Synopsis

 

Lost is a story of love, betrayal, honour, revenge, and everything in between. It’s also a love story that sets fire to the world they live in leaving them with no choice but to rise from the ashes anew…

Lieutenant Rahul Jaishankar of the Indian Navy is a man of honour, principles and commitment. His love for his family, his ethics, and his integrity is only eclipsed by his love for his country. He has no time or space to love anything or anyone else. Until the day Ayaana Sahni explodes into his life. Suddenly, she’s all he can think of, all he can hope for, all he dreams of, awake or asleep…

But Ayaana isn’t a dream he can afford to have. She’s an illusion. Ayaana Sahni is actually Aarushi Mittal. And Aarushi Mittal wants only one thing…Vengeance. And no man, not even one as deliciously gorgeous as Lieutenant Rahul was going to get in her way.

An award winning, intrepid journalist, Aarushi spends most of her life abroad working on the kind of devastating stories that the world would never hear of if not for people like her. But it has come at the cost of her personal life, at the cost of time with family, and at the heartbreaking cost of her friend’s devastating tragedy.

Aarushi needs to atone for her negligence, she needs to right the wrongs done in her absence, and she needs to make the villain in her friend’s story pay. What she really needs to make that happen is a way into the tightly knit community of the Indian Navy and Lieutenant Rahul Jaishankar is it. And if that means there is some collateral damage along the way, then so be it. Even if the collateral being damaged makes her yearn for dreams that don’t exist. Surely, the Lieutenant would understand, wouldn’t he?

Aarushi isn’t built for love. She’s built to burn down the world for her loved ones instead. So what if this man makes her want things she’s never wanted? So what if this man makes her heart ache for something she’ll never have? So what if, suddenly, this man is all she wants?

 

 

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Excerpt

 

She swung the door open, her eagerness on full display. Rahul leaned against the wall outside her flat, in loose tracks and a t-shirt that had probably been washed ten thousand times. He looked warm and rumpled and enticingly cuddle-able.

“Hi Ayaana.” Rahul smiled, a weary smile.

Ayaana.

Her smile dropped in wattage as she held the door open and made way for him to enter. He didn’t move, instead waiting on the threshold for her to precede him.

Oh right. The whole gallantry thing. She turned around and started hopping back down the little corridor. She heard the door shut behind her and then a warm hand captured her crutch holding hand.

A shiver worked its way through her. He was so close. So big, so warm, so everything. A ridiculous urge to curl into his solid, stable presence and cry overcame her but she shook it off. She shook it all off.

“Problem, Navy?”

His eyes, so close to her own, flashed in amusement at the nickname.

“You’re doing it wrong,” he murmured.

“Doing what wrong?” Why was she breathless?

“The crutch thing.”

She raised one eyebrow and tried to look haughty. “You’re criticizing my ability to limp on a damaged foot?”

But she ruined the effect with the breathless whisper that accompanied the words.

He looked down at her, his gaze dropping to her lips before moving to land on her crutch. “You’re hopping too much. All the weight and pressure is on your shoulders and back. You’re not leveraging the crutch enough.”

He slid one arm around her waist to anchor her, his other hand going to wrap around the knuckles she had tightly clenched around the handle of the crutch. He helped her raise the crutch in the air and place it forward while using his other arm to coax her body into not leaping into a hop to compensate. Only when her weight rested on the crutch did he let her body slide into step with it.

“Better?” he asked, the word a waft of heat against the shell of her ear.

Aarushi shut her eyes, as unreasonable sensations cascaded through her. She nodded her head, just once, in response to his question.

He released her and stepped back, cold air rushing in to take the place of the delicious warmth of his body. She reached instinctively for him but stopped herself before she made contact. Her fingers curled in mid-air before her hand dropped to her side.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

A published author with Harlequin India – Mills & Boon India Collection and Juggernaut, Shilpa Suraj’s books have hit both the Hot New Releases and Bestseller lists on Amazon. Her next novel, tentatively titled ‘Wrong,’ has been contracted by Rupa Publications and will release later this year. She is also part of the Flipped Anthology by Harper Collins and had an audiobook book Insta Reddy release with Storytel.

She is, amongst other things, currently working on ‘Frazzled and Fabulous,’ a humorous, true-to-life parenting story that is part memoir and part nonfiction.

An avid reader with a passion for creative writing and storytelling saw her participating in writing competitions at school and dabbling in copywriting for an ad agency as a teenager. Twenty years in the corporate space, including a stint in Corporate Communications for Google, India, and a spell at entrepreneurship, all hold her in good stead for her multiple current roles of author, mother, and Head of Human Resources & Public Relations at an architecture and interior design firm.

 

 

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Synopsis

 

Get ready for a wild ride with Miracle From Ukraine!

Irina Balabanova is a beautiful Ukrainian girl, twenty-seven years of age and heartbroken, abandoned by an American post-graduate teacher who had worked in her country as an intern. Fending off the unwanted advances of locals and co-workers, she reluctantly agrees to a chance meeting with John Masters, a middle-aged American businessman, stranded in pre-war eastern Ukraine following an ill-advised romantic venture.

Despite their wide differences of culture, language, and generation, the two are brought together in a whirlwind of love and adventure.

But their dreams of a life together are threatened by the acts of a fanatically jealous Ukrainian State Security officer, who will stop at nothing to stop Irina from leaving their native country to marry an American. When all hope seems totally lost to the point of both facing criminal persecution, John’s perseverance and some ever present divine intervention keep the unlikely and miraculous romance alive.

Based on actual events, Miracle From Ukraine is a story of international intrigue, faith, and romance.

 

 

 

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Praise

 

“Miracle From Ukraine is a gripping tale of love and adventure that will leave you on the edge of your seat! The story follows the lives of Irina Balabanova, a beautiful Ukrainian girl, and John Masters, a middle-aged American software salesman, as they navigate the challenges of falling in love across borders. From bureaucratic legalities to the jealousy of a former KGB officer, the obstacles they face seem insurmountable. But with perseverance and a little bit of divine intervention, their love story unfolds in the most incredible way. This book not only explores the cottage industry of international online matchmaking but also delves into the risks and rewards of searching for love overseas. Based on actual events, Miracle From Ukraine is a touching tribute to the power of love, the strength of the human spirit, and the joys of life’s unexpected surprises.

If you’re looking for a thrilling, romantic read, this is the book for you!”

 

 

Excerpt

 

John took a shuttle flight that ran daily from the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport to Lambert International. Upon exiting the small aircraft, he entered the terminal and made his way toward his gate in preparation for his departure to Chicago. A former boss in Atlanta once told him he should never make important decisions when you’re emotional, advice he always valued but couldn’t apply this day. Once settled and waiting to board, he dialed up his parents’ phone, and his mother answered on three rings.

“Mom, I’m in St. Louis, getting ready to fly out to Kiev.”

“My, this is sudden. So, when is her interview?”

“I don’t know,…yet,” John replied and gave his mother the long litany of events, or lack thereof, that had occurred over the past three weeks.

“You know this doesn’t sound too good… And there’s no sense in us trying to talk you out of going back over there,” his mother stated, knowing her oldest son all too well.

John paused before answering. “Johnny knows to come to your place after school, Mom. I’ll call when I get there. Love you all.”

“Love you too, John. We’ll be praying for you.”

***

After yet another long and sleepless night, Irina entered the kitchen in dire need of some coffee. She picked up her phone to check for missed calls and messages, noticing the battery being nearly dead. This is strange, I know I plugged this in to charge it overnight. It had to have been unplugged… Dimitri!

There was now little mystery as to where Kuznetsov had received such detailed information over time about her calls and she assumed Dimitri had also snooped around the apartment for any other incriminating information he could find. The damage had now been done and the only remaining question was how she would get rid of him.

Setting the issue with her tenant’s betrayal aside, Irina decided to send John an email message, one that she hoped wouldn’t break his heart as much as it was breaking hers.

 

Dear John, I am sorry you have not heard from me. Because of issues within my family and a police investigation on me, I cannot emigrate to America in the foreseeable future. I hope you will forgive me. You will always have a place in my heart.

Love, your Irina

PS: Feel free to transfer the money still in my account and cancel it. I will try and pay you back the rest someday.

 

She sat and proofread the message, preparing to hit SEND when she heard a knock on the door. Who could this be at this time of morning? Momma and Papa or Alika would have called before coming over here… And they never knocked before entering anyway.

Irina opened the front door and standing before her in the hallway was a young woman, perhaps her own age and one distant in memory, wearing an official-looking female uniform and the SSU badge displayed prominently on the collar. Irina saw a red flag of concern flash before her, which immediately instilled an extreme sense of dread. “Yes?”

The young woman struggled to recognize the lovely Irina Viktorivna Balabanova, as the woman facing her looked terrible, one who appeared to have not slept, washed, or applied an ounce of make-up in days. She thus held up a copy of her photograph for credence, while also handing over a prepared handwritten memo and signaling with an index finger to her lips to be silent. Irina read the scribbled note, looking up at her with a confused blank expression, and then the SSU agent leaned forward to whisper in Irina’s ear.

“I am Calina Zhukova, from the State Security of Ukraine, Kharkov Oblast office. Your apartment may have listening devices. I suggest we talk outside, perhaps around in back of the building.”

 

 

About the Author

 

James Herbert Harrison, a native of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, has lived and worked throughout the continental United States as a businessman and industrial equipment and software sales representative. He currently resides in Olathe, Kansas with his wife Maryna and their thirteen-year-old son. James has an older son who remains in Cape Girardeau as well as two older step kids. The family are active and proud members of Lenexa Baptist Church in Lenexa, Kansas.

James’ pedigree as a writer began ten years earlier with the publishing of his first novel, Quest For Power, a political thriller soon to be re-released as The Programmer. Miracle From Ukraine, a totally different departure in genre, was inspired by the real-life saga of James and Maryna having experienced many of the actual events in the story. James is currently working on Escape From Ukraine, a dramatic and contemporary sequel.

 

 

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FOR THE MINDS

 

AND WILLS OF MEN

 

by

 

Jeff Lanier

 

 

 

Mystery / Art History

Publisher: Boyle & Dalton

Date of Publication: October 16, 2022

Number of Pages: 310 pages

 

 

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A gripping, historical art mystery set in 1950s New York, For the Minds and Wills of Men is a story of art, love, and Cold War fear, suspicion, and betrayal.

MANHATTAN, 1953. Fear of communist subversion and espionage are tearing America apart. Abstract expressionism is on the verge of exploding, making New York the cultural epicenter of the world. While recovering a stolen Jackson Pollock for a wealthy client, art insurer Will Oxley falls for the client’s daughter, Liz Bower, who leads him deep into the rebellious and seductive world of the abstract expressionist painters, their Village bar haunts and East Hampton binges. But when Will learns the painting-and Liz-may be hiding communist secrets better left hidden, he finds himself torn between exposing the girl he loves or risking his life by trusting her instead. Realizing nothing is as it seems, Will is caught between communist espionage, secret government programs, and the grip of cold war fear, suspicion, and betrayal where trust is all he has left…

With post-World War II New York, 1950s avant-garde art world, and the House Un-American Activities Committee hearings as background, the novel tells the story of abstract expressionism and mid-century American politics- through the thrilling search for a stolen Jackson Pollock.

 

 

 

 

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Praise

 

2023 INDIEREADER AWARD WINNER: 1^ST PLACE FICTION

“Lanier brilliantly evokes the energy and excitement of the New York art world in this Cold War thriller with an artistic twist. Along the way, he gives us fascinating insights into Abstract Expressionism and the power of art to communicate values and ideas.” –Ross King, Acclaimed art historian and New York Times bestselling author of The Judgment of Paris, Brunelleschi’s Dome, and Michelangelo and The Pope’s Ceiling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Fact and Fiction”

 

Excerpt from

 

FOR THE MINDS AND WILLS OF MEN

 

by Jeff Lanier

 

 

ON OCCASION, a reader may wonder what of this story is true. Although loosely inspired by the 1967 New York Times article and Frances Stoner Saunders’ book The Cultural Cold War: The CIA and the World of Arts and Letters, this story is entirely fictitious. Several historical figures interact with fictional characters in the novel including Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Franz Kline, Nelson Rockefeller, Porter McCray, John “Jock” Whitney, and Congressman George Dondero; and, while my research formed the basis of their character and actions, their involvement in the story is a complete fabrication. This woven canvass of fact and fiction continues throughout the novel.

However, while the storyline and dialogue between well- known actual people were imagined, like all historical novelists, I tried to depict the world in which the story takes place with as much likeness and accuracy as I could, layering in strands of “historical truth” while still taking certain liberties to create a lively fiction.

First and foremost, I attempted to render the biographies and personalities of the artists, their art, and the art history to the best of my ability, particularly Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, and Franz Kline. The Stable Gallery existed and was established in 1953 by Eleanor Ward, deriving its name from its first home, a former livery stable on Seventh Avenue at West 58th Street. The gallery focused primarily on modern and avant-garde art, particularly the abstract expressionists. Eleanor Ward held annual exhibitions of painting and sculpture; the 1st annual was held in 1953. Participating artists included Philip Guston, Hans Hoffman, Franz Kline, Willem de Kooning, Elaine de Kooning, Joan Mitchell, Robert Motherwell, Roy Newell, Robert Rauschenberg, and Jack Tworkov, among sixty-four others. Jackson Pollock did not show in the 1st Annual. The Club and Cedar bar both existed in close proximity to each other on Eighth and University and were important seedbeds of the Abstract Expressionist movement. Jackson Pollock did kick the payphone. While de Kooning’s exhibition of his Woman series launched in 1953, the series first showed at the Sidney Janis gallery in March rather than the late summer as presented in the novel. And, he did not complete the paintings in his rented Hampton house. The MoMA exhibit “Twelve Modern American Painters and Sculptors” occurred, circulated to six countries in Europe (April 1953 to March 1954), and was primarily funded by a 1952 five-year grant from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. There was no preview for the MoMA exhibit at the Stable Gallery. And, obviously, Elizabeth Bower and the Bower Foundation are complete fabrications with no involvement in the MoMA exhibit.

The painter Andrei Roschin and his HUAC trial are entirely fictitious yet modeled after a similar muralist painter and his mural The History of California, located in the Rincon Center Post Office in downtown San Francisco, California, which was the subject of a 1953 congressional hearing by the House Committee on Public Works chaired by Congressman George Dondero. Congressman George Dondero was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan who did mount an attack on modern art. In 1949 and again in 1952, he delivered a now-famous speech in which he denounces the Artists Equity Association and American Artists’ Congress as Communist fronts, museums as Soviet pawns broadcasting the Russian propaganda, and the art of the ‘isms’ as the weapon of the Russian Revolution Cubism, Futurism, Dadaism, Expressionism, Abstractionism, and Surrealism. The Scientific And Cultural Conference For World Peace event did occur, was held at the Waldorf-Astoria for three days in March 1949, and was the subject of great political concern and protest.

And lastly, although the organization ALERT did not exist, it was modeled after similar organizations, such as the private interest group AWARE, which created blacklists for employers and ‘special reports’ like Red Channels listing names of purported communists. The libel lawsuit John Henry Faulk v. Aware, Inc., et al, which began in 1957 and concluded in 1962, resulted in a verdict that put an end to institutional blacklisting by private groups and individuals who claimed to be experts on Communism; and put an end to the organization itself.

To render this world, several books and articles were indispensable, as well as the obvious effort spent in libraries and on internet research. For the 1950s and McCarthyism, I am indebted to Ellen Schrecker’s Many Are the Crimes, McCarthyism in America; and to the Fifties by David Halberstam. For the world of art, I leaned on several authors and their books including Irving Sandler’s The Triumph of American Painting; to Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith’s Jackson Pollock: An American Saga; to Mark Stevens and Annalyn Swan’s de Kooning: An American Master; and to An Emotional Memoir of Franz Kline by Fielding Dawson. The following essays were also helpful: Eva Cockroft’s essay “Abstract Expressionism, Weapon of the Cold War” in Frances Frascina ed., Pollock and After. The Critical Debate, “The Suppression of Art in the McCarthy Decade” by William Hauptman; “American Painting During the Cold War” by Max Kozloff; “Art and Politics in Cold War America” by Jane De Hart Mathews; “The Philosophy and Politics of Abstract Expressionism 1940 – 1960” by Nancy Jachec with Cambridge University, and the “Review of the Scientific And Cultural Conference For World Peace” arranged by the National Council of the Arts, Sciences, and Professions.

 

 

 

 

Jeff Lanier is an award-winning author. He earned bachelor’s degrees in history and art history at The University of Texas, Austin, with a focus on the History of American Culture through Art and Literature. He has a master’s from Rice University, is a member of the American Society of Aesthetics, and currently lives in Houston with his wife and three children.

 

 

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For the Minds and Wills of Men

 

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07/25/23	The Book’s Delight	Review
07/25/23	Boys’ Mom Reads	Review
07/25/23	Hall Ways Blog	BONUS Stop
07/26/23	Shelf Life Blog	Excerpt
07/26/23	Writing and Music	Review
07/26/23	LSBBT Blog	BONUS Stop
07/27/23	It’s Not All Gravy	Review
07/28/23	Chapter Break Book Blog	Scrapbook Page
07/28/23	Rox Burkey Blog	Review
07/29/23	Jennie Reads	Review
07/30/23	StoreyBook Reviews	Excerpt
07/31/23	The Clueless Gent	Review
08/01/23	Forgotten Winds	Book Club Kit
08/01/23	Rainy Days with Amanda	Review
08/02/23	Reading by Moonlight	Review
08/03/23	Jennifer Silverwood	Review
08/03/23	The Plain-Spoken Pen	Review

 

 

 

 

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Paw and Order: A Detective Whiskers Cat Cozy Mystery
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Florida
Wright on the Mark, LLC. (May 23, 2023)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 204 pages

 

Synopsis

 

What’s better than a K-9 cop? A feline detective. Detective Whiskers is out to prove himself, and keep his human from being framed for murder, or worse. He’ll need the help of his new animal friends and Sheila’s group of female sleuths. This cozy mystery set in a small town in Old Florida is purrfect for cat lovers and anyone who enjoys a fun beach read.

Who is really catching killers in Paradise Cove? It’s not the local police. The Paradise Cove Murder Society is getting the job done, with more help than they realize from a furry detective named Whiskers.

Sheila and her cat Whiskers are starting a new life in the perfect little Florida beach town that managed to avoid the big crowds, condos and chain stores. But as soon as they arrive the town has its first ever murder. Good thing Whiskers is a trained detective! Fred, Sheila’s husband of forty years, was a police detective who recently passed away, right before they were supposed to retire to the beach. After forty years of devoting herself entirely to being a good wife and mother she’s now left to put her life back together, but what kind of life will it be? In a fresh setting, and with some quirky new friends, she slowly begins to remember all of the dreams she had as a young woman. She has a second chance to chase those dreams, if she can stay alive and out of prison. When her next door neighbor is killed and the evidence points to Sheila, it’s time for Whiskers to step up.

Whiskers was Fred’s loyal assistant and he’ll need to remember everything he learned from his mentor to keep Sheila safe as she rediscovers herself. With the help of some unexpected new friends of his own Detective Whiskers sets out to prove to the world, and himself, that he is worthy of the shiny badge on his collar. If you love humorous cozy mysteries where pets take the lead and eccentric friends come together to solve crimes with just the right amount of suspense then the Detective Whiskers Cozy Mystery Series is exactly what you’re looking for.

 

 

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Guest Post

 

I’ve been asked several times why I choose to write mysteries with animals as the lead characters. The answer may be connected to my childhood.

At the age of ten I moved over 4,000 miles with my family from Alabama to a place I’d never been before — Scotland. And not Edinburgh or Glasgow, but a tiny village in the Highlands on the shores of Loch Ness. That’s right, the home of the world’s most famous monster. The World Hide and Seek Champion (sorry, Bigfoot). I was in the middle of one of the world’s greatest mysteries and it wasn’t human.

You’re probably saying that the Loch Ness monster isn’t real. I can’t prove that you’re wrong. But I can tell you that on my last visit back to Scotland there was another video sighting of ‘Nessie.’ That’s what the locals call her. Don’t ask me how they know Nessie is a she.

That wasn’t the only sighting this year. At last check, no fewer than three pictures or videos of a possible Loch Ness monster had been registered. The website LochNessSightings.com shows ten webcam sightings since 2021 and over 1,100 sightings overall. Somebody is seeing something.

My first sighting of the Loch Ness monster was on an episode of Scooby Doo. The episode called A Highland Fling With a Monstrous Thing was part of the third season of Scooby Doo, Where Are You? in 1978. In that episode Finnyan McDuff summoned the monster to scare away tourists. It didn’t work. Tourists flock to Loch Ness every year hoping for a chance to see Nessie themselves.

The tourist appeal of the monster is not showing any signs of fading away. Just this summer the Loch Ness Centre in Drumnadrochit reopened following an extensive and expensive renovation.

How long have these sightings been happening? The first one (that we know of) was reported by Saint Columba in the year 565 AD. The “water beast” recorded in the book Life of Saint Columba was responsible for the death of a man swimming in the River Ness. Personally, I have my doubts about this encounter because you would never catch me swimming in water that cold. But in the book Saint Columba faces down the monster, sending it deep into the water where it stayed for a very long time.

The sighting that started the modern day monster craze occurred 90 years ago in 1933. The Inverness Courier newspaper reported that Aldie Mackay, driving with her husband near where the Loch Ness Centre is now located, saw a “whale like fish” rolling in the loch. The newspaper article. Was titled Strange Spectacle in Loch Ness and said “The creature disported itself, rolling and plunging for fully a minute, its body resembling that of a whale, and the water cascading and churning like a simmering cauldron. Soon, however, it disappeared in a boiling mass of foam. Both onlookers confessed that there was something uncanny about the whole thing, for they realised that here was no ordinary denizen of the depths, because, apart from its enormous size, the beast, in taking the final plunge, sent out waves that were big enough to have been caused by a passing steamer.”

If you would like to look for the monster there are plenty of locals willing to help you, for a fair price. Regular tours of Loch Ness depart from at least three docks, including one that I walked past every day that I lived there. The boat operator was kind enough to place monster-shaped stickers on the window so that, if you didn’t get a picture of the real thing, you could point your camera at the water with the sticker in the right place and get a picture that might fool a couple of your more gullible friends back home.

You may also be able to get a seat on a boat scanning the depths of Loch Ness with sonar equipment. If you happen to see a very large object swimming below your boat, I do not recommend throwing a fishing line over the rail. Should you hook Nessie you would either get pulled overboard or, if you somehow succeed in catching everybody’s favorite ‘beastie’ then you would be an instant villain and would not make it out of the Highlands with your catch.

So, growing up near such a mysterious creature, is it any wonder that I chose to write mystery stories that are not dominated by humans? Detective Whiskers and his friends in Paradise Cove are not quite as famous as Nessie (yet) but they will keep you entertained while you try to help them figure out whodunit. I invite you to read Paw & Order and the rest of the cozy mysteries in the Detective Whiskers series, available exclusively on Amazon. And, if I ever spot Nessie, I promise to write a book about it.

 

Excerpt

 

Sheila does not understand. I know we’re not supposed to play favorites with our humans, but we all do. Fred and I had a connection that was … special. I’ve tried communicating with Sheila, but— Okay this part is a little embarrassing. Every time I tap her hand with my paw, she thinks I want food or a belly rub. Which, of course, I do. I ALWAYS want food or a belly rub. Or both. But I’m trying to tell her something important, and all of a sudden, she puts those fingernails to work on my belly and I’m gone. Lost. A zombie. It feels sooooo good. Whatever I needed to say is up in smoke, my eyes are closed, and I hear a Karen Carpenter love song in my head.

Don’t judge me.

 

 

About the Author

 

Chris Abernathy has narrated more than 200 audiobooks and now he is writing his own stories. He has been a storyteller his entire life — around campfires at a summer camp as a counselor, on the radio for more than 30 years, as an actor with background roles on major motion pictures and TV series, as a producer of short films for social media and more. Chris is married with two sons and lives on the Gulf Coast in Alabama. He is a dual national with citizenship in the US and UK and visits family in the Scottish Highlands as often as possible.

 

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Giveaway

 

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Synopsis

 

The world has already changed – The genie (AI) is out of the bottle, but this is a genie of our own making, and one that we designed to think, learn, grow, and develop on its own, without the need for human involvement.

Elon Musk, Steve Wozniak and over 1,000 other influential people in the field have already signed an open letter requesting a pause on the development of AI, citing security concerns and stating, “AI systems with human-competitive intelligence can pose profound risks to society and humanity”.

Italy has gone so far as to ban, at least temporarily, the AI application, ChatGPT, following a security breach where “it was possible for some users to see another active user’s first and last name, email address, payment address, the last four digits (only) of a credit card number, and credit card expiration date,” according to an OpenAI spokesman.

This book, “AI-AGI Revolution: Will This Change What It Means to Be HUMAN?”, takes readers on a journey to explore these issues, the incredible potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and advanced General Intelligence (AGI), the incredible challenges, and the incredible potential impact on what it means to be ‘human’.

From the promises of technological utopianism to the existential questions raised by attempts to recreate human intelligence, AI-AGI Revolution discusses the most remarkable area of technological advancement in recent history.

This book explores the moral, ethical, economic and cultural implications of human-like AI systems, and the implications of an AGI system that would certainly surpass humans with reference to its intellectual abilities.

“More than anything, this book is an exploration of the subject to promote discussion and debate,” added author, Ms Bella St John. AI is not good, nor bad – but where we go from here is something that needs informed consideration. My hope is that this book provides food for thought – no more, no less.”

Explore topics ranging from:

• An overview of the AI Revolution
• Why I felt the need to co-author this book with AI
• AI outpacing Moore’s Law
• The comparisons between child developmental psychology and ChatGPT
• AI’s propensity to convincingly make stuff up
• The origins of AI
• The blurring line between human and AI, including Robot ‘Legal Personhood’, and cross-dimensional marriage
• Should robots have ‘human rights’?
• Is AI sentient?
• Deep Fake
• Impact on Businesses and on Individuals (pro and con)
• Implications for Education and Training
• The Age of the Cyborg
• Are Artists and Writers now an endangered species?
• Why “Critical Oversight” is essential
• What if consciousness is fundamental – what does that mean re AI and Consciousness?
• Responses to the AGI Revolution
• Will AI-AGI Change What It Means to Be Human?

…and so much more – including my thoughts on ‘co-authoring’ a book with artificial intelligence.

“I hope this book inspires people to talk with each other – really talk with each other on the topic of AI. Not to have a right or a wrong, but to explore the topic. Only by doing what seems to have become a lost art (ie having a discussion and respecting all viewpoints whether one agrees with them or not) will we be able to navigate this exciting but challenging time ahead”.

 

 

 

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Excerpt

 

“I think, therefore… What am I?”

Let’s examine something I hid in plain sight when I designed the cover of this book:

“I think, therefore… what am I?”

“I think therefore I am” is a famous philosophical statement by René Descartes, which asserts that the very act of thinking proves one’s existence. It is a statement that has been debated for centuries and has significant implications for our understanding of consciousness, self-awareness, and artificial intelligence.

With the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI), this statement has gained new significance, raising important questions about the nature of consciousness and the possibility of machine sentience.

AI has made significant progress in recent years, with machines that can seemingly ‘think’ – recognize speech, translate languages, play games, and even write poetry. However, despite these impressive achievements, AI still lacks the kind of self-awareness and consciousness that is characteristic of human beings – but not everyone agrees. This has led to debates about the nature of consciousness and whether machines can truly think and be self-aware.

This also raises questions about whether machines can ever be considered truly alive or whether they are simply sophisticated tools that mimic human behaviour. Some argue that machines can never be truly conscious because they lack the kind of subjective experience that humans

have. Others argue that consciousness is simply a product of information processing and that machines can, in theory, be conscious if they are programmed in the right way.

Then there is the question of whether machines can have free will, which is closely tied to the idea of consciousness. Free will is the ability to make choices that are not determined by external factors. If AI reaches a point where it is fully independent from any human input, learning from its own successes and failures, can it then be argued that AI has free will to decide what it does next?

Another important consideration is the ethical implications of creating machines that are capable of what we might consider as thought and even consciousness. If machines can truly think and feel, then it becomes more difficult to justify treating them as mere objects or tools. This raises important questions about the ethics of creating and using AI and whether we have a moral obligation to consider the well-being of conscious machines.

It is these and many other considerations that lead me to write this book.

I hope it provides food for thought…

 

 

About the Author

 

Ms Bella St John is one of the most original thinkers you could hope to meet when it comes to a range of topics whether it be quantum physics, history, psychology, artificial intelligence, spirituality, culture, business, branding, marketing, writing, where science fiction and science fact intersect, and so much more…

She is an intelligent anachronist who is much more at home wearing long skirts and writing with her gold fountain pen than she is in jeans and a t-shirt and writing with a ballpoint.

Bella is an acclaimed Achievement Strategist, Writer, Artist, and Photographer who combines a lifetime examining ‘what makes people tick’ with her eclectic range of interests.

“Who am I? Although I’ve achieved some amazing things in my life, I consider myself a ‘work in progress’, so the answer to that question changes often, but some things that remain fairly constant – I love things Edwardian/Victorian (I’m one of those definitely born in the wrong time period – shoot me a message if you can relate!), red wine, exploring new places, writing, photography, quantum physics (yes, I know, that doesn’t exactly fit the Victorian theme), being inspired, inspiring others, anything steam-powered, learning new things – and discussing and sharing with others. In 2016, I decided to essentially retire, sell up, and see the world fulltime – becoming a 24/7 Luxurious Nomad, despite having a mobility challenge. Some people have said of my adventures and all the things I have done that I must be at least 172 years of age (no comments about me looking 172 years old, thank you!)”

 

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Synopsis

 

Sixteen-year-old Charli is living in a pandemic-ravaged 2020 America when she stumbles upon the parallel world of the Q’ehazi. Drawn to these peaceful people, whose constant joy and optimism provides a stark contrast to the suffering and violence in her own life, Charli wants nothing more than to stay with them forever—but first, she must learn to attain a state of grace.

Can she forgive her mother’s abusive boyfriend? Can she learn empathy for her mother? Charli’s inward and outward struggles will lead her to a discovery she wasn’t even looking for: the beauty of her own world.

 

 

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Praise

 

Brightwell’s storytelling is vivid and rich, and her writing compelling. The World Beyond the Redbud Tree is a fascinatingly adventurous and original examination of life, grief, forgiveness and compassion. It’s unlike anything I’ve read before: captivating, touching, gently magical, and ultimately uplifting.” — Penny Haw, author of The Wilderness Between Us

“The novel offers us the story of a struggling young girl making her way through both dystopian and Utopian futures. A very thought-provoking tale for readers of all ages. I highly recommend The World Beyond the Redbud Tree.” — David Silverman is a Hollywood screenwriter with writing credits including The Flintstones, The Wild Thornberrys, and Life with Louie.

“Madison has a great way of merging two worlds together in The World Beyond the Redbud Tree. She writes beautifully and has an incredible imagination. She showcases how a young girl Charli is running from her fears but stays resilient and really just wants to be loved. Madison Brightwell is a talented writer and has created a masterpiece. I hope to one day see it on the big screen.” —Kandace Caine, Voice Over Actress of the popular games Hogwarts Legacy and Call of Duty; screenwriter, and producer.

 

 

Excerpt

 

P R O L O G U E

 

 

Tears streamed down her face, warm and comforting on her skin. She let them fall. Waves of grief passed through her and then were released to the earth below. Sitting cross-legged on the moist grass, she felt strong hands clutching hers on either side. Her eyes were closed, and all she heard was the soft chanting of the group around her, and a mellow voice intoning:

“We send our dear little Belilly across the Rainbow Bridge for the last time, where all is peace and comfort. And we will miss her, for she brought joy to everyone she met, and now her time has come, and she can remain with us no more.”

The girl’s body swayed back and forth in rhythm to the soft flute music playing a tune she knew well because she had heard it many times before. There were no words, but she hummed a sweet harmony to the notes.

The smell of jasmine permeated the air. She remembered how Belilly had loved to sniff the scented air on her morning amble. She remembered the way the breeze would ruffle Belilly’s beautiful white fur and how her whiskers twitched in anticipation of the events of the day ahead. The memories were bittersweet: bitter because she knew she would never again experience them, and sweet because she had experienced them so many times before and they would always exist in her memory.

Gradually, the tears on her face dried. She felt the stroke of a burdock leaf on her cheek, and she turned her head and opened her eyes to see her mother smiling at her and passing the leaf gently over the dried tears in a soothing ritual. Tenderness emanated from her mother’s face as she made this gesture, and the girl felt a sense of relief at the knowledge that Belilly’s passing was done and all suffering was over.

As the girl allowed her gaze to traverse the scene, she took in this group of about twenty people, all known to her, all seated on the ground and clasping hands in a circle, and all swaying to the music around them. Behind them, the beautiful rays of crimson light cast by the huge stone on its ceremonial plinth were enhanced by the stream running behind it. The tinkling of the water cascading over rocks in the stream harmonized with the flute.

Belilly was gone and would never be here again. She knew there was nowhere else she’d rather be than in this place at this time with these people. An intense gratitude swept over her, casting out the grief and replacing it with joy and contentment.

 

 

About the Author

 

Madison C. Brightwell is an author and a licensed MFT with a doctorate in psychology. She has been working as a therapist for fifteen years, before which she worked as a professional actress in film and TV development. She has written four other novels and three self-help books in the field of psychology. Since moving to Asheville, North Carolina, from her native Britain, Madison has become inspired by the history of this land, originally inhabited by the Cherokee. She draws on many of her experiences helping clients with trauma, addiction, and chronic pain.

 

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Synopsis

 

When the solar system’s key asteroid mine is seized by revolutionaries, it puts the secret mission of the spaceship Ulysses in jeopardy. Without a refueling launch from the asteroid, the survival of the ship and its crew is uncertain. The safest course for the Ulysses? Abandon the mission and limp home.

But Cal Scott, captain of the Ulysses, is an astronaut of the old school and failure is not an option. He has a plan: head straight for the asteroid belt and get their fuel—one way or another.

 

 

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Book 2 – Encounter at Jupiter

 

Book 3 – The Odyssey

 

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Excerpt

 

[The Lander] was still, essentially, in the same two-hundred-and-fifty-mile-high, perfectly circular orbit the Ulysses had occupied since grabbing the taxi. He slid his fingers over a disc-shaped control on his touchscreen; it spun like a platter. Reaction control thrusters outside the craft pitched the vehicle so that the taxi’s back faced down toward the asteroid and its engines aimed at its direction of travel. His fingers twirled a second disc; horizontally placed thrusters flared to roll the ship over so that the planetoid below appeared in its viewport. Opposing thrusters belched quickly to stop the roll at the right moment.

“Go for transfer burn, Cal.”

Cal slid the thrust tab all the way forward. Bright blue-yellow cones of flame burst from the twin engines, slowing the taxi lander. He held the slider in position as the mission timer clicked away.

The taxi was, second by second, shedding horizontal speed and falling deeper into Ceres’s gravity, dropping faster and faster. Its orbit had gone from perfectly circular to an exaggerated ellipse that would bring it down to just fifty thousand feet above the ground on exactly the opposite side of the planetoid from where the burn had begun. If he did nothing, the little taxi would loop back up around Ceres, returning to its apogee two hundred and fifty miles above.

Cal had half an orbit to think. He didn’t relish the time, but the lander’s descent path would give him a better look at the icy, dusty treasure house of an asteroid. Ceres was the largest body in an asteroid belt made up of millions of rocky objects. The planetoid made up over a third of the entire belt’s mass and a good amount of it was in the form of water ice. Every now and then, due to an odd combination of forces, a geyser of sublimated water vapor would spew out of the little world. Ice volcanoes. As such, Ceres had its own faint atmosphere, and it lent it an air of mystery: a tenuously shrouded and misty sphere against a backdrop of endless clarity.

Dropping down below one hundred miles a shattered area, appearing to be made up of great crusts of ice and clay heaved over one another, spread out beneath him. Another quarter way around the small globe and he would reach the low point in the transfer orbit. That would be the time to initiate descent. Looking over the taxi’s systems, he thought he caught a sparkling reflection in his viewport: an object rising from the surface? He looked again but could see nothing. He checked for a record of it on the scopes but could find no trace. Paranoia?

The taxi lander swept down, approaching the low point—the nadir—of its orbit. Cal’s fingers hovered over the control screen. There would be a nearly endless number of repeat tries if he missed. The lander would stay in its transfer orbit, shifting between the high point of the parking orbit and the fifty-thousand-foot low, but Cal wasn’t about to miss the moment, and he had a sneaking suspicion that Odysseus would fire the engines if he failed to act, even though he had asked it not to.

Right at fifty thousand feet, he ramped the thrust up to full, and the lander shed enough of its remaining momentum that Ceres’s gravity had it. There was nothing that was going to keep it from falling to the planetoid. There just wasn’t enough fuel remaining in its tanks to put it back into orbit. Technically, all paths in space were orbits; this new one the taxi was falling along just happened to intersect with the ground.

Now, Cal thought, it was all about mitigating the fall.

 

 

About the Author

 

R. Peter Keith grew up on a steady diet of classic science fiction—Arthur C. Clarke, Asimov, Heinlein, Farmer—and Marvel comics. He went to the Joe Kubert school of cartoon art during his teenage years, received a degree in psychology, and then started a museum exhibit and games company. He is a recognized expert on the history of video games, having worked as an advisor for recognized entities like the U.S. Post Office, History Channel, Microsoft, AMD, and Digital Eclipse. In this capacity he has appeared as a commentator and interviewee on CBS This Morning, CNN, CNBC, and others. He appeared in the CNBC documentary Game On, as well as History Channel’s Modern Marvels.

In 2008, he designed and produced the largest and most complex restoration of an extinct ecosystem for a museum exhibit, bringing back to life over 2.2 square miles of late Cretaceous Wyoming complete with accurately simulated animals, insects, and plants with proper dispersal and nutritional values. The animals could hunt and track visitors via sight and sound and what is called “digital scent.”

In 2015, an exhibit Keith designed and produced broke all attendance records at its debut at Space Center Houston, NASA Johnson Space Center’s official visitor center, and because of its success his company was awarded a NASA Space Act Agreement Partnership. During the research and creation of this exhibition, which simulates space flight and landings on multiple moons and worlds in the solar system, Keith spent hours upon hours discussing space with the greatest minds at NASA. He visited the astronaut training center, spending time in and out of various spacecraft, including time in the Orion Space Capsule with one of its designers. He piloted the Lunar Lander simulator at NASA’s Langley Research center and spent months of accumulated time within a simulation of the lunar surface accurate down to a scale of 1 foot. This experience inspired the idea for Wine Dark Deep.

R. Peter Keith is married with two kids, two rescue dogs, and two vintage sports cars that he calls his “steel brothers.”

 

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The Water Tower: A Lakeview Mystery
Cozy Mystery/Women Sleuths
1st in Series
Setting – A fictional Ohio town in the suburbs of Cleveland called Lakeview
Level Best Books (June 20, 2023)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 250 pages

 

Synopsis

 

Josie Ashbury was a successful Hollywood actress with a booming career—until an on-set breakdown sends her back to her small Ohio hometown to recover. Taking a job teaching at her old high school, Josie is beginning to put the pieces of her life back together when one of her students dies under suspicious circumstances. The police close the case quickly, without any real answers. Josie is determined to find the truth behind the girl’s death.

At the same time, Josie is battling demons of her own. As she faces debilitating insomnia that leaves her with gaps in her memory, she dives into the tangled secrets surrounding the investigation. When she finally unravels the web, she discovers that the truth lies much closer to home than she could have ever imagined.

 

 

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Excerpt

 

She stood on the water tower, looking at the skyline she had only observed from the ground. You really could see the whole town from up here. Funny how your whole life can fit into one 360-degree glance. Peering down at the ground, she was no longer able to see individual blades of grass, all of them blurring into a sea of perfect emerald green. To her right was the roof of Lakeview High School, looking small from this vantage point. She felt as though if she leaned over far enough, she could almost touch it. But that was ridiculous; the school had to be several hundred feet away. Her vision came in and out of focus as she swayed, thinking about her life, her past, her future… Reaching out her slender arm, she twirled her wrist. She could hardly wait for graduation when, everyone said, “real life” would begin. “I can’t wait to get out of here,” her friends exclaimed, dreaming of big cities and even bigger lives in far-off places: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, anywhere but here. But she knew they would return, just like their parents, raising 2.5 kids with a Labradoodle and a balding husband in one of the best-little-suburbs in the country. Was it really so bad? She watched all these super-educated women who had given up their careers to stay home and clean up after the kids and drive to soccer practice, instead of changing the world as they’d so hopefully planned when plotting their escape years earlier. Was that her fate? Was that what awaited her now? Dozens of similar thoughts swirled and crashed like waves in front of her, mixing in a fantastic spray of colors, lights, and sounds.

 

 

Guest Post

 

5 Tips to Keep Your Cool Throughout the Publishing Process

 

 

You’ve finished your book. Hooray! The hard work is done! Haha, just kidding (kind of). When you’re writing a book, the actual writing is only a portion of the process. Now it’s time to get it published. If you’re self-publishing, the process is more in your control; but if you’ve decided that traditional publishing is the route you want to take, you may have a longer road ahead of you than you think.

Let’s quickly go through the traditional publishing process. Assuming a publishing house hasn’t magically swept in and bought your book (which I’ve heard does happen from time to time, just not to me); the first step in the publishing process is finding an agent. Once you’ve found an agent, the agent will read your work, likely edit it or, at the very least, give you notes. When you’ve finished revising, your agent will shop your book around to publishers. Most agents have relationships with specific editors at different publishing houses, so your person will probably have someone (or several people) in mind. The editors will want time to read your work, then they will let your agent know if they want to take on the project, i.e., publish your book. The publisher then sends contracts (which you should always, always, always have an attorney look over), and once you’ve signed, the real fun begins.

Your publisher will get you on a production schedule, which can mean your book will be published quickly or, well, not so quickly. My publisher bought my book in 2021, and my publication date ended up being in June of 2023. During the time while you’re waiting for the book to be published, you’ll do rounds of edits with your editor – how many rounds depends on the manuscript. You may also have to give guidance about cover art, write acknowledgements, summaries, and dedications. Depending on the publisher, you may also be involved in the marketing process, which can involve podcast interviews, blog interviews, newspaper interviews, guest posts ( 😀 ), book signings, and so on.

 

So the question is: how do you keep your sanity through this whole process?

 

1. Be patient. Publishing a book requires the most patience I’ve ever had to put towards anything in my life. I am not a patient person by nature, so I’ve had to try to train myself not to freak out. Do whatever you need to do to keep your cool – meditate, do yoga, scream into a pillow, whatever works for you.
2. Stay on top of your end. There are some things that are in your control during the time you’re waiting for your book to get on the shelves. Being punctual – or better yet, early – with your materials will make things that much easier on your publisher, agent, PR person, and whoever else is helping you. Control what you can!
3. Develop a social calendar. We all hope that our book will be an amazing success out of nowhere, but posting regularly about your release on social media bumps up the chances. Don’t inundate your followers and friends with reminders to buy your book, but do post reminders from time to time so people don’t forget.
4. Communicate with your people. My agent, editor, publisher, and public relations person have been so, so, so amazing throughout the last couple of years. If you have questions, ask them. They want to help! And it’s better than sitting around wondering what the heck is going on.
5. Enjoy yourself! For many of us, publishing a book is a dream come true. Allow yourself time to enjoy that this is actually happening, especially if your road has been complicated. Plan a launch party, break out the champagne, schedule a dinner to celebrate, or just go up on your roof and yell “I’m published! I’m published! I’m published!” a la Monica Geller from Friends on your pub day. You’ve absolutely earned it.

 

 

About the Author

 

Amy Young is an author, comedian, and actor based in Cleveland. After spending a decade in Los Angeles working in the entertainment industry and writing her debut novel, The Water Tower, she returned to Ohio to be closer to family. Amy is working on her second book, a thriller, and in her free time she enjoys going to the theatre, bingeing reality TV, and spending time with her husband and many, many cats. She has a B.A. in English from Kenyon College.

 

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Giveaway

 

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Synopsis

 

Who sent the black panther guide, and where will it lead her? A young woman, Jennifer, receives a visit from a spirit panther which takes her into an amazing adventure. Thrust into a relationship with Vijay, a technician in the Mercury Theatre, she must overcome her past to learn to love him. Meanwhile, the message of the panther is not clear, and an Artificial Intelligence named Gabriel claims to be the one who can help her solve the puzzle. This speculative, romantic fantasy is the first novel of the Jennifer Trilogy, which begins the series of Gaia’s Daughters.

 

 

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This book will be on sale for 25% off in July at Smashwords

 

 

Excerpt

 

Chapter 14 – MEETING WITH WENDELL

 

Wendell was sitting at his desk surrounded by a cloud of sweet-smelling pipe tobacco smoke when Jennifer arrived at work the following morning. She knocked on his open door, and he waved her in.

“Come in, come in, child, and close the door, why don’t you.”

Jennifer didn’t like being called a child. ‘But it’s not the worst thing I’ve been called,’ she thought.

“Hi Wendell, I came to give you a progress report.” Wendell put down his pipe and leaned forward, seeming intent on hearing what she had to say.

“I’ve connected with Vijay, and we’re living in the same apartment now. I believe that was the first objective.”

“Yes, go on.”

“We’ve been to the Green Dragon together, and Vijay is caught up in the revolutionary spirit there. We also found Marjorie and watched her play in the park. Vijay said it gave him insight into the kind of resistance movement he needs to create.”

“And how was Marjorie? We’ve known each other for a long time, but it’s been a while since I last saw her.”

“She said she knew you and seemed delighted that you sent us to her, but she didn’t tell us about your past.”

“No, I don’t suppose she would. So, what are you planning next?”

“Vijay is going to recruit Sally and Greg into his resistance movement. Vijay believes they’d be a great asset.”

“Yes, very good. I believe Vijay’s instinct is right.”

“I’m also working on inspiring Vijay. And I’ll be talking with Marjorie again. She seems like an interesting person to know better.”

“Very good. I can see how that makes sense. Now, what do you need from me? I assume you didn’t just drop by to tell me that you’ve done what I asked. I already knew that.”

“I need you to set us some tasks to give Vijay the sense that we’re moving forward. Tell us what you need us to do next while he’s getting started. The people paying for all this, what do they want to see happen?”

“Don’t concern yourself with them. I’ll have some more tasks in a few days. Meanwhile, keep working on your handwriting. It’s getting much better, but there’s still room for improvement.”

“Don’t worry, I’m still doing my cover job. But if you’re going to be our secret boss, we need you to do your job as well.”

Wendell sat back, raising one eyebrow. “It’s always so refreshing talking with you, Ms. Dupont. I’ll let you know when I’ve spoken with our sponsors. Please leave the door open as you leave.”

He picked up his pipe in his left hand and a half-read script in his right.

Jennifer went out into the hall feeling pleased with herself. ‘The next tasks should tell us a lot.’

She went to the control room to tell Vijay about her conversation, but as she climbed the short flight of stairs, she heard voices above her.

“That’s great,” Vijay was saying. “Why not come by our place for dinner tonight, and we can talk more about how you might contribute.”

Jennifer reached the top of the stairs and found Sally and Greg sitting with Vijay.

“Hi Sally, Greg. Sounds like you’re thinking of joining us. That’s wonderful! What time did you want to come over?”

Greg looked at Sally, who answered, “Would 7pm work for you?”

“Perfect,” said Jennifer. “I’m looking forward to spending some time together.”

Sally and Greg made their way back down the stairs. Jennifer heard the control room door open, and then close behind them.

“Vijay, what are you thinking of? Why invite them to our apartment?”

“Because, Jennifer, I have no other tangible proof that any of this is real. That apartment is proof that someone is funding this, funding us, and that we’re engaged in something serious. I want to leverage it as we get started. Besides, I trust Sally and Greg.”

“Why do you trust them?”

“Jenn, what do you know about their relationship? Are they just good friends? Do they sleep together? Do they even live together?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think anyone knows, really. Noone ever talks about them, or if they do, it’s only to say they’re a mystery because no one knows.”

“Exactly. So, they’ll be able to keep our secrets as well. They’re already used to keeping private things private.”

“Okay, just don’t expect me to cook dinner.”

“No? I was planning for a feast of toast and coffee!” Jennifer did her best to look hurt. “You should be planning to sleep on the couch tonight.”

Vijay laughed, stood up to kiss her, then went back to his work as she went down into the lobby, where there were always more ticket requests waiting.

 

 

About the Author

 

Kevin Coleman is a well-regarded Canadian author. Prior to his journey as a writer, Kevin spent a significant portion of his career as a consultant to large corporations and governments around the world, applying his expertise in technology and management. The insights and experiences gleaned from this role have enriched his understanding of human dynamics, a quality vividly apparent in his writing.

With his wide-ranging life experiences and global adventures, Kevin crafts characters of depth and realism, set in authentic locales. He adeptly weaves themes of personal growth, love, and redemption throughout his narratives, which have garnered him a devoted readership. Kevin’s prowess in contemporary fiction is particularly evident in his captivating ‘Jennifer’ series.

Presently, Kevin calls the northern shore of Lake Ontario home, where he savors the serenity and picturesque views that Oakville offers. In his downtime, Kevin engages in making kites and indulges his passion for sailing when the opportunity arises. He is also a proud father to two adult children and grandfather to two grandsons.

With every new narrative, Kevin invites his readers to reflect deeply on their own experiences and emotions. He is committed to continuing his journey of crafting engaging, thought-provoking stories that resonate and inspire.

 

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Synopsis

 

It’s September 1995, the first year of the rest of HADLEY TODD’s life. After a decade in Los Angeles, trying and failing to launch her career as a playwright, Hadley has returned to her hometown in rural New York to write and to be closer to her lonely, ailing father—not that he always welcomes the help. Between looking after him and teaching Shakespeare to teenage malcontents at the local high school, Hadley is determined to produce a masterpiece before 36. She even joins a writing group, thinking the structure will keep her focused. Hadley hopes to channel her recent heartbreak from being dumped in L.A. into writing a play about the last moment of a woman’s innocence, a play that an agent friend in Hollywood has promised to produce. But she struggles with writer’s block and seeks inspiration.

Enter TREY HARDING, a young, handsome sports reporter for a local radio station who covers sports at the high school where Hadley teaches. Trey reminds Hadley of her L.A. ex and is the perfect spark to touch off her imagination. Trey has two girlfriends who work at the school, giving Hadley a great perch from which to watch and write down their interactions. The fact that Trey is an aspiring rock star and she has L.A. record biz connections makes the alliance perfect. She dangles promises of music biz glory while watching his moves. But after they both go to Hollywood, Hadley learns that believing in herself is all the inspiration she needs.

 

 

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Excerpt

 

She gazed into his face, his high color, those light eyes comprising both shades of teal and blue at once. If he kisses me again, I won’t stop him this time.

“Listen,” he said while taking her right hand in his. “We shook these hands on a deal that said you’d introduce me to someone in the music biz, right?”

She nodded. His hand was smooth and dry. She ever-so-slightly tightened her fingers in his grip.

“Then let’s skip these so-called lessons. I’ve already made arrangements through a friend to get a demo made this weekend. So all you have to do is honor that handshake and arrange for me to meet your connection in Hollywood, OK? Just a name, a phone call to introduce me.”

Her play would fail with no inspiration. And stuck with carrying out the worst part of the deal! How did this happen?

“OK,” she said, but not in a commanding voice.

“Good,” he said. He released her hand, breaking what she worried might be the last physical connection she’d ever have with him.

He grabbed his guitar case and headed for the door.

“Wait!” she shouted at him, taking long strides to keep him from leaving. “One more thing. What about you?”

“What about me what?”

“You. Have you ever fallen in love?”

He winked at her. “All the time.”

She’d have the last word, something she realized was important to her. “I think it’s wrong, all these women you lead on. Don’t you? I mean, they may get attached, fall for you. But you seem to use them, to see what you can get out of them for your own purposes. I think that’s wrong, They’re human beings, after all. With feelings.”

He turned around, his eyes drained of any light. “They use me, too. It’s not like they’re not getting anything out of it.”

“What am I getting out of this?” she asked him, if not rhetorically.

He stood on one hip, a move that made him appear more rakish than usual. “I really don’t know, Miss Todd. I wondered that myself. I thought perhaps you were bored or intrigued. Or maybe you’re a control freak.” He took a step toward her so he was within half an inch of her face. “Or maybe you’re just like the rest and can’t resist me.”

Hadley stood her ground. “How do you know when it’s over? The moment when love, or lust, turns into something else. Something not as passionate?”

“I don’t think about it,” he said, returning her gaze. “It’s something that happens. Maybe it’s not one moment. It just is.”

He turned around and walked out of the room.

 

 

About the Author

 

Jude Hopkins has published essays in The Los Angeles Times, Medium, and elsewhere, as well as poetry in numerous journals and magazines.

 

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Giveaway

 

Jude Hopkins is giving away one $25 Amazon Gift Card!

 

Terms & Conditions:

● By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
● One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $25 Amazon Gift Card.
● This giveaway ends midnight June 30.
● Winner will be contacted via email on July 1.
● Winner has 48 hours to reply.

 

Good luck everyone!

 

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