WHISKERS ABROAD:

 

Ashi and Audrey’s Adventures in Japan

 

by

 

CARRIE CARTER

 

 

Graphic Designer: Stacy Vickers

 

Fiction / Travelogue / Japan

Publisher: Bayou City Press

Pages: 170 pages

Publication Date: October 6, 2022

 

 

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Whiskers Abroad is a lively and charming travelogue featuring a trip to Japan shared by two main characters, Audrey and Ashi, who alternate recounting their versions of events. Audrey, having won the chance to write a magazine article about traveling in Japan, takes along her cat, Ashi. Over the course of a twelve-day trip, the pair visit Tokyo, Wakayama, Shirahama, Kyoto, and Miura Peninsula. Food is of great interest to both, as they sample typical Japanese dishes from ramen to sushi to tuna specialties. They also explore Japanese culture, including food markets, a family farm, temples, and Tokyo nightlife.

Adventures abound, from Audrey losing Ashi in the fish market to Ashi slipping out of the hotel at night to go to a cat café, where he meets an alluring feline. Audrey is still trying to find her place in the universe, while Ashi believes Audrey would sink beneath the waves were he not present to rescue her time and again. Audrey is a dedicated reader of her horoscope, and the prediction for each day offers tantalizing clues as to what’s in store for the pair.

Written by author Carrie Carter and beautifully designed by Stacy Vickers, Whiskers Abroad is both an amusing travel story with unforgettable characters but also a useful guide for tourists going to Japan about such basic travel issues as how to get from the airport to central Tokyo, how to purchase a rail pass, what to visit in Tokyo, and what to eat. Lavishly designed with full-color photographs and arresting page layouts, Whiskers Abroad will delight both your eyes and your sense of adventure.

 

 

$0.99 Kindle Pre-Order Sale Through 10/2/2022

 

 

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Praise

 

“Whiskers Abroad is simply a delight, offering respite and reflections that bring readers into Japan from different perspectives, capturing a writer’s journey through new foods, a different culture, and a cat’s eyes. It’s very highly recommended for its ability to reach beyond the usual travelogue audiences to immerse all ages in its fun adventure.” — The Midwest Book Review

 

 

 

 

AUDREY AND ASHI’S TOP TEN FAVORITES LISTS

 

 

Audrey’s favorite Japanese Foods

 

1. Ramen – noodles with pork, green onions, and a rich broth
2. Gyoza – pork and cabbage dumplings
3. Udon soup – thick wheat noodles in a smoked fish-based broth
4. Tendon donburi – fried shrimp and vegetable tempura on top of rice with a sauce
5. Egg sandwich from 7-11
6. Miso soup – miso is a fermented bean paste mixed into a fish broth
7. Tonkatsu – deep-fat fried pork cutlets with a panko crust, served with shredded cabbage, rice, and miso soup
8. Sardine sushi – raw sardine on top of vinegared rice
9. Tantanmen – spicy noodle soup with a creamy sesame broth, ground pork, a boiled egg, and blanched green vegetables
10. Mister Doughnut – best doughnut shop ever

 

Ashi’s favorite Japanese foods

 

1. Ramen – see above
2. Clams – raw, grilled, in soup
3. Grilled saba – grilled mackerel
4. Grilled sea bream – grilled white fish
5. Umeboshi – pickled plum
6. Sashimi of any kind – thinly sliced raw fish
7. Kobe gyudon – thinly sliced beef from Kobe, sautéed with onions, soy sauce, sugar, and sake, served over rice
8. Shabu-shabu – thinly sliced beef that you swish in a hot broth. Can dip in a citrus soy sauce or a sesame sauce
9. Magura Sushi – lean tuna sushi
10. Mushi-gaki – steamed oysters in their shell

 

Audrey’s favorite TV shows

 

1. Stranger Things
2. Seconds from Disaster
3. Diagnosis Unknown
4. Bridgerton
5. Pasta, K-drama
6. Mine, K-drama
7. Better Call Saul
8. Star Trek, original series
9. Seinfield
10. Japanology

 

Ashi’s favorite TV shows

 

1. Iron Chef, original Japanese version
2. Dotchi, Japanese cooking game show
3. Fast Food My Way with Jacques Pepin
4. Samurai Cat, Japanese drama
5. My Cat from Hell
6. National Geographic: Science of Cats
7. Sabrina the Teenage Witch
8. NOVA
9. Rick Bayless’ Mexico: One Plate at a Time
10. To be honest, Ashi doesn’t like to watch TV that much.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carrie Carter has a profound love for Japan, cats, sumo, dioramas, and eating unusual foods. She has traveled with her husband Jim to Japan fourteen times, so her numerous holidays across her favorite country were the inspiration for her first book, Whiskers Abroad: Ashi and Audrey’s Adventures in Japan. Carrie has run multiple marathons including the Tokyo Marathon, and as expected, Carrie and Jim live with an adorable cat named Frenemy, who was unhappy at not being selected as the model for the book.

Carrie lives in Houston, Texas, and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin. At home, she loves to cook, design/create Halloween costumes, and daydream about meeting Jacques Pepin. She dislikes overly dramatic music used in reality TV shows. Currently, Carrie is working on her second book, a sequel to Whiskers Abroad, where Audrey and Ashi explore further into Japan and get themselves into even more interesting predicaments.

 

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Amazon

 

Ashi’s Facebook page | Ashi’s Instagram page

 

 

 

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ONE WINNER:

 

Receives an eBook of Whiskers Abroad plus a set of Ashi stickers.

 

(US only; ends midnight, CDT, September 30, 2022.)

 

 

 

 

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Visit the Lone Star Literary Life Tour Page

 

For direct links to each post on this tour, updated daily,

 

Or visit the participating blogs directly:

 

 

 

9/20/22	Boys’ Mom Reads!	Character Interview
9/20/22	Hall Ways Blog	BONUS Promo
9/21/22	Book Fidelity	Review
9/21/22	LSBBT Blog	BONUS Promo
9/22/22	All the Ups and Downs	Playlist
9/23/22	It’s Not All Gravy	Review
9/24/22	Rox Burkey Blog	Guest Post
9/25/22	Sybrina’s Book Blog	Author Interview
9/26/22	Shelf Life Blog	Review
9/27/22	StoreyBook Reviews	Top Ten Lists
9/28/22	The Page Unbound	Review
9/29/22	Forgotten Winds	Review

 

 

 

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The Forgotten World

 

by

 

Nick Courtright

 

 

Genre: Poetry / Travel / Fatherhood

Publisher: Gold Wake Press

Date of Publication: August 1, 2021

Number of Pages: 88 Pages

 

 

 

 

 

In his third collection, poet Nick Courtright explores the world at large in an effort to reconcile selfhood as an American in the international community, while also seeking anchors for remembering a wider world often lost to view in our shared though increasingly isolated experience of reality.

Beginning in Africa with investigations of religion and love, The Forgotten World then moves to Latin America to tackle colonialism and whiteness. From there it travels to Asia to discuss economic stratification and Europe to explore art and mental health, culminating in a stirring homecoming to troubled America, where family, the future, and what matters most rise to the forefront of consideration.

Through all of it, Courtright displays a deft hand, at once pained, at once bright, to discover that although the wider world seems farther away than before, the lessons it offers are more needed than ever.

 

 

Praise

 

“In The Forgotten World, Nick Courtright explores the intersections of being a citizen of one country and the desire to live as a citizen of the world…” – Octavio Quintanilla, author of If I Go Missing and 2018-2020 Poet Laureate of San Antonio. 

 

Amazon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nick Courtright is the author of The Forgotten World (2021), Let There Be Light (2014) and Punchline (2012), and is the Executive Editor of Atmosphere Press. His work has appeared in The Harvard Review, Kenyon Review, and The Southern Review among dozens of others. With a Doctorate in Literature from the University of Texas, Nick lives in Austin with the poet Lisa Mottolo and their children, William and Samuel. Find him online and watching birds on his porch.

 

 

Website * Amazon  ◆  Goodreads

 

 Atmosphere Press

 

 

 

 

 

 

Visit the Lone Star Literary Life Tour Page

 

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SIX FEET UNDER TEXAS:

 

 Unique, Famous, & Historic Graves in the Lone Star State

 

(Cemetery Tales Book 1)

 

by

 

TUI SNIDER

 

Genre: Nonfiction / Texana / History / Texas Travel

Publisher: Castle Azle Press

Date of Publication: August 15, 2020

Number of Pages: 250 pages

 

 

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Explore the cemeteries of Texas with Tui Snider as she reveals overlooked history in these fascinating open-air museums.

 

Along the way, you’ll meet fascinating characters, including a whistleblower who died in suspicious circumstances, an oilman who added a phone line to his mausoleum, and the events that caused two “frenemies” to be chained together in death.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I always enjoy books from Tui because I learn so much. This book is no different and I was enthralled with the variety of people buried in Texas and their stories. I know every state has its own celebrity graves, but I live in Texas so am more interested in what is here in our fine state.

Tui takes us on a journey through time visiting cemeteries with notable residents and interesting markers. One comment she makes is that “cemeteries are more than a place of death. It was also a place to bring the families together and celebrate the living.” How true because a cemetery is not for the dead, it is for the living to remember the past and celebrate the lives of those that have gone before us.

I am always amazed at the depth of Tui’s research into her books and she is able to find details to corroborate the stories that are passed down as to whether they are the truth or just an urban legend. There is one cemetery in Gainsville that has a huge oak tree that was the scene of a Great Hanging in 1864 where many men were lynched and there is even a drawn image reflecting the scene. I liked this comment from the author “that while it is nothing to be proud of and should not be forgotten. At the very least, such an incident serves as a reminder of how important a well-structured legal system is to the stability of a nation.”

There are even some humorous stories and one of them is about a Hungarian immigrant named Anthony Bascilli. He was well prepared for the day he died. He slept in his coffin to ensure it was comfortable, had his grave dug and lined with brick and mortar, and even had plans for when the dirt that would cover him “to ensure that it would be gently shoveled rather than roughly tossed into his grave, he hid bottles of whisky throughout the mound. I guess these were like party favors for the gravediggers!”

If you are even mildly interested in the history behind graves and tombstones and how things came to be, you need to read this book. While I might not visit these various cemeteries (and she provides an address at the end of each story in case you do want to visit), I do feel like I learned a little bit more about Texas and those who came before me. Side note, I have visited Oswald’s grave that is mentioned in this book. It is very unassuming but I didn’t know the story about the grave next to it for Nick Beef.

We give this book 5 paws up and cannot wait to read the next volume and learn more and who knows, maybe one day I’ll visit some of these cemeteries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tui Snider is an author, speaker, photographer, YouTuber, podcast host, and musician who researches historic cemeteries and symbolism, offbeat Texas travel, overlooked history, and haunted lore. As she puts it, “I used to write fiction–but then I moved to Texas!”

 

Snider’s best-selling books include Understanding Cemetery Symbols, 100 Things to Do in Dallas-Fort Worth Before You Die, Paranormal Texas, and many more. Snider has several books in progress and enjoys connecting with readers all over the globe through social media, her weekly newsletter, and her website.

 

◆  Website  ◆  Facebook  ◆  Twitter  ◆

 

◆  Amazon Author Page  ◆  Goodreads  ◆

 

◆  Instagram  ◆   YouTube  ◆

 

 

 

 —————————————

 

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 THREE WINNERS 

 

GRAND PRIZE (US only):

 

Paperback + $10 Amazon Gift Card + Thank You Postcard

 

2^ND PRIZE (US only): Paperback & Thank You Postcard

 

3^RD PRIZE  (worldwide): e-book

 

  September 29-October 9, 2020

 

 

 

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Visit the Lone Star Literary LIfe Tour Page

For direct links to each post on this tour, updated daily

or visit the blogs directly:

 

9/29/20	Review	StoreyBook Reviews
9/29/20	Review	Rainy Days with Amanda
9/30/20	Review	Momma on the Rocks
10/1/20	Review	Missus Gonzo
10/1/20	Review	The Clueless Gent
10/2/20	Review	Reading by Moonlight
10/2/20	Review	The Adventures of a Travelers Wife
10/3/20	Review	Forgotten Winds
10/4/20	Review	That’s What She’s Reading
10/5/20	Review	Chapter Break Book Blog
10/6/20	Review	Hall Ways Blog
10/7/20	Review	Max Knight
10/7/20	Review	All the Ups and Downs
10/8/20	Review	It’s Not All Gravy
10/8/20	Review	Book Fidelity

 

 

 

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Life in the Camel Lane: Embrace the Adventure by Doreen M. Cumberford

Category: Adult Non-Fiction (18 +), 288 pages

Genre: Memoir

Publisher: White Heather Press

Release date: April, 2020

 

Synopsis

 

Life in the Camel Lane: Embrace the Adventure is what Doreen Cumberford, a Scottish author, calls her learnoire! It is a combination of her story and the stories of other expats learned while living in Saudi Arabia for 15 years as expat employees or spouses. The book takes the reader through the four stages of culture shock: arrival, honeymoon, frustration, and adjustment stages to final acceptance followed by the return journey back to their home country – mostly the USA. From Saudi weddings to falconry, to the inability of women to drive at that time, the book seeks to familiarize us with the Saudi culture, lifestyle, and deep traditions of hospitality, generosity, and tolerance from an insider’s perspective. There are also chapters on the experiences of 9/11 in the terrorists’ home country and the “Terror Years” of internal terror tactics from inside Saudi Arabia designed to drive the expats out of the country and destroy the Saudi government. Full of examples, stories and compelling honesty the author describes their most challenging journey, and many of the lessons learned in the process together. Designed to provide useful insights and inspiration to anyone considering living abroad, Life in the Camel Lane shines the light on the subject of building a new identity and home while abroad, and the difficulties of the journey home.

 

 

 

 

Interview

 

Today we are able to sit down and share some insights from Doreen on her writing and other things. I hope you learn a little something about her as I have.

 

What is your next project?

 

My next project is “Home Again, Home Again, Jiggedy Jig….A Guidebook to Returning Home Well After Living Overseas”

For people who have never moved overseas and then returned home, this book might seem redundant.  After all what is there to be done other than packing, putting your body on an airplane and disembarking at the destination – right? – sorry wrong answer!

In this case reality is so far from the truth that we might as well start by speaking another planetary language.  The subject of Repatriation is wide and deep.  A variety of people are affected by international moves, including, but not limited to, the military, State Department employees, Non-Government Organizations, Charities, Corporations, Peace Corps, Global Nomads and location-independent populations.

Home Again, Home Again will be a combination of stories of people who have moved home and suffered through the challenges of Re-entry, and is designed to give people a coping system by which to manage the process and recreate a new adventure back home.

This book will contain exercises, questions and processes by which Returnees can process their overseas experience and ultimately build happier transitions.  The longing to reverse course and move back overseas to what had become familiar and natural is common.

My purpose in creating this work is to document my stories and the stories of others who have walked this path and unveiled the hidden gems along the way.  It’s also my heart’s strongest desire to support this community during these transitions with love and grace.

 

What genre do you write and why?

 

I write non-fiction, through the lens of travel and self-development. I find this intersection very stimulating; it’s firmly affixed within my soul as a result of my life story living in eight countries on four continents for the last four decades.

I like to mix persuasive, descriptive and narrative writings to motivate, educate and inspire people to take action and conquer their struggles.  Fuzzy personal growth concepts can be mixed in with specific and definitive actions which use both sides of the brain and helps deliver balanced ideas and activities.

This field gives me the opportunity to write about living, working and learning across different cultures.  I can cover everything from culture shock to arriving and settling well into a home.

I love the constant variety and possibilities that reside in this seemingly narrow niche!

 

Do you ever get writer’s block? what helps overcome it?

 

Oh yes baby!  I have three remedies for writer’s block.

I am a huge believer in movement, both physically and emotionally.   One of the best ways for me to jump-start my thinking and there my writing is to physically go somewhere.   I can be bicycling, walking, hiking, paddle-boarding or playing pickleball and I think much more clearly during and after the activity.

I am obviously a big believer in travel.   Be it by ship, airplane, car, or my personal favorite – train.

Growing up in Scotland I started traveling by train as a little girl.  My Mum would take me on a real steam engine (1960’s) to see my grandma every Monday down in Dumbarton.   I remember the pulsing pure excitement as I held her hand and walked down the Queen Street Station in Glasgow.  The great iron horse of a train would be belching, blasting, and erupting steam.   I would be terrified, until we boarded the train and set off.

A change of environment, an external stimulant or a piece of music, all of these can work to jog our memories and our brains which helps with writing.

On a Friday morning, I am to be found in a speed writing group with women from all over Europe.   I love this group.   The different voices, vocabulary and turns of phrase really help me get in touch with the English language on a differing frequency.  Keeping our vocabulary tuned up and growing really helps us as writers to capture the ideas and concepts we would love to convey.

Finally, running water.   Sitting by a river, lake or stream – in fact any body of water, instantly helps me get into a better gear in life.  I do believe in the concept of flow.   Here’s a recipe, if you are at home, feeling jaded just run some water over some misshapen objects in the sink.  Next, close your eyes and let your mind drift….I bet something will happen, if nothing else you will get to laugh at yourself and laughter is also a terrific energy booster.

Here’s to your success in overcoming writer’s or any other block you might have.

 

If you could ask one successful author three questions about their writing, writing process, or books, what would they be?

 

One of my dreams is to sit down and have an afternoon tea party with J. K. Rowling.

Growing up in Scotland I can clearly see the threads of culture, language and imagination that tied together J. K. Rowling’s books.  I have ridden real steam engine trains, spent time in Victorian railway stations, and so many time walked the streets of Edinburgh as she did.  But I have never sat down with a very famous live author to have a conversation, and I believe that Rowling and I would have much to chat about.

I have drunk tea in The Elephant House in Edinburgh, now famous because Rowling wrote there frequently.  The café itself is a bit nondescript from the outside, but inside it’s like being on a scavenger hunt for Rowling and her thought process.

Like thousands of cafes in Scotland, The Elephant House serves the usual fare of sturdy breakfasts, amazing cakes and several authors like Alexander McCall Smith all found solace in this place.   I am a big believer in how place affects writing and, naturally, like the thousands of other authors who have sat in that atmosphere, I wondered if I could possibly channel such brilliance.

Edinburgh can be a “dreich”, meaning dull or dreadfully gloomy and usually associated with rain tipping down.  I imagine that Rowling sat there for many a day tenaciously writing, building images, concepts and even yes, magic into her books for hours.

I would ask her how she held onto her vision for all those years.   She shopped her book around to twelve publishers and suffered dissuasion, discouragement and I am betting some distraction along the way.   Yet, she is the very epitome of a real author who held onto her dream, lived fully into her vision and ultimately triumphed.

 

How does the writing process work for you? Do you schedule a time every day, work madly when inspiration hits or something else?

 

I meet with a group of other writers twice a week, at 6:00 a.m. in the morning on Mondays and Thursdays.   Believe me, it’s sometimes a chore and I have been known to skip on cold Colorado winter mornings, but generally, for the last five years, you will find me on a Zoom call with fellow authors twice a week.

Currently, my most favorite writing time is on a Friday morning with I meet with my speed writing group.  This group is a very disparate group of women.  We are differing nationalities:  one gal is Singaporean but lives in DC, one gal is English and lives in the Netherlands, one gal lives on the Isle of Man, another gal is French living in Germany and I am Scottish living in Colorado.

We choose really simple prompts, write for ten minutes then listen and offer praise.  The turn of phrase, together with the wild and visceral writing complete with a vocabulary that could fill several dictionaries emerges through these women’s voices.   I hear language and content in an environment that I could never recreate here in Colorado.

This is my most favorite and fun writing every single week.

 

As an author – what do you enjoy most about the writing process? What feels like a chore?

 

I enjoy the moments of inspiration. When that idea lands and seems to explode with energy and delight – that’s my favorite moment in the writing process.  I do also enjoy the excuse to sit by a stream, a river, a lake – or pretty much any body of water, with a purpose.  Flowing water helps my words flow onto a page.

My least favorite is the tedious part of editing, then re-editing and the process of moving large pieces of text around.  I find that I lose my place when moving pieces of text and large swaths of writing and I need the help of a terrific editor to partner with me on those tasks.

 

When not writing, what do you most like to do to relax? Any favorite books you enjoy curling up with?

 

Here’s the short answer:   house and petsitting!

Here’s the long answer:  my hobbies are dependent on where I am in the world.

Because I am a globally mobile writer, my writing frequently has taken a backseat to the travel.  I am now managing to find my lane more frequently and easily while I am on the road.  Writing about travel while on the road makes my writing more visceral and brings it more present.  In the last year I have spent a month in each of six countries, then seven months in Mexico, four of them stranded by the Covid-19 pandemic.

This time last year we were living in a five-story townhouse in the north of Brussels, Belgium.  Near the Royal palace and parks and close to the Atomium, we were caring for Patci, whose family were on vacation in Peru.   Patci, is an enormous Australian shepherd puppy who at eight months old was over 70 pounds packed with energy and enthusiasm for life.

We spent hours in the Royal park, meeting other dog owners, struggling to communicate in their language of choice.  French, German and Dutch are the official languages of Belgium, while normal day-to-day business is conducted in French and Flemish.   Most locals speak some English, many are fluent, the dog owners who frequented the park were eclectic and represented many nationalities, lifestyles, and cultures.

Since my husband retired, we have added international pet and housesitting to our activities and have just returned from more than a year away.   Is it a hobby?  Yes! But it’s also a new lifestyle which both of us thoroughly enjoy.

Since writing is a relatively still pastime for the body, I find balance is best created by both sitting still and thinking, inter-mingled with plenty of movement.   My thoughts, ideas and inspiration come from not only moving my body through exercise but also by transporting it somewhere by bus, train, plane, car or boat.  Leaving, arriving and departing contain terrific life lessons in leadership and culture which we can apply anywhere we find ourselves.

My home base is Colorado, in the US and while home I love to play pickleball, hike, bike, and my new personal passion is now time spent paddleboarding.  Just a few days ago I managed to sustain two different yoga poses on my paddleboard, that’s a huge personal milestone for me!

Since my lifestyle is frequently portable or nomadic, I need to have activities that are also portable.   Since my feet carry me everywhere, I make it a priority whether in Scotland or Mexico, to take the time into every week to walk, hike, or just generally explore.

We make a concerted effort to build some exploration into every week.  This practice seems to widen our ideas and contributes to keeping me feel like life is an adventure, not a chore.

 

 

About the Author

 

Doreen Cumberford is a Scottish expat author who has been a global traveler for more than four decades. In her 20s Doreen left her home in Scotland and drove down to London to become a member of Her Majesty’s Diplomatic Service, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Her first posting was as the youngest and most junior British Embassy staffer in Cameroon, West Africa. Later she moved back to London and took a position with an American oil-field construction company based in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. After moving to America, living in Louisiana then California, two extremely different cultures in the USofA, Doreen and family moved overseas to Japan then spent the following 15 years in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. With 13 major moves under her belt, she understands the value of moving, building a new life, and handling inter-cultural hurdles. One constant has been her ability to explore through the lens of adventure. Her stories are full of multi-cultural intelligence, messy multilingual communications, and multi-global perspectives. Doreen is currently based on Denver, Colorado although spends most of the year living adventurously in the Housesitting Lane, which takes her around the globe.

Currently, she is doing her best to install Spanish in her brain which previously had French and smatterings of Japanese and Arabic. She is passionate about cultural intelligence, global heartedness, and life on the road. Featured in the Anthology: Empowering Women, and a co-author in 2018 of Arriving Well: Stories About Identity, Belonging, and Rediscovering Home After Living Abroad. 2020 sees the publication of Life in the Camel Lane: Embrace the Adventure. Honest, compassionate, full of wisdom and inspiration, Life in the Camel Lane comprises stories mostly from women and men who lived in Saudi Arabia from the 1950s onward. This memoir contains expert advice sage wisdom and stories that all globally mobile families can use to navigate their international journey. The principles in this book will also encourage anyone who is embracing a more adventurous life, or considering taking the leap to move overseas.

 

Website  ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

 

Pinterest  ~ Instagram ~ Goodreads

 

 

 

Giveaway

 

Win 1 of 5 kindle copies of LIFE IN THE CAMEL LANE or $50 Amazon Gift Card (6 winners)

(ends Sep 11)

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PARANORMAL TEXAS

Your Travel Guide

to Haunted Places

Near Dallas & Fort Worth

2ND EDITION

by

TUI SNIDER

  Genre: Travel / Haunted Places / Texas History

Publisher: Castle Azle Press

Date of Publication: September 19, 2019

Number of Pages: 210 with 100+ black & white images

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More Haunted Places and True Ghost Stories!

Tui Snider’s popular travel guide to haunted places in North Texas is back with a fully updated 2nd Edition featuring more haunted places and true ghost stories!

 

What’s new in Paranormal Texas, 2nd Edition?

Just like the original travel guide, Paranormal Texas 2nd Edition gives readers haunted history and directions to sites where paranormal activity is reported in the Dallas – Fort Worth Metroplex.

 

The 2nd edition now includes:

Photos: Readers asked for photos of haunted places. Paranormal Texas, 2nd editionhas over 50 photos of haunted towns, haunted hotels, and more.

Ghost hunting tips: Tui Snider explains what she has learned since she began attending paranormal investigations with Texas ghost hunters.

More haunted places: Several new venues (including a haunted doll museum!) with fascinating haunted history were added to Paranormal Texas, 2nd edition.

Firsthand accounts: Readers asked for more true ghost stories and hauntings. (She even shares personal experiences with paranormal activity, including a strange encounter with her doppelganger at a haunted hotel!)

All the above, PLUS a paranormal activity evidence database:

See the paranormal activity for yourself: Readers can access an online database with links to EVPs, ghost photos, videos, and other evidence gathered by paranormal investigators who have visited the haunted sites in her book.

• Continually updated: This database will be continually updated with EVPs, anomalous photos, videos, and other data gathered at haunted places featured in Paranormal Texas, 2nd edition.
• Add your paranormal activity: Readers can contact the author if they have paranormal evidence to add!

 

Is Paranormal Texas, 2nd edition for YOU?

1. Ghost Hunters– If you want to plan a fun road trip to haunted places (with or without ghost hunting equipment) Paranormal Texas, 2nd edition can help.
2. Armchair Travelers– If you prefer reading about haunted history, Paranormal Texas, 2nd edition can take you on an exciting armchair tour through haunted towns of North Texas.

“Tui’s 2nd edition is spot on fun and thrilling for everyone to read as only Tui can tell it!”  – Greg Stephens, Paranormal Investigator (RIP)

 

 

 

5 Surprising Facts about Haunted Places in Paranormal Texas

 

 

 

 

 

This is a book you will want to keep in your glovebox!

I am always looking for new and different things to do on the weekend and this book came along at the perfect time.  While I haven’t gone exploring my town yet, I have marked many pages to see what is around me.

Since I live in Arlington, I, of course, had to check out those spots first.  The first location that caught my eye was the Lost Cemetary of Infants, only because it was in another book I read recently about the Home for the Redemption and Protection of Erring Girls that was in operation in the late 1800s.  There are several other spots around town that are mentioned including Crystal Cavern, the Screaming Bridge, and the Arlington City Cemetary.  With Halloween coming up, these will make a nice outing on a couple of days.

Once I made it past my town, I was amazed at the number of other locations around the DFW area.  This is why it would be good in your glovebox…find yourself with a little time while visiting friends or family?  See what is close by in Tui’s book and head on over.

I also enjoyed the history and detail as to why these locations have paranormal backgrounds.  The stories are short but fact-filled and intriguing.  There is even a story about the performance hall at Texas Wesleyan University where I attended college.  I had heard these stories while I was there but don’t think I ever saw any signs of paranormal activity.  Must have been an off day!

We have to give this book 5 paws up because it is a great source of activity for the whole family.  Perhaps Tui will write a book about the rest of the state so we can continue to explore the paranormal across this state.

 

 

 

Tui Snider is an award-winning writer, speaker, photographer, and musician specializing in offbeat sites, overlooked history, cemetery symbolism, and haunted lore. As she puts it, “I used to write fiction, but then I moved to Texas!”

Tui lectures frequently at universities, libraries, conferences, and bookstores. This fall, she will speak about the Great Airship Mystery of 1897 at this year’s UFO Congress and teach a course on Understanding Cemetery Symbols at Texas Christian University. She also shares weekly info-videos based on her research on her YouTube channel.

Snider’s writing and photography have been featured in a variety of media outlets, including WFAA TV, Coast to Coast AM, LifeHack, Langdon Review, the City of Plano, Wild Woman Waking, Shades of Angels and many more. She has several more books in progress.

 

◆  Website  ◆  Facebook  ◆  Twitter  ◆

◆  Amazon Author Page  ◆

◆  Instagram  ◆   YouTube  ◆

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10/1/19	Reading by Moonlight
10/2/19	Bibliotica
10/2/19	Book Fidelity
10/3/19	StoreyBook Reviews
10/4/19	Nerd Narration
10/4/19	Hall Ways Blog
10/5/19	Carpe Diem Chronicles
10/6/19	Forgotten Winds
10/6/19	Books and Broomsticks
10/7/19	The Page Unbound
10/8/19	The Book Review
10/8/19	Chapter Break Book Blog
10/9/19	Missus Gonzo
10/10/19	All the Ups and Downs

 

 

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100 THINGS TO DO IN

DALLAS FORT WORTH

BEFORE YOU DIE

2^ND EDITION

by

TUI SNIDER

  Genre: Non-Fiction / Texas Travel

Publisher: Reedy Press  ⎸ Twitter  ⎸ Facebook

Date of Publication: September 15, 2018

Number of Pages: 160 with black & white images

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Have you ever drawn a blank when a friend or family member asks, “What do you want to do today?” Maybe you have visitors to show around the Dallas – Fort Worth Metroplex, or perhaps you’ve lived here for years but feel like you’re in a rut rather than experiencing anything new.

If so, Tui Snider’s new book is for you! If you live in or are visiting, the DFW region, this list will inspire you to start exploring. If you’re hungry, flip through the Food & Drink section. Looking for entertainment or want to get outdoors? Dig into the Music & Entertainment or the Sports & Recreation sections. Want to barter for antiques or see a museum? Check out the Culture & History or the Shopping & Fashion sections.

This book is a playful bucket list of suggestions meant to spark ideas: everything from family outings, date nights, and solo excursions, to simply hanging out with friends on your day off.

I’ve lived in the DFW area for about *cough* 30 *cough* years now and whenever I am asked what there is to see and do in this area I can’t come up with much. That is why I was thrilled to check out this book and see what new and exciting locations I could venture out and try with friends and the family.

The book is broken up into sections – Food & Drink, Music & Entertainment, Sports & Recreation, Culture & History, and Shopping & Fashion. There were many places I had heard of, some I had visited, and some that were brand new to me. The locations are spread out from Weather ford (West of Fort Worth) down to Glenrose, across to Terrell, up to Dallas and further points north, back over to Fort Worth. So no matter where you live there is bound to be a place or two for you in your own backyard.

There are so many sites to see in this area (it is rather large after all) that I’m sure the author had a tough time narrowing it down to just 100. Now for some destinations, she did give some additional options like with the ghost tours. There are ghost tours across the metroplex so it is hard to name just one to check out so there is an additional page with about 6 more worth investigation.

There is one museum in Fort Worth that isn’t mentioned that is worthwhile (IMHO) and that is the Leonard’s Department Store Museum.

One section that is not in the book, well I suppose it could be in the culture section, are all the theaters that feature live entertainment from music to musicals. There are many historic theaters around the metroplex and many offer quality productions. These locations could probably be a book unto themselves.

I did disagree with one of the restaurants mentioned. Joe T Garcia’s does have a nice atmosphere and I do recommend sitting on the patio in nice weather and enjoying a margarita but pass on the food. But I know many others would disagree with me and agree with the author.

No matter what your interests are you will be sure to find some new and exciting places to take visiting friends and family. Each page does list the address, phone number, and website (when applicable).

We give this 5 paws up!

 

Tui Snider is an author, speaker, and photographer who specializes in hometown travel. As she puts it, “I used to write fiction – but then, I moved to Texas!” Snider’s work has been featured by a variety of outlets, including Coast to Coast AM, LifeHack, easyJet and Authentic Texas. Snider’s award-winning books include Unexpected Texas, Paranormal Texas, Understanding Cemetery Symbols, and more. Tui enjoys connecting with readers all over the globe through her website.

◆  WEBSITE  ◆  FACEBOOK  ◆  TWITTER  ◆

◆  AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE  ◆

◆  INSTAGRAM  ◆

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Check out the other great blogs on this tour

9/18/18	Excerpt	All the Ups and Downs
9/19/18	Guest Post	Books in the Garden
9/20/18	Review	StoreyBook Reviews
9/21/18	Excerpt	Max Knight
9/22/18	Author Interview	Chapter Break Book Blog
9/23/18	Review	Books and Broomsticks
9/24/18	Bonus Review	Forgotten Winds
9/25/18	Review	Nerd Narration
9/26/18	Guest Post	The Page Unbound
9/27/18	Review	Reading by Moonlight

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Book Title: Walk with Me by Debra Schoenberger
Category: Adult non-fiction / Photography – 104 pages
Genre: Documentary / Street Photography / Travel
Publisher: Blurb
Release date: December 26, 2017

Synopsis

Whenever I’m asked “which is the best camera?” I pretty much respond: “the one you have on you.” In fact, most of the images in this book were taken with my cell phone simply because I always have it with me.

This is not only a book about street photography but a visual diary, or collection of quirky, unusual and sometimes just plain weird photos I’ve taken over the course of the last decade.
​
As a street photographer, I need to be an assiduous walker. My sneakers often take me to little known, hidden corners, seaweed strewn (and sometimes stinky) beaches and really cool back alleys of my rather small island city of Victoria, BC.

I’ve also included images of curiosities I’ve seen throughout my travels.
​​
Everyone sees the world differently and this is my collection of the quirkiness that I call life.

Amazon  ~  iTunes  ~  Blurb

Review

This is the second book by Debra that I have “read”. While there aren’t any words to read, but there are beautiful and noteworthy photos that each tell their own story.

In this book, she traveled the globe and shares photos she takes with her cell phone. I think my favorites are the ones that include dogs as there is something about a dog and their laid-back attitude. The people that are caught in the images span a wide variety of backgrounds and situations. There is even a photo of two of someone else taking a photo with their cell phone.

Each page of photos brought me into Debra’s adventures and capturing the everyday life of the places she was visiting. The colors of the town, the quirkiness of the shops or people, the various animals (the pigeon is particularly funny!), and the peace captured in these photographs. These photos are all of normal people/places/things and not staged to be used for commercial purposes, but that is the attraction. I always hear about towns and countries where you look past the touristy areas and meet the locals. I feel that is what Debra has done with her second street photography book.

If this book doesn’t inspire you to break out your camera (even if it is on your cell phone) and take photos of things around you, I don’t know what will!

We give this book 5 paws up and you need to pick up a copy and view the images she shares with us.

About the Author

Debra Schoenberger aka #girlwithcamera

“My dad always carried a camera under the seat of his car and was constantly taking pictures. I think that his example, together with pouring over National Geographic magazines as a child fuelled my curiosity for the world around me.

I am a documentary photographer and street photography is my passion. Some of my images have been chosen by National Geographic as editor’s favourites and are on display in the National Geographic museum in Washington, DC.  I also have an off-kilter sense of humour so I’m always looking for the unusual.

 Website ~  Facebook ~ Instagram ~  Pinterest

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Prizes: Win a $15 Amazon gift card. Five other winners will receive an ebook copy of Debra Schoenberger’s latest photography book WALK WITH ME (open international / 6 winners total)

(ends March 31)

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LEAVE TOMORROW:

My Ride to the Bottom of the World

by

Dirk Weisiger

Genre: Memoir / Travel / Inspiration

Date of Publication: October 27, 2017

Number of Pages: 232

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After building a successful business, Dirk Weisiger was ready for something new. But he wasn’t sure what. Maybe a motorcycle adventure, I’ve never done that! 

What followed was a fourteen-month, solo motorcycle journey from Austin, Texas to Ushuaia, Argentina, filled with unexpected adventures, surprises, and lessons about life and travel.

In this book, you’ll not only enjoy Dirk’s adventure and insights, but find inspiration for your own journey.

 

A portion of proceeds from this book help sponsor children at the Colegio Bautista El Calvario private school in Managua, Nicaragua.

Praise

I may not ride a motorcycle to the bottom of the world, but my soul comes alive when I hear about people smashing fear and following their dreams. This book will truly inspire you. –Abigail Irene Fisher, traveler and speaker

Leave Tomorrow is a fun, engaging, and thought-provoking read. If you are looking for a blend of humanity, culture, scary moments with a medicine man, military police, attempts at extortion, and unexpected challenges–along with insightful observations and humor, this book will definitely spark your imagination to “live your own movie.”  –Steve Scott, business coach and author of Wings to Fly

This inspiring and entertaining book is just the tonic needed to get you up out of your chair and ready to “Leave Tomorrow.”  –Julie Mundy, Guidebook Author and Travel Blogger, Australia

For everyone thinking of a new adventure, a new life, or even a new venture: DO IT.  –Jim Rogers, bestselling author of Investment Biker and Street Smarts 

This is not the first book I’ve read on riding to Ushuaia, but it is probably the most enjoyable. Dirk writes about his experiences in an upbeat manner, taking each experience and each day in perspective. –Muriel Farrington, Ambassador, BMW Motorcycles of America

 

 

Dirk Weisiger is a travel trekker, trick roper, and storyteller. He’s the author of the new book, Leave Tomorrow: My Ride to the Bottom of the World. Dirk has always enjoyed speaking to groups, spinning tales, ropes, and offering lessons he’s learned in adventures of life and business. He’s traveled to five continents and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. Most of all, Dirk loves people and believes that making new friends is the best part of travel.

 

║ Website ║ Facebook ║  Twitter ║  LinkedIn

║ Instagram ║ Amazon Author Page ║

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VISIT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:

2/21/18	Author Video	StoreyBook Reviews
2/22/18	Guest Post 1	Texas Book Lover
2/23/18	Review	Reading by Moonlight
2/24/18	Guest Post 2	Forgotten Winds
2/25/18	Trip Pic	Books and Broomsticks
2/26/18	Review	Missus Gonzo
2/27/18	Trip Pic	A Page Before Bedtime
2/28/18	Guest Post 3	The Librarian Talks
3/1/18	Review	Bibliotica
3/2/18	Review	The Clueless Gent

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YONDERINGS

Trails and Memories of the Big Bend

by

Ben H. English

  Genre: Memoir / Travel / Texas

Publisher: TCU Press

on Twitter  ┃ on Facebook  ┃ on Instagram

Date of Publication: November 17, 2017

Number of Pages: 221

It was a time before Terlingua Ranch, chili cook-offs, and when you could drive a hundred miles without seeing another vehicle or another person.  The year was 1961, and the tides of humanity that ebbed and flowed into the lower reaches of the Big Bend were at their historical nadir.  It was a vast, empty land spotted by isolated ranch headquarters, a national park with few visitors, and the many ruins of a past shrouded in legend, lore, and improbable truths. Six generations of Ben H. English’s family have called this enigmatic region home.  With his family headquartered at the old Lajitas Trading Post, he worked and lived on ranches and in places now little more than forgotten dots on yellowing maps.  He attended the one-room schoolhouse at Terlingua, prowled the banks of the Rio Grande, and crisscrossed the surrounding areas time and again on horseback and on foot.

Some fifty years later he writes about those years, revealing along the way the history and legends of the singular land he knows so well, separating fact from fiction, and bringing the reader into a world that few have experienced.  He also explores the lower Big Bend as it is found now, and the extraordinary vistas one can still discover just over the next rise.

══════════║║║══════════

Amazon ▪ Barnes & Noble ▪ Indiebound

▪ Texas Book Consortium ▪

 

Author Ben H. English discusses his book Yonderings: Trails and Memories of the Big Bend, answering various questions about the book and his motivations for writing it.

An eighth-generation Texan, Ben H. English was raised mostly in the Lajitas-Terlingua area. An honors graduate of Angelo State University, he served in the United States Marine Corps for seven years, was a high school teacher, and retired after twenty-two years in the Texas Highway Patrol.

 

CHECK OUT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR

12/5/17	Playlist	Reading by Moonlight
12/6/17	Review	Texan Girl Reads
12/7/17	Top Ten List	A Page Before Bedtime
12/8/17	Author Video 1	Books and Broomsticks
12/9/17	Review	Forgotten Winds
12/10/17	Excerpt	Texas Book Lover
12/11/17	Author Video 2	StoreyBook Reviews
12/12/17	Review	Syd Savvy
12/13/17	Scrapbook Page	Chapter Break Book Blog
12/14/17	Review	Hall Ways Blog

 

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THE SWIMMING HOLES OF TEXAS

by

Julie Wernersbach & Carolyn Tracy

  Genre: Travel / Outdoors / Swimming

Publisher: The University of Texas Press

Date of Publication: May 16, 2017

Number of Pages: 240, 100 color photos

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Nothing beats a natural swimming hole for cooling off on a scorching summer day in Texas. Cold, clear spring water, big old shade trees, and a quiet stretch of beach or lawn offer the perfect excuse to pack a cooler and head out with family and friends to the nearest natural oasis. Whether you’re looking for a quick getaway or an unforgettable summer vacation, let The Swimming Holes of Texas be your guide.

Julie Wernersbach and Carolyn Tracy highlight one hundred natural swimming spots across the entire state. The book is organized by geographic regions, so you can quickly find local places to swim—or plan a trip to a more distant spot you’d like to explore. Each swimming hole is illustrated with an inviting color photo and a description of what it’s like to swim there, as well as the site’s history, ecology, and conservation. The authors include all the pertinent info about admission fees and hours, parking, and on-site amenities such as showers and restrooms. They also offer tips for planning your trips and lists of the swimming holes that are most welcoming to families and pets.

So when the temperature tops 100 and there’s nothing but traffic in sight, take a detour down the backroads and swim, sunbathe, revel, and relax in the swimming holes of Texas.

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Julie Wernersbach, Austin, is the literary director of the Texas Book Festival and a former marketing director at BookPeople, Austin’s largest independent bookstore. Carolyn Tracy, Austin, is a freelance photographer who works for an animal welfare nonprofit. They are the authors of Vegan Survival Guide to Austin.

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JULIE WERNERSBACH ON TWITTER

Connect with The University of Texas Press:

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Check out the other great blogs on this tour

6/8	Book Trailer	Syd Savvy
6/9	Review	My Book Fix Blog
6/10	Sneak Peek	CGB Blog Tours
6/11	Promo	Texas Book Lover
6/12	Review	Chapter Break Book Blog
6/13	Guest Post	Books in the Garden
6/14	Review	Missus Gonzo
6/15	Sneak Peek	StoreyBook Reviews
6/16	Excerpt	Reading by Moonlight
6/17	Review	Books and Broomsticks
6/18	Promo	Blogging for the Love of Authors and Their Books
6/19	Sneak Peek	Forgotten Winds
6/20	Review	The Librarian Talks
6/21	Promo	Hall Ways Blog
6/22	Review	The Page Unbound

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