Monday, December 24, 2018

Book Blast: Place of Crying by Judy Witt



 

Inside the Book:


Title: Place of Crying
Author: Judy Witt
Publisher: XLibrisAU
Genre: Historical Fiction
Format: Ebook

INKABA YAKHO IPHI? (WHERE IS YOUR NAVEL?) Three stories—those of the Xhosa and the Khoikhoi tribes, the British soldiers and the settlers, and the burghers and the Boers—are told in parallel. Her Khoikhoi mother, had named her Coti after the wife of Cagn, the supreme god of the San people. Her skin shone like gold, the skin of the San. He had been watching as she bathed in the lagoon, blinded by her sleek beauty as she stepped out. The fading sunlight on the water drops covered her golden skin like jewels. Coti gasped when she saw him. He was Tshane, great-great-grandson of a Xhosa chief and named after one of the first Rharhabe Xhosa kings or paramount (supreme) chiefs. His mother was from the Gcaleka Xhosa clan. Tshane represented the amaXhosa, the fierce people of Xhosa. He was magnificent as he stood still and tall—a warrior, black as ebony; his toned muscles rippled. He was nervous. She was not afraid of him. She prayed now to the wise and powerful Tsui-Goab, the Khoi supreme god, to protect her from Guanab, the cunning god of evil. Her grandmother had warned that this was an evil love, brought about by the trickster god, Haitsa-Aibib. Haitsa-Aibib could change his form at will. Was he the fish eagle that had thrown the cloud over her? Lt. Ian Bentley sat his horse on a hill overlooking the coastal foothills of the Amatola Mountains. From his position, he had a good view of the sea and also the Xhosa village below him. It was baking hot under the African sun, and he looked forward to the cool evening. He sweated in his thick red tunic, made for cooler climates, and his horse fidgeted from the flies. Taking his eyeglass from his tunic, he focused on the village below. Conraad du Randt, the burghers’ leader, raised his arm for silence. ‘Yes, my people. First, they free the slaves and tell us to pay them. Now they have equality before the law? These heathens are our subordinates, damned in the eyes of God! Given to us to teach them Christian ways! Our land! Our lifestyle! Is God-given and earned by conquest!’

Purchase Here

Meet the Author:
Judy Witt was born in Natal in South Africa on January 1944. She was raised by Zulu women and then Xhosa women when the family moved to Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape. The family later moved to Southern Rhodesia and Northern Rhodesia during the years those countries were fighting for freedom and independence. Caught up in the violence and terror that evolved and the Congo Revolution spillover, they returned to South Africa the day before Zambia’s independence. Judy now lives in Sydney Australia with her husband, four married children, nine grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

Giveaway

Judy 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 December 17  and ends on December 28.
  • Winners will be contacted via email on December 29.
  • Winner has 48 hours to reply.
Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule

Friday, December 21, 2018

Book Blast: Mike Honeycutt's World of Hunting and Fishing



 

Inside the Book:


Title: Mike Honeycutt's World of Hunting and Fishing
Author: Mike Honeycutt
Publisher: Trafford
Genre: Travel
Format: Ebook

For author Mike Honeycutt, there’s nothing more exciting than a remote trip with great scenery. In Mike Honeycutt’s World of Hunting and Fishing, he shares a travelogue that speaks to his passion for traveling the world to exotic locales to hunt and fish for unusual animal species. Based on his extensive travel experiences, Honeycutt narrates stories from all over the world on all continents. From the savannas of northern Cameroon to the jungles of southern Cameroon, and from the mountains of the Rocky Mountains in the United States, to a Himalayan tahr hunt in the mountains of New Zealand, he describes an array of real-life experiences and excursions. He tells about bird hunting in Argentina, turkey hunting in Old Mexico, and looking for the Gobi Argali Sheep in Mongolia. From airplanes to snowmobiles, to boats, horses, jeeps, four-wheelers, and pickups, Honeycutt has traversed the world experiencing an array of terrain, cultures, religions, food, and personalities. He offers insights into his travel in Mike Honeycutt’s World of Hunting and Fishing.

Purchase Here

Meet the Author:
Mike Honeycutt enjoys traveling around the world looking for exotic trophies and spectacular scenery. He lives in remote South-Central Missouri near a national forest with his dog and a cat.

Giveaway

Mike 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 December 17  and ends on December 28.
  • Winners will be contacted via email on December 29.
  • Winner has 48 hours to reply.
Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Book Blast: Thaddeus Lamb by P.G. Smith



 

Inside the Book:


Title: Thaddeus Lamb or Taking America Back
Author: P.G. Smith
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Genre: Satire
Format: Ebook

Rev. Thaddeus Lamb is in a world of trouble. A true believer and a man of God, he is having a terrible time protecting his small town, family, and church from the ravages of social change in the sinful ’70s. But like the mighty Don Quixote de la Mancha, he dares to dream the impossible dream: that a man of sufficient faith and fortitude can reverse the march of time. This, he believes, is his mission from God. Alas, it is a daunting quest. Satanic Steve, the station manager, torments him about his low TV ratings. His church is facing bankruptcy. His daughter is turning into a liberal feminist before his fundamentalist eyes, and then he is sorely tempted by a man on a crusade of his own. Roger Wright is a brilliant political strategist who intends nothing less than to reverse the direction of politics in America. Hilarious and heartbreaking, this meditation on the turbulent decade of Nixon and Carter examines forces that divide our nation today and provides a fictionalized account of the right-wing campaign to recruit evangelical ministers into politics.

Purchase Here

Meet the Author:
P. G. Smith is a retired college professor who taught philosophy and jurisprudence for 26 years. She published five books and numerous journal articles all best sellers with the 247 other people in her field. She has always been fascinated by what people believe and why they believe it. Given how depressing that hobby has become in recent years, she also goes jogging and practices yoga a lot. After residing in Detroit, Florida, Arizona, Kentucky, Ohio, and New York City she retired to the shores of the Ohio River in Indiana not far from most of her children but not too close either.

Giveaway

P.G. 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 December 17  and ends on December 28.
  • Winners will be contacted via email on December 29.
  • Winner has 48 hours to reply.
Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule

Monday, December 17, 2018

Book Blast: Yes, I Do by Jenny A. Rogers



 

Inside the Book:


Title: Yes, I Do 
Author: Jenny A. Rogers
Publisher: AuthorHouseUK
Genre: Religious
Format: Ebook

This book is to bring you the reality of marriage and marrying too early in the author’s opinion. The challenges and opposition life throws at you and how you can fully cope. It will also throw some purpose of marriage according to God’s plan and give you in-depth relationship tips. At the end of reading this true life event, I hope it will help shape your life and mind to make a better choice and decision in terms of marriage and relationships.

Purchase Here

Meet the Author:
Jenny A. Rogers is the founder of The Renewed Network, whose mission is to Reach, Teach and inspire others through Relationship Coaching and Speaking. Following a short outlived marriage and abandonment, she decided to pursue her long desired passion for Counseling and She is now a certified Listener in the UK. She has now renewed her thoughts and attitudes towards relationship building and has helped many to achieve this. Charlotte is determined to help many more make right choices in marriage or all forms of relationships.

Giveaway

Jenny 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 December 10  and ends on December 21.
  • Winners will be contacted via email on December 22.
  • Winner has 48 hours to reply.
Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule

December 10
December 11
December 12
December 13
December 14
December 17
December 18
December 19
December 20
December 21

Book Blast: The Holy Spirit Will Deliver You by Patricia L. Loranger



 

Inside the Book:


Title: The Holy Spirit Will Deliver You
Author: Patricia L. Loranger
Publisher: iUniverse
Genre: Religious
Format: Ebook

Does it seem you just cannot win the battle over the devil? Are you battling the temptation to sin or hiding secret sins from your church and family? Do you find it difficult to participate in church groups or struggle to pray and read the Bible?
When we think of deliverance, we think of salvation, but this is only the first step. Deliverance is receiving freedom, and many Christians need freedom from their loaded baggage of sin. We say the sinner’s prayer and we think that’s it—we’ve got our deliverance. But this is just the beginning. Some Christians struggle their whole lives with temptation; they need deliverance, and there are so few deliverance ministries out there. The Holy Spirit Will Deliver You offers hope and guidance toward relief and redemption. With the aid of the Holy Spirit, author Patricia L. Loranger undertook two lengthily spiritual deliverances, in which she cast a large number of evil spirits out of herself. She knows that through the aid of God’s Spirit that dwells within, all believers can set themselves free from the chains that bind them.
Based on one woman’s personal experiences and grounded in scripture, this guide provides Christians seeking deliverance with answers and steps to take toward their ultimate freedom.

Purchase Here

Meet the Author:
Patricia L. Loranger is also the author of Child of Woe, Child of Sorrow. She currently lives in Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada.

Giveaway

Patricia 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 December 10  and ends on December 21.
  • Winners will be contacted via email on December 22.
  • Winner has 48 hours to reply.
Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule

Wednesday, December 12, 2018

#BlogTour #Interview with Chris Sarracini, author of children's book Where Wishes Grow...


Chris Sarracini has been working in the comic book and film industries for over 15 years. In addition to writing for a number of successful comic book favorites including TRANSFORMERS, STREET FIGHTER and DARK MINDS, his own creations include FATE OF THE BLADE and CASA NOSTRA. As a screenwriter, he has worked with Universal Pictures, Disney and Nasser Entertainment. His most recent publication is the children's picture book WHERE WISHES GROW... 

Chris lives with his family in Toronto where he continues to create and write.
Website Address: www.chrissarracini.com

About the Book:

Where Wishes Grow… is the story of eight-year-old Maggie, a pensive and courageous dreamer,
whose big heart starts to break when her grandmother becomes bedridden and sick with no recovery in sight. Fortunately Maggie has some wishes in mind to breathe life into Nana and is about to learn the secret for making them come true.

Watching Nana’s health fail has been difficult for Maggie and so now much of her time is spent dreaming up wishes for ways she can help her. Maggie conjures up three wishes for Nana she desperately wants to come true: for Nana to see again to enjoy her favorite beautiful things, for her to walk again to visit her favorite places, and for her to speak again so that she and Maggie can sing their favorite songs. The problem is, with wishes this important, Maggie wants to be sure she can realize them; wishing upon stars that may be long dead or relying on birthday candle hoopla just won’t cut it. Thankfully, Maggie’s mother knows the secret for turning wishes into reality…you’ve got to write each wish down and then go plant each one in just the right place. And, as Maggie discovers, retelling the story of how each wish was planted turns out to be the most magical part.

ORDER YOUR COPY:

Amazon



Thanks for this interview, Chris.  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?

Where Wishes Grow... was a labor of love, that’s for sure. It was a very time-consuming process getting the story and the artwork to exactly where they needed to be. Although I have done a lot of writing for the comic book and movie industries, this was my first children’s book. I quickly found that writing a children’s book is, in many ways, a lot like writing a poem. You have to be very selective with your words in order to evoke the most amount of emotion using the least amount of words, all while still telling an interesting story. So, I can honestly say I found myself continuously editing and re-editing my writing for this book more than most other projects I’ve worked on.

Furthermore, collaborating with an illustrator on a book is always exciting and inspiring...but also tricky. Pauline Aksay’s artwork in this book is simply gorgeous. Naturally, however, it took some time for us, as writer and illustrator, to get into a groove with one another and develop a unified vision for the book.

With regards to getting the book published, Brownridge Publishing welcomed the project with open arms and has been incredibly supportive. The people at Brownridge have really helped make our wishes come true for Where Wishes Grow...  

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

“Telling Stories”

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

I am a huge movie nerd so I love sitting back and watching movies to relax. Funny enough, the older I get the more I find myself resorting back to older movies that I love and re-watching them even though I’ve seen them dozens of times! Sometimes you just know what you like. Crime movies are my favorites.

What makes your book stand out from the rest?

I wanted to write a book that felt timeless. I wanted to tell a story that would have a powerful emotional impact not just on the kids enjoying the book but also on the parents or grandparents who might be reading it with them. “Where Wishes Grow…” focuses on the unbreakable bond of love between a young girl (Maggie), her mother and her grandmother. Maggie’s grandmother is bedridden and Maggie has some wishes she desperately wants to come true; wishes that would help her grandmother enjoy the vibrant life she once had. And so, Maggie’s mom comes up with a plan to help those wishes to grow. I wanted the story to remind readers, young and old, just how powerful the bonds of family are and how important it is to cherish the shared memories between generations because time with family is precious.

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

Because this book focuses so much on the bond between the main character and her grandmother, it is a perfect book for National Grandparents Day. I also think the book’s focus on the bonds of family and the importance of sharing precious family time makes it a perfect book for the Christmas Season.

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

This story was meant to be told in one chapter so turning it into a series just wouldn’t work.

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

I’ve always imagined myself writing as a career but, as anyone who pursues it will tell you, it’s a bumpy road that requires a lot of patience and self-sacrifice.

Did any of your books get rejected by publishers?

I have not been rejected by publishers but I have been rejected by movie producers when trying to sell a movie script I worked on. Fortunately, the script eventually sold so, as it turns out, Act 3 delivered a happy ending.

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

planning stages of a story/script is great but, past a point, there needs to be a single voice that takes over and becomes the “style” of the writing. Collaborating to produce this “stylistic voice” rarely works in my experience.

What’s next for you?

I have recently completed writing a 4-issue comic book mini-series entitled Street Fighter Origins: Sagat that is currently being illustrated by industry superstar, Joe Ng. The series focuses on the origin story of Sagat—a major villain from the popular Street Fighter universe—and will be published by UDON Entertainment in early 2019.

Thursday, December 6, 2018

A Frank and Real Interview with Alison Littman Author of Historical Fiction Radio Underground


Alison Littman lives in San Francisco where she’s a writer by day and standup comedian by night. A former journalist in New Mexico, she covered politics and education while also contributing articles on John F. Kennedy and The Beatles to various specialty magazines. Her feature stories focus on listening to rock 'n' roll behind the Iron Curtain and Cold War politics. Radio Underground is her first novel.


About the Book:

After years of suffering under the communist regime in Cold War Hungary, Eszter Turján—fanatical underground journalist—would sacrifice anything, and anyone, to see the government fall. When she
manipulates news broadcasts on Radio Free Europe, she ignites a vicious revolution, commits a calamitous murder, and is dragged away screaming to a secret underground prison.

Her daughter Dora, then a teenager, cowers in her bedroom as the secret police arrest her mother. Haunted and hurt, Dora vows to work against everything Eszter believes in. But, it’s not that simple.

After nine years, Dora meets a strapping young fan of Radio Free Europe and is unwittingly drawn back into Eszter’s circle. She finds her mother, driven mad by years of torture, is headed for death.

On the brink of losing Eszter again, Dora must decide if she should risk her life to save the mother who discarded her—or leave it to fate.

“A propulsive read and a timely reminder that maintaining our humanity requires courage as much as love.”- Kim van Alkemade, New York Times best-selling author of Orphan #8 and Bachelor Girl

“Littman’s debut novel is a delectable blend of history and heartstrings, sure to please the palates of literature lovers everywhere.”- Selene Castrovilla, award-winning author of Melt and Luna Rising

5 out of 5 star review from Readers’ Favorite

Radio Underground reads like a movie…A revolutionary tale written with style.”- Readers’ Favorite

ORDER YOUR COPY:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

 
What is your name?

Alison Littman

What do you look like?

Like Sarah Silverman – really, it’s true. Very true.

Where are you today and what are you doing?

Today I am in San Francisco and I went to the Hungarian National Dance Ensemble’s production of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 (this is not a joke, I know it is very closely connected to my book!) I also walked a Boston Terrier named Lucky through the Richmond neighborhood of San Francisco, and went to a graduate school class to boot.

Describe the outside of your home.

I live in a shady street in San Francisco, with a wide bike lane and grassy park across the way.

You come face to face with your worse enemy. How do you react?

I’d probably give them a piece of my mind, in a calm tone (this is my fantasy right?), and then walk away before they can respond.

You keep a photo album of memories from your lifetime. If you could only keep one photo, which one would that be?

That’s easy – my grandma and I at my third birthday party when, for some strange reason, we had the same exact smile on our faces. We have very different smiles it turns out, but in that one picture, we look so similar.

Are you a morning person or a night owl?

Night time!

A police officer stops you for a minor violation. What violation is that and how do you react?

I can’t answer this question – I feel like I’ll get a speeding ticket tomorrow if I do.

What is your favorite piece of clothing?

A nice snug pair of jeans.

Do you have any phobias? What are they and how intense are they? How have they impacted your life?

I cannot stand when people bite into frozen popsicles. My mom used to do it next to me on the couch every night despite me pleading with her not to – the sound alone is just so jarring for me, and then imagining the sensation of frigid ice on teeth…I can barely write about it.

Open your wallet, purse, or briefcase. What do you find?

Not much, I like to travel light.

You move into a new home. What's the first thing you buy for it?

A bed. I need to be comfortable to sleep.

How do you feel about mortality?

I don’t think I understand it.

What scares you?

Losing anyone from my family.

How would your parents describe you?

Hmmmm…I think they’d say I’m ambitious, athletic and it’s probably best not to talk to me when I’m hungry.

What’s the last thing you do before you go to bed at night?

Watch Friends. I think I’m on my third round through the entire series, but I grew up with these guys and they just calm my mind down before bed.

Are you married or in a relationship?

Single lady!

Do you have children?

Nope.

You just woke up to find that war has been declared. What’s the first thing you would do?

Make sure my family is okay. After reading Station Eleven, I started really thinking about this, and I realized I should tell my mom that I’m going to walk to get my grandma first and then I’ll go find them. I’ll make sure my dad stays put as well, and pick him up after. Am I being too paranoid?

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

This. Exactly this.

If there was one thing you could change about yourself, what would that be?

I would love to be able to fall asleep easily. Oh how I envy those people.