Gracefully Broken by Michele Williams – Q&A and Giveaway

July 13, 2023 By 1 Comment

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Michele Williams will be awarding a print copy of the book to a randomly drawn winner (US ONLY) via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Is your life anything like it was two years ago?

My life is not the same as 2 years ago. I have started counseling and have discovered areas in my life that have been buried for many years. Through this I have discovered that I have been battling with PTSD which is a disorder in which a person has difficulty recovering after experiencing or witnessing a terrifying event.

How long have you been writing?

My writing started in college after taking an English class in communication.

I have had many years of writing down my thoughts , I believe this is the best way to remember and to express yourself.

What’s coming next?

I have a book of poetry that was written before this book. It is ready for print.

I am also working on a deliverance book to follow up Gracefully Broken. Many events have transpired in the years after writing that book. This is about the process of transition, what to do so that you don’t carry the burdens of your past into your present and future. Many people have suffered after Covid. The stress level has increased while the coping skills have decreased. I believe our children are suffering more than ever. The suicide rate is off the chain and our children are confused, hurting and lost. Parents are suffering as well with the increased death from covid. Many have lost spouses, children, finances and so much more. Also there are the ongoing neurological symptoms or mental health conditions from anyone who has contracted covid.

This world is full of many offenses that we never could have imagined years ago, many are so deep in their troubles and worries that they believe that there is not a God that can heal them. But I’ve grown to learn and understand that God is sovereign, He is waiting with arms open and offering his grace to us. A woman in labor endures the pain and suffering of giving birth, but through this process brings forth a beautiful child. Although you may be a diamond in the rough when under pressure and being weighed down for a long period of time, the suffering will cease the end result is a beautiful stone that is brilliant and bright. The trials of your life are just a testimony for the glorious work that god is doing in you. Hold onto the faith, fight the good fight and don’t quit. This is the key to being Resilient.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Transformation is a process of removing the grave clothes of your past life. It takes time and work. Your character must change. You must be aware of wrong thinking patterns, wrong attitudes, wrong beliefs, deception, lies, and pointing the finger. In transformation, your appearance may change. You will start to see things in a different light. It is hard work. Remember the old saying, Rome was not built in a day.

We have lived most of our lives in our own crazy mindset, and now it is time to give it all up to a God you can’t see, or touch. This is faith, and it will take all of your energy, focus and will to change.

God is a God of love. He will guide you and lead you into His truth. It may be a struggle at first, but in time, change will come. There will be a renewing of your mind, and the desire of what you thought you wanted will no longer be what you want. Friends may fall away, family may fall away, but continue to stand. In time, your loved ones will see that all is well, and you will become a better person as you transition.

About the Author: Dr. Michele Williams currently serves as an ordained Evangelist under the leadership of Pastor Dr. Suzette M. Myles For His Glory Church Ministries in Hartford, Connecticut. She was baptized and received the Lord as her Savior in 1985 along with her son Michael at Little Zion Church of Christ in South Norwalk. She was ordained as an Evangelist in 2005. She is also a professor at North Carolina Bible Institute-New England. She attended Mattatuck Community College for two years and completed and graduated in 1983 with an associate degree in science from South Central now, Gateway Community College. In 2009 She received a Certificate of achievement from Side Street to Main Street 12 Business and Leadership Development Program. In 2012, she graduated with her master’s degree in Biblical studies, from Elohim Christian Center. In 2017, she received her Doctorate in Biblical Studies from NCBI-New England.

The author is a retired worker from the State of Connecticut where she served as a school instructor after twenty-four and a half years of service.

Evangelist Williams currently resides in East Hartford, Connecticut, with her daughter and granddaughter. The author’s life experience is proof that she is a testimony of what God can do. Her love, commitment, and passion for others stem from her belief in Jesus Christ; she believes that there is nothing He can’t do. Delivered from drugs, alcohol, low self-esteem, rejection, abandonment, depression, and PTSD, she continues to walk in integrity as a servant of God as she matures into a virtuous woman. In this book, she discusses how you too can be made free. Discover the truth as you read and compare your life with those women in the Bible who have suffered in their time as much as women today but found faith and strength.

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My Book Cover and How It Came About by Ann Hajdu Hultberg – Guest Blog and Giveaway

July 12, 2023 By 6 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Ann Hajdu Hultberg will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

My Book Cover and How It Came About

The premise of my book is what it’s like to be the daughter of an immigrant, one who escaped during the Hungarian Uprising of 1956. Because the focus is on my dad and his escape, I wanted the map of Budapest, his birthplace, in the background. And because of the title, Something to Hold On To, I wanted to include some of the physical things we hold on to as related in my stories found in the first chapter of the book—The things We Touch.

The prayer card is the main focus of the three objects on the cover. In my story about Dad’s escape, titled the same as the book title, that prayer card is the one my dad carried with him as he escaped from communism into Austria. It symbolizes the faith he had as he confronted the communists, which could have resulted in him being captured or killed. He carried the card as he crossed the Atlantic Ocean to freedom in the United States. His group of refuges was sent from New Jersey to Buffalo and eventually to Pennsylvania where he settled and acclimated into the American way of life, fulfilling the American Dream. He kept that card with him always. After Dad died, I became the possessor of this card, which I carry with me to church each Christmas Eve as a reminder of his bravery and fortitude and faith as he was smuggled out of his country, never to return.

The second item showcased on the cover is a rosary bead. This is the center of a story, “The Promise,” I wrote about my mom when she was dying of a very rare blood cancer. My mom was a good Catholic and always prayed her rosary and novenas. It is said that those who devout themselves to the Blessed Mother and rosary will have an easy death. But hers was anything but. I question the promise made to those who devote themselves to daily rosary meditations. Her death was long and painful. Why?

And finally the last object on the cover is a twist tie, such as one that is found securing a loaf of bread. This symbolizes a life style my mother –in-law knew before she was diagnosed with dementia and Alzheimer disease. In my story, “What Gave Her Comfort,” I describe how she was a neat and tidy housekeeper and saved these twist ties to perform different jobs: holding together cords; rewrapping food into saved plastic bags; holding together loose shoe strings. As her disease progressed, and her new home now the nursing home, these twist ties took on new functions and were used as tooth picks, a substitute for a wedding ring, and hair pins. What once was was elusive to her now and this tangible object in her mind had new purposes. But it hopefully reminded her of a life she once knew.

A local graphic artist designed my cover. We went through probably 5 drafts until he designed exactly what I had envisioned. I hope you enjoy the book and can relate some of the stories to your own lives.

In life we hold on to our faith, family, friends, our sense of humor, our memories, and our promises. As a child, it might be a make-believe world. Sometimes it’s something physical like a prayer card or a twist tie, a school bag or a rosary bead. Maybe it’s a photo. Everything we hold dear brings us hope and comfort during both good and bad times.

I write what I and others have held on to; I recount my experiences as a late Baby Boomer raised in rural Pennsylvania, and most importantly, by a Hungarian father, an immigrant, who escaped the Soviet Invasion in 1956.

I hope that you the reader will connect to some of the stories and the things we hold on to.

Enjoy an Excerpt

from “Mom’s Girdle”

Mom was always losing or fighting with her 18-hour Playtex girdle. It seemed as if this contraption had a mind of its own, wanting to be seen, calling attention to itself, almost like a neon light flashing from a bar window. The trampoline like material sucked in all the fat so clothes appeared smooth and seamless without the ripples of excess pounds. From waist to upper knee, this apparatus was popular with my mom in the 60s and 70s. Her belly was flattened and thighs were made to look slimmer, something she said she needed after birthing four kids. These ghost white undergarments were a staple in mom’s underwear drawer.

The first time Mom lost a hold of her girdle was when she was out shopping, and the elastic, which had been shriveling on the waist band, probably from its years of wear, let loose. Like a broken rubber band snapping off a pony tail, the entire garment fell to her knees. Though in public, with many eyes upon her, mom simply shimmied the girdle down to her ankles, like a girl slinking down a fashion show runway; she peeled it off her ankles, and with a kick, tossed the girdle in the air like a spinning pizza crust. She grabbed at it and stuffed the undergarment in her purse as carefree as she would a wad of Kleenex. She continued on with her shopping.

About the Author Ann Hajdu Hultberg, born in Buffalo, New York, grew up in rural Bradford, Pennsylvania. A graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania and St. Bonaventure University, Ann spent 34 years teaching English at Limestone, NY, and Allegany, NY, School Districts; she was also an adjunct college composition instructor and student teacher supervisor at University of Pittsburgh at Bradford for 15 years. She and her husband split their time between Bradford and Naples, Florida, and visiting with their daughter and son-in-law. Something To Hold On To is her debut book.

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The Airs of Tillie by Barbara Casey – Spotlight and Giveaway

July 11, 2023 By 2 Comments

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

The small town of Wellington, Florida, has the distinction of playing host to some of the wealthiest people in the world as well as the most prestigious equestrian events. King Charles comes from England to watch polo on the fields where he once played as Prince. The United States Olympics Equestrian team trains and competes there with teams from other countries. In sharp contrast, just down the road, due west, are some of the largest sugarcane fields in the world. The people who work these fields are for the most part poor. They come from many cultures and backgrounds, but they primarily come from Haiti, Jamaica, and the United States. This combination of horse owner and cane worker is an unusual dichotomy, and it is a blend of these things that makes up the world in which my story’s main character, Tillie, the 11-year-old daughter of a sugarcane field foreman, lives.

In The Airs of Tillie, Tillie Turpning lives in an imaginary world that is filled with beautiful horses, polite people, and luxurious homes. Her real world, however, includes living in a cane foreman’s small tenant house with her over-worked mother, an autistic sister, and a rebellious older brother who is searching for answers within a radical Muslim group. When Tillie is unexpectedly forced to assist in the difficult birth of a new foal, she proves that her determination and belief in herself will allow her to accomplish anything she sets out to do.

Enjoy an Excerpt

A gentle breeze stirred, scattering red and white petals from the potted geraniums that were decorating the field. The crowd noises softened. Arabesque picked up her gate into a slow gallop around the outer edge of the jumping arena in response to Tillie’s silent command, settling into her own pace, her natural rhythm. Then she felt the pressure of the young girl’s knees on her sides—another command, another signal from rider to horse. Arabesque began galloping faster, her eyes alert and focused on a split-rail fence banked with hedges. Faster, faster, up, and over, and Arabesque once again resumed her slow gallop.

This time she felt the reins pull slightly to the left. She angled her strong, muscular body in that direction and once again picked up speed. Three stone walls, each positioned in front of the other, blocked her path. “You can do it,” she heard the girl whisper. As Arabesque approached the first wall at a full gallop, she felt the girl shift her weight, working with her own, blending her body movement with that of the horse. Over the first wall, the second, and then the third. Arabesque snorted loudly and bobbed her head with exuberance. But she wasn’t finished yet. Again the girl pressed her knees, silently instructing and urging Arabesque to perform.

They negotiated three more jumps: the oxer, the tiger trap, and the vertical gate. So far their score was perfect. The crowd was totally quiet now as they watched the champion jumper obey the commands of its young rider.

The water hazard was next. Tillie and Arabesque had watched three other horses lose points on it, and one horse had to be disqualified for refusing to jump it at all. “You’re not afraid, Arabesque,” the horse heard Tillie whisper. Faster, faster the horse galloped toward the hazard. Up she went, once again feeling the young girl’s tensed body stretched in union with her own. They were over it. Arabesque looked across the field and saw Molly, her companion horse, watching.

“Good girl, Arabesque. Good girl.” But Tillie wouldn’t let Arabesque relax. The horse felt pressure, this time coming from the girl’s heels and knees. Arabesque continued in her rhythm. Two more jumps to go, and they were also the most difficult. Arabesque felt the girl urge her to pick up her gate. She didn’t understand that they had only a limited amount of time to complete the jumps or otherwise lose points. She only sensed she had to hurry; and that if she didn’t, for some reason the girl would be disappointed.

Arabesque felt the girl press her knees harder into her sides and turned toward the obstruction. Bales of hay were stacked into a five-foot barrier. Extending from both ends were fence rails of varying lengths. Arabesque perked her ears forward, her breathing was heavier now. Closer and closer she galloped toward the obstruction until she felt the girl’s body tense. Through the air they went, and when they landed on the other side, the barrier was still intact.

Murmurings could be heard from the crowd. So far, this young girl who had never ridden in competition before had scored higher than any of the other contestants in the Youth Division. There was one jump left—the dreaded spiderwort—and only fifteen seconds remaining on the clock.

About the Author:

Barbara Casey is the author of over two dozen award-winning novels and book-length works of nonfiction for both adults and young adults, and numerous articles, poems, and short stories. Several of her books have been optioned for major films and television series.

In addition to her own writing, Barbara is an editorial consultant and president of the Barbara Casey Agency. Established in 1995, she represents authors throughout the United States, Great Britain, Canada, and Japan.

In 2018 Barbara received the prestigious Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award and Top Professional Award for her extensive experience and notable accomplishments in the field of publishing and other areas.

Barbara lives on a mountain in Georgia with three cats who adopted her: Homer, a Southern coon cat; Reese, a black cat; and Earl Gray, a gray cat and Reese’s best friend.

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A Day with Jesse René Gibbs Behind the Scenes – Guest Blog and Giveaway

July 10, 2023 By 7 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jesse René Gibbs will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

A Day with Jesse René Gibbs Behind the Scenes

I write from the heart, from my emotional core. Which means, for me to tell a good story I must feel that story in nearly every way. Which is one of the reasons that Girl Hidden took twenty-five years to be released. It was exceptionally hard to dive into the emotions of the abuse that I endured just to tell my story.

I would start with a story that I wanted to add to the book. Start writing from my experience and my memories and get it all down on paper. I would rewrite, cry, write again and repeat. Then I would dive into the myriad of boxes that my grandmother collected over the years that were filled with documentation about my experiences: court documents, my mother’s letters, my grandmother’s journals. And often I would find that my version of the events had multiple layers and extended stories that I knew nothing about.

I would meet with my therapist to walk through the pain of rewriting my history in my own mind, talk with my wonderful bestie, June, and usually cry again. Then it was back to writing, rewriting, or adding to the story until it made sense on the page and matched both my experiences and the truth of the documentation.

For example, my mother gave birth to me while in the Navy, stationed in Rota, Spain. Which is already an interesting story, but finding out through my mother’s letters just how little she wanted a child and through the doctor’s notes that she was trying to starve me to death for the first three months of my life was devastating. She stated in her letters that I, a newborn baby, was overwhelming demanding and shouldn’t be able to “demand that I feed her on her timeline.” So, back to the drawing board with that chapter.

It was a challenge every step of the way, but through the writing process I began to find healing and closure. June held my hand and cried with me and helped me sort through all the research that needed to be done to make Girl Hidden a reality.

Echoing among the Blue Ridge Mountains were the cries of newborn babies that disappeared into the night. The screams of children nearly drowned out by the sound of crickets. A girl, hidden and waiting to be found, terrified, and confused. The fireflies sparkling in the woods, bringing light to darkled places.

The bulk of Jesse’s memories were of growing up in the farm country of the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina. The farm folks stayed pretty much outside of town, except for visits to the feed store causing random tractors to travel down Main Street. There were beatings and abuses, manipulation and terror carried out in spaces breathtaking in their beauty. There were twenty-seven Baptist churches, three non-denominational churches, and one Catholic Church.

There were annual Ku Klux Klan rallies on the street where they would walk right by all the black families who came out to watch and the white folks who came out for moral support—whether of the blacks or the whites, no one knew for sure. Black people did not marry white people in a civilized society, and so were rarely seen socializing. There was a young woman who was pregnant with a black man’s baby, so her parents disowned her. Jesse’s family was accused of killing the child and burying it on their property.

There was the Berkley House Bed and Breakfast toward the end of town, with gold plated silverware and hardwood floors, rumored to be the local sex worker house. There was a mansion up on a hill that overlooked the other humble houses in the town. In the local cemetery, there was “Will B. Jolly” carved into the graves used by bootleggers back in the twenties. Everyone had some form of thick southern drawl, though the length of the “aw” would extend the further south you went. There was a tiny baseball field and a tinier fire department. There was an old lady in the foothills that let the family raid her garden during the summer. And in exchange, Jesse’s family helped her husband bring in the hay for their animals every year.

There was a black snake in the attic—the door opened inside the closet next to Jesse’s bed. She would find his shed skins left behind in the summer months measuring close to seven feet in length. There was a creek with crawdads and a moss-covered bridge. There were mulberry and pecan trees that filled her and her siblings’ aching bellies as the weather turned.

There were hot summer days and freezing cold winters. There were dogs that were best friends, cats that kept her warm at night, and a cow that committed suicide. There was red clay instead of dirt, hayfields instead of grass, and a favorite swimming hole: Lenny’s Mill, the local grain mill on a glacier-fed creek where you could take a dip if you were brave enough to challenge the frigid waters.

Girl Hidden is the story of an unwanted child, born nonetheless and forced into servitude, desperate to protect her siblings and find her way out from under the vicious, manipulative abuses heaped on her by the one person who was supposed to love her unconditionally: her mother.

Enjoy an Excerpt

He was standing with his hands over his face. His back was shaking. Jesse slowly walked in front of him and stood there, silently watching as the sobs wracked his body. She reached up and touched his arm, startling him for a moment. Tears filled her eyes. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. She started weeping, her tears dripping onto his shirt. They held each other for a moment as the world seemed to stop turning around them.

Jesse pulled away from him and wiped her eyes. Robert looked down at her and stuttered a little as he tried to put words to his feelings.

She looked up into his eyes. “Poppa,” she said, stopping his attempts to speak. “I cannot be the grown-up for both of us. I’m not… I’m not strong enough!” Fresh tears spilled down her cheeks, washing away the last of the makeup that she had so meticulously applied earlier that day. “Please, Poppa.”

Jesse took a deep breath, pulled herself together, lifted her chin, and walked back into the room with the black-and-white tile floor. Robert stood in the hallway and watched her go. His stepdaughter would never depend on him again. His heart broke a little more, but he knew that there was nothing he could do about it. He forced himself to wipe his eyes again and walk back into the room.

About the Author: My name is Jesse René Gibbs and I am the author of Girl Hidden. I am an artist, designer, dancer and survivor. I am a stepmother to four, Amma to four more and blessed beyond measure with the family that I chose.

This book is based on the true story of my life, gleaned from years of my mother’s writings, my grandmother’s journals and my own experiences. I did my best to showcase the depth of damage that growing up with a narcissistic parent can have on a person, and how hard it is to come to terms with the amount of gaslighting that comes with that life. My siblings all have their own stories of being played against each other, bullied and even emotionally tortured by our parents. We were trained to not trust our own intuition, raised in a life of poverty, a lack of privacy and the endlessly traumatizing purity culture.

I was hunted in my own home by the man my mother married and escaped at nineteen only to land in an intentional community in Chicago that did nearly as much damage. My best friend in the book is also real, and she did more to walk me through my trauma, and she is the main reason that these stories were finally published.

My new life in Seattle didn’t start until well into my thirties, and I’m still working on deconstructing my life up to that point. I wrote this book to organize my life in my own mind and to undo years of lies. I also wrote it because others need to know that they are not alone.

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One Pale Reflection by Tycho Dwelis – Spotlight and Giveaway

July 10, 2023 By 4 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Tycho Dwelis will be awarding a $10 Amazon GC and a signed print copy of the book (US ONLY) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Brenden McCoy and his sister, Lettie, have just lost their parents and are going to live with a distant relative in Ireland. They don’t know him, don’t like him, and – even weirder – strange things keep happening around their new caregiver’s house.

Meanwhile, in a strange world beyond a mirror, a mercenary has been sent by his king to hunt down and kill a fugitive, a powerful and immortal wizard. Time is not on his side.

Athos the Key Thief builds an army, and soon everyone will be just another Thrall.

Will Brenden be able to solve the mystery beyond the mirror, find the truth behind his parents’ disappearance, and put to rest someone who cannot die?

Welcome to MirrorWorld.

Enjoy an Excerpt

“Athos? Sounds like a made-up word.”

“It’s from a language not spoken on this earth. This man is of supernatural origin and has been to many places beyond this world, or so it’s said. About ten years ago, a man no older than a boy came to this village and claimed to be a merchant from Sand Stor Stad. We thought him vain, always looking at himself in a mirror. He kept him with it at all times. Then, we found out what he was really after. About two miles out from this village, high up on that cliff, lies a door.”

“Just a door?” Duncan followed the man’s finger into the black tree line on the hill, unable to see anything in the darkness.

“Just a door. A black door. It doesn’t lead to anything. It just sat there for the longest time and, as far as we knew, it was stuck fast. Some had tried to destroy it, but a great magick protected it. By coming here, Athos unlocked it and unleashed terror onto this place. First came the plagues, then the Thralls.”

Duncan gulped. “T-Thralls?”

“Undead beasts who stalk the night. Those they spit their poison upon die and are turned into the very beings themselves. If it wasn’t for this fire here, they’d be on us like a pack of wild dogs. Don’t you see the eyes? Look… upward into the woods.”

About the Author:

I’m Tycho (I also use the pen name Cassidy), and I love storytelling! I’m incredibly passionate about writing, art, and anything that allows me to create my own worlds. My goal is to write dreamy fiction for all ages that is unique, inspiring, and imaginative. I like to write about themes that include coming of age, magic realism, identity, relationships, and bullying. My books are intended for readers ages eight to twenty-five, and are meant to connect the world of the fantastical to everyday life.

I currently live in Colorado and have my MA in Publishing.

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The Script is not Enough by Jamison LoCascio – Cover Reveal and Giveaway

June 29, 2023 By 2 Comments

This post is part of a Cover Reveal organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One randomly drawn commenter will win a $10 Amazon gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The Script is not Enough takes a unique look at the making of four different independent feature films. The author takes you through every stage in development from writing, to financing, and to distribution and marketing. Find out how you can learn from the hard experiences and challenges that face the filmmaker along the way.

About the Author:

Jamison LoCascio is an award-winning feature film director. In 2012, Jamison LoCascio began to write the screenplay for his first union short, “Midnight Catch,” which garnished much acclaim at the New Jersey International Film Festival and Manhattan Film Festival. LoCascio decided to form his production company, Halcyon Valor Productions Incorporated. Graduated from Montclair State University with honors winning the “Excellence in Filmmaking” award for his numerous successful productions which premiered in film festivals around the world. LoCasio’s short films have since been honored by the Screen Actors Guild and screened at such festivals as the Los Angeles International Short Film Festival, Montclair Film Festival, and NewFilmmakers New York. LoCascio’s shorts “Track 3,” “A Stranger’s Confession,” and “Powerless” were all official selections of the Festival de Cannes Short Film Corner. His films have been anthologized in the prestigious Anthology Film Archives in Manhattan, distributed worldwide on DVD, picked up for online distribution by Film Bay. DIRECTV & AT&T distributed 6 of LoCascio’s short films on their new International short film platform. LoCascio’s first feature film, “The Depths,” starring Michael Rispoli and Patch Darragh won Best Feature Film at the 2017 Manhattan Film Festival and had a strong critical reception. The film also won Best Feature Film and Best Director at the 2017 Los Angeles Film Awards and received domestic distribution with Sony Pictures and The Orchard releasing on all major platforms including Amazon, Itunes, DVD and more. LoCascio’s second feature film “Sunset” starring acclaimed actor Austin Pendleton received rave reviews and won multiple awards including Best Dramatic Feature Film at the 2018 Manhattan Film Festival, Best Ensemble at the 2018 Los Angeles Film Awards, Best Leading Actor (David Johnson) International Independent Film Awards. “Sunset” also received domestic distribution with Sony Pictures and The Orchard. LoCascio and Adam Ambrosio have recently launched their latest initiative by filmmakers for filmmakers called Film Valor, a youtube channel with over 3,000 worldwide followers and over 250,000 views, a behind the scenes look at their filmmaking process. “Know Fear,” his latest feature film, received critical acclaim and stars Amy Carlson. The film had a limited theatrical release. His next feature film “How Dark They Prey,” a unique horror anthology, has been released on major streaming platforms including Amazon Prime, Tubi, Plex, Udu, Mometu and many more with critics hailing the film as “Horror at its best”. His latest feature film release “7×7” is a collection of many of LoCascio’s award-winning short films brought together for one viewing experience on major platforms including Tubi and Amazon Prime.

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Background of the Book by Luki Belle – Guest Post and Giveaway

June 26, 2023 By 11 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Luki Belle will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Background of the Book

The Delicate Affair of Colonel Baquiste (TDACB) is a story from a fictitious colonization era set within two fictitious nations, Hastan and Llehstanz, nevertheless, the human elements showcased in this novel are very real and pertinent to our current times.

I wrote TDACB because of my personal life experiences having been born and grown up in post-colonial countries, having been on the receiving end of hate, racism, and prejudice. Call it a means to self-heal with an aspiration to believe that it is possible to overcome prejudice if we recognize that in our human imperfections lie the opportunity for change and the power to choose towards a positive outcome. If we were perfect and absolute, change would not be possible, if we all put our anger out into the world it would be destructive. But, if we helped ourselves compassionately, we would inevitably help others positively. It all begins with self-healing and the means to do that is to learn to change our psychological masks by allowing ourselves to immerse in another person’s world, to view the world through a different lens, to take off, even if momentarily, any forced uniform and imposed roles and to disguise ourselves, if only to catch a glimpse of our own former self and to understand the world from a different perspective.

In TDACB, the Colonel goes under disguise to fulfill a military mission while immersing himself in the same society that was conquered by his nation, by the military of the Llehstanz Monarchy. Under the disguise of naturalist Gulaan Dasmire, is the Colonel able to see his actual self (Valstohl Baquiste) and begins to reconcile Valstohl’s tragic past. The persona of Gulaan and Valstohl are examined by the Colonel only in disguise which ultimately leads to Colonel Baquiste’s delicate change of heart and allows him to reconcile his past grief.

Things could have gone very differently for the Colonel if he chose differently. What I beautifully learned while writing TDACB, which holds true to my personal experience is that positive messages are never the loudest. They are usually the gentle nudges you get in the journey of life, coaxing you into choosing towards beneficial progress. I depict this in several ways throughout my novel (no spoilers), to nudge the Colonel into accepting something he has been consciously, subconsciously, and unconsciously denying or has been avoiding. In contrast, I have found from my personal experiences that negative factors scream the loudest and the Colonel sure had his share of tragic events that impacted him.

All the other characters in TDACB are also forced to choose. Master Jeshn Yervaan’s choice mattered the most and I have found myself asking many times how I would have chosen differently if I were him. Important to note that there were domino effects from decisions that were made by Colonel Baquiste and Jeshn Yervaan. This is also pertinent to our lives because we do not exist in isolation, and we must try our best to assess how our individual choices can affect those directly and indirectly connected to us. We are all empowered in some way or another to choose. Even a child is empowered to choose as is shown by the Hastana boy Chamcham who is at the center of the tense relationship between Gulaan (Valstohl) and Jeshn. While the boy is impacted by choices made by the adults around him, he too is empowered, and he makes a couple of bold and brave decisions.

Now to choose we must observe first, and this is another important aspect in TDACB. The act of observation is a key trigger to most events in the novel starting with a very subtle act of observation hinted at, at the very beginning, which is explained at the very end. I believe that what we observe is impacted as much as we who are observing are impacted. An observation does not have to last for minutes or hours, it could be in a matter of seconds, and it is about what gets transpired, in that split moment, by what observes you or what you observe. Our brain is super powerful, and it does make very fast decisions. See if you can identify the key observation trigger that started off the story for Colonel Baquiste when you get near the end.

Layering upon the theme of observation and in conjunction with the act of being in disguise, the Colonel is able to observe himself objectively as Valstohl while being in disguise as Gulaan. Many monologues are possible for the Colonel only through this means and it is ultimately his way to reconcile tragedy and prejudice.

Finally, in the path to self-healing and or reconciliation it is important to be empathetic to oneself as well as to others who impacted you negatively. To do this one must try to imagine. It is easy to create the negative story about what is unknown to fill in the gaps, the brain does not like gaps, and it will create its own story to be able to happily put away something that is nagging or is open ended. In TDACB, I intentionally create a latitude for the reader to be able to imagine the past of the characters and the events that could have led to an outcome, which the Colonel experiences. The reader can imagine Valstohl Baquiste’s military past, the Yervaans’ past, what led to Lieutenant Colonel Brune Farmagash’s decision in chapter 13. Even the Colonel is forced to imagine what happened to his father and what decisions could have led to the fateful night at the Yervaan palace many years ago from the present moment in the story.

Imagination keeps us alive, and it can also get us into trouble, but it has the beauty and the potential to make us empathize with another when we do not know what led to another human’s actions and words. Imagination is a powerful tool if we can use it positively.

The setting: two fictitious nations, Hastan and Llehstanz, in a past imaginary era of colonization.

The Llehstanz Monarchy won its final battle over Hastan to colonize the nation after years of war. The battlefield charge was led by a reputable, young, ruthless, and handsome Colonel Valstohl Baquiste. Highly skilled but equally arrogant, he holds a prejudice against the people of Hastan. Tragically, Colonel Baquiste was unexpectedly attacked during the last battle leaving him physically disabled. Realizing his military life is over, the embittered Colonel Baquiste awaits his dismissal to return to Llehstanz. However, he is offered a second chance for victory.

Colonel Baquiste is called back to military duty on a secret mission. He must go alone in disguise to capture elusive thugs terrorizing the Llehstanzite regiment. In accepting the mission, Baquiste realizes he is no longer fighting an enemy on a battleground when he travels to stay at the palace of renowned Southern Hastana landowner, Sir Bojeshnomaan Yervaan. Yervaans’ sinister nature ensnares Baquiste while the delicate assignment compels him to confront his tragic past and his prejudice against Hastanas. If the ambitious Colonel wants victory, it will require him to use not just his grit but also his heart.

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I would take your place if you ordered me Valstohl. You still have five hours to get on that ship and go home. Let Masim clean up this mess on his own reputation, this is not your problem. And if you fail then he will just find another officer and keep trying. Your life is not worth this! Go home, start a family, you are the only Baquiste heir. Don’t take this mission!

About the Author:Luki Belle works in the media industry. Storytelling was a fixture from childhood when she would listen to stories told by her grandparents, parents, sisters, and cousins who would read to her from diverse cultural fiction books. Growing up, Luki was fortunate to live in various parts of the world and experience beautiful cultures. During this time, she embraced and appreciated diversity among people while recognizing through love, overcoming pain, or grief, one can truly bond with others leading to unimaginable positive outcomes.

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Balancing Life and Writing by L.A. Morton-Yates – Guest Blog and Giveaway

June 22, 2023 By 10 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. L.A. Morton-Yates will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Balancing Life and Writing

Like most people, my life is a balancing act. I have 3 kids, a wife, a house, school, a job, and my writing. I’d be at risk of understating if I simply said my life was “busy”. So how do I keep up with it all? Do I ever sleep? How have I not gone crazy?

Sometimes, I wonder that myself. It is easy to get overwhelmed with everything, and when that happens, something always starts to slip. Even if for a few days I think I’m managing everything ok, I soon realize that I’m only barely hanging on—and moving quickly toward burnout. It’s a constant struggle, but here are three things I’ve learned about how best to keep your head above water and do some writing, too.

1. Be Intentional with your Time

As things start to get crazy, it’s tempting to try to tackle things only as they come up—after all, if you keep treading water, you can’t drown. But if you want to do more than just survive—you want to create—you need to do better than that. It might sound like adding extra work, but deliberately scheduling your time (even your rest and recovery time) can go a long way to make space for the things you want to do. When you take a look at how much time you spend on everything in a given day, chances are you will find that you’re wasting more time than you realize on things that aren’t a) making progress on your goals or b) helping you relax and recuperate.

For a lot of people, a frightening amount of time goes down the drain by scrolling on social media or flipping through short-form video content. But what are you actually gaining from this time? It’s obviously not productive time, but for most people it isn’t actually relaxing either. I can’t remember how many times I used to get off of social media more irritated or stressed than when I got on. If this is you, I definitely recommend reconsidering this use of time. You could instead use this time to read a book, play a game, exercise, or write. So long as it’s something that you genuinely enjoy, you’ll feel a lot better about it and the time won’t have been wasted.

2. Find Regenerative Down-time

As I implied in my above point, this looks different for different people. Some people can read a book and feel recharged after doing so. Some people can exercise and feel energized by it. Some people can play a video game and feel their stress melt away. The point is that you need to find what does this for you and, importantly, to be honest with yourself about it. If something doesn’t actually help you recuperate, you can’t use it here.

For me, video games have historically been common means of procrastination. Even so, I’ve found that when I’m really stressed, sitting down with the right sort of game (one that actually relaxes me, instead of adding to my stress) for 20-30 minutes can make a huge difference in my mental and emotional state. This obviously isn’t always available—life comes first, after all—but knowing this allows me to use video games as a tool to de-stress when I do find the time.

3. Write at Every Opportunity

I don’t generally have the luxury of sitting down for an uninterrupted 2 hour stretch of writing. For me, writing happens one word, one sentence, and one paragraph at a time. I set myself a word-count goal at the beginning of the day, and through little bits here and there throughout the day, I do my best to get it done. If I set myself goals that are both ambitious and reasonable, it can really add up.

So what does this look like exactly? I use a standing desk at home, and in between chasing my kids around, I sneak in a sentence at a time. At work, I use those periodic quiet moments where others would be browsing Amazon or scrolling on social media to add a few new lines of dialogue. It might not sound like much, and it isn’t as exciting as making a lot of progress all at once, but when you look back on it, you’ll be surprised by how much you got done.

That’s about all I have space for (although I have been known to prattle on this particular subject). But what about all of you? Any tips or insights you’d like to share? Please let me know in the comments!

A Shade. A Storm. A Soul.

Cursed with forbidden knowledge, 19-year-old Dela must hide her secret from her nomadic tribe or face exile into the frozen wasteland of the Bitters. When she becomes separated from her people during a blizzard, a mysterious and dangerous wanderer named Talon promises to help her find her way back to them. She quickly learns that nothing is what it seems, that her curse may actually be a gift, and that the Bitters are far more dangerous than she could have imagined.

Packed with unexpected twists, Bittersouls is a mixture of survival, adventure, and slow-burn romance that is sure to get your heart pounding.

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A Shade

Something moved at the edge of the horizon. It was like a shadow, black as a cloud but moving fast across the snow plain. Time seemed to stop, but Dela could feel herself sliding forward as if she were standing on a lake of ice. Freja was still yelling, but she couldn’t hear her. Her arms were flailing, but Dela hardly noticed.

A wave of lights moved in front of the thing, jumping and turning, quick as sparks. It was like a field of quails fleeing into the sky before a coming wolf, but the wolf—the shadow—followed them. The closer it got, the more the shiver racked her spine. She knew exactly what it was, though she’d never seen one. No one in the congregation had. There were no stories. No whisperings. Only a name.

“Shade.”

Freja stared at her, bewildered into silence. Perhaps she was going to speak, but then—

“Shade!”

About the Author:A life-long lover of the magic of storytelling, L.A. wrote his first story at the age of 7 and has been writing ever since. Speculative fiction, particularly fantasy, has always held a special place in his heart for the uniqueness of the places and the questions it can address. Though veiled by apparent strangeness, he has always seen it as capable of revealing deeper truth about our own reality.

L.A. graduated from Montana State University in 2015 with Honors in Biochemistry and a minor in Music Composition. This helped nurture his critical thinking and research skills which continue to be instrumental to his writing. During his collegiate years, he also met the love of his life, Julie, whom he later married. At once his greatest supporter and his staunchest critic (when he is wrong, which is more often than he’d like to admit), she has been an integral part of his creative process ever since.

In February of 2018, L.A. became the father of his first son, Griffin. His second son, Tiber, was born in December of 2019 and his third son, Malachi, was born in January of 2022. Though life has become considerably busier since he became a family man, L.A. continues to work on writing in what little spare time he can find. He hopes to one day pass on his love of literature to his sons.

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The Cobbler by Steve Madden – Spotlight and Giveaway

June 22, 2023 By 8 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Steve Madden will be awarding $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Everyone knows Steve Madden’s name and his shoes, but few are familiar with his story. Over the past thirty years Steve Madden has taken his eponymous shoe company from the fledgling startup he founded with a mere $1,100.00 to a global, multi-billion-dollar brand. But Madden’s mistakes, from his battle with addiction to the financial shortcuts that landed him in prison, are as important to his story as his most iconic shoes. In this raw, intimate, and inspiring book, Madden holds nothing back as he shares what it took to get here and the lessons he’s learned along the way. Readers are treated to the wild ride though his rise, fall, and comeback. But they will also walk away uplifted by a man who has owned up to his mistakes, determined to give back.

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Jordan called me The Cobbler simply because I was obsessed with shoes. But to me it means so much more than that. A cobbler puts the various pieces of a shoe together: the upper, the lower, the lining, and so on. But a real shoe guy knows that shoes are made of more than just raw materials. The inspiration behind the style is just as important and includes references pulled from music, pop culture, and whatever else is going on in the zeitgeist. The result is a shoe that’s not just comfortable and well made, but that says something about the person who is wearing it.

I got a thrill out of pulling these various pieces together to create my most iconic styles, from the Marilyn to the Mary Lou, the Slinky, and, more recently, the Troopa. But I’ve used the same techniques to piece together a team of mostly outsiders, hires that make no sense individually but that are amazingly effective together. And though it’s hard to separate the company from my life, that’s been pieced together, too, and thanks to my kids and friends and the people I love, it’s now mostly whole.

So, which one am I: the egomaniac, the trend spotter, the entrepreneur, or the visionary? What about the family man? Honestly, they’re all true. I’m the same flawed person I’ve always been. In fact, the more successful I’ve become, the less sure of anything I have grown. When I was young and just starting out, I thought I had all the answers. Hard work and money were all that mattered. Success at all costs would be worth it. Now, I’m not so sure. I have money. I have success. And I’ve paid for it by losing years of my life and people I loved. Was it worth it?

About the Author:

A man who wears many hats-and shoes-Steve Madden cannot be described in one word. He is an entrepreneur, an award-winning designer, and a business titan whose eponymous company is currently worth 3 billion dollars. On the flip side, he is an ex-con, a recovering addict, and a devoted family man. Over the past thirty years, the provocative shoe designer built a booming brand and nearly lost it all to The Wolf of Wall Street, only to rebound by giving back and creating a global empire. Through it all, he hasn’t forgotten his humble beginnings or his core consumer, resulting in millions of adoring fans worldwide. Considered the fashion footwear mogul of the twenty-first century, Madden has an innate sense of what’s hot, what’s next, what’s exciting, and more importantly, how this will translate to the customer. He is also an active philanthropist and mentor who supports a number of organizations that help those in need of a second chance.

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Rodeo Clowns and Showdowns by Trixie Silvertale – Spotlight and Giveaway

June 20, 2023 By 6 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Trixie Silvertale will be awarding a $75 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Front row seats to murder. Thousands of eyewitnesses. Can our psychic sleuth trust her own eyes?

Mitzy Moon is loving life after the honeymoon. And as part of their agreement to try new things, she’s happily whooping it up at the local cowboy competition. But the newlyweds get roped into yet another investigation when their date night ends with a dead rodeo clown.

As her new husband’s history with the prime suspect’s wife tests all loyalties, Mitzy struggles to balance jealousy with keeping her man out of the hoosegow. And now she’ll need saddlebags of extra help from her mentor, Ghost-ma, and her entitled feline to unhorse the ruthless culprit.

Can Mitzy and Erick wrangle all the clues, or will spurious accusations bring a deadly showdown?

Rodeo Clowns and Shakedowns is the second book in the hilarious new paranormal cozy mystery series, Harper and Moon Investigations, a spinoff from the popular Mitzy Moon Mysteries. If you like snarky heroines, supernatural intrigue, and a dash of romance, then you’ll love Trixie Silvertale’s bucking brainteaser.

Buy Rodeo Clowns and Shakedowns to lasso a killer today!

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“Grams, for the millionth time, I’m not going to wear a cocktail dress and Jimmy Choos to watch a parade at the over-heated, sweaty end of June!”

“You’re the one who said ‘no’ to the sundress and the strappy sandals. That outfit would’ve looked fantastic with your snow-white hair twisted into a few soft curls. Once you turned that one down, what did you expect me to do?”

I roll my grey eyes heavenward and sigh. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe I was living under the foolish fantasy that you would choose shorts, a T-shirt, and some comfortable canvas tennis shoes!”

“And waste all this gorgeous clothing?” Her apparition dims with disappointment.

Lying flat on the padded mahogany bench in my museum for fashion, I stare up at the cedar-lined ceiling and toss out my objection. “Look, Grams, I’m not looking to impress anyone. I’ve already landed my once-in-a-lifetime guy.”

Ghost-ma lived her life to the fullest, and that definitely included a laundry list of ex-husbands — with no regrets. She passed on her joie de vivre to me, but I prefer to keep my list to one.

“Don’t be so quick to judge, sweetie. No one knows what the future holds.”

“Grams! I feel like we’ve had this discussion more times than necessary. You know the rules! If these lips aren’t moving, you’re not allowed to comment. Absolutely no thought-dropping.”

Before I can continue my lecture, our resident fur baby slinks out from under the bench, rises on his powerful hind legs, and drops something on my bare leg.

The feel of it against my skin is unpleasant, and I tilt my head up from the bench to get a better look . . .

CONTINUE READING HERE: https://readerlinks.com/l/3460643

About the Author:

USA TODAY Bestselling author Trixie Silvertale grew up reading an endless supply of Lilian Jackson Braun, Hardy Boys, and Nancy Drew novels. She loves the amateur sleuths in cozy mysteries and obsesses about all things paranormal. Those two passions unite in her Mitzy Moon Mysteries and Harper and Moon Investigations, and she’s thrilled to write them and share them with you.

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