Researching Tips by Hildebrand Hengest Hermannson – Guest Blog and Giveaway

November 29, 2024 By 3 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $25 Amazon/BN.com gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Researching Tips

Find accurate sources of information when researching material for your book. Many guru books and websites are well-intentioned but inaccurate; even quality authors can have biases. Ask yourself—what are their sources? Is the information being accurately relayed? Can you find those sources and read them yourself? It is always best to find the primary source.

A mountainous thundering bull breaks up battling tribesmen, summoning three struggling youths, as an insidious unseen enemy turns tribes against tribes—pitting rich against poor, sons against fathers, and men against gods. Its insatiable hunger for division threatens to plunge mankind into a dystopian realm ruled by man-eating wolves.

A miraculous seven-headed horse, a symbol of unity, assembles the struggling youths of extraordinary origin into a journey of self-discovery. There Sunu the Saxon Poet, Rufus the Roman Stoic, and Keresaspa the Sarmatian Priestess must overcome pride, aversion, and unforgiveness; there they must learn from historical heroes, philosophers, and amazingly similar gods to battle the unseen monster and its rising wolfmen.

Fated to part ways to face the demons at home, Sunu, Rufus, and Keresaspa must reunite as they bring divided peoples together to fight the source tearing everyone apart. They must heed the divine wisdom of the seven-headed horse and justly wield the seven magic weapons they’ve mysteriously been given to overcome the unseen enemy and understand the higher purpose of the mountainous thundering bull.

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Sunu meets the seven-headed, winged horse, Long Ears (CH 4 of The Fate of Our Union).

Sunu’s breath caught in his throat as he stared at a white stallion with seven handsome heads, spreading a glorious pair of wings. It towered at twenty-one hands, and its seven heads encircled its neck like temple pillars; one faced forward, one angled to the left, one angled to the right. A head was on each side, while two in the back angled left and right. “You are the one we’re speaking to,” its pink lips uttered under black nostrils, the words echoing in Sunu’s ears like a divine melody.

“It’s as if all seven were as one!” Sunu imagined the sacred horses merging, gazing breathlessly as they surrounded the seven-headed, winged stallion inside the birch grove. His heart raced in suspense, his eyes wide with wonder, as he awaited its next move.

The stallion’s seven heads repeated, “As one.”

“I’ve heard of a horse with eight legs.” Sunu imagined Woden’s horse, Sleipnir. “But never one with seven heads . . . that can speak . . . and has wings!” Visually high, Sunu gaped at every beautifully mane-draped head under the dreamily feathered wings.

The stallion’s forward-facing head replied in a deep, resonant voice, “It’s time you heard.”

About the Author: Hildebrand Hengest Hermannson’s deep-rooted fire for Indo-European culture and Western Philosophy ignites his first novel, The Fate of Our Union, the inaugural piece in a planned series. His work draws inspiration from the national epics The Saga of the Volsungs (Norse), Mahabharata (Indian), Aenid (Roman), Odyssey (Greek), Táin Bó Cúailnge (Celtic), and Shahnameh (Iranian), weaving these rich cultures into original stories featuring fantasy world-building, dynamic characters, and intricate plots and themes. His Wild Hunt of thought breathes life into his spiritual, ethical, and cultural interests, inspiring us all to strive for imperishable virtue.

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Teacups and Temptations by Kate Ellington – Spotlight and Giveaway

November 26, 2024 By 3 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $20 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Molly Merriwether readily accepts an invitation to Waverly Hall, eager for adventure and amusement with her best friend. She never expected to be left unchaperoned with three intriguing young gentlemen for weeks.

Roger Bailey, recuperating in more ways than one, avoids Molly until her kindness and humor tempt him to deepen their acquaintance.

Molly lands in one unlikely escapade after the next with Roger and soon considers him a friend—perhaps more—but the barriers he puts up make it impossible to truly know him. Has she only imagined those tender looks in his eyes?

For a chance at love, Molly will need to bare her innermost self and trust someone more deeply than she’s ever dreamed possible.

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“Not having chaperones has made it all the more interesting.” Molly glanced outside, where the men stood in a circle talking.

“Auntie’s going to be so upset when she finds out,” Caroline said.

“Perhaps she never will.”

Caroline clicked her tongue. “Of course she will. She’ll tell our parents.”

“Then we’d better enjoy ourselves while we still can.”

About to sip her juice, Caroline set the glass down. “I know that look, Molly. What are you planning?”

“Oh, I just thought we might have a poke around while the gentlemen are otherwise occupied.”

Outside, the men had set out across the field toward the kennels.

“We’ve done enough poking around,” Caroline said. “We’ll probably get lost again.”

“No. We’ve done enough poking around that we won’t get lost. And there’s that arched door we saw in the east wing other day.”

“It’s most likely a broom closet.”

Molly rose, leaving her napkin on the table. “It’s in the corner of an empty room on the third floor.

And with such an elaborate door? There were vines engraved on it.”

“The room wasn’t empty—it looked like an old sewing room. I’m sure it’s nothing of interest.”

“We won’t know until we look.”

“You’re doing this no matter what I say, aren’t you?” Caroline asked.

“You don’t have to come.” Molly gave her an angelic smile as she backed toward the door.

About the Author: Kate grew up in a woodsy New England town where summer days at the lake seemed to last forever. She read her first historical romance at age eleven when a teacher challenged her to find a book in the library written by an author she’d never heard of. Thus began a life-long love of love stories.

After graduating from college she settled in the Pacific Northwest, where she currently resides with her family.

Kate wrote her first romance when she was sixteen, then set her pen down for years until another story floated into her head out of the clear blue sky. She jotted it down, just for fun, but soon it took on a life of its own.

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Our Global Crisis by Brian McLean- Spotlight and Giveaway

November 25, 2024 By 1 Comment

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This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Modern society has reached a critical juncture in its existence. Like past civilizations ours has reached a point where its future is far from certain, with its decline, or even collapse, being distinct possibilities.

The Incas, the Mayans, the Romans, the Rapanui, and many others, had seemingly successful societies, yet collapsed when faced with challenges that threatened their continued existence.

Are we to suffer the same fate? What could possibly cause our downfall?

Climate change and environmental issues? Perhaps. It is now almost a certainty that these events are destined to inflict catastrophic damage to our global society. Our coastal cities and island nations, as well as our global economy and agricultural output, will be irreparably damaged. Many of Earth’s species, as well as the lives of many millions of people, will be displaced or lost forever.

Such a fate may still be averted, but that opportunity has largely passed. Even if we are able to correct the climatic and environmental issues threatening our society, we must still recognize and address the ultimate source of our problems. For if we fail, a far worse fate potentially awaits us.

Our Global Crisis is an eye opening look at the common weakness shared by societies and civilizations both past and present. But analysis of the problem alone will not solve the global crisis we now face. Thus, the final chapter is dedicated to the simple, yet critical solutions, necessary for our very survival.

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Humans stand at the pinnacle of evolutionary success. Highly intelligent and curious, with the capacity to reason, it is within our nature to be caring and compassionate. Capable of modifying our environment, we have created an interconnected global society of such magnitude and complexity that it stands apart from all others that have come before it. Yet our society has reached a critical stage in its development. Like past civilizations, ours has reached the point where it is most susceptible to failure.

We face this critical point in our continued existence due to shortcomings in our nature. For although we are the product of countless millennia of evolutionary improvements, we are nevertheless an imperfect species.

Our imperfections have contributed to our setbacks on many occasions. Civilizations and complex societies, including, the Incas, the Mayans, the Romans, the inhabitants of Rapa Nui (Easter Island), and others, all suffered significant setbacks, or collapse, seemingly at the height of their existence. Our global community too, now faces its own challenges.

The question we must ask ourselves is: Do we have the desire and the willingness to change, not only our society, but the very nature of who we are? Changes that will allow us to thrive and adapt to realities we face as we enter the Anthropocene era. The answer?

Perhaps.

About the Author: Brian McLean, ART, is a former Medical Laboratory Technologist and Information Systems Specialist. Drawn by his passion for the outdoors, he shifted from a successful career to spend nearly two decades working for a family run orchard business. A passionate conservationist and environmentalist, Brian is also a keen observer of human nature and humanity’s interaction with the biosphere. Based on those observations, he has been meticulously compiling and crafting Our Global Crisis over the last 22 years. Currently, he is working to restore riparian and temperate forest ecosystems affected by clearcut forestry practices, and when he needs to decompress, he spends time under the stars delving into his other passion, astrophotography.

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Away with Shadows by M.M. Skye – Spotlight and Giveaway

November 20, 2024 By 3 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Sharon Gable, a seasoned interior designer in Columbia, South Carolina, swears off love after ending a relationship filled with deceit. She focuses on expanding her business with her best friend and avoiding romance until she’s unexpectedly set up with architect Bradley DuPont at an engagement party. Despite her resistance, Sharon finds herself drawn to Bradley’s undeniable charm and rugged allure.

Bradley, back in town to care for his ailing grandfather and manage the family business, is burdened by his West Coast job and familial obligations. Yet, Sharon captivates him like no other, offering a respite from his tumultuous family dynamics.

As their connection deepens, they must confront external forces bent on sabotaging their happiness. Will Bradley persuade Sharon that their attraction is worth exploring, or will malicious schemes tear them apart?

For fans of contemporary romance dipped in southern charm, “Away with Shadows” delivers a captivating tale of love and loss, resilience of spirit in the face of adversity, and familial complexities against the backdrop of Columbia, South Carolina, and Paris, France.

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At thirty-one years old, Sharon worked particularly hard alongside her partner to maintain the prestige and respect of their company. In the last five years, she and her partner had grown their interior design business to well over five and a half million dollars in revenue, and it was still growing. They experienced both the highs and lows of being successful women, especially as women of color, but they never let that dictate their success. People from the United States and Europe contracted with the pair.

Watching her parents work hard to provide for her taught her from an early age to not let societal stigmas stop her from accomplishing what she wanted to do in life. In addition, being an only child made her self-sufficient.

When she was eight years old, her parents died in a car crash, turning her life completely upside down. The police report showed the accident occurred when her father swerved to avoid hitting a deer while they were coming back from visiting his best friend and his family in Savannah.

A firm knock at the door interrupted her from her daydream. Sharon hadn’t noticed her friend standing in the doorway of her office.

“Hello, are you still in the land of the living?” asked Kera. She leaned on the door post with her coffee mug in one hand and her purse in the other.

Sharon turned and replied, “Oh Kera, you scared me. I apologize. I was just watching this elderly couple out on the street. You should have seen them. They looked cute together.”

Kera swiftly walked over to the window. “Are you sure it was the elderly couple you were watching or were you daydreaming about you know who?”

Kera Prescott was her best friend and co-owner of Prescott Gable Interior Design, LLC, which they’d run for the past ten years. It seemed only natural for the two women to go into business together after graduating with honors from the New York School of Interior Design.

Kera was a beautiful, slender-faced woman, with oval-shaped eyes. She wore her hair in a pixie cut style that complemented her high cheekbones and the dimple between her right cheek and upper lip. Unlike Sharon, Kera was an athlete at heart. She was the captain of her high school and college volleyball team. She was three inches taller than Sharon and curvy in the hips.

The two were nominated best looking and voted most likely to be successful. As young girls, they did everything together and were inseparable.

“What?” said Sharon. “No. Girl, you know me better than that.”

“Okay. Then besides the older couple, what had you so deep in thought that you didn’t answer my question,” Kera asked.

“Question? What question are you talking about?” She was completely clueless.

Kera folded her arms and stared at Sharon with one eyebrow raised as she walked over to fill her cup from the Keurig machine.

“Look, if you think you’re going to get out of this one, think again, missy. It has been three months since we’ve had any fun together, and this time, you’re coming. No excuses.”

“What is it this time?” Sharon sucked her teeth and rolled her eyes as she walked back to her seat.

Kera looked at her with empathy. “I just want you to have some fun for a change.”

Sharon drew in a deep breath to say that she would give in to whatever event or trip her friend had planned for them, when she spotted the bright light reflecting off her friend’s hand.

Kera held out her hand to show Sharon her engagement ring. Sharon could hardly contain her emotions. She placed her hands on her cheeks and yelled with joy. Both women jumped up and down together, screaming with excitement. It was difficult for either one of them to speak.

“Would you be my bridesmaid?” asked Kera.

“Yes, you know I will! First, I want to know when this happened, and why I’m just now seeing this!” She looked at the ring with extreme happiness for Kera as they sat on the sofa in her office.

Kera’s smile was radiant. Sharon could tell she was overjoyed and waited patiently as her friend tried to gather her thoughts so she could tell her what took place.

About the Author
M.M. Skye is an entrepreneur and contemporary romance writer. A native of South Carolina. M.M. Skye has a diverse background in education and business. With her passion for storytelling and a love for cultural diversity, M. M. Skye’s books offer a unique blend of romance and cultural immersion.

You can find her with a book or a pen and paper somewhere ready to create unique characters and stories the reader can relate to. Her passion for writing began in middle school when she read her first novel. It wasn’t until high school when her tenth-grade honors English teacher encouraged her to major in English, that she began weaving tales.

Her time at Voorhees University gave her the extra knowledge she needed to hone her craft.

Away with Shadows is her debut novel.

You may follow Author M.M. Skye at the following social media sites.

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Katie Walsh by Colleen L Donnelly – Spotlight and Giveaway

November 19, 2024 By 3 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Enter to win a $15 Amazon/BN gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Katie Walsh expects to write a love story someday. The hero resembles her father, and the heroine the deceased mother she never knew but imagines from the longing on her father’s face.

Katie doesn’t expect her father to be murdered, or his will to leave their farm to Guy Knowles, the man she hoped to marry, and order her to another state. Betrayed by the men she trusted, what should have become a love like no other withers and dies.

Until Ted Howard, who doesn’t fit the hole Guy left in her heart. Instead, he fits himself into what she needs—someone who will stay, protect her, and break his own heart for her if needed.

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When our neighbor, Guy Knowles, began to drop by and take me for long but mostly silent walks across Papa’s pasture, I wondered if my parents had done the same thing and if my excitement mirrored what my mother’s might have been. Did she, like me, translate every quiet step into tender words? Did she see lifelong devotion on Papa’s face then, like I watched for it now on Guy’s?

I expected my love story—the one I would write and the one I would live—to be like theirs. What I didn’t expect was that both stories would begin the day a stranger came to my door and told me my father had just been killed. Killed, not died.

Nor did I expect this tale of “A Love Like No Other” to reach full bloom in a tiny jail cell far away.

About the Author:

Colleen L Donnelly was born and raised in the US Midwest but ventured to other parts of the country as an adult to experience life from other perspectives. Besides writing, she spends time outdoors, antique hunting, reading, or watching a good movie. Even though she retired from a career in laboratory science, she is never bored and always busy at something.

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Borderland by Ross Victory – Spotlight and Giveaway

November 18, 2024 By 4 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Borderland is not just a poetry collection—it’s an invitation to explore the most vulnerable corners of the human experience. Award-winning author Ross Victory takes readers on an emotional journey across the intersections of masculinity, race, bisexuality, and grief. In a fearless blend of narrative and free verse, Victory dismantles societal expectations, offering a space where identity can exist fluidly and unapologetically.

Through its evocative imagery and bold storytelling, Borderland tackles life’s most complex themes—love, loss, strength, and defiance. Each poem immerses readers in raw emotion, from tender vulnerability to fierce defiance. This collection is perfect for readers seeking honest, unfiltered reflections on what it means to exist at the crossroads of identity and experience.

With a voice that’s as unique as it is powerful, Ross Victory has created a collection that speaks to anyone searching for connection and understanding. Borderland isn’t just a book—it’s a movement, a conversation, and a space to find yourself reflected in its pages.

Step into the borderland, where identity knows no boundaries.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Bisexual Villain

An enigma, cloaked in reflective armor,
a man built in isolation,
made of light.

He walks a tightrope:
Each step a liberation,
Every word a defiance.

He is the man who returns the stolen fire, embodying a harmony of contradictions in a world demanding silence.

He is… Conformity’s antichrist; But only when he says his name.

Do they know that, beneath his armor,
there is a man searching for meaning?

Flesh and pulse under mirrored shield,
A Brother, a Son, a Guardian;

He was a Boy with bright eyes,
and he was Loved.

I stand before the jury, unmasked and true.
They are armed with judgments that explode like bombs, their hatred a mask of sincerity.

I wonder, “Am I on trial for spurning stale norms of monosexism, a banquet of bias, an indictment of my very being?”

Faceless facades wear hypocrisy like skin,
Bigotry in their blood. They thirst for dominance.
I see, society lives an illusory script, homes built in narrow alleys of convention, foundations hollow and empty.

We are neighbors, but we are strangers.

“You are the antagonist! You are the villain!” the jury shouts.

“No!” the bisexual villain proclaims.

“We are a legion, a chorus in the midst,
their heart akin to mine.”

“We are canaries whose wings you’ve clipped,
trapped in your rusting cage.
Some have become orphans bereft of connection, adrift in the gap—kin to the fluid.”

“You are an abomination! You are confusion!” they roar.

“Though we may be solitary stars, together we form a galaxy.
In me beats a heart; within you, the silent expanse where once echoed, now, the void of a million corpses.”

I am ink, you are eraser.

I am your projection.

About the Author:Ross Victory, (he/him), is an award-winning author, music artist, and entrepreneur from Los Angeles. Featured in LA Weekly, LA Blade, American Reporter, and Bi.org, Ross rediscovered the healing power of writing after losing his father and brother. A former English teacher, Ross creates immersive narrative experiences. He published “Views from the Cockpit,” a father-son memoir, in 2019, resulting in a portfolio of six original titles and a music catalog of 20 songs. His works explore self-discovery, adventure, bisexuality, and family. In 2023, he released the Pride anthem “Bisexual Daze” and Book 1 of the L.A.-based horror series “Grandpa’s Cabin.” Ross also publishes articles and reflections about grief, biphobia, and elder abuse on Medium.com and recently spoke at their Annual Writer’s Conference. This fall he will release his first poetry collection titled, “Borderland,” exploring the intersection of race, masculinity, and sexuality.

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How to React When Woken at 3am by Drunk Argentinian Backpackers While Staying in a Youth Hostel and Other Lesser Known Travel Tips by Simon Yeats – Spotlight and Giveaway

November 15, 2024 By 5 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour of the LESSER KNOWN TRAVEL TRIPS series, How to React When Woken at 3am by Drunk Argentinian Backpackers While Staying in a Youth Hostel and Other Lesser Known Travel Tips by Simon Yeats. The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Book 4 of an original and hilarious book series of travel misadventures and dubious personal introspection by Australian author Simon Yeats, who from an early age learned that the best way to approach the misfortunes of this world is to laugh about them.

Simon shares his comedic insights into the unusual and uproarious elements of living life as an Aussie ex-pat and having a sense of Wanderlust as pervasive as COVID hysteria in the early part of this decade.

From how to negotiate traffic in Los Angeles when your car can only drive at 5 miles/hr, to what to do when locked out of your hotel room in your underwear, to the emotions of attempting the world’s second highest bungee when you have a pathological fear of heights, to how to deal with the trials and tribulations of staying in a youth hostel with travelers who have no respect for the other guests.

Simon Yeats has gone into the world and experienced all the out of the ordinary moments for you to sit back and enjoy the experience without the need to empty your bank account, get squeezed sitting in a middle airline seat, or deal with border security at the Ukraine/Russia boundary.

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Big Wednesday was my first day at work as a liftie on the Burgess Creek lift at the Steamboat ski resort as a wide-eyed 20-year-old. I do not remember the exact date, but I am absolutely certain it was a Wednesday because everyone who was present at the resort that day referred to it as ‘big Wednesday.’

Overnight, between ‘ordinary Tuesday’ and ‘big Wednesday,’ the town and resort received a mammoth amount of snowfall. It absolutely dumped. A biblical amount of snow. Even though I do not recall snow being mentioned once in either the old testament or the new testament. But I could have missed the reference.

And Moses went up the mountain at God’s direction and there was fresh dump of powder snow, and he cried out, “ye verily, gonna cut me some wicked turns.”

To get to work on my first day, I take the shortcut straight down the hill to the main road and bus stop. I am decked out in my official Steamboat resort onesie ski suit. The snow level is over my belly button. It is like wading through waist high surf for a half mile.

I scramble onto the bus, and I am on my knees huffing and puffing while dripping with sweat.

An inauspicious start to the day.

About the Author:
Simon Yeats has lived nine lives, and by all estimations, is fast running out of the number he has left. His life of globetrotting the globe was not the one he expected to lead. He grew up a quiet, shy boy teased by other kids on the playgrounds for his red hair. But he developed a keen wit and sense of humor to always see the funnier side of life.

With an overwhelming love of travel, a propensity to find trouble where there was none, and being a passionate advocate of mental health, Simon’s stories will leave a reader either rolling on the floor in tears of laughter, or breathing deeply that the adventures he has led were survived.

No author has laughed longer or cried with less restraint at the travails of life.

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Why Should Readers Pick up Licensed to Rear? by Riya Aarini – Guest Blog and Giveaway

November 13, 2024 By 4 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a book-themed T-shirt to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Why Should Readers Pick up Licensed to Rear?

An estimated 1-2 million kids run away each year in an attempt to escape the harsh realities of home. What if zero kids ran away? What if all kids felt loved and wanted?

I created this ideal world in Licensed to Rear. Children, who are often vulnerable and helpless, have a higher chance of growing up happy and loved in a nation with a law requiring that would-be parents earn a parental license. Given the time and energy it takes to earn a parenting license, it is less likely parents would act negligently toward their own children. In short, earning a parental license gives kids a greater chance of enjoying a good, happy, carefree childhood.

I encourage parents and would-be parents to pick up Licensed to Rear and give it a shot. The story explores a world unlike the one in which we live. It is an idealistic world that offers pointers for our real world that benefit all of society.

Granted, earning a license to parent is not the answer that solves all problems, just as earning a driver’s license does not prevent all bad drivers from hitting the road. However, the odds improve for children when the role of parenting is not taken for granted.

In the book, I explore how parenting is not a right but a privilege. Rights and privileges differ in that rights can be taken away when they are abused. The antagonist in the story, Peter Losor, challenges this concept in a very comical way.

Readers hungry for a stimulating, intellectual read will find as much satisfaction in reading both sides of the argument—being for or against the law requiring a parental license—as I had in writing them.

Mila Winston aspires to earn a professional license to practice parenthood. It’s all she needs to start her family in the happiest micronation on Earth. Newcomers flock to Coolbeensia to fulfill their dreams of raising children here, where kids are guaranteed loving—as opposed to horrible—parents.

But mighty obstacles test Mila’s grit. Peter Losor, a chap with an annoying air of bravado, questionable parenting skills, and a defiant personality, stirs up trouble, eventually challenging the very law that defines Coolbeensia—that licensure is mandatory to enjoy the privilege of raising children.

Will Mila survive her trying ordeal and achieve her ambitions of being a licensed parent in the quirky yet revolutionary micronation? Find out in this satirical, contemporary family fiction novel that will leave you second-guessing the ideals surrounding the prestigious job of parenthood!

Enjoy an Excerpt

Mila ran to the side of the bed and plucked a glossy brochure off the nightstand. It had been folded and curled to reveal a particular page, as if waiting to be pointed out. “See?” She set her slender index finger on a small ad at the bottom of page nineteen. “I think we should move here.”

“Coolbeensia? Huh, an odd name.” Jason looked off into the distance. “But I think I’ve heard of it before. Isn’t that the place where you need a license to have children?”

Mila smiled, nodding emphatically. He’d heard of it, which eliminated the first hurdle and pushed them one step closer in the right direction. “Yep, it’s perfect.”

“How’re we going to get a license to raise a family?” His shoulders inched up. “It’s unheard of.”

“But brilliant.” Mila patted her husband on the arm. Naturally, he showed concern, as they’d discussed having children long before they officially tied the knot. Having a full house was important to them both. Children would complete their family, plus a furry pet or two, besides the giant stuffed bear.

“It’s no biggie. It’s just like earning a license to drive. You’ve done it before, and so have I. We’ll be assured that we’re surrounded by qualified parents who know how to keep their kids safe. Isn’t that like what a driver’s license is for?” She gazed at him, hoping her brief but logical answer would convince him.

About the Author Riya Aarini entered her small part of the world one summer day in the Pacific Northwest. She writes in an eclectic mix of genres, including humor and contemporary fiction. If you enjoy quirkiness with a pinch of whimsy, you’ll have an appetite for her books.

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He. by Gregory Pakis – Spotlight and Giveaway

November 12, 2024 By 6 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner.

A sexually open-minded couple, Lester and Val, have recently moved into a stylish yet eerie apartment building.

Val’s curiosity is piqued when she starts to receive unusual messages and requests from an anonymous messenger.

Lester is also cautiously intrigued, as Val starts to fulfill the requests.

A suspected sex club soon becomes media headlines when a former member disappears, and the club is reported to have vacated its last premises.

As the messages persist, Lester and Val start to question whether the anonymous messenger is connected to the clandestine club mentioned in the media, and if there is any link between him or the club and the odd newcomers in the apartment next door.

Enjoy an Excerpt

She sat on the couch and stared across the room. Three men sitting opposite watched her closely. Seemingly daring each other to make the first move. None of them summoned the courage. It was understandable. Her beauty was unsettling.

The kind you’d see in a dream. She had a fixed distant stare. She held her space well. Her presence was elusive. Intimidating. You couldn’t quite describe it. Couldn’t be entirely sure about her. She had a nervousness that made her approachable, but then a look in her eye stopped you cold.

Seated nearby, a bespectacled man also watched the woman.

her husband

Couples and singles moved about the party – chatting, flirting, but this man just sat watching her, pretending not to. If you paid attention long enough, you realised the woman was completely aware he was watching.

maybe he is just her boyfriend

they did arrive at the party together, didn’t they

One of the men whispered to the others that he had seen them at a previous party. That they didn’t ‘play’ on that occasion either.

maybe they were just friends

If the man was her partner and approaching her led to some kind of confrontation, he looked easy enough to handle.

there’s three of us..

But the man watching had a fastidious, aggressive quality that was strangely unsettling. Had a striking face. Was well-groomed and gym fit.

About the Author: Gregory Pakis is an Australian author, film-maker, actor and wacky vlogger.

He has written the short story, The Lonely Australian of the Asian Night; the soon to be released horror-suspense novellas, The Regressor and He., and Memoir of a Suburban Hoe-Bo, which is partly an account of when he lived out of a van for ten years in Melbourne.

Gregory Pakis is also the writer / director of the feature films, The Garth Method (2005) and The Joe Manifesto (2013), which have won national and international awards and been distributed through Accent Entertainment, Label, Vanguard Cinema.

Gregory’s more informal video projects are the feature documentaries, Garth Goes Hitch-Hiking (2007) and Garth Lives in a Van (2011) which have screened at film festivals in Australia.

More recently, he has created the comedy series, suBURPieS and his Wacky Vlog which can found on his socials.

Gregory has been featured in articles in newspapers, The Age, The Herald Sun, Beat Magazine, Inpress, FILMINK, and the Neos Kosmos. He has been interviewed on radio by the ABC, 3RRR, SYN FM, 3CR.

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What Kind of Writer am I? by Frank S Joseph – Guest Blog and Giveaway

November 12, 2024 By 6 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

What Kind of Writer Am I?

Assignment: What kind of writer am I?

Answer: I’m a Pantser.

You ask: What the heck is a Pantser?

I respond: The opposite of a Plotter.

But not a mere Pantser. What I really am is a Reformed Pantser. Allow me to explain.

Hang around novelists for any length of time and you’ll hear the terms Plotter and Pantser.

A Plotter is one who Figures Everything Out Ahead of Time: Writes notes, draws decision trees, festoons walls with charts and graphs — timelines, connections, &c. &c.

That sure ain’t me. As one given to ADHD, I can’t sit still long enough to plot much of anything, let alone build turreted mind-castles for the stories I think up.

That makes me a Pantser: One who writes by the seat of his pants.

But I’m also one who gets stuck in the Dread Middle.

The Dread Middle is where Pantsing lets me down. The more I write, the worse it gets.

Desperate during one of those Dread Middle jams, I called on a sympathetic fellow writer named Linda to rescue me.

We sat down on Linda’s airy screened porch and began to mind-dump. Before I knew it, I was Plotting. Hooray!

Not sophisticated plotting. More like figuring out what comes between now and the end of the chapter. But it was enough; it got me unstuck. When next I sat down to write, I knew where I was going. The chapter poured out.

I took a lesson from this: When stuck in the Dread Middle, sit down with a friend and dialogue things out. Keep going until light glimmers at the end of the tunnel.

There’s a saying among writers that I treasure. It goes something like this:

Writing a novel is like driving across the country at night with only your headlights to guide you. You can’t see beyond the end of the beams … but you know you’ll get there eventually.

A perfect summation of Pantser, Reformed Variety.

It’s 1965, summer in Chicago, and it’s hot. Pinkie looks white but is being ‘raised Black’ by shiftless Jolene — who’s in it for Pinkie’s child support check and nothing more. But how did Jolene come to be raising Pinkie anyway? Join this daughter of the city’s meanest streets as she sets out on a quest to find the White woman who gave her birth, braving the inner-city riots of the turbulent ‘60s to discover who she really is. An IndieReader Best Book; finalist for Chicago Writers Assn. Book of the Year and First Prize, CWA novel contest; 5 Stars from Reedsy Reviews, Readers’ Favorite and Midwest Book Review.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Ever since I’m little I be wondering who my momma is.

It ain’t Jolene. Jolene’s been raising me but I ain’t her blood. Reminds me of it every chance she gets. Picked me out of a trash pile one day, that’s what Jolene says. Like a maggot out of a garbage can.

If I’m trash I say, why you done it? Just teasing she says, you be worth real money, check for $102.80 on the first of every month. Calls it her Pinkie check. …

Jolene just laughs when I ask about my real momma. One day I be finding her though. See does Jolene laugh when that day comes.

Jolene don’t treat Bettina no better than me even though Bettina be blood and flesh to her. Bettina asks who her poppa was but Jolene pretends she don’t hear. Poor little thing, Bettina, bumping into things like she does. Jolene says Bettina was born with a caul, that’s why she so clumsy. I know better though. Bettina can’t help it. Something wrong inside her head. She plenty smart all right, just something inside there don’t work how it’s supposed to, like a doorbell is busted or a toaster don’t pop.

All Jolene cares about is the money though, $102.80 a month for me and $94.73 for Bettina. And Bettina’ll be worth more soon Jolene says, worth as much as you gal, $102.80 a month when she turns nine. Then in September when you turn twelve, you’ll be worth $106.35, and Jolene grins.

About the Author: Frank S Joseph’s “Chicago Trilogy” novels — TO LOVE MERCY, TO WALK HUMBLY and TO DO JUSTICE — tell a story of lives forever changed by racial turmoil that marked and marred Chicago at mid century, a great city going up in flames.

Frank lived it. He came of age in the ’40s and ’50s as a sheltered White boy in comfortable South Side neighborhoods undergoing racial turnover and “white flight.” And in his 20s, as an Associated Press correspondent, he covered the ’60s riots that wracked Chicago’s inner city as well as the ’67 Detroit riot, where 37 died, and the notorious ’68 Democratic National Convention street disorders.

Frank left Chicago in 1969, landed at The Washington Post during Watergate, and went on to a career as an award-winning journalist, publisher and direct marketer. His Chicago Trilogy novels all have won award after award, most recently TO DO JUSTICE winning the Chicago Writers Assn. novel contest and being named an IndieReader Best Book

TO DO JUSTICE, Trilogy Book III, is out from Key Literary. TO LOVE MERCY, Trilogy Book I, and TO WALK HUMBLY, Trilogy Book II, are forthcoming from Key Literary. TO LOVE MERCY was previously published in 2006 by Mid Atlantic Highlands.

Frank and his wife Carol Jason, an artist and sculptor, live in Chevy Chase MD. They are the parents of Sam and Shawn.

An IndieReader Best Book
First Prize, Chicago Writers Assn. Novel Contest
Finalist, Chicago Writers Assn. Book of the Year
A Readers’ Favorite® Five Star Selection
Five Stars — Reedsy Reviews
Midwest Book Review – 5 Stars

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