#BlogTour #CodeBlue Interview with Jamell Crouthers, Author of Code Blue @aquarianmind1

Jamell Crouthers is a poet, author, blogger and podcaster who has taken on a journey of writing in the prime of his life. He has been writing poetry since the age of 13 but never thought he could utilize his talent to tell stories and write books. He is not the traditional author as he writes his books in poetry format with a focus on storylines and societal issues.

After publishing 11 books (so far), his goals and plans are to continue writing books on taboo subjects that aren't discussed enough in today's world and bringing those main subjects to the forefront. Jamell's blogs tackle societal issues, how he writes his books, his journey as an author and some motivational blogs that will get you to focus on your goals. His goal and moniker is, "to change the world, one book at a time."

Jamell’s Code Blue series can be purchased at Amazon.

Website Address: www.aquarianmind.info

Blog Address: www.aquarianmind.info

Twitter Address: www.twitter.com/aquarianmind1

Facebook Address: www.facebook.com/aquarianpoet1

About the Series:

The Code Blue: An Oath to the Badge and Gun series chronicles a police officer named Gary who has been on the force for a few years. He soon is entrenched in a lot of lies, corruption, racism and agendas being pushed by his superiors. The question throughout this series is whether he as a good cop becomes part of the corruption or does he report it?

Part of this series features his son Gary, Jr who is a young teenager wanting to be like his father and go into the police force. He soon learns through the news daily that the police force is not what it really is. Gary ends up having to share the truths of what goes on at work and the relationship between him and his son changes because of it. Now it becomes up to Gary what he is going to do about what goes on at work.

Title: CODE BLUE: AN OATH TO THE BADGE AND GUN – Part 1
Author: Jamell Crouthers
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 87
Genre: Poetry prose/literary fiction

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Title: CODE BLUE: AN OATH TO THE BADGE AND GUN – Part 2
Author: Jamell Crouthers
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 89
Genre: Poetry prose/literary fiction

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Title: CODE BLUE: AN OATH TO THE BADGE AND GUN – Part 3
Author: Jamell Crouthers
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 99
Genre: Poetry prose/literary fiction
 

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Thanks for this interview, Jamell.  Congratulations on your new book! Would you say it’s been a rocky road for you in regards to getting your book written and published or pretty much smooth sailing?  Can you tell us about your journey?

It's been a rocky road, thinking about what I wanted to write about was the start. Then when I thought about social issues of the world, next came all of the major things that are going on around us. I have changed book covers to a series of books 3 times, finding people who see your vision and aren't just after your money has been tough. I've made a few bad investments and I wouldn't change it.

If you were to pen your own autobiography, what might the title be?

The Growth and Journey of Jamell Crouthers

When not writing, what do you like to do for relaxation and/or fun?

I watch my favorite TV shows, watching Netflix when I can, going running, playing basketball, watching sports or listening to music.

What makes your book stand out from the rest?

My books are written in a poetry prose format, they're character driven and more in the realm of literary fiction. My books don't fall into one specific category. I've always been great at storytelling in poetry format so I utilized that and was able to write books with a message.

Can you give us the very first page of your book so that we can get a glimpse inside?

Police Chief Bulletin #1

My fellow police officers, thank you for your hard work,

Putting your life in the line of duty every day.

This will be the first of many bulletins that I will be sending,

Your supervising officer will be having meetings about my bulletins.

I want to address an issue that’s been going on in our community,

There have been too many minorities driving in our neighborhoods.

I’ve been told by residents that they’re scared and afraid of them,

I don’t know exactly why as I am not in the streets everyday.

In order to get control of our community again we must pull over cars,

Any car that is expensive and they look out of place, pull them over.

Find a reason to pull these cars over, whether it’s a tail light,

Or they can be driving too slow, too fast, failure to signal when changing lanes.

There are certain cars to look for, especially tinted windows,

Ferraris, Bentleys, Mercedes Benz, Lamborghinis, you get my drift.

You know the procedure, asking for a driver’s license and registration,

Make sure that you’re assertive in your behavior and taking control of situations.

I want officers to be partnered up in the cars while you’re on duty,

We need to conduct these pullovers between 7pm and 5am daily.

It seems to be that at night these minorities are driving through our neighborhood,

Even if you recognize cars and know who these people are, pull them over.

I can’t have our citizens of our community constantly calling me about this,

So let’s clean this up as soon as possible and I want it tracked how many you do.

I want three done a week amongst partners and body cams will show that,

If you have to agitate a driver to escalate a situation, do it.

Cars swerving means they must be drunk or high so sniff out the car,

Find a purpose and reason to search the car without a warrant.

I appreciate your time in reading this bulletin,

If you have any questions or concerns, please consult your supervising officer.

Police Chief_x000c_

If your book was put in the holiday section of the store, what holiday would that be and why?

I would say Labor Day because police officers do sacrifice their lives daily and it fits into the narrative of this series.

Would you consider turning your book into a series or has that already been done?

I've already turned the book into a series. Three are currently available on all major bookstores. The last two books of the series will be released in December.

When you were young, did you ever see writing as a career or full-time profession?

I definitely didn't see writing as a career. I always wrote poetry for fun sharing things that go on in my life or thoughts that were on my mind. Now I want this to be something I do full-time as a profession (I have books planned out through the end of 2022) and hopefully it turns into speaking engagements, writing screenplays based on my books and delving into other projects I want to do in the near future.

Did any of your books get rejected by publishers?

When I start my writing journey, I knew I was going to self-publish so getting a publishing deal was never a big goal of mine.

What is your view on co-authoring books; have you done any?

Co-authoring is cool but because of the format I write in, it would be hard to collaborate with someone. I haven't done any and I don't see myself doing that in the future.

What’s next for you?

The end of the year will be Code Blue Parts 4 & 5 being published. I have 7 books planned for next year and I plan on getting back into script writing based on my books. I will be working on podcast content for the rest of this year and for next year. I definitely want to get back to recording audio books and posting that on my website. Also I want to move to Los Angeles next year and go to some more book festivals to meet people in the industry and also readers.

In the Spotlight: Room for Grace by Daniel & Maureen Kenner

Title: ROOM FOR GRACE
Author: Daniel Kenner & Maureen Kenner
Publisher: Silver Boot Imprints
Pages: 179
Genre: Memoir & Biography

Stage 4 cancer for her and a debilitating disease for her husband: life crashed down in an instant. Maureen Kenner found resilience, however, in the lessons she learned from her Special Ed students in Providence, RI. Her students lived with their hearts opened despite struggles of the highest magnitude. Through these students, Maureen gains courage, humor, and the strength of spirit to face her devastating realities, head on. Maureen’s oral history was captured by her son Daniel who tenderly wrought this book out of their recorded conversations. Through anecdotes and hard-earned lessons, Maureen tackles challenge after challenge and reframes daily struggles with a positive outlook allowing her to transcend and conquer mortal fears with dignity and room for grace.

PRAISE:

“Maureen Kenner was one of those people who brightened every room she entered. Thanks to Room for Grace, that light is not extinguished. Although her story shares great sadness, Room for Grace is a book of hope and a celebration of life that sheds Maureen’s light on us all.”
—Ann Hood, Author of The Obituary Writer and The Red Thread

“In these pages, you will find a story like no other. Maureen’s story is one of courage and love, a story that will move you to your core.”
—David Flink, Chief Empowerment Officer, Eye to Eye

“The piercing light of Maureen’s compassion, love and intelligence, will leave every reader wanting to reach out in the spirit of service and live life to the fullest.”
—Annie Lanzillotto, Author of Hard Candy: Caregiving, Mourning, and Stagelight

“Buddy Kenner was a big-hearted teacher, universally beloved by all, a warrior for the arts and their importance in the curriculum. Amazing and unique guy. Read this book.”
—Tom Chandler, Rhode Island Poet Laureate Emeritus

Room for Grace is available at Amazon.

STAGE 4

Mary Poppins was my nurse on Day 6. “Pretend you’re at summer camp,” she joked, encouraging every step I made toward healing and recovery. “We’ve got a whole bunch of activities for you to choose from.”

“But instead of Newcomb and color wars and collecting orange salamanders or dancing to Tommy James and the Shondells,” I said, “today’s activities at the hospital include pain med management, ice chip crunching, and Dammit! Doll whacking…”

“Don’t forget IV pole walking,” she teased. “I always know when you’re coming because your IV pole is the squeakiest.” She tenderly guided me back into bed.

“But instead of early morning skinny dipping,” I said, “someone signed me up for the johnny gown flash mob.”

That really made her laugh. “I wish all my patients worked like you.”

“Well, you help make it easy,” I admitted. “I loved sleepaway camp. I’d pack my trunk with stamped stationary and Razzles, pick-up sticks and jacks. And my Magic 8-Ball. My bunkmates and I thought we could predict the future. Go figure. I could never have predicted this.” She wrapped a warm blanket around my feet. “One year,” I continued, “I was the last camper to be picked up and, on the way home, my sisters teased me that my parents wanted to leave me there.”

“That’s one of the reasons I love my job here,” she smiled. “The staff is a family. We’re planning a barbecue together this weekend.”

It was August 2013. 

Dr. David Sanfred, our family practitioner, walked into my room at 6:45 a.m. and stood at the end of my hospital bed. “Maureen, we’re getting ready to send you home soon,” he said. And then, “It’s time to talk.”

It was time to face what I’d avoided all week.

“I’m sorry to tell you, but it’s very serious.” Though by our family’s side for many difficult situations, I’d never heard Dr. Sanfred’s tone this methodical. “We thought it was Stage 1 but the cancer metastasized from the colon to your umbilicus and has advanced to Stage 4.”

The hospital symphony went silent. I turned my head and watched the early morning sunlight peek through the window. “Is it curable?”

He gave my hand a soft pat. “No, it is not curable.”

I heard myself gasp.

I was in a panorama shot. I saw Mary Poppins outside the thin curtain share morning notes with the nurse coming on. They whispered, glanced sympathetically in my direction. I struggled for breath and gripped the Dammit! Doll.

“Will I be able to go back to my classroom?” 

“No,” he cautioned, “you will not be able to teach right now. But soon. We hope.”

The tears kept coming. Mary Poppins came back into the room. She reached out and hugged me gently, with so much affection I could feel her heart break.

Daniel Kenner rocked out to Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” while other infants sang “Mary Had A Little Lamb.” A proud member of Actor’s Equity, SAG-AFTRA, and National Players Tour 60, Daniel was a Presidential Arts Scholar at George Washington University and Scholarship recipient at The British American Drama Academy. Directed the Washington D.C. premier of Sarah Kane’s Crave. Author of the manuscript, Roux. Winner of the Rhode Island Playwriting Festival for his World War II letters home drama, Fields of Sacrifice. Adapted Les Misérables for high school stages.

Maureen Kenner’s heart was in the classroom. For thirty-five years she was a Special Education teacher in the Providence Public Schools. Born and raised in Dobbs Ferry, New York, Maureen graduated from Rhode Island College with a degree in education and later earned a Master’s Degree from Providence College. Maureen was a vital influence at the Vartan Gregorian Elementary School at Fox Point, working tirelessly as a mentor for the betterment of all children and their families. Honored with many accolades throughout her career, Maureen was awarded Providence Teacher of the Year in 2003. Living with cancer, as a model patient, Maureen exemplified integrity, courage, grace, and hope. For thirty-one years, through sickness and health, Maureen was the beloved soul mate to the late Jacob “Buddy” Kenner, her intense love recognized in 2016 as a Rhode Island Caregiver of the Year.

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Book Blast: Era Un Espia Americano de la OSS en Salonica by Helias Doundoulakis and Gabriella Gafni

Title: Era Un Espia Americano de la OSS en Salonica

Author: Helias Doundoulakis

Publisher: XLibris

Genre: Biography

Format: Ebook

Imagine the horror: One day in May 1941 that did not presage anything special, a boy from a small town in Crete faces an unexpected threat - the invasion of the German troops. Run to take cover - your first meeting in a series of meetings with the destination. Imagine the adventure: The boy and his brother work on behalf of the SOE, a secret nucleus of British intelligence. When the patriotic organization enters the peephole with cross-focus of the Germans, they immediately turn to the mountains of Crete, where, even during the day, they hide from the enemy. The danger lurks at each step. Imagine the greatness: The child is trained to become a spy for the OSS or the Office of Strategic Services (Office of Strategic Services, the only one of the central US SOE: Executive of Special Operations (Special Operations Executive). Imagine the risk: During a secret mission in Thessaloniki, the spy soldier runs the risk of losing his life daily, operating a radio under the noses of the Nazis. Will the German police eventually find out? Imagine the value: If you are arrested, the soldier-spy will swallow a poison pill to avoid suffering horribly under torture. Many times your escape is a matter of seconds. Imagine the victory of living at 92 years old to tell your story. Everything is true! The imagination is overcome. You could say that it is a script made for a movie - a story starring the game of life that is necessary for all to read. The story of the author, along with the stories of other agents, was the theme of the documentary "Campo X:

PURCHASE HERE

Helias Doundoulakis was both an acclaimed Civil Engineer, an inventor, an author, a family man, and the patent holder of the world's largest radiotelephone "Arecibo Antena" is survived by his wife, Rita, their four children, and his ten grandchildren.

HELIAS IS GIVING AWAY A $25 GIFT CARD!

  

Terms & Conditions:

• By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
• One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $25 Gift Certificate to the e-retailer of your choice
• This giveaway begins September 24 and ends on October 5.
• Winners will be contacted via email on October 6.
• Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck everyone! 

ENTER TO WIN!

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Monday, September 24
A Book Lover
My Bookish Pleasures

Tuesday, September 25
The Hype and the Hoopla
Write and Take Flight

Wednesday, September 26
Harmonious Publicity
Book Cover Junkie

Thursday, September 27
Fiction to Fruition
From Paperback to Leatherbound

Friday, September 28

She Writes
A Title Wave

Monday, October 1

Book Bloggin Princess
The Literary Nook

Tuesday, October 2
Voodoo Princess
C'est La T

Wednesday, October 3
The Revolving Bookshelf
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Thursday, October 4
The Book Refuge
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Friday, October 5
The Zen Reader
I'm Shelf-ish

Book Blast: It Came by Loss by Bill McCausland - Win a $25 Gift Card

Title: It Came by Loss
Author: Bill McCausland
Publisher: XLibris
Genre: Fiction
Format: Ebook

It Came by Loss is a tale about Pete Gordon at the hospital bed of his charismatic mother as he struggles with her demise from alcoholic liver failure. An attraction with a nurse draws Pete to reveal his vulnerabilities. Pete is haunted by the tragic death of his friend, Alf, when the men surfed monster waves. Pete’s position at a marine center involves a research trip with unstable Dr. Fields. Pete and his new girlfriend advise against diving after a violent squall. Fields is lost at night. Pete rescues him in the dramatic ferocity of the sea. Form his connection with Valerie, Pete rises from the tragedies of his past.

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Bill McCausland has a doctorate in clinical psychology and is APA board certified in the treatment of alcohol and other psychoactive use disorders. He also has a master of fine arts in creative writing. Bill McCausland has also published In the Mouth of the Wolf that tells the story of three war veterans, their different levels of trauma, and the readjustment when they return home from war. The novel covers the adjustment of their wives to the veterans’ homecoming. In the Mouth of the Wolf is a powerful story.

BILL IS GIVING AWAY A $25 GIFT CARD!

  

Terms & Conditions:

• By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
• One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $25 Gift Certificate to the e-retailer of your choice
• This giveaway begins September 24 and ends on October 5.
• Winners will be contacted via email on October 6.
• Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck everyone! 

ENTER TO WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, September 24
A Book Lover
Voodoo Princess

Tuesday, September 25
The Hype and the Hoopla
The Revolving Bookshelf

Wednesday, September 26
Fiction to Fruition
Inkslinger's Opus

Thursday, September 27
Write and Take Flight
The Zen Reader

Friday, September 28
From Paperback to Leatherbound
A Title Wave

Monday, October 1
The Literary Nook
Lover of Literature

Tuesday, October 2
My Bookish Pleasures
I'm Shelf-ish

Wednesday, October 3
Harmonious Publicity
Bent Over Bookwords

Thursday, October 4
Confessions of an Eccentric Bookaholic
A Taste of My Mind

Friday, October 5
The Dark Phantom
All Inclusive Retort

Book Review: Malayan Enigma by Nicholas Snow

Title: Malayan Enigma: An Andrew Bond WWII Adventure

Author: Nicholas Snow

Publisher: AuthorHouse UK

Genre: Military/History

Format: Ebook

PURCHASE HERE

Malaya, 1941 – a fool’s haven from the devastating war raging elsewhere in the world Sent to Singapore towards the end of 1941 to evaluate the intentions of the Japanese Empire, Lieutenant Andrew Bond finds himself embroiled in a series of events accelerating towards all-out war in the region. The city, a heady, exotic blend of cultures teeming with intrigue, is oblivious to what lies ahead. Facing betrayal, incompetence, Japanese spies, and the Yakuza underworld, Bond manages to gather a band of trustworthy companions, including the striking beauty Liu-Yang. In a desperate race against time, he must force his way through enemy-infested jungles and seas to bring home a device that will help change the course of the war – the Malayan Enigma!

BOOK REVIEW:

Sometimes you start to read a book and just know it is going to be good. Malayan Enigma was one of those books. I am a believer in making sure that you follow up with research if you are going to write a historical fiction book, and while reading this it was evident the author did just that. I am not familiar with this part of history too much - I will admit that I was never a big history fan but when reading books like this it makes me want to find out more. 

Andrew Bond reminds me a lot of someone with the same last name - adventure, cunning, skill, he has it all. He is a character I hope will return in more books as he is very fun to follow. The plot moved smoothly and kept me turning page after page. I would highly recommend this book!

Nicholas Snow is the pen name of Nicholas C. Kyriazis, who holds a diploma and Ph.D. in economics from the University of Bonn, Germany. He has acted as visiting professor at Harvard and at the University of Trier. He has worked as a consultant to the Directorate General of Research of the European Parliament, to the National Bank of Greece, and to the Ministries of National Economy and of Defence, and has served as secretary general of Public Administration. Professor of economics at the University of Thessaly, he is a member of the board of Alpha Trust Investment Fund (listed on the Athens Stock Exchange), vice president of Ergoman Telecommunications, and vice president of the Kostas Kyriazis Foundation. He has contributed more than sixty papers to academic journals and has published eight books on economics, history, and strategy as well as a volume of poetry. Poems of his have been translated into English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Maltese. As a novelist, he has published eighteen books in Greece, several of which have been translated and published in English, including Themistocles (Kosbil Publications, 2004), The Shield (AuthorHouse, 2005), Assassins (AuthorHouse, 2007), and, in collaboration with Guy Féaux de la Croix, Last Love (Plato’s Last Love) (AuthorHouse, 2014).

Book Feature: Planetary Project by Aleksandr V. Bezgodov

Title: Planetary Project

Author: Alexsandr V. Bezgodov

Publisher: XLibrisUK

Genre: Political Science

Format: Ebook

This monograph discusses current global economic and social issues. It describes the essence of the Planetary Project, based on the critique of the Concept of Sustainable Development. A model is proposed for solving global problems through global human unification aimed at saving the planet Earth from future cataclysms and catastrophe for present and future generations. The Planetary Project is in essence a paradigm of the world’s harmonious development. It is based on an integrated economy and rent incomes from planetary and intellectual resources held in planetary ownership. The Planetary Project provides solutions to globalisation problems caused by unrestrained economic growth and one-sided development of some national economies. The Planetary Project proposes a just system of world income distribution including rent revenues from planetary resources. This distribution system will work in the interests of all countries, including Asian and African countries, some of which experience serious socio-economic problems. New planetary economic resources and mechanisms will be able to: save the Earth’s biosphere; improve its ecology; and free humanity from hunger, epidemic diseases, and the threat of a Third World War. They will help people unite in the name of universal values of life, the harmony between civilisation and nature, and the welfare of present and future generations. Developing Planetary Project ideas could lead to creating a serious research tradition and a wide life-affirming and peace-loving social movement.

PURCHASE HERE

The author of this research monograph is Dr Aleksandr V. Bezgodov, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, who holds a Ph.D. in Political Science and a Doctorate in Economics. Born in Northern Russia in 1960, Aleksandr Bezgodov worked for companies specialising in innovation and high technology, as well as for organisations engaged in developing parliamentary democracy and civil society. Over the last 10 years, he has been involved in interdisciplinary research in macroeconomics and social issues at the world level using a systemic approach. He is not only a theoretician but also a practical researcher and research administrator. He is involved in both developing and implementing research-based technologies. Aleksandr Bezgodov is the author of over fifty scholarly publications proposing new original economic and sociological solutions to business administration. He is the founder and General Director of the Institute of Planetary Development in Dubai, UAE. In line with its logo “Serving humanity”, the Institute develops and disseminates the ideas spelt out in the monograph “Planetary Project: From Sustainable Development to Managed Harmony”. The Institute’s research activity is intended to provide solutions to the world’s pressing economic, social, environmental, political-legal, and cultural problems.

Darkest Before the Dawn by Mike Martin

Darkest Before the Dawn by Mike Martin, Mystery, 280 pp.

Title: DARKEST BEFORE THE DAWN

Author: Mike Martin

Publisher: Ottawa Press and Publishing

Pages: 280

Genre: Mystery

Darkest Before the Dawn is the latest adventure of Sgt. Winston Windflower, a Mountie who finds himself surrounded by a new family and a new life in tiny Grand Bank, Newfoundland. There are signs of trouble that may disturb his pleasant life, including a series of unsolved break-ins and the lack of supports for young people in the most trying time of their lives. But there are always good friends, good food and the sense that if we all pull together, we can find a way to get through even the darkest days.

Ghosts, mysterious deaths, and a new character enliven the pages as Windflower and Tizzard and the other police officers awaken the secrets that have been lying dormant in this sleepy little town. The deeper they dig the more they find as the criminals they seek dive deeper behind the curtains of anonymity and technology. But more than anything, this is a story of love and loss, of growing up and learning how to grow old gracefully. It is also about family and community and looking after each other. Of not giving up hope just before the dawn.

Mike Martin was born in Newfoundland on the East Coast of Canada and now lives and works in Ottawa, Ontario. He is a long-time freelance writer and his articles and essays have appeared in newspapers, magazines and online across Canada as well as in the United States and New Zealand. He is the author of Change the Things You Can: Dealing with Difficult People and has written a number of short stories that have published in various publications including Canadian Stories and Downhome magazine.

The Walker on the Cape was his first full fiction book and the premiere of the Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series. Other books in the series include The Body on the T, Beneath the Surface, A Twist of Fortune and A Long Ways from Home, which was shortlisted for the Bony Blithe Light Mystery Award as the best light mystery of the year. A Tangled Web was released in 2017 and the newest book in the series.is Darkest Before the Dawn.

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