Showing posts with label 2019. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2019. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 29, 2022

Odd Birds ~ Lone Star Book Blog Tours BONUS Promo & Giveaway!


ODD BIRDS
by
SEVERO PEREZ

Genre: Literary Fiction
Publisher: Texas Christian University Press
Date of Publication: September 24, 2019
Number of Pages: 278 pages 

Scroll for Giveaway!

The year is 1961. Seventy-year-old Cosimo Infante Cano, a Cuban-born artist in need of inspiration, follows his lover to Texas in what was to be a temporary sabbatical from their life in France. Unexpectedly, he finds himself stranded in San Antonio, nearly penniless, with little more than the clothes on his back and an extraordinary pocket watch. His long hair and eccentric attire make him an odd sight in what he has been told is a conservative cultural backwater.

Cosimo’s French and Cuban passports put a cloud of suspicion over him as events elsewhere in the world play out. Algeria is in open revolt against France. Freedom Riders are being assaulted in Mississippi, and the Bay of Pigs debacle is front-page news. Cosimo confronts nightmares and waking terrors rooted in the horror he experienced during the Great War of 1914–1918. His friends—students, librarians, shopkeepers, laborers, lawyers, bankers, and even a parrot—coalesce around this elderly French artist as he attempts to return to what remains of his shattered life.

His new friends feel empathy for his impoverished condition, but his unconventional actions and uncompromising ethics confuse them. He creates charming drawings he refuses to sell and paints a house simply for the pleasure of making a difference. In the process he forever alters the lives of those who thought they were helping him.

PRAISE FOR THE BOOK
“A pitch-perfect picaresque tale” –John Phillip Santos, Texas Monthly
“Judge this book by its cover. It’s a stunning… captivating read.” –Alice Embree, Rag Radio Blog

An “elegantly conceived tale–boasting a culturally and historically astute plot–that demands to be read.” –Kirkus Reviews

Monday, November 30, 2020

Incandescent Visions ~ Book Blog Tour Guest Post & Giveaway!


INCANDESCENT VISIONS
by Lee Hudspeth 

Genre: Adult fiction,18 yrs + 64 pages
Category: Poetry 
Publisher: George Lee Hudspeth, Jr.
Pages:  64 pages
Release date: December 2019 

Content Rating: PG-13. Curse words: Three total, of the “mild” variety (godd*mn, hell, sh*t... one use for each). No f-words. No violence, no sexual content, no drug use, no underage drinking.

 
Book Description:

Having written numerous works of nonfiction, this is Lee Hudspeth’s debut book of poetry. Incandescent Visions explores the meaning of the human experience, as the author encourages his readers to ponder the universe and their place within it, and to catalyze their own creative potential. From the sublime shores of the Mediterranean to the majestic expansiveness of deep space, this book contemplates nostalgia, perspective and the gift of love. Through five short yet powerful, thought-provoking chapters of contemporary poems—and a dash of elegant, evocative haiku—Hudspeth takes his readers on a journey across the inner landscape of struggle, triumph, self-realization, and imagination

BUY THE BOOK:


Guest Post 

Author Lee Hudspeth answers the question, "What tools do you use in your writing practice?"


The tools I use in my writing practice are simple yet powerful. 

I’ve been using Microsoft Word for a long time and over many versions, both on Windows and Mac operating systems. I’m so familiar with this application that I literally don’t have to think about activating a feature; my fingers know how to manipulate the keys and the mouse to accomplish what I want to do. Muscle memory! In other words, I have a strong bias for Word. That said, the one feature of Word that I highly recommend to any writer is Outlining. 

Not many people know about Outlining in Word, or if they do, they don’t realize how easy it is to use and how helpful it can be. You can easily turn it on and off, and I like the feature’s unobtrusiveness. By using some simple, built-in Heading styles you can instantly view a standard document in a hierarchical layout. These Heading styles are also helpful when you’re in standard (Print or Read) mode because they’re preformatted to make it obvious how your document is organized. 

Beyond changing views, you can easily drag and drop sections of a document to rearrange them, for example, put chapters into a completely different order, or promote and demote sections, all while preserving your formatting preferences. With one mouse-click you can show or hide a section’s underlying body text regardless of how much text is in that section. I like doing this because I can quickly get an uncluttered, organized view of my book, blog article or other document and then, if/as needed, drill down into the relevant section’s body text. You can also expand or compress the hierarchy of one “local” section or your entire document. I strongly recommend that you give Word’s Outlining feature a try. 

When it comes to journaling, use whatever medium works best for you: pen and paper, a voice memo on your smartphone, a typed note on your smartphone (I prefer my iPhone’s Notes app)... it’s up to you. Be ready at a moment’s notice to jot down ideas wherever you are. On more than one occasion I have had a story or poem idea but instead of writing it down, I told myself I would do it in a few minutes. Of course, I got distracted and an hour later remembered that I had forgotten to write down the idea. Sad. Whatever technique you choose, memorialize all your new ideas! 

I set a recurring reminder every week to look at my Notes and move the ones I want to work on to my laptop; plus I keep a copy on my home server so that no more ideas get lost. By the way, your journal doesn’t have to be in complete sentences; it’s definitely worthwhile keeping small fragments of ideas. I even keep a list of cool words, because a single word can blossom into a full-fledged poem or story.



Meet the Author:
Lee Hudspeth is a poet, writer, musician and fellow human being. Incandescent Visions is his first book of poetry. He is the co-author of ten nonfiction books in the field of Information Technology. He has written articles for professional journals like PC Computing and Office Computing. He is the author of over one hundred articles in the online magazine The Naked PC, which he co-founded and co-published. He lives in Southern California with his wife, two sons and their cat. Find out more about Lee, his books and his music at LeeHudspeth.com.

Connect with the author:






Enter the Giveaway:
THREE WINNERS! 
1ST: $50 Amazon Gift Card
2ND & 3RD: Autographed copies of INCANDESCENT VISIONS
(USA and Canada; ends December 11, 2020)


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Tour Schedule:

Nov 16 – Splashes of Joy – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Nov 16 - Working Mommy Journal – book spotlight / giveaway
Nov 17 – fundinmental – book spotlight / giveaway
Nov 17 - Gina Rae Mitchell – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Nov 18 – Rajiv's Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway
Nov 19 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Nov 20 – I'm Into Books – book spotlight / giveaway
Nov 23 – My Reading Journeys – book spotlight / giveaway
Nov 24 – Library of Clean Reads – book spotlight / giveaway
Nov 25 – Rockin' Book Reviews – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Nov 26 – Sadie's Spotlight – book spotlight / giveaway
Nov 27 – Stephanie Jane – book spotlight / giveaway
Nov 28 - Books lattes & tiaras – book spotlight
Nov 30 – Hall Ways Blog – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Dec 1 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Dec 2 – Westveil Publishing – book spotlight / giveaway
Dec 3 – She Just Loves Books – book spotlight / giveaway
Dec 4 – Deborah Adams – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway




Thursday, November 5, 2020

Araceli's Path ~ Lone Star Book Blog Tours Book Trailer & Giveaway!


ARACELI'S PATH
Among Angels
and Devils in Juarez
by
MARION SURLES

Genre: Realistic Fiction / Border Stories / Mature Middle Grade
Publisher: Love and Literacy 
Date of Publication: November 30, 2019
Number of Pages: 145

Scroll down for the giveaway!



Araceli comes from a blended, dysfunctional family held together by the love of a grandmother. Rubí is being raised by a single mother who works as a prostitute. Both young girls are affected not only by their mothers' choices but also by the violence and culture of Juarez, Mexico. 

Can they overcome the cards they have been dealt, or are they destined to follow the same paths as their mothers? 

Follow the lives of Araceli and Rubí from childhood to young adulthood and listen for children everywhere who are voiceless, trapped in their own cultures.





Proceeds benefit Love and Literacy  

ENGLISH

SPANISH


Marion Surles was born in 1957 in Columbus, Mississippi. From a young age she was interested in learning Spanish, due to a special offering of Spanish at her elementary school. She received a BA and MA in Spanish and social work from Mississippi State University and teaches Spanish and English as a Second Language to all levels of students. She also serves as a volunteer missionary at home and in many Spanish-speaking countries. Most recently, she has formed a mission in Juarez, Mexico called Love and Literacy, which encourages reading and staying in school. Every two months, Marion travels to Juarez to bring books and literacy activities to a poor neighborhood, partnering with a local family to serve as the library. Her books are a fictional account of the lives of her students. Her Facebook page, Love and Literacy, gives updates of her work in Juarez.

Marion lives in Dublin, Texas with her husband, horses, and dogs. She enjoys trail riding, kayaking, and camping, plus visiting with her daughters and granddaughter nearby



-----------------------
GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!
TWO WINNERS: Autographed copies of Araceli’s Path and Grit in Juarez (choice of English or Spanish), Day of the Dead shopping bag & plate, Mexican coin purse, Mexican candy. 
NOVEMBER 5-15, 2020
FOR DIRECT LINKS TO EACH POST ON THIS TOUR, UPDATED DAILY. 
Or, visit the blogs directly:

11/5/20

Book Trailer

Book Bustle

11/5/20

BONUS Promo

Hall Ways Blog

11/6/20

Review

Reading by Moonlight

11/7/20

Excerpt

Chapter Break Book Blog

11/8/20

Top Ten

It's Not All Gravy

11/9/20

Review

StoreyBook Reviews

11/10/20

Guest Post

All the Ups and Downs

11/11/20

Review

Forgotten Winds

11/12/20

Author Interview

Bibliotica

11/13/20

Review

The Clueless Gent

11/14/20

Review

Missus Gonzo

 

 

 





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Friday, June 19, 2020

A Secret Life: Enduring and Triumphing Over OCD ~ Book Blog Tour Author Guest Post & Giveaway!




A Secret Life:

Enduring and Triumphing Over OCD
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
by JAMES S. JULIANA

Genre:  Adult NonFiction (18+), 176 pages

Categories: Self-Help, Mental Health
Publisher: Self-Published
Release dates: October 2019

Content Rating: PG. This self-help book deals with adult subject matter of mental illness.


Book Description:

Are you one of the millions who reside within a secret life, a life which constantly feels out of your own control: Are you plagued by repetitive thoughts and/or actions which interfere with your daily activities? The author lived for more than 40 years with an undiagnosed form of mental

illness, a phobia now known as OCD: obsessive-compulsive disorder. His emotional pain and suffering were at times almost unmanageable. In his mid-sixties, the author, a loving husband, father and accomplished high school teacher and athletic coach, discovered a unique psychologist

within the Denver therapeutic community who utilizes a radical but highly successful treatment that's allowed the author to control his OCD symptoms almost 100%. A Secret Life is one of the few books written by an OCD sufferer and descries in detail the pain and chaos living with this illness can cause not just the victim, but those closest to him. 

This story doesn't stop there, but provides readers with options and advice dealing with OCD from someone who broke the curse of living a secret life. Now he's ready to share his story in order to help others.

Buy the Book:
Amazon
Add to Goodreads


"Which would I choose --
helping people with OCD or coaching football?"
Guest Post by Jim Juliana:
Participation in sports has been an integral component of my life since I was a child. I love the competition, the physicality and the joy of success which sports provide. I also enjoy the camaraderie of team sports. Throughout my career as a classroom teacher, I have been a head varsity coach in four different sports. Coaching sports has been my life. 

However, since overcoming the symptoms of my OCD four years ago, and being able to live a normal daily life; enjoying my wife, children, grandchildren and friends, today I think I would choose being an effective spokesperson on behalf of those suffering with OCD, rather than being a successful head football coach at the high school level. Assisting other people with OCD to learn to live happy and productive lives, despite having OCD myself, seems to me to be more important and meaningful. 


Meet the Author:
Jim Juliana was a hard-working family man with a devoted wife and adoring children. As a teacher, he taught numerous subjects over a 28-year career, was an assistant principal/athletic director for three years and mentored generations of youngsters in the classroom and in athletics. Juliana was a coach for forty years at the high school level.


Coach Juliana has been a part of two state championship teams, a city championship team and several league title teams. He spent two years as a college instructor and football coach. But Jim Juliana had a secret life, one over which he had no control. For most of his life, he also fought - and eventually defeated - an embarrassing and almost debilitating OCD. OCD, or obsessive-compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder that affects three to five million adults in the US each year. 

OCD involves irrational fears or repeated thoughts or obsessions that drive an individual to engage in repetitive behaviors or compulsions. Jim Juliana's life was finally changed when he found a therapist whose treatment all but eliminated his OCD incidents. A Secret Life chronicles Juliana's battle against his OCD and gives readers options and information for treatment based on his experiences.


Connect with the author

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY!
Three Winners: eBook of A Secret Life
One Winner: $25 Amazon Gift Card
(Ends July 2, 2020)


Tour Schedule:
June 15 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
June 15 - Working Mommy Journal – book spotlight / giveaway
June 16 – Splashes of Joy – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
June 16 - Sefina Hawke's Books – book spotlight
June 17 – novelsnerd – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
June 17 - T's Stuff – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
June 18 – Library of Clean Reads – book spotlight / giveaway
June 18 - Laura's Interests - book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
June 19 – Hall Ways Blog – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
June 19 - Rockin' Book Reviews – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
June 22 – Books for Books – book spotlight
June 23 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
June 23 - Olio by Marilyn – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
June 24 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book spotlight / giveaway
June 24 - Rainy Day Reviews – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
June 25 – Pick a Good Book – book spotlight / author interview /giveaway
June 26 – Literary Flits – book spotlight / giveaway







Thursday, June 18, 2020

Snake Oil (Patrick Flint, #2) by Pamela Fagan Hutchins

Audible Audiobook
Author & Narrator: Pamela Fagan Hutchins
Listening Length: 8 hours and 17 minutes
Audio Publisher: Pamela Fagan Hutchins
Print Publisher: SkipJack Publishing
Audible.com Release Date: January 8, 2020
SUSPENSE / ACTION / WESTERN 


ABOUT THE BOOK: A doctor on a quest to make a difference. A flirty widow with a suspiciously dead husband. Stranded on the Wind River Indian Reservation in a deadly blizzard, Patrick Flint is about to figure out just how much of an outsider he really is. 

Patrick Flint feels a calling to volunteer at the impoverished Indian Health Services clinic on the Wind River Reservation that he can't completely explain. His wife Susanne usually supports him, but her family is coming for their first Wyoming visit, 12-year-old Perry is stir crazy and looking for trouble, teenager Trish is dangerously in love, and Suzanne and Patrick are in the final stages of negotiations on their dream house. The Christmas holidays are not a convenient time for him to be gone, or to be out of communication, which is exactly what happens when a series of blizzards knocks out power and phone lines all over the region.

When Patrick arrives in Fort Washakie to a flirty reception from the young clinic manager, Constance, he discovers Big Mike Teton, a tribal council member, dead in the parking lot. The circumstances point toward poisoning, but local law enforcement pooh-poohs that idea the second Patrick brings it up. So does Big Mike's widow—none other than the lovely Constance.

Stranded in the storm, Patrick follows his heart and the medical evidence in his quest to figure out what killed Big Mike. No one on the reservation seems happy about his involvement. But they aren't half as unhappy with him as Susanne is back in Buffalo when their realtor calls with a make-or-break counteroffer on the house, and she still can't reach him after two days of radio silence.

As Patrick's investigation begins to ruffle the wrong feathers, a frantic Susanne loads up the kids and her extended family for a trek across Wyoming to roust her husband, only to discover she's not the only woman with a strong interest in the good doctor.



= = = = = = = = = = = = = = 

✪✪✪✪✪

4.5 STARS. HALL WAYS REVIEW. Audio Book / Print Combo Review. This second installment in the Patrick Flint series is just as engaging as the first, and there is never a dull moment with so many moving parts and different viewpoints -- oh, and dead bodies! Be warned: there are spoilers if you haven't read the first book in the series, Switchback (why?!). Otherwise, for returning readers, our memories of the harrowing experiences the Flint family has endured are satisfactorily refreshed.

“It was the kind of look that got a fella’s ass kicked.”

At its core, the story is about family and since the story is told from each of the Flint family members’ viewpoints, it makes them all feel very real.  Even when they are at odds with one another, they come together and support and help each other in real times of crisis, like all families do. (Unlike many families, "support" in this family gets pretty violent at times.) As a bonus, in Snake Oil, the extended family has joined the Flints for the holidays, adding an additional layer of authenticity and some levity. Some scenes were reminiscent of the Vacation movies.

Also realistic is the setting. Hutchins has a flair for writing what she knows, and that is Wyoming and the '70s, apparently. Rich descriptions of scenery place the readers in the bitter, but beautiful cold of December in rugged country. And, a sprinkling of specific details reminds readers of the time period:  The International Harvester Travelall, the shag carpet, landline telephones being out of service, and YAASSSS! CB radios!

There is more than one mystery to be solved, and the slight paranormal/spiritual touch with the Native American angle piqued my interest and took the story in a fascinating direction. The central mystery really wasn't much of one for me; in a rare feat, I suspected whodunit and why very early on. Even so, Hutchins made me doubt my conclusion many times over and gives readers reason to be suspicious of many of the intriguing characters in Snake Oil. It's a thoroughly good time. There are several plots meandering around each other, sometimes crossing but often independent, and there are one too many timing coincidences, but they all add to developing the people and place of the series, and everything is nicely resolved by story's end.  I can't wait to see what comes next in Sawbones, the next installment in the series. 

ABOUT THE NARRATION: Absolutely no complaints, here. The book is narrated by the author, and she nails it. She knows her characters, of course, but she also has a talent for even pacing and delivery, clear diction, and subtle expression so that listeners can get absorbed in the story without being hung up on its delivery.

I picked up my print copy (and of course, got it autographed) at the 2020 Pulpwood Queen Girlfriend Weekend, but I was provided the audio copy from SkipJack Publishing in exchange for my honest opinion -- the only kind I give.

✪✪✪✪✪


RELATED:
Click for Hall Ways Review



Friday, May 1, 2020

Einstein's Compass ~ Audio Book Blog Tour Audio Book Review!






EINSTEIN'S COMPASS
BY GRACE BLAIR & LAREN BRIGHT
Narrated by Curt Bonnem

Length: 9 hours 13 minutes
Publisher: Modern Mystic Media, LLC
Released: Mar. 26, 2019
Sub-Genres: Science Fiction; Young Adult




How did Albert Einstein come up with his wondrous theories of light and time?

In Einstein's Compass: A YA Time Traveler Adventure, a young Albert is gifted a supernatural compass that allows him to travel through time and space. He finds wisdom in other dimensions, like the lost city of Atlantis, but evil forces seek the power of the compass, including a monstrous, shape-shifting dragon from a different age.

Can the compass protect Albert from such villainy?


Buy on Amazon




HALL WAYS REVIEW: Audio Book Review: Einstein’s Compass is a HIGHLY imaginative mix of historical fact, biblical and mythological references, and spiritual mysticism that will keep readers’ brains whirling and fully engaged.

“He held his breath as the stink of foul, stale blood
and dark purpose filled the air.”

Figurative language coupled with rich, detailed descriptions make it easy to imagine the fantastic, but it also makes it easy to get bogged down in it. Though the narrator is spectacular, I think it would have been easier for me to absorb the more technical or spiritual elements of the book by reading with my eyes or better -- enjoying the book through a combination of print and audio so I could re-read passages and see spellings of words and names.

I very much enjoy how Einstein’s Compass offers readers a full fantasy experience but also ties it into characters based in history – namely Albert Einstein, but also in religious history, like Moses and Ezekiel, for example, and how there is a whole team of otherworldly beings at work behind the scenes influencing the direction of the world. These actors exist in history, in parallel worlds, and even in limbo as they transition from death to after-life. The bottom line of the book implies that there is much divine and/or otherworldly guidance and intervention in the lives of some – like Albert Einstein – whose paths are meant for greatness.

“My only god is mathematics.”

The story provides a good window into the likely frustration that a young, brilliant Einstein had with classmates and adults who didn’t understand and/or felt intimidated by his intelligence. Also, it is interesting to view young Einstein in context of his being a Jew when already the anti-Semitism is building up and he and others are being singled-out and persecuted.

At special times in human evolution, a traveler is given the keys to soul transcendence: The practices that awaken the awareness of oneself as a soul and as more than that, knowing their oneness with God. This is not a theoretical understanding, but the actual experience of that living reality.
The story gets a little deep at times and includes challenging vocabulary, which could lose some readers. There are astral planes and light travelers (Jesus being the first of the latter), plus there is seduction and references to arousal in the story, so it’s probably more geared for mature, advanced young adult readers. I recommend the book for readers who can go in with open minds and seek new experiences and viewpoints likely different from anything they’ve read before. Einstein’s Compass would be an excellent book for reading clubs because it begs to be discussed.

ABOUT THE NARRATION: Narrator Curt Bonnem does an outstanding job performing the voices of a huge cast of characters, both male and female (and genderless), in a variety of accents, of those both good and evil.  I especially liked his voicing of Jehovah -- the ultimate good guy, and Raka – the ultimate bad guy.  There were no technical issues with the recording, and I listened at regular speed and was never impatient with the pace.  

Thank you to the author for providing me an audio book download in exchange for my honest opinion – the only kind I give. 

The tour is being sponsored by Grace Blair. The gifting of this audio book did not affect my opinion of it.

Grace Blair, Award-Winning Author.  Throughout her adult life, Grace became a serious student of the spiritual. She found that, often, psychological principles and practices were incomplete, but could be filled out by adding the missing spiritual component. Her approach was always to see practical applications for what she uncovered in the mystical. It was through immersing herself in this field of study and experience that she came up with her idea for her book, Einstein’s Compass.
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Narrator Bio

Versatile, authentic & engaging with a hint of wry edge.

I am a professional, union (SAG-AFTRA/Actor’s Equity) multi-media performer with over 35 years of experience.

I provide voiceover reads that range from conversational to enthusiastic, young, quirky and hip, to smooth, resonant and sexy. Ask me about my character voices and accents!

Audiobooks have become a true passion, making excellent use of all of my acting skills developed over decades. I mean, what actor doesn’t love to play all the parts!?

Hailing from the Windy City (neutral American accent included) I spent the past 30 years in sunny Los Angeles, developing my skills and working on stage, screen and in the booth. I’ve now ventured Southeast to Atlanta, where I’m settling in and re-adjusting to weather I haven’t had since I was a kid. And bugs. Happily, my newly built professional VO studio keeps me safe from both!   Website



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