uncle that have been plotting to enslave the last of the free nations within the known Multiverse. In this futuristic adventure, a battle of wills is instigated between two very powerful Destroyers, leaving the Multiverse to wonder what will be left when all is said and done.

Meet the Author:

Mark Curto Sr. considers writing a serious hobby. He and his wife have four children, three of whom are autistic. Instead of pets, they have a very large fish tank of platies. Mark and his family live in Ohio. This is the first book in a saga that blends science fiction and fantasy.

Giveaway

Mark is giving away a $25 Gift Card!

 
Terms & Conditions:
  • By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
  • One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $25 Gift Certificate to the e-retailer of your choice
  • This giveaway begins June 27 and ends on July 8.
  • Winners will be contacted via email on July 9.
  • Winner has 48 hours to reply.
Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!


Interview with Alexis Georg Hoen, author of Christianity and Cosmic Consciousness

Title: Christianity and Cosmic Consciousness
Author: Alexis Georg Hoen
Publisher: iUniverse
Genre: Religion
Format: Ebook

Born in the Ukraine, educated in Munich, and having practiced medicine in the United States, author Alexis Georg Hoen has been exposed to widely differing political systems and religious beliefs, and he has always maintained an interest as to the origin of these beliefs and their relation to the innermost nature of man. In Christianity and Cosmic Consciousness, he interprets the words and the sacrifice of Jesus as pointing the way toward a realization of our innermost nature—the will to live and love that exists within all. Sharing his experiences and ideas about Christ’s words and sacrifice, Hoen uses personal anecdotes and biblical examples to illustrate the nature of Christian belief. He provides a host of examples, including key illustrations from the Bible and relevant source material from other writers who address this topic. He shows us that through sacrifice we live in and for others. That is eternal life. Christianity and Cosmic Consciousness represents the core of Christian teaching without resorting to the supernatural and miraculous, yet doesn’t try to disprove it.

Have you ever experienced writer’s block? If so, how did you handle it?

I don't believe I experienced writer's block, but then I have never been held to a writing schedule with deadlines etc., so that I only wrote when I felt like it.

How did you get to be where you are in your life today?

My background of living under 3 different political systems (communism in the Soviet Union, Nazi and democracy) as well as being exposed to different Christian denominations have influenced my thinking. My wife and my children have helped me to acquire a tangible purpose in life and in my medical profession.

What do you feel makes your book stand out in a crowd?

I think my book has the value of showing the importance of Jesus' teaching and sacrificial death to those who cannot accept the supernatural and miraculous events taught by the Church.

If readers could only take away one thing from your book, what would you like that to be?

Our innermost nature is divine and good, eternal life lies in the realization of that nature that unites everything that exists. Evil is real and necessary for the manifestation of that divine essence.

Alexis Georg Hoen attended medical school in Munich. He immigrated to the United States at age twenty-five, and he practiced medicine in Los Angeles for fifty years. In addition to the study of religion, he enjoys gardening and spending time with his three children and six grandchildren.

In the Spotlight: Scorpio's Kiss by MC Domovitch



Title: SCORPIO’S KISS
Author: MC Domovitch
Publisher: Lansen Publishing
Pages: 588
Genre: Romance

Scorpio's Kiss is a spell-binding tale of love, ambition and greed that will keep the reader turning the pages until its surprise ending. Set in New York and Paris amid the glamorous and competitive worlds of art and real estate, Scorpio's Kiss takes the reader from the late 1940s to the 1960s through the tumultuous lives of its heroes.

There is Alex Ivanov, the son of a Russian immigrant and part-time prostitute. He yearns to escape his sordid life and achieve fame and fortune. His dreams of becoming a world-class builder are met with countless obstacles, yet he perseveres in the hope of someday receiving the recognition he craves.

Half a world away, Brigitte Dartois is an abused teenager who runs into the arms of a benefactor with an agenda all his own. When she finds out that her boss has an ulterior motive, she flees again, determined to earn her living through her art. This career brings her fame, but also the unwanted attention of her early abuser.

Domovitch’s novel is a compelling tale, filled with finely etched characters and a superb understanding of the power of ambition. Scorpio's Kiss promises to resonate with all who once had a dream.

For More Information

  • Scorpio’s Kiss is available at Amazon.
  • Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.
Book Excerpt:
The days were getting shorter. The boy looked up in surprise at the sky, which had suddenly grown dark. He pulled his worn sweater tight against the October chill, blew warm breath into his cupped hands and hurried on. The newspaper bag strung across his shoulders was almost empty. He no longer had to put it down at every street corner to massage his sore back. He was almost home.
Alexander Ivanov lived at the end of the world. To the twelve-year-old, that was exactly what Brooklyn was; the end of the world. Maybe because the one time he had been to the city, what he called Manhattan, it had taken forever on the subway.
Alex hated living in Brooklyn, and never more so than when his mother talked about her youth in Leningrad with tears running down her face. She would revert to Russian, which he didn’t understand, but the passion in her eyes spoke more volubly of the beauty of her old country than words could convey.
Every day on his way back from school, weighed down by the load of newspapers, he passed the same dusty old stores, their signs barely legible from the peeling paint; the same ratty tenement buildings in which people suffocated in the summer and shivered in the winter; the same old women in their ritual wigs and shapeless dresses, vacant and blank expressions of hopelessness etched on their faces. Hopeless, that was how he sometimes felt; and then he would remember Manhattan and feel better. If there was one thing Alex wished for, it was to live in Manhattan. He yearned for Manhattan the way his mother pined for her old country.
Alex walked along Main Street, where pickles marinated in barrels, salamis swung from hooks, and sausages dried in their cotton bags. He was oblivious to the sights and smells around him. One by one, he took the papers from his bag, and with a quick, experienced motion, he threw them. His aim was almost perfect.
Tomorrow was collection day. He would stop at each house along his route and wait while his clients went to get their money. After making change, he would thank each one of them politely even though most never bothered to leave him a tip. His work would take him more than twice as long as on normal delivery days. Still, he looked forward to it. Collection day was when he could go home, count out his profits and decide how much of the money he could save. This week, if all went well, he might reach the fifty-dollar mark in his bank account. Fifty dollars! It was a fortune.
He reached into his bag, pulled out the last newspaper and aimed it with unerring precision at the Kodesky’s front porch. At that moment the door swung open and old man Kodesky stepped out. The paper flew through the air like a projectile and landed with a thud in the startled man’s well-padded stomach.
“Hey, you no-good little piece of shit!” He waved his fist. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Alex did not hear a word. He was a million miles away, dreaming of the day he would escape the hell of living at the end of the world.
Even now, two years later, he could still remember every detail of his trip to Manhattan. After a long subway ride, he’d emerged in the city surrounded by skyscrapers so tall, he could only see the top by looking up high and leaning back. People on the street rushed about in the lightly falling snow, pushing and jostling each other, their arms full of brightly wrapped packages. It was one week before Christmas and there was a dizzying feeling of joy in the air. Alex had been almost drunk from the excitement. This must be what Leningrad was like.
Deep in his dreams of unlimited delights, he walked home. Three blocks later, Alex climbed the stairs to the dingy one-bedroom apartment where he and his mother lived.
Before he was born, his mother had tried to make the apartment look warm and inviting. She hung pretty paper on the walls and crisp curtains over the windows. The furniture was inexpensive but attractive and functional. Whatever nesting instinct had once inspired Marlena Ivanov’s efforts had long disappeared. For the past twelve years she had done nothing more to improve her home. Indeed, she had not done even the most basic of repairs. Over time, the wallpaper had become worn and faded. The curtains lost their freshness and the once attractive furniture became old and shabby. The sour stench of poverty clung to the apartment like old dirt.
Alex closed the door behind him and dropped his canvas bag on the floor. He sniffed the air and wrinkled his nose. From the kitchen came the smell of boiled cabbage.
“Is dat you Alexander? Vere ver you? Is nearly six o’clock and dinner is been ready for hour,” his mother’s heavily accented voice called out from the bathroom. “I getting ready to go out. You vill ave to eat alone.”
Through the thin door came the sound of the toilet flushing. A moment later Marlena appeared wearing a tight pink sweater set and a black satin skirt. Her dark hair was freshly coifed, the marks of the bobby pins still imprinted between each wave. Her mouth was painted crimson in the shape Joan Crawford had made popular a decade earlier. From ten feet away the smell of vodka on her breath was overpowering.
“Will you be coming home by yourself?” asked the boy suspiciously.
“Vat you vant me to do?” She picked up her purse abruptly and threw in her lipstick. “You vant to eat. I not do dis for me. A boy need food to grow big, strong. Someday you understand.” A moment later, she was gone.
Marlena Ivanov was a bitter woman. She made no secret of the fact that raising a boy by herself was a heavy cross to carry, one she deeply resented. Alex sometimes thought his mother hated him almost as much as she did his father. He had never seen his father. He knew, only because his mother repeatedly told him, that Pavel Ivanov had been a gambler and a womanizer. Whatever wages the man had earned, he just as quickly spent on those two vices. The day Alex was born was the day Pavel Ivanov decided that married life was not for him. He disappeared, leaving his seventeen-year-old wife to deal with the struggles of working and raising a son by herself.
After a dinner of cabbage soup, Alex turned off the lights and climbed under his blankets. In the dark, he could clearly see his mother’s empty bed a few feet from his own. He turned his back to it and curled up.
Hours later, the muffled sound of laughter woke him up. The bedroom door swung open and the light turned on.
“Turn dat off. You vake up boy,” his mother ordered in a shrill whisper. The light flicked off. “Das better. I like dark.” She laughed. “Now, come to Marlena.” Clothes rustled. From his cot, in the corner of the room, Alex guessed every gesture, every movement. Old springs creaked. The sounds were loud, magnified by the stillness of the night.
Alex covered his ears. By trying hard, maybe he could keep the noises from reaching him. It was too late. The guilty stirring in his loins had already begun. His mind swirled in a mix of emotions too strong for him to understand. Maybe if he thought of something else. Someday I’ll drive in from the city in a brand new Cadillac. I’ll show them all…
The next morning, Marlena kissed the man goodbye and turned triumphantly to Alex. “See dis?” She pulled out a ten-dollar bill from between her breasts. “Dis can buy food for whole week.”
Alex looked away, embarrassed and ashamed, and returned to the picture he was drawing on the back of his spelling book.

About the Author

Monique Domovitch has had many careers, starting with being one of Canada’s top models. When she retired from modeling she moved on to a career in the financial services as an adviser and
planner, specializing in helping women attain financial freedom. During those years, she was also one of the first women in Canada to host her own national financial television show. During all those years, Monique’s dream was always to someday become a writer. Ten years ago, Monique attended a writer’s conference where the first line of one of her novels was read out loud in a workshop, attracting the attention of a publisher and an agent.

Since that life-changing conference, Monique Domovitch has published nine books, four with Penguin using the pen name Carol Ann Martin, two with Harlequin using her own name, and another two with Lansen Publishing. Scorpio’s Kiss was previously published as two novels, Scorpio Rising and The Sting of the Scorpio. Scar Tissue, her latest, is her ninth novel and she is hard at work on her tenth.

A great believer in the energizing power of writers’ conferences, she says that if not for that first conference she attended, she would not be published today.
For More Information

Friday, June 24, 2016

Interview with Juana M. Ortiz, author of I Made It!

524245_Personalized Banner Ad_L2
 

Inside the Book:

I Made It
Title: I Made It 
Author: Juana M. Ortiz 
Publisher: AuthorHouse 
Genre: Biography 
Format: Ebook/Paperback

Author Juana Ortiz was born with cerebral palsy in the Dominican Republic, a country where prejudice against people with disabilities is strong. In I Made It, Ortiz shares the story of her experiences and struggles throughout her life, particularly her difficulties within the educational system. Through her writing, she seeks to address common misunderstandings that persist with regard to people with disabilities and their enrollment in school and to raise awareness regarding the inclusion of students with disabilities in mainstream classes throughout college. A tale of achieving goals that seemed unreachable, her personal narrative offers hope and inspiration to those looking to live their dreams.

“While this book is both empowering and inspirational, it isn't about cerebral palsy. I Made It is meant to challenge the societal and cultural expectations that are placed on those living with disabilities. Through determination and an unyielding desire to live her life, the author offers a heartfelt glimpse into her life and how she overcame those barriers.” —Cathleen M. Capasso, Disability Advocate

“I Made It is … an eloquent and honest account of overcoming cultural and disability related barriers … As the author writes, ‘following your butterflies.' Full of heart and wisdom, it is a glimpse into the beauty of the human spirit and one woman's determination to live her dreams.” —Carole Tonks, Executive Director Alliance Center for Independence


Could you please tell us a little about your book?

I wanted to show the world that I made it despite the challenges that I was dealing with. I thought these three words together have a strong message. As humans many times we face obstacles that might seems unreachable. Along our journey we encounter people that assuming we will never make it. That happened to me. I chose this title because I feel the need to say I Made It!

Who or what is the inspiration behind this book?

My life experiences. All the obstacles that I had to deal since I was a little girl. Also all the goals that I had accomplish and seemed unreachable.

What cause are you most passionate about and why?

I am very passionate with issues that affect young adults in terms of lack of in their access to a good education in needed communities. The prejudice that stills exists when it comes to people with disability and fitting in our society. I also passionate about gender role. In many parts of the world women’s right are violating. A big percent of young girls don’t access to education and have a high rate of living in poverty and become victim of domestic violence.

Do you have any rituals you follow when you finish a piece of work?

Just try to relax and try to take away for everything that has to do with writing. It is a way to give my mind a brake and avoid to bun out.

Who has influenced you throughout your writing career?

My mentor English Professor and poet Mark Hilliringhouse. He encourage me to write during a time that I lost faith in myself. I didn’t know what I wanted. Through writing I found a purpose.

What are some of your long term goals?

One of my long terms goals is a documental base on my book I Made It. I want to reach the more people possible because the book has a lot potential and it can help out a large population. Run my own non-profit Rainbow of Talent and translate the book to different languages among those Spanish.

Meet the Author:

Juana M. Ortiz was born in the Dominican Republic and has had cerebral palsy since birth. She moved to the United States with her family when she was a teenager and received strong support from her parents, who worked hard to ensure she had a good quality of life. She currently lives in Hawthorne, New Jersey.

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Book Feature: No Good Deed by Auston Habershaw




INSIDE THE BOOK


Title: No Good Deed 
Author: Auston Habershaw 
Publisher: Harper Voyage Impulse 
Pages: 303 
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy 
Format: Ecopy/Paperback

Cursed with a magic ring that forbids skullduggery, Tyvian Reldamar’s life of crime is sadly behind him. Now reduced to fencing moldy relics and wheedling favors from petty nobility, he’s pretty sure his life can’t get any worse.

That is until he hears that his old nemesis, Myreon Alafarr, has been framed for a crime she didn’t commit and turned to stone in a penitentiary garden. Somebody is trying to get his attention, and that somebody is playing a very high-stakes game that will draw Tyvian and his friends back to the city of his birth and right under the noses of the Defenders he’s been dodging for so long. And that isn’t even the worst part. The worst part is that the person pulling all the strings is none other than the most powerful sorceress in the West: Lyrelle Reldamar.

 Tyvian’s own mother.

   photo addtogoodreadssmall_zpsa2a6cf28.png photo B6096376-6C81-4465-8935-CE890C777EB9-1855-000001A1E900B890_zps5affbed6.jpgB&N  

MEET THE AUTHOR

Auston Habershaw is a science fiction and fantasy writer and author of The Saga of the Redeemed (part one to be released by Harper Voyager in February 2015). You can find links to his stuff through Amazon or Goodreads (see the links to your right!). He got second place in the Writers of the Future Contest in the first quarter of 2014 (Volume 31), so he presumably has some idea of what he’s doing (though not the *best* idea, obviously). He’s also an English professor, a pretty good storyteller, and a big time geek. This blog is for him to discuss and explore some of the crazy ideas that are usually kicking around in his head, throw out some of his homemade RPGs for people to use or see, advertise his budding writing career, and see just what this whole ‘blog’ thing is about. Enjoy!

facebook (2)Twittergoodreads
Click to visit website

TOUR SCHEDULE

 Monday, June 20 - Book featured at 3 Partners in Shopping
Book featured at Voodoo Princess
Tuesday, June 21 - Guest blogging at Celebrate with a Book
Wednesday, June 22 - Book featured at The Bookworm Lodge
Book featured at My Bookish Pleasures
Thursday, June 23 - Book featured at A Title Wave
Book featured at The Review From Here
Friday, June 24 - Interviewed at Deal Sharing Aunt
________
Monday, June 27 - Guest blogging at Bookjunkie's Book Blog
Book featured at Literal Exposure
Tuesday, June 28 - Book featured at Cover2Cover
Book featured at The Dark Phantom
Wednesday, June 29 - Book featured at Mello and June
Book featured at Bound 2 Escape
Thursday, June 30 - Interviewed at Infinite House of Books
Book featured at Lover of Literature
Friday, July 1 - Interviewed at I'm Shelf-ish
Book featured at Book Cover Junkie
________
 

Book Feature: The Prevention of Crohn's Disease by Gilles R. G. Monif M.D.

711761_Tour-Banner_L1

Inside the Book:

The Prevention of Crohn's Disease
Title: The Prevention of Crohn's Disease 
Author: Gilles R.G. Monif, M.D. 
Publisher: AuthorHouse 
Genre: Health 
Format: Ebook

Prior to 1936, Crohn’s disease was a rare and unrecognized disease entity. Today, the United States is the midst of a rapidly growing epidemic. It is estimated that between 800,000 and 1.2 million citizens are currently afflicted. The unanswered question is WHY? In the 1990s, circumstantial scientific data inferred a potential causal relationship between Crohn’s disease in humans and mycobacterial pathogen in domestic animals, Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP). When it was documented that MAP survived pasteurization and was potentially present in milk, infant formula, and powdered milk, a global precautionary alarm button should have been pushed by those who govern in the public trust. PREVENTION OF CROHN’S DISEASE describes MAP’s journey across the zoonotic bridge between animals and humans and the unique circumstances by which it allegedly produces disease.
ORDER INFORMATION
The Prevention of Crohn's Disease is available for order at
amazon

Meet the Author:

Gilles R. G. Monif, M.D. has served as Special Interest Consultant for Infectious Diseases to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. A world recognized leader in infectious diseases that affect women and their unborn infants, he co-founded the Infectious Disease Society for Obstetrics and Gynecology. His text book Infectious Diseases in Obstetrics and Gynecology, currently in its sixth edition, is the standing reference text for the discipline.


Book Feature: The Jungle Within by Charles M.





Title: The Jungle Within
Author: Charles M.
Publisher: Createspace
Pages: 308
Genre: Drama/Suspense

When Evan and Katie said “I do”, they expected to navigate life together side-by-side. But when a car accident and a tawdry affair disrupt life as they know it, Evan and Katie are forced to venture on alternate paths, alone. In the darkest depths of an unforgiving coma, Evan fights to survive the treacherous jungle of his mind. He embarks on a spiritual journey to understand the meaning of life and the beauty of death…forcing him to face his deepest fear. Meanwhile, Katie ventures through her own guilt. On a strenuous moral journey, she juggles the consequences of infidelity and the strain of caring for her unresponsive husband. But are their paths truly separate? Or are they simply on parallel journeys that are destined to converge?

For More Information

  • The Jungle Within is available at Amazon.
  • Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

Book Excerpt:

As Evan coasted along Highway 50, the hills rolled alongside him. Fall oak brush set the canvas on a cold, winter afternoon. The old wooden-post fence along the road looked as though a strong breeze might blow it over. The overgrown grass reached the bottom wire of the fence and was a hybrid mix of greens and yellows. Not much else was alive in the patches of open grass among the crowded trees. In an hour there would be dew frozen to the grass, and the cold westerly wind would chill everything to a frozen standstill.
Evan cruised at a steady sixty-five miles per hour as he jammed out to Bob Seger’s “Still the Same.” It was his song in college and no matter how many times he listened to it, he never tired of it. Evan’s thumbs thumped on the steering wheel to the rhythm of the song as his head bobbed back and forth. He sang along in falsetto, which would have warranted many jeers from those unfortunate enough to be within earshot. His clunky car was a bit older than most, but it was his, bought and paid for, and he made good time in it. It cut through the winter air as the sun was starting to set. Long, dark shadows nearly covered the car, but a few streaks of light managed to break through the sky, reflecting the now-red sun.
Forty miles away a doe was bedded down in the deep scrub oak, getting ready to make her rounds in an all-night grazing-fest. She licked her front legs and cleaned her nose with her tongue. She took her time, as though there were no natural predators of which to be concerned. In this neck of the woods, the only thing she had to fear was man. Man and his gun and his automobiles. She rose slowly, stretched her back legs long, and shook her ears rather violently. If only humans could sleep so well and wake so gracefully. As she breathed out and perked up her big ears to locate danger, her hot exhale mixed with the cold air outside, producing a visible sign of her presence. The setting sun was dropping at a brisk pace, causing its rays to lose their power.
Evan had graduated from college and landed an entry-level position at a marketing firm. Within a few years his outgoing personality moved him higher up the food chain. Everything appeared to be great in his life except for one thing…he was unhappy. He didn’t seem to fit into the normal molds that most people did. He dared to be different. He had the feeling, deep inside him, that he was meant for greater things; he was meant to have an impact. Without knowing his purpose, he felt lost. The thing that motivated him the most was his search for that elusive answer. That, and his deepest, darkest fear. Evan blocked out those thoughts and recalled pondering life’s questions about where he belonged and what his destiny was when he met Katie. The woman who would be the love of his life.
Evan could picture that meeting like it was yesterday. He was staring at her from across the coffee shop. Katie had the most beautiful face, with big, round, brown eyes and fair skin. Her dirty-blonde hair had been lightened by the summer sun. She was bubbly, enchanting, and when she smiled at him, he knew. She bravely made the trek between the tables to ask him out. She was bold that day, and he was glad she was. Evan might not have made the moves on his own.
Evan was handsome. He was about six feet tall with marble-like blue eyes and light brown hair. He had a slender, but athletic figure. He looked like the all-American boy. He exuded confidence and always appeared in-command, but on the inside, he was shaking.
Theirs was a typical marriage that began with a nice beach wedding in Florida. Both families got along well enough, and Evan and Katie looked like the happy couple in the picture that comes with the frame. Meadows with white flowers, smiles as wide as the sky, and hands locked together as if welded. Not a blade of grass or hair out of place.
Shortly after graduating and getting married, Katie began her career as a government welfare officer for a program that provided less-fortunate families with housing and food. This may have been the main reason that they didn’t have any kids yet. It nearly broke her heart every time she saw those poor children with runny noses and stains all over their clothes. They looked at her and made her feel guilty for all that she had. She would look them in the eye briefly, and then drop her head, knowing it was a staring contest she could never win. The children’s eyes were hard and unwavering. Those cold little eyes struck something deep within her, and drove Katie to help others because she wanted to help herself. She wanted to fix other people’s problems because she wanted to fix her own.
Like all married couples, they’d changed in many ways those first few years. While Evan had maintained his all-American boy-next-door appearance, he’d begun to notice those early tell-tale signs he wasn’t a college kid anymore. Katie claimed to be ten pounds heavier than she wanted to be, but he could never tell. In a world where every eye judges like they’re God, Katie never seemed to feel like she measured up. Lack of self-confidence was her downfall. Evan never cared about any of her perceived shortcomings. He thought she was beautiful, as did most everyone else. He told her constantly that she was perfect and all that he ever wanted, but it never quite filled her need for attention from others. This was the reason that while Evan drove down the road, happy-go-lucky and high on life, Katie was in the corner of a dimly-lit bar having a drink and flirting with Dylan.
The sun was nearly setting while the deer moved east. Evan was headed due north. A car zoomed past Evan, the first one he’d seen in a while. He’d moved on from reminiscing and was in the middle of a daydream, hoping that one day he and Katie could have children. They were financially stable and the timing was right, but they never seemed to be able to get it done. Still, when he was alone in times like this, he often thought of what it would be like to throw a baseball with his son or take his daughter to ballet class, making it to every game and every recital without fail. Katie worked hard and often long hours, but Evan was the one practicing for the days of family suppers and game night.
While Evan drifted deeper into la-la land, the deer was fifty yards from the road to his left. She quickly lifted her head from grazing; something caught her attention. She sensed danger and her fight-or-flight response kicked in as she trotted off with graceful legs carrying her quickly. She jumped the old wooden fence with ease. A vibrating phone made a distinct rattling sound in Evan’s cupholder. He looked down to see a text from Katie. Dinner with the program directors tonight. Be home around 10. Love you. Just as Evan looked up, the deer was in the middle of the road, not more than twenty-five feet in front of him.
It seemed like everything happened in slow-motion. Evan slammed his head into the back of the headrest, his hands in a white-knuckle death-grip on the steering wheel. The deer stood frozen in the middle of the road. Evan’s immediate response was to turn the steering wheel hard to the right. As the car tires led the car to the right, obeying Evan’s command, the driver’s side mirror ever-so-gently brushed against the hair on the ear of the frozen female deer. The car whizzed by her and off into the ditch. She twitched her right ear as if only a fly had landed on it and gave the same look of disapproval that an old lady gives a kid who flies past her on his bike.
Evan was ejected from the car but managed to escape from it rolling on him. He was propped up against a pile of oak brush. His labored breathing resonated in the cold air around him. Blood from a cut on his eyebrow trickled down his face, running into his mouth. The twisting of metal and flinging of dirt was enough to scare the deer off. A squeak from a wobbly hubcap rubbing against a branch kept on and on as if the friction that should slow it down was miles away. The left headlight shined as bright as ever, illuminating the dust settling in the beam like sediments in a vintage wine. That same beam shone right on Evan, his warm breath clearly visible in the cold, dark night. It all happened so perfectly. It was surely meant to be, as if fate wouldn’t have it any other way.

About the Author


Despite growing up in a small town, I always knew I was destined for bigger things. At age eighteen, I enlisted in the US Navy, a move that allowed me to see the world and explore my passion for life. After 6 years and an honorable discharge, I settled into civilian life, earning my Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and an MBA in Technology Management.

Always eager to challenge myself with new and different roles, I took on the role of “Author,” writing my debut novel among the roles of full-time engineer, local business owner, and family man. But, I have no plans to stop there!

I am an avid outdoorsman, enjoy camping, hiking, snowboarding, shooting, and fishing, making the Land of Enchantment an ideal place to call home.

I look forward to sharing my novel and experiences with all of you!

Charles’ latest book is the drama/suspense, The Jungle Within.

For More Information