A bitter beginning that led to the sweetest ending…
The last thing small town mayor, Katherine James, wants is a call that her brother is behind bars. Not a good look. When she goes to see him, however, he swears that he’s innocent and is being framed by the brother of the woman he loves.
Set on doing whatever it takes to get her brother out of this horrific predicament without employing her powers as mayor, Katherine finds herself agreeing to a bizarre deal with the cunning and wickedly handsome Tate Reilly: Be his live-in social secretary for one month in exchange for dropping the charges against her brother.
Sounds easy enough, right?
But when a quiet, unassuming beauty falls under the command of an arrogant, hot-as-sin jerk, things are bound to get interesting. It’s not long before the searing attraction between the two threatens to consume them both.
Weeks later, when the tables turn and Tate finds himself on the other end of the stick this time around, Katherine throws him the same deal that he’d thrown her.
During their last deal, things had gotten far too hot and heavy to contain.
This time, their blazing passion just might burn the house down.
The Songbirds is a literary tale that goes to the heart of what’s ailing today’s world and tries to find the answers to our most pressing questions.
Amidst poetry and the innocence of youth, the love story of Kasim and Sumera sprouts in the romantic settings of Bada Ghar, the mystical house of a long-gone but not forgotten poet, Bulbul Baba, their mutual ancestor. To carve a better future for Sumera and himself, Kasim migrates West. But, once there, an increasingly westernised Kasim begins to see his for love for Sumera as taboo. So, instead, he tries to find fulfilment in London, forcefully burying his love.
However, with time, Kasim realises that the West doesn’t have the answers he is looking for and his yearning for Sumera returns, becoming stronger than ever, but a huge barrier now stands between them. Not only that, but time could also be running out because, back home, Sumera has gone on to become a fiery blogger over controversial issues, earning herself many enemies, possibly one too many.
“A meditation on love’s complicated intimacies…A stunning literary tale!”
To the free bird in all of us…
Excerpts
#1
The study room at Bulbul Baba’s Bada Ghar. To me, it is the most magical room in the whole world, for it has the poetry of the heavens. There, year after year, I see many bulbuls sing, competing with each other to see who has the sweetest song. There is one, in particular, a young bulbul, whose chirps rise like the scented petals of jasmine caressed by the breeze and touch the heart.
#2
Ironically, years ago, I had taken a big leap to reach where I now precariously stood. I hadn’t known then that the hand I had leapt for would turn out to be a mirage. Not only that but in making that leap, I had let go of the only hand which had truly ever anchored me; I had let go of her hand.
Now, as my hands flail in desperation, she is the only one who can save me. However, the distance that separates us is the distance which separates the Moon from the Earth. Still, impossible as it may seem, I have to reach for her hand.
Though, there is also a fear that she is no longer there, waiting for me. For all I know, it could be another mirage beckoning me, but I have to find out. I have to leap back to her; only this time it is a leap of faith. My faith in love.
About the Author
I write because silence is not an option. At the same time, my novels brim with hope in addition to having a riveting plot. My debut novel, which was published by a boutique publisher in Europe some years ago, was seen to be refreshing.
My recent novel Guns and Saffron has received exceptionally good reviews on Amazon, NetGalley, and Goodreads saying that it is addictive, fresh and enlightening. The Songbirds, a literary tale, is my latest novel.
CRACK THE CODE: 10 Proven Secrets that Motivate Healthy Behavior and Inspire Fulfillment in Men Over 50 by Louis Bezich
Category: Adult Non-fiction 18 yrs +, 302 pages
Genre: Men’s Health / geared towards Men Over 50
Publisher: Somo Press, LLC
Release date: November 2018
Synopsis
“Crack The Code” presents an unconventional, motivation-based approach to health for men 50 and over. Ten strategies for creating and maintaining inspiration for a healthy lifestyle are advanced from a platform of survey research, interviews and the author’s personal experiences. Primary audiences for the book are men over 50 and the people that love them; their wives, partners, children and grandchildren. Additional audiences include health care providers, insurers, policy makers, men of all ages who want to find motivation for healthy behavior and anyone who has struggled with their health.
Asserting that without motivation no diet, exercise program, technology or other strategy will produce sustained results, “Crack The Code” describes how healthy-living men, one of the most health-challenged segments of the American population, exhibit a strong cognitive association between their life’s priorities and their behaviors; a catalytic awareness in which men often integrate their valued relationships into their health behaviors (they take walks with their wife). What the author terms Male Cognitive Behavioral Alignment. The secret sauce of male motivation outlined in the book is derived from a nationwide survey of 1,000 healthy-living men. “Crack The Code” translates the findings into strategies and tactics with actionable exercises.
Personal stories from interviews and focus groups add practical insights and emotion that engages readers. A discussion of relevant theories from psychology, management science and the fields of decision making and behavior change anchor the model in a context of well-established thinking. “Crack The Code” concludes with a call to action for a new culture of men’s health, outlining a confluence of social, economic and political factors in the US and beyond that represent a tipping point where healthy behavior among 50 plus men will become the new norm. Crack The Code’s focus on motivation and the psycho-social underpinnings of behavior fills a gap in a market dominated by publications on traditional diet and exercise. By digging deeper and using everyday men as a source, “Crack The Code” breaks new ground for a burgeoning segment of the baby-boomer population that is in desperate need of help. The potential to influence men of other ages as well as health care providers, insurers and policy makers, creates a tremendously valuable read.
Behavioral Activities That Help You Reach Your Goal
I love my morning routine. It’s my personal time to reflect on the day ahead and get my exercise. It makes me feel great and gets me ready for what lies ahead every day. During the week, I typically awake at 4 a.m., enjoy a cup of coffee, and shave. While I’m shaving, I’ll contemplate the day ahead, what I need to accomplish, and what’s outstanding, or particularly challenging. I’ll quickly check my overnight email and perhaps add some items to my daily to-do list (another habit that keeps my life in order).
As you might guess, I’m the only one up at this hour. The stillness of the house is peaceful and provides me with a clarity of thought that helps me prepare for the day ahead.
By about 10 minutes to five, I’m on my way to the gym, which is only five minutes away (an important factor). My rhythm stems from a schedule of weight training on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and cardio workouts on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. I particularly like the cardio days for the good sweat. While running, I’ll usually think about the day ahead and use the challenges of the upcoming day to power my run on the treadmill. By 6:00 a.m., I’m on my drive home, stopping to pick up some oatmeal, which I eat while I’m reading my three newspapers (two local and the Wall Street Journal). After a shower, it’s off to the office. My day is officially underway.
As you can see, there’s nothing terribly glamorous here. That’s the point of rituals, and what I heard from the men I interviewed reinforced it. While we all have the “big ticket” milestone activities (i.e., the trips to Europe I took with family in 2000 and 2013) that motivate us to maintain our health, but in large measure I find that it’s those small day-to-day actions that have the most impact on sustaining behavior and providing inspiration and accomplishment. In my case, six days a week, I have an opportunity to check off a box on my list of personal objectives. Being able to check that box, even mentally, is one small way that I contribute to the larger goal and physically feeling good in the process. You get it.
Do I sometimes miss my morning routine? Absolutely, if I’m not in bed by 9:30 p.m. (preferably nine o’clock) then 4 a.m. doesn’t work. So, a late meeting or other commitment can get me out of rhythm and feeling just a little “off” that day. Nevertheless, having institutionalized the practice, my body wants to get back in rhythm the next day, which I’m typically able to do. As much as humanly possible, the morning routine carries on during vacations and business trips. I may waive the 4 a.m. wake-up call for a later hour, but I generally maintain the basic exercise and diet regimen when I’m on the road.
An excerpt from CRACK THE CODE: 10 Proven Secrets that Motivate Healthy Behavior and Inspire Fulfillment in Men Over 50 by Louis Bezich
Trailer
About the Author
An executive for over 40 years in the public and private sectors, Louis Bezich currently serves as a Senior Vice-President with a major health care system. He is an adjunct professor in the Graduate Department of Public Policy and Administration at the Camden Campus of Rutgers University and sits on various public, non-profit and corporate boards. Bezich has published numerous articles in the field of public administration and health and is a contributing author to Corporate Lawbreaking and Interactive Compliance, edited by Jay A. Sigler and Joseph E. Murphy. He holds a master’s degree in public policy from Rutgers University, a bachelor’s degree in social science from the University of Tampa and is a graduate of Harvard University’s Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government.
Selah’s Stolen Dream (Dream Horse Adventures) Young Adult 4th in Series Publisher: Hastings Creations Group (January 1, 2020) Paperback: 262 pages Digital Publisher: Hastings Creations Group (March 1, 2020) Print Length: 217 pages
Synopsis
One girl’s victory is another’s tragic defeat.
Thirteen-year-old Selah’s perfect life unravels when her beloved horse is stolen. Then ten-year-old Emma buys the dream of a lifetime at a horse auction. When she learns the horse was stolen, even removing her hearing aid won’t drown out the voice telling her to make it right.
But two girls can’t divide the horse they both adore. So will life surprise them with an answered prayer?
About the Author
How many twists and turns can one person take before they figure out what they were born to do? Susan Count’s degree is in Applied Science–nothing in that prepared her to write novels for children. But one day, she began to write with no preconceived ideas. No one could have been more astounded than she was when it turned into a middle-grade equine series. As a member of Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, American Christian Fiction Writers, and Texas Association of Authors, she takes the craft of writing seriously and considers revision to be her super-power.
She writes at an antique secretary desk that occupies a glass room with a forest view. Fittingly, it once belonged to the same wise grandmother who introduced Susan to the love of reading via Walter Farley’s horse books. That desk has secret compartments that hold memories, mysteries and story ideas.
Susan is a lifelong equestrian and is owned by a Rocky Mountain Horse. She is convinced that the only thing more delightful than riding the forest trails might be writing horse adventure stories. She invites you to saddle up and ride along.
When a black cat crosses Alice Adelcraft’s path, her luck changes, as does her worldview, especially when she stumbles into A Witch’s Thrift Shop. The merchandise is mysterious, the customers are curious, and the sign on the door reads: Shoplifters will be hexed. It might all be a joke, but the body of a witch outside proves someone was dead serious. Can Alice discover who killed the witch before the magical community discovers she isn’t one of them?
Astoria Wright is a cozy fantasy author and a poet who is inspired by rainy days, good books, and positive people. She is often found sitting by a window or in her backyard sipping tea or coffee and writing or reading cozy mysteries, fantasy novels, or poetry.
Tea-Maven Theodosia Browning brews up trouble in the latest Tea Shop Mystery from New York Times bestselling author Laura Childs.
Tea maven Theodosia Browning and her tea sommelier Drayton Conneley are guests at a bird hunt styled in the precise manner of an English shooting party. Which means elevenses (sloe gin fizzes), gun loaders, the drawing of pegs, fine looking bird dogs, and shooting costumes of tweed, herringbone, and suede.
But as gunshots explode like a riff of Black Cat firecrackers, another shot sounds too close for comfort to Theodosia and Drayton. Intrigued but worried, Theodosia wanders into the neighbor’s lavender field where she discovers their host, Reginald Doyle, bleeding to death.
His wife, Meredith, is beside herself with grief and begs Theodosia and Drayton to stay the night. But Theodosia awakens at 2:00A.M. to find smoke in her room and the house on fire. As the fire department screams in and the investigating sheriff returns, Meredith again pleads with Theodosia for help.
As Theodosia investigates, fingers are pointed, secrets are uncovered, Reginald’s daughter-in-law goes missing presumed drowned, and Meredith is determined to find answers via a séance. All the while Theodosia worries if she’s made a mistake in inviting a prime suspect to her upscale Lavender Lady Tea.
Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. In her previous life she was CEO/Creative Director of her own marketing firm and authored several screenplays. She is married to a professor of Chinese art history, loves to travel, rides horses, enjoys fund raising for various non-profits, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs.
Laura specializes in cozy mysteries that have the pace of a thriller (a thrillzy!) Her three series are:
The Tea Shop Mysteries – set in the historic district of Charleston and featuring Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop. Theodosia is a savvy entrepreneur, and pet mom to service dog Earl Grey. She’s also an intelligent, focused amateur sleuth who doesn’t rely on coincidences or inept police work to solve crimes. This charming series is highly atmospheric and rife with the history and mystery that is Charleston.
The Scrapbooking Mysteries – a slightly edgier series that take place in New Orleans. The main character, Carmela, owns Memory Mine scrapbooking shop in the French Quarter and is forever getting into trouble with her friend, Ava, who owns the Juju Voodoo shop. New Orleans’ spooky above-ground cemeteries, jazz clubs, bayous, and Mardi Gras madness make their presence known here!
The Cackleberry Club Mysteries – set in Kindred, a fictional town in the Midwest. In a rehabbed Spur station, Suzanne, Toni, and Petra, three semi-desperate, forty-plus women have launched the Cackleberry Club. Eggs are the morning specialty here and this cozy cafe even offers a book nook and yarn shop. Business is good but murder could lead to the cafe’s undoing! This series offers recipes, knitting, cake decorating, and a dash of spirituality.
A hilarious new novel full of Hollywood glitz, glamour, and scandal.
When he changes the locks, she changes the rules.
Agnes Murphy Nash is the perfect Hollywood wife – she has the right friends, the right clothes, and even a side career of her own as a writer. Her husband Trevor is a bigshot producer, and from the outside it looks like they’re living a picture-perfect celebrity life, complete with tennis tournaments and lavish parties.
But the job description of a Hollywood wife doesn’t cover divorce, which is the way Agnes’ life is headed after she comes home one day to find her credit cards cancelled and the security passwords to get into her enormous LA home changed. Oh, and there’s a guy there whose job it is to tase her if she tries to enter…which she does. Needless to say, Agnes’ husband is dead set on making sure she loses big time, but Agnes isn’t the type to just lie down and take it. In a world of fremenies and hot nannies, personal psychics and “skinny” jello shots, Agnes may be losing her husband, but could that mean getting her own life back?
Been There, Married That is a drop-dead hilarious battle of wills that will make you laugh out loud, cringe, and keep turning the pages to see what crazy disaster will happen to Agnes next…and how she’ll rise from the ashes.
You wrote the screenplay for Stepmom in addition to seven novels. How does writing for the screen differ from novels?
Writing for the screen is like knitting or sewing or even cooking – you write to a pattern, you write to a recipe. There are rules that (mostly) must be followed for your movie to make sense visually and viscerally and to fit into a certain time constraint.
I always felt writing a book felt more free. You can let your imagination and keyboard run wild – you don’t have to time the scene. You can allow pauses and internal segues. You can write a novella and clock it at 120 pages or a freakin’ tome at 500.
However – and this is a big “however” – both must entertain the reader or viewer. With a movie, it’s usually the first part of the third act where I’ll check my watch – (I’m hungry, I’m thirsty, I have work to do, When’s this thing going to end?) – and with a book, it’s after the first 50 pages. If you’re not grabbed by the first 50, the author hasn’t done his/her job.
And that’s a lot to ask in this day and age, when there’s so much to watch, to play, to distract us. Just ask me to read a book that’s turned dull when “The Great British Baking Show” is streaming. Ain’t gonna happen.
You were married to producer Brian Grazer, and you paint a hilarious but wild picture of the life of a Hollywood wife in Been There, Married That. Is any of that based on your own experience?
Yes, I was married for a long time (especially by Hollywood standards). Of course, there are seeds of personal truths sprinkled in here and there. But it’s not based on my experience – my experiences would be more mundane – many, many people have been through divorce, many more have children, etc.
The writer is an observer, before being a recorder. However, everything I write in terms of Hollywood and marriage is heightened and exaggerated. There’s an amalgamation of scenes I’ve imagined with a pinch of the “truth” – things that I’ve seen or heard about. In my dreams, my autobiography would be in a separate book section – under Mysteries and Scandals. Wink.
For those who are unfamiliar with Agnes Nash (heroine of Been There, Married That), how would you introduce her?
Agnes is as normal as she can be in a world that’s abnormal, who finds herself in the maelstrom of a big, nasty divorce. She’s a writer trying to raise a pre-pubescent daughter not to be an Instagram model (and sometimes losing)- while she herself is going through peri-menopause. She’s a woman who was never supposed to be leading a life of luxury; she’s not even comfortable with it – she doesn’t like shopping, she’s not overly social (which is expected in these circles), she has tried but can’t “care” about fashion. She’s a writer but a mother, first. She’s not ruthless, but she becomes ruthless when her bond with her daughter is challenged.
About the Author
Gigi Levangie is the author of six prior novels, including The After Wife and the New York Times bestseller The Starter Wife, which was adapted as a miniseries for USA Network.
She is the original writer of the screenplay for Stepmom and has written for Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, and other publications. Levangie lives in Los Angeles.
From the Amazon Charts bestselling author of One Small Sacrifice, a gripping mystery about a sinister murder that everyone wants to stay buried—except one dogged NYPD detective.
Jo Greaver is a model of success. Young and ambitious, she’s built a thriving beauty business from nothing. But she has secrets she’ll do anything to keep buried. When her blackmailer offers to meet, Jo expects to pay him off—but gets a bullet instead. Bleeding and in shock, Jo flees with no one to turn to.
When NYPD detective Sheryn Sterling and her partner, Rafael Mendoza, find Andray Baxter murdered in his own home—shot through the heart—everything points to Jo as the killer. Her blood is at the scene, and so are disturbing photos of her taken as a young teen. But Sheryn has doubts. Was the kindhearted Andray really a criminal? Why did he repeatedly report finding spyware in his apartment? Was there something shady about Jo’s sister dying a year earlier?
Something’s not right, and it’s up to Sheryn to piece together the sinister puzzle, no matter the cost.
Hilary Davidson is the bestselling author of One Small Sacrifice and the winner of two Anthony Awards. Her novels include the Lily Moore series—The Damage Done, The Next One to Fall, and Evil in All Its Disguises—and the standalone thriller Blood Always Tells. Her widely acclaimed short stories have won numerous awards and have been featured everywhere from Ellery Queen to Thuglit, as well as in her collection The Black Widow Club. A Toronto-born travel journalist who’s lived in New York City since October 2001, Davidson is also the author of eighteen nonfiction books.
President Trump has just been inaugurated for the second time. The students at Upstate College are not happy. Led by one charismatic person of color, of African, Indigenous, Pan Asian descent who is a differently-abled Muslim-Atheist, they obliterate the college experience forever.
Wokeistan is a satire: Politics, media, corporations, feminism and the relationships between men and women. In a world where anyone to the right of Fidel Castro is considered a fascist, one college professor will try to save his school.
Read this book before it’s banned because nothing escapes Wokeistan.
**This book does not necessarily represent the views of this blog. All books deserve a fair shake whether the topic falls in our beliefs or not**
About the Author
Tony DiGerolamo is a New Jersey screenwriter, novelist, comic book writer, game designer, and comedian. He is best known for his work on The Simpsons and Bart Simpson comic books. He has also been a joke writer for Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, a scriptwriter for Space Ghost: Coast to Coast and a blogger for Comedy Central’s Indecision website. He has written the screenplays including Mafioso: The Father, The Son starring Leo Rossi. His novels, Fix in Overtime and The Undercover Dragon are available through Padwolf Publishing. After publishing his own comic books ( Jersey Devil, The Travelers, and The Fix) with SJRP, he eventually got a publishing deal with Kenzer & Company. Kenzer published The Travelers. Tony also wrote Everknights (another Kenzer comic book), as well as the Hacklopedia of Beasts (Volumes 1 thru 8) and Slaughterhouse Indigo (an adventure for the Hackmaster RPG). He also adapted Mark Twain’s Personal Reflections of Joan of Arc for Campfire. Performing in the Philly comedy scene for over ten years, Tony performed and directed such improv groups as Next Line Improv, The Cabal, The Ninjas and Bulletproof Giraffe.
Besides writing for various comedy websites, he had a long running comics review column in Knights of the Dinner Table magazine. He was the marketing director for comics publisher, Silent Devil. He is creator of Tony DiGerolamo’s Complete Mafia for d20, creator/biographer for the online webcomic, Super Frat, the co-creator of the Webcomic Factory and writer for the over two dozen webcomics on the Webcomic Factory site including Lester Crenshaw is Dead, Miserable Comedians and Weird Biker Tales. Look for his book, F*ck You, I’m Italian: Why We Italians Are Awesome, from Ulysses Press. He recently finished a political satire, Wokeistan: A Novel, with Christian Beranek. His current project is a comedy/horror novella series about the hunters of the Jersey Devil called The Pineys.
From the creator of the Jersey Devil comic book comes a story about four cousins cursed by their ancestors, brought together by destiny and trying to keep South Jersey from going to Hell.
In 1732, Mother Leeds gave birth to the infamous Jersey Devil, which has roamed the Pine Barrens ever since.
Or so the story goes…
The truth is, Mother Leeds was a witch and opened the portals to Hell unleashing hundreds of devils into woods. But the villagers next door in Abe’s Hat noticed and formed a secret hunting society to track down the fiends and send them back to the Abyss. Their descendants continue the Hunt in secret to this day.
So grab your pork roll, put on your Piney Power hat and join the hunt, because the Galloway cousins are coming to save you whether you like it or not.
About the Author
Tony DiGerolamo is a New Jersey screenwriter, novelist, comic book writer, game designer, and comedian. He is best known for his work on The Simpsons and Bart Simpson comic books. He has also been a joke writer for Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, a scriptwriter for Space Ghost: Coast to Coast and a blogger for Comedy Central’s Indecision website. He has written the screenplays including Mafioso: The Father, The Son starring Leo Rossi. His novels, Fix in Overtime and The Undercover Dragon are available through Padwolf Publishing. After publishing his own comic books ( Jersey Devil, The Travelers, and The Fix) with SJRP, he eventually got a publishing deal with Kenzer & Company. Kenzer published The Travelers. Tony also wrote Everknights (another Kenzer comic book), as well as the Hacklopedia of Beasts (Volumes 1 thru 8) and Slaughterhouse Indigo (an adventure for the Hackmaster RPG). He also adapted Mark Twain’s Personal Reflections of Joan of Arc for Campfire. Performing in the Philly comedy scene for over ten years, Tony performed and directed such improv groups as Next Line Improv, The Cabal, The Ninjas and Bulletproof Giraffe.
Besides writing for various comedy websites, he had a long running comics review column in Knights of the Dinner Table magazine. He was the marketing director for comics publisher, Silent Devil. He is creator of Tony DiGerolamo’s Complete Mafia for d20, creator/biographer for the online webcomic, Super Frat, the co-creator of the Webcomic Factory and writer for the over two dozen webcomics on the Webcomic Factory site including Lester Crenshaw is Dead, Miserable Comedians and Weird Biker Tales. Look for his book, F*ck You, I’m Italian: Why We Italians Are Awesome, from Ulysses Press. He recently finished a political satire, Wokeistan: A Novel, with Christian Beranek. His current project is a comedy/horror novella series about the hunters of the Jersey Devil called The Pineys.
I write because silence is not an option. At the same time, my novels brim with hope in addition to having a riveting plot. My debut novel, which was published by a boutique publisher in Europe some years ago, was seen to be refreshing.
An executive for over 40 years in the public and private sectors, Louis Bezich currently serves as a Senior Vice-President with a major health care system. He is an adjunct professor in the Graduate Department of Public Policy and Administration at the Camden Campus of Rutgers University and sits on various public, non-profit and corporate boards. Bezich has published numerous articles in the field of public administration and health and is a contributing author to Corporate Lawbreaking and Interactive Compliance, edited by Jay A. Sigler and Joseph E. Murphy. He holds a master’s degree in public policy from Rutgers University, a bachelor’s degree in social science from the University of Tampa and is a graduate of Harvard University’s Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government.
How many twists and turns can one person take before they figure out what they were born to do? Susan Count’s degree is in Applied Science–nothing in that prepared her to write novels for children. But one day, she began to write with no preconceived ideas. No one could have been more astounded than she was when it turned into a middle-grade equine series. As a member of Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, American Christian Fiction Writers, and Texas Association of Authors, she takes the craft of writing seriously and considers revision to be her super-power.
Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the 
About the Author
About the Author
