The Mad Ramblings of a Joker ~ Lone Star Book Blog Tours Notable Quotable & Giveaway!

THE MAD RAMBLINGS OF A JOKER

By Brandon Dillon

Publisher: Paper Airplane Publishing
Pub Date: January 24, 2021
Pages: 156 pages
Categories: Poetry / Psychology / PTSD / Veteran Stories

Scroll for Giveaway!

 

Poet Brandon Dillon makes his debut with The Mad Ramblings of a Joker, a brutally honest collection full of metaphor and vibrant imagery. His work covers topics such as PTSD, depression, and heartbreak, and softer moments of hope and reflective peace.

His poetry is deep and unforgettable, a beacon for a dark world that needs a friend to say, “I’ve been there. I understand.”

PURCHASE:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Indiebound | Bookshop.org

  

Brandon Dillon is an award-winning poet who writes from the soul about his life as a child born into poverty, his travels around the world as a U.S. Marine, love won and love lost, and the trauma that life brings. If you ask him his biggest accomplishments thus far, he will tell you they are the laughter and tears of the audience as he reads his words on the stage for them. He is amazed when people feel his emotion and in turn show him their emotion. 

He has twice performed by invitation, reading his poetry at the FASOLT Fine Arts Expo, and has participated twice in “Color: Story,” a collaboration between poets and visual artists, winning first place in 2019. When he is not working or taking care of his two sons, Brandon frequents open mic readings for poetry and all genres of writing with the group Writespace and performs at open mic and slam poetry events with the group Write About Now, at times reading something he just wrote that day. 

He is never far from his notebook, fitting his writing in between shifts at work, kids and homework, and sleeping. Brandon lives in Houston, Texas.

Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads

Connect with Paper Airplane Publishing:

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Website | Bookshop

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!

ONE WINNER:

Autographed copy of The Mad Ramblings of a Joker

+ leather journal (5.7'' x 8.5'')

(US only. Ends midnight, CDT, April 26, 2021)

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

CLICK TO VISIT THE LONE STAR LITERARY LIFE TOUR PAGE

FOR DIRECT LINKS TO EACH POST ON THIS TOUR, UPDATED DAILY,

or visit the blogs directly:

4/20/21	Notable Quotable	Hall Ways Blog
4/20/21	Review	Missus Gonzo
4/20/21	BONUS Promo	LSBBT Blog
4/21/21	Excerpt	StoreyBook Reviews
4/21/21	Review	Forgotten Winds
4/22/21	Review	It's Not All Gravy
4/22/21	Top Five List	The Clueless Gent
4/23/21	Author Interview	Texas Book Lover
4/23/21	Review	Reading by Moonlight

Book Touring Services Provided by:

 

The Takeaway Men ~ Lone Star Book Blog Tours Book Blitz!

THE TAKEAWAY MEN
By Meryl Ain

Publisher: SparkPress

Pub Date: August 4th, 2020

Pages: 265 pages

Categories: Historical / Jewish Literature / Sibling Fiction / Holocaust

With the cloud of the Holocaust still looming over them, twin sisters Bronka and Johanna Lubinski and their parents arrive in the US from a Displaced Persons Camp. In the years after World War II, they experience the difficulties of adjusting to American culture as well as the burgeoning fear of the Cold War. 

Years later, the discovery of a former Nazi hiding in their community brings the Holocaust out of the shadows. As the girls get older, they start to wonder about their parents’ pasts, and they begin to demand answers. But it soon becomes clear that those memories will be more difficult and painful to uncover than they could have anticipated.

 Poignant and haunting, The Takeaway Men explores the impact of immigration, identity, prejudice, secrets, and lies on parents and children in mid-twentieth-century America.

PRAISE FOR THE TAKEAWAY MEN:

“At a time when the darkness of the Holocaust is being whitewashed, Meryl Ain’s remarkable debut novel illuminates the postwar Jewish American landscape like a truth-seeking torch. An emotionally rich and lovingly told saga of survivors, with great sensitivity to what was lost, buried, and resurrected.” — Thane Rosenbaum, author of The Golems of Gotham, Second Hand Smoke, and Elijah Visible.

“The author’s tale is sensitively composed, a thoughtful exploration into the perennially thorny issues of religious identity, assimilation, and the legacy of suffering.” — Kirkus Reviews

Purchase Links: 

Amazon | Bookshop | Barnes and Noble 

AppleBooks | GooglePlay | Indiebound

Meryl Ain’s articles and essays have appeared in Huffington Post, The New York Jewish Week, The New York Times, Newsday and other publications. In 2014, she co-authored the award-winning book, The Living Memories Project: Legacies That Last, and in 2016, wrote a companion workbook, My Living Memories Project Journal.  She is a sought-after speaker and has been interviewed on television, radio, and podcasts. She is a career educator and is proud to be both a teacher and student of history. She has also worked as a school administrator.

The Takeaway Men is the result of her life-long quest to learn more about the Holocaust, a thirst that was first triggered by reading The Diary of Anne Frank in the sixth grade. While teaching high school history, she introduced her students to the study of the Holocaust. At the same time, she also developed an enduring fascination with teaching about and researching the Julius and Ethel Rosenberg case. An interview with Robert Meeropol, the younger son of the Rosenbergs, is featured in her book, The Living Memories Project. The book also includes an interview with Holocaust survivor, Boris Chartan, the founder of the Holocaust Museum and Tolerance Center of Nassau County, New York.

Meryl holds a BA from Queens College, an MA from Teachers College, Columbia University, and an Ed.D. from Hofstra University. She is a lifetime member of Hadassah and an active supporter of UJA-Federation of New York.  She lives in New York with her husband, Stewart. They have three married sons and six grandchildren. This is her first novel.

Facebook   Twitter    Website

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Visit the Lone Star Literary Life tour page

for participating blogs!

Book Touring Services Provided by:

Cleo Can Tie A Bow ~ Book Blog Tour Review & Giveaway

CLEO CAN TIE A BOW

By Sybrina Durant

Book Details:

Genre: Children's Fiction (Ages 3-7)

Category: Children's Picture Book

Pages: 38 pages

Publisher: Sybrina Publishing

Release date: Sept 27th, 2020

Content Rating: G for everyone.

 

 

Book Description:

Cleo can tie a bow. She learned from a rabbit and a fox. They can help you learn to tie one, too. Great parent-child activity for learning to tie a bow with any ribbon or string - including shoe laces.

Buy the Book
Amazon
add to Goodreads

==**==**==**==**==**==**==**==**==**

Book Review:

HALL WAYS BLOG: BOOK REVIEW: First, beware the book trailer for Cleo Can Tie A Bow because you will not be able to get the little jingle out of your head. But, the book trailer does give you a delightful peek into the equally delightful book that author Sybrina Durant has written to help kids learn to tie bows.

The illustrations in Cleo Can Tie A Bow are top-notch, and I will look for other media illustrated by Pumudi Gardiyawasam. From the pink-o-rama of Cleo’s bedroom and world to the lush greens of the outdoors, the artwork is eye-catching and will completely immerse readers in the story. The wide, expressive eyes of all the characters will also draw-in readers and help establish a connection. The color palettes (there are really two sets since there is a story within the story) and the skillful artistry are sure to make the book a hit with readers young and old. Make sure those grubby hands are washed before reading because kids will want to touch the richly-drawn pages.

Author Sybrina Durant begins the book with a direct message to the parents, and she ends the book with a direct message to the readers. These bookends underscore that the book shines best when an adult and child read it together. I can imagine the giggles and hilarity of going through the steps to tie your own bows, either by following Cleo’s model or that of the rabbit and the fox, but that lesson is just one aspect of the book. The format lends itself to all kinds of learning opportunities across several subjects beyond tactile skills. Kids could count the bows or butterflies, or they could compare the shapes, but also there are discussions that could take place about kindness, helpfulness, and even obsession. (But truly, can you ever have too many bows?)

The school librarian in me gives high marks to a book that would be fabulous to have on the shelves to share with young readers, and the Mimi in me can’t wait to snuggle with my granddaughter and read Cleo Can Tie A Bow together. (I will have to stay on my toes since she currently likes to lick all her books!)

Thank you to the author and iRead Book Tours for giving me a gorgeous print copy in exchange for my honest opinion – the only kind I give.

 

==**==**==**==**==**==**==**==**==**

Meet the Author:

I've been writing creative and technical works for years. Many of my songs are on YouTube and iTunes. Two of my books are available as eBooks online. They are Learn To Tie A Tie with the Rabbit and the Fox" and Sybrina's Phrase Thesaurus.

connect with the author: website ~ twitter ~ facebook ~ pinterest ~ instagram ~ goodreads

 

Enter the Giveaway:   

ONE WINNER: softcover copy of CLEO CAN TIE A BOW + t-shirt

+$25 Amazon Gift Card

(USA only; ends April 26, 2021)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Tour Schedule:

Apr 6 - Laura's Interests – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Apr 6 – Gina Rae Mitchell – book review / giveaway
Apr 6 - A Mama's Corner of the World – book review / giveaway
Apr 7 - Rockin' Book Tours – book spotlight / giveaway
Apr 7 – Lisa's Reading – book review / giveaway
Apr 8 - Locks, Hooks and Books – book review / giveaway
Apr 8 - Cover Lover Book Review - book review / author interview / giveaway
Apr 9 – Hall Ways Blog – book review / giveaway
Apr 9 - Books, Tea, Healthy Me – book review / guest post / giveaway
Apr 12 – Splashes of Joy – book review / author interview / giveaway
Apr 12 - Sefina Hawke's Books – book spotlight
Apr 12 – Kam's Place – book review
Apr 13 – Chit Chat with Charity – book review / author interview
Apr 13 - The Bespectacled Mother – book review
Apr 14 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book review / author interview / giveaway
Apr 14 - The Momma Spot – book review / giveaway
Apr 15 – Reading is My Passion – book review
Apr 15 - The Book Review Crew – book review / guest post / giveaway
Apr 16 – She Just Loves Books – book review / giveaway
Apr 16 - icefairy's Treasure Chest - book review / giveaway
Apr 19 – I'm All About Books – book spotlight / giveaway
Apr 19 - Leels Loves Books – book review / giveaway

 

Stiff Lizard: A Spy Shop Mystery ~ Lone Star Lit Book Blitz!

STIFF LIZARD

By LISA HANEBERG

Series: A Spy Shop Mystery
Publisher: Written Pursuits Press
Pages: 364 pages
Pub Date: March 13^th, 2021
Categories: Women Sleuths / Cozy Mystery / Private Investigator / Humor

Rodent Roger, a popular Galveston Island exterminator, goes missing the day after he tells private investigator and spy shop owner Xena Cali about a concerning uptick in green iguana sightings on the island. They’re crapping in people’s boats and falling from trees. Are the lizards swimming over from Florida to escape the pythons, or is it something more nefarious? Can Xena help untangle the mess before the raucous reptiles take over Galveston? 

Ultima Penelope Roger is a best-selling writer of romance novels. The Lizard Liquidators have set up shop on Galveston Island. Herpetologist Quintana Flores, PhD, works on a bizarre cruise ship that sails out of the Port of Galveston. Sasha Barlow is a driven junior reporter who’ll do anything to get the story. Ned “The Pelican Man” Quinn writes a column about bird necropsies. Captain Ethan Slaughter is the head of the Major Crimes team at the Galveston Police Department. Xena and her team will have to partner with and/or battle this cast of characters and others to solve what becomes a disturbing murder investigation.  

Stiff Lizard is the third full-length book in the Spy Shop Mystery series. If you like fast-paced crime novels, clever satire, and gritty beach towns, then you’ll love Lisa Haneberg’s humorous and contemporary cozy caper. 

 

PRAISE FOR STIFF LIZARD: 

"Lisa Haneberg has a wicked sense of humor. She can also write a fast-moving, totally original mystery." -- Alan Rinzler 
 
Lisa Haneberg's newest entry in the Spy Shop Mystery Series lives up to its predecessors. A good number of laughs, lots of intrigue, a bit of titillation, lots of interesting information, and lots of mystery make for a good read.” – Verified purchaser from Amazon 

 Purchase Links
 Amazon | Bookshop | Barnes and Noble 

Lisa Haneberg loves to explore Galveston Island’s gritty back streets, stellar seafood joints, magnificent natural areas, and all points in between. In addition to the Spy Shop Mysteries, she’s a blogger and has authored over a dozen nonfiction books. She earned an MFA degree from Goddard College and a BS in Behavioral Sciences from the University of Maryland. 

Before writing crime fiction, she was a seasoned human resources professional with a strange attraction to gnarly internal investigations. She lives with her husband and dog in Lexington, Kentucky. Lisa once owned a home on Galveston Island and is a frequent visitor. 

Facebook| Blog | Twitter | Instagram

Amazon Author Page | Goodreads Author Page

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

VISIT THE 
LONE STAR LITERARY LIFE TOUR PAGE
FOR PARTICIPATING BLOGS 

 

Book Touring Services Provided By:

Dire's Club ~ Lone Star Book Blog Tours Book Trailer & Giveaway!

DIRE'S CLUB

by Kimberly Packard

Publisher: Abalos Publishing

Publication Date: March 23, 2021

Pages: 326 Pages

Categories: Action & Adventure / Contemporary / Women's Fiction

Scroll for Giveaway!

Dying isn't just hard on the ones left behind, the regret of unfinished lives weighs heavily on the terminally ill. That's where Dire's Club steps in, a specialty travel agency that takes a small group of dying people on one final adventure-so they can be free of guilt, be more than a diagnosis, and find a way to confront life...and death.

Life Coach Charlotte Claybrooke built a successful second career guiding people out of grief, but the impending tenth anniversary of her own heart-wrenching tragedy sets her on a journey to find life among the dying.

Staring death in the face was Jimmy Dire's business. He met it with a warm hug, a kind word, and a smile. Dire's Club gave the terminally ill one final, bucket-list adventure before passing on, but dying was expensive. The bills, like Jimmy's lies, were piling up. It's only a matter of time before he's forced to face a different type of death.

A rock god, a telenovela star, a grandmother living her life-long dream, and a young tech genius round out this group of strangers facing death together. But when tragedy strikes, their bond is shattered. Lies and fraud surface, forcing the dying to come together to save someone's life.

Everybody dies. The lucky ones have fun doing it.

CLICK TO PURCHASE

Dire's Club trailer from Kimberly Walton on Vimeo.

Amazon | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Bookbub

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!

FIVE WINNERS

2 Winners: Autographed Paperbacks; 3 Winners: eBook copies.

(US only. Ends midnight, CDT, 4/16/2021)

a Rafflecopter Giveaway

CLICK TO VISIT THE LONE STAR LITERARY LIFE TOUR PAGE

FOR DIRECT LINKS TO EACH POST ON THIS TOUR, UPDATED DAILY,

or visit the blogs directly:

4/6/21	Book Trailer	Chapter Break Book Blog
4/6/21	Review	That's What She's Reading
4/6/21	BONUS Promo	LSBBT Blog
4/7/21	Review	Momma on the Rocks
4/7/21	BONUS Promo	Hall Ways Blog
4/8/21	Review	StoreyBook Reviews
4/8/21	Notable Quotable	The Page Unbound
4/9/21	Review	The Clueless Gent
4/10/21	Review	Jennie Reads
4/11/21	Author Interview	Texas Book Lover
4/12/21	Review	Bibliotica
4/13/21	Review	It's Not All Gravy
4/13/21	Playlist	All the Ups and Downs
4/14/21	Review	Reading by Moonlight
4/14/21	Deleted Scene	Book Fidelity
4/15/21	Review	Rainy Days with Amanda
4/15/21	Review	Forgotten Winds

Book Touring Services Provided by