Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Book Trailer Blast: Scapegoat by Emilio Corsetti III


We're happy to be hosting Emilio Corsetti III's SCAPEGOAT Book Trailer Blast today!  Please leave a comment to let him know you stopped by!


About the Book:


Title: Scapegoat: A Flight Crew’s Journey from Heroes to Villians to Redemption
Author: Emilio Corsetti
Publisher: Odyssey Publishing, LLC
Pages: 472
Genre: Nonfiction Narrative

"This is the kind of case the Board has never had to deal with-a head-on collision between the credibility of a flight crew versus the airworthiness of the aircraft." NTSB Investigator-in-Charge Leslie Dean Kampschror

On April 4, 1979, a Boeing 727 with 82 passengers and a crew of 7 rolled over and plummeted from an altitude of 39,000 feet to within seconds of crashing were it not for the crew's actions to save the plane. The cause of the unexplained dive was the subject of one of the longest NTSB investigations at that time.

While the crew's efforts to save TWA 841 were initially hailed as heroic, that all changed when safety inspectors found twenty-one minutes of the thirty-minute cockpit voice recorder tape blank. The captain of the flight, Harvey "Hoot" Gibson, subsequently came under suspicion for deliberately erasing the tape in an effort to hide incriminating evidence. The voice recorder was never evaluated for any deficiencies.

From that moment on, the investigation was focused on the crew to the exclusion of all other evidence. It was an investigation based on rumors, innuendos, and speculation. Eventually the NTSB, despite sworn testimony to the contrary, blamed the crew for the incident by having improperly manipulated the controls, leading to the dive.

This is the story of an NTSB investigation gone awry and one pilot's decades-long battle to clear his name.

Scapegoat: A Flight Crew’s Journey from Heroes to Villains to Redemption is available at Amazon and B&N.

Book Excerpt:

When TWA 841 departed JFK on April 4, 1979, no one onboard had any idea of the drama that would soon unfold. One passenger, travelling with her husband, wrote in a journal about the smooth takeoff. She had been keeping a personal journal of her travels to share with her children on her return. She documented everything down to the most inconsequential detail such as her ears popping as the aircraft climbed. Days, weeks, and years later, after TWA 841 had become the subject of one of the longest NTSB investigations in the agency’s history, investigators would scrutinize every minute of the flight in a similarly detailed manner. Much like a criminal investigation, the movements, actions, and whereabouts of each crew member were documented. Routine tasks such as when and where the meal trays were exchanged between the cockpit and cabin crew would take on added significance. Unraveling the mystery of TWA 841 was a monumental puzzle that needed to be solved. But unlike any accident investigation before or since, the same evidence investigators would use against the crew would be used by others to challenge the theories put forth by Boeing and the NTSB. Readers can draw their own conclusions as to which version is correct.

About the Author


Emilio Corsetti III is a professional pilot and author. Emilio has written for both regional and national publications including the Chicago Tribune, Multimedia Producer, and Professional Pilot magazine. Emilio is the author of the book 35 Miles From Shore: The Ditching and Rescue of ALM Flight 980. The upcoming book Scapegoat: A Flight Crew's Journey from Heroes to Villains to Redemption tells the true story of an airline crew wrongly blamed for causing a near-fatal accident and the captain's decades-long battle to clear his name. Emilio is a graduate of St. Louis University. He and his wife Lynn reside in Dallas, TX.
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Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Book Watch: The Jungle Within by Charles M.





Title: The Jungle Within
Author: Charles M.
Publisher: Createspace
Pages: 308
Genre: Drama/Suspense

When Evan and Katie said “I do”, they expected to navigate life together side-by-side. But when a car accident and a tawdry affair disrupt life as they know it, Evan and Katie are forced to venture on alternate paths, alone. In the darkest depths of an unforgiving coma, Evan fights to survive the treacherous jungle of his mind. He embarks on a spiritual journey to understand the meaning of life and the beauty of death…forcing him to face his deepest fear. Meanwhile, Katie ventures through her own guilt. On a strenuous moral journey, she juggles the consequences of infidelity and the strain of caring for her unresponsive husband. But are their paths truly separate? Or are they simply on parallel journeys that are destined to converge?

For More Information

  • The Jungle Within is available at Amazon.
  • Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

Book Excerpt:



Katie flagged down the waiter for another round of appletinis. She turned off her phone to eliminate any disruption in the evening’s events. She surveyed the room diligently, nodding in satisfaction. The bar was classy. Oak panels stained deep red layered the floor with matching rafters up above. It was the kind of place that lawyers and corporate business-types frequented. Tonight it was bustling with the usual crowd. Waiters played the dodging game, weaving in and out of groups perfectly without ever spilling a drop. As the waiter brought the drinks to the table, Katie shifted her weight and repositioned her legs. Whether or not she was aware of it, she moved ever-so-subtlety closer to Dylan. Katie had never cheated on Evan before, though she had come close a few times. Flirting and sending the wrong message to guys happened all the time with her. It made guys take chances that crossed the line with remarks and gestures most would consider inappropriate for a married woman. Katie desperately craved attention. The attention of any male in the room. Tonight she had Dylan’s.


About the Author


Despite growing up in a small town, I always knew I was destined for bigger things. At age eighteen, I enlisted in the US Navy, a move that allowed me to see the world and explore my passion for life. After 6 years and an honorable discharge, I settled into civilian life, earning my Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and an MBA in Technology Management.

Always eager to challenge myself with new and different roles, I took on the role of “Author,” writing my debut novel among the roles of full-time engineer, local business owner, and family man. But, I have no plans to stop there!

I am an avid outdoorsman, enjoy camping, hiking, snowboarding, shooting, and fishing, making the Land of Enchantment an ideal place to call home.

I look forward to sharing my novel and experiences with all of you!

Charles’ latest book is the drama/suspense, The Jungle Within.

For More Information
 

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Book Feature: For the Love of I by Patsy Jawo



INSIDE THE BOOK

 



Title: For the Love of I 
Author: Patsy Jawo 
Publisher: Vew Publishing 
Genre: Poetry 
Format: Kindle/Paperback/Hardcover

  'For The Love Of I' is the Inspirational Poetry Book that takes you on a journey of discovery through shared life experiences. It is filled with soul tingling poems to soothe, entertain, heal, motivate, comfort and free your mind, body, soul and spirit. The gift you get from this book is as unique as you are. It inspires as well as dares you to be the perfect person you truly are. We all have life experiences like family, love, friendships, health and seeking our true purpose all of which shape this book which is about finding peace, love, freedom and fun in our hearts and souls as we live this gift of life. In this book you will experience the divine light and love within you and it will lead you to recall your true destiny.
ORDER INFORMATION
 
Amazon
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MEET THE AUTHOR


  Patsy Jawo lives in London in the United Kingdom and enjoys writing positive, fun and inspirational poetry.  

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Book Feature: The Last County Fair by Stan Matthews

   
The Last County Fair Banner

 
Inside the Book:
The Last County Fair

Title: The Last County Fair 
Author: Stan Matthews 
Publisher: iUniverse 
Genre: Mystery/Detective 
Format: Ebook/Paperback

It is 1967 when a feud begins that could lead to the death of the one-hundred-year-old Chesterton county fair. When veteran reporter Art James is sent to investigate, he immediately delves into a case that will take him six days and hopefully provide him with a much-coveted feature story byline. Bob soon learns that the county is interested in selling the fairgrounds and that there are as many proponents as opponents to the sale. As Art interviews fairgoers, volunteers, and leaders, he unearths a conspiracy to hide the truth from the public until an agreement can be arranged between the county and a trucking firm. While Art's feature articles win him welcome bylines, he becomes even more determined to stop the sham, before it is too late. To complicate matters even further, Art becomes smitten with fair volunteer, Jenny Glen. As the last night of the fair arrives, the future is decided-not just for the fair, but for Art and Jenny as well. In this compelling story, an investigative reporter on a quest to uncover the truth about the demise of a county fair finds love while uncovering a conspiracy led by greed and deception.
Meet the Author:
Stan Matthews is a veteran investigative reporter who has visited scores of county, state, national, and provincial fairs in England, Canada, and America. He has written and produced films about fairs and is the author of several other books. Stan lives in Florida with his wife, Mary Jane.    

Shadows of an Empress Book Blast


About the Book:

Title: Shadows of an Empress
Author: Carole Waterhouse
Publisher: Anaphora Literary Press
Pages: 310
Genre: Literary Fiction
After the death of her mother, Sylvia is sent to live with her grandmother on an isolated piece of farmland, where she and a nymph-like companion run through the woods creating an imaginary world where her mother is still alive. When Sylvia marries Dan, everyone sees her life moving from tragic to fairy tale.  But when a recurring dream about a city she can’t identify leaves Sylvia feeling especially unsettled, she goes into her living room on a sleepless night and finds the Empress Elisabeth of Austria waiting for her. 

Suspecting their lives are somehow linked, the empress helps Sylvia sort through her past and question her present.  She and Sissi, Elisabeth’s younger version, embark on a whirlwind tour of places related to the empress’s past where the Archduchess Sophie tries to arrange a courtship between Sylvia and Franz Joseph, a heart-broken Heinrich Heine laments the empress’s tendency to credit him as the inspiration for her awful poetry, and Sigmund Freud offers commentary on their journey.   As they travel, Sylvia becomes more aware of the empress’s faults. As their paths begin to separate, Sylvia learns from Elisabeth’s mistakes and comes to realize that the answers she has been searching for need to come from within. In a mock ceremony in Vienna, Sylvia is crowned the empress of herself and returns home to start a new life with Dan. She understands then that the city she has been haunted by all this time is the life the two of them built, the one they are finally ready to enter together. 
 
Shadows of an Empress is available at Amazon.
Book Excerpt:
Chapter 1

2002

Sylvia turned up the radios in all three rooms—the kitchen, the bedroom, the workshop—the different locations making it sound as though there were three people talking, one an echo of the other.  Still, it was his voice surrounding her completely, a sound that always gave her comfort.  Dan, Dan, the music man.  Her husband never realized the most intimate words he ever spoke to her had nothing to do with love.
The radios were turned up so high, she wondered how far his voice actually carried, for miles maybe, certainly as far as Zoe’s house.  She came down once, laughing, turning them off, one after the other, diminishing the last to a faint whisper.  “Why do you make him shout so?” 
When Sylvia told her the reason, that she loved surrounding herself with the sound of his voice, wanted not to just listen but to be able to feel it in her bones, Zoe stopped and looked at her.  “Don’t tell me after all these years you’re still in love.” 
Sylvia could hear the envy in her voice.  She suspected that Zoe, too, listened to Dan’s voice, knew what it was like to have it pulsate through her veins.
 Dan, Dan the Music Man. 
They had laughed at the name he was given, the repetition meant to sound lyrical, like one of the tunes circling in his head.  Neither of them had ever expected that a radio show about music boxes would become nationally syndicated, even in a niche area like NPR.  He was a celebrity in some circles, even if most people had no idea who he was.  Zoe called him the most famous man no one had ever heard of, and, given the way Dan laughed when she said it, Sylvia wished it had been her comment instead.
“Music boxes can change lives.  There’s no doubt.  I’ve witnessed it many times.”
It was the voice she listened to more than the words, although she sometimes felt his comments were a secret code meant only for her.  At the moment he was describing one of their own antiques, a real treasure they had acquired just a few weeks ago, the one Dan called the music box of his dreams. 
It was actually a large automaton with rows of horses that would race across the front as the music played, the device designed so that the winning horse was randomly selected. She knew why he prized it, that it wasn’t just the box itself, as exquisite as it was, but the way it represented their lives together, fitting in perfectly with the Victorian farmhouse, the real horses she loved so, a true home where husband and friend were never far away. 

About the Author
 

A professor of creative writing at California University of Pennsylvania, Carole Waterhouse has an MFA in fiction writing from the University of Pittsburgh and a Ph.D. in 20th Century Literature from Ohio University.  She’s the author of three novels, Shadows of an Empress, The Tapestry Baby, and Without Wings, as well as a short story collection, The Paradise Ranch.  Her short stories have appeared in an anthology, Horse Crazy: Horses and the Women who Love Them, and numerous literary magazines, including The Massachusetts Review, The Artful Dodge, The Ball State University Forum, Crack the Spine, Blue Lake Review, Ceilidh, Eureka Literary Magazine, Crossconnect, Spout, The Styles, Turnrow, Half Tones to Jubilee, Potpourri, The Baybury Review, Arnazella, Parting Gifts, Pointed Circle, Seems, The Rockhurst Review, Oracle,  and The Griffin.  She has reviewed books for The Pittsburgh Post Gazette, The Pittsburgh Press and The New York Times Book Review.

For More Information

Giveaway

Carole Waterhouse is giving away an autographed copy of THE TAPESTRY BABY!

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 autographed copy of The Tapestry Baby by Carole Waterhouse
  • This giveaway begins July 5 and ends on July 29.
  • Winners will be contacted via email on July 30.
  • Winner has 48 hours to reply.
Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

http://www.pumpupyourbook.com
 

Monday, July 18, 2016

Book Blast! Baseball's Dynasties and the Players Who Built Them


We're happy to be hosting Jonathan Weeks' BASEBALL'S DYNASTIES AND THE PLAYERS WHO BUILT THEM Book Blast today!


About the Book:


Title: Baseball’s Dynasties and the Players Who Built Them
Author: Jonathan Weeks
Publisher: Rowan and Littlefield
Pages: 408
Genre: Sports History

Baseball has had its fair share of one-and-out champions, but few clubs have dominated the sport for any great length of time. Given the level of competition and the expansive length of the season, it is a remarkable accomplishment for a team to make multiple World Series appearances in a short timespan. From the Baltimore Orioles of the 1800s who would go to any length to win—including physically accosting opponents—to the 1934 Cardinals known as the “Gashouse Gang” for their rough tactics and determination, and on to George Steinbrenner’s dominant Yankees of the late twentieth century, baseball’s greatest teams somehow found a way to win year after year.

Spanning three centuries of the game, Baseball’s Dynasties and the Players Who Built Them examines twenty-two of baseball’s most iconic teams. Each chapter not only chronicles the club’s era of supremacy, but also provides an in-depth look at the players who helped make their teams great. Nearly two hundred player profiles are included, featuring such well-known stars as Joe DiMaggio, Jackie Robinson, Sandy Koufax, and Pete Rose, as well as players who were perhaps overshadowed by their teammates but were nonetheless vital to their team’s reign, such as Pepper Martin, Allie Reynolds, and George Foster.

With a concluding chapter that profiles the clubs that were on the cusp of greatness, Baseball’s Dynasties and the Players Who Built Them is a fascinating survey of what makes some teams dominate year after year while others get only a small taste of glory before falling to the wayside. Written in a lively style with amusing anecdotes and colorful quotes, this comprehensive book will be of interest to all fans and historians of baseball.

For More Information

  • Baseball’s Dynasties and the Players Who Built Them is available at Amazon.
  • Pick up your copy at Barnes & Noble.
Book Excerpt:

With a roster full of superstars, the Orioles captured three straight pennants from 1894–1896. They followed with a pair of near misses, placing second in 1897 and 1898. Along the way, they developed a reputation as one of the nastiest teams in baseball. John Heydler, an umpire who would later ascend to the NL presidency, described the Orioles of the 1890s as “mean, vicious, ready at any time to maim a rival player or an umpire.” Infielder John McGraw was proud of that distinction. “We’d go tearing into a bag with flying spikes as though with murderous intent,” he boasted. “We were a cocky, swashbuckling crew and wanted everybody to know it.”
Pirates great Honus Wagner manufactured a tall tale about a harrowing trip around the bases against the Orioles. After driving a ball deep into the outfield, he claimed to have been tripped at first base by Jack Doyle and then knocked flat by Hughie Jennings at second. Climbing to his feet, he lumbered toward third, only to find John McGraw holding a shotgun on him. “You stop right there!” McGraw allegedly bellowed. Although Wagner’s story is obviously apocryphal, numerous reliable accounts confirm the fact that the Orioles resorted to underhanded tactics regularly. When they weren’t physically accosting opponents, they were treating them to streams of verbal abuse. Baltimore players were so free in their use of profanity that a resolution was adopted in 1898, imposing mandatory expulsions upon anyone using “villainously foul” language.
Even the groundskeepers at Baltimore were deceitful. Soap flakes were mixed with the soil around the pitcher’s mound to make the hands of opposing hurlers slippery when they reached into the dirt.  Orioles moundsmen knew to keep untainted soil in their pockets. The infield was mixed with clay and rarely watered, creating a surface not unlike cement. Baltimore players chopped down on the ball, creating dramatically high hops that gave them a head start to first base (hence, the origin of the term Baltimore chop). The outfield was ruddy and riddled with weeds. Outfielders allegedly kept extra balls hidden out there in the event that the ones in play eluded them.


About the Author


Weeks spent most of his life in the Capital District area of New York. He earned a degree in psychology from SUNY Albany. In 2004, he migrated to Malone, NY. He continues to gripe about the frigid winter temperatures to the present day. A member of the Society for American Baseball Research, he writes about the game because he lacked the skill to play it professionally. He still can't hit a curve ball or lay off the high heat. Baseball’s Dynasties is his fourth nonfiction work.
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A Conversation with Tyler Pike, author of 'Girl in the Air'



Tyler Pike is an up-and-coming voice in the thriller genre, earning many accolades for his newly launched thriller series. Before turning to novels, he was a sinologist, lived in China for many years, and eventually earned a PhD in Chinese poetry and lectured at the University of Sydney in Chinese. He and his wife also spent many years studying Hindu philosophy, traveling in India and running a yoga studio in Sydney, before it all came down on their heads.
        
When he is not writing, you’ll either find him down at the beach with his young family or out on the open road. He is an avid ocean swimmer and long distance runner.

Tyler Pike lives with his family in Australia and the US.

Tyler is different from most popular writers in that he endeavors to respond personally to every email and loves sharing his journey with his readers.

For updates on work in progress and free book offers, join Tyler’s “reading group” on his website:
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About the Book:

Title: Girl in the Air
Author: Tyler Pike
Publisher: Tyler Pike Books
Pages: 352
Genre:  Magical Realism Action Thriller / YA Paranormal Thriller

6'3" 200LBS, AIRBORNE AND ANGRY. ARE THEY SMART ENOUGH TO LEAVE HER ALONE?

A teenaged loner who sees more than she should, Alice Brickstone’s mission in life is to find out who or what killed her twin brother a decade earlier. All her parents will divulge is that he died on a family trip to an ashram in India, a place impossibly far from her remote ski town in Colorado. When she begins to see faces from her childhood nightmares, Alice buries her fear and pounces on the opportunity to hunt for information…and revenge. She works alone and observes no caution. Her simple mission is complicated when a strange Himalayan hermit shows up in the woods near her house telling her that she has paranormal abilities. Skeptical but determined to use any advantage to end the threat against her, she is shocked to suddenly become the hunted. There is only one way out—Alice must master her newfound skills and fly before tragedy takes over again.

GIRL IN THE AIR is the first book in a series of page-turning, fast-paced magical realism thrillers set in the Rocky Mountains. Be transported into Alice’s low-tech world of ancient yogic supernatural abilities, modern teenaged angst and post-modern world problems. Readers interested in Asian mythology will love discovering subtle allusions to the Mahabharata, and yoga practitioners will twist and writhe in their seats. If you like your heroes big like Jack Reacher, weird like Carrie, or scarred like Harry Potter, you’ll love Tyler Pike’s character, Alice Brickstone.

Buy GIRL IN THE AIR today and join Alice on her harrowing ride.

“It’s good, and wackily funny, and mostly ridiculously believable…An unstoppable magic realism action thriller.” – Tom Flood, Award-winning Author

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Thanks for this interview, Tyler.  Can we begin by having you tell us about yourself from a writer’s standpoint?

We all love talking about ourselves, and somehow, along the way, we often accidentally turn ourselves into fantasy characters playing a key role in some grand adventure. I have done plenty of storytelling in my life, but now I just like to tell people that my main driving force is my family. I’m totally in love with my wife and 2yo daughter. Before realizing that this love is the meaning of my life, I did all kinds of things, searching in all the furthest corners of the world for “my calling.” The most interesting period of my life was when I lived and worked in China for six years and travelled extensively all over Asia. They were interesting times, full of stories that I want to write someday. I was somewhat lost until I met the love of my life, Tamsin, in Shanghai, at the “grape” restaurant, or Putao yuan, which is still there. The ceiling was/is covered in dusty plastic grapes, and the food was fatty and sweet. Perfect. Tamsin was an Australian diplomat at the time and we lived the lives of mad sinophile expats for a few years, making art, hosting gallery parties, getting lost in the countryside, and generally making nuisances of ourselves with our Chinese friends. When we finally decided we had to leave China for greener pastures, we moved to Australia, I did a PhD in Chinese, we both got into yoga and healthy living, did lots of surfing, got into India and Hindu philosophy, met a guru, joined a cult, discovered he was a fake, left the cult, and eventually kind of settled down and had our gorgeous daughter, Pippi.


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

I’m a surfer, but my wife and I prefer the remote beaches and reef breaks in southern New South Wales, along the East Coast of Australia, rather than the busy urban beaches where we live in Sydney.

I also love travelling, though it has been harder to get out and see the further reaches of the world, now that I am a Dad.

I guess what I love the most is spending time with close and extended family. As I write this, I am right now hiding in the basement of my parents house in the mountains of Colorado, where we are staying for a short while, before taking off on a grand tour of the west in a rental car.  Our first stop:  The Telluride Bluegrass Festival, then on to Yellowstone. I love the open road!


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

Chapter 1


It was five in the morning and completely dark outside. In late spring the sun wouldn’t rise over the ski mountain for another two hours. For a few little creatures out there, the day had already begun. There was a rustle in the leaves below her window, probably a deer mouse making her way to a nest somewhere. She heard a tiny peep that could have been a downy woodpecker chick.
     She rolled over, lingering in the space between her nightmares and her morning zombie routine, and remembered it was Saturday. Her swim team only trained once today but it was usually a strong session. She would eventually have to stumble out of bed, gather her bag, eat something and cycle to the pool.
     Laying there a moment longer, she listened for any sounds in her parents’ huge, empty house, but heard none. Her mom would also be hearing the morning noises from her meditation cushion in her yoga room.
What drove Mom to wake up so early, she wondered. Did she hear things when she meditated? Dad, for his part, would be dead to the world. It would take an act of God to wake him from the stupor of his hangover.
     After finally motivating herself to roll out of bed, Alice stumbled downstairs with her swimming bag, grabbed four ice cream sandwiches and an energy bar for breakfast on the ride. She took down her bike off its hooks in the garage, clipped on her helmet and cycled down the driveway.
     Her bike tires hit the gravel road. There would be no other cars up here this early and no other man-made sound of any kind. Above the crunching of her fat tires, Alice heard a tentative whistle from a hawk. It could have come from the edge of the Knifespur Wilderness where the old growth forest began. Then she heard vast expanses of pine trees rustled by a tiny breeze as it meandered, pushed by the warming dawn.


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?

I just published two books. In addition to Girl in the Air I also wrote and published a novella called The Feeling of Water. I intended both books to be easy and fun to read and easy/fun to write, but I soon realized that it is very hard to craft a good page-turning adventure. Both books turned out much better than I could have imagined, but were much harder to write than I imagined they would be. I had to dig deep to discover what really made the characters real and human, spent countless hours writing and deleting and writing and deleting and deleting, realized that I’m a perfectionist, tried not to be, wrote and deleted some more, had a lot of fun, then didn’t, then did again, and finally threw a huge party when the drafts were done and off to the editor. I was much gratified when he loved the manuscripts and even more so when they were finally proofed and published last month. And even more so now that the good reviews are coming in. 

I feel that writing is both a calling and a muscle. I have to exercise that muscle everyday in order to give exorcise the calling. That sounds glib, but it’s true. It’s cliché for an artist to say they “have to” create or they would perish. I think it’s true not only for those passionate artists, but also for all the rest of us. Those who don’t believe it is true are just too busy or too tired to scratch that natural creative itch within, and they will die a slow death by natural causes before living to a ripe old age, surrounded by family and friends. J

If you had to summarize your book in one sentence, what would that be?

She thought she was an ordinary girl, just a little lonely, a little heartbroken, and a lot bigger than everyone else…she couldn’t have known that within her broken heart lay such great and fearsome potential.

What makes your book stand out from the rest?

My character, Alice Brickstone, is very uniquely loveable. She can fly, but she has been drawn to be a down-to-earth, real girl with very real teenage problems. In the words of one reviewer, “rarely have I fallen so deeply in love with a character as I have with Alice Brickstone.”

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

Girl in the Air is one of those quiet yoga retreats to a mountain paradise, but the holiday goes pear-shaped, and you will escape from the retreat and get into an exciting adventure you didn’t plan to have but will be glad you did. Much happier than if you stayed in the yoga retreat!


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

Girl in the Air is book one, and The Feeling of Water is book two in the series. I did, however, design them to be read in any order (neither book contains spoilers for the other).

What’s next for you?

Alice book 3, of course. I’m currently in Colorado writing and researching.

Thursday, July 14, 2016

Book Feature: I Have Faith by Davin Whitehurst



We're thrilled to be hosting Davin Whitehurst today!  Davin is the author of the new children's book, I HAVE FAITH.  Please leave a comment to let him know you stopped by!




Title: I Have Faith
Author: Davin Whitehurst
Publisher: Childlike Faith Publishing
Pages: 26
Genre:  Children

Are you ready to get your child excited about faith? “I Have Faith” puts your child right in the footsteps of Danny as he begins to learn about faith. Danny and his older brother have been wanting a dog, but both know their parents don’t think they are ready for a dog. When Danny’s mom begins teaching him what the bible says about faith, he puts his faith into action. After praying and releasing his faith for a dog, doubt and even his best friend keep telling him that he will never get a dog. Over time Danny never loses his faith in the promises of God and finds that God is faithful and that faith works. Come along on this journey that is a real life event that took place in the author’s life as a child.

This book has great illustrations that support a wonderful story about finding faith in God. As you are teaching your child about principals in the bible; this book will help you teach faith. What a wonderful experience it is when we can see our children begin to develop their faith in God, and grow from a tiny mustard seed to a firmly planted tree. The back of the book has a parent/child discussion which will help children gain understanding in faith and some scriptures that Danny’s mom used to get him excited about faith.

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Book Excerpt:

“Hi! My name is Danny.” This is how I learned to trust God and believe His word.
It’s called faith, and you have faith too.


About the Author




Davin Whitehurst lives in the beautiful high desert of Southern Arizona with his wife and son. He is releasing his first book "I have Faith" in May of 2016 but has so many more that are in the making. The motivation behind the books are deeply rooted from in his own past. He is a living testimony of Proverbs 22:6. Growing up in Southwest Kansas and in a Christian household, he was trained up in the way he should go. By the time he became a teenager, Davin turned away from God and left church. Fast forward into his late twenties and God brought him back with a powerful calling. He and his family have been faithfully serving at Seed of Abraham Christian Center International for over seven years now. Proof that when we teach our children the way they should go. When they get older, they know where to turn and will not depart from God. Davin wants each book written to be a resource that parents have to help train their children in the way they should go. He writes stories in a simple way that will be fun and practical for every child. He wants children to get excited about faith and the things of God.

His latest release is the children’s book, I Have Faith.

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