Virtual Book Tour & Giveaway: The Seafarer’s Secret by Carol Ann Collins


The Seafarer’s Secret
by Carol Ann Collins

About The Seafarer’s Secret


The Seafarer’s Secret
Cozy Mystery
Setting – North Carolina
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Beaufort Books (March 26, 2024)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 310 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0825310288
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0825310287
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BZBCSG86

Secrets are revealed. Lies are exposed. And in order to have a future, William and Eva will have to delve into the past.

William Templeton, widower and police chief of Eden, North Carolina is working the scene of a local woman’s drowning when the body is found with an old gold coin in her pocket – identical to a coin that was discovered on Catherine’s body, his estranged wife, over a year ago. Catherine’s case, originally deemed a tragic accident, has been reopened, forcing William to step down as police chief.

Historian and Blackbeard expert, Eva Knightly, is brought into the investigation to help identify the coins and can’t understand why her good friend Catherine never mentioned anything about it. When more coins surface at a local church, Eva and William know it’s more than mere coincidence. With the entire town whispering about Blackbeard, cursed coins, and lost treasure, it becomes hard to separate what is true and what is a myth.

The Seafarer’s Secret is a thrilling cinematic mystery featuring the exigent slow-burning romance between William and Eva as they work together to reveal the secrets and lies of Eden, North Carolina. Though, in order to have a future, they’ll have to look deep into the past to keep from being a modern-day killer’s next victim.

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Read an Excerpt

“What’s the most interesting thing to you about Blackbeard?” Amelia asked.

Eva grinned. “By all accounts, he was a marketing genius.”

“Seriously?” Amelia said once the shocked look on her face disappeared. “That’s not what I was expecting to hear.”

“Exactly.” Eva chuckled. “Which is why I led with it. Now, what comes to mind when you hear his name? Just a word or two.”

“Ruthless. Dangerous. Violent.”

“Yes,” Eva said. “Almost three hundred years later, we still picture and imagine him the way people did in 1718. Now, can you name a pirate peer of Blackbeard’s?”

“You mean another pirate from that time in history?”

“Yes, and they can come from anywhere. Worldwide. Name another pirate.”

“I told you I could barely remember Blackbeard and you want me to name one of his cronies?” Amelia closed her eyes, thinking, and smiled when she opened them. “Captain Jack—”

Emerson laughed.

“A real pirate. Not a movie character.” Eva cut her off before she could finish and rolled her eyes for good measure.

“Damn.” Amelia snapped her fingers.

“For the record,” Emerson said, “I liked your answer.”

Amelia thanked him and then sat unmoving for a long minute, gaze focused on the top of the table, before finally looking up and admitting, “I can’t. Blackbeard and fictional characters are all I know.”

“Exactly,” Eva said, satisfied because Amelia had given the answer she was looking for. “He was so good at marketing, not only is he still selling it three hundred years later, he’s managed to shut out his competition. It stands to reason he did some really despicable things to earn such a tarnished but well-known name, right?”

“You would think so,” Amelia said, though her voice was hesitant as if she knew there was more behind the question.

“You would, but there are no records of him ever killing anyone until his last fight. The one he was killed in.”

“That is surprising.” Amelia’s forehead wrinkled. “Given the level of violence we associate with pirates, as well as how we view him today, you would think he did something. At least to get people talking about him.”

“Right? How else would he have become the most feared pirate, ever?”

“I have a feeling it has to do with marketing somehow, but I’m not sure how. I mean, how can you market yourself as a badass pirate unless you are a badass pirate?”

“Proper pirate branding.” Eva waited a second to see if Amelia had a reply, but she remained quiet. “If you want people to think of you as the world’s most fearsome pirate when they see you or hear reports of you, you have to appear to be the world’s most fearsome pirate.”

About Carol Ann Collins

Writing allows Carol Ann Collins to combine two of her favorite things, history and romance. Her work is a combination of historical fact, pure fiction, and a vivid imagination. Though she is an introvert who had no problem staying inside during quarantine, she enjoys traveling with her husband and two adult children. In her spare time, she is an avid book collector and bargain shopper who loves to combine the two. To date, her favorite find is an 1869 edition of Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain purchased for $10.

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Tour Participants

May 15 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – CHARACTER GUEST POST

May 15 – Carla Loves To Read – REVIEW, AUTHOR GUEST POST

May 16 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – REVIEW

May 17 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

May 17 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT WITH SPOTLIGHT

May 18 – Jemima Pett, Author – REVIEW

May 18 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

May 19 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

May 20 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

May 21 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

May 21 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

May 22 – Ruff Drafts – REVIEW

May 22 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read! – AUTHOR GUEST POST

May 23 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

May 24 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

May 24 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

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Release Blitz: The Neighbors’ Secret by Diana Sussman

The Neighbors’ Secret

A Maddie Mystery series, Book 1

by

Diana Sussman

Middle Grade Mystery / Children’s Mystery

Publisher: EverImagine Books (an imprint of Harbor Lane Books, LLC.)

Date Published: May 21, 2024

Page count: 219 pages

SYNOPSIS:

Maddie’s life is a mess. Along with the usual hassles of eighth grade, her best friend Rachel has gone boy-crazy and seems drawn to a new crowd. To make matters worse, everyone’s teasing Maddie for impulsively breaking into her neighbor’s home when her imagination went wild thinking that she saw a mythical creature called a Yeti inside.

Then, the new neighbors pull into their driveway and Maddie thinks she sees a human hand push out the taillight of their car. Other strange events follow. Are they kidnappers? Spies? Maddie convinces Rachel to help investigate, hoping that working together will bolster their friendship. But that looks unlikely after both of them crush on the new neighbors’ son Alex.

Maddie is in a no-win situation. If she proves the new neighbors are spies, Alex will hate her. If she finds out they’re not spies and dates Alex, Rachel will hate her. But Maddie can’t resist solving a mystery and soon finds herself on a collision course with her best friend, her first crush, and the dangerous world of espionage. Her entire world – and her life – is at risk.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Since discovering Nancy Drew books as a child, Diana has been a lifelong mystery fan. She wrote this story to share her passion with tweens and early teens, to glorify girl power, and to pay tribute to female spies from the American Revolution. Recent FBI counterintelligence investigation of Russian spies, who portrayed themselves as typical Americans, known as Operation Ghost Stories and an American scientist who was arrested for providing intelligence to China inspired her to write this story. As a former litigator, she also drew from her experiences defending FBI prosecutorial targets and witnesses and handling a case involving someone who had led a double life. She also did research on Agent 355 of the Culper Spy Ring. She grew up near Cranbury, New Jersey, where her sister now lives. The Neighbors’ Secret is a finalist in the Connecticut Tessa Awards.

 

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Review Tour & Giveaway: Abandon Station (Dyson Bridge, #1) by V.G. Harrison

ABANDON STATION

Dyson Bridge, #1

by

V.G. Harrison

Sci-Fi

PUblisher: Mocha Memoirs Press

Publication Date: January 24, 2024

Page count: 101 pages

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SYNOPSIS:

A thunderous explosion echoes through the vastness of space. The Bridgeway Space Station is rocked by a catastrophic blast, sending Chief Engineer Meridia Vail and her international crew spiraling into an alternate dimension. They awake to find themselves stranded on an Earth trapped technologically in the past.

As the gravitational forces of this backwards planet wreak havoc on their metabolisms, Meridia races against time to locate her missing crew members before they meet an ominous fate at the hands of this archaic world order’s military forces. Piecing together clues, she discovers that the Bridgeway somehow survived the interdimensional jump too, but is trapped in a rapidly decaying orbit that threatens to demolish this entire parallel Earth.

In a nail-biting showdown, Meridia must leverage the unmatched technological power of the Bridgeway to bargain for her crew’s release from detainment before all-out war erupts between the planet’s primitive defenses and the unimaginable alien spacecraft looming above.

With millions of innocent lives hanging in the balance, she gambles on an audacious attempt to escape her captors.

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READ AN EXCERPT:

An alarm whooped through the station. Those who weren’t needed for the maneuvering efforts were enjoying dinner in the main cylinder’s mess hall when we got jolted from our plates. So much for my Kobe steak with mashed potatoes and peas. Everything that was white had been doused in red, flashing lights. An announcement came over the speakers that we had to report to our emergency stations.

“What’s going on?” I asked as Szilvia Rager hurried by so fast it fluffed up her platinum blond pixie cut. I rushed to catch up to her in the hall.

“It’s the shuttle. It’s helping to tow the station and the telescope into place, but it’s also bringing us in slower than expected because there’s a malfunction in one of the engines.”

“Can’t we—?”

She shook her head. “No time. We need to do a course correction with the thrusters on the Nexicon before that solar storm hits. It’s moving twice as fast as before because the Dyson net drifted too close to the sun and got caught in the blast. The net energized the storm, so that monster is practically on top of us now.”

“Let me guess.” I followed her down the corridor stairs. “Nobody factored that into their calculations. Not that they had enough time either.”

“If they had left it up to me, this wouldn’t be a problem right now.”

Her head was so big it was a miracle she could fit through certain parts of the station. Szivlia had tried for years to do a long-term rotation in space, but never made the cut. I think it had more to do with her telling one of the station managers to pull their mouth out of their secretary’s backdoor and maybe that would increase their attention span. Had she not been an Einstein-level mathematician, she would’ve been looking for a job outside the space program. Ever since then, she had been relegated to ground crew unless someone of high authority requested her presence onboard. It was a good thing she still had a few friends around. I was more of an acquaintance. 

On the shuttle, my emergency station would’ve been the midsection crew compartment. On the station, it was engineering since my background was mechanical engineering with a materials science minor. I hated to break the news to everyone, but if something went wrong on the space station, they were better off contacting the person who designed it. I had only scratched the surface of the station’s engineering capabilities.

I left the cylinder and floated down to Engineering. There, I went to the EHUs to make sure they were still intact.

“Everyone, stow your stuff and strap in,” Captain Kasongo said over the intercom. “This is going to be a bumpy ride. Riddhi, adjust your course on the telescope’s thrusters by six degrees starboard.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied.

I made my way toward the EHUs. I did one last check before deflating the first one. If there was a drag on the station, I didn’t want it to be because of the habitats. I flew to the second one and did the same. I watched through the porthole from the side as it shrunk back down and sealed itself inside the deployment canister.

When I got to the last one, a lurch tipped me forward and tossed me head over heels into the back of the habitat. I hit the soft wall and bounced toward the ceiling. By the time I got my bearings, I noticed a silent bright light outside the window. I didn’t think it was possible to see a solar flare.

Fire whooshed up around the porthole.

REVIEW:

5 stars!

Excellent start to this new sci-fi series!

Abandon Station is the first book in author V.G. Harrison’s new Dyson Bridge sci-fi series, and while only a little over a hundred pages in length, it is a tense, dramatic story that slowly reveals an alternate vision of Earth rich with detail.

The story is told from the perspective of mechanical engineer Meridia Vail, a likable and smart yet vulnerable main character. The opening includes a spirited exchange between Vail and her divorce attorney, representing her interests back on Earth in the dissolution of her marriage to her cheating skunk of a spouse. What follows is the exciting cause of the crews’ current jeopardy and subsequent efforts to return to their own time and dimension.

The author’s writing style is engaging and easy to read despite the complexities of the technology and the situation. I was quickly absorbed by the story of Meridia’s and the crews’ plight. I enjoyed comparing their actual world and society to what they encountered on their ‘new’ Earth. As this book ends on a cliffhanger with their fate still up in the air, I look forward to the next installment and hope it appears soon!

I recommend ABANDON STATION to science fiction readers who enjoy tense stories involving an alternate Earth.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Amazon best-selling author, V.G. Harrison enjoys creating smart heroines who are more comfortable dealing with things like Fine-structure constant and quantum entanglement than the fallout from their conflict. She loves to write stories that leave her audience so engaged they can’t sleep at night, thinking about the possibilities. 

V.G. holds a Bachelors in Biomedical Engineering and a Masters in Information Technology. When she’s not writing, she’s an IT manager for a healthcare information systems company.

Her ever-growing list of hobbies include astronomy, attending comic cons, keeping an eye on the cryptocurrency and stock markets, hydroponics gardening, hiking, and connecting with her daughter, Collie, on a cool level. Building Lego sets at night with milk and cookies on the side come in handy for that.

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Book Tour & Giveaway: The Cyclopes’ Eye by Jeffrey Haskey-Valerius

The Cyclopes’ Eye

by

Jeffrey Haskey-Valerius

YA Dystopian / Soft Sci-Fi

Publisher: NineStar Press

Publication Date: April 9, 2024

Page count: 366 pages

 

SYNOPSIS

First they came for his sister’s eye. Now they’re coming for his. And what’s even worse is he deserves it.

Henry has never had anything good happen to him, period. Full stop. That’s why, after school, he’s going to put on his big-boy pants and confess his love to his best friend—because the universe owes him one, dammit, and he needs a win.

But maybe doing it on Drill Day wasn’t the best idea—the one day a month that healthcare conglomerate Axiom infiltrates schools across America to select a new candidate to give up one of their eyes, for… research? And if this Drill Day is anything like the last, Henry will never get a chance at a good life. Especially if his past keeps threatening to eat him alive, and especially if his old ways of keeping the darkness at bay refuse to work anymore.

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Review

5 stars!

Creative, exciting, and disturbing vision of a dystopian future California.

The Cyclopes’ Eye is the fresh, exciting, and disturbing new dystopian young adult novel by Jeffrey Haskey-Valerius, and features a not-too-distant future where middle and high school students undergo a selection process to offer up an eye for medical research. With its genuine and appealing young adult protagonist and shocking storyline, this debut novel was not only impressive but mesmerizing.

Henry Youngwell is the fascinating main character who has been selected to give up an eye to the Axiom Corporation’s supposed research program, even though they’ve just announced they’ve successfully developed the ultimate alternative for the process. Henry is a complex young protagonist with tragic beginnings; his mother is in prison and his father is an abusive alcoholic who can’t hold a job. He and his twin sister, Judith, subsist on what money Henry brings in from his part-time job and the two are literally starving to death. Judith was selected to trade her eye for their new home only the month before and is only just recuperating from the surgery. Henry’s subsequent selection is unprecedented and unexpected. Besides their poverty, Henry is dealing with critical emotional issues. He constantly struggles to keep anger and violent reactions under control since the removal of his mother from their home and his father’s neglect and abuse, and feels guilty for not preventing his sister from agreeing to give up her eye. He has a close group of friends and is navigating the usual trials and tribulations inherent to adolescence, including a major crush on his best friend, Sam. Henry’s narrative and inner thoughts are delightfully witty and clever, even in the midst of such a stress-filled events.

The plot and specifics of this future California are unique and make for absorbing reading. The Axiom Corporation is frightening and all-controlling and embedded in daily life for these kids, reminding me of aspects of Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games trilogy and George Orwell’s 1984. Still, I never knew where the story was going so each page was a fresh, compelling journey.

As the plot includes some serious, possibly triggering, topics, such as abuse, self-harm, and suicide ideation as well as shocking, graphic details, this book will not be for everyone. Potential readers should read the book’s blurb and reviews for the provided and implied content warnings. I recommend THE CYCLOPES’ EYE to readers who enjoy exciting dystopian young adult fiction.

About the Author

Jeffrey Haskey-Valerius works in healthcare by day and writes weird fiction and poetry by night. His shorter work has been featured in numerous literary journals and has been nominated for prizes, including Best of the Net. He currently lives in the Midwest with his unbelievably handsome and perfect dog, and also a human whom he loves. The Cyclopes’ Eye is his debut novel.

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One-Day Book Blitz: Second Lives: The Journey of Brain-Injury Survivors and Their Healers by Ralph B. Lilly, MD & Diane F. Kramer with Joyce Stamp Lilly

SECOND LIVES:

The Journey of Brain-Injury Survivors and Their Healers

by

Ralph B. Lilly, MD & Diane F. Kramer

with Joyce Stamp Lilly

Read by

Loren C. Steffy & Joyce Stamp Lilly

Audiobook / Biography / Medical Professionals /

/ Neuroscience /

Publisher: Stoney Creek Publishing

Listening Length: 6 hours and 21 minutes

Publication Date: February 28, 2024

SYNOPSIS:

“Discharged from a hospital just means you’re not dead.” These words of Ralph B. Lilly, M.D., describe his early struggle to recover from a traumatic brain injury. Lilly was a forty-four-year-old practicing neurologist sitting on his motorcycle at a red light when a drunk driver rear-ended him in 1980. In the ICU, after regaining consciousness and being told what happened, he asked, “What’s a hospital? What’s a motorcycle?” This tragic experience transformed his life and his approach to his neurology practice: doctors treat those with brain injury; but loved ones heal them.

Second Lives: The Journey of Brain Injury Survivors and Their Healers is written by Dr. Lilly and Diane F. Kramer. After his death in 2021, Kramer completed the book with the assistance of Lilly’s wife Joyce Stamp Lilly. This memoir weaves together Ralph Lilly’s experience with a collage of stories about his patients and their healers. After his recovery, Lilly retrained in the emerging field of behavioral neurology, which focuses on behavior, memory, cognition, and emotion after brain injury.

His clinical skills and expert witness testimony were sought by physicians, survivors, families, and attorneys to secure the best “second life” for survivors. His many patients marveled at his uniquely compassionate approach: “What doctor gives you his cell number and says call any time?” Lilly’s pioneering career spanned forty years from Brown University’s Butler Psychiatric Hospital in Rhode Island to Nexus Health System and private practice in Houston, Texas. He treated ER and hospital inpatients whose loved ones were in acute quandary, as well as outpatients who’d long given up finding a doctor who knew how to help. Lilly’s memoir is full of heart, not science, and will provide insight to general readers, family, and friends of patients with brain injury, as well as those who treat them.

His narration is unintentionally poignant, often punctuated by wry humor. He generously incorporates the words of his patients and their families in telling their stories. Their gratitude for his care is profound. As one former patient said, “Without Dr. Lilly, I’d be dead or in jail.”

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

A neurologist for over half a century, Ralph B. Lilly, MD had a passion for learning and teaching. A traumatic brain injury in 1980 shifted his focus from general neurology to behavioral neurology, the study of how brain injury affects behavior. After completing a fellowship in neurobehavior at the University of California, Los Angeles, he served as a clinical assistant professor with the Brown University Program in Medicine in Providence, Rhode Island, consulting with psychiatrists looking for possible neurological causes for their patients’ psychiatric symptoms. In Texas, he worked joined what is now Nexus Health Systems and became a clinical assistant professor at The University of Texas in Houston. Lilly focused his life’s work on treating brain-injury survivors and counseling their families, who were victims in their own right. He saw these “healers” as instrumental in guiding the injured loved one to a “new life.” He practiced in Arizona, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Texas, and wherever he was called to help. Before his death in 2021, Lilly lived in Washington, Texas, with his wife, Joyce, three dogs, six cats, and two horses.

Diane F. Kramer retired from the counseling and psychology departments of Austin Community College in 2008 and began writing personal essays, family histories, and fiction. As a volunteer with the Brenham Animal Shelter, she wrote a weekly column on animal welfare for The Brenham Banner Press. Her writing has also appeared in Alamo Bay Press anthologies and blogs Peace through Pie and Drash Pit. She currently writes website copy and press releases for Brenham Lifetime Learning and the Read of Washington County. She lives with her husband and their rescue dog and cat in rural Texas.

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Review Tour & Giveaway: Let’s Hide from Mom by Parimalasri Docktor

LET’S HIDE FROM MOM

by

Parimalasri Docktor

Children’s Fiction

Publisher: Tellwell Talent

Publication Date: March 6, 2024

Page count: 34 pages

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SYNOPSIS:

Let’s Hide From Mom is a true story of Radha having difficulty going to sleep. Every night she finds different places to hide since she does not want to go to bed. Krishna tries to go along with her game but ends up going to sleep in some corner. Mom tries her best to calm Radha down every day by giving her a treat: a small piece of cucumber. Radha learns that when lights are turned out, she must wind down and try to go to sleep. She also learnt that she must learn to fall asleep on her own and that Krishna cannot always play with her, since he goes to sleep early. Radha is still trying to find her comfort zone. She is very active and loves to play. Just like us humans, pets also have sleeping issues or sleeping disorders that we are not aware of, until we tune ourselves to their senses.

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REVIEW:

5 stars!

Children will relate to the vividly illustrated and simple story.

Let’s Hide From Mom is the fun sequel to author Parimalasri Docktor’s children’s book Tortoise Goes to the Vet. It features Radha, an Indian Star Tortoise who, like many young children, doesn’t want to go to bed at her established time. Along with her tortoise companion, Krishna, she scrambles to hide from Mom when she comes to put them to bed.

Radha is a precocious little tortoise who knows all the best hiding places. She also tries to coach Krishna in finding the perfect spot. Small children will love hearing about how they escape detection, maybe seeing themselves in Radha’s desire to stay up past bedtime.

The author also illustrates the story and uses bright colors in her often intricately detailed scenes. Her style gives readers plenty to look at and discover on each page. At the end of the book, there is an entertaining section devoted to finding specific items hidden in plain sight, such as birds, butterflies, and insects. That bumblebee is a tricky one!

I recommend LET’S HIDE FROM MOM to young readers and adults for reading aloud.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Parimalasri Docktor, the author of Where is he? Tank the Tortoise, Tortoise Goes to the Vet, and Let’s Hide From Mom, was featured in CBS-3 News coverage in Philadelphia. She has had the opportunity of book-signing events in and around the Philadelphia region. She has sold her books internationally as well. This book, Let’s Hide From Mom, is a sequel to her second book, Tortoise Goes to the Vet.

Being called the “tortoise whisperer,” the author enjoys her interactions with her pet tortoises. Having four tortoises helps the author to be more creative and encourages her in writing and illustrating her own books. The author self-taught digital art, and this is her second book that is fully illustrated by her.

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Book Blast & Giveaway: I Think It Might Rain by Rick Marchand, illustrated by Nicole Herbut

I THINK IT MIGHT RAIN

by

Rick Marchand

Illustrated by Nicole Herbut

 

Children’s Picture Book / Growing Up

Publisher: Tellwell Talent

Publication Date: November 25, 2023

Page count: 34 pages

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

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SYNOPSIS:

Meet Bartholomew, a curious, kind and sweet third grader. One day, Bartholomew wakes up and is convinced he sees a black cloud forming in the clear blue sky. “I think it might rain,” he proclaims. But what happens when his family, friends, and classmates don’t believe him? Will he be able to stand up to the bullies who call him names? Will he hold firm in his beliefs?

 

READ AN EXCERPT:

As the sun beamed brightly through his bedroom window, Bartholomew pulled on his tee shirt – the one with his favourite Pokémon design. As his head popped out, he noticed a small black spot far in the distance. That doesn’t look good, he thought.

Grabbing quickly for his telescope, he pointed, focused the lens, and peered out through its long-extended tube to see just what the small black spot might be.

His imagination scaring him a little, he thought out loud: “Could be an assault helicopter? Maybe even a stealth bomber? Are we being attacked by aliens?”

Bartholomew raised the telescope. Refocusing the lens, he decided to have another look. What if it’s just one of those huge hot air balloons?

Straightening back up, scratching his head, a puzzled look now on his face, he thought, No way; I’ve never seen one of those around here.

Taking one last look, squinting as he focused out towards the black dot, “I GOT IT!!” he yelled out, loud and proud. “That’s a storm cloud and it’s heading our way. I think it might rain!!!”

 

REVIEW:

5 stars!

Don’t let bullies rain on your parade!

I Think It Might Rain by Rick Marchand and illustrated by Nicole Herbut is warm and fun and, interestingly, a father-daughter collaboration. The story features bright third-graders Bartholomew, Bart for short, who discovers a dark storm cloud far away on the horizon before school and surmises that the sunny morning will take a stormy turn later.

Bart is convinced rain is on the way and dresses in preparation; his mother isn’t so sure. However, she allows him to decide to wear his rain gear to school despite her belief that the other kids on the bus will think he looks silly.

The story encourages children to believe in themselves, especially when they have evidence supporting their views, and not letting bullies rain on their parade. The action is accompanied by colorful and detailed illustrations that bring the story to life and assists readers in visualizing the action.

I recommend I THINK IT MIGHT RAIN to young readers and adults and believe it would be especially effective for reading aloud.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Richard Marchand and Nicole Herbut are a father/daughter, grandfather/mother, author/illustrator team creating picture books for young boys and girls. Their stories centre on a young boy named Bartholomew and his family and friends. They are designed to convey a simple yet meaningful message that can help young children learn from and grow with. Rick’s stories were developed with his own daughters who at a very young age wanted him to “read a story from his mouth” and not a book.

Buy the book at Amazon, Indigo Chapters, Barnes and Noble, Booktopia, or Walmart.

Join Bartholomew’s journey of belief and courage! Enter to win a e-copy of ‘I Think It Might Rain’—a heartwarming tale of kindness overcoming doubt.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

I Think It Might Rain by Rick Marchand

I Think It Might Rain

by Rick Marchand

Giveaway ends May 20, 2024.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

 

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WOW! WOMEN ON WRITING TOUR of Tales From a Rogue Ranger by Rosanne S. McHenry

Rosanne McHenry

WOW! WOMEN ON WRITING TOUR

of

Tales From a Rogue Ranger

Tour Begins April 8

Memoir

Publisher: Book Baby

Publication Date: April 15, 2024

Print length: 239 pages

SYNOPSIS:

Tales From a Rogue Ranger is full of stories that speak to the comedy and tragedy of being a park ranger: a job that is nothing like you might imagine.  Set against the stunning backdrop of California’s American River Canyon, this is an engaging and wildly unusual read about the untamed life of a woman ranger.  From a miner riding a mule to a young man lost in the system, these tales show the kaleidoscope of characters a park ranger encounters, giving the reader a fascinating look into a true ranger experience. Readers will laugh out loud, cry tears of sadness, and feel the greatest joy as they revel in this amazing book! 

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REVIEW:

5 stars!

Engagingly told stories from a former park ranger’s life.

Tales From a Rogue Ranger is the latest collection of memories from the career of former national and state park ranger Rosanne S. McHenry, author of Trip Tales: From Family Camping to Life as a Ranger. McHenry writes so engagingly that I was drawn into her world and past, and I thoroughly enjoyed the visit.

With many years of experience in the state and national park services, Rosanne McHenry knows what she’s talking about and has a wealth of tales to draw upon; she probably had a heck of time limiting which ones to include. The stories feature wildlife encounters and those with the even wilder two-legged variety. Dealing with the public can be the source of nightmares. Funny stories shine, emergencies are tense, and others remind us that the job is not for the weak of heart or spirit; it’s not just giving nature talks or guiding nature walks. The park ranger job is a serious, critical profession that the author and her coworkers did exceptionally well.

I recommend TALES FROM A ROGUE RANGER to non-fiction readers, especially those who enjoy memoirs and time in nature.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Rosanne S. McHenry has worked as both a U.S. National Park Ranger and a California State Park Ranger. Her ranger experiences include the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Mount Rainier National Park, the Auburn State Recreation Area, Folsom Lake, Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, and Death Valley National Park, among others. 

In her latest book, Tales From a Rogue Ranger, McHenry shares her experiences about the rough and tumble life of a patrol ranger near Auburn, California. A park ranger’s job is nothing like you might imagine! Set against the stunning backdrop of California’s American River Canyon, this is an engaging and wildly unusual read about the untamed life of a woman ranger.

McHenry, who also wrote Trip Tales: From Family Camping to Life as a Ranger, currently lives and works in Auburn, California, with her husband.  The beautiful American River Canyon is adjacent to their home in the Sierra Nevada Foothills.

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BLOG TOUR CALENDAR:

April 8th @ The Muffin – Join us at WOW as we celebrate the launch of Rosanne McHenry’s book Tales From a Rogue Ranger. Read an interview with the author and enter for a chance to win a copy of the book.

April 9th @ What Is That Book About – Get the 411 on Tales From a Rogue Ranger, the story of life as a ranger by Rosanne S. McHenry.

April 10th @ Fancy That! – Summer’s right around the corner! Get ready with Advice for a Road Trip to a National Park, a guest post by author Rosanne S. McHenry.

April 11th @ Words by Webb – Looking for a different kids of vacation read? Read a review of  Rosanne McHenry’s Tales From a Rogue Ranger.

April 14th @ Sara Trimble – Read of review of Rosanne McHenry’s Tales From a Rogue Ranger today.

April 14 @ A Storybook World – The spotlight is on Tales From a Rogue Ranger, a book about Rosanne McHenry’s adventures as a park ranger.

April 18th @ Word Magic: All About Books – Rosanne S. McHenry, author of Tales From a Rogue Ranger learned a lot during her days as a ranger. Today she shares How NOT to Get Bitten by a Gigantic Rattlesnake.

April 19th @ Pages and Paws – Stop by for a review of Rosanne S. McHenry’s book Tales From a Rogue Ranger by Kristine and her canine reviewing partner Kimber.

April 20th @ The Shaggy Shepherd – Join Isabelle at The Shaggy Shepherd for a guest post about the Best National Parks for Families by Rosanne S. McHenry, author of Tales From a Rogue Ranger.

April 22nd @ Beverley Baird – Learn Beverley’s thoughts about Rosanne S. McHenry’s latest book Tales From a Rogue Ranger.

April 23rd @ Chapter Break – Stop by for an interview with Rosanne McHenry, author of Tales From a Rogue Ranger.

April 24th @ Choices – Rosanne McHenry, author of Tales From a Rogue Ranger, tells us how she learned to Succeed at a Job You Never Wanted

April 26th @ Beverley Baird – Stop by Beverley Baird’s blog for a guest post by author Rosanne S. McHenry about how to choose which life stories “make the cut” in your memoir.

April 26th @ The Faerie Review – The Faerie Review is spotlighting Tales From a Rogue Ranger by Rosanne S. McHenry.

April 27th @ Pages and Paws – Rosanne S. McHenry, author of Tales From a Rogue Ranger, shares why being a ranger is Not Just a Walk in The Woods by sharing some animal rescues.

April 30th @ World of My Imagination – Read Nicole’s review of Tales From a Rogue Ranger by Rosanne S. McHenry.

May 3rd @ Sara Trimble – Stop by Sara Trimble’s blog for a guest post on how to choose a book cover from Rosanne McHenry, author of Tales From a Rogue Ranger.

May 9th @ Knotty Needle – Judy shares her thoughts on Rosanne McHenry’s latest book: Tales From a Rogue Ranger.

May 11th @ Boys’ Mom Reads! – Find out what a Boys’ Mom thinks of Tales From a Rogue Ranger by Rosanne McHenry.

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May 12th @ Jill Sheet’s Blog – Learn more about the author of Tales From a Rogue Ranger with an interview of Rosanne McHenry.

https://jillsheets.blogspot.com/

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Filed under Biography/Memoir, Book Reviews, Memoir

Book Tour: A Gift from God by Jacob Dwyer

Christian Children’s Book

Date Published: March 19, 2024

 

 

Baby Joan explores her vast potential in a world new to her. Teeming with challenges (not for the faint of heart) nature calls her to action! Armed with courage and called by God, Joan learns what matters most. Throughout her creative adventures she learns the value of life and that all along, she was loved right where she was.

Originally written as a poem, A Gift from God comforts many families suffering loss. Now available as a children’s book, this precious addition offers illustrations that capture the beauty of life through the eyes of a child.

Dedicated to our baby: Joan Estelle Dwyer

A Gift From God is proof of Joan’s life on earth, the human experience she shared, and the way she changed the world for the better.

About the Author

Hello, friends! My name is Jacob Dwyer. I’ve enjoyed a wide range of hobbies over the years, but I never thought I would be a published children’s book author. My journey into storytelling was sparked by inspiration during what my wife and I consider the worst season of our lives. It is the single most character defining event of my life so, in a way, sharing this book is like sharing a piece of myself.

Currently blessed with my wife Ashley, and our second daughter, Genevieve, I am humbled by God’s love for me. As a paramedic by trade and a friend at heart, I hope to model a spirit of faith and healing; for we are not meant to live life alone.

If you want to hear our full story or would like to share yours, reach out at http://www.HugginsHouse.org

 

Contact Links

Website

Facebook

Review

5 stars!

Vibrant, joy-filled illustrations and lyrical rhyming text.

A Gift from God by Jacob Dwyer is a celebration of the life of a real child, Joan Estelle Dwyer, by her parents. With its vibrant, joy-filled illustrations and lyrical rhyming text, it is a beautiful tribute and a lovely, sharable story for children and adults who will experience it in quite different ways. On the face, this Christian fiction story is about adventures featuring a little girl in a variety of settings; however, there is a subtext adults will understand, especially knowing the underlying history.

I recommend A GIFT FROM GOD to parents of young children.

Purchase Links

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

 

RABT Book Tours & PR

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Filed under Book Reviews, Childrens, Christian fiction, Inspirational, Love & Loss, Parenting, Picture Book

WOW! WOMEN ON WRITING TOUR: Dancing Between the Raindrops by Lisa Braxton

Lisa Braxton-Reid

WOW! WOMEN ON WRITING TOUR

of

Dancing Between the Raindrops:

A Daughter’s Reflections on Love and Loss

Tour Begins April 29

Memoir

Publisher: Sea Crow Press

Publication Date: February 23, 2024

Page count: 158 pages

SYNOPSIS:

Dancing Between the Raindrops: A Daughter’s Reflections on Love and Loss, is a powerful meditation on grief, a deeply personal mosaic of a daughter’s remembrances of beautiful, challenging and heartbreaking moments of life with her family. It speaks to anyone who has lost a loved one and is trying to navigate the world without them while coming to terms with complicated emotions.

Lisa Braxton’s parents died within two years of each other—her mother from ovarian cancer, her father from prostate cancer. While caring for her mother she was stunned to find out that she, herself, had a life-threatening illness—breast cancer.

In this intimate, lyrical memoir-in-essays, Lisa Braxton takes us to the core of her loss and extends a lifeline of comfort to anyone who needs to be reminded that in their grief they are not alone.

CLICK TO PURCHASE!

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REVIEW:

5 stars!

A loving tribute to beloved parents and memories of earlier times.

Dancing Between the Raindrops by Lisa Braxton is a wonderful collection of essays, poems, and stories of growing up black in a predominantly white community during the late 60s and early 70s, finding oneself, and caring for beloved parents as they age, decline in health, and ultimately pass away, all punctuated with touching family photos. The stories are bittersweet at times, nostalgic, and often heartbreaking. Each chapter is compelling reading, and, being a contemporary of the author, I was frequently able to relate and remember or moved to reflect on my own experiences, especially those describing the struggle with her father’s growing dementia and mother’s battle with cancer.

The author’s storytelling commands your complete attention; her words made me feel like I was witnessing the incidents she described firsthand. Ms. Braxton has led a remarkable life and weathered a long, intense, and emotional storm over the last couple of years with her mother’s illness and subsequent diagnosis, her personal battle with breast cancer, and the loss of both parents within a mere two years of each other. She’s laid her heart out on each page, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to read them.

I recommend DANCING BETWEEN THE RAINDROPS: A DAUGHTER’S REFLECTION ON LOVE AND LOSS to non-fiction readers, especially those who love a well-written, deeply affecting memoir.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lisa Braxton is the author of the novel, The Talking Drum, winner of a 2021 Independent Publisher (IPPY) Book Awards Gold Medal, overall winner of Shelf Unbound book review magazine’s 2020 Independently Published Book Award, and winner of a 2020 Outstanding Literary Award from the National Association of Black Journalists and a Finalist for the International Book Awards. She is also an Emmy-nominated former television journalist, an essayist, and short story writer.

She is on the executive board of the Writers Room of Boston and a writing instructor at Grub Street Boston, and currently serves as President of the Greater Boston Section of the National Council of Negro Women and is a member of the Psi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

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BLOG TOUR CALENDAR:

April 29th @ The Muffin – Join us at WOW as we celebrate the launch of Lisa Braxton’s memoir Dancing Between the Raindrops. Read an interview with the author and enter for a chance to win a copy of the book.

May 1st @ Beverley Baird – Lisa Braxton, author of the memoir Dancing Between the Raindrops, shares the experience of being an adult orphan.

May 2nd @ A Storybook World – Start the month with a touching memoir. Read more about Lisa Braxton’s Dancing Between the Raindrops.

May 3rd @ Beverley Baird – Bev reviews Dancing Between the Raindrops, a memoir by Lisa Braxton.

May 5th @ Choices – How important is it to be part of a writing group? Dancing Between the Raindrops author Lisa Braxton gives her opinion on writing groups.

May 6th @ Anthony Avina – Stop by for a surprise guest post with Lisa Braxton, author of the memoir Dancing Between the Raindrops.

May 8th @ The Shaggy Shepherd – How to answer the question “Do You Have Kids?” with guest post Lisa Braxton, author of the memoir Dancing Between the Raindrops.

May 9th @ Boys’ Mom Reads! – Find out how a Boys’ Mom feels about the memoir Dancing Between the Raindrops with today’s review.

May 13th @ Word Magic – Stop by for a guest post about growing up in the family business by Lisa Braxton, author of the memoir Dancing Between the Raindrops.

May 14th @ What Is That Book About – Looking for a new book for your TBR pile? Stop by for a spotlight on Lisa Braxton’s memoir Dancing Between the Raindrops.

May 15th @ From the TBR PileDancing Between the Raindrops author Lisa Braxton will be visiting with a guest post today.

May 16th @ Fancy That! – Lisa Braxton, author of Dancing Between the Raindrops, is at Fancy That today writing about grieving the death of elderly parents.

May 23rd at Words by Webb – Read a review of Lisa Braxton’s Dancing Between the Raindrops today.

May 24th @ World of My Imagination – Enjoy Nicole’s review of Dancing Between the Raindrops, a memoir by Lisa Braxton.

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Filed under Aging, Biography/Memoir, Book Reviews, Essays, Family, Grief & Bereavement, Love & Loss, Memoir, Non-fiction