Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 129
March 29, 2023
Blog Tour: BELLS AND BOMBSHELLS by Trixie Silvertale
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Trixie Silvertale will be awarding a $75 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other hosts on the tour.
A pattern of murder. A threadbare case. Can our psychic sleuth pick out the guilty before time spools out?
Mitzy Moon is finally tying the knot. And she’s loving the whole town’s excitement for their upcoming big day. But when their tailor is found buttons up behind a jazz lounge, the almost-newlyweds will have to hem in a murderer before their dreams rip apart at the seams.
Knowing they’ll get no help from the new sheriff in town, the couple embarks on a tightly woven undercover assignment. But Mitzy fails to heed ominous warnings from her mentor, Ghost-ma, and her entitled feline. When another body drops, she could be the next target erased by the mounting powers in the darkness…
Can Mitzy and Erick unravel the twisted clues, or will their wedding be eclipsed by a funeral?
Bells and Bombshells is the first book in a hilarious new paranormal cozy mystery series, Harper and Moon Investigations. If you like snarky heroines, supernatural intrigue, and a dash of romance, then you’ll love Trixie Silvertale’s wedded whodunit.
Buy Bells and Bombshells to stitch up a killer today!
Read an Excerpt
“Once you wake up, head over to the station for a going away party. I wouldn’t want you to miss it.” A wonderful text from my fiancé, Sheriff Harper.
A thrill of excitement rockets up my spine. A going away party? Dear Lord baby Jesus, it can’t be true. Is my arch-nemesis and resident bully, Deputy Paulsen, finally leaving the force? I never thought I’d see this day. Now I have two amazing things to celebrate this week!
I place my dishes in the bus bin behind the counter, wave to my grandfather, and practically run out of the diner.
When I burst into the station, I’m not surprised to find the front desk abandoned. The deputy I’ve nicknamed Furious Monkeys is usually in residence, deep into said video game by this time of the morning. However, it seems the entire force has shown up to celebrate the end of Deputy Paulsen’s reign.
I glance around the overflowing bullpen, and several familiar faces toss smiles my way. All the local deputies, of course, but there are also a number of deputies from the nearby town of Broken Rock. Including the sharpshooter, Boomer. He’s helped out on a few previous cases. Not surprising he’d be here. However, the presence of two of the FBI agents that assisted Erick and me in nabbing an interstate train robbery gang seems highly out of place.
Sheriff Harper was the one who worked with them and —
It’s at that precise moment I see the makeshift sign flapping in the breeze near the overhead heater vent. The handmade signage reads:
“You’ll be missed, Sheriff Harper!”
What the —?
About the Author:
USA TODAY Bestselling author Trixie Silvertale grew up reading an endless supply of Lilian Jackson Braun, Hardy Boys, and Nancy Drew novels. She loves the amateur sleuths in cozy mysteries and obsesses about all things paranormal. Those two passions unite in her Harper and Moon Investigations series, and she's thrilled to write them and share them with you.Website
Audible Author Page
Amazon Author Page
BookBub Author Page
Amazon
a Rafflecopter giveaway
March 28, 2023
Blog Tour: SILHOUETTE by Paul G. Swingle
Silhouette
by Paul G. Swingle
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Literary Fiction
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
On the night of a blue moon, while walking his dog, middle-aged widower Jim sees Gladys on the roof of a neighboring apartment building and is inspired to speak with her. There’s just one problem: she can’t hear him.
Indeed, Jim isn’t even sure that Gladys truly exists—that she isn’t just a rooftop patio umbrella silhouetted against the moon. Hampered by debilitating social anxiety, he cannot work up the courage to even wave.
Yet Jim returns to the same spot night after night, and Gladys—who is indeed real—sees him and becomes equally interested. She even contributes to their “conversation,” though he cannot hear her either. And while Gladys struggles with her own demons—self-loathing and depression—she is lifted by Jim’s attention, even as she describes how difficult her life has been.
Two characters, driven by sadness and a longing to connect. Will they?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt One:
Tonight, I saw a rooftop patio umbrella move. Or was it a woman? It’s May 31, the night of the blue moon. I was taking my dog Gus for his nightly walk. On the rooftop of a building across the street from my apartment, against the light of the huge moon, I saw the silhouette of a patio umbrella. I’d been seeing that umbrella on that roof for weeks—months, maybe. Every time I walked the dog or snuck a puff on my cigar, it was there. Immobile and static. Always in the same place, always visible against either the daytime sky or the city-lit night. I had thought nothing of it, other than wondering if anyone ever used that patio. But tonight, I saw the umbrella silhouette move. “Son of a bitch,” I said. “What the hell is that? Was it the wind?” Startled, I tried to shake off an eerie feeling. Had the umbrella really moved? I don’t care for rooftop patios myself. I’ve been to 4 a few. You have to drag yourself up the stairs, hoping no one else is there when you arrive, so you can have a bit of solace. I always forget something downstairs.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Review: It all started with a silhouette—an umbrella silhouette on a rooftop patio. It moved that night…or so the man walking his dog thought.
Jim and Glady were two lonely souls just watching each other from afar. They were both self-deprecating individuals, always downgrading themselves and not feeling worthy of much. Each character POV section read like an ode to the other nameless, faceless character. He was “John” of course, and she was “the silhouette.” The diary prose was reflective and poetic with the whole thing pretty much reading almost like haiku. At times, the narrative seemed to be a constant drone of random thoughts. Quite honestly, the whole thing felt uneventful to me. It was like reading a bunch of love letters. It was nice and decent, but it wasn’t that captivating for me.
Rating: 3 stars
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
.jpg)
Dr. Paul G. Swingle can be considered one of the founding fathers of Clinical Psychoneurophysiology, one of a select few, directly responsible for bringing Neurotherapy out of university labs and clinics to the general populace in the 1980’s.
His academic positions include, Professor of Psychology at the University of Ottawa from 1972 to 1997, Lecturer in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School from 1991 to 1998, Associate Attending Psychologist at McLean Hospital (Boston), Head of the Clinical Psychophysiology Service McLean Hospital (Boston). Professor Swingle was also Clinical Supervisor at the University of Ottawa from 1987 to 1997 and Chairman of the Faculty of Child Psychology from 1972 to 1977. Dr. Swingle is a Registered Psychologist in British Columbia and is Board Certified in Biofeedback and Neurotherapy. He is actively involved in research and practice. His numerous publications include nine books and numerous peer reviewed journal publications.
https://www.amazon.com/Silhouette-Paul-G-Swingle/dp/B09C3D527K
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/61878792
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY
Paul G. Swingle will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
March 27, 2023
Blog Tour: THERE'S NO PLAN LIKE NO PLAN by Steve Searfoss
KidVenture Vol. 2
Middle Grade Fiction
Date Published: 02-23-2022
Chance & Addie are back for a new adventure. Riding high off of the success of their first business, they decide to launch a new venture, this time shoveling snowy driveways in the winter. They are full of confidence: they have a team of kids, a shed full of shovels, repeat customers, and, best of all, a great plan. But sometimes the perfect plan can get in the way of adapting to something as fickle as the weather. Will they learn to be flexible and figure how to make this new venture work? They're losing money fast as new challenges pile up faster than the falling snow. Perhaps a curious new partner can show them the way.
KidVenture stories are business adventures where kids figure out how to market their company, understand risk, and negotiate. Each chapter ends with a challenge, including business decisions, ethical dilemmas and interpersonal conflict for young readers to wrestle with. As the story progresses, the characters track revenue, costs, profit margin, and other key metrics which are explained in simple, fun ways that tie into the story.
Review: The end of summer put an end to the pool cleaning business, and the beginning of winter opened up a new kid venture: shoveling snow.
As always, smart Chance had the whole business venture planned out with costs and calculations. This kid certainly knows how to crunch the numbers. The kids get everything ready. They buy the shovels and hire the workers. They were ready for everything…except, where was the snow? The kid acted too prematurely if you ask me. Now the kid was out $80 already from having to pay a full crew of workers to sit around and do nothing. Ouch!
Chance learns the hard way that there’s no such thing as “easy money.” Unfortunately, this venture wasn’t starting out so well with having to pay out TWICE for no snow. With no snow, there were no customers. Sometimes we need to fail to learn from our mistakes. A good lesson in humility and acceptance. It’s true that plans don’t always work out. In fact, the best plan is No Plan. It’s important to be flexible. You don’t own your customers. They can choose to hire you or not.
As usual, I loved the illustrations. I liked that each chapter asked the reader the question of “what would you do?” The kids come up with creative ways of getting the word out about their business. But, of course, they ran into their problems. How do you deal with an irate customer that doesn’t want to pay? How do you handle OT?
Not only was this story a joy to read, but it gave good lessons on running your own business. Live and learn indeed.
A great read for anyone!
Rating: 5 stars
About the Author
I wrote my first KidVenture book after years of making up stories to teach my kids about business and economics. Whenever they'd ask how something works or why things were a certain way, I would say, "Let's pretend you have a business that sells..." and off we'd go. What would start as a simple hypothetical to explain a concept would become an adventure spanning several days as my kids would come back with new questions which would spawn more plot twists. Rather than give them quick answers, I tried to create cliffhangers to get them to really think through an idea and make the experience as interactive as possible.
I try to bring that same spirit of fun, curiosity and challenge to each KidVenture book. That’s why every chapter ends with a dilemma and a set of questions. KidVenture books are fun for kids to read alone, and even more fun to read together and discuss. There are plenty of books where kids learn about being doctors and astronauts and firefighters. There are hardly any where they learn what it’s like to run small business. KidVenture is different. The companies the kids start are modest and simple, but the themes are serious and important.
I’m an entrepreneur who has started a half dozen or so businesses and have had my share of failures. My dad was an entrepreneur and as a kid I used to love asking him about his business and learning the ins and outs of what to do and not do. Mistakes make the best stories — and the best lessons. I wanted to write a business book that was realistic, where you get to see the characters stumble and wander and reset, the way entrepreneurs do in real life. Unlike most books and movies where business is portrayed as easy, where all you need is one good idea and the desire to be successful, the characters in KidVenture find that every day brings new problems to solve.
Contact Links
Purchase Link
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Blog Tour: TRAVELING TOOTSIE by Karen and Kathy Honaker
Book Details:
Book Title: Traveling Tootsie by Karen and Kathy Honaker
Category: Children's Fiction (Ages 3-7), 38 pages
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Publisher: Mascot Books
Release date: Nov, 2022
Content Rating: G. Suitable for everyone.
**** 2023 Family Choice Award ****Book Description:
Have you ever wished you could go away on your parent’s business trip or hide in their suitcase to explore a new city all on your own? Well, Katie and Steven sure have! They wonder why they always have to stay home when Mommy or Daddy travel for work. Once their favorite yellow teddy, Tootsie, comes up with the idea to stow himself away for Daddy’s trip to Washington, DC, Katie and Steven realize that they’ll be able to travel along, too—but just not in the way they first imagine!
Buy the Book
Amazon ~ B&N
Politics and Prose
BAM ~ indiebound ~ Bookshop.org
Mascot Books
Meet the Author:Kathy and Karen grew up in the Chicago suburbs and moved to Virginia as teenagers. They enjoyed many family vacations, which began their love of travel. They both reside in Virginia with their families and continue to instill a love of travel with their own children. This is their first children’s book written together, about a favorite childhood memory that they always wanted to share with others to enjoy. They hope to inspire a sense of adventure in you!
connect with the author: website ~ twitter ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ goodreads
Review: Daddy was going on a trip. Why can’t the kids ever go? So they decided to pretend to go on a trip using their vivid imaginations.
“If we can’t go with Daddy, then we’ll go on our very own journey.”
The kids had set up the chairs around the room and were even packing their own suitcases. But wait! An idea. Could they possibly stow away in Daddy’s suitcase to come along on the trip?
I couldn’t figure out where the talking bear came into play, nor did I see where the kids decided to pack the bear instead. But, evidently, this was a trip for Traveling Tootsie.
While Daddy is away, Tootsie hops out of case and goes exploring Washington, DC, where he sees The White House, the Capitol, the zoo, The Smithsonian Museum,
The colorful illustrations were sketchy and child-like, almost like they were rendered in crayon, which brought the vibrant innocence.
It certainly was a fun and exciting journey that’s sure to inspire travel and learning. Where else will Tootsie go?
A nice, adorable read!
Rating: 4 stars
Enter the Giveaway:
Traveling Tootsie by Karen and Kathy Honaker Book Tour Giveaway
March 25, 2023
Review: BABYSITTER’S LITTLE SISTER: KAREN’S ROLLER SKATES by Katy Farina
When Karen goes too fast on her roller skates, she feels like she’s flying. She was certainly an excited, little kid. You can tell by how repetitive she is and how trivial her story telling is.
One day, she jumps over paint cans and falls, hurting her wrist. Uh-oh. Time to go to the hospital. We go through all the procedures and technical phrases, which were not very exciting.
At home, the whole family helps care for Karen…until, one day, they stop and she has to do things herself. The doctor said no roller skating for 2 months, which doesn’t make Karen happy. Then she gets into competition with a boy, who claims to have a better cast than her. Just one thing after another with Karen.
It’s a cute, little tale. Loved the illustrations, of course.
Rating: 4 stars
Review: BABYSITTER’S LITTLE SISTER: KAREN’S WITCH by Katy Farina
The rule was not to spy on the neighbors, but how can you help it…when you knew the neighbor was a witch?
See how the mind of a 7-year-old runs wild with this witch story. Loved the facial expressions. Too funny! It was fun to see the girls run from the scary witch.
An entertaining graphic novel with fun and colorful illustrations!
Rating: 4 stars
Review: BABYSITTERS LITTLE SISTER: KAREN’S WORST DAY by Katy Farina
Karen’s worst day started with not getting the prize in the cereal box. Then it went on to the cancellation of her favorite show. She also couldn’t go bike-riding because of her broken arm. Unfortunately, she was taking out her bad day on everyone. Can Karen put an end to her bad day and her bad mood?
Such dynamic expressions and poses made the illustrations come alive. A nice, little graphic novel!
Rating: 4 stars
Review: I SURVIVED THE ATTACK OF THE GRIZZLIES, 1967 by Lauren Tarshis
Book had some nice and colorful illustrations in comic-like panels. It was especially exciting when the bear was clawing against the pane and leaping off the pages. Some of the text was a little too small to read and the Kindle version didn’t allow for much enlargement. But I didn’t need to read anything to see how terrifying the bear attack was. You don’t feed the bears for a reason! It was fun seeing it all in these comic panels.
I like bears, and this one had such a sweet backstory on them. Why must people hurt them?
A nice one!
Rating: 4 stars
Review: I SURVIVED THE SHARK ATTACKS OF 1916 by Lauren Tarshis
Killer scene of the shark coming at the boy. Whoa! Talk about leaping right off the pages.
The images were sort of retro, reminiscent of the Golden 20’s era. At least, this Kindle version allowed me to zoom in on the text so I can read it more. There’s a lot of history and old folktales with these characters. There’s also a lot of text that I wasn’t really too fond of reading, but the illustrations were good. They reminded me of Jack Kirby’s artistic style.
An okay graphic novel.
Rating: 3 stars
March 24, 2023
Blog Tour: THE SPIRIT OF HARRIET TUBMAN: AWAKENING FROM THE UNDERGROUND by Spring Washam
The Spirit of Harriet Tubman:
Awakening from the Underground
by Spring Washam
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
.jpg)
GENRE: Non-Fiction: African American History
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
The Spirit of Harriet Tubman, who was called the Moses of her people, is rising again, and we can call forth her spirit to embody incredible strength and unwavering courage. Combining direct transmissions of Harriet's message with insightful explorations of her life and legacy, this extraordinary book gives us support and inspiration to deepen our roots of resilience and become powerful conductors of love and truth in our own lives.
We can learn how to remain fearless in the face of hatred and confusion. And through Harriet Tubman's guidance, we will learn how to meet the challenges of this moment with a compassionate heart.
Spring's previous works have been praised by Publishers Weekly as "bring[ing] considerable gifts for conveying her vision of personal change and offer[ing] vivid, inspiring testimony to the power of Buddhism." And now, she inspires a new generation of activists to carry her message and her work forward.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt One:
One day while meditating in my tree house, it dawned on me that others might be interested in Harriet and maybe others were having a similar experience to mine. As I shared my story, my friend Joselyn encouraged me to teach a class on the Dharma of Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. So, I did. I organized a Zoom class to meet on five straight Sunday mornings. I had no idea if this would interest anyone, but I felt it was important for me to share Harriet’s courageous spirit with others. I posted a flyer on the Internet and sent it to my mailing list, and within a week and a half, hundreds of people had registered. These people were clearly interested in Harriet Tubman’s life and how it intersected with the Dharma; my beloved assistant and I were flooded with e-mails from all over the world. I was awestruck and excited. Who would have imagined there were so many people as passionate about Harriet as I was!
Our Sunday online classes were overflowing with spiritual teachings, guided meditations, and gospel music. I shared the inspiring stories I was learning about Harriet and her Underground Railroad allies. I was bringing hope and inspiration to others, and to myself. I got to speak a lot, but so did others. There were so many wise people present, and I called on many of them to share their wisdom and experiences. What started out as a five-week class became a five-month “Church of Harriet Tubman” journey, and it carried us through the presidential election of 2020. Hundreds of people from all around the world brought their open hearts to our Sunday services, and during those two hours together, we laughed, cried, prayed up a storm, and then we danced. So many of us felt this deep connection with Harriet and were also feeling her magic and her power in our daily lives. We uplifted one another so much that we all cried when it ended. It was a multicultural, interfaith, intergenerational, international community. Those two hours each week for five months were beautiful, and downright holy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Spring Washam is a well-known meditation and dharma teacher based in Oakland, California. She is a founding member and core teacher at the East Bay Meditation Center located in downtown Oakland. She is the founder of Lotus Vine Journeys, an organization that blends indigenous healing practices with Buddhist wisdom. She was trained by Jack Kornfield and has studied numerous meditation practices and Buddhist philosophy since 1997. She is a member of the Spirit Rock Teachers Council. In addition to being a teacher, she is also a healer, facilitator, spiritual activist, and writer. Spring is considered a pioneer in bringing mindfulness-based healing practices into diverse communities. She has studied indigenous healing practices and shamanic practices for over a decade. She has practiced and studied under some of the most preeminent meditation masters in both the Theravada and Tibetan schools of Buddhism. She currently travels and teaches workshops, classes, and retreats worldwide.
For more information on Spring Washam, or to follow her social media for event updates, inspiring quotes, and images:
Website: http://www.springwasham.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/spring.washam
FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/teacher.springwasham/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvoIv70jZKKXT2-ctKGhr7A
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpringWasham
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/springwasham/
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Spirit-Harriet-Tubman-Awakening-Underground-ebook/dp/B09YQZ79C5/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY :
Spring Washam will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
