Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 169
September 26, 2022
Blog Tour: BEDTIME STORIES FOR THE LIVING by Jay Armstrong
Bedtime Stories for the Living
By Jay Armstrong
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GENRE: Non-fiction/Memoir
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BLURB:
Diagnosed with a progressive brain disease, a young father is determined to teach his children the importance of pursuing their dreams.
A cell phone’s ring interrupts the silence as Jay Armstrong sits in his high school classroom preparing for the year ahead. Something about the ring makes his stomach drop. It’s his doctor.
The words, “diffuse cerebellar atrophy, a rare, degenerative brain disease” float through the speaker. All of Jay’s youthful dreams of being a writer rush back, flooding the twenty years he has spent teaching students how to appreciate novels, memoirs, and poetry. The care he put into teaching them how to write with clarity, insight, and humor, and how to dance at the prom. The bedtime stories he never told his children spin in his imagination. It will all die when he dies.
Jay chooses to experience his condition as an inspiration here to teach him to appreciate the time he still has. He writes letters and stories to his three children about his failing voice, his impaired motor skills, and falling down on Christmas morning. Writing helps him cope with the illness and its symptoms. And so, he accepts the mission of writing more stories for them: the difference his father’s wink made at a critical moment of a baseball game, why they should take walks even in cruddy weather, and how he avoided having to explain what semen is for.
As his condition worsens, Jay’s faith in the power of storytelling deepens. His daily life is wildly different than he foresaw, and possibly shorter, but he can leave his children a legacy more valuable than any financial inheritance. He writes "Bedtime Stories for the Living", an episodic memoir to show his children how to accept their limitations and find joy. The collection of tender, witty stories about fatherhood, persevering despite illness, and pursuing your dreams, demonstrates how love gives us the strength to face heartache with bravery and grace.
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Excerpt One:
Introduction
There is something you should know. In the history of my ordinary suburban life, I’ve never told any of my three children a bedtime story. Not telling your child a bedtime story seems like a major dad offense. Like forgetting them at Target or wearing a clown costume to “Back-to-School Night” or letting them swim twenty-six minutes after lunch.
Do I love my children?
On most days I do.
On most days, like you, they’re decent people. So why didn’t I tell them bedtime stories?
Selfishly, I don’t like the pressure. The nightlight. The slow swirl of the ceiling fan blades. Their big eyes staring up at me, expecting me to entertain them, to stir their imagination. Who do they think I am? Bruce Springsteen? No. I’m a dad who gets his sushi from a supermarket. I wear sneakers with khaki pants. I once taught high school English in New Jersey. I mean, to be creative and tell a story on demand is down-right stressful. Who needs that kind of stress after 9 pm?
My parents were better parents. When I was a kid, Mom and Dad would tuck me into bed and tell me stories about my grandfathers and grandmothers, about how Mom and Dad met, or about playing stickball in narrow Philadelphia streets. Bedtime stories were history. They brought my little universe into focus, shaped my identity, and instilled a love of storytelling.
As good suburban boys do, I fell in love, got married, and had three kids. Just when things were going as planned, in 2013, I was diagnosed with a progressive brain disease called diffuse cerebellar atrophy. The disease degenerates my motor skills, balance, coordination, eyesight, and speech. A fall can lead to a head injury and weakening esophageal muscles to choking and asphyxiation, and so on—a veritable smorgasbord of potentially fatal complications. Two years later, sarcoidosis, a complicated autoimmune disorder that attacks every major body organ, was added to my list of health issues.
It was only when the prospect of death became real that I began writing.
In 2015, I created Write On Fight On (writeonfighton.org), and for the next five years I wrote and posted bedtime stories I never told my kids. By writing these stories, I began to reexamine who I once was, who I am now, and the man and father I hoped to one day grow up to be. Writing made me realize, in the face of our inevitable death, our time to tell our story is painfully brief. And that we should make like Springsteen and do what we can to achieve our dreams.
As I wrote this book, time passed. The kids grew up. My diseases progressed. People I love died. And one spring morning, standing in the driveway with my hands in my pockets, time’s yellow chariot turned the corner. The air brakes exhaled, “Bye Dad” was said, and as the bus, my children, and a swirl of exhaust smoke disappeared down the street, I realized the irony of my effort. I was trying to preserve time while it was passing like a school bus in the morning. We can’t stop time. We can only slow time by doing what we love. Doing the things that make us feel alive. And I have never been more alive than when telling a story.
This is a book of bedtime stories for the living. Stories that, if I did my job well, slow time, and make you and me glad to be alive. These stories are real. Or as real as memory allows them to be. As I discovered, life is both a funny and a heartbreaking experience. These stories are the moments I want to share with you because I believe, deep in my dad heart, we all have stories worth sharing.
I came across an article about how, in the mid 1990’s, Dr. Marshall Duke and Dr. Robyn Fivush of Emory University developed and conducted a twenty question survey of children entitled, “Do You Know” which asked them about their families. The results showed that the more stories, both positive and negative, the children knew about their family’s history, the more resilient the children tended to be. As the study concluded, knowing family stories was “the single best predictor of children’s emotional health and happiness.” For better or worse, our family stories help us navigate our own troubles. Stories gift us courage when we’re afraid, offer direction when we’re lost, or comfort when we’re lonely.
Dear reader, please know that I’m humbled you are reading this book. Thank you. I hope my stories help you, give you permission to dream, and maybe give you the strength to tell your own stories. I hope you paid full price for this book because college for three ain’t free.
But if this book doesn’t offer my children financial prosperity, more than anything, this book is a gift for them. It’s a family history, an instruction manual, an honest reflection about a fleeting moment, a smile, a glance, and the goodnight kiss I often failed to give them.
Maybe one day, when they’re lost or confused or angry or sad or daydreaming about the prom queen, they will open this book and read a story or one of the letters I’ve written to them. Maybe my words will let them hear my voice again. Feel my lips pressed against their ears. And maybe they’ll know they’re not alone. That Dad is here. With them. Helping them through life forever.
Be well,
Jay
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GUEST POST: Describe your writing journey…
Recently, as I limped across a stretch of grass toward my son’s soccer game, I was surrounded by four sweaty nine-year-old boys and a dog.
“Are you Dylan’s dad?” a voice asked.
“Yes.”
“Did you write a book?”
“Yes.”
“What’s it called?”
“The Great Gatsby.“
“Are you famous?”
“Yes.”
The dog–maybe a pug or a spaniel– sniffed my famous legs and looked up at my famous face and breathed my famous air.
“What’s your book about?”
“A rich guy lives in a big house and drives cool cars to impress a girl.”
“Are there curses in your book?”
“A few.”
“Cool. Can we read it?”
“When you get older.”
“Hey, Dylan’s dad, can we get your autograph?
“No.”
~
And so, twenty-eight years before denying a gang of nine-year-old boys autographs, my journey began as I sat quietly at a wooden desk in 9th grade English class waiting for the teacher to give back our first writing assignment.
We were learning about the Salem Witch Trials and had to write a letter from the point-of-view of an innocent woman on trial for being a witch.
I remember the classroom was silent as our teacher, a young woman with straight brown hair and who always wore high heels, clacked around the room handing back our letters. When she handed back the letter, she looked at me and said , “You have a strong voice. Keep writing.”
I was like a lot of teenagers. I wanted to be seen but not watched. Earn praise but apply little effort. Was too-cool-for-school but cared deeply about learning and growing. Wanted to share myself but was terrified of being vulnerable.
Yet as I wrestled my adolescent contradictions, I realized I wanted my writing read and my voice heard. But I was afraid.
For about the next ten years I was confident I was going to write a book. Probably a bestseller. Probably get a movie deal. Probably move to Hollywood. And probably be hounded by fervent fans–who actually read my book–for an autograph.
But something happened. Every time I started writing a story I stopped. I wanted to be a writer but didn’t know how to really write. I wanted to find my voice but didn’t know how.
Sure I could write a ninth grade English assignment, but writing a story from scratch, without questions to answer or teacher expectations to meet, I was totally lost.
So I did what most self-respecting, struggling writers do when they doubt their abilities–I became a high school English teacher.
I realize now, for seventeen years I was teaching the ninth grade version of myself how to write. The quiet kid who had potential but needed guidance and reassurance never graduated. He was always there. In my classroom. Listening. Taking notes. Learning how to write in a way that was honest, wise, vulnerable, and sometimes funny. Discovering his voice.
A month after Dylan was born, I was diagnosed with cerebellar degeneration. An incurable, progressive disease whose many cruelties involves the weakening of a person’s voice.
It was then, when life got serious, that I–Dylan’s dad–decided it was time. I was ready. I was schooled, properly motivated, and had a subject to write about. So I retired from teaching and began writing little scenes starring my children– learning how to ride a bike or learning the “F” word, witnessing their father’s health decline or witnessing their father pursue his dream.
These scenes became bedrock for Bedtime Stories for the Living. A father’s memoir. A literary scrapbook. A book my children could forever use as a life manual. A quiet place, when life gets loud, for them to hear their dad’s voice.
My writer’s journey, which is fundamental to my human journey, helped me make peace with my disease. It taught me that self-reflection is a requirement of life. That contradictions must be understood and accepted. That growth and perspective only come when we embrace our vulnerabilities and take risks. That as we grow and change we must re examine our priorities. That our voice matters. That our stories matter. That achieving our dreams matters.
And that nine-year-olds are not versed enough in American literature to have never heard of The Great Gatsby.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
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In 2013, Jay Armstrong was diagnosed with diffuse cerebellar atrophy. A condition that causes dysfunctional motor skills, speech and vision impairments, and balance deficiencies. At the time of diagnosis, he was establishing himself as an endeared high school English teacher, a varsity soccer coach, and an above average dancer. However, the progressive disorder forced Jay to reevaluate his life.
Supported by his high school sweetheart turned wife (Cindy) and their three children (Haley, Chase, Dylan), Jay retired from teaching in 2021 to pursue his dream of becoming an author.
Jay believes in the power of storytelling. He also believes in dad jokes, laughter, and the unrelenting pursuit of dreams. Jay’s debut book, Bedtime Stories for the Living, is an episodic memoir in which Jay shows his children how to accept their limitations and find joy. The collection of tender, witty stories about fatherhood, persevering despite illness, and pursuing your dreams, demonstrates how love gives us the strength to face heartache with bravery, humor, and grace.
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Jay is passionate about Philly sports, soft pretzels, and Rocky Balboa.
Bedtime Stories for the Living is available at the following:
The book will be $0.99.
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Jay-Armstrong/e/B09LF9HN51
Lulu https://www.lulu.com/shop/jay-armstrong/bedtime-stories-for-the-living/paperback/product-y67dzn.html
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/bedtime-stories-for-the-living
Vivlio https://shop.vivlio.com/product/9798985214314_9798985214314_10020
Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bedtime-stories-for-the-living-jay-armstrong/1140591539?ean=2940165155536
Apple https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1598611714
Websites:
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/writeonfighton
Twitter:
@writeonfighton
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GIVEAWAY :
Jay Armstrong will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
September 24, 2022
Review: THE LEGEND OF PINEAPPLE COVE: A MERMAID’S PROMISE by Marina Bowman
A green, slimy blog was sloshing through Pineapple Cove. How would Kai be able to stop it, especially when it took his mom and sister? They would only be returned if Kai gave them the Storm Blaster. Could mermaids be behind this?
With cute and colorful illustration, this is a lovely, underwater adventure. A fun read!
Rating: 4 stars
Review:THE LEGEND OF PINEAPPLE COVE: PROTECTOR’S PLEDGE by Marina Bowman
Poseidon’s trident was missing. If Poseidon didn’t get his trident back by the full moon, he will be stuck as a fish forever. Oh no! Time was running out.
This is another fun adventure of riddles and capers! A good read!
Rating: 4 stars
Review: THE LEGEND OF PINEAPPLE COVER: KING OF THE SEA by Marina Bowman
On a flying ship, the kids were off to their next adventure: finding the crystal egg. Off to Turtle Montain, where they discover more magical creatures like a Pegasus.
Another fun read!
Rating: 4 stars
Review: THE LEGEND OF PINEAPPLE COVE: POSEIDON’S STORM BLASTER by Marina Bowman
A baby dolphin in trouble. It’s little Kai to the rescue. After saving it, the dolphin dropped something from his mouth: a gold trident necklace.
Then the danger was announced: a sea monster was headed to Pineapple Cove. Oh no!
Kai, along with a friend and trusty sea lion, make it a mission to find the Protector of the Cove. But the Protector, instead, sends Kai on the task to find Poseidon’s Storm Blaster to defeat the monster and protect the Cove.
Filled with cute illustrations, this was a fun read!
Rating: 4 stars
September 23, 2022
Blog Tour: THE PRICKLY PROBLEM by Cheryl DaVeiga
Join us for this tour from Sep 13 to Oct 11, 2022!Book Details:
Book Title: The Prickly Problem: Dr. Pete the Porcupine by Cheryl DaVeiga
Category: Children's Fiction (Ages 3-7), 44 pages
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Publisher: Waterhole Productions LLC
Release date: January, 2021
Content Rating: G. This children's book is for everyone.
Book Description:
Quirky, magic-potion-making Dr. Pete the Porcupine finds himself in a sticky situation, perplexed by a terribly tricky case. Beloved by his desert neighbors for always fixing their prickliest problems, has Dr. Pete finally found a prickly problem he can’t solve? Follow Dr. Pete through this heartwarming tale as he and his desert friends learn the power of compassion, kindness, and friendship.
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Also Available for Review:
Book Details:Book Title: Rocket Red: A Little Ant with a Big Dream by Cheryl DaVeiga and Dave Gibson
Category: Children's Fiction (Ages 3-7), 32 pages
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Publisher: Waterhole Productions LLC
Release date: November, 2021
Content Rating: G. This children's book is for everyone. Book Description:
Rocket Red is a little guitar-playing, singing ant who dreams of becoming a big rock star. His mom, the queen ant, disapproves! She believes his job is to work and feed the ant colony. The only one who seems to believe in him is his pal, Beebop Bea.
One day, delayed by practicing with his Lucky Bug Band, Red finds himself all alone and in a dreadful jam. Can his music somehow save him?
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Book Details:
Book Title: WAR AT THE ICE CREAM STORE by Cheryl DaVeiga and Dave Gibson
Category: Children's Fiction (Ages 3-7), 32 pages
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Publisher: Waterhole Productions LLC
Release date: January, 2021
Content Rating: G. This children's book is for everyone. Book Description:
In the Frozen Frogg Ice Cream Shop, Bully Vanilli is the most popular ice cream and self-proclaimed king of the flavors. Lonely Mustachio Pistachio sits at the back of the freezer. No one ever picks him!
Every night, after the store door is locked, Bully Vanilli begins his bullying and Mustachio is his favorite target. One night Bully kicks Mustachio’s bucket. Poor Mustachio falls SPLAT on the floor and it's... War at the Ice Cream Store! And
as the The War at the Ice Cream Store song goes...
?? Biff bam booza, yowza wowza wooza, It's a milk-shakin' cone-breakin' yabba dabba dooza! ??
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Meet the Authors:Cheryl DaVeiga is an award-winning children’s book author and singer/songwriter residing in New Jersey. After a career in business, Cheryl’s passion for music caught up with her, and she began writing and recording children’s songs as her alter ego, CADi Grace. She then moved on to adult songs, including an ASCAP award-winning veteran’s anthem, the featured song for the State of Alabama Bicentennial Celebration, the theme song to the philanthropic Where Angels Play Foundation, and a NJ Arts' pick for top NJ summer songs. She’s also written songs for artists on critically acclaimed albums. Cheryl’s collaboration with Nashville songwriter Dave Gibson gave birth to a new adventure--writing children’s books, each with an accompanying song. Their Mom’s Choice Gold, Purple Dragonfly- award-winning, and Readers’ Favorite five-star rated debut children’s book, War at the Ice Cream Store , their Midwest Book Review highly recommended, and Readers’ Favorite five-star rated follow up, Rocket Red: A Little Ant with a Big Dream , and Cheryl's newest release, The Prickly Problem: Dr. Pete the Porcupine, are featured on their online home for Kids: BiffBamBooza.com. Cheryl has numerous new children’s books on the way.
Dave Gibson is a singer/songwriter and children’s book author who resides in Nashville, Tennessee. A fixture on the Nashville music scene, Dave penned six #1 hits for artists such as Alabama, Tanya Tucker, Confederate Railroad, and Montgomery Gentry, as well as numerous other well-known country hits. He also won the Academy of Country Music’s (ACM) Best New Group award for his own Gibson/Miller Band. One of Dave’s favorite projects is his collaboration with songwriter/author Cheryl DaVeiga to write children’s books and songs. Their Mom’s Choice Gold, Purple Dragonfly award-winning, and Readers’ Favorite five-star rated debut children’s book, War at the Ice Cream Store, as well as their Midwest Book Review highly recommended, Readers’ Favorite five-star rated follow up,
Rocket Red: A Little Ant with a Big Dream
, are featured on their online home for Kids: BiffBamBooza.com.connect with the authors: website ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ twitter ~ bookbub ~ goodreads Review of The Prickly Problem:
Dr. Pete, the porcupine, was no ordinary doctor. He liked to use his potions to solve prickly problems. Dr. Pete could solve anyone’s problems, which was why everyone came to him. Your rattlesnake won’t rattle? No problem. A stung stinger? No problem.
But there was one problem he couldn’t solve, and that was Cactus Jack, a rude dude and “a hard case to crack.” Can Dr. Peter make the “grouch be gone?”
Watch as Dr. Pete and his friends try everything to help relieve the mean nastiness of the cactus. They tried everything, but nothing was working. But there was one thing they didn’t try that might do the trick.
The solution was so simple.
Story was filled with vibrant, fun, and colorful illustrations that leap off the pages. The characters were so comical and cartoony—I loved it!
Story is a good example of the healing power of the heart. A nice read!
Rating: 5 stars
Tour Schedule:
Sep 13 – fundinmental – book spotlight / giveaway
Sep 13 – A Mama's Corner of the World – book review of THE PRICKLY PROBLEM: DR PETE THE PORCUPINE / giveaway
Sep 14 - The Adventures of a Traveler's Wife - book review of THE PRICKLY PROBLEM: DR PETE THE PORCUPINE / guest post / giveaway
Sep 14 – A Mama's Corner of the World – book review of ROCKET RED: A LITTLE ANT WITH A BIG DREAM / giveaway
Sep 15 - Rockin' Book Reviews - book review of THE PRICKLY PROBLEM: DR PETE THE PORCUPINE / guest post / giveaway
Sep 15 – A Mama's Corner of the World – book review of WAR AT THE ICE CREAM STORE: MUSTACHIO PISTACHIO VS BULLY VANILLI / giveaway
Sep 15 - Character Madness and Musings – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Sep 16 – Bound 4 Escape – book review of THE PRICKLY PROBLEM: DR PETE THE PORCUPINE / giveaway
Sep 16 - Rockin' Book Reviews - book review of ROCKET RED: A LITTLE ANT WITH A BIG DREAM / giveaway
Sep 19 – sharingiscaringbookblog.wordpress.com - book review of THE PRICKLY PROBLEM: DR PETE THE PORCUPINE
Sep 19 - The Phantom Paragrapher - book review of THE PRICKLY PROBLEM: DR PETE THE PORCUPINE / giveaway
Sep 20 – Splashes of Joy - book review of THE PRICKLY PROBLEM: DR PETE THE PORCUPINE / giveaway
Sep 20 – sharingiscaringbookblog.wordpress.com - book review of ROCKET RED: A LITTLE ANT WITH A BIG DREAM
Sep 21 - @sarahs.bookstack - book review of THE PRICKLY PROBLEM: DR PETE THE PORCUPINE
Sep 21 – Splashes of Joy - book review of ROCKET RED: A LITTLE ANT WITH A BIG DREAM / giveaway
Sep 22 - The Adventures of a Traveler's Wife - book review of ROCKET RED: A LITTLE ANT WITH A BIG DREAM / author interview / giveaway
Sep 22 - @sarahs.bookstack - book review of WAR AT THE ICE CREAM STORE: MUSTACHIO PISTACHIO VS BULLY VANILLI
Sep 23 - Sandra's Book Club - book review of THE PRICKLY PROBLEM: DR PETE THE PORCUPINE / giveaway
Sep 23 – Bound 4 Escape – book review of ROCKET RED: A LITTLE ANT WITH A BIG DREAM / giveaway
Sep 26 - The Phantom Paragrapher - book review of ROCKET RED: A LITTLE ANT WITH A BIG DREAM / giveaway
Sep 26 - Sandra's Book Club - book review of ROCKET RED: A LITTLE ANT WITH A BIG DREAM / giveaway
Sep 26 – sharingiscaringbookblog.wordpress.com - book review of WAR AT THE ICE CREAM STORE: MUSTACHIO PISTACHIO VS BULLY VANILLI
Sep 27 – RebeccaReviewedIt - book review of THE PRICKLY PROBLEM: DR PETE THE PORCUPINE / author interview / giveaway
Sep 28 – RebeccaReviewedIt - book review of ROCKET RED: A LITTLE ANT WITH A BIG DREAM / giveaway
Sep 28 - Regally Written - book review of THE PRICKLY PROBLEM: DR PETE THE PORCUPINE
Sep 29 – Literary Flits – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Sep 29 - Paws.Read.Repeat - book review of THE PRICKLY PROBLEM: DR PETE THE PORCUPINE / author interview / giveaway
Sep 29 – Reading is My Passion - book review of THE PRICKLY PROBLEM: DR PETE THE PORCUPINE / giveaway
Sep 30 - Regally Written - book review of ROCKET RED: A LITTLE ANT WITH A BIG DREAM
Sep 30 - Sandra's Book Club - book review of WAR AT THE ICE CREAM STORE: MUSTACHIO PISTACHIO VS BULLY VANILLI / giveaway
Oct 3 - Just Another Mother With Books - book review of THE PRICKLY PROBLEM: DR PETE THE PORCUPINE
Oct 3 - Mel_literate - book review of THE PRICKLY PROBLEM: DR PETE THE PORCUPINE
Oct 3 – Reading is My Passion - book review of ROCKET RED: A LITTLE ANT WITH A BIG DREAM / giveaway
Oct 4 - Captive Dreams Window- book review of THE PRICKLY PROBLEM: DR PETE THE PORCUPINE / giveaway
Oct 4 - Just Another Mother With Books - book review of ROCKET RED: A LITTLE ANT WITH A BIG DREAM
Oct 4 - Paws.Read.Repeat - book review of ROCKET RED: A LITTLE ANT WITH A BIG DREAM / giveaway
Oct 4 – Reading is My Passion - book review of WAR AT THE ICE CREAM STORE: MUSTACHIO PISTACHIO VS BULLY VANILLI / giveaway
Oct 5 – RebeccaReviewedIt - book review of WAR AT THE ICE CREAM STORE: MUSTACHIO PISTACHIO VS BULLY VANILLI / giveaway
Oct 5 - Just Another Mother With Books - book review of WAR AT THE ICE CREAM STORE: MUSTACHIO PISTACHIO VS BULLY VANILLI
Oct 6 - Regally Written - book review of WAR AT THE ICE CREAM STORE: MUSTACHIO PISTACHIO VS BULLY VANILLI
Oct 6 – Paws.Read.Repeat - book review of WAR AT THE ICE CREAM STORE: MUSTACHIO PISTACHIO VS BULLY VANILLI / giveaway
Oct 7 – Captive Dreams Window- book review of ROCKET RED: A LITTLE ANT WITH A BIG DREAM / giveaway
Oct 7 - Mel_literate - book review of ROCKET RED: A LITTLE ANT WITH A BIG DREAM
Oct 7 - The Phantom Paragrapher - book review of WAR AT THE ICE CREAM STORE: MUSTACHIO PISTACHIO VS BULLY VANILLI / giveaway
Oct 11 - Mel_literate - book review of WAR AT THE ICE CREAM STORE: MUSTACHIO PISTACHIO VS BULLY VANILLI
Oct 11 – Captive Dreams Window- book review of WAR AT THE ICE CREAM STORE: MUSTACHIO PISTACHIO VS BULLY VANILLI / giveaway Enter the Giveaway:
THE PRICKLY PROBLEM: DR. PETE THE PORCUPINE Book Tour Giveaway
September 22, 2022
Blog Tour: THE WILD ROSE AND THE SEA RAVEN by Jennifer Ivy Walker
The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven
by Jennifer Ivy Walker
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GENRE: Paranormal fantasy medieval romance
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BLURB:
In this dark fairy tale adaptation of a medieval French legend, Issylte must flee the wicked queen, finding shelter with a fairy witch who teaches her the verdant magic of the forest. Fate leads her to the otherworldly realm of the Lady of the Lake and the Elves of Avalon, where she must choose between her life as a healer or fight to save her ravaged kingdom. Tristan of Lyonesse is a Knight of the Round Table who must overcome the horrors of his past and defend his king or lose everything. When he becomes a warrior of the Tribe of Dana, a gift of Druidic magic might hold the key he seeks. Haunted and hunted. Entwined by fate. Can their passion and power prevail?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt One:
He opened the brilliant blue eyes that she’d seen in the vision.
As she gazed into them, the earth tilted. Her heart raced; her bearings were lost. In the depths of his eyes, she glimpsed a fountain in a forest. The turquoise waters of the ocean. An underground well encased by sacred stones. She, the forest fairy, was immersed in the blue waters of the warrior’s eyes, the waves emanating from him flowing through her, cleansing her. Beckoning her.
In Tristan’s eyes, Issylte glimpsed a black bird—a sea raven—soaring over an open sea, hovering now before her. A small dove fluttered in her breast, called forth from her soul. White wings unfurled as she took flight, rising into the azure sky alongside the black seabird—-floating together through the diaphanous clouds scattered across the vast ocean.
In the breadth of an instant, Issylte was bound to this warrior, the Blue Knight of Cornwall, as if fate had indeed entwined them. Through the windows of his eyes, she peered into his soul, her own blending with his, as if they were the forest and the ocean, encircled now within the three layers of protective stones, the holy trinity of sacred elements of the Goddess.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
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Enthralled with legends of medieval knights and ladies, dark fairy tales and fantasies about Druids, wizards and magic, Jennifer Ivy Walker always dreamed of becoming a writer. She fell in love with French in junior high school, continuing her study of the language throughout college, eventually becoming a high school teacher and college professor of French.
As a high school teacher, she took her students every year to the annual French competition, where they performed a play she had written, "Yseult la Belle et Tristan la Bête"--an imaginative blend of the medieval French legend of "Tristan et Yseult" and the fairy tale "Beauty and the Beast", enhanced with fantasy elements of a Celtic fairy and a wicked witch.
Her debut novel, "The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven"--the first of a trilogy-- is a blend of her love for medieval legends, the romantic French language, and paranormal fantasy. It is a retelling of the medieval French romance of "Tristan et Yseult", interwoven with Arthurian myth, dark fairy tales from the enchanted Forest of Brocéliande, and otherworldy elements such as Avalonian Elves, Druids, forest fairies and magic.
Explore her realm of Medieval French Fantasy. She hopes her novels will enchant you.
Website: https://jenniferivywalker.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferIvyWalker
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bohemienneivy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferivywalkerauthor/
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/~/e/B0B91R2MJZ
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-wild-rose-and-the-sea-raven-jennifer-ivy-walker/1141977954
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GIVEAWAY
Jennifer Ivy Walker will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveawaySeptember 21, 2022
Blog Tour: THE TRIAL SHOW: THE RESISTANCE RISES by Konstantina P.
The Trial Show: The Resistance Rises
by Konstantina P.
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GENRE: speculative fiction, spy thriller
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BLURB:
Forced into the shadows while waging war on an oppressive regime intent on controlling those born with unnatural powers, the Resistance feels like a family. And although all families harbour secrets, theirs are world-shattering.
When Ava Moore foresees the death of her sister Brooklyn and Resistance leader Parker Quinn is forced to appear in a televised trial accused of murder, the web of lies begins to unravel. For not only is Resistance’s second-in-command, Jay Frazer, fighting a guerrilla battle with deadly consequences, he’s also trying to bury his deep-seated love for Parker.
With Parker and Jay temporarily out of the picture, double-agent Trent Reese is left responsible for leading the Resistance. Trent is willing to adapt his moral code to any situation, but what—or whom—does he believe in? As for innocent Ava, who’s plagued by unsettling visions, it’s becoming clear that everyone she loves is in peril. Given, however, that Parker is concealing a mighty gift of his own, one that could change the entire course of the rebellion, the future of the all-seeing state is on the line too.
When the web of secrets is untangled, who will survive?
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Excerpt One:
Or maybe I need to mourn for my best friend. The teenager I once met that was always angry and who grew up to be a perpetual frowner. The man who always stood by my side and trusted me enough to put me on the helm of an organisation that was more inclined to follow him. The man who helped me raise Ava, the three of us trapped in a two-by-two room for years. His room before it became only mine. He took us in and never complained.
Mourn the man who taught me how to fight, who laughed his ass off when my first punch ended with a broken finger, and who, once I healed, corrected my stance and told me to do it again. The man whose fiancé I got killed, but, still, the worst thing he did was cry in my arms.
But, most of all, maybe I need to mourn for the lost chances. The gazes that—stubbornly—never lingered. The touches that never came, and the ones that did, but never became anything more. The thoughts that were never spoken out loud…The reassurances that were never given…The promises that I never dared to make…The words that were only spoken once, but got shot down so quickly they never dared to make a reappearance.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
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Konstantina was born in 1988 in Korinthos, Greece, and soon after her family moved to Lefkada where she grew up until 2006 when she relocated to Athens for her studies. She has a BSc in Physics, an MSc in Materials Science, a PhD in Physics and a second PhD in Engineering. In 2013, she got her Diploma in Scriptwriting for TV, Film, Stage, Radio. In 2020, she moved to Coventry, UK, where she currently lives. She keeps busy teaching in higher education and researching energy materials towards a greener future. Facebook: fb.me/konstantina88p Instagram: http://instagram.com/konstantina88p/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Konstantina88P Blog: https://konstantinasays.wordpress.com/
Book on amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09WD79Q34
Book on goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61218460-the-trial-show
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GIVEAWAY :
Konstantina P. will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
September 20, 2022
Blog Tour: WELCOME TO MS. NELLY'S SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS by Chetoca Barfield
Welcome to Ms. Nelly's Sunday School Class
by Chetoca Barfield
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GENRE: Christian Non-Fiction
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BLURB:
Join in on the fun as Ms. Nelly teaches her Sunday school class how to interact with God. Each story in this collection is ideal for reading aloud in just five minutes - a perfect fit for bedtime, story time, or anytime!
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Excerpt One:
Class: Everyone in the class raise their hands except for Cindy.
Ms. Nelly: Thank you, class; please put your hands down. Cindy, would you like for me to repeat the question?
Cindy: No, Ms. Nelly. I believe Jesus loves me…when he’s not sleeping.
Ms. Nelly: Oh really, why would you say that?
Cindy: God isn’t answering my prayers so, I believe he has fallen asleep.
Class: Laughs
Bhatti: God doesn’t sleep, Cindy.
Ms. Nelly: You are right, Bhatti. God does not sleep.
Cindy: Ok, if you say so.
Ms. Nelly: Yes, I do. Class, today we are working on our next Sunday school program. Our program is all about the blessings of God. Each of you will share your story on how God bless you or how you witness God blessing someone else. Would anyone like to share their story?
Theo: Yes, Ms. Nelly. God allowed my mom to give me chocolate chip cookies as a snack. This was a blessing from GOD. Mom never lets me eat anything sweet.
Ms. Nelly: Very good, Theo.
Victoria: God blessed my lunchbox. God allowed my mom to give me a lot of food for lunch. I shared half of my lunch with my friend, who left her lunch bag at home.
Ms. Nelly: Victoria, that was nice of you to share your lunch with someone in need.
Class: Yes, Yep, very nice.
Connor: God blessed me with the best adopted parents ever, Ms. Nelly. They cook for me, they spend time with me, and they kiss me at night and tell me how much they love me.
Ms. Nelly: That’s wonderful, Connor.
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GUEST POST
Topic: Please describe what you hope readers get from your story
My hope is that all readers can see themselves in each character. Let's face it, we've been told all our lives how important it is to build a relationship with God. I believe the ingredient for a lot of us was how to actually do that. Welcome to Ms. Nelly’s Sunday School Class exhibits how Ms. Nelly in her simplistic way makes God relatable to her students through simple communication and bible verses. My hope is the same way Ms. Nelly shows her students how to interact with God is the same way she can help make God relatable to the child in your life.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
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My name is Chetoca Barfield. I was born and raised in a small town located in Eastern North Carolina with my parents and 2 siblings; and older brother and younger sister. Growing up I had dreams of becoming a lawyer. There wasn’t anything that sparked this interest, but I knew early on in grade school that I loved to research and explain how things came to be.
Graduating from high school I knew that I would pursue criminal justice studies at Elizabeth City State University (i.e., ECSU) with hopes of having a career as a criminal prosecutor.
My freshman year in college I laid eyes on my dream guy who has been my husband for the last 19 years. I knew the moment I saw him walk out of the café I was going to marry him.
I know that may sound weird, but it’s the truth. Michael (my husband) and I didn’t begin dating until one year later. It’s funny how things happen, but that is a story for another day. In 2000 I graduated from ECSU and began working in corporate America a customer service representative. At the same time, I was studying to taking the LSAT to enter law school.
In 2003 Michael and I wed. Marriage was fun, enjoyable, and I didn’t want anything to interrupt our marital bliss 😊 except for the mini dachshund I adopted; his name is Baxter. Baxter was a welcomed interruption, but I thought that was all the interruption we needed. I made the decision to no longer pursue law school.
To be honest studying has never been my strong suit. Law school demands a lot of time and at that point in my life I wasn’t ready to commit. I enjoyed working in corporate America but knew staying in a customer service role wasn’t my “forever” career choice as I wanted to pursue a leadership role.
In 2006 I received my MBA degree from Strayer University. During this time my corporate career was starting to take off. I moved into a supervisory role and lead an operations team for a few years within the financial industry. In 2011, I was offered a higher-level leadership opportunity with a different financial institution.
It was the best decision I could have made for my career goals as I have thrived promotionally ever since. Leading teams for the last 15 years led me down an unexpected path; mentoring. I’ve mentored many colleagues and peers from a career development perspective. I must say this was an un-disclose passion that I didn’t know I had until I was knee deep in it.
As time progressed, mentoring evolved into to helping individuals, groups, etc. navigate life challenges. Growing up in my household my parents had a rule for my siblings and me. If we didn’t attend church on Sunday’s, we couldn’t go anywhere for the rest of the day. Every Sunday we were in church.
While I didn’t appreciate going to the church as much as I did at that time, I’m thankful that I did. It was through my Sunday school teacher that I learned how to develop a relationship with God. As I’ve grown in my walk with Christ this vital lesson has helped me through many difficult moments.
When COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020 all our lives were altered. The daily routines that were once in place was replaced with social isolation, mental health challenges, social injustice, and doubting faith. The need of having a healthy support system was magnified and this need lead to the birth of Treasured Possession.
Treasured Possession is a mentoring community that I created to provide encouragement, support, and tools to equip the body of Christ to lead healthy lives in body, mind, and spirit. The name Treasured Possession comes from Deuteronomy 7:6 (ESV) “For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.”
You & I are his most Treasured Possession.
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GIVEAWAY :
Chetoca Barfield will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Blog Tour: THE MERMAID AND THE UNICORNS by L.T. Getty
The Mermaid and the Unicorns
by L.T. Getty
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GENRE: Middle Grade Fantasy Adventure
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BLURB:
Daphne’s a typical mermaid, and at least according to her, that’s a problem. She’s courageous and has a beautiful singing voice, but lacks the power of an elemental, the ability to command water with the sound of her voice. Jealous of her best friend, she makes a deal with a sea-witch, only to be betrayed, in place of her beautiful tail and flukes Daphne’s left beached with a pair of human legs. The spell keeping Daphne looking human will become permanent, unless Daphne can hunt down and bring the scheming Lorelei a unicorn horn before the next full moon.
Unable to reach her friends and family for help, Daphne doesn’t know how to walk, much less where to find a unicorn or how to catch one. Even if she’s successful, Daphne’s still not sure if she can trust Lorelei and her pint-sized kraken to keep their end of the bargain and let her return to the sea.
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NOTE: The book is only $0.99.
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Excerpt One:
"You'll see lots as you travel from place to place," Daphne told the small dolphin. "Come, your mother won't forgive me if I let you roam from the pod."
Why hurry? Echor asked as he swam, spinning around different plants and sponges that grew along the rocks, before focusing in on a vibrant snail. It was not a very old reef, though it was well inhabited by many vividly-colored, small fish. The young dolphin seemed to take pleasure in disturbing them and watching them scurry into their small hiding crevices and among the anemones. You're so lucky that you get to stay in your town all the time. This part of the sea is so beautiful!
"I think it would be neat to see so much of the ocean," Daphne said, thinking of her small town of Thranda. Unlike the dolphins, who often travelled long distances in a single day, most merfolk lived in towns unless they left their communities to hunt or travel to another community. She had known members of his family since she was a little mermaid, and only got to see them a few times a year when they passed through her home to feed in a nearby bay. She heard a series of warnings behind her—the other dolphins had detected something with their echolocation. Unless it was something exceptionally large, they should have been safe within the pod, but Echor was very young. "Echor, let's return to your family." The young dolphin had wandered off while Daphne had turned her head, chasing a seal that had left her bob, trying to swim away from Echor.
"Echor!" Daphne called, swimming after him. She caught up to him, then looked over her shoulder as she heard a familiar sound. An orca! Daphne suppressed a shudder. It was large, but far enough away for her to find a hiding space. Still, killer whales almost always travelled in groups. The killer whale dove when he spotted her. She knew the others would want to help, but they were no match for an orca. He swam quickly towards her and Echor. Daphne knew she would be hard pressed to out-swim the large creature.
Hide! the orca told her.
Daphne then saw the immense shadow and wooden keel of a ship following the orca. The killer whale dove deep, though the water was too clear and shallow to truly hide his massive form. A harpoon followed him, missed, and was quickly pulled back to the surface by a rope. Another harpoon plunged into the water, and then another. The rough waters churned green and grey in the ship's wake, and Echor's warning chatter only told her that there was another human vessel. It came from Daphne's left, and it dragged a net behind it.
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GUEST POST: Grounding Inspiration
I wasn’t certain how to go about talking about my inspiration because I think it comes from all over. If I read a book, I may incorporate things I like in a draft both consciously and subconsciously. I used to love finding an author voice I loved and emulating it in a short story. I also could talk about one medium. Art? Love it. Music? Don’t understand it but it’s important. Other authors? They did all the heavy lifting.
I set out wanting to write a book for my niece, and I consciously wrote it to be in familiar a framework as possible and friendly for a beginner while at the same time being its own unique story. My niece is an amazing reader now who reads more than I do, but she was just starting chapter books.
I think a mistake I made as a younger writer was wanting to be original as possible, all the while taking classes and anyone and everyone telling me that I can’t possibly be original, but I can hope to write well. I’m not going to argue if there’s really only three plots or if I can help but being derivative, but one of my key influences, CS Lewis, had this to say on the subject:
“Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it.”
I think at the end of the day I wanted a story for my niece that wasn’t about attributing amazing skill or about being the chosen one. She doesn’t have to be an Amazon-princess to belong on an adventure. The story is ultimately about the power of choice and being okay in your own skin – or fin, in this instance, and being the best version of yourself as opposed to tacking on qualifiers.
I also wanted to pass on a fairy story that was shameless about being a high-fantasy fairy tale adventure, before we got to the nitty gritty and dark retellings that are allegedly for adults.
I don’t know if this book I wrote will appeal to a child you know, but while it’s still okay to install a sense of wonder and imagination, I think its important to try to do and find something to do for a child in my life. I’m not saying the love of reading is the only thing that matters: maybe it’s building something, or encouraging them in a love of music, or teaching them how to play chess. We all have different strengths and weaknesses, but my short answer is I try to be the person I would have liked to have around when I was growing up.
I never really much cared about dedications in books before, but I guess I get it now.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
L.T. Getty is a rural paramedic from Manitoba. She enjoys writing science fiction and fantasy and generally being creative.
Amazon (American)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09F2MRB9N/
Amazon (Canadian)
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B09F2MRB9N/
Kobo
https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/the-mermaid-and-the-unicorns
Goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60006465-the-mermaid-and-the-unicorns
Barnes and Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-mermaid-and-the-unicorns-lt-getty/1140115966
Author Links:
My Blog
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GIVEAWAY
L.T. Getty will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
