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.

Instagram
Amazon

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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.

Website
Twitter

Buy the book at Amazon.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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. 

Facebook.

Rafflecopter

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.

Website

Rafflecopter

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