Hadamar: The House of Shudders ~ Book Blog Tour Excerpt & Giveaway!

HADAMAR

The House of Shudders

BY JASON K. FOSTER

Young Adult / Historical Fiction

Based on true events

Published: June 1, 2019

Publisher:  Big Sky Publishing

Pages: 370 pages

SYNOPSIS

Nazi Germany is ruled by Hitler’s barbaric policies of racial cleansing. Ingrid Marchand’s only sin was to be born black. Horrifying institutions like Hadamar are where the undesirables – including the mentally and physically disabled and children – are systematically tortured, gassed and executed. It is where Ingrid is humiliated and brutalized and will encounter a depth of hatred the world has never seen before.

On the brink of starvation, can Ingrid survive the horrors of her incarceration and help bring her tormentors to justice?

Hadamar is a gripping tale of survival in a world of hatred, horror and insanity.

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paperback and ebook available from the publisher, on Amazon, Google Play, or the App Store

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EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER FIVE

‘Raus, into the showers,’ the tall SS doctor ordered.

Two enormous steel doors, each of which had a circular window in the centre, clanged shut behind us. I turned around at the loud banging of a metal bar as it was dropped into the lock. The other girls clung to each other for comfort but I stood alone, circling around as I examined my surroundings. Above the door was a line of black electrical wires. Next to them was a white cylindrical pipe leading directly to a window with two doors, almost square in shape except for a slight rise on the top. Beyond them were two steel poles that extended from wall to wall like parallel bars.

The other girls were now huddled tightly together, their scrawny bodies entwined like sickly trees. The end of the pipe I had seen the men outside feeding through the frosted, cross-hatched window lay on the floor beneath them. It had a series of holes along it. The walls were covered in white tiles. There was a water pipe running along the join between the ceiling and the furthest white-tiled wall until it turned at right-angles to form an L-shape. At the base of the L-shape was a black shower head. There was a pipe running across the centre of the roof, connecting to a network of pipes. Along each pipe were two smaller shower nozzles.

I looked down at the floor. It was black-and-white checked, like a huge chessboard. A buzzing, tapping noise started, which sounded like the bus engines starting again. The lights were switched off. The girls panicked and screamed. I stumbled away from them, towards the door through which we had come. I stared through the windows. I wanted the last thing they saw to be the hatred in my eyes. The doctors, the SS men and the Kripo man had their faces pressed up against the glass, peering through as if we were nothing more than animals in a zoo.

Another loud click. Then another. My thoughts turned to Mutti, Vati, Sarah, Fräulein Rothenberg. I wondered what Heaven might be like as I tried to take one last deep breath. It was impossible. The air was too thin. The other girls’ screams turned to gargles as they gasped for air. Some collapsed to the floor, their mouths wide open, their chests heaving from the effort of trying to force air into their lungs. The sound of another generator starting echoed through the room. More girls collapsed to the floor.

***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jason K. Foster is an author, poet, freelance journalist and high school teacher. He holds a Bachelor of Art (Communications) and Graduate Diploma in Teaching from WSU as well as a Master of Arts (History) from Macquarie University and a Diploma in Spanish from Macquarie University.

Jason is widely traveled having spent time in five continents and over fifty countries. He has taught in Australia, the United Kingdom, Spain and Argentina -- experiences that bring a distinct range and unique world view to his writing.

He has published ten books in the true crime and historical narratives genres. He has also been published the world over with his work appearing in a range of mediums from history magazines in the United States to Australian travel magazines to poetry anthologies in the United Kingdom. 

Facebook  Website

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Vegas Lies ~ Audio Book Blog Tour Review & Giveaway!

VEGAS LIES

(Lies, Book 3)

BY ANDREW CUNNINGHAM

Narrated by Greg Hernandez

Audio Book Length: 5 hours 23 minutes

Released: September 12, 2019

Genre: Mystery, Modern Detective, Romance

Five teenage girls from a small town in Oregon disappear without a trace.

Were they kidnapped, or have the five friends perpetrated a massive hoax? Nine hundred miles away, in Las Vegas, a woman with a dark secret vanishes on her way to meet friends for dinner.

Those friends are Del Honeycutt and best-selling mystery author Sabrina Spencer in Las Vegas for a book convention. As Del and Sabrina investigate their friend's disappearance, they are convinced that she has been abducted, and they begin to uncover the secrets that might have triggered her abduction - secrets that now put Del and Sabrina's lives in jeopardy.

When clues indicate that the five missing girls might also be in Las Vegas, the situation takes a new turn, directly into the unthinkable.

Once again, Del and Sabrina find themselves in deep trouble and marked for death, and they only have a few hours to solve the case, or their friend and the five young girls will be gone forever.

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HALL WAYS REVIEW: Audio book review.  Vegas Lies is the third book in the Lies series by Andrew Cunningham, and I’ve listened to the audios of all three of the books pretty much back-to-back. In Vegas Lies, as with all of the books so far, readers can count on getting a multi-layered mystery with unexpected plot twists and lots of action. Not only are the stories multi-layered, there are typically multiple plot lines that weave in and out of the books and each story that tie the books together. Vegas Lies stands alone, but I think it will be better enjoyed if read in sequence, as part of the series.

This third book has a ripped-from-the-headlines disturbing premise to grab the reader's attention. While I had a little trouble suspending my disbelief with some aspects, others are horribly feasible. Author Andrew Cunningham initially has this plot piece moving parallel to another, but of course, the two lines start veering towards each other and ultimately, there is a creative connection of the parts.

Readers see more growth from main character Sabrina, and in Vegas Lies, we learn more about an interesting side character from previous books, Mo, who could carry a story on her own. The women in this book take charge and provide the muscle and some of the cleverest problem-solving. Men are mostly depicted as base, crass, and piggish – and not the smartest of creatures. This bordered on being overdone even though logically, the men involved in the crimes would have at least half those characteristics. Main character Del is mostly the exception, but some of his choices and his self-deprecating humor cast him as the weak link in the relationship. I’d like to see more balance between Del and Sabrina if the series continues; right now, though the two clearly are deeply in love and passionate about each other, I am not sure they are an intellectual or physical match for the long term. 

The strength of Vegas Lies is in its main characters and the menagerie of secondary characters to love or loathe. The weakness in this book is that the author relies too heavily on summarizing to tell readers who is doing what, where, and why. And the epilogue focuses too much on the characters who won’t likely be returning when readers will surely want more about those who likely would. Faults aside, if another book is forthcoming, I will definitely give it a listen as the promise of intricate and high-interest plots are enticing.

ABOUT THE NARRATION: Greg Hernandez is back to narrate this third book in the series, and he has become the voice of main character Del. He consistently voices all the characters and with each of these books, he is moving further from reading and more into performing. There is a subtle infusion of emotion in his narration, and it fits well with Del’s personality, but it's too subtle for some of the others. His even pacing and delivery allowed me to listen at regular speed, which is always a plus.

Thank you to Audiobookworm Promotions and Mr. Hernandez for providing me an audio download in exchange for my honest opinion – the only kind I give.  

I received this audio book as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Greg Hernandez. The gifting of this audio book did not affect my opinion of it.

ANDREW CUNNINGHAM: I'm the author of novels in several genres, including, mystery, thriller, and post-apocalyptic science fiction. Under the name A.R. Cunningham, I've also written the Arthur MacArthur series of mysteries for children.

I was born in England, but have spent most of my life living in the U.S.—including 25 years on Cape Cod before moving to Florida. A former interpreter for the deaf and long-time independent bookseller, I've been a full-time freelance writer and copy editor for many years. A 4th-degree Master Black belt in Tang Soo Do, I finally retired from active training when my body said, "Enough already! Why are you doing this to yourself?" I'm married, with two grown children and two awesome grandsons. My wife and I spend as much time traveling as we can, and are especially fond of cruising the Caribbean.

​I have been gratified by the response to my books. When I published Eden Rising back in the spring of 2013, I had no idea what to expect. When I sold my first few copies, I was excited beyond belief that someone was willing to take a chance on it. Numerous books and thousands of copies later, I am still humbled by the emails I get from readers telling me that my books kept them up late into the night.

In October of 2014, Wisdom Spring made me an official Amazon Bestselling author, a thrill I never thought would happen. But it still comes down to being able to bring a few hours of escape to a reader. That's what it's all about for me.

I hope you will try my books. Please feel free to email me with your comments.

Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook⎮Goodreads⎮Amazon

GREG HERNANDEZ: Author-preferred Narrator of Mysteries & Thrillers

Narrating audio books is highly gratifying. I immerse myself into an author’s story in order to bring it to life for the listener. I’ve enjoyed working with Andrew Cunningham for several years. His books are filled with rich characters, and the stories keep me turning the pages.

I also work as a background actor in movies and TV shows.

For more than 20 years, I worked as a radio news reporter and news writer. I spent half of my broadcasting career at ABC News Radio in the Washington, D.C., bureau. I covered all the federal agencies as well as Congress and the White House. I reported on a wide range of stories during my career, including financial and entertainment industry news.

For nearly 24 years, I worked as a federal government spokesman at three separate agencies—National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Mint and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). Connect on  Twitter.

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Covey and JayJay Get Educated ~ Lone Star Book Blog Tours Notable Quotable & Giveaway!

COVEY AND JAYJAY

GET EDUCATED

by

Shelton L. Williams

Genre: Murder Mystery / Social Thriller / Amateur Sleuth
Publication Date: September 1, 2019

Number of Pages: 209 pages

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Amateur detectives, Covey Jencks and JayJay Qualls, are drawn into a triple murder on the campus of Baker College in West Waverly in the Texas Hill Country. Both end up taking positions at the college: Covey as an adjunct instructor and JayJay as a visiting actor. 

Initially they believe that money is the motive for the murders, but over time they learn that the college is a cauldron of political and social intrigue. The college's new president and his beautiful wife, various staff members, a prominent trustee, and parties not associated with the college have the motives, opportunities, and wacky agendas that might implicate them in the murders. It turns out that a white nationalist group may be using a college house for its nefarious activities, but are they more talk than action? 

The West Waverly police are little to no help in the investigation, and Covey himself has to depart the college to deal with his father's death. JayJay takes over and makes a critical breakthrough. Upon Covey's return, the couple must rely on deception, a bit of luck, and martial arts skills to solve the crimes and to try to prevent a high-profile assassination.

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Shelton L. Williams (Shelly) is founder and president of the Osgood Center for International Studies in Washington, DC. He holds a PhD from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and he taught for nearly 40 years at Austin College in Sherman, Texas. He has served in the US Government on 4 occasions and he has written books and articles on nuclear proliferation. In 2004 he began a new career of writing books on crime and society. Those books are Washed in the Blood, Summer of 66, and now Covey Jencks. All firmly prove that he is still a Texan at heart.

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VISIT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:

12/10/19	Notable Quotable	Texas Book Lover
12/10/19	Notable Quotable	Kelly Well Read
12/11/19	Review	Librariel Book Adventures
12/12/19	Author Interview	The Page Unbound
12/13/19	Review	KayBee's Book Shelf
12/13/19	Playlist	Chapter Break Book Blog
12/14/19	Review	Bibliotica
12/14/19	Excerpt Part I	The Clueless Gent
12/15/19	Excerpt Part II	All the Ups and Downs
12/16/19	Review	Forgotten Winds
12/16/19	Notable Quotable	Hall Ways Blog
12/17/19	Review	That's What She's Reading
12/18/19	Scrapbook Page	StoreyBook Reviews
12/19/19	Review	Book Fidelity
12/19/19	Review	Reading by Moonlight

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Santa Claus Bank Robbery ~ Lone Star Book Blog Tours Review & Giveaway!

SANTA CLAUS
BANK ROBBERY
A True-Crime Saga in Texas

by

TUI SNIDER

  Genre: Nonfiction / Texana / Texas History

Publisher: Castle Azle Press

Date of Publication: December 8, 2019

Number of Pages: 146 pages + black & white photos

Scroll down for Giveaway!

When Marshall Ratliff dressed like Santa Claus to pull a Christmas-time heist, he thought it would be easy. Unfortunately for him, when the citizens of Cisco heard Santa was robbing a bank, they came running - with loaded guns in hand!

But can you blame them? In 1927, the only way to earn the $5000 Dead Bank Robber Reward was to kill a bandit while the crime was in progress.

This bungled bank robbery led to a wild shootout and a getaway with two little girls as hostages. And that is only the beginning!

Tui Snider’s true-crime tale reads like a comedy of errors as the consequences of the Santa Claus Bank Robber’s actions escalate to include a botched car-jacking, one of the biggest manhunts in Texas history, and a jailbreak leading to a deadly conclusion.

Meanwhile, it’s up to readers to decide whether or not a mysterious blonde helped these gangsters escape. And if so, did she get away with murder?

CLICK TO PURCHASE!

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HALL WAYS REVIEW:  Upon finishing Santa Claus Bank Robbery, which is the third or fourth of Tui Snider’s books I have read, I think she could write about the history of cement mixing, and I would have a blast reading the details.  Tui has a gift for making her stories feel like she’s written them just for you. For those of a certain age, reading Santa Claus Bank Robbery is reminiscent of getting letters from a newsy friend or relative who is inspired and passionate about a new project. Tui is all over every page – and that’s a good thing.

Santa Claus Bank Robbery is a very quick and engaging escape into West Texas history. I read it on a short plane ride (and missed the drink service! Drat!). Though the focus is on the bank heist, all the surrounding details give readers a vivid snapshot into the people and attitudes of 1920s Texas. Aiding the descriptions of time and place are black and white photos, many taken by the author, of newspaper headlines, people, buildings, and even sketches that complement the text and provide a second level of interest and authenticity. Again, these snippets remind me of what was inevitably included in the envelope when my nana would send me a letter. (Nana always made sure to underline the parts she wanted to emphasize from the newspaper clippings she sent. You know, in case I didn’t get the point.)

“By the mid-1920s, the state of Texas experienced

three to four bank robberies every single day!”

What’s fun about SCBR is that much of the meticulously researched information given to readers is the result of legwork, not bookwork – though there is plenty of both.  Tui’s personal observations and conversations with people in Cisco, Texas, and beyond are what separate the book from purely scholarly or journalistic accounts of historical events. In fact, what seems to be a side mission of SCBR is debunking A.C. Greene’s book, published in the early 1970s, written about the robbery and events surrounding it. It appears that for reasons forever unknown, Greene fictionalized – even sensationalized – some elements in his story of the heist and intentionally hid pertinent facts from the readers. Tui doesn’t hide her frustration with the author and content of that book, which she feels misleads readers. (I will admit that my curiosity is piqued, and Greene’s book may experience a sales boost, thanks to Tui.)

Speaking of curiosity piqued, how about that book cover? The noose is a spoiler, and upsetting, sure.  Because of the cover image, I knew what was coming but I was shocked all the same by to whom, when, and how it happened. Equally shocking is the aftermath and what was considered the norm less than one hundred years ago.

The author’s casual, between-friends writing style is the perfect choice for a book like this that is as much about the people of the times as it is about the main event. The personal touches – like Tui’s mentions of a friendly local dining experience one day and a downright chilly response from some locals another – are what make reading Santa Claus Bank Robbery feel intimate. There are some scattered typos, but nothing detracts or distracts from the story or the author’s enthusiasm to tell it. I can’t wait to see what’s coming next from Tui Snider.

Thanks to the author and Lone Star Book Blog Tours for providing me a print copy in exchange for my honest opinion – the only kind I give.  

Tui Snider is an award-winning writer, speaker, photographer, and musician specializing in offbeat sites, overlooked history, cemetery symbolism, and haunted lore. As she puts it, “I used to write fiction, but then I moved to Texas!”

Tui lectures frequently at universities, libraries, conferences, and bookstores.This fall, she will speak about the Great Airship Mystery of 1897 at this year’s UFO Congress and teach a course on Understanding Cemetery Symbols at Texas Christian University. She also shares weekly info-videos based on her research at her YouTube channel.

Snider’s writing and photography have been featured in a variety of media outlets, including WFAA TV, Coast to Coast AM, LifeHack, Langdon Review, the City of Plano, Wild Woman Waking, Shades of Angels and many more. She has several more books in progress.

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 GRAND PRIZE (US only): 
Signed Paperback +$10 Amazon Gift Card
+ Thank You Post Card

2^ND PRIZE (US only): Signed Copy + Thank You Post Card

3^RD PRIZE (International): Kindle eBook

  December 12-22, 2019

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CHECK OUT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:

12/12/19	Review	Bibliotica
12/12/19	Review	Hall Ways Blog
12/13/19	Review	That's What She's Reading
12/14/19	Review	StoreyBook Reviews
12/14/19	Review	Reading by Moonlight
12/15/19	BONUS Review	Book Fidelity
12/15/19	Review	It's Not All Gravy
12/16/19	Review	All the Ups and Downs
12/17/19	Review	The Page Unbound
12/17/19	Review	Books and Broomsticks
12/18/19	Review	The Book Review
12/18/19	BONUS Review	Jennifer Silverwood
12/19/19	Review	The Clueless Gent
12/20/19	Review	Rainy Days with Amanda
12/20/19	Review	Chapter Break Book Blog
12/21/19	Review	Momma on the Rocks
12/21/19	Review	Forgotten Winds

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