Posted in Giveaway, Historical on October 25, 2016

So in my original post, I forgot to include a Giveaway for a copy of this fantastic book!  So make sure to enter below!

 

Brothers Path by Martha KennedyThe Brothers Path by Martha Kennedy

Publisher: Free Magic Show Productions (July  4, 2016)
Category: Historical Fiction
Tour Dates: Oct/Nov, 2016
ISBN: 978-1535101295
ASIN:  B01HSDYD04
Available in: Print & ebook,  276 Pages

The Brothers Path

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Masthof Bookstore & Press

The world-shattering tumult of the Protestant Reformation enters the Schneebeli household when Rudolf Schneebeli is born two months early and dies a few minutes later without being baptized. Named for the well trodden track linking the Schneebeli farmhouse to the old Lunkhofen castle, The Brothers Path is set in a Swiss village near Zürich, between 1524 and 1531. It chronicles the lives of the six Schneebeli brothers, Heinrich, Hannes, Peter, Conrad, Thomann and Andreas. Each brother navigates his own path through, around or directly into the deadly drama of the Protestant reformation.

Two hundred years after the events recounted in The Brothers’ Path, thousands of immigrants, mostly Mennonites and Amish, left Switzerland for America looking for safety and freedom they could not find at home. If the novel teaches a “lesson” it would be a reminder why immigrants to America were adamant about separating church and state.

Giveaway

Your choice of a print copy of this book or an eBook.  Print copies are restricted to US Residents only, but eBook is open Internationally!

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Posted in Book Release, excerpt, Romantic Suspense on October 25, 2016

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Title: Water Under the Bridge

Author: Britney King

Release Date: Oct 25, 2016

Synopsis

My whole life I’ve wanted nothing more than to fit in.

Only, my whole life I’ve done anything but.

That’s probably because I’m anything but average. After all—female serial killers seem to be a minority in today’s society.

And that’s ok—because I’ve longed for a change for quite some time now.

Which brings me back around to fitting in.

You know what one has to do to fit in?

I do.

One has to blend.

Which is great news!

Because I realize my clock is ticking, so to speak, and now I want a family. Luckily, I’ve always been good at getting what I want.

So I figure what better place to blend than suburbia?

All that stuff I did before—it’s water under the bridge now. I just hope it’s not too late to change my ways. Here’s to hoping for suburbia’s sake, too.

I mean, what are the odds I could be the girl next door?

Apparently, they’re better than you might think.

==============================

Your whole life you’ve wanted to fit in.

Only your whole life you’ve done anything but.

That’s probably because you’re anything but average— you’re a killer— but, then so am I.

You say you’ve longed for a change for quite some time now.

This is good because, well, me too.

Your clock is ticking, you want a family, but you waste so much time.

I know because I’m watching, waiting, blending.

What you don’t realize is if you want me, and I think you do, then you’ll have to change your ways because sometimes hunters become hunted.

But what are the odds of that happening in suburbia?

Apparently, they’re better than you might think.

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Excerpt

You told me by candlelight last night that your real name is not Ryan as it said on the dating site, as you said at dinner. It’s Jude. I wasn’t surprised. We all become someone different online. As you ran the tips of your fingers across my cheek, you promised you were sorry for lying, and then you showed me when you touched my scars with your lips. You asked for the truth about them, but I didn’t give it to you. You don’t get to be the only one who lies. Which is why I haven’t told you exactly who or what I am.

It isn’t time for whole truths about anything.

Speaking of names, it took a lot to pry Amy’s last name from your lips, and you see… you do still keep her close to your heart. You’re protecting her. This is how I know. It’s dangerous, Jude. She is dangerous, and you need closure, you really do. It’s too much to go around carrying the weight of her, believe me, I know. Morris was the answer you gave when you finally relented—but you lied. Your jaw did this twitchy thing, and that’s how I knew. We all have our tells, and apparently, that’s yours.

“No doubt, she’s married now,” you add, to cover your tracks, to conceal your lies, and you are still in denial, still protecting her, and it’s okay because, luckily, I know how to hunt people.

Later, I withdrew in your lies, and you sensed me pull away.

I started slowly at first, retreating into myself and then I left and didn’t speak to you for four days. You let me have my space, at first. I’ll give you that. But the thing you need to know about women is that it isn’t space we want, not really. We want a fight. We want a man willing to burn for us—someone willing to put it all on the line. We want to go to war.

I know you have it in you, I do. This is why I don’t return your calls. This is why I play hard to get when the truth is I miss you. I miss the way your arms feel around me, the way your eyes bore holes into my soul—all the ways you seem to know me even though you don’t. So on the fourth day, when you show up at my door, this is why I practically leap into your arms. You aren’t confused like most men would be. Not you. You come bearing gifts that aren’t flowers. You come bearing breakfast and plane tickets, and you are a warrior, Jude, you are.

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About the Author

britney-king-authorBritney King writes modern love stories for mature audiences. She also enjoys suspense and often finds her sweet spot penning a good mixture of the two.

Britney is the author of seven novels and is currently at work on number eight.

She lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, children, two dogs, one ridiculous cat and a partridge in a pear tree.

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Posted in excerpt, Historical, Spotlight on October 25, 2016

Brothers Path by Martha Kennedy

Brothers Path by Martha KennedyThe Brothers Path by Martha Kennedy

Publisher: Free Magic Show Productions (July  4, 2016)
Category: Historical Fiction
Tour Dates: Oct/Nov, 2016
ISBN: 978-1535101295
ASIN:  B01HSDYD04
Available in: Print & ebook,  276 Pages

The Brothers Path

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Masthof Bookstore & Press

The world-shattering tumult of the Protestant Reformation enters the Schneebeli household when Rudolf Schneebeli is born two months early and dies a few minutes later without being baptized. Named for the well trodden track linking the Schneebeli farmhouse to the old Lunkhofen castle, The Brothers Path is set in a Swiss village near Zürich, between 1524 and 1531. It chronicles the lives of the six Schneebeli brothers, Heinrich, Hannes, Peter, Conrad, Thomann and Andreas. Each brother navigates his own path through, around or directly into the deadly drama of the Protestant reformation.

Two hundred years after the events recounted in The Brothers’ Path, thousands of immigrants, mostly Mennonites and Amish, left Switzerland for America looking for safety and freedom they could not find at home. If the novel teaches a “lesson” it would be a reminder why immigrants to America were adamant about separating church and state.

Praise for Brothers Path by Martha Kennedy

“A remarkable historical novel that follows the lives of a group of brothers in Reformation Switzerland as they struggle with their various beliefs while winning and losing family battles.  I have read a previous book by this author, Martin of Gfenn, and am preparing to read her Savior. I am not usually a fan of histories, especially those dealing with crises of faith, but this author has found the secret of bringing these times and people alive. I enjoy her writing, and am humbled by learning what religion has wrought in this world for many times before our own.”-Amazon Reviewer

“I thoroughly enjoyed ‘The Brothers Path’. Written about a pivotal time in our religious history, this was an interesting look at a large family who each had different opinions of the new Protestant thoughts presented to the population. Being a free thinker was quite new and families stretched as a result. This is a well written look at a very unique historical time in our history.”-R. Hueftle, Amazon Reviewer

“This beautifully and sensitively written book is the third of author Martha Kennedy’s historical novels set near Zurich, Switzerland. The story, which takes place in the 1520s, chronicles the lives, loves, and passions of the six Schneebeli brothers, whose changing and differing religious beliefs clash as the Protestant Reformation, promoted in the Swiss cantons by Ulrich Zwingli, sweeps through their lives.
The book begins with the premature birth of baby Rudolf Schneebeli into the Catholic Schneebeli family, and his death minutes later before he can be baptized. The fact that a beloved child must be buried, unbaptised, in unsanctified ground, begins the book and serves as a catalyst for remarkable changes within the family as some brothers are inspired to follow Zwingli’s new religion while others hold their Catholicism dear. The issue reverberates throughout the book to the last sentence, highlighting the complexities in people’s lives brought on by religious change.
Kennedy not only provides a picture of what the Reformation must have been like on a personal level, but her rendering of what the daily life of the Schneebeli family was probably like rounded out a very satisfying read.”-SusannahReads, Amazon Reviewer

Excerpt

Chapter 1, Rudolf, June 1524, continued from Words and Peace

“Verena! Where are you? What’s going on that you had to send Hugo after me!” Old Johann shouted from the front door. Seeing Frau Beck rushing toward him, he shivered in fear. “What has happened?”

“The baby, sir. He has come before-time,” said Frau Beck.

“My wife?”

“She’s very tired and very ill. The baby took everything out of her, sir. I…” Frau Beck stopped.

“What, woman? Speak up!” Old Johann yelled in Frau Beck’s face.

“I told you last year if she became pregnant again, it was likely to kill her. She’s sleeping now, God bless her.” Frau Beck crossed herself. “It would be a kindness to her if you would leave her sleep. She’s in God’s hands.”

Old Johann’s face reddened. “You’re telling me she’s dying?”

Frau Beck nodded. “Yes, sir. It’s likely. She knows it. She’s been asking for Hannes.”

“She has not asked for me?”

“She knows you were sent for, that you would come home. Her fear is for the safety of her soul. It’s natural it would be so.”

***

Hearing Old Johann’s voice, Andreas walked out of his mother’s room and into the private courtyard that opened onto to the orchard. He could not bear to see his father or be anywhere near him. Anyway, the baby needed a coffin. Andreas walked between the late spring apple trees, with their bright leaves and fading blossoms, and opened the door to the apple shed. On the floor was a neat stack of boxes used for apples that were too good for cider. He found one that was clean and new and dusted it with an apple sack. When he returned to the house with it, his brothers, Heinrich and Thomann, were standing in the courtyard.

“Mother asked for Hannes,” Andreas told them.

“I’ll go.” Thomann, six years older than Andreas, most resembled Verena physically. He was short and sturdily built with red hair and changeable eyes. “It’s best you stay with Father, Heinrich.”

“Hurry,” said Heinrich, feeling a chill up his spine. The oldest, Heinrich was already in his mid-thirties, his father’s right-hand man at the mill and the father of four children. Thomann took off running in the direction of Angel Mountain Abbey.

“Where’s Father?” Heinrich asked Andreas.

“Gone to look in on Mother. I hope he will leave her be. She’s dying, thanks to him.”

Heinrich gestured toward the apple box. “What is that for?”

“Rudolf.”

Heinrich looked at Andreas, not understanding.

“Our brother.”

Heinrich crossed himself

“Where was everyone?” Andreas asked. “Mother was alone!”

“It is Little Hans’ name day,” explained Heinrich. “Elsa took him and the other children to celebrate with Hannes. Mother was fine when we left this morning. We had no idea…” They did not notice that their father had joined them.

“It would have changed nothing,” Old Johann snarled at his sons. “Nothing.”

Andreas turned his back on his father and went back to his mother’s room. He lined the apple box with clean linen and gently placed tiny Rudolf inside. “There, little one,” he whispered. He set the box out of the way on a table near the arched window.

***

“Where is Hannes?”

“He’ll be here, Father,” said Heinrich.

“Why didn’t Thomann take a horse?”

“I don’t know. He should have.”

“Pray God Hannes gets here before it’s too late.” The old man crossed himself. “I won’t have Verena damned because Thomann has dawdled.”

Thomann appeared at the bottom of the hill, running. Hannes was close behind him, lifting his long, white monk’s robes so he would not trip. Elsa and the children came soon after.

“Go to her!” said Old Johann to Hannes before he’d even reached the courtyard. “There’s no time to waste.”

Hannes, panting, nodded and hurried inside. He looked quickly at the tiny baby. The midwife sat beside Verena’s bed, her face red with crying. “Frau Beck,” said Hannes softly.

“She’s been asking for you, Father Hannes.” The midwife stood to give Hannes the chair. “I’ll be outside, Father.”

Verena was wavering between two worlds. “Mother,” Hannes began, but his voice caught in his throat. He shook his head to regain himself, then placed her rosary in her hands. “Do you sincerely beg our Lord for forgiveness of your sins?”

Verena nodded.

He opened the cross-shaped, silver box he wore on his belt for the services of Last Rites and took out a small vial of Holy Oil and a wafer that had been blessed by the Holy Father in Rome. With the oil, he traced the shape of a cross on his mother’s forehead and placed the wafer between her lips. He knew she could not eat it, but it would protect her from Satan, who could take her soul at the last minute.

“May our Heavenly Father pardon you whatever sins or faults you have committed. In the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, his holy mother, Mary, St. John the Baptist, St. Joseph and St. Verena, name saint of our sister and my mother, Verena.” He made the sign of the cross over her body. It was not long before she followed little Rudolf in death.

Wiping the tears from her eyes, Frau Beck returned to care for Verena before Hannes invited the family into the room. “I’m sorry, Father Hannes,” she said as she closed Verena’s eyes. “We will miss her. It is a shame, at her time of life. She might have lived to enjoy her grandchildren. God rest her sweet soul.” She laid the apple box with the small babe beside Verena on the bed.

Hannes could only nod.

“Shall I call them in, Father Hannes?”

“I’ll do it. It’s all right, Frau Beck. Father, Heinrich, Elsa, Thomann, Andreas, you can come in.”

“What of the baby?” Hannes asked his father, “Did you baptize him?”

“I wasn’t here. Only Andreas was here.”

“Andreas?”

“No.”

”How long did he live?”

“Minutes.”

“And you did not baptize him?” Hannes was stunned. Surely it was the right and obvious thing to do to ensure the Kingdom of Heaven to their tiny brother.

This excerpt will continue at Broken Teepee on October 25th

About the Author
Brothers Path by Martha Kennedy

Award winning author, Martha Kennedy has published three works of historical fiction. Her first novel, Martin of Gfenn, which tells the story of a young fresco painter living in 13th century Zürich, was awarded the Editor’s Choice by the Historical Novel Society Indie Review and the BRAG Medallion from IndieBRAG in 2015.

Her second novel, Savior, also an BRAG Medallion Honoree (2016), tells the story of a young man in the 13th century who fights depression by going on Crusade. Her newest novel, The Brothers Path, a loose sequel to Savior, looks at the same family three hundred years later as they find their way through the Protestant Reformation.

Kennedy has also published many short-stories and articles in a variety of publications from the Denver Post to the Business Communications Quarterly.

Kennedy was born in Denver, Colorado and earned her undergraduate degree in American Literature from University of Colorado, Boulder and her graduate degree in American Literature from the University of Denver. She has taught college and university writing at all levels, business communication, literature and English as a Second Language.

For many years she lived in the San Diego area, most recently in Descanso, a small town in the Cuyamaca Mountains. She has recently returned to Colorado to live in Monte Vista in the San Luis Valley.

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To learn more about Kennedy’s award-winning novels, Martin of Gfenn and Savior, check out her Amazon author page

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Check out the other blogs on this tour

Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus Oct 4 Kickoff & Giveaway

Rockin’ Book Reviews Oct 5 Review & Giveaway

Words and Peace Oct 6 Guest Post, Excerp, & Giveaway

Carole Rae’s Random Ramblings Oct 7 Review

SolaFide Book Club Oct 10 Guest Post

Serendipity Oct 11 Review & Interview

Books, books, and more books Oct 20 Review

StoreyBook Reviews Oct 25 Excerpt & Giveaway

Lisa’s Writopia Oct 28 Review & Guest Post

Deal Sharing Aunt Nov 3 Review & Giveaway

Broken Teepee Nov 4 Review, Excerpt, & Giveaway

Infinite House of Books Nov 8 Interview

Celticlady’s Reviews Nov 22 Excerpt

Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus Nov 30 Review

Posted in excerpt, Fantasy, Spotlight, Young Adult on October 24, 2016

wishingworld

Synopsis

In the Wishing World, dreams are real. You can transform into your own hero, find wild and whimsical friends, and wield power as great as your imagination. But Lorelei doesn’t know about any of that. All she knows is that a monster took her family.

It happened during a camping trip one year ago. Hiding inside the tent, she saw shadows, tentacles and a strange creature. By the time she got up the courage to crawl outside, the monster–and Lorelei’s mom, dad, and brother–were gone.

Lorelei is determined to find her family. When she accidentally breaks into the Wishing World, she discovers a way. It’s a land more wonderful than she could have imagined, a land of talking griffons, water princesses, and cities made of sand, where Lorelei is a Doolivanti–a wish-maker–who can write her dreams into existence.

There’s only one problem: the monster is a Doolivanti, too. What he wishes also comes true, and he’s determined to shove Lorelei out, keep her family, and make the whole Wishing World his. To save them, Lorelei must find the courage to face him, or her next wish may be her last.

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Excerpt

I ran like there was a monster behind me. Because one year ago today, there had been. Black tentacles slithered right out of the rain and snatched my little brother. Snatched my parents, too. That’s the way it happened. Freaky truth, right? Bright like a neon sign in your face.

Too bad nobody believed me.

The clouds were low and dark, bellies full of water, so I didn’t stop running until I got to my house. By then my legs were jelly. Lungs burning. I had that metal taste in my mouth that you get when you run too hard. Florid Flecks of Phlegm. Gick.

The towering street light made a bright circle on the blacktop, the sidewalk, and the sloped lawn. The first rain droplets speckled my face lightly like they were innocent. Like they hadn’t snatched my whole childhood away. But I was done being afraid. I was done flinching. I stood still with my fists clenched and let the drops hit me. I wanted my family back.

I spat out the nasty acid taste and tried the purple front door. Locked. And I didn’t have a key anymore. Auntie Carrie and Uncle Jone had sold my house last week and sent me to a sleepover in the old neighborhood to make me feel better. Like that works. Have a pillow fight and a cup of hot chocolate, and you’ll forget they’re selling your house. You’ll forget you ever had a brother or a Mom or a Dad. Welcome to the new normal. You get with the program yet, Lorelei?

No. Double no with a forget-you on top.

 

About the Author

toddTODD FAHNESTOCK won the New York Public Library’s Books for the Teen Age Award for one of his short stories, and is the author of the YA bestseller Fairmist as well as The Wishing World. Stories are his passion, but Todd’s greatest accomplishment is his quirky, fun-loving family. The Wishing World began as a series of bedtime stories for his children.

Author Website * Twitter  * Facebook * Goodreads * Virtual Tour Page

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Posted in 4 paws, Cozy, Monday, mystery, Review on October 24, 2016

nearly-dead-in-iowa-cover

Synopsis

Manhattan socialite Isabella “Izzy” Lewis is in desperate need of a fresh start. Ending up on the wrong side of a nasty divorce, jobless, and pretty much homeless, she’s hit rock bottom. So when the father she never knew asks her to visit him in Iowa, she figures she has nothing more to lose—until she arrives at his home and promptly stumbles (literally) over a dead body.

Now her missing father is murder suspect number one, and Izzy’s in the crosshairs of the local sheriff who’s convinced she’s somehow involved. After being reluctantly adopted by a local group of Jessica Fletcher wannabes, Izzy resolves to find her missing father and the killer. A job that proves harder than she thought as she juggles running down clues to the killer’s identity, her hot but suspicious new next door neighbor, keeping the sleuthing senior citizens out of trouble, and above all, going at least one day without being nearly dead in Iowa.

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The eBook is just $0.99 right now – what a bargain

Review

Iowa can be deadly! This is a good start to a new series about Isabella who heads to Iowa to meet a father she has never known, while escaping from a marriage that is ending. What she doesn’t expect to find is a dead body in her father’s home or that he is missing and presumed that he killed his best friend.

The mystery is finding out who killed Stan and Isabella jumps into that feet first because she wants to clear her father. She has a group of older ladies, called the Q’s, helping her out by snooping and asking questions wherever possible. Isabella (or Izzy as she is sometimes called) manages to put herself in some not so great situations – but it wouldn’t be a cozy if she didn’t.

I didn’t figure out who the murderer was, but the clues were there…I just went down the wrong path!

There are several intriguing twists that I won’t describe because it makes the story more rounded, but you might be able to figure out a few things as you read the book.

And of course there is a love interest with Gabe. He lives next door to her father and at first you think he doesn’t like Izzy, but we are proved wrong later in the book.

We give this 4 paws up

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About the Author

Wendy has a Masters in Social Work and worked in the child welfare field for twelve years before she decided to pursue her dream of writing.

Between teaching college classes, trying to get her morbidly obese cat to slim down, and tempering the will of her five-year-old granddaughter, who’s determined to become a witch when she turns six so she can fly on her broom to see the Eiffel Tower and put hexes on people—not necessarily in that order—somehow Wendy still manages to fit in writing. She spends the remainder of her days inflicting mayhem on her hero and heroine until they beg for mercy.

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Posted in Adventure, excerpt, Religious Fiction on October 23, 2016

travellers-guide-to-afterlives-cover

Synopsis

This is the most important book in the history of literature.

What if your afterlife was a dud? Would you want to spend your whole life following a religion if it led you to a terrible eternity? In this fun-filled guide I visit Heaven, Hell, Hades, and the afterlives of the Buddhists, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Australian Aborigines.

The definitive book to change your (eternal) life!

“The Travellers’ Guide To The Afterlives” truly is the most important book in the history of literature.

Whether you’re deeply pious or a hardcore atheist, just imagine this: what if the afterlife really does exist? And what if the afterlife you end up in depends on which religion you follow?

What if some of the afterlives are great and some are awful?

Wouldn’t you want to know? Wouldn’t you want to spend your life following the religion with the best eternity? Because life is short and eternity is really, really long.

Despite being a lifelong atheist, I didn’t want to take the chance of being wrong and ending up floating in an infinite pool of embryonic fluid forever after. So I devised a way of travelling to the afterlife and returning to my body back on Earth. In “The Travellers’ Guide To The Afterlives”, I visit Heaven, Hell and Hades, as well as the afterlives of the Buddhists, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Australian Aborigines. Join me as I recount my adventures and enjoy the tales of life, death, life again, more death, more life, a bit of sex, and an adorable couple of koalas.

Find out which religion will take you to the best afterlife so you can make an informed decision about your hereafter.

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smashwords

Excerpt

I never was a religious man.
Until a couple of years ago, I hadn’t put too much thought into religion. I was your typical atheist. Whenever someone talked to me about God or Satan or the Bible, I would find as many ways as possible to prove them stupid.
I wasn’t a believer, but when push came to shove, I didn’t really care that much about religion, so long as it wasn’t smeared into my face like a clown’s pie. Whatever you want to believe behind closed doors is fine by me.
My views didn’t suddenly change when someone stopped me on the street to tell me the Good News, nor did I re-evaluate my beliefs after meeting some drunk guy in a pub who splurted out a surprisingly profound cliché I’d never heard before. There was no epiphany; no life-changing moment.
In fact, my views on religion haven’t changed much at all. Or more specifically, my views on the religious haven’t changed. I suppose I can’t call myself an atheist any more, seeing as how I visited Purgatory, Hades, Heaven and Hell, met tribal ancestors, was reincarnated, and dined with a bunch of long-forgotten gods.
It started, like many things start, with a catalyst. I met a girl at a party while I was living in Germany. She was obsessed with death – terrified of it. Not so much dying, but what happens afterwards. What if we just stop existing? What’s the point of that? What’s the point of living just to die and disappear?
I’d personally not worried much about the thought of my existence ending at the time of death. If that is our destiny, then so be it. We have no influence over it so there’s no point wasting our time with something we can’t change.
What we should be concerned about is if there is some kind of life after death. According to the popular beliefs of most religions, our lifestyles influence where we go after we shuffle off the mortal coil. If one follows a religion, one can end up in its afterlife.
So what if one of the afterlives was a dud? Imagine being stuck somewhere really crap for the rest of eternity. Imagine dedicating your entire life to being a good Christian, then discovering that Heaven is duller than three accountants debating stationery.
I decided then and there to visit as many afterlives as I could and write reviews on them so that humanity could make an informed decision as to where they will end up for the rest of time. My German friend’s well-justified fear of the unknown drove me to write the most important book in the history of literature; a handbook on life-after-death: The Travellers’ Guide to the Afterlives.
The problem was, I didn’t believe in the afterlife.
But like all good problems, there was a solution. I found my solution not in religion, where one might suspect would be a good starting place, rather, in spirituality.
The path was made clear by hippies.

About the Author

Pete Malicki is a versatile writer and a maverick of the arts and entertainment industries. He’s won writing awards all around the globe and holds a world record for running the longest short play festival in history.

As a writer, Pete began by writing five novels before broadening his horizons and diving into the theatre world. His first published novel, “Eyes And Knives”, was named book chain Berkelouw’s “Book Of The Week” upon its release. His fifth novel, “The Travellers’ Guide to the Afterlives”, is an endearing mock-autobiography affectionately thought of as The Most Important Book In The History Of Literature, because no other book tells you how to secure the best eternal life!

In theatre, Pete has had over 750 productions of 70 different plays in 20 countries. His plays have won 21 awards between them at nationwide/international events. “V.D.”, his full-length one-woman show, has toured Australia, England and New Zealand to great critical acclaim.

His speciality is writing theatrical monologues which actors love to perform. These have rich, textured characters and engaging stories, and with 200+ performances of them each year they are among the most popular and successful monologues in the world. Six volumes of these monologues have been published and a Complete Works anthology is coming soon to SmashWords.

Outside of writing, Pete is a heavyweight producer in his hometown of Sydney Australia. He’s run the world’s largest short play festival – Short+Sweet Sydney – four times and been the coordinator of artist development program Crash Test Drama for close to a decade. He founded The Monologue project in 2013, which offers live shows, a script resource and workshops for drama students. He’s directed dozens of award-winning actors and stood at the helm of major Sydney productions. On top of that, he runs workshops on business skills and monologue performance, works as an editor for New Holland Publishers and his own company Editors Australia, and holds regular writing courses.

He is also developing Monologue Master, an online educational resource for actors wanting to get better at performing monologues, and co-founded Horizon VR, a virtual reality production company.

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Posted in Children, Giveaway, Guest Post, Spotlight on October 23, 2016

bnr-sir-kaye

SIR KAYE THE BOY KNIGHT BOOK 3

  LEGEND OF THE 

FOREST BEAST

by

  Don M. Winn

Genre: Children’s / Chapter Book / Medieval

Publisher: Progressive Rising Phoenix Press

Date of Publication: July 8, 2016

Number of Pages: 178

Scroll down for Giveaway!
synopsis

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The beloved tutor Alchir has vanished! And a dangerous criminal with a grudge against Alchir has just escaped from prison. Kaye is determined to find the tutor and earn a fine reputation as a knight. The search leads Kaye, Reggie, and Beau to a sinister manor house at the edge of a dark forest where nearby villagers live in terror of a deadly monster. As they investigate the mystery of the forest beast, they uncover a terrible plot that could destroy Knox. When there’s no one to turn to for help, can they save the kingdom-and their lives-by themselves?

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* Amazon * Barnes & Noble

* or Signed Copies from Progressive Rising Phoenix Press *

PRAISE FOR LEGEND OF THE FOREST BEAST

*Silver Award Winner: Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards

“A cracking, fun-filled adventure. Highly recommended!”

—The Wishing Shelf Awards Book Review

“LEGEND OF THE FOREST BEAST captures colorful adventures, fun characters, and inspirational thoughts in a quick and easy read for children.” —IndieReader Review

“OMG! My kids and I just finished reading book 3 of the Sir Kaye series. We loved, loved, loved this book. It was full of twists and turns, excitement, near misses, and lots of humor. . . It’s a must read. The whole series is a must read. We are impatiently waiting for book 4!!” —Amazon Reviewer

guest post

“The Secret Lives of Donkeys”

Guest Post by Don Winn

A donkey named Grumble has taken me on a wild ride, no pun intended. Work on the third Sir Kaye book, Legend of the Forest Beast, has been a great opportunity to develop non-human characters that play an important role in the story.

Horses, like Sir Kaye’s horse Kadar, have been a mainstay since book one, The Knighting of Sir Kaye. Book two, The Lost Castle Treasure, introduced falconry and a goshawk named Oriana. So what about book three? In book three, Grumble the donkey plays an important, and at times humorous, role in the story.

Of course, in order to write accurately about a donkey, I needed to do a bit of research. Much to my surprise, I have gained a new-found respect and appreciation for donkeys, so I thought I would share a few fascinating facts about them.

You may have thought, as I did, that donkeys are stubborn, less intelligent than horses, and weaker than horses of the same size. And if you thought that, then you’re in for a big surprise. Donkeys are more like the Clark Kent of the equine family, usually remaining unnoticed compared to the horse, but possessing some amazing abilities.

Donkeys can live for over 50 years and pound for pound, are stronger, sturdier and more resilient than horses. Donkeys originated in the desert part of the earth, northeast Africa to be exact, and accompanied the Romans when they invaded Britain in 43 C.E.

You may have noticed that donkeys have bigger ears than horses. There’s a reason for that. In the desert, where donkeys originated, they are able to hear the call of another donkey 60 miles away. That’s some incredible hearing! Their large ears also serve another purpose: air conditioning. The large surface area of their ears is filled with blood vessels just beneath the skin. When blood flows through their ears, it cools. Then the cooler blood circulates throughout the body—a very important feature to have in a desert environment.

You may be wondering how a donkey’s diet compares to that of a horse. Donkeys don’t just have super strength and super hearing; they also have super digestion. Since food is scarce in the desert, donkeys utilize 95% of what they eat. Their digestive system can break down seemingly inedible vegetation and extract moisture from food far more efficiently than most other animals. If you need fertilizer for your garden, a donkey won’t contribute many nutrients to enrich the soil—he’s used them all up himself.

Donkeys have a reputation for being stubborn. If you were asked to cross a street with cars zipping by, would you? Well, neither would a donkey. Their reputation for being stubborn is actually because of their highly developed sense of self-protection. It is very hard to force or frighten a donkey into doing something it sees as contrary to its own best interest or safety. (If only people were that smart.)

To read the rest of Don Winn’s post about his donkey research, click here.

about the author

 

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Don M. Winn is a multiple award-winning children’s author of ten picture books and three children’s novels. His Sir Kaye the Boy Knight® series of novels for independent readers include The Knighting of Sir Kaye, The Lost Castle Treasure, and Legend of the Forest Beast. Don’s picture books include The Higgledy-Piggledy Pigeon; Superhero; Twitch the Squirrel and the Forbidden Bridge; Shelby the Cat; Space Cop Zack, Protector of the Galaxy; and many others.

Don has been writing for over 20 years. After beginning with poetry, Winn moved on to writing children’s picture books. Almost immediately, his growing young readers begged for chapter books, which led to the creation of the Sir Kaye series. As a dyslexic himself, who well knows the challenge of learning to love to read, Winn’s goal is to write books that are so engaging they will entice even the most reluctant or struggling reader. Winn lives in Round Rock, Texas.

Twitter * Website * Author Facebook * Sir Kaye Facebook * YouTube * Goodreads * LinkedIn

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GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!

GRAND PRIZE: Author Skype Visit + Library Bound Copies of Books 1-3

2nd PRIZE: Skype Visit + 3 Softcover Copies of Books 1-3

3rd PRIZE: Signed Softcover Copy of Book 3

*Winners of Skype visits can gift them to a school, public library, or homeschooling parent*

(US ONLY)

October 22 – October 31, 2016

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CHECK OUT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR

10/22 Review Hall Ways Blog
10/23 Guest Post StoreyBook Reviews
10/24 Illustration Preview It’s a Jenn World
10/25 Review Margie’s Must Reads
10/26 Excerpt Country Girl Bookaholic
10/27 Review Reading By Moonlight
10/28 Author Interview Forgotten Winds
10/29 Coloring Download The Page Unbound
10/30 Review Kara The Redhead
31-Oct Guest Post Chapter Break Book Blog

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Posted in Cozy, Giveaway, Guest Post, mystery, Spotlight on October 23, 2016

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The Corpse with the Ruby Lips (A Cait Morgan Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
TouchWood Editions (November 1, 2016)
Paperback: 240 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1771511957

Synopsis

Quirky criminology professor Cait Morgan is invited to be a guest lecturer at a Budapest university, and although she’s hesitant to go without her husband and trusted sidekick, Bud, who must stay home to care for his aging parents, she decides to make the month-long trip on her own.

Soon after arriving, one of her new students, Zsofia, pleads with Cait to help her uncover any clues about her grandmother’s unsolved murder, which happened decades ago on the campus of Cait’s own home university in Canada. Cait agrees, but when she is repeatedly hassled by an creepy colleague, and as bizarre details about Zsofia’s family members come to light, Cait is beset by uncertainty.

As she gets closer to the truth, Cait’s investigation puts the powers-that-be on high alert, and her instincts tell her she’s in grave danger. Bud races to Budapest to come to Cait’s side, but will it be too late?

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Guest Post

Welcome Cathy to StoreyBook Reviews!  I appreciate you taking the time to stop by and give us some insight into your newest book in the Cait Morgan series.

Thanks for having me along today, and for giving me the chance to talk about the eighth Cait Morgan Mystery, THE CORPSE WITH THE RUBY LIPS.

I’m going to take the chance to refer to something that comes up a good deal in the book – our ability as human beings to do what turn out to be bad things, for good reasons. I’m guessing most people reading this have told the odd “white lie”…you know the sort of thing I mean – we tell a little untruth, or don’t reveal the entire truth, for what we believe are the best of reasons.

Most of us know to not ask things like “Does my bum look big in this?” because we – probably quite rightly – don’t expect to get an honest answer (unless I’m asking my sister, in which case I’ll get an absolutely truthful one!). And most of us will be effusively kind when we’re complimenting a person, on their appearance or their choice of home décor for example, even if our true feelings are somewhat different. It’s how we all manage to rub along, nicely.

But what about taking things a step further? What about not saying something we’re tempted to say, and that omission changing the course of a person’s life? Or what about saying aloud that which is in our heart, without any thought about how destructive our words might be? There’s a fine line between helping and hurting in both cases…and, sometimes, it’s difficult to know where that line is, or should be, drawn.

In this book a young woman believes her chance for true happiness is blighted by her mother’s inability to discuss the murder of her grandmother, so she turns to our sleuth – professor of criminal psychology…and rabid foodie…Cait Morgan – for help. Cait has to tread a path along the almost invisible lines of what should and shouldn’t be said, and to whom, as she navigates the extraordinary family dynamics she encounters. Please consider coming with Cait to Budapest, where she finds herself mired in mysteries, and caught in a web of deceit…some of which has been woven from threads of what people believed were kindness, but which binds just as tightly for all that.

About the Author

cathy-ace-2Cathy Ace loves crime! It’s true – she discovered Nancy Drew in her local library, then found Agatha Christie on her Mum’s bookshelves, and she never looked back. Cathy happily admits that the characters she met between the book-covers as a child have influenced her writing. “Nancy Drew was plucky, strong and independent, and Agatha Christie’s puzzles engaged me every time. I love the sort of book that mixes intricate plotting with a dash of danger, and that’s what I’ve tried to create with my Cait Morgan Mystery Series. Beginning my new series, featuring the women of the WISE Enquiries Agency, I have been able to indulge my love of stately homes, village life and the interplay between characters that can take place in that sort of setting.”

Born and raised in Swansea, South Wales, Cathy is, like her heroine Cait Morgan, now a Canadian citizen. “Cait’s Welsh Canadian, as am I. They say ‘write what you know’, so a short, plus-sized Welsh woman, who’s quite bossy, fits the bill! But Cait and I are not one and the same: she’s got skills and talents I don’t possess,and I’m delighted to say that I don’t usually encounter corpses wherever I go! I’ve also chosen to burrow even deeper into my roots by creating a new cast of characters in the WISE women who come from all four corners of the United Kingdom and work in a uniquely British setting – a ducal estate set in the rolling Welsh countryside of the Wye Valley in Powys, where I spent a good deal of time when I was young.”

With a successful career in marketing having given her the chance to write training courses and textbooks, Cathy has now finally turned her attention to her real passion: crime fiction. Her short stories have appeared in multiple anthologies. Two of her works, “Dear George” and “Domestic Violence”, have also been produced by Jarvis & Ayres Productions as “Afternoon Reading” broadcasts for BBC Radio 4.

Cathy now writes two series of traditional mysteries: The Cait Morgan Mysteries (TouchWood Editions) and The WISE Enquiries Agency Mysteries (Severn House Publishers).

Cathy is proud to be Chair of Crime Writers of Canada,  a member of Sisters in Crime, the Crime Writers Association, and Mystery Writers of America.

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check out the other great blogs on this tour

October 18 – Island Confidential – GUEST POST

October 18 – MysteriesEtc – REVIEW

October 19 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – INTERVIEW

October 20 – 3 Partners in Shopping , Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT

October 20 – Books,Dreams,Life – REVIEW

October 21 –  Community Bookstop – INTERVIEW

October 22 – Nadaness In Motion – REVIEW, GUEST POST

October 23 – Varietats 2010 – INTERVIEW

October 23 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST

October 24 – Cassidy Salem Reads & Writes – GUEST POST

October 25 – deal sharing aunt – INTERVIEW

October 26 – LibriAmoriMiei – REVIEW

October 26 – Brooke Blogs – REVIEW, INTERVIEW

October 27 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

Posted in 3 paws, mystery, Review on October 22, 2016

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A Killer Closet: A Mystery

Genre – Mystery

Publisher: Alibi (October 11, 2016)

ASIN: B01AQO16S4

 

Synopsis

In a fashionably short mystery novel, Paula Paul introduces a tenacious heroine who leaves big-city life behind and returns to picturesque Santa Fe, New Mexico—where murder lands on her doorstep.

Irene Seligman loves the warmth and beauty of her Southwest hometown, but only one thing could make her quit her prestigious job as an assistant district attorney in Manhattan to return there: the guilt applied by her demanding mother, Adelle. After Adelle’s most recent husband dies, leaving her with nothing, Irene decides to take a break from prosecuting criminals to move back to Santa Fe and open an upscale consignment store. With Irene’s determination and her mother’s eye for haute couture, they’re sure to make a killing.

But on the day of the grand opening, Irene discovers the body of one of Adelle’s friends in her storeroom. And although the intrigue causes business to boom, when someone else from Adelle’s social circle is murdered, Irene begins to suspect her mother might be in danger too. Ever the protective daughter, Irene investigates her mother’s friends, suspicious that they’re hiding more than designer clothes in their closets. But as she gets closer to uncovering some real skeletons, Irene might not live to regret coming home again.

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Review

I thought this was supposed to be a cozy but it isn’t in my opinion…just FYI for anyone that thinks it should be. There are some elements of a cozy but the f* bombs and cursing make it just a mystery in my book.

Ok, that aside, the book was interesting. There are the “little old ladies” that have no concept of danger especially when they put themselves in the middle of it, multiple murders in the newest consignment shop in town and a former NY DA that has found herself back in NM because her mother needs her (and is one of these “little old ladies” I mentioned).

There are some interesting twists and turns regarding the murders and the crime that is stumbled upon . I was surprised at who some of the “bad guys” actually were. I think the characters need more development, but for a first book it isn’t bad (and I’m assuming there will be more as there is potential for future books).

We give this 3 paws up.

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About the Author

paula-paulAward-winning novelist Paula Paul was born on her grandparents’ cotton farm near Shallowater, Texas, and graduated from a country high school near Maple, Texas. She earned a BA in journalism and has worked as a reporter for newspapers in both Texas and New Mexico. She’s been the recipient of state and national awards for her work as a journalist as well as a novelist. She’s the author of many mysteries, including the Alexandra Gladstone series and the Mystery by Design series, which she wrote as Paula Carter. She lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

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Check out the other great blogs on this tour

October 11 – Sleuth Cafe – SPOTLIGHT

October 12 – Books,Dreams,Life – REVIEW

October 12 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT

October 13 – Island Confidential – REVIEW, SPOTLIGHT

October 14 – Shelley’s Book Case – SPOTLIGHT

October 15 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy ! – SPOTLIGHT

October 16 – The Girl with Book Lungs – SPOTLIGHT

October 17 – Texas Book-aholic – REVIEW

October 18 – A Blue Million Books – INTERVIEW

October 18 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW, SPOTLIGHT

October 19 – A Holland Reads – GUEST POST

October 20 – Brooke Blogs – GUEST POST

October 21- Queen of All She Reads – REVIEW

October 22 – Varietats – REVIEW

October 22 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW

October 23 – LibriAmoriMiei – REVIEW

October 23 – Cozy Up WIth Kathy – REVIEW, INTERVIEW

October 24 – Community Bookstop – REVIEW

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Posted in Giveaway on October 21, 2016

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In spirit of the upcoming holidays – I’m giving away a book and some swag. If I have a lot of entries, I might have a couple of winners.

I have no idea what book and swag I will be giving away yet, have quite a stack to sort through to figure out by the time this ends.  The prize will be worth at least $10 if not more and will be family friendly (so no erotica here!)

I’m making it pretty easy to get entries, so please share with your friends too!

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