Book Blast: In Search of Recognition

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jim McAllister will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

In Search of Recognition: The Story of Search and Rescue in British Columbia provides background on why and how organized volunteer search and rescue became a reality in the province, and how search and rescue evolved over many years to meet the increasing demands of finding lost people and rescuing those injured outdoors. The primary focus of the thousands of volunteers is to save the lives of persons lost or injured outdoors; training and fundraising for equipment and other costs also require time and energy. Through personal involvement and references, the author provides insights into how funding and other support for the volunteer service was achieved, through government, responsible agencies, organizations and individuals working together to find ways to assist those who strive "so others may live."

Read an Excerpt

The 1980s were also an era of leading-edge development in search and rescue equipment and techniques, in British Columbia and elsewhere. Arnor Larson, a mountain guide in Invermere BC, was a leader in developing and testing rope rescue gear and systems. He established Rigging for Rescue in 1986. In addition to providing rescue training, he would test equipment in his facility using drop test towers. Arnor would attend the annual Wildland Rescue Symposium in the US, along with leading workshops in BC testing equipment and systems in local conditions and terrain. Arnor also taught rope rescue to some SAR groups under the PEP banner. As a member of Golden and District Search and Rescue at the time, we were fortunate to have Arnor instruct us.

About the Author: Jim McAllister has been involved in search and rescue for over 45 years, starting as a volunteer member in the Rocky Mountains in 1977 with Golden and District SAR and then Cranbrook SAR. He became the SAR specialist for the Province of B.C. in 2002. In 2008, Jim retired from the provincial government as a director with Emergency Management British Columbia and became a volunteer director for special projects with the British Columbia Search and Rescue Association. Jim has been involved with many major projects: the establishment of Avalanche Canada, the updating of volunteer reimbursement rates, the establishment of health and safety guidelines, the formation of a joint health and safety committee, Swiftwater Rescue standards, sustainable funding for search and rescue and the establishment of the British Columbia Search and Rescue Volunteer Memorial. Jim wrote a book on the last project, titled A Monument to Remember, and one on incidents, titled One Week in August: Stories from Search and Rescue in British Columbia.

Amazon: https://amazon.com/dp/1779627394
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/519145.Jim_McAllister

Book Blast: God and Petroleum

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Roberto Aguilera will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

It's been many years since God planted in my heart the idea to author this book. To do so I relied on science and engineering, looking deep into the earth a few thousand feet, dreaming of petroleum reservoirs I could not see, and evaluated them using mostly indirect sources of information. Petroleum hydrocarbons in earth are of organic origin (they form from dead plants and animals) and are intimately related with water. I also had to look to a different scale deep into the universe when it was created 13.77 billion years ago to try to understand the origin of hydrogen, the birth of the first hydrogen star (the seed star), its explosion in a supernova, and the repetitive births and explosions of subsequent stars that led eventually to the formation of elements such as carbon and iron and to hydrocarbons in the universe. These are hydrocarbons of inorganic origin.

Then I moved into the micrometer scale of human cells and to top research informing us that we are very close to chimpanzees, and a very persuasive discussion about evolution that I agree with. The book of Genesis tells us that God created man and woman in the sixth day, and that he formed man in the seventh day of the dust of the earth and woman of the rib of man. At first glance all of this seems contradictory, but it is not. This book shows that available science supports Genesis' seven days very well. They do not contradict each other.

Read an Excerpt

Following Monsignor Georges Lemaître’s mathematical demonstration showing that the universe has expanded since the Big Bang, many scientists have produced data from the Hubble telescope corroborating the expansion. The observations by Hubble in 1929, proving galaxies are moving away from the earth at speeds proportional to their distance, has traditionally been known as Hubble law.

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) voted in 2018 to recommend amending the name from Hubble law to the Hubble-Lemaître law, and in fact, this is how it is called now by the IAU. This is a recognition of the contributions of both Hubble and Monsignor Lemaître to the development of modern cosmology. The amendment recommendation stemmed from the fact Lemaître was the first to come up with the idea of an expanding universe in 1927, previous to Hubble’s contributions in 1929. Although Lemaître was first, his ideas received little attention at the time.

The galaxies outside of our solar system are moving away from us. One theory indicates that the farthest the galaxies are away from us, the faster they move (Library of Congress, 2019). Another theory based on data collected by the Planck satellite indicates that the cosmos is expanding at a slightly slower rate than was thought, making the universe around 13.82 billion years old rather than the 13.77 billion years formerly given for the age of the universe (Siegel, 2018). For the purpose of this book there is a slight difference.

About the Author: Roberto Aguilera is professor of petroleum engineering at the University of Calgary (Canada) and president of Servipetrol Ltd. He specializes in the evaluation of naturally fractured, tight and shale petroleum reservoirs worldwide. He has authored and co-authored six books dealing with petroleum engineering subjects and over 300 technical papers. He has rendered training and/or consulting services in over 40 countries worldwide. This is his first book linking God, His creation, and the benefits of petroleum to humanity while debunking alarming claims about its use.

Amazon: https://amazon.com/dp/1779622619
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/475304.Roberto_Aguilera

Sunday Post #117: April 2025 Recap

Just thought I would do a recap for this week

Post Rewind 

📌 April 15th = Book Blast: Being Broken

📌 16th = Book Tour: A Marriage to the Marquess

📌 17th = Book Blast: Smoke & Mirrors

📌 23rd = Book Blast: Only in September 

📌 24th = Book Blast: Tales of the Ocean City

Goodreads 

📚  A Marriage for the Marquess (by: Ruth A. Casie) = moved to read shelf 

Currently Reading 

📖 A Dilemma for the Duke (by: Ruth A. Cassie) = page 19

Currently Listening

🎧 An Unfamiliar Duke (by: Sian Ann Bessey)

*** 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

Blurb Blitz: Everything You've Ever Wanted

Jess Ames

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GENRE: Women's Fiction

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BLURB:

Jenna Mitchell has spent her adult life under the control of her husband, her dreams of owning her own bakery pushed aside. But at twenty-eight, she's finally ready to reclaim her life and pursue her passion. Well… almost.

With the unwavering support of the Sensational Six—her close-knit group of friends—Jenna can finally envision a day where she is in charge of her own destiny, a big step forward for her. As she works at her friend’s café, Jenna begins to discover the strength and courage she needs to break free from her past and begin focusing on her future.

But can she quiet the echoes that keep finding their way back to her? Will the doubts they’ve created make it impossible for her to see—and trust—the path forward before her chance at a better life slips through her flour-dusted fingers?

Fans of Rachel Hanna will enjoy this warm and uplifting story about self-discovery, finding the courage to start anew, and the unbreakable bonds of chosen family.

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Excerpt:

I was sifting powdered sugar over a just-cooled apple strudel when my husband called from county jail. Leaning over the tiny kitchen table in my tiny new apartment above the café where I worked, I was imagining myself with my apron-covered hip propped against a gleaming stainless steel table, putting the finishing touches on a last-minute order that had come in through my bakery’s website. Back and forth with the sifter… downy, white flakes danced around each other as they floated and settled into their resting places.

B-r-r-r-r-r-t

The rumble of the phone against the white laminate broke me from my time-worn daydream. I reached up to adjust the white baker’s cap that existed only in my mind, pressed pause on my dream, and shook my head to clear it. When I read the caller ID, my stomach folded in on itself.

‘Collect call’

Craig. 

I took a deep breath that settled in my chest and refused to return. I set the sifter down on a nearby dish and picked up my phone. For a moment, just a moment, I held it in my hand and considered letting him go to voicemail. But a lifetime of experience told me that ignoring a man who will not be ignored would only delay the inevitable.

"Hello?" I said, forcing the air from my lungs.

My husband’s out-of-touch politician's voice poured through the phone. “Jenna, sweetheart. Are you busy?” Without waiting for me to answer, he continued. “I need you to do me a favor, baby. Can you please come down here and bail me out? I can’t sit here for one more day.”

I shifted the phone to my other ear and wrapped my free arm around my waist as I paced the twenty steps it took to reach the other end of my apartment and back. He wasn’t going to like my reply. "Craig, I just don't think I can do that. I don't have the money for it right now. I'm sorry."

This was apparently not the answer he was expecting, because, as expected, his demeanor slipped from the fake, sticky sweetness of corn syrup to hot, burning rage faster than a falling soufflé. "You're sorry? You're sorry? Be sorry that you haven't already come down here to get me. I'm your husband, Jenna. Remember the vows you took? Love, honor, and obey?"

Recognizing the opening line to the endless refrain of our marriage, I pulled a chair away from my kitchen table and willed my shaky legs to deposit me safely into it.

"Yes, I do remember, Craig. But I still can't afford to come and bail you out right now. I have expenses I need to think about."

The sound of what I could only assume was the phone bashing against a hard surface assaulted my eardrum. "You have expenses because you decided to leave our home and go live above that — that woman's café."

"That woman is my boss, and my friend," I reminded him, "and she’s been nice enough to let me stay here."

"You don't need to stay there," Craig argued back. "What you need to do is come and get me so we can go home together where we belong.”

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AUTHOR:

Jess Ames is knocking on the door of fifty, but has the sense of humor of a twelve year old and the body of a fifty-four-year-old (according to her fitness app).

She is “mama” to nine, “mimi” to four, “friend” to all, an adequate wife, and living the dream of the little girl who wanted to be a writer when she grew up.

They are both still waiting for that moment, so she’s writing in the meantime.

Website

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GIVEAWAY 

Jess Ames will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

Rafflecopter

Book Blast: Tales of the Ocean City

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Christopher Kaufman will be awarding $45 worth of digital products from his website to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

A young civilization is turning the corner into the future, but first they must face a terrible enemy from their deepest past - The Vorm..

The main characters are a young man named Harl’ut and his lifelong companion Vispushin - who is a perIanth, a kind of telepathic pegasus. Join them on this epic adventure as they lead a group of young warriors into the heart of the Vorm Hive.

Book One: Battle In The Sky is the first of five books which comprise the opening series of this epic tale. Here, Harl’ut and Vispushin and The Princess Bryn’lynn, engage in desperate battle over the southern plain with savage Vorm warriors. You will be uplifted by the passionate and thrilling conclusion of the first installment of this fantasy adventure.

Book Two: Descent Into The Abyss, Harl’ut recovers from his harrowing adventure from Book One: Battle In The Sky. He walks through the streets of The Ocean City, visits the Sculpture Garden and his friend, Elá, the bard, and engages in exciting training games with warrior/mentor, Calanctus. Then the story takes you down the throat of the vast volcano, Pla’than’taa, once worshipped as a god, where Harl’ut enacts a deadly initiation ritual, confronts the barbaric past of his people and battles a terrifying monster.

Read an Excerpt

Next to the eerie bulk of the WarChief alit the most impressive of all Perianths, the silver-maned stallion, Zhi’ga’fra. On his back was a man, lean and tall, his skin a deep burnt-orange color. Light green armor adorned his body. Whitish hair sprouted from under a simple gold helm. A mystical spray of light refracted from a bright green diamond prism in place of his left eye.

Verden, the ancient warrior who served as war-leader of Pla’than’taa, should such be needed, dismounted Zhi’ga’fra and pulled from the hideous bulk his green lance. He cleaned it on the tall grass next to the lake and looked about him. The WarChief’s remains were now collapsed in a heap, but Verdin noticed movement.

He went to it, kicked around, he saw the bulbous antennae on the WarChief’s head pulsing like a beacon. He drew a green coral blade from his sash, cut out the grotesque tentacle and tossed it, now lifeless, beside the wrack.

He felt a crushing weight of sadness fall upon him. He looked over to see Zhi’ga’fra, standing over the body of Zhii’gla, his son.

Verdin sighed, “I am so sorry dear friend... he was a great being... and died a tremendous warrior...” in response he felt from Zhi’ga’fra only a complex wave of grief, almost beyond even his ability to translate in his mind...“There will be more strife Zhi'ga'fra... I see war ahead.“

“Yes...as do I,” echoed the great creature, “These... things...Perianth’s have fought them before...long ago... an age past...I believe your race has encountered them as well...” Imagery now streamed in Verdin’s inner eye as he glimpsed the scenes flowing in Zhi’ga’fra’s mind.

“We thought they were all destroyed...we call them... the VORM...they are hideous and evil...and incredibly dangerous if their hive is reformed.”

About the Author:

Christopher Kaufman is an author, composer, presenter, illustrative artist and performer. He started imaginative fantasy books with illustrative art at the age of nine. During high school years he found music and attended The New Orleans Center for The Creative Arts and went on to major in music composition in college. He finished his schooling - earning his DMA in music composition at Cornell University where he studied with Pulitzer Prize Winning composers who prize his abilities as a composer.

Christopher is the type of person who needs imaginative fantasy scenarios to get to sleep. Therefore, he emerged from Cornell, not only with his degrees in music, but with the full event structure for his classic epic fantasy series Tales Of The Ocean City in his mind.

He began writing the story down in the early 2000’s, but it did not really come to life until he developed his home music ‘laboratory’ and started creating the music and text at the same time. Thus books one and two of TOC came about simultaneously as both graphically illustrated pages and effulgent audio albums filled with cinematic epic symphonic music.

They exist now as physical books and audio albums (that go together) and the new Video Book version. He performs live tours with the music pouring through speakers, live narration and the colorful pages streaming on screen -a true immersive multi-media experience.

Home Page: http://www.soundartus.com
Author Page: http://talesoftheoceancity.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@soundartus4807
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/talesoftheoceancity

Christopher believes in the transformative power of imagination. “Live with imagination!”