Book Blast: Siba - The Eternal Quest

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

 

An epic journey of adventure, heroism, and self-exploration through the eyes of a teenage boy named Siba.

Siba’s life takes an exciting turn when his pet parrot takes him to a magical forest. He explores the mysterious forest-dwellers and the precious ancient wisdoms of the fantasy world when a sudden tragedy jeopardizes life on earth. To save the world, he must embark on a legendary journey to the Pole Star.

Siba encounters many mythical creatures and numerous thrilling challenges that jolt him to his core. They leave burning questions in his mind about the world and his own existence. He must dive into the dark labyrinths of his mind, for the last hope of saving humanity seems to be hidden there.

Can he solve the mysteries of the mystical world and his inner world? Can he complete his journey to the Pole Star and save the world?

A perfect blend of fantasy, mysticism, and spirituality that explores the answer to the eternal question – Who Am I?

Read an Excerpt

“Watch your left!” shouted the leader of the golden eagles. Before the angel could maneuver to his right, blinding lightning struck across the dark clouds, just missing his left wing. The very next moment, deafening thunder numbed everything. The angel and the accompanying eagles held their nerves and pushed through the expanding wall of clouds. The leader of the eagles anticipated growing dangers and feared they would get lost. He yelled, “I can’t help you if I can’t see where we are going. The storm is escalating into a tornado. We won’t be able to withstand these powerful winds for long. Everyone, move up above the thunderstorm. We’ll resume our journey from there.”

The angel and the eagles listened to the leader’s call and flew up above the clouds. Looking down on the thundering clouds, the leader took a deep sigh of relief. He quickly turned his head toward the others to check their condition. “What happened to your wings?” the shocked leader screamed at the angel.

The angel looked instinctively on his sides. There were no wings but flapping arms. A sudden gush of panic infused in him as he realized he was just a boy and not an angel. Right away, the horrified boy fell into the dark mushrooming clouds, screaming from the bottom of his gut. His arms and legs kept flailing in despair until he disappeared into the dark swirling storm.

About the Author:B. Singh grew up in a small city, Chandigarh, located near the foothills of the mighty Himalayas in northwest India. Since his childhood, he has always had an inquisitive mindset. He doesn’t settle for the pre-existing answers if they don’t make sense to him. Instead, he explores, experiments, and finds the answer himself. He has traveled across India from north to south not only for his education but also to explore different cultures and values. To continue his journey of exploration, he moved from India to Canada. After graduating from the University of Windsor, Canada, he conceived the idea of compiling his learnings in the form of a spiritual fantasy book. This well-crafted and awe- inspiring adventurous journey into a fantasy world is full of chiseled gems of wisdom that will enrich the lives of every human being on earth.

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TMST #19: December 2022 Tells

  

Hello All !

It's been a while. I missed each week this month, but I still wanted to answer each question.

6th = Which character from a book would you like to be friends with and why? 

A: Kell Maresh.  (Shades of Magic Trilogy)

I think it would be cool to know a magician with his amount of power.

13th = Do you have a favorite quote/s from a book?

 ACOL quotes

 

20th = What are your favorite holiday-centric movies? Do you rewatch them every December?

• Planes Trains and Automobiles

• Home Alone

• National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 

(Yes I Do)

*** Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That's What I'm Talking About

Book Blast: Blood of the Hunted

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Marc Micciola will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The Resistance Is Rising

Weylyn, Olwen, and other members of the marginalized and subjugated group known as the Tóráin are trying every day to gain equality and freedom. Their enemies, which consist of vile human monarchs, their soldiers, and a masked witch assassin known only as The Dove, continue to tighten their grip around the necks of the Tóráin.

Leading The Resistance, Weylyn and Olwen endure many trials that test them physically and mentally, relying on their loved ones to keep them from losing hope. They both wish to see a time of equality and peace, but to achieve that requires more than what they have. Desperation leads The Resistance to find new allies all across the continent of Kosavros with the goal of finally defeating their oppressive Their fight for freedom and respect leads Weylyn and Olwen down paths that open their eyes to new dangers, both involving themselves and the rest of the world. However, they do not waiver. For the Tóráin are known for their resilience, and they have already endured much. What comes next will be hard, but they’re ready to fight for their lives. Together.

Read an Excerpt

It was rare to hear someone sing a song in our language. One, because most soldiers liked to arrest you for doing so, and two, because not many even knew our old ways of speaking anymore. Once the hunting of the Tóráin was over, humans made sure to strip away whatever connection we had to our homeland. They tossed everyone under the age of twenty into schools to be taught the common language. Some were even forced to learn their country’s native tongue as well. If you spoke our language in public, you were beaten or imprisoned, or both. Some families resisted this aggressive conformity and taught their children Séúbua as well as many other things.

My mother was a stubborn sprite, and her mother was an even greater pain in the ass. They were both smart enough to keep such things secretive, but they taught my siblings and me as much as they could about our old home. Songs, recipes, stories; everything was taught in our language. I used to quietly sing for my parents when I was young, and when I got older, I became brazen and sang at bars and inns that called themselves safe havens for the Tóráin. It was risky to sing these songs in public, even in a place that claimed to be safe, but I still did it. I felt proud to do it. I stopped a long time ago though, and my reason for doing so was clawing to the forefront of my mind.

About the Author:

Marc R. Micciola lives in Ontario, Canada with his two dogs Rielly and Ace. He has a great passion for hockey, movies, and books. He possesses a book collection consisting of a multitude of fantasy stories. Many of these novels are from his favorite authors: Mark Lawrence, George R. R. Martin, Tom Lloyd, and J. R. R. Tolkien. His prize possessions are his two replica swords from the Lord of the Rings films and his growing number of fountain pens. When Marc isn’t writing, he’s spending time with his dogs, his family, and his friends. Photography and wood art are overseers.

other things that Marc enjoys doing. Marc’s goal when writing any book is to put together a story that is enjoyable, emotional, and intriguing. If the words on the page make you feel something, then this author feels he’s done his job.

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Book Blast: The Adventures of a Southern (Baptist) Buddhist

 GENRE: Non-Fiction, Autobiography

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

BLURB:

This true story is about a girl who is born up north; into a conservative, 

fundamentalist/evangelical family—but then becomes a Liberal Buddhist.

Her family moves back to their roots in the Appalachian south, where Pam is molested by her 

grandfather. She later owns her sexuality by becoming promiscuous; beginning a pattern of 

serial dating, marrying, and divorcing.

She is first married at 18 to another 18-year-old, who gives her a beautiful son—but he is a 

redneck and they have nothing else in common. Her second husband is a talented musician but 

turns out to like sex with men. Her third husband speaks five languages and is a Pakistani, but 

he beats her up. Her fourth husband is a chef who makes delicious meals but turns out to be a 

felon and a crackhead. Finally, the love of her life neglects to tell Pam for seven years that he is 

married.

In the meantime, Pam completes two degrees and works as a counselor, and then 20 years as 

a hospice social worker. She begins her hospice career in Southern California, where she has 

moved to get away from the DEEP South. That is where she converts to Buddhism. From that 

point, she begins to look inward for the answers to her questions about life’s meaning. 

Pam leaves the country after two failed relationships, some years apart. She spends a year 

teaching English in South Korea and goes from there to Pakistan with her third husband. In 

between, her dad dies and Pam reconnects and bonds with her mom, backpacking on the 

Appalachian Trail. When she leaves the love of her life, she goes on Pilgrimage to India and 

Nepal. The meaning of her life is coming into focus.

At the end of the book, Pam goes on a trek in the Himalayas, on the Annapurna Circuit. Just 

over the three-mile high pass is a magical Pure Land in Muktinath, with a Buddhist temple that 

is dedicated to the female Buddha Vajrayogini. With a new perspective, Pam has the realization 

that her Enlightenment is ensured; she WILL become a Buddha someday.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT:

I was born on a Sunday and attended my first (of many) church services that Wednesday. My

first memory was gazing up at a bright globe of light, mesmerized. It was a church light and I

was a babe in mom’s arms.

At the end of many sermons, our beloved pastor would give an altar call. Many would go down

to the altar (a bench that one knelt before and prayed). I remember it sounded like a loud

beehive: the sounds of many praying out loud; crying, shouting and whispering all over the

church.

I would look around, noting the distress and fervor on the parishioner’s faces. At that point, no

one was paying any attention to us kids. It seemed endless. Toward the end, someone might

‘feel the spirit’ and start jumping around or even running up and down the aisles, shouting

joyfully:

“Hallelujah!”

“Thank you, Jesus!”

After that, folks would be called to stand up and testify about what God had done for them.

The standard testimony for us kids was:

“I love Jesus with all my heart and I want to go all the way with him.”

We were ‘saved’ after confessing our sins and letting Jesus into our hearts as our Savior.

There was another, higher level, called being ‘sanctified.’ That was when the Holy Spirit entered

you. I was saved at about five years old; sanctified at about nine. I felt full of the love of Jesus

and began reading The Bible and praying.

Pamela McConnell, MSW, LCSW was raised in a fundamentalist/ evangelical Christian church

and family. At age 34 she converted formally to Buddhism. She has recently completed a

Pilgrimage in India and Nepal. Earlier, she spent two years in Asia: a year teaching English in S. Korea and a year in Pakistan with her 3rd husband. She worked as a counselor after earning a

B.S. in Psychology. She worked as a hospice social worker for the last 20 years of her career

after earning an MSW degree and becoming licensed as an LCSW. She is an avid backpacker 

and trekker, having done 500 miles on the Appalachian Trail and more than half of the 

Annapurna Circuit in the Himalayas. 

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Excerpt Tour: Light, Dark, and the Electromagnetic Spectrum

 GENRE: Non-Fiction (SCIENCE / Physics)

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

BLURB:

Since the dawn of time, electromagnetic energy has permeated through the universe,

surrounding and interacting with everything it touches, illuminating, destroying and giving life.

The colourful section of the electromagnetic spectrum we see in the form of visible light,

rainbows and other phenomena is tiny when compared to its vast entirety. Using many parts of

the electromagnetic spectrum have become common everyday occurrence for the majority of

people on Earth, as it's been integrated into our lives in ways that we don't even think twice

about it.

This book illuminates many parts of the electromagnetic spectrum and its effects, the endless

ways we have harnessed its energy, and how we interact and live with its influence.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 

EXCERPT:

Fireworks

Everyone loves fireworks, but how do they produce light and colour? Whether the fireworks are

ground operating or aerial shells propelled into the air before they explode, the colours are

generally made with the same chemicals and compounds.

The first fireworks come from ancient times at approximately 200 B.C. with the outer casing

made from bamboo. They have changed and evolved over thousands of years to what they are

today with many different shapes and colours.

The Colours of Fireworks

Colours from fireworks are formed by either incandescence or luminescence. Incandescent light

is produced when a substance is heated so much that it begins to glow. The exact temperature

can be adjusted to create differently coloured light from the same material.

The light is produced from electrons inside atoms. The electrons absorb energy from heat,

moving them to an excited state. The electrons, wanting to return to their original lower-energy

state, release coloured photons (light), corresponding to the chemical or metal the atoms are

made from.

Listed below are some of the common metals and chemicals associated with the creation of

coloured light in fireworks manufacture.

White – magnesium, aluminium, titanium

Gold – incandescence of iron (with carbon), charcoal, or lampblack Silver – extremely hot

magnesium and aluminium

Red – strontium salts, lithium salts, lithium carbonate (Li2 C03) Bright Red – strontium

carbonate (SrC03)

Orange – calcium salts, calcium chloride (CaCI2)

Yellow – sodium salts, sodium chloride (NaCI)

Green – barium chloride (BaCI2)

Blue – copper chloride (CuCI)

Purple – strontium and copper mix

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Scott's passion for light and the electromagnetic spectrum began in his early teens while

tinkering with electronics as a hobby. He was formally introduced to the lighting industry while

studying Electrical and Electronics in Sydney, Australia, and in 1998 he started his career

making custom light fittings and lamps in his dad's garage. Formal lighting design qualifications

expanded his opportunity to help project-manage and design on many industry levels.

Twenty-two years on, and Scott has worked on many major infrastructure, commercial and

architectural lighting projects. He is a member of the Illuminating Engineering Society of

Australia & New Zealand, the Colour Society of Australia, the International Dark Sky Association

and the Astronomical Society of the Pacific.

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Sunday Post #91: 800+ Posts

 Happy December All !

It has been a while. I just thought that I would mention my blog has over 800 posts. 

The holiday season is the same time every year. Yet it seems as if it arrived very fast. Or is it just me?

Post Rewind

📌 October 28th = VBT: Stairway to Heaven

📌 31st = VBT: Searching

📌 November 10th = Book Blast: Avalon

📌 25th = VBT: Love Tools

📌 30th = Excerpt Tour: The Park Street Secrets 

Currently Reading 

📖 Shadow Kissed (by: Rebecca Garcia) = page 121

*** If you don't have anything to say about this week's topic, you can comment on any other part of the post or just say "hi".

*** I am always having to edit many of my posts. If I made any grammar mistakes, I will eventually fix them.

*** The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Excerpt Tour: The Park Street Secrets

by Yvonne Van Lankveld

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GENRE: Contemporary Fiction

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

A historic government office and police station in Niagara Falls, Ontario is redeveloped into seven condominiums. Some new residents have ties to its cultural heritage, while others bring secrets to keep there.

Siblings Lily and Rose must cohabit for one year or lose their inheritance, despite their animosity toward each other. Gracie Sheehan is determined to make a fresh start after many unexpected events force her to question her values and life goals. Young lovers move down the hall from a self-serving customs broker who always gets whom and what he wants.

Mix these unique characters with a medley of others, add a building manager with secrets of his own, and discover how Park Street becomes a chaotic blend of love, betrayal and the need for human connection.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT (Exclusive Excerpt):

Mitch hesitantly accepted her offer to complete his report at her kitchen table. She watched him quietly as he rambled through a standard series of scripted questions. He reassured her repeatedly that she was safe. She wore the same ivory flannel housecoat which smelled of the same detergent she used when they were married. When she leaned forward, he caught a whiff of her hair, clean and slightly damp from her bath. She always bathed at night, and based on her scent, still used the same soap. She was barefoot, and he saw her toenails were painted pink. Something new. She never painted them before. She watched him looking at her feet. 

“The boys gave me a gift certificate. They said I needed to do something nice for myself,” she said. 

He looked around and remembered. Memories, lots of them, including endless arguments in this kitchen. 

“They were right,” Mitch replied, as he felt a small stirring, unexpected and unprovoked. 

Georgia felt it, too, and as quickly as their eyes met, they both looked away. Mitch stood up and put his empty coffee cup, the same one he had used for years, among the dirty dishes in the sink. Georgia stayed in her chair, her back towards him. He inhaled the scent of her hair and paused. An unexplained, stupid thing to do. No reason for it. He thanked her for the coffee.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yvonne Van Lankveld's love of words began in childhood. As a nurse, her writing skills earned her acclaim in many clinical settings, however she never lost her desire to become an author.

The Park Street Secrets is her second novel, which she wrote during the pandemic. Her first book, The Road to Alright was originally published in 2019. She is working on her third fiction novel, Follow Polly's Lane. Yvonne lives in Ridgeville, Ontario with her husband.

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VBT: Love Tools

by Isobel Reed 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

GENRE: Contemporary Romance ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 BLURB:

When city girl Lily shows up in Bluestone County, cocky cowboy Jake reckons it won’t be long

until she hightails it back to London. It didn’t matter that his heartrate spiked whenever she was

nearby. Or that he couldn’t get her out of his head. Because Jake was the king of casual and

Lily was apparently the queen of picking the wrong men. 

 

Excerpt:

“You about done checking me out darlin’ or do ya want me to turn around and show you the

back?” Her face flamed as her eyes flicked back up to his face and she caught sight of his cocky

grin. Before she could attempt to deny what she’d been doing, his expression turned more

serious as he took his turn running his eyes up and down her. “I didn’t know Matt had a

daughter.”

Surprise, surprise.

“No s***. He wasn’t exactly father of the year.”

Lily couldn’t help but think of the irony. Her father had become friends with some guy young

enough to be his son, yet he still couldn’t quite be bothered to pick up the phone and call his

own daughter.

His smile became crooked as his glare intensified. “You always swear like a trucker, darlin’?

Here, I thought English women were all class and manners.”

Is he being serious?

Letting out a huff, she couldn’t believe the nerve of this guy, “I’m sorry, have I stepped into the

past? Are you gonna ask me why a little woman like me isn’t married next?”

“Alright sweetheart, calm down.” He sniggered, clearly amused by the steam coming out of her

ears.

Stepping closer to him, she tilted her head up to meet his gaze. “I’m not or will I ever be your

sweetheart. Now if you don’t mind, you need to get the hell out of my store before I call the

police.”

Isobel was born and raised in London. She still lives along the River Thames with her husband

and her substantial book collection. Ever the hopeless romantic, she fell in love with the genre

from a young age and was inspired to write her own stories. When she's not feasting on

romantic comedies or binge reading her hoard of contemporary romance novels, Isobel is

writing.

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Book Blast: Avalon

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Vanessa Morgan will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Avalon is now also available in French!

Some cats need nine lives to make a difference. Avalon only needed one.

From Amazon bestselling author Vanessa Morgan, Avalon is the heartwarming and once-in-a-lifetime love story of a girl and her neurotic Turkish Van cat.

With humor, the author details how Avalon made other creatures cringe in distress whenever he was around, how he threw her dates out by means of special techniques, and how he rendered it almost impossible for her to leave the house. Avalon was so incorrigible that even the landlord ordered to get rid of him. But beneath Avalon's demonic boisterousness, Vanessa recognized her own flaws and insecurities, and she understood that abandoning Avalon would be the worst she could do to him.Thanks to her unswerving loyalty, Avalon transformed into a tender feline and even landed a major role in a horror movie. In turn, Avalon made it his mission to be there for his human companion.

Avalon is a memoir for anyone who has ever been obsessively in love with a pet.

Read an Excerpt

Ignoring the neighbors’ cats had diminished Avalon's jealousy, but with four more beings in the apartment demanding my devotion, Avalon's reality was still a far cry from his personal utopia, and new pet peeves were routinely added to his usual problem-seeking behavior.

Small changes often caused major disturbances. When we removed a DVD from the cupboard, or put a pen on the living room table that he wasn’t used to seeing there, Avalon pitched himself near the problem area and vocalized his complaints as if he was a muezzin calling to prayer. He only stopped if the space returned back to normal.

Intelligent and calculating as he was, Avalon had also developed a technique to prevent Ballon and Tigris from using his litter boxes. Each time he heard the scratch scratch scratch in the litter, he settled into attack mode behind the bathroom wall, wiggled his behind, and leapt onto the other cat as soon as it emerged, making it jump. It worked every...single... time. Proud, Avalon walked away from the crime scene with his nose pointing airwards.

Borat, our guinea pig, was initially the best one off, but ended up the most miserable. What kept him safe at first was Avalon’s fear of rodents. Cats may be considered deadly predators, killing a median of 2.4 billion birds and 12.3 billion mammals a year in the United States alone, but whenever Borat had free range inside the apartment, Avalon went in a large circle around him, avoiding him at all cost.

Eventually, Avalon ferreted out a way to make Borat twinge in distress whenever he approached. It started when I taught Avalon not to throw up on the bed and carpets. Those lessons must have been meaningful, because Avalon didn’t vomit in those places anymore. Instead he aimed for the guinea pig'shead. As soon as he felt a hairball mounting, Avalon ran as fast as he could toward Borat's cage, leaned in, and puked his heart out.

About the Author:

Vanessa Morgan is the editor of the movie reference guides When Animals Attack: The 70 Best Horror Movies with Killer Animals, Strange Blood: 71 Essays on Offbeat and Underrated Vampire Movies, and Evil Seeds: The Ultimate Movie Guide to Villainous Children. She also has had one cat book (Avalon) and four supernatural thrillers (Drowned Sorrow, The Strangers Outside, A Good Man, and Clowders) published. Three of her stories have been turned into movies. She has written for myriad Belgian magazines and newspapers and introduces movie screenings at several European film festivals. She is also a programmer for the Offscreen Film Festival in Belgium. When she's not working on her latest book, you can find her reading, watching movies, eating out, or photographing felines for her blog Traveling Cats.

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VBT: Searching

by Rachel Graves

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

GENRE: Urban Fantasy 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

BLURB:

A dragon terrified of being discovered by the government, Ravenna Drake is constantly on the 

move. When the woman who raised her gets cancer, Ravenna trades her nomadic work 

restoring black market magical goods for a steady job. But her cautious life ends after her name 

is found at the scene of a werewolf murder.

Dr. Ian Chen, a sorcerer bonded to a powerful relic, works for the government treating 

supernatural citizens. He insists on investigating when his patient’s body is discovered 

completely drained of blood. His search leads him to the beautiful but frustrating Ravenna 

Drake, who refuses to stay away from the case or follow his instructions.

As more bloodless bodies surface, threats from secret societies and corrupt politicians force the 

dragon and the sorcerer to work together. If Ravenna and Ian can’t catch the killer, the people 

they love the most may be the next to die.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

EXCERPT

His foot reached out to blur the circle and the ghost changed. Agony forced every other emotion 

aside. He couldn’t breathe, a heavy weight settled on his chest. Panic set in as he wheezed, his 

heart racing the way hers had raced. Was he experiencing her last minutes or just panicking at 

the emotions? Could he trust himself? Darkness started to crowd the edges of his vision. Not 

enough air. Sweat broke out along his back. Somewhere, Cloak was saying something, but he 

couldn’t hear it over the pounding of blood in his ears. He was going to die here. The blackness 

got closer.“No.” The flood of emotions stopped immediately, as Drake stepped in front of him. “That’s not

how this works. You don’t get to scream at him.”

His head throbbed, stinging like acid dripping down his face, but he could breathe again. The

darkness receded. The first thing he saw was Drake moving into the center of the stain, acting

as if the blood wasn’t there.

“I’ll give you enough energy to manifest, but start screaming again and I will end you, even if we

haven’t heard a damn thing you’ve got to say. Understand?” She paused, then reached her

hand out. A shaft of sunlight came in through the window and her hand seemed to glow. Then

the end of it disappeared, replaced with a chest. The shape grew outward, a filmy light turning

into a woman. The process took less than a minute, and he heard the sheriff whisper to God.

“Dr. Chen, she can talk to you now.” Drake said it with a very deliberate emphasis on the word

talk. Whatever the ghost intended, it wasn’t going to stand up to her. A deep surge of gratitude

coursed through him.

~~~~~~~~~~

 AUTHOR :

Rachel Graves writes mysteries that blend the supernatural with steamy, sexy scenes. Her work

explores the many shades of gray found between the lines of right and wrong. Rachel's books

focus on strong heroines who take charge of their own fate, their friends, and their families.

Rachel is a member of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and uses research skills

honed getting a graduate degree in psychology to seek out rare folklore and magical creatures.

Her writing incorporates popular monsters like vampires and werewolves as well as diverse

creatures like selkies and yuki onna. Rachel has lived in a cursed town, taken far too many

ghost tours, and counts down to every Halloween starting in November. You can read short

stories and learn more about her on her

 Website

Giveaway

VBT: Stairway to Heaven

GENRE: Fantasy 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

BLURB:

Corporal Jack Graven should be dead. Murdered by a vengeful angel at his own father's

funeral, Jack is resurrected and returns to life carrying a terrible secret: he is the Archangel

Gabriel reincarnated.

Jack's not the only one with secrets. His older brother, Lieutenant Colonel Tyler Graven "Demon

of Kyoto", has just inherited his father's fortune and legacy as Lord of War, with no intention of

stopping there: Tyler will someday rule the world.

The brothers reunite their elite military unit, “The Four Horsemen,” with Tyler’s longtime flame

Colonel Diana Levitas and the mysterious Lance Corporal Jin Xialong. Together they seek to

uncover the truth of Jack’s past life and propel Tyler to his impossible destiny.

Thrust into a supernatural war, the Gravens find salvation through the Black Muramasa, a

cursed black katana and the only weapon that can destroy immortals. As they uncover more

mysteries behind the ancient blade, they come face to face with the Devil himself, but in the

most familiar of faces. Their pasts, presents, and futures all linked, the Four Horsemen must

end the war once and for all to survive with their souls intact. Failing could mean the end of the

world.

A follow up to the explosive first book in the Ballad of Fallen Angels series, “Sympathy for the

Devil,” Book 2 is an action-packed, gun-slinging adventure that packs the punch of a military

thriller with high-stakes supernatural intrigue. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Excerpt:

Before the man could blink, I pulled the twin Berettas from their holsters, my fingers hammering

the triggers. Time for a bloodbath.

I had died once, and it wasn’t pleasant. An angel had swooped from the sky and smashed

through my chest as if it were thin wallpaper at my father’s funeral. Since then, I realized,

amongst other things, that I could move with godlike speed as necessary, which saved me from

anguish on most occasions. The drug dealer's trigger squeeze stretched longer than the instant

it took me to draw and fire, as I rolled to the right while dodging the threat of the man’s final

shots. I fired several more times before he could accomplish the same feat.

He was the first to die.

I could feel the rounds closing in on me furiously, like an angry storm of tiny projectiles absent of

remorse. I leapt forward into a dive and rolled to dodge several of them, sprinting to cover

behind a cluster of barrels in the room’s corner. I would regenerate if anything pierced my

armor, but after taking quite a few rounds over the years I realized pain was never enjoyable. A

roomful of men would soon learn a powerful lesson: everyone is a hero until it’s time to reload.

Unfortunately for the amateurs before me, they had begun firing simultaneously, and thus would

be incapacitated in tandem while reloading.

A few seconds could stretch into a lifetime.

~~~~~~~~~~

Author Bio:

Alex Stevens is a Marine Corps Veteran with two deployments and a graduate of the University

of Nevada, Las Vegas Interdisciplinary Studies program, a unique undergraduate degree that

caters to students with various interests of study. He is also an advent traveler and philosophy

enthusiast who has spent a lifetime studying religions, with a focus on Non-denominational

Christianity. Alex spends most of his time going for walks, spending time with loved ones, and

when the juices are flowing, writing. Fantasy fiction is his great escape from the mundane and

he likes to create fantastical realities that are blended with non-fictional people, places, and

event

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Sunday Post #90: Fluid Art 6

 

Hello All! 

I finally got the results I was looking for from one paint pouring method. What do you think? Feel? See? Any interpretation?

If you wish check out my Instagram page for my art .... @stoukhan84_art

Post Rewind

📌 Sept. 27th = Book Blast: An Amish Christmas Star

📌 Oct 6th = Book Blast: In the Mood

📌 13th = Book Blast: Daughter of Belial

📌 14th = Book Blast: Cause for Elimination

Currently Reading

📖 Shadow Kissed (by: Rebecca Garcia) = page 56

*** If you don't have anything to say about this week's topic, you can comment on any other part of the post or just say "hi".

*** I am always having to edit many of my posts. If I made any grammar mistakes, I will eventually fix them.

*** The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Book Blast: Cause for Elimination

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Marla A. White will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN 

GC to a randomly drawn winner 

via rafflecopter during the tour. 

Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

 

Reclaiming her life after a devastating riding accident, equestrian Emily Conners’ world shatters again when she discovers her friend and boss laying in a stall with a smashed skull. Now jobless and with a handsome cop underfoot investigating the case, she's torn between wanting the killer found and keeping her own secrets safe.

Detective Justin Butler always gets his killer, but this victim has a stampede of enemies and few leads to go on. Stonewalled by the tight-knit equestrian world, he looks to Emily for help, but she’s strangely reluctant. Is she hiding something, or is she afraid of their growing attraction?

As the search for the murderer heats up, their hearts become entangled and their lives at risk, forcing Emily and Justin to work together to find the killer before they strike again.

Read an Excerpt

Dennis snapped on his own set of gloves and gestured toward the woman standing just outside the stall- cum-office. “Nice coat she’s got on. Didn’t you used to have one like it?”

“That’s Emily Conners. She found the body.”

“And so what, it’s a new gimmick? Everyone who reports a murder wins a free Blueberry coat?”

“It’s a Bu—never mind, you philistine. What was I supposed to do? We took her coat and shoes as evidence.”

Dennis wanted to say, you mind your own business and solve the crime, not take every hard-luck case you see under your wing. Nobody, not even Justin, had big enough wings to take in all the strays they met in this line of work. Instead, he left it alone. It was a lesson every cop had to learn for themselves.

Justin ignored his unspoken disapproval and took a sip of coffee. Instantly, his face scrunched up in an expression of pure horror.

“Don’t blame me. It was the only coffee I could find around here,” Dennis said while he checked out the office. “Hey, you take the horse out of the stall, add a ceiling fan, crappy furniture from the local office supply store, and a phone and you’ve got—a stall minus a horse.”

“People who live in glass cubicles,” his partner countered. “I kind of like the Feng Shui, it’s very grounding, especially with the window—”

“Yeah, yeah, it’s facing south and angled toward the moon, whatever,” he scoffed.

About the Author:

Marla White is a story analysis instructor at UCLA and writing coach who lives in Los Angeles. She graduated from the University of Kentucky (go Wildcats!), where she took her first horseback riding lesson. After dabbling in hunters, barrel racing, and weekly trail rides, she fell hopelessly in love with the sport of eventing. She conquered Novice level before taking a break to pursue novel writing but hopes to return to the saddle someday soon. Her first novel, “The Starlight Mint Surprise Murder,” was published in 2021 followed by the first two books in her Keeper Chronicles series. When she’s not writing, she’s out in the garden, hiking, or putting together impossibly difficult puzzles.

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Book Blast: Daughter of Belial

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jennifer will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Some Family Trees Should Be Burned. . .

Greer Girls are special. Greer Girls are rare. Greer Girls are central to the secret Order of Belial.

Sophie Greer knows none of this. All she knows is that her now ex-boyfriend cheated on her, she’s alone working in Paris, and her mysterious billionaire boss, Edward Hughes, is way too interested in her life.

But when Sophie is kidnapped in Moscow while on a business trip, she’s plunged into the dark underbelly of the global elite and a sinister secret society with deep ties to her family; ties that lead to revelations darker than anything Sophie could have imagined.

Betrayed by the man who raised her, and targeted by the illustrious Hughes family, only one thing is certain—family history can be deadly. If Sophie is to survive, she must decide who to trust and what to believe, or risk being crushed beneath the weight of the all-powerful secret Order of Belial.

Read an Excerpt

The front door slams behind me with a clamorous thud. I jump, frightened. Marcella Belleville’s ominous laughter sails through the air while the cloaked beings descend the steps to encircle me. Turning to and fro, I try to slip through an opening in their ranks, but they close in so that not even a hairpin could find a fissure for escape. A low chanting starts up, like a rumble from some vile private inferno.

Testor ad sanguinem. Respondendum est in sanguinem.

The primal beating of the drums grows louder, drowning out Marcella’s maniacal laughter. Blood rushes to my face. I hear a whirring in my ears.

Testor ad sanguinem. Respondendum est in sanguinem.

All I see is darkness. My heartbeat keeps time with the pulsing of the drums.

Suddenly I feel another presence. Ephemeral. Sinister. It also laughs. Its guttural wails blend with Marcella’s tinny falsetto as it, too, encircles and envelops me. No one is touching me. I know that. And yet…


It feels awful—delectable—disgusting—delicious, all at once. I hate it. The chanting grows louder.

Testor ad sanguinem. Respondendum est in sanguinem.

Testor ad sanguinem. Respondendum est in sanguinem.

“Stop!” I cry out, finding my voice at last. “Please. Stop!”

But it’s too late. Wispy black smoke fills my nostrils. My mouth freezes into a silent scream as the smoke fills every orifice in my head—eyes, nose, ears, mouth. The sound of babies crying mixed with horrific images of children laughing and playing in blood assault my senses. I know it can’t be real, must be a trick of some sort, an illusion, but I’m powerless to stop it.

 

About the Author

JENNIFER JUVENELLE is a Native American/French author born in Hollywood, raised in Detroit, and fashioned in France. Formerly an actress and model, Jennifer now splits her time between crafting psychological thrillers and the magic of motherhood. A survivor of childhood sexual abuse, Jennifer made healing from trauma a priority when her life became untenable. Daughter of Belial is the unexpected product of her journey from trauma to triumph. An eager explorer, she currently lives in a remote Mexican seaside-jungle village with her debonair Aussie author husband and their young son.

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Book Blast: In the Mood

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. M W Arnold will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

During a hectic couple of weeks in February 1944, the girls of the Air Transport Auxiliary Mystery Club must face devastating personal loss amongst their number. A member of an illegal faction blackmails Betty, whilst a mystery at Mary's ancestral home threatens to cause more trouble than anyone thought possible. In the midst of what should be the happiest of times, the portents seem to be catching up and little is what it seems to be. Can the girls find the strength to battle forces both internal and external, yet still maintain their dignity and friendship?

Read an Excerpt

Jane slumped back into her seat, tore the headset off, and threw it onto the desk next to the radio she’d been about to attack. “I suppose you’re right. It only makes sense if she can’t receive what we’re sending. If I didn’t know her voice so well, I’d think someone was playing a trick on me.”

“Plus,” Betty added, “it’s on our frequency.”

Jane nodded in agreement. “Still, remind me to tear her off a stripe when she gets back…calling Hamble. This is Aston.” She ended with a nervous chuckle.

Betty joined in, eventually saying, “Still, you’ll have to give her points for originality, if nothing else.”

“I’ll give her something, all right,” Jane replied. “I’ll give her…”

“Mayday! Mayday! This is First Officer Aston. Am under attack by two Me109s!”

Jane and Betty stared at each other with open mouths, as the shocking statement blared out of the radio’s tiny speaker in Thelma’s unmistakable voice. When she’d simply been trying to get through earlier it had been in her normal, albeit frustrated, tone. Now unmistakable panic coursed through it.

The radio came to life again, only the first thing they heard this time was the chilling staccato chatter of gunfire! “I repeat, this is First Officer Aston of the ATA! I’m under attack. Rudder control is gone! My port engine’s on fire! Am going down, roughly northeast of Oxford…”

White as a ghost, Jane automatically made a grab for the microphone, “Thelma! This is Jane Howell. Do you receive? Over.”

After a few seconds, a voice came out of the speaker, barely audible, yet clearly that of their desperate friend, “Jane? Is that…”

And then, deathly silence…

About the Author:

M W Arnold lives near Northampton, UK and is known to his family and friends as, Mick. He was in the Royal Air Force for 16 years, visiting many different countries and very much enjoying himself. If he ever meets the Queen, he will have to thank her. He began writing as these characters needed their own voices. For a few years now, he's been a member of the Romantic Novelists Association, a wonderful group of writers who've welcomed this bloke into their fold with open arms.

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Book Blast: An Amish Christmas Star

 

An Amish Christmas Star

by Charlotte Hubbard 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

GENRE: Inspirational Romance (Amish)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

BLURB:

The crisp fragrance of pine trees and the warm spice of fresh cookies aren’t the only blessings 

that Christmas brings, and no one knows more about happy homecomings than three couples 

who are celebrating the greatest gift of all . . .

STAR OF WONDER by Charlotte Hubbard

When Raymond Overholt comes to Promise Lodge, hoping to sell the barnboard signs he’s 

painted with stars and Christmas messages, spirited young Mennonite Lizzie Zehr is intrigued. 

But any courtship between them will face fierce opposition from the bishop of Raymond’s Old 

Order community—unless someone can convince him that at the heart of faith lies love . . . 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 EXCERPT

After a deadly dull Monday morning of filling small plastic containers with colored sugars and

Christmas jimmies, Lizzie Zehr loaded them onto her wheeled cart and headed into the main

room of Promise Lodge’s new bulk store. It was boring work, all that scooping and

labeling—repetitive and downright lonely, being stuck back in the warehouse by herself.

But compared to slaving in her older sister Maria’s bakery or, for years before that, running the

household for their eldest, crippled sister, Malinda, it was a piece of cake.

And because Dale Kraybill was paying her, it was freedom. This job was her ticket to

independence, an escape from the two bossy sisters who’d been running her ragged for most of

her eighteen years. Their parents had passed when she was very young, so Lizzie’s sisters had

raised her as best they could—and they expected her to be grateful. She was, of course. But

she was also really tired of being at their beck and call.

Lizzie’s thoughts shifted into a higher gear the moment she spotted the guy who was talking to

Dale. The two fellows were hanging wooden signboards, which caught her eye because of their

sparkly gold stars—but the shimmer of their glittery paint paled the moment the younger fellow

turned around. In his green paisley shirt, red jeans, and backswept black hair, he looked

anything but Plain, and when he met her gaze through his red-framed glasses, Lizzie

immediately knew they were soul mates. Like her, this free spirit was gnashing at the bit and

refusing to conform to the religious limitations he’d been raised with.

Like her, he wanted out.

“Hey there,” he said. His voice, barely audible from across the cavernous room, spoke volumes

to Lizzie’s restless heart.

Afraid to say something stupid, she merely nodded and held his gaze. She heard the secretive

whisper of soft, small objects hitting a hard surface—or maybe it was the feathery swishing of

angels’ wings—

“Lizzie, watch what—you’re spilling jimmies all over the floor!” Dale cried out.

She blinked. She had no memory of picking up a container, just as she didn’t realize she’d been

squeezing it so tightly that the lid had popped off. The sight of red and green jimmies bouncing

off her bare feet—she wore flip-flops year-round to show off her painted toenails—was suddenly

the funniest thing she’d ever seen. As Lizzie sprinted into the warehouse for a broom, her

laughter filled the store.

Her life was finally taking a turn for the better. She just knew it.

Author Bio:

In 1983, Charlotte Hubbard sold her first story to True Story. She wrote around 70 of those

confession stories, and she’s sold more than 60 books to traditional or online publishers. A

longtime resident of Missouri, she’s currently writing Amish romances set in imaginary Missouri

towns for Kensington. She now lives in Omaha, NE with her husband of 40+ years and their

Border collie, Vera.

www.charlottehubbard.com

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